GB2170410A

GB2170410A - Bottle holder

Info

Publication number: GB2170410A
Application number: GB8502640A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rebecca Mason
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-02-01
Filing date: 1985-02-01
Publication date: 1986-08-06
Also published as: GB8502640D0

Abstract

The holder comprises means for attaching the holder onto a member, such as a cross bar of a chair or pram, and means adapted to retain a bottle in a releasable manner so that a baby can feed itself from the bottle as it requires milk, after which the bottle is retained on the member, preferably in an orientation such that the bottle's contents will not leak.

Description

SPECIFICATION Bottle holder This invention relates to a bottle holder and one object is to provide a particularly simple arrangementforholdinga baby's bottle sothatitcan drinkwithout help from an adult.

According to the invention a bottle holder comprises a fitting enabling the holderto besecured to a bar or other mounting, and a ring or other gripping device for releasably retaining a bottle.

Many baby's prams, cradles and chairs are provided with a removable bar on which toys are pivotally mounted for amusing the baby and in a preferred form of the invention the holder is adapted to be removably fitted to such a bar. Thus, a convenientform ofthe holderis intheform of one two journal sleeves which are circumferentially incomplete and of elastomeric nature so that they can be snapped overthe bar and retained there while being free to turn aboutthe bar.

Alternatively, the fitting may include a clamping device enabling the holderto be secured at some convenient part of a pram or chair or cradle.

In a very simple form the fitting comprises a rubber or like elastomericstrap which has to be stretched to accommodate the' bottle and then retains the bottle in relation tothe holder by a friction grip.

In an alternative embodiment, instead of a simple elastomericstrap,thefitting comprises a moulded ring into which the bottle can be slid and retained.

Thus the ring may be moulded with internal projections which can resile as the bottle is slipped into the ring and then serve to grip the bottle frictionally; in either case it is preferred that the fitting is integrally connected with the holder.

Afurtherpossibility isto form thefitting integrally with the bottle itself. Thus it is likely that the holder will be a one-piece moulding, perhaps or rubber or polypropylene, and the one-piece moulding may be adapted to grip a standard bottle or may in fact have the bottle integrally moulded as a component of it.

The invention includes a bottle holder pivotally or otherwise secured to a bar or other mounting on a pram, chair or cradle and with orwithouta bottle retained in the holder.

The invention also includes a method of feeding a baby in which a bottle is pivotally or otherwise mounted in relation to the baby's pram chairorcot and leftforthe baby to feed himself.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways and certain embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings each figure of which is a sketch showing one form of bottle holder. In Figures 1,2 and 3 the bottle holder is intended to be mounted on the standard cross-barof a baby'schairorcradle or pram which is normally used to carry pivotal mounted toys which'are frequently in the form of plasticsmouldings 11 integrally formed with journal bearings 12 so that they can turn easily on the bar 13.

The bar is itself supported from the chair, cradle or pram by conventional means, for example the arms 14.

In the embodiment of Figure 1 one ortwo adjacent toys are replaced by a bottle holder in the form of a simple fitting having a pair of moulded journal sleeves 15 integrally connected to an elastomeric strap 16 of such dimensions that its to be slightly extendedfora standard baby's bottle to be introduced between the strap and the bar 13. The sleeves 15 are in the form of incomplete cyl ind rical annuli so that they can easily be snapped overthe bar 13 and then turn easily around the bar. The bottle 17 can be simply engaged within the loop or strap 16 when the baby is to be fed and there will be sufficient grip from the stretched strap to prevent the baby pulling the bottle from it.However, the baby will be able easilyto pivotthe bottle in its fitting about the bar 13when itwantsto drink, and when it has finished drinking the natural action of pushing the bottle away will cause itto pivot back aboutthe barto a more or less upright position.

In the alternative embodiment of Figure 2 onlythe bar13 isshown in addition to the fitting because other components arethesame as in Figure 1. In Figure 2 the fitting is an integral plastics moulding perhaps of polypropylene or a synthetic rubber in the form of a ring 21 having a decorative outercontour22 and a central opening 23 bounded by a ring having a numberofinward projections24forgrippingthe bottle. Journal sleeves 25 are moulded integrally with thefitting 21 for mounting on the bar 13 justas described with referenceto Figure 1.If the moulding is of a resilient plastics material the bottle can be slipped into the opening 23 and the dimensions of the projections 24 will be such that the projections haveto deflect and their natural resilience keeps a frictional grip ofthe bottle.

In each ofthe examples shown in Figures 1 and 2 the fitting is a simple one-piece moulding of rubber or elastomeric plastics material with resilient means for gripping the bar and gripping the bottle. Either fitting could have a moulded decoration applied to it so that it can be used as a toy when not being used to hold a bottle.

In the embodiment of Figure 3 the journal bearing sleeves 15 are moulded integrally with the bottle 17 so that the bottle and its fittings can be removed when the bottle isto be refilled, and a toy snapped into position in its place on the bar 13.

It is also possible to support a bottle conveniently for the baby even if there is no bar available. Thus, the fitting 31 may be secured or joined to orintegral with a support arm 32 having some-kind of clamping device 33 by which it can be secured.to a part ofthe pram or baby's chair. The nature ofthefitting itself for holding the bottle may be similarto either of those shown in Figures 1 and 2 but the precise arrangementofthe holder 32 will depend upon the particular application.

In any case, itwill be appreciated that a bottleof milkcan beveryeasilyfitted into and retained inthe holder in a position where the baby can drinkwhen it wants and push the bottle awaywhen ithasfinished drinking.

Where as in Figures 1,2 and 3 the bottle and holder can turn on the bar 13 the centre ofgravityofthe bottle can be such thatthe bottle tends to pivot back to an upright position so that there will be no spillage aithough the baby can easily reach for it to pivot itto a drinking position. For that purpose the bottle may have a counter-weightformed on or moulded in the base or there may be an additional resilient spring device biasing the bottle to an upright position when not in use.

It will be appreciated that the Mother can see the baby fed without having to have either or both of her arms fully occupied. This may be particularly convenient if she has twins so that she can feed one twin while the other feeds himself.

Claims

1. A bottle holder comprising a fitting enabling the holderto be secured to a bar or other mounting and a ring or other gripping device for releasably retaining a bottle.

2. A bottle holder as claimed in Claim 1 in which the fitting is in the form of one or two journal sleeves.

3. A bottle holder as claimed in Claim 2 in which the or each sleeve is circumferentially incomplete and is such that it can be snapped over the bar and retained there while being free to turn about the bar.

4. A bottle holder as claimed in Claim 1 in which the fitting includes a clamping device enabling the bottle holder to be secured for example to a pram.

5. A bottle holder as claimed in any preceding Claim in which the gripping device comprises an elastomeric strap which has to be stretched to accommodate the bottle and then retains the bottle by friction.

6. A bottle holder as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4in which the gripping device comprises a moulded ring into which the bottle can be slid and retained.

7. A bottle holder as claimed in Claim 6 in which the ring is moulded with internal projections which can resile as the bottle is slipped into the ring and then grip the bottle by friction.

8. A bottle holder as claimed in any preceding claim in which the fitting is integral with the gripping device.

8. A bottle holder comprising a bottle and a fitting capable of being secured to a bar or other mounting, the fitting being integral with the bottle.

9. A bottle holder as claimed in claim 8 in which the fitting comprises one or two circumferentially incomplete elastomeric journal sleeves.

10. A bottle holder as claimed in Claim 8 in which the fitting comprises a clamping device for securing to a convenient part of a pram.

10. A bottle holder constructed and arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to any figure ofthe drawings.

11. A bottle holder as claimed in any preceding Claim secured to a mounting on a pram, chair, or cradle.

12. A bottle holderasclaimed in Claim 11 with a bottle retained in the holder.

13. A bottle holder as claimed in Claim 12 in which the bottle is biased by a spring, by the disposition of its centre of gravity, or otherwise, to return to an upright position when the baby is not feeding from it.

14. A method of feeding a baby in which a bottle is mounted in relation to the baby's pram, chair, or cot, in a position enabling the baby to reach the bottle in a manner such that when the baby releases the bottle it will be retained generally in an upright position.