GB2296182A - Cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleaning device for a child's oral insert, such as a dummy, teat or the like, comprises a container having an opening closable by a removable closure member and a body of absorbent material within the container, said body having a cavity of a diameter commensurate with said insert and accessible from the opening when the closure is removed. The container or closure may be plastic. The container and closure may be of circular cross-section. The closure may be a snap-closable flip-top lid attached to the container by a strap or hinge. The body of absorbent material may be a sponge or foam within which is absorbed a small amount of cleaning or sterilising fluid. The cavity may be a cylindrical through bore, or a blind bore, or shaped to correspond to the external shape of the insert to be cleaned. The body of absorbent of material maybe removable for cleaning or replacement. <IMAGE>

Description

CLEANING DEV1CE DESCRIPTION Background to the Invention This invention relates to cleaning devices.

According to this invention there is provided a cleaning device for an ìhfant's oral insert (e.g. a dummy, comforter, feeding bottle teat or other article or utensil), the cleaning device including a container having an opening closable by a removable closure member, and a body of absorbent material within the container, said body having a cavity of a diameter commensurate with a said insert and accessible from the container's said opening when the closure member is removed therefrom.

The cavity may have the somewhat "mushroom-like" shape of a teat or, alternatively, may be a cylindrical bore. ln the latter case the bore may be a blind bore extending only part-way into said body, or alternatively may extend completely through the body so as to be closed off by a wall of the container distal from said opening.

The absorbent material may be a plastics material foam, preferably a low density (e.g. cross-linked) polyethylene foam or polypropylene foam or hydrophillic foam or a crosslinked EVA copolymer foam. The density of the foam is preferably less than 50kg/m', e.g. approximately 18kg/m3.

One particularly suitable foam material is foam HBTMl8 available from Metzer Foams, Bollingham, Macclesfield and also available (as FC75) from Foam Conversions Limited.

Advantageously the removable closure member is snapconnectable with the container to close the said opening.

The closure member may be attached to the container by connection means to provide a "flip-top" arrangement. The connection means serves to keep the two items together (and thus prevent loss of one or other) even when the closure member is removed from off the container's opening.

Preferably the connection means comprises a strap or a hinge molded of plastics material integrally with the container and with its closure member. Advantageously the closure member has the form of a circular lid and the opening is provided by the mouth of a cylindrically-shaped container.

Preferably the said body has a teat cleaning (preferably sterilising) fluid absorbed therein which can be transferred to the surface of the teat inserted into the cavity. The fluid may be water (preferably distilled or pre-boiled) or a sterilising preparation generally available commercially for sterilising feeding bottles, teats and the like (which, if necessary, may be suitably diluted as desired).

Brief Description of the Drawings By way of example embodiments of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of this invention in open condition, Figure 2 is a similar view to Fig 1 showing the embodiment just prior to use for cleaning the teat of a dummy or comforter, Figure 3 is a similar view to Fig 2 showing the embodiment in use cleaning the teat, and Figure 4 is a partly-exploded perspective view of another embodiment of this invention in open condition.

The cleaning devices 10 illustrated in the drawings are each for cleaning an infant's oral insert (e.g. dummy, comforter, feeding bottle teat or other article or utensil). Each illustrated cleaning device 10 includes a cylindrical container 12 of U-shaped cross-section having an opening 14 closable by a removable closure member 15. A body 16 of absorbent material is disposed fittingly within the container 12, and this body 16 has a cavity 18 therein of a diameter commensurate with a said teat, the cavity 18 being accessible from the container's opening 14 when the closure member 15 is removed therefrom.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs 2 and 3, the cavity 18 has the somewhat "mushroom-like" shape of a teat with the cylindrical "stem" 18a of the "mushroom" uppermost and communicating with the container's opening 14 whilst the bulbous, almost spherical, and larger diameter "bulb" 18k of the "mushroom" communicates with the lower end of stem 18a.

Alternatively, as illustrated in Fig 4, the cavity 18 may be a cylindrical bore 18c. This bore 18c may be a blind bore extending only part-way into the body 16, or alternatively (as shown in Fig 4) may extend completely through the body 16 so as to be closed off by the container's bottom wall 13 that is opposite opening 14.

The absorbent material of body 16 may be a plastics material foam, preferably a low density (e.g. cross-linked) polyethylene foam or polypropylene foam or hydrophillic foam or a cross-linked EVA copolymer foam. The density of the foam is preferably less than 50kg/m , e.g. approximately 30kg/m3. These and other suitable foam materials are available from BXL Plastics Limited, Mitcham Road, Croydon, Surrey or from Foam Conversions Limited.

The body 16 has a teat sterilising fluid absorbed therein which can be transferred to the surface of the teat inserted into the cavity. The sterilising fluid may be a preparation generally available commercially for sterilising feeding bottles, teats and the like, and may be suitably diluted as desired (if necessary). Examples of such products are known by the trade marks MILTONS and OLIVlERS (from Sterilon Products, South Africa).

Preferably, but not essentially, the closure member 15 is attached to the container 12 by connection means, e.g.

comprising a strap or a hinge molded of plastics material integrally with the container 12 and with its closure member 15, to provide a "flip-top" arrangement. The connection means serves to keep the two items together (and thus prevent loss of one or other) even when the closure member is removed from off the container's opening. Where (as is preferred) the removable closure member 15 is snapconnectable with the container 12 to close the opening 14, this flip-top arrangement allows for the cleaning device to be one-hand-operable for both opening and closing of the container.

When the infant's oral insert (e.g. a dummy, comforter, feeding bottle teat or other article or utensil) 19 has become soiled - e.g. after being dropped on the ground - it can be cleaned using an illustrated cleaning device 10. For this, the container 12 is opened and the teat (or other oral insert) 19 is inserted into the cavity 18. in doing so, the small pressure applied is sufficient to compress the absorbent body 16 and effect release of sterilising fluid therefrom onto the surface of the teat (or other oral insert) 19. The whole area of the teat (or other oral insert) 19 in contact with the absorbent body is thus cleaned by the sterilising fluid.

The absorbent body 16 can be readily removed from the container 12, e.g. on a daily or weekly basis, for cleaning and/or for the application thereto of fresh sterilising fluid that is to be absorbed therein.

The above-described and illustrated embodiments of the invention may be modified in inter alia one or more of the following respects. The closure member may have a form other than that of a circular lid and the correspondinglyshaped opening of the container may be other than provided by the mouth of a cylindrically-shaped container. The closure member may be separate from, i.e. non-attached to, the container. The closure member may be a screw cap rather than a snap-fit. The absorbent body within the container may be other than of foamed plastics material. it may, for example, be of a woven or non-woven textile material. The body need not be unitary and, where the container is cylindrical, may for example comprise a flexible strip rolled round into a cylindrical form. The cavity within the body may be shaped otherwise than illustrated and, for example, may be defined by two or bodies of absorbent material superimposed above one another within the container.

Still further modifications and embodiments of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art. All such modifications and embodiments are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention, and the invention is not to be deemed limited to the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described which may be varied in construction and detail without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought.

Claims (6)

1. The Child's Dummy Cleanser case has an attached flip-top lid so that it can be opened and closed with one hand.

2. The Child's Dummy Cleanser has a sponge inside which is suitably and sufficiently moisten with cleansing fluid.

3. The Child's Dummy Cleanser sponge has a dummy head shape cut into it so that the whole dummy and its surrounds can be immersed in cleansing fluid.The same applies to the teat of a bottle.

4. The Child's Dummy Cleanser is small and compact for easy storage in a pocket or handbag.

5. The Child's Dummy Cleanser sponge is easily removable for cleaning and.or replacement.

6. The absorbent material,as claimed in claim one,soaks up the fluid to prevent spillage,and when pressure is applied,the fluid rises.

6. The Child's Dummy Cleanser sponge soaks up the cleansing fluid to prevent spillage,and when pressure is applied, the fluid rises.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. According to this invention there is provided a cleaning device for an infant's oral insert (e.g. a dummy,comforter, feeding bottle teat or other article or utensil), the cle aning device including a container having an opening clos able by a removable closure member,and a body of absorbent material within the container.The said body having a cavity of a diameter commensurate with a said insert and accessible from the container's said opening when the closure member is removed therefrom.

2. The cavity of the cleaning device,as claimed in claim one, may have a somewhat "mushroom-like" shape inserted in its diameter.

3. The cavity of the cleaning device,as claimed in claim one, may alternatively have a cylindrical bore.In this case the bore may be a blind bore extending only part-way into said body,or alternatively may extend completely through the body so as to be closed off by a wall of the container distal from said opening.

4. The cleaning device,as claimed in claim one,is small and compact, and therefore convenient for storage in pocket or handbag.

5. The absorbent material,as claimed in claim one,is removable for easy cleaning or replacement.