GB2400042A

GB2400042A - Infant's travel pack

Info

Publication number: GB2400042A
Application number: GB0306679A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kathryn Linda Jones
Original assignee: BABY TO GO Ltd
Current assignee: BABY TO GO Ltd
Priority date: 2003-03-22
Filing date: 2003-03-22
Publication date: 2004-10-06
Anticipated expiration: 2023-03-22
Also published as: GB0306679D0; GB2400042B

Abstract

An infant's travel pack 100 comprising at least a first bottle 106 and a second bottle 108, wherein the first bottle 106 is arranged to be received within the second bottle 108. The travel pack may additionally comprise the following components: a bottle teat 112a, 112b, a teat-retaining bottle collar 110a, 110b, a feeding spoon 118a, 118b, a teat and/or bottle cleaning utensil 120, a feed bowl 116, a drinking cup 104, a feeding bib 123, a bottle cap 114a, 114b, a bowl lid 122, a cup lid 122.

Description

INFANT'S TRAVEL PACK This invention relates to an infant's travel pack and

particularly, but not exclusively, to a travel pack comprising feeding and/or drinking utensils/vessels.

It is widely known that a great deal of paraphernalia is required to care for an infant which may be a baby or young child. This may include, depending on the age of the infant, pappies, wipes, bottles, feeding bowls, eating utensils, sterilising equipment, a change of clothes, etc. The above list of items may all be required during even a short period of time, for example of a few hours. When taking an infant on holiday, its curer will usually be heavily laden with items required for his/her care, the above list now expanding to include items such a pushchair, pram, cot, bedding, toys, baby bath, etc. Further, while travelling, the carer may be restricted as to the amount of luggage they can carry- for example, an airline may limit the weight of a passenger's luggage.

Further, it is known for an infant to be given a free ticket if it is below a predetermined age, in which case the infant does not necessarily receive a luggage allowance and so the paraphernalia needs to be included in the carer's luggage allowance thereby increasing the desire to minimise weight and/or bulk.

It is therefore desirable to consider the portability of infant paraphernalia in its design, and this has previously been accomplished by selling travel bags with pockets or compartments for the various components. Also, feeding equipment is available that is designed specifically for travel and includes ridded bowls with spoons that fit inside the lid, ridded cups/beakers, etc. There is ever a desire to reduce the size of such a travel pack.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an infant's travel pack comprising at least a first bottle and a second bottle, wherein the first bottle is arranged to be received within the second bottle.

This is advantageous as the first bottle may be stored inside the second bottle when the bottles are empty, therefore reducing the space required to store the bottles which in itself is advantageous because it can reduce the space required to carry an infant's paraphernalia.

The travel pack may additionally comprise one or more of each of the following components: a bottle teat, a teat-retaining bottle collar, a feeding spoon, a teat and/or bottle cleaning utensil, a feed bowl, a drinking cup, a feeding bib, a bottle cap, a bowl lid, a cup lid.

One or more of the above components may be stored within the first bottle. This has an advantage in that storage space is further reduced.

The travel pack may additionally comprise a casing arranged to contain the components, perhaps including the second bottle. The casing is preferably robust to protect the bottles during transport of the travel pack.

Preferably, the casing is arranged such that it can also be utilised as one or more feeding utensils, or other such container.

In what is perhaps a preferred embodiment, the body of the casing is a flask which may be used as a vessel for sterilising liquid, for filling with hot water as could be used to warm a bottle or a feed or otherwise. The casing may also comprise a cap for the body which may be used as a cup or a bowl.

It will also be appreciated by the skilled person that infants can prefer one teat to another, irrespective of that teat being the same size and shape as the other. Therefore, it may be advantageous to provide a bottle with a standard sized neck. A favoured teat can then be used in conjunction with the pack. Further, it will be easy for the carer to obtain a replacement standard sized teat from one of various suppliers. A variety of suitable teats may be obtained from Mothercare UK Ltd. Mothercare Dept CSC, Cherry Tree Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 6SH, Great Britain. It will be appreciated that other sources are equally possible.

Conveniently, the first and second bottles have screw threaded neck portions. Such an arrangement is convenient because it may allow a screwthreaded collar to be received thereon, as is known in the prior art for holding a teat onto a bottle.

The bottles may be arranged such that when the first bottle is within the second bottle, the screw threaded neck portion of the first bottle is roughly adj acent the screw-threaded neck portion of the second bottle.

Such an arrangement may provide for convenient and efficient packaging of the first bottle within the second.

One, more or all of the components may be fabricated from a material that is dishwasher and/or microwave safe. This is advantageous as a dishwasher can be used to clean the utensils and a microwave can be used both to sterilise the bottles and/or feed bowls/cups, etc. and to heat the contents thereof.

In perhaps a preferred embodiment, the material is Polypropylene or Polycarbonate plastic, although other plastics, glass, or other suitable materials may be used. Indeed different components of the pack may be fabricated from different materials. In some embodiments the bottles may be made from polycarbonate.

The first and second bottles may be arranged such they are roughly co axial with one another when the first is within the second. Such an arrangement may provide for a simple structure.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a first and a second infant bottle, the second bottle being arranged such that it can receive the first bottle therewithin.

Any of the optional features described in relation to the first aspect of the invention in relation to the first and second bottles may be applicable to the second aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a travel kit for infant care comprising a case containing at least one of the following: a bottle, a bottle teat, a teat-retaining bottle collar, a feeding spoon, a teat and/or bottle cleaning utensil, a feed bowl, a drinking cup, a feeding bib, a bottle cap, a bowl lid, a cup lid.

This is advantageous as the feeding utensils required for an infant may be contained within a single case that would aid the transportation of the utensils.

Preferably, the travel kit comprises a first and second bottle according to the second aspect of the invention.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a method of reducing the storage space required for infant paraphernalia comprising designing some of the components such they can be received within one another.

In a preferred embodiment the method designs at least two bottles such that the first bottle may be received within the second bottle.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a kit including a first and second infant feeding bottle, the first bottle being arranged to be received within the second bottle and of the first and second bottles having a screw threaded neck portion of substantially the same diameter, the first and second bottles being arranged such that when the first bottle is received within the second bottle, the first bottle is co- axial with the second bottle and has its screw threaded neck portion protruding from the second bottle, but adjacent the screw threaded neck portion of the second bottle.

An embodiment of the present invention is now described by way of example only and with reference to the following drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a cross section of the travel pack assembled for travel; Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the travel pack; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the components of the travel pack; Figure 4 shows a further perspective view of the components of the travel pack; and Figure 5 shows a sectional view of the travel pack assembled for travel.

Referring to the Figures (in which like parts are labelled with like numbers) the travel pack 100 of this example comprises a beaker 102 and a feeding bowl 104 arranged to form the outer shell of the travel pack 100 when it is assembled for travel. The feeding bowl 104 and the beaker 102 are shaped such that the mouth of the feeding bowl 104 fits over the mouth of the beaker 102 with an interference fit such that the pack 100 may be handled (for example inverted) without the feeding bowl 104 becoming detached from the beaker 102, but could be pulled therefrom by a user of the pack 100.

The beaker 102 and the feeding bowl 104 are fabricated from polypropylene, a plastics material capable of withstanding the temperature within a dishwasher and further capable of withstanding sterilization in a steamer, microwave and/or by chemicals.

The pack 100 further comprises a first, small, feed bottle 106 and a second, large, feed bottle 108 each fabricated from polycarbonate in this embodiment. The small feed bottle 106 comprises a cylindrical body 106a with a wider cylindrical neck 106b. The neck 106b has on its exterior surface a screw thread which provides a screw-threaded neck portion. The large feed bottle 108 approximately comprises a tapered cylinder. The wider end comprises the base 108a of the bottle 108 and the narrow end comprises the neck 108b of the bottle 108. The neck 108b is of the same size and shape as the neck 106b of the small feed bottle 106, also bearing a screw thread on its external surface, which again provides a screw-threaded neck portion. It will be appreciated that the first bottle is roughly co-axial with the second bottle.

The large feed bottle 108 shown in the Figures is shaped to aid comfortable handling of the bottle by the carer or the older infant. The small feed bottle 106 is shaped such that the cylindrical body 106a can be inserted substantially into the large feed bottle 108 as is shown in Figure 1. The neck 106b of the small feed bottle 106, being the same size as the neck 108b of the large feed bottle 108, remains protruding beyond the neck 108b of the large feed bottle 108.

Feed bottles currently for sale in the UK usually have necks of one of two standard sizes in order to accommodate teats of commercial standard sizes of 'standard' and 'wide neck' . The example illustrated herein incorporates the wide neck fitting. In this example, the small feed bottle 106 has a capacity of roughly 150ml and the large feed bottle 108 has a capacity of roughly 260ml.

The pack 100 further comprises two wide neck teats 112a, 112b. The skilled person will be familiar with the teats 112a, 112b, which comprise silicone nipples with a tapering shape such that an infant can take the narrow end of the teat 112a, 112b into his or her mouth. There is provided a small hole at the narrow end. The wide end is open and comprises a ring constituting a flange 112ai, 112bi protruding beyond the body of the teat 112a, 112b. The teat 112a, 112b may be fitted to a feed bottle 106, 108 and liquid contained in that bottle 106, 108 may be sucked therefrom by the infant. The teats 112a, 112b of this example are made of silicon, but the skilled person will appreciate that they may be made of rubber such as Latex or some other suitable material.

The pack 100 further comprises two teat-retaining collars 110a, 110b which both comprise a cylinder open at one end and partially narrowed at a second end. The interior surface of the collars 110a, 110b comprises a screw thread arranged to cooperate with the necks 106a, 106b of the large 108 and small 106 feed bottles such that, when screwed there onto, the narrowed second end of a collar 110a, 110b partially closes the neck of the large 108 or the small 106 feed bottle. The narrow end of a teat 112a, 112b can be inserted through the centre of a collar 11 Oa, 11 Ob.

When the teat 112a, 112b and collar 110a, llOb are placed on the neck of the bottle 106, 108 with the narrow end of the teat 112a, 112b pointing away from the bottle 106, 108 and the flange 112ai, 112bi against the bottle 106, 108, the collar 110a, 110b can be screwed to the neck 106b, 108b of the bottle 106, 108, securing the teat 112a, 112b by the flange 112ai, 112bi to the mouth of the bottle 106, 108.

The pack 100 further comprises two caps 114a, 114b that are arranged to cover the teats 112a, 112b when on the bottles 106, 108. The caps 114a, 114b are arranged to cooperate with the outer surface of the collars llOa, llOb forming an interference fit when placed thereover such that the bottle 106, 108 as assembled may be handled (for example inverted) without the cap 114a, 114b becoming detached from the bottle 106, 108, but could be pulled therefrom by a user of the bottle 106, 108. The caps 114a, 114b are further arranged such that one can be substantially contained within the other.

The pack 100 further comprises a cup 116, arranged to be contained substantially within the feeding bowl 114. Further, the pack comprises two feeding spoons 118a, 118b, and a teat and bottle cleaner 120. The teat and bottle cleaner 120 comprises a brush on a stick-like handle. The feeding spoons 118a, 118b, and the teat and bottle cleaner 120 are suitably sized to be contained within the small feed bottle 106 when that bottle 106 is not in use. Finally, the pack 100 of this example comprises a lid 122 arranged such that it can be fitted over the mouth of either the feeding bowl 104 or the beaker 102 and a bib 123. The lid 122 is fabricated from a material such as a soft plastic or rubber such that it can shape itself to the curve of the beaker 102 when being stored and hence minimise the storage space it requires. The lid 122 comprises, as can be seen in Figures 3 and 4, an outer rim 30 and an inner rim 32. The outer rim 30 is dimensioned so a seal is formed when the lid 122 is placed over the mouth of the feeding bowl 104. The inner rim 32 is dimensioned so that a seal is formed when the lid 122 is placed over the mouth of the beaker 102 or the cup 116. The seal serves to retain, protect and preserve any feed or liquid contained in the beaker 102, bowl 104 or cup 116.

The bib 123 is a PVC-backed cloth feeding bib arranged to be worn about an infant's neck to protect the infant's clothes during a feed. In this embodiment the bib further provides a packing layer to prevent rattling of the components when the pack 100 is assembled for travel.

The components of the travel pack 100 may be arranged for travel as is shown in Figures 1 and 5 (the bib 123 and the lid 122 are omitted from Figure 5 for clarity).

One of the teat-retaining collars 110b is placed in the base of the beaker 102. The feeding spoons 118a, 118b and the teat and bottle cleaner 120 are contained within the small feed bottle 106 and the small feeding bottle 106 is contained substantially with in the large feeding bottle 108. The large feed bottle 108 is placed within the beaker 102 resting on top of the teat-retaining collar 110b previously placed therein.

The lid 122 is placed between the large feed bottle 106 and the interior surface of the beaker 102, curving around the perimeter of the large feed bottle 108. The second teat-retaining collar 110a is screwed to the neck 106b of the small feed bottle 106 (which it should be remembered protrudes beyond the large feed bottle 108 as their necks 106b, 108b are of the same, standard, size). One teat 112b is placed on top of the second teat-retaining collar l10a such that the narrow end of the teat 112b protrudes inside the bottle and the flange 112bi rests outside second teat retaining collar llOa (i.e., the teat 112b is upside-down compared to its position in use). The second teat 112a is placed on top of the first teat 112b such that their wide ends are in contact. The caps 114a, 114b are placed, one over the other, over the second teat 112a. The cup 116 is then placed (inverted with respect to the orientation of the bottles 106, 108 and the beaker 102) over the caps 114a, 114b. The feed bowl 104 is placed over the cup 116 and pressed down over the mouth of the beaker to form an interference fit with the beaker 102.

When in use, the pack 100 can be disassembled and the components can be used as follows.

The beaker 102 can be used as a sterilising vessel for containing a sterilising solution. It could also be used to contain hot water into which a feed bottle containing a feed could be place to warm it up.

Alternatively, it could be packed with ice to keep a feed cool. Further, the beaker 102 can provide some insulation for a warm or a cold feed contained within a bottle 106, 108, maintaining the desired temperature for a time.

The feed bowl 104 could be used to contain food for the infant. This may be food of a pureed consistency for weaning babies- for example, mashed bananas or baby rice or may be solid food. The feed bowl 104 could additionally be used as a drinking cup. Further, the lid 122 can be placed over the cup to preserve the contents thereof.

The cup 116 could be used as a feeding bowl or as a drinking cup.

A

The first and second bottles 106, 108 are used to feed the infant with milk (which may be made from a formula or provided by the infant's mother or wet-nurse) or other liquids. A teat 112a, 112b is attached as described above using a collar 110a, 110b.

The spoons 118a, 118b are used to feed the infant (or to allow it to feed itself, depending on the age of the infant) with solid or pureed foods.

The teat and bottle cleaner 120 is used during cleaning of the bottles 106, 108 and the teats 112a, 112b.

In alternative embodiments, the feeding bowl 104 may comprise an internal/external screw thread and the beaker 102 may comprise a complementary external/internal screw thread or other type of closure means arranged such that the feeding bowl 104 may be screwed onto the beaker 102 rather than being held thereto by a interference fit as previously described. Further, the components could be fabricated from materials other than those given in this specific example and could differ in shape and size from the examples herein. The bottles 106, 108, beaker 102 and/or feeding bowl 104 could be designed to provide efficient insulation for the contents thereof. The necks of the bottles 106, 108 need not be the same size - one bottle could fit entirely within the other.

Claims

1. An infant's travel pack comprising at least a first bottle and a second bottle, wherein the first bottle is arranged to be received within the second bottle.

2. A travel pack according to claim 1 which further comprises one or more of each of the following components: a bottle teat, a teat-retaining bottle collar, a feeding spoon, a teat and/or bottle cleaning utensil, a feed bowl, a drinking cup, a feeding bib, a bottle cap, a bowl lid, a cup lid.

3. A travel pack according to claim 2 in which one or more of each component is stored within the first bottle.

4. A travel pack according to claim 2 or claim 3 additionally comprising a casing arranged to contain the second bottle and/or the one or more components.

5. A travel pack according to claim 4 in which the casing is sufficiently robust to protect the bottles during transport of the travel pack.

6. A travel pack according to claim 4 or claim 5 in which the casing is arranged such that it can be utilised as one or more feeding utensils.

7. A travel pack according to any of claims 4 to 6 in which the casing comprises a body, the body comprising a flask which may be used as a vessel for sterilising liquid and/or for filling with hot water as could be used to warm a bottle and/or a feed.

8. A travel pack according to claim 7 in which the casing may further comprise a cap for the body, which cap is arranged to be used as a cup or a bowl.

9. A travel pack according to any preceding claim in which the first bottle and/or the second bottle have roughly a neck dimensioned to an industry standard.

10. A travel pack according to any preceding claim in which the first and/or second bottles have screw threaded neck portions.

11. A travel pack according to claim 10 in which the or each screw threaded neck portions are arranged to allow a screw-threaded collar to be received thereon.

12. A travel pack according to claim 10 or claim 11 which are arranged such that, when the first bottle is within the second bottle the screw threaded neck portion of the first bottle is roughly adjacent the screw threaded neck portion of the second bottle.

13. A travel pack according to any preceding claim in which one, more or all components of the pack are fabricated from a material that is dishwasher and/or microwave safe.

14. A travel pack according to any preceding claim in which one, more or all of the components of the pack are made from one or more of the following: polypropylene, polycarbonate plastic, glass.

15. A travel pack according to any preceding claim in which the first and second bottles are arranged such that they are roughly co-axial with one another when the first is within the second.

16. A first and a second infant feeding bottle, the second bottle being arranged such that it can receive the first bottle therewithin.

17. A first and a second infant feeding bottle according to claim 16 in which the first and second bottles are arranged such that they are roughly co-axial with one another when the first is within the second.

18. A travel kit for infant care comprising a case containing a first and a second bottle according to claim 16 and at least one of the following: a bottle teat, a teat-retaining bottle collar, a feeding spoon, a teat and/or bottle cleaning utensil, a feed bowl, a drinking cup, a feeding bib, a bottle cap, a bowl lid, a cup lid.

19. A method of reducing the storage space required for infant paraphernalia comprising designing some of the components such that they can be received within one another and which comprises providing at least two bottles such that the first bottle is capable of being received within the second bottle.

20. A kit including a first and second infant feeding bottle, the first bottle being arranged to be received within the second bottle, the first and second bottles having a screw threaded neck portion of substantially the same diameter, the first and second bottles being arranged such that, when the first bottle is received within the second bottle, the first bottle is co-axial with the second bottle and has its screw threaded neck portion protruding from the second bottle, but adjacent the screw threaded neck portion of the second bottle.

21. An infant's travel pack substantially as described herein and as illustrated in the accompanying figures. t r

22. A first and second infants bottle substantially as described herein I and as illustrated in the accompanying figures.

23. A travel kit for infants care substantially as described herein and as illustrated in the accompanying figures.

24. A method of reducing the storage apace for infant paraphernalia substantially as described herein and as illustrated in the accompanying figures.