GB2411645A

GB2411645A - Teat

Info

Publication number: GB2411645A
Application number: GB0403727A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hugh Rogers
Original assignee: TIFLEX Ltd
Current assignee: TIFLEX Ltd
Priority date: 2004-02-19
Filing date: 2004-02-19
Publication date: 2005-09-07
Also published as: GB0403727D0

Abstract

A teat for a feeding-bottle is adapted to change colour to indicate the temperature of food to be delivered by the teat. The teat has a given colour when food is at an acceptable temperature or within an acceptable range and one or more different colours when the temperature of the food is not acceptable, e.g. too hot or too cold. The teat preferably includes a thermochromic pigment in a silicone material.

Description

2411 645 - 1

TEAT

The present invention relates to a teat for a feeding-bottle. In particular, the invention relates to a teat for use in feeding of human infants or animals.

When bottle-feeding infants or animals, the temperature of the food is important; if the food is too hot there is a risk of harm or at least discomfort.

Feeding-bottles are known which comprise a portion which changes colour to indicate that the contents of the bottle are above a given temperature.

However, it is common to use a microwave oven to heat food in such bottles.

Heating in this way is often non-uniform, and the colour of the colourchange portion of the bottle may not give an accurate indication of the temperature of the food.

It is an aim of the invention to provide a teat which at least alleviates the problem with such known bottles.

Aspects of the invention are set out in the independent claims.

Such a teat has the advantage that its temperature is likely to be substantially the same as that of food which is about to be expressed by the teat. Any non-uniformity in the contents of the bottle may be indicated to the person administering the feed as necessary; the arrival of hotter food at the teat is made visible and the feed may be suspended until the food has cooled.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: Figure 1 shows an example of a feeding-bottle teat; Figure 2 is a chart showing the colour change of a first embodiment; and Figure 3 is a chart showing the colour changes of a second embodiment. - 2

Figure 2 illustrates the colour change of a first embodiment. The first embodiment is a feeding-bottle teat (for example as shown in figure 1) formed of latex which has been mixed with a quantity of a thermochromic pigment (of a known type) which changes colour from blue to white at a threshold temperature of 40 C (i.e. around the body temperature of humans and some other mammals, e.g. cattle, dogs and cats). For example, the treat may be formed of a mixture comprising 100 parts liquid silicone (e. g. Silasticj9481/40E available from Dow Corning) to 3 parts pigment (e.g. GB Silicone Technology LPD TH40 (Blue)) will change colour from blue to white at temperatures exceeding 40 C. Other threshold temperatures will be appropriate for example for other species having different body temperatures. In addition, it may be desirable to administer food at a temperature above or below body temperature; in such cases an appropriate threshold temperature must be chosen according to circumstances.

When such a teat is used with a feeding-bottle, when the food reaches the teat (i.e. when the bottle is inverted in order to feed a baby or animal), the teat is warmed by the food. If the food adjacent the teat is at a temperature below 40 C, the teat remains blue. However, if the food is at a temperature above 40 C, or if the temperature of the food is nonuniform and the food arriving at the date is above that temperature, the teat will change colour to white. At this point, the person administering the feed is alerted that the food about to be delivered is too hot and the feed may be postponed (or suspended, in the event that it has already begun) until the temperature of the food has fallen to below 40 C.

Other examples have thresholds within the ranges of about 30 C to about 50 C, about 34 C to about 40 C, about 36 C to about 38 C, and so on.

Figure 3 illustrates the colour change of a second embodiment. In this embodiment, the teat is again formed of latex which has been impregnated with a thermochromic pigment. However, in this case there are two threshold temperatures, 30 C and 40 C. This may be achieved, for example by use of a mixture of two thermochromic pigments, one (e.g. GB Silicone Technology LPD TH30 (Red)) having a threshold - 3 at 30 C and the other (e.g. GO Silicone Technology LPD TH40 (Green)) at 40 C.

When such a teat is warmed by food to be delivered to a temperature between the threshold temperatures, the 30 C pigment changes colour from red to colourless with the result that the teat itself changes colour to green, indicating that the food to be delivered is at an acceptable temperature. If the food falls below 30 C, the teat turns brown since the 30 C pigment turns red, indicating that the food temperature is falling below an acceptable range. If the food temperature is greater than 40 C or if, in the case of food which has a non-uniform temperature (e.g. which has been heated in a microwave oven), that portion of the food arriving at the teat is hotter than 40 C, the 40 C pigment and the teat itself turns white indicating that the food is too hot. The feed may then be postponed or suspended for reheating of the food or until the food temperature has fallen between the threshold temperatures, as appropriate.

While specific temperatures have been indicated in the embodiments described, it will be clear to the skilled man that they are not intended to be limiting on the scope of the invention. In particular, different threshold temperatures may be provided in accordance with customary practice and/or to cater for the needs of other species.

In particular examples of this embodiment, the lower threshold is between 0.5 and or 10 degrees lower than a desired temperature (e.g. human or mammalian body temperature) for feeding and/or the upper threshold is between 0.5 and 5 degrees higher than a desired temperature for feeding.

Furthermore, the colours indicated in the described embodiments are exemplary only. Teats which undergo other colour changes, including a transition from coloured to colourless fall within the scope of the invention. The possible colour changes are dependent upon the availability of pigments; however, many colour transitions at many thresholds may be achieved using pigments which are presently available. - 4

Claims

1. A teat for a feeding-bottle, at least a portion of the teat being adapted to change in colour in response to a change in temperature.

2. A teat according to claim 1, least a portion of the teat being adapted to change colour at a given temperature.

3. A teat according to claim 1 or claim 2, the at least a portion being adapted to change colour at approximately mammalian body temperature.

4. A teat according to claim 3, the at least a portion being adapted to change colour at approximately human body temperature.

5. A teat according to claim 2, wherein the temperature is within the range 20 to 55 Celsius.

6. A teat according to claim 2, wherein the given temperature is within the range to 50 Celsius.

7. A teat according to claim 2, wherein the given temperature is within the range 34 to 40 Celsius.

8. A teat for a feeding-bottle, at least a portion of the teat being adapted to have a given colour within a given temperature range and at least one different.colour outside the given temperature range.

9. A teat according to claim 8, wherein the at least a portion of the teat is adapted to have a second given colour when it is above the given temperature range and a third given colour when it is below the given temperature range, the second and third given colours being different. - 5

10. A teat according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the given temperature range has a lower limit between about 0.5 and 5 degrees below mammalian body temperature.

11. A teat according to any of claims 8 to 10, wherein the given temperature range has an upper limit between about 0.5 and 5 degrees above mammalian body temperature.

12. A teat according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the given temperature has a lower limit between about 0.5 and 5 degrees below human body temperature.

13. A teat according to any of claims 8, 9 and 12, wherein the given temperature has an upper limit between about 0.5 and 5 degrees above human body temperature.

14. A method of manufacturing a teat for a feeding-bottle comprising forming at least a part of the teat with a material which changes colour at a given temperature.

15. A teat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and/or as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

16. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.