GB2504107A

GB2504107A - Infant breathing air for curved teat bottles

Info

Publication number: GB2504107A
Application number: GB1212746.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Ritchie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-07-18
Filing date: 2012-07-18
Publication date: 2014-01-22
Also published as: GB201300076D0; GB201212746D0; WO2014057232A2; WO2014057232A3

Abstract

A device for emitting soothing vapours, and intended to be fitted under an infants curved teat retaining ring feeding device, comprising an annular member 10 having one or more flexible projections 12 extending inwardly of its inner periphery and arranged for engaging under the surface of a curved teat retaining ring device 6 and to secure the device when placed thereon, so as to serve as the means for retaining said device on a curved teat feeding device, the device including a container means having one or more apertures within a container wall for permitting soothing vapour to be emitted.

Description

INFANT BREATHING AID FOR CURVED TEAT BOTTLES

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for use as an infant breathing aid, and for administering soothing vapours to an infant similar to applicants existing patent GB2465794

Background Art

An infant breathing aid is disclosed GB2465794, comprising a ring of medicated material, which is fitted over the teat of a feeding container and is held in place using the friction between the flexibility teat and the fixed barbs or lugs of the invention.

Summary of the Invention

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for providing soothing vapours to an infant, and which may easily be fitted to a wide variety of infant feeding containers that do not have a straight or standard wide neck teat.

The present invention provides a device for emitting soothing vapours, and is intended to be fitted to an infant's feeding bottle in a novel way over that disclosed in GB2465794.

Designs of some bottles do not have a standard teat device with straight walls, but have curved teats and curved teat retaining rings, known commonly as breast shaped or nature/nurture teats, and as such the applicants present invention can not be safely or correctly secured and positioned. The invention provides a solution by incorporating flexible leg/barbs/lugs, which can secure the invention to the bottle by flexing and securing themselves under the curved teat retaining ring.

The device of the invention is adapted to be fitted onto the baby's bottle, and since these types of baby's feeding devices are different sizes, the device of the invention will be flexible to fit on most types of these types of feeding devices. It can be easily fitted or removed at any time during use of the feeding device and does not require disassembly of the feeding device. And the flexibility of the retaining legs prevents any damage to the invention or the feeding device.

Said flexible retaining legs may be any suitable inwardly extending formation, for example teeth, barbs, lugs or pips, tongues, fingers, flaps, knurls.

They may have any shape, for example rectangular or arcuate In principle, just a single projection may suffice, with the diametrically opposite inner wall of the annular member providing a reaction surface to permit the projection to grip the teat device. As preferred however, two or more, preferably at least three projections are provided, regularly disposed around the inner surface, to permit symmetrical security to the periphery of the feeding devices teat retaining ring.

The plastic material of which a teat retaining ring is formed, is usually rigid, and as such the invention offers the flexibility and resilience to overcome this and still secure the invention.

As the applicant previous invention the device of the invention may be formed as a disposable item, so that when the soothing vapours are exhausted, it may be disposed of, and replaced with a new device; this is a preferred arrangement. Alternatively the container means may be designed such that the soothing vapour material may be replenished as and when necessary.

Brief Description of the DrawinQs

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is schematic view of the top of an infant's feeding bottle with a teat device extending from the bottle, and the invention attached under the teat retaining ring, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view of the device's flexible legs of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows an alternative to the flexible legs of Figure 2, showing how the legs may flex due to thickness or material selection.

Figure 4 sectional view of the ring of the invention showing the flexible leg design or similar shown in Figure 2 Figure 5 is a perspective view of the embodiment, comprising an annular ring member with the flexible legs for securing to a feeding device under the teat retaining ring;

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The present invention, at least in a preferred embodiment, is a sate, clean vapour emitting device that attaches to a feeding bottle at a safe yet effective distance from the infant, and aids feeding by easing breathing. The soothing vapours which allow the infant to breathe easier are aimed directly at the nose. There is no staining ot clothes, no possible contact with skin, eyes or mouth, no odour other than at feeding time, no discomfort. The invention can be used out of doors or away from home. It delivers the vapours in the way that the manufacturers of vapour rubs and oils recommend, but crucially at the time and place needed. The invention currently covers pre and un-impregnated designs as well as being totally disposable or reusable housings with disposable inserts. The size, construction and use of the device also are designed to prevent the risk ot an infant swallowing the device.

As shown in Figures 1, an infant's or baby's bottle has a body member 2 tor retaining a quantity of liquid or fluid food. The open end of the body has a screw track tor receiving an annular retaining ring 6 for a teat device 8, through which the baby can imbibe the food. Referring to Figure 1, when the retaining ring 6 is screwed onto the top of the body 2, the teat device 8 extends through the ring. A plastic annular ring member 10 (shown sectioned) is secured on the teeding device by being placed over the teat retaining ring 6, with the legs 12 flexing during assembly. As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the ring has flexible projections 12, comprising shaped formations, extending inwardly of its inner periphery, and the ring and projections are dimensioned such that the projections engage under the surface ot the teat retaining ring and secure it to the bottle, when the ring is pushed down on top of the bottle. As shown in Figure 1, the projections engage under the surface of the teat retaining ring.

The legs 12 being ot a flexible material or design, have flexibility to permit it to inwardly deform, and return and as such secure the device to the feeding bottle.

Further the resilience of the material permits the legs to return to their original shape when the ring is removed. There is thus formed an effective means of retaining the ring on a curved teat and curved ring device and bottle. Since these curved teat bottle devices tend to be different sizes, the ring of the invention will fit onto a wide variety of curved infant feeding containers, without modification of teat, container or ring by using the extremes of the flexible movement of the legs 12.

Advantages of the invention are as follows: * can be fitted to curved teat and curved ring feeding bottles.

* delivers soothing vapours to baby while feeding * eases breathing while feeding * safe * natural * can not be tasted * aims vapours directly at nose * ensures correct dosage * easy to use * protects skin from oils * no staining clothes * no tainting hands and fingers * no lingering smell

35. portable

Claims

CLAIMS.1. A device for emitting soothing vapours, and intended to be fitted under infant's curved teat retaining ring feeding device, comprising an annular member having one or more flexible projections extending inwardly of its inner periphery and arranged for engaging under the surface of a curved teat retaining ring device and to secure the device when placed thereon, so as to serve as the means of retaining said device on a curved teat feeding device, the device including container means having one or more apertures within a container wall for permitting soothing vapour to be emitted.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said soothing vapour is adapted to aid breathing.
3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said container means includes a chamber holding an absorbent material for impregnation with soothing vapour liquid.
4. A device according to claim 2, wherein said absorbent material is impregnated with soothing vapour liquid.
5. A device according to claim 2, including one or more apertures for introducing soothing vapour liquid into said chamber.
6. A device according to any preceding claim, including an array of vapour flow apertures formed in said container wall.
7. A device according to claim 1, wherein said container means is formed with a separable wall for permitting access.
8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said flexible projections comprise a plurality of regularly spaced formations around said inner periphery.
9. A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein each formation has a generally rectangular or arcuate shape.
1O.A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said container means includes a substance for emitting vapours, which permit an infant to breath easier.
11.An infant feeding container including a teat device, and further including a device according to any preceding claim, which is retained on the feeding device by said flexible projections engaging under the surface of the teat retaining ring device to serve as the means of retaining said device on the feeding container.