GB2528033A - Improvements to baby teething rings and soothers - Google Patents

Abstract

A teething device 1 comprise a device for a baby or infant when teething and has a single moulded natural material body completing a character or animal shape, which open areas 2 for handling, the device body having hollow, flexibly solid, granular or other in filled material, which has beneficial protrusions 3 that may be placed into an baby or infants mouth as pacifiers, such as the characters tail, feet or ears.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS TO BABY TEETHING RINGS AND SOOTHERS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an improved novel design and method of a single moulded or formed baby soother or teething device.

Background

Teething is the process by which an infant's first teeth (the deciduous teeth, often called "baby teeth" or "milk teeth") sequentially appear by emerging through the gums. Teething may start as early as three months or as late as twelve months. The first teeth typically appear between six and nine months. It can take several years for all 20 teeth to complete the tooth eruption; they typically arrive in pairs. Though the process of teething is sometimes referred to as "cutting teeth", when teeth emerge through the gums they do not cut through the flesh. Instead, special chemicals are released within the body which cause some cells in the gums to die and separate, allowing the teeth to come through.

Teething may cause a slightly elevated temperature, but not rising into the febrile range, 100-101 °F (37.8-38.3 °C). Higher temperatures during teething are due to some form of infection, such as a herpes virus, initial infection of which is extremely widespread among children of teething age.

Teething toys have a long history. In England in the 17th-i 9th centuries, a coral meant a teething toy made of coral, ivory or bone, often mounted in silver as the handle of a rattle.

A museum curator has suggested that these substances were used as "sympathetic magic" and that the animal bone could symbolize animal strength to help the child cope with pain. Before treating a baby for teething, it is important to know what is causing the baby to be upset. Rubbing a finger gently along the gums in search for swollen ridges or the feel of a tooth below the gums is one way to be certain. If unsure, it is recommended that the child be seen by a pediatrician before treatment is administered.

A teething ring is generally a soft plastic device that can be chewed on and allows the baby to break down some of the gum tissue which promotes the growth of the teeth out of the gum. Some teething rings can easily be broken or damaged, so other types of teething devices can be made from household items.

Placing a wet washcloth in the freezer for a few minutes and then applying it gently to the gums can be effective, but care must be taken not to expose a baby's gums to coldness for too long. Infants chew on objects to aid in the teething process.

This can be dangerous if the baby is allowed to chew on objects which are small enough to be swallowed or which could break while being chewed and cause choking. Teething rings and other toys, called teethers, are often designed with textures that will appeal to an infant during teething. Drawing water into a pacifier and freezing it as another way to offer a teething child relief. The cold pressure on the gums gives relief without making the child's fingers cold. Some infants gain relief from chewing on cold objects. Some children respond well to chilled foods. Suggestions for chilled foods that might appeal to a baby include applesauce, yogurt, and pureed fruits.

Various solutions have been presented throughout history to manufacture teething devices or rings that will assist during this period of the baby or infants life and mainly consist of articles of a plastic or rubber that offer some level of cleanliness in use and can easily be sterilized for reuse. However these tend to be of a static nature and do not attend to some of the child's other needs such as comfort requirements.

A baby or infant will normally have a comfort item that they prefer, such as a blanket, for example. They would feel more at ease if this was present when they are resting. Other elements to assist and address with the concentration or amusement of the baby or infant are often not included in the resulting product.

The present invention provides a design that attends to the teething requirement using only the most natural materials and also offers some novel design with amusement and comfort within its design.

Prior Art

Accordingly patent applications have been filed to provide general solutions, including the following: German patent ref: DE19623274 (SWARTZ) Discloses a child's teething device in a circular ring shape, which has a hollowed centre to improve the affect when in use.

UK patent ref: GB 2400044 (BENTLEY) Discloses a teething device that is mainly concentrated on use with the rear or back teeth. This design has a protrusion attached to a gel or similar filled ring that enables access by the child to their rear teeth for comforting and relief from teething symptoms.

UK patent ref: GB756792 (NATONEK) Discloses a soother for baby's or infants that is formed in the shape of a dummy' and has small round spheres set within the device that creates a sound or rattle' when in use to assist concentration and amusement when in use.

United States patent application ref: US 5908440 Al (McKLOSKEY) Discloses a method by which a teething ring design has an attached container dispenser' for teething friendly foods such as cookies, fruits and pretzels. Holes are provided in the section that goes into the mouth to aUow the food to be consumed.

United States patent appflcation ref: US 2007/0016252 (DOHERTY) Discloses a teething device that has the impression or shape of teeth pressed into the material used to produce it. This aides location to the correct area and adds novelty to the overall concept and usage.

United States patent ref: US 200610004412 (GILBERT) Discloses a teething device in the fonn of a child's mitten that is worn by the child and is a response to the fact that many baby's or infants tend to put ther fists n their mouths to pacify teething.

United States patent ret US 5649964 (BERMAN) Discloses a more angular teething device that has a horizontally formed handle or body and a head area with extending areas that offer different textures for the teething child to use.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention there is provided a teether or soother device for an infant or baby that has an animal or character themed appearance which is formed of a ring or pseudo-ring area providing a congruous resemblance of the body, for example: arms, legs or feet in a single moulded form. This is configured of the most natural of materials available being 100% toxin free, possibly a natural rubber or variant of known or emerging composite.

Using rubber from natural sources is a preferred route in this design, known exarnoes that may be used inciude the tree Hevea bras/f/ens/s. this being free of ailergens, arbtical colors. carcinogens, enoochne disruptors. chemical softeners, ocrabens.

polyvInyl chloride (PVC) and phthalates The avoidance of chemical softeners used in sihcone products or th.e colorants used in plastic and silicone pacifiers is also suggested. The teething item must he free of hisphenol-,A (BPA'1, phthalates, parahens and PVC. These are commonly made of pure rubber matehal produced or from rubber trees sustainably grown. commonly in plantations in areas such as Malaysia NaturaUy found materials from other locations and sources may also he considered providing they are totally natural and have no harming or toxic traces therein.

The teething ring or area would benefit from being of a single formed piece using known moulding methodology with variant internal structure and composition, including hollow, movable solid and granular, as to provide a more satisfying result when in contact with the child's gums. This being due to the pressure being applied from the child's mouth having a contriturate effect on the ring surface and therefore a compression results which is more favourably met by a hollow or softer surface that allows for the movement.

This is more appealing for the baby and of a soothing nature. The ring may also be filled with a soothing or complying gel or pieces of loose or transitional granulation, being of 100% natural extraction or production and may provide a supporting torsion to the child's gums when they bite upon the ring or soothing areas.

The ring has impressed or moulded features that may form any type of desired visual appeal, for example we show these as the arms and feet of animal characters, as shown in the Figures but the type of theme is almost unlimited. These may also provide advantageous use when applied to the child's mouth, for example a characters ear may provide a chewing or pacifying area, as would a characters tail, which may or may not be rounded, or similar in size to that of known baby or child pacifiers or dummy's'.

The characters raised, embossed or furrowed features may also form impressions of its physical appearance such as an animal's fur' provided by copious groups of moulded areas. These may in themselves provide textured physically advantageous benefits when in the child or baby's mouth, providing stimulation to gums or soothing textures, as well as visual appeal therein.

Shapes, forms and sizes of the various characters are apparent within this presentation but a typical embodiment would provide a size and shape that is suitable for handing by small infants or babies are more easily held in hand.

The texturing to the surfaces therefore would lend themselves to enabling or improving the ability to hold the teether's without purchase or slipping issues. This may also be associated or replicated in the choice or type of material used for this role.

Brief description of figures

Figures 1 show the teething device in the character form of a Rabbit.

Figures 2 show a rear view of the Rabbit character form.

Figures 3 show the teething device in the character form of a Panda.

Figures 4 show the teething device in the character form of an Owl.

Figures 5 show the teething device in the character form of Bird.

Figures 6 show the teething device in the character form of a Hedgehog. a

Detailed description of figures

A teething device has a single variant moulded body 1 as shown in Figure 1 and a rear view as shown in Figure 2, which may be hollow, flexibly solid, or filled with individual granular pieces.

These are formed of single moulded material such as a natural rubber and form animals or characters. As shown in Figure 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

To each body are varying protrusions 3 that form parts of the character such as the ears, hands, tail or feet, as shown in Figure 1, which may also provide advantageous collaboration when in use.

To each differing body are open areas 2, as shown in figure 1, that form handles or areas to hold or retain the teether or soother.

Claims (6)

1. Claims 1. A teething device has a body that is principally shaped in a ring and also forms the whole appearance of a character or animal.
2. 2. A teething device as claimed in claim 1 has a body that forms the appearance of a character or animal in a smooth or textured finish, which may also be prevailingly non-ring shape.
3. 3. A teething device may also be made of a single natural rubber moulded piece having protrusions that are body parts of the character, such as a tail or ear.
4. 4. A teething device as claimed in claim 3 wherein protrusions that form parts of the characters body may be used as pacifiers or teething and soothing aids when in use.
5. 5. A teething device as claimed may have hollow, flexibly solid or granular interiors of or additional fillings that vary from character to character and can be identified thus with each character when choosing which to purchase.
6. 6. A teething device as claimed in all previous claims comprise a device for a baby or infant when teething and has a single moulded natural smooth or textured material body completing a character or animal shape, having hollow, flexibly solid, granular or other in filled material, which has beneficial protrusions that may be placed into an baby or infants mouth as pacifiers, such as the characters tail or ears.