US2693188A

US2693188A - Nipple construction

Info

Publication number: US2693188A
Application number: US284301A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rodriguez Camilo
Original assignee: Davol Rubber Co
Current assignee: Davol Rubber Co
Priority date: 1952-04-25
Filing date: 1952-04-25
Publication date: 1954-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1971-11-02

Description

NOV. 2, 1954 c, RODRlGUEz 2,693,188

NIPPLE CONSTRUCTION Filed April 25, 1952 FIGS ATTORNEY NIPPLE CONSTRUCTION Carnilo Rodriguez, East Greenwich, R. I., assignor to Davol Rubber Company, a corporation of Rhode Island Application April 25, 1952, Serial No. 284,301

3 Claims. (c1. 128-252) The present invention relates to infant feeding, and has particular reference to a novel construction for a feeding nipple.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an impoved nipple for use with a small mouth nursing bot e.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nipple for a small mouth nursing bottle which has a continuously open air vent.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nipple air vent which does not leak when the nipple is in use.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is an elevation view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention as mounted on a small mouth nursing bottle.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the nipple in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is-a view similar to Fig. 2, the nipple being separated from the bottle;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the nipple, partly in section, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a partial section on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

It has been found desirable to provide a nipple for a small mouth nursing bottle, which has a continuously open air vent, the air vent being so constructed that it will not leak nursing fluid under normal conditions of use. To this end, I have devised a nipple with a novel double rib construction having a shallow intermediate air groove, the rib beingpressed against the rim of the nursing bottle when mounted thereon to take the pressure and flatten out to provide a restricted open vent in the nature of a capillary bore, whereby air may vent into the nipple while outflow of feeding liquid is restricted. The double rib effectively prevents leakage from the nurser.

Referring to the drawings, the nipple 10 is illustrated in Fig. l as mounted on a small mouth standard type nursing bottle 11, which has a reduced neck 12, see Fig. 2, and a rim 13. The nipple 10 of flexible material such as rubber, includes a lower hollow generally cylindrical base 14 having an annular lower flange 15 with a bevelled lower surface 16, an upstanding neck 17 of less width than the base and having a vertical inner cylindrical surface 18 and an outer surface 19 flaring at its lower portion to merge with the outer surface of the base, whereby a thickened annulus 20 of generally triangular cross-section is provided at the juncture of the neck and the base. The neck has a spherical type tip 21 at its upper end which is provided with one or more feeding passages 22. The annulus 20 provides an elastic resistance to the lips of an infant which prevents collapsing of the nipple when in use and also exercises the gums during feeding. The neck depends downwardly below the annulus 20 to provide a circular tongue 23, whereby an annular recess 24 is formed by the tongue 23, the lower surface 25 of the annulus 20, the inner surface 26 of the base 14, and the upper surface 27 of the flange 15, the recess 24 receiving the rim 13 of the bottle when the flange 15 is snapped over the rim with the tongue 23 extending into the bottle opening. The snap insertion of the bottle rim into the 8 recess, and its removal therefrom, is facilitated by a finger United States Patent Oifice 2,693,188 Patented Nov. 2, 1954 graspable tab 28 which extends outwardly from the lower portion of the base 14, and which may be provided with a depression 29 in its upper surface for better manual grasping.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, the lower inner portion of the nipple is provided with a vertical bead 30 of shallow depth and a relatively extended width, having spaced

flat ribs

31, 32 and a central intermediate groove or trough 33, the head 30 extending over the bevelled surface 16, the flange 15, the recess 24, and the lower surface of the tongue 23. When the nipple is mounted on the nursing bottle, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the bead 30 contacts the neck and the rim of the bottle, under tension, and the

spaced ribs

31, 32 are spread, without, however, flattening the groove 33 sufficiently to close the groove to passage of air.

The above described construction provides a venting nipple with a continuously open air vent passage, which, however, is of small size and thus blocks outflow of milk or other feeding fluid.

Although I have disclosed a specific construction of a nipple embodying the invention, it is obvious that changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of the parts may be made to meet different nursing requirements, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A nursing nipple having a generally cylindrical hollow base, an upstanding reduced neck terminating in a feeding tip havlng a passageway therethrough, the outer surface of the neck flaring at its lower portion to merge with the outer surface of the base and the inner surface of the neck being vertical to provide a thickened annulus at the juncture of the base and neck, the wall of said neck extending downwardly to form a circular depending tongue, said base having a lower internal annular flange, whereby a recess for receiving a bottle rim is provided between the lower flange, the base wall, the thickened annulus and the depending tongue, and a continuous bead of shallow depth across the surface of said tongue, said recess, and said internal annular flange, said bead having a longitudinal air vent groove.

2. A nursing nipple having a generally cylindrical hollow base, an upstanding reduced neck terminating in a feeding tip having a passageway therethrough, the outer surface of the neck flaring at its lower portion to merge with the outer surface of the base, and the inner surface of the neck being vertical to provide a thickened annulus at the uncture of the base and neck, the wall of said neck extending downwardly to form a circular depending tongue, said base having a lower internal annular flange, whereby a recess for receiving a bottle rimis provided between the lower flange, the base wall, the thickened annulus and the depending tongue, and a continuous bead of shallow depth across the surface of said tongue, said recess, and said internal annular flange, said bead having a central longitudinal air vent groove.

3. A nursing nipple having a generally cylindrical hollow base, an upstanding'reduced neck terminating in a feeding tip having a passageway therethrough, the outer surface of the neck flaring at its lower portion to merge with the outer surface of the base, and the inner surface of the neck being vertical to provide a thickened annulus at the juncture of the base and neck, the wall of said neck extending downwardly to form a circular depending tongue, said base having a lower internal annular flange, whereby a recess for receiving a bottle rim is provided between the lower flange, the base wall, the thickened annulus and the depending tongue, and a continuous bead of shallow depth across the surface of said tongue, said recess, and said internal annular flange, said bead having two spaced longitudinal flat portions and an intermediate longitudinal air vent groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Little Aug. 29, 1950