US3294268A

US3294268A - Nurser

Info

Publication number: US3294268A
Application number: US424027A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond W Barton; Joe T Herron
Original assignee: Mead Johnson and Co LLC
Current assignee: Mead Johnson and Co LLC
Priority date: 1961-04-03
Filing date: 1965-01-07
Publication date: 1966-12-27
Anticipated expiration: 1983-12-27
Also published as: SE306138B; DK125674B; GB996956A; NL276701A; CH440551A; DE1295134B

Description

Dec. 27, 1988 R. wyBARTON- ETAL 3294288 NURS ER grginal Filed April 3, 1961 United States Patent O M 3,294.268 NURSER Raymond W. Barton and Joe T. Herron, Evansville, Ind., assignors to Mead Johnson 8; Company, a corporation of Indiana Original application Apr. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 100,160, now Patent No. 3.200,860, dated Jan. 28, 1965. Divided and thisapplication Jan. 7. 1965, Ser. No. 424,027 6 Claims. (Cl. 215-11) This application is a division of copending Barton et al. application, Serial No. 100,160, filed April 3, 1961, now Patent Number 3,200,860, and assigned to the assignee Of this invention.

This invention relates to a disposable nurser.

Disposable or throw-away nursers have several advantages over more conventional reusable glass or plastic nursing bottles. The elimination of the cost of Washing, sterilizing and handling, and of replacement is obvious. Fu'rthermore, empty nursers may be supplied to a hospital in a sterile condition, and With proper filling apparatus, and techniques complete sterlity may be maintained prior to feeding.

With conventional nursing equipment, there is an ever present danger of contaminatiron, principally through handling of nipples during and following filling. This is a particularly serious problem in hospitals Where a large number of nursers are required and often must be handled several times before feeding. In the home, the use of throw-away nursers eliminates the laborious and time consuming operation of washing and sten'lizing bottles, nipples and associated apparatus.

A principal object of this inventon is to provide an improved throw-away nurser.

One feature of the invention is the provision of a disposable nurser including a body of flexible material having an expandable portion, a nipple extending outwardly from the nurser body having an outer end portion and a' nipple cover having a portion engaging and supporting the outer end portion of the nipple. Another feature is that the nipple cover is provided with an inwardly extending rib which engages a groove on the nurser, there being an outwardly opening groove associated with the rib on the cover, together with an annular member seated in the groove of the cover, keeping it secured in place thereon.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a bulk filling apparatus for a nurser embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a broken section taken generally along line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged section through the nipple of a nurser with a filling connector in place;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of the nurser, nipple, cover and cap, with a portion'broken away for clarity; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a nipple.

The throw-away nurser illustrated herein is basically that disclosed and claimed in Dailey et al. application Se-rial No. 814,110, filed May 18, 1959, and asigned to the assgnee of this application. There 'are certain differences which Will be pointed out below.

Briefly, the nurser 20 (FIGURE 2) has top and

bottom sections

21 and 22, respectively, both of a plastic material and sealed together at a peripheral seam 23. The two sections have a configuration of a portion of a Sphere less than a hemisphere, and the bottom section 22 is -of a material which is more exible than the top section 21, and may be collapsed into the top section, conforming closely with it as shown in the aforemen- Patented Dec. 27, 1966 ICC tioned Dailey et al. application. The nurser is supplied with the bottom in the collapsed position; and it may be filled shortly prior to use, the bottom expanding to the position shown in FIGURE 2 upon filling. A nipple 24 is secured in an opening in top section 21 and is provided with a nipple cover 25. A Vvariety of sizes of nursers, as with capacities ofgtwo, three and eight ounces, may be provided for feeding dilfering quantities of formula.

In a hospital nursery or other institutions where a large quantity of nursers must be prepared at one time, it is desirable to utilize a bulk filling apparatus. A preferred embodiment of bulk filling apparatus is shown in FIGURE 1. The filling stand indicated generally at 28includes a base 29 and a pair of upright members 30 carrying between them an elevated platform or shelf 31a. Three recesses 32 are provided in the platform 31a to receive and support

bulk formula contaners

33, 34 and 35. The base 29 is provided With a plurality of |recessed portions for receiving the nursers during filling. Each of the bulk contaners has affixed thereto a filling set 43, through which formula is caused to fiow to the nursers carried on base 29. It 'has been found that a bulk filling operation is most efficient carried on r with three supply contaners of formula as there are three principal formula preparations used in a hospital nursery. Newborn infants are first given a special prelacteal formula, following which they are switched to a standard hospital formula. In addition, special formulations are often required because of allergic problems.

Briefly, the connecting means 43 may be sealingly connected with one of the nursers 20 and the formula caused to flow by gravity from the bulk container to the nurser. As the flow continues, the lower portion of the nurser expands until the nurser is substantially completely filled, at which point the flow stops. The attendant may then shut off the connection between the bulk container and the nurser, as by a tubing clamp 45 mounted on a shelf 31, and disconnect the filling set from the nurser. The operation may be repeated with the same or one of the other formulas.

The nurser illustrated in this application dilfers from that of the aforementioned Dailey et al. application primarily in the arrangement of the nipple and nipple cover. This is shown in detail in FIGURES 3 and 4. The nipple 24 is provided with an annular groove 47 in which is received a folded edge 48 of an upstanding neck portion of the top nurser section 21, surrounding the nipple receiving opening. A groove 49 is formed in the top body section 21 adjacent the base portion 24a of the nipple, further lockng the nipple in place on the nurser body. Cover 25 has an inwardly formed rib 50 which seats in groove 49 and which has an outwardly opening groove 51 associated therewith on the `outer surface of the cover. Rib 50 is seated in groove 49 of the nurser body and secures the cover on the nurser. Furthermore, a sheet 52, which may be of heavy paper, has an annular opening therein within which the cover is received, the Sheet being seated in groove 51, keeping cover 25 locked in place. Sheet 52 may have indicia imprinted thereon and serve as a label for the nurser.

The outer end 24b of nipple 24 fits fairly tightly within a cylindrical portion 25a of nipple cover 25, and is supported and positioned therein. The end of nipple 24 is provided with a suitable opening as formed by a pair of crosscuts 54 and 55 (FIGURE 5). A hole 56 is formed in the end surface of cover 25 aligned with and immediately adjacent the nipple opening. A cap 57 is fitted over the cylindrical portion'of nipple cover 25, closing the hole 56. Cap 57 is provided with a tab 57a to facilitate removal and to prevent the cap from rolling when removed and laid on its side ona surface.

The connector or filling set 43 has a fitting inserted in the end of the can which carries an elongated tube reaching substautially to the opposite end of the can. A length of fiexible tubing 63, connected with the fitting, has afiixed to it opposite end a suitable connector 64 for communication with a nurser 20. Connector 64 has a pointed spike or cannula portion 65 which may be inserted through the hole 56 in nipple cover 25 and through the crosscut opening in the end of the nipple, as shown in FIGURE 3. A depending skirt 66 surrounds a portion of cannula 65, and when connection is made with the nipple, surrounds the cylindrical upper portion 25a of the nipple cover 25, as an aid in positioning the connecting means. A cover 67 (FIGURE 2) is provided for cannula 65, and is removed when it is desired to use the filling set.

After the can is opened and the connecting or filling set 43 attached thereto, a syphon action is used to cause gravity fiow of formula from the can 33 to a nurser. The opened can with a filling set 43 attached thereto is placed in one of the support openings 32 on the shelf 31. The cover 67 is removed from the connector device 64 of the filling set and cannula 65 is connected with an empty nurser. A fiow of formula is started by pulling on the tab 77 which extends from the bottom body section 22 of the nurser. This opens the nurser reducing the pressure therein allowing atmospheric pressure to force the formula from can 33 through the filling set 43 to the nurser. Only filtered air is admitted to can 33 preventing contamination of the contents. Once the flow is started, it continues until the nurser is substantially filled. Then, as the cannula 65 is sealed with the hole 56 through nipple cover 25, the fiow stops automatically.

The connection between the bulk container and the nurser 20 is then interrupted, as by inserting tubing 63 in the clamp 45, and the cannula 65 removed from the nurser, breaking the sealed connection. The cannula 65 is then inserted in another nurser which may be filled by removing the tubing from clamp 45.

The system provides the utmost in sterility during the filling operation. The filling set 43 is a one-use device, thrown raway when the container of formula is empty. Neither cannula 65 nor nipple 24 is touched during the filling operation. Cap 57 is merely removed from the nurser nipple cover 25 and the cannula inserted. Sufficient nurser receiving positions are provided so that two spare nursers may hold the cannula of the filling sets of the idle bulk containers, while nursers are filled from the third container. Cannula 65 is only momentarily exposed to the |atmosphere when it is being moved from one nurser to another. Nipple cover 25 is not removed until it is time for feeding.

It is desirable to use two of the nurser receiving positions of base 29 for the active filling operation. While the filling set 43 is connected with the nurser in one position, an empty nurser is placed in the other position. As soon as one nurser is filled, tube 63 is closed off and connector 64 moved to the empty nurser and the tube released so that the fiow of formula continues. Cap 57 is replaced on the filled nurser, the nurser is removed from the supporting position on the base and an empty nurser put in its place.

The tubing 63 is of sufficient length to reach at least two nurser receiving positions, without .being long enough for cannula 65 to touch the base surface if the tubing hangs free.

The

cuts

54 and 55 in the nipple are of different length, as is apparent from an examination of FIGURE 5. The illustrated arrangement permits insertion of the connector cannula, without having lan excessive feeding rate which would occur if both cuts were of the longer length.

It is desirable to provide nursers in varying sizes so that different quantities of formula may be made up, according to the needs of the infants in the nursery. Generally speaking, nursers of the general type illustrated herein may be designed to have different capacity by changing the diameter, and to a lesser extent, the height. The nurser receiving portion of the base is illustrated in FIGURE 2. Three concentric but vertically and laterally spaced generally

annular surfaces

80, 81 and 82 are provided for nursers which may have volumes of two ounces, three ounces, and eight ounces. In each case, the annular sealed portion 23 of the nurser provides a nurser supporting surface which is received on the appropriate surface of the base. The Vertical spacing of the supporting surfaces is such that the top of the nipple cover of the smallest size nurser, resting on the lowest supporting surface 80, is approximately one inch above the upper surface of the base. This provides ample leeway in the selection of the length of tubing 63 without increasing the danger of contact of the cannula with the base.

The apparatus and method described above facilitate the use of throw-.away nursers by providing a sterile and relatively foolproof means for filling. In a hospital, for example, not only is the problem of collection, washing, sterilization and reassembly of nursers completely eliminated but filling is provided for in a sterile manner where there is no danger of contact between the nurser nipple and a contaminated surface. The nipple cover remains securely fixed in place on the nurser until it is actually time to feed the infant.

While we have shown and described an embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and larrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A disposable nurser of the character described, comprising: a body of flexible material having an expandablc portion; a nipple extending outwardly from the nurser body and having an outer end portion provided with an opening; and a rigid protective nipple cover mounted on the body of the nurser surrounded and supporting the nipple, the cover having a hole therein adjacent the opening in said nipple for receiving a filling connector.

2. A nurser of the Character described, comprising: a body having a nipple secured thereto and extending outwardly therefrom, said body having a groove therein around said nipple; a nipple cover with an inwardly formed rib engage'd in the groove in said body, there being an outwardly opening groove in the outer surface of said cover, associated with said rib, and an annular member seated in the groove of said cover.

3. The nurser of claim 2 wherein said annular member is an indicia-bearing sheet with an opening therein through which said cover extends.

4. A disposable nurser of the Character described, comprising: a body of fiexible material having an expandable portion; a nipple extending outwardly from'the nurser body and having an outer end portion provided with an opening and an intermediate portion smaller in diameter than said outer end portion; and a nipple cover mounted on the body of the nurser surrounding the nipple, the cover having a portion engaging and supporting the outer end portion of the nipple, the cover having a hole therein adjacent the opening in the nipple for receiving a filling connector, the nipple cover having an intermediate portion spaced from the intermediate portion of the nipple.

5. The nurser of claim 4 in which the intermediate portion -of the cover is generally conical and the cover portion engaging and supporting the outer end portion of the nipple is generally cylindrical.

6. A disposable nurser of the character described, comprising: a body of flexible material having an expandable portion; a nipple extending outwardly from the nurser body and having an outer end portion and an intermediate portion between the end portion and the body, the end portion having a diameter greater than the diameter of said intermediate portion and provided with an opening; and a rigid protective nipple cover mounted on the body of said nurser and having a generally cylindrical portion engaging and supporting the outer end portion of the nipple, the cover having a hole therein adjacent the open ing in said nippie for receiving a filling connector and having a generaily conical portion spaced from the intermediate portion thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTSv 1,716,262 6/1929 Dishart 215-11 2,343,276 9/1940 Carlson 141-329 2,424,807 7/1947 Eckrnan 141-329 2,442,656 6/1948 Less 128-252 Morrill.

Bailey 215-11 Lage 215-11 Oliver 215-11 Horan 215- 11 X Boston 215-11 Mehl 215-11 Blanchett 128-252 Sehrwald 215-11 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examz'ner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examnev'.

D. F. NORTON, Assistant Examner.

Claims

2. A NURSER OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING: A BODY HAVING A NIPPLE SECURED THERETO AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID BODY HAVING A GROOVE THEREIN AROUND SAID NIPPLE; A NIPPLE COVER WITH AN INWARDLY FORMED RIB ENGAGED IN THE GROOVE IN SAID BODY, THERE BEING AN OUTWARDLY OPENING GROOVE IN THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID COVER, ASSOCIATED WITH SAID RIB, AND AN ANNULAR MEMBER SEATED IN THE GROOVE OF SAID COVER.