US3627161A

US3627161A - Baby bottle and music box unit

Info

Publication number: US3627161A
Authority: US
Inventors: Marvin L Wergeland
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-11-26
Filing date: 1969-11-26
Publication date: 1971-12-14
Anticipated expiration: 1988-12-14

Abstract

In order to soothe and calm a baby and encourage him to eagerly drink from a baby bottle, a cap retaining a music box is shaped to be detachably coupled to the bottom of the baby bottle. A closed end of the cap has a positioning hole through which a windup stem of the music box extends so a person can easily crank or wind up the music box at a desired time.

Description

United S ta tes Patent Inventor Marvin L. Wergeland 37 Saviers Road, Oxnard, Calil. 93030 880,010

Nov. 26, 1969 Dec. 14, 1971 Appl. No. Filed Patented BABY BOTTLE AND MUSIC BOX UNIT 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 215/11 C, 2l5/l1R,46/175 Int. Cl....' A6 lj 9/00 FieldofSearch 2l5/ll;

ZZZ/179.5, 182; 220/42 A, 42 E 97 F; 401/124, 98,202,213, 195, 196; 46/l l, 175

[56] References Clted UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,929,290 3/1960 Smith 215/] 1.3 UX FOREIGN PATENTS 288,756 6/1953 Switzerland 84/95 Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman Assistant Examiner-James M. Slattery Auomey-Pastoriza and Kelly ABSTRACT: In order to soothe and calm a baby and encourage him to eagerly drink from a baby bottle, a cap retaining a music box is shaped to be detachably coupled to the bottom of the baby bottle. A closed end of the cap has a positioning hole through which a windup stem of the music box extends so a person can easily crank or wind up the music box at a desired time.

Patented Dec. K4,, 19H

INVENTOR. MARVIN L. WERGIELAND ATTORNEYS ll BABY AND MUSIC ROM UNIT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to baby bottles and more specifically to a baby bottle in combination with a music box that may be operated to induce a baby to drink milk.

From time to time some infants completely resist taking or drinking milk or formula from conventional baby bottles and this reluctance is both harmful to their health and very annoying and sometimes alarming to the parents or supervisors. On other occasions the milk is accepted only grudgingly and intermittently over a long span of time and this is tedious for the parent.

In order to influence the infant to eagerly or at least willingly accept the baby bottle various techniques and practices have been attempted such as singing or playing a music box, the sounds of which are thought to relax and soothe the infant and make him much less hostile to the baby bottle.

Music boxes are ordinarily coupled to and generally concealed within stuffed animals, dolls, toys or other articles that are separated from the baby bottle. In addition to being expensive these articles often tend to distract the infant's attention from the baby bottle and he may reach for the article instead of clutching or being satisfied by the baby bottle. Thus the advantages of ordinary music boxes positioned totally apart from the baby bottle are unpredictable and may well interfere with the infant's drinking behavior rather than assisting him.

As shall be fully described this invention is aimed at coupling a music box and baby bottle in a manner so that the advantages of the music box can be satisfactorily employed to soothe the baby and urge him to drink from the baby bottle.

BRIEF SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION Briefly stated this invention comprehends a simple, inexpensive and effective structure for encouraging an infant to drink from a baby bottle. In the broadest aspects of this invention a music box is retained within a cap that can be detachably coupled to a baby bottle. The cap has a wall portion formed with a positioning hole through which the windup stem of the music box extends.

In accordance with one embodiment the baby bottle includes a container with an open top end for holding a conventional nipple and cover, and, a closed bottom end shaped for being inserted into and making press-fitting engagement with the cap.

In accordance with a second embodiment of this invention the music box windup stem projects through a positioning hole formed through a closed end of the cap. A crank is pivotally secured to the tip of the windup stem and a recess is formed in the cap closed end for retaining the crank when it lies in its retracted position.

In order to hold the music box in a confined position adjacent the cap closed end, a plurality of locking tabs extend inwardly from the cap interior wall and are arranged to make snap-fitting engagement with the music box. The cap is formed within enlarged lower cylindrical section that is sized to be snugly seated upon the baby bottle top when, for example, the parent or babysitter wishes to take advantage of the music box during periods when the baby is not required to drink milk.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The numerous benefits and unique aspects of the present invention will be fully understood when the following detailed description is studied in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. I is a perspective exploded view of one embodiment constructed in accordance with this invention, showing a cap retaining a music box oriented for insertion into the base of a baby bottle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view partly broken away, showing the music box retained in a hollow section of the cap;

, FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, showing the cap positioned on the baby bottle top with the crank of the music box windup stem arranged in a raised position for use in winding up the music box; and,

FIG. d is a side view partially broken away of a second embodiment constructed in accordance with this invention, showing the music box windup stem extending through a sidewall portion of the cap. DETAILED DESCRIPTION DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. I a baby bottle and music box unit 10 incorporates a conventional baby bottle lll including an elongated plastic tubular casing 12 having an open top end 12 and an open bottom end I3. A nipple 11d has a resilient depending skirt M which when stretched outwardly by a person and slipped over end 12 will accomplish a virtually leakproof seal with baby bottle III. A disposable and collapsible flexible sack or bag lid is firmly held within baby bottle 111 in the customary manner. Bag 116 contains liquid such as milk 117 intended to be consumed by the baby. Ordinarily bag 116 will lie loosely adjacent the casing sidewall and be slightly spaced therefrom at its lower end by an annular gap lid.

A cap 19 is structured and FIGS. for being detachably coupled within bottom end 13 of baby bottle llll. Cap 19, constructed from some suitable durable plastic material, has an open end 20 and a closed end 2ll a portion of which is formed with a depression or recess 22. Extending outwardly from the interior portion of cap I9 and partially but not entirely through recess 22 is a windup key or stem 23 associated with a music box shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. A. ring-shaped crank 24 is pivotally secured to the exposed tip of windup stem 23 so that when urged manually from a retracted position as shown in FIG. I to an extended position shown in FIG. 3 a person may windup the music box. The cap 119 has an upper cylindrical section 25 sized for making wedge or press-fitting engagement within casing end 113 and a lower cylindrical section 26 that may optionally be clamped over the nipple M and top casing end III as shall be subsequently described.

FIG. 2 shows the crank 24 lying in its retracted position substantially flat against the floor wall portion of recess 22. Windup stem 23 is coupled in the usual manner to a music box 27 that is of simple, compact construction. When crank 24 is manipulated to rotate windup stem 23 then a conventional spring mechanism within music box 27 is caused to store spring energy. When crank 24 is thereafter released the stored spring energy operates to drive a drum formed on its external periphery with projections past a series of musical tines joined together in a bar. As the projections are forced past the tines according to a predetermined musical pattern then a musical tune such as a nursery rhyme tune is created for the amusement and entertainment of the infant.

The music box 27 is confined within the upper cylindrical section 25 and its lower end 2%, in the: position shown in FIG. 2, rests upon a plurality of locking tabs 29. A plurality of locking tabs 29 extend inwardly from the interior wall of cap 119 and are sutliiciently spaced and arranged to make snaptitting engagement with music box 27. There is sufficient longitudinal clearance between locking tabs 29 and cap closed end 2t so that when crank 24 is removed the music box 27 and stem 23 can be thrust past locking tabs 29 into their desired positions. Thereafter crank 2d may be easily pivotally attached to stem 23. Music box 27 may be easily withdrawn from its chamber cylindrical section 25 for maintenance, cleaning or replacement purposes. The diameter of upper cap cylindrical section 25 is indicated by ID, and the longitudinal lengths of the cap upper cylindrical section 25 and lower cylindrical section 2s are indicated by L and L respectively. In order to furnish adequate space for confining music box 27 length L, would ordinarily exceed length L Referring to FIG. 3 cap-closed end 21 is formed therethrough with a positioning hole 30 surrounded by recess 22. Positioning hole 30 is aligned eccentrically within recess 22 so that crank Ml, as best shown in FIG. 2 can lie neatly within a shallow space and below the plane of the cap-closed cylindrical section 25 is substantially equivalent with the diameter D, of the interior surface of tubular casing l 1 so that cap l9 can be inserted into and snap fitted against the tubular casing bottom end l3. Two or more locking tabs 29 may be fonned on the interior wall of cap 19 in order to constitute holding means for retaining the music box 27 in the desired confined position. The upper margin of flexible bag 16 is tightly pressed between cap top end 12 and the depending skirt 15 of nipple 14. By the arrangement of FIG. 3 the music box 27 is capable of entertaining the infant before or after the infant is scheduled to drink milk 17. Optionally, the music box 27 may be used at any randomly selected time to entertain the infant.

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of this invention wherein a different type of conventional baby bottle 31 has a container 32 with an open top end 33. End 33 is formed with the customary threaded neck for receiving a cover 34 shaped to hold a nipple 35.

A cap 36, analogous to the cap 19 of the FIG. 1 embodiment, has an open end 37 sized for being slipped over the closed bottom end 38 of container 32 in order to make pressfitting engagement therewith. A sidewall portion 39 of cap 36 is formed with a recess 40 and positioning hole (not shown) through which the windup stem 41 of a music box extends. A ring-shaped crank element 42 may be used by a parent or babysitter in order to set the music box for playing musical tunes.

OPERATION Keeping the above two constructions in mind it can be understood how the existing problems of encouraging an infant to drink milk are substantially overcome by the present invention.

Initially the baby bottle and music box unit 10 is assembled by snap fitting the music box 27 into its desired position, as shown in FIG. 2, and pivotally attaching crank 24 to windup stem 23.

When feeding time arrives for the infant the parent or babysitter first pours milk 17 or other liquid in the baby bottle ll and attaches the nipple 14 in the customary manner. Thereafter crank 24 is flipped from its retracted position of F IG. 2 to its extended position of FIG. 3 and twisted through a sufficient number of revolutions until windup stem 23 has adequately set music box 27 for imparting music.

Cap 19 is then oriented as shown in FIG. 1 and pushed forwardly until most or all of cylindrical section 25 is urged into casing bottom end 13 so that casing 11 and cap 19 can be frictionally held together as a unit 10. When the spring energy within music box 27 is expended then cap 19 can be easily decoupled and pulled away from baby bottle 11, wound up again, and reinserted to resume the entertainment and amusement for the infant.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the present invention has provided a music box and baby bottle unit in which all of the various advantages are fully realized.

We claim:

1. A baby bottle and music boxunit comprising:

a. a baby bottle having a tubular casing with an open top end for receiving thereon a nipple having a depending skirt that fits over the open top end, and, an open bottom end;

b. a cap with an open end and a closed end formed with apositioning hole, the cap including an upper cylindrical section sized to be press fitted into the casing bottom end and a lower cylindrical section of larger diameter than that of the upper cylindrical section and substantially equal to the nipple skirt diameter so that the cap may be alternatively fitted on and over the casing top end;

c. a recess formed in the cap-closed end generally surrounding the positioning hole; and,

d. a music box retained in the cap and arranged adjacent the cap-closed end, the music box including a windup stem positioned through the positioning hole and a crank pivotally secured to the windup stem and sized to lie within the recess when in its retracted position.

2. The structure according to claim 1, including:

holding means coupled to an interior wall portion of the cap for retaining the music box in a confined position.

3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the holding means includes:

a plurality of locking tabs extending inwardly from the cap interior wall and being arranged to make snap-fitting engagement with the music box.

4. The structure according to claim 3, wherein;

both the cap and music box are generally of circular crosssectional shape.

5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein;

the music box is entirely included within the cap upper cylindrical section.

t i i t

Claims

1. A baby bottle and music box unit comprising: a. a baby bottle having a tubular casing with an open top end for receiving thereon a nipple having a depending skirt that fits over the open top end, and, an open bottom end; b. a cap with an open end and a closed end formed with a positioning hole, the cap including an upper cylindrical section sized to be press fitted into the casing bottom end and a lower cylindrical section of larger diameter than that of the upper cylindrical section and substantially equal to the nipple skirt diameter so that the cap may be alternatively fitted on and over the casing top end; c. a recess formed in the cap-closed end generally surrounding the positioning hole; and, d. a music box retained in the cap and arranged adjacent the cap-closed end, the music box including a windup stem positioned through the positioning hole and a crank pivotally secured to the windup stem and sized to lie within the recess when in its retracted position.

2. The structure according to claim 1, including: holding means coupled to an interior wall portion of the cap for retaining the music box in a confined position.

3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the holding means includes: a plurality of locking tabs extending inwardly from the cap interior wall and being arranged to make snap-fitting engagement with the music box.

4. The structure according to claim 3, wherein; both the cap and music box are generally of circular cross-sectional shape.

5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein; the music box is entirely included within the cap upper cylindrical section.