WO2005063168A1

WO2005063168A1 - Thermosensitive color changeable baby bottle and air valve for such

Info

Publication number: WO2005063168A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/000292
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kyo Hoon Ahn
Original assignee: Kyo Hoon Ahn
Priority date: 2003-12-31
Filing date: 2004-02-13
Publication date: 2005-07-14
Also published as: KR20040062866A

Abstract

The object of this invention is to provide a baby bottle having a coupling hose. The baby bottle includes a container (1) produced from a mixture of a resin and a thermosensitive color changeable material of 1-5%, and a cap body (2). An air inlet hole (3) is provided on the cap body. A valve body (4) of an air valve is provided at a position around the air inlet hole to close the air inlet hole in a normal state and open the air inlet hole by difference between the inside and outside pressure of the container. A cut part (6) is provided on a cap cover (5) to allow a suction pipe (7) to be exposed to an outside through the cut part. Projections (9) are provided on an inner surface of an upper portion of the cap cover. A neckstrap is fastened to the cap body.

Description

THERMOSENSITIVE COLOR CHANGEABLE BABY BOTTLE AND AIR VALVE FOR SUCH

Technical Field

The present invention relates, in general, to a feeding device with a connecting hose and, more particularly, to a baby bottle which has an air valve at a predetermined portion of a cap of the baby bottle to control the amount of air flowing into the baby bottle, in proportion to the amount of milk ingested by a baby, thus preventing milk from spilling from the baby bottle even when the baby bottle is tipped over, and which is constructed so that the color of the baby bottle is changed in response to the temperature of milk contained in the baby bottle.

Background Art

Generally, baby bottles are made of glass, plastics, and a stainless steel. A conventional baby bottle is constructed so that a user confirms the volume of milk contained in the baby bottle. However, the conventional baby bottle has a problem in that the user cannot detect temperature of the milk in the baby bottle. Thus, the user must drop the milk on the back of the user' s hand to confirm the temperature of the prepared milk, prior to feeding a baby. However, because the conventional baby bottle causes the user to confirm the temperature of the milk using the user' s hand after the milk is prepared, it is difficult to confirm the temperature of the milk. Further, the user must wash the user' s hand after confirming the temperature of the milk, thus causing inconvenience to the user. In order to solve the problems, several methods have been proposed. For example, a thermometer is attached to a surface of a baby bottle, or a thermosensitive color changeable material is applied to a surface of a baby bottle. However, the former method has a problem in that the thermometer must be removed from the surface of the baby bottle when the baby bottle is washed. The method has another problem in that the thermometer may be broken due to careless handling of the baby bottle. Meanwhile, in a detailed description of the latter method, the thermosensitive color changeable material is applied to the surface of the baby bottle. Thus, a user can confirm the temperature of milk contained in the baby bottle, by a change of the color of a figure provided on the surface of the baby bottle. However, such a method has a problem in that the thermosensitive color changeable material may be peeled away when the baby bottle has been used for a lengthy period, so that the baby bottle may have a poor appearance. Further, the baby's hands may be stained with the thermosensitive color changeable material during use of the baby bottle, and moreover, the baby may accidentally ingest the thermosensitive color changeable material. The conventional baby bottles must be constructed so that air flows into the baby bottle, in proportion to the amount of milk sucked by the baby. However, the conventional baby bottle is not provided with an air inlet unit, so that the inside of the baby bottle forms a vacuum in proportion to the amount of the milk sucked by the baby. In order to overcome the vacuous state, a very strong suction force is required when the baby ingests the milk. As such, when the baby sucks the milk through a nipple unit with an excessively strong force, the nipple unit may be separated from a container of the baby bottle. In this case, the milk may be spilled on the baby. Further, when the baby attempts to suck the milk with the excessively strong force, there is an increased risk of tympanitis. In order to solve the above problems, a nurser rotates the baby bottle while holding the baby bottle in the baby' s mouth, thus allowing air to flow into the baby bottle through an aperture provided at a predetermined portion of the nipple unit. However, such a method is problematic in that the baby must stop ingesting the milk, so that the baby may undergo emotional stress. Recently, there were proposed various baby bottles each having a valve, for example, Korean U.M. Registration No. 0190036, so as to solve the above-mentioned problems. According to Korean ϋ.M. Registration No. 0190036, the baby bottle includes a container. A nipple unit and a support unit are detachably coupled to the container. A skirt is provided at a lower portion of the nipple unit. Further, a hole is provided on a lower surface of the skirt, and an annular groove is provided at a position adjacent to the hole. An insert ring downwardly extends from the skirt in such a way as to be tapered in a direction from a lower end to an upper end of the insert ring, and thin parts are provided on predetermined portions of the insert ring, thus forming an annular air passage between the insert ring and the skirt. The operation of the baby bottle is as follows. That is, when a baby ingests milk contained in the container, negative pressure is generated in the container, and atmospheric air sequentially passes through a cut part of the support unit, the hole and the annular groove of the nipple unit, and the annular air passage. At this time, the atmospheric air flows into the container while inwardly compressing the thin parts of the insert ring. Further, another baby bottle having the valve was disclosed by Korean U.M. Registration No. 0270892. According to Korean U.M. Registration No. 0270892, the baby bottle includes a container, an air inlet upper plate which is made of a plastic, an air inlet lower plate which is made of silicone and has a valve to control a flow of milk. Further, the baby bottle includes an air inlet rod, a silicone head connected to an end of the air inlet rod and provided with another valve to prevent a backward flow of the milk, a nipple unit made of silicone, and a support unit to support the nipple unit. Meanwhile, the conventional baby bottle is constructed so that the aperture is provided in the nipple unit, thus forming an air passage during feeding. However, the conventional baby bottle has a problem in that the container may undesirably remain vacuous, when the amount of air flowing into the container through the aperture is small. The conventional baby bottle has another problem in that milk may spill from the container, when the baby bottle is not held upright. Further, it is inconvenient to sterilize a baby bottle. Therefore, there is a growing demand for 'a baby bottle which is constructed to easily feed a baby in various postures while a nipple unit is separated from a container, and to allow pressure to be reduced by an air inlet unit during feeding, thus allowing the baby to more easily suck milk, and which is constructed so that an air passage and a milk passage are separately provided, thus preventing the baby to suck air during feeding. In order to solve the problems, a baby bottle having a check valve was disclosed in Korean U.M. Registration No. 296969 by the inventor of the present invention. According to Korean U.M. Registration No. 296969, when the baby bottle lies on a side thereof or is subject to a large impact, a magnet is separated from the baby bottle. At this time, the valve is operated, so that air flows into the baby bottle. Thereby, milk may flow out through a nipple unit .

Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a baby bottle which is constructed so that a container thereof is produced from a mixture of a resin and a thermosensitive color changeable material, thus allowing a user to confirm temperature of milk contained in the baby bottle. Another object of the present invention is to provide a baby bottle which has an air inlet hole at a predetermined portion of a cap body of the baby bottle to be closed by a valve body of an air valve provided at a position around the air inlet hole, and which is constructed so that the valve body of the air valve is controlled by a suction force of a baby, thus keeping inside pressure of the baby bottle constant.

Brief Description of the Drawings The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a baby bottle, according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic side sectional view of the baby bottle of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of an air valve of the baby bottle encircled in FIG. 3; FIGS. 5a and 5b are schematic perspective views to show use of the baby bottle of FIG. 2, in which FIG. 5a shows a state where a baby wears the baby bottle around the baby's neck, and FIG. 5b shows the use of the baby bottle when a cap cover is closed; FIGS. 6a and 6b are perspective views to show another use of the air valve of FIG. 4; and FIGS. 7a and 7b are perspective views to show further use of the air valve of FIG. 4.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components . A baby bottle according to the present invention includes a nipple unit 11, a container 1, a suction pipe 12 provided in the container 1, an air valve having a valve body 4 to control a flow of air, a cap body 2 to couple the valve body 4 to the container 1, a coupling hose 7 to couple an upper end of the suction pipe 12 to the nipple unit 11. In this case, the container 1 is produced from a mixture of a thermosensitive ^' color changeable material

(engineering plastic compound) of 1~5% and a resin of

95~99%. The resin may be selected among PC (poly carbonate), PEL (poly elastomer), COP (cyclo olefin polymer), etc. An air inlet hole 3 is provided at a position of the cap body 2, and the valve body 4 of the air valve is provided at a position around the air inlet hole 3 to close the air inlet hole 3 in a normal state and open the air inlet hole 3 in response to a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container 1, thus controlling a flow of air. In this case, the valve body 4 is made of a soft flexible material. The baby bottle also includes a cap cover 5. A cut part 6 is provided on a predetermined portion of the cap cover 5 to allow the coupling hose 7 to be exposed to an outside. A plurality of projections 9 are provided on an inner surface of an upper portion of the cap cover 5. Further, a coupling ring 8 is provided at a predetermined portion of the cap body 2 to couple a neckstrap 13 to the coupling ring 8. The reference numeral 10 denotes a handle. The operation of the baby bottle constructed as described above is as follows. The mixture of the container 1 is prepared by mixing the thermosensitive color changeable material (engineering plastic compound) of 1~5% with the resin of 95-99%. When milk is put into the container 1 manufactured as such, the color of the container 1 is changed by the thermosensitive color^' changeable material of the container 1 which is changed in response to the temperature of the milk. In this case, the color of the thermosensitive color changeable material is changed variously, according to the change of the temperature of the milk. Thus, while the temperature of the milk lowers, the color of the thermosensitive color changeable material is changed variously, thus allowing a user to easily confirm the temperature of the milk. In such a state, when a baby sucks the milk through the nipple unit 11, the milk flows out the container 1 through the suction pipe 12. Simultaneously, the interior of the container 1 forms a vacuum, in proportion to the discharge amount of the milk. When the vacuum is formed as such, the valve body 4 provided at a predetermined portion of the cap body 2 is operated to allow air to flow into the container 1 through the air inlet hole 3. That is, when the vacuum is formed in the container

1, the valve body 4 made of the soft flexible material is opened due to the vacuum formed in the container 1. Simultaneously, air flows into the container 1 through the air inlet hole 3. When a user desires to feed the baby while having the baby in the user's arms, the neckstrap 13 is fastened to the coupling ring 8 which is provided at a predetermined portion of the cap body 2. In such a state, the user wears the neckstrap around the user' s neck and places the nipple unit 11 in the baby's mouth. Since the nipple unit 11 is coupled to the container 1 via the suction pipe 12, the nipple unit 11 can be used regardless of a position of the container 1. Meanwhile, when going out, the nipple unit 11 is taken out of the container 1 through the cut part 6 provided at a predetermined portion of the cap cover 5, and then the cap cover 5 is put on the container 1 to cover an upper portion of the container 1. In such a state, the nipple unit 11 is placed in the baby's mouth. In this case, the suction pipe 12 is coupled to a center of the cap body 2 and the nipple unit 11, and the nipple unit 11 is taken out of the container 1 through the cut part 6, thus allowing the baby to ingest the milk contained in the container 1 while keeping the cap cover 5 closed. Meanwhile, when the baby bottle is not in use, a safety skirt of the nipple unit 11 is pushed into a space between the plurality of projections 9 to be disposed on the projections 9. At this time, the safety skirt is held on the projections 9. Since the safety skirt is made of a resin, the safety skirt is elastically bent. Thus, when the user puts the user's fingers into the space between the projections 9 and pulls the safety skirt up, the safety skirt easily passes through the space between the projections 9. The air valve having the valve body 4 of this invention may be applied to a beverage container of a can type or a pack type, as shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b. Preferably, the air valve may be applied to an oil cask containing petroleum or an engine oil additive therein, as shown in FIGS. 7a and 7b. Industrial Applicability

As described above, the present invention provides a baby bottle which is constructed so that a container is produced from a mixture of a resin and a thermosensitve color material and an air inlet hole is provided at a predetermined portion of a cap body in such a way as to be controlled by a valve body made of a soft flexible material. As such, the baby bottle has a simple construction, thus being easy to manufacture. Further, the color of the container is changed variously in response to temperature of milk contained in the container, thus preventing a baby from feeling bored. Further, a coupling ring is provided at a predetermined portion of the container, thus allowing the baby bottle to be worn on a nurser' s neck and thereby allowing the nurser to feed the baby while walking. Furthermore, the valve body of an air valve is operated by a suction force of the baby, thus keeping the inside pressure of the container constant. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A thermosensitive color changeable baby bottle, comprising: a nipple unit; a container produced from a mixture of a thermosensitive color changeable material and a resin, such as PC (poly carbonate), PEL (polyester elastomer), and COP (Cyclo Olefin Polymer); a suction pipe provided in the container; an air valve comprising a valve body made of a soft flexible material to control a flow of air; a cap body to couple the container to the air valve, the cap body comprising: an air inlet hole provided at a position of the cap body around the valve body, the air inlet hole being closed by the valve body in a normal state and being opened by the valve body in response to a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container; and a neckstrap fastened to a predetermined position of the cap body; a coupling hose to couple an upper end of the suction pipe to the nipple unit; and a cap cover having, at a predetermined portion thereof, a cut part to allow the nipple unit to be taken out of the container, with a plurality of projections being provided on an inner surface of the cap cover.

2. The thermosensitive color changeable baby bottle according to claim 1, wherein the mixture of the container is prepared by mixing the resin of 95-99% with the thermosenstive color changeable material (engineering plastic compound) of 1-5%.

3. An air valve for liquid containers, comprising: an air inlet hole provided on a predetermined portion of a container; and a valve body made of a soft flexible material and provided on the container at a position around the air inlet hole to close the air inlet hole in a normal state and open the air inlet hole in response to a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the container.

4. The air valve according to claim 3, wherein the air inlet hole and the valve body are provided on a cap body of a thermosensitive color changeable baby bottle.

5. The air valve according to claim 3, wherein the air inlet hole and the valve body are provided on an upper surface of a beverage container of a can type or a pack type.

6. The air valve according to claim 3, wherein the air inlet hole and the valve body are provided on an upper surface of an oil cask.