WO2008041005A1

WO2008041005A1 - Infant pacifier

Info

Publication number: WO2008041005A1
Application number: PCT/GB2007/003801
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stephen Michael Ascough
Original assignee: Stephen Michael Ascough
Priority date: 2006-10-07
Filing date: 2007-10-08
Publication date: 2008-04-10
Also published as: GB0620122D0

Abstract

There is described a protected infant pacifier comprising a teat for insertion into an infant's mouth, the teat comprising a nipple portion and a stem portion, the stem portion being provided with a resilient guard, the guard comprising a pair of walls protruding from a base portion substantially coaxially with the teat, the base portion being located around the stem portion of the teat, wherein the length of each of the walls is such that the walls extend up to or beyond the outer end of the nipple portion of the teat.

Description

INFANT PACIFIER

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an infant pacifier or soother.

Background to the Invention

Conventional infant pacifiers or soothers usually comprise an outwardly extending nipple portion and a substantially round guard which engages the infant's face to prevent the pacifier or soother from being accidentally swallowed or by the infant. However, one disadvantage of such infant pacifiers is that if they are dropped by the infant, the pacifier will become soiled and/or contaminated.

There have therefore been numerous attempts to address this problem. Thus, for example, some commercially available pacifiers are provided with a cover for the nipple portion. In some cases the cover is a removable cover. However, such an arrangement is disadvantageous because the cover may easily be lost and the infant alone will usually lack the dexterity to remover and/or reapply the cover themselves.

An alternative design provides an openable cover, e.g. in the form of a "clam shell". Some such designs are aesthetically pleasing and avoid the loss of the cover. However, they tend to be expensive to manufacture and still suffer from the disadvantage that the infant alone will usually lack the dexterity to remover and/or reapply the cover themselves. We have now found a novel form of infant pacifier which overcomes or mitigates the disadvantages of the prior art products.

Statements of the Invention

Thus, according to a first aspect of the invention we provide a protected infant pacifier comprising a teat for insertion into an infant's mouth, the teat comprising a nipple portion and a stem portion, the stem portion being provided with a resilient guard, the guard comprising a pair of walls protruding from a base portion substantially coaxially with the teat, the base portion being located around the stem portion of the teat, wherein the length of each of the walls is such that the walls extend up to or beyond the outer end of the nipple portion of the teat.

Preferably, the teat comprises a silicone, latex, rubber or synthetic material. In terms of manufacture, it is easier to produce the whole teat of the same material, yet it is also feasible to make a nipple of one material and a stem of another material. The choice of the materials may also be a function of the desired thickness of the teat.

The protruding walls should be dimensioned so as to prevent the teat from contact the ground or surface on which the pacifier is resting. However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention the teat is positioned in the resilient guard such that the guard is provided with a region surrounding the teat that prevents the teat from coming into contact with the ground.

The resilient guard preferentially comprises a flexible material. It is desirable that the guard comprises a material that is sufficiently flexible to enable it, in use, to conform to the infant's face. Thus, for example, the guard may comprise a flexible plastics material. Although the thickness of the material may vary, the thickness is preferably designed to achieve the desired flexibility. However, in an especially preferred aspect of the present invention the guard may be provided with a rim that is if greater thickness than the body of the guars. Thus, for example, the body of the guard may be from 1 to 4mm thick, preferably 1 to 2 mm thick. However, rim may be provided that is thicker, e.g. from 2 to 6 mm thick, preferably 2 to 4 mm thick. The rim as hereinbefore described may surround the whole of the body or just a portion of the body. Any conventionally known plastic material may be used. However, the resilient guard preferably comprises a flexible plastics material, for example, a material that is sufficiently flexible to enable it to conform to a user's face. Furthermore, preferably the plastics material will not include polyvinylchloride (PVC) plastic due to the risk of the presence of phthalates and/or polycarbonate plastic. Thus a preferred plastics material is a polyolefin, such as polypropylene or polyethylene, or mixtures thereof. Alternatively, the plastics material may desirably comprise a plant based plastics.

Optionally the guard may be provided with a pair of substantially oppositely disposed openings. The use of one or more openings is advantageous in that it improves the flexibility of the .guard, which may be desirable if the guard is designed to be sufficiently flexible to enable it to conform to a user's face.

The pacifier of the invention may optionally be provided with a grip tab.

Brief description of the drawings

Specific embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompany drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the infant pacifier according to the invention; Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the infant pacifier;

Figure 3 is a side perspective view of an infant pacifier according to the invention; and Figure 4 is a perspective view an infant pacifier according to the invention on its side.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments are shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Description of the Invention

Referring to figure 1 an infant pacifier 1 comprises a teat 2 for insertion into an infant's mouth. The teat 2 comprises a nipple portion 3 and a stem portion 4. The stem portion 4 is provided with a resilient guard 5. The guard 5 comprises a pair of walls 6 and 7 protruding from a base portion 8. The stem portion 4 of the teat 2 is located on a face 9 of the base portion 8. The opposing face 10 of the base portion 8 is provided with a tab

11 to facilitate gripping of the pacifier 1. The guard 5 may optionally be provided with one or more openings 12 and 13. The purpose of the one or more openings 12 and 13 is to improve the flexibility of the guard 5. Thus the one or more openings 12 and 13 may be substantially oppositely disposed.

Referring to figures 3 and 4, in order to prevent the teat 2 from becoming contaminated if dropped, the walls 6 and 7 protrude at least up to the end 14 of the nipple portion 3 of the teat 2. Furthermore, the stem portion 4 of the teat 2 is located substantially centrally in the base 8 of the guard 5. Thus, a region 15 and 16 of the base 8 surrounds the teat 2 aids in preventing the teat 2 from coming into contact with the ground or surface on which the pacifier is resting.

Claims

1. A protected infant pacifier comprising a teat for insertion into an infant's mouth, the teat comprising a nipple portion and a stem portion, the stem portion being provided with a resilient guard, the guard comprising a pair of walls protruding from a base portion substantially coaxially with the teat, the base portion being located around the stem portion of the teat, wherein the length of each of the walls is such that the walls extend up to or beyond the outer end of the nipple portion of the teat.

2. A protected infant pacifier according to claim 1 wherein the pacifier is provided with a grip tab.

3. A protected infant pacifier according to claim 1 wherein the teat comprises a rubber material or a silicone material.

4. A protected infant pacifier according to claim 1 wherein the resilient guard comprises a flexible material.

5. A protected infant pacifier according to claim 4 wherein the resilient guard comprises a flexible plastics material.

6. A protected infant pacifier according to claim 4 wherein the resilient guard comprises a polyolefin plastics material.

7. A protected infant pacifier according to claim 4 wherein the guard is sufficiently flexible to enable it to conform to a user's face.

8. A protected infant pacifier according to claim 1 wherein the guard is provided with a pair of substantially oppositely disposed openings.

9. A protected infant pacifier according to claim 1 wherein the guard is provided with a region surrounding the teat that prevents the teat from coming into contact with the ground.

10. A protected infant pacifier as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to the accompany drawings.