FR2840200A1 - Nursing bottle comprises outer open body housing flexible casing containing product, flexible nipple, pierced with slit, and check valve between casing opening and nipple, and second check valve close to nipple end - Google Patents

Abstract

The nursing bottle comprises an outer open body (1) which houses a flexible casing (2) containing the food product. A flexible nipple dispenses the product and a check valve (3) is located between the casing opening (20) and the nipple. Close to the end of the nipple, which is pierced with a slit (41), is a second check valve which can open and close depending on whether or not suction or pressure is being applied. The nipple has an added thickness (45) that enable the slit to switch from a closed sealed position to an open position allowing passage of product when a pre-determined pressure is exerted by the mandible.

Description

any of the preceding claims.

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  The present invention relates to a bottle device

for infant feeding.

  The purpose of the bottle device according to the invention is in particular to propose a functional bottle device making it possible to feed an infant in a manner reproducing the physical and mechanical processes of natural breastfeeding. child to extract the fact of the maternal breast constitutes one of the elements favoring the development of the child, and more particularly the growth of the maxillae. This muscular effort of suction is to be compared to the exercise of milking, or it is the pressure on the nipple which causes the extraction of the fact, the effort of aspiration does not

  mainly used to maintain contact.

  However, the conventional type bottles currently used require little or no effort from the infant, which therefore

  is detrimental to the child's development.

  Furthermore, breastfeeding by means of a bottle of the conventional type has other disadvantages, in particular in that it promotes the ingestion of air, due to the need for entry of compensating air into the baby bottle. This ingestion of air tends to favor the learning of oral ventilation, namely a

  child's propensity to breathe through the mouth, not the nose.

  This mouth breathing causes many health problems throughout the child's growth, which can last once grown up, in the form of repeated colds and

  maxillofacial problems, especially orthodontic.

  To overcome these various drawbacks, so-called physiological bottle devices have been proposed, attempting to reproduce the conditions of natural breastfeeding, that is to say by conferring on it

  the same characteristics as the maternal breast.

  It has thus been proposed in document FR 568.653 a feeding bottle provided with a nipple reproducing the shape of the end of a breast in the sense that it comprises a nipple extended from a nipple pierced with an abductor canal, said the nipple is full so that it cannot be crushed like a conventional nipple, and the extraction of the alimentary liquid can only be carried out by aspiration of the latter through the abductor canal, which remains permanently open, with however disadvantages, especially in that the problem of air intake is not resolved, due to the need for recovery

to be.

  S To overcome the problem of air intake, it has been proposed to regulate the air intake in the bottle either at the nipple / container junction as in document US 5,791,503 through a system non-return valve, either at the level of the container as in document US 5,944,205 through a valve system. These devices, in addition to their relative complexity, if they make it possible to limit the ingestion of air, do not allow

  reproduce the characteristics of breastfeeding.

  Another physiological bottle device is known, described in document EP 0.540.618, which is currently the most successful so-called physiological bottle device. It essentially comprises an external body housing a flexible envelope intended to contain a fluid food product, a means of regulating the pressure of the air pocket interposed between said body and said envelope, a flexible nipple allowing to distribute said product, a valve. non-return valve has between the opening of said envelope and said nipple, and finally a second non-return valve has in said nipple near the outlet hole or holes in said product, said second valve being able to open and close according to that, respectively, is carried out or

not tightening.

  The breastfeeding session requires a priming phase which consists of filling the space between the two valves with feed product while regulating the pressure between the external body and the flexible envelope. The next phase consists of actual breastfeeding, where the extraction of the food product requires pressure to combat the resistance of the two non-return valves. At the end of suction, the closing of the second valve avoids the return of air into the nipple which, due to the created vacuum,

fills with food product.

  To extract the food product, the child must therefore make an effort similar to that carried out during a breastfeeding.

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  maternal breast, and which can be adjusted by acting on the regulatory means. This bottle device, however, has drawbacks, especially from the point of realization, mainly as regards the second non-return valve. This is formed by a strangulation internally in

  the nipple and which constitutes the seat of an axially movable valve.

  The movable valve consists of an element with a diameter greater than that of the internal throttle, and which is arranged at the distal end of a piece or core of conical shape, the base of which is secured to the body of the bottle, and of which at least one part is elastically deformable to allow axial mobility of the valve. However, apart from the drawbacks linked to the need for additional handling due to the presence of a part, namely the nucleus which must be dismantled, cleaned, sterilized and then reassembled, users are more likely to face frequent dissociation. valve and constriction due to traction on the end of the nipple, causing, in addition to the

  bottle malfunction, leaking food liquid.

  Furthermore, the presence of the regulation system also constitutes a drawback during cleaning and cleaning operations.

bottle sterilization.

  The object of the present invention is to propose a physiological bottle device making it possible to remedy the various

aforementioned drawbacks.

  The bottle device according to the invention is of the type comprising an open external body housing a flexible envelope intended to contain the fluid food product, a flexible nipple for dispensing said product, a non-return valve disposed between the opening of said envelope and said nipple and, near the end of said nipple, pierced with at least one slot, a second non-return valve capable of opening and closing depending on whether or not vacuum suction is achieved, and it is essentially characterized in that said nipple has means allowing the slit to pass

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  from a closed position in a sealed manner, to an open position to allow passage to said feed product, under the effect of a pressure of given value not zero, so that said slot

  constitutes said second non-return valve.

  Thus, the second valve delivers the liquid food only under a certain pressure, which requires the child to make a muscular effort of propulsion and pressure with the mandible, thus reproducing perfectly the conditions of breastfeeding. 1C According to an additional characteristic of the bottle device according to the invention, the means allowing the slot to pass from a closed position in a sealed manner, opened to allow passage to said feeding product, under the effect of a pressure of given value not zero, consist of an excess thickness of the nipple wall in the region of piercing of the slit, in association with the dimensional characteristics of the said slit and of the physical characteristics of the material

  uses such as in particular its elasticity coefficients.

  For a given material, by the choice of an extra thickness of the wall, for a given dimension of the slit, the resistance to opening of said slit is varied, and therefore the pressure value necessary for the opening of this slit behind. It is therefore advantageously possible to make nipples with a different pressure threshold value required to open the slot, and therefore to propose nipples each adapted to a

particular age.

  It should be noted that, preferably, the nipple is provided with a single

  slot, but there can of course be several.

  According to a particular embodiment of the device according to the invention, the nipple is made of silicone or of natural rubber !, and the excess thickness oscillates between 1.5 and 8 mm, while the

  length of the slot is between 1.5 and 8 mm.

  The bottle device according to the invention has many advantages compared to currently known physiological bottles. It allows in particular to overcome the drawbacks of that s 2840200 described in document EP 0.540.618, while retaining the

qualities of it.

  Indeed, in addition to the obligation for the child to exert pressure thanks to the madibulo-lingual couple to obtain the delivery of the alimentary liquid, the two valves avoid ['ingestion of air and also allow the feeding of the child in all positions even teat directed upwards, and always without ingestion of air, which none of the bottle devices allows

known to date.

  The advantages and characteristics of the device according to

  the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows

  and which relates to the accompanying drawing, which represents a mode of

non-limiting realization.

  In the accompanying drawing: 1S - FIG. 1 represents a schematic sectional view along a median longitudinal plane and in exploded view of a bottle device

according to the invention.

  - Figure 2 shows a larger schematic view

  part of the same device.

  - Figure 3 consists of curves making it possible to determine the possible rate of extraction of the liquid as a function of the pressure exerted and the length of the slot for a nipple of conventional type. - Figure 4 consists of curves to determine the possible flow rate of liquid extraction depending on the pressure exerted and the length of the slot for a nipple of a bottle

according to the invention.

  Referring to Figure 1, it can be seen that a bottle device according to the invention comprises a body 1 of tubular shape, having an opening 10 through which is engaged a flexible envelope 2 of also tubular shape, having an opening 20

  intended to allow the introduction of a fluid food product.

  The opening 10 of the body 1 is bordered by a flange 11 while the opening 20 of the envelope 2 is surrounded by a flange 21

  intended to rest on the edge 11.

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  The body 1 is open in order to allow the regulation of the air pressure, in this case it has no bottom. According to a variant, not shown, the body 1 has a bottom and

  pressure regulation openings.

  The opening 20 of the envelope 2 is closed by a non-return valve 3, in this case constitutes two parts, namely on the one hand a support 30 having the shape of a disc, produced in a rigid material, intended to rest by its edge on the collar 21, and having a hole 31 centrally; and on the other hand a membrane 32, also having the shape of a disc, produced in a deformable flexible material, intended to cover the support, pierced with holes 33, and comprising a protuberance 34 below capable of sealingly closing the orifice of the hole 31, which has a profile complementary to that of the protuberance 34, with clearance, so as to allow easy desobturation. Advantageously, the protuberance 34

  has the shape of a spherical cap.

  The non-return valve 3 is surmounted by a nipple 4 conventionally comprising an end portion 40 pierced with a slot 41, a central chamber 42 and, at its base an external flange 43 intended to come into contact with the membrane 32 and to allow the holding of the nipple 4, together with the holding of all of the superimposed parts, by means of a clamping ring 5

secured to body 1 by screwing.

  Referring now to FIG. 2, we can see a partial view of the nipple 4 of the bottle device according to the invention,

  and more particularly its extreme part 40.

  The thickness of the wall 44 of the nipple 4 has a variable thickness, it is notably greater at the level of the extreme part 40, and more particularly in the region of

perforation of the slot 41.

  The wall 44 of the nipple 4 thus has an increase in its thickness, called an extra thickness 45, the thickness of which in association with the dimensional characteristics of the slot 41, corresponds to a threshold pressure value at which the slot 41 leaves

to drain the food product.

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  The extra thickness 45 of the wall 44 gives the latter a certain rigidity capable of keeping the slot 41 hermetically closed below a certain pressure value, and of closing the slot 41 when the pressure drops below this valueO Preferably, the slot 41 consists of a straight slot, and the threshold value of the pressure is determined by

  the thickness of the extra thickness 45 and by the length of this slot.

  However, the slot 41 may consist of a slot having the shape of an S. or a Z. etc. According to the invention, for a given material, by varying one of the given trots that wind the thickness of the extra thickness 45, the suction pressure and the length of the slot 41 is made

vary the bottle flow rate.

  Tests have been carried out on teats of the conventional type and teats for a bottle according to the invention, having

  different dimensional characteristics.

  These teats are used in the same material, silicone, so that they have the same characteristics

  physical, especially with regard to elasticity.

  In FIG. 3, curves have been shown, each corresponding to a length of slit made in a teat of the conventional type, in this case having a thickness of 1 mm, and establishing the opening of the slit, expressed in 10- 3 mm, depending

  of the pressure exerted, which is expressed in pascal.

  Knowing that the flow of a liquid with a density close to 1 requires an opening at least equal to 0.1 x 10-3 mm, it is found that a sufficient opening takes place for pressures, expressed in pascal, neighbors of O. It will be noted that there are certain nipples or the flow occurs

  product even in the absence of any pressure.

  Referring now to Figure 4, we can see curves each correspond to a slot length made in a nipple of a bottle according to [the invention, in this case having an extra thickness of 2.5 mm, and establishing the opening of the slot in

  function of the pressure exerted on the pacifier.

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  If we set the pressure threshold value at 3000 Pa for an average age, we can see that the curve corresponding to a slit length of 3 mm does not allow us to reach the desired objective, since

  the flow occurs before said threshold value.

  It is therefore possible to determine combinations of thicknesses and slot length, each adapted to a value

  suction pressure threshold, and therefore at a given age of a child.

  By way of example, for a silicone or natural rubber teat !, for an extra thickness 45 of between 1.5 and 4 mm, the length of the slot may be between 1.5 and 3 mm. Of course other possible wind combinations, and beyond

aforementioned forks.

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Claims (4)

  1) Bottle device of the type comprising an open external body (1) housing a flexible envelope (2) intended to contain the fluid food product, a flexible nipple (4) for dispensing said product, a non-return valve t3) has between the opening (20) of said casing (2) and said nipple (4) and, near the end (40) of said nipple (4) pierced with at least one slot (41), a second valve non-return valve capable of opening and closing depending on whether, respectively, a suction vacuum is produced or not, characterized in that said teat (4) has means (45) allowing the slot (41) to pass from a closed position in a sealed manner, to an open position to allow passage to said feed product, under the effect of a pressure of given value not zero, so that said slot   (41) constitutes said second non-return valve.   2) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means allowing the slot to pass from a closed position in a sealed manner, open to allow passage to said feed product, under the effect of a pressure of non-zero value given, consist of an extra thickness (45) of the wall (44) of the nipple (4) in the region of piercing of the slot (41), in association with the dimensional characteristics of said slot (41) and of the physical characteristics of the material used   such as in particular its elasticity coefficients.   3) Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the nipple (4) is made of silicone or natural rubber !, and the extra thickness (45) oscillates between 1.5 and 8 mm, while the   length of the slot (41) is between 1.5 and 8 mm.   4) Device according to any one of claims   previous, characterized in that the slot consists of a slot in