WO2009091086A1

WO2009091086A1 - Baby feed bottles with flexibility

Info

Publication number: WO2009091086A1
Application number: PCT/KR2008/000211
Authority: WO
Inventors: Deuk-Il Park; Choong-Yop Rhew; Jun-Kyu Lee; Dai-Soung Park
Original assignee: MAMACHI CO Ltd; LS Tech Co Ltd
Current assignee: MAMACHI CO Ltd; LS Tech Co Ltd
Priority date: 2008-01-14
Filing date: 2008-01-14
Publication date: 2009-07-23
Anticipated expiration: 2010-07-14

Abstract

The present invention relates to a baby feed bottle. The present invention relates to a baby feed bottle with flexibility configured to include a container shaped baby bottle body, a baby bottle support, and a teat cap. The baby bottle body has an inlet part at its upper side part and has flexibility enabling elastic deformation. The baby bottle support is formed such that its inner periphery can be adhered to an outer periphery of an upper side part of the baby bottle body, and is molded integrally with the baby bottle body. The teat cap is detachably coupled to the baby bottle support and couples a feeding teat. Thus, the present invention facilitates assembly and disassembly by removing a process of assembling the baby bottle body and the baby bottle support, thus being capable of minimizing a feeder s inconvenience of use and originally preventing generation of environmental hormone.

Description

Description BABY FEED BOTTLES WITH FLEXIBILITY

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a baby feed bottle, and more particularly, to a baby feed bottle with flexibility configured to integrally form a baby bottle support at an inlet part of a baby bottle body with flexibility enabling elastic deformation and couple a teat cap to the baby bottle support, thus facilitating assembly and disassembly, minimizing a feeder's inconvenience of use and in addition, preventing generation of an environmental hormone Background Art

[2] In general, baby feed bottles are used when feeders intend to feed powdered milk in place of mother's milk to newborn babies or infants/babies. The baby feed bottle is configured to couple a teat cap to a plastic-container shaped baby bottle body to contain powdered milk liquid so that babies can suck the powdered milk liquid through a teat.

[3] The baby bottle body is mainly made of plastic materials with less weight or is made of glass materials with excellent safety. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[4] However, the conventional baby bottle body as above has the following drawbacks.

[5] First, there is a drawback that if the baby bottle body is formed of plastic materials, it generates environmental hormone Bisphenol A Particularly, the environmental hormone is increasingly generated in amount when the baby bottle body gets in contact with hot water. Thus, there is a drawback that the environmental hormone is remarkably increasingly generated in amount if hot water is filled and is mixed with powdered milk in the baby bottle body, or if powdered milk is warmly retained in the baby bottle body for a long time as dissolved in water, or if the baby bottle body is sterilized with hot water for a long time.

[6] Second, even if the baby bottle body is made of plastic materials such as polycarbonate with less environmental hormone, its frequent washing causes generation of foreign abrasive materials as well as giving out of plastic's own odor. If the baby bottle body is made of glass materials, it can prevent generation of environmental hormone but increases the danger of easy destruction. If the baby bottle body is made thick for durability increase, it increases a self-weight of the baby bottle and therefore, it is very difficult for an infant to have powdered milk with holding a baby bottle up. If the baby bottle falls in a high position or if a child drops the baby bottle while going around because of the characteristics of child's inattention, the baby bottle is in the danger of destruction and thus, additionally generates the danger of wound due to broken glass fragments.

[7] Third, if the baby bottle body is made of hard materials such as plastic or glass, its internal powdered milk liquid decreases and its internal atmospheric pressure decreases while an infant sucks a teat, thus resulting in a vacuum effect. Therefore, there is a drawback that an infant requires a very large inhalation force, suffers otitis media in a worse case because of a low atmospheric pressure within the mouth, and inhales much air when inhaling external air along with powdered milk liquid due to his inhalation trouble, thus suffering stomach trouble or suffering frequent burp.

[8] Fourth, there has been proposed a method for changing a structure of a baby bottle body or processing an air inlet into part of a teat to prevent a reduction of an atmospheric pressure within the baby bottle body. However, the method has a drawback that a baby bottle structure gets complex, post-use washing is difficult, an additional manufacturing cost rises, and a vacuum effect is not solved completely.

[9] Fifth, in order to provide a solution to the above drawback, there has been proposed a method for making a baby bottle body using flexible materials or pliable silicon materials. However, the method has a drawback that the pliability of the baby bottle body makes it difficult to couple the baby bottle body with a teat cap and weakens, if any, coupling. Further, if a plastic or metallic support structure is simply forcibly inserted to an upper end of the baby bottle body for firm coupling, there is a drawback that it is of a structure very inconvenient in feeders' or infants' using a baby bottle and in addition, the characteristic of silicon materials having high viscosity caused by low interfaάal energy makes assembly very difficult because of viscosity between the baby bottle body and the baby bottle support.

[10] Further, feeders put fingers into the baby bottle body for perfect assembly, thus again contaminating the baby bottle heated and sterilized. Thus, this causes a loss of a proper purpose of infant security, serving as a factor making general application of the silicon baby bottle difficult.

[11] Sixth, if the baby bottle body is made of silicon materials with high hardness for firm assembly, it is difficult to assemble a support structure and it is difficult to couple the support structure in a state where powdered milk liquid is inputted to the baby bottle body. Therefore, there is a drawback of causing an increase of an inconvenience of use because a user has to transfer the powdered milk liquid to a different container, then couple the support structure with the baby bottle body, and then again input the transfe rred powdered milk in the different container to the silicon baby bottle body.

Technical Solution [12] the present invention includes a container shaped baby bottle body having an inlet part at its upper side part and having flexibility enabling elastic deformation, [13] a baby bottle support formed such that its inner periphery can be adhered to an outer periphery of an upper side part of the baby bottle body, and molded integrally with the baby bottle body, and [14] a teat cap detachably coupled to the baby bottle support and coupling a feeding teat.

Advantageous Effects

[15] Accordingly, the present invention can provide an available scheme of a silicon baby bottle and thus prevent infant exposure to environmental hormone, by forming the baby bottle body using materials such as silicon with flexibility enabling elastic deformation as described above. Further, the present invention can more conveniently assemble or disassemble a baby bottle because omitting a process of assembling the baby bottle body and the baby bottle support by achieving a structure improvement of the baby bottle body and integrally forming the baby bottle body and the baby bottle support. In addition, there is no concern about a loss of the baby bottle support and firm coupling can be achieved, thus minimizing a feeder or infant's inconvenience of use.

[16] Further, by making the baby bottle body of materials such as flexible silicon and concurrently, adding the rugged part similar with a human's skin to realize an effect that an infant actually feels the mother body with hands, the present invention can feed an infant in a more stable emotion state and in addition, minimize silicon viscosity, thus simply and conveniently coupling the baby bottle body and the baby bottle body. Brief Description of Drawings

[17] FIG. 1 is a coupling cross section illustrating a baby feeding bottle with flexibility according to the present invention;

[18] FIG. 2 is a partial plane view illustrating a rugged part of a baby feed bottle with flexibility according to the present invention;

[19] FIG. 3 is a partial cross section according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[20] FIG. 4 is a partial cross section according to a further another exemplary eniodiment of the present invention;

[21] FIG. 5 is a partial cross section according to a yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[22] FIG. 6 is a partial cross section illustrating an exemplary embodiment in which a protrusion is formed at an upper end surface of a baby bottle body according to the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

[23] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings.

[24] FIG. 1 is a coupling cross section of the present invention.

[25] As shown, the present invention includes a baby bottle body 10, a baby bottle support 30, and a teat cap 40.

[26] The baby bottle body 10 is to contain powdered milk liquid inside. The baby bottle body 10 is of a cylindrical container shape the internal of which is hollow and a top of which is opened. An inlet part 15 is formed at an upper part of the baby bottle body 10 to have a smaller diameter than the baby bottle body 10. A slant surface 17 is formed at a lower side of the inlet part 15.

[27] The baby bottle body 10 is formed of transparent or semitransparent resin with flexibility enabling elastic deformation. The baby bottle body 10 can be of materials such as silicon, natural rubber, polyethylene (IE), polyurethane, etc. More desirably, the baby bottle body 10 is of silicon materials doing no harm to a human body.

[28] The baby bottle support 30 is coupled to the inlet part 15 of the baby bottle body 10 to support the baby bottle body 10. The baby bottle support 30 has a hollow internal and a top and a bottom opened to couple the inlet part 15 and its inner periphery is formed such that the baby bottle support 30 can be adhered correspondingly to an outer periphery of an upper side part of the baby bottle body 10.

[29] Thus, the baby bottle support 30 is formed to have an upper side part smaller in diameter than a lower side part and also, has a slant surface 35 corresponding to the slant surface 17 of the baby bottle body 10.

[30] The baby bottle support 30 is formed such that its upper end surface is positioned lower than an upper end surface of the baby bottle body 10. The baby bottle support 30 has a screw thread at an outer periphery of its upper side part such that it can be engaged with the teat cap 40.

[31] Meantime, the baby bottle support 30 is molded and provided integrally with the baby bottle body 10. Desirably, the baby bottle support 30 is formed of relatively solid materials compared to the baby bottle body 10.

[32] The baby bottle support 30 can use materials such as plastics like Polycarbonate

(PC), Polyethylene Terephthalate (IET), and Polyether Sulfone (IES), metals, ceramics or the like.

[33] After the baby bottle support 30 is injection molded using a primary metal mold if using plastic materials, is pressed and molded if using metal materials, or is sintered after molded if using ceramic materials, the baby bottle support 30 is again inputted to a baby bottle body 10 manufacturing metal mold and the baby bottle body 10 is additionally injected or press molded.

[34] Thus, the baby bottle support 30 and the baby bottle body 10 are manufactured integrally, thereby making a subsequent separate assembly process unnecessary and making assembly and disassembly of a baby bottle simple and convenient.

[35] An additional coupling structure can be formed such that an outer periphery of the inlet part 15 of the baby bottle body 10 and an inner periphery of an upper side part of the baby bottle support 30 can be shape-matched and more firmly coupled corresponding to each other in pairs.

[36] A shape-matched section of a coupling structure of the outer periphery of the inlet part 15 of the baby bottle body 10 and the inner periphery of the upper side part of the baby bottle support 30 is of a protrusion shape, a recess shape, or a combination thereof of a curved line, a straight line, or a combination thereof and thus, can be constructed in various types.

[37] That is, a diversity of coupling methods are possible in which the outer periphery of the inlet part 15 of the baby bottle body 10 is configured to have various shapes such as a protrusion shape or a recess shape, or a combination thereof consisting of a ' π ' shape, a '¹^ ' shape, a rugged shape or a combination thereof, and the inner periphery of the baby bottle support 30 is formed to have a protrusion shape, a recess shape, or the like such that it is shape-matched and coupled corresponding to the outer periphery of the inlet part 15.

[38] A teat cap 40 is to couple a teat 50 to an upper part of the baby bottle body 10. The teat cap 40 is of a cylindrical shape whose internal is hollow and whose lower end part is opened, and has a coupling opening 45 at its upper and center part.

[39] The teat cap 40 has a screw thread at its lower and inner periphery such that it can be screw-engaged to the outer periphery of the baby bottle support 30.

[40] The teat 50 is formed of silicon.

[41] Thus, the teat cap 40 is screw-engaged and fixed to the baby bottle support 40 in a state where the teat 50 is inserted into the coupling opening 45. A teat protection cap 60 is pressed in and fixed to an outer periphery of an upper end part of the teat cap 40.

[42] By adhering an upper end surface of the baby bottle body 10 around a lower surface of the teat 50 engaged to the teat cap 40, powdered milk liquid filled in the baby bottle body 10 comes into contact only with the baby bottle body 10 and the teat 50 made of silicon. Thus, infant's feeding surroundings can be maintained with an environmental hormone completely cut off.

[43] If being made of plastic materials, the baby bottle support 30 is desirably coated with materials such as silicon at its partial surface except for a screw thread portion so as to minimize generation of environmental hormone, etc. at the time of infant's mouth contact or baby bottle sterilization.

[44] Here, a coating method is a double injection process, etc. By this method, the baby body support 30 can be formed at a time at the time the baby body support 30 is initially molded. This desirably prevents formation of an aperture in a coating surface and thus keeps more sanitary environments at the time subsequent washing or sterilization is performed.

[45] The baby bottle body 10 uses materials of a proper hardness and keeps optimal flexibility, thus realizing a sensation as if an infant felt the mother body with hands when being fed.

[46] If using silicon materials exceeding a proper hardness, the baby bottle body 10 is too solid and thus makes it difficult for an infant to suffer a sensation as if he felt the mother body with his hands.

[47] If using silicon materials having too low hardness, the baby bottle body 10 is difficult to maintain its own shape because of undue flexibility and also, can strongly jet powdered milk liquid because being easily pressed by infant's hands.

[48] Accordingly, in order to avoid the above drawback, the baby bottle body 10 needs to maintain a proper hardness. Desirably, the baby bottle body 10 uses materials having a proper hardness value within a range of 40 to 50 based on Shore A

[49] If the baby bottle body 10 is made of silicon, its interfaάal energy is low and viscosity is high more than needed because of the characteristic of silicon materials. Thus, it causes an additional drawback of making it difficult for an infant to feel the same tactile sensation as that of a human skin.

[50] Therefore, a viscosity prevention function is desirably added to a surface of the baby bottle body 10. The viscosity prevention function is a method for forming a rugged part 16 of a specific shape at a surface and a method of processing a surface by slip- coating.

[51] The rugged part 16 is formed at part or all of an outer periphery of the baby bottle body 10. The rugged part 16 can be formed in various shapes such as a circle, a dotted line, a polygonal shape, a mesh shape, a straight-line recess, a random structure, or a combination thereof. Desirably, a size of each unit constituting the rugged part 16 is realized less than a few hundreds to a few dozens of micrometers considering washability and tactile sensation.

[52] According to the inventors' experiment result, it was reported that viscosity disappears definitely when the rugged part 16 has a size of less than the maximum 500 micrometers on the basis of an outermost size.

[53] The rugged part 16 can be formed in a method such as a fine pattern etching or sanding method at a metal mold or product.

[54] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the rugged part 16. The rugged part 16 can be formed protrusively to have a circular shape as shown in FIG. 2A or can be formed protrusively to have a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 2B.

[55] The rugged part 16 can be formed in a lattice scale shape as shown in FIG. 2C or can be formed to have a plurality of straight lines spaced a predetermined distance apart as shown in FIG. 2D.

[56] The rugged part 16 can be realized at a metal mold in a fine pattern etching or sanding method, etc. The rugged part 16 can be formed integrally by an injection molding of the baby bottle body 10. Alternately, the rugged part 16 can be formed in a method of manufacturing and then processing the baby bottle body 10 by etching or sanding.

[57] Slip coating is a method for coating a silicon surface with separate materials and removing viscosity of a surface of the baby bottle body 10. It is possible to provide the slip coating in a printing or spraying method using metal materials, ceramic materials, silicon compounds, organic materials, other organic/inorganic mixture materials, etc. doing no harm to a human body.

[58] The viscosity prevention function is added in positions of all or part of an outer periphery of the baby bottle body 10. Particularly, desirably, the viscosity prevention function is disposed in a position where an infant catches the baby bottle body 10 with hands.

[59] Accordingly, the present invention can provide an available scheme of a silicon baby bottle and thus prevent infant exposure to environmental hormone, by forming the baby bottle body 10 using materials such as silicon with flexibility enabling elastic de- formation as described above. Further, the present invention can more conveniently assemble or disassemble a baby bottle because omitting a process of assembling the baby bottle body 10 and the baby bottle support 30 by achieving a structure improvement of the baby bottle body 10 and integrally forming the baby bottle body 10 and the baby bottle support 30. In addition, there is no concern about a loss of the baby bottle support 30 and firm coupling can be achieved, thus minimizing a feeder or i nfant's inconvenience of use.

[60] Further, by making the baby bottle body 10 of materials such as flexible silicon and concurrently, adding the rugged part 16 similar with a human's skin to realize an effect that an infant actually feels the mother body with hands, the present invention can feed an infant in a more stable emotion state and in addition, minimize silicon viscosity, thus simply and conveniently coupling the baby bottle body 10 and the baby bottle body 30. Mode for the Invention

[61] Other exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

[62] FIGS. 3 to 5 show the same construction as other exemplary embodiments except for a coupling structure of a baby bottle body 10 and a baby bottle support 30. Thus, only a modified construction is described.

[63] As shown in FIG. 3, an inner periphery of the baby bottle support 30a is formed corresponding to an outer periphery of the baby bottle body 10a to surround the whole outer periphery of the baby bottle body 10a.

[64] Thus, the baby bottle body 10a is positioned inside the baby bottle support 30a in a state where its whole outer periphery is adhered to the inner periphery of the baby bottle support 30a.

[65] Thus, the baby bottle body 10a can be firmly supported without being released from the baby bottle support 30a.

[66] In the present invention also, as shown in FIG. 4, an additional coupling structure can be formed at an inlet part 15 of a baby bottle body 10b and an upper side part of a baby bottle support 30b to more firmly couple the baby bottle body 10b and the baby bottle support 30b.

[67] The coupling structure has a rectangular shaped recess 18 of a predetermined depth and a protrusion rib 13 of a predetermined height. The recess 18 is provided around an outer periphery of the inlet part 15 of the baby bottle body 10b. The protrusion rib 13 is formed along the recess 18 at a center part of a bottom surface of the recess 18. [68] A rectangular shaped insertion part 32 is formed at an upper side part of an inner periphery of the baby bottle support 30b such that it can be inserted into the recess 18 of the inlet part 15 corresponding to the recess 18. An insertion recess 33 is formed along and at a center part of the insertion part 32 such that it can be inserted corresponding to the protrusion rib 13.

[69] The protrusion rib 13 of the baby bottle body 10b and the insertion recess 33 of the insertion part 32 can be adhered at their upper side surfaces and lower side surfaces on the slant such that the baby bottle body 10b and the baby bottle support 30b can be more firmly coupled.

[70] In the present invention also, as shown in FIG. 5, a protrusion 19 of a predetermined height can be formed around an outer periphery of an inlet part 15 of a baby bottle body 10c.

[71] The protrusion 19 can be formed singularly or plurally at the outer periphery of the inlet part 15.

[72] A baby bottle support 30c has an insertion hole 36 formed by passing-through corresponding to the protrusion 19 of the baby bottle body 10c such that the protrusion 19 can be inserted.

[73] Desirably, the insertion hole 36 is provided such that it is positioned between screw threads of the baby bottle support 30c. The protrusion 19 is formed at a height enough not to interfere with a screw thread of a teat cap 40 when the teat cap 40 is coupled.

[74] Meantime, the protrusion rib 13, the protrusion 19, or the insertion recess 33 is not limited to a predetermined depth or a predetermined height but can be formed at various depths or heights to correspond to each other.

[75] The protrusion rib 13 or the insertion recess 33 each can be formed at the whole surface correspondingly to each other around the baby bottle body 10b and the insertion part 32 of the baby bottle support 30b or can be discontinuously formed at a distance around the baby bottle body 10b and the insertion part 32.

[76] Thus, in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the baby bottle supports

30b and 30c can support the baby bottle bodies 10b and 10c as being more firmly coupled with the baby bottle bodies 10b and 10c.

[77] FIG. 6 shows another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 6A and

6B show that protrusions 11 and 12 are formed at upper end surfaces of baby bottle bodies 10b such that they can be compressed to bottom surfaces of teats 50 (shown in FIG. 1) with more stability.

[78] As shown, the protrusions 11 and 12 are formed at the upper end surfaces of the baby bottle bodies 10b such that their section profiles can be curved, non-flat, surfaces or include curved surfaces.

[79] As shown in FIG. 6A, the protrusion 11 can be protrusively formed along a center part of an upper end surface of the baby bottle body 10b. Alternately, as shown in FIG. 6B, the protrusion 12 can be formed such that its whole upper end surface can be protruded in a round shape.

[80] The protrusions 11 and 12 can be protrusively formed in various shapes such that the protrusions 11 and 12 can get in line contact, not surface contact, with the bottom surfaces of the teats 50.

[81] Thus, when a teat cap 40 is coupled, the protrusions 11 and 12 of the baby bottle body 10b get in line contact with the bottom surfaces of the teats 50 and are easily compressed and deformed whereby the baby bottle body 10b can obtain an airtight effect needing a greater compression force even by a small force. Thus, an infant's inconvenience of use can be minimized as well as leakage-out of powdered milk liquid can be prevented.

[82] The protrusions 11 and 12 can be identically applied to other exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Industrial Applicability

[83] The present invention relates to a baby feed bottle. The present invention configures a baby bottle support integrally with a baby bottle body and facilitates assembly and disassembly of the flexible baby bottle body, the baby bottle support, and a teat cap, thus being capable of minimizing a feeder's inconvenience of use and removing a problem in use caused by generation of environmental hormone. Also, the present invention prevents generation of a vacuum within the baby bottle body and prevents infant's otitis media or stomach trouble. In addition, the present invention realizes a tactile sensation as if an infant felt the mother body with his hands and concurrently, encourages the development of infant's emotional intelligence. The present invention can not only enhance a feeder's convenience but also improve infant's feeding environments and thus, is applicable to general baby feed bottles.

[84] While the present invention has been described and illustrated herein with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention that come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. [85]

Claims

[1] A baby feed bottle with flexibility, comprising: a container shaped baby bottle body having an inlet part at its upper side part and having flexibility enabling elastic deformation; a baby bottle support formed such that its inner periphery can be adhered to an outer periphery of an upper side part of the baby bottle body, and molded integrally with the baby bottle body; and a teat cap detachably coupled to the baby bottle support and coupling a feeding teat.

[2] The baby feed bottle of claim 1, wherein the baby bottle support is formed such that its inner periphery correspondingly surrounds the whole outer periphery of the baby bottle body.

[3] The baby feed bottle of claim 1, wherein an inner periphery of an upper side part of the baby bottle support and an outer periphery of the inlet part of the baby bottle body are shape-matched and coupled corresponding to each other in pairs such that they can be more firmly coupled.

[4] The baby feed bottle of claim 3, wherein a shape-matched section of the inner periphery of the upper side part of the baby bottle support and the outer periphery of the inlet part of the baby bottle body is of a protrusion shape, a recess shape, or a combination thereof consisting of a curved line, a straight line, or a combination thereof.

[5] The baby feed bottle of claim 3, wherein a recess is provided at and around the outer periphery of the inlet part of the baby bottle body, a protrusion rib is protrusively formed around the outer periphery at a center part of the recess, an insertion part is formed at the inner periphery of the baby bottle support such that it can be inserted into the recess corresponding to the recess, and an insertion recess is provided corresponding to the protrusion rib at a center part of the insertion part such that the protrusion rib can be inserted.

[6] The baby feed bottle of claim 3, wherein at least one protrusion is protrusively formed at the outer periphery of the inlet part of the baby bottle body, and an insertion hole is provided corresponding to the protrusion at the inner periphery of the baby bottle support such that the protrusion can be inserted.

[7] The baby feed bottle of claim 1, wherein a rugged part is formed at part or all of an outer periphery of the baby bottle body to decrease adherence. [8] The baby feed bottle of claim 7, wherein the rugged part is formed integrally with the baby bottle body using injection molding. [9] The baby feed bottle of claim 7, wherein the rugged part is etched and formed using sanding processing. [10] The baby feed bottle of claim 1, wherein a slip coating is formed at part or all of an outer periphery of the baby bottle body to decrease adherence. [11] The baby feed bottle of claim 6, wherein the baby bottle body and the baby bottle support are integrally formed in a double injection process. [12] The baby feed bottle of claims 1 to 11, wherein the baby bottle body is formed of silicon materials. [13] The baby feed bottle of claim 12, wherein the baby bottle support is of plastic, metal, or ceramic materials. [14] The baby feed bottle of claims 1 to 11, wherein an upper end surface of the inlet part of the baby bottle body has a curved surface or a protrusion comprising a curved surface such that it can be more easily compressed to a bottom surface of the teat.