WO1992001608A1

WO1992001608A1 - Baby's or child's bottle or bottle holder having integral handles

Info

Publication number: WO1992001608A1
Application number: PCT/US1991/003559
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexander R. Malcolm
Original assignee: Kinder-Grip Products, Inc.
Priority date: 1990-07-18
Filing date: 1991-05-28
Publication date: 1992-02-06
Also published as: AU7908691A

Abstract

A bottle or a bottle holder includes a body (12) having at least two sets of handles (26, 28, 30, 32), each set being adapted for gripping by an infant or a child. The handles have sidewalls (56) which converge so as to enable the infant or the child to grip each of the handles with his or her hand in a C-shaped gripping position.

Description

BABY'S OR CHILD'S BOTTLE OR BOTTLE HOLDER HAVING INTEGRAL HANDLES

Technical Field

The present invention relates to bottles, and to bottle holders which may be adapted to contain a liner for receiving and dispensing a liquid substance, and, more particularly, to such bottles and bottle holders which are especially suitable for use by infants or small children.

Background Art

Most infants experience difficulty in attempting to grip a conventional feeding bottle or bottle holder because they are provided with a body having a substantially smooth and generally cylindrical configuration. More particularly, the circumference of the body is usually too large for the baby to grip with his or her small hands. Thus, come feeding time, the baby cannot feed himself or herself with such a bottle or bottle holder, unless he or she is assisted by an adult. The baby's need for assistance poses a problem not only for the baby, but also for the adult.

Attempts to overcome the problem described above have included baby bottles equipped with handles. For example, U.S. Patent No. 4,570,808 discloses a baby bottle having a central opening traversing the intermediate portion of its body, thus forming two handles for the baby to grasp. By narrowing the intermediate portion of the body, the cross section of the handles is reduced, thus allowing the baby to grasp the handles with greater ease. In another embodiment, the cross section of the body is triangular with three handles being formed by depressions therein, rather than by one central opening.

In U.S. Patent No. 4,557,392, a baby bottle is disclosed which has two handles projecting from opposite sides of the bottle. Each of the handles includes a hand-grip portion spaced from the sidewall of the bottle so as to facilitate gripping by a baby.

In addition to the linerless-type baby bottles disclosed in the above-described U.S. Patent Nos. 4,570,808 and 4,557,392, which have been known for some time, concerns involving convenience and hygiene have resulted in the development of liner-type baby bottles which employ an open-ended container adapted to receive a disposable plastic liner into which a liquid substance, such as milk or a feeding formula, can be poured. Like their linerless counterparts, these liner-type baby bottles have been provided with handles to facilitate handling and holding by babies and small children (see, for instance, U.S. Patent No. 4,700,856). Baby bottles, whether of the liner or liner-less type, which are provided with handles are much easier for a baby to hold than conventional baby bottles without handles. However, even the known baby bottles with handles have not fully resolved the baby's problem of immediately grasping the bottle for use due to the fact that the bottle must be placed in a particular orientation in order to be gripped by the baby (i.e., with at least two of the handles extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the baby's forward line of sight so that the baby can grip one handle with its left hand while simultaneously gripping the other handle with its right hand) and due to the further fact that many babies are incapable of orienting the bottles on their own. Because of the need to properly orient the known baby bottles with handles, such bottles still require adult assistance in many instances (i.e., in those instances in which the bottle is not properly oriented relative to the baby for grasping) . Without such preorientation, the known baby bottles with handles would be as difficult for the baby to grip as the conventional baby bottles without handles.

Disclosure of the invention

The present invention relates to a new and improved bottle or bottle holder (i.e., an open-ended bottle body adapted to contain a disposable liner) which receives a liquid substance to be consumed by infants and children. More particularly, the improvement involves providing such a bottle or bottle holder with a body having at least two separate and distinct sets of handles, each set of handles being adapted for two-handed gripping by an infant or a child. By providing the body of the bottle or bottle holder with multiple sets of handles, the bottle or bottle holder is always oriented in a position in which it is readily accessible for gripping by an infant or a child. To further enhance the grippability of the bottle or bottle holder, the handles are provided with sidewalls which converge to an extent that complements the infant's or the child's natural tendency to curl his or her hand into a C-shaped gripping position around the handles.

In one embodiment, the converging sidewalls of each handle have concave outer surfaces to thereby further enhance the infant's or child's natural tendency to curl his or her hand into the desired C-shaped gripping position. In an alternate embodiment, the converging sidewalls of each handle can be straight (i.e., flat) and either rigid enough to remain straight when gripped by an infant or a child or flexible enough to be deformed into a concave shape when so gripped. Brief Description of the Drawings

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of two exemplary embodiments considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a liner- type baby bottle which employs a holder constructed in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the bottle holder illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along section line III-III of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows, of the bottle holder illustrated in Figure 2; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 3, of a linerless-type baby bottle constructed in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Although the present invention has utility as a bottle or a bottle holder having many different and diverse end uses, it is especially suited for use as a bottle or bottle holder for infants and/or small children. Accordingly, the present invention will be described hereinafter in connection with a liner-type baby bottle and then a linerless-type baby bottle.

Referring to Figures 1-3, there is shown a liner-type baby bottle having, as a main component, a holder 10 with a body 12. Other main components include a disposable liner 14 and a nipple-type closure 16.

The body 12 of the holder 10 has an open lower end 18, an open upper end 20 and a midsection 22. Additionally, the body 12, which can be made out of any suitable material such as plastic or glass, has elongated, trough-like recesses 24 (only two of which are visible in Figures 1 and 2) formed in the midsection 22 and extending along substantially the entire length of the body 12. The recesses 24 give the midsection 22 a substantially uniform (i.e., symmetrical) transverse cross-sectional shape which assimilates a cruciform. The recesses 24 are deep enough to form a first pair of lobe-shaped handles 26, 28 and a second pair of lobe-shaped handles 30, 32.

Each of the handles 26, 28, 30, 32 (only three of which are visible in Figures 1 and 2) is sized and shaped such that it can be readily grasped by the hand of a baby, with the baby's fingers being received in the recesses 24. Moreover, the handle 26 is located diametrically opposite the handle 28 so that the baby can grasp the handle 26 with one of its hands while grasping the handle 28 with its other hand. Similarly, the handle 30 is located diametrically opposite the handle 32 so that the baby can grasp the handle 30 with one of its hands while grasping the handle 32 with its other hand.

The handles 26, 28, 30, 32 facilitate the baby's use of the bottle holder 10 by always presenting the baby with at least one set of readily accessible handles (i.e., the handles 26, 28 or the handles 30, 32) . In other words, regardless of its orientation relative to the baby, the bottle holder 10 can always be gripped by the baby without requiring any preorientation by the baby or by an adult. Because all of the handles 26, 28, 30, 32 extend along substantially the entire length of the body 12, the baby can grip the bottle holder 10 at many different locations along its length, thereby further facilitating the baby's use of the bottle holder 10. Alternatively, the handles 26, 28, 30, 32 can extend along only a portion of the length of the holder 10.

Despite the presence of the recesses 24 and the generally rectangular cross-sectional shape of the body 12, the bottle holder 10 has an outer contour which is smooth and continuous and without sharp edges which might injure the baby's delicate hands. The smooth and continuous outer contour of the bottle holder 10 also inhibits foreign matter from accumulating between the handles 26, 28, 30, 32, thereby facilitating the cleanliness of the bottle holder 10. The generally rectangular cross- sectional shape of the bottle holder 10 (see Figure 3) is advantageous because it inhibits the holder 10 from rolling in the event that the holder 10 tips over onto its side.

Besides being open, the lower end 18 of the body 12 is flat. By making the lower end 18 flat, the holder 10 can be easily stood in an upright position.

The open upper end 20 of the body 12 has a transition region 34 which terminates in a neck 36. External threads 38 are provided on the neck 36 so that the nipple-type closure 16 can be screwed on to and off of the body 12 of the holder 10.

The bottle holder 10 is sized and shaped so as to receive and accommodate the liner 14, which is conventional and has an open top 40 and a cylindrically-shaped sidewall 42, which terminates in a closed bottom 44 so that a liquid substance to be dispensed to a child or a baby can be poured into and maintained within the liner 14. The flexibility of the liner 14 enables the sidewall 42 to be affixed to the holder 10 by, for example, folding the portion of the sidewall 42 adjacent the top 40 of the liner 14 back upon itself so that the sidewall 42 lies over the external threads 38 of the neck 36 of the holder 10. Thus, when the closure 16 is secured or screwed-down upon the external threads 38 of the neck 36, the portion of the sidewall 42 contacting the threads 38 acts as a gasket, thereby forming a leak-proof seal for the liquid substance contained in the liner 14.

The nipple-type closure 16, which itself is conventional, includes a retaining ring 50 and a rubber nipple 52. The retaining ring 50 is provided with internal threads (not shown) which threadedly engage the external threads 38 on the neck 36 of the holder 10. When the retaining ring 50 is screwed on to the neck 36 of the body 10, the nipple-type closure 16 cooperates with the holder 10 and the liner 14 to form a liner-type baby bottle. In lieu of the nipple-type closure 16, a trainer-spout (not shown) may be used to seal the liner 14 to the holder 10, thereby forming a drinking trainer adapted for use by small children rather than by infants.

Referring now to Figure 3, the handles 26, 28, 30, 32 extend radially inward, toward a central longitudinal axis "A" of the body 12. Each of the handles 26, 28, 30, 32 has a front wall 54, located at the periphery of the body 12, and a pair of sidewalls 56 extending from opposite ends of the front wall 54 toward the central longitudinal axis "A" and converging toward each other as they approach the axis "A". The convergence of the sidewalls 56 enhances an infant's natural tendency to curl his or her hand into a C-shaped gripping position around the handles 26, 28, 30, 32 (i.e., with the tips of the fingers pointing towards the opposing thumb as indicated in phantom in Figure 3) . Such a C-shaped gripping position is further enhanced by providing each of the sidewalls 56 with an outer surface 58 which is concave relative to an infant who is gripping the body 12.

A second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 4. Elements illustrated in Figure 4 which correspond to the elements described above with respect to Figures 1-3 have been designated by corresponding reference numerals increased by one hundred. The embodiment of Figure 4 is designed for use in the same manner as the embodiment of Figures 1-3 unless otherwise stated.

Referring now to Figure 4, a linerless- type baby bottle includes a body 112 having a round or circular cross-sectional shape, as compared with the generally rectangular cross-sectional shape of the body 12 of the bottle holder 10 illustrated in Figures 1-3. Because the baby bottle illustrated in Figure 4 is of the linerless-type, the body 112 would have a closed lower end 118, as compared with the open lower end 18 of the bottle holder 10 illustrated in Figures 1-3. Trough-like recesses 124 are formed in the body 112. The recesses 124 are deep enough to form a first pair of lobe-shaped handles 126, 128 and a second pair of lobe-shaped handles 130, 132. The recesses 124 give the body 112 a substantially uniform (i.e., symmetrical) transverse cross- sectional shape which assimilates a cruciform, but which is slightly different from the cruciform cross-sectional shape of the body 12 of the bottle holder 10 illustrated in Figure 3.

The handles 126, 128, 130, 132 extend radially inward, toward a central longitudinal axis "B" of the body 112. Each of the handles 126, 128, 130, 132 has a front wall 154, located at the periphery of the body 112, and a pair of sidewalls 156 extending from opposite ends of the front wall 154 toward the central longitudinal axis "B" and converging toward each other as they approach the axis "B". The convergence of the sidewalls 156 enhances an infant's natural tendency to curl his or her hand into a C-shaped gripping position around of the handles 126, 128, 130, 132 (i.e., with the tips of the fingers pointing toward the opposing thumb) .

Like the handles 26, 28, 30, 32, the handles 126, 128, 130, 132 are identical to each other. However, the sidewalls 156 of the handles 126, 128, 130, 132 are flat (i.e., straight), as compared with the concave sidewalls 56 of the handles 26, 28, 30, 32. It should also be noted 12

that the handles 126, 128, 130, 132, as well as the handles 26, 28, 30, 32, could have different shapes. Thus, for instance, the handles 126, 128 could be provided with one shape, while the handles 130, 132 could be provided with another shape.

The dimensions of the handles 126, 128, 130, 132 and the recesses 124 facilitate the ability of an infant or child to grip the body 112 with his or her hand in a C-shaped gripping position. More particularly, and referring still to Figure 4, it can be seen that each* of the recesses 124 is bordered by an adjacent pair of the sidewalls 156, forming between them an angle "C" which is less than 90 degrees but more than about 10 degrees, the preferred range being from about 45 degrees to about 75 degrees and the preferred angle being about 60 degrees. Each of the recesses 124 has a depth "dl" which is in a range of from about 6 mm to about 20 mm, the preferred depth being about 13 mm; and a width ^,ld2ⁿ, measured across its widest portion, in a range of from about 19 mm to about 32 mm, the preferred range being from about 22 mm to about 26 mm. In order to provide enough room for all four fingers of an infant or child to fit within the recesses 124, each of the recesses 124 has a length which is not less than about 38 mm.

The sidewalls 156 of each of the handles

126, 128, 130, 132 converge toward one another in a linear fashion so that the handles 126, 128, 130, 132 taper from a width "d4" to a width "d3". To achieve the desired taper of the handles 126, 128, 130, 132, the ratio d3/d4 is in a range of from about .3 to about .9, the preferred ratio being about .7. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the sidewalls 156 have a width "d5" of about 13 mm. The width "d5" could, however, be in a range of from about 6 mm to about 20 mm.

The body 112 can be molded from a relatively rigid polycarbonate or similar plastic material, such as that marketed by the General Electric Company under the trademark LEXAN. When the body 112 is molded from such a material, the sidewalls 156 of the handles 126, 128, 130, 132 would have a thickness in a range of from about .75 mm to about 1.30 mm.

Alternatively, the body 112 could be molded from a relatively flexible plastic material, such as polypropylene. When the body 112 is molded from such a material, the sidewalls 156 of the handles 126, 128, 130, 132 would have a thickness in a range of from about .75 mm to about 1.30 mm. By forming the body 112 from a relatively flexible plastic material, an infant or child gripping the sidewalls 156 of one of the handles 126, 128, 130,

132 can deform the gripped portion of the sidewalls

156 into a concave shape (as shown in phantom in Figure 4) similar to that of the sidewalls 56 of the handles 26, 28, 30, 32 employed by the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-3. When the infant's or child's grip is released, the deformed sidewalls 156 will automatically return to their undeformed (i.e., straight) position due to the elastic memory of the material from which the body 112 is made.

It will be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For instance, the nipple-type closure 16 of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-3 could be replaced by a trainer spout to thereby adapt that embodiment, or the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, for use as a drinking trainer for small children. Also, the embodiment of Figures 1-3 could be adapted for use as a linerless-type baby bottle, while the embodiment of Figure 4 could be adapted for use as a liner-type baby bottle. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A body for a bottle or bottle holder adapted to be used by an infant or a child and to receive a liquid substance, comprising a first pair of handles, said handles of said first pair of handles being arranged generally opposite each other and being sized and shaped so as to be grippable by the infant or the child when said body is oriented in a first position relative to the infant or the child; and a second pair of handles, said handles of said second pair of handles being arranged generally opposite each other and being sized and shaped so as to be grippable by the infant or the child when said body is oriented in a second position relative to the infant or the child, whereby said body can be placed in a number of substantially different positions and still be accessible for gripping by the infant or the child, each of said handles of said first and second pairs of handles including a front wall located peripherally on said body and a pair of sidewalls extending from opposite ends of said front wall toward a central longitudinal axis of said body and converging toward each other as they approach said central longitudinal axis so as to enable the infant or the child to grip each of said handles with his or her hand in a C-shaped gripping position.

2. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 1, wherein each of said sidewalls of each of said handles has an outer surface which is concave relative to the infant or the child who is gripping said body.

3. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 2, wherein said first and second pairs of handles are formed monolithically with said body.

4. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 2, wherein each handle of said first and second pairs of handles extends along substantially the entire length of said body.

5. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 2, wherein one handle of said first pair of handles is separated from one handle of said second pair of handles by a first recess formed in said body and from the other handle of said second pair of handles by a second recess formed in said body, and wherein the other handle of said first pair of handles is separated from said one handle of said second pair of handles by a third recess formed in said body and from said other handle of said second pair of handles by a fourth recess formed in said body.

6. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 5, wherein each of said first, second, third, and fourth recesses is sized and shaped so as to receive the fingers of the infant or the child.

7. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 6, wherein each of said first, second, third, and fourth recesses extends along substantially the entire length of said body.

8. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 5, wherein said handles cooperate with said recesses to give said body a transverse cross-sectional shape which assimilates a cruciform.

9. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 5, wherein said one handle of said first pair of handles is substantially identical in size and shape to said other handle of said first pair of handles.

10. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 9, wherein said one handle of said second pair of handles is substantially identical in size and shape to said other handle of said second pair of handles.

11. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 10, wherein said handles of said first pair of handles are substantially identical in size and shape to said handles of said second pair of handles.

12. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 2, wherein said handles of said first pair of handles are arranged diametrically opposite each other, and wherein said handles of said second pair of handles are arranged diametrically opposite each other.

13. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 2, wherein said body has a closed lower end and an open upper end, whereby said body is that of a bottle.

14. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 13, further comprising a closure threadedly attached to said open upper end of said body.

15. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 14, wherein said closure includes a nipple.

16. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 14, wherein said closure includes a training spout.

17. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 2, wherein said body has an open upper end and an open lower end, whereby said body is that of a bottle holder.

18. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 17, further comprising a disposable liner adapted to receive the liquid substance, said disposable liner being removably positioned within said body, and dispensing means attached to said open upper end.

19. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 18, wherein said dispensing means includes a nipple.

20. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 18, wherein said dispensing means includes a training spout.

21. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 2, wherein said body is made out of plastic.

22. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 2, wherein said body is made out of glass.

23. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 1, wherein each sidewall of each handle forms a predetermined angle with an adjacent sidewall of an adjacent handle. 20

24. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein said first and second pairs of handles are formed monolithically with said body.

25. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein each handle of said first and second pairs of handles extends along only a portion of the length of said body.

26. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein one handle of said first pair of handles is separated from one handle of said second pair of handles by a first recess formed in said body and from the other handle of said second pair of handles by a second recess formed in said body, and wherein the other handle of said first pair of handles is separated from said one handle of said second pair of handles by a third recess formed in said body and from said other handle of said second pair of handles by a fourth recess formed in said body.

27. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 26, wherein each of said first, second, third, and fourth recesses is sized and shaped so as to receive the fingers of the infant or the child.

28. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 27, wherein each of said first, second, third, and fourth recesses extends along substantially the entire length of said body.

29. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 26, wherein said handles cooperate with said recesses to give said body a transverse cross-sectional shape which assimilates a cruciform.

30. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 26, wherein said one handle of said first pair of handles is substantially identical in size and shape to said other handle of said first pair of handles.

31. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 30, wherein said one handle of said second pair of handles is substantially identical in size and shape to said other handle of said second pair of handles.

32. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 31, wherein said handles of said first pair of handles are substantially identical in size and shape to said handles of said second pair of handles.

33. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein said handles of said first pair of handles are arranged diametrically opposite each other, and wherein said handles of said second pair of handles are arranged diametrically opposite each other.

34. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein said body has a closed lower end and an open upper end, whereby said body is that of a bottle.

35. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 34, further comprising a closure threadedly attached to said open upper end of said body.

36. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 35, wherein said closure includes a nipple.

37. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 35, wherein said closure includes a training spout.

38. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein said body has an open upper end and an open lower end, whereby said body is that of a bottle holder.

39. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 38, further comprising a disposable liner adapted to receive the liquid substance, said disposable liner being removably positioned within said body, and dispensing means attached to said open upper end.

40. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 39, wherein said dispensing means includes a nipple.

41. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 39, wherein said dispensing means includes a training spout.

42. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein said predetermined angle is less than 90 degrees but greater than about 10 degrees.

43. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein said predetermined angle is in a range of from about 45 degrees to about 75 degrees.

44. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein said predetermined angle is about 60 degrees.

45. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein each of said handles has a first width, measured across its narrowest portion, and a second width, measured across its widest portion, said first and second widths having a predetermined ratio.

46. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 45, wherein said predetermined ratio is in a range of from about .3 to about .9.

47. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 45, wherein said predetermined ratio is about .7.

48. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 26, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth recesses has a length of not less than about 38 mm.

49. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 26, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth recesses has a depth in a range of from about 6 mm to about 20 mm.

50. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 26, wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth recesses has a depth of about 13 mm.

51. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 26, wherein each of said recesses has a width, measured across its widest portion, in a range of from about 19 mm to about 32 mm.

52. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 26, wherein each of said recesses has a width, measured across its widest portion, in a range of from about 22 mm to about 26 mm.

53. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein said sidewalls are straight and substantially rigid.

54. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 53, wherein said body is made from a plastic material.

55. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 54, wherein said plastic material is polycarbonate.

56. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 53, wherein each of said sidewalls has a thickness in a range of from about .75 mm to about 1.30 mm. 26

57. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 23, wherein said sidewalls are straight and substantially flexible, whereby said sidewalls can be deformed into a concave shape by the infant or the child.

58. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 57, wherein said body is made from a plastic material.

59. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 58, wherein said plastic material is polypropylene.

60. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 57, wherein each of said sidewalls has a thickness in a range of from about .75 mm to about 1.30 mm.

61. A bottle or bottle holder body according to Claim 1, wherein said body has a lateral cross-sectional shape which is generally rectangular.