EP4371547A1

EP4371547A1 - Feeding bottle

Info

Publication number: EP4371547A1
Application number: EP22208017.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sietse Bart De Vries; Luc BERNTSEN
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 2022-11-17
Filing date: 2022-11-17
Publication date: 2024-05-22
Also published as: CN118044988A; WO2024104860A1

Abstract

A feeding bottle comprises a silicone container having a neck portion and a base, a teat, an adapter ring for positioning around the neck and a screw ring for fitting over the teat and around the adapter ring for clamping the teat against a top of the neck portion of the container. The screw ring is configured to engage with the adapter ring. The adapter ring is positionable around the neck in either of the two possible up-down orientations. This simplifies assembly for the user.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to feeding bottles for feeding milk to babies or infants.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Baby feeding bottles are used by parents to feed babies breast milk or formula milk when breast feeding is not possible or as an alternative or supplement to breast feeding. Current baby bottles typically consist of three parts: a container part (which by itself may be termed a bottle) to contain the milk, a silicon teat as drinking part and a screw ring part that connects the teat to the container. The silicon teat typically embeds an air valve, enabling air to enter the container when a baby drinks from the bottle. The teat design is intended to mimic the feel of the mother's nipple.
Silicone baby bottles (i.e. bottles with a silicone container) are becoming more popular in the market. One of the advantages of the silicone container is that milk is only touching the inert silicone parts, and not plastic parts which are less inert.
Current conventional baby bottles make use of a screw thread between the plastic container and the screw ring for assembling the teat.
However, the thread on these parts cannot be made out of silicone as it is too flexible. Therefore, in order to implement a silicone container, an additional plastic part is needed which contains the thread, and thus provides an interface to the screw ring for securing the teat.
This additional part is for example referred to as an "adapter". It is known to use 2K and over-molding technology to merge an adapter and the silicone container together as one part. However, this technique is known to be complex and expensive.
It is also known to provide silicone containers with a stiff adapter as a separate part which must be assembled onto the silicone container before use.
One problem of a design where the adapter and the container are two separate parts is that the assembly may not be straightforward. For example, it must be prevented that the adaptor slips over the silicone when tightening the screw ring and teat onto the container. This would lead to a badly assembled teat resulting in leakage and other problems.
A known solution to this, in commercially available baby bottles of NANOBEBE ^™, is to elongate the adaptor so that it partially overlaps with the container. Thus a user holds the screw ring with one hand and the rim of the adaptor with the other. In this way, the two rigid parts are held to ensure the screw connection can be reliably made. This solution has a number of disadvantages however.
Firstly, a lot of plastic material is used.
Secondly, the amount of visible plastic detracts visually from the advantages of the silicone - it is not immediately evident to the user that the milk only touches silicone. For both closing and feeding purposes silicone feels nicer in the hand than plastic, so the amount of visible plastic should be reduced as much as possible.
Large plastic parts should also be avoided because they are more difficult to clean and offer more opportunities for dirt to attach between parts so that they can more easily become unhygienic.
There is therefore a need for an improved baby bottle design enabling use of a silicone container.
US 2013/0327737 discloses a feeding bottle with a silicone container and with an adapter ring (a first coupling ring) and a screw ring (a second coupling ring) which are screwed together to clamp the teat over the neck of the silicone container. The adapter ring has a vertical lip which is received in a vertical recess (called a locking portion) at the top of the container, to hold the adapter ring in place.
This makes the assembly of the container inconvenient for the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is defined by the claims.
According to examples in accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a feeding bottle comprising:

a silicone container having a neck portion and a base;
a teat;
an adapter ring for positioning around the neck portion, formed of a stiffer material than the silicone of the container; and
a screw ring for fitting over the teat and around the adapter ring for clamping the teat against a top of the neck portion of the container, wherein the screw ring is configured to engage with the adapter ring,
wherein the adapter ring is positionable around the neck in either of the two possible up-down orientations.

This feeding bottle design uses friction between the adaptor ring and the silicone container neck portion so that the assembly simply involves applying the screw ring to the container (once the adapter ring is in place). Thus, when the screw ring is screwed onto the adaptor ring, the user holds the screw ring with one hand, and the container with the other hand.
The friction between the silicone container neck and the adaptor ring is able to overcome the friction between the adaptor ring and the screw ring. Thus, adaptor ring can be designed as a simple ring without any mechanical features for rotational locking. The friction inside this mechanism will then be sufficient to create a self-locking system. This allows the adapter to be very compact.
The adapter ring can be used either way up (i.e. there is no upside down orientation). This makes the assembly easy for the user. The adapter ring has a thread to engage with the screw ring, and this thread thus extends fully to the top and bottom of the adapter ring so that it may be engaged by the screw ring either way up.
The screw ring preferably fully covers adapter ring when assembled. In this way, the adapter ring is not visible in the assembled bottle.
The neck portion may have a textured outer surface for engaging with an inner surface of the adapter ring. This increases the friction between the adapter ring and the container neck. The textured outer surface for example comprises ribs or a wavy surface.
The adapter ring may have a textured inner surface for engaging with an outer surface of the neck portion. This is another way to increase the friction between the adapter ring and the container neck. The textured inner surface again for example comprises ribs or a wavy surface.
The neck portion may comprise a recess into which the adapter ring is fitted. This makes it easy to assemble the adapter ring to the container. The top and bottom edges of the recess, as well as the base of the recess, provide additional frictional surfaces.
The recess may have a base which is flat and parallel with an up-down axis of the feeding bottle or curved.
Different engagement shapes between the neck and the adapter can be used to increase the friction and provide a mechanical locking function between the adapter ring and the neck portion.
The recess for example has top and bottom edges which are:

parallel with a plane of a neck opening of the container; or
slanted to the plane of a neck opening of the container.

The adapter ring may be a closed annular shape. This makes the adapter ring a strong rigid component.
The teat is preferably silicone, and the adapter ring and the screw ring are preferably plastic. The adapter ring may have an external screw thread and screw ring has an inner screw thread.
In another aspect, the invention provides an adapter ring for a feeding bottle, wherein the adapter ring is configured to be positioned around a neck portion of a silicone container of the feeding bottle,

wherein the adapter ring is formed of a stiffer material than the silicone of the container,
wherein the adapter ring is configured to have a screw ring fitted around the adapter ring and engaging with the adapter ring, for clamping a teat of the feeding bottle against a top of the neck portion of the container,
and wherein the adapter ring is configured to be positionable around the neck portion in either of the two possible up-down orientations.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment(s) described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a standard feeding bottle;
Fig. 2 shows an example of a feeding bottle of the invention;
Fig. 3 shows three possible shapes where the adapter ring engages with the neck portion;
Fig. 4 shows the connection region between the teat, screw ring, adapter ring and container more clearly; and
Fig. 5 shows more clearly that the adapter ring is a solid ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The invention will be described with reference to the Figures.
It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating exemplary embodiments of the apparatus, systems and methods, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatus, systems and methods of the present invention will become better understood from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the Figures are merely schematic and are not drawn to scale. It should also be understood that the same reference numerals are used throughout the Figures to indicate the same or similar parts.
The invention provides a feeding bottle which comprises a silicone container having a neck portion and a base, a teat, an adapter ring for positioning around the neck and a screw ring for fitting over the teat and around the adapter ring for clamping the teat against a top of the neck portion of the container. The screw ring is configured to engage with the adapter ring. The adapter ring is positionable around the neck in either of the two possible up-down orientations. This simplifies assembly for the user.
Assuming the feeding bottle is in a normal upright orientation with the teat at the top, and the adapter ring has first and second opposing surfaces, one of the up-down orientations will have the first surface facing up and the second surface facing down. The second surface then faces the feeding bottle, and overlaps the neck portion first, when the adapter ring is applied. The other of the up-down orientations will have the second surface facing up and the first surface facing down. The first surface then faces the feeding bottle, and overlaps the neck portion first, when the adapter ring is applied.
Fig. 1 shows a standard feeding bottle 10, comprising a container 12, a teat 14 and a screw ring 16 for securing the teat to the container 12. The teat has an opening or a set of openings at the tip. The teat has a base flange which is sealed against an open top of the container by the screw ring 16. An air replenishing valve may be implemented by the teat.
In a conventional feeding bottle, the container and screw ring are plastic and the teat is silicone.
Fig. 2 shows an example of a feeding bottle 20 of the invention as an exploded view.
As for the conventional feeding bottle of Fig. 1, the bottle 10 comprises a container 12, a teat 14 (with valve) and a screw ring 16 for securing the teat 14 to the container 12.
The container is silicone, and has a neck portion 12a and a base 12b.
To provide a more rigid thread with which the screw ring can engage, an adapter ring 22 is provided.
The adapter ring has an external thread 22a for engaging with an internal thread of the screw ring 16. The adapter ring is seated around the neck portion 12a of the container.
In the example shown, the adapter ring 22 is small enough that it is covered by the screw ring 16 when the bottle is assembled. Thus, the user cannot hold the adapter ring when assembling the bottle. Instead, the friction between the adapter ring and the neck portion 12a is sufficient to resist rotational movement of the adapter ring, so that when the screw ring is applied, the screw connection is made, rather than the screwing action rotating the adapter ring about the neck portion. The adaptor ring can be designed as a simple ring without any mechanical features for rotational locking. The friction inside the mechanism is then be sufficient to create a self-locking system. This allows the adapter ring to be very compact.
Of course, the adapter ring does not need to be completely covered by the screw ring in all designs.
The adapter ring is up-down symmetric. Thus, it may be applied to the neck of the container either way up. This simplifies the assembly for the user.
Various design features may be used to ensure sufficient friction between the neck portion and the adapter ring. However, the adapter ring is preferably simply a slide fit over the neck portion and does not require complex manipulation into place. It for example sits in a recess (the recess having a radially inward direction) of the neck portion. Thus, a compression of the neck portion of the container is caused by applying the adapter ring over the neck portion, and in a preferred arrangement, the subsequent return of the neck portion to its rest shape alone is sufficient to engage the adapter ring into the recess, with no additional user manipulation.
Fig. 3 shows three possible shapes where the adapter ring 22 engages with the neck portion 12a.
In Fig. 3A. the adapter ring 22 sits in a recess with a flat base (parallel to the up-down axis of the bottle) with a flat top and bottom (perpendicular to the up-down axis of the bottle).
In Fig. 3B, the adapter ring 22 sits in a recess with a flat base (parallel to the up-down axis of the bottle) and with a tapered top and a bottom. The tapered top and bottom perform a mechanical retention function. In particular, mostly the top edge, but also at least in part also the bottom edge, prevent the silicone of the container neck popping over the adapter when a load is applied.
In Fig. 3C, the adapter ring 22 sits in a recess with a curved base.
Fig. 4 shows the connection region between the teat, screw ring, adapter ring and container more clearly. The teat 14 seats over the top opening of the neck portion of the container. The milk in the container only makes contact with the interior surfaces of the container 12 and the teat, as can be seen from Fig. 4.
The frictional engagement between the adapter ring and the neck portion may be tuned, if necessary, by modifying surface textures of the interacting surfaces to improve functionality In particular, mechanical features may be added to improve friction, on either the inner surface of the adaptor ring or the outer surface of the neck portion of the container (or both). This can be done on the vertical surface (the base of the recess) or on the top or bottom edge surfaces of the recess (if there is one) where the adaptor is overlapped by the silicone container. The mechanical features may include wavy surfaces, ribs etc.
The top surface of the adaptor aligns with the top face of the recess to increase friction. The friction will increase then the screw ring is tightened (whereas friction between the bottom surface and the bottom face of the recess will decrease). The teat and the top edge of the container are squeezed against each other by the screw ring and the adaptor ring on opposite sides, so that a frictional engagement surface in the horizontal plane (perpendicular to the up-down axis of the bottle) is desirable in addition to the friction at vertical surfaces.
The adapter ring is a solid ring as shown in Fig. 5.
Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. If the term "adapted to" is used in the claims or description, it is noted the term "adapted to" is intended to be equivalent to the term "configured to". Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

A feeding bottle (10) comprising:
a silicone container (12) having a neck portion (12a) and a base (12b);

a teat (14);

an adapter ring (22) for positioning around the neck portion, formed of a stiffer material than the silicone of the container; and

a screw ring (16) for fitting over the teat and around the adapter ring for clamping the teat against a top of the neck portion of the container, wherein the screw ring is configured to engage with the adapter ring,

wherein the adapter ring is positionable around the neck portion in either of the two possible up-down orientations.
The feeding bottle of claim 1, wherein the screw ring (16) fully covers the adapter ring (22).
The feeding bottle of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the neck portion (12a) has a textured outer surface for engaging with an inner surface of the adapter ring (22).
The feeding bottle of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the adapter ring (22) has a textured inner surface for engaging with an outer surface of the neck portion (12a).
The feeding bottle of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the neck portion (12a) comprises a recess into which the adapter ring is fitted.
The feeding bottle of claim 5, wherein the recess has a base which is:
flat and parallel with an up-down axis of the feeding bottle; or

curved.
The feeding bottle of claim 5 or 6, wherein the recess has a top and bottom edges which are:
parallel with a plane of a neck opening of the container; or

slanted to the plane of a neck opening of the container.
The feeding bottle of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the adapter ring is a closed annular shape.
The feeding bottle of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the teat (14) is silicone.
The feeding bottle of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the adapter ring (22) and the screw ring (16) are plastic.
The feeding bottle of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the adapter ring (22) has an external screw thread (22a) and screw ring has an inner screw thread.
An adapter ring (22) for a feeding bottle, wherein the adapter ring is configured to be positioned around a neck portion of a silicone container (12) of the feeding bottle,
wherein the adapter ring is formed of a stiffer material than the silicone of the container,

wherein the adapter ring is configured to have a screw ring fitted around the adapter ring and engaging with the adapter ring, for clamping a teat of the feeding bottle against a top of the neck portion of the container,

and wherein the adapter ring is configured to be positionable around the neck portion in either of the two possible up-down orientations.
The adapter ring of the feeding bottle of any one of claims 1 to 11.