GB2256143A - Child's bottle holder with releasably closed loop and clothing attachment means - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides for a baby's bottle holder having bottle engagement means (34) and support means (14, 14') extending from the bottle engaging means (34) and for forming a loop closed by means of a releasable joint or fastener (16) for passing around pan of a child's body so that the bottle (12) can be suspended from the baby's body and remain at arms length. The support means may include adjustable toggles (24) for attaching the support to a child's clothing with the bottle suspended at the correct height. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO A CHILD'S BOTTLE DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a device for providing improvements in and relating to a child's bottle.

Such bottles commonly find use in providing milk for a baby or infant when said child has outgrown, or the mother has decided against, breast feeding.

Accordingly, such a bottle may find use from a very early age, and particularly when the infant is unable to grasp and support the bottle itself. As such, the bottle is often rested on the baby's abdomen while feeding takes place. In such a case, the bottle can readily fall from its "feeding position" to one in which milk, or other liquid contained therein, may escape and thereby necessitate cleaning of the baby's garments or cot area. Also, the bottle may fall to lie in a position which proves to be awkward and uncomfortable for the child.

Further, such problems continue even when the child has grown and is able to grasp and hold the bottle independently. In the early stages, the child may find it difficult to grasp and hold the bottle or may just release its grip without fully realising the consequences. Thus, the bottle often falls from the child's grip and may either lie in an awkward or uncomfortable position or may roll away from the child thereby causing distress if the child is unable to retrieve the bottle. Additionally, once the bottle has fallen from the child's grip, the milk or liquid contained therein may escape and thereby warrant cleaning of the immediate environment in which the child is located and/or the child's clothing.

The present invention therefore seeks to provide means which can be used with a child's bottle so as to overcome the above disadvantages as currently experienced.

According to the present invention there is provided a child's bottle holder comprising bottle engaging means, and support means extending from the bottle engaging means and for forming a loop for passing around part of the child's body so that the bottle can be suspended from the child.

The support means preferably forms a complete or closed loop, which is secured by way of a releasable fastener or joint means so that the loop can be broken if a predetermined pressure is applied thereto. The joint means may thus comprise a press-fit joint which will open so as to release the bottle from the child if a predetermined pressure is exerted on the loop or bottle. This seeks to prevent the child being injured or entangled by the means forming the loop, which might otherwise tighten around the child's body.

Advantageously, the support means includes means for attaching the loop to the child's clothing. The means forming the loop, whilst extending around a portion of the child's body so as to support the bottle, is thereby prevented from becoming twisted and so harming the child.

Such a feature is particularly important when the loop is arranged to extend around the child's neck. The loop is thereby prevented trom becoming twisted and tightened around the child's neck.

According to one embodiment, the support means comprises means for forming a single loop around the child's neck, with clothing attachment means provided on a portion of the loop at one or more positions corresponding to the upper front region of the child's clothing. The clothing attachment means are preferably adjustable along the length of the loop so as to adjust the height to which the bottle can be raised to meet the child's mouth.

Preferably, the clothing attachment means comprises a releasably slidable toggle which can be releasably secured along at least part of the length of the loop. The clothing attachment means can be provided with a spring clip which is arranged to grasp part of the child's clothing.

The means defining the loop may comprise at least one exposed cord portion over which the clothing attachment means is releasably slidable. Preferably the cord forming the loop is at least partly housed in a resilient plastics or rubber sleeve having a collar portion forming the bottle engaging means which may be integrally formed with the sleeve.

Further, the means forming the loop may be padded ill the region at which engagement which the child's neck occurs so as to enhance the comfort of the device when used. Also, the sleeve may comprise a resilient rubber material such that resilience prevents permanent twisting thereof. The bottle engaging means is preferably formed with soft resilient material so as to prevent injury to the child if the bottle is dropped.

The invention is described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompany drawings in which: Fig. 1 illustrates a bottle holder or carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the neck portion of the bottle of Fig. 1; and Figs. 3a and 3b illustrate perspective views of the toggles of Fig. 1.

With reference to Fig. 1, there is illustrated a bottle holder 10 embodying the present invention. The holder 10 comprises a loop formed of two arms 14,14' which are releasably connectable, to form a closed loop by means of a female part 16 and male part 16' of a press-fit joint.

The loop half 14 comprises a rope length 20 which extends from adjacent the female joint member 16 to the neck region of a bottle 12 to be held by the carrier. However, only a central portion 20' of the cord is exposed and the portions adjacent the female joint member 16 and bottle neck are contained in respective sleeves 22, 18 formed of resilient plastics material or rubber. The loop half 14' includes similar features 18', 24' and 22'.

As can be seen from Fig. 2, the resilient sleeve member 18 is integral with a bottle receiving collar 34 which is integral with a further sleeve 18'. According to such an arrangement, the cord 20 passes through the sleeve 18 around the loop 16 and up through the sleeve 18 and then extends on the other loop arm up to the male joint member 16'.

The collar 34, being formed of resilient plastics material, can be stretched as required so as to fit around the neck 12' of various sizes of bottle. Thus, the bottle holder of the present invention can find use with a variety of children feed bottles.

The exposed portion 20' of the cord 20 provides a closed path along which a releasable toggle 24 can move in the direction of arrow A (Fig. 1). Fig. 3a shows the toggle 24 in greater detail; it comprises a cylindrical body 26 having a transverse aperture 28 formed therethrough for receiving the cord 20, as illustrated in Fig. 3b. The toggle 24 is slidable along the cord, but it can be secured in any particular position by depressing the button 30 such that engagement means (not shown) inside the body 26 grip the cord so as to prevent movement of the toggle. A spring clip 32 is provided around the body 26, which clip 32 includes a resilient jaw which can be opened and then closed around a section of the child's clothing as required.

The holder can be used as follows: The bottle top 12" is removed and the resilient collar 34 slid over the bottle neck 12'. The bottle top 12" is then refitted onto the bottle neck 12' so as to sandwich the collar 34 between the bottle top 12" and a shoulder of the bottle 12. The bottle 12 is then firmly secured to the holder which, in turn, is then located around the child's neck. This can be achieved by passing the closed loop, i.e.

with the joint members 16,16' engaged over the child's head, or by passing each side of the loop around the child's neck and forming the joint 16,16' behind the child's head. The press-fit joint 16,16' is provided so that the loop will open if a predetermined pressure is exerted on the cord 20 or bottle 12. Thus, if the loop becomes entangled, the child is not in danger of suffering injury.

Each of the toggles 24, is attached by means of its respective spring-clip 32 to a portion of the child's clothing. Commonly, such portion will comprise that part of the clothing which covers the breast region. As such, the loop cannot be twisted so as to tighten around part of the child's body about which it extends and this is particularly advantageous in the present case in which the loop extends around the child's neck. Thus, the child is not in any danger of becoming strangled by twisting of the loop. Also, the attachment of the toggles to the child's clothing seeks to provide additional support to the press-fit joint formed by mesx-sers 16,16'.

The location of each toggle 24 along the exposed cord portion 20' determines the radius of the arc through which the bottle 12 can be moved from a freely hung position up to the child's mouth. Thus, the holder of the present invention can be adjusted for use with children of various sizes.

As will be understood, if the child should accidentally, or otherwise, drop the bottle 12, the same does not fall to the ground and so the likelihood of liquid contained therein escaping is substantially reduced. Also, the bottle always remains in easy reach of the child so that the child can continue feeding as required and does not suffer any anxiety through the bottle falling out of reach or perhaps into a position which proves to be uncomfortable for the child. Upon release, the bottle 12 merely falls to the front abdominal region of the child where it can be easily grasped. In this connection, the collar 34 is formed of a particularly soft and resilient material so as to cushion the impact of the bottle when dropped onto the child's body.

Also, the loop, particular in its upper regions 22,22' is provided with cushion means which seek to enhance the comfort of the holder when worn by the child. In particular, the joint members 16,16' may be covered by a cloth or other cushion-type material.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment. For example, bottle engagement means other than a resilient collar may be provided and the releasable joint may be formed by hook and loop fasteners or other means arranged to release upon application of a predetermined pressure.

Claims (10)

1. A child's bottle holder characterised by bottle engaging means and support means extending from the bottle engaging means and for forming a loop for passing around part of the child's body so that the bottle can be suspended from the child and wherein the support means forms a complete or closed loop which is secured by way of a releasable fastener or joint means so that the loop can be broken if a predetermined pressure is applied thereto.

2. A holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support means includes means for attaching the loop to the child's clothing so as to prevent twisting of the loop and subsequent tightening thereof about the child.

3. A holder as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support means comprise means for forming a single loop around the child's neck and the clothing attachment means are provided on a portion of the loop at one or more positions corresponding to the upper front region of the child's clothing.

4. A holder as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the clothing attachment means are adjustable along the length of the loop so as to adjust the height to which the bottle can be raised to meet the child's mouth.

5. A holder as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the clothing attachment means comprise a releasably slidable toggle which can be releasably secured along at least part of the length of the loop.

6. A holder as claimed in claim 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the clothing attachment means has a spring clip which is arranged to grasp part of the child's clothing.

7. A holder as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the means defining the loop comprise at least one exposed cord portion over which the clothing attachment means is releasably suitable.

8. A holder as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cord forming the loop is at least partly housed in a resilient plastics or rubber sleeve having a collar portion forming the bottle engaging means.

9. A holder as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sleeve comprises a resilient rubber material so as to prevent permanent twisting thereof.

10. A holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.