Patent Application
20170071828
Persons with temporary or long term physical limitations that affect the ability to control movement, such as movement of the jaw, lips, tongue and throat, may have difficulty eating and drinking. Often these limitations affect the person's ability to close the lips, to chew, to move ingestible materials in the mouth and throat and/or to apply suction to feeding implements, and may require a liquid diet. Such limitations may also increase the likelihood of choking or aspiration if ingestible fluids are provided too quickly or directed straight to the back of the throat. To avoid these problems, it is preferable that the ingestible fluids be directed through the mouth to the side of the back of the throat. However, it is difficult to control the output volume and direction of flow of current feeding devices, such as syringes or squirt bottles. Other traditional feeding devices, such as bottles with straws, require the ability to apply suction and to close one's lips about the device, which may be difficult or contraindicated for those with temporary or long term physical limitations.
To this end, a need exists for an improved apparatus for providing fluids orally to persons having physical limitations in a controlled and directed manner. It is to such apparatus that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more implementations described herein and, together with the description, explain these implementations.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein in detail, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of other embodiments, or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting the inventive concepts disclosed and claimed herein in any way.
In the following detailed description of embodiments of the inventive concepts, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the inventive concepts. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the inventive concepts within the instant disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements, and may include other elements not expressly listed or inherently present therein.
Unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B is true (or present).
In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components of the embodiments disclosed herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the inventive concepts. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
As used herein, qualifiers like “substantially,” “about,” “approximately,” and combinations and variations thereof, are intended to include not only the exact amount or value that they qualify, but also some slight deviations therefrom, which may be due to manufacturing tolerances, measurement error, wear and tear, stresses exerted on various parts, and combinations thereof, for example.
Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “one aspect,” or “an aspect,” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in one aspect” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
The bottle 12 has a top 20 with an opening 22 (as shown in
The exterior surface 32 of the bottle 12 may have at least one textured area 34 to aid a user in maintaining contact with the bottle 12. The exterior surface 32 may have markings 36 indicative of an amount of flowable material 14 in the bottle 12. Nonexclusive examples of markings 36 are tick marks, English measurement units, metric measurement units, and/or recommended serving sizes. In one embodiment, the markings 36 are milliliters, liters, and/or cups. The markings 36 may be combinations of different measurement units and/or fractions of measurement units. In one embodiment, the markings 36 are evenly graduated amounts. The markings 36 may be raised from the exterior surface 32.
The bottle 12 may be constructed of any suitably flexible material. At least a portion of the bottle 12 is constructed of transparent or translucent material, such that a level of flowable material 14 in the bottle 12 may be ascertained through the material of the bottle 12. In one embodiment, the material may be formed of a bioplastic and/or a plastic. In one embodiment, the material may be a polyethylene, such as food grade polyethylene. In one embodiment, the material has deformation properties such that the bottle 12 requires very little pressure, such as pressure brought to bear on the bottle 12 by the fingers and/or hand of a user, to discharge the flowable material 14 contained in the bottle 12 and such that the bottle 12 returns to its original shape upon release of pressure. For instance, the material may be a food grade low density polyethylene.
The cap 16 of the feeding apparatus is attachable to the top 20 of the bottle 12 and has an opening 38 aligned with the opening 22 of the bottle 12. The cap 16 may have internal threads 40 (
The tube 18 of the feeding bottle apparatus 10 has a first end 48 extending out of the bottle 12 and a second end 50 disposed within the bottle 12. The tube 18 runs through the opening 38 of the cap 16 and the opening 22 of the bottle 12. The first end 48 of the tube 18 has an opening 52 for discharging the flowable material 14. The first end 48 of the tube 18 may have a deflector member 54 disposed on at least one side 56 of the opening 52 such that the flowable material 14 is discharged at least partially to a side 58 of the first end 48. This allows the flowable material 14 to be more exactly directed within the mouth and throat of the user receiving the flowable material 14.
The second end 50 of the tube 18 may extend substantially the length of the bottle 12 such that the flowable material 14 may be reached, even to the bottom 24 of the bottle 12.
The tube 18 may be a single piece of tubing or may be comprised of multiple pieces of tubing, which may be connected together in conventional manners.
Referring now to
In one embodiment, the bottle 12a curves along the length 26 between the top 20 and the bottom 24a. For example, the bottle 12a may curve approximately twenty degrees between the top 20 and the bottom 24a. However, any suitable angle or curve may be used to assist a user in gripping the bottle 12a and in discharging the flowable material 14 in a controlled and directed manner. In one embodiment, the angle may be such that the bottle 12a may remain substantially upright while in use so as to allow the flowable material 14 to be directed at an angle to the bottle 12a while maintaining a substantially vertical position of the bottle 12a.
The exterior surface 32 of the bottle 12a may have at least one textured area 34a to aid a user in maintaining contact with the bottle 12a. Additionally or alternatively, the exterior surface 32 may be ergonomically shaped to fit the user's hand. For example, the exterior surface 32 may have at least one ridged area 74 suitable for gripping the bottle 12a.
Referring now to
As shown in
In one embodiment, the deflector member 54a blocks the flowable material 14 from discharging straight out of the tube 18a and deflects the flowable material 14 entirely out of the side 58 of the tube 18a.
In one embodiment, the deflector member 54a is formed as a tubular member with a closed end and having a slot along the side 58 of the tube 18a such that the deflector member 54a blocks the flowable material 14 from discharging straight out of the tube 18a and deflects the flowable material 14 entirely out of the side 58 of the tube 18a.
Additionally or alternatively, the first end 48a of the tube 18a may have an articulating section 76 such that the first end 48a is selectively positionable to direct discharge of the flowable material 14. In one embodiment, the articulating section 76 of the tube 18a allows for expansion, contraction, and/or up to 360 degree rotation of the first end 48a of the tube 18a.
In one embodiment, the first end 48a of the tube 18a may be curved, so as to allow the flowable material 14 to be directed at an angle to the bottle 12a while maintaining a substantially vertical position of the bottle 12a.
In one embodiment, at least a portion of the tube 18a may be curved between the first end 48a and the second end 50a so as to substantially conform to the curved shape of the bottle 12a.
The second end 50a of the tube 18a may extend substantially the length of the bottle 12a. In one embodiment, the second end 50a of the tube 18a has at least one bottom member 78 positionable to reach the outer portion 72 of the bottom 24a of the bottle 12a, allowing the tube 18a to reach substantially all of the flowable material 14. The at least one bottom member 78 may be a part of the tube 18a or attachable to the second end 50a of the tube 18a. In one embodiment, the at least one bottom member 78 is three bottom members 78 positionable to reach the outer portion 72 of the bottom 24a of the bottle 12a. In one embodiment, the at least one bottom member 78 is four bottom members 78 positionable to reach the outer portion 72 of the bottom 24a of the bottle 12a. In one embodiment, at least one bottom member 78 is positionable to reach the convex center portion 70 of the bottom 24a of the bottle 12a and at least another bottom member 78 is positionable to reach the outer portion 72 of the bottom 24a of the bottle 12a.
In one embodiment, the tube 18a further comprises a check valve 79. The check valve 79 may be positioned between the first end 48a and the second end 50a. The check valve 79 may be positioned within the tube 18a. Alternatively, the tube 18a may be divided by the check valve 79. The check valve 79 may be positioned with the tube 18a such that the check valve 79 is positionable within the bottle 12a when in use.
The check valve 79 may be made in part or in its entirety of plastic. The check valve 79 may be classified as appropriate for use in medical devices and/or situations (i.e. medical grade). The check valve 79 may allow the flowable material 14 to flow up the tube 18a from the second end 50a to the first end 48a of the tube 18a only when a predetermined pressure is applied to the bottle 12a, such that the flowable material 14 does not continue to move through the tube 18a when the predetermined pressure is released from the bottle 12a.
In one embodiment, the feeding bottle apparatus 10, 10a further comprises a tube cap 80 positionable about the opening 52, 52a of the first end 48, 48a of the tube 18, 18a such that the flowable material 14 is not dischargeable when the tube cap 80 is in position on the tube 18, 18a. The tube cap 80 may be attachable to the feeding bottle apparatus 10, 10a by an attachment member 82 such that the tube cap 80 remains attached to the feeding bottle apparatus 10, 10a when the tube cap 80 is removed from the opening 52, 52a of the tube 18, 18a.
In one embodiment, the feeding bottle apparatus 10, 10a further comprises a handle 84. The handle 84 may extend from the cap 16, 16a or the bottle 12, 12a. The handle 84 may be hook shaped and/or may have ergonomic ridges 86 to facilitate the user gripping the handle 84.
In one embodiment, a feeding bottle kit 100 may comprise the feeding bottle apparatus 10, 10a and a brush 90, as shown in
In use, in one embodiment the bottle 12, 12a of the feeding bottle apparatus 10, 10a may be held substantially upright. Pressure applied to the bottle 12, 12a discharges the flowable material 14 through the tube 18, 18a into the recipient's mouth. The articulating section 76 of the tube 18a may be positioned to direct the flowable material 14, such as to the side of the throat of the recipient. Additionally, the tube 18, 18a may be rotated to position the opening 52, 52a of the first end 48, 48a of the tube 18, 18a and the deflector member 54, 54a to direct the flowable material 14 to the side of the recipient's throat, thus aiding swallowing and avoiding choking. In one embodiment, the articulating section 76 of the tube 18a allows for expansion, contraction, and 360 degree rotation of the first end 48a of the tube 18a.
The user may use the markings 36 on the exterior surface 32 of the bottle 12, 12a to determine the amount of flowable material 14 to be given and/or the amount discharged.
In one embodiment, the check valve 79 may prevent the flowable material 14 from being discharged once the pressure is removed from the bottle 12, 12a.
The user may position the tube cap 80 over the opening 52, 52a to further secure the flowable material 14 in the bottle 12, 12a and/or maintain cleanliness of the tube 18a.
The handle 84 may be used to assist in securely holding the feeding bottle apparatus 10, 10a. The handle 84 may be used as a hook to attach the feeding bottle apparatus 10, 10a to a bag or strap for ease of transport.
After use, the brush 90 may be used to clean the tube 18, 18a of the feeding bottle apparatus 10, 10a.
From the above description, it is clear that the inventive concepts disclosed herein are well adapted to carry out the objects and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the inventive concepts disclosed herein. While exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein have been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the scope of the inventive concepts disclosed and claimed herein.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/216,433, filed on Sep. 10, 2015, titled “Feeding Bottle Apparatus,” the entire contents of which being hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62216433 | Sep 2015 | US |
