Claims
- 1. A teat unit comprising (a) a one piece teat mounting comprising a narrow tube for sucking liquid therethrough, said tube having (1) a short piercing end adapted to be inserted through a semi-rigid container wall, (2) a teat mounting end for securely receiving a retaining and sealing means on a teat, (3) a flange between said two ends and about the circumference of said tube for limiting insertion of the tube, (4) adhesive sealing means on the face of said flange adjacent the piercing end for sealing said flange against the outer side of said container and (5) retaining means between said flange and said piercing end engageable with said container wall for urging said sealing means into sealing engagement with said wall; and (b) a teat adapted to said teat mounting end.
- 2. A teat unit according to claim 1, wherein said retaining means comprises a shoulder having a tapered lead over which the container wall may stretch on insertion.
- 3. A teat unit according to claim 2, wherein the shoulder is additionally tapered towards the limiting flange.
- 4. A teat unit according to claim 1, wherein the axial distance between the flange and the retaining means is slightly less than the thickness of the wall of the container.
- 5. A one-piece teat mounting comprising a narrow tube for sucking liquid therethrough, said tube having (1) a short piercing end adapted to be inserted through the wall of a semi-rigid container wall, (2) a teat mounting end for securely receiving a retaining and sealing means on a teat, (3) a flange between said two ends and about the circumference of said tube for limiting insertion of the tube, and (4) retaining means and sealing means which comprise, in combination, (a) adjacent the piercing end a tapered flange which terminates in a shoulder where up to two screw thread turns begin and continue to the face of the limiting flange and (b) a co-axial annular extension of the limiting flange which surrounds the circumference of said screw thread.
- 6. A teat mounting according to claim 5 wherein the screw thread is a buttress thread and the shoulder of the tapered flange forms a lower buttress wall of the thread.
- 7. A teat mounting according to claim 5 wherein the co-axial annular extension on the piercing end side of the limiting flange is tapered towards the center of the tube.
- 8. A teat unit comprising (a) a one piece teat mounting comprising a narrow tube for sucking liquid therethrough, said tube having (1) a short piercing end adapted to be inserted through a semi-rigid container wall, (2) a teat mounting end for securely receiving a retaining and sealing means on a teat, (3) a flange between said two ends and about the circumference of said tube for limiting insertion of the tube, (4) sealing means comprising a co-axial annular extension on the face of said flange adjacent to the piercing end for sealing said flange against the outer side of said container and (5) retaining means between said flange and said piercing end engageable with said container wall for urging said sealing means into sealing engagement with said wall; and (b) a teat adapted to said teat mounting end.
- 9. A teat unit according to claim 8 wherein the co-axial annular extension is tapered towards the center of the tube.
- 10. A teat unit according to claim 8 wherein said retaining means comprises a shoulder having a tapered lead over which the container wall may stretch on insertion.
- 11. A teat unit according to claim 10 wherein the shoulder is additionally tapered towards the limiting flange.
- 12. A teat unit according to claim 8 wherein the axial distance between the face of the limiting flange and the closest portion of the retaining means is slightly less than the thickness of the container wall.
- 13. A one-piece teat mounting comprising a narrow tube for sucking liquid therethrough, said tube having (1) a short piercing end adapted to be inserted through the wall of a semi-rigid container wall, (2) a teat mounting end for securely receiving a retaining and sealing means on a teat, (3) a flange between said two ends and about the circumference of said tube for limiting insertion of the tube, and (4) retaining means and sealing means which comprise, in combination, (a) adjacent the piercing end a tapered flange which terminates in a shoulder and (b) a co-axial annular extension of the limiting flange which surrounds the circumference of said shoulder.
- 14. A one-piece teat mounting according to claim 13 wherein the coaxial annular extension is tapered towards the center of the tube.
- 15. A one-piece teat mounting according to claim 13 wherein the shoulder is additionally tapered towards the limiting flange.
Priority Claims (1)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
| 8503140 |
Feb 1985 |
GBX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 824,022, filed Jan. 30, 1986 now abandoned.
This invention relates to teats and particularly to teats for use with sealed containers of liquid.
Liquids for feeding to babies may be supplied in sealed containers. In particular sterile ready to feed milks may be supplied in sealed bottles to which a teat may be attached after the bottle cap has been removed. Furthermore, a sterile teat and locking ring may also be supplied in a sealed package so that, prior to feeding, there is no question of contamination of either the milk or teat. The baby is consequently protected from infection and supplied with a product of substantially unvarying quality. The bottle and teat are intended for disposal after use.
Glass bottles have been used hitherto for packing sterile milks. It is also known to provide such bottles with an attached teat, the teat is maintained in a sterile condition by a removable outer cover. A membrane separates the milk from the teat so that `wet` and `dry` sterile chambers are provided during transit; means are provided to rupture the membrane immediately prior to feeding. The bottle and teat assembly is intended to be disposable. Whilst glass bottles have proved satisfactory they are heavy, bulky, have a low packing density and are becoming increasingly expensive when compared with the cost of the contents. Glass bottles are also susceptible to transit damage and must be packed securely, this further increases the cost to the consumer.
Liquids, especially ready to drink liquids, are nowadays frequently supplied in parallelepipedic boxes formed from a plastics/paper laminate. Such boxes are light, easily disposable, having a high packing density and are sufficiently flexible to withstand normal transit shocks without special packing. Laminate boxes can also be much cheaper than glass bottles provided that the quantities are sufficient.
Although ready to drink liquids suitable for babies could be supplied in such laminate boxes they would have to be dispensed into conventional feeding bottles. This would be awkward, probably messy and the risk of infection by contamination is increased.
According to the invention there is provided a teat mounting comprising a tubular body adapted at one end to be inserted through the wall of a liquid container and adapted at the other end to receive a teat.
Such a mounting provides means for feeding a baby from a laminate container of liquid without the necessity of first dispensing the liquid into a conventional feeding bottle. The advantages of laminate containers are thus available for baby drinks and liquid foods with a much reduced risk of contamination and resulting infection. Preferably a sterile mounting is provided in a hermetically sealed package although alternatively the mounting may be sterilized by any convenient means prior to use.
In one embodiment of the invention an interruption is provided on the mounting to limit insertion through the wall of the container; the interruption may be a continuous generally circular flange.
Sealing means may be provided to seal the mounting against the container wall. Any suitable sealing means may be employed for example a resiliently compressible annular seal disposed about the mounting. In an alternative construction adhesive may be provided on the seal or on the mounting itself to provide a strong leakproof join. Such sealing means is in addition to the seal formed by one or more polythene layers of a laminate of the type herein described.
Retaining means may be provided on the mounting or on the container to hold the mounting and container together. The retaining means may comprise one or more screw threads; the screw thread or threads may be discontinuous and may vary in pitch, depth and form to suit the intended use. The retaining means may alternatively `snap` into the container wall by, for example, having a shoulder with a tapered lead over which the container wall may be stretched; such retaining means may include screw threads also.
One end of the mounting may be adapted to pierce the container wall. The mounting may, for example, be sharply pointed to pierce the wall and such a construction is especially useful where the container does not have a defined entry port.
A teat may be supplied separately for attachment to the mounting or preferably is supplied ready attached. Any known means of attachment is suitable, for example by moulding, by adhesive or by the natural elasticity of the teat material. In the last mentioned case the teat may be snapped or stretched into a groove provide on one end of the mounting. Preferably a sterile teat and mounting unit is provided in an hermetically sealed package.
A container of ready to drink liquid may be provided with a sterile teat and mounting unit attached thereto. Such an arrangement is especially useful for mothers and babies when travelling, where convenience and cleanliness are essential and for new born babies where individual low cost supplies of ready to feed milk of a consistent quality are in demand. Such containers may, for example, contain a ready to feed milk preparation, a fruit juice or a dextrose preparation.
The invention also provides a method of feeding a baby comprising the steps of providing a container of ready to drink liquid; inserting a tubular body through the wall thereof; providing a teat on the outer end of said body; and feeding the baby by the passage of liquid from the container through the body to said teat.
US Referenced Citations (13)
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| Number |
Date |
Country |
| 0167842 |
Mar 1951 |
ATX |
| 0050459 |
Apr 1982 |
EPX |
| 1482682 |
Jul 1973 |
DEX |
| 2650093 |
May 1978 |
DEX |
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GBX |
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GBX |
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GBX |
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GBX |
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GBX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
824022 |
Jan 1986 |
|
Patent Grant
4801007
