This disclosure relates to teats for feeding bottles that store and dispense liquid to infants and children.
Feeding teats are placed on bottles that are used to feed infants and children. Turbulence in flow of liquid proximate the teat outlet (which is in the nipple of the teat) can cause the introduction of air bubbles which are then swallowed by the infant. Additionally, the amount of work (suction) required to draw the liquid from the teat can cause the infant to take in additional air by breaking the latch (seal between lips and outside of the teat). Regardless, air intake causes discomfort, and can be a source of “colic.” Also, in typical teats the contents of the liquid (minerals/vitamins and sometimes solids in solution or in a thin slurry) can settle or be pushed away from the liquid in the solution depending on the pattern of flow.
When infants suck on typical teats they must learn to pause periodically to let air into the bottle so as to equalize the pressure in the bottle. This can cause frustration. Some teat designs include valves that are meant to channel air from outside (atmosphere) into the bottle during suck (negative pressure). This air may be kept away from the feeding zone and prevent a vacuum from forming in the bottle. The valves integrated into the teat add to the complexity and expense of the teat. Also, these valves may not be sufficiently functional.
The teat disclosed herein may accomplish one or more of the following goals. It can reduce turbulent delivery of milk, formula or other feeding liquids to improve consistency. It can reduce turbulence so as to reduce cavitation, or the incorporation of air-bubbles that cause colic. It includes an anatomical nipple design that better simulates mother and way baby feeds from mother. It reduces the amount of work (suction) required by the infant to draw the fluid from the teat.
The vent(s) in the teat keep air away from the nipple and keep fluid moving smoothly. In one embodiment the venting valve(s) are located in the region of the teat where it is coupled to the bottle. These valves can be formed in part by the teat and in part by the regions of the bottle that are contacted by these parts of the teat. In another embodiment the valve is molded directly into the teat and extends into its interior.
The teat has a nipple that directs the liquid in a more laminar flow through and out of the teat, to reduce turbulence and areas of fluid stall in the liquid and thus inhibit air bubble integration and further inhibit the contents of the liquid from settling or being pushed away from the liquid. The system for relieving pressure in a feeding bottle with a teat may comprise one or more pressure relief valves incorporated at one or more locations of the teat. The valves may be accomplished between the inside surface of the bottle and the teat via an extension of the teat with its distal end resting against the inside surface of bottle. The teat can include multiple valves, e.g., two or three valves spaced about 180 or 120 degrees apart around the periphery of the teat, respectively. The valves may be in the base of the teat that is fitted onto the bottle. The teat may define an open undercut that leaves an area between the bottle and the teat open to the atmosphere, such that as the pressure inside the bottle drops, atmospheric pressure pushes the extension away from the bottle to allow air to flow into the bottle.
This disclosure features a feeding teat constructed and arranged to be used on a bottle that holds and dispenses a liquid to be fed to an infant or child. The teat has a nipple portion having an orifice at a terminal end, and defining an interior profile shaped by intersecting reverse curves that generally decrease the interior diameter of the nipple portion toward the orifice, so as to channel fluid flow into the orifice, a flange portion constructed and arranged to be releasably coupled to the bottle such that the liquid can flow from the bottle into the teat, a convexly shaped intermediate portion integrally connecting the nipple portion to the flange portion, and a pressure relief valve constructed and arranged to admit air into the interior of at least one of the teat and the bottle.
A first of the intersecting reverse curves can be concave relative to the interior of the teat, and a second reverse curve can be convex relative to the interior of the teat. The first curve may be farther from the orifice than the second curve. The interior profile of the nipple portion may further define a third curve that intersects the second curve, is concave relative to the interior of the teat and is closer to the orifice than the second curve. The third curve may transition into the orifice: this transition may or may not be direct, as there may be a fourth reverse curve that is directly adjacent to the orifice.
The wall thickness of the teat may generally increase along the lengths of the first and second curves. The wall thickness may also decrease in a nipple portion proximal region where the nipple portion transitions into the intermediate portion. The proximal region may define an interior profile that is convexly curved. The intermediate portion of the teat may define an interior profile that is concavely curved. The intermediate portion interior profile may be concavely curved along substantially all of its length.
The pressure relief valve may include generally parallel walls that project inwardly from the intermediate portion. The teat may be generally concentric about a centerline that lies along the orifice, and the pressure relief valve walls may be generally parallel to the centerline. The pressure relief valve walls may be spaced from each other and may be connected together at the lower ends by a transverse wall. The transverse wall may be slit. The slit may be made by a blade. The pressure relief valve may comprise two essentially parallel walls directed inwardly from the exterior wall of the teat. The valve walls may each be separated from the exterior wall of the teat by at least transverse walls that help to mechanically isolate the valve walls from the body of the teat. The transverse walls may be generally elliptical or circular. The valve walls may be connected at their distal ends by a short connecting wall that is slightly thinner than the valve walls. The connecting wall may define a generally arc-shaped (e.g., semi-circular) edge.
The pressure relief valve may at least in part be located in the flange portion. The pressure relief valve may comprise a skirt projecting downwardly and outwardly from the inner part of the flange and constructed and arranged to rest against the sidewall of the bottle, and a channel in the underside of the flange that communicates with a volume between the skirt and the sidewall of the bottle.
The teat may further include at least three spaced ribs on the inside surface of the teat. The ribs may comprise a first section in the intermediate portion of the teat and a second section in the nipple portion of the teat. The first section of the ribs may be generally radial and relatively wide, and the second section may be narrower and angled at from about 45 degrees to about 75 degrees relative to the teat centerline.
Also featured herein is a feeding teat constructed and arranged to be used on a bottle that holds and dispenses a liquid to be fed to an infant or child, the teat comprising a nipple portion having an orifice at a terminal end, and defining an interior profile shaped by at least three intersecting reverse curves, wherein a first intersecting reverse curve is concave relative to the interior of the teat, a second reverse curve is convex relative to the interior of the teat, and a third reverse curve intersects the second curve and is concave relative to the interior of the teat, wherein the first curve is farther from the orifice than the second curve, and the third curve is closer to the orifice than the second curve and transitions into the orifice. The curves generally decrease the interior diameter of the nipple portion toward the orifice, so as to channel fluid flow into the orifice. The wall thickness of the teat generally increases along the lengths of the first and second curves, and decreases in a nipple portion proximal region where the nipple portion transitions into the intermediate portion, wherein the proximal region defines an interior profile that is convexly curved. The teat also comprises a flange portion constructed and arranged to be releasably coupled to the bottle such that the liquid can flow from the bottle into the teat, and a convexly shaped intermediate portion integrally connecting the nipple portion to the flange portion. The intermediate portion defines an interior profile that is concavely curved along substantially all of its length, and a pressure relief valve constructed and arranged to admit air into the interior of the teat, wherein the pressure relief valve includes generally parallel walls that project inwardly from the intermediate portion, wherein the teat is generally concentric about a centerline that lies along the orifice and the pressure relief valve walls are generally parallel to the centerline, are spaced from each other and are connected together at the lower ends by a transverse wall with an opening through it, to allow the passage of air.
Further featured herein is a feeding teat constructed and arranged to be used on a bottle that holds and dispenses a liquid to be fed to an infant or child, the teat comprising a nipple portion having an orifice at a terminal end, and defining an interior profile shaped by at least three intersecting reverse curves, wherein a first intersecting reverse curve is concave relative to the interior of the teat, a second reverse curve is convex relative to the interior of the teat, and a third reverse curve intersects the second curve and is concave relative to the interior of the teat, wherein the first curve is farther from the orifice than the second curve, and the third curve is closer to the orifice than the second curve and transitions into the orifice. The curves generally decrease the interior diameter of the nipple portion toward the orifice, so as to channel fluid flow into the orifice. The wall thickness of the teat generally increases along the lengths of the first and second curves, and decreases in a nipple portion proximal region where the nipple portion transitions into the intermediate portion, wherein the proximal region defines an interior profile that is convexly curved. There is a flange portion constructed and arranged to be releasably coupled to the bottle such that the liquid can flow from the bottle into the teat, and a convexly shaped intermediate portion integrally connecting the nipple portion to the flange portion. The intermediate portion defines an interior profile that is concavely curved along substantially all of its length. There is a pressure relief valve constructed and arranged to admit air into the interior of the teat, wherein the pressure relief valve comprises a skirt projecting downwardly and outwardly from the inner part of the flange and constructed and arranged to rest against the sidewall of the bottle, and a channel in the underside of the flange that communicates with a volume between the skirt and the sidewall of the bottle.
In another aspect, a feeding teat for use with a bottle that contains a fluid includes a nipple defining an orifice at a terminal end and an interior profile shaped by multiple intersecting reverse curves that generally decreases an interior diameter of the nipple toward the orifice for directing a flow of the fluid into the orifice, a flange configured to be releasably coupled to the bottle such that the fluid can flow from the bottle into the feeding teat, an intermediate portion integrally connecting the nipple to the flange, and a pressure relief valve extending laterally from the intermediate portion and configured to admit air into an interior region formed by the feeding teat and the bottle.
In some embodiments, the pressure relief valve is integrally formed with the intermediate portion.
In some embodiments, the pressure relief valve includes first and second walls spaced apart from each other and extending to a terminal wall.
In some embodiments, the first and second walls are oriented at an angle of about 1 degrees to about 3 degrees with respect to each other.
In some embodiments, the first and second walls are parallel to each other.
In some embodiments, the pressure relief valve includes third and fourth walls spaced apart from each other and extending to the terminal wall.
In some embodiments, the third and fourth walls are oriented at an angle of about 1 degree to about 5 degrees with respect to each other.
In some embodiments, the terminal wall defines a slit through which the air can pass into the interior region.
In some embodiments, the slit has a width of about 3 mm to about 5.5 mm.
In some embodiments, the terminal wall is a flat wall.
In some embodiments, the terminal wall is a curved wall.
In some embodiments, the terminal wall includes a flat exterior surface and a curved interior surface.
In some embodiments, the terminal wall has a vertical orientation.
In some embodiments, the pressure relief valve includes wall portions that define an entry zone of the pressure relief valve.
In some embodiments, the wall portions are thicker than the terminal wall.
In some embodiments, the wall portions are thicker than the first and second walls.
In some embodiments, the pressure relief valve extends horizontally from the intermediate portion.
In some embodiments, the nipple and the flange are radially symmetric about a central axis of the feeding teat.
In some embodiments, the multiple reverse curves include a concave curve adjacent the orifice and a convex curve adjacent the concave curve and at which the nipple has a maximum wall thickness to stiffen the terminal end at which the orifice is located.
In some embodiments, the feeding teat is made of silicone.
Other aspects, features, and advantages will be apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
Teat 40 with nipple 70,
In teat 40, air flows in from outside of the bottle to neutralize pressure. The bottle neck insert on the teat acts as valve. Multiple valves can be spaced around the periphery of the base or flange of the teat, typically but not necessarily evenly spaced around the periphery. For example, two valves located 180 degrees from each other or three valves located 120 degrees from one another. The one piece molded teat has a valve mechanism that is not very compression sensitive so can be coupled to the bottle like a normal teat without a valve in its flange.
Valve 100 comprises flexible parallel walls 161 and 162 connected at their lower ends by transverse wall 163, which is slit so as to provide a path for air to enter the inside of the teat. The slit 132 in lower valve wall 163 is created by a blade and rigging fixture. The slit is nominally set to a width of 5 mm.+−0.0.5 mm. The curved lower wall 163 of the valve increases its stiffness and thus decreases the chances of fluid leakage, as compared to a linear wall. Vertical wall 164 locates wall 165 sufficiently offset from teat wall 189 such that walls 165 and 166 are at the same depth. Curved (typically circular or elliptical) transverse walls 165 and 166 serve to separate the pressure-sensitive walls 161 and 162 that are part of the valve from the main body of the teat. This means that the thin, sensitive walls 161 and 162 are not affected or at least less affected by stretching or twisting of the teat in use than would be the case if walls 161 and 162 were directly connected to main wall 189 of the teat. This makes the valve function better under typical usage scenarios where the teat is stretched and twisted in use. It may be possible to change the sensitivity of the valve even more by making a valve with a different durometer, or out of a different material than the rest of the teat, in a two-shot molding process. Silicone and many other thermoplastic elastomers will stick together over time after they have been slit. This may require the user to pinch the valve before use to assure that it is “open” and functional. Using a different material that does not stick to this extent over time could resolve this potential issue.
As in the first embodiment, the nipple portion is designed to accomplish a relatively laminar flow into the orifice. The terminal part of the nipple portion defines interior wall 200. First curve 202 is concave. Second curve 206 is convex. Third curve 210 is concave. Fourth curve 214 (which leads directly into orifice 112) is convex. This series of four reverse curves accomplishes a smoothly-decreasing interior diameter that supports laminar flow into orifice 112. Teat wall 191 generally increases in thickness from portion 72 and along at least part of wall 206, up to where walls 210 and 214 are located. This helps to maintain the stiffness of the nipple in the portion that delivers the fluid.
In one non-limiting embodiment that illustrates the disclosure, the radii of curvature and dimensions of a teat of the type shown in
Radius 122: 0.750 mm
Radius 131: 13.53 mm
Radius 133: 5.52 mm
Radius 134: 4.5 mm
Radius 135: 30 mm
Radius 136: 1 mm
Radius 142: 2 mm
Radius 174: 0.25 mm
Radius 182: 0.25 mm
Radius 188 (4 places): 0.500+/−0.025 mm
Radius 204: 2 mm
Radius 208: 2.471 mm
Radius 212: 1.042 mm
Radius 216: 0.750 mm
Dimension 130: 5.500 mm
Dimension 132 (the width of the slit 132 in curved lower wall 163 of valve 110): 5 mm
Dimension 138: 2.134 mm
Dimension 139: 9+/−0.025 mm
Dimension 140: 44+/−0.127 mm
Dimension 144: 1.87 mm
Dimension 146: 60.50 mm
Dimension 150: 1 mm
Dimension 152: 2 mm
Dimension 154: 12.25 mm
Dimension 170: 3.800+/−0.127 mm
Dimension 172: 1+/−0.025 mm
Dimension 176: 0.600+/−0.025 mm
Dimension 178: 0.500+/−0.025 mm
Dimension 180: 5+/−0.025 mm
Dimension 184: 5.72 mm
Dimension 186 (2 places): 0.600+/−0.025 mm
Dimension 222: 1.757 mm
Dimension 224: 0.617 mm
Dimension 226: 0.633 mm
Dimension 228: 0.250 mm
Quantitative tests were run on teat 100 as compared to two standard teats with a single concave internal nipple wall leading to the orifice. For a given mass flow rate out of the teat, the required pressure vacuum to be created by the infant was at least 26% less than the other two designs, meaning that the child needs to expend less energy to obtain the same amount of milk/liquid. Also the child will experience less frustration during feeding, as flow comes easier. The two standard designs required 36% and 78% greater pressure drop to maintain the same flow rate of 2e−4 kg/sec. as compared to teat 100. Standard data establish that the peak negative vacuum that can be developed in an infant's mouth is about 145+/−58 mm Hg. At 145 mm Hg the subject teat delivered 16.6 cc/min as compared to 12.5 and 14.2 cc/min for the two standard designs.
In some embodiments, a teat may include an integral pressure relief valve extending horizontally from an intermediate portion of the teat. For example,
The teat 400 defines a wall 408 that forms various sections of the teat 400. For example, the wall 408 includes a base portion 410 along the intermediate portion 406, a transition portion 412 that transitions the intermediate portion 406 to the nipple 402, and a terminal portion 414 that forms a terminal region of the nipple 402. The base portion 410 of the wall 408 provides a concave interior surface 416 and a convex exterior surface 418 along the intermediate portion 406 of the teat 400. The transition portion 412 of the wall 408 provides a convex interior surface 420 and a concave exterior surface 422 along a transition region between the intermediate portion 406 and the nipple 402 of the teat 400. Along the nipple 402 of the teat 400, the terminal portion 414 of the wall 408 provides a convex exterior surface 424 and sequentially provides a concave interior surface 426, a convex interior surface 428, and a concave interior surface 430 that surrounds an orifice 432 of the nipple 402.
The wall 408 of the teat 400 is circumferential about a central axis 434 of the teat and varies in thickness along the central axis 434 of the teat 400. The wall 408 is reduced to a minimum value at the orifice 434, which also defines a minimum internal diameter of the nipple 402. At the terminal region of the nipple 402, along the convex interior surface 428, the wall 408 has an increased thickness that increases a stiffness of the nipple 402 near the orifice 432 such that leakage of liquid out of the orifice 432 is effectively prevented. Along the concave exterior surface 422, the wall 408 has a relatively small thickness such that when an infant sucks on the nipple 402, the transition portion 412 can flex to allow the stiffer terminal region of the nipple 402 to be drawn into the mouth naturally in a manner as when an infant feeds from its mother.
The series of alternating concave and convex interior curves 416, 420, 422, 426, 428, 430 (i.e., two or more reversely shaped curves) produces a flow of liquid from the bottle to the orifice 432 that is more laminar as compared to a flow of liquid produced by teats that have only a single concave interior surface leading to an orifice. Such laminar flow within the teat 400 reduces turbulence within the liquid and accordingly prevents the formation of air bubbles within the liquid and prevents contents within the liquid from settling out of the liquid within the nipple 402.
The intermediate portion 406 of the teat 400 terminates at a neck portion 436 of the wall 408 that has a reduced diameter as compared to a maximum diameter of the base portion 410 of the wall 408. The neck portion 436 leads to the flange 404, which is formed to rest against an open wall of a bottle, as described above with respect to the flange portion 66 and the bottle 52 illustrated in
The teat 400 also includes a pressure relief valve 438 (e.g., an atmospheric vent) that allows ambient air to flow into the teat 400 (e.g., introducing positive pressure) to counteract a vacuum pressure (e.g., a negative pressure) produced within the teat 400 as the infant sucks on the nipple 402 and extracts fluid. The pressure relief valve 438 is integrally formed and protrudes inward laterally (e.g., horizontally) from the wall 408 along the intermediate portion 406 of the teat 400. The wall 408 of the teat is symmetric about the central axis 434 of the teat 400, except within a region at which the pressure relief valve 438 is located. Referring to
A width of the arcuate interior profile 448 gradually decreases from an outer opening 450 to an internal entry zone 452 to direct ambient air inward towards the slit 444 of the pressure relief valve 438. Owing to the angle α between the upper and lower walls 460, 462 of the protrusion 440, the flat terminal wall 442 has a vertical height that is less than a vertical height at the internal entry zone 452. In some implementations, the inward angle α of the protrusion 440 facilitates release of the pressure relief valve 438 from a mold used to form the pressure relief valve 438 during an injection molding process. Thickened wall portions 468, 470 of the pressure relief valve 438 prevent the valve 438 from deforming when a nipple/screw ring assembly is tightened onto the bottle. For example, a common issue with atmospheric vents built into teats is deformation and failure of the vents due to flex or strain on the teat caused from tightening onto the bottle. Wall portions 468, 470 create a stable platform for the pressure relief valve 438. This stability allows the walls 460, 462, 464, 466 of the protrusion 440 to be extra thin (e.g., about 0.35 mm to about 0.5 mm). The advantage to the extra thin walls 460, 462, 464, 466 is that the pressure relief valve 438 becomes more sensitive such that the slit 444 will crack open under a relatively low pressure difference between atmospheric pressure (i.e., outside of the bottle) and the pressure inside of the bottle. The advantage of the upper and lower walls 460, 462 being almost parallel is also related to increasing the sensitivity of the pressure relief valve 438 while maintaining an overall robust structure. For example, such a configuration reduces a pressure from liquid contained in the bottle and interior bottle forces to maintain the slit 444 in a closed configuration during use. In contrast, conventional duck valve and triangular valve structures typically result in higher cracking forces due to the pressure that liquid applies to an interior surface of the teat wall for the given system.
In some embodiments, an internal height along the flat terminal wall 442 of the pressure relief valve 438 may be in a range of about 1 mm to about 2 mm. In some embodiments, the internal height at the internal entry zone 452 of the pressure relief valve 438 may be in a range of about 1 mm to about 2 mm. In some embodiments, the flat terminal wall 442 has a thickness in a range of about 0.3 mm to about 0.6 mm. In some embodiments, the protruding wall 440 has a thickness in a range of about 0.35 mm to about 0.6 mm. In some embodiments, the slit 444 has a width in a range of about 3 mm to about 5 mm (e.g., about 4 mm). In some embodiments, the teat 400 is made of medical grade silicone that has a durometer of about 40 shore hardness A to about 60 shore hardness A.
While the teat 400 has been described and illustrated as including a pressure relief valve 438 with slightly non-parallel upper and lower walls 460, 462, in some embodiments, a teat may include a pressure relief valve that has a different sidewall configuration and/or a different end wall configuration. For example,
As described above with respect to the pressure relief valve 438, the pressure relief valve 538 (e.g., an atmospheric vent) allows ambient air to flow into the teat 500 (e.g., introducing positive pressure) to counteract a vacuum pressure (e.g., a negative pressure) produced within the teat 500 as the infant sucks on the nipple 502. The pressure relief valve 538 is integrally formed and protrudes inward laterally (e.g., horizontally) from the wall 508 along the intermediate portion 506 of the teat 500. Referring to
In some embodiments, the interior profile 546 has a height in a range of about 0.35 mm to about 0.6 mm. In some embodiments, the internal height at the internal entry zone 552 of the pressure relief valve 538 may be in a range of about 1 mm to about 2 mm. In some embodiments, the terminal wall 542 has a maximum thickness in a range of about 0.35 mm to about 0.65 mm. In some embodiments, the upper and lower walls 560, 562 and the lateral walls of the protrusion 540 have a thickness in a range of about 0.35 mm to about 0.6 mm. In some embodiments, the slit 544 has a width in a range of about 3.5 mm to about 5.5 mm. In some embodiments, the teat 500 is made of medical grade silicone that has a durometer of about 40 to about 60 shore hardness A.
Other embodiments are also within the scope of the following claims. For example, while the teats 40, 40a, 100, 300, 400, 500 have been described with respect to certain dimensions, shapes, and material formulations, in other embodiments, a teat that is substantially similar in construction and function to any of the teats 40, 40a, 100, 300, 400, 500 may include one or more similar features that have one or more dimensions, shapes, and/or material formulations that are different from those described with respect to the teats 40, 40a, 100, 300, 400, 500. In other embodiments, a teat that is substantially similar in construction and function to either of the teats 400, 500 may include more than one pressure relief valve 438, 538.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/542,503, filed on Aug. 8, 2017, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62542503 | Aug 2017 | US |