TEAT AND DRINKING CONTAINER HAVING THE TEAT

Abstract

A teat for a drinking bottle is formed from a wall with various different thicknesses. An air replenish valve has first and second valve portions of different thickness, and there are also different wall thicknesses in a cross section perpendicular to a teat axis, taken above the valve. These measures improve the reliability of the valve manufacture.

Claims

1. A teat for a drinking bottle, comprising a single integral component formed by a wall, the teat comprising: an upper nipple portion located at one end of a teat axis, with a nipple opening located in the upper nipple portion; a base rim portion located at an opposite end of the teat axis; and a valve formed between the upper nipple portion and the base rim portion or formed as part of the base rim portion, the valve having a first valve portion with a first, average, wall thickness, and a second valve portion with a second, average, wall thickness, which define between them a valve opening, wherein the first and second valve portions are the parts of the valve which are intended to deform in use, wherein the first valve portion is nearer to the teat axis than the second valve portion, and the second wall thickness is greater than the first wall thickness, and wherein a third wall thickness in a cross section perpendicular to the teat axis, taken above the valve, is greater in the vicinity of the valve than a fourth wall thickness remote from the valve in said cross section.

2. The teat of claim 1, wherein the valve comprises a duck bill valve, wherein the first valve portion is a first valve flap, the second valve portion is a second valve flap and the opening is a valve slit.

3. The teat of claim 2, wherein the first and second valve flaps are oriented within 5 to 45 degrees of the teat axis.

4. The teat of claim 2, wherein the second valve flap is tapered such that the wall thickness narrows towards the valve slit.

5. The teat of claim 4, wherein the valve has side portions which connect the first and second valve flaps, and the side portions are tapered such that the wall thickness narrows towards the valve slit.

6. The teat of claim 1, comprising a skirt portion below the upper nipple portion and a waist portion below the skirt portion, wherein the waist portion connects to the base rim portion.

7. The teat of claim 6, wherein said cross section is through the waist portion.

8. The teat of claim 6, wherein the waist portion comprises a closed shape including an arc portion said third wall thickness in the vicinity of the valve.

9. The teat of claim 6, wherein the valve is at a junction between the waist portion and the base rim portion.

10. The teat of claim 1, wherein the second valve portion has a wall thickness greater than the wall thickness of the first valve portion at least at a region of the valve portion in the vicinity of the valve opening.

11. The teat of claim 1, wherein the second, average, wall thickness is in the range 1.2 to 2.5 times the first, average, wall thickness

12. The teat of claim 1, wherein the second, average, wall thickness is in the range 025 mm to 0.6 mm and the first, average, wall thickness is in the range 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm.

13. The teat of claim 1, wherein the third wall thickness is in the range 1.5 to 5 times the fourth wall thickness.

14. The teat of claim 1, wherein the wall is silicone.

15. A feeding bottle comprising: a container; the teat (14) of claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] 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:

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a typical drinking bottle;

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a first example of a known teat;

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a second example of known teat;

[0049] FIG. 4 shows an example of a teat design in accordance with the invention, in cross sectional view;

[0050] FIG. 5 shows the area of the valve in more detail;

[0051] FIG. 6 illustrates the cross section as VI-VI of FIG. 4; and

[0052] FIG. 7 shows the result of modelling the injection molding process; and

[0053] FIG. 8 shows that sides of the valve may also taper towards the valve slit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0054] The invention will be described with reference to the Figures.

[0055] 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.

[0056] The invention provides a teat for a drinking bottle, which is formed from a wall with various different thicknesses. An air replenish valve has first and second valve portions of different thickness, and there are also different wall thicknesses in a cross section perpendicular to a teat axis, taken above the valve. These measures improve the reliability of the valve manufacture.

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a typical drinking bottle for bottle feeding a baby or infant using a teat. The drinking bottle 10 comprises a container 12, a teat 14 and a connection ring 16 which secures the teat 14 to the container. The connection ring for example screws over a thread at the top of the container. The teat closes the container top opening.

[0058] FIG. 2 shows a first example of a known teat 14.

[0059] The teat 14 has an upper nipple portion 20 located at one end of a teat axis 22 and a nipple opening 24 at an upper end of the nipple portion 20. The nipple opening may be recessed back from the very top of the nipple portion (an example is shown in FIG. 4).

[0060] A base rim portion 26 is located at an opposite end of the teat axis for seating against an opening of the container 12.

[0061] Note that the top or upper parts are defined as those nearest the nipple and the bottom, base or lower parts are defined as those nearest the rim. These terms are simply used for convenience and do not imply any particular orientation (with respect to the direction of gravity).

[0062] A valve 30 is formed between the upper nipple portion 20 and the base rim portion 26.

[0063] The valve has a first valve portion 32 and a second valve portion 34 which define between them a valve opening 36. The first valve portion 32 is nearer to the opening 24 than the second valve portion 34, and thus during injection molding, it will be filled first.

[0064] The valve also has side portions, not shown, which connect the first and second valve portions at the ends of the valve opening.

[0065] There is a skirt portion 40 below the upper nipple portion 20. This provides a gradual widening from the desired nipple size e.g. around 10 mm diameter, to the desired container size, e.g. 40 mm diameter. It mimics the shape of a breast.

[0066] The teat is generally rotationally symmetric, i.e. other than the valve. It may be generally circular but it may also be non-circular.

[0067] The teat 14 is injection molded, using the nipple opening 24 as the liquid entry and air escape point.

[0068] FIG. 2 shows an example based on a duck bill valve. The first valve portion 32 is a first valve flap, the second valve portion 34 is a second valve flap and the opening 36 is a valve slit.

[0069] FIG. 2 shows the duck bill valve with the valve flaps generally perpendicular (e.g. within a range 5 to 45 degrees, such as below 15 degrees) to the teat axis 22.

[0070] FIG. 3 shows that the duck bill valve may instead have the valve flaps generally parallel (e.g. within a range 5 to 45 degrees, such as below 15 degrees) to the teat axis 22. The radially outermost valve flap is then further from the nipple opening.

[0071] The nipple opening is shown located along the teat axis in this example. This is not essential—it may be offset from the central teat axis or there may be multiple openings.

[0072] FIG. 4 shows an example of a teat design in accordance with the invention, in cross sectional view.

[0073] The teat has generally the same design as FIG. 3 and the same reference numbers are used for the same components. Thus, the teat 14 has an upper nipple portion 20 located at one end of the teat axis 22 with the nipple opening 24, the base rim portion 26, the valve 30 between the upper nipple portion 20 and the base rim portion 26, and the skirt portion 40 below the upper nipple portion 20.

[0074] The design of FIG. 4 has two modifications compared to the design of FIG. 3.

[0075] A first modification is that the valve has different wall thicknesses for the first and second valve portions (which define between them the valve opening 36). In particular, the second valve portion 34 has an average wall thickness (which will be called a second wall thickness) greater than an average wall thickness of the first valve portion 32 (which will be called a first wall thickness).

[0076] FIG. 5 shows the area of the valve 30 in more detail. The valve in this example is again a duck bill valve with the first valve portion 32, i.e. first valve flap, nearer to the teat axis, and hence nearer to the opening 24 in terms of the flow of injection molding fluid, than the second valve portion 34, i.e. second valve flap.

[0077] The first valve flap 32 has a length L (perpendicular to the valve slit 36 and in the direction toward the valve slit) of around 2 mm (e.g. 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm). This is the length of the valve flap portion over which deformation takes place in response to pressure differences. The wall thickness over this 2 mm length is approximately a constant 0.25 mm (e.g. in the range 0.2 mm to 0.3 mm). Thus, the first wall thickness (the average) is in this case 0.25 mm.

[0078] The second valve flap 34 has the same length L (perpendicular to the valve slit 36 and down toward the valve slit) of around 2 mm (e.g. 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm). The wall thickness over this 2 mm length in this example tapers from 0.6 mm remote from the valve slit to 0.4 mm in the vicinity of the valve slit. Thus, the second wall thickness (the average) is in this case 0.50 mm (e.g. in the range 0.25 mm to 0.6 mm).

[0079] The region of length L is the part of the valve that is intended to deform in use. The regions on each side of the valve for example correspond to each other in size and shape.

[0080] The first valve flap may also taper as well, or else both valve flaps may have uniform thickness. The side portions of the valve (not shown as they are in front of and behind the cross section shown) may also taper toward the valve slit.

[0081] The teat 14 is injection molded, using the nipple opening as the liquid entry point.

[0082] By making the valve portion 34 further from the teat axis, and further from injection point in terms of the flow from the injection point, thicker than the valve portion more proximal to the teat axis and hence injection point, the valve structure can more reliably be formed since the molding liquid can more uniformly be delivered to the different parts of the valve, despite their different distances from the injection point. This is achieved by the different flow resistances caused by the different wall thicknesses.

[0083] A second modification is that a thicker wall portion is provided above the valve relative to the remainder of the wall at that same height up the teat (i.e. the same position along the teat axis). This means that the injection molding material flows preferentially to the valve location, in particular the angular orientation of the valve around the ring of material formed around the teat axis, again by having a reduced resistance to the flow.

[0084] Returning to FIG. 4, the teat has a waist portion 50 below the skirt portion 40. The waist portion 50 connects to the base rim portion 26. Thus, from the top down, there is the nipple portion 20, the skirt portion 40, the waist portion 50 and then the base rim 26.

[0085] The valve 30 is at a junction between the waist portion 50 and the base rim portion 26.

[0086] The waist portion 50 in this example is narrower than the radially outermost part of the skirt portion 40, so provides a narrowing. This provides some flexibility for the nipple portion 20 and skirt portion to bend away from the teat axis. However, the skirt portion does not need to narrow—it may have the same outer size as the lowest extremity of the skirt portion.

[0087] The flow of molding material to the base rim 26 and to the valve 30 takes place through the waist portion 50. Thus, the waist portion controls the flow to the valve, and it is designed again to improve the molding process of the valve.

[0088] In particular, a third wall thickness of a cross section perpendicular to the teat axis 22, taken above the valve 30, is greater in the vicinity of the valve than a fourth wall thickness remote from the valve.

[0089] FIG. 4 illustrates this cross section as VI-VI and it is shown in FIG. 6.

[0090] FIG. 6 shows that waist portion comprises a closed shape having a circular arc portion 60 of the fourth wall thickness around at least 300 degrees (so the angle θ shown is less than 60 degrees). A portion 62 of the third wall thickness closes the closed shape. This has an angle of less than 60 degrees. Of course, in a design with multiple valves, the portion 60 will be divided into multiple sections, and there will be multiple portions 62.

[0091] The portion 62 is the part that promotes flow to the valve. It is locally in the vicinity, in particular above, the valve, and hence in the path of the flow of molding material from the nipple opening to the valve via the waist portion.

[0092] By way of example, the third thickness of the portion 62 may be in the range 1 mm to 3 mm and the fourth thickness of the portion 60 may be in the range 0.3 mm to 1 mm.

[0093] The third wall thickness is for example in the range 1.5 to 5 times the fourth wall thickness.

[0094] These measures in combination enable a more reliable valve manufacturing process to be achieved, in particular based on injection molding, in particular by improving the venting process during molding.

[0095] The nipple portion, skirt portion and base rim are rotationally symmetric, but both the valve and the waist portion now disturb the overall rotational symmetry.

[0096] FIG. 7 shows (in somewhat schematic form) the result of modelling the injection molding process. Different shades of grey represent the time at which the molding liquid (silicone) reaches the different parts of the mold. The invention enables the valve formation to be reliably completed before the base rim portion is formed. This can generally be seen by the dark shading of the base rim portion.

[0097] The invention thereby provides an optimal teat design for robust manufacturing to prevent leakage of the air valve due to non-filling in the injection molding process. The valve is located far from the teat tip, but can still be filled in a robust manner.

[0098] As mentioned above, the sides of the valve may also taper towards the valve slit. This is shown in FIG. 8, which is a cross section in a plane including the valve slit, so that the length direction of the valve slit is the left-right direction in FIG. 8. The valve has sides 80, 82 which may for example taper with the similar wall thickness to the valve flaps, such as a thickness in the range 0.3 mm to 1 mm, for example a taper from 0.6 mm to 0.4 mm.

[0099] The invention has been described in connection with a vertical valve (i.e. generally parallel to the teat axis). The same approach may be applied to a horizontal valve (i.e. generally perpendicular to the teat axis).

[0100] Generally, the wall thickness in the valve will lie in the range of 250 μm to 1 mm, and the length and width are of the order of 1-10 mm.

[0101] The approach has been described with reference to a duck bill valve, but other valve designs, such as a domed slit valve, may be used.

[0102] Only a single valve has been shown in the examples above, but there may be two or more valves at different angular positions around the teat axis. Each valve may then have the design as explained above.

[0103] 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] 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”.

[0106] Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.