Baby bottle cover

Abstract

A baby bottle including an accordion cover is disclosed herein. The bottle has a nipple connected at an open end, with a collar removably connected at a meeting point of the bottle and the nipple. The accordion cover is connected to the collar, and may be movable, while remaining fixedly connected to the collar, between an upward configuration, a downward configuration, and a compressed configuration. The nipple is covered and protected from contamination.

Claims

1. A baby bottle comprising: a bottle; a nipple connected at an open end of said bottle; a collar removably connected at a meeting point of said bottle and said nipple; and an accordion cover connected to said collar; wherein in a compressed condition, said cover has a width equal to or less than the height of a groove in said collar.

2. The baby bottle of claim 1, wherein an upper and lower end of said collar frictionally prevent said cover in said compressed condition from decompressing.

3. The baby bottle of claim 1, wherein said cover is fixedly connected to said groove in said collar.

4. The baby bottle of claim 3, wherein said cover is extendable in an upward configuration covering said nipple while an end of said cover is within and fixedly connected to said groove of said collar.

5. The baby bottle of claim 3, wherein said cover is extendable in a downward configuration covering at least a portion of said bottle while an end of said cover is within and fixedly connected to said groove of said collar.

6. The baby bottle of claim 3, wherein said cover is extendable in both an upward and a downward configuration, relative to said groove of said collar, while remaining fixedly connected to said groove of said collar; and wherein an end of said cover unconnected to said groove extends past a top of said collar around at least a part of said nipple when in said upright configuration and extends past a bottom of said collar around at least a part of said baby bottle when in said downward configuration.

7. The baby bottle of claim 4, wherein a circumference of said cover becomes smaller when uncompressed in said upward configuration.

8. The baby bottle of claim 5, wherein said cover surrounds, and is in contact with, a plurality of outer side circular cross-sections of said bottle when in a lowered position.

9. The baby bottle of claim 3, wherein said groove of said collar has therein a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart pits; wherein said cover has a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart flanges, each flange of said plurality of flanges corresponding to a pit of said plurality of pits.

10. The baby bottle of claim 9, wherein said cover is prevented from rotating relative to said collar, due to said plurality of spaced-apart flanges being within said plurality of spaced-apart pits within said groove, while said cover extends in a direction transverse to said circumferential arrangement of said pits within said groove of said collar.

11. The baby bottle of claim 1, wherein said cover comprises an internally-extending connection mechanism, said mechanism fixedly attached within said groove of said cover.

12. A baby bottle cover comprising: a collar threadedly attachable to a bottle; and an accordion cover connected to and held within an externally-oriented circumferential groove of said collar.

13. The bottle cover of claim 12, wherein said cover is fixedly attached to said collar.

14. The bottle cover of claim 13, wherein said cover is stretchable away from said collar in each of two opposing directions while substantially retaining circumferential or ovoid cross sections vertically between said groove and an extremity of said cover furthest away from said groove.

15. The bottle cover of claim 14, wherein in one of said opposing directions, an opening of said bottle is in between said groove and an edge of said cover furthest from said groove.

16. The bottle cover of claim 15, wherein a part of said cover above said opening has ovoid cross-sections.

17. The bottle cover of claim 14, wherein in one of said opposing directions, said cover retains said ovoid cross-sections and is circularly abutted against at least a portion of said bottle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows an exploded front and side perspective view of the components of the baby bottle of embodiments of the disclosed technology, with the cover in a compressed configuration.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a front and side perspective view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the compressed configuration.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a front and side perspective view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in a downward configuration.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a front and side perspective view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in an upward configuration.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the compressed configuration.

(6) FIG. 6 shows a cutaway side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the compressed configuration.

(7) FIG. 7 shows a side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the downward configuration.

(8) FIG. 8 shows a cutaway side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the downward configuration.

(9) FIG. 9 shows a side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the upward configuration.

(10) FIG. 10 shows a cutaway side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the upward configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSED TECHNOLOGY

(11) A baby bottle including an accordion cover is disclosed herein. The bottle has a nipple connected at an open end, with a collar removably connected at a meeting point of the bottle and the nipple. The accordion cover is connected to the collar, and may be movable, while remaining fixedly connected to the collar, between an upward configuration, a downward configuration, and a compressed configuration.

(12) Embodiments of the disclosed technology will become more clear in view of the following discussion of the figures.

(13) FIG. 1 shows an exploded front and side perspective view of the components of the baby bottle of embodiments of the disclosed technology, with the cover in a compressed configuration. A bottle 10 has an open end 12, at which a nipple 20 is removably connected. A collar 30 is removably connectable at and around a meeting point between the bottle 10 and the nipple 20. An accordion cover 40 may be fixedly or removably connected to the collar 30.

(14) In various embodiments, the accordion cover 40 may be fixedly or removably connected to a groove 32 within the collar 30. In the embodiment shown, the groove 32 is defined by a lower ridge only. In other embodiments, the groove 32 may be defined by an upper ridge and/or a lower ridge. The groove may further be made of several grooves. The accordion cover 40, in some embodiments, may be at least two accordion covers 40, each of which may be fixedly and/or removably connected to a same and/or to a different groove 32 of the collar 30. In still further embodiments, any and all ridges defining a groove 32 may exist at substantially every point on a circumference of the collar 30. The accordion cover 40 may be connected to a lower part, middle part, and or upper part of the groove 32.

(15) FIG. 2 shows a front and side perspective view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the compressed configuration. In this configuration, the cover 40 may wholly or partially fill the groove 32. The cover 40 may furthermore extend and/or bulge outward from the groove 32 in a vertical and/or horizontal direction.

(16) FIG. 3 shows a front and side perspective view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in a downward configuration. In this configuration, the cover 40 may cover substantially a majority of sides of the bottle 10. The cover 40 may be made of a material which adheres to the sides of the bottle 10. The cover 40 may curl and/or fold inward and/or outward upon itself at a bottom edge of the cover 40, or may lie flat against the sides of the bottle 10.

(17) An edge of the cover 40 which remains fixedly connected to the collar 30 while the cover 40 is in a downward configuration may be within and/or outside of the groove 32. The edge of the cover 40 which remains fixedly connected to the collar 30 while the cover 40 is in a downward configuration may further be located at an upper, middle, or lower portion of the groove 32.

(18) A portion of the cover 40 which surrounds a meeting point between the collar 30 and the bottle 10 and/or which surrounds a portion of the bottle 10 and/or the collar 30 in which a circumference of the bottle 10 and/or the collar 30 and/or a meeting point thereof becomes gradually and/or abruptly smaller may have a smaller circumference than a portion of the cover 40 which surrounds a portion of the collar 30 and/or of the bottle 10 which has a largest circumference. In another embodiment, the cover 40 may have a substantially uniform circumference throughout. A bottom edge of the cover 40 may be wholly and/or partially uneven.

(19) FIG. 4 shows a front and side perspective view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in an upward configuration. In the embodiment shown, an upper edge of the cover 40 curls outward while in this configuration, leaving a small opening at a top of the cover 40. In other embodiments, the upper edge of the cover 40 may curl inward, may fold over itself, and/or may otherwise be positioned in such a way that an area around the nipple 20 is substantially completely sealed off by the cover 40.

(20) In the embodiment shown, the cover 40 follows the general shape of the nipple 20. In other embodiments, the cover 40 may lie flush against either a part or a whole of the nipple 20.

(21) FIG. 5 shows a side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the compressed configuration. FIG. 6 shows a cutaway side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the compressed configuration. In the embodiment shown in these Figures, a widest portion of the collar 32 has a circumference which is smaller than a largest circumference of the bottle 10. In other embodiments, the widest portion of the collar 32 may have circumference which is larger than and/or equal to a largest circumference of the bottle 10.

(22) Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in these Figures, a widest portion of the cover 40, while in the compressed position, has a circumference which is substantially equal to the circumference of a widest portion of the collar 30. In other embodiments, the widest portion of the cover 40, while in the compressed position, may have a circumference which is greater than and/or less than the circumference of a widest portion of the collar 30.

(23) The groove 32, in the embodiment shown, is located on an outward facing side of the collar 30. In other embodiments, the groove 32 may be located on a downward-facing side and/or on an upward-facing side of the collar 30.

(24) The widest part of the nipple 20, in the embodiment shown, is located above an uppermost part of the collar 30. In other embodiments, the widest part of the nipple 20 may be located partially or wholly within and/or below the collar 30.

(25) FIG. 7 shows a side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the downward configuration. FIG. 8 shows a cutaway side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the downward configuration. The open end 12 of the bottle 10, in the embodiment shown, has a circumference which is smaller than the largest circumference of the bottle 10. In various other embodiments, the open end 12 of the bottle 10 may have a circumference which is smaller than and/or equal to a largest circumference of the bottle 10.

(26) FIG. 9 shows a side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the upward configuration. FIG. 10 shows a cutaway side elevational view of the baby bottle of FIG. 1, with the cover in the upward configuration. In the embodiment shown, the cover 40 encloses an area above an uppermost part of the nipple 20. In other embodiments, an uppermost part of the cover 40 may lie partially or wholly flush with an uppermost part of the nipple 20.

(27) The collar 30, in the embodiment shown, connects to an uppermost part of the bottle 10 by way of a screwing mechanism utilizing threading. In other embodiments, the collar 30 may connect to the bottle 10 by way of friction, by way of an applied adhesive, or by any other mechanism.

(28) For purposes of this disclosure, the term “substantially” is defined as “at least 95% of” the term which it modifies.

(29) Any device or aspect of the technology can “comprise” or “consist of” the item it modifies, whether explicitly written as such or otherwise.

(30) When the term “or” is used, it creates a group which has within either term being connected by the conjunction as well as both terms being connected by the conjunction.

(31) While the disclosed technology has been disclosed with specific reference to the above embodiments, a person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and the scope of the disclosed technology. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. Combinations of any of the methods and apparatuses described hereinabove are also contemplated and within the scope of the invention.