A LID FOR A DRINKING BOTTLE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lid (1) configured to be attached to a fluid container of a drinking bottle. The lid (1) comprises a body (5), and a spout (6) protruding from the body (5) and having a discharge opening (7) at a top portion (8) thereof. The body (5) is provided with a recess (10a-b) extending along a part of a transition (11) between the body (5) and the spout (6). The recess (10a-b) is configured to receive a portion of the lip of a user when the user drinks from the drinking bottle so as to make a spout remote elevation (14a-b) of said recess (10a-b) to bear against lip adjacent portions of the cheek of the user to thereby seal the lip portion received in said recess (10a-b) with respect to the environment. The invention also relates to a baby bottle provided with such a lid (1).

Claims

1. A lid (1) configured to be attached to a fluid container (2) of a drinking bottle (3), comprising: a body (5), and a spout (6) protruding from the body (5) and having a discharge opening (7) at a top portion (8) opposite to a base portion (9) of the spout (6) connected to the body (5) of the lid (1), the discharge opening (7) being configured to enable a user (13) to drink the fluid contained in the fluid container (2) when the lid (1) is attached thereto, wherein the body (5) is provided with at least one recess (10a-b) extending along at least a part of a transition (11) between the body (5) and the base portion (9) of the spout (6) and configured to receive at least a portion of the lip (12a-b) of the user (13) when the user (13) drinks from the drinking bottle (3), to make a spout remote elevation (14a-b) of said recess (10a-b) to bear against lip adjacent portions (15a-b) of the cheek (16a-b) of the user (13) to thereby seal the lip portion (12a-b) received in said recess (10a-b) with respect to the environment.

2. A lid (1) according to claim 1, wherein one or more said recesses (10a-b) extend along at least two opposing side sections of the transition (11) to allow at least the lip portions (12a-b) of the two corners of the user's (13) mouth (4) to be received therein when the user (13) drinks from the drinking bottle (3).

3. A lid (1) according to claim 1, wherein one or more said recesses (10a-b) extend along at least 50%, preferably at least 70%, more preferred 100%, of the circumference of the transition (11) around the base portion (9) of the spout (6).

4. A lid (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one recess (10a-b) has a width, measured in the direction between the spout (6) and an outer circumferential edge (17) of the lid (1), selected to have the lip portion (12a-b) of the user (13) received therein wedged and thereby removably secured between opposite elevations (14a-b, 18a-b) defining said recess (10a-b).

5. A lid (1) according to claim 1, wherein surfaces of the at least one recess (10a-b) are provided with a friction enhancing layer (19b).

6. A lid (1) according to claim 5, wherein a surface region (19a) of the body (5) surrounding the spout (6) is provided with a friction enhancing layer (19b).

7. A lid (1) according to claim 1, wherein the body (5) is provided with at least one protrusion (20a-b) located at the opposite side of the at least one recess (10a-b) with respect to the spout (6) and configured to bear against a user's (13) cheek (16a-b) when the at least one lip portion (12a-b) of the user (13) is received in the at least one recess (10a-b) of the body (5) to act as a support for the cheek (16a-b) and thereby counteract that the spout (6) slides away from a proper central position in the mouth (4) when the user (13) drinks from the drinking bottle (3).

8. A lid (1) according to claim 7, wherein the body (5) is provided with at least two said protrusions (20a-b) arranged at opposite sides of the spout (6) to wedge the user's (13) cheeks (16a-b) therebetween when the at least one lip portion (12a-b) of the user (13) is received in the at least one recess (10a-b).

9. A lid (1) according to claim 1, wherein the lid (1) further comprises a circular attachment portion (21) sealingly connected to an end (22) of the body (5) opposite to the spout (6) and provided with means configured to secure the lid (1) to the fluid container (2) of the drinking bottle (3).

10. A lid (1) according to claim 1, wherein the lid (1) is configured to be attached to a fluid container (2) of a baby bottle (3).

11. A baby bottle (3) provided with a lid (1) according to claim 1.

12. A lid (1) according to claim 2, wherein one or more said recesses (10a-b) extend along at least 50%, preferably at least 70%, more preferred 100%, of the circumference of the transition (11) around the base portion (9) of the spout (6).

13. A lid (1) according to claim 12, wherein the at least one recess (10a-b) has a width, measured in the direction between the spout (6) and an outer circumferential edge (17) of the lid (1), selected to have the lip portion (12a-b) of the user (13) received therein wedged and thereby removably secured between opposite elevations (14a-b, 18a-b) defining said recess (10a-b).

14. A lid (1) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one recess (10a-b) has a width, measured in the direction between the spout (6) and an outer circumferential edge (17) of the lid (1), selected to have the lip portion (12a-b) of the user (13) received therein wedged and thereby removably secured between opposite elevations (14a-b, 18a-b) defining said recess (10a-b).

15. A lid (1) according to claim 2, wherein the at least one recess (10a-b) has a width, measured in the direction between the spout (6) and an outer circumferential edge (17) of the lid (1), selected to have the lip portion (12a-b) of the user (13) received therein wedged and thereby removably secured between opposite elevations (14a-b, 18a-b) defining said recess (10a-b).

16. A lid (1) according to claim 15, wherein surfaces of the at least one recess (10a-b) are provided with a friction enhancing layer (19b).

17. A lid (1) according to claim 14, wherein surfaces of the at least one recess (10a-b) are provided with a friction enhancing layer (19b).

18. A lid (1) according to claim 13, wherein surfaces of the at least one recess (10a-b) are provided with a friction enhancing layer (19b).

19. A lid (1) according to claim 12, wherein surfaces of the at least one recess (10a-b) are provided with a friction enhancing layer (19b).

20. A lid (1) according to claim 4, wherein surfaces of the at least one recess (10a-b) are provided with a friction enhancing layer (19b).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a specific description of an embodiment of the invention cited as an example.

[0022] In the drawings:

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of a lid according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0024] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the back of the lid of FIG. 1,

[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a side of the lid of FIG. 1,

[0026] FIG. 4 is a front view of the lid of FIG. 1,

[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the lid of FIG. 1 attached to a fluid container of a drinking bottle, and

[0028] FIG. 6 is a simplified sketch of a mouth of a baby imagined to be drinking through the lid of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0029] A lid 1 according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the appended FIGS. 1-5 and will now be described while at the same time making reference to all these figures. The lid is configured to be attached to a fluid container 2 of a drinking bottle in the form of a baby bottle 3. FIG. 6 shows a mouth 4 of a baby imagined to be drinking from the baby bottle through the lid 1.

[0030] The lid 1 comprises a body 5 and a spout 6 protruding from the body and having a discharge opening 7 at a top portion 8 opposite to a base portion 9 of the spout connected to the body of the lid. The discharge opening is configured to enable a user, hereinafter baby 13, to drink the fluid contained in the fluid container 2 when the lid 1 is attached thereto.

[0031] The lid 1 further comprises a circular attachment portion 21 sealingly connected to an end 22 of the body 5 opposite to the spout 6 and provided with means configured to secure the lid to the fluid container 2 of the baby bottle 3. Said means are in this embodiment inner threads (not shown) configured to engage with outer threads around a top of the fluid container so as to secure the lid 1 thereto. The attachment portion 21 and the body 5 are preferably welded together, but may also be two separate parts assembled upon use of the bottle and disassembled upon washing thereof.

[0032] The body 5 and the spout 6 are made of an elastic material such as rubber or silicone to enable the baby to get a proper grip around the spout when drinking from the bottle 3, in the same way as of the breast of its mother. The circular attachment portion 21 is made of a rigid material, such as a hard plastic, to provide stability for the lid on the fluid container 2 of the bottle 3. It is also however possible to make the different parts out of other materials, such as to make a part of or the entire body 5 out of a hard plastic, and it is also possible that the same component comprises materials with different properties to obtain certain desired functions of the lid 1.

[0033] The body 5 of the lid 1 is provided with two recesses 10a-b extending along two respective opposing side sections of a transition 11 between the body 5 and the base portion 9 of the spout 6. Each recess 10a-b is configured to receive a lip portion 12a-b of a corner of a baby's 13 mouth 4 when the baby drinks from the baby bottle 3, so as to make a spout remote elevation 14a-b of the respective recess to bear against lip adjacent portions 15a-b of a cheek 16a-b of the baby to thereby seal the respective lip portion 12a-b received in said recess 10a-b from the outside of the mouth 4 with respect to the environment. The body 5 may have two or more, such as three, four, or even more said recesses together extending along a substantial part, such as at least 50%, at least 70% or 100% of the circumference of the transition 11 around the base portion 9 of the spout 6 or may have only one said recess 10a-b extending along a part of or the entire circumference of the transition around the base portion of the spout. In addition to the sealing of the lips said recesses also provide a comfortable grip portion for the baby's 13 lips around the spout 6 during drinking from the bottle 3.

[0034] The width of the recesses 10a-b, measured in the direction between the spout 6 and an outer circumferential edge 17 of the lid 1, is selected to have the lip portions 12a-b of the baby 13 received therein wedged and thereby removably secured between opposite elevations 14a-b, 18a-b defining the respective recess. This is achieved by the recesses being formed with one or more millimeters less in width than the average width of a baby's lips, such as between 3 and 5 millimeters halfway up in such a recess, so that the lips of the baby 13 are just slightly wedged and thereby secured in the recesses after being pushed down therein. This results in a steady and comfortable grip for the baby's mouth around the spout 6 during drinking as well as an effective sealing of the lips to the body of the lid.

[0035] The body 5 of the lid 1 further has a surface region 19a thereof surrounding the spout provided with a friction enhancing layer 19b which provides high friction between the surface of this region and the lips of the baby 13. The friction enhancing layer thereby provides a good ability for the baby to tightly encircle the spout 6 with the lips, as the surface of the layer provides a good grip for the baby's lips against this. That a friction enhancing layer provides high friction between two surfaces (here: the outer surface of the body and the lips of the baby) means that the coefficient of friction between these surfaces is higher with the friction enhancing layer arranged there between than without this. The high friction provided by the friction enhancing layer 19b may be obtained by this layer being formed by another material than for instance said connecting end 22 of the body 5, and/or by this layer having a rough surface, and/or is provided with a surface configuration such as grooves, dots or the like.

[0036] The friction enhancing layer 19b is especially suitable to use in combination with the recesses 10a-b, as it improves the function thereof by contributing to the securing of the baby's lips therein.

[0037] The body 5 of the lid 1 is additionally provided with two protrusions 20a-b, each located at the opposite side of a respective recess 10a-b with respect to the spout 6 and configured to bear against the baby's 13 cheek 16a-b when the respective lip portion 12a-b is received in the respective recess. The protrusions hereby act as supports for the cheeks and thereby counteract that the spout 6 slides away from a proper central position in the mouth 4 when the baby 13 drinks from the bottle 3. The protrusions are arranged at opposite sides of the spout 6 which furthermore make them wedge the baby's cheeks 16a-b between them when the lip portions 12a-b are received in the recesses 10a-b. The body of the lid may also be provided with more than two said protrusions 20a-b, such as three, four or even more said protrusions, or may be provided with only one said protrusion extending around the entire circumference of a said recess 10a-b extending around the entire circumference of the base portion 9 of the spout 6.

[0038] The invention is of course not in any way restricted to the embodiment thereof described above, but many possibilities to modifications thereof will be apparent to a person with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0039] A lid configured to be attached to a fluid container of a drinking bottle is in this disclosure to be interpreted as a component securable to the fluid container to close an opening thereof and provided with an opening configured to allow a user to drink fluid contained in the fluid container when the lid is attached thereto. Such a lid may be securable to the fluid container by itself or may need to be used in combination with another component configured to secure the lid to the fluid container.

[0040] The wordings baby bottle and baby as used in this disclosure are not meant to restrict the invention to use by infants, but a baby bottle provided with a lid according to the invention may be used also by small children drinking gruel, as one example, such as children of 0-5 years of age or even older.

[0041] The recesses and the protrusions may be designed completely different from these as shown in the figures. A said recess is a recess with respect to a surrounding surface, which do not have to be a main surface of the body as in the example shown. A said recess may also be a recess in the top surface of a member protruding from the body of the lid, so that the bottom of the recess is located above the top surface of the body of the lid in height, just to mention one example.