Singular cap compound vented nursing and related bottle

Abstract

A vent prevents a vacuum from forming within an inverted container of liquid when the liquid is dispensed. The vent is a double vent, formed of a vent tube, upon which a reservoir and its integral vent tube locate, the reservoir securing with the vent tube that extends through the reservoir upper surface, to achieve the double venting of the interior of the container. The container is a nursing bottle, with a collar and nipple applied to the top, and the vent tube being integrally formed extending downwardly from the collar, and securing the reservoir and its integral tube thereon, when assembled for usage. The bottle may be formed of a transparent material, tinted to one coloration, while the reservoir and its reservoir tube may be tinted to a different coloration, which when they are assembled, exhibits a third coloration for the reservoir tube when viewed from exteriorly of the tinted nursing bottle during its application.

Claims

1. A double vented container for use for holding a liquid, and for dispensing of the same, said container having a body portion, a neck portion, the neck portion having integral threads, a collar provided for the container, and having internal threads capable of engagement with the neck portion of said container, said container having a spout extending upwardly from the collar for use for dispensing of any liquid contained therein, a double vent operatively associated and assembled with the collar, said collar having an upper surface, a vent port provided therethrough, and an integral vent tube extending from the interior of the collar, and into the said container, and communicating with the vent port, said vent tube having a passage therethrough and in communication with the vent port of said collar, a separate reservoir, said reservoir having an integral reservoir tube extending downwardly therefrom, the upper surface of the reservoir is a separable cap, which may be secured onto or removed from the upper edge of the reservoir, during assembly and prepared for sealed reception of the vent tube therethrough, said separable cap having said aperture provided therethrough and provided for pressure fitting and sealing of said vent tube therethrough during assembly for usage, when the reservoir and separable cap are pressure fitted and sealed onto the vent tube, such that when the container holding a liquid is inverted, liquid may be dispensed from its spout, while atmospheric air may be double vented through the vent tube and said reservoir and reservoir tube into the interior of the container to prevent the generation of any vacuum therein during dispensing of its contained liquid.

2. The double vented container of claim 1, wherein said container comprises a nursing bottle.

3. The double vented nursing bottle of claim 2, wherein the spout is a nursing bottle nipple.

4. The double vented nursing bottle of claim 3, wherein the reservoir tube extends straight to the bottom of the nursing bottle in which it locates during assembly.

5. The double vented nursing bottle of claim 3, wherein the reservoir tube inclines towards the central interior bottom of the nursing bottle when assembled for usage.

6. A vented container for use for dispensing of a liquid, of claim 1, wherein said container having a body portion, said body portion being formed of transparent material, a collar provided for said container to provide for its closure, a vent tube integrally secured with the collar to provide for the venting of the interior of the container to atmosphere, particularly when inverted for dispensing of its contained liquid during usage, the transparent container as formed being tinted to a particular first color, the vent tube located within the container being tinted to another color, such that when the vent tube and tinted container are assembled for usage, a third coloration is generated for the vent tube and can be seen from the exterior of the container during its usage.

7. The vented container of claim 6, wherein said container is a vented nursing bottle.

8. The vented nursing bottle of claim 7, wherein said vented container is a double vented nursing bottle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In referring to the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the singular cap compound vented nursing and related bottle of this invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the nursing bottle;

(4) FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the bottle, its nipple and collar, and the reservoir and tube that assemble with the shown vent tube during usage;

(5) FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the integral lid and its threaded collar, holding the nursing bottle nipple in place, and the small vent aperture that is provided through the lid, as noted;

(6) FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the integral lid, collar, and vent tube of this invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is an inverted view of the integral lid, collar, and its vent tube;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of the bottle, lid and collar, vent tube, nipple, and the reservoir and its tube, having a closure or cap applied to the upper end of said reservoir; and

(9) FIG. 8 shows the same structure for the nursing bottle of FIG. 7, but with its reservoir tube being canted towards the proximal bottom center of the shown bottle or container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(10) In referring to the drawings, and in particular FIGS. 1 and 2, therein is shown the bottle or container 1 which in this particular instance may comprise a wide mouth nursing bottle, as noted. It has threads upon its upper neck portion, above 2, and a threaded collar with integral lid 3 securing thereon. Usually the lid has an aperture 4 provided therethrough, and it locates the nursing bottle nipple 5, in place. It can be seen there is an aperture port 6 provided through the lid, and this is provided for venting the interior of the nursing bottle, as will be subsequently described. It can also be seen that internally of the bottle is a reservoir 7 and a reservoir tube 8 which extends downwardly into proximity, at its slanted end 9, towards the bottom of the shown bottle. In addition, there is a vent tube 10 that is integrally formed with the lid 3, and has a passage throughout its length that communicates with the vent port 6, as previously described.

(11) As can be seen in FIG. 3, the reservoir 7 has an upper cap 11, and this cap may be either integrally formed or molded with the reservoir 7 and its tube 8, or it may be a separate cap that snaps into engagement upon the top of the reservoir 7, as can be understood. In any event, it is sealed into position with the reservoir, and prevents the escape of any fluid therefrom, when the cap is located in place. The cap 11 includes an aperture 12 and this aperture is of a dimension equal to or slightly lesser than the outer diameter of the vent tube 10. Since the cap 11 will be made of a more resilient type of material, whether it be rubber or a polymer, the vent tube 10 slides tightly into the cap aperture 12, as the reservoir is slid upwardly with respect to the vent tube 10, when located into position to function as a double venting structure, as noted. In other words, the vent tube 10 vents to the outside atmosphere through its port 6, and the reservoir 7, and the reservoir tube 8, allows air to pass through the same from the vent tube 10, when the nursing bottle 1 is inverted, in the manner as previously described in earlier patents relating to the subject matter of this invention. In any event, since the reservoir 7 will be slid upwardly upon the vent tube 10, the vent tube 10 extends downwardly into the reservoir 7, generally to the extent as noted at 13, in FIG. 2. Hence, when the bottle is inverted, any fluids contained within the reservoir tube 8 will flow upwardly, and be above the end 13 of the inverted vent tube 10, so as to provide a clear path for entrance of the atmosphere through the vent tube 10, through the reservoir tube 8, and to the bottom 9 of said tube, when the nursing bottle is inverted during the imbibing of its formulation by the infant.

(12) Since the diameter of the aperture 12 of the cap 11 is of a size that it tightly embraces the vent tube 10 as it locates thereon, no leakage will occur of any formula from the reservoir 7 at the location of the aperture 12, nor will any formula enter into the reservoir, at that same location.

(13) Thus, double venting can take place, when the nursing bottle or container is inverted, that allows for venting of the interior upper end of the inverted bottle, as feeding takes place. Thus, the child does not need to suck the formula to attain it.

(14) While the cap 11 and the reservoir 7 are shown as two separate components, it is just as likely that these two components could be integrally molded as one piece, when forming the reservoir in the molding process, so that aside from the nursing bottle, and its nipple 5, the only other two components to the double vented container is the collar 3 and its integral vent tube 10, in addition to the reservoir 7, its integral reservoir tube 8, and its cap 11, which may all be formed as one piece. Thus, the venting structure of this invention may be of a two part assembly, which makes it easy to assemble, or to even separate after usage, and to allow for its complete cleaning, after such usage.

(15) The overall structure of the collar 3, its upper surface or lid 14, and its integral vent tube 10, can be readily seen in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6. In addition, as can be noted in FIG. 6, the vent tube 10 has that passage 15 provided entirely therethrough, and which opens with the port 6, to allow for venting to the atmosphere externally of the collar 3, during usage of the device. In addition, the threads 15a of at least the interior of the collar 3, can be readily seen in said figure. These thread onto the shown bottle.

(16) There is another aspect of this invention which adds to the attractiveness of the container during usage, and particularly when its various components are assembled into the structure of the nursing bottle, as shown in said FIGS. 1 and 2. For example, the bottle 1 itself may be fabricated of a more transparent material, such as a molded polymer, or even formed from glass, as the usual bottle. It may be tinted to a particular coloration, in its formation. Likewise, the reservoir 7 in addition to the reservoir tube 8 may also be fabricated of a different coloration. This may be so regardless whether the reservoir tube is made transparent, or not. And, by way of example, if the bottle itself may be fabricated of one color, such as violet, and the reservoir and tube 8 are fabricated of a blue color, when the reservoir 7 and its tube 8 are located within the nursing bottle, its coloration changes to a dark purple color, which, as stated, may add to the attractiveness of the nursing bottle when it is used by the infant to see how color changes can occur, when the components are separate, but when combined together, form an entirely third coloration. There are many other colors that can be combined, as those in the art world know, such that when the color yellow is mixed with red, the color spectrum changes to orange, in their combination. Thus, this type of fabrication of the various components of this nursing bottle, and their selected individual colors, can be preplanned to provide for a visual display of a third color, which may be to the amazement and interest of the child, when they see this occur, and while utilizing the nursing bottle for feeding purposes. It is just as likely that this combination of coloration could be used in a sports bottle, and attain the same visual interest, for the user.

(17) FIG. 7 shows the transverse sectional view of the container or nursing bottle, and its various assembled components when prepared for usage. FIG. 8 shows a similar view, of the assembled components, but shows how the reservoir tube 16 may be canted, towards the central interior bottom of the bottle 1, to assure that adequate venting is provided into the bottom of the bottle, particularly as it is inverted to any angle during usage.

(18) Variations or modifications of the subject matter of this invention may occur to those skilled in the art upon review of the development as described herein. Such variations, if within the spirit of this invention, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of any claims to patent protection obtained upon this invention. The definition of the invention as provided in this application, their depiction in the drawings, and their description in the details of the preferred embodiment, are principally set forth for illustrative purposes only.