Method for making a teat unit

Abstract

A method for making teat unit including providing a support body and a securing part, the support body including a plurality of recesses, forming a teat by overmolding the teat over the support body and over the recesses of the support body so that the teat covers the recesses, and overmolding the teat over an upper edge of the securing part, thereby forming a connection between the securing part and the support body which connects the securing part to the support body. In another method, the support body and the securing part are already one single piece and the teat is overmolded at least over the support body.

Claims

1. A method for making a teat unit, the method comprising: providing a support body and a securing part, wherein the support body includes a plurality of recesses; forming a teat by overmolding the teat over the support body and over the recesses of the support body so that the teat covers the recesses; and overmolding the teat over an upper edge of the securing part thereby forming a connection between the securing part and the support body which connects the securing part to the support body.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the teat unit by a two-component injection molding method.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the support body and the securing part are formed in a first step and the teat is formed in a second step.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the support body in a form of one of the following: a dome-shaped form, a hemi-spherical shape, an oval shape.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the recesses comprise depressions or through-holes.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the support body in a shape having a closed circumferential rim above the recesses.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the teat is overmolded over the support body with a thickness which renders the teat to be non-self-supporting.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the securing part and/or the support body as stiff and/or dimensionally stable elements.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of overmolding the teat with a greater thickness in the area of the recesses than in the area of remaining parts of the support body.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of connecting the support body with the securing part by use of the teat in such a way that the support body and the securing part cannot be detached without being destroyed.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the teat is made from a material with a lower Shore A hardness than the support body and the securing part.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of forming a valve diaphragm.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the valve diaphragm is formed integrally with the teat and the support body is provided with a valve seat associated with the valve diaphragm.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising providing an insert element in the support body, the insert element being the valve seat.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the teat to have a mouthpiece which begins in an end region of the support body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings, which serve solely for the purpose of illustration and are not to be interpreted as limiting the invention. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a first embodiment of a teat unit according to the invention, with the valve closed;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the teat unit according to FIG. 1, with the valve opened;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a side view of a transparent teat and of a support body according to the first embodiment;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a side view of the support body and of a securing part according to the first illustrative embodiment;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a side view of an insert element according to the first illustrative embodiment;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the teat unit according to FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the teat unit according to FIG. 1, without teat;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a longitudinal section through a second embodiment of a teat unit according to the invention, with the valve closed;

(10) FIG. 9 shows the teat unit according to FIG. 8, with the valve opened;

(11) FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the teat unit according to FIG. 8, with a transparent teat;

(12) FIG. 11a shows a perspective view of the teat unit according to FIG. 8;

(13) FIG. 11b shows a perspective view of an insert element according to FIG. 8;

(14) FIG. 12 shows a perspective and exploded view of a third embodiment of a teat unit according to the invention, with an insert element and a transparent teat;

(15) FIG. 13 shows a longitudinal section through the teat unit according to FIG. 12, with the valve closed;

(16) FIG. 14 shows the teat unit according to FIG. 13, with the valve opened;

(17) FIG. 15 shows an enlarged view of part of the teat unit according to FIG. 14 in the area of a venting valve, and

(18) FIG. 16 shows an enlarged view of part of the teat unit according to FIG. 15.

(19) Identical parts are provided with the same reference signs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(20) FIGS. 1 to 7 show a first illustrative embodiment of a teat unit according to the invention. It has a teat 1, a support body 2 and a securing part 3.

(21) The support body 2 and the securing part 3 are rigid or stiff and/or dimensionally stable. They are preferably made of polypropylene (PP), a polyamide or another thermoplastic. The teat 1 is flexible and soft and is preferably made of silicone, a silicone-based plastic, rubber, a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or another thermoplastic.

(22) The support body 2 and the securing part 3 are two independent parts connected fixedly to each other by the teat 1. They cannot be detached from each other without being destroyed. This one-piece teat unit is preferably produced in a two-component injection moulding method, in which the support body 2 and the securing part 3 are first produced, and then the support body 2 is encapsulated in order to form the teat 1 and create the connection to the securing part 3.

(23) As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the securing part 3 has a main body 30 in the form of a preferably rotationally symmetrical threaded ring with an internal thread 31. With this internal thread 31, the teat unit can be screwed onto a threaded neck of a bottle or of a drinking cup, in particular of a baby's bottle. In the upper part directed toward the teat, the securing part 3 has an inwardly offset and upwardly extending receiving ring 32. The latter serves, on the one hand, with its lower surface as an abutment for the threaded neck of the bottle or drinking cup. With its lateral inside wall, on the other hand, it forms a contact surface for overmoulding the teat 1.

(24) The support body 2 has a substantially dome-shaped hollow main body 20. The main body 20 has recesses 22 distributed uniformly about its circumference. In this example, these are through-holes 22. These can be clearly seen in FIG. 7. The recesses 22 preferably have an oval shape, their longitudinal axis extending from the top downward along the surface line of the support body 2. In this example, the recesses 22 are all arranged at the same height and are all the same size. There are preferably four to seven recesses 22, particularly five of them. However, the recesses 22 can also be arranged at different heights and/or they can have different sizes and/or shapes.

(25) In the upper area of the dome-shaped main body 20, a central opening is present through which the milk from the drinking vessel (not shown) is sucked into the suction channel 14 of the teat 1. This central opening has a relatively large diameter. It preferably corresponds approximately to the internal diameter of the suction channel 14. The central opening is preferably surrounded by securing means. They serve to secure a non-return valve or parts thereof. In this example, locking hooks 23 are present in which a valve plate 4 is locked (see FIGS. 1 and 6).

(26) In this illustrative embodiment, the valve plate 4 is round and has a closed design, as can clearly be seen in FIGS. 1, 5 and 7. It has a plane ring with a central elevation 41 which, with its outer upper face, forms a sealing surface for a valve diaphragm 15 described below. It is preferably rigid or stiff and/or dimensionally stable and is made of polypropylene (PP), a polyamide or another thermoplastic.

(27) If the valve plate 4 has a closed design, it is locked in place at a distance from the upper wall of the support body 2, such that through-flow channels are present for the flow of milk from the interior of the support body 2 and thus from the drinking vessel to the central opening and thus to the suction channel 14. If the valve plate 4 is provided with holes, these serve as alternative or additional through-flow channels. The holes can be distributed on the plate or arranged at the periphery. It is also possible for a single hole to be present.

(28) In its lower area, the support body 2 has an external diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the receiving ring 32 of the securing part 3. The support body 2 protrudes into the receiving ring 32. The gap is filled by the teat 1, which is fixedly connected both to the receiving ring 32 and also to the lower, outer circumference of the support body 2, in particular the teat 1 is overmoulded. For this purpose, it has a connecting ring 13, as can be seen clearly in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The connecting ring 13, as can be seen clearly in FIG. 3, is provided with a through-opening 24. The latter serves as a vent opening to ensure that, during pauses in sucking, air from the outside can be introduced into the drinking vessel via the internal thread 31 of the threaded ring 30 and the central upper opening of the dome-shaped support body 2.

(29) The connecting ring 13 merges into a dome-shaped main body 11, which ends in a mouthpiece 10. The mouthpiece 10 is a hollow cylinder or has a slightly frustoconical design, and it forms the suction channel 14. The free end of the mouthpiece forms the suction opening 17, which is connected to the suction channel 14. The suction channel 14 preferably has no appreciable constrictions along its entire length and is relatively wide. Typical values for the internal diameter of the suction channel 14 are 3 to 12 mm, in particular 9.2 mm, and, for the length thereof, 10 to 30 mm, in particular 18 mm. The length is preferably such that a baby can take the mouthpiece 10 completely into its mouth.

(30) The suction opening 17 is, like the cross section of the suction channel 14, preferably at least approximately round or polygonal. Its diameter is preferably 2 to 11 mm, in particular 6.8 mm. It is preferably only insubstantially smaller than the diameter of the suction channel 14.

(31) The teat 1 extends with its main body 11 along the support body 2. Main body 11 and support body 2 together form a mouth support for the suckling baby, with the lips or mouth of the baby bearing on this mouth support.

(32) The main body 11 is preferably fixedly connected to the support body 2, preferably by being overmoulded over the support body 2. However, it can also bear loosely thereon, or it can be fixedly connected to the support body 2 only at some places.

(33) The main body 11 preferably covers the support body 2 completely. It at least covers the recesses 22, however. The main body 11 can have substantially a continuous thickness. In this example, however, it is thicker in the area of the recesses 22 than on the closed flanks of the support body 2, and these thicker zones 18 protrude into the recesses 22. This can be seen clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2. Typical thicknesses of the main body 11 in the area of the closed flanks are 0.5 to 3 mm, in particular 0.9 mm, and, in the area of the recesses 22, 0.7 to 5 mm, in particular 1.4 mm.

(34) In the transition area from the main body 11 to the mouthpiece 10, i.e. in the lowermost area of the suction channel 14, a valve diaphragm 15 is formed integrally on the inner wall of the teat 1. It has a central diaphragm opening 16 with a peripheral pointed sealing lip. This sealing lip bears on the above-described sealing surface 41 of the valve plate 4. The valve plate 4 preferably presses the diaphragm 15 slightly upward, such that the latter is pretensioned. Valve diaphragm 15 and valve plate 4 form a non-return valve. The diaphragm opening 16 forms a flow limiter for the milk or liquid.

(35) The non-return valve is closed in FIG. 1. This corresponds to the state when the teat unit is not yet in use. The valve also closes during pauses when the baby is not sucking, such that the flow of milk can be quickly interrupted and the baby does not choke. FIG. 2 shows the situation during sucking. The non-return valve is open and milk can flow into the suction channel. The soft and flexible mouthpiece is usually deformed in the baby's mouth during use. This is not shown in the figures.

(36) FIGS. 8 to 11 show a second illustrative embodiment of the teat unit according to the invention. The teat unit is basically of the same design as in the first illustrative embodiment, and therefore the parts identical to both examples are not described here again. In contrast to the first example, however, the support body 2 and the securing part 3 are here connected directly to each other. They are produced together in one piece and are composed of a single part made from the same material. Suitable materials for this purpose are once again polypropylene (PP), a polyamide or another thermoplastic. Support body 2 and securing part 3 are once again rigid or stiff and/or dimensionally stable.

(37) The fixed transition area between support body 2 and securing part 3 is formed by a circumferential and closed transition flange 21, which preferably extends perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the two parts. This transition flange 21 forms a surface which, except for a few individual through-openings 33, is preferably completely closed.

(38) Here too, the support body 2 is surrounded by the main body 11 of the teat 1. Here too, the teat 1 is preferably overmoulded. In this process it passes through the through-openings 33 and forms, on the inside of the threaded ring 30, a closed ring. The ring has a sealing action.

(39) The valve plate 4 is shown closed here again. However, in this example too, it can have through-holes.

(40) FIGS. 12 to 16 show a third illustrative embodiment. It is basically of the same design as the second illustrative embodiment. Here too, support body 2 and securing part 3 form a single part. They are connected fixedly and directly to each other and in one piece.

(41) In contrast to the above-described valve plate 4, however, an insert element 5 is present here. This insert element 5 is shown in FIG. 12. It has a dome-shaped main body 50, which is arranged spaced apart from the inside of the support body 2 (see FIGS. 13 and 14).

(42) At the upper end of the first insert element 5, there are radially protruding lugs 53 for securing against rotation, and locking ribs 54 which engage with corresponding locking means in the upper area of the support body 2 and fix the first insert element 5 in the support body 2. At the lower end of the main body 50, there is a complete circumferential flange 57, which is provided with protruding circumferential ribs 58. These ribs 58, for securing against rotation with respect to the main body 20, are designed with interruptions 580.

(43) On the upper end of the main body 50, there is a plane sealing surface 55 to provide a bearing for the valve diaphragm 15 of the flow limiter and non-return valve. This sealing surface 55 is surrounded by through-flow openings 56 for milk.

(44) In the flank of the main body 50, there is a lateral opening 52, which is preferably also oval, with its longitudinal axis preferably extending from the top downward.

(45) This insert element 5 is preferably rigid or stiff and is preferably made of polypropylene (PP), a polyamide or another thermoplastic.

(46) The lateral opening 52 is closed by a vent diaphragm 51, as is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. This diaphragm 51 is not shown in FIG. 12. The diaphragm 51 is secured on the main body 50, preferably by being overmoulded. It is preferably made of silicone, a silicone-based plastic, rubber, a soft thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or another thermoplastic. Insert element 5 and diaphragm 51 can once again be produced, for example, in a two-component injection moulding method.

(47) The soft diaphragm 51 is preferably overmoulded in such a way that the soft material extends as a circumferential ring 59 on the underside of the flange 57. The ring 59 has a sealing action.

(48) The diaphragm 51 has a central vent opening 510, which is surrounded by a pointed sealing lip. With this sealing lip, the diaphragm 51 bears on a sealing surface 26 of the support body 2. This can be seen clearly in FIG. 15. The venting takes place via the internal thread 31 of the threaded ring 30 and via an air channel L between the flange 57 and the main body 20 as far as the vent diaphragm 51. This can be seen clearly in FIGS. 15 and 16. At least one radially inwardly protruding lug 25 is formed integrally on the main body 20, in this case several such lugs 25 which engage in the interruptions 580. This design serves for securing against rotation and at the same time for venting.

(49) This insert can also be used in the first embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 7 instead of the valve plate 4. In the first example, the shape of the support body 2, particularly in the area of the thickened part 25 and of the sealing surface 26, is preferably adapted according to the third example.

(50) In this embodiment, the diaphragms of the non-return valve and of the venting valve are preferably only pretensioned when the teat unit is screwed onto a bottle.

(51) The teat unit made according to the inventive methods permits a sucking action that is as natural as possible. However, it is of simple construction and can therefore be produced inexpensively, which means that it can be disposed of after one use.