Summary of the Invention

A nipple in accordance with the present invention is designed to allow an infant or a baby to control the suction of milk or liquid from a nipple in a similar way as the suction of milk from his/her mother’s breast. This is due to the fact that milk from a breast will flow only under suction force from an infant or a baby. The flow will stop as soon as the suction force is no longer exerted by the infant. Therefore, it is less possible that the infant will choke.

Description of Related Art

The present invention relates to a nipple for an infant or a baby.

Background of the Related Arts

A nipple is a basic facilitating part of a milk bottle system essential for an infant or a baby to suck milk or liquid. Generally, a nipple hole is defined in accordance with the flow amount per minute of milk. It can be represented by the small or S-size for the age range of the newborn to the 3-month old babies, the intermediate or M-size for the 4-6 month old babies, and the large or L-size for the 7-month old babies or older. Instead of this, the number of nipple holes can be increased to match the flow rate. For example, one hole is equivalent to the S-size, two holes are equivalent to the M-size, three holes are equivalent to the L-size, and four holes are equivalent to the XL-size. In this regard, nipples with circular holes have been developed and invented for the sake of convenience or responsiveness to the actual usage. However, the studies and testing of the actual usage have revealed some problems or drawbacks, i.e., circular holes do not deform when an infant sucks milk or liquid through those holes. Milk or liquid is allowed to flow uninterruptedly and it is highly possible that the infant will choke. Therefore, the new design for the nipple to stop the flow of milk or liquid when suction force from an infant is no longer present is necessary.

Therefore, the inventor has invented the improved nipple suction hole capable of controlling the flow of milk or liquid by the design that allows the passageway to open while being sucked by an infant and close when the infant stops sucking with the suction force from the infant in the similar way as sucking milk from its mother’s breast.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The inventor has improved the hole for the milk or liquid flowing from the nipple tip while being sucked by an infant to match the sucking action of an infant or a baby. To eliminate the problems mentioned in the “Background of the Related Arts,” the inventor has invented the top end of the nipple to be in a linear or curved shape as seen from the top view. This is the result of cutting the nipple tip to form slits serving as the valves. Those slits will close automatically when an infant or a baby stops sucking. The infant is able to continue sucking milk or liquid constantly for a long period of time with less possibility of choking. There are four to ten passageways for the milk or liquid to flow through. An important feature of the passageways nipple is the ability to open while the nipple is sucked by an infant and close automatically when the infant stops sucking.

Descriptive drawings exemplify the suction-actuated nipple with four milk or liquid passageways to illustrate different views as follow:

Fig. 1 shows the top view of the nipple for an infant or a baby with four to ten passageways to allow milk or liquid to flow from the nipple tip (5) in accordance with the present invention in the top view illustrating the flowing passageway of the nipple.

Fig. 2 shows the side view of the nipple for an infant or a baby with four to ten passageways to allow milk or liquid to flow for an infant or a baby in accordance with the present invention. The drawing shows the structure of the nipple connecting the nipple base (1), the side of the nipple body (2), and the side of the nipple top (3), which are the positions that allow milk or liquid to flow at the nipple top (4) with four or more passageways. This structure provides the feeling similar to sucking milk from a mother’s breast.

Fig. 3 shows the bottom view from inside the nipple with four to ten passageways that allow milk or liquid to flow through for an infant or a baby in accordance with the present invention. The drawing shows the shape of the passageways of milk or liquid through the nipple including four or more passageways (6) for milk or liquid to flow through, the passageways being linear or curved and acting to regulate the continuous flow of milk or liquid in accordance with the suction force from an infant or a baby.

Fig. 4 shows the side view of the nipple with four to ten passageways that allow milk or liquid to flow through for an infant or a baby in accordance with the present invention. The drawing shows the shape of the passageways of milk or liquid including the linear or curved shapes at the top end (5) of the nipple tip and the lower side (6) of the nipple acting to regulate the continuous flow of milk or liquid in accordance with the suction force from an infant or a baby.

Fig. 5 shows the perspective top view of the nipple with four to ten passageways that allow milk or liquid to flow through for an infant or a baby in accordance with the present invention. The drawing shows the shape of the passageways of milk or liquid through the nipple including (5) the linear or curved shapes acting to regulate the continuous flow of milk or liquid in accordance with the suction force from an infant or a baby.

Fig. 6 shows the perspective cross section view of the nipple with four to ten passageways in a linear or curved shape for an infant or a baby in accordance with the present invention. The drawing shows the shape of the passageways of milk or liquid through the nipple in the direction from the lower side (6) of the nipple to the top end (5) of the nipple tip acting to regulate the continuous flow of milk or liquid in accordance with the suction force from an infant or a baby.

Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 shows the top view of the nipple with four to ten passageways to allow milk or liquid to flow through the nipple tip (5) for an infant or a baby in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows the side view of the nipple with four to ten passageways for an infant or a baby in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows the bottom view from inside the nipple with four to ten passageways for an infant or a baby in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 4 shows the side view of the nipple with four to ten passageways for an infant or a baby in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 5 shows the perspective top view of the nipple with four to ten passageways for an infant or a baby in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 6 shows the perspective cross section view of the nipple with four to ten passageways for an infant or a baby in accordance with the present invention. Best Mode of the Invention

It is as described above in the detailed description of the invention.