COLLAR FOR BABY BOTTLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to drinking containers, in general and, in particular, to a collar for baby bottles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Specialized baby bottles are manufactured with features that are designed to attempt to reduce colic symptoms in infants from zero months to approximately four months. Typically, a vent insert used in conjunction with the bottle provides a passage for air from the exterior of a bottle to the interior of the bottle. In order to ensure that the interior regions remain clean, various bottles were developed, such as that shown in US Patent application publication no. 2009/0071926. This application describes a drinking apparatus including a vent system that removably connects to a bottle or a drinking container. The vent system includes a disc portion and a base portion. The base portion includes a valve. The vent system provides passage for air from the exterior of the container to the interior of the container. The valve allows the air to enter the container, but it does not allow liquid to exit the container via the vent system. An optional anti-bubble tube may be used with the vent system. The anti-bubble tube provides for air entering the inverted container to reach an air pocket formed in the bottom portion of the container which, during the use of the container, is raised above a nipple or a spout of the container.

Figures la and lb are schematic illustrations of a baby bottle 10 with a vent insert system 12 seated therein and a vent insert system 12 for the bottle, respectively, according to the prior art. As can be seen in Figure lb, vent insert system 12 includes a base portion 14 and a disc portion 16. When present, the anti-bubble tube is firmly attached to an indented region 17 permitting the anti-bubble tube to circumscribe and attach to the base portion, generally enclosing the valve except for an anti-bubble tube opening. Base portion 14 defines a protruding edge 18 around its l circumference, which firmly engages the inner walls of the neck 19 of the bottle in which it is inserted. Thus, when the collar (and nipple) is removed from the conventional bottle, as shown in Figure la, the entire vent mechanism 12 remains seated in bottle 10, which can make it difficult to clean and refill the bottle.

One problem with this type of bottle is the time required to refill and close the bottle. First, the collar and nipple are removed from the bottle neck, then the vent insert system must be disassembled from the bottle and placed somewhere to be cleaned. After refilling the bottle, the user must place the vent insert system back first and, only after that, can he screw the collar with the nipple back on.

Accordingly, there is a long felt need for a method for forming a collar for a baby bottle permitting easy and rapid disassembly for cleaning purposes, refilling and reassembling, and it would be desirable to have a baby bottle having a vent insert system removable together with the nipple.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is provided according to the present invention a collar for a baby bottle having a vent insert system including a base portion, a nipple seated on the insert, the collar holding the insert system and the nipple on the baby bottle, the collar having a top opening for receiving the nipple and a bottom opening for receiving a neck of the baby bottle, the collar including internal screw threads for engaging complementary external screw threads on the neck of the bottle, characterized by a stop element defined on an inside surface of the collar cooperating with the vent insert system to releasably retain the vent insert system in the collar, particularly when the collar is removed from the bottle.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the stop element is formed in proximity to the top opening.

According to alternative embodiments of the invention, the stop element is formed in proximity to the bottom opening.

According to further embodiments of the invention, the internal screw threads are disposed on the collar in two facing sections around a portion of the inside surface of the collar; the stop element includes two stop members, one disposed in each of the two facing sections; and the collar further includes release points defined on facing sections of the collar, disposed substantially perpendicular to the stop members, for releasing the vent insert system from the collar.

There is also provided, according to the invention, a method for making a collar for a baby bottle having a vent insert system, the method including forming a collar for a baby bottle; and forming a stop element on an inside surface of the collar for cooperating with the vent insert system and releasably retaining the vent insert system in the collar. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be further understood and appreciated from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Figures la and lb are schematic illustrations of a baby bottle and a vent insert system for the bottle, respectively, according to the prior art;

Figure 2 is a sectional illustration of a baby bottle constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a detail illustration of portion A on Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional illustration of a baby bottle constructed and operative in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a detail illustration of portion A on Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an exploded view of a baby bottle with a collar according to one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 7 is a detail view of the collar of Figure 6;

Figure 8a is a top perspective view of a bottle having a collar according to the invention, in use; and

Figure 8b is a schematic view of the collar and vent system of Figure 8a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a baby bottle having a vent insert system and, in particular, to a collar for the baby bottle arranged to hold the vent insert system therein when the collar is disengaged from the baby bottle, instead of in the neck of the bottle, where it usually sits. This is accomplished by providing a collar including a stop element which serves to retain the vent insert system within the collar when the collar is removed from the bottle. In this way, it is easy to disassemble the bottle for cleaning, and to refill and reassemble the bottle, while the vent insert system is securely retained in the collar, even when the bottle is open. Preferably, the stop element is integrally formed or molded with the collar.

There are shown in Figures 2 and 3, sectional illustrations of a baby bottle 20 constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Baby bottle 20 has a neck portion 21 with external screw threads 22. Bottle 20 includes a vent insert system formed of a base portion 24 with a valve 26, and a disk portion 28. A nipple or teat 30 is disposed with its base 32 on the disk portion 28 of the vent insert system, on top of the neck portion 21. A cap 33 covers and protects the nipple 30.

A collar 34, having a top opening 36 in its top wall 37 for receiving the nipple 30, covers the nipple base 32. Collar 34 has internal screw threads 38 complementary to screw threads 22 on neck portion 21. Collar 34 also has a bottom opening 39 for receiving the neck portion 21 of the bottle.

In this embodiment, a stop element 42 is formed extending from an inside surface of collar 34 above screw threads 38, in proximity to top surface 37. Stop element 42 is designed to releasably retain the vent insert system in collar 34. Here, at least a portion of the vent insert system, here shown as disk portion 28, remains above the screw threads, inside the top portion of collar 34. In this way, while the collar 34 is screwed onto bottle 20, the vent insert system is pushed by the neck portion 21 of the bottle past stop element 42 and towards top wall 37. Alternatively, the vent insert system can be manually pushed against nipple base 32 into collar 34 until disk portion 28 squeezes past stop element 42 and is retained within collar 34 by stop element 42. Stop element 42 serves to prevent the vent insert system from falling out of the collar, even when the collar is unscrewed and removed from a baby bottle. Removal of the vent system from the collar can be accomplished by pressing the nipple back into the collar 34 through top opening 36, which forces the vent insert system out past stop element 42, through bottom opening 39 and out of the collar.

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional illustrations of a baby bottle 50 constructed and operative in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Baby bottle 50 has a neck portion 51 with external screw threads 52. Bottle 50 includes a vent insert system formed of a base portion 54 with a valve 56, and a disk portion 58. A nipple or teat 60 is disposed with its base 62 on disk portion 58 of the vent system, on top of the neck portion 51. A cap 63 covers and protects the nipple 60.

A collar 64, having a top opening 66 in its top wall 65 for receiving the nipple

60, covers the nipple base 62. Collar 64 has internal screw threads 68 complementary to screw threads 52 on neck portion 51. Collar 64 also defines a bottom opening 70 for receiving the neck portion 51 of the bottle.

In this embodiment, a stop element 72 is formed on the lower portion of the collar 64 below screw threads 68, in proximity to bottom opening 70. In this embodiment, the stop element is defined on an inside surface of the collar. As can be seen in Figure 5, the vent insert system is retained inside collar 64 by stop element 72. In this way, while the collar 64 is screwed onto bottle 50, the vent insert system is pushed by the neck portion 51 of the bottle until the vent insert system squeezes past stop element 72 and screw threads 68 on collar 64 and the vent insert system seats within collar 64. Alternatively, the vent system in this embodiment can also be inserted manually into collar 64.

As in the embodiment of Figure 3, stop element 72 serves to hold the vent insert system in the collar, even when the collar is removed from the bottle. In this embodiment, release of the vent system from collar 64 is accomplished, after the collar and vent insert system have been removed from the bottle, by pressing release points on the sides of the collar (such as those described below with relation to Figure 7), which causes stop element 72 to open and release the vent insert system, which can then be pulled out past screw threads 68 and stop element 72 and out of the collar.

Figures 6 and 7 are exploded views of a baby bottle 80 with a collar 90, substantially similar to collar 64 of Figure 5, according to another embodiment of the invention. As can be seen, bottle 80 has a neck portion 82 with external screw threads 84. A vent system is provided, consisting of a base portion 86, typically formed of silicone, with a valve 88 and an optional anti-bubble tube 89. A disk portion 92, typically of rigid plastic, seats on base portion 86, and a nipple or teat 94 seats on the disk portion. Collar 90 is designed to enclose the nipple 94, which protrudes through a top opening 97 in the top portion of the collar, the disk portion 92 and the base portion 86. Collar 90 also includes a bottom opening 98 for receiving the neck of a bottle 80, and is designed to engage the screw threads 84 on the neck of bottle 80. A cap 96 may be provided to cover and protect the nipple.

As seen in Figure 7, the inside surface of collar 90 defines a plurality of screw threads 98. In this embodiment, screw threads 98 extend only around a portion of the collar. Preferably, the portion having screw threads consists of two separate facing sections on opposite sides of the collar.

Collar 90 further includes a stop element 102, which also extends around the same portion of the collar as screw threads 98, disposed closer to the bottle than screw threads 98. Preferably, stop element 102 is divided to two stop members, one aligned with each portion of the screw threads on the facing sections. Stop element 102 extends inwardly further than the screw threads and is designed to hold at least the base of the nipple 94 and the disk portion 92 of the vent insert system, so as to prevent the vent insert system from easily falling out of collar 90. It will be appreciated that stop element 102 preferably extends somewhat further from the 2011/000123 inside surface of the collar than the screw threads 98. Pressing or squeezing opposing release points 104 distorts the collar, causing stop element 102 to release the vent insert system, and permits the insert system to be removed from the collar. It will be appreciated that the tolerances in manufacturing bottles provide sufficient freedom between the screw threads on the neck portion and the complementary screw threads on the neck to permit the stop element also to rotate about the screw threads on the neck of the bottle when the collar is being screwed and unscrewed.

According to some embodiments, the collar is formed of a semi-flexible material. Release points are defined on facing sections of the collar, disposed substantially perpendicular to the facing sections of the stop element. The release points are squeezed to cause the stop elements to be distanced from the vent insert system, permitting the vent insert system to pass between the stop elements and out of the bottom opening of the collar.

Figure 8a is a top perspective view of the bottle of Figure 6, in use, and Figure 8b is a schematic view of the bottle of Figure 8a. Here, the vent insert system can be seen seated in the collar, retained therein by the stop element, and remaining there when the collar is removed from the bottle. This permits the bottle 80 to be rinsed and closed or refilled without requiring the user to remove the vent insert system from the neck of the bottle and return it before closing the bottle.

While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made. It will further be appreciated that the invention is not limited to what has been described hereinabove merely by way of example. Rather, the invention is limited solely by the claims which follow.