THIS INVENTION relates to a feeding device. The invention extends to a feeding kit, to a blank for a container and to a method of packaging a nutrient.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a feeding device which includes a container containing a pre-packed nutrient; and a teat for administering the nutrient.

By"pre-packed nutrient"is to be understood a nutrient packed in the container on production of the container and hermetically sealed in the container.

The container may be of a synthetic plastics material.

Instead, the container may be of a cellulosic material, such as carton board. The container may then include a layer of barrier material, such as, for example, aluminium, defined on an operatively inner surface of the cellulosic material. The teat is typically of a resiliently deformable material, such as, for example, silicone or a synthetic plastics material.

The teat may be provided on the container to be, or be capable of being rendered to be, in flow communication with the container.

The teat may be integral with the container. The teat may be welded to the container. More particularly, the teat may be welded to the container via a collar defined around a periphery of an opening in a wall of the container.

In another embodiment of the invention, the teat may be coupled to the container via a collar. The collar may be defined around a periphery of an opening in a wall of the container. The teat may be retained on or in the collar by means of a retainer. The retainer may be press-fittingly receivable on or in the collar so as to engage at least part of a side wall of the teat between the collar and the retainer.

A rupturable seal element may extend across the opening in the wall of the container. The collar may then include outer and inner concentric tubular collar elements, the inner collar element being longitudinally displaceable within the outer collar element and defining rupture means at its end disposed towards the container for, in use, upon the inner collar element being displaced towards the container, piercing the seal element across the opening in the wall of the container thereby to rupture the seal element. The outer collar element may include an outwardly extending flange at its one end, by which the outer collar element is connected to the container. The teat may be retained on the collar by a retainer press-fittingly receivable in the inner collar element, a side wall of the teat being engaged between the retainer and

the inner collar element. The inner collar element may be retained within the outer collar element by a stop protruding inwardly of a side wall of the outer collar element.

The teat may be depressed. The teat may be at least partly reversibly invaginated. The device may include a removable seal sealing a depression (or invagination) formed by the depressed teat and thereby an operatively outer surface of the depressed/invaginated teat. The seal may be hermetic. The seal may include a cap removably received on the collar. Instead, or in addition, the seal may include a press-out of a synthetic plastics material disconnectably connected to the collar by a frangible line of weakness. The teat may be manipulatable between an inwardly invaginated/depressed position and an outwardly protruding feeding position.

Instead, the container may define an opening configured to accommodate the teat. A removable hermetic seal may be provided over the opening of the container. The container may include a collar defined around a periphery of the opening for retaining the teat on the container.

The container and the teat may be integrally packaged. The container and teat may be hermetically packaged.

The nutrient may be a milk product. It will be appreciated that the nutrient may include other foodstuffs which are in a form suitable for administration by means of a teat. The nutrient may be treated so as to be rendered of long life.

The container may be in the form of a sachet. The sachet may have a rigid base. Instead, where the container is of cellulosic material, the container may be in the form of a carton. The container may have a capacity of between about 1 50ml and about 250moi. It will be appreciated that the size of the teat can be varied in accordance with an age or mouth size of a subject to whom the nutrient is to be administered.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a feeding kit which includes a plurality of containers containing pre-packed nutrient, each container defining an opening configured to accommodate a teat; and at least one teat.

The at least one teat may be hermetically packaged. A removable hermetic seal may be provided over the opening of each container. The seal may include a press-out of a synthetic plastics material provided in the opening and disconnectably connected to the container by a frangible line of weakness. The feeding kit may include a plurality of teats. The teats may correspond in number to a number of containers, each container being integrally packaged with a teat.

Each container and its associated teat may be hermetically packaged.

According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blank for a container which blank includes a body portion and a teat, the teat and the body portion being integral. The teat may be welded to the body portion. The body portion may be of a synthetic

plastics material. The teat is typically of a resiliently deformable material, for example silicone or a synthetic plastics material.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blank for a container, which blank includes a base panel having angularly spaced edges; side panels having opposed operatively upper and lower ends and opposed sides extending between the ends, the side panels being connected at their operatively lower ends to the edges of the base panel ; and lid panels, each connected at one end thereof to an operatively upper end of a side panel, a cut-out being defined in each lid panel configured to be locatable in register with the cut-outs of each other lid panel, on assembly of a container from the blank, to define an opening in a lid of the container which is configured to accommodate a teat, and a rupturable seal element extending across the cut-out of at least one lid panel.

The blank may be of a cellulosic material, eg. carton board.

A layer of barrier material, eg. aluminium, may be defined on an operatively inner surface of the cellulosic material.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of packaging a nutrient, which method includes charging a container with the nutrient via a charging opening; mounting a teat on the container such that the teat is, or is capable of being rendered to be, in flow communication with the container; and

hermetically sealing the teat.

The method may include depressing the teat such that it is disposed at least partly within the container. Depressing the teat may include at least partly reversibly invaginating the teat (i. e. turning the teat inside out).

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a side view of a feeding device in accordance with the invention in a feeding or operative condition; Figure 2 shows a side view of the feeding device of Figure 1 in a storing condition; Figure 3 shows a top plan view of a blank for a container in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 shows a side view of another feeding device in accordance with the invention in a feeding or operative condition; Figure 5 shows a part sectional side view of the feeding device of Figure 4 in a storing condition; Figure 6 shows a perspective view of still another feeding device in accordance with the invention in a feeding or operative condition; Figure 7 shows a sectional side view of a teat arrangement forming part of one embodiment of the feeding device of the invention; and Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a partly-assembled blank for a container in accordance with the invention.

In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, reference numeral 10 refers generally to a feeding device in accordance with the invention.

The feeding device 10 includes a container 12, containing a pre-packed nutrient 14, and a teat 16. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the feeding device 10 is intended for use in feeding a baby, the nutrient 14 being a milk product. It will be appreciated that the nutrient 14 may include other foodstuffs which are in a form suitable for administration by means of a teat 16. The nutrient 14 will typically be pre-treated to be rendered longlife.

The container 12 is in the form of a sachet 18 of a synthetic plastics material. The plastics material may have barrier properties. Typically, the container 12 is of suitable material to allow for longevity of its nutrient contents 14. The sachet 18 may be generally rectangular in side view, having rounded operatively upper corners.

Naturally, however, the sachet 18 may be of any suitable form.

Accordingly, in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, in which reference numeral 60 refers generally to another feeding device in accordance with the invention and, unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numerals as used in respect of Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings indicate similar parts, the sachet 18 has chamfered operatively upper corners and a rounded operatively lower end. In one embodiment of the invention, the sachet 18 includes a rigid base portion (not shown) for facilitating standing of the sachet 18 on a support surface.

A circular opening 20 is defined in a wall 22 of the sachet 18. The opening typically has a diameter of about 20mm. A circular collar 24 defines the circumference of the opening 20. The collar 24

may be formed as a region of increased thickness of the sachet wall 22.

Instead, the collar 24 may be welded to the sachet wall 22. The collar typically has a wall thickness of about 2mm. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, the collar 24 has two triangular prismatic wing-like projections 25 which protrude laterally outwardly from diametrically opposed positions on an outer periphery of the collar 24 and facilitate connecting/welding of the collar 24 to the sachet wall 22.

The teat 16 is formed of a resiliently deformable material, such as, for example, silicone or a synthetic plastics material. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the teat 16 is generally bell-shaped. A base 26 of the teat 16 is welded to the collar 24 (Figures 1 and 2), or is coupled to the collar 24 (Figures 4 and 5) by means of a retaining ring 65, having a circular side wall and an annular flange extending radially outwardly from an operatively lower end of the circular side wall. The retaining ring 65 is press-fittingly receivable in an inwardly disposed end of the collar 24 such that the flange abuts said end of the collar, and at least part of a side wall of the teat 16 is engaged between the collar 24 and the retaining ring 65, thereby to retain the teat 16 on the container 12.

As can best be seen from Figure 2 of the drawings, in one embodiment of the invention the teat 16 is invaginated, that is, is turned inside out so as to form a depression in a region of the opening 20, and is thereby made to protrude into the sachet 18 and, accordingly, to be disposed within the sachet 18. In another embodiment of the invention (Figure 5), the teat 16 is depressed, while not turned back upon itself,

so as to be accommodated within an inner periphery of the collar 24.

A seal 28, typically of foil, is heat sealed to an outer surface of the container 12 so as to extend over the invagination/depression formed by the inverted or depressed teat 16 (Figure 2). Preferably, the seal is hermetic so as to maintain the sterility of a pre-sterilised teat 16.

Instead, a press-out plastic sealing disc 58 connected to the collar 24 by a frangible line of weakness 61, which permits pressing out of the disc 58, may be located in the opening 20 (Figure 5). The container includes a plastic closure cap 30, configured to be receivable over and frictionally engageable with an outer periphery of the collar 24 (Figure 2), or press-fittingly receivable within an inner periphery of the collar 24 (Figures 4 and 5). The closure cap 30 may serve, in use, to protect the seal 28 from rupture or the disc 58 from being accidentally pressed-out, for example, during packaging or transportation of the device 10. The closure cap 30 is receivable on the collar 24 once the seal 28 or disc 58 has been removed to prevent leakage of nutrient via an aperture of the teat 16 from the container 12. The closure cap 30 may be tamper-proof.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, the closure cap 30 has a nipple 62 defined centrally on an operatively inner surface thereof for, in use, sealing the aperture/feeding opening of the teat 16.

To prepare the feeding device for use, the closure cap 30 and foil seal 28 (or disc 58) are removed from the device 10. The teat 16 is then manipulated from its inwardly invaginated or downwardly depressed position to an outwardly protruding feeding position (Figure 1; Figure 4) in which it is receivable in the mouth of an infant, a person unable to feed themself, or the like, to administer the nutrient.

Reference is now made to Figure 3 of the drawings, in which reference numeral 40 refers generally to a blank for a container and, unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numerals used above are used to designate similar parts.

The blank 40 includes a sheetlike body portion 42, of a synthetic plastics material, and a teat 16. The teat 16 is welded to the body portion 42 such that a periphery of the base of the teat 16 extends around the circumference of a circular opening 20 defined centrally in the body portion 42. It will be appreciated that the opening 20 may be defined at any location on the body portion 42. The teat is welded to a collar 24 defining the circumference of the opening 20. A transversely extending fold line 44 is defined centrally in the body portion 42, the body portion 42 being foldable along the fold line 44 to yield two adjacent plies 46 of sheetlike plastics material adjoined along the fold line 44. Transversely spaced longitudinally extending sides 48 of adjacent plies 46 are welded together to yield a container having an integral teat 16 at an operatively upper end 50 thereof (Figure 2) and a charging opening defined at an end 54 longitudinally spaced from the end 50. It will be appreciated that the container 10 may instead be formed by welding together, along edges thereof, two neighboring sheets of plastics material. A plastic collar 24 may be incorporated into an operatively upper end of said container by welding thereof to each of the two sheets. At least part of an edge of the container so-formed may be left unwelded so as to define a charging opening.

During packaging of a nutrient, the container so-formed is charged with nutrient via the charging opening 52 and the opening 52

is thereafter sealed. The teat 16 is invaginated or depressed and a foil seal 28 is heat-sealed to the outer surface of the container thereby to maintain the sterility of the teat 16. Instead, a sealing disc, connected to the collar 24 by a frangible line of weakness, may maintain the teat 16 in an invaginated or depressed orientation and seal an operatively outer surface of the teat 16 from contamination.

In another embodiment of the invention, the teat 16 is removably receivable in flow communication with the opening 20, the teat 16 being retainable on the container by means of the collar 24.

Reference is now made to Figure 6 of the drawings, in which reference numeral 70 refers generally to still another embodiment of the feeding device of the invention and, unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numerals used above are used to designate similar parts. The sachet 18 has rounded operatively upper and lower corners.

A teat 16 is coupled to a side wall 72 of the sachet 18 by means of a collar 74 having an externally screw-threaded circular cylindrical neck portion 78 and an annular flange 76 which extends radially outwardly from one end of the neck portion 78 and by which the collar 74 is welded to the side wall 72 of the sachet 18. The teat 16 is partially invaginated to be disposed at least partly within the circumference of the neck portion 78. A closure cap 80 is screw-threadedly received on the collar 74 thereby to seal the teat 16. When it is desired to render the feeding device 70 operative, the closure cap 80 is twisted off. That portion of the sachet side wall 72 disposed within the collar 74 below the teat 16 is simultaneously ruptured thereby to connect the teat 16 in flow communication with an interior of the sachet 18, i. e. with the

nutrient contents 14 of the sachet, as described in more detail below.

The collar 74 with its integral teat 16 is typically post-applied to an outer surface 75 of the sachet 18 once the sachet 18 has been filled with nutrient 14.

In Figure 7 of the drawings, reference numeral 90 refers generally to a teat fitment configured to rupture at least part of a sealed container of a feeding device of the invention, thereby to render a teat 16 of the teat fitment 90 in flow communication with contents of the container.

The teat fitment 90 includes a collar 92 comprising concentric tubular outer and inner collar elements 94,96, respectively.

The outer collar element 94 has a circular cylindrical neck portion 98 and an annular flange 100 which extends radially outwardly from one end of the neck portion 98 and by which the outer collar element 94 can be coupled to a side wall of a container (indicated by dotted line 116) of a feeding device in accordance with the invention. The inner collar element 96 is circular cylindrical and is received within the outer collar element 94 to be longitudinally displaceable therein. The teat 16 is retained on the collar 92 by a retaining ring 102 with is press-fittingly receivable against a shoulder 108 in an inwardly/container-wards disposed end 104 of the inner collar element 96 thereby to hold a side wall of the teat 16 against said shoulder 108 of the inner collar element 96. An inner side wall 106 of the inner collar element 96 is of step-wise reduced diameter to form the shoulder 108, the retaining ring 102 abutting the shoulder 108 when received in the inner collar element 96.

The inner collar element 96 defines rupture means in the form of spiked projections 110 defined at the end 104 of the inner collar element 96. The spiked projections 110 serve, in use, when the inner collar element 96 is displaced towards a container 118 on which the teat fitment 90 is mounted via the flange 100, to pierce a seal element (indicated by the dotted line 112) extending across an opening 114 defined in a wall 116 of the container 118, thereby to rupture the seal element 114. An annular stop 120 extends radially inwardly from an end 123 of the outer collar element 98 spaced from the flange 100 and serves to retain the inner collar element 96 within the outer collar element 98. The teat 16 is partly reversibly invaginated and a cap 122 is received on the end 123 of the outer collar element 98 to seal an operatively outer surface of the invaginated teat 16. The cap 122 includes protrusions 124 which depend downwardly from an operatively inner surface 126 of a circular top 128 of the cap 122. The protrusions 124 are configured, when the cap 122 is depressed by a user, to abut an end of the inner collar element 96 spaced from the container 118 and depress the inner collar element 96 in turn such that the spiked projections 110 pierce the seal element 112 and thereby connect the teat 16 in flow communication with the container 118. A support ring 130 is typically disposed around a periphery of the opening 114 on an interior surface of the side wall 116 of the container 118 to provide rigidity and support to the collar 92.

The teat fitment 90 is suitable for application to the sachet 18 of Figure 6, the neck portion 98 and flange 100 of the outer collar element 94 then providing the neck portion 78 and flange 76, respectively. The teat fitment 90 may also be applied to a carton box

container, as described below with reference to Figure 8, to yield yet another feeding device in accordance with the invention.

Reference is now made to Figure 8 of the drawings in which reference numeral 140 refers generally to a partly assembled blank for a container forming part of still another feeding device in accordance with the invention. The blank 140 is of a cellulosic material 141, such as carton board. A layer 142 of aluminium barrier material is deposited on an operatively inner surface 144 of the cellulosic material 141. The container assembled from the blank 140 is an orthogonal or box-shaped container which includes two pairs of opposed lid flaps 160, 162, each connected at one end thereof to an operatively upper end 154 of a side panel 152 of the container. A circular cut-out 164 is defined in each flap 162, the cut-outs 164 being positioned to be locatable in register with one another on folding of the flaps 162 into a closed, or inwardly disposed, position. A concave, curved cut-out 166 is defined in a free edge 168 of each flap 160. The cut-outs 166 are configured to be located in register with the cut-outs 164 of the flaps 162 so that, when all four flaps 160,162 are folded to a closed position, an opening is defined in a lid of the container assembled from the blank, which opening is configured to accommodate a teat. A rupturable seal element 170 is provided across the cut-out 164 of one of the lid panels 162.

It will be appreciated that when a teat fitment 90 is applied to a container assembled from the blank 140 and containing pre-packed nutrient, the teat 16 may be rendered to be in flow communication with the container by a rupturing of the seal element 170 by the projections 110 of the collar 92.

The Inventors are aware that the danger of the transmission of, especially, the HIV virus to babies via breast milk has led to an increased need for bottle feeding of babies. Problems associated with bottle feeding include the lack of availability of clear running water, required for the preparation of"milk"from powdered formula, and the difficulty of maintaining the sterility of teats and bottles for milk administration. The Inventors believe that the feeding device 10,60, 70 in accordance with the invention will provide a sterile and cost-effective means of administering nutrient, e. g. milk, to a baby. They furthermore believe that it will provide a pre-mixed nutrient formulation in a disposable container. The Inventors believe that the feeding device 10, 60,70 will facilitate feeding of a baby at inconvenient hours given its ready-to-use and user-friendly nature and will facilitate heating of a nutrient, for feeding to a baby, in a microwave/pot of boiling water. The Inventors believe that a plurality of feeding devices 10,60, 70 in accordance with the invention might be packaged together as a month's supply and distributed via clinics or the like to nursing mothers. The Inventors believe that the feeding device 10,60, 70 will further be convenient for use whilst traveling or staying away from home with an infant and will provide a novel means of pre-packing a nutrient.