HK1164686B - Infant feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An infant feeding apparatus includes a food container (7) having an open end (71) and a closed end (72). A plurality of apertures (8) are formed on the container (7). A first coupling member (5) has an opening (51) which can be connected with the open end (71) of the container (7). A second coupling member (3) engages with the first coupling member (5) and can be movable between an open configuration allowing food to pass through the opening (51) and into the container (7), and a sealed configuration where the second coupling member (3) covers and seals the open end (71) of the container (7). The container (7) is made of a soft resilient material, and the apertures (8) and the container (7) are sized and shaped so that normally the container (7) can stay in its original shape and the food can stay inside the container (7). The container (7) collapses by external force during feeding, and returns to its original shape upon release of the force.

Description

Infant feeder

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from chinese patent application No. 200920135477.5, application No. 200920306690.8, application No. 7/22/2009, and application No. 200920314008.X, application No. 11/4/2009, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a feeder.

Background

In feeding infants, feeding bottles are commonly used to contain liquid-like food such as milk and beverages. However, when feeding small pieces of fruit, such as pears, apples, vegetables, etc., to infants, there is no suitable feeder. It is therefore desirable to provide an infant feeder that can be used to feed food items like fruit, jelly, yogurt, fish, meat, etc. to an infant.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a feeder, comprising:

a food container comprising an open end, a closed end, and at least one through hole;

a first connector including an opening in communication with an open end of the food container, the food container being connected to the first connector; and the number of the first and second groups,

a second coupling member coupled to the first coupling member to form an open state in which food is put into the food container through the opening and a sealed state in which the second coupling member covers the opening of the first coupling member to seal the open end of the food container;

wherein the food container is made of a soft, resilient material, and in a normal state, food is located in the food container, the at least one aperture and the food container are sized and shaped such that the food container retains an original shape, the food container collapses under an external force when the food container is placed in the mouth of a person, such that the food is squeezed out of the at least one aperture, and the food container returns to the original shape when the external force is removed.

In the feeder of the present invention, the soft elastic material includes silicone, latex or food rubber.

In the feeder of the present invention, the outer surface of the food container around the through hole has a protrusion.

In the feeder of the present invention, the outer surface of the protrusion is in a dome shape with a truncated top.

In the feeder of the present invention, the feeder has at least one locking structure for fixing the first and second connecting members together in the sealing state.

In the feeder of the present invention, the first connector and the second connector are fixed together by a screw thread or a fastener.

In the feeder of the present invention, one side of the first connecting member and one side of the second connecting member are hinged together, and the other side is fixed together

In the feeder of the present invention, two sides of the first connecting member and the second connecting member are fixed together by two fasteners, respectively.

In the feeder of the present invention, the open end of the food container and the outer surfaces of the first and second connecting members are substantially circular.

In the feeding apparatus of the present invention, the food container has a shape substantially like a nipple of a baby bottle.

In the feeder of the present invention, the shape of the closed end of the food container substantially conforms to the shape of the mouth of the infant.

In the feeding apparatus of the present invention, the feeding apparatus further comprises a cover for covering the food container.

In the feeder of the invention, the open end of the food container has an annular rim adapted to be clamped between the annular platform of the first connector and the second connector in the sealed condition.

In the feeder of the invention, the feeder further comprises a positioning structure, and the relative position of the annular edge and the annular platform is fixed by the positioning structure, so that the hand of a user is approximately kept horizontal when the user holds the food container.

In the feeder of the present invention, the positioning structure includes a notch on the annular rim and a protrusion on the annular platform corresponding to the notch.

In the feeder, the feeder further comprises a handle assembly, the handle assembly comprises a handle core, a handle cushion block and a handle sleeve, the handle core is connected with the second connecting piece, the handle cushion block is fixed on the handle core, and the handle sleeve is sleeved outside the handle cushion block.

In the feeder of the present invention, the at least one through hole has a circular shape and a diameter of 1mm to 5 mm.

In the feeder of the present invention, the food container has a plurality of through holes.

In the feeder of the invention, the distance between two adjacent through holes is 2mm to 10 mm.

In the feeder of the present invention, the through holes are distributed around the food container in 360 degrees.

In the feeding apparatus of the present invention, the outer surface of the food container has a plurality of protrusions.

Although the feeder disclosed herein has been shown and described with respect to certain embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification. The present invention includes all such equivalents and modifications, and is limited only by the scope of the claims.

Drawings

Specific embodiments of the feeder of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is an exploded schematic view of a first embodiment of a feeder of the present invention;

fig. 2 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 3 is an exploded view of a third embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a partially exploded schematic view of a fourth embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 7 is a partially exploded schematic view of a fifth embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 7a is a top view of the annular protrusion on the feeder of the present invention;

FIG. 7b is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X of the annular projection of FIG. 7 a;

fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 9 is a partially exploded schematic view of a sixth embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the feeder of fig. 10 taken along line a-a;

fig. 12 is a schematic perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 13 is a schematic perspective view of an eighth embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 14 is a schematic perspective view of a ninth embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

fig. 15 is a schematic perspective view of a tenth embodiment of the feeder of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective view of a food container with a through hole and an annular protrusion;

FIG. 17 is a top view of an annular protrusion on the food container;

fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the annular projection of fig. 17 taken along line Y-Y.

Detailed Description

In the following description, several examples will be provided for reference to describe in detail preferred embodiments of the feeder disclosed in the present invention. Exemplary embodiments of the disclosed feeder will be described in detail, although some features that are not essential to an understanding of the feeder are not shown for the sake of brevity, but will nevertheless be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the feeder disclosed is not limited to the following embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. For example, combinations and/or substitutions of elements and/or features of the various embodiments can be made within the scope of the disclosed and claimed invention.

It should be noted that in the specification and claims, when a component is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it is not necessarily intended that the component be secured, or otherwise connected to the other component. Conversely, "coupled" or "connected" means that one element is directly or indirectly connected to another element or that one element is mechanically or electrically connected to another element.

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a first embodiment of the feeder of the present invention. The feeder comprises a food container 7, a first connecting member 5 and a second connecting member 3. The food container 7 has an open end 71 and a closed end 72. The first connecting member 5 includes an opening 51. The food container 7 is detachably connected to the first connecting member 5. When the food container 7 is coupled to the first coupling member 5, the open end of the food container 7 is communicated with the opening 51 of the first coupling member 5, and food can be put into the food container 7 through the opening 51 of the first coupling member 5 and the open end 71 of the food container 7. The second connector 3 is cooperable with the first connector 5 to establish an open state and a sealed state. In the opened state, food can be put into the food container 7 through the opening 51 of the first connecting member 5 and the open end 71 of the food container 7. In the sealed state, the second coupling member 3 covers the opening 51 of the first coupling member 5 to seal the open end 71 of the food container 7.

The food container 7 is provided with at least one through hole 8. According to the illustrated embodiment, the food container 7 has a plurality of through holes 8, which through holes 8 are distributed 360 degrees around the food container 7. The size and shape of the through hole 8 can be designed so that food passing through the through hole 8 is not choked to a person eating the food. According to the illustrated embodiment, the through-hole 8 may be circular in shape, having a diameter of between about 1mm and 5 mm. The size, number and arrangement of the through holes 8 may be varied according to different designs and requirements.

The food container 7 may be made of a soft elastic material for food. The soft, resilient material for food use may comprise silicone, latex, or food rubber or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The silica gel material is non-toxic, environment-friendly, durable, high-temperature resistant, low-temperature resistant and ageing resistant. The silica gel product is more environmentally friendly, safer and more durable. The food container 7 may preferably be made of a transparent soft elastic material so that it is easy to see through the food container 7 to know whether the food container 7 is full or empty.

In a normal state, food is placed in the food container 7, and the food container 7 maintains its original shape. When the food container 7 is inserted into the mouth of a user and chewed, gnawed or sucked by the user, the food container 7 collapses under the action of an external force, causing food (e.g., small pieces of crushed food, puree, pomace, juice, etc.) to be extruded through the through-hole 8. The food container 7 is restored to its original shape by the elasticity of the food container 7 when the external force is removed.

The food container 7 may be sized and shaped to hold small pieces of fruit, or other food such as jelly, yogurt, vegetables, meat, and fish. The food container 7 may be placed into the mouth of a food user to be gnawed, sucked or chewed. For fruit with existing juice and pomace, juice and small pieces of pomace can be sucked into the mouth of the eater through the through holes 8, while large pieces of pomace remain in the food container 7. Since the through hole 8 is smaller than the esophagus of the person, the person is not choked by the food coming out of the through hole 8. The safety of the eater can be ensured by using the feeder. For fruit with only puree and no pomace, the puree may be passed through the through-hole 8 into the mouth of the user. Thus, a feeder can be used to feed food such as fruit to an infant or child, teaching the infant or child to chew and swallow without the risk of choking by fruit. The feeder is safe for infants or children and convenient to use, and the caregiver does not need to squeeze juice from the fruit before feeding. With the feeder, the infant or child can conveniently eat fresh fruits (such as strawberry, apple, pear, etc.), vegetables, fish, meat, etc.

When the food container 7 is filled with the mixed food of solid and liquid, the liquid can form a sealing film on the through-hole 8 under the influence of surface tension. Therefore, the food in the food container 7 cannot easily flow out through the through-hole 8. The baby or child needs to suck the food from the through hole 8. This allows for exercise of the infant or child's lung capacity, as well as the muscles around the mouth. In addition, the sealing film prevents liquid from leaking from the through hole 8 and contaminating the clothes of the eater when the feeder is used. If the food container 7 is made of a mesh, it is difficult to form a sealing film on the through-holes of the mesh since the through-holes of the mesh have no elasticity. Furthermore, the through holes of the mesh are relatively close to each other, and it is more difficult to form a sealing film on the through holes of the mesh. In the present invention, the distance between the adjacent two through holes 8 may be 2mm to 10 mm.

As shown in fig. 1, the first connecting member 5 and the second connecting member 3 may be connected together. For example, the first connecting member 5 may have an annular groove, and the second connecting member 3 may have an annular projection. The sealing state is formed when the annular projection is pressed into the annular groove, and the opening state is formed when the annular projection is pulled out of the annular groove. Of course, the first connecting member 5 and the second connecting member 3 may be connected by other suitable connecting structures, such as a threaded connection.

As shown in fig. 2, the feeding apparatus may further comprise a handle assembly 1, wherein the handle assembly 1 is connected to the second connecting member 3. This facilitates the grasping of the feeder by the user and promotes the exercise of the muscles of the user's hands, particularly in the case of an infant or a patient, and the ability to coordinate his or her hands, brain and mouth. The feeder of the design can realize active feeding of the baby or the child.

The feeder may further comprise a cover 9 for covering the food container 7. The cover 9 shields the food from the outside environment. The cover 9 prevents dirt and grime from soiling the food when the user is not eating. The cover 9 is detachably connected to the first connecting member 5. According to the illustrated embodiment, the cover 9 can be connected to the first connecting member 5 by a simple snap-fit structure. It will be appreciated that the cover 9 may be connected to the first connector 5 by other suitable means, such as a screw connection. The closed end of the cover 9 has a plurality of support portions 91, and these support portions 91 allow the cover 9 to stand on a flat surface, for example, a table. When food is added to the food container 7, the cover 9 may be coupled to the first coupling member 5, and then the cover 9 may be placed on a table with the cover 9 kept upright by the support 91. This may facilitate the addition of food to the food container 7, even with one-handed operation. The cover 9 may also be transparent so that the food in the food container 7 can be seen.

As shown in fig. 2, the feeder may further have a tether portion 10 for tying a hoist rope, and the tether portion 10 may be a ring integrally formed on the second connector 3. The tether portion 10 is made of rigid plastic or other suitable material. The rope can be tied to the tether portion 10 or can be threaded through the tether portion 10, so that the feeder can be hung on a user. This prevents the feeder from accidentally falling on the ground and soiling the food.

The food container 7 may be designed in the shape of the nipple of a feeding bottle, which may soothe a baby or child like a pacifier and induce the baby or child to eat. The shape of the closed end of the food container 7 can be designed to conform as closely as possible to the shape of the mouth of an infant or child. This facilitates the infant to hold the food container 7 in the mouth and suck the juice, puree or pomace etc. with the food container 7 without choking.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the open end 71 of the food container 7, the outer surfaces of the first connecting member 5 and the second connecting member 3 are substantially circular in shape. The design prevents the feeder from having sanitary dead angles, and the feeder is convenient to clean.

The feeder may further have a locking structure to fix the first and second connectors 5 and 3 of the feeder in a sealed state. The locking structure may enhance the sealing between the first connecting member 5 and the second connecting member 3 to prevent the first connecting member 5 and the second connecting member 3 from being unintentionally loosened, thereby preventing food from being scattered.

According to the embodiment shown in fig. 3 and 4, the locking structure may comprise a hinge 17 and a catch 18. One side of the first connecting member 5 and the second connecting member 3 may be hinged by a hinge 17, and the other side of the first connecting member 5 and the second connecting member 3 may be fixed together by a fastener 18. One end 181 of the fastening member 18 may be movably connected to the second connecting member 3, the other end 183 of the fastening member 18 may have a fastening hole, and the first connecting member 5 may have a projection integrally formed thereon corresponding to the fastening hole, the projection and the fastening hole being engaged by friction. It can be seen that the hinge 17 and the snap-on element 18 are of simple construction, allowing the first and second elements 5, 3 to be easily opened and closed.

According to another embodiment shown in fig. 5 and 6, the locking structure may comprise two fasteners 18. The two sides of the first connecting piece 5 and the second connecting piece 3 are respectively fixed together by two fastening pieces 18.

As depicted in fig. 7, 7a, 7b and 8, an annular projection 81 is integrally formed on the outer surface of the periphery of the through-hole 8'. The annular protrusion 81 can massage the gums, relieve discomfort in the long-term period and is beneficial to the growth and development of the gums and teeth of infants or children. The annular protrusion 81 may also strengthen the gums, enhancing the chewing ability. The food that the baby or child likes can be put into the food container 7, and the baby or child would like to eat and massage the gums during eating. Thus, the feeder with the annular projection 81 is a teether that is more effective than existing flavorless teethers.

The feeder of the present application may also include one or two handle assemblies. As shown in fig. 9 and 10, the handle assembly 1 of the feeder may include a handle core 13, a handle pad 14 and a handle sleeve 11. The handle core 13 can be connected with the second connecting piece 3, and the handle cushion block 14 can be fixed on the handle core 13 to play a role of skid resistance and decoration. According to the illustrated embodiment, two handle spacers 14 may be fixed to the front and rear sides of the handle core 13, respectively. Alternatively, two handle spacers 14 may be secured to the left and right sides of the handle core, respectively. The handle sleeve 11 may be fitted over the outside of the handle pad 14. The handle assembly 1 may further include a plurality of cleats 12, and the cleats 12 may be secured to a handle mat 14 for further anti-slip and decorative purposes. It will be appreciated that the number of cleats 12 on the handle mat 14 may vary from design to design. The grip cover 11 and the cleats 12 may be made of a flexible rubber or other suitable material that facilitates the user's grip of the handle assembly 1 and creates a comfortable grip of the handle assembly 1. The handle core 13 and handle pad 14 may be made of rigid plastic or other suitable material.

As shown in fig. 9 to 11, the second connector 3 may include an outer ring 33 and a cover 31, the cover 31 covering an upper end of the outer ring 33. The collar 33 and the cap 31 may be connected together by a rotational fit of a projection and recess arrangement. For example, the projection and recess arrangement may comprise an annular groove and an annular projection formed on the outer race 33 and the cap 31, respectively. The collar 33 and the cap 31 may also be screwed together. Alternatively, the outer ring 33 and the cover 31 may be integrally formed as one member, and the two handle cores 13 may be fixed to both sides of the cover 31, respectively. Further, the cover 9 may be connected with the lid 31.

As shown in the embodiment of fig. 3 and 5, the open end 71 of the food container 7 has an annular rim 73 extending radially outwardly. In the sealing condition, the rim 73 is supported by an inwardly radially extending annular shoulder or platform 54 of the first connector 5 and is sandwiched between the annular platform 54 and the second connector 3. In the open position, the rim 73 is removable from the annular platform 54 of the first connector 5. This configuration makes the assembly and cleaning of the feeder very simple and convenient. Since the food container 7 is made of a soft elastic material, the sealing between the first connecting member 5 and the second connecting member 3 is enhanced by the soft elastic rim 73 having a sealing function. This further prevents food from spilling when the user, especially a baby, is playing with the feeder while eating.

As shown in fig. 12, the open end 71 of the food container 7 and the first connecting member 5 may be substantially triangular in shape, with each of three sharp corners being rounded. As shown in fig. 13, the open end 71 of the food container 7 and the first connecting member 5 may be substantially rectangular, each sharp corner being rounded. Both feeder designs do not have hygienic dead corners that create hygienic issues, and are therefore easy to clean.

As depicted in fig. 14 and 15, the position of the annular rim 73 and the annular platform 54 may be fixed by a locating structure that allows the handle to be held by hand from a horizontal orientation when the food container 7 is in the mouth. This allows the user to comfortably grip the handle while eating. According to the illustrated embodiment, the locating feature may include a notch 75 on the annular rim 73 and a protrusion 58 on the annular platform 54 corresponding to the notch 75. Of course, it is also possible to instead form a recess in the annular platform 54 and a corresponding projection on the annular rim 73.

Although, the annular protrusion 81 formed around the through-hole 8' has been illustrated and described, those skilled in the art may further form the protrusion at other places on the outer surface of the food container 7 based on understanding the present invention.

Fig. 16 shows a food container 7 with several through holes 8 around it, the closed end of the food container 7 having several protrusions 83. The through-hole 8 is used for providing food, and the protrusion 83 is used for massaging the gums of the infant or the child. According to the embodiment shown in fig. 17 and 18, the projection 83 is semicircular. It will be appreciated that the size, shape and distribution of the projections 83 on the food container 7 may vary from design to design.

Although, in the illustration and description, the through-holes 8 and 8 'are circular, it is to be understood that the through-holes 8 and 8' may be any other suitable shape.

Although the feeder of the present invention has been shown and described in detail with reference to a few preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (18)

1. A feeder, comprising:

a food container comprising an open end, a closed end, and at least one through hole;

a first connector including an opening in communication with an open end of the food container, the food container being connected to the first connector; and the number of the first and second groups,

a second coupling member coupled to the first coupling member to form an open state in which food is put into the food container through the opening and a sealed state in which the second coupling member covers the opening of the first coupling member to seal the open end of the food container;

wherein the food container is made of a soft, resilient material, and in a normal state, food is located in the food container, the at least one through hole and the food container are sized and shaped such that the food container retains an original shape, the food container collapses under an external force when placed in a mouth of a person, causing the food to be squeezed out of the at least one through hole, and the food container returns to the original shape when the external force is removed;

the open end of the food container has an annular rim adapted to be sandwiched between the annular platform of the first connector and the second connector in the sealed state;

the feeder is also provided with a positioning structure, and the relative positions of the annular edge and the annular platform are fixed by the positioning structure, so that the hands of a user are approximately kept horizontal when the user holds the food container; the locating structure comprises a notch on the annular rim and a protrusion on the annular platform corresponding to the notch;

the shape of the closed end of the food container substantially conforms to the shape of the mouth of the infant;

the feeder also comprises a handle assembly, and the handle assembly is connected with the second connecting piece.

2. The feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the soft elastic material comprises silicone, latex or rubber for food.

3. The feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the food container has a protrusion on an outer surface around the through hole.

4. The feeder of claim 3, wherein the outer surface of the protrusion is dome-shaped with a truncated top.

5. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the feeder comprises at least one locking structure for securing the first and second connectors together in the sealed condition.

6. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the first and second connectors are secured together by a thread or a fastener.

7. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the first and second connectors are hinged together on one side and fixed together on the other side.

8. The feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second connecting members are fixed at both sides by two fasteners, respectively.

9. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the open end of the food container and the outer surfaces of the first and second connectors are substantially circular.

10. The feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the food container is substantially shaped as a nipple of a baby bottle.

11. The feeder of claim 1, further comprising a cover for covering the food container.

12. The feeder of claim 11, wherein the closed end of the hood has a support portion.

13. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly comprises a handle core, a handle spacer and a handle sleeve, the handle core is connected with the second connecting member, the handle spacer is fixed on the handle core, and the handle sleeve is sleeved outside the handle spacer.

14. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the at least one through hole is circular and has a diameter of 1mm to 5 mm.

15. The feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the food container has a plurality of through holes.

16. The feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the distance between two adjacent through holes is 2mm to 10 mm.

17. The feeding apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the through holes are distributed 360 degrees around the food container.

18. The feeder of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the food container has a plurality of protrusions.