INFANT FEEDER BASKET

Abstract

A basket is configured to hold infant feeding apparatus for cleaning, transport, and/or storage. The basket is partitioned to provide separate storage regions for different kinds of infant feeding apparatus such as bottles, bottle components, plates, bowls, cups, and utensils.

Description

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/645,066, filed Jan. 19, 2005, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to infant feeding apparatus, and particularly to bottles, plates, and utensils for children. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to carriers for infant feeding apparatus.

SUMMARY

According to the present disclosure, a basket is configured to hold infant feeding apparatus for cleaning, transport, and/or storage. The basket is partitioned to provide separate storage regions for different kinds of infant feeding apparatus such as bottles, bottle components, plates, bowls, cups, and utensils. The basket can be filled with such apparatus and placed in a dishwasher so that any bottles, bottle components, plates, bowls, cups, utensils, etc. stored in the basket can be cleaned. Once items in the basket are cleaned, the basket (with the items organized onboard) can be carried to and stored in a cabinet for later use.

Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the accompany figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a basket in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the basket of FIG. 1 after it has been opened to show various separate storage regions for components included in a baby bottle;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a kitchen showing baby bottle components carried and organized in baskets of the type illustrated in FIG. 1 and showing baskets containing baby bottle components in a dishwasher and in a cabinet;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a basket in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure showing feeder trays and bottle components in the basket; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a basket in accordance with a third embodiment of the present disclosure showing a plate, a bowl, bottle components, and a set of utensils in the basket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A basket 10 is configured to hold components of several baby bottles 12 as suggested in FIGS. 1 and 2. Basket 10 can be used to organize, transport, and store these components and can be placed in a dishwasher or a cabinet as suggested in FIG. 3. A basket 110 in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 4. As suggested in FIG. 5, a basket 210 in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to hold all items used to feed a child during one meal.

Basket 10 includes a first panel 12 coupled to a mating second panel 14 (in any suitable manner) for pivotable movement about a pivot axis 16 between a closed position shown in FIG. 1 and an opened position shown in FIG. 2. It is within the scope of this disclosure to employ any suitable non-pivoting connectors for mating second panel 14 to first panel 12. A first handle portion 18 is coupled to first panel 12 and a second handle portion 19 is coupled to second panel 14. Handle portions 18, 19 cooperate to form a carrying handle 20 when panels 12, 14 are moved to assume the closed position. Any suitable releasable lock mechanism 22 can be coupled to (or formed in) panels 12, 14 or handle portions 18, 19 to retain panels 12, 14 in the closed position shown in FIG. 1. Panels 12, 14 and handle portions 18, 19 may be made of a plastics material or any suitable sturdy material.

As suggested, for example, in FIG. 2, each panel 12, 14 is formed to include first, second, third, and fourth storage regions 101, 102, 103, and 104. These regions are aligned with one another when first and second panels 12, 14 are mated with one another as suggested in FIG. 1.

In the illustrated embodiment, a baby bottle 24 includes an open-ended sleeve 25, a closure base 26, a nipple 27, and a nipple mount 28. Sleeve 25 includes a top opening 29 and a bottom opening 30. First and second panels 12, 14 cooperate to define, for example, four separate storage compartments 201, 202, 203, and 204 when they are moved to the closed position shown in FIG. 1. First storage compartment 201 holds three bottle sleeves 25. Second storage compartment 202 holds three bottle closure bases 26. Third storage compartment 203 holds three nipples 27. Fourth storage compartment 204 holds four nipple mounts 28. A first cut-out 31 formed in first panel 12 cooperates with a second cut-out 32 formed in second panel 14 to form an aperture 36 receiving a necked-down portion 38 of nipple 27 therein to retain nipple 27 in a selected position in third storage compartment 203 in spaced-apart relation to bottle sleeve 25 when basket panels 12, 14 are closed as shown in FIG. 1. When placed in a dishwasher as suggested in FIG. 3, cleaning water is able to flow easily through apertures formed in first and second panels 12, 14 and around sleeves 25 and clean closure bases 26, nipples 27, and nipple mounts 28 while those components are carried and organized in basket 10.

As suggested by arrow 105 in FIG. 3, after “use” baby bottles 24 can be disassembled and organized in basket 10 and placed in a dishwasher 40 to be cleaned. Once cleaned, basket 10 can be used as suggested by arrow 106 to carry those components to cabinet 42 and store them in an organized and easy-to-access manner in cabinet 42. Then, at feeding time, basket 10 can be removed from cabinet 42 and placed on a countertop 44. Then basket 10 can be opened to remove bottle components so that those components can be assembled to produce bottles 24.

Infant feeding apparatus basket 10 comprises a first panel 12 formed to include separate first, second, and third storage regions 101, 102, 103, 104 and a second panel 14 formed to include separate first, second, third, and fourth storage regions 101, 102, 103, 104. Basket 10 also includes means for coupling first panel 12 to second panel 14 for pivotable movement about a pivot axis 16 between a closed position (shown in FIG. 1) mating the first and second panels 12, 14 to align first storage region 101 of first and second panels 12, 14 with one another to produce a bottle sleeve storage compartment 201, to align second storage region 102 of first and second panels 12, 14 with one another to produce a bottle closure base storage compartment 202, to align third storage region 103 of first and second panels 12, 14 with one another to produce a nipple storage compartment 203, and to align fourth storage region 104 of first and second panels 12, 14 with one another to produce a nipple mount storage compartment 204 and an opened position (shown in FIG. 2) unmating first and second panels 12, 14 to allow movement of bottle sleeves 25, bottle closure bases 26, nipples 27, and nipple mounts 28 into and out of first, second, third, and fourth regions 101, 102, 103, 104 formed in first and second panels 12, 14 to wash any bottle sleeves 25, bottle closure bases 26, nipples 27, and nipple mounts 28 contained therein during exposure of first and second panels 12, 14 to dishwashing water while basket 10 is placed in a dishwasher during a dishwashing cycle.

In use, as suggested in FIG. 1, at least two bottle sleeves 25 are located in the bottle sleeve storage compartment 201 following movement of first and second panels 12, 14 to assume the closed position and at least two bottle closure bases 26 are located in bottle closure base storage compartment 202 following movement of first and second panels 12, 14 to assume the closed position. Also, at least two nipples 27 are located in nipple storage compartment 203 following movement of first and second panels 12, 14 to assume the closed position as suggested in FIG. 1 and at least two nipple mounts 28 are located in nipple mount storage compartment 204 following movement of first and second panels 12, 14 to assume the closed position.

Claims

1. An infant feeding apparatus basket comprising

a first panel formed to include separate first, second, and third storage regions,

a second panel formed to include separate first, second, third, and fourth storage regions, and

means for coupling the first panel to the second panel for pivotable movement about a pivot axis between a closed position mating the first and second panels to align the first storage regions of the first and second panels with one another to produce a bottle sleeve storage compartment, to align the second storage regions of the first and second panels with one another to produce a bottle closure base storage compartment, to align the third storage regions of the first and second panels with one another to produce a nipple storage compartment, and to align the fourth storage regions of the first and second panels with one another to produce a nipple mount storage compartment and an opened position unmating the first and second panels to allow movement of bottle sleeves, bottle closure bases, nipples, and nipple mounts into and out of the first, second, third, and fourth regions formed in the first and second panels to wash any bottle sleeves, bottle closure bases, nipples, and nipple mounts contained therein during exposure of the first and second panels to dishwashing water while the basket is placed in a dishwasher during a dishwashing cycle.

2. The basket of claim 1, further comprising at least two bottle sleeves located in the bottle sleeve storage compartment following movement of the first and second panels to assume the closed position.

3. The basket of claim 1, further comprising at least two bottle closure bases located in the bottle closure base storage compartment following movement of the first and second panels to assume the closed position.

4. The basket of claim 1, further comprising at least two nipples located in the nipple storage compartment following movement of the first and second panels to assume the closed position.

5. The basket of claim 1, further comprising at least two nipple mounts located in the nipple mount storage compartment following movement of the first and second panels to assume the closed position.