Convertible Bottle for Children
A convertible bottle for children has a lid which can be manipulated to provide alternative liquid outlets, for example, a nipple, a foldable sippy spout, and a pop-up sports-type valved outlet. The cap, or a portion of the cap, may be inverted to expose different outlets, and each of the outlets forms or contains a valve for controlling liquid flow to prevent spillage.
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This invention relates to a convertible bottle for children.
The well-known “sippy cup” is a container having a lid provided with a substantially rigid spout from which a young child can drink. Some sippy cups have vents and/or valves to prevent spillage; others do not.
Sippy cups are used by many parents during their child's transition from feeding from a baby bottle to drinking from a glass. During this transition, the child may sometimes prefer to revert to the nipple, and so it would be useful to have a device which could be quickly transformed from a baby bottle to a sippy cup, and back.
Similarly, a maturing child may progress from a sippy spout to a sports-type valved spout over time.
A bottle lid which had all three types of liquid outlet, any one of which could be easily deployed or activated, would be a benefit to many people.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn object of the invention is to provide a bottle which is easily transformed between a nipple-type bottle and a “sippy cup”, and from a “sippy cup” to a sports-type valved bottle.
These and other objects are attained by a convertible bottle for children, as described below.
In the accompanying drawings,
A convertible child's bottle embodying the invention comprises a container 10, such as the wide-mouthed plastic bottle shown in
The bottle has a wide mouth 12 with a cylindrical inside wall 14 into or onto which the lid is installed. The bottle is closed by a removable lid 20. The lid has a sealing/retaining structure which, depending on the design selected, may engage the inside surface of the bottle mouth, the outside surface thereof, or the top surface thereof. In
The removable lid 20 is reversible. Its diameter is about the same as that of the mouth, and it has a projecting sealing surface such as a rib 22 (illustrated) or an O-ring (not shown) on its outer circumference. The rib 22 snaps into the circumferential groove 18 when the lid is installed in the mouth, providing both a liquid seal and mechanical retention sufficient to prevent the lid from being pulled off by an infant.
The lid 20 has alternative liquid outlet types, most preferably, a retractable valved sports-type valved outlet 24, a foldable sippy spout outlet 26, and a fixed barbed outlet 28 (
The details of the sippy spout 26 may vary within the present invention. The drawings illustrate a simple spout which is hinged to the lid. Liquid passes through the spout when it is raised. The sippy spout 26 is shown deployed in
The preferred nipple assembly 30, shown in detail in
The container lid preferably includes a venting system comprising a sphincter-type valve. The vent hole 40 shown in the drawings may contain such a valve.
In
In
Another embodiment of the invention is shown in
Other embodiments, not illustrated, are contemplated. For example, a portion of the lid, rather than being invertible, could be made rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the bottle, or about an axis offset from, or at some acute angle to the longitudinal axis; the rotation would serve to activate one of two or more different outlets. It may be also possible to have a portion of the lid slide from one position to another to select between outlets. The general idea of the invention is to provide alternative types of liquid outlets (e.g., sippy spout, nipple, sports-type valved outlet).
Since the invention is subject to manufacturing modifications and variations, it is intended that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as only illustrative of the invention defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. A convertible bottle for children comprising
- a container for holding a liquid, said container having a mouth with structure for retaining a lid thereon,
- a lid for mounting on the container, said lid having structure adapted to engage the retaining structure on the container, and means for establishing a liquid seal at the container-lid interface when the lid is installed on the container,
- said lid having at least two liquid outlets of different types through which liquid in the container may flow or be sucked out, said outlets being alternatively active.
2. The invention of claim 1, wherein one liquid outlet is a barbed fitting on which a detachable flexible baby nipple may be mounted.
3. The invention of claim 1, wherein one liquid outlet is a substantially rigid sippy spout.
4. The invention of claim 1, wherein one liquid outlet is a sports-type valved outlet.
5. The invention of claim 1, wherein at least one of the outlets is movably supported on the lid in such a way that it can be pivoted from an active position permitting liquid flow to an inactive position prohibiting liquid flow.
6. The invention of claim 1, wherein some of the outlets are mounted on opposite sides of the lid, and the lid be can inverted to select between outlets.
7. The invention of claim 1, wherein at least one of said outlets is mounted on a hinge in such a manner that it can be moved between its active and inactive positions.
8. The invention of claim 1, wherein the lid has a movable portion which can be turned, folded, or pivoted so as to activate a selected one of the outlets.
9. The invention of claim 1, wherein the movable portion is a panel which can be inverted with respect to the lid, the lid having at least one of the outlets on each of its opposite sides.
10. The invention of claim 1, wherein the lid has structure defining a vent for admitting air into the container as liquid is withdrawn to prevent vacuum buildup.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 19, 2007
Publication Date: Apr 23, 2009
Applicant: TRIO CHILD, LLC (Alexandria, VA)
Inventor: Gregory R. Viggiano (Alexandria, VA)
Application Number: 11/875,015
International Classification: B65D 43/00 (20060101); B65B 7/28 (20060101);