ENTERTAINMENT ATTACHMENT FOR BABY BOTTLES

Abstract

A light and sound emitting apparatus for attachment to assorted conventional infant feeding bottles includes a base member having at least one side wall, an inner floor and a bottom panel, all forming a substantially hollow interior compartment, a solid-state memory device for storing a plurality of sounds, and at least one speaker disposed adjacent the bottom panel or side wall for emitting sounds. A sound-generating device is disposed within the interior compartment for transmitting a plurality of songs and sounds to speakers, and lights are disposed adjacent an exterior surface of the side wall for emitting flashes of light from at least two locations. Light and sound generation is powered by a battery disposed within the interior compartment, and an adjustable clamp rises vertically from the base for releasable attachment to a nursing bottle.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/093,792 filed Sep. 16, 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to attachments for baby feeding bottles and, more particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus to attach to existing baby bottles to add both light and sound entertainment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Prior to the conception and development of the present invention, babies drinking from a bottle and those feeding it to them have had limited entertainment during that feeding time. Both may benefit from something entertaining that is as accessible as the bottle itself. Playing soothing music or sounds may be especially helpful.

Providing music-playing attachments for baby bottles has been the objective of several prior-art patents. Smith in U.S. Pat. No. 2,929,290 discloses a rather bulky wind-up music box that has a top receptacle for inserting a baby bottle. Another wind-up baby-bottle attachment is taught by Wergeland in U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,161. A special toy-like baby bottle with a detachable music box is disclosed by Grace in U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,704.

Pearce in U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,625 teaches a compact musical baby bottle attachment which is battery operated. Montgomery discloses a baby bottle attachment which can provide not only music but vibration. The devices of Pearce and Montgomery share a serious drawback of attaching only to a special baby bottle with matching threads at the bottom rim. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,137, Myers discloses an attachment which holds a certain size of baby bottle and provides light and music. All of the aforementioned prior art share a significant shortcoming in providing a fixed and limited amount of music, often just one song.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a light and sound emitting apparatus for attachment to assorted conventional infant feeding bottles, including a base member having at least one side wall, an inner floor and a bottom panel, all forming a substantially hollow interior compartment, with a solid-state memory device for storing a plurality of sounds, and at least one speaker disposed adjacent the bottom panel or side wall for emitting sounds. A sound-generating device is disposed within the interior compartment for transmitting a plurality of songs and sounds to speakers, and lights are disposed adjacent an exterior surface of the side wall for emitting flashes of light from at least two locations. Light and sound generation is powered by a battery disposed within the interior compartment, and an adjustable clamp rises vertically from the base for releasable attachment to a nursing bottle.

In an alternative embodiment, the solid state memory device is exchangeable with others that can provide a different supply of songs and/or sounds. In another enhancement, flashing lights are also embedded along the adjustable clamp post.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide an attachment for existing baby bottles which can provide both light and music entertainment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a light and sound emitting baby bottle attachment that can fit a range of standard bottle sizes.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a musical infant feeding bottle attachment which can provide a range of musical and sound offerings which can be interchanged with other play lists.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an entertaining nursing bottle attachment which can provide flashing lights not only at the base but up along the side of the bottle.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a variety of entertaining features to a baby bottle attachment in a cost-effective manner.

In addition to the various objects and advantages of the present invention described with some degree of specificity above, it should be obvious that additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art from the following more detailed description of the invention, particularly, when such description is taken in conjunction with the attached drawing figures and with the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the present invention removed from a baby feeding bottle.

FIG. 2 provides a perspective elevation view from one side of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the base of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an elevation sectional view of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PRESENTLY PREFERRED AND VARIOUS ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Prior to proceeding to the more detailed description of the present invention it should be noted that, for the sake of clarity and understanding, identical components which have identical functions have been identified with identical reference numerals throughout the several views illustrated in the drawing figures.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, an overall perspective view of the present invention, generally shown as 10, is provided, separated from a baby feeding bottle 12 to which it can be clamped. The apparatus is designed to clamp to a range of bottle sizes and types, and emit sounds and flashes of light when turned on. A base member 14 forms a cylindrical cavity with an inner floor 24 and a side wall 26. While the interior of the side wall is cylindrical, the exterior could take other shapes such as square or hexagonal. A post support member 18 is fixed adjacent the outer periphery of the base member 14. An adjustable clamping member 16, preferably a telescoping post, has semi-flexible arcuate arms 20 which create a yieldable opening for locking onto baby bottles 12 of various diameters. Optionally, the post member 16 can contain at least one light-emitting diode (LED) 22 for additional light flashes. The base member 14 houses a light-generating means, a sound-generating means, a battery, and associated electronic circuitry (all not shown). Apertures or lenses 22 in the outer surface of the base 14 allow light from recessed light emitting diodes (LED)to be visible when turned on. The lights would preferably be flashing, but could be steady as an alternative. Also within the base member 14 is a solid state memory device which is attached to a removable drawer or insert 30, which can be removed from a slot in the base 14 by pulling on the handle 32. The solid state memory device holds sound-generating data for songs or other sounds to be played, and is preferably replaceable so that new or different songs can be played. One example of an acceptable solid-state memory device is the micro-SD chip commonly used in mobile phones. However, to preclude a swallowing hazard to infants and toddlers, the chip is made part of a larger item, such as a drawer or a larger disk, which can be pulled out and exchanged with another having different sounds. Numerous other shapes could be substituted for the drawer, and they could alternatively enter through the floor 24 or bottom panel as well.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention from a different angle than in FIG. 1. The base member 14 has an inner cylindrical wall 26 and an inner floor 24. Apertures 22 in various shapes allow light to be emitted from the light-generating means housed within a substantially hollow interior compartment of the base 14. A support post 16 is attached to the base 14, and the post is preferably a common telescopic type with an extendable portion 17 which can be locked and released by twisting an outer sleeve 19. Near the top of the extendable portion 17, two substantially flexible arcuate arms 20 form a yieldable opening 21 which enables removable attachment around the upper part of a baby bottle while the base 14 surrounds a lower portion of the bottle with the bottom resting on the inner floor 24. Optionally, the top of the extendable portion 17 has a decorative item or figurine 36.

FIG. 3 provides a bottom plan view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The bottom panel 15 is preferably removably attached to the rest of the base member 14 with screws or bolts 47, and has openings for a battery compartment with lid 42, and at least one speaker 46. At least one battery 49 is disposed under the lid 49 within the internal compartment. There is also a selector switch 40 with a slide lever 44 that allows choosing lights, music, lights combined with music, and Off. A drawer 30 containing the replaceable solid state memory device is seen protruding slightly from one side with a grasping tab 32. A drawer is just one example of a removable insert for supporting the solid state memory device, and numerous other shapes could be substituted for the drawer, and alternatively the insert 30 could enter through the floor 24 or bottom panel 15.

FIG. 4 provides a cross sectional elevation view of the base member 14 as indicated by IV-IV on FIG. 3. Adjacent the outer portion of the wall 26 is at least one light or LED, 48. The drawer 30 holding the solid state memory device 50 slides into a substantially hollow inner compartment 29 under the floor 24 and contacts 54 connect it electrically to the circuitry 52 for the sound and light generating means. Contacts or leads 56 on the circuit board 52 connect it to a battery, not shown. At least one speaker 46 is positioned substantially flush with the bottom panel 15 of the base member 14, but alternative locations are acceptable. Fixed adjacent an outer portion of the sidewall 26 is a post support member 18 with a cavity 19 for attaching the lower end of the adjustable clamping means. Alternatively, the bottom of the adjustable clamping means may be clamped or fastened to the base by other means. Likewise, the bottom panel 15 may as shown be an integral part of the base member 14 along with the wall, or removably fastened with screws as shown in FIG. 4.

While a presently preferred and various alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described in sufficient detail above to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to make and use the same, it should be obvious that various other adaptations and modifications can be envisioned by those persons skilled in such art without departing from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A light and sound emitting apparatus for attachment to conventional infant feeding bottles comprising:

a) a base member having at least one side wall, an inner floor and a bottom panel, said inner floor, bottom panel, and a portion of said side wall forming a substantially hollow interior compartment;

b) an adjustable clamping means fixed substantially perpendicular to a portion of said side wall for removably attaching said light and sound emitting apparatus to said infant feeding bottle;

c) a solid-state memory device engageable with one of said base member and said adjustable clamping means for storing a plurality of sound-generating data;

d) at least one speaker disposed adjacent one of said bottom panel and said side wall for emitting songs and sounds produced from said sound-generating data;

e) a sound-generating means disposed within said interior compartment for transmitting a plurality of said songs and sounds produced from said sound-generating data to said speaker;

f) a light-generating means disposed adjacent an exterior surface of said side wall for emitting flashes of light from at least two locations along an exterior of said side wall; and

g) a battery disposed within said interior compartment for providing power to said light-generating and sound-generating means.

2. The light and sound emitting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said solid state memory device is interchangeable with an alternate solid state memory device.

3. The light and sound emitting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said adjustable clamping means is an elongated telescoping post with a proximal end fixed to said base member and two substantially flexible arcuate arms adjacent a distal end of said telescoping post, said flexible arcuate arms forming a yieldable opening engageable with said infant feeding bottle.

4. The light and sound emitting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said light-generating means are light emitting diodes.

5. The light and sound emitting apparatus, according to claim 3, wherein said telescoping post includes a decorative item at said distal end.

6. The light and sound emitting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said sounds are music.

7. The light and sound emitting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said base member further includes a selector switch for choosing one of lights, music, lights combined with music, and off.

8. The light and sound emitting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said at least one side wall of said base member is substantially cylindrical.

9. The light and sound emitting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said solid state memory device is fixed to a larger item releasably engageable with said base member.

10. The light and sound emitting apparatus, according to claim 3, wherein said telescoping post includes at least one light emitting diode.

11. The light and sound emitting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said bottom panel is integral with said side wall of said base member.

12. The light and sound emitting apparatus, according to claim 1, wherein said bottom panel is removably fastened to said side wall of said base member.