Infrared thermometer
A hygienic device for use with a container opening is provided. The hygienic device includes a base and at least two guard elements which are integrally formed as a unitary structure. The guard elements, which are made of a soft resilient material and positioned on the base, are readily bendable downward to change shape and thus facilitate the opening/closing thereof, and can get closer together to form a protective layer for enclosing the container opening. The hygienic device requires lesser constituent elements and dispenses with the need to remove a hygienic lid from the container before using the container. The guard elements are capable of rebounding and adjusting shape and thickness, effective in balancing a resilient force and a binding force generated as a result of the bending and opening of the guard elements, and effective in attaching to the container; hence, the guard elements open without increasing occupied space.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hygienic devices, and more particularly, to a hygienic device installed at a container opening.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, hygienic devices of commercially-available feeding bottles, water bottles, or other containers fall within the following categories:
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- 1. Separation-type hygienic lids: as shown in
FIG. 1 , a hygienic lid 01 and a container 10 are independent of each other. Before starting to use the container 10, a user has to remove the hygienic lid 01 from the container 10. However, it is not uncommon to find the hygienic lid 01 missing after its removal from the container 10. Alternatively, it is feasible to provide a simple connection (such as a chain, a cord, or a plastic strip) between the hygienic lid 01 and the container 10 as shown inFIG. 2 ; however, in doing so, use of the container 10 is inevitably hindered by the hygienic lid 01 to the detriment of ease of use. - 2. Rotation-type hygienic elements: a hygienic element 02 is pivotally connected to the container 10 through a pivotal axle and comes in two forms, namely single and twin. As shown in
FIG. 3 , the single rotatable hygienic element 02 protects a container opening. The single rotatable hygienic element 02 keeps a rotational space, and thus less than 50% of the space is accessible to the container opening. As a result, it is impossible for a device, such as a teat, to be centrally positioned in the container opening. As shown inFIG. 4 , the twin rotatable hygienic element 02 protects the container opening, thereby increasing the space accessible to the container opening; however, to enable the container 10 to be available for use, the two hygienic elements 02 have to be opened outward and thus occupy much space to the detriment of ease of use. Furthermore, the pivotal axle of the hygienic element 02 is structurally complicated and thus difficult to clean; as a result, the ease of use of the hygienic element 02 is compromised. Referring toFIG. 5 , another twin hygienic element (disclosed in WO 2006/010935 A1) comprises a soft elastomer instead of a pivotal axle structure, but still has the same drawback as the hygienic element shown inFIG. 4 does, that is, being too space-consuming to be user-friendly. - 3. Hinge-type protective lids: as shown in
FIG. 6 , a protective lid 03 and the container 10 are connected by a hinge; however, the protective lid 03 is quite close to the container opening when opened, thereby compromising ease of use of the container to a certain extent; also, another drawback of the hinge-type protective lid 03 is that it is as difficult to clean as its aforesaid counterparts.
- 1. Separation-type hygienic lids: as shown in
It is an objective of the present invention to improve on the prior art by providing a hygienic device adapted for use with a container opening and advantageously characterized by ease of use, space saving, and being easy to clean.
In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the present invention provides a hygienic device for use with a container opening. The hygienic device for use with a container opening comprises a base and guard elements. The guard elements are made of a soft resilient material. The base is fixed to the container opening rim. At least two said guard elements bendable downward are positioned at an upper end of the base, such that the guard elements can get closer together to form a protective layer for enclosing the container opening.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base and the guard elements are integrally formed as a unitary structure and made of a soft resilient material.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, transit holes for preventing stress concentration are formed at the roots portions at two sides of the guard elements.
The present invention has the following advantages: the soft resilient material is readily bendable to cause a change in the shape of the guard elements and thus effectuate the opening/closing function; the present invention reduces the required constituent elements, cuts costs, and dispenses with the need to remove a hygienic lid from a container before using the container and thus prevents the hygienic lid from getting lost; due to its resilience, the soft resilient material is capable of rebounding and thus easy to operate; adjustment of shape and thickness is effective in balancing a resilient force and a binding force which are generated by the material as soon as the guard elements bend and open, and is effective in attaching the guard elements to the surface of the container, as a result, the guard elements can open without increasing the occupied space, thereby enhancing ease of use; finally, the base and the guard elements of the hygienic device of the present invention are integrally formed as a unitary structure, and thus the hygienic device is easy to clean and cost-saving.
Referring to
Referring to
If the container opening is provided with a fixing device (such as a screw thread), it will be feasible for the base 30 to be provided with a fixing device (such as a corresponding screw thread) corresponding in position to the container 10, such that the base 30 can be tightly fixed to the rim of the opening of the container 10 easily.
The present invention is disclosed above by preferred embodiments. However, persons skilled in the art should understand that the preferred embodiments are illustrative of the present invention only, but should not be interpreted as restrictive of the scope of the present invention. Hence, all equivalent changes and modifications made to the aforesaid embodiments should fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A hygienic device for use with a container opening, the hygienic device comprising a base and guard elements, the guard elements being made of a soft resilient material, wherein the base is fixed to the container opening rim, and at least two said guard elements bendable downward are positioned at an upper end of the base, such that the guard elements can get closer together to form a protective layer for enclosing the container opening.
2. The hygienic device of claim 1, characterized in that the base and the guard elements are integrally formed as a unitary structure.
3. The hygienic device of claim 2, characterized in that transit holes for preventing stress concentration are formed at roots portions at two sides of the guard elements.
4. The hygienic device of claim 1, characterized in that coupling devices are disposed at a mutually attaching position of the at least two guard elements for increasing a closing force generated by the guard elements when the guard elements get closer together.
5. The hygienic device of claim 1, characterized in that the based is provided with a fixing device for enabling the base to be coupled to the container opening tightly and easily.
6. The hygienic device of claim 2, characterized in that the based is provided with a fixing device for enabling the base to be coupled to the container opening tightly and easily.
7. The hygienic device of claim 3, characterized in that the based is provided with a fixing device for enabling the base to be coupled to the container opening tightly and easily.
8. The hygienic device of claim 4, characterized in that the based is provided with a fixing device for enabling the base to be coupled to the container opening tightly and easily.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 16, 2011
Publication Date: Dec 20, 2012
Inventor: Chean-Shui Chen (Taipei)
Application Number: 13/134,712
International Classification: B65D 51/12 (20060101);