Oral Devices
OwnerSue S. Leeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Oral devices such as a pacifier, bottle cap, teething tools and toys, and methods for using the same are provided. An oral device includes a bulb portion configured to be disposed inside a mouth of a user and a wider neck portion coupled distally to the bulb portion and configured to be held by user's lips. The neck portion is configured such that, when it is sucked on by the user, the neck portion moves in the lateral direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the oral device from a first, unexpanded configuration to a second, expanded configuration such that a lateral contact area of the neck portion with the user's lips increases. The oral device can include one or more expansion accommodation features that facilitate expansion and retraction of the neck portion.
Claims18
An oral device comprising:
- a bulb with an opening therein, the opening being configures to allow fluid to pass therethrough;
- a neck coupled distally to the bulb and having at least a first portion and a second portion integrally formed theretogether;
- the first portion having a first material that is different from a second material forming at least part of the second portion;
- and
- wherein, when the neck is sucked by a user, the first portion of the neck is configured (i) to allow expansion of the neck in a perpendicular direction to a longitudinal axis of the oral device and (ii) to allow a total combined length of the bulb and the neck along the longitudinal axis to decrease.
A oral device comprising:
- a bulb with an opening therein, the opening being configured to allow fluid to pass therethrough;
- and
- a neck coupled distally to the bulb and having at least a first portion and a second portion;
- the first portion having a first material that is different from a second material forming at least part of the second portion, the first portion being configured to allow lateral expansion and contraction of a width the neck in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the oral device, the neck being a monolithic structure;
- wherein, when the neck is sucked by a user, the width of the neck is configured to expand and a total length of the oral device along the longitudinal axis is configured to contract.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.