Nipple with multiple pinholes for baby bottle assembly
AssigneeInsta-mix, Inc.
InventorJames W. Holley, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A baby bottle assembly including a nipple having a substantially flat membrane defining multiple pinholes for controlling the flow of liquid. The nipple is mounted on a cap that screws onto the bottle body. The nipple is formed from a suitable elastomeric material (e.g., soft rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, or silicone) such that the membrane stretches when subjected to a differential pressure. The pinholes are formed by puncturing the membrane while subjecting the membrane to radial tension, and using one or more pins having a substantially circular cross-section and sized such that each pinhole is closed by the surrounding elastomeric material when the pins are removed.
Claims18
A baby bottle assembly comprising:
- a bottle body defining a storage chamber and a threaded neck;
- a removable cap mounted on the threaded neck, the cap including a top wall defining an opening;
- and
- a nipple mounted on the removable cap and including a substantially flat membrane formed from an elastomeric material,
- wherein the membrane defines a plurality of pinholes formed such that each pinhole is closed by the elastomeric material surrounding said each pinhole when the membrane is subjected to normal atmospheric conditions, thereby preventing passage of a liquid from the storage chamber through the membrane, and each pinhole is opened when the membrane is subjected to an applied pressure differential that causes the membrane to stretch, thereby facilitating liquid flow from the storage chamber.
A nipple for a baby bottle assembly, the nipple comprising:
- a wall section defining an interior chamber, the wall section having a first thickness;
- and
- a disk-shaped membrane connected to the wall section such that the membrane covers a portion of the interior chamber,
- wherein the membrane has a second thickness that is smaller than the first thickness of the wall section, and
- wherein the membrane defines a plurality of pinholes formed such that each pinhole is closed by elastomeric material surrounding said each pinhole when the membrane is subjected to normal atmospheric conditions, thereby preventing passage of a liquid through the membrane, and each pinhole is opened when the membrane is subjected to an applied pressure differential that causes the membrane to stretch, thereby facilitating liquid flow through the membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.