Baby bottle with flexible nipple regions

A feeding bottle comprising:

• a) a nipple having:
• a teat portion having a variable wall thickness including a flow valve,
• a base portion having a domed configuration,
• an areola portion between the teat portion and the base portion,
• an air vent passage extending through the base portion wherein the air vent passage extends generally transverse to the base portion,
• a flange connected to the base portion,
• a center axis running through the center of the base portion and transverse to the base portion,
• the teat portion of the nipple having circular symmetry around the center axis, and
• the teat portion being capable of moving towards and away from the base portion in a plane generally transverse to the base portion;
• b) a vessel having:
• an open threaded top,
• a body being connected with the open threaded top,
• the body having an hour-glass shaped body with a top portion, middle portion and bottom portion,
• the middle portion of the body being tapered inward and being narrower than the top portion of the body;
• c) a collar having:
• an internally threaded cylindrical portion,
• a domed peripheral portion surrounding and extending from the cylindrical portion, and
• the internally threaded cylindrical portion being sized to mate with the open threaded top of the vessel;
• and
• d) the nipple being secured to the vessel with the flange of the nipple being captured between the collar and the open threaded top of the vessel.

A feeding bottle comprising:

• a) a nipple composed of silicone and having:
• a teat portion having a variable wall thickness including a flow valve,
• a base portion having a wall thickness in a domed configuration,
• an areola portion between the teat portion and the base portion,
• a slit air valve extending through the base portion wherein the slit valve extends generally transverse to the base portion and opens under negative pressure within the feeding bottle,
• a flange connected to the base portion,
• a center axis running through the center of the base portion and transverse to the base portion,
• the teat portion of the nipple having a circular symmetry around the center axis,
• at least a part of the wall thickness of the teat portion is thinner than the wall thickness of the domed configuration of the base of the nipple, and
• the teat portion being capable of moving towards and away from the base portion in a plane generally transverse to the base portion;
• b) a vessel having:
• an open threaded top with a first diameter,
• a body with a second diameter and two side indentations,
• the body being connected with the open threaded top, and
• the first diameter of the open threaded top being less than the second diameter of the body;
• c) a collar having:
• an internally threaded cylindrical portion,
• a downwardly domed peripheral portion surrounding and extending from the cylindrical portion, and
• the internally threaded cylindrical portion being sized to mate with the open threaded top of the vessel;
• and
• d) the nipple being secured to the vessel with the flange of the nipple being captured between the collar and the open threaded top of the vessel.

A feeding bottle comprising:

• a) a nipple composed of silicone and having:
• a teat portion including a flow valve,
• a base portion having a domed configuration,
• an air valve extending through the base portion, and
• a flange connected to the base portion,
• b) a vessel having:
• an open threaded top with a first diameter,
• a body with a second diameter and two side indentations,
• the body being connected with the open threaded top, and
• the first diameter of the open threaded top being less than the second diameter of the body;
• c) a collar having:
• an internally threaded cylindrical portion,
• a downwardly domed peripheral portion surrounding and extending from the cylindrical portion, and
• the internally threaded cylindrical portion being sized to mate with the open threaded top of the vessel;
• and
• d) a single unitary one-piece handle portion being removably secured to the vessel by the collar and having:
• a circular ring with two diametrically opposed immovable extending arm portions, and
• the circular ring being sized to mount around the open threaded top of the vessel;
• the handle portion being mounted around the open threaded top of the vessel so that the two arms of the handle portion are aligned with the two side indentations of the vessel;
• and
• wherein the flange of the nipple and the handle portions are captured between the collar and the open threaded top of the vessel.