Bottles and jars – Nursing bottles and nipples
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-06
2004-06-08
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Nursing bottles and nipples
Reexamination Certificate
active
06745912
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an artificial nipple used, for example, when an infant and the like are nursed. The present invention also relates to a feeding bottle having the artificial nipple.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Artificial nipples are generally attached to a container such as a feeding bottle housing, for example, milk housed therein, and are used for nursing infants and the like.
Conventional artificial nipples as such have a construction as shown in FIG.
14
.
FIG. 14
is a cross sectional view of a conventional artificial nipple
10
.
As shown in the drawing, there is an artificial nipple
10
having a hollow portion A, through which, for example, milk housed in a container such as a feeding bottle, can flow. Also, the artificial nipple
10
is provided with a nipple portion
12
, nipple body portion
11
and base portion
13
, said portions being formed in such a manner as to cover the above mentioned hollow portion A. These portions are made of silicone rubber, isoprene rubber, and so on.
In addition, the nipple portion
12
is provided with an opening
12
a
, out of which milk, and the like, may be spouted out. Such an artificial nipple
10
is designed to be fitted to a container such as a feeding bottle. Then, milk, and the like, housed in a container such as a feeding bottle, are fed to the infant, via the artificial nipple
10
. Here, the feeding bottle, and the like, is not shown in the drawings.
By the way, an infant
20
, in fact, takes hold of the breast of, for example, his or her mother in his or her mouth to swallow or drink the milk. The movement of the infant
20
when holding the breast of, for example, his or her mother to swallow or drink the milk, the infant
20
moves his or her mouth by two steps roughly classified as follows: “step to prepare sucking” and “step to start sucking”. Each of the steps is explained as follows.
Step to Prepare Sucking
FIG. 15
is a view for describing the overview of the “step to prepare sucking”.
As shown in the
FIG. 15
, when an infant
20
holds the breast
30
of his or her mother, and so on, in the mouth, the infant largely opens his or her upper and lower lips
27
a
,
27
b
. Then, the infant extends his or her tongue
23
over the lower tooth bank
28
b
, resulting in a condition where the tongue touches the lower lip
27
b.
Then, the infant holds the breast in his or her mouth. At that time, the infant
20
largely opens his or her upper and lower lips
27
a
,
27
b
. The upper and lower lips
27
a
,
27
b
are very soft and easily transformed as shown in FIG.
15
. Therefore, when the infant tightly contacts the upper and lower lips
27
a
,
27
b
at the breast
30
, in particular, a breast circle
31
, they
27
a
,
27
b
are opened in such a manner as to naturally roll them up or down in the vertical direction of the drawing.
In addition, an infant
20
transforms his or her tongue
23
to transport the tip
32
a
of the nipple of mother, and the like, into the deepest point of his or her mouth roof cavity
22
. The movement that an infant
20
extends his or her tongue to transport the tip
32
a
of the nipple into his or her mouth roof cavity
22
, as stated here, is generally referred to as “the first elongation.”
The nipple
32
, in a condition of “the first elongation” described above, is compressed, by tongue
23
, against his or her upper palate
21
, upper tooth bank
28
a
and upper lip
27
a
, as shown in FIG.
15
. At that time, the whole of the nipple
32
is also surrounded by the inside of his or her cheeks and the tongue
23
.
In particular, the tongue
23
, surrounding the nipple
32
, transforms for holding the nipple
32
completely. The nipple
32
is a non-hollow organization. When the nipple
32
is transformed, the mother's milk is transferred to the tip
32
a
thereof without the nipple
32
being terminally crushed.
As stated above, the “step to prepare sucking” is finished.
Step to Start Sucking
Then, the “step to start sucking” will be explained. First of all, the infant moves his or her tongue
23
in a peristaltic manner, at the stage of “step to start sucking”.
In other words, the infant stimulates the breast
30
, areola
31
and nipple
32
to promote his or her mother to secrete mother's milk as well as to transfer the mother's milk up to the tip of the nipple
32
. Here, the tongue
23
moves in such a manner that an expansion of the tongue
23
continuously moves from the tip portion of the tongue to the root portion thereof. Then, such expansion further moves to a portion of the tongue just beyond the tip
32
a
of the nipple followed by transferring to a deep portion of the mouth.
Such movement of the expansion is shown in
FIGS. 16
(
a
) to (
c
).
FIGS. 16
(
a
) to (
c
) show magnified views for describing the overview, in relation between the tongue
23
and the tip
32
a
of the nipple, showing a sequence of the peristaltic movement where the expansion of the tongue
23
just goes beyond the tip
32
a
of the nipple and further goes to the deep portion of the mouth.
Thus, the nipple
32
is elongated by the transferring of the expansion of the tongue
23
, from the tip thereof to the root thereof. Also, the tip
32
a
of the nipple is a non-hollow organization, and the nipple may be extended in the direction of the tip thereof, while the nipple is deformed in a slightly crushed manner as shown in FIG.
16
(
a
). As shown in FIG.
16
(
b
), when the expansion of the tongue
23
moves in a peristaltic manner, the nipple
32
is extended just before mother's milk spouts out.
The step stated here is referred to as the “second elongation,” which is distinguished from the “first elongation” as mentioned above. Thus, the “second elongation” starts when the tongue
23
moves the expansion, beginning at the tip of the tongue.
Next, there comes a step in which the mother's milk is squirted out. Generally, the infant transforms the tongue
23
to move the expansion so as to draw the nipple of mother, and the like, toward the tip
32
a
of the nipple. Then, the expansion of the tongue
23
moving in a peristaltic manner reaches at the tip portion of the tip
32
a
, so as to form a sealed space E surrounded by the tip
32
a
of the nipple, the expanded tongue
23
, an inner part of the mouth roof cavity
22
, and the soft palate
24
located inside the mouth roof cavity
22
.
Then, the tongue
23
contacts the soft palate
24
, during which the movement in a peristaltic manner further continues to transfer the expansion of the tongue
23
into the deeper portion of the mouth. Then, as shown
FIG. 16
(
b
), the capacity of the sealed space E increases or grows, and thereby, a decreased pressure is generated inside the sealed space E.
When there is formed a sealed space having a decreased pressure as such, the tip
32
a
of the nipple is drawn into the sealed and decreased pressure space E, resulting in further elongating the tip
32
a
of the nipple. When the elongation as such is accomplished, the “second elongation” is finished.
By moving the tongue
23
in a peristaltic manner resulting in generating the decreased pressure, the mother's milk, gathering at the tip
32
a
of the nipple, spouts out into the mouth of the infant
20
. Then, the infant
20
releases the tongue
23
from the soft palate
24
and opens the sealed space E, and then, the infant
20
may swallow or drink the mother's milk that has been squirted out, as shown in
FIG. 16
(
c
).
After the “first elongation” is finished, the infant
20
repeats the “second elongation” in a rapid cycle of once per 0.7 seconds, so as to drink the mother's milk of, for example, his or her mother, as stated above.
OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION
When the mother, and so on, breast-feeds an infant
20
, the infant
20
drinks the mother's milk in the manner as described above, via the nipple of his or her mother, and so on. Similarly, when formula of artificial milk that is not the mother's milk is fed to the infant
20
, the infant
20
Ishimaru Aki
Nakahara Masayuki
Onuki Zenichi
Uehara Hiroyuki
Pigeon Corporation
The Kenealy Law Office, LLC
Weaver Sue A.
LandOfFree
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