Bottles and jars – Nursing bottles and nipples
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-03
2001-01-16
Weaver, Sue A. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Nursing bottles and nipples
C215S384000, C215S398000, C220S771000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173850
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of baby bottle constructions in general, and more particularly to an ergonomically designed baby bottle that will not only reduce wrist fatigue, but also allow the parent to have a quick visual reference as to the amount of formula consumed by the infant.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,676,387; 5,263,599; 5,316,160; 5,531,338; and 5,807,156, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse baby bottle constructions.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical baby bottle construction having an angled neck provided with a series of ergonomically designed grooves that will not only enhance a care giver's grasp of the bottle, but will also force the user's grasp to assume an ergonomically relaxed position while tending to the infant's needs.
Given the recent increase in multiple birth events attributable to both fertility drugs and in vitro techniques, a problem has arisen for those parents who are faced with feeding multiple newborns at regular intervals.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has suddenly existed a longstanding need for a new and improved ergonomically designed baby bottle construction that will substantially reduce the wrist fatigue that is experienced by those parents who spend hours a day coping with multiple infant feedings, and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly stated, the ergonomic baby bottle construction that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general, a bottle member having a lower generally cylindrical base portion which transitions into an upper bent neck portion disposed at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the lower base portion.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the upper and lower portions of the bottle member have an elongated rear surface and a shortened front surface. A plurality of finger grooves having tapered ends are disposed on the rear surfaces of the upper end of the base portion and the bent neck portion and extend around the sides of the bent neck portion and converge towards the front surface of the bent neck portion of the bottle member.
In addition, the finger grooves are separated from one another by a plurality of raised ridges to improve the user's grasp on the bottle member and the finger grooves are also disposed at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the lower base portion such that when the user positions the bottle member in the feeding position, the base portion will be disposed in a vertically upright position to lessen the stress on the user's wrist.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 191770 (1961-11-01), Schacher et al.
patent: D. 340217 (1993-10-01), Delage et al.
patent: D. 413808 (1999-09-01), Bolliger et al.
patent: D. 429159 (2000-08-01), Feen
patent: 1610136 (1926-12-01), Kelty
patent: 3145867 (1964-08-01), Roberts et al.
patent: 4676387 (1987-06-01), Stephenson et al.
patent: 5044509 (1991-09-01), Petrosky et al.
patent: 5263599 (1993-11-01), Sklar
patent: 5316160 (1994-05-01), Cautereels
patent: 5531338 (1996-07-01), Sklar
patent: 5807156 (1998-09-01), Owen
patent: 5927533 (1999-07-01), Payne et al.
patent: 6073788 (2000-06-01), Stroud
Scheetz Gina E.
Scheetz, Jr. Gordon Lee
Henderson & Sturm LLP
Weaver Sue A.
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