Bottles and jars – Nursing bottles and nipples
Utility Patent
1998-04-13
2001-01-02
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Nursing bottles and nipples
C220S603000, C248S910000, C248S364000
Utility Patent
active
06168034
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to self righting bottles. These bottles resist tipping, are self righting, and thereby, avoid leaking from a sideways position through the cap or nipple of the bottle.
2. Discussion of Related Art
When toddler or infant formula bottles lie sideways, leakage may occur from the end cap or nipple portion of the bottle or both. Leakage of the contents of the bottle can create sticky areas. If the contents are relatively expensive as is the case with formula or dietary liquid supplements for children's diets, such leakage is particularly wasteful.
3. During the course of a child's day-to-day activities, it is likely that a bottle will be tossed sideways, pushed or even intentionally shoved away. An adult monitoring the child's intake of liquid will be unable to rectify and upright the bottle fast enough before leakage occurs. Considering that this may occur throughout the day, the quantity of the contents lost to leakage adds up. As a result, the person monitoring the liquid intake of the child approximates the amount of spillage and deducts that amount from the total intake. Preferably, the bottle should resist tipping and spillage to enable precise measuring of liquid intake and obviate the necessity to guess at approximate leakages.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,601,767; 4,303,170; 4,388,996; 4,953,737; 5,294,918 among others disclose various forms of self righting drinking cups. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,996 teaches a self righting drinking cup having a removable base so that the cup may be separately used in the conventional fashion. The base is adapted to engage the cup to form a push or screw fit. U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,018 teaches a self righting drinking cup with a weighted base, a removable lid, a drinking spout and a separate vent hole. While U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,737 discloses a self righting vessel which does not require a weighted base, it mentions that ballast was used to achieve a self righting cup.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention resides in a self,righting bottle or combination bottle and holder that prevents leakages otherwise resulting in drips, spills, and stains on floors, floor coverings and carpets, particularly permanent stains on various floor coverings. Preferably, the invention keeps the nipple clean by avoiding such leakages for prolonged periods, thereby preventing nipple contamination by other substances proximate to the nipple end of the bottle.
The self righting bottle includes a container with at least one sidewall, a weighted bottom having an outwardly facing convex surface, the bottom having a center of mass situated so that, in cooperation with the convex surface, the bottle self rights itself into an upright position from a prone position after being tipped on a level surface into the prone position.
The self righting bottle may be configured, molded or accessorized as a clown, face or cartoon character.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, while the scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims.
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Colbrin & Gittes
Mai Tri M.
Shoap Allan N.
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