Surgery – Instruments – Oral pacifier
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-19
2004-07-27
Milano, Michael J. (Department: 3731)
Surgery
Instruments
Oral pacifier
C606S236000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06767357
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a pacifier which is intended to be used by an infant preferably of about eight months old or older. The present invention also relates to a shield plate for preparing a pacifier and so on.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
It is well known that there is a pacifier as toy used by an infant at nursing and weaned ages or older.
Such a pacifier is generally intended to be held by an infant in his/her mouth to make an oral stimulation so as to interest him/her. It is well known that an infant between birth and four months of age is entirely nursed by his/her mother with her breast as a source of nutrition. Therefore, one type of conventional pacifier is known which is provided with a nipple shaped like an artificial nipple.
For example,
FIG. 9
shows a partial cross-sectional view of a conventional pacifier. As shown in
FIG. 9
, the pacifier
1
comprises a nipple
2
having a shape similar to that of an artificial nipple, and a flange-shaped shield plate
3
supporting the nipple
2
. The pacifier
1
is also provided with a handle
4
extending from the shield plate
3
in the opposite direction of the nipple
2
.
In such a conventional pacifier
1
, the nipple
2
is shaped like an artificial one. Therefore, the pacifier
1
may be held by an infant between birth and about four months of age and stimulate to suckle so as to interest him/her.
Due to the shape of the nipple
2
, the pacifier
1
, as shown in
FIG. 9
, generally may interest an infant who is entirely nursed. However, it is not appropriately formed for an infant who is more developed to discourage him/her from suckling and to start eating baby or general foods.
Namely, especially at the age of about eight months old or older, an infant starts to practice ingesting baby or general foods, for which it is required to move his/her mouth in quite a different way than how he/she used it to suckle breast-milk. Therefore, the conventional pacifier is inappropriate for the infant, which is designed only taking suckling into consideration and which is provided with a nipple shaped like a mother's one. Therefore, even if it is held by such an infant, it stimulates him/her inappropriately for his/her growth and no longer properly interest him/her.
There are several objects to be solved with respect to the conventional pacifier, which will be described as follows.
1. In case of ingesting not breast milk and formula but foods, it is necessary for an infant to take foods into his/her mouth and then to close his/her mouth. The conventional pacifier however has a nipple similar to a mother's one, so that when the pacifier is held in the mouth, it enters his/her concaving roof of the mouth, which results in stimulating to move peristaltically for suckling movement. Therefore, the conventional pacifier interrupts to train an infant who starts to be weaned from suckling and to close his/her mouth, though it is required to outgrow suckling and then to start the next developmental stage of ingestion.
2. Also, at such an age, an infant begins trying to eat baby food and to speak so that he/she must change the form of his/her lips, which results in increasing the number of mouth breaths. Since the infant takes foods and then closes his/her mouth, he/she cannot breathe through his/her mouth at that time. Therefore, he/she must breathe through his/her nose when eating food. The structure of the conventional pacifier, however, does not take it into consideration to train to do so.
3. Further, if an infant at such an age gets into the habit to breathe through his/her mouth as mentioned above, he/she continues to breathe through mouth even after grown up into an adult, which results in directly affecting his/her throat and sometimes causes a serious problem such as decreasing his/her immunity. Therefore, it is important for such an infant to acquire the habit of breathing through his/her nose.
Therefore, there are several objects to be solved as mentioned above, and the present invention provides a pacifier or a shield plate for preparing a pacifier and so on, which properly interest an infant of about eight months old or older and stimulates him/her adequately in a way suitable for his/her the growth. The pacifier or the shield plate according to the present invention also can be used for directing him/her to the next stage of development regarding ingestion, and be suitably used in the stage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, the objects as described above may be overcome by a pacifier having a nipple and an extending shield plate attached on a base portion of the nipple, the nipple comprising, a tip portion having a width and a thickness, the width being larger than the thickness, to be formed into a flat shape extending in a horizontal plane, and an upper curved surface formed on an upper surface of the tip portion, the upper curved surface being designed to have a convex shape at a central portion thereof.
An infant generally has a concaving roof of the mouth in a form of hole, into which a round body such as the top of mother's nipple may fit. According to the feature as mentioned above, the pacifier according to the present invention has a nipple having a tip portion formed into a flat shape extending in a horizontal direction, so as not to be designed to fit into the concaving roof of the infant's mouth
In other words, the tip portion of the nipple extends in a horizontal direction so as not to fit into the concaving roof of the infant's mouth. Also, the upper curved surface formed on an upper surface of the tip portion, having a convex shape at a central portion thereof, is formed to fit with the hard palate located in front of the concaving roof of the mouth of an infant (in other words, which is located on the upper lip side), so that the nipple may be positioned on the hard palate in the mouth when the pacifier is held by the infant.
Therefore, the pacifier is designed not to encourage suckling due to make such a stimulation when the nipple enters the concaving roof of the month of an infant. The nipple is also designed to be easily held inside the mouth.
When the nipple is held by the mouth, it directs not to make a stimulation to suckle but to make a stimulation corresponding to the next intake style, which is to close the lips when he/she takes foods in the mouth.
Also, according to another feature of the present invention, it is characterized in that the width of the tip portion of the nipple is designed to be larger than a concaving roof of the mouth of a user infant.
Under the feature as mentioned above, since the width of the tip portion of the nipple is designed to be larger than the concaving roof of the mouth of the user infant, the pacifier according to the present invention further prevents the tip portion of the nipple from entering the concaving roof of the mouth.
Also, according to another feature of the present invention, it is characterized in that the tip portion of the nipple has a lower curved surface having a convex shape formed at a central portion thereof.
Under the feature as mentioned above, an infant is trained to learn a manner necessary for taking baby or general foods to outgrow suckling and then to start the next stage of ingestion. In the case of such ingestion, foods are gathered at the center of the tongue and then swallowed, for which the tongue has to be transformed for gathering the foods into the center thereof. The lower curved surface is designed to train him/her to learn how to sink the center of the tongue for gathering foods.
Also, according to another feature of the present invention, it is characterized in that the lower curved surface is designed to be more flexible than the upper curved surface.
Under the feature as mentioned above, since the lower curved surface of the tip portion is designed to be more flexible, the pacifier may train his/her tongue to learn a manner for ingesting foods as described hereinafter. In order that the lower curved surface is formed to transform more flexibly, the lowe
Ishimaru Aki
Nakahara Masayuki
Uehara Hiroyuki
Milano Michael J.
Pigeon Corporation
Sam Charles H.
Westerman Hattori Daniels & Adrian LLP
LandOfFree
Teething ring and bearing plate does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Teething ring and bearing plate, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Teething ring and bearing plate will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3200482