Pacifier

• US 4,481,949 A
• Filed: 02/24/1982
• Issued: 11/13/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mapa GmbH Gummi- Und Plastikwerke
• Original Assignee: Mapa GmbH Gummi- Und Plastikwerke
• Inventors: Kesselring, Lutz, Frodrich, Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRUTER, JEROME
• Application Number:
  US06/351,910
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 128/359, 128/360, 128/133, 215/11 R, 119/71, 24/213 R
• US Class Current: 606/236
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 17/001 Baby-comforters
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 17/105 Nipple attachments

Abstract

A pacifier or dummy includes a resilient nipple, a guard, and a plug body inserted into the end of the tubular portion of the nipple that is opposite to the mouthpiece. The plug body is carried by a base, which is supported by the guard and is resilient in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the nipple. The plug has projections, which are particularly formed with beveled surfaces and movable along the axis of the nipple. The guard is provided with beveled surfaces adjacent to an opening in the guard. In response to a pull on the nipple, the base is resiliently deformed and the projections of the plug move toward the beveled surfaces of the guard. The plug body has outwardly protruding projections, which are oversize with respect to the clearance between lugs formed on the guard in the opening.

Claims

1. In a pacifier comprising

a guard having a first side and an oppositely directed second side with a through opening extending from the first side to the second side and with protruding supporting means spaced around said opening on said second side and extending outwardly from said second side in an axial direction of said through opening,

an elastic nipple having a tubular portion, which extends through said opening, and a mouthpiece which is integral with said tubular portion and disposed on and spaced outwardly from the first side of said guard, said tubular portion having an axis extending generally parallel to the axis of said through opening, and

a plug comprising a plug body and a base connected to said plug body and disposed on said second side of said guard and bearing on said supporting means, said plug body extending into said opening in said guard and being surrounded for a part of its length by said tubular portion, said plug body and said opening in said guard each having facing abutment surfaces including inclined surfaces,

the improvement residing in that

said guard comprises first inclined surfaces disposed on the outside of said tubular portion and facing said base, said first inclined surfaces being inclined relative to the axis of said through opening and tubular portion,

said plug is formed with second inclined surfaces disposed on the inside of said tubular portion and facing said first inclined surfaces, said second inclined surfaces being inclined relative to the axes of said through opening and tubular portion,

said base is resilient in the axial direction of said tubular portion of said nipple to permit movement of said second inclined surfaces toward said first inclined surfaces in the axial direction of said tubular portion,

said plug body having projections thereon facing outwardly toward said guard so that during elastic deformation of said base said projections can be moved in the axial region of said through opening in said guard and are guided by said base relative to said guard, and

said base is a flexible disclike member extending transversely of the axial direction of said tubular portion radially outwardly from and hinged to said plug body, and said disclike member bears axially against said supporting means in the form of a circumferentially projecting portion of said guard.

2. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein

said first inclined surfaces and said second inclined surfaces are complementary to and face one another.

3. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein

said tubular portion has a rolled-up rim at its end disposed on said second side of said guard and

said second inclined surfaces are formed on said base and support said rolled-up rim.

4. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein

said plug body has in cross-section an elongated shape having a major axis and a minor axis and is formed at the ends of said major axis with narrow side faces including at least some of said projections forming said second inclined surfaces,

said tubular portion has at its end disposed on said second side of said guard a rolled-up rim bearing on said second inclined surfaces,

whereby said rolled-up rim is clamped more strongly against said first inclined surfaces in response to a movement of said second inclined surfaces toward said first inclined surfaces in said axial direction of said tubular portion.

5. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein

said plug body has in cross-section an elongated shape having a major axis and a minor axis and is formed with side faces which are parallel to said major axis and include some of said projections forming said second inclined surfaces tapering inwardly toward said mouthpiece,

said guard is formed on said second side with a beveled surface which defines at least part of said opening and tapers in the same direction as said projections on said side faces and said beveled surfaces form at least some of said first inclined surfaces.

6. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein

said guard is formed in said through opening with mutually opposite lugs which protrude into said opening, and

said plug body has at least certain of said projections in register with said lugs and in spaced relation thereto.

7. The improvement set forth in claim 6, wherein

said plug body is formed with cavities adjacent to said projections in register with said lugs and separated from said projections by respective resilient web portions adapted to be resiliently depressed and said web portions have outside surfaces which face said lugs and comprise at least certain of said second inclined surfaces.

8. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein

said supporting means comprise an annular rib, which is formed with a radially inwardly open, annular recess,

said base bears on said rib in said recess and covers the opening in said guard,

said guard is formed at said openings with lugs, which protrude into said opening,

at least certain of said projections on said plug body, are disposed on the first side of said guard and are axially spaced from and face respective ones of said lugs, and

said tubular portion extends between said lugs and said projections.

9. The improvement set forth in claim 8, wherein

said lugs and the facing said projections have parallel confronting surfaces defining a labyrinthlike passage and

said tubular portion extends through said passage.

10. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein

said plug body is hinged to said base by a flexible neck.

11. The improvement set forth in claim 10, wherein

said rib is formed with a step defining said recess,

said base has a rim which bears on said rib in and is centered by said recess, and

said base is held in said recess by its own resilience and by the resilience of said tubular portion extending between said lugs and projections.

12. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said base is formed with a wave-shaped portion, which is concentric with said plug body.

13. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein

said circumferentially projecting portion comprises an annular rib and

said base is secured to and covers said annular rib.

14. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said base projects radially outwardly from said plug body.

15. The improvement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plug body in cross-section extending transversely of the axial direction of said tubular portion has an elongated shape with a major axis and a minor axis, at least certain of said projections are located along the sides of the opening extending in the direction of the minor axis, said tubular portion has at its end disposed on said second side of said guard a rolled-up rim, said guard having inwardly directed lugs in surface contact with said rolled-up rim so that said rolled-up rim is located between said lugs and said base, said plug body having cavities therein with one said cavity adjacent each of said projections, a resilient web portion separating each of said cavities and the respective said projection, and said webs located between said cavities and the sides of said plug body extending in the direction of the minor axis and said webs forming a V-shaped recess in the outside surface of said plug body.

16. The improvement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plug body in cross-section extending transversely of the axial direction of said tubular portion has an elongated shape with a major axis and a minor axis and the sides of said plug body extending in the direction of said major axis forming at least certain of said projections with said projections commencing adjacent said base and extending toward the opposite end of said plug body and said through opening in said guard closer to said base defining inclined surfaces facing toward said projections on said plug body and said tubular portion located between said projections on said plug body and said surfaces on said guard.

17. The improvement as set forth in claim 16, wherein said projections are spaced in the axial direction of said tubular portion from said lugs on said guard with said projections located closer to said first side of said guard with said tubular portion of said nipple located between said projections and said lugs, and said projections extending radially outwardly at least into the projection of said lugs extending in the axial direction of said tubular portion.

18. The improvement as set forth in claim 1, wherein said circumferentially projecting portion comprises an annular protruding rim extending outwardly from the second side of said guard in the axial direction of said tubular portion and spaced radially outwardly from the opening in said guard, said base is fitted within and in bearing engagement with said rib, said base covers the through opening in said guard, radially inwardly directed lugs formed in said through opening in said guard at the end of said through opening closer to said base, and at least certain of said projections on said plug body being spaced in the axial direction of said tubular portion from said lugs in the direction closer to the first side of said guard, and said tubular portion of said nipple being located between said lugs and at least certain of said projections.