Method and apparatus for expelling air from a flexible liner baby nursing bottle

• US 5,033,631 A
• Filed: 02/08/1990
• Issued: 07/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harold Nightingale
• Original Assignee: Harold Nightingale
• Inventors: Nightingale, Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Weaver, Sue A.
• Application Number:
  US07/477,244
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 215/11.1, 215/11.3, 215/11.6, 215/11.4, 222/326, 222/95, 222/105, 222/340, 222/386
• US Class Current: 215/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 9/001 with inner liners
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/2425 by compression of deformable ampoule or carpule wall

Abstract

A method and related apparatus for expelling air from a flexible liner baby nursing bottle includes an axially elongated connecting rod which is guided and carried by a support bushing having the general size and shape of the lower open end portion of the shell body of the nursing bottle. The support bushing is located intermediate a disk shaped ram portion at one end of the connecting rod and a supporting handle at the opposite end of the connecting rod. The support bushing is inserted into the open end of the shell body and the ram portion is moved axially along a rectilinear path to decrease the volume of the flexible liner and expel air from within the cavity formed by the nipple and the flexible liner through an orifice in the nipple at the upper open end of the shell body. During interruption of the nursing process, the apparatus and nursing bottle are set in an upright position whereby the ram maintains the volume of the flexible liner to that of the volume of liquid in the baby bottle to prevent air from reentering the liner through the orifice in the nipple.

Claims

1. In combination with a nursing baby bottle of the general type having a generally cylindrical shell body characterized by an open upper end portion for receiving and supporting a sack-like, flexible liner which contains a liquid to be dispensed, a nipple for covering the open upper end portion of the shell and liner, the liner extending generally axially inward into the shell body and toward an open lower end portion of the shell body, apparatus for varying the volume of the flexible liner as the liquid is dispensed, said apparatus comprising:

an axially elongated connecting rod having first and second ends;

support means comprising a body having a thickness, a first and second circumferential surface disposed opposite one another and a peripheral size and shape generally corresponding to the size and shape of the lower open end portion of the shell body for insertion therein and for complementary frictional engagement with the lower open end portion of the shell body, said support means body having an aperture extending axially through said body between said first and second circumferential surfaces, said aperture being dimensioned for carrying and guiding said connecting rod in an axial direction along a rectilinear path and for limiting lateral movement of said connecting rod with respect to the shell body;

means coupled to one end of said connecting rod and defining a ram, said ram being dimensioned smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the shell body to permit the ram to be received within the shell body without contacting the shell body;

means coupled to the other end of said connecting rod and defining a handle, said support means being intermediate said handle and said ram, said handle further having means for supporting said apparatus and baby nursing bottle in an axially upright position on a resting surface;

said ram being continuously movable along said rectilinear path in both a direction away from and toward the open upward end of the shell body and out of and into contact with the flexible liner to vary the volume of the liner to expel air from the liner so that the volume of the liner is substantially equal to the volume of the liquid contained in the liner and to prevent reentry of air into the liner through the nipple when the apparatus and baby nursing bottle is supported on the resting surface in an upright position by said handle support means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said ram is disk shaped.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said handle is disk shaped.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said support means body is an annular bushing and further comprises an increasing tapered peripheral wall portion extending generally in a direction from one of said first and second circumferential surfaces toward the other of said first and second circumferential surfaces and a flanged end portion being located at the larger diameter of said one and other of said first and second circumferential surfaces, said flanged end portion defining means for limiting the distance said support means body is inserted into said lower open end portion of the shell body.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said peripheral wall portion of said support means body is roughened.

6. Method for eliminating air from a nursing baby bottle of the general type having a flexible liner for holding liquid which is to be dispensed, a nipple and a shell body for supporting the flexible liner and the nipple, the body supporting the nipple at one end and having an opening at the other end, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a connecting rod having a first end portion including plunger means and a second end portion including base supporting means;

providing a shell body supporting means for supporting the connecting rod with reference to the shell body and having an axial opening dimensioned to pass the connecting rod through the opening;

attaching the shell body supporting means to the shell body with the first end portion of the connecting rod extending along the longitudinal axis within the shell body and adjacent to the flexible liner;

applying a force to the second end portion of the connecting rod thereby moving the connecting rod and causing the first end portion to contact and apply force to the flexible liner reducing its volume and being applied until all of the air within the liner is expelled with only liquid remaining, and

resting the weight of the assembled combination of the connecting rod, supporting means and nursing baby bottle on the second end portion of the connecting rod thus resulting in the first end portion applying a constant force to the flexible liner and preventing air from reentering the flexible liner.

7. Method for eliminating air as defined in claim 6 wherein the step of providing a connecting rod includes providing a disk shaped first end portion defining said plunger means and a disk shaped second end portion defining said base supporting means.