Baby bottle warmer

• US 9,480,363 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beja, Raymond, David Carson, Romeo, Michael, Schwartz, Eric Davis, Thomas Delattre
• Original Assignee: Beja, Raymond, David Carson, Romeo, Michael, Schwartz, Eric Davis, Thomas Delattre
• Inventors: Delattre, Thomas, Romeo, Michael, Beja, Raymond, Carson, David, Schwartz, Eric Davis
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Herzfeld, Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US13/229,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20120064470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 432/29, 432/36, 432/48, 219385-387
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/2433 with electrical heating means

Abstract

An bottle warming apparatus may be provided. The apparatus may include a bottle for storing food and fluids. The bottle may include a recessed portion and indentations positioned on opposite sides of the bottle. Additionally, the apparatus may include a bottle housing configured to receive the bottle. The apparatus may also include a heating element that is positionable into the recessed portion of the bottle. Furthermore, the apparatus may include a pressure-sensitive switch that activates the apparatus when the bottle exerts enough pressure against the switch as the bottle is positioned into the bottle housing. Heat may be generated by the heating element when the apparatus is activated and be utilized to warm the bottle. The apparatus may further include a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the bottle. A signal may be transmitted to instruct the apparatus to deactivate when an optimal temperature is reached.

Claims

1. A bottle warming apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a bottle including a first volume configured to receive and store at least one of food or fluid, wherein the bottle includes a first recessed portion and first and second indentations positioned on opposite sides of the bottle, wherein the bottle further includes a second recessed portion positioned on a bottom portion of the bottle;

a bottle housing for enclosing the bottle, wherein an inner wall of the bottle housing defines a second volume having a size and shape for receiving at least a portion of the bottle;

a heating element configured to position within the first recessed portion of the bottle when the bottle is positioned into the bottle housing;

a pressure-sensitive switch within the bottle housing that aligns relative with the first indentation of the bottle such that when the pressure-sensitive switch is aligned with the first indentation, the bottle applies an amount of pressure against the pressure-sensitive switch to trigger activation of the bottle warming apparatus, wherein the heating element generates and transmits heat to the bottle when the bottle warming apparatus is activated; and

a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the bottle, wherein the temperature sensor aligns relative with the second indentation when the bottle is positioned into the bottle housing, wherein a portion of the temperature sensor resides within the second recessed portion when the bottle is positioned into the bottle housing, wherein a portion of a temperature coefficient device for regulating the temperature resides within the first recessed portion when the bottle is positioned into the bottle housing, wherein the temperature sensor transmits a signal to the bottle warming apparatus to deactivate when an optimal temperature is reached.

2. The bottle warming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power source for providing power to the bottle warming apparatus, wherein the power source comprises one of a battery, an electrical adapter, an automotive adapter, or a solar power source.

3. The bottle warming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light source configured to turn on when the bottle is first positioned into the bottle housing and after the bottle warming apparatus is activated.

4. The bottle warming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the light source is configured to turn off and on for a predetermined number of times when the temperature sensor determines that the optimal temperature is reached.

5. The bottle warming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to transmit a reactivation signal to the bottle warming apparatus to reactivate the bottle warming apparatus when the temperature sensor determines that the temperature of the bottle has fallen below the optimal temperature.

6. The bottle warming apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the bottle is removed from the bottle housing and the pressure is removed from the pressure-sensitive switch, a deactivation signal is transmitted to the bottle warming apparatus to deactivate the bottle warming apparatus.

7. The bottle warming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an emitter cover configured to cover the heating element to prevent the heating element from directly touching the bottle, wherein the emitter cover is configured to position within the first recessed portion of the bottle.

8. The bottle warming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensitive switch only activates the bottle warming apparatus when the pressure applied by the bottle is greater than a predetermined pressure.

9. The bottle warming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electronic processor, wherein the processor is configured to perform at least one of display the temperature, output a sound when the bottle is first positioned into the bottle housing, output a sound when the optimal temperature is reached, and output a warning when the temperature is outside a predetermined temperature range.

10. The bottle warming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power connector cover for covering a bottom portion of the bottle warming apparatus, wherein the power connector cover enables the use of multiple power cords for powering the bottle warming apparatus.

11. The bottle warming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising covering the bottle housing with a molded gripping portion so that a user may readily grip the bottle warming apparatus, and wherein a top surface of the bottle housing has curvatures along a circumference of the top surface that enable the bottle to be readily removed from the bottle housing.

12. A bottle warming apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a bottle including a first volume configured to receive and store at least one of food or fluid, wherein the bottle includes a first recessed portion and an indentation positioned on a side of the bottle, wherein the bottle further includes a second recessed portion positioned on a bottom portion of the bottle;

a bottle housing having an inner wall defining a second volume for receiving at least a portion of the bottle, wherein the bottle housing includes a reflective lining on the inner wall;

a heating element configured to position within the first recessed portion of the bottle when the bottle is positioned into the bottle housing, wherein the heating element is an infrared core;

a pressure-sensitive switch within the bottle housing that aligns relative with the indentation of the bottle such that when the pressure-sensitive switch is aligned with the indentation, the bottle applies an amount of pressure against the pressure-sensitive switch to trigger activation of the bottle warming apparatus, wherein the heating element generates and transmits heat to the bottle based on activating the bottle warming apparatus, wherein the reflective lining of the bottle housing causes infrared energy to bounce back towards the bottle while the heating element generates and transmits the heat; and

a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the bottle, wherein a portion of the temperature sensor resides within the second recessed portion when the bottle is positioned into the bottle housing, wherein a portion of a temperature coefficient device for regulating the temperature resides within the first recessed portion when the bottle is positioned into the bottle housing, wherein the temperature sensor transmits a signal to the bottle warming apparatus to deactivate the bottle warming apparatus when an optimal temperature is reached.

13. A method for warming a bottle using a bottle warming apparatus, the method comprising:

inserting a bottle into a bottle housing of the bottle warming apparatus, wherein the bottle includes a first volume for receiving and storing at least one of food or fluid, wherein the bottle includes a first recessed portion and first and second indentations positioned on opposite sides of the bottle, wherein the bottle further includes a second recessed portion positioned on a bottom portion of the bottle, wherein an inner wall of the bottle housing defines a second volume having a size and shape for receiving at least a portion of the bottle;

triggering a pressure-sensitive switch to activate the bottle warming apparatus when the bottle is inserted into the bottle housing, wherein the pressure-sensitive switch is configured to align relative with the first indentation of the bottle such that when the pressure-sensitive switch is aligned with the first indentation, the bottle applies an amount of pressure against the press-sensitive switch to trigger activation of the bottle warming apparatus;

activating the bottle warming apparatus after triggering the pressure-sensitive switch, wherein the bottle warming apparatus transmits a signal to a heating element to generate heat, wherein the heating element is configured to position within the first recessed portion of the bottle when the bottle is inserted into the bottle housing;

warming the bottle by utilizing the heating element, wherein the heating element generates and transmits heat to the bottle when the bottle warming apparatus is activated;

measuring a temperature of the bottle by utilizing a temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor aligns relative with the second indentation when the bottle is inserted into the bottle housing, wherein a portion of the temperature sensor resides within the second recessed portion when the bottle is positioned into the bottle housing, wherein a portion of a temperature coefficient device for regulating the temperature resides within the first recessed portion when the bottle is positioned into the bottle housing; and

deactivating the bottle warming apparatus and the heating element when the temperature reaches an optimal temperature.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing power to the bottle warming apparatus by utilizing a power source, wherein the power source comprises one of a battery, an electrical adapter, an automotive adapter, or a solar power source.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising activating a light source when the bottle is inserted into the bottle housing, wherein the light source is one of a light emitting diode or a bulb.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising reactivating the bottle warming apparatus and the heating element when the temperature sensor determines that the temperature falls below the optimal temperature.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising deactivating the bottle warming apparatus after reactivating the bottle warming apparatus when the temperature reaches the optimal temperature again.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising deactivating the bottle warming apparatus when the bottle is removed from the bottle housing.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising outputting a sound when the bottle is removed from the bottle housing, and further comprising outputting a sequence of sounds when the temperature reaches the optimal temperature.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising triggering the pressure-sensitive switch only when a predetermined pressure is exerted by the bottle onto the pressure-sensitive switch.