Baby feeding pacifier with enclosed edible product

A baby feeding pacifier includes a mounting base in the form of a mouth shield and a pedestal formed on the mouth shield, an annular seat affixed on the pedestal, a support member in the form of an elongated pole also affixed on the pedestal and extending beyond the annular seat, a hollow nipple that has pores between interior and exterior surfaces thereof and inserts into an installed position on the pedestal about the annular seat and the support pole, and a body configured to provide a material adapted for human consumption within and accessible through the pores of the hollow nipple and that seats on the annular seat and fits about the elongated support pole.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to baby pacifiers, and more particularly, is concerned with a baby feeding pacifier with an enclosed edible product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Whether for feeding a mother's milk, a cow's milk or a prepared milk formula, a human or artificial nipple has been the interface with a baby for delivery of the liquid food. It seems natural that a pacifier would be devised that incorporates an artificial nipple for a baby to chew or suck on to reduce periods of stress and crying that frequently occur between feeding times.

A standard prior art pacifier typically has a hollow nipple made of an elastomeric material and a mouth shield supporting the nipple. The nipple is mounted to and extends away from a side of the mouth shield so that the baby can receive the nipple in his or her mouth. The nipple's mounting to the mouth shield prevents the baby from swallowing or choking on the nipple. The standard pacifier also typically has a handle or ring supported and extending from the opposite side of the mouth shield for gripping by a parent or other person attending to the baby's needs in order to insert or withdraw the pacifier nipple into or from the baby's mouth.

Generally speaking, the typical experience with the standard prior art pacifier has been very positive in fulfilling the needs of babies and their parents or attendants. However, the utility of the standard pacifier is fairly short lived; it starts to diminish when the baby begins to get hungry.

Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an innovation that will overcome the deficiencies of past approaches and the problems that remain unsolved so as to further enhance the utility of a pacifier.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an innovation that overcomes the deficiencies of the past approaches and the problems that remain unsolved by providing a baby feeding pacifier with an enclosed edible product that improves and lengthens the pacifier experience. The baby feeding pacifier provides a hands-free feeding capability while still serving as a pacifier. It may substitute for a portion of a feeding or simply buy time before the next feeding.

In one aspect of the present invention, a baby feeding pacifier includes:a mounting base having opposite first and second sides;a seat having opposite inner and outer ends and being affixed at the inner end to, and protruding from, the mounting base at the first side thereof;a support member extending from the mounting base at the first side thereof through the seat to an outer end portion of the support member being disposed beyond the outer end of the seat;a hollow nipple made of a deformable pliable material having pores extending between interior and exterior surfaces of the hollow nipple and having a main portion and a base portion with an open end, the hollow nipple being disposable in an installed position in which the base portion thereof extends about the seat and attaches on the mounting base and the main portion thereof extends from the base portion beyond the outer end of the seat and the outer end portion of the support member so as to form a chamber between the seat and the main portion of the hollow nipple and surrounding the outer end portion of the support member; anda body configured to provide a material adapted for human consumption within the chamber and accessible through the pores of the hollow nipple, the body being placed upon the outer end of the seat and fitting about the outer end portion of the support member so as to extend within the hollow nipple beyond the outer end of the seat and the outer end portion of the support member.

In another aspect of the present invention, a baby feeding pacifier includes:a mouth shield having a main opening and a pair of opposite sides respectively convex and concave in configuration surrounding the main opening;a pedestal formed on the mouth shield so as to extend from the convex side of the mouth shield and form a cavity that is open at the main opening of the mouth shield;an annular seat formed on the pedestal so as to extend through the cavity of the pedestal and beyond the main opening and the concave side of the mouth shield;a support pole affixed to the pedestal and extending through the annular seat to an outer end portion disposed beyond an outer end of the annular seat and the concave side of the mouth shield;a hollow nipple having a tubular body made of a deformable pliable material having pores extending between interior and exterior surfaces of the hollow nipple such that the hollow nipple at one end portion inserts into an installed position on an end wall of the pedestal and extends about the annular seat and the support pole and beyond the outer end portion thereof so as to form a chamber between the annular seat and the tubular body of the hollow nipple and surrounding the outer end portion of the support pole; anda body configured to provide a material adapted for human consumption within the chamber and accessible through the pores of the hollow nipple, the body being placed upon the outer end of the annular seat and fitting about the outer end portion of the support pole so as to extend within the hollow nipple beyond the outer end of the annular seat and the outer end portion of the support pole.

In another aspect of the present invention, a baby feeding pacifier includes:a mouth shield being arcuate in configuration and having a main opening and a pair of opposite sides respectively convex and concave in configuration surrounding the main opening;a pedestal formed on the mouth shield so as to extend from the convex surface of the mouth shield, the pedestal includingan annular side wall having inner and outer edges and opposite interior and exterior surfaces extending between the inner and outer edges and being attached at the inner edge to the mouth shield about the main opening thereof and protruding away from the convex side of the mouth shield to the outer edge of the annular side wall being spaced outwardly from the inner edge thereof, andan end wall having opposite interior and exterior surfaces, being flat in configuration and extending across and attached at the interior surface to the outer edge of the annular side wall and spaced from the main opening of the mouth shield such that the pedestal forms a cavity adjacent to the convex side of the mouth shield;an annular seat having inner and outer ends and opposite interior and exterior sides extending between the inner and outer ends, the annular seat being attached at the inner end thereof on the end wall of the pedestal so as to extend from the interior surface of the end wall through the cavity of the pedestal and through and beyond the main opening and the concave side of the mouth shield, the annular seat being spaced at the exterior side thereof from the interior surface of the annular side wall of the pedestal so as to form an annular slot therebetween that extends to an annular portion of the end wall of the pedestal;a support pole affixed at one end on the interior surface of the end wall of the pedestal and extending through the annular seat to an opposite end portion disposed beyond the outer end of the annular seat and the concave surface of the mouth shield, the support pole having an exterior surface spaced from and surrounded by the interior surface of the annular seat so as to form an annular void therebetween;a hollow nipple made of a deformable pliable material having pores extending between interior and exterior surfaces of the hollow nipple such that the hollow nipple at one end portion inserts into an installed position in the annular slot between the pedestal and the annular seat in which the one end portion of the hollow nipple abuts the annular portion of the end wall of the pedestal and an opposite end portion of the hollow nipple extends beyond the concave side of the mouth shield, the outer end of the annular seat and the outer end portion of the support pole so as to form a chamber between the annular seat and the opposite end portion of the hollow nipple and surrounding the opposite end portion of the support pole;pluralities of male and female elements respectively defined at the one end portion of the hollow nipple and in the annular portion of the end wall of the pedestal that releasably interfit with one another so as to retain the hollow nipple in the installed position in the annular slot within the cavity of the pedestal; anda body configured to provide a material adapted for human consumption within the chamber and accessible through the pores of the hollow nipple, the body being placed upon the outer end of the annular seat and fitting about the outer end portion of the support pole so as to extend within the hollow nipple beyond the outer end of the annular seat and the outer end portion of the support pole.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now toFIGS. 1-6, there is illustrated an exemplary embodiment of a baby feeding pacifier, generally designated100, in accordance with aspects of the present invention. The baby feeding pacifier100includes a mounting base in the form of a mouth guard or shield102and a pedestal104formed on the mouth shield102, an annular seat106affixed on the pedestal104, a support member in the form of an elongated pole108also affixed on the pedestal104, a hollow nipple110that has pores112and inserts into an installed position on the pedestal104about the annular seat106and the elongated support pole108, and a body114configured to provide a material adapted for human consumption within and accessible through the pores112of the hollow nipple110and that seats on the annular seat106and fits about the elongated support pole108.

More particularly, the mouth shield102of the pacifier100is generally arcuate in configuration providing opposite sides116,118respectively convex and concave in configuration. The mouth shield102also has a main opening120as well as a pair of auxiliary openings122and an arcuate slot124spaced in different directions from the main opening120. The pedestal104of the pacifier100is formed on the mouth shield102so as to protrude outwardly from the convex side116of the mouth shield102. The pedestal104together with the shape of the periphery of the mount shield102and the presence of the auxiliary openings122and the arcuate slot124may be viewed as simulating the face of an animal such as a pig or the like. The auxiliary openings122and the arcuate slot124also may serve to provide access of air through the openings122and slot124to areas around the lips L and mouth M of a baby (seeFIG. 6) using the pacifier100so as to prevent the pacifier from obstructing air flow to these areas.

The pedestal104is formed by an annular side wall126generally cylindrical in configuration and an end wall128generally flat in configuration. The annular side wall126has inner and outer edges126A,126B and opposite interior and exterior surfaces130,132extending between the inner and outer edges126A,126B. The annular side wall126is attached at the inner edge126A to the mouth shield102about the main opening120thereof. The annular side wall126protrudes away from the convex side116of the mouth shield102to the outer edge126B of the annular side wall126, which is spaced outwardly from inner edge126A thereof. The end wall128, having opposite interior and exterior surfaces134,136, extends across and is attached at its interior surface134to the outer edge126B of the annular side wall126of the pedestal104such that the end wall128is spaced from the main opening120and the pedestal104forms a cavity138adjacent to the convex side116of the mouth shield102. The end wall128also has an annular peripheral edge portion128A that surrounds and extends outwardly from the outer edge126B of the annular side wall126so as to provide a means for easily gripping the pacifier100to insert and remove it to and from the baby's mouth M.

The annular seat106and the elongated pole108serve to hold the body of material114in the desired manner in the hollow nipple110of the pacifier100. The annular seat106has inner and outer ends106A,106B and opposite interior and exterior sides140,142extending between the inner and outer ends thereof. The annular seat106is attached at its inner end106A on the interior surface134of the end wall128of the pedestal104so as to extend therefrom through the cavity138of the pedestal104and beyond the main opening120and the concave side118of the mouth shield102. The annular seat106is spaced at its exterior side142from the interior surface130of the annular side wall126of the pedestal104so as to form an annular slot144therebetween that extends or leads to an annular portion128B of the end wall128of the pedestal104. The elongated support pole108is affixed at one end108A on a centered location of the interior surface134of the end wall128of the pedestal104. The elongated support pole108extends through the central void146defined by the interior side140of the annular seat106to an opposite end portion108B being disposed or protruding beyond the outer end106B of the annular seat106and the concave surface120of the mouth shield102. The elongated support pole108has an exterior surface148spaced from and surrounded by the interior side140of the annular seat106so as to form an annular void150therebetween.

The hollow nipple110is made of a deformable pliable material having pores112therein that extend between interior and exterior surfaces152,154of the hollow nipple110. The hollow nipple110has a base portion156and a main portion158with an open end158A. The hollow nipple110is disposable in an installed position, as best seen inFIGS. 5 and 6, wherein it inserts at the one end of the base portion156into the installed position in the annular slot144between the pedestal104and the annular seat106in which the base portion156abuts the annular portion128B of the end wall128of the pedestal104and extends about the annular seat106and attaches on the pedestal104. The main portion158of the hollow nipple110extends beyond the outer end106B of the annular seat106, the concave side118of the mouth shield102and the outer end portion108B of the support pole108so as to form a chamber160between the annular seat106and the opposite end of the main portion158of the hollow nipple110and surrounding the opposite end portion108B of the elongated support pole108. Pluralities of male and female elements, embodied as snap-in projections162and apertures164respectively formed at the one end of the base portion156of the hollow nipple110and in the annular portion128B of the end wall128of the pedestal104. The male snap-in projections162and female apertures164releasably interfit with one another so as to retain the hollow nipple110in the installed position in the annular slot144within the cavity138of the pedestal104. These elements allow insertion and removal of the hollow nipple110to and from the installed position which allows the pacifier100to be refilled and reused with a new body of material114. In the case where the pacifier100is intended to be a one-time disposable item, the hollow nipple110may be permanently attached to the pedestal104.

The body114is configured to provide a material adapted for human consumption within the chamber160and accessible through the pores112of the hollow nipple110. The body114has a tubular body section114A and a spherical head section114B that are relatively complementary in shape but smaller in size relative to the shape and size of a tubular body110A and a spherical head110B (of the base and main portions156,158) of the hollow nipple110. The body of material114is intended to be placed upon the outer end106B of the annular seat106and fitted over the outer end portion108B of the support pole108so as to extend within the hollow nipple beyond the outer end106B of the annular seat106and the outer end portion106B of the support pole108. The installed hollow nipple110covers the body of material114so as to prevent breakage of the latter and thereby avoidable of any harm to the baby. The sizes of the pores112may vary for gauging a slower or faster entry of a baby's saliva S (seeFIG. 6) and the release of the material and access to it through the pores112in the nipple110. The body of material114may be provided in a candy-like state and may consist of, by way of example but not limitation, baby formula, milk, flavored milk, supplements, fruit or vegetable juices.

The above-described embodiments are merely exemplary illustrations of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations, combinations, modifications or equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all the embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.