Dual chambered baby bottle

A dual chambered baby bottle designed and constructed to selectively dispense a liquid to an infant from open end portions located at the upper end of each chamber. The chambers dispense the liquids through nipples attached to open ends of the chambers. The open ends of the chambers diverge from one another angularly and are space apart from one another so as to provide ample room for an infant to feed from one nipple without interference from the other. The nipples are provided with covers which are shaped as heads of animals for amusement of the infant and to facilitate removal thereof. The bottle is shaped to provide generally centered small diameter handles to facilitate controlled handling of the bottle by an infant. In addition to the toy-like nipple covers several figures which are attractive to infants are imprinted upon the outer surface of the bottle to make it attractive and amusing to an infant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to improvements in baby bottles 
and, particularly to a baby bottle which dispenses liquids from a pair of 
individual chambers. The bottle is configured in a toy-like fashion for 
amusement of a baby. Additionally, the bottle is configured to permit 
convenient dispensing through spaced apart outlets and provides handle 
portions which are easily gripped by a baby. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of liquid containers or dispensers having more than one chamber is 
well known. Examples of multiple chambered baby bottles are illustrated in 
Chang U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,784; and in Kohus U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,703,863 and 
4,778,068. Examples of multiple chambered bottles other than baby bottles 
are illustrated in Raymond U.S. Pat. No. 825,680; Meurer et al U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,269,389; Pardo U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,808; and Newton U.S. Pat No. 
3,467,269. Examples of baby bottles which include decorative 
configurations intended to amuse a baby include Fisk U.S. Pat. No. 
1,589,138; and Mead U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,805. An example of a baby bottle 
which is configured for ease of holding by a baby is illustrated in 
Campbell et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,630. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention provides a dual chambered baby-feeding bottle designed to 
dispense either of two liquids to an infant. 
Broadly, the bottle is configured to permit a baby easy access to either 
chamber. The liquid is dispensed through open ends, both of which are 
located at one end of the bottle. The ends are spaced apart so as to 
provide unimpeded use of either chamber by a baby. The bottle is 
specifically shaped so as to be easily held by a baby and so as to 
accommodate several moveable as well as rigid toy-like items for the 
amusement of the infant. 
More specifically the bottle consists of a pair of elongated chambers which 
are rigidly attached at one surface thereof to one another. The closed 
ends of the connected chambers serve as a base for standing the bottle in 
an upright position. The intermediate portions of the chambers extend 
upwardly from the closed ends and include an arcuate indentation which is 
so formed to provide a convenient means by which an infant can hold and 
control the bottle. The open end of each chamber is curved outwardly and 
away from the other chamber and is adapted to receive a conventional 
nipple assembly as well as a cover which surrounds the nipple assembly. 
The curved configuration of the open end of the chambers results in a 
spacing as well as an angular deviation between the nipples. The spacing 
and angular deviation features combine to provide a nursing infant with 
ample room to feed from one chamber without interference from the closure 
which covers the open end of the other chamber. This invention thus 
provides a baby bottle which not only provides the versatility of a dual 
chambered bottle but combines this versatility with the convenience of 
having adjacent openings, an effective handling design, and includes 
amusing figures and toys for the entertainment of its infant user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to FIG. 1 a baby bottle is illustrated generally by numeral 
10. The bottle 10 includes a pair of chambers 12 and 14, each being a 
mirror image of the other. The chambers 12 and 14 include a base or closed 
portion 16 and 17 respectively which attach to the lower part of 
intermediate portions 18 and 19 respectively. Attached to the upper part 
of intermediate portions 18 and 19 are open portions 20 and 21. It will be 
noted that open portions 20 and 21 diverge angularly from one another and 
are provided with spaced apart terminal structures only one of which is 
illustrated by numeral 22 in the exploded portion of FIG. 1. This spacing 
and angular deviation combine to provide ample room for a baby to feed 
from one chamber of the bottle without interference from the closure of 
the other chamber. As shown in the exploded and partially fragmented 
portions of FIG. 1 the terminal structure 22 has threaded connector 
portions 24 and 25 which are adapted to threadedly engage the threaded 
portions of nipple assembly 27 and nipple cover 28, each of which serves 
as closures for chamber 12. The nipple covers 28 and 29 are configured to 
resemble the head of an animal for the amusement of the infant user. This 
configuration also serves as a handle for the infant. It will be readily 
understood that the configuration of the attachment structure illustrated 
in the exploded portion of chamber 12 will be duplicated in the terminal 
structure of chamber 14. The chambers 12 and 14 include radially inner 
surfaces 40 and 42 and radially outer walls 44 and 46. As seen in FIG. 1 
the radially outer walls 44 and 46 taper inwardly from the upper area of 
the closed portions 16 and 17 to a narrowed portion in the area of the 
intermediate portions 18 and 19 and then taper gradually outwardly as they 
enter the open end portions 20 and 21. The radially inner surfaces 40 and 
42 serve as connecting surfaces between the chambers 12 and 14. As shown 
further in FIG. 1, the surfaces 40 and 42 separate and taper radially 
outwardly in the area immediately above the closed end portions 16 and 17 
and in the intermediate portions 18 and 19. The surfaces 40 and 42 then 
converge and reconnect in the approximate area of connection between the 
intermediate portions 18 and 19, and the open end portions 20 and 21. 
Finally the surfaces 40 and 42 diverge into the open end portions 20 and 
21 so as to provide adequate spacing between the terminal structures of 
the end portions 20 and 21. As shown in FIG. 1 a series of movable numbers 
or beads 47 are attached to elastic connector lines 48 which extend 
between the diverging portions of open end portions 20 and 21. These 
connectors also serve as a means to connect the covers 28 and 29 to 
prevent loss while one cover is removed during use of the bottle. The 
elastic connectors 48 are provided with conventional snaps 45 for 
removable attachment to loops 49 which are formed in the open end portions 
20 and 21, and in the nipple covers 28 and 29. 
The modified bottle as shown in FIG. 2 is similar in basic design to that 
of FIG. 1 with differences in the configuration of the radially inner 
surfaces and the outer walls so as to provide a small diameter handle 
means for very small babies. As will be noted the radially inner surfaces 
50 and 52 form a continuous connecting wall from the closed ends 54 and 56 
to the area of open end portions 58 and 60. The radially outer surfaces 62 
and 64 include arcuate radially inwardly extending portions 66 and 68, 
which are so formed to provide a relieved area for the accommodation of 
handles 70 and 72. 
The bottle illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a series of measuring indicia 74 
which may be numbered and spaced in accordance with the capacity of the 
bottle. The bottle is further provided with several FIGS. 76 of various 
shapes designed to amuse the infant user of the bottle. These indicia and 
figures of course are equally applicable for use on the bottle illustrated 
in FIG. 1. 
FIG. 3 is an illustration of an alternate means of attachment for the 
nipple covers. As shown in FIG. 3 a nipple cover 80 which is formed of an 
elastic material, is provided with a radially inwardly extending 
protrusion 82. A terminal structure 84 is provided with a radially 
inwardly extending "V" shaped groove 86, which is adapted to receive 
protrusion 82 therein. As will be readily understood, as the elastic 
nipple cover 80 is pressed over the terminal structure 84 the cover will 
expand until the protrusion 82 and the groove 86 are aligned for mating 
engagement. In this way the nipple cover is retained rigidly in place and 
may be removed without need for rotation of the nipple cover as is 
required with a threaded connection. 
From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that 
further modifications may be made and provided without departing from the 
spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention 
is to be considered as being limited only to the extent made necessary by 
the claims appended hereto.