A TEAT UNIT AND A DISPOSABLE PACKAGE AS WELL AS A METHOD OF MAKING THE TEAT UNIT

Abstract: A teat unit for use for a disposable package comprising an upwardly extending teat part (3), and intermediate cover plate (2) and a downwardly extending insertion part (4). The cover plate (2) has the same extent as the area of the package side on which the teat unit is placed, and the insertion part (4) is provided with holding means (5, 6) adapted to hold the opening rim in direct sealing engagement at the downwardly facing side of the cover plate (2). This provides a teat unit which ensures that a baby's mouth will not contact said package side which may be contaminated by bacteria.

Description: A teat unit and a disposable package as well as a method of making the teat unit The present invention concerns a teat unit for use when dispensing directly into the mouth from a fluid-containing disposable package of thin sheet-shaped plastics or card¬ board material, said teat unit comprising an upwardly ex¬ tending teat part, an intermediate radial flange and a downwardly extending insertion part, which comprises hold- ing means adapted to hold the teat unit in position during dispensing with the radial flange in external engagement with the container side after the insertion part has broken the package side and has been moved through an ex¬ posed opening in it. DE Offenlegungsschrift 35 35 653 discloses a disposable package which contains a sterilely packaged milk container of powdered milk or liquid milk concentrate, which must be mixed with water before the contents can be consumed. The sealed opening must therefore be broken before the water can be added to the concentrated contents of the package, involving no small danger of the contents being contami¬ nated by bacteria via the water. It is particularly impor¬ tant that the baby milk is so bacteria-free as at all pos- sible when it is consumed by the baby. When heating the contents to the desired temperature, the old-fashioned method must be used, comprising applying a small drop of the milk to the back of the hand, or using a thermometer which is immersed in the milk involving a greatly in- creased risk of contaminating it with bacteria. The object of the present invention is to provide both a teat unit and a disposable package which is particularly easy to use without having to consider the risk of conta- minating the contents with bacteria. The novelty of the invention is that the radial flange of the teat unit is shaped as a cover plate of substantially the same extent as the area of the said package side for the package size with which the teat unit concerned is used, and that the holding means are adapted to hold the opening rim in direct sealing engagement at the downwardly facing side of the cover plate. The advantages of this is that the baby's mouth and the dispensed fluid contents, such as the warm milk, do not contact the exterior side of the package, which may be contaminated with bacteria. According to the invention the holding means may comprise external threads on the insertion part which terminate in an annular groove directly below the cover plate to re- ceive the package material. This ensures a particularly good retention of the teat unit during dispensing. Furthermore, according to the invention, the threads may expand conically in an upward direction toward the groove, so that the package material in the opening rim is pressed radially outwardly when the teat unit is screwed on, thereby providing a special seal and retention. It should be mentioned that the annular groove ensures that it is difficult to screw the teat unit out of the opening again, since the teat unit merely rotates without the threads biting the opening rim, which contributes to providing safe retention during dispensing. According to the invention, the cover plate may also com¬ prise parts protruding beyond the package side of the as¬ sociated package and even extending downwardly over the adjoining package sides with a downwardly extending, annu¬ lar edge. The invention provides a disposable package which exteri¬ orly comprises a section having a temperature sensitive coating adapted to change its colour during heating. This entails that the fluid contents of the package, such as a milk supply, is so sterile and bacteria-free as at all possible before the milk is to be consumed. The milk sup¬ ply can be heated in the unopened state of the package, said package being merely placed in a microwave oven or immersed in hot water, and when the temperature sensitive coating has changed to the correct colour it is certain that the desired temperature has been reached, and the sealed opening can be broken, the teat means can be placed in the opening, and the milk can be consumed by a baby. The invention will be explained more fully below with re¬ ference to particularly preferred embodiments as well as the drawing, in which fig. 1 is a perspective view of the teat unit, fig. 2 is a top view of the same, fig. 3 is a perspective view of the disposable package in the closed state, having adhered to its top a teat unit according to a second embodiment, wrapped sterilely in plastics sheet, fig. 4 is a view of the top part of the disposable package with the opening exposed, and fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the top part of the disposable package, with the teat placed in position in the opening. The teat unit 1 shown in fig. 1 comprises an upwardly ex¬ tending teat part 3, an intermediate radial cover plate 2 and a downwardly extending insertion part 4. In the shown embodiment the cover plate 2 has the same extent as the area of the associated package side on which the teat unit 1 is to be placed for dispensing. The insertion part 4 comprises external threads 6 which expand conically in an upward direction toward an annular groove 5 which is provided directly below the downwardly facing side of the cover plate 2. The groove 5 preferably has a width which is smaller than the thickness of the package material in the opening rim 14 which is to be re¬ ceived in the groove 5. In the embodiment shown in fig. 2 the teat unit 1 com- prises a cover plate 2' provided with parts 8 which pro¬ trude beyond the extent of the area of the container side. The protruding part might also conceivably extend as an annular edge down along the adjoining package sides. In the embodiments shown in figs. 1 and 2 the insertion part 4 is provided with a downwardly extending knife 7 for use when breaking optional sealing material in the opening 14. When the teat unit shown in figs. 1 and 2 is screwed down into an exposed opening 14 in the disposable package, the conical course of the threads 6 entails that the material in the opening rim 16 is expanded radially and compressed to provide particularly a good and safe retention in the annular groove 5. It will simultaneously be difficult to screw the teat unit 1 out of the opening again, because the material in the opening rim 16 merely rotates in the annular groove 5 without it being possible for the upper part of the threads 6 to bit. When the teat unit 1 is to be removed, it must simply be pulled directly out of the opening 14 with a greater force. The embodiment of the teat unit shown in figs. 1 and 2 may be produced by producing the cover plate 2 and the inser¬ tion part 4 of the teat unit 1 from a stiff plastics mate¬ rial, such as polyethylene, as a unitary member by in ec- tion moulding, and the actual teat part may subsequently be injection moulded from a resilient rubber-like plastics material by direct injection into a tool in which the pre- made unit has been inserted beforehand. This ensures an unprecedented good and safe retention between the teat part and the cover plate. In the embodiment of the teat unit 1' shown in figs. 3 and 5 the teat unit 1' is made in one piece by injection moulding from a resilient rubber-like material. In this embodiment the insertion part therefore just comprises the underlying annular groove 5' which is downwardly termi¬ nated by an annular bead or edge. For insertion, the resi¬ lient rubber-like material is merely compressed when the insertion part is passed down through the opening, and the material will then expand again to good retention of the opening rim 16 in the groove 5'. The disposable package 10 shown in figs. 3, 4 and 5 is made by known methods from web-shaped cardboard material provided with a liquid-tight coating, such as a plastics film, which is provided with decoration, e.g. in the form of a company logo 12, already prior to the folding to the finished package. According to the present invention the web material is simultaneously provided with sections, with a temperature sensitive coating 13 which is adapted to change its colour at specific temperatures during heating. Further, round holes 14 are punched in the web material, which are sealed by means of a tear-off sheet 15. Then the web material is folded and glued to provide the disposable package 10, and before the top is closed, the fluid supply, e.g. in the form of milk, is poured into the package in sterile surroundings. A teat 1' wrapped sterilely in plastics sheet 11 may be glued on top of the package 10. The teat 1' is removed from the disposable package 10, which is placed in a microwave oven or immersed in hot water to heat the milk supply. When the section having the temperature sensitive coating 13 has changed to the de¬ sired colour, e.g. from a blue to a green colour, the de¬ sired temperature of about 37-40"C of the milk supply has been reached. As shown in fig. 4, the opening can now be broken by tear¬ ing off the tear-off sheet 15, and the teat 1' may be placed in the opening, as shown in fig. 5. The baby can then consume the milk supply, it being completely certain that the milk supply is constantly kept in a sterile en¬ vironment and has not been contaminated undesirably by bacteria which may be very harmful to the baby. It is moreover certain that the milk has reached the desired and correct temperature by the heating before the package is broken. Further, it is certain that the baby's mouth will not contact the exterior side of the package, which may contain bacteria.

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s : 1. A teat unit for use when dispensing directly into the mouth from a fluid-containing disposable package (10) of a thin sheet-shaped plastics or cardboard material, said teat unit (1) comprising an upwardly extending teat part (3), an intermediate radial flange (2) and a downwardly extending insertion part (4) which comprises holding means (5, 6) adapted for holding the teat unit in position dur¬ ing dispensing with the radial flange (2) in external en¬ gagement with the container side after the insertion part (4) has broken the package side and has been moved through an exposed opening (14) in it, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the radial flange is shaped as a cover plate (2) having substantially the same extent as the area of the said package side for the package size with which the teat unit (1) concerned is to be used, and that holding means (5, 6) are adapted to hold the opening rim (16) in direct sealing engagement at the downwardly facing side of the cover plate (2). 2. A teat unit according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z d in that the holding means comprise an annular groove (5, 5') provided directly below the downwardly fac¬ ing side of the cover plate (2) and serving to receive the package material in the opening rim (14). 3. A teat unit according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r - i z e d in that the holding means comprise exterior threads (6) on the insertion part (4), said threads (6) being terminated in said annular groove (5, 5'). 4. A teat unit according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r - i z e d in that the threads (6) expand conically in an upward direction toward the groove (5). 5. A teat unit according to one or more of claims 1-4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the cover plate (2) comprises parts (8) which protrude beyond the said package side with the opening (14) of the associated package (10). 6. A method of making a teat unit according to claims 1- 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the cover plate (2) and the insertion part (4) of the teat unit (1) are made from a rigid plastics material, such as polyethylene, as a unitary member by injection moulding, and that the teat member (3) is subsequently injection moulded from a resi¬ lient, rubber-like plastics material by direct injection into a tool in which the pre-made unitary member has been placed beforehand. 7. A method of making a teat unit according to claims 1- 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the teat unit is made by injection moulding as a unitary member from a re¬ silient, rubber-like material. 8. A disposable package for use in connection with the teat unit stated in one or more of claims 1-5, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the package (10) comprises an external section having a temperature-sensitive coating (13) which is adapted to change its colour during heating, as well as a sealed opening (14) for use for insertion of the teat unit (1 ) .

Inventors: BOCK STEEN, BOCK, STEEN
Applicants: BABY PACK HOLDING APS, BOCK STEEN, BOCK, STEEN
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A61J11
IPC codes: A61J9, A61J11, B65D5, B65D77