Abstract:
The present invention is a combination baby bottle and amusement device. The baby bottle has a hollow cylindrical body and a bladder that holds the feeding liquid. The device is adapted to frictionally fit into an open end of the cylinder opposite a feeding nipple. The device projects light beams into the liquid filled bladder and also produces a sound show. The device projects a single or multiple light beams that change color, shape, intensity, and blink synchronously with time. The light and sound show entertain the baby while it is feeding and may also pacify and arouse the baby.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to bottles for feeding an infant or baby, and more particularly to a combination baby bottle and amusement device that provides a random light and sound show for a baby while feeding. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     The following art defines the present state of this field: 
     Mattice et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,406 describes a baby bottle having a bottle portion with a first proximal end and a second distal end relative a feeding baby, a nipple portion attached to the bottle portion at the proximal end, a light member for illuminating the bottle attached to the distal end of the bottle portion and an attachment member for attaching the light member to the bottle. The light member includes a light source, a main power switch and a power source, all electrically connected together and mounted within a protective housing. The light member may also include an angle sensitive switch for activating the light source when the bottle is not upright. 
     Eagart, U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,034 describes an electronic musical adapter for removable attachment to a baby nursing bottle to produce a musical tune to soothe and amuse the baby upon movement of the bottle during the feeding process. The adapter comprising a cup-shaped housing, a melody producing circuit including an integrated circuit microchip within which is stored musical tune information, a battery power source, a buzzer-type speaker and a motion-activated microswitch for activating the microchip, and a wafer-like container encapsulating the melody producing circuit removably situated within the cup-shaped housing proximate the bottom thereof. 
     The prior art teaches both light and sound displays in a baby bottle. However, the prior art does not teach a miniature light and sound display means easily attached to a baby bottle and capable of various light displays into the baby bottle as well as sound displays in the manner shown in the present invention. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below. 
     Baby feeding bottles are commonly used for the sole purpose of providing a baby with nourishment. Some parents also use the baby bottle as a means to pacify the baby when the baby becomes irritated or upset. However, the baby often becomes disinterested or drowsy while feeding and begins to fall asleep. When the bottle is used as a pacifier, the baby will often reject it. The present invention teaches a light and sound producing device utilized in conjunction with a baby bottle to provide a means of entertainment for the baby to prevent the baby from falling asleep prematurely or rejecting the bottle when used as a pacifier. 
     The present invention is a combination baby feeding bottle and light and sound device. A baby bottle comprises a support portion, a bladder adapted to fit inside the support portion, a drinking nipple, and a bottle top used as a clamp for the bladder. A lighting device comprises a housing, a battery power supply, a light bulb, a reflector, a lens, a switch, a motorized light filter, and a buzzer device for producing sounds as driven by an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the lighting device further comprises a motor with an extended shaft holding the light filter over the light bulb shaft. The light filter is multicolored, multi-textured, or a combination of both. The light bulb projects a light beam through the filter, thereby providing a means to change the light beam&#39;s color, shape, or a combination of both. The motor is controlled by the integrated circuit, thereby providing a means for producing constant or intermittent rotation of the motor shaft and second lens in accordance to a program stored within the integrated circuit. The constant rotation of the shaft and lens provides a means for changing the color or shape of the light beam with time. The integrated circuit also provides a means for periodic interruption of the light beam and for adjusting the light beam&#39;s intensity. 
     The lighting device is adapted to frictionally fit within the support portion. The light beam projected by the lighting device is reflected into the support portion and illuminates the bottle and the liquid contained within the bladder. 
     A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a means to entertain a baby with a light show while the baby is feeding, having advantages not taught by the prior art. The light show consists of one or more light beams projected by the lighting device into the bottle. The light show consists of light beams that change color, shape, intensity, and/or blink continuous with time. The light show provides a means to mesmerize and entertain the baby while it is feeding. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a pacifying effect on the baby. When babies cry uncontrollably, parents commonly attempt to pacify the baby by resorting to a baby bottle. However, the baby is often disinterested and will not accept the bottle. The light show provided by the present invention arouses the baby&#39;s interest in the bottle. Prior art merely provides an object for the baby to suck on without providing an alternative to focus their attention. The light show provides an alternative for the baby&#39;s focus and therefore the light show has a pacifying affect. 
     A further objective of the present invention is to have an arousing effect on the baby. Babies have a tendency to become drowsy and fall asleep while feeding. Many parents may not want the baby to sleep when they are feeding, but desire the baby to complete a full feeding. The lighting device provides a light show that arouses the baby and therefore is conducive to a thorough feeding, providing a further advantage over the prior art. 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the combination baby feeding bottle assembly and lighting device; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the combination taken along line  3 — 3  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3A is a disk for controlling the color of a light beam of the invention; 
     FIG. 3B is a disk for controlling the shape of a light beam of the invention; and 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram depicting the electrical circuit controlling the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The above described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a combination baby feeding bottle assembly  10  and amusement device  20 . The baby bottle  10  is a common and well known type as broadly used today. It comprises a support portion  30  having a cylindrical shape with a sidewall  30 A defining a first  32  and a second  34  open ends. FIG. 3, showing the assembly  10  in cross section which clearly defines the support portion  30  and its sidewall  30 A. A bladder  40  typically constructed as a simple plastic, thin walled bag, is engaged within the support portion  30 , the bladder providing an open lip portion  42 , the open end of the bag, positioned over the first open end  32  of the sidewall  30 A. A liquid holding portion  44  provides a space  46  for holding a liquid  80  within, typically milk, water or juice for a baby to consume. A drinking nipple  50  is mounted against the open lip portion  42  at the first open end  32  of the sidewall  30 A. A bottle top portion  60  is engaged, by threaded engagement between internal threads  62  of the top portion  60  and external threads  36  of the sidewall  30 A, for clamping both the nipple  50  and the bladder  40  against the first open end  32  of the support portion sidewall  30 A. 
     The amusement device  20  is adapted for frictional, or snap-in engagement within the second of the open ends  34  of the support portion sidewall  30 A. An annular lip  21  of the amusement device  20  is of such diameter as to fit frictionally into the interior of the sidewall  30 A, i.e., as to be pressed in place and remain until removed. The fit between lip  21  and sidewall inner surface  38  may be alternately a threaded fit or a snap-in fit (not shown) as are well known other means for affixing such elements. 
     Amusement device  20  is adapted for projecting a light beam  70  directed from the amusement device  20  into the liquid  80  within the bladder  40  for illumination of the liquid. Since the bladder  40  is preferably made of a transparent plastic, such a light beam  70  is able to progress, at least partially, through the liquid  80 . The amusement device  20  preferably contains a flashlight of more-or-less standard construction and is positioned and adapted to project at least one light beam  70 , but may include more than one light beam produced by separate light bulbs although only one is shown in FIG.  3 . Now referring to FIG. 4, the invention includes a battery B 1  interconnected through a contact switch S 1  to an integrated circuit device IC. IC is further connected through lamp L 1  to a return path or ground. Lamp L 1  represents a single light source as shown in FIG. 3, or more than one light source as would be easily constructed in the circuit of FIG. 4 by one of skill in the art by positioning such multiple lamps in electrical series or parallel. IC functions, in this simple portion of the circuit enable illumination of L 1  when S 1  is manually closed. With L 1  illuminated, light beam  70  is produced by reflector  90  and thereby projected through transparent lens  92  into baby bottle  10 . IC includes a common timing circuit, well known in the art, so that the illumination brightness is varied with time, or may be turned on and off in a rhythmic fashion as desired. The variations of a lamp with time may take many forms but, in keeping with the spirit of the present invention, it is desired to adjust the brightness of the lamp in a more-or-less random fashion so as to keep the attention of the baby. Such a brightness adjusting circuit is well within the means of those skilled in the art of electrical circuit design, so that further details are not considered here. This circuit is just one portion of a means for changing  90  which is considered an important aspect of the present invention and is necessary in order to meet the objectives of the invention. 
     A further aspect of the changing means  90  which includes changes in color and shape of the beam  70 . To achieve such further changes a motor, M 1 , preferably a micro-miniature DC electric motor is provided in the amusement device  20 , providing a shaft  100  extending therefrom to support a color disk  110  in rotation thereof. Such a color disk  110  is well known in the art and is made of a transparent or translucent material such as a colored plastic or glass lens. The disk  110  may have a continuously variable density or color, or it may be segmented into pie-shaped segments  110 A,  110 B,  110 C,  110 D of different colors as shown in FIG. 3-A. In any case, the turning of such a disk in front of the lamp L 1  causes the color of the beam  70  to vary. Such a disk  110 , when divided into said segments, may also provide opaque and transparent portions in different shapes such as shown in FIG. 3-B as  110 E,  110 F,  110 G, and  110 H. Upon turning of such a disk in front of the lamp L 1  causes the beam shape of the beam  70  to vary. Clearly, the characteristics of both the disks shown in FIGS. 3-A and  3 -B could be combined to produce both color and shape changes in beam  70  simultaneously. The sound producing means S 11  may be a buzzer as shown, or a miniature loudspeaker or other sound producing device. Under the control of IC, S 11  is able to produce random buzzing sounds, tunes or other recognizable sounds. IC may be programmed, as is known in the art, with a solid state memory device for storing one or more recognizable tunes. Alternately, a randomly variable noise may be produced. It is seen, in the above description, that IC provides several common and well known circuits for random brightness variations of L 1 , for rotation of M 1  to position disk  92  in a random manner in front of lamp L 1 , and for producing random variations in sound produced by S 11 . In this manner, the present invention is able to meet the objectives of amusing a baby during the feeding process as described in the summary above. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims.