Abstract:
A convertible bottle for children has a lid which can be manipulated to provide alternative liquid outlets, for example, a nipple, a foldable sippy spout, and a pop-up sports-type valved outlet. The cap, or a portion of the cap, may be inverted to expose different outlets, and each of the outlets forms or contains a valve for controlling liquid flow to prevent spillage.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a convertible bottle for children. 
         [0002]    The well-known “sippy cup” is a container having a lid provided with a substantially rigid spout from which a young child can drink. Some sippy cups have vents and/or valves to prevent spillage; others do not. 
         [0003]    Sippy cups are used by many parents during their child&#39;s transition from feeding from a baby bottle to drinking from a glass. During this transition, the child may sometimes prefer to revert to the nipple, and so it would be useful to have a device which could be quickly transformed from a baby bottle to a sippy cup, and back. 
         [0004]    Similarly, a maturing child may progress from a sippy spout to a sports-type valved spout over time. 
         [0005]    A bottle lid which had all three types of liquid outlet, any one of which could be easily deployed or activated, would be a benefit to many people. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An object of the invention is to provide a bottle which is easily transformed between a nipple-type bottle and a “sippy cup”, and from a “sippy cup” to a sports-type valved bottle. 
         [0007]    These and other objects are attained by a convertible bottle for children, as described below. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    In the accompanying drawings, 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a convertible bottle embodying the invention, with a folding sippy spout deployed from a top side of a removable lid; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  shows the folding sippy spout in a stowed position, and an alternative sports-type valved tip deployed; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  shows the lid inverted, with a nipple about to be installed on the lid; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of  FIG. 1  on a plane bisecting the lid; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a view like  FIG. 4 , showing an first alternative lid retaining structure; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a view like  FIG. 5 , showing a second alternative lid retaining structure; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention, having a folding sports-type valved tip; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a sectional side elevation thereof, 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the invention, showing a sippy spout formed on one side of an invertible panel; 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a view like  FIG. 9 , showing the panel inverted, with a nipple mounted thereon; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a side elevation of a nipple and stopper combination for use with a narrow-mouth bottle. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0020]    A convertible child&#39;s bottle embodying the invention comprises a container  10 , such as the wide-mouthed plastic bottle shown in  FIG. 1 . The bottle geometry (shape, size, and proportion) may be selected for aesthetic and utilitarian reasons, and is not part of this invention. 
         [0021]    The bottle has a wide mouth  12  with a cylindrical inside wall  14  into or onto which the lid is installed. The bottle is closed by a removable lid  20 . The lid has a sealing/retaining structure which, depending on the design selected, may engage the inside surface of the bottle mouth, the outside surface thereof, or the top surface thereof. In  FIG. 1 , the mouth originates at a shoulder  16  and circumferential groove  18  is formed in the inside surface of the mouth midway between the shoulder and the mouth opening. 
         [0022]    The removable lid  20  is reversible. Its diameter is about the same as that of the mouth, and it has a projecting sealing surface such as a rib  22  (illustrated) or an O-ring (not shown) on its outer circumference. The rib  22  snaps into the circumferential groove  18  when the lid is installed in the mouth, providing both a liquid seal and mechanical retention sufficient to prevent the lid from being pulled off by an infant. 
         [0023]    The lid  20  has alternative liquid outlet types, most preferably, a retractable valved sports-type valved outlet  24 , a foldable sippy spout outlet  26 , and a fixed barbed outlet  28  ( FIG. 3 ) having the appearance of a water bottle sports tip. The outlets  24  and  26  are disposed on one side of the lid, shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  4 , while the outlet  28  is disposed on the opposite side of the lid, which is shown inverted in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0024]    The details of the sippy spout  26  may vary within the present invention. The drawings illustrate a simple spout which is hinged to the lid. Liquid passes through the spout when it is raised. The sippy spout  26  is shown deployed in  FIG. 1 , but can be moved (i.e., folded) to a hidden or non-functional position, as shown in  FIG. 2 . In this position, a liquid passage at the bottom of the spout is closed to prevent leakage. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  shows the lid (in the same orientation as in  FIG. 1 ) in a sectional view. Here, the outlet  24  is shown in its retracted position. Biasing means such the leaf spring  29  illustrated urges the outlet upward. The outlet may be associated with a toggling catch so that a first push latches it in its downward position and the next push releases it. 
         [0026]    The preferred nipple assembly  30 , shown in detail in  FIG. 3 , may be of the “gobaby” type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,764, the entirety of which is incorporated into this document by reference. “gobaby” is a trademark of Trio Child, LLC, Alexandria, Va. The nipple includes a flexible nipple  32  per se, a base  34 , and a shield  36 . The base  34  is sufficiently flexible that it can be pushed over the barbed outlet  28  when desired. The nipple base may include a rotary valve with indexing marks, as described in the patent, indicating open and closed positions of the valve. Alternatively, the valve could have a color-changing indicator identifying open and closed positions. 
         [0027]    The container lid preferably includes a venting system comprising a sphincter-type valve. The vent hole  40  shown in the drawings may contain such a valve. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 5 and 6  show alternative securing arrangements for the bottle closure. Whereas in  FIG. 1 , the lid seals inside the bottle mouth, it is could also seal on the outside of the bottle mouth, as in  FIG. 5 , or it could seal against the top surface of the mouth, as in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0029]    In  FIG. 5 , the lid  20 ′ has an integral rim spaced  23  outward of the outside diameter of the body of the lid, defining grooves  25  above and below the bridge  27  connecting the rim to the body. Sealing grooves  29  are formed on the inside of the rim, for engaging corresponding ribs  31  on the outside surface of the bottle mouth. 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 6 , the lid  20 ″ has a circumferential flange  27 ′ at the middle of the body, and the lid is retained to the bottle by a separate internally threaded ring  23 ′, something like the ring of a mason jar. The bottle mouth has exterior helical threads, and when the ring  23 ′ is screwed tight onto the mouth, it forces the lid  20 ″ into sealing engagement with the top surface of the bottle mouth. 
         [0031]      FIGS. 7 and 8  show another alternative form of the invention, in which the sippy spout and the sports-type valved outlet are mounted on one side of the lid, and both the sippy spout and the sports-type valved outlet are designed so as to pivot on the lid between active and inactive positions. 
         [0032]    Another embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . Here, the bottle lid  120  itself is not invertible; instead, it has a part or panel  121  which can be rotated 180° to activate alternative liquid outlets. This lid may have a conventional internally threaded rim so that it can be screwed onto a conventional bottle. One side  122  ( FIG. 9 ) of the panel  121  has a sippy spout  126  formed thereon; the other side  123  ( FIG. 10 ) has a nipple  130  attached (or removably attached) to it, so that either the sippy spout or the nipple may be selected. Suitable sealing means (not shown) must be provided between the panel  121  and the lid aperture  128  in which is seated. The panel rotates on hinge pins—hidden from view in the drawings—formed at the midpoint of the panel or the aperture. 
         [0033]      FIG. 11  shows an alternative nipple  230 , which is designed for insertion into a narrow-mouthed water bottle container, rather than a wide-mouth bottle. In this embodiment, the nipple is integrated with a shield  233  and with a flexible plug  235  having ridges  237  for sealing within the bottle mouth, and an integral duckbill-type valve  239  for preventing accidental liquid loss. The nipple base  241  may have a vent to prevent vacuum buildup in the container, and may also include a valve, for example, a rotary valve which can be opened for use, and closed for storage by a simple twist of the nipple. 
         [0034]    Other embodiments, not illustrated, are contemplated. For example, a portion of the lid, rather than being invertible, could be made rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the bottle, or about an axis offset from, or at some acute angle to the longitudinal axis; the rotation would serve to activate one of two or more different outlets. It may be also possible to have a portion of the lid slide from one position to another to select between outlets. The general idea of the invention is to provide alternative types of liquid outlets (e.g., sippy spout, nipple, sports-type valved outlet). 
         [0035]    Since the invention is subject to manufacturing modifications and variations, it is intended that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as only illustrative of the invention defined by the following claims.