Patent Publication Number: US-10779591-B2

Title: Burp cloth bottle holder

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/709,100, filed 2018 Jan. 8 by the present inventor. 
     BACKGROUND—PRIOR ART 
     The following is a tabulation of some prior art: 
     
       
         
           
               
            
               
                   
               
               
                 U.S. Patent Application Publications 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Publication Nr. 
                 Publ. Date 
                 Applicant 
                 Name 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 U.S. 10/744,981 
                 2003 Dec. 22 
                 Archambault 
                 Multi Purpose Burp 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Cloth 
               
               
                 U.S. 10/374,360 
                 2003 Feb. 25 
                 Anderson 
                 Infant Feeding and 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Entertainment Support 
               
               
                 U.S. 29/510,698 
                 2014 Dec. 2 
                 Hill 
                 Baby Bottle Holder for 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Feeding a Baby 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     The ability to complete multiple tasks at one time is a necessity in today&#39;s hectic environment. Oftentimes while feeding a baby, the caregiver is unable to do anything else, as his or her hands are both being utilized by feeding the infant. If there are other children in the household to care for, this scenario becomes increasingly difficult. Allowing for a free hand to tend to other tasks is an understated advantage in our modern day, chaotic lifestyle. Simplicity and quick convenience is of incredible importance when caring for an infant. 
     Several types of bottle holders have been proposed—for example, publication number U.S. Ser. No. 10/744,891 to Archembault. Although this design allows for multitasking and hands free bottle feeding, such design holds a bottle with a thin strap which provides minimal security of the bottle and allows it to slide out. Another example is publication number U.S. Ser. No. 10/374,360 to Anderson. Although this design also serves multiple uses, it is awkward and not user friendly. There appear to be a number of attachments and devices that would pose as cumbersome while trying to feed a cranky infant. Lastly, the example of publication number U.S. Ser. No. 29/510,698 to Hill allows for hands free feeding, yet only serves one use and takes up a great deal of storage in a diaper bag. All of the bottle holders described above suffer from a number of disadvantages: 
     (a) They do not securely encompass a majority of the bottle which can pose as a safety risk to the infant. As in the first example, the thin strap does not appear to contain any kind of material to grip the bottle in place, which could easily allow the bottle to slide out of position and injure the infant. 
     (b) The many uses of the first two examples can detract from the ease of use for the operator. When caring for a hungry infant, simplicity is a key, important factor for the caregiver to ease a frustrating situation. 
     (c) Bottle holders composed of plastic and other materials can be difficult to clean, and serve only one use. 
     (d) All of the examples listed above appear to take up a significant amount of space in a diaper bag. In a bag that oftentimes is transported everywhere, only the most important items are awarded space within the diaper bag. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with one embodiment, a burp cloth comprising a flat body of flexible material having a diagonal pocket lined with grip liner and opposing pocket containing counter weight. 
     Advantages 
     Accordingly several advantages of one or more aspects are as follows: to provide a bottle holder that securely and efficiently holds a bottle for a feeding infant, that allows for hands free bottle feeding for the operator, that can be easily manufactured in color with designs, that can function as a burp cloth, that is machine washable and can be easily stored for convenience and quick access in a diaper bag. Other advantages of one or more aspects will be apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view of the main body of the burp cloth, and showing the features described herein. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the front of the burp cloth in use by the operator. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the burp cloth rolled into the back pocket when not in use. 
     
    
    
     DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                 10 
                 opening of front pocket 
                 12 
                 grip liner 
               
               
                 14 
                 slanted base of pocket 
                 16 
                 indent for shoulder 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 placement 
               
               
                 18 
                 back pocket 
                 20 
                 envelope flap 
               
               
                 22 
                 stitched in counter 
                 24 
                 flexible material 
               
               
                   
                 weight 
               
               
                 26 
                 burp cloth rolled into 
               
               
                   
                 back pocket 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     One embodiment of the burp cloth bottle holder is illustrated in  FIG. 1  (top view) and  FIG. 2  (perspective view). The burp cloth bottle holder is constructed of flexible material  24  and is about 27 inches long to the right side, and about 23 inches long to the left side. The burp cloth has an open front pocket  10 . The opening measures about 6¾ inches long and is internally lined with grip liner  12 , such as grip fabric liner. The internally lined grip fabric  12  enables the operator to securely hold the bottle holding up to 8 oz of liquid securely in place. The slanted base of the front pocket  14  is about 8½ inches long and holds the bottle at roughly a 30 degree angle for easy feeding of the infant. Within the longest portion of the material, there is an indent that measures roughly 4 inches wide for shoulder placement  16 . 
     The back pocket  18 , measuring about 8 inches long by 7 inches wide is draped over the operator&#39;s back. The stitched in counter weight  22  is at the base of the pocket keeping it securely in place. The envelope flap  20  of the back pocket  18  covers the opening to the pocket. Persons skilled in the art will understand that the counter weight may be secured by many other means besides stitching, including but not limited to Velcro, glue and magnetism. 
     Operations— FIGS. 1, 2 and 3   
     The manner of using the burp cloth bottle holder is to unroll, unfold or remove from the back pocket  26  and drape over the operator&#39;s dominant shoulder. Example for a right handed user is to drape the burp cloth at the indent  16  over the right shoulder, with the large opening to the front pocket  10  facing to the operator&#39;s left. While cradling the infant in the left arm, temporarily tilt the opening of the front pocket  10  upwards while inserting the body of the bottle (base down) into the pocket lined with grip liner  12 . The grip liner will secure the bottle as the opening of the front pocket  10  is brought downwards into the correct position. The slanted base of the pocket  14  will hold the bottle in place at about a downward facing 30 degree angle. The stitched in counter weight  22  at the base of the back pocket  18  will provide a resistant counter weight to the weight of the bottle in the front pocket  10 . When the infant is finished feeding, simply tilt the opening of the front pocket  10  upwards to slide the bottle out of the pocket. Burp the baby as in the manner of using any other burp cloth. 
     FIG.  3 —Additional Embodiments 
     Additional embodiments are shown in  FIG. 3  (perspective view) wherein said burp cloth bottle holder is rolled into back pocket  26  for storage when not in use. The back pocket  18  is turned inside out and the burp cloth is rolled inside. This allows the operator to neatly store this item in the diaper bag when not in use. 
     Advantages 
     From the description above, a number of advantages of some embodiments of my burp cloth bottle holder become evident: 
     (a) The grip lined front pocket holds the bottle safely and securely in place to feed an infant without risk of sliding out and injuring the baby. 
     (b) The slanted base of the front pocket holds the bottle at a comfortable angle for easy feeding of the infant. 
     (c) The overall length of the burp cloth bottle holder and the counter weight in the back pocket create a balance to independently hold the bottle for the infant. This allows the operator hands free use. 
     (d) The indent for shoulder placement allows for comfort for the operator when in use. 
     (e) The flexible material, preferably a soft material, of the body of the burp cloth provides comfort to both the infant and the operator while in use. 
     (f) The simple and effective design allows for quick ease of use to the operator while caring for an infant. 
     (g) The multiple uses of this one object allow the operator to use it as a bottle holder as well as a burp cloth. 
     (h) The burp cloth bottle holder is machine washable and can be dried in a dryer on low without risking damage to the garment. 
     (i) The pocket can be rolled inside out to contain the burp cloth for easy storage in the diaper bag. 
     (j) The burp cloth bottle holder provides the operator freedom of the use of his or her hands. 
     Accordingly, the reader will see that the burp cloth bottle holder can be used quickly and easily while caring for an infant. The pocket lined with grip liner securely holds the bottle in place to ensure the safety of the infant. It uses minimal space in the diaper bag when not in use, allowing space for other everyday necessities. It provides the operator the freedom to use his or her hands while feeding an infant. It is also easily cleaned as it is machine washable. 
     Furthermore, the burp cloth bottle holder has the additional advantages in that:
         It permits production in a variety of colors and patterns without additional requirements to the manufacturer.   The burp cloth bottle holder&#39;s simple design aids in the ease of manufacturing.   It provides a location on the surface of the front pocket to place a product logo.   It may be constructed from fabric that is soft yet durable and highly absorbent.       

     Although the description above contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments, yet providing illustrations of some several embodiments. For example, the back pocket may vary in size as could the front pocket. 
     Thus the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims as well as their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.