Patent Publication Number: US-9883988-B1

Title: Pacifier holder

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/122,414, filed Oct. 20, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to portable containers of various shapes, used to temporarily store baby products, including but not limited to pacifiers, cleansing wipes, snacks, etc., in a way that is secure, hygienic and easily accessible. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above problem and others are at least partially solved in an apparatus and process, which according to the teachings of this invention, uses a cup, which is sized to hold a pacifier and has means to rotate and can be attached to something handy (for instance, bassinet, stroller arm or handle, crib rails, clip ends, swing bar or car seat) for the purposes of quick accessibility of the pacifier for the baby (or the parent) to use it safely, not worrying about getting contaminated since the last use. 
     In one representative embodiment of the invention, there is a cup shaped container, that is easy to rotate and can be attached or tied to various surfaces, for the purposes of keeping the pacifier clean for the baby, especially while traveling or at playgrounds or other indoor and outdoor areas, where dropping a pacifier would call for washing it before the baby can use it again. The embodiment further incorporates a compliant insert, which facilitates proper positioning of the pacifier with nibble end down, preferably has a lid to keep contamination out when not in use. Weep holes add ventilation to dry saliva before the next use. 
     This embodiment provides a simple and useful solution to the problem of pacifier getting contaminated either by dangling from baby&#39;s dress or by keeping it on an unclean surface, which however can even be lifesaving by preventing the contamination of the pacifier. Storing the pacifier securely inside the rotating cup prevents the risk of contamination and allows for future use of the pacifier without the need for rewashing it. Pacifiers hanging from the neck by lanyard or attached by a clip to the baby&#39;s dress, obviously deficient in this capacity, represents the current ubiquitous practice as state-of-art solution, mainly because it is believed to assist baby teething. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Referring to the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is cross section view of a pacifier holder with a pacifier as per the teachings of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is another view of the same in an orthogonal cross section. 
         FIG. 3  is another section view of another pacifier with a through-belt-slot snap-hook and a magnetic insert retainer. 
         FIG. 4  is yet another section view of yet another pacifier holder with snap in insert retainer and a swivel lid with a pacifier dropping in. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The container may be made out of plastic, wood, metal, silicon, elastomer, rubber, or any combination of these materials. 
     The insert may be made out of plastic, wood, metal, silicon, elastomer, rubber, or any combination of these materials. 
     The handle may be made out of plastic, wood, metal, silicon, elastomer, rubber, or any combination of these materials. 
     Attention is now turned to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , which by assembly  10 , illustrates a pacifier holder with a pacifier in it in a transversal cross section, according to the teachings of the invention. 
     Assembly  10  comprises insert  20 , lid  30 , pacifier  40  (shown only to demonstrate the use of the pacifier holder when the pacifier is not used by the baby), cup  50  and handle  60 , as key components (parts). Vertical axis Z indicate upward for a natural position of assembly  10 , say when it is placed on a table by flat under surface  52 . Sections  1  and  2  correspond to those two figure numbers. Lid  30  is shown in closed position, while pacifier  40  is shown resulting on insert  20 , which is snap-held in cup  50 . 
     Pacifier  40  has spherical retainer disc  41  to prevent the swallowing of bib  44 . Disc  41  has multiple holes for grabbing pacifier  40 , which could also be grabbed by ring-handle  43 . Bib  44  terminates in hole  45 , through which saliva can drop to bottom  53  of cup  50 . A multiplicity of weep-holes  57  facilitates drying off bib  44  while in cup  50 . Retainer  41  can rest or rattle at its perimeter  46  on top surface  25  of insert  20  in any position, in which the centerline of pacifier  40  is somewhat misaligned relative to axis Z. Pacifier  40  is shown to be a single piece of rubber or other elastomer item, though it can be an assembly as well, say made of plastic, except the bib. Pacifiers often have swivel-hook-handle and their retainer can take various other shapes. A chord or lanyard is typically attached to such a handle for hanging on the baby&#39;s neck so pacifier  50  won&#39;t get dropped on to the floor, yet, even with precaution, it almost always comes in contact with unclean surfaces. That state-of-the-art practice is intended to be reformed by the invention with the hope of sparing babies from getting sick due to pacifier contamination. 
     Cup  50  is shown to have side constraints  56  for easier grab and for the detainment of insert  20 , which splits the volume of cup  50  to upper and lower sections. The upper section is for resting the pacifier and the lower is for keeping the bib away from sidewall  58  of the cup and thereby reduce the chances of bib making a contact with the holder. Upper wall  55  of cup  50  is enlarged to facilitate dropping in of pacifier  40 . 
     Insert  20  is preferably made of rubber and pops into cup  50  by its constriction  23  into matching constriction  56  of cup  50 . A gentle upward push on it slower surface  26  can pop it out for cleaning and similar push down on its upper surface  25  would pop it down for regular use. Necking  24  separates surfaces  25  and  26 . It serves as a retainer ring to pacifier  40 . Upper perimeter  21  of insert  20  and lower perimeter  22  are sealed just by snug tight assembly. 
     Lid  30  covers cup  50  snug tight, though it may be held down magnetically or by other means, for instance, by protruding-intruding pairs of dimples on lip  34 . For gentle baby touch, sharp perimeter  33  is rolled or chamfered. Underside  31  may be sprayed with disinfecting spray, which may give off germs neutralizing vapor. Topside  32  may display logo, warning, baby entertaining pictures and such (not shown). 
     Sections  1  and  2  are orthogonal. Section  2 , shown in  FIG. 2  is a longitudinal section of holder  10 , with likewise components labeled the same way. Cup  50  has molded handle socket  59 , which by snapping-in split extrusion  61 , holds handle  60 , which can be attached to various surfaces, for instance with a belt to strollers, cribs, swings, car seats, tables, chairs, etc. (not shown). Notice that there is no cup side wall constriction across the longitudinal plane, which incorporates axis Z. That may make retaining insert  20  in cup  50  somewhat weak, thought it may be sufficient for the typical gentle uses. Magnetic retainers however can strengthen its detainment as that is shown next. 
     Attention is now turned to  FIG. 3 , which by pacifier holder assembly  70 , illustrates another preferred embodiment of the invention. Holder  70  is similar to holder  50 , however its cup  71  lacks constriction, and thus, its insert  75  is held down by embedded permanent magnet  76 , which is attracted to handle retainer insert  73 , which is made of steel, preferably powder coated to prevent its rusting. Handle  74  pops into engagement with insert  73 , can swivel and turn around and accommodate a belt through its slot. Insert  73  however can be mold injected plastic with a magnet insert (not shown), which would be attracted to magnet  76 . Such a magnetic hold down is however strong only near handle  60 . A stronger means of hold down is illustrated next. 
     Attention is finally turned to  FIG. 4 , which illustrates pacifier holder assembly  80 , with pacifier  40  being inserted. Cup  81  has no constriction and magnets, thus is retains rubber insert by protrusion loop  82 . Handle socket  86  is similar to socket  59 , thus holds handle  60  the same way. Cup  50  has two lid holder extrusions  83 , which are symmetrical to the longitudinal section place, which cuts through all parts here and retains swivel lid  84  by axel extrusion  85 . This ensures that lid  84  does not get lost easily, but can be popped out for cleaning when needed. Insert  87 , has grove matching to protrusion  82 , for firm detainment. Insert  87  can be hollow formed by plastic shell, instead of solid rubber. 
     Those skilled in the art can readily perceive that cup  50  need not be a smooth rotational shell but can take any suitable shape, including but not limited to ones that mimic animals or symmetrical shapes or popular cartoon characters to entertain the baby. The more colorful and lifelike or funny such sculptured shell is, the more it entertains or fascinates the baby and keeps him or her quiet for longer travels. 
     It is estimated that by keeping the pacifier clean with the proposed humble pacifier holder, billions of dollars can be reduced domestically with reduced doctors&#39; visits, lost parental working hours, medicines and other associated nonproductive events. 
     The present invention described above is with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes and modifications may be made in the described embodiment without departing from the nature and scope of the present invention. For instance, hook-and-loop (Velcro) or other means of attachment may also hold down the insert in the cup. Placing napkin/pad/liner soaked in disinfecting liquid for sanitizing or an evaporative medication at the bottom of the cup is intuitive and thereby instructive herewith. The cup shape that is designed to hide music box/music player inside is also considered within the scope of the invention for being an obvious addition. The container and lid can be easily modified to house and dispense disinfecting wipes or can include dividers inside the container to keep various baby snacks separate. 
     Various further changes and modifications to the embodiment herein chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those skilled in the art. To the extent that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within the scope thereof.