Patent Publication Number: US-6666417-B1

Title: Baby bottle attachment

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable to this application. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable to this application. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to baby bottles and more specifically it relates to a baby bottle attachment for visually engaging a baby during feeding with a bottle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Baby bottles have been in use for years. A conventional baby bottle is comprised of a tubular structure with a flexible nipple fluidly attached to an end of the tubular structure for drawing fluid from the interior of the tubular structure or a liner within the tubular structure. 
     The main problem with conventional baby bottles is that they do not provide any visual stimulation to a baby during feeding. Another problem with conventional baby bottles is that the baby may be easily distracted from feeding by a visual distraction away from the bottle. Another problem with conventional baby bottles is that the baby is not provided with any visual entertainment during feeding. 
     Examples of patented devices which may be related to the present invention include U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,090 to Gammelgaard; U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,811 to Parisi; U.S. Pat. No. 451,201 to Maypa; U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,821 to Fabian et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,843 to James; U.S. Pat. No. 402,761 to Jones; U.S. Pat. No. 375,796 to Beaver; U.S. Pat. No. 361,385 to Harper; U.S. Pat. No. 334,983 to Nicholls; U.S. Pat. No.5,769,367 to Bradley et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,542,694 to Miller; U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,901 to Montgomery; U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,625 to Pearce; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,870 to Ramirez. 
     While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for visually engaging a baby during feeding with a bottle. Conventional baby bottles do not provide visual stimulation to a baby during feeding leaving the baby susceptible to visual distractions. 
     In these respects, the baby bottle attachment according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of visually engaging a baby during feeding with a bottle. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of baby bottles now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new baby bottle attachment construction wherein the same can be utilized for visually engaging a baby during feeding with a bottle. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new baby bottle attachment that has many of the advantages of the baby bottles mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new baby bottle attachment which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art baby bottles, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a first housing for receiving a baby bottle, a second housing for adjustable receiving the first housing, and a visual indicator device attached to the second housing within the line of vision of the baby while the baby is drinking from the bottle. The visual indicator device is removably attached for allowing various designs to be provided to the baby as desired. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a baby bottle attachment that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices. 
     A second object is to provide a baby bottle attachment for visually engaging a baby during feeding with a bottle. 
     Another object is to provide a baby bottle attachment that is adjustable dependent upon the baby&#39;s eyesight. 
     An additional object is to provide a baby bottle attachment that receives various sizes and styles of baby bottles. 
     A further object is to provide a baby bottle attachment that reduces visual distractions to a baby during feeding with a bottle. 
     Another object is to provide a baby bottle attachment that provides visual stimulation to a baby during feeding with a bottle. 
     A further object is to provide a baby bottle attachment that allows for various visual stimulating devices to be attached. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention. 
     To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded upper perspective view of the present invention with a bottle. 
     FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of the present invention in a contracted position. 
     FIG. 3 is an upper perspective view of the present invention in an expanded position. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of the present invention retaining a bottle which a baby is drinking from illustrating the visual line-of-sight. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1 through 5 illustrate a baby bottle attachment  10 , which comprises a first housing  20  for receiving a baby bottle  12 , a second housing  30  for adjustable receiving the first housing  20 , and a visual indicator device  40  attached to the second housing  30  within the line of vision of the baby while the baby is drinking from the bottle  12 . The visual indicator device  40  is removably attached for allowing various designs to be provided to the baby as desired. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary baby bottle  12  that is removably received by the first housing  20 . The first housing  20  is designed to receive various sizes and styles of bottles  12 . The first housing  20  has a tubular structure having a first outer end  22  and a second inner end  23 . The first outer end  22  of the first housing  20  is open for removably receiving the bottle  12  as best illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The first housing  20  preferably includes at least one first side slot  26  for allowing a caregiver to view the contents of the bottle  12 . 
     The first outer end  22  preferably includes one or more flap members  24  for frictionally engaging the bottle  12  in a secured position within the first housing  20 . The flap members  24  are preferably comprised of a flexible material such as but not limited to rubber or plastic. The flap members  24  may be divided from one another by a plurality of slits as further shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The flap members  24  allow for receiving various sizes and styles of bottles  12  within the first housing  20  without requiring the usage of a different sized first housing  20 . 
     In addition to or in exclusion of using the flap members  24  within the first housing  20 , a plurality of elongate rib members  25  may extend from the interior surface of the first housing  20  for frictionally engaging the exterior of the bottle  12 . The rib members  25  may be comprised of the same material as the first housing  20  or comprised of a resilient material such as but not limited to rubber. The rib members  25  extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the first housing  20 . The rib members  25  may have a constant size or the rib members  25  may be tapered for allowing easier insertion of the bottle  12 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 of the drawings, a second housing  30  is provided that slidably receives the first housing  20 . The second housing  30  has a tubular structure having a first inner end  32  and a second outer end  33 . The second housing  30  has an interior diameter sufficient for slidably receiving the first housing  20 . The second housing  30  has a second side slot  36  that corresponds to the first side slot  26  for allowing the caregiver to view the contents of the bottle  12 . 
     The second housing  30  includes one or more apertures  38 ,  39  for receiving a catch member  29  extending from a clip member  28  of the first housing  20  as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The clip member  28  is flexibly positioned within the first housing  20  and applies an upward force upon the catch member  29 . The catch member  29  is secured within a desired aperture  38 ,  39  depending upon the desired distance of the baby&#39;s eyes from the visual indicator device  40  as shown in FIGS. 2,  3  and  5  of the drawings. 
     As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings, the first housing  20  may include one or more elongate grooves  21  for receiving a corresponding alignment rib  31  from the second housing  30 . The alignment rib  31  within the elongate grooves ensures that the first housing  20  is properly aligned with the second housing  30 . 
     A visual indicator device  40  is removably attached to the second housing  30 . A receiving slot  34  receives a clamp member  42  of the visual indicator device  40  as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The clamp member  42  has an arcuate shape formed to fit upon the second housing  30 . A pair of opposing catch cutouts  35  within the second housing  30  catchably receive a first hook  44  and a second hook  45  of the clamp member  42 . A neck member  46  extending from the clamp member  42  supports a support member  48  having a visual indicator device  40  upon thereof at a desired height that provides adequate viewing of the visual indicator device  40  by a baby. The visual indicator may be comprised of various designs, colors and appearances that may be visually attractive and pleasing to a baby. The support member  48  may have various shapes and sizes such as circular, rectangular and the like. 
     In use, the user positions the bottle  12  filled with the desired fluid within the first housing  20 . The flap members  24  and the rib member retain the bottle  12  within the first housing  20  without movement. The user then positions the first housing  20  within the second housing  30  at the desired visual distance. If the eyesight of the baby has not developed, then the user would position the catch member  29  within the second aperture  39  of the second housing  30 . If the eyesight of the baby has developed, then the user would position the catch member  29  within the first aperture  38  of the second housing  30 . The user then secures the desired visual indicator device  40  to the second housing  30  which will provide the desired visual stimulation to the baby during feeding upon the bottle  12 . The line of vision from the eyes of the baby to the support member  48  is preferably substantially parallel to the exterior surface of the bottle  12  as best illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings. The baby feeds upon the bottle  12  and is able to visually locate and monitor the indicia upon the surface of the support member  48  thereby visually stimulating the baby and maintaining their attention upon feeding. The user may change the visual indicator device  40  at any time if desired to achieve differing visual appearances. 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed to be within the expertise of those skilled in the art, and all equivalent structural variations and relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.