US2483979A - Electric nursing bottle warmer - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 4, 1,949. L. H. MORRILL ELECTRIC NURSING BOTTLE,WARMER Filed April 7, 1947 5W/5 A( MoH/Wu,

Srwentor Cittorneg Patented Oct. 4, 1949 UNI TED orme-E EELECQBIQ'NQRLSNG BOTTLE Lewis 1H. 'MorrilL Los vrAngeles, galli.

Applicarin `April 27 1947, SeriaCl lNo. :739,823

1 Claimil :The present invention relates to yelectric .nurszing bottle warmers, and its primary :object Vis .lo nroyide .a device adapted for rise with any standa-rd wide-mouthed nursing bottle, which enables the bottle y,to ytbe sterilizefbzlled and stored in ya refrigerator until needed, and then warmed np nuickly .to the desired temperature by ymerely ponnectingean ,electric cordftothe device for a few minutes Joeforle offering the bottle -to the infant. 'lihe Yprincipal .advantage `or the linvention is in @the speed and convenience with which the ,bottle .of mil-k .may he warmed op to the .desired temneratinie, which `is ,particularly advantageous in (the yoase of nocturnal .or early morning -feedines end `azlsodn the fact than; .the nipple and vcontents ofthe :bottle are keptabsolutely sterile up to 1the gti-me the bottle is ready lfor ruse. Another vimernorlfant advantage of thefinvention isfthat it pro- :vides an exceedingly convenient .means-for warming the-bottle Whenrtraveling or away .from home, since --the nuit is entirely sein-contained .and .the 'only requisite -isan electric outlet. In tits preferred form, the present invention comprises an elongated, immersion-type heating :element mounted lon a hanged .base member which is clamped against ,the mouth lof lthe bottle rby means of ta retainer ring thatis screwodonto .thebottle lneck. .1n -oneeof itsrformsv,` the langed type ,of fniiople used 4with 1wicie-monthed bottles :hase member of vthe vheating element, vwhile in nn.- other forrn, the retainer fis provided witha proiectng annular flange or neck -to receive .themor-e commen type of nipple .used with Iconventie.nal ,small-mouthed nnrsi-ngrbottles. loothof these embodiments, suitable passages `are provided in ftheibase member fto permit milk gto flow from the bottleeto the nipple. The 'resista-noe wires ofthe heating element are Voarriee'l through the .base member and retainer ring, yand vte nn'iirliate-in contact points which are engaged y.by other contact points in a removable, nippiescoveringrcap Atrnelmber having a bayonet connection with gthe re- :tainer ring. The uContact fpoi-ntsiof-thercap mem- ;ber are connected vto .a l)oai-r -of .llatorallyefspaced parallel prongs which `project .from the lcap and yare adapted to Ireceive a connecting socket plug @on .theend of van,e1ectriocord- When --the sterilized bottle is lled with milk, fthe heating element :and nipplefaire assembled on the bottle, and the cap vmember is inserted over @the nippleend :secured tothe retainer ring. The

gbottie can ythen .be stored in the refrigerator until needed, with absolute assurance that 'the nipple iolamped between ,the vRetainer ring and ,the

needed, .the bottle is merely reinovedffironi fthe refrigerator and `4an electric oord socket eplnsaedronto the kprongs of the ,cap rnernber until the resistance heating Aelement :has warmed .the mill; up to loody ffternperatnre. The-oord is then disconnected :the cap member is removed, and y.theJoottle offeredto the infant.

.Another,- obiect of the :invention is ,to provide a hottie warmingattachment which .is inexpensive, easily cleaned, -andrconvenient tto use. iand :which can be used interchangeably with any standard wide-mouthed nursing `Jnottle so that `the same nnit may -be Llined .sueoesslvely with yany mimber of hotties, making it unnecessary .to Vypurchase more Ethan -one-nn1',per'fanu'l-y.

Onther objects and advantages of the invention will become vapparent xto those skilled in the .art .upon ,consideration of the :following detailed :diescription y,of .two selected :embodiments thereof, reference .being had to lthe drawings, in which:

Figure l1 fis a sectional view taken .through a nursingrbottle having an electric heater embodye Aing the principles fof invention mounted thereon;

Figure 2is Earlragrnentary sectional view of the yshowine the protective vcan `rernoyed;

:E er1-.re i3 :a ftop -plan Yview of the bottle erkend JFig-inte 4 is a sectional viewof another lembodimentoftheinyention- IneFigures 1 to 3of .the drawings, the :reference numeral il .indicates ,fa nursing Aloottle of the wide.- mpllthed type :having a neck portion H, with 1rhlllls I2 'forfmed IOn the Outsidelhereof. The

electric :bottle warmer o f gthe-inventionis riesige nated vinits .entirety by the reference numeral |13., and comprises a basemember |14, heaving a radial nange l 5 gwnicheirtends over `the end of fthe bot- -ftle month. Projecting downwardly vfrom the l1in- :dersde oflthezbase member |14 is a `cylindrical boss i116, .andinionntedon this -hossis .a heating element dal ywhfiohis .contained within :a thin-walled drietal 'tube 210. -Thet ube Z0 is pressed tonto the boss rlli :and fproieots `downwardly therefrom finto the fin- Y tllerior of ilihe bottle.

@resistance 1.wires 2l `and 22 are disposed within interior -of s,the tube 20, I.and their upper 'ends are embedded in the boss l@ of the base yrrleinher el Iln-@then,referred forni ofinyinventionfthere .is thermostat .of `any conventional forni .which roonztained kwithin a bulb artension 23 donned `at :the loottorn end of the tube 1.2.0, vsaid thermostat heine connected-serially with the .resistance wires 221i, 22 Vin fthe usual manner by lead-in lli/ihres 2l vand ycont-ents fof fthe bottle will remain sterile, 55 Suchen thermostat isfnot yessential.rtoytne invention, however, and may be dispensed with if so desired.

A nursing nipple of the type used with widemouthed bottles is mounted on top of the base member I4, and has a radial ange 26 which lies on top of the base member flange I5. A second flange 30 projects radially from the base of the nipple a short distance above flange 26 and coopcrates with the latter to form a channel 3l.

The nipple 25 and base member I4 are clamped l to the bottle mouth by means of an annular retainer ring 32 having internal threads 33 which are adapted to be screwed onto the bottle threads I2. At the top end of the retainer ring 32 is a radially inwardly projecting ange 34 which overlies the nipple flange 25 and extends into the channel 3I. An annular groove 35 is formed on the inside of the retainer ring above the top end of the threads 33, and seated within this groove is a resilient gasket 36 of rubber or like material which is disposed between the base member flange and the end of the bottle and serves to seal the joint against leakage. The gasket 36 also serves as a retaining ring to hold the base member I4,

nipple 25, and retainer ring 32 together when v the assembly is removed from the bottle, and is assembled in the groove by buckling or collapsing the ring to force it down past the threads 33 and into the groove 35. One or more duid passages 46 are provided in the ilange I 5 of the base member to permit the fluid in the bottle to flow through to the nipple 25.

The upper ends of the resistance wires 2I, 22 are connected by wires 4I and 42, respectively, to two spaced contacts 43 and 44 which project upwardly from the top surface of the base member ilange I5 through holes 45 and 46 in the nipple flange 26 and retainer ring ilange 34, respectively. A cap member 56 is provided which is adapted to be secured on the retainer ring 32 so as to cover the nipple 25 and protect the latter against contamination while the bottle is stored in a refrigerator or being transported. The cap 5D is provided with an annular skirt 5I having two bayonet slots 52 formed in its inner surface at opposite sides thereof, said slots being engageable with lugs 53 projecting from opposite sides of the retainer ring 32. The cap member 56 is provided with a downwardly facing shoulder 54 which engages the top surface of the retainer ring flange 34 when the cap is secured on the ring by its bayonet connection. A domed portion 55 on the top of the cap covers the nipple 25, and is provided at the top with a vent hole 56 to permit the escape of any steam or vapor pressure that may build up as a result of heating the fluid contents of the bottle.

The shoulder 54 is recessed at 60 to provide clearance for the projecting ends of the contacts 33, 44 which extend slightly above the surface or" the retainer ring flange 311, and embedded in the body of the cap with their ends projecting downwardly into the recess 60 so as to register with the contacts 43, 44 are contact points 63 and 64. The contact points 63, 64 are connected to two laterally spaced, parallel connector prongs 65 and 66 which project from one side of the cap member 55, The prongs 65, 66 are adapted to receive a two-hole connector socket 10 on the end of an electric extension cord 1I which, when connected to an electric outlet, supplies current to the heating element. The bayonet lugs 53 and slots 52 are located so that when the cap member 50 is secured on the retainer ring, the contact points 63, 64 engage the contacts 43, 44.

The heating unit and nipple of the invention are assembled on the nursing bottle I0 at the time the latter is sterilized and filled, and the cap member 50 is secured on the retainer ring to protect the nipple from contamination while the nursing bottle is stored in the refrigerator or being transported. When the bottle is needed, the connector plug 10 of an electric cord 1I is plugged onto the prongs 65, 66. Current from the lin-e is transmitted to the resistance wires 2 I, 22 of the heating element I1, warming the contents of the bottle until the current is cut o' by the thermostat in bulb 23, which should preferably be set to maintain a temperature of approximately 98 to 100 F.

When the bottle has been warmed to the desired temperature, the connector plug 10 is removed from the prongs 65, 66, and the cap member 50 is removed from the retainer ring. The bottle is then ready to be offered to the infant.

Another form of the invention is shown in Figure 4 which -illustrates an arrangement utilizing the conventional nipple used with the more common small-mouthed nursing bottle. In this embodiment, the base member I4 is identical to the one in the preceding embodiment, and is secured on the mouth of the bottle I0 by means of an annular retaining member 15 having a ilat top portion 16 which overlies the flange I5 of the base member I4. Disposed between the top Wall '.'6 and ilange I5 is a rubber sealing gasket 80 having holes BI through which the contacts 43, 44 project. The top portion 16 of the retainer is also provided with holes 82 which align with the holes 8l, and the contacts 43, 44 extend to a point elevated slightly above the top surface of the wall 16. Extending upwardly from the center of the top wall portion 16 of the retainer is an annular neck 83 having a radial flange or bead 84 around its top edge. The nipple 85 is provided on its inner surface with two vertically spaced, inwardly projecting flanges 86 and 81 which cooperate to form a channel 90 seating on the flange 84.

As in the preceding embodiment, the retainer has a downwardly extending skirt 9I which is threaded on its inside surface to engage the threads I2 of the bottle neck, and projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the skirt portion are bayonet lugs 53 which are adapted to engage the bayonet slots of cap member 56. Except for the manner of securing the nipple to the retaining member 15, the construction and operation of the embodiment shown in Figure 4 is otherwise the same as in the preceding embodiment.

While I have shown and described in detail two selected forms of my invention, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative and that various changes may be made in the shape and arrangement of the sev eral parts without departing from the scope oi the broader claim appended hereto.

I claim:

An electric heater for use with a wide-mouthed nursing bottle having a screw-threaded neck, said heater comprising a radially ilanged base member adapted to be mounted on the mouth of the bottle, a resistance heating element projecting downwardly from the underside of said base member into the interior of the bottle, a nipple having a radial ange adapted -to lie against the flange of said base member, a retainer ring adapted to be screwed onto the threads of the bottle neck and having a flange extending radially inward so as to overlie said nipple ilange and thereby clamp the nipple and said base member to the bottle, a pair of spaced electrical contacts connected to said heating element and projecting upwardly from the top of said base member through holes in the ianges of said nipple and said retainer ring, a cap member adapted to be secured on said retainer ring and covering said nipple to protect the same against contamination, a pair of contacts on the inside of said cap member engageable with said first-named contacts, and a pair of prongs connected to said lastnamed contacts and adapted to receive a socket connector on an electric cord.

LEWIS H. MORRILL.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this Ipatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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