Nipple and drinking bottle

Abstract

A nipple and a drinking bottle. The nipple comprises a sucking portion (10) and a flared portion (20). The sucking portion (10) is provided with a plurality of liquid outlet holes (11), the plurality of liquid outlet holes (11) being located in a first area (12) at the top end of the sucking portion (10); the sucking portion (10) is of an axisymmetric structure; the first area (12) is located in a central area at the top end of the sucking portion (10), and the wall thickness of the first area (12) is smaller than the wall thickness of other areas; and the plurality of liquid outlet holes (11) are spaced apart and isolated from each other.

Description

Nipple and drinking bottle TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of maternal and infant products, and particularly relates to a nipple and a drinking bottle. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the design of infant nipples, there is usually only one milk outlet hole, and the hole diameter is relatively large. Although this design facilitates the flow of liquid and can ensure sufficient flow for the baby when sucking, it does not fully consider the real situation of breastfeeding. In the natural breastfeeding process, the mammary gland structure of the breast is complex, and the secretion of milk is porous and variable in flow. The single-hole nipple is difficult to provide flow control similar to the real breast, and the baby may encounter the problem of excessive flow when sucking, which not only may cause milk choking, but also may cause discomfort and reduce feeding efficiency of the baby. SUMMARY

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a nipple and a drinking bottle to solve or alleviate one or more technical problems in the prior art.

[0004] As one aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a nipple, comprising:

[0005] a sucking portion and an expanded portion, the sucking portion is provided with a plurality of liquid outlet holes, the liquid outlet holes are located in a first area at the top end of the sucking portion; the sucking portion is a symmetrical structure about an axis; the first area is located in the central area at the top end of the sucking portion, and the wall thickness of the first area is smaller than that of other areas; the plurality of liquid outlet holes are arranged at intervals and isolated from each other.

[0006] In an embodiment, the first area includes a plurality of independent sub-areas, and the plurality of liquid outlet holes are distributed in the plurality of sub-areas, and each sub-area is provided with at least one liquid outlet hole.

[0007] In an embodiment, the inner wall of the sucking portion is raised to form a convex rib around the first area.

[0008] In an embodiment, the number of liquid outlet holes is 5 to 17.

[0009] In an embodiment, the wall thickness of the first area is 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0010] In an embodiment, the hole diameter of the liquid outlet hole is 0.03 mm to 1.0 mm.

[0011] In an embodiment, the spacing between any two adjacent liquid outlet holes is not less than 1 mm.

[0012] In an embodiment, the spacing between at least part of the plurality of liquid outlet holes is different; or

[0013] The distance between any two adjacent liquid outlet holes in the plurality of liquid outlet holes is the same.

[0014] In an embodiment, the diameters of at least some of the plurality of liquid outlet holes are different.

[0015] The diameters of all the liquid outlet holes in the plurality of liquid outlet holes are the same.

[0016] As an aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a drinking bottle, comprising a bottle body and a nipple provided by any of the above embodiments, the bottle body being connected to the nipple through a connecting piece.

[0017] The technical solutions described above can make the liquid outlet of the nipple more gentle and dispersed, and less likely to cause the baby to choke on milk.

[0018] It should be understood that the content described in this section is not intended to identify key or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings are used to better understand the present solution and do not constitute a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a nipple according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the portion in the dashed line box in FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a plurality of mutually independent sub-regions according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIGS. 4a-4c are schematic views of arrangement modes of liquid outlet holes according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Reference signs: 10, sucking portion; 11, liquid outlet hole; 12, first region; 13, convex rib; 20, flared portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which include various details of the embodiments of the present disclosure to assist in understanding, and should be considered as merely exemplary. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art should recognize that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Also, in order to be clear and concise, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0026] Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a cross section of a nipple according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the nipple comprises a sucking portion 10 and a flared portion 20, the sucking portion 10 is provided with a plurality of liquid outlet holes 11, the liquid outlet holes 11 are located in a first area 12 at the top end of the sucking portion 10; the sucking portion 10 is an axisymmetric structure;

[0027] The first area 12 is located at the center of the top end of the sucking portion 10 and the wall thickness of the first area 12 is smaller than that of other areas;

[0028] The plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 are spaced apart and isolated from each other.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, one end of the flared portion 20 has an opening, the other end is integrally connected with the sucking portion 10, and the sucking portion 10 and the flared portion 20 jointly form a hollow cavity, liquid can flow into the hollow cavity from the opening of the flared portion 20 and can flow out from the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 (not shown in Fig. 1) of the sucking portion 10.

[0030] The sucking portion 10 is an axisymmetric structure, the center of the top end of the sucking portion 10 is on the axis, and the central area is an area that spreads outward from the axis. The first area 12 is located at the central area of the top end of the sucking portion 10, and the size of the area of the first area 12 is related to the number of the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 and the spacing between the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11. When the number of the liquid outlet holes 11 increases or the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 are more dispersedly distributed, the area of the first area 12 increases accordingly.

[0031] The plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 can be micro-holes in the shape of a dot or approximately in the shape of a dot obtained by laser cutting. The micro-hole refers to a hole with a smaller aperture than a hole obtained by mechanical cutting.

[0032] Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the portion in the dashed line frame in Fig. 1, as shown in Fig. 2, the wall thickness of the first area 12 is smaller than that of other areas, the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 are all arranged in the first area 12, and the first area 12 can be understood as a region for punching. Since the aperture of the liquid outlet hole 11 is small, reducing the wall thickness of the first area 12 can avoid the liquid outlet hole 11 being blocked due to the deformation of the sucking portion 10.

[0033] According to the scheme of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the liquid flowing out of the plurality of liquid outlet holes of the nipple can be finer, more gentle and more dispersed, and it is not easy to cause choking or bloating.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 can be mutually inclined at an angle, wherein the angle of the angle can be set to 1° to 5°, and the inclination angle of the liquid outlet hole 11 closer to the edge of the central area is larger. So that the fluid emitted from the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 is more dispersed.

[0035] In a possible implementation, as shown in FIG. 2, the first area 12 is a whole area at the center of the top end of the sucking part 10, and each liquid outlet hole 11 is distributed in the first area 12.

[0036] In another possible implementation, as shown in FIG. 3, the first area 12 includes a plurality of sub-areas, and each liquid outlet hole 11 is distributed in a sub-area.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of the dashed box in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the first area 12 is composed of a plurality of sub-areas, and the sub-areas are independently spaced. The wall thickness of each sub-area is smaller than that of other areas. One or more liquid outlet holes 11 are arranged in each sub-area. In FIG. 3, one liquid outlet hole 11 is arranged in each sub-area. The diameter of each sub-area is greater than the hole diameter of the liquid outlet hole 11. The other areas refer to the areas of the top end of the sucking part 10 other than the first area 12.

[0038] According to the scheme of the embodiment of the present disclosure, only the wall thickness of the sub-area corresponding to each liquid outlet hole 11 is reduced, thereby increasing the average wall thickness of the central area of the top end of the sucking part 10, so that the central area is not easily deformed, and is more easily restored after deformation, thereby avoiding affecting the liquid outlet effect. At the same time, the liquid outlet hole 11 can be effectively prevented from being torn.

[0039] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the other areas can also refer to the areas of the nipple other than the first area 13.

[0040] In a possible implementation, the inner wall of the sucking part 10 is raised to form a convex rib 13 surrounding the first area 12.

[0041] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the top end of the sucking part 10 further includes a second area surrounding the first area 12, and the inner wall of the second area is raised to form the convex rib 13.

[0042] According to the scheme of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the convex rib 13 surrounds the first area 12, improves the deformation resistance, and can avoid tearing of the liquid outlet hole 11 caused by excessive deformation. At the same time, the convex rib 13 supports the first area 12.

[0043] In a possible implementation, the number of liquid outlet holes 11 is 5 to 17.

[0044] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the specific number of the liquid outlet holes 11 needs to consider the hole diameter of the liquid outlet holes 11 and the expected liquid flow rate. Since the liquid outlet holes 11 of the embodiments of the present disclosure are micro-holes, in order to achieve the expected liquid flow rate, the number of the liquid outlet holes 11 is usually not less than 5. The expected liquid flow rate is matched with the age of the baby, and as the age of the baby increases, the expected liquid flow rate also increases. Therefore, the number and / or hole diameter of the liquid outlet holes also increase as the age of the baby increases. On the other hand, considering that a certain spacing is required between each liquid outlet hole 11, the number of the liquid outlet holes 11 should not be too large, and usually the number of the liquid outlet holes 11 is not more than 17. The following is a description of possible arrangement modes of the nipple for a plurality of different numbers of liquid outlet holes 11:

[0045] I. 7-hole arrangement mode, as shown in FIG. 4a, including:

[0046] Central hole: 1 hole is arranged at the center position of the nipple.

[0047] Surrounding holes: 6 holes are arranged around the central hole at intervals of 60°, which together with the central hole form a 7-hole design.

[0048] II. 10-hole arrangement mode, as shown in FIG. 4b, including:

[0049] Central hole: 1 hole is arranged at the center position of the nipple.

[0050] Inner ring holes: an inner ring can be designed around the central hole, and a plurality of holes, for example, 3 holes, are uniformly distributed on the inner ring at intervals of 120°.

[0051] Outer ring holes: an outer ring can be designed around the inner ring, and 6 holes are arranged on the outer ring at intervals of 60° to ensure that the total number of holes is 10.

[0052] III. 13-hole arrangement mode, as shown in FIG. 4c, including:

[0053] Central hole: 1 hole is arranged at the center position of the nipple.

[0054] Inner ring holes: an inner ring can be designed around the central hole, and the inner ring can include 6 holes at intervals of 60°.

[0055] Outer ring holes: an outer ring can be designed around the inner ring, and 6 holes are arranged on the outer ring to ensure that the total number of holes is 13. The holes of the outer ring and the inner ring can adopt different arrangement angles, for example, the outer ring can be arranged at the position where the middle line between the adjacent two holes of the inner ring intersects, or other interval modes can be adopted.

[0056] The above arrangement modes are only examples.

[0057] In a possible implementation, the wall thickness of the first area 12 is 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0058] In a possible implementation, the hole diameter of the liquid outlet hole 11 is 0.03 mm to 1.0 mm.

[0059] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the hole diameter of the liquid outlet hole 11 can be any value between 0.03 mm and 1.0 mm, for example, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1 mm, etc.

[0060] When the nipple is perforated by using a laser, the liquid outlet hole 11 with the above-mentioned hole diameter range can be obtained by controlling the laser processing parameters, for example, laser power, pulse width, focusing accuracy, working distance, etc.

[0061] It should be noted that the liquid outlet hole 11 with a hole diameter less than 0.03 mm, for example, 0.01 mm, can be obtained by laser processing, but the liquid outlet hole 11 that is too thin is easy to be blocked and the liquid outlet effect is not good.

[0062] According to the scheme of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the liquid outlet hole 11 with a smaller hole diameter is used, so that the liquid flowing out of the liquid outlet hole 11 is more gentle.

[0063] In a possible implementation, the spacing between any two adjacent liquid outlet holes 11 is not less than 1 mm.

[0064] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, each liquid outlet hole 11 is arranged in the first area 12, and the spacing between any two adjacent liquid outlet holes 11 is not less than 1 mm. The spacing of not less than 1 mm can provide sufficient space between the adjacent liquid outlet holes 11, thereby avoiding potential problems caused by too small spacing, such as local weakness of the material, easy tearing, and reduced durability in use. The spacing between the liquid outlet holes 11 can also be combined with the wall thickness of the first area, a thicker wall can withstand a larger pressure and allow a smaller spacing, while a thinner wall needs a larger spacing to maintain the stability of the structure. In an example, when the wall thickness of the first area 12 is 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm, the spacing between any two adjacent liquid outlet holes 11 is 1.1 mm; for another example, when the wall thickness of the first area 12 is 0.7 mm to 1.5 mm, the spacing between any two adjacent liquid outlet holes 11 is 1 mm.

[0065] In a possible implementation, the spacing between at least part of the liquid outlet holes 11 in the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 is different.

[0066] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, part of the liquid outlet holes 11 in the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 can be gathered into a cluster, and the spacing between the several liquid outlet holes 11 included in each cluster still needs to be greater than 1 mm, while the spacing between different clusters can be larger.

[0067] In the above-mentioned 10-hole or 13-hole arrangement, the spacing of each inner hole and the spacing of each outer hole can be different.

[0068] In another example, the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 can also be randomly distributed in the first area 12 under the premise that the spacing between any two liquid outlet holes is greater than 1mm, so as to realize different spacing between at least part of the liquid outlet holes 11.

[0069] In another possible implementation, the spacing between any two adjacent liquid outlet holes 11 in the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 is the same.

[0070] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the spacing between any two adjacent liquid outlet holes 11 in the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 is the same.

[0071] In a possible implementation, the hole diameters of at least part of the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 are different.

[0072] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the arrangement of different hole diameters can affect the flow rate and flow of the liquid. The following are examples of several different hole diameter arrangement modes:

[0073] Small in the center and large on the periphery: the hole diameters of the liquid outlet holes 11 near the center of the first area 12 are smaller, and the hole diameters gradually increase on the periphery. This design can provide a slower flow rate for the liquid outlet holes 11 in the center position when the sucking force is small, and at the same time, as the sucking force of the baby increases, the flow of the liquid outlet holes 11 with larger hole diameters on the periphery increases, and the flow of the liquid outlet holes 11 in the center position is small, avoiding direct throat and causing choking.

[0074] Large in the center and small on the periphery: contrary to the above arrangement, the hole diameters of the liquid outlet holes 11 in the center are larger, and the hole diameters on the periphery are smaller. The large hole in the center can provide a faster flow rate to help the baby suck more easily. As the baby grows, the small holes on the periphery can provide more precise control to adapt to their gradually increasing sucking ability.

[0075] Gradual arrangement: the hole diameters of the liquid outlet holes 11 gradually change from the center to the periphery, which can be linearly increased or decreased. This design can provide a smooth flow rate transition to adapt to babies with different sucking forces.

[0076] Spaced different hole diameters: the hole diameters of the liquid outlet holes 11 do not change uniformly, but change once every certain number of holes. For example, the 1st, 3rd and 5th holes have small diameters, and the 2nd, 4th and 6th holes have large diameters. This design can increase the variability of sucking while maintaining a certain flow rate, which may help stimulate the baby's sucking interest.

[0077] Random distribution of different hole diameters: the hole diameters of the liquid outlet holes 11 are randomly distributed on the nipple without obvious rules. In the real breast, different mammary glands and mammary ducts may have different flow rates and flow volumes when secreting milk. This natural variability can be simulated by randomly distributing the hole diameters.

[0078] In another possible implementation, the hole diameters of all the liquid outlet holes 11 in the plurality of liquid outlet holes 11 are the same, i.e., the hole diameters of different liquid outlet holes 11 are the same.

[0079] In a possible implementation, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a drinking bottle, which comprises a bottle body and the nipple provided by any of the above embodiments. The bottle body is connected with the nipple through a connecting piece. The connecting piece has a threaded part and a circular ring part. The threaded part is used to connect with the bottle body, and the circular ring part is used to be clamped with the groove of the flared part 20 of the nipple. The materials, liquid outlet hole arrangement, and other configurations of the punching processing mode of the nipple in the above embodiments can be used in various technical solutions known to those skilled in the art now and in the future, which will not be described in detail here.

[0080] It should be understood that various forms of the flow shown above can be used to reorder, add or delete steps. For example, each step described in the present disclosure can be executed in parallel, sequentially or in a different order, as long as the desired results of the technical solutions disclosed in the present disclosure can be achieved, which is not limited herein. In addition, in the present disclosure, relationship terms such as "first", "second", "third" and the like are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between the entities or operations. Furthermore, "multiple" in the present disclosure can be understood as at least two.

[0081] The foregoing detailed description does not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent replacements and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A nipple comprising a sucking portion (10) and a flared portion (20), wherein: a plurality of liquid outlet holes (11) are provided on the sucking portion (10), and the liquid outlet holes (11) are located in a first region (12) at the top end of the sucking portion (10) ; the sucking portion (10) is an axisymmetric structure; the first region (12) is located in the central region of the top end of the sucking portion (10), and the wall thickness of the first region (12) is smaller than that of other regions; the plurality of liquid outlet holes (11) are arranged at intervals and are isolated from each other. 2.The nipple according to claim 1, wherein: the first region (12) comprises a plurality of independent sub-regions, and the plurality of liquid outlet holes (11) are distributed in the plurality of sub-regions, and each sub-region is provided with at least one liquid outlet hole (11). 3.The nipple according to claim 1, wherein: the inner wall of the sucking portion (10) is raised to form a convex rib (13) surrounding the first region (12).

4. The nipple of claim 1, wherein: The number of the liquid outlet holes (11) is 5 to 17. 5.The nipple according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: the wall thickness of the first region (12) is 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm. 6.The nipple according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: the aperture of the liquid outlet hole (11) is 0.03 mm to 1.0 mm. 7.The nipple according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: the distance between any two adjacent liquid outlet holes (11) is not less than 1 mm. 8.The nipple according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: the distance between at least part of the plurality of liquid outlet holes (11) is different; or the distance between any two adjacent liquid outlet holes (11) is the same. 9.The nipple according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: the aperture of at least part of the plurality of liquid outlet holes (11) is different; or the aperture of all the liquid outlet holes (11) is the same.

10. A drinking bottle wherein: a bottle body connected to the nipple of any one of claims 1 to 9 by a connecting member.

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