Teat for use with container for containing liquid

Abstract

A teat (1) comprises a hollow teat body (10) comprising a deformable hollow mouthpiece (11) and a normally closed valve (30) arranged at a level or more downstream of the mouthpiece (11), the valve (30) being openable during a liquid intake action under the influence of a suction force applied to the mouthpiece (11) by a user of the teat (1). The valve (30) is included in a valve region (32) of the valve body (31), the valve region (32) being configured and arranged to prevent a closed-open state of the valve (30) from being changed under the influence of a deformation of the mouthpiece (11), the deformation being caused by a user of the teat (1) during a liquid intake action, such that during the liquid intake action, during the liquid intake action, the change of the closed-open state of the valve (30) is prevented. The closed-open state of the valve (30) can be controlled by means of a suction force applied to the mouthpiece (11) by a user of the teat (1).

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent application No. 202080011951.2, filed on January 21, 2020, with the title “Nipple for use with a container for containing a liquid”. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a nipple for use with a container for containing a liquid, comprising a hollow nipple body comprising a deformable hollow mouthpiece for a user of the nipple to suck on during a liquid intake action for the purpose of transferring liquid through the mouthpiece out of the nipple in a downstream direction through the nipple body. The invention further relates to an assembly comprising a nipple as described above and a container for containing a liquid. For example, the assembly can be a feeding bottle assembly comprising a feeding bottle for containing a feeding liquid such as milk. BACKGROUND

[0003] Nipples as defined above are well known and are generally applied in the field of bottle feeding. One important issue in the field of bottle feeding is the desire to mimic natural breast feeding as much as possible. A first advantage of doing so is that it allows a bottle fed infant to perform a liquid intake action in a familiar way without unexpected effects. A second advantage of doing so is that it enables a bottle fed infant to maintain the ability to feed at the breast, which can be hampered when bottle feeding does not stimulate certain natural reflexes of the infant. When bottle feeding and breast feeding differ too much, there is a great risk that the infant will get confused.

[0004] To obtain milk from the breast, an infant applies two cooperating / interacting mechanisms. A first mechanism is sucking. By sucking a negative pressure is created which helps the infant to form a nipple with the nipple, the areola and the underlying breast tissue. Further, the infant can maintain a base negative pressure to keep the nipple in the mouth. In any case, an alternating pressure is applied which helps to retrieve milk from the breast and to flow into the infant’s mouth. A second mechanism is the so-called peristaltic tongue movement. During a liquid intake action, the infant performs a peristaltic movement with the tongue. In this process, a wave is created which moves backwards from the tip of the tongue. The peristaltic tongue movement has different functions, including transporting milk and extracting milk at the nipple outlet. For transporting milk, it is noted that at the wave trough, milk is transported from the base of the nipple to the top of the nipple where the outlet hole is present, while the wave crest helps to push the milk. For extracting milk, it is noted that the wave trough creates an increase in volume at the location of the top of the nipple, thereby obtaining a negative pressure. At the same time, the wave crest pushes milk towards the outlet.

[0005] Many artificial nipples are designed so that liquid is always allowed to flow as long as there is a pressure differential. For example, a nipple can be of very simple design, with only one or more small liquid outlet holes that are always open. Alternatively, if some measure is taken to achieve a closed state for one or more liquid outlet holes as a default, the closed state of one or more liquid outlet holes can be easily changed to an open state once the nipple is used. Given this, when using well-known nipples, the act of taking in liquid can be easily interrupted by causing choking, vomiting, spitting, etc. For example, any basic negative pressure applied by the baby will also cause liquid to flow. Since this is not the case during breastfeeding, this is undesirable for the baby. As a result, the baby feels uncomfortable and the chance of inhaling air increases.

[0006] GB 2226014 A discloses a teat for a feeding bottle.

[0007] US2223179 A discloses a nipple of a feeding bottle.

[0008] WO 2004 / 013001 A2 discloses a no-spill drinking product having a seal for preventing accidental liquid flow when a user is not drinking from it.

[0009] US 6112919 A ​​discloses a leakage protection device for feeding bottles and the like.

[0010] EP 0496892 A1 discloses a teat for a feeding bottle. Summary of the Invention

[0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide a teat that is designed to be closed by default and that functions when the above features are used to achieve a feeding process similar to breastfeeding.

[0012] In view of the foregoing, the present invention provides a soother, as previously defined, comprising a hollow soother body including a deformable hollow mouthpiece for a user of the soother to suck on during a liquid intake action for the purpose of transferring liquid in a downstream direction through the soother body and out of the soother through the mouthpiece, and the soother further comprising a normally closed valve arranged at the level of the mouthpiece or at a level further downstream, the valve being openable under the influence of a sucking force applied to the mouthpiece by a user of the soother during a liquid intake action, and the valve being included in a valve area of ​​the valve body, the valve area being configured and arranged to prevent the closed-open state of the valve from being changed under the influence of deformation of the mouthpiece caused by the user of the soother during the liquid intake action.

[0013] Having a normally closed valve in the mouthpiece helps to avoid the situation that once a negative pressure is applied to the mouthpiece, a liquid flow from the teat is always obtained. However, the invention goes beyond this, namely also includes the fact that the valve is comprised in a valve region of the valve body, which is configured and arranged to prevent the closing-opening state of the valve from being changed under the influence of a deformation of the mouthpiece, which is caused by a user of the teat during a liquid intake action. This feature of the invention relates to the insight that the intended function of the valve can be interrupted under the influence of a compression force applied to the mouthpiece by a user of the teat during a liquid intake action. By making appropriate choices in factors such as the positioning, dimensions and mechanical properties of the valve body, the teat can be designed such that the closing-opening state of the valve is determined only or at least mainly by the extent to which a negative pressure is applied to the mouthpiece during a liquid intake action. As an advantageous result, the situation is avoided that the normally closed valve is accidentally opened under the influence of a compression force from the mouth, in particular the tongue. Instead, there is a direct relationship between the closing-opening state of the valve and the suck mechanism, which is not interrupted by the tongue movement mechanism, which contributes to the high convenience of the liquid intake action.

[0014] In the following, for the sake of clarity, the deformation of the mouthpiece caused by a user of the teat during a liquid intake action is referred to as the operational deformation of the mouthpiece. Likewise, the compression force applied to the mouthpiece by a user of the teat during a liquid intake action is referred to as the operational compression force.

[0015] It should be noted that the valve body can in particular be configured and arranged to prevent a direct deformation influence of the operational compression force on the valve region. Where the valve region is located inside the mouthpiece, this can be achieved by choosing the positioning and dimensions of the valve body such that, during a liquid intake action, a situation does not normally occur that a compression of the mouthpiece causes the mouthpiece to press on the valve body such that the valve changes from a closed state to an open state. One practical factor for this aspect can be that there is a space between the valve body and the inner surface of the mouthpiece at the level of the valve region.

[0016] A user of the teat according to the invention can be a baby. Measurements obtained in the field of bottle feeding show that the total compression and the maximum compression of the mouthpiece of a teat for feeding a baby can be about 6 mm. Therefore, in order to prevent the valve body, which can be present inside the mouthpiece, from being directly compressed, it can be advantageous if the radial distance between at least part of the valve body and the inner surface of the mouthpiece is chosen to be at least 3 mm at the level of the valve region.

[0017] Another or additional way of preventing the closed-open state of the valve from being changed under the influence of the operational deformation of the suction nozzle piece involves preventing or at least hindering the transmission of the operational compressive force from the suction nozzle piece to the valve body. For example, in the case where the valve body includes a transition region and is connected to the suction nozzle piece via the transition region, the transition region can be configured to prevent or at least hinder the transmission of the compressive force from the suction nozzle piece to the valve body. In addition, the valve body can be configured to prevent or at least hinder the transmission of the compressive force from the part of the valve body outside the valve area to the valve area. In the first case, it can be practical for the valve body to have a stiffness that is different from the stiffness of the suction nozzle piece at least at the position of the transition region of the valve body, that is, at the position where the valve body is connected to the suction nozzle piece. In the second case, it can be practical for the valve body to include at least two parts of different stiffness, one of which includes the valve area. Generally, at least two parts with different stiffness involve a mechanical isolation effect without the need to take complex measures. For example, the stiffness difference can be achieved by selecting different materials, selecting different wall thicknesses and / or providing reinforcing ribs for one of the parts.

[0018] In a practical embodiment of a teat according to the invention, the valve is located at the level of the top end of the mouthpiece or at a level further upstream, the furthest possible upstream level being the level of the bottom end of the mouthpiece. An advantage of such an embodiment is that the appearance of the teat does not deviate from that of a conventional teat. Thus, from the outside, the teat appears to be a normal teat as perceived by the average user, while the valve and the valve body are flush with the top contour of the mouthpiece or are only visible inside the teat. In this case, the experience of a baby taking in liquid through a teat according to the invention does not differ in any tactile sense from the experience commonly experienced in the field of bottle feeding. In particular, the valve body can be made to extend from the top end of the mouthpiece in an upstream direction in the mouthpiece.

[0019] In addition to the option of locating the valve at the level of the top end of the mouthpiece or at a level further upstream (which means that the valve can be located at a position inside the mouthpiece), the present invention also covers the option of locating the valve at a level further downstream than the level of the top end of the mouthpiece. Implementing this option may involve providing a valve body on the outside of the mouthpiece that protrudes from the top end of the mouthpiece.

[0020] In order to allow the liquid to flow out into the user's mouth, the nipple body is usually provided with one or more orifices at a suitable location, which in many known cases is the location at the top end of the mouthpiece. In the framework of the present invention, a valve can be used as the orifice or orifices, but it is also possible that the orifice or orifices are present at the top end of the mouthpiece and the valve is arranged at a level further upstream, at a location in fluid communication with the orifice or orifices.

[0021] Preferably, the mouthpiece and the valve body form a complete integral body. Firstly, this simplifies design and manufacturing. Secondly, it eliminates the risk of the component accidentally being separated from the teat.

[0022] Within the framework of the present invention, the valve may be of any suitable design. The valve need not be complex, as it is sufficient for the valve to comprise one or more holes in the valve region, the holes being sufficiently small to prevent the passage of liquid, as long as the pressure difference experienced by the liquid does not exceed the bursting pressure associated with the surface tension of the liquid. Alternatively, it is practical for the valve to comprise a slit. This slit may be shaped as a straight line, Y-shaped, +-shaped, or may have any other suitable shape. More than one slit may be provided, but the option of having only one slit is advantageous because it promotes simplicity of design and manufacture.

[0023] Where the valve body is hollow and extends upstream from the tip of the mouthpiece, it is advantageous if the valve body has a smaller volume than the mouthpiece and only reaches as far as the mouthpiece itself. In particular, it is advantageous if the valve body has a volume of less than 0.1 ml, i.e., less than the volume associated with a single sip for a small infant. By having only a relatively small valve body in a configuration as described above, the dead volume associated with this configuration is minimized, so that the user of the teat does not need to exert a higher suction force than normal. Furthermore, the teat is easier to clean, and liquid on the outside of the mouthpiece is minimized.

[0024] In a practical embodiment of a teat according to the invention, the valve body is of a generally cup-shaped configuration and has a bottom and a wall, wherein the valve body extends in the mouthpiece from the top end of the mouthpiece in the upstream direction, the bottom of the valve body being located at the most upstream level in the mouthpiece, and the valve being located in the bottom. Within the framework of the invention, various tests were performed and calculations were made in order to define useful relationships between various values ​​for teats according to such embodiments, assuming that the wall of the valve body is of a generally tubular shape, making it possible to define the inner diameter / radius and the outer diameter / radius of the wall, and assuming the use of the teat for feeding an infant and the overall dimensions associated therewith. Wherein, when it is to be ensured that the state of the valve can only be changed under the influence of sucking forces associated with normal use of the nipple, the following relationships have been found to be relevant: possible influences of operational deformations of the suction piece (i.e. deformations of the suction piece associated with normal use of the nipple) are eliminated to a sufficient extent: 1) along at least a portion of the valve body, i) the outer radius of the wall of the valve body; and ii) the sum of 1.7 times the wall thickness of the suction piece at the level of the outer radius of the valve body is less than 4 mm; 2) the ratio of i) the outer radius of the wall of the valve body to ii) the inner radius of the suction piece at the valve level is less than 0.54; and 3) the ratio of i) the length of the valve body to ii) the outer diameter of the wall of the valve body is greater than 0.5, preferably greater than 0.7.

[0025] With respect to the terms "diameter" and "radius" as used herein, it should be noted that these terms should be understood to refer to dimensions in a direction that is generally radial relative to the longitudinal direction of the object whose dimensions are being defined. Therefore, these terms should be understood in a broader sense than that inherently associated with generally circular shapes and also apply to other shapes, including asymmetric shapes.

[0026] It is practical if at least the top portion of the mouthpiece has a cross-section of a generally circular shape, since this allows for position-independent use of the nipple, but this is not necessary within the framework of the present invention. For example, the cross-section of at least the top portion of the mouthpiece may also be of a generally elliptical shape with a major axis and a minor axis. The valve body may be of any suitable design, including the designs mentioned above. One example of a suitable shape is a cup-shaped shape as described above, wherein the wall of the cup-shaped valve body is of a generally tubular shape, which may be practical. In this case, the wall of the valve body may have any suitable cross-sectional shape, including a generally circular shape. Other examples of suitable shapes for the valve body include spherical, conical and flat tubular shapes. The valve and the valve area may have any suitable position in the valve body, including a position at the most downstream level. For example, in the case of a cup-shaped valve body having a bottom and a wall, the valve may be located at the bottom as previously suggested, but the valve may also be located in the wall of the valve body. The valve body may have a central position in / on the mouthpiece, but an eccentric position is also possible. Furthermore, the valve body may extend approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece, but this does not change the fact that an orientation of the valve body in which it is tilted relative to the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece is also possible.

[0027] The present invention relates to a teat according to the preceding definition and also to an assembly comprising a teat as described above and a container for containing a liquid.

[0028] The above and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from and be elucidated with reference to the following detailed description of a teat comprising a hollow teat body including a deformable hollow mouthpiece and a valve body including a normally closed valve. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals, and in which:

[0030] Figure 1 A perspective view schematically shows the appearance of a nipple body of a known nipple;

[0031] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view schematically illustrates a mouthpiece of a nipple body according to a practical embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3illustrates how the mouthpiece is deformed under the influence of a compressive force applied to the mouthpiece by a user of the soother during a liquid intake action;

[0033] Figure 4 illustrates how to measure various dimensions of a mouthpiece and a valve body extending therein; and

[0034] Figure 5 The essential features of an alternative design of a teat according to the invention are shown schematically. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Figure 1 It relates to a known pacifier, and Figures 2 to 5 Unless otherwise indicated, the features of known teats that will be discussed below also apply to the teat according to the present invention, at least to the illustrated embodiment.

[0036] Generally, the nipple 100 is intended to be connected to a container (not shown) suitable for containing a quantity of liquid to be supplied to a user, particularly an infant, although other types of users are not excluded in the context of the present invention. Such a container may be of any design and type. For example, the nipple 100 may be used with a feeding bottle having an external thread on its open side and a connecting ring having an internal thread. In this case, a portion of the nipple 100 may be held between the connecting ring and the bottle in a state of interconnection between the connecting ring and the bottle, which is achieved by the engagement of the corresponding threads.

[0037] See also Figure 1 , it is noted that the nipple 100 has at least one orifice 21 for allowing liquid to flow out of the nipple 100. The at least one orifice 21 may have any suitable shape and size. Terms used in relation to the nipple 100, such as top and bottom, should be understood to relate to normal liquid flow through the nipple 100 that is intended to be supplied to a user of the nipple 100, i.e., liquid flow in a direction towards the at least one orifice 21, wherein this direction is logically defined as a downstream direction, wherein the opposite direction is an upstream direction, and wherein "top" indicates a level / position further downstream, and "bottom" indicates a level / position further upstream.

[0038] The soother 100 comprises a soother body 10 which is hollow and flexible and has essentially two parts, a mouthpiece 11 and a main body 12. Extending from the main body 12 is the mouthpiece 11 which comprises at least one aperture 21 as previously described in a liquid outlet region 20 at its top end, and the main body 12 comprises a flange-like portion 13 at its bottom end. The main body 12 is integrally formed on the mouthpiece 11 and widens relative to the mouthpiece 11. The mouthpiece 11 constitutes the nipple-shaped portion of the soother body 10, which is the portion of the soother body 10 intended to be inserted into the mouth of a user of the soother 100.

[0039] The present invention is independent of the features of the body 12 at the location of the mouthpiece 11, which is deformable under the influence of the operational compressive force (i.e., the compressive force applied to the mouthpiece 11 by the user of the soother 100 during the liquid intake action) and is hollow as described above. The present invention is independent of the features of the body 12. In general, the present invention is independent of any design of any other possible parts of the soother body 10 other than the mouthpiece 11.

[0040] See also Figure 2 , the details of the teat 1 according to the actual embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Figure 2 Only the mouthpiece 11 of the nipple body 10 of the nipple 1 is shown. A normally closed valve 30 is present in the mouthpiece 11. In the example shown, the valve 30 is in a recessed position relative to the top end of the mouthpiece 11. This position of the valve 30 is achieved based on the fact that the nipple 1 comprises a cup-shaped valve body 31 which is integral with the mouthpiece 11 and extends in the upstream direction in the mouthpiece 11, thereby forming a recess in the mouthpiece 11, and the valve 30 is arranged in a valve area 32 of the valve body 31 which is located at the bottom 33 of the valve body 31 having the most upstream position. As Figure 2 As shown, the valve 30 does not need a complex design but may instead comprise a single slit of linear shape in the bottom 33 of the valve body 31. This does not change the fact that other embodiments of the valve 30 are possible within the framework of the invention.

[0041] In such Figure 2In the configuration shown and described above, when the valve 30 is in the open state, liquid can reach the top end of the mouthpiece 11 and be released from the teat 1 at this location. When the mouthpiece 11 of the teat 1 according to the present embodiment is compared with the mouthpiece 11 of the known teat 100, it is found that the teat 1 according to the present embodiment includes a recess in the mouthpiece 11, the normally closed valve 30 is arranged in the bottom of the recess, and the liquid outlet area 20 includes a single orifice 21 formed by the open top side of the recess. One reason for including the normally closed valve 30 in the teat 1 is to avoid situations where liquid can be withdrawn through the teat 1 in all situations where negative pressure is applied to the outside of the teat 1, thereby providing an option that better mimics the natural breastfeeding process. One reason for including the valve 30 in the valve body 31 is to avoid situations where the valve 30 is directly deformed by the operating compressive forces, and thus ensuring a sufficient level of negative pressure outside the teat 1 can be considered a requirement for achieving the open state of the valve 30. According to the invention, this is achieved by having the valve 30 in a valve body 31 which is configured and arranged to prevent the closed-open state of the valve from being changed under the influence of operational deformations, i.e. deformations of the mouthpiece 11 caused by the user during liquid intake actions.

[0042] Within the framework of the present invention, the valve body 31 may be of any suitable design. As mentioned above, in the example shown, the valve body 31 is cup-shaped and is arranged to extend inwardly in the suction nozzle piece 11. The bottom 33 of the valve body 31 has the most upstream position and the valve body 31 is open to the top end of the suction nozzle piece 11. One way of preventing or at least hindering the transmission of the operating compression force from the suction nozzle piece 11 to the valve body 3 so that the compression force cannot cause the closed-open state of the valve 30 to change involves having a stiffness difference at an appropriate position in the valve body 31. For example, the top section of the wall 34 of the valve body 31 constituting the transition area 35, by which the valve body 31 is connected to the suction nozzle piece 11, may have a different stiffness than the rest of the valve body 31. When the wall portion 34 of the valve body 31 is connected to the mouthpiece 11 via a relatively weak transition region 35, or when the wall portion 34 of the valve body 31 is connected to the mouthpiece 11 via a relatively strong transition region 35, the deformation force prevailing in the mouthpiece 11 during the liquid intake action is not transmitted to the rest of the valve body 31, or at most only to a very small extent and insufficient to open the valve 30 from the closed state. For example, the bottom 33 and the wall portion 34 of the valve body 30 may also have different stiffnesses.

[0043] Figure 3 To illustrate possible deformation of the nozzle member 11 due to the operational compression force, the left side of the figure shows the outline of the nozzle member 11 in a default unloaded shape, and the right side of the figure shows the outline of the nozzle member 11 in a deformed shape.

[0044] In addition to or as an alternative to the concept of achieving an effective stiffness difference as described above, the extent to which the mouthpiece 11 is typically deformed may be considered as a basic assumption for determining suitable dimensional characteristics of the mouthpiece 11 and the valve body 31 as a whole including the valve 30. For example, a minimum radial distance R between at least the bottom 33 of the valve body 31 and the inner surface 14 of the mouthpiece 11 may be defined. Taking into account the known state of the art in the field of teats designed for feeding infants regarding how the mouthpiece 11 may be deformed, a suitable value for such a minimum radial distance R may be chosen to be 3 mm. In this respect, see Figure 4 It is noted that non-limiting practical examples of dimensions associated with the undeformed mouthpiece 11 are as follows: the maximum outer diameter D of the mouthpiece 11 m The wall thickness W of the nozzle piece 11 is about 14 mm. m The outer diameter D of the valve body 31 is about 1.2 mm. v The wall thickness W of the wall portion 34 of the valve body 31 is approximately 3.9 mm. v is about 0.5 mm, and the length L of the valve body 31 v About 4mm.

[0045] The operation of the nipple 1 according to a practical embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example, assuming that the user of the nipple 1 is an infant. As previously described, during use, the nipple 1 is connected to a feeding bottle, etc. In the default state, the valve 30 is closed, preventing liquid from flowing out of the nipple 1. When it is time for the infant to retrieve liquid from the feeding bottle, the mouthpiece 11 needs to be inserted into the infant's mouth. The infant begins the liquid intake process by performing a sucking action and moving the tongue. Once the negative pressure generated by the sucking action exceeds the predetermined value required to retain the mouthpiece 11 in the mouth, the valve 30 is moved from the closed state to the open state, allowing liquid to flow from the feeding bottle through the nipple 1 and into the infant's mouth. During this process, the mouthpiece 11 deforms, but this aspect of the liquid intake process has no significant effect on the state of the valve 30. When the infant desires to swallow the liquid, the negative pressure is released to at least the extent that the valve 30 closes. As a result, the liquid flow is interrupted, as occurs during natural breastfeeding. When the baby wants to take another amount of liquid, they make a move to increase the negative pressure, causing the valve 30 to be placed in the open state again. Thus, based on the use of a normally closed valve 30 and measures designed to minimize / eliminate the effects of operational deformation of the mouthpiece 11 on the closed / open state of the valve 30, a "stop-go" function equivalent to controlling the flow of liquid during breastfeeding is achieved. Furthermore, the baby is not hindered in any way when performing natural peristaltic movements, so that the baby's ability to perform such movements is not lost.

[0046] In the case where the valve body 31 is designed to form a recess in the mouthpiece 11, the valve body 31 does not need to be provided as a certain tubular shaped member. Figure 5 As shown, the mouthpiece 11 may have a simple recess in its top portion, the valve 30 being provided with a linear slit at the bottom of the recess, and the valve body 31 being defined by the walls of the recess.

[0047] It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples discussed above, but that several modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The present invention is intended to be understood as including all such modifications and variations as long as they fall within the scope of the claims or their equivalents. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail in the drawings and the specification, such illustrations and descriptions should be regarded as merely illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. The present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The drawings are schematic and details not necessary for understanding the invention may have been omitted, and such details are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0048] Variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention by studying the drawings, the specification, and the appended claims. In the claims, the words "comprising" and "including" do not exclude other steps or elements, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0049] Unless expressly stated otherwise, elements and aspects discussed with respect to or in connection with a particular embodiment may suitably be combined with elements and aspects of other embodiments. Thus, the fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "include" and "comprising" used in this text encompass the term "consisting of...." Thus, the term "include" or "comprising" may mean "consisting of" in one embodiment, but may mean "including / having / equipped with at least the defined categories and optionally one or more other categories" in another embodiment.

[0051] Milk is a practical example of a liquid that an infant can ingest through the teat 1. For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that this should not be understood as meaning that the use of the teat 1 is limited to this particular type of liquid. Other examples of liquids that can be supplied to a user with the aid of the teat 1 are water, porridge-like liquids and medicinal liquids. Further, it should be noted that the use of the teat 1 according to the present invention is not limited to being used by infants to perform liquid intake actions, even though infants may be the intended users of the teat 1, and that the exemplary dimensions of the teat 1 mentioned above relate to the average anatomical dimensions of an infant's mouth and tongue, and that all details of the invention presented in this text, including the claims, apply to the case where the teat 1 is designed for use by an infant and assuming that the mouthpiece 11 has the normal operational deformations associated with such use. The term "infant" should be understood to cover infants and very young children, i.e. children who are typically breastfed and / or bottle-fed.

[0052] The salient aspects of the present invention can be summarized as follows. A teat 1 is designed for use with a container for holding liquids and comprises a hollow teat body 10 including a deformable hollow mouthpiece 11 for sucking thereon by a user of the teat 1 during a liquid intake action, for the purpose of transferring liquid out of the teat 1 through the mouthpiece 11 in a downstream direction through the teat body 10. The teat 1 is also provided with a normally closed valve 30, which may be arranged at a level at or further downstream from the bottom end of the mouthpiece 11 and is capable of opening under the influence of a sucking force applied to the mouthpiece 11 by a user of the teat 1 during a liquid intake action. The valve 30 is included in a valve region 32 of the valve body 31, which is configured and arranged to prevent the closed-open state of the valve 30 from being altered under the influence of deformation of the mouthpiece 11 caused by the user of the teat 1 during a liquid intake action. In this way, during the liquid intake action, the closed-open state of the valve 30 can be controlled by the sucking force applied to the suction mouthpiece 11 by the user of the nipple 1, so that the intermittent function of the nipple 1 is obtained, thereby helping to simulate the breast feeding characteristics with the nipple 1.

Claims

1. A teat (1) for use with a container for holding a liquid, comprising: a hollow teat body (10) comprising a deformable hollow mouthpiece (11) for a user of the teat (1) to suck on during a liquid intake action for the purpose of transferring liquid in a downstream direction through the teat body (10) and out of the teat (1) through the mouthpiece (11), and - a normally closed valve (30), arranged at the level of the suction piece (11), wherein the valve (30) is in a recessed position relative to the top end of the suction piece (11), the valve (30) being able to open under the influence of a sucking force applied to the suction piece (11) by a user of the nipple (1) during a liquid intake action, and the valve (30) being included in a valve area (32) of a valve body (31), the valve area being configured and arranged to prevent the closed-open state of the valve (30) from being changed under the influence of a deformation of the suction piece (11) caused by a user of the nipple (1) during a liquid intake action, wherein the valve body (31) is configured and arranged to have the following positioning and dimensions by selecting the valve body: during a liquid intake action, under normal circumstances, there will not be a situation in which compression of the suction piece causes the suction piece to press on the valve body, causing the valve to change from a closed state to an open state.

2. The teat (1) according to claim 1, wherein the minimum radial distance between at least the bottom (33) of the valve body (31) and the inner surface (14) of the mouthpiece (11) is 3 mm.

3. A teat (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the valve body (31) includes a transition area (35) and the valve body (31) is connected to the mouthpiece (11) via the transition area (35), and wherein the transition area (35) is configured to prevent or at least hinder the transmission of a compressive force applied to the mouthpiece (11) from the mouthpiece (11) to the valve body (31), the compressive force being applied by a user of the teat (1) during a liquid ingestion action.

4. The teat (1) according to claim 3, wherein the valve body (31) has a stiffness that is different from the stiffness of the mouthpiece (11) at least at the location of the transition region (35).

5. The teat (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the valve body (31) is configured to prevent or at least hinder the transmission of a compressive force applied to the mouthpiece (11) from a portion of the valve body (31) outside the valve area (32) to the valve area (32), the compressive force being applied by a user of the teat (1) during a liquid intake action.

6. The teat (1) according to claim 5, wherein the valve body (31) comprises at least two parts of different stiffness, wherein one of the parts comprises the valve area (32).

7. The teat (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at the level of the valve area (32) there is a space between the valve body (31) and the inner surface (14) of the mouthpiece (11), and wherein At the level of the valve area (32), the radial distance (R) between at least part of the valve body (31) and the inner surface (14) of the mouthpiece (11) is preferably at least 3 mm.

8. A teat (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the valve (30) is located at the level of the top end of the mouthpiece (11) or at a level further upstream.

9. The teat (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the mouthpiece (11) and the valve body (31) form a complete whole.

10. The nipple (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the valve body (31) is hollow and extends in the upstream direction from the top end of the nozzle piece (11) in the nozzle piece (11), and the volume of the valve body (31) is less than 0.1 ml.

11. The teat (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the valve body (31) is generally cup-shaped and has a bottom (33) and a wall portion (34), and wherein the valve body (31) extends in the upstream direction from the top end of the mouthpiece (11) in the mouthpiece (11), the bottom (33) of the valve body (31) is located at the most upstream level in the mouthpiece (11), and the valve area (32) is located in the bottom (33).

12. A teat (1) according to claim 11, wherein the wall portion (34) of the valve body (31) is of substantially tubular shape, and wherein along at least a portion of the valve body (31), the sum of: i) the outer radius of the wall portion (34) of the valve body (31); and ii) the wall thickness (W ) of the mouthpiece (11) at the level of the outer radius of the valve body (31) is less than 4 mm. m ) is 1.7 times.

13. A teat (1) according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the wall portion (34) of the valve body (31) is generally tubular in shape, and wherein the ratio of i) the outer radius of the wall portion (34) of the valve body (31) to ii) the inner radius of the mouthpiece (11) at the level of the valve (30) is less than 0.

54.

14. The teat (1) according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the wall portion (34) of the valve body (31) is substantially tubular in shape, and wherein i) the length (L v ) and ii) the outer diameter (D v ) is greater than 0.5, preferably greater than 0.

7.

15. An assembly comprising: The nipple (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14; as well as Container used to hold liquids.

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