Pacifiers for infants or toddlers

Abstract

A pacifier (1) for infants or toddlers has a mouthpiece (2) and a shield (3) attached to the mouthpiece (2). The mouthpiece (2) has a cavity (6) extending away from the shield (3) in a direction (7) towards the oral cavity, which is surrounded by a cavity lining made of an elastic material. The cavity (6) has an opening (12) accessible through the shield (3), which can be closed with a cap (4) and through which the cavity (6) can be filled with a fluid.The mouthpiece (2) has at least one and preferably two hollow chambers (8) arranged laterally next to the cavity (6), wherein the hollow chambers (8) have a hollow chamber length measured in the direction of the oral cavity (7) which is less than half of a hollow chamber length of the cavity (6) measured in the direction of the oral cavity (7), wherein the hollow chambers (8) each have a contact surface (10) extending transversely to the direction of the oral cavity (7) at a hollow chamber end (9) facing away from the shield (3), which, when the pacifier (1) is used as intended, rests against a gum area of ​​the infant or toddler, wherein the hollow chambers (8) are surrounded by a covering (11) made of an elastic material and wherein the hollow chambers (8) can also each be filled with a fluid through a hollow chamber opening (13).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a pacifier for infants or toddlers with a mouthpiece and a shield attached to the mouthpiece, wherein the shield, when the pacifier is used as intended, rests against the mouth opening outside the oral cavity and prevents the pacifier from being swallowed unintentionally, wherein the mouthpiece has a cavity extending away from the shield in an oral cavity direction, which is surrounded by a cavity lining made of an elastic material and which, when the pacifier is used as intended, extends into the oral cavity of an infant or toddler, and wherein the cavity has an opening accessible through the shield, which can be closed with a cap and through which the cavity can be filled with a fluid.

[0002] The sucking reflex is innate in infants and enables them to suckle breast milk. It has been shown that sucking can also influence jaw development and is therefore important for dental development in the early stages. Sucking often has a calming effect on infants and toddlers, which is why the sucking reflex is not only important for feeding but is also often perceived as pleasant by infants and toddlers and, for example, promotes falling asleep. If infants have a sucking need beyond breastfeeding, a suitably designed pacifier is generally considered better for jaw development than thumb sucking.

[0003] Numerous differently designed pacifiers are known from practical experience, typically featuring a mouthpiece and a shield attached to the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece is intended to be placed in the mouth of an infant or toddler. Such pacifiers are shown and described, for example, in DE 101 21 490 A1 and DE 103 33 763 B3. The mouthpiece is advantageously designed and shaped to promote the sucking reflex and provide the infant or toddler with a comfortable sucking experience, while also minimizing or preventing adverse effects on the mouth, lips, or jaw of the infant or toddler, even with prolonged use. A pacifier with a shield that can be reduced in size as needed by detaching sections is disclosed, for example, in WO 2001 / 047467.

[0004] In addition to a pleasant suction effect, a pacifier can also have other functions or advantages. For example, pacifiers are known in which the hollow part of the mouthpiece, enclosed by a hollow casing, is not only made of an elastic material such as rubber or silicone that is safe for infants and toddlers, but can also be filled with various materials. Such a pacifier with a hollow part that can be used and filled in different ways is described, for example, in EP 0 406 505 A1.

[0005] It is known, for example, from CH 684 160 A5 or DE 20 2017 006 939 U1, that the cavity of the mouthpiece can be filled with a fluid perceived as pleasant or tasty by the infant or with a medicinal substance, and that the cavity lining can have suitable perforations so that, during sucking on the mouthpiece over a longer period, a small amount of the fluid previously filled into the cavity is continuously drawn out of the cavity through the lining and ingested by the infant. DE 10 2011 107 942 A1 discloses a pacifier with which a contrast medium or other liquid can be introduced into the oral cavity and administered to an infant via a tube. In a pacifier described in WO 1997 / 020502, a perforated cavity lining is used to allow a saliva sample to be taken with the pacifier.

[0006] It is also known that the cavity can be filled with a chilled fluid, for example, or that the cavity of a pacifier can first be filled with a fluid and then the pacifier, or rather the cavity, can be cooled to create a cooling effect during use, which is often perceived as calming and pleasant. Particularly during teething, when the teeth erupt from the jaw and the previously closed gums break through, attempts are often made to provide relief to the infant with a cooling effect.

[0007] It is considered an object of the present invention to further develop a pacifier with the features mentioned above in such a way as to improve the cooling effect of the pacifier.

[0008] This problem is solved according to the invention in that the mouthpiece has at least one hollow chamber arranged laterally next to the cavity, wherein the hollow chamber has a hollow chamber length measured in the direction of the oral cavity which is less than half of a cavity length of the cavity measured in the direction of the oral cavity, wherein the hollow chamber has a contact surface extending transversely to the direction of the oral cavity at a hollow chamber end facing away from the shield, which rests against a gum area of ​​the infant or toddler when the pacifier is used as intended, wherein the hollow chamber is surrounded by a hollow chamber covering made of an elastic material and wherein the hollow chamber can be filled with a fluid through a hollow chamber opening.The cavity of the mouthpiece, enclosed by the outer casing, is typically shaped so that, when the pacifier is used as intended, it sits in the oral cavity between the tongue and palate. The casing can be deformed by sucking movements, primarily those made with the tongue. Consequently, the cooling effect, which can be generated by a chilled fluid placed in the cavity, acts almost exclusively within the oral cavity itself, primarily on the tongue and palate. Therefore, the painful gum areas during teething do not receive effective cooling from the chilled fluid in the cavity.With a hollow chamber, which can also be filled with a cooled fluid and is shaped so that a contact surface of the hollow chamber rests against a gum area of ​​the infant or toddler, the affected gum area can be cooled very efficiently, thus relieving the pain or discomfort caused in the gum area.

[0009] The hollow chamber is advantageously designed with regard to its dimensions and shape in such a way that, when the pacifier is used as intended, the hollow chamber, together with the cavity, can be surrounded and enclosed by the lips of the infant or toddler, and the contact surface of the hollow chamber is arranged at a suitable distance from the shield, so that when the contact surface rests against the gum area, the shield lies comfortably against the lips and the surrounding facial area of ​​the infant or toddler.

[0010] A use and effect of the pacifier, often perceived as very pleasant and beneficial, can optionally be achieved by extending the contact surface in a circumferential direction surrounding the cavity more than twice, preferably more than three times, the size of the contact surface in a radial direction perpendicular to the direction of the oral cavity. When the pacifier is used as intended, the contact surface then extends parallel to a gum area of ​​the lower or upper jaw and along a row of teeth, so that not only the centrally located gum area, but also gum areas extending to the left or right, come into contact with the contact surface and can be effectively cooled by a cooled fluid located in the cavity.

[0011] The contact surface can also have a curve adapted to the gum area or a curvature running perpendicular to the direction of the oral cavity, in order to be even better adapted to the typically uneven gum area in the mouth of an infant or toddler. Furthermore, different versions of such a pacifier, each with different shapes, particularly of the hollow chamber, can be provided to suit different age groups or mouth shapes.

[0012] The opening of the hollow chamber can be positioned next to and at a distance from the opening of the cavity, allowing the hollow chamber to be filled and sealed separately. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the opening of the hollow chamber is accessible through the shield and can be sealed with the cap. The hollow chamber then does not need to be filled and sealed separately, but can be filled with a fluid simultaneously with the cavity and sealed together with the cap. This simplifies the handling of the pacifier. Furthermore, the risk of unwanted leakage when sealing the filled hollow chamber is reduced, since the hollow chamber and the cavity are sealed together with a single cap, eliminating the need for two separate sealing devices.

[0013] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the hollow chamber casing and the cavity casing are designed as a single, one-piece casing. Manufacturing a one-piece casing is simpler and more cost-effective than manufacturing a cavity casing and a hollow chamber casing separately. During the service life of a pacifier, it should be cleaned and, if necessary, sterilized at regular intervals, which is facilitated by a one-piece casing. In particular, disassembling and reassembling the individual components of the pacifier is significantly easier and faster with a one-piece casing than it would be with separate cavity casings and a hollow chamber casing.A one-piece encapsulation also allows for a simple, easy-to-handle, and fluid-tight attachment of the encapsulation to the shield, as well as a simple, easy-to-handle, and fluid-tight closure lid for sealing all openings.

[0014] Furthermore, a one-piece enclosure allows for a fluid-permeable connection between the cavity and the hollow chamber, thus facilitating the filling process of the cavity and the hollow chamber with a fluid.

[0015] To facilitate insertion or connection of the cover to the shield, the cover may optionally be provided with an annular sealing flange projecting transversely to the direction of the oral cavity, which rests against the shield. This sealing flange can engage the edge of a recess in the shield adapted to the cover, thus preventing the cover from being unintentionally detached from the shield and potentially swallowed by an infant or small child during intended use. Furthermore, a sealing flange resting against the shield facilitates and improves the reliable sealing of the cover and its closure with the cap.

[0016] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the closure cap can be fixed to the shield in such a way that an annular pressure surface of the closure cap, adapted to the sealing flange, presses the sealing flange of the enclosure against the shield. In this way, the closure cap simultaneously provides both a reliable and fluid-tight seal for the fluid-fillable enclosure and a reliable fixation of the enclosure to the shield. The contact pressure exerted by the pressure surface of the closure cap on the sealing flange, which then presses the sealing flange against the shield, prevents unwanted slippage of the sealing flange relative to the shield and thus prevents unintentional detachment of the enclosure from the shield.At the same time, the contact pressure creates and promotes a fluid-tight seal at the transition from the casing to the closure cap.

[0017] It is particularly advantageous that the cover has a side wall that is at least partially sleeve-shaped and surrounds a cavity in the cover, and that the shield has a receiving sleeve projecting towards the cover and abutting the side wall of the cover at least partially, against which the cover can be secured with its side wall. The side wall of the cover and the receiving sleeve of the shield, which abuts the side wall, enable simple and reliable attachment of the cover to the shield. The cover simply needs to be brought with its side wall against the receiving sleeve and the side wall secured to the receiving sleeve by a suitable fastening or locking mechanism. For example, the cover can have a cylindrical side wall with one or more recesses or...with one or more projections extending towards the receiving sleeve and being detachably secured to the receiving sleeve, for example, by means of a bayonet fitting or a ratchet mechanism. It is also conceivable that the side wall of the cover has a first threaded section facing the receiving sleeve, and the receiving sleeve has a second threaded section adapted to this and facing the side wall, which can be engaged with each other to secure the cover to the shield by screwing it into the receiving sleeve.

[0018] The side wall of the closure cap and the connecting sleeve of the shield allow for a significant increase in usable volume, which can be filled with a cooled fluid that, when used as intended, cools the oral cavity and especially the gum area. The usable volume is then not limited by the shape and dimensions of the cavity and the hollow chamber. Rather, a cavity within the closure cap, surrounded by the sleeve-shaped side wall of the closure cap, can also be used to hold a fluid.

[0019] It is advantageously provided that the shield's receiving sleeve and the hollow chamber casing connected to the shield, or the common casing connected to the shield, enclose a usable volume suitable for filling with a fluid when the closure lid is open. The fluid can be poured into this volume and, with a suitable orientation of the shield, retained even when the closure lid is open or not connected to the shield. With a suitable design of the shield's receiving sleeve, the usable volume provided for filling with fluid can be significantly larger than the usable volume of the hollow chamber. This facilitates easy handling during filling and closing of the pacifier's usable volume, while simultaneously providing a noticeable increase in the usable volume.

[0020] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the mouthpiece optionally has two hollow chambers arranged on opposite sides of the cavity. This allows simultaneous cooling of gum areas on the upper and lower jaws of the infant or toddler, thus enhancing the soothing and calming effect of the pacifier. Furthermore, the usable volume for a cooled fluid can be increased, so that the cooling effect lasts longer overall.

[0021] Water can be used as a cooling fluid. The pacifier can be filled with water that has already been chilled, for example, in a refrigerator. Alternatively, the pacifier can be filled with unchilled water and then cooled, for example, by placing the pacifier in a refrigerator or freezer. This will help to...

[0022] Optionally, the pacifier's usable volume can be filled once during manufacturing with a suitable coolant that has a higher heat capacity than water, and the cap is then permanently and inseparably, or at least not non-destructively, attached to the shield. This allows the use of a cooling fluid that can maintain a cooling effect for a longer period than water.

[0023] The following section describes an exemplary embodiment of a pacifier, as illustrated in the drawings. It shows: Fig. 1. A perspective view of a pacifier with a mouthpiece having an enclosed cavity and with two additional hollow chambers with which two gum areas can be efficiently cooled. Fig. 2 a top view of the in Fig. 1 pacifier shown, Fig. 3 a sectional view of the in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 pacifiers shown along a section line III-III in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 an enlarged partial view of the in Fig. 3 pacifier shown, wherein a transition area IV between a closure lid, a shield and a covering for the cavity and the hollow chambers is shown, Fig. 5 a perspective view of the closure lid, Fig. 6 a perspective view of the common enclosure of the cavity and the two hollow chambers of the mouth part, and Fig. 7 a perspective view of the shield with the receiving sleeve for the closure cover.

[0024] One in the Fig. The pacifiers shown in figures 1 to 4 have a [feature / component] in [figure / component]. Fig. 5 individually depicted mouth part 2, which is in a Fig. 6 individually depicted shield 3 can be used and thus connected, as well as one in Fig.The seven individually illustrated closure lids 4 can be connected to the shield 3 and the mouthpiece 2. The mouthpiece 2 is made of an elastic material that deforms during suction, for example, a plastic material that is harmless to humans, such as a suitable rubber or silicone material. The shield 3 and the closure lid 4 are made of a material that deforms little or not at all during normal use, such as polypropylene.

[0025] The mouthpiece 2 has a cavity 6 extending away from the shield 3 in an oral cavity direction 7 and, when the pacifier 1 is used as intended, is positioned in the oral cavity of an infant or toddler between the tongue and the palate. On two opposite sides of the cavity 6, the mouthpiece 2 has a hollow chamber 8, also extending away from the shield 3 in an oral cavity direction 7. The dimensions of these hollow chambers, measured in an oral cavity direction 7, are significantly smaller than the dimensions of the cavity 6, measured in an oral cavity direction 7. Each of the two hollow chambers 8 has a contact surface 10 at one end 9 facing away from the shield 3, extending transversely to the oral cavity direction 7.The cavity 6 and the two hollow chambers 8 are together enclosed by a one-piece shell 11.

[0026] When the pacifier 1 is used as intended, the cavity 6 is positioned in the oral cavity of an infant or toddler and stimulates the infant or toddler to sucking movements. The cavity 6 and the shield 3 are shaped, typically flattened in one direction transverse to the direction 7 of the oral cavity. This shape allows the two hollow chambers 8, arranged in a corresponding manner, to be positioned such that the sucking movements of the infant or toddler cause the two hollow chambers 8 to be drawn against, and thus pressed against, a gum area of ​​the upper jaw and a gum area of ​​the lower jaw of the infant or toddler, respectively. The two hollow chambers 8 are then also surrounded and enclosed by the lips of the infant or toddler.Shield 3 remains outside the oral cavity and rests against the lips and an adjacent area of ​​the infant's or toddler's face. Because it extends transversely to the direction of the oral cavity 7, shield 3 is larger than the opening of the infant's or toddler's mouth and therefore cannot be sucked into the oral cavity. Shield 3 thus reliably prevents the pacifier 1 from being unintentionally sucked into the oral cavity and subsequently swallowed.

[0027] The common covering 11 of the cavity 6 and the two hollow chambers 8 is made of an elastic material. The common covering 11 has a cavity opening 12 facing the shield 3 and a hollow chamber opening 13 facing the shield 3 for each hollow chamber 8. The common covering 11 has an annular sealing flange 14 projecting transversely to the direction of the oral cavity 7 and surrounding the cavity opening 12 and the hollow chamber openings 13.The shield 3 has a recess 15 for the cavity 6 and for each of the two hollow chambers 8, so that the mouth part 2 can be pushed through the shield 3 in the direction of the oral cavity 7, whereby the cavity 6 and the two hollow chambers 8 are each pushed through the associated recess 15 until the cavity 6 and the two hollow chambers 8 project from the shield 3 in the direction of the oral cavity 7 and the sealing flange 14 rests against the shield 3 on an opposite side.

[0028] The shield 3 has a cylindrical, pot-shaped receiving sleeve 16 projecting away from the mouthpiece 2 and in the opposite direction to the oral cavity 7. The closure cover 4 has a corresponding, also sleeve-shaped, side wall 17 that surrounds a closure cover cavity 18. The closure cover 4 can be inserted into the receiving sleeve 16 with its side wall 17 resting against the inside of the receiving sleeve 16 and secured in the receiving sleeve 16 with a bayonet fitting. In this secured position of the closure cover 4, an annular end face 19 of the side wall 17 of the closure cover 4, designed as a pressure surface, presses the sealing flange 14 of the common housing 11 against a corresponding contact surface of the shield 3, forming a fluid-tight seal between the common housing 11 and the closure cover 4.

[0029] Before use, the closure cover 4 can be detached from the shield 3. Corrugated grooves 20 are formed along a circumferential edge to facilitate handling of the closure cover 4. After detaching the closure cover 4, the cavity 6 can be filled through the cavity opening 12, the two hollow chambers 8 through the two hollow chamber openings 13, and the receiving sleeve 16 of the shield 3 can be filled with a fluid, for example, boiled or sterilized water. The closure cover 4 is then inserted with its side wall 17 into the receiving sleeve 16 and secured therein, so that the closure cover 4 seals a fluid-filled usable volume comprising the cavity 6, the two hollow chambers 8, and the closure cover cavity 18.The fluid filled into the usable volume may have been cooled beforehand, or the sealed pacifier 1 may, for example, be cooled in a refrigerator or in a freezer.

[0030] As soon as the pacifier 1 is used with the cooled fluid by an infant or toddler and the mouthpiece 2 is inserted into their oral cavity, the contact surfaces 10 of the hollow chambers 8 lie flat against the infant's or toddler's gums, providing a soothing and pain-relieving cooling effect. The suction movement and the resulting deformation of the cavity 6 circulate the fluid throughout the entire usable volume, so that a quantity of fluid already warmed at the contact surface 10 of the hollow chambers 8 is replaced by a quantity of fluid that is even cooler in the lid cavity 18, thus maintaining the cooling effect for an extended period.

Claims

[1] A pacifier (1) for infants or toddlers, comprising a mouthpiece (2) and a shield (3) attached to the mouthpiece (2), wherein the shield (3), when the pacifier (1) is used as intended, rests against the mouth opening of the infant or toddler outside the oral cavity and prevents the pacifier (1) from being swallowed unintentionally, wherein the mouthpiece (2) has a cavity (6) extending away from the shield (3) in an oral cavity direction (7), which is surrounded by a cavity lining made of an elastic material and, when the pacifier (1) is used as intended, extends into the oral cavity of the infant or toddler, and wherein the cavity (6) has an opening accessible through the shield (3), which can be closed with a cap (4) and through which the cavity (6) can be filled with a fluid, characterized by, that the mouthpiece (2) has at least one hollow chamber (8) arranged laterally next to the cavity (6), wherein the hollow chamber (8) has a hollow chamber length measured in the direction of the oral cavity (7) which is less than half of a hollow chamber length of the cavity (6) measured in the direction of the oral cavity (7), wherein the hollow chamber (8) has a contact surface (10) extending transversely to the direction of the oral cavity (7) at a hollow chamber end (9) facing away from the shield (3), which, when the pacifier (1) is used as intended, rests against a gum area of ​​the infant or toddler, wherein the hollow chamber (8) is surrounded by a hollow chamber shell made of an elastic material and wherein the hollow chamber (8) can be filled with a fluid through a hollow chamber opening (13). [2] Pacifier (1) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the extent of the contact surface (10) in a circumferential direction surrounding the cavity (6) is more than twice as large as the extent of the contact surface (10) in a radial direction directed perpendicularly away from the oral cavity direction (7). [3] Pacifier (1) according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by , that the extent of the contact surface (10) in a circumferential direction surrounding the cavity (6) is more than three times greater than the extent of the contact surface (10) in a radial direction directed perpendicularly away from the oral cavity direction (7). [4] Pacifier (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the hollow chamber opening (13) is accessible through the shield (3) and can be closed with the closure cover (4). [5] Pacifier (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the hollow chamber covering and the cavity covering are designed as a one-piece manufactured covering (11). [6] Pacifier (1) according to claim 5, characterized by , that the covering (11) has a circular sealing flange (14) projecting transversely to the direction of the oral cavity (7), which rests against the shield (3). [7] Pacifier (1) according to claim 6, characterized by , that the closure cover (4) can be fixed to the shield in such a way that an annular pressure surface of the closure cover (4) adapted to the sealing flange (14) presses the sealing flange (14) of the covering (11) against the shield (3). [8] Pacifier (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the closure cover (4) has a side wall (17) that is formed at least partially in a sleeve shape and surrounds a closure cover cavity (18), and that the shield (3) has a receiving sleeve (16) that projects towards the closure cover (4) and is in contact with the side wall (17) of the closure cover (4) at least partially, and on which the closure cover (4) can be fixed with its side wall (17). [9] Pacifier (1) according to claim 8, characterized by , that a sleeve wall of the receiving sleeve (16) of the shield (3) is designed without openings such that the receiving sleeve (16) of the shield (3) and the hollow chamber covering connected to the shield (3) or the common covering (11) connected to the shield surround a usable volume suitable for filling with a fluid when the closure cover (4) is open, into which the fluid can be filled and retained. [10] Pacifier (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the mouth part (2) has two hollow chambers (8) arranged on opposite sides of the cavity (6).

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