Infant soother

Abstract

An infant soother 10 comprising an annular support member 12 and a mouthpiece member 14 secured to the annular support member 12. The mouthpiece member 14 comprises a teat portion 16, a resiliently fl

Description

The present invention relates to an infant soother and particularly, although not exclusively, relates to an infant soother having a resiliently flexible mouth shield. BACKGROUND Infant soothers, which may also be referred to as pacifiers, typically comprise a teat and a mouth shield. The teat is configured to be sucked by an infant and the mouth shield is configured to prevent the infant from drawing the teat too far into his / her mouth and choking on the teat. Soothers are almost always configured to have resilient teats, such as teats made of silicone. However, the configuration of the mouth shield varies depending on the type of soother. Some soothers which are commonly referred to as 'breast-like' soothers are configured to emulate a nursing mother's breast. These soothers have a mouth shield that is generally convex when considered from the perspective of an infant sucking on a teat (i.e. curving away from the interface between the teat and the mouth shield in the axial direction away from the teat), and the mouth shield is made from the same resilient material (e.g. silicone) as the teat. The mouth shield is therefore configured to flex during use such that the mouthpiece emulates the region of a mother's breast in the vicinity of a nipple. The nature of the soother is therefore more familiar to an infant and the flexibility of the mouth shield makes the soother more comfortable for an infant when pressed against their face. A challenge associated with a flexible mouth shield is that it is easily deformed and so, without any reinforcement, may collapse inwardly when the teat is sucked by an infant. This increases the risk of the soother becoming a choking hazard. Breast-like soothers may therefore be provided with an annular support ring secured to a periphery of the mouth shield which prevents the mouth shield from collapsing inwardly. A handle by which the soother can be held by a carer is typically secured to the annular support ring. In the case of known breast-like soothers, a handle is typically secured to the support ring by welding or by forming the handle into one half of a two-piece support ring that is then clamped to a periphery of a mouth shield (see WO2007028971A). Each arrangement is relatively complex to manufacture. A simpler arrangement is therefore desirable. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to an aspect of the invention there is provided an infant soother comprising: an annular support member; and a mouthpiece member secured to the annular support member, wherein the mouthpiece member comprises a teat portion, a resiliently flexible mouth shield portion and a handle portion which are formed integrally with each other. A resiliently flexible mouth shield flexes out of its nominal shape when a force is applied, for example by an infant sucking on the teat portion, and returns to its original shape under its own resiliency when the force is removed. Such a mouth shield increases comfort for an infant using the soother. Optionally, the teat portion, the mouth shield portion and the handle portion are formed from a resiliently deformable material. Optionally, the handle portion extends laterally with respect to a longitudinal direction of the infant soother. Optionally, the handle extends in a chordwise direction with respect to the annular support member. Optionally, the mouthpiece member is co-moulded to the annular support member. Optionally, the annular support member has a radially inner surface and a first front surface, and the mouthpiece member is secured to at least a portion of the radially inner surface and at least a portion of the first front surface. The mouthpiece member may be secured to the radially inner surface and at least a portion of the first front surface by co-molding the mouthpiece member to the radially inner surface and at least a portion of the first front surface. Optionally, the first front surface is inclined with respect to the radial direction. Optionally, the first front surface forms a frusto-conical surface that converges in the longitudinal direction of the infant soother towards the teat portion. Optionally, the annular support member comprises a second front surface that extends in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the infant soother. Optionally, the annular support member comprises a radially outer surface, and the mouthpiece member is secured to the annular support member such that at least a portion of the radially outer surface, for example all of the radially outer surface, is exposed. Optionally, the radially outer surface is a peripheral surface that extends circumferentially about the annular support member. Optionally, the annular support member comprises a rear surface, and the mouthpiece member is secured to the annular support member such that at least a portion of the rear surface, for example all of the rear surface, is exposed. In the above context, the term 'exposed' means that the surface or portion of a surface which is exposed is not covered by the mouthpiece member. Optionally, the mouthpiece member is supported only by the annular support member. Optionally, the teat portion and the mouth shield portion extend across an opening defined by the annular support member. Optionally, the handle is configured as a strap. Optionally, the mouthpiece member is formed of silicone. Optionally, the mouth shield portion is convex. In the context of an infant soother, a mouth shield portion is convex if it appears convex when viewed from the front of the infant soother (i.e. the mouth shield portion curves away from the teat portion in a longitudinal and radially outward direction of the soother). Optionally, the annular support member is rigid. Optionally, the annular support member is formed of thermoplastic, for example polypropylene. Optionally, the mouth shield is provided with breathing holes arranged circumferentially about the axis of the mouth shield. Optionally, the soother is a breast-like soother having a convex mouth shield formed of a resiliently deformable material. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing an infant soother in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, comprising the steps: providing an annular support member; applying a surface treatment process to at least one surface of the annular support member with; and co-moulding a mouthpiece member to the 5 annular support member such that at least a portion of the mouthpiece member is secured to the at least one surface. Optionally, the method further comprises the step of: applying a surface treatment process to at least one surface of the annular support member prior to co-moulding the mouthpiece member to the annular support member. 10 An infant soother having a mouthpiece member comprising a teat portion, a mouth shield portion and a handle portion which are formed of a resiliently deformable material, such as silicone, allows complex moulding shape to be achieved, for example by incorporating a handle in the form of a strap, which can then be removed from a mould by deforming the silicone. 15 Aspects of the invention provide an infant soother which is comfortable for an infant, but which is simpler than existing comparable infant soothers. Aspects of the invention provide an infant soother in which a handle is securely integrated with a mouth shield portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows an infant soother; Figure 2 shows the infant soother shown in Figure 1 from a different perspective; Figure 3 is a perspective sectional view of the infant soother shown in Figures 1 and 2; 5 Figure 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the infant soother shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 5 is a perspective sectional view of a support ring of the infant soother shown in Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 6 is a perspective sectional view of a mouthpiece member of the infant soother shown in Figures 1 and 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figures 1 and 2 show an infant soother 10 comprising an annular support member 12 and a mouthpiece member 14. The annular support member 12 is a ring which, in the embodiment shown, is formed of thermoplastic, such as polypropylene (PP). The annular support member 12 is rigid so that it is able to substantially retain its shape during normal use of the infant soother 10. The mouthpiece member 14 comprises a teat portion 16, a mouth shield portion 18 and a handle portion 20. The mouthpiece member 14 is a single-piece construction in which the teat portion 16, mouth shield portion 18 and handle portion 20 are formed integrally with each other. In the embodiment shown, the mouthpiece member 14 is formed of a resiliently deformable material such as silicone. The mouthpiece member 14 may be formed as a singlepiece construction by injection moulding. The soother 10 has a longitudinal axis X which extends in the same direction as the teat portion 16. For the purposes of describing the arrangement of the soother 10, the front of the soother 10 is considered to be the teat portion 16 and the rear of the soother 10 is considered to be the handle portion 20. With further reference to Figures 3 to 6, the annular support member 12 has a radially inner circumferential surface 22, a first front surface 24, a second front surface 26, a radially outer circumferential surface 28a, 28b and a rear surface 30. The first front surface 24 a frusto-conical surface that converges in the longitudinal direction of the infant soother 10 towards the teat portion 16. The first front surface 24 is therefore inclined with respect to the radial direction of the annular support member 12 and the soother axis X. The second front surface 26 extends perpendicularly with respect to the soother axis X from the first front surface 24 to the radially outer circumferential surface 28a, 28b. The teat portion 16 of the mouthpiece member 14 is shaped to enable an infant to suck on the teat portion 16. The mouth shield portion 18 extends from the teat portion 16 to a circular edge 18a that defines a rear opening 32 of the soother 10. The mouth shield portion 18 is dome-shaped and arranged such that it is convex when considered from the perspective of an infant sucking on a teat (i.e. curving away from the interface between the teat and the mouth shield portion in a longitudinal and radially outward direction of the soother). The interface between the teat portion 16 and the mouth shield portion 18 forms a waist of the mouthpiece member having the smallest outer diameter of the mouthpiece member 14. The mouth shield portion 18 is provided with breathing holes 34 which extend through the mouth shield portion 18 to allow an infant to breathe through the holes 34 during use. The handle portion 20 extends laterally with respect to a longitudinal direction of the infant soother 10. In particular, the handle portion 20 extends substantially perpendicularly to the soother axis 10, but is offset from the soother axis X, such that the handle portion 20 extends chordwise across the rear opening 32 of the mouth shield portion 18 from a first portion of the circular edge 18a to a second portion of the circular edge 18a. The handle portion 20 therefore forms a strap by which the soother 10 can be held. The mouth shield portion 18 has a radially outer circumferential surface 36, a first rear surface 38, a second rear surface 40, a radially inner circumferential surface 42 and a front surface 44. The radially outer circumferential surface 36, first rear surface 38 and second rear surface 40 are arranged in abutting engagement with the radially inner circumferential surface 22, the first front surface 24 and the second front surface 26, respectively. The abutting surfaces are secured to each other by bonding, such as by the process of co-moulding the mouthpiece member 14 to the annular support member 12. The mouthpiece member 14 is therefore secured to the annular support member 12 such that the mouth shield portion 18 extends over the radially inner circumferential surface 22, the first front surface 24 and the second front surface 26. The mouthpiece member 14 is secured over the entire circumferential extent of the annular support member 12. A mouthpiece member 14 having a teat portion 16, a mouth shield portion 18 and a handle portion 20 which are formed integrally with each other means that the handle portion 20 does not need to be secured to the annular support member 12 separately. This simplifies the manufacturing process and improves overall integrity of the infant soother 10. The mouthpiece member 14 is secured to the annular support member 12 such that the plane in which the annular support member 12 extends is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the soother 10. The mouthpiece member 14 does not extend over the radially outer circumferential surface 28a, 28b or the rear surface 30 of the annular support member 12. The radially outer circumferential surface 28a, 28b and the rear surface 30 therefore remain exposed. This can be beneficial when designing the aesthetic of the soother 10 since coloured or phosphorescent pigments may be incorporated into the annular support member 12. The infant soother 10 is manufactured as follows. An annular support member 12 in accordance with the annular support member described with respect to Figure 5 is provided. The annular support member 12 is held in a mould for moulding a mouthpiece member 14 in accordance with the mouthpiece member 12 described with respect to Figure 6. The annular support member 12 is arranged such that the radially inner circumferential surface 22, the first front surface 24, and at least a portion of the second front surface 26 are exposed within a moulding chamber of the mould. A surface treatment process, such as the application of a coating, is applied to the radially inner circumferential surface 22, the first front surface 24, and at least a portion of the second front surface 26. Silicone is injected into the mould in order to co-mould the mouthpiece member 14 with the annular support member 12. The silicone is cured in order to bond the mouthpiece member 14 to the annular support member 12. Once cured, the infant soother 10 can be removed from the mould. The deformability of the mouthpiece member 14 means that, even where the mould obstructs unimpeded removal of the soother 10, the mouthpiece member 14, and particularly the handle portion 20 can be deformed, for example stretched, to facilitate removal.

Claims

1. An infant soother comprising:an annular support member; anda mouthpiece member secured to the annular support member, wherein the mouthpiece member comprises a teat portion, a resiliently flexible mouth shield portion and a handle portion which are formed integrally with each other.

2. The infant soother of claim 1, wherein the teat portion, the mouth shield portion and the handle portion are formed from a resiliently deformable material.

3. The infant soother of claim 1 or 2, wherein the handle portion extends laterally with respect to a longitudinal direction of the infant soother.

4. The infant soother of claim 3, wherein the handle extends in a chordwise direction with respect to the annular support member.

5. The infant soother of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the mouthpiece member is co-moulded to the annular support member.

6. The infant soother of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the annular support member has a radially inner surface and a first front surface, and the mouthpiece member is secured to at least a portion of the radially inner surface and at least a portion of the first front surface.

7. The infant soother of claim 6, wherein the first front surface is inclined with respect to the radial direction.

8. The infant soother of claim 7, wherein the first front surface forms a frusto-conical surface that converges in the longitudinal direction of the infant soother towards the teat portion.

9. The infant soother of any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the annular support member comprises a second front surface that extends in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the infant soother.

10. The infant soother of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the annular support member comprises a radially outer surface, and the mouthpiece member is secured to the annular support member such that at least a portion of the radially outer surface is exposed.

11. The infant soother of claim 10, wherein the radially outer surface is a peripheral surface that extends circumferentially about the annular support member.

12. The infant soother of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the annular support member comprises a rear surface, and the mouthpiece member is secured to the annular support member such that at least a portion of the rear surface is exposed.

13. The infant soother of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the mouthpiece member is supported only by the annular support member.

14. The infant soother of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the teat portion and the mouth shield portion extend across an opening defined by the annular support member.

15. The infant soother of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle is configured as a strap.

16. The infant soother of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the mouthpiece member is formed of silicone.

17. The infant soother of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mouth shield portion is convex.

18. The infant soother of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the annular support member is rigid.

19. The infant soother of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the annular support member is formed of thermoplastic.

20. The infant soother of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the mouth shield is provided with breathing holes arranged circumferentially about the axis of the mouth shield.

21. The infant soother of any one of the proceeding claims, wherein the soother is a breastlike soother having a convex mouth shield formed of a resiliently deformable material.

22. A method of manufacturing an infant soother in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps:providing an annular support member;applying a surface treatment process to at least one surface of the annular support member with; andco-moulding a mouthpiece member to the annular support member such that at least a portion of the mouthpiece member is secured to the at least one surface.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:applying a surface treatment process to at least one surface of the annular support member prior to co-moulding the mouthpiece member to the annular support member.

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