US3768682A — Anti-cholic feeding device

Claim 1

Independent Claim 322 words

In an anti-cholic feeding device for infants having a walled container adapted to receive a feeding nipple permitting infants to extract fluid contained therein by sucking and a valve means permitting the entry of air into the container to replace fluid extracted through the nipple, the improvement comprising: a onepiece valve housing having an air passageway extending therethrough, said housing extending through one of the walls of said container and being secured thereto such that said passageway communicates between the interior and exterior of said container, said housing having a walled chamber adapted to receive a movable sealing member within and forming a part of said passageway, said chamber including a member-receiving seat portion for sealingly receiving said member when said feeding device is not in feeding use and a non-seat portion into which said member is movable when said device is in feeding use; a movable sealing member positioned and confined within said chamber, said member, in conjunction with said seat portion preventing leakage of fluid from said device through said passageway when said device is not in feeding use, said sealing member having a cross-sectional width less than the crosssectional spacing of the walls of said non-seat portion thereby permitting the flow of air into said container around said member when said device is in feeding use; and means formed with and integral with said housing in constant flexed engagement with said sealing member for resiliently urging said sealing member into said seat portion during non-use regardless of the orientation of said container, said means extending across said passageway but defining openings to permit air flow therethrough, said means yielding to permit said sealing member to move into said non-seat portion upon the instigation of sucking through said nipple to permit the flow of replacement air through said passageway and openings, said valve housing being resiliently expandable to permit insertion of said sealing member into said chamber through said passageway.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 322 words

In an anti-cholic feeding device for infants having a walled container adapted to receive a feeding nipple permitting infants to extract fluid contained therein by sucking and a valve means permitting the entry of air into the container to replace fluid extracted through the nipple, the improvement comprising: a onepiece valve housing having an air passageway extending therethrough, said housing extending through one of the walls of said container and being secured thereto such that said passageway communicates between the interior and exterior of said container, said housing having a walled chamber adapted to receive a movable sealing member within and forming a part of said passageway, said chamber including a member-receiving seat portion for sealingly receiving said member when said feeding device is not in feeding use and a non-seat portion into which said member is movable when said device is in feeding use; a movable sealing member positioned and confined within said chamber, said member, in conjunction with said seat portion preventing leakage of fluid from said device through said passageway when said device is not in feeding use, said sealing member having a cross-sectional width less than the crosssectional spacing of the walls of said non-seat portion thereby permitting the flow of air into said container around said member when said device is in feeding use; and means formed with and integral with said housing in constant flexed engagement with said sealing member for resiliently urging said sealing member into said seat portion during non-use regardless of the orientation of said container, said means extending across said passageway but defining openings to permit air flow therethrough, said means yielding to permit said sealing member to move into said non-seat portion upon the instigation of sucking through said nipple to permit the flow of replacement air through said passageway and openings, said valve housing being resiliently expandable to permit insertion of said sealing member into said chamber through said passageway.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 95 words

The device according to claim 1 wherein said walled container has an aperture therein and wherein said housing has an outer shoulder adapted to seat entirely against said walled container around said aperture, said housing further including an inner shoulder spaced from said outer shoulder approximately the thickness of said walled container, said inner shoulder being diametrically larger than said aperture and resilient for passage through said aperture and thereafter expanding to retain said housing in a fixed position with said container, said inner and outer shoulder providing a seal between said housing and container.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 39 words

The device according to claim 1 wherein said means urging said sealing member is comprised of a resilient rib-like member extending across said passageway, said rib-like member being formed as one-piece with said valve housing of the same material.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 52 words

The device according to claim 3 wherein said means for urging said sealing member against said seat portion includes a pair of said rib-like members, each of said ribs being formed as one-piece with said housing, said ribs traversing each other and being integral with each other at their points of traverse.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 240 words

In a walled container having a valve means for permitting entry of air into the container as the fluid contained therein is expelled, the improvement comprising: a one-piece integral valve housing comprised of an elastomeric material and having an air passageway extending therethrough, said housing extending through one of the walls of said container and being secured thereto such that said passageway communicates between the interior and exterior of said container, said housing having a chamber adapted to receive a movable sealing member within and forming a part of said passageway, said chamber including a member-receiving seat portion for sealingly receiving said member when said container is not expelling fluid and a non-seat portion into which said member is movable when said container is expelling fluid; a movable sealing member positioned and confined within said chamber; and means formed with and integral with said housing for resiliently urging said sealing member into said seat portion to block flow through said passageway when fluid is not being withdrawn from said container by sucking, said means extending across said passageway and defining openings to permit air flow through said means, said means being resiliently expandable to permit movement of said seating member into said non-seat portion to permit flow through said passageway to equalize the pressure in said container when fluid is withdrawn, said valve housing being resiliently expandable to permit insertion of said sealing member into said chamber through said passageway.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 240 words

In a walled container having a valve means for permitting entry of air into the container as the fluid contained therein is expelled, the improvement comprising: a one-piece integral valve housing comprised of an elastomeric material and having an air passageway extending therethrough, said housing extending through one of the walls of said container and being secured thereto such that said passageway communicates between the interior and exterior of said container, said housing having a chamber adapted to receive a movable sealing member within and forming a part of said passageway, said chamber including a member-receiving seat portion for sealingly receiving said member when said container is not expelling fluid and a non-seat portion into which said member is movable when said container is expelling fluid; a movable sealing member positioned and confined within said chamber; and means formed with and integral with said housing for resiliently urging said sealing member into said seat portion to block flow through said passageway when fluid is not being withdrawn from said container by sucking, said means extending across said passageway and defining openings to permit air flow through said means, said means being resiliently expandable to permit movement of said seating member into said non-seat portion to permit flow through said passageway to equalize the pressure in said container when fluid is withdrawn, said valve housing being resiliently expandable to permit insertion of said sealing member into said chamber through said passageway.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 156 words

The improvement according to claim 5 wherein said passageWay includes a first portion extending from the exterior of said container to said chamber, said chamber having a diameter exceeding that of said first portion, said seat portion including an annular wall interconnecting said chamber to said first passageway portion, said seating member comprising a ball-shaped element urged for seating engagement against said annular wall to prevent flow of air through said passageway when seated thereon, said means for urging said ball against said seating portion comprising a resilient rib-like member extending across said passageway and anchored on each end, said member extending across the end of said passageway opening into said container for engagement with said ball-shaped element to urge said seating member in said seat portion, said ball-shaped element having a diameter less than the diameter of said chamber to permit flow through said passageway when said ball-shaped element is positioned in said non-seat portion.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 141 words

The device according to claim 5 wherein said container is generally cylindrical in shape, said valve means being disposed in one of the extremities of said container comprising the base of said container, the base of said container being recessed inwardly to form a pocket for receipt of said housing so that when said housing is positioned in said extremity, said housing is spaced from the lowermost plane of said base, said improvement further including a cover positionable across said base within said recess, said cover being fixed to said base to provide an additional seal between said housing and said container, said cover having one surface generally flush with the lowermost plane of said base and the opposite surface engaged with said housing, said cover having an opening therethrough which is aligned with said passageway when affixed to said base.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 83 words

The improvement according to claim 5 wherein said seat portion includes an annular wall interconnecting said chamber to said first passageway portion, said annular wall being inclined relative to said first portion and chamber and including at least one annular flange projecting inwardly toward the axis of said passageway, said annular flange forming a continuous lip being resiliently depressible by said sealing member toward said first passageway portion to increase the contact surface between said ball and seat portion to facilitate positive seating.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 241 words

In a walled container having a valve means permitting the entry of air into the container to replace fluid extracted therefrom, the improvement comprising: a valve housing having an air passageway extending therethrough, said housing extending through one of the walls of said container and being secured thereto such that said passageway communicates between the interior and exterior of said container, said walled container having an aperture therein, said valve housing having an outer shoulder adapted to seat entirely against said walled container around said aperture providing a seal between said housing and container, said container having a general cylindrical shape, said valve means disposed in one extremity, said one extremity comprising the base of said container and being recessed inwardly to form a pocket for receipt of said housing so that once said housing is positioned in said one extremity, said housing does not project into the lowermost plane of said base; said housing when positioned in said one extremity being spaced from the lowermost plane of said base, said device further including a cover positionable across said base within said recess, said cover being fixed to said base to provide an additional seal between said housing and said container, said cover having one surface generally flush with the lowermost plane of said base and the opposite surface engaged with said outer shoulder, said cover having an opening therethrough which is aligned with said passageway when affixed to said base.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 241 words

In a walled container having a valve means permitting the entry of air into the container to replace fluid extracted therefrom, the improvement comprising: a valve housing having an air passageway extending therethrough, said housing extending through one of the walls of said container and being secured thereto such that said passageway communicates between the interior and exterior of said container, said walled container having an aperture therein, said valve housing having an outer shoulder adapted to seat entirely against said walled container around said aperture providing a seal between said housing and container, said container having a general cylindrical shape, said valve means disposed in one extremity, said one extremity comprising the base of said container and being recessed inwardly to form a pocket for receipt of said housing so that once said housing is positioned in said one extremity, said housing does not project into the lowermost plane of said base; said housing when positioned in said one extremity being spaced from the lowermost plane of said base, said device further including a cover positionable across said base within said recess, said cover being fixed to said base to provide an additional seal between said housing and said container, said cover having one surface generally flush with the lowermost plane of said base and the opposite surface engaged with said outer shoulder, said cover having an opening therethrough which is aligned with said passageway when affixed to said base.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 309 words

In a walled container having a valve means permitting the entry of air into the container to rEplace fluid extracted therefrom, the improvement comprising: a valve housing having an air passageway extending therethrough, said housing extending through one of the walls of said container and being secured thereto such that said passageway communicates between the interior and exterior of said container, said housing having a walled chamber adapted to receive a ball-shaped sealing member movably confined within said chamber and forming a part of said passageway, said chamber including a seat portion for receiving said sealing member when said container is not in use and a non-seat portion into which said sealing member is movable when said device is in use; said sealing member in conjunction with said seat portion and said non-seat portion preventing leakage of fluid from said device through said passageway when said device is not in use but permitting flow of air into said container when said device is in use, said passageway including a first portion extending from the exterior of said container to said chamber, said chamber having a diameter exceeding that of said first portion, said seat portion including an annular wall inclined relative to said first portion and chamber, said annular wall including at least one annular flange projecting inwardly toward the axis of said passageway, said annular flange forming a continuous lip being resiliently depressible toward said first passageway portion to increase the contact surface between said ball and seat portion to facilitate positive seating and means for resiliently urging said sealing member into said seat portion during non-use regardless of the orientation of said container, said member yielding to permit said sealing member to move into said non-seat portion upon the instigation of removal of fluid from said container to permit the flow of replacement air through said passageway.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 309 words

In a walled container having a valve means permitting the entry of air into the container to rEplace fluid extracted therefrom, the improvement comprising: a valve housing having an air passageway extending therethrough, said housing extending through one of the walls of said container and being secured thereto such that said passageway communicates between the interior and exterior of said container, said housing having a walled chamber adapted to receive a ball-shaped sealing member movably confined within said chamber and forming a part of said passageway, said chamber including a seat portion for receiving said sealing member when said container is not in use and a non-seat portion into which said sealing member is movable when said device is in use; said sealing member in conjunction with said seat portion and said non-seat portion preventing leakage of fluid from said device through said passageway when said device is not in use but permitting flow of air into said container when said device is in use, said passageway including a first portion extending from the exterior of said container to said chamber, said chamber having a diameter exceeding that of said first portion, said seat portion including an annular wall inclined relative to said first portion and chamber, said annular wall including at least one annular flange projecting inwardly toward the axis of said passageway, said annular flange forming a continuous lip being resiliently depressible toward said first passageway portion to increase the contact surface between said ball and seat portion to facilitate positive seating and means for resiliently urging said sealing member into said seat portion during non-use regardless of the orientation of said container, said member yielding to permit said sealing member to move into said non-seat portion upon the instigation of removal of fluid from said container to permit the flow of replacement air through said passageway.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-10-29	1977-04-30	1977-10-30	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-10-29	1981-04-30	1981-10-30	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-10-29	1985-04-30	1985-10-30	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Anti-cholic feeding device

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag