Baby soother

Abstract

A baby soother comprising flexible teat and a separately formed flexible handle portion connected together by a ring moulded around them, at a position at which they are in juxtaposition.

Description

The invention relates to baby soothers of the kind comprising the essential elements of a teat, a handle extending in a direction away from the teat and a flange forming a shield disposed between the teat and the handle.

Baby soothers of this kind must be so constructed that the elements cannot be readily separated without breaking one or more parts, since there is a danger that smaller components may be swallowed by the baby. In conventional soothers, the elements are all separately formed and fixed together in such a way that they cannot easily be dismantled. However should one part be removed, it is frequently the case that all parts will thereby become loosened or actually separated.

It is the object of this invention to provide a baby soother of the kind specified in which the risk of separation of the constituent elements is substantially eliminated.

According to the present invention a baby soother of the kind specified comprises a teat and a handle portion which are separately formed from flexible material and are secured together with a shield defined at their junction.

An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single FIGURE of which is a cross-sectional view of a soother constructed in accordance with the invention.

In the example of the invention, shown in the drawing the baby soother comprises a preformed teat 10 made from a flexible material such as latex rubber. The teat has a bulbous olive or pear shaped configuration and an integral peripheral flange 10a.

Connected to this at the flange end is a handle portion 11 which is also formed from a flexible material such as latex rubber. In this example, the handle portion is a hollow disc shaped element having at one position on its periphery an integral annular flange 11a of external diameter approximating to the flange 10a of the teat. The flange 10a of the teat and the flange 11a of the handle portion are in face to face contact and are joined by a ring 12 forming a shield for the soother, this ring being cast over and around the flanges of the teat and handle portion. The shield ring 12 in this example, is also made from the flexible material and there is formed a chemical bond as well as a mechanical connection to secure the teat and handle portion together.

The teat may be filled for example with a jelly material or other flexible or rigid material which may be of the same of a different colour from the material of the teat itself.

The handle portion may contain one or more coloured or other decorative inserts rendering it either rigid or flexible. A hollow capsule may be incorporated in the handle portion containing beads or other objects to make a rattle type soother. The shape of the handle portion may be other than the disc shown. The handle portion may have dimples or depressions to provide finger grip portions, one of these being indicated at 13 in the drawings.

The ring forming the shield may also incorporate coloured or other decorative inserts which may be rigid or flexible. Such inserts may be incorporated during the moulding operation to form the flange, the inserts becoming completely or partly encapsulated in the material during pouring into a suitably shaped mould.

The shield ring may however be pre-formed from a rigid material which is attached to the combined teat and handle portion which have been secured together by adhesive means by a previous operation.

Such adhesion may be achieved between the components by pouring additional quantities of latex rubber to form a chemical bond with the material from which the components themselves are made. Preferably, such bonding should incorporate a mechanical overlapping formation to provide mechanical connection between the components.

In a further alternative construction, the teat and handle portion have no flanges which are in juxtaposition but instead have interlocking formations whereby they can be mechanically connected together, prior to casting of a flange to form the shield or prior to fitting of a pre-formed shield by the pouring of additional material.

In the examples described, the teat and handle portions are both made by the latex dip process but in an alternative, the handle portion is constructed by a casting operation. In such an example, it is formed with a ring and a portion for engagement with and securement to the teat. Rigid or flexible material can be used for this portion of the baby soother.

Claims

I claim:

1. A baby soother comprising a flexible teat, a flexible handle portion separate from the teat, and a shield serving to secure the teat and handle permanently together at their junction, wherein the teat and handle portions have respective integral flanges which are arranged in juxtaposition, said shield being defined over and around said flanges to secure the teat and handle portion permanently together, said flanges and said shield being chemically and mechanically bonded together whereby said flanges and said shield form an integral mass.

2. A baby soother as claimed in claim 1 in which the shield is of a flexible material.