Nursing bottle support

Aug. 11, 1964

3,144,230

D. L. BROOKS

NURSING BOTTLE SUPPORT

Filed April 15, 1953

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ATTORNEY

United States Patent Office _Patented

3,144,230

NURSING BOTTLE SUPPORT

Durward L. Brooks, P.O. Box 467, Pensacola, Fla. Filed Apr. 15,1963, Ser. No. 273,051

Claims. (Cl. 248—102) 5

This invention relates to nursing bottle supports or holders.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved body mounted support for nursing bottles which is readily io adaptable to bottles of various sizes and shapes and which eliminates the necessity for supporting the bottle with the hand during use.

Another important object is to provide a nursing bottle holder which is self-adjusting during use, through the 15 medium of a novel suspension strap and connector means, thereby allowing the bottle to swing and slide to the most convenient and comfortable position for the infant and mother.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nursing 20 bottle holder which is highly economical to manufacture, neat and attractive, reliable and efficient in operation, and free of all sharp projections which might injure the infant, compact, durable and lightweight.

Another and more specific object is to provide in a nursing bottle support a unitary strap connector element which renders the bottle and bracing straps readily adjustable lengthwise on the bottle and which also provides a sliding and free-swinging connection between the bottle and the shoulder suspension strap. 30

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to 35 designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a nursing bottle holder according to a preferred embodiment of the invention and showing one operative position thereof,

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2—2 ⁴θ of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the holder applied to a short-type bottle and showing the same removed from the body, and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of a slightly ⁴⁵modified form of the invention and showing a different adjusted position of the same.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown preferred embodiments of the invention, attention being directed first to FIGURES 1-3, the numeral ⁵⁹10 designates a suspension strap formed of plastic, elastic, leather or any other desired material and adapted to be placed over the shoulders and around the neck during use. The strap 10 is provided at one end with a conventional adjusting buckle 11 forming a first suspension loop 12. ⁵⁵The other end of the strap carries a second suspension loop 13 which is separable from the body portion of the strap by means of a snap fastener 14 or the like on the free end of the strap. The snap fastener is opened when it is desired to apply the holder to the body or remove the ⁶⁰same.

A conventional plastic or glass nursing bottle is designated at 15, securely held within a pair of elastic bands or loops 16 which are readily stretched over the bottle and snugly grip the same during use. These bands may be formed of rubber or elastic-type fabric or the like and they require no adjusting buckles. Each band 16 carries a loop 17 adapted to slidably and rotatably receive a straight longitudinal bar portion 18 of a strap connector element 70 19 which forms an important feature of the invention. As shown in FIGURES 1-3, the connector element 19 may be formed from a unitary section of sturdy wire or the like, preferably a non-corrosive wire. The connector element 19 includes a pair of longitudinally spaced approximately semi-circular suspension loops 20 which lie in a common plane with the straight bar portion 18 and in opposed relation thereto at one side thereof and adjacent opposite end portions of the bar 18. The ends of the wire section forming the connector element 19 are rigidly secured against the bar 18 at the longitudinal center thereof by a clip 21 or by welding, if preferred. The loops 12 and 13 of strap 10 slidably and rotatably receive the semi-circular suspension loops 20 as shown in the drawings to render the bottle holder self-adjusting or free swinging and sliding during use. The strap loops 12 and 13 are confined to the semi-circular portions of the connector element 19 and the band loops 17 are confined to the straight bar portion 18 on opposite sides of the clip 21.

During use, the bands 16 are applied to the bottle 15 and depending upon the length of the bottle are positioned near its opposite ends for maximum stability. The straight bar portion 18 allows for considerable variation in the spacing of the elastic band 16 and, if necessary, the loops 17 of these bands may be placed adjacent the outer 25 sides of the suspension loop 20. When spaced somewhat inwardly of the ends of the connector element 19 as shown in FIGURE 1, the bar portion 18 may slide freely longitudinally in either direction within the loops 17 and may also turn or rotate freely upon the rigid connector element. The loops 12 and 13 may also slide freely along the curved suspension loops 20 and may turn freely relative thereto so that the bottle may assume the most natural and comfortable suspended position during use. When the infant receives the nipple and moves its head during nursing, the bottle may assume the necessary angular position and may swing toward or away from the body of the person carrying the holder. By virtue of the construction shown, the bottle and holder will tend to remain by gravity in the selected adjusted position and FIGURES 1 and 4 illustrate two such adjusted positions of the invention.

FIGURE 3 shows the supporting or holding structure as above-described applied to a shorter type nursing bottle 15', the bands 16 being shifted inwardly on the straight bar portion 18 close to the inner sides of suspension loops 20. While FIGURE 3 does not show the invention applied to the body, the use or operation thereof is identical to that described in connection with FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 shows a slight modification of the invention wherein all parts of the same as described in FIGURES 1-3, except that the connector element 22 is molded in one piece from plastics material or the like and the clip 21 is therefore unnecessary. In FIGURE 4, there is provided two independent aligned straight bar portions 23 to receive the loops 17 slidably and rotatably. Approximately semi-circular suspension loop portions 24 are carried by opposite end portions of the element 22 in opposition to the bar portions 23 and in a common plane therewith for the identical functions previously enumerated. FIGURE 4 shows the parts of the holder in a different adjusted position, as where the infant has released the nipple.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangment of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.