US2703087A - Infant's reflective toy teething ring - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1955 NEWMARK 2,703,087

INFANTS REFLECTIVE TOY TEETHING RING Filed April 19, 1954 IN VEN TOR. MARSHALL E NE WMARK United States Patent lNFANTS REFLECTIVE TOY TEETHING RING Marshall F. Newmark, La Mesa, Calif., assignor to Progressive Products, Inc., La Mesa, Calif, a corporation of California Application April 19, 1954, Serial No. 424,045

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-359) My invention relates to infants reflective toy teething rings, and its objects are to provide not only a new and improved form of toy, but also serving as a teething aid; to dispense with the use of hard rubber heretofore generally used for teething rings and to use in place thereof soft, flexible, plastic material uninjurious to the sensitive gums of a baby; to furnish a teething ring of soft, elastic plastic material in the form of doughnutshaped annulus divided circumferentially into separate fluid pockets, hermetically sealed and enclosing a central pocket formed between discs with exposed mirrorlike reflective faces; to provide a reflective toy appealing to the eye and sense of touch of the infant and furnishing him with an endless source of interest and amusement, and in general to provide a device of this character which is simple and economical of construction, serviceable and entertaining to infants, and of long life and durability. My invention further consists of other features of construction, and combinations and arrangements of elements and parts illustrated in the drawing, and as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred form of my invention in which similar numerals of designation refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which- Figure l is a plan view of a transparent teething ring embodying my invention, showing the circumferential division thereof into fluid containing pockets with amusing objects floating therein, and the provision of a discus or disc-like body with reflective faces interposed within the hollow of said ring and closing the same; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, my improved teething ring 3 comprises (1) the doughnut-shaped hollow annulus 4-, circular in cross section, and partitioned into a continuous sequence of hermetically sealed segmental pockets 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, and (2) the reflective discus 11, interposed within the opening 10 of said annulus, and aflixed to the wall thereof, serving completely to close the same.

The annulus 4 is preferably made of soft, flexible, transparent poreless plastic material, rubber-like in character and having great resistance to wear and abrasion, changes of temperature, and providing outside a soothing and non-irritating teething surface for contact with the mouth and gums of the infant. Filling each of the said pockets and hermetically sealed therein, is the limpid fluid 12, preferably water; and floating therein and observable through the walls of said pockets are the brightly colored miniature figures 13 of animals, or other objects attractive to infants.

The discus 11, is composed of the central disc 14 made preferably of flexible sheet material and having its top and bottom 15 and 16 each bearing a polished reflective surface made by the application of the well-known vacaum metallizing process or other means to serve as a mirror, and covering said surfaces top and bottom are thin transparent layers 17 and 18 preferably of the same material as that of the annulus and integral therewith, and thereby protected from damage by the teeth of the child or other external injury.

The water-filled pockets, to 9, provide excellent teething cushions, and when the teething ring 3 is chilled, may be employed on occasion to apply a cold compress to the inflamed gums of the teething baby, and serve to sooth and quiet him, when nervous and fractious. Furthermore, the device as a whole is of a construction which is easily washed and cleaned, is light in weight, noninjurious to the infant because it is soft and flexible in character, and amusing as a toy because of the mirror and the presence of the miniature floating figures in constant motion.

My invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment as above set forth is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of my invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which may come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is:

1. In an infants teething ring, the combination of a flexible transparent hollow annulus, divided into a number of pockets, said pockets containing clear and limpid fluid hermetically sealed therein; miniature objects attractive to infants inserted within said pockets and freely floating in the liquid thereof and observable through the walls of said annulus; and a discus having a mirrorlike face inserted within the opening of said annulus and secured to the wall thereof.

2. In an infants teething ring, the combination of a flexible transparent doughnut-shaped hollow annulus, di-

vided into a number of pockets, said pockets containing clear and limpid fluid hermetically sealed therein; miniature figures attractive to infants inserted within said pockets and freely floating in the liquid thereof and observable through the Walls of said annulus; and a discus having a mirror-like face inserted Within the opening of said annulus and secured to the wall thereof; said annulus being of material having the elastic property of rubber but resistant to wear, abrasion and changes of temperature and soothing to the touch of an infant.

3. In an infants teething ring, the combination of a flexible transparent doughnut-shaped hollow annulus, divided into a series of segmental shaped pockets, each of said pockets containing clear and limpid fluid hermetically sealed therein; miniature figures attractive to infants inserted within each of said pockets and freely floating in the liquid thereof and observable through the walls of said annulus; and a discus having mirror-like faces, top and bottom, inserted within the opening of said annulus and secured to the wall thereof; said annulus being of material having the elastic property of rubber but resistant to wear, abrasion and changes of temperature, and soothing to the touch of an infant; and the faces of said discus being covered with a transparent layer of rubber-like material.

4. In an infants teething ring, the combination of a flexible transparent doughnut-shaped hollow annulus, divided into a sequential series of segmental shaped pockets, each of said pockets being filled with clear and limpid fluid hermetically sealed therein; miniature objects attractive to infants inserted within each of said pockets and freely floating in the liquid thereof and observable through the walls of said annulus; and a discus of flexible sheet material having mirror-like faces, top and bottom, inserted within the opening of said annulus and secured to the wall thereof; said annulus being of material having the elastic property of rubber but resistant to wear, abrasion and changes of temperature, and soothing to the touch of an infant; and the faces of said discus being covered with a thin layer of the same material as that of the annulus and integral therewith.

No references cited.

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