TEAT
A teat including at least a shaft and a nipple, wherein structured surface areas are provided at least in a partial region thereof, and the structured surface areas are formed by at least one rough surface zone having a surface roughness of 100 μm at the most, or 50 μm at the most.
1 . A teat comprising:
a nipple adapted to be received within a baby's mouth;
shaft; and
a lip abutment region interconnecting the shaft and the nipple;
the nipple comprising a concave outer surface extending around a circumference of the nipple;
the lip abutment region comprising a convex outer surface extending around a circumference of the lip abutment region;
structured surface areas configured to be contacted by the baby's mouth, said structured surface areas formed by at least one textured surface;
the at least one textured surface extending continuously within and above the concave outer surface of the nipple; and
at least a portion of an outer surface of the shaft having a smooth surface, the smooth surface being other than a textured surface.
2 . A teat according to claim 1 , wherein:
the smooth surface is a non-textured surface and has a stickiness.
3 . A teat according to claim 2 , wherein:
the non-textured surface is a transparent or translucent surface.
4 . A teat according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one textured surface extends within the outer convex surface of the lip abutment region.
5 . A teat according to claim 4 , wherein:
the outer convex surface of the lip abutment region does not include any outwardly projecting nodules.
6 . A teat according to claim 1 , wherein:
the teat is an injection-molded teat.
7 . A teat according to claim 1 , wherein:
the teat is made of an elastomer and the smooth surface has a stickiness.
8 . A teat according to claim 7 , wherein:
the elastomer is latex.
9 . A teat according to claim 7 , wherein:
the elastomer is silicone.
10 . A teat according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one textured surface extends within the lip abutment region.
11 . A teat according to claim 10 , wherein:
the shaft has a certain wall thickness, the lip abutment region has a certain wall thickness, and the nipple has a certain wall thickness; and
the wall thickness of the shaft exceeds the wall thickness of the lip abutment region and the wall thickness of the nipple.
12 . A teat according to claim 11 , wherein:
the wall thickness of the shaft ranges from 2.00 mm to 2.5 mm; and
the wall thickness of the nipple and of the lip abutment region ranges from 1.20 mm to 1.50 mm.
13 . A teat according to claim 11 , wherein:
the lip abutment region comprises at least one thinner zone having a wall thickness slighter than the wall thickness of a remaining lip abutment region.
14 . A teat according to claim 13 , wherein:
the at least one thinner zone extends into the portion of the concave outer surface of the nipple; and
the at least one textured surface and the at least one thinner zone are arranged so as to at least partially overlap.
15 . A teat according to claim 14 , wherein:
the at least one thinner zone is reinforced by at least one stiffening rib inside the teat.
16 . A teat comprising:
a nipple having a circumferentially extending concave outer surface;
a lip abutment region below the nipple;
a shaft below the lip abutment region;
the lip abutment region extending continuously into the shaft;
at least one rough surface zone having a roughness depth of 10 μm to 50 μm;
at least one smooth surface zone having a stickiness;
the at least one rough surface zone having a greater roughness depth than a roughness depth of the at least one smooth surface zone;
the at least one rough surface zone having a soft, skin-like appearance and feel and a lesser stickiness than the stickiness of the at least one smooth surface zone;
the teat being transparent or translucent in the at least one smooth surface zone; and
the at least one rough surface zone extending above the lip abutment region and continuously within a length of the nipple within and above the concave outer surface of the nipple to configure the at least one rough surface zone to be positioned to be contacted by a baby's tongue during a feeding or sucking position of the nipple received in a baby's mouth.
17 . A teat according to claim 16 , wherein:
the teat is made of a material selected from the group consisting of a rubber or silicone that provides the at least one smooth surface zone with the stickiness; and
the roughness depth of the at least one rough surface zone provides the teat, in the at least one textured zone, with a greater softness and the lesser stickiness than in the at least one smooth surface zone.
18 . A teat according to claim 16 , wherein:
the at least one textured zone extends above the lip abutment zone to at least half of a length of the nipple.
19 . A teat according to claim 16 , wherein:
the at least one textured zone extends above the lip abutment zone to an upper side of the nipple.
20 . A teat according to claim 16 , wherein:
the lip abutment region comprises an outer convex surface; and
the at least one textured surface extends within an outer convex region of the lip abutment zone and at least within an outer concave surface of a lower region of the nipple.
21 . A teat according to claim 16 , wherein:
a combination of at least a lower extent of the nipple and at least an upper extent of the lip abutment region, but not the shaft, constitute at least one baby-tongue-and-palate-stripping portion of the teat; and
said at least one rough surface zone consists of said at least one baby-mouth-and-palate-stripping portion of the teat.
22 . A teat according to claim 21 , wherein:
said at least one baby-tongue-and-palate-stripping portion of the teat comprises at least two baby-tongue-and-palate-stripping portions of the teat arranged diametrically opposite each other.
23 . A teat according to claim 21 , wherein:
said at least one baby-tongue-and-palate-stripping portion of the teat is substantially triangular.
24 . A teat according to claim 1 , wherein:
the nipple further comprises a convex outer surface above the concave outer surface; and
the at least one textured surface extends within the convex outer surface.
25 . A teat according to claim 16 , wherein:
the nipple further comprises a convex outer surface above the concave outer surface; and
the at least one textured surface zone extends within the convex outer surface.
26 . A teat according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one textured surface consists of a single continuous textured surface zone.
27 . A teat according to claim 26 , wherein:
the single continuous textured surface zone extends continuously over an upper surface of the nipple.
28 . A teat according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one textured surface comprises a surface formed by having been molded from a mold having been surface-roughened by spark erosion or chemical etching.
29 . A teat according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one textured surface has a surface roughness within a range of 10 μm to 50 μm.
30 . A teat according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one stiffening projection in the form of a rib provided on an inner side of the teat configured to reinforce the at least one textured surface at least in an area of the nipple.
31 . A teat according to claim 30 , wherein:
on an outer surface of none of the at least one textured surface is there a projection having an elevation as great as an elevation of a stiffening projection of the rib.