Baby bottle with bottle top attachment

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a baby bottle (2) and a bottle top attachment (4) coupled to the baby bottle (2) and having a connector (6) for a breast pump. The apparatus is characterized in that the bottle top attachment (4) includes a measuring head (8) with a reservoir (10) for breast milk and in that the measuring head (8) includes a sensor unit that is associated with the volume of the reservoir (10) and that enables determining a parameter of the milk expressed into the baby bottle.

1 . An apparatus comprising a baby bottle and a bottle top attachment coupled to said baby bottle and having a connector for a breast pump, wherein said bottle top attachment comprises a measuring head with a reservoir for breast milk and wherein said measuring head comprises a sensor unit associated with the volume of said reservoir. 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said reservoir comprises an outflow opening to said baby bottle and a closure element disposed in said outflow opening and wherein said closure element is adapted such that it retains at least a certain amount of milk in said reservoir. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein a valve is arranged in said outflow opening and in a closed position bears against said outflow opening of said reservoir and is forced to an open position due to a weight force of milk contained in said reservoir. 
     
     
         4 .. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two optical sensor devices arranged opposite one another at the same height are associated with said reservoir. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein a light detector is arranged on one side of said reservoir and a light emitter on another side of said reservoir. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein light detectors on one side of said reservoir and light emitters on another side of said reservoir are each arranged one above the other in the height direction. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising a control unit that is connected in a controlling manner to said light emitters and adapted such that said light emitters are switched on and off again during a predetermined period of time and in a predetermined sequence. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said control unit is adapted such that switching said light emitters on and off repeats periodically. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising a processing unit which is adapted to determine a parameter of the milk contained in said reservoir by way of a measured intensity of said light detectors. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a central axis (A) of said reservoir coincides with a central axis (A) of said measuring head. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said reservoir has a substantially rectangular, in particular, square cross-section. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said measuring head comprises an outer housing and an inner housing forming said reservoir and in that said outer housing is releasably connected to said inner housing. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein said outer housing can be screwed to the neck of said baby bottle by way of a thread. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein said inner housing can be screwed to said connector by way of a thread. 
     
     
         15 . A bottle top attachment for a baby bottle, wherein said bottle top attachment comprises a measuring head with a reservoir and wherein said measuring head comprises a sensor unit associated with the volume of said reservoir. 
     
     
         16 . The bottle top attachment for a baby bottle according to  claim 15 , wherein said reservoir comprises an outflow opening to a baby bottle and a valve disposed in said outflow opening and wherein said valve bears against said outflow opening of said reservoir in a closed position and is forced to an open position due to a weight force of milk contained in said reservoir. 
     
     
         17 . The bottle top attachment for a baby bottle according to  claim 15 , wherein the sensor unit comprises light detectors, which are provided on one side of said reservoir and arranged one above the other in the height direction of the reservoir, and light emitters, which are provided on another side of said reservoir and arranged one above the other in the height direction of the reservoir, and wherein the bottle top attachment further comprises a control unit that is connected in a controlling manner to said light emitters and adapted such that said light emitters are switched on and off again during a predetermined period of time and in a predetermined sequence. 
     
     
         18 . The bottle top attachment for a baby bottle according to  claim 17 , wherein said control unit is adapted such that switching said light emitters on and off repeats periodically. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus comprising a baby bottle and a bottle top attachment coupled to said baby bottle, the bottle top attachment comprising a measuring head releasably connected with the baby bottle and a connector releasably connected with the measuring head, wherein the connector is connectable with a breast pump and comprises an opening communicating with a port of a breast shield for breast milk to pass into the connector, wherein the measuring head comprises a reservoir for breast milk and a sensor unit associated with the volume of said reservoir, and wherein the connector comprises a channel for draining breast milk collected in the breast shield into the reservoir. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein said measuring head comprises an outer housing and an inner housing releasably connected with each other, the inner housing forming said reservoir, wherein the outer housing can be screwed to the neck of said baby bottle by way of a thread and wherein the inner housing can be screwed to said connector by way of a thread.