Nipple and nursing container

Abstract

An artifical nipple is disclosed which is interactive with an infant to provide a stimulus/response operation. The nipple portion has a generally cylindrically shaped, but undulated deformable outer wall closed at one end and a resilient elongated member disposed interior of the outer wall, depending from the closed end. The elongated member is spaced from the interior of the outer wall to define an annular chamber such that an infant will meet two levels of resistance to lateral compression of the nipple and a plurality of dispensing apertures provided communicating with said annular chamber, so that fluid flows through certain of said apertures in a manner responsive to infant suckling action. A nursing container utilizes the artificial nipple and a flexible fluid container is sealed to the nipple portion along a tapered shoulder. The nursing container may be made by injecting molten elastomeric material into a mold cavity defining a nipple including a radially extending base portion with a tapered annular shoulder. A plastic sheet with an aperture is situated with peripheral edge of the aperture adjacent the portion of the mold defining the tapered shoulder. The nipple is simultaneously molded and sealed to the plastic sheet, and the sheet is subsequently formed into a fluid container.