Infant pacifier holder and teether

Abstract

A teething device that is configured to retain a pacifier in a central aperture of the teething device. The teething device has a plurality of lobes at a first end, with the lobes having a plurality of nubs for teething. The aperture and latch are configured to universally retain the edges of a pacifier shield or handle such that the nipple of the pacifier may be presented to a child utilizing the device. The device may also include a plush toy attached to an attachment ledge of the teething device. The plush toy includes an internal pocket for storing a pacifier.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pacifier holder and teether, comprising:
 an elongate body having a teething end and an attachment ledge each extending at a reverse angle with respect to a front face of the elongate body with a retainer portion interposed between the teething end and the attachment ledge; 
 a plurality of rounded lobes extending from the teething end dimensioned to fit within a child's mouth opening; 
 a plurality of protruding teething elements extending from one or more surfaces of the plurality of rounded lobes; and 
 an aperture defined through the elongate body, having a generally rounded shape, with a protruding latch that extends into an interior of the aperture. 
 
     
     
       2. The pacifier holder and teether of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an inwardly converging sidewall of the aperture that converges from a back surface of the elongate body to the front face. 
 
     
     
       3. The pacifier holder and teether of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a slot extending through the retainer portion. 
 
     
     
       4. The pacifier holder and teether of  claim 3 , wherein the slot is configured to receive a tab handle of a pacifier received in the slot. 
     
     
       5. The pacifier holder and teether of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a plush toy operatively connected to the attachment ledge via a fastener. 
 
     
     
       6. The pacifier holder and teether of  claim 5 , wherein the fastener is a stitch. 
     
     
       7. The pacifier holder and teether of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 an internal storage pouch defined within the plush toy. 
 
     
     
       8. The pacifier holder and teether of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a fastener operable to selectively open or close the internal storage pouch. 
 
     
     
       9. The pacifier holder and teether of  claim 1 , wherein the aperture is dimensioned to prevent the passage of a shield of a pacifier through the aperture. 
     
     
       10. The pacifier holder and teether of  claim 9 , wherein the latch is configured to retain a top edge of the pacifier shield subjacent to the latch, while a lateral and a bottom edge of the pacifier shield are held in abutment against a back front face of the elongate body. 
     
     
       11. The pacifier holder and teether of claim  10  further comprising 1, wherein:
 the latch is configured to retain a top edge of the pacifier shield subjacent to the latch, while a pacifier is retained in the aperture. 
 
     
     
       12. The pacifier holder and teether of  claim 9 , wherein the aperture is dimensioned to retain a handle of a pacifier. 
     
     
       13. A pacifier holder and teether comprising:
 a plush toy; and   an elongate body having:
 a distal end and an end of an attachment ledge, opposite the distal end, operatively connected to a front the plush toy via a fastener; and 
 a front face with a retainer portion of a selectively pliable and resilient polymeric material and having two opposing lateral side edges, interposed between the distal end and the end of the attachment ledge, and defining an enclosed arcuate slot centrally disposed between the two opposing lateral side edges of the retainer portion, centrally aligned with the plush toy, and operably configured to receive and retain, with the retainer portion of the elongate body defining the enclosed arcuate slot, a tab handle extending from a back surface of a pacifier shield, the retainer portion having an enclosed aperture defined through the elongate body, having a generally rounded shape, and having an inwardly converging sidewall defining a protruding latch that extends into an interior of the enclosed aperture.  
   
     
     
       14. The pacifier holder and teether according to claim 13, wherein:
 the enclosed aperture is interposed between the distal end and the enclosed arcuate slot, the enclosed aperture operably configured to receive and retain, with the retainer portion of the elongate body defining the enclosed aperture, a handle element of a pacifier.    
     
     
       15. The pacifier holder and teether according to claim 13, wherein:
 the distal end is a teething end, the teething end and an attachment ledge each extending at a reverse angle with respect to the front face of the elongate body; and   the front face of the retainer portion defining the enclosed arcuate slot is substantially flat.    
     
     
       16. The pacifier holder and teether according to claim 15, further comprising:
 a plurality of rounded lobes extending from the teething end dimensioned to fit within a child's mouth opening; and   a plurality of protruding teething elements extending from one or more surfaces of the plurality of rounded lobes.    
     
     
       17. A pacifier holder and teether comprising:
 a plush toy; and   an elongate body having:
 a distal end and an end of an attachment ledge, opposite the distal end, operatively connected to the plush toy via a fastener; and 
 a front face with a retainer portion of a selectively pliable and resilient polymeric material, interposed between the distal end and the end of the attachment ledge, the retainer portion of the elongate body defining an:
 enclosed aperture defined through the elongate body and having a generally rounded shape; and 
 enclosed arcuate slot operably configured to receive and retain, with the retainer portion of the elongate body defining the enclosed arcuate slot, a tab handle extending from a back surface of a pacifier shield, the enclosed arcuate slot is interposed between the end of the attachment ledge and the enclosed aperture and the retainer portion of the elongate body with an inwardly converging sidewall defining a protruding latch that converges to a point that extends into and is disposed within an interior of the enclosed aperture, the enclosed aperture operably configured to receive and retain, with the protruding latch and retainer portion of the elongate body defining the enclosed aperture, a handle element of a pacifier.  
 
   
     
     
       18. The pacifier holder and teether according to claim 17, wherein:
 the distal end is a teething end, the teething end and an attachment ledge each extending at a reverse angle with respect to the front face of the elongate body, the elongate body having a plurality of rounded lobes extending from the teething end dimensioned to fit within a child's mouth opening and having a plurality of protruding teething elements extending from one or more surfaces of the plurality of rounded lobes.    
     
     
       19. A pacifier holder and teether comprising:
 a plush toy; and   an elongate body having:
 a distal end that is a teething end; 
 an end of an attachment ledge, opposite the distal end, operatively connected to a front the plush toy via a fastener, the teething end and an attachment ledge each extending at a reverse angle with respect to the front face of the elongate body; and 
 a front face with a retainer portion of a selectively pliable and resilient polymeric material and having two opposing lateral side edges, interposed between the distal end and the end of the attachment ledge, and defining an enclosed arcuate slot centrally disposed between the two opposing lateral side edges of the retainer portion, centrally aligned with the plush toy, and operably configured to receive and retain, with the retainer portion of the elongate body defining the enclosed arcuate slot, a tab handle extending from a back surface of a pacifier shield, wherein the front face of the retainer portion defining the enclosed arcuate slot is substantially flat.  
   
     
     
       20. A pacifier holder and teether comprising:
 a plush toy; and   an elongate body having:
 a distal end that is a teething end; 
 an end of an attachment ledge, opposite the distal end, operatively connected to the plush toy via a fastener; and 
 a front face with a retainer portion of a selectively pliable and resilient polymeric material, interposed between the distal end and the end of the attachment ledge, wherein the teething end and the attachment ledge each extending at a reverse angle with respect to the front face of the elongate body, the retainer portion of the elongate body defining an enclosed aperture defined through the elongate body and having a generally rounded shape and with an inwardly converging sidewall defining a protruding latch that converges to a point that extends into and is disposed within an interior of the enclosed aperture, the elongate body having a plurality of rounded lobes extending from the teething end dimensioned to fit within a child's mouth opening and having a plurality of protruding teething elements extending from one or more surfaces of the plurality of rounded lobes, and with the enclosed aperture operably configured to receive and retain, with the protruding latch and retainer portion of the elongate body defining the enclosed aperture, a handle element of a pacifier.