Qi, pronounced ‘Chi’, is a unique and elegant self-heating disposable baby bottle, designed by HJC Design to provide a thoughtful and practical way to feed your baby on the go and on demand.

 

By combining the convenience of ready-made formula with an integrated heating system Qi provides parents with the independence to maintain ritual feeding pattern with minimum hassle.  An innovative design hygienically preserves ready-made formula that, with a simple twist of the base, can be safely heated to deliver a warm and satisfying feed when on the go, or in an emergency.

It is important to grant both parents and children the same comfort found in the ritual feeding pattern achieved at home. Parents should have an easy interaction during feeding and the processes of making a feed needs to be reduced. The baby bottle should combine features that reduce colic, remain sterile and achieve the correct feeding temperature for the formula when on the move. The styling of the bottle aspires to reflect this period of nurturing with a subtle, friendly and organic form.

Thermochromic heat sensing symbols on the bottle provide an indication of the milk’s temperature.

A simple twist of the bottle base adjusts the heat, enabling full control of the temperature, so a warm feed can be safely delivered whilst on the go or in an emergency. Both teat and formula are kept separate in foil sealed sterile sections, permitting storage for up to 12 months. The Qi product range comes in a variety of formulas, flow rates and sizes for infants from 6 to 24 months.

Long lasting ready-made formula milk satisfies the parent’s need for a bottle that can be heated on demand and remains sterile until opened. Blow moulded HDPE is utilised for the main container, whereas the base, lid, collar and canister are injection moulded. All silicone and HDPE parts are BPA free avoiding potentially harmful chemicals from leaching into the milk. An exothermic reaction between water and calcium oxide, produces enough heat to warm the ready-made formula milk to body temperature within 3 minutes for a quick feed.

The design of the teat and rounded nipple replicates the feel and shape of a real breast, encouraging babies to latch on more quickly. The offset teat reduces the angle of feed ensuring it remains full of milk as long as possible, preventing the swallowing of air to reduce colic.

The bottle’s organic form and rounded base has been ergonomically designed to sit comfortably within the hand, providing an ideal feeding position for both parent and baby.

Issues raised from users emphasised that the current baby bottles require constant cleaning and sterilising. Preparing a feed requires bottles with multiple parts, storage units and ingredients. User profiles and existing baby products were mapped against individual user needs on an aesthetic and functional scale, identifying a gap in the market for active parents. User feedback from interviews and online parent forums showed that the desire for a sterile and instantly warm feed were paramount features to be incorporated.

The bottle needed to remain sterile at room temperature, because it is where bacteria multiplies quickest. Different methods of heating and storing the milk were researched to reduce this spread of bacteria. For a sterile bottle the milk and teat would have to be kept separate, making it difficult to design a compact baby bottle with an adjustable heat source. There was a requirement for a quick heating method that could be activated on demand, to produce a feed in the fraction of the time it would take to prepare traditional powder formula.

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