Playtex Products
Sipster (1981), Richard BelangerFounded in 1932 as the International Latex Company, which later became known as International Playtex Inc., the company pioneered the development of latex, specifically for the production of ladies girdles. In 1954 they applied the latex technology to a new line of household latex gloves, the first of their kind. With this expansion, the company added a Family Products division to its existing Apparel division, which also offered disposable nipples and bottles for infant feeding.
In 1981, tired of cleaning up spills forum his toddler, Richard Belanger set his mind to creating a cup that doesn’t leak at all. Being a mechanical engineer specialized in hot-glue guns, Belanger knew his nozzles. He experimented with different kinds of valves, and soon he put together a prototype cup that would let in some air as the child sipped. The air pressure trapped the liquid inside the cup so the nozzle didn’t leak — even when you held the cup upside down. Playtex was interested in Belanger’s design and launched some of the earliest designs of Sippy Cups. Today, the original design is still marketed under the brand name Sipster.
Care has been taken to trace the ownership of any copyright material and to contact the owner. The author does not intend to infringe on anyone’s copyright for text, photos or otherwise. Anyone who feels that any item in these pages may have inadvertently breached their copyright should advise the author via the contact sheet, including a link to the page, so that appropriate remedial action can be taken.
