Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WO ~)1/16~342 P~/A90/0014~i
RESTRAINER FOR LIMITING BODY MOVEMENT
T~chnlcal Fi~ld:
Profo~onals ln paadiatric~ ~nd n~o-natal
clinics and departments of hospital~ as well ~g parents
have long con-~idered it advisable that babi~s, from birth
to four month~ old, sleep on their ~ide~. Infant~ to four
month~ old spend mo~t of their time slaeping. They are
incapable of turning themselve~ ov~r ~nd usually fall
a~leep immed~ately after feeding. Placing the infant on
hi~ ~id~ prevents the infant from chokin~, plttin~ up and
~moth~ring. ~oreover, an infant's digest~on is eased by
31e0pin~ on hls side. Placing a new-born infant on hls side
i9 also recommended for the prevention of ~awbone damage
which som0tlme~ occurs as a re~ult of the lnfant sleeping
face down. Support~ are also needed as an in~ant matures,
for propplng him in the sitting po~ltlon and thus
prevonting him from falling over onto hi~ fac~ or ~ide.
Bac~round Art:
In the past, infants have been r~strai~ed on
thelr slde~ by the u~e of rolled up diap0rs, receiving
blank~ts, ~mall p~llows or lik~ ob~ects plac0d behlnd the
baby's back. This method ha~ many di~advantagc~ including
the nood to con~tantly attend to the lnfant to on3ure the
prop hn~ not become dislodged or lost its ~hape by the
infant'~ movement~. Constantly checking that th~ props
are r~taining their shape and thus preventing the infant
from sl~eping on his back or from falling onto his fac~
add~ to a new mother's and nursing staff'3 workload as well
a~ th~ir worry and concern for the newborn lnfant. Older
infant~, in the past, have been restrained in the ~pright
~it~lng po~ition by the use of rolled up diapcrs, receiving
blank~ts, ~mall pillo~ls or like ob~ect~ and placed on one
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or both ~ldes of the infant. The di~advantage to this
method l~ that the props must b~ constantly ch~cked to
on3ur~ that the infant has not ~allen over.
Disclo~ur~ of the Invention:
We havo invented a new restrain~r which maintains
an infant on h1s side while lying down. Two soft weighted
choc~ are connected by a wide band of quilt~d fabric. One
chock is ~nuggled into the bac~ of the infant, the
connecting band ~g placed across the ~nfant'~ middle and
tha second chock i~ snuggled into the chest and ~tomach
area wedging the infant into position.
The restrainer can ~l~o be used to position
bable~ at times other ~han when sleeping. The restrainer
can bo u~ed to position a baby in an uprlght sitting
position in a car seat, a chair, a sw~ng, a high chair,
otc. ~rsventing the ~nfant from falllng forward or
~id~ways. One chock is snuggled lnto one side of the
infant, the connec~ing band i3 placed across the infant's
middlo and the s~co~d chock is snuggled lnto tha other ~ide
of the lnfan~ wedginy him into the u~right position.
Ths connecting band is made of washa~le abric.
Into~ral with the connecting band are pocket~ at each
~xtremlty made of washable fabric removably ~nclosed wlthin
whlch aro water-reslstant and tear-resistant shellq each
containing a quantity of sand, rice, beans or man-made
equivalont~ of ~uf~icient weight to retain the infant i n
tho des~red position. The materials out of which the
pockets with connecting band a~ cons~ructed, such as
1annelotte and quilted fabric, have insulating qualities;
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The restraincr can also be used over the blanket
of a sloeping child to keep the blanket ln positlon and for
added warmth and comfort.
Th~ -~ame princlple of a welghted malleable choc~
can be used to re~train only one limb of an infant. In a
second ombodiment, a weighted soft ohock ha~ ~oft straps
~or bra~lng the infant's limb to the weighted ch~ck 50 that
the limb i~ held motlonless or example, for intraveno~s
adm~ni~tration.
In a ~imilar manner, prematuro infants,
handicapp0d and disabled children and adul~ as well as
elderly people needing support, re~traint~ or positioning
can beneflt from the restrainer with only mediication to
the ~ize and w~gh~ of the re3train0r.
~rl~f DoscriPtion of Drawin~s:
In drawings which illustrate ~mbodimants of the
lnvontlon:
Figuro l ~ a top plan view of one embodiment of
the ~nv~nt~on wlth a part cut away;
Figure 2 ~ a section view on the line 2-2 of
~igur~ l;
Flgure 3 i 3 a perspective view of the pre~ent
lnvention a3 lt i~ intended to be used.
Figuro ~ i~ a bottom plan view of a second
embodlment of the invention with the strap~ unfa3tened;
Figure 5 is a section view on the line r~_5 of
Flgure 5 with the ~traps fastened.
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Be~t Mode of CarrYinq Out the Inventlon:
Re~err~ng to Figure 1, the restrainer 1 i s
comprised o~ two soft chocks 2 remoYably enclo~ed within
pocket~ 3. Pockets 3 are connected by a wide connecting
band 4. Pockets 3 i5 construed of one ply washable fabric
and band 4 i~ constructed of two-ply wa~habl~ fabric. The
materla1 out of which pockets 3 an band 4 aro made may be
manufactured quilted fabric. If not mad~ from ma~ufactured
quilted fabrlc, band 4 may ha~e a layer of wa~hable
insulatlng material, such as T~ERMAL LA~, positioned
between the layers of fabric and stitched to the two-ply
wa~hablo fabric. This treatment gives a quilted appearance
to the band 4 and keeps the insulated layer from bunching
up wh0n laundcred. This insulated layer aslde from
prov~dlng extra warmth to the u~er, gives the band 4 a soft
padding~
Referring to Figure 2, chocks 2 havo an outstde
coverlng ~ and an in~ide filler 8. Outslde covering 7 is
man~factured from a tear-resistant and wa~or-resistant
fabrlc ~uch as ~IP STOP~. Fi}ler B is composed o
parti~ul~te matter ~uch as sand, rice, bean3 or man-made
eq~i~al~nts of these products. Also ~hown in Flgure 2 is
padding 9 of the manufactured qullted fabric from whlch the
pocXets 3 and the connecting band ~ could be constructed.
If tho po~kct~ 3 and connecting band 4 are not made of
manufactur~d ~ullted fabric, the connecting band ~ can have
an ln~ulatlng layer, such as THERMAL LAM~, situated between
two layers of fabrlc and stitched ~o these fabric layers of
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the connecting band 4. In this latter case the fabric out
o which the pockets 3 and connecting band 4 are
~onstruct~d could be a br~shed fabric ~uch a~ flannelette.
Openings 5.are provided at the back of pocX~t~ 3 to allow
the insertion and removal of the chocks 2. Openings 5 have
VELC~O* type hook and loop fa~teners 6.
Figure 3 ~hows the fir~t embodlment ~ it is
intondod to bo used. Chocks 2 are enclo~ed wlthin pockets
3. Opening 5 is fastened with a VELCRO~ type hook and loop
fastener 6 (Figure 2). One of ~he chocks 2 ~nclos~d within
a pock~t 3 i~ placed at the back of the infant. The
co~ectlng band 4 is placed across the 1nfa~t's middle.
The lnfant i~ propped into the de~ired position. The
second chock 2 enclosed within its pocket 3 13 wound around
the exces~ length of conn~cting band 4 and tucked into the
lnfant's stomach and chest area wedging tho infant into
position.
Chocks 2 are removable from pockot~ 3 through
openlng 5 (Figure 2). The one-piece connecting band 4 and
pocket~ 3 are washablo. Chock~ 2 are con~ain~d ln a tear-
rosl~tant and wat~r-resistant shells 7 (Figure 2) which ean
b~ w1p~d ~lean. The connecting band 4 is padded or has an
~n3ulat1ng layer to provide warmth to the lnfant's middle.
The poc~ots 3 may also ba padded to act as a buffer between
the lnant and the choclcs 2.
The weight of the restrainer ~or us~ with an
infant up to 4 months old ~nd weighing up to 20 lbs, should
be approximately 4 lbs. For a premature infant, the
restrainor should be approximately half the weight; that is
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a lb~. Larger versions of the re trainer~ ~an range in
weigh~ up to 20 lbs. For a child wsigh~ng b~tw~en 20 and
40 l~s, a device w~lghing 8 lbs. would be u~od. Children
w~ighing ~rom 40 lb~. to 70 lb~. would r~quir~ a re~trainer
of approxlma~ely 12 lbs. A teenage person, or a frall or
ill adult weighing between 70 lbs. and lOO lba. would use
a restrainlng device weighing approximately 16 lb~. A 20
lb. d~vice wo~ld be helpful in re~tralning ~rail or ill
adults.
The following table setq out the approximate
recommendod dimension~ of the restrainer compon~nt~:
Weight Pocket 3Connecting band
2 1~ 4" x 5.5" 10" x 5"
4 lbs. 5.5" x 8.5"18" x 5"
8 lbs. ~O" x 16" 22" x 7"
12 lb 15" x 24" 27" x 9"
16 lb~. 20" x 29~ 27" x 9"
20 1~3. 24" x 25" 27" x 9"
Flgure 4 shows a second embodiment of my
invention. Th~ llmb restrainer 11 i5 compris~d of a single
soft chock 2' removably enclosed w1thin pockot 3' and ~wo
soft 3traps 12 permanently attached to pockot 3' at side
~oam 13. Pocket 3' and straps 12 are oonstructed of
wa~hable ~abrlc and can be quilted. Opening 5' is provided
at tho back of pocXet 3~ to allow the insertion and removal
of chock 2'. Opening 5' has a VELCRO type hook and loop .
astener 6' ~not ~hown). Parallel to and on either ide of
openlng 5~ are VELCRO type hook and loop fa4tener strips
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14. Straps 12 have match1ng VELCRO type hoo~ and loop
~tr~p~ 15 plac0d ~ar their free ends 16.
Reforring to Figure 5, chock 2' has an outs~de
co~ering 7' and an inside filler 8'. External shell 7' ls
manufactured from tear-resistant and water-r~si~tant fabr{c
such ~ RIP 5TOY. Filler e~ i~ compo~ed of particulate
matt~r such as rica, sand, beans or man-made ~quivalents o~
thos~ product~. Also ~hown in Figur~ 5 is ~add1ng 9' of
the ~uilted fabric which can be u~ed for tho ~ocket 3' and
th~ ~trap~ 1~. Choc~ 2' i R enc 1 osed w~ thin pooket 3 ~ . A
limb i~ placed on the top of the limb restrainer 1:L, the
~trapS 12 are placed over the 1 imb and wrapped around to
the bottom of th~ limh restrainer 11; VELCRO type hook and
loop 5trips 15 on strap~ 12 cross and are fastenad to
elth~r o~ the two matching VELCRO type hook and loop 3trlps
14 on pocket 3' ln a number of settings. Opcning 5' i~
closed wlth a VELCRO astener 6'. Chock 2' ls removable
from pockot 3'. The one-plece straps 12 and pocket 3' are
wa3hablo. Chocks ~' are enclosed ln a tear-re~istant and
wat~r-ro~i~tant ~hell 7' whlch can be wiped cl~an. The
~trap~ 12 can be paddad to provide inqulation to the u~er's
limb. Tho pockot 3' can al~o p~dded to act a~ a buffer
betwoon the uRer's limb and the choc~ 2'.
~ he weight of the li~b re~trainer depicted in
Figuros 4 and S is approximately two pounds. The socond
ombodim~nt rostrainer can be used in other weights and
~i~os to ~e~p one limb of a child or adult positioned.
G~nerally, a 10 lb. iimb restrainer would be ~ufficient
for ~uch a u~e. In addition, the second embodlment can be
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used with chlldren and adults as a therapeutic weight for
strengthening muscles and could ~e made in graduated
weights between 4 and 1~ lbs. The straps 12 brace the limb
to be ~trengthened to the limb restrainer.
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