Patent Application
20160199222
The present invention relates to holding devices. More specifically, the present invention provides an ice pack holder for holding ice packs or heating packs in a desired position on a user's body.
It is often necessary to apply hot or cold compresses to an injured portion of a person's body in order to soothe the injury and to promote healing and recovery. In order to apply an ice pack or similar device to the injured area, the person must generally hold the ice pack in position on the injured area. This can be inconvenient for the person and the person may become tired from holding the ice pack in the desired position. Alternatively, ice packs and the like are often secured to the injured body part using tape or wraps. However, using tape or wraps may be uncomfortable, and once the ice pack is secured beneath the tape or wrap, it can no longer be adjusted. Thus, an improved device for holding an ice pack in position on a user's body is desired.
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to devices for supporting ice packs and the like. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to devices for applying thermal therapy, such as cold packs, to a user, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,589,272, U.S. Pat. No. 7,815,584, U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,572, U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,786, U.S. Pat. No. 7,022,093, and U.S. Published Patent Application Publication 2008/0077214.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. The devices in the prior art fail to provide an ice pack holder that can be removably applied to any of various portions of a user's body. Such devices are constructed for application to a specific area, and many devices are not suited for supporting an ice pack or the like in a specific position.
In light of the devices disclosed in the prior art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing ice pack holding devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of ice pack holders now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new ice pack holder wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when applying hot or cold compresses to an injured portion of the user's body. The ice pack holder comprises a frame having a netting thereon, wherein the frame and netting are used to secure an ice pack in position on a user's body. The frame includes one or more securing members securely fastening the ice pack holder in position on a portion of a user's body. The securing members include adjustable fasteners thereon such as hook and loop fastening material, so as to allow the tightness to be adjusted.
Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.
Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the ice pack holder. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for holding an ice pack in position on a user's body. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Referring now to
The frame 12 includes an upper end 14 and a lower end 15. One or more securing members are disposed on the frame 12 and are used to affix the frame 12 to a portion of the user's body, such as an arm or leg, among others. In the illustrated embodiment, the securing members comprise straps 16, 17, 18 that extend from opposing sides of the frame 12. The straps 16, 17, 18 are adapted to be wrapped around a body part of a user and secured therearound so as to hold the ice pack holder in a desired position on the user's body. In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of upper straps 16 extends from opposing sides of the upper end 14 of the frame 12. A pair of lower straps 17 extends from opposing sides of the lower end 15 of the frame 12. Further, a pair of center straps 18 extend from opposing sides of a central portion of the frame 12.
The straps 16, 17, 18 are preferably adjustably securable around the body of the user so as to provide a desired tightness or fit. The straps 16, 17, 18 include an adjustable fastener 19 thereon. In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustable fastener 19 comprises hook and loop fastening material disposed on each strap. Each pair of straps 16, 17, 18 can be secured to one another around a user's body part by securing the hook and loop fasteners thereon in an overlapping configuration. In alternate embodiments other adjustable fasteners are used, such as buckles and the like.
Referring now to
The frame 22 is provided in any of various shapes and sizes depending upon the area on which the frame 22 is adapted to be positioned. Preferably, the frame 22 is shaped so as to fit over a specific part of the user's body. Thus, the frame 22 may be suited for positioning over the user's knee. In alternate embodiments, the frame 22 is suited for positioning on a user's shoulder.
Referring now to
The user can then use the securing members to fasten the ice pack holder 11 to the user's body part. In the illustrated embodiment, the ice pack holder 11 comprises an upper strap 16, a lower strap 17, and a center strap 18, wherein the upper, lower, and center straps 16, 17, 18 are encircled around the user's arm and are secured to a desired tightness via fasteners thereon, such as hook and loop fastening material.
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/101,015 filed on Jan. 8, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62101015 | Jan 2015 | US |
