Patent Application
20220022663
The present invention relates generally to an article for assisting in positioning, posturing and/or stabilizing infants, and more particularly to an article for positioning, posturing and/or stabilizing a person (such as an infant, geriatric patient or paralyzed person) by assisting in the positioning and posturing of that person.
As is known, infants up to 6 months old lack the muscle maturity and control to perform many basic tasks necessary for the stabilization of their bodies. As such they tend to move around uncontrollably which may put them in dangerous positions or situations. This is also true for geriatric patients and people who are paralyzed and do not have the muscle strength or control to stabilize their bodies. One such example includes supporting themselves while they are situated in a sitting or lying device. In the case of an infant, the infant tends to slide or move downwardly toward a supine position. Accordingly, there are many different devices that are available to help physically support the infant while the infant is in a sitting position, such as a nursing pillow, car seat, swing/rocker chair, floor seat or highchair. However, even though most of these devices include a strap to secure the infant into the device, they still tend to slide or move downwardly toward the supine position. This could put the infant in a situation where the infant may be choked by the retaining strap, or if the infant is wearing excess clothing, the infant may find their face covered by the excess clothing thereby creating a possible suffocation risk.
Another such example includes when an infant is located on a changing table. In this situation, even though the infant is unable to roll over, they are typically able to move or slide around on the changing table. If the baby is allowed to get close to the side of the changing table, the baby may fall off the table and break a bone or worse. Accordingly, while there are devices to help infants with restraining and positioning, these devices are not able to provide sufficient enough help with positioning and posturing of the infant and thus still allows the infant to uncontrollably put themselves into potentially dangerous situations.
A Positioning and Posturing Article (PPA) is provided and includes a PPA structure, wherein the PPA structure includes, a PPA front, a PPA rear, a plurality of PPA sides, a PPA top, and a PPA bottom, wherein, the PPA further includes a PPA width W, a PPA length L and a PPA thickness T, and wherein at least of the PPA top and PPA bottom are configured to have a coefficient of friction within a range of approximately 0.25 and 2, ±10%.
A Positioning and Posturing Article (PPA), comprising: a PPA structure, wherein the PPA structure includes, a PPA front, a PPA rear, a PPA top, and a PPA bottom, wherein at least of the PPA top and PPA bottom are configured to have a coefficient of friction within a range of approximately 0.25 and 2, ±10%.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like elements are numbered alike in the several Figures:
In accordance with the present invention, a Positioning and Posturing Article (PPA) 100 is provided for controllably positioning and posturing a person (an infant and/or a disabled person and/or an older person) in a chair or on a bed/table. The PPA 100 helps to prevent the person from shifting out of a stable position and sliding downwardly/sidewardly off of a support surface and/or into a more supine or bent position. Additionally, this helps to avoid the chin of the person from being angled and forced into the chest of the person, thereby negating any suffocation or choking risks.
Referring to the FIGURES and in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the Position and Posturing Article (PPA) 100 includes a PPA structure 102 having a PPA front 104, a PPA rear 106, a first PPA side 108, a second PPA side 110, a PPA top 112 and a PPA bottom 114. The PPA 100 further includes a PPA width W, a PPA length L and a PPA thickness T and may be sized and shaped as desired suitable for the desired end purpose. For example, in one embodiment, the thickness T may be between approximately 1/16 inch and 1 inch thick, ±20%. In one embodiment, the PPA length L may be approximately 1.0 to 2.0 times the PPA width W, ±20%. The PPA 100 further includes a raised pattern 116 which is located on the PPA front 104 and configured to extend out of the PPA front 104 by approximately 0.7 mm (may range from 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm). It should be appreciated that, in one embodiment, the raised pattern 116 may be shaped in a sinusoidal pattern which may spread out across the PPA front 104 between the PPA top 112 and the PPA bottom 114 and which may extend from the first PPA side 108 to the second PPA side 110. It should be further appreciated that the “S” or sinusoidal pattern allows for added holding strength when the PPA 100 is used both horizontally and/or vertically. It is contemplated that in other embodiments of the invention, other shapes of raised patterns 116 may be used as well, such as saw tooth patterns, square patterns, circle patterns, rectangular patterns, dot patterns, etc.
It should be further appreciated that, in one embodiment, the PPA 100 may be constructed from a flexible, self-adhesive, odor resistant, water-based polyurethane gel material, wherein the PPA front 104 and the PPA rear 106 may be tacky (or sticky) to the touch and wherein the PPA front 104 may include a front coefficient of friction μF and the PPA rear 106 may include a rear coefficient of friction μR. Accordingly, the object does not easily slide along the PPA front 104 and/or the PPA rear 106. It should be appreciated that the front coefficient of friction μF may be selected responsive to the size and/or shape (and/or what the person is wearing) of the person and/or the size, shape and/or type of surface (i.e. the chair and/or table surface) for which the PPA 100 is being used. Additionally, it should be further appreciated that the rear coefficient of friction μR may also be selected responsive to the size and/or shape (and/or what the person is wearing) of the person and/or the size, shape and/or type of surface (i.e. the chair and/or table surface) for which the PPA 100 is being used. Thus, if the PPA 100 is to be used for an infant lying on a changing table, then the front and rear coefficients of friction μF, μR may be less than the front and rear coefficients of friction μF, μR for a PPA 100 that will be used for 150 pound adult geriatric patient sitting upright in a chair. It should be appreciated that the front coefficient of friction μF and/or the rear coefficient of friction μR may be configured to limit sliding movement of a person weighing at least five (5) pounds and greater.
Accordingly, when an object is in contact with the PPA front 104 and/or the PPA rear 106, the front coefficient of friction μF and the rear coefficient of friction μR make it is very difficult for the object to experience both lateral motion and/or rotational motion. For example, if the object is in contact with the PPA front 104, the front coefficient of friction μF requires that a front translation force of sufficient energy is required for the object to slide along the surface of the PPA front 104. Additionally, if the object is in contact with the PPA rear 106, the rear coefficient of friction μR requires that a rear translation force of sufficient energy is required for the object to slide along the surface of the PPA rear 106. In a similar manner, if the object is in contact with the PPA front 104, the front coefficient of friction μF requires that a front rotational force of sufficient energy is required for the object to along the surface of the PPA front 104 and if the object is in contact with the PPA rear 106, the rear coefficient of friction μR requires that a rear rotational force of sufficient energy is required for the object to roll along the surface of the PPA rear 106.
Accordingly, the material of the PPA 100 should be chosen such that the front coefficient of friction μF and the rear coefficient of friction μR are sufficient enough to prevent and/or limit rotational and translational movement. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments of the present invention, the PPA 100 may be used for various other applications. For example, the PPA 100 may be used on plastic seats (such as those on amusement park rides, boats, buses, ect.) to help stabilize passengers.
Moreover, it should be further appreciated that although it is contemplated that the front and rear coefficients of friction μF, μR for a PPA 100 may range between approximately 0.25 and approximately 2±10%, in some embodiments, the front and rear coefficients of friction μF, μR may preferably range between approximately 1 and 1.4, ±10%. It should be further appreciated that in other embodiments, materials that are flexible and/or bendable and that have a sufficient coefficient of friction may be used, such as for example soft rubbers, polymers, materials that utilize a hook and loop configuration and/or materials that utilize nano-fiber arrays and/or micro-fiber arrays.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the PPA 100 may be implemented by placing the PPA 100 onto a supporting surface, such as the base of a pillow and/or the back of a seat, a chair and/or the support surface of a changing table, a mattress, infant bath tub, etc, where the person will be located. The person should then be positioned onto the supporting surface such that the PPA 100 is contacting the person in at least one location, such as the back of the person and/or below the waist of the person. It should be appreciated that that PPA 100 should be disposed such that the PPA rear 106 is in contact with the supporting surface and the PPA front 104 is in contact with the person. Moreover, in one embodiment, the PPA 100 should be oriented such that when the person is located on the PPA 100, the coronal plane of the person should be substantially parallel with an imaginary plane X which runs between the PPA top 112 and the PPA bottom 114 to intersect the PPA top 112 and the PPA bottom 114, and the coronal plane of the person should be substantially parallel with an imaginary plane Y which runs between the first PPA side 108 and the second PPA side 110 to intersect the first PPA side 108 and the second PPA side 110.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Moreover, the embodiments or parts of the embodiments may be combined in whole or in part without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, unless specifically stated any use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another.
This application is related to and claims the benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/056,175 (Atty. Docket No. LAZ-0001-P), filed Jul. 24, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63056175 | Jul 2020 | US |
