It is well documented that swaddling helps an infant fall asleep and remain asleep. It is also well documented that maintaining a sleeping infant in a supine position lowers the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Conventional swaddles rely on proper wrapping techniques to sufficiently bind the limbs and maintain gentle pressure across the chest and abdomen. A swaddle that is wrapped too tightly may hamper normal breathing and may put an infant at risk of overheating. A swaddle that is improperly wrapped may also loosen over time as the infant becomes restless, allowing the limbs to be freed and portions of the swaddle to migrate over the face, putting the infant at risk of suffocation.
Conventional restraints for maintaining an infant in a supine position rely on attachments that are prone to failure. Attachments that release unintentionally when the infant moves allow the infant to assume a sleeping position other than supine, for instance prone, putting the infant at risk of suffocation.
Therefore, what is needed is a solution for ensuring that an infant maintains swaddled and in a supine position, as well as a constraint solution adaptable to different sleep locations.
According to one aspect, the inventive concepts according to the present disclosure are directed to a system for maintaining an infant in a supine position. In embodiments, the system includes a rigid or semi-rigid base, a fitted cover substantially encasing the rigid or semi-rigid base and including spaced first and second tethers attached to a top of the fitted cover, and a garment including spaced first and second tabs attached to lateral sides of the garment, for instance a swaddle. In use, to secure the garment in place atop the fitted cover, the garment is positioned on top of the fitted cover between the first and second tethers, and the first and second tabs are removably attached to the respective first and second tethers.
In some embodiments, each tether includes a first portion attached to the top of the fitted cover, the first portion including a hook fastener positioned between spaced loop fasteners, and a second portion hingedly attached to the first portion or to the fitted cover, the second portion including a hook fastener, and the second portion movable relative to the first portion between a first position removably attached to the first portion and a second position detached from the first portion.
In some embodiments, each tab includes loop fasteners positioned on opposing sides of the tab, and in use to secure each tab to a respective tether, the hook fasteners of the tether are removably attached to the loop fastener of the tab such that the tab is secured between the first and second portions of the tether.
In some embodiments, a length of the tab substantially corresponds to a length of the hook fastener of the first portion.
In some embodiments, the first and second tabs are positioned above the hips of a restrained (e.g., swaddled) infant so as not to constrain hip motion.
In some embodiments, the first and second tethers are positioned inward of the lateral sides of the fitted cover, and inward of the opposing ends of the fitted cover.
In some embodiments, the fitted cover is a fitted sheet having, on a bottom side thereof, an elastic band extending across an opening formed on the bottom side of the fitted sheet.
In some embodiments, the base is a mattress, a wood or composite (e.g., fiber composite, plastic, etc.) board, a bi-fold wood or composite board, or a tri-fold wood or composite board.
In another aspect, the inventive concepts according to the present disclosure are directed to a system for maintaining a person in a predefined position such as laying or sitting. In embodiments, the system includes a garment configured to be worn by the person and including first and second tabs positioned on opposing lateral sides of the garment, and a base configured to by laid or sat on by the person and including spaced first and second tethers attached to the top of the base. In use to secure the garment on the base, the garment is positioned on the base between the first and second tethers, and the first and second tabs are removably attached to the respective first and second tethers.
In some embodiments, each tether includes a first portion attached to the top of the base, the first portion including a hook fastener positioned between spaced loop fasteners, and a second portion hingedly attached to the first portion or to the base, the second portion including a hook fastener, and the second portion movable relative to the first portion between a first position removably attached to the first portion and a second position detached from the first portion.
In some embodiments, each tab includes loop fasteners positioned on opposing sides of the tab, and in use to secure each tab to a respective tether, the hook fasteners of the tether are removably attached to the loop fastener of the tab such that the tab is secured between the first and second portions of the tether.
In some embodiments, the base is a mattress, a fitted cover, a table, a board, or a chair.
In a further aspect, the inventive concepts according to the present disclosure are directed to a system for maintaining an infant in a supine position. In embodiments, the system includes a garment configured to be worn by the infant and including first and second tabs attached to opposing lateral sides of the garment, and a base configured to be laid on by the infant in a supine position, the base including first and second tethers attached to a top of the base configured to removably attach to the respective first and second tabs to secure the garment to the base.
In some embodiments, each tab includes a first side including a first fastener and a second side including a second fastener, and each tether includes a first portion including a first fastener and a second portion including a second fastener, the second portion movable relative to the first portion. In use to secure each tab to a respective tether, the tab is positioned between the first and second portions of the tether, the first fastener of the tab is removably attached to the first fastener of the tether, and the second fastener of the tab is removably attached to the second fastener of the tether.
In some embodiments, each of the first fastener and the second fastener of the tab is a loop fastener, and each of the first fastener and the second fastener of the tether is a hook fastener.
In some embodiments, for each tether, the first portion is attached to the base, and the second portion is hingedly attached to the first portion.
In some embodiments, in a removably attached condition of the garment atop the base, the garment is positioned between the first and second tethers.
In some embodiments, the base is a sheet, a mattress, a wood or composite board, a bi-fold wood or composite board, or a tri-fold wood or composite board.
Implementations of the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be better understood when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the included drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, and in which some features may be exaggerated and some features may be omitted or may be represented schematically in the interest of clarity. Like reference numerals in the drawings may represent and refer to the same or similar element, feature, or function. In the drawings:
Before explaining aspects the inventive concepts disclosed herein in detail, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. In the following detailed description of embodiments of the instant inventive concepts, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the inventive concepts. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure that the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features may not be described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure. The inventive concepts disclosed herein are capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As used herein a letter following a reference numeral is intended to reference an embodiment of the feature or element that may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element or feature bearing the same reference numeral (e.g., 1, 1a, 1b). Such shorthand notations are used for purposes of convenience only and should not be construed to limit the disclosure in any way unless expressly stated to the contrary.
Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
In addition, use of “a” or “an” may be employed to describe elements and components of embodiments disclosed herein. This is done merely for convenience and “a” and “an” are intended to include “one” or “at least one,” and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “some embodiments” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment disclosed herein. The appearances of the phrase “in some embodiments” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, and embodiments may include one or more of the features expressly described or inherently present herein, or any combination or sub-combination of two or more such features, along with any other features which may not necessarily be expressly described or inherently present in the instant disclosure.
Broadly speaking, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to garments including first fasteners for removable attachment to a base including second fasteners. In use, the garment is worn by a user and the first and second fasteners removably attach to maintain the user in position relative to the base. In some embodiments, the garment may be a swaddle, robe, dress, ‘onesie’ or other garment type worn by an infant, wherein the first and second fasteners function to maintain the infant in a supine position on the base. In some embodiments, the garment may be worn by a person, wherein the first and second fasteners function to maintain the person in a predefined laying or sitting position relative to the base. In some embodiments, the base may be a rigid base, a fitted sheet, a mattress, a car seat, a blanket, etc.
The systems disclosed herein function to constrain motion. In some embodiments, the system includes a rigid or semi-rigid base, a fitted for being fitted on the base, and a garment for being removably attached to the fitted cover. In use, the garment is worn by an infant and the motion constrained is rollover motion. In use, the base may be moved between different locations such as a crib, a bassinet, a pack-and-play, and a floor. In some embodiments, the systems function to maintain the user removably attached to the base, for instance a bed, a chair, a car seat, etc.
The fitted cover 104 includes spaced first and second tethers 108a, 108b attached to the top of the fitted cover. In some embodiments, the fitted cover 104 is a fitted sheet. Each tether 108a, 108b may be positioned inward of its respective lateral side of the fitted cover 104 and inward of the opposing ends of the fitted cover 104. In these positions, the tethers 108a, 108b are used to generally center the infant on the fitted cover 104, away from both the lateral sides and the opposing ends of the fitted cover 104. The garment includes spaced first and second tabs 110a, 110b. In use, the first tab 110a is configured to removably attach or secure to the first tether 108a, and the second tab 110b is configured to removably attach or secure to the second tether 110b. The configurations of the tethers 108a, 108b and tabs 110a, 110b are discussed in detail below.
In use to secure the infant in place atop the fitted cover 104, the swaddled infant is positioned between the spaced tethers 108a, 108b, the first tab 110a is attached to the first tether 108a, and the second tab 110b is attached to the second tether 108b. The first and second tabs 110a, 110b are positioned on the lateral sides of the garment 106 to align and engage with the respective first and second tethers 108a, 108b. When both tabs 110a, 110b are secured by the tethers 108a, 108b, rollover motion is constrained, and the infant is maintained in a supine position. Reference numeral 112 points to the general hip region of the infant. As shown, the tether attachments are positioned ‘above’ the hip region 112 such that the attachments do not constrain hip and/or leg motion.
In the embodiment described above, the first and second tabs 110a, 110b include the loop element of the fastener while the first and second tethers 108a, 108b include the hook element of the fastener. While this arrangement may be preferred to position the ‘softer’ of the elements out of contact with the infant, the reverse configuration may be practiced. In addition, alternative fasteners for removable attachment may be practiced such as buttons, snaps, and zippers.
From the above description, it is clear that the present disclosure disclosed herein is well adapted to achieve the objectives and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the present disclosure disclosed herein. While example embodiments of the present disclosure disclosed herein has been described for purposes of this disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the broad scope and coverage of the present disclosure disclosed and claimed herein.
This nonprovisional application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/544,350 filed Oct. 16, 2023 for SYSTEM FOR MAINTAINING AN INFANT IN A SUPINE POSITION, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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63544350 | Oct 2023 | US |