Ankle Monitor Guard (AMG)

Abstract

The ankle monitor guard, or AMG, is a neoprene and rayon sleeve that is worn over a personal ankle monitor. The purpose of the guard is to deter an incident of tampering from being reported should an ankle monitor be temporarily submerged in water. The guard also serves to help muffle the noise emitted by these devices. The guard also serves a discretionary purpose by concealing the underlying device allowing the user to more freely wear clothing that exposes the ankle in public. It is the intent of this invention to provide the user with more freedom of choices with regards to activities performed, clothing worn, and therefore know that they have options gained by the use of the ankle monitor guard.

Description

BACKGROUND

The ankle monitor guard (AMG) is a neoprene cover for any ankle electronic monitoring device. Electronic monitoring systems were first developed in the 1960's by graduate students in behavioral psychology at Harvard University. Kirk and Robert Gable (twins) wanted to apply “operant conditioning to human social problems.” (Gable, 2007). Their idea was to track juvenile offenders as they moved around a city and ultimately their behavior would be rewarded for showing up on time to appointments. In 1969, Robert Gable received a U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,344, for his device, which he described as a Behavioral Supervision System with Wrist Carried Transceiver. This original electronic tagging device used both wrist carried and belt worn transceivers that relied on radio links to transmit location. If there was a problem, or if the oscillator went out of range with the transceiver unit, an alarm would sound alerting the “supervised person to take corrective action.” (Schwitzgebel, 1969). These monitors were first legally used in 1983 when district court judge Jack Love persuaded a computer salesperson to create a system to monitor five offenders in New Mexico. Then in the 1990's electronic monitoring devices became more widespread due to the advent of the cellular phone and broadband Internet networks. Even more recent, the use of GPS is used in electronic monitoring devices to track criminals to make sure they are staying at home, going to work, or even making curfew. GPS tracking devices are also used on sex offenders to alert authorities if they are within a certain range of schools, playgrounds or parks.

Since 2003 the criminal justice system in the United States has been issuing personal monitors with new transdermal technology that can track whether or not the user is drinking alcohol or using other controlled substances. These monitors are worn just above the ankle and fastened with a tamper-proof strap. The device takes readings from samples of perspiration coming off the offender's skin. The monitor emits a low buzz sound each time there is a reading. The user can take showers but if the monitor is submerged under water this transdermal sensor breaks contact with the skin, making it appear as if the monitor has been removed. Removal of this monitor by tampering, or by submerging it underwater, causes an incident to be reported and may result in unfavorable legal consequences.

The ankle monitor guard (AMG) is a neoprene sleeve developed so that it can be worn over standard ankle monitors to provide protection from the device losing contact with the skin due to an accidental submerging in to water. The guard allows the user to fully submerge their ankle while wearing a monitor in water for a short period of time without breaking contact with the skin. The guard therefore allows the user the ability to perform activities near water that they may not have been able to perform before. For example, someone wearing an ankle monitor with a guard can take a walk on the beach and if their leg becomes submerged by a wave there will not be an incident.

Further, an ankle monitor can deter users from wearing clothing such as dresses, shorts, Capri pants, or work-out clothes because they do not want the monitor on public display. The AMG conceals the monitor's appearance enough that a person may feel more comfortable wearing clothing that exposes the device. The AMG also helps to muffle the noise emitted from the device for increased discretion.

WORKS CITED

• Gable, B. a. (2007, November). Runaway Idea. (W. M. Gary Wolf, Interviewer)
• Schwitzgebel, R. (1969). U.S. Pat. No. 3,478,344. United States.

SUMMARY

Since the early 2000's, alcohol monitors increasingly have been used across the United States to keep alcohol related crime offenders out of jail. These devices use transdermal technology to detect if the user has alcohol in their system. Although the user may take a shower, the device however, cannot be fully submerged in water otherwise contact with the sensor is lost. The monitors therefore limit the user from normal activities that involve being near or on the water.

The present invention is a sleeve-type of guard to be worn over any ankle monitoring device. The sleeve is made of 90% neoprene, 10% rayon. (See FIG. 1) The AMG was primarily developed to work specifically with alcohol monitors to prevent a break in contact with the skin, but can be used with any ankle monitoring device. The ankle monitor guard also muffles the noise emitted from alcohol monitors as well as to help conceal the device so the user feels comfortable wearing clothes that may reveal the monitor when in public. In general, this guard can be worn over any ankle monitoring device to protect it from damage and to help conceal it for discretionary purposes.

DESCRIPTION OF FIG. 1

FIG. 1. Guard is 5 mm thick×5 cm width, top and bottom insulation portion of unit, neoprene.

FIG. 2. Elastic and Velcro strap to keep unit in place.

FIG. 3. Strap buckle.

FIG. 4. Strap loops to secure strap to unit.

FIG. 5. Body of unit 2.5 mm thick neoprene.

DESCRIPTION

The ankle monitor guard (AMG) is a sleeve made of waterproof neoprene (to 9 feet) to be worn over a personal monitoring device. An AMG keeps contact with the skin if accidentally submerged in water, conceals said device, protects it from damage and muffles any sound it emits. The AMG is 90% neoprene, 10% rayon and uses two elastic and Velcro straps to tighten the ends. The AMG weighs 4.7 ounces and is 24 cm in length (see FIG. 1). The top portion is 14 cm in width; the bottom portion is 12 cm in width. Without the straps, the guard is 2 cm in thickness. With the straps the thickness is 4 cm. The center of the guard is 1 cm thick.

Claims

1. The ankle monitor guard allows an ankle monitor to be temporarily submerged underwater without losing functionality by waterproofing the device in order for it to maintain contact with the skin of the wearer.

2. The ankle monitor guard dampens and muffles the noise that an ankle monitor may emit, at the same time protecting against breakage from impact with other objects.

3. The ankle monitor guard conceals the ankle monitor device for the wearers' personal discretion.