BABY SECURING APPARATUS

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and systems for a baby securing apparatus that includes a first strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end, a second strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end, and a retention area positioned on the front side of the first strap.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

The current application claims the benefit of the earlier priority filing date of the provisional application, Ser. No. 62/095,355, that was filed on Dec. 22, 2014.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus used to secure the arms of babies to their sides.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Swaddling is an age-old practice of wrapping a baby such that the baby's arms are tightly secured along the baby's body. Swaddling inhibits a baby's arm from their natural involuntary and uncontrolled movement that tends to prevent a baby from falling asleep, as well as tends to startle a baby from sleep. In addition, the pressure created from a secured swaddle around a baby's chest is believed to further calm the baby, which results in less crying and longer periods of uninterrupted sleep. It is thought that the tight bind of a baby's arms during the first three months of life simulates the conditions the baby experienced in the womb, thereby inducing a calming effect. Swaddling is also useful in keeping a sleeping baby on its back, which is important as recent medical science has indicated that babies sleeping on their backs are much less likely to experience sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) than in other positions.

Swaddling is usually achieved by wrapping a baby in a large receiving blanket. The baby is usually placed in a receiving blanket and a series of folds are used to bind the baby's arm to the baby's sides. The folds also secure the blanket to itself such that the swaddle will not become undone. The result is a tightly cocooned baby in a blanket wrapped head to toe.

However, current swaddling blankets and techniques pose safety risks to babies. For example, a suffocation risk is created when a baby's arms are not properly secured and the swaddle blanket moves upwards towards the baby's face. Typical swaddling blankets are not strong or secure enough to hold a baby's arms in place and prevent the blanket from moving upwards towards the bay's face when a baby wiggles.

Further, current swaddling blankets and techniques are often time consuming and cumbersome. Because babies are typically squirming during the swaddling process, parents often become frustrated with current swaddling blankets that require a complex pattern of multiple folds to secure the blanket around the baby. Often, a parent is trying to hold the baby still with one hand while the other hand is attempting to perform the series of folds. By the time the parent comes to the second or third fold, the first fold may have already been released due to the baby's own movement.

In addition, with typical swaddling blankets and techniques, in order to change a baby's diaper, the swaddle must be completely removed in order to access the diaper area. The commotion of swaddling, removing the swaddling for diaper change, then the subsequently re-swaddling tends to aggravate babies, resulting in crying and further hindering them from falling asleep.

Current swaddling blankets may also cause a baby to over-heat due to the amount of fabric needed to wrap around the baby, as well as the heaviness of the fabric. This is especially problematic during the summer months, but a legitimate risk year round.

Swaddling blankets may also be associated with improper muscle development of the hips and legs owing to the lower body restriction of movement while swaddled. Further, swaddling blankets that constrict the movement of the legs and hips of a baby contribute to or lead to hip dysplasia. Doctors often recommend discontinuing swaddling to avoid the risk.

In addition, typical swaddling blankets are only suitable for infants. Larger, stronger, and older babies cannot be swaddled with the current swaddling blankets and techniques because they are too large and too strong for the swaddle blanket to securely swaddle them.

Accordingly, there is a need for a baby swaddle that addresses the concerns and problems expressed above, as described and claimed herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a baby securing apparatus that includes an outer strap, an inner strap engaged to the outer strap, and a tensioning device engaged to the outer strap for receiving the opposing end of the outer strap.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the baby securing apparatus is composed of a textile.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the baby securing apparatus contains an outer strap composed of a body having a left side and a right side, and a first end engaged to the left side and a second end engaged to the right side.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the baby securing apparatus contains an inner strap with a hook and loop fastener on each end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to the various drawings, in which like reference numbers denote like method steps and/or system components, respectively, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the baby securing apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the baby securing apparatus with the second strap secured to the retention area;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the baby securing apparatus with the second strap secured to the retention area;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the baby securing apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the baby securing apparatus in use; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the baby securing apparatus in use and swaddling a baby.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures, which form a part of this disclosure. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed invention. Any and all patents and other publications identified in this specification are incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.

Also, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, an improved baby securing apparatus is illustrated in FIG. 1 and is shown generally at reference numeral 10. The baby securing apparatus 10 described herein provides a simple, less cumbersome, safer baby swaddle-type apparatus than those currently available on the market.

The baby swaddle apparatus 10 includes a first strap 12 and a second strap 14, wherein the first strap 12 is engaged to the second strap 14. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 by way of an example, the first strap 12 may be engaged to the second strap 14 in close proximity to the center location of the first strap 12.

The first strap 12 includes a front side and a back side. A retention area 16 is disposed on the front side of the first strap 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the retention area 16 is preferably centrally located on the first strap 12. The first strap 12 may be generally rectangularly shaped with a first end and a second end and extends between a top side and a bottom side of the first strap 12. The first end may be frustoconically shaped and the second end is block shaped and contains corners.

The second strap 12 includes a front side, a back side, a first end, and a second end. The back side of the second strap 12 contains a fastener for engaging the second strap 14 to the retention area of the first strap 12. The fastener may be centrally located on the back side of the second strap 12 and extends from a top side to a bottom side of the second strap 12. The fastener is preferably a hook and loop fastener sold under the trade name Velcro®. The retention area 16 of the first strap 12 may be composed of the loop portion of the fastener and the back side of the second strap 12 may be composed of the hook fastener, or vice versa.

The first strap 12 and second strap 14 contains a first end and a second end. A fastener is disposed on the top side of the first end and the second end of the second strap 14. The first end of the second strap 14 is designed to receive or engage the retention area 16 and the second end of the second strap 14 is designed to receive or engage the retention area 16. The fastener on the front side of the second strap 14 contains a loop fastener for selectively securing the first end and second end of the second strap to the retention area 16 of the first strap 12. The outer strap 14 contains an operative first end and an operative second end for wrapping the outer strap 14 around the baby's chest and arms and over the outside of the inner strap 12.

The first end of the front side of the first strap 12 contains a fastener thereon. The second end of the back side of the first strap 12 contains a fastener thereon. Preferably, the first end of the front side of the first strap 12 contains the hook of a hook and loop fastener and the second end of the front side of the first strap 12 contains a loop of the hook and loop fastener for selectively securing the first end and second end of the first strap 12 to each other.

During use and as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the apparatus 10 is to be spread out with the first strap 12 open and the second strap 14 open with the second strap 14 overtop the first strap 12. The back side of the second strap 14 is engaged to the retention area 16 of the first strap 12 and the lowest portion of the apparatus 10 is at the waist to ensure the apparatus 10 does not wrap around the hips of the baby. The baby is then to be laid face up, with the middle of the back directly over where the first strap 12 and second strap 14 are engaged, as shown in FIG. 5. The first end of the second strap 14 is pulled up between the torso and an arm of the baby and the second end of the second strap 14 is pulled up between the torso and an arm of the baby. The first end and the second end of the second strap 14 is then wrapped over each corresponding arm, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and then engages the first end and the second end of the second strap 14 to the retention area 16 and retaining the arms of the baby adjacent to its sides. This arrangement without the baby is illustrated in FIGS. 2-4.

The second end of the first strap 12 is then placed over the chest of the baby. The second end of the first strap 12 is placed over the second end and the front side of the first strap is engaged to the back side of the first strap, as illustrated in FIG. 6. In this arrangement, the apparatus 10 cannot go above the armpits of the baby and does not wrap around the hips of the baby.

While a hook and loop fastener has been described herein, the fastener may include stitching, an adhesive, or the like.

An advantage of the present invention is that it provides an apparatus 10 for swaddling a baby that is easy to put on and take off a baby because the apparatus 10 only includes three connections for the user to make to securely swaddle the baby.

A further advantage of the apparatus 10 is that it does not present any suffocation risk to the baby owing to the second strap 14 preventing any upward movement of the apparatus 10 towards the baby's face.

Another advantage of the apparatus 10 is that a baby's diaper may be changed without having to remove the apparatus 10 from the baby.

A further advantage of the apparatus 10 is that it does not cause any overheating risk to a baby because the apparatus does not cover the baby from head to toe.

In addition, the apparatus 10 does not cause any risk of improper muscle development or hip dysplasia because the apparatus 10 does not bind the legs of the baby. Instead, the apparatus 10 only swaddles the baby's arms, leaving the hips and legs free, which promotes proper muscle development in the legs and prevents hip dysplasia.

Yet another advantage of the apparatus 10 is that it allows larger, stronger, or older babies to be swaddled based on the design.

The apparatus 10 may be made of textile materials, flexible plastics, and the like. The tensioning device 16 may be constructed of plastic, metal, or the like.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention and are intended to be covered by the following claims.

Claims

1. A baby securing apparatus, comprising:

a first strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end;

a second strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end; and

a retention area positioned on the front side of the first strap.

2. The baby securing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is composed of a textile.

3. The baby securing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first end and the second end of the second strap are selectively secured to the retention area.

4. The baby securing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first end and the second end of the second strap are selectively secured to the retention area with a hook and loop fastener.

5. The baby securing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the back side of the first strap is selectively secured to the retention area.

6. The baby securing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first side of the second strap is selectively secured to the back side of the second strap.

7. A method of securing a baby, comprising:

providing a baby securing apparatus that has a first strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end, a second strap with a front side, back side, first end, and second end, and a retention area positioned on the front side of the first strap;

placing the back side of the second strap on the retention area of the first strap;

placing a baby within the second strap.

8. The method of securing a baby according to claim 7, further comprising wrapping the first end of the second strap around the outside of a first arm of the baby and engaging the first end to the retention area of the first strap.

9. The method of securing a baby according to claim 7, further comprising wrapping the second end of the second strap around the outside of a second arm of the baby and engaging the first end to the retention area of the first strap.

10. The method of securing a baby according to claim 7, further comprising wrapping the first end of the first strap around the torso of the baby and wrapping the second end of the first strap around the torso of the baby, and engaging the back side of the second end to the front side of the first end.