Infant Safety Apparatus
An infant safety apparatus. The apparatus includes a harness and a flexible base that are affixed to each other at a juncture. The harness includes a plurality of members for securing an infant's midsection to the flexible base, such that a portion of the infant's back contacts the flexible base. The flexible base includes a plurality of arms for securing to a bed mattress, such that each arm retains the flexible base in place. The infant safety apparatus is designed to maintain the infant in a supine position or side position while preventing the infant from overturning onto a prone position, such that a rear side of the infant continuously contacts the flexible base while the infant is secured within the apparatus. In this way, the infant safety apparatus maintains the infant in a secure position and facilitates breathing by the infant.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/665,204 filed on May 1, 2018. The above identified patent application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
The present invention relates to an infant safety apparatus. More specifically, the present invention provides an infant safety apparatus for securing an infant and lowering a risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSudden Infant Death Syndrome often occurs when an infant is placed within a crib. Though the causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome are unknown, suffocation may play a role, and an infant's face may be smothered by the blanket or mattress when the infant is placed on or moves onto their stomach which can cause suffocation. Further, some infants suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease, for which an infant's discomfort from symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease may be exacerbated when the infant is placed in a prone position, which involves the infant being placed on his or her stomach. Traditional infant safety apparatuses may maintain an infant in a desired position, but such apparatuses typically fail to maintain the infant in a supine position.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an infant safety device for preventing the infant from overturning onto a prone position. The present invention fulfills this unmet need.
In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in structure and function from the known art, and substantially fulfills this unmet need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of infant safety apparatuses now present in the known art, the present invention provides a new and improved infant safety apparatus, wherein the same can be utilized for providing improved safety to an infant that is placed within a crib or bed, whereby the infant safety apparatus prevents the infant from overturning onto a prone position on a surface of the crib or bed.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved infant safety apparatus. The infant safety apparatus includes a harness that is pivotally affixed to a flexible base, wherein the harness envelops the midsection of an infant and the base abuts an upper surface of a mattress, which may be disposed within a crib. The base includes a plurality of arms that are securable to one or more spindles of the crib, wherein the arms extend laterally outward from each end of the base, such that the base is maintained at a central position within the mattress. The harness includes a plurality of members that secure to each other via a suitable fastening mechanism, such as a side release buckle or an adhesive. The infant safety apparatus is designed to maintain the infant in a supine or side position and prevent the infant from overturning onto a prone position, thereby enabling the infant to breathe and preventing smothering of the infant that can result when the infant is in the prone position.
Although the characteristic features of the 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 infant safety apparatus. For the purpose of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, particular embodiments will be discussed as used for providing improved safety to an infant when the infant is placed on a bed or crib mattress. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Referring now to
The harness 60 comprises a first member 61, a second member 62, and a third member 63, wherein the first member 61 extends perpendicularly from the second member 62 and the third member 63. The second member 62 and the third member 63 extend laterally from opposing sides of a first end of the first member 61. When the harness 60 is in the closed position, the first member 61 extends upwardly between the legs of the infant, and the second member 62 and the third member 63 extend laterally across the midsection of the infant. In this manner, the infant is enveloped within the harness 60 to increase the safety of the infant. In some embodiments, the harness 60 is configured to retain the infant in the supine position, thereby eliminating a risk of the infant turning onto the prone position. In other embodiments, the harness 60 is configured to enable the infant to move onto a side, thereby permitting the infant to develop its strength and coordination.
The harness 60 and the flexible base 40 are adjoined with each other at a first juncture 81, wherein the first juncture 81 is monolithic with the first member 61. In the illustrated embodiment, the harness 60 and the flexible base 40 are further adjoined with each other at a second juncture 82 and a third juncture 83, wherein the second juncture 82 is disposed on a distal end of the second member 62 of the harness 60 and the third juncture 83 is disposed on a distal end of the third member 63 of the harness 60. In the illustrated embodiment, the second juncture 82 and the third juncture 83 each comprise a side release fastener that is configured to be length-adjustable, such that the harness 60 may securely envelop the infant in a supine position and prevent the infant from overturning to a prone position. The second juncture 82 and the third juncture 83 comprise a hook fastener that is configured to removably secure to a complementary loop fastener on an upper side of the second member 62 and the third member 63, respectively. The second juncture 82 and the third juncture 83 further comprise a side release buckle fastener that is configured to enable a user to selectively adjust a tightness of fit of the second member 62 and the third member 63 around the infant, thereby retaining the infant in the supine position.
Referring to
In the embodiment shown in
Referring now to
In the shown embodiment in
In the first embodiment, the positioning of the side release buckle fastener on each of the second member 62 and the third member 63 is configured to provide tension on each lateral side of the infant while providing ample space for the infant to breathe while the first member 61, the second member 62, and the third member 63 envelop the infant. The tapering configuration of the first member 61 of the second embodiment provides an advantage in providing additional space for the infant's legs, whereby a lower portion of the first member minimally contacts a groin portion or other portion between the infant's legs, such that the infant's legs are free to move while the infant is secured within the harness 60. The third embodiment provides an advantage with respect to the securement means of the tape adhesives within each of the first member 61, the second member 62, and the third member 63, such that the infant is potentially more safely secured in the supine position than in the first and second embodiments.
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.
Claims
1) An infant safety apparatus, comprising:
- a harness that is configured to secure about a midsection of an infant;
- wherein the harness is attached to a flexible base via a juncture;
- wherein the harness includes a first member configured to extend upwardly between the legs of the infant;
- wherein the harness further includes a second member and a third member that extend outward from opposing sides of the first member;
- wherein the second member and third member are removably securable to the flexible base;
2) The infant safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein the arms of the plurality of arms are configured to extend beyond a periphery of an upper surface of a mattress, whereby the arms are securable to one or more items selected from a group consisting of: one or more spindles of a baby crib, the mattress, and a combination thereof.
3) The infant safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a padded material.
4) The infant safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein during use of the infant safety apparatus, the first member extends upwardly between a pair of legs of an infant, and also extends along a front side of the infant, such that the first member contacts a midsection of the infant.
5) The infant safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein during use of the infant safety apparatus, the second member and the third member extend laterally across a front side of an infant, such that a juncture of the first second and third members is disposed on the front side of the infant.
6) The infant safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one member the harness is length-adjustable to accommodate various infant sizes.
7) The infant safety apparatus of claim 1, wherein each arm of the plurality of arms is adjustable to accompany a specifically dimensioned bed or mattress.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 14, 2019
Publication Date: Nov 7, 2019
Inventor: Jescy Herrera (Hialeah, FL)
Application Number: 16/275,411