AU603818B2

AU603818B2 - Crotch strap for infants

Info

Publication number: AU603818B2
Application number: AU76422/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Richard Anthony Collins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-07-04
Filing date: 1987-07-01
Publication date: 1990-11-29
Anticipated expiration: 2007-07-01
Also published as: NZ220922A; GB2200530B; GB8804943D0; GB2200530A; DE3790341T1; WO1988000011A1; AU7642287A

Description

"AN INFANT'S NAPPY SECURING DEVICE" TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to an infant's napkin securing device. As used herein the term "infant's napkin" is intended to include the alternate terms diaper and nappy.

BACKGROUND ART Hitherto infant's napkins have been held in position by means of safety pins or clips. Safety pins can cause injury if the locking head becomes loose or faulty and releases the sharp end of the pin. Additionally the use of a safety pin has an inherent risk of injury to the infant and person changing the napkin because of the manner in which the pin is passed through the napkin.

Napkin clipping devices have not proved to be particularly successful and often become detached during use. If the clips become detached there can be a danger presented by possible swallowing of the clip by the infant. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide an infant's napkin securing device which will overcome or at least ameliorate the above disadvantages.

Accordingly, this invention consists in an infant's napkin securing device comprising an elongate waist band to encircle the waist or hip area of a napkin fitted to an infant; fastening means to releasably join the ends of said waist band so that the waist band firmly holds the napkin against the infant; and gripping protrusions provided on the inner surface of said waist band to provide frictional contact with the napkin material.

For preference _τ the napkin securing device further comprises an elongate crotch strap to pass between the legs of the infant and hold the corresponding portion of the napkin, a first end of said crotch strap being attached to the waist band at a portion forming the rear thereof; and means to releasably attach the other end of said crotch strap to the waist band at a portion forming the front thereof.

The crotch strap preferably also has gripping protrusions provided on the inner surface to provide frictional contact with the napkin material.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention the gripping protrusions are small plastics hooks of the kind used for hook and loop fastenings. The waist band can therefore in one preferred form comprise a length of the hook material of the kind used for hook and loop fastenings.

In this preferred form the fastening means for joining the ends of the waist band can comprise a section of loop material of the kind used for hook and loop fastenings which is affixed to the outside of the waist band adjacent one end thereof. The other end of the waist band overlaps the loop material to join therewith in the known manner.

Also according to this preferred form a further section of loop material is affixed to the outside of the waist band at a portion forming the front thereof to provide for releasable attachment of the crotch strap.

Some embodiments of this invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an infant's napkin securing device according to a first embodiment;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the ends of the securing device joined;

Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of an infant's napkin securing device according to a second embodiment;

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of an infant's napkin securing device according to a third embodiment;

Figure 5 is a plan view of part of the waist band of the devices shown in Figures 1 to 4; and Figure 6 is a plan view of a section of loop material forming part of the devices shown in Figures 1 to 4.

The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to illustrate corresponding parts of the various embodiments.

MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring firstly to Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6 the securing device 10 comprises a waist band formed by an elongate length of hook material of the kind used for hook and loop fastenings such as that known by the trade mark VELCRO. The hook material has a large number of small plastics hooks 12 (best seen in Figure 5) formed on one side which comprise gripping protrusions to provide frictional contact with the, napkin material. A section of loop material 13 is sewn or otherwise affixed to^' the waist band adjacent one end thereof and comprises fastening means to releasably join the ends of the waist band 11. More detail of the loop material 13 is shown in Figure 6. Joining is effected by overlapping the other end of waist band 11 with loop material.11 to join therewith by means of hooks 12 in the conventional manner as shown in Figure 2. It will be apparent that this results in the waist band 10 being of widely adjustable effective length.

The napkin securing device 10 is used in the following way. Firstly a napkin (not shown) is folded according to one of the conventional methods and placed on the infant. The securing device 10 is then placed around the outside of the napkin to encircle the waist or hip area and the ends of the waist band 10 are joined as described above with the waist band being made sufficiently tight to firmly hold the napkin against the infant. It can be more convenient to first place the folded napkin on the opened out securing device 10 prior to applying the napkin to the infant

It has been found that the securing device 10 is able to successfully hold napkins in place particularly on smaller infants. In particular the gripping protrusions in the form of hooks 12 when firmly held against the napkin material prevent any relative movement between the waist band and the material. The result is that the folded portions of the napkin are maintained in the desired relative positions by the encircling waist band and the waist band cannot slip upwardly and off the napkin.

Figure 3 illustrates a second embodiment of this invention which has been found particularly suitable for older infants especially those able to crawl or walk.

The securing device 20 is similar to the device 10 described above except that an elongate crotch strap 21 formed from a length of hook material is provided to pass between the legs of the infant and hold the corresponding portion of the napkin. The crotch strap 21 is sewn or otherwise affixed at a first end 22 to the waist band 10 at a portion forming the rear of the waist band. A section of loop material 23 sewn or otherwise affixed to the waist band 10 at a portion forming the front comprises means to releasably attach the crotch strap 21. The crotch strap is attached by overlapping the strap 21 with loop material 23 in the conventional manner. This method of attachment similarly provides for considerable adjustment of effective length of the crotch strap.

In use the securing device 20 of the second embodiment is applied by performing the steps described above for the first embodiment and then passing the crotch strap between the infant^rs legs across the outside of the napkin and securing the end of the crotch strap to the waist band by means of loop material 23. The crotch strap 21 is drawn sufficiently tight to firmly hold the strap against the napkin.

Although the construction described above is preferred the crotch strap need not have gripping protrusions on its inner surface and any suitable material can be used for the strap. In this case a short length' of hook material (not shown) can be affixed to the free end o the crotch strap to provide for connection to the waist band.

Figure 4 shows a securing device 30 of a further embodiment. The securing device 30 is the same as the second embodiment device 20 except that the end 22 of the crotch strap 21 is releasably attached to the rear of waist band 11 by means of a further short length of loop material 31. This allows the crotch strap 21 to be removed entirely so that the securing device 30 may be used in the manner of the device 10 of the first embodiment.

The napkin securing devices described above have several advantages over safety pin or clip securing. These include the absence of any sharp points capable of causing injury and the absence of any parts small enough to be swallowed.

In addition the devices described are re-usable, washable and easy to use.

The foregoing describesd only some embodiments of the inventions are variations thereto are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the waist band 11 of any of the embodiments can be elasticised to aid in firmly holding the band against the napkin material.

Claims

CLAIMS : -

1. Am infant's napkin securing device comprising an elongate waist band to encircle the waist or hip area of a napkin fitted to an infant; fastening means to releasably join the ends of said waist band so that the waist band firmly holds the napkin against the infant; and gripping protrusions provided on the inner surface of said waist band to provide frictional contact with the napkin material.

2. napkin securing device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an elongate crotch strap to pass between the legs of the infant and hold the corresponding portion of the napkin, a first end of said crotch strap being attached to the >waist band at a portion forming the rear thereof; and means -to releasably attach the other end of said crotch strap to the waist band at a portion forming the front thereof.

3. A napkin securing device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said crotch strap has gripping protrusions provided on the inner surface to provide frictional contact with the napkin material.

4. A napkin securing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said gripping protrusions are small plastics hooks of the kind used for hook and loop fastenings.

5. A napkin securing device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said fastening means comprises a first section of loop material of the kind used for hook and loop fastenings which is affixed to the outside of the waist band adjacent one end thereof, the other end of said waist band overlapping said first section of loop material to join therewith by means of the hooks on the inner surface of the waist band.

6. A napkin securing device as claimed in claim 5 when dependent upon claim 2, wherein said means to releasably attach the crotch strap comprise a second section of loop material of the kind used for hook and loop fastenings which is affixed to the outside of the waist band at a portion forming the front thereof, said other end of the crotch strap overlapping said second section of loop material to attach thereto by means of the hooks on the inner surface of the crotch strap.

7. A napkin securing device as claimed in any one of claims 2, 3 or 6 wherein said first end of the crotch strap is releasably secured to said waist band.

8. A napkin securing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said waist band includes an elasticised portion.

9. A napkin securing device substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 or Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.