AU721124B2

AU721124B2 - Infant restraint

Info

Publication number: AU721124B2
Application number: AU24676/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Cecil Norman Unwin
Original assignee: CN Unwin Ltd
Current assignee: Braunability UK Ltd
Priority date: 1996-06-04
Filing date: 1997-06-04
Publication date: 2000-06-22
Anticipated expiration: 2017-06-04
Also published as: AU2467697A; GB9611606D0; GB2315401A; GB2315401B; GB9711279D0

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S): C.N. Unwin Limited ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

INVENTION TITLE: Infant restraint The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known Lo me/us:o *oo ooooo P:\OPERUPN\24676-97.SPE 29/n/99 -la- This invention concerns an infant restraint.

Ambulance trolleys are made to carry adults, and usually they are provided with means for holding a patient to the trolley (straps for example) so that there is no danger of the patient rolling off. However, such restraints are not suitable for babies or small children. This invention aims to provide a suitable infant restraint, and it need not be confined to use with ambulance trolleys; adaptations can be made for other normal adult supports, such as car seats.

According to the present invention there is provided an infant's restraint for use with a base structure normally used for supporting adults, the restraint comprising a flexible elongate sheet with means for securing it over the base structure, shoulder belts attached by one end at separate points on a transverse line adjacent one end of the sheet and a crotch strap attached by one end at a central point adjacent the other end of the sheet, and a device carried by the free end of the crotch strap to which the shoulder belts can converge and which is adapted to hold such belts secure over the infant's shoulders, there being a single release arrangement within the 9 crotch strap/holding device combination by whose actuation both shoulder belts can be released simultaneously.

The sheet may take various forms, and generally it will be of composite structure, as described below.

25 Preferably, there will also be a waist belt attached to the sheet between the attachment points of the shoulder belts and the crotch strap, to fasten around the middle of an infant laid :e on the sheet. Conveniently, this waist belt will be in two parts each of which connect to said holding device. In one preferred form, each part of the waist belt is a continuation of the shoulder belt on the same side of the sheet, each combined S•shoulder/waist belt being attached at both ends to the sheet.

These combined belts could each carry an element intermediate those ends that clips to said holding device or they might simply engage over opposed hooks at the free end of the crotch Sstrap. An alternative arrangement would be to have the shoulder P:\OPERJPN24676-97.SPE 297199 -2belts combined as a single belt attached at both ends to the sheet, forming a loop for passing over the infant's head. This combined belt could carry an element intermediate said ends that clips to said holding device, or simply engage over a hook at the free end of the crotch strap. Conveniently, the or each clip element, when provided, will be able to slide along the associated combined belt.

Preferably, the holding device has quick release sockets into which tongues of the clip elements can engage. With several fastening elements to secure, the crotch strap will terminate in a multi-socket device.

Most, and preferably all, straps and belts will be adjustable in length to cater for different sizes of infant, and to make fastening easier.

The securing means-may comprise transverse load bearing straps, by whose ends it is fastened over the base structure, and to whose middle portions the sheet is attached. This sheet can be substantially non-load bearing, and it may be an impermeable membrane, or it may be of fabric or net material.

Its primary function will be to space the straps. The shoulder belts will be fastened to the strap adjacent one end of the sheet, and the crotch strap to the strap adjacent the other end of the sheet, while the waist belt will be attached to the intermediate strap.

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a For an ambulance trolley, the ends of these load bearing straps will conveniently have loops or hooks, to engage around the parallel bars at the side of the trolley.

But for use elsewhere, the straps may be elongated to pass under a base structure, such as a seat, for their opposite ends to be secured together.

For a better understanding of the invention, one embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an infant held by a restraint to an ambulance trolley, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the restraint laid out before fitting.

Figure 3 is a detail, in plan view, of an alternative restraint, Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a detail, in plan view, of another restraint.

The restraint of Figures 1 and 2 has three main straps 1, 2 and 3, which are parallel and substantially equispaced.

25 They have adjustable loops 4 attached to their ends which enable them to be fastened to parallel bars 5 along the sides of an ambulance trolley. The straps are sewn near their ends transversely over a rectangular membrane 6 with a tongue 7 at one end, and this serves to determine the spacing of the straps when it is spread out to overlie the mattress 8 on the trolley. In use, the straps i, 2 and 3 will be tensioned by the loops 4, and they will take the main load.

An alternative would be to have the straps longer and to form adjustable loops themselves. Also, instead of taking flexible loops around the bars 5 and threading ends through buckles, the straps could carry hooks or snap-on clips to engage the bars.

To the centre of the strap 1 nearest the tongue 7 there is stitched the end of a crotch strap 9. This is also stitched to the tongue 7. Beyond that it is free, and is looped through the base of a double, quick-release socket member 10. The extremity of the strap 9 is led back through a sliding clamp or buckle 11 by which the effective length of the strap can be adjusted.

~Two belts 12 each have one end stitched to the strap 3 remote from the tongue 7. The attachment points are symmetrically either side of a centre line projected from the strap 9. The other ends of these belts 12 have adjustable S: loops through fittings 13 attached to the intermediate strap 2, also in a symmetrical arrangement. Captive to each belt S.12 there is a tongue 14 which can clip into the respective side of the socket 10. Each tongue 14 is free to slide along its belt 12.

In use, the infant is laid over the straps 1, 2 and 3 as shown in Figure 1 and its arms are passed under the belts 12. The crotch strap 9 is brought up over its middle and the tongues 14 are clipped into the socket 10. The belts and straps are tensioned as necessary to hold the infant firmly, but not too tightly.

Release is very quick, simply by pressing a button on the socket 10 to allow the tongues 14 to fall away.

Instead of the socket member 10, there could be a double hook member 15 as shown in Figures 3 and 4. It takes the form of a disc with a slot 16 near the periphery through which the strap 9 is passed before returning to the buckle 11. Symmetrically around the periphery from the slot 16, the disc has thickened portions 17 convex towards the centre and with their convex shoulders undercut to form smoothly contoured hooks facing substantially in opposite directions with their mouths open towards one another. The belts 12 will be placed over these, with the crotch strap loosened, and then secured by tightening the strap 9. The buckle 11 will be quick release so that the tension can be *rapidly relieved and the belt 12 thrown off the hooks.

oi o In both these embodiments each belt 12 forms a shoulder strap and a waist belt. Those could be separated, but it would involve fastening elements at the free end of each, and a four socket device on the end of the crotch strap. An **alternative is to combine the shoulder straps into a loop 25 that is passed over the infant's head, and to have two separate waist belts meeting at the central socket member.

This will also receive a single fastening element on the Sshoulder loop or, as shown in Figure 5, that loop 18 may simply be made captive by a hook 20 on a member 21 at the free end of the crotch strap, in a manner similar to Figures 3 and 4. But with waist belts, that member 21 will have sockets to receive tongues 22 at the free ends of those belts.

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Claims

1. An infant's restraint for use with a base structure normally used for supporting adults, the restraint comprising a flexible elongate sheet with means for securing it over the base structure, shoulder belts attached by one end at separate points on a transverse line adjacent one end of the sheet and a crotch strap attached by one end at a central point adjacent the other end of the sheet, and a device carried by the free end of the crotch strap to which the shoulder belts can converge and which is adapted to hold such belts secure over the infant's shoulders, there being a single release arrangement within the crotch strap/holding device combination by whose actuation both shoulder belts can be released simultaneously.

2. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a waist belt is attached to the sheet between the attachment points of the shoulder belts and crotch strap, to fasten around the middle of an infant laid on the sheet.

3. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the waist belt is in two parts each of which connect to said holding device. 25 4. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 3, wherein each part of the waist belt is a continuation of the shoulder belt on the same side of the sheet, each combined shoulder/waist belt *being attached at both ends to the sheet. 30 5. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 4, wherein each combined belt carries an element intermediate said ends that S.clips to said holding device.

6. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 4, wherein said holding device has opposed hooks over which the combined belts ,respectively engage. P:\OPERJPN\24676-97.SPE 28199 -8-

7. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the shoulder belts are combined as a single belt attached at both ends to the sheet, forming a loop for passing over the infant's head.

8. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the combined belt carries an element intermediate said ends that clips to said holding device.

9. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said holding device has a hook over which the combined belt engages. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 5 or 8, wherein the clip element is slidable along the associated combined belt.

11. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 5, 8 or wherein said holding device has quick release sockets into which tongues of the clip elements can engage.

12. An infant's restraint as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the belts and strap are adjustable in length. e 13. An infant's restraint as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the securing means comprises transverse load bearing straps whose ends serve for securing the restraint over the base structure, and to whose middle portions the sheet is attached. o•

14. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the sheet is substantially non load bearing. 0.0 An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 13 or 14, wherein the shoulder belts are fastened to a transverse strap adjacent one end of the sheet, and the crotch strap to a transverse strap adjacent the other end of the sheet.

16. An infant's restraint as claimed in Claim 15, as appendant P:\OPER\PN\24676-97.SPE 2/8/99 -9- to Claim 2, wherein the waist belt is attached to an intermediate transverse strap.

17. An infant's restraint as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 16, wherein the ends of the transverse straps have loops or hooks, to engage around the parallel bars at the side of an ambulance trolley.

18. An infant's restraint as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 16, wherein the transverse straps are elongated to pass under a base structure, such as a seat, for their opposite ends to be secured together.

19. An infant's restraint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, Figures 3 and 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 2nd day of August, 1999 C.N.UNWIN LIMITED By its Patent Attorneys: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE 9 9* 9 99 99 *9 9 9