GB2388041A

GB2388041A - Infant pacifying device

Info

Publication number: GB2388041A
Application number: GB0217762A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Raymond Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-03-06
Filing date: 2002-07-31
Publication date: 2003-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 2022-07-31
Also published as: GB2388041B; GB0217762D0; GB0205243D0

Abstract

An infant pacifying device comprises a strap 1 for securement around an infant's hand. The strap 1 has an aperture 2 for receiving the infant's thumb, in order to locate the strap 1 properly on the hand. A pacifier 6 is releasably attached to the strap 1 at a position on the back of the infant's hand between the thumb and forefinger. The pacifier 6 thus projects in a manner corresponding to a natural position of the thumb so that it is easily found by an infant's mouth.

Description

238804 1

( INFANT PACIFYING DEVICE

- This invention relates to a pacifying device for an infant. Pacifiers (otherwise referred to as "soothers" or "dummies") have long been used to pacify or comfort babies and young children. However, young infants are often unable to retrieve a dropped pacifier. Without 10 the pacifier the infant may become upset and a parent or other carer must then intervene and give assistance by locating the dummy and replacing it in the chilies mouth. 15 The requirement for carer intervention is also a problem, for example, in the case of a premature infant being nursed in an incubator. Each carer intervention can permit the transfer of bacteria into the incubator.

20 Another problem encountered with known pacifiers is that when the infant loses the pacifier it can fall onto unhygienic surfaces or be lost completely if the pacifier was dropped from a pushchair. It is known to provide a strap for attaching the pacifier to the 25 infant's clothing, but such straps are undesirable in that they can present a choking or tangling hazard.

It is known to provide means for retaining teething devices on infants' hands. For example, US 5,993,235 30 (Sofia) discloses a teething device including a web of sheet material attached to a toy, wherein the sheet material is positioned around the infant's hand when in use. The device is thus in the form of a mitten, substantially enclosing the infant's hand.

( Also, US 2,798,482 (Feeney) discloses a teething device for infants. The device comprising a handle, a teething portion and an elastic band extending between S opposite ends of the handle. In use the infant holds the device by the handle and the elastic band is located around the infant's hand. While the elastic band serves to retain the device on the hand, the device is not suitable for very young babies who 10 require a pacifier for soothing purposes rather than for teething. To be effective on a young infant the band would have to be undesirably tight.

ES 2140279 (Calving) discloses a teether provided on a 15 wrist strap.

However, teething devices differ from traditional pacifiers. A teething device is designed to be chewed to relieve the discomfort caused by emerging teeth.

20 They thus differ from pacifiers which are intended to satisfy the sucking reflex and so comfort a young baby.

According to the present invention there is provided an infant pacifying device comprising a strap adapted to 25 be secured around an infant's hand below the fingers, the strap having an aperture for receiving the infant's thumb, a pacifier being attached to the strap adjacent the aperture and spaced from the aperture in the lengthwise direction of the strap whereby when the 30 strap is fitted to an infant's hand the pacifier is situated on the back of the hand adjacent the infant's thumb. In a preferred embodiment, when the device is fitted to an infant's hand, the pacifier is situated generally

( between the infant's thumb and forefinger. Thus, the pacifier is positioned close to a natural position of the infant Is thumb, and can thus easily be found by the infant's mouth. The pacifier is preferably an 5 artificial teat type pacifier, but it may be shaped to provide orthodontic benefits.

The pacifier is preferably attached in a releasable manner to the strap. This enables the pacifier itself 10 to be sterilized separately from the strap, which can be cleaned by normal washing. To enable releasable attachment, releasable locking means is preferably provided. This locking means may comprise a plug and socket device, for example with the plug provided on 15 the pacifier and the socket attached to the strap. The plug may comprise an enlarged head, and the socket may comprise one or more resiliently displaceable retaining elements for engaging the head to retain the plug within the socket.

The resilient retaining element or elements may be manually displaceable to disengage the head to enable the pacifier to be withdrawn from the strap.

Preferably, release requires sufficient manual 25 dexterity and/or force to avoid accidental detachment of the pacifier from the strap.

The strap may be formed from an outer layer of fabric and an inner layer of lining material. In use, the 30 lining material will lie against the infant's hand. In embodiments in which the pacifier is detachable from the strap, the attachment means, such as the socket

mentioned above, is attached to the outer fabric layer only, so that the inner liner remains continuous to avoid discomfort to the infant.

5 The strap preferably has a relatively narrow portion which, in use, extends across the palm of the infant's hand, so as to minimize obstruction to movement of the hand. The strap may then have a wider portion extending over the back of the infant's hand in use, 10 with the pacifier secured to the strap at the wider region. The present invention also provides a pacifier suitable for releasable attachment to a strap in order to create 15 an infant pacifying device as defined above.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the 20 accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an infant pacifying device being worn by an infant) 25 Figure 2 is a plan view of the infant pacifying device of Figure 1; Flqure 3 is a partly sectioned view of the infant pacifying device; and Figure 4 is a plan view of part of the device viewed on the line 4-4 in Figure 3.

( Figure 1 shows an infant pacifying device worn on the right hand of an infant. The device comprises a fabric strap 1 to which a pacifier or dummy 6 is 5 attached. The strap 1 has a strip 4 of hook-and-loop fastener provided at each end. The strap 1, as shown in Figure 2, comprises a relatively narrow, parallel-

edged end portion 3, provided with one of the hook-and-

loop strips 4. From the end portion 3, the strap 1 10 widens to a maximum width in the region 5, and then tapers to the opposite end 7, at which the other hook-

and-loop strip 4 is provided. An aperture 2 is provided in the strap 1 in the transitional region between the end portion 3 and the widest region S. The 15 dummy 6 is of the teat type and is secured to the strap 1 in the widest region 5.

The dummy 6 comprises a teat 10 and a dummy plug 11, with an oval plate 9 situated between them.

A dummy socket 12 is attached to the strap 1. The socket 12 comprises a body 14 having securing lugs 16.

The body 14 rests against an outer face of the strap 1.

The material of the strap 1 comprises two layers of 25 material, namely a fabric outer layer la and a liner lb, with wadding lc between them. The body 14 and the lugs 16 clamp between them only the layer la, so that the lugs 16 are situated between the layer la and the wadding lo.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the body 14 of the socket 12 has a recess for receiving the plug 11. Two

resilient arcuate bars 8 extend across the recess. The bars 8 terminate at actuating blocks 7 which project outwardly from the body 14. Pressing the blocks 7 towards each other causes the bars 8 to deflect away 5 from each other.

The plug 11 comprises a cylindrical portion 20 connected to a head 22 by a neck 24. The head 22 is in the form of a truncated cone. When the plug 11 is 10 presented to the socket 12, the tapering sides of the head 22 push the bars 8 apart, and they eventually snap behind the head 22 to retain the dummy 6 in the socket 12. To release the dummy 6, the blocks 7 are pressed together until the bars 8 clear the head 22.

For use, the pacifying device 1 attached to an infant's hand by means of the strap 1. The infant's thumb is passed through the aperture 2 and the hook-and-loop strips 4 are fastened together so as to position the 20 device comfortably on the infant's hand. It will be appreciated from Figure 1 that the device rests below the fingers of the infant, so that it does not restrict movement of the fingers or thumb. The device is located on the infant's hand by the thumb engaging the 25 aperture 2, so that it cannot turn around the hand, nor slip down the hand to the infant's arm. The relatively narrow portion 3 extends across the infant's palm.

The locking means provided by the plug 11 and the 30 socket 12 allows the dummy to be detached from the strap for sterilization or replacement. The locking means allows rotation of the dummy 6 on the strap 1, in

( order to align an orthodontic teat with the infant's mouth. The positioning of the aperture 2 relative to the dummy 5 6 means that, when fitted, the dummy projects from the back of the infant's hand between the thumb and forefinger. The dummy 6 is thus in a position approximating to that which can be assumed by the thumb. Consequently, the dummy can easily be found by 10 the infant's mouth.

Since the socket 3 passes only through the outer layer la of the strap 1 but does not pass through the inner layer lb, any discomfort caused by the locking means 15 rubbing against the child's skin is avoided.

The oval plate 9 provided between the teat 6 and the dummy plug 5 prevents the teat 6 from entering too far into the child's mouth. It also safeguards against any 20 pinching of the child's lips between the moving parts 6 and 12.

Claims

1. An infant pacifying device comprising a strap adapted to be secured around an infant's hand below the 5 fingers, the strap having an aperture for receiving the infant's thumb, a pacifier being attached to the strap adjacent the aperture and spaced from the aperture in the lengthwise direction of the strap whereby when the strap is fitted to an infant's hand the pacifier is 10 situated on the back of the hand adjacent the infant's thumb. 2. An infant pacifying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the strap is fitted to an infant's hand, 15 the pacifier is situated generally between the infant's thumb and forefinger.

3. An infant pacifying device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, when the strap is fitted to an infant's hand, 20 the pacifier is provided in an orientation similar to a natural position of the infant's thumb.

4. An infant pacifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pacifier is an 25 artificial teat type pacifier.

5. An infant pacifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pacifier is releasably attached to the strap.

( 6. An infant pacifying device as claimed in claim 5, wherein releasable locking means is provided for connecting the pacifier to the strap.

5 7. An infant pacifying device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the locking means comprises a plug and socket device. 8. An infant pacifying device as claimed in claim 7, 10 wherein the plug is provided on the pacifier and the socket is secured to the strap.

9. An infant pacifying device as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the plug comprises a head, and wherein 15 the socket comprises at least one resiliently displaceable retaining element for engaging the head to retain the plug within the socket.

10. An infant pacifying device as claimed in claim 9, 20 wherein manual release means is provided for displacing the or each retaining element to release the head.

11. An infant pacifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the strap comprises an 25 outer layer of fabric and an inner lining.

12, An infant pacifying device as claimed in claim 11 when appendant to claim 8, wherein the socket is secured to the strap in a manner which does not 30 penetrate the inner lining.

13. An infant pacifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the strap is of varying width along its length, and is relatively narrow in the region which, in use, extends along the 5 palm of an infant's hand and is relatively broad in the region at which the pacifier is attached.

14. An infant pacifying device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the strap is provided 10 with releasable securing means which is positioned on the strap such that, in use, the securing means is situated on the back of the infant's hand.

15. An infant pacifying device as described herein, 15 with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings. 16. An infant pacifier comprising a teat and a plug for use in an infant pacifying device as claimed in any 20 one of claims to 10 or 13.