US1614126A - Restraining device for dental chairs - Google Patents

Description

- ansmu ums DEVICE boa DENTAL cxmms Filed May 28, 1926 I I INVENTOR 'y i ya i EMAETORNEY Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STATES THOMAS A. HART, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT.

RESTRAINING- DEVICE FOR DENTAL CHAIRS.

Application filed May 28,

This invention relates to a device for use upon a patient in a dental chair and, more particularly, to a protective and restraining means for use upon a patient under general anesthesia in a dental chair.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of the above general nature which is practical and efficient. Another object is to provide a device of the above nature capable of placing the patient in a dental chair under such restraint that, when he is under the effects of an anesthetic, danger of his harming himself or others is avoided. Another object is to provide a device of the above nature combining a pro tective apron with dependable restraining means. Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which is simple and inexpensive. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the aplication of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 shows the device in position upon a patient in a dental chair; and

Fig. 2 shows the device removed from the patient and laid out flat.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in both views of the drawing.

As conducive to a clearer understanding of this invention, it may be here noted that frequently a dentists patient under the effects of an anesthetic will become extremely violent. It is impossible to predict what sort of physical activity a patient may display when he or she is emerging from under the influence of the anesthetic. A powerful man may, without proper restraint, become wholly unmanageable and render it impossible for the. dentist to properly complete his work. The patient may strike or kick at the dentist, or he may slide down out of position in the chair, or he may leave the chair and thus become wholly uncontrollable. If the patient succeeds in leaving the chair, being wholly unconscious of what he is doing, he may inflict injury upon himself or upon others and damage property which happens to come within his reach.

1928. Serial No. 112,363.

When the patient is a woman, she may struggle and kick and then, upon entirely emerging from the influence of the anesthetic, be in a position to cause embarrassment.

When the dentist employs means to restrain the patient from such physical activity as outlined above, the device, whatever it may be, is, of course, generally applied before the anesthetic is administered. This often gives rise to a dificult situation because the patient generally believes that it is not necessary to fasten him to the chair, and if he sees that he is being securely strapped or tied, he. becomes suspicious and. nervous and may refuse to permit the dentist to apply the restraing device. It is therefore desirable that the restraining means employed be not particularly noticeable to the patient and be capable of being applied without attracting his attention and possibly exciting his disfavor. It is also desirable that the restraining means .employed, while dependably holding the patient in the chair, allow him a degree of freedom of movement and be comfortable. Referring now to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. 1 a patient seated in a dental chair 10 of the usual construction. Over the front of the patient is thrown an apron 11. The apron at its upper end is preferably cut out as at 11' to fit loosely around the neck and shoulders and is of a length to reach therefrom substantially to the feet of the seated patient. The apron, in the first place, thus serves as a protective covering to protect the clothing of the patient from accident-ally spilled water or other material employed by the dentist. An apron of some sort is generally employed in dental work, so that when this apron is fitted over the patient it does not unduly attract his attention.

The apron 11 is of such width that it overhangs at the sides of the patient as shown in Fig. 1. It is made of a heavy fabric or other suitable strong material and may be rubberized or otherwise treated to render it waterproof, if so desired. Along the side edges of the apron are formed a plurality of preferably evenly spaced openings 12 which are reinforced by suitable means, such as metal eyelets, for example.

At either side of the apron in the opening l2 at the bottom corner, is secured a rope or cord l3 which is adapted to be passed around to the back of the chair base and there secured, preferably by being tied. to the corresponding cord from the other side of the apron as shown at 1 1 in Fig.1. These parts 18 are shown herein as a su table light but strong rope or cord, but it is to be understood that any suitable member of the character of a. rope may be used, and that the term cord as employed herein is to be interpreted broadly. The cords 13 hold the lower portion of the apron snugly in about the ankles of the patient and prevent the patient from raising his legs and kicking.

At either side of the apron adjacent the knees of the patient is provided a cord 15 which is laced through a plurality of openings 12 12 12 and 12 and is looped to draw these openings together, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby forming folds 16, drawing the material of the apron together at the sides of the knee portion so that it fits closely and yet comfortably about the knees of the patient. From this knee portion the cord 15 is laced through the next two openings 12 and 12 which are positioned along the sides of the patient adjacent the seat of the chair, and is then passed around the back of the chair and tied, as at 17, to the corresponding cord from the other side of the apron.

The cords 15 hold the apron snugly in against the knees and the lap of the pa tient. It will be seen that this fastening prevents the patient from sliding downwardly and forwardly in the chair and also serves to prevent the patient from rising and leaving the chair.

At either side of the apron adjacent the waist of the patient is acord 18 secured in the opening 12 and thence laced through the opening 12?, being then passed around any suitable projection, such as 19, at the back of the chair and thence suitably laced through the uppermost openings 12 and 12 and secured as by tying at 20 to the corresponding cord from the other side of the apron. Preferably the cord 18 where it passes between the openings 12 and 12 is led beneath the arm of the patient as shown, the arm thus resting between the edge of the apron and the cord 18 at this point.

This last-described fastening holds the apron in about the shoulders of the patient while permitting the patient to move his arms at the elbow. Although the patient is thus permitted a certain degree of freedom of movement of his arms, he is restrained from lifting his arms or swinging them up- Wardly at the shoulder so as to strike the dentist or interfere with his work.

As is brought out in Fig. 2, the apron is preferably simply a fiat rectangular piece of material shaped only at the neck portion 11*. The apron is thus inexpensive and may be laundered with the greatest ease. The shaping of the upper portions about the neck and shoulders causes the upper portion of the apron to lie smoothly and evenly across the shoulders of the patient when the sides are drawn together by the cords 18.

The apron 11 is thus held in about the patient by the cords 13, 15 and 18 in such manner that the patient is effectively restrained from violent activity. The securing means employed are not conspicuous, forming a part of the apron itself, and they do not tend to excite fear or resentment in the patient. After the apron has been thrown over the seated patient, the cords may be laced into place and tied quickly and conveniently. The restraint afforded is such that even a powerful man is prevented from doing harm or interfering with the work of the dentist. in the case of a woman patient, it may be desirable to use only the lower portion of the apron, and this'may be done by simply omitting to use the cords 18 and folding the upper portion of the apron down over the lap of the patient.

As various possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. A restraining device for use upon a patient seated in a dental chair comprising, in combination, an apron adapted to cover the patient, said apron being of a length to extend substantially from the shoulders to the feet of the seated'patient, and means secured to said apron extending from the sides thereof and adapted to be passed around toward the back of the chair and made fast to hold said apron in against the patient and thereby to secure the patient in the chair, said means including means for holding the upper portion of the apron in such position that the patient is restrained from swinging his arms upwardly at the shoulder.

2. A restraining device for use upon a patient seated in a dental chair comprising, in combination, an apron adapted to cover the patient, said apron being of a' length to extend substantially from the shoulders to the feet of the seated patient, and means secured to said apron extending from the sides thereof and adapted to be passed around toward the back of the chair and made fast to hold said apronin against the patient and thereby to secure the patient in the chair, said means including means holding. said apron in about the knees of the patient in a manner to insure covering of the knees and to prevent the patient from sliding forwardly and downwardly in the chair.

3. A restraining device for use upon a patient seated in a dental chair comprising, in combination, an apron adapted to cover the patient, said apron being of a length to extend substantially from the shoulders to the feet of the seated patient, and means secured to said apron extending from the sides thereof and adapted to be passed around toward the back of the chair and made fast to hold said apron in against the patient and thereby to secure the patientin the chair, said means including means holding said apron in about the shoulders of the patient in a position to cover the shoulders and up-' per arm portions of the patient and means holding said apron in about the ankles of the patient.

4. A restraining device for use upon a patient seated in a dental chair comprising, in combination, an apron adapted to cover the patient, said apron being of a length to extend substantially from the shoulders to the feet of the seated patient and comprising a substantially rectangular piece of material having spaced openings along the sideedges thereof, and cords laced through said openings and adapted to be fastened at the back of the chair for holding said apron in against the patient and thereby securing the patient in the chair.

5. A restraining device for use upon a patient seated in a dental chair comprising, in combination, an apron adapted to cover the patient, said apron being of a length to extend substantially from the shoulders to the feet of the seated patient and comprising a substantially rectangular piece of material having spaced openings along the side edges thereof, and a cord on each side of said apron laced through a plurality of said openings at the portion of said apron about the knees of the patient to draw the material of said knee portion together at the sides and to cause said portion to fit about the knees of the patient, said cords being adapted to be passed toward the back of the chair and fastened to hold said portion of the apron securely in against the knees of the patient.

6. A restraining device for use upon a patient seated in a dental chair comprising,

in combination, an apron adapted to cover the patient, said apron being of a length to extend substantially from the shoulders to the feet of the seated patient and comprising a substantially rectangular piece of material having spaced openings along the side edges thereof, and cords laced through a plurality of said openings adjacent the upper portion of said apron and adapted to be passed around to the back of the chair and there secured so as to hold the upper portion of said apron snugly in against the shoulders of the patient.

7. A restraining device for use upon a patient seated in a dental chair comprising, in combination, an apron adapted to cover the patient, said apron being of a length to extend substantially from the shoulders to the feet of the seated patient and comprising a substantially rectangular piece of material having spacec openings along the side edges thereof, and cords laced through said openings and adapted to be fastened at the back of the chair for holding said apron in against the patient and thereby securing the patient in the chair, said cords including a cord adapted to hold the bottom portion of said apron in about the ankles of the patient, a cord adapted to hold the upper portion of said apron in about the shoulders of the patient, and a cord adapted to hold the intermediate portion of said apron in about the knees and about the lap of the patient.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this day of May 1926.

' THOMAS A. HART.

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