US2471201A

US2471201A - Body-supported infant's chamber pot

Info

Publication number: US2471201A
Application number: US643568A
Authority: US
Inventors: Neva R Deardorff
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-01-26
Filing date: 1946-01-26
Publication date: 1949-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 1966-05-24

Description

May.24,-1949.

N. DE ARDORFF 2,471,201. BODY-SUPPORTED INF 'ANTS CHAMBER PO? Filed Jan. 26, 1946 INVENTOR.

Afforrieys iatented May 24, 1949 UNITED STATES OFFICE BODY- SUPPORTED INFANTS CHAMBER POT Neva R. Deardorif, New York, N. Y. Application January 2.6, 1946, Serial No. 643,568

2 Claims. 1

The invention relates generally to toilet utensils, and more particularly to a pottie for small infants.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel pottie particularly useful for very young infants and arranged so that it may be readily supported on an adults lap when in use by the infant.

More specifically, it is an object to provide a novel pottie provided with laterally extending supporting members which are adapted to fit over and be supported by the legs of an adult when seated so that the pottie may be held between the knees without undue strain on the adult and the infant may be seated on the pottie and held in such position with comfort.

Another object is to provide a novel pottie provided with laterally extending supporting mem bers adapted to be supported by the legs of an adult, when seated, with the pottie held between the knees, the supporting members being provided with containers at the outer ends to hold toilet supplies, such as tissue, pins, talcum powder and the like.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a toilet utensil embodying the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the manner in which the device is held.

In the care of infants, the performance of the excretory functions of an infant has frequently been provided for by the mother holding the usual type of pottie between her knees and placing the infant thereon, much as if the infant were sitting on her lap. Such practice is commonly used when the infant is too young to safely use a small seat placed on a toilet or where such small seat is not available.

Such practice, however, gives rise to some diniculty because of the muscular strain on the mother, if she attempts to hold the pottie in this manner for more than a few minutes. This difficulty does not have its effect on the mother alone, since an infant is highly susceptible to its mothers state of mind when being handled by her, and it is the accepted view of pediatricians that an infant should be in a relaxed state of mind, free from any tenseness, when being encouraged to perform its functions. Thus, while the purpose of the practice is to encourage and teach the infant to perform its functions at selected times, it frequently results in a condition adverse to such performance.

The present invention provides a pottie which permits holding the infant in the same manner. But it relieves the mother of all strain and consequently permits her to remain in a relaxed state of mind beneficial to the infant in performing these functions. To this end, I provide a receptacle m which may have the general form of an ordinary pottie, but preferably is oval rather than round, as is shown in Fig. 2, so that it may .be placed between the mothers knees without causing them to be spread far apart. The receptacle it is provided with a flange 1 I on which the infant is seated. At the front end of the receptacle, a shield [2 may be provided, utilized to direct the urinary stream into the receptacle, in the case of male infants.

To permit the receptacle It to be held without muscular strain, a pair of supports l3 are provided, extending laterally from the receptacle at the upper part thereof and adapted to be rested on the mothers legs adjacent the knees, as shown in Fig. 4. Thus, the receptacle may be supported without the exertion of any muscular effort on the part of the mother. Preferably, the supports iii are curved to fit over the legs and thus tend to remain in place so that the receptacle will be positioned between the knees.

The usefulness of the device may be increased by providing it with means for holding toilet supplies such as tissue, pins, talcum powder and the like. Thus, the outer ends of the supports [3 may be provided with small containers it for this purpose, the containers being accessible when the infant is seated on the receptacle Iii. The containers It also assist in holding the device in place on the mothers legs since they extend downwardly from the supports 13 at the outer sides of the legs and thereby aid in preventing the supports from slipping.

The device is preferably made in a one-piece construction of molded plastic material. With such a construction, the shield I2 is formed on and extends upwardly from the flange ll, while the supports 13 constitute extentions from the flange l I. The containers l4 similarly constitute the terminal portions of the supports it. The one-piece construction facilitates handling of the device, since it may be readily grasped and manipulated by one of the supports l3.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a novel pottie construction adapted to be supported with the pottie or receptacle between the mothers knees when the infant is seated thereon. By providing supports for the pottie, which merely rest on the mothers legs, the pottie is held in position without the physical strain involved in attempting to clamp the ordinary pottie between her knees. The mother may thus carry on the operation with comfort and consequently will be inclined to give the infant sufiicient time to perform its functions.

I claim:

1. A toilet utensil for an infant, comprising a generally oval vessel having an open top provided with a flange shaped for seating the infant thereon, and a pair of supporting members rigidly secured to the opposite sides of the vessel at the shorter diameter thereof and extending laterally from adjacent the top of the vessel, said members being curved to fit comfortably over the legs of an adult, when seated, adjacent and above the knees, and having portions at the outer ends thereof extending downwardly to fit over the outer sides of the adults legs to hold the supporting members in place, whereby said vessel may be readily held between the adults knees when in use by the infant.

2. A toilet utensil for an infant, comprising a vessel having a flanged top shaped for seating an infant thereon, a pair of supporting members rigidly secured to opposite sides of said vessel and shaped to fit over the legs of an adult, when seated, adjacent and above the knees whereby said vessel may be readily held between the adults knees, and a pair of containers rigidly secured to the outer ends of the respective supporting members to hold toilet supplies, said container being adapted to extend downwardly at the outer sides of the adults legs and thereby assist in holding the supports in place.

NEVA R. DEARDORFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 239,193 Reseinski Mar. 22, 1881 1,978,871 Thuren Oct. 30,1934