US3447209A - Diaper clip - Google Patents

Description

June 3, 1969 A. L. SULLIVAN 3,

DIAPER CLIP Filed Aug. 14, 1967 111!!! 111111 IIIIJ Inventor Alan L.5ullivcm.

H-Hnrne United States Patent 3,447,209 DIAPER CLIP Alan L. Sullivan, Rte. 2, Box 153, Burlington, Wis. 53105 Filed Aug. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 660,515 Int. Cl. A44b 9/00, 21/00 US. Cl. 2487 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a diaper clip which when used in pairs are far superior to safety pins for fastening diapers to infants and small children. Specifically, the diaper clip comprises a pair of top joined spaced apart plates which have positioned between their opposed inner faces a spacing leaf. The plates as divided by the leaf thereby have formed therebetween two diaper edge receiving channels. The inner faces of the plates are each fitted with one or more pins whose points on one face project in the opposite direction to the points of the pins positioned on the face of the oppsite plate.

Introduction Tradionally, diapers for infants and small children have been fastened with large safety pins. While safety pins have been used for this purpose for many years they are subject to several disadvantages.

One objection to safety pins for fastening diapers is that they are sharp and can prick either the child being fitted or the person fitting the diaper. While very few children are ever actually pricked there is always the question in the minds of many parents as to whether or not a child has been accidentally pinned to the diaper.

A serious problem connected with the use of safety pins as diaper fasteners is that on occasion they are left in the unfastened position where they can be reached by small children. Open safety pins in the hands of children can be a real danger to the well-being of the child. Serious injury such as the loss of an eye or damage to the esophagus or stomach occasioned by swallowing opened safety pins is not uncommon.

Another difliculty which arises when safety pins are used to fasten diapers is that after the diaper becomes wet due to use it becomes loose around the waist of the child and falls down. Also the diaper will become loose due to the normal activity of many children. When safety pins are used as the fasteners it is time consuming for busy mothers to repin the diaper.

Based on the above discussion it would be of great benefit to parents and others who diaper children if a better fastening device were available which was easily tightened and was incapable of pricking children and those who place diapers on them. Also of benefit would be a diaper fastener which when accidently left within the reach of children would not be harmful as are opened safety pins.

Objects of the invention It therefore becomes an object of the invention to provide an improved fastener for diapers which is safe, pre- The drawings For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the drawings, of which:

3,447,209 Patented June 3, 1969 FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing the diaper clip of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical side view of the diaper clip of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top view broken away, showing two ends of a diaper secured thereby, and FIGURE 4 shows a child diapered with the clips of the invention.

In the drawing like parts have like numbers.

The invention With particular reference to FIGURE 1 the diaper clip is shown to have a pair of plates 10 and 12. These plates have-respectively an outer face 14 and 16 and opposed inner faces 18 and 20. The faces are joined at their top by bridge 22 to which is attached spacing leaf 24. This leaf is usually of the same dimension and size as the plates.

As can be seen to best advantage in FIGURE 2, the spacing leaf and the opposed inner faces 18 and 20 form channels 26 and 28. These channels are of suflicient width so as to receive the edges of conventional diapers. The spacing leaf 24 allows the diaper edges to readily slide in channels 26 and 28 without frictionally contacting each other. As can be seen from FIGURE 1 the entire bottom end of the clip is open.

To engage the diapers edges within the channels the opposed inner faces 18 and 20 are fitted with pointed pins 30 and 32 and preferably additional pins 34 and 36. The back ends 40 of the pins are fitted to the outer edges 42 and 44 of the plates by means of suitable mounting tabs 46. It can thus be seen that the pins mounted on one plate face in the opposite direction to the pins mounted on the other plate.

By this arrangement it is possible to puncture the diaper edges with the pins and securely hold them in place. To improve the holding ability of the pins they should be so mounted as to be slightly spaced apart from the plates. An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the points of the pins are contained within the clip thereby eliminating the danger of the user or wearer being pricked.

When constructed of suitable materials with rounded smooth surfaces the clips, even if swallowed, present no sharp surfaces. Also they are always in what may be considered as the closed position since there are no moving parts.

In operation the ends of the diaper 48 and 50, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, are placed in the channels 26 and 28 and pulled in the opposite directions to sung the diaper around the waist of the child. When released the pins hook the fabric and hold the diaper securely in place. This same pulling action allows the diaper to be tightened when it loosens. When it is desired to remove the clip thumb pressure on the diaper near the edge of the clip readily disengages the fabric from the ends of the plus.

It is of course understood that while the description thus far has been directed to the use of one clip they are used in pairs when used to fasten diapers. See particularly FIGURE 4.

The clips may be constructed of any number of desirable materials such as stainless steel, plastics and the like. Plastics such as high density polypropylene are preferred since the clips can be easily mass produced. When stampable metals are used to form the clips the pins can be formed from the faces of the plates by known expanded metal perforation techniques.

Conclusion The invention fills a long-felt need in providing a safe adjustable device for securing diapers to children. It is easily produced and provides a long felt need in the art.

I claim:

1. A diaper clip comprising a pair of top joined spaced apart plates which have opposed inner faces, a spacing leaf between the opposed inner faces of the plates whereby diaper edge receiving channels are formed, at least one pointed pin positioned between the inner face of each of the plates and the leaf with the points of the pins being positioned to face in the opposite direction with respect to each other, and the shanks of the pins lying in planes slightly spaced from and substantially parallel to said inner faces and being of sufiicient extent to firmly hook portions of a diaper forced into said channels after the diaper portions have been pulled in opposite directions to snug the diaper around the waist of a child.

2. The diaper clip of claim 1 where there are at least two pins fitted to the inner face of each of the plates.

4 3. The diaper clip of claim 2 where the pins are fitted near one edge of each of the plates and do not extend beyond the opposite edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 492,396 2/ 1893 Fries 2487 701,351 6/ 1902 Keller. 796,696 8/1905 Brockhaus. 1,772,395 8/ 1930 Iseman. 2,931,747 4/ 1960 Dexter.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 24243

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