Beds – Having safety device
Patent
1986-12-16
1987-12-15
Smith, Gary L.
Beds
Having safety device
5420, 5431, 5 99R, A47C 2708
Patent
active
047122587
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a baby changing mat upon which a baby can be placed when being changed.
Known baby changing mats typically comprise a rectangular padded mat providing a central working area which is surrounded on three sides by a padded sill. The mat is generally formed by a flexible plastics material casing filled with a flexible foamed plastics material acting as padding. Due to this construction, the mat has little rigidity but provides a comfortable, easily cleaned, working surface upon which a baby can be laid while being changed.
Of course, a lively baby will not lie meekly on the mat while being changed but will wriggle and twist about. As a result, the person changing the baby generally has to use one hand at least intermittently to restrain the baby. Indeed, unless continually restrained, the baby is quite likely to roll off the mat which could possibly result in injury.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a baby changing mat which overcomes the difficulties, outlined above, that are experienced with known mats.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a baby changing mat having releasable restraining means which in use of the mat serve to hold the upper part of a baby down upon the mat, and transverse stabilising means substantially preventing a baby held by said restraining means from rolling the mat or itself over sideways. The restraining means also helps to prevent the baby sitting up while it is being changed.
A mat of this form enables a baby to be firmly and safely kept in position while being changed, there being substantially no risk of the baby wriggling or rolling off the mat or tipping the mat over sideways; in addition, the person changing the baby can freely use both hands.
In one embodiment, the restraining means are constituted by two straps arranged to pass up around the chest of the baby and to be fastened together by releasable fastening means, for example, constituted by a press stud or studs or cooperating parts of a touch and close fastener. A suitable form of touch and close fastener is one formed by cooperating "Velcro" (Registered Trade Mark) strips. A buckle may alternatively be used.
In another embodiment the restraining means is constituted by a harness releasably coupled to the mat. With this arrangement the harness can be placed on a baby prior to laying the latter on the mat. Preferably, the harness is releasably coupled to the mat by means of clips arranged to cooperate with anchorages attached to the mat.
The transverse stabilising means will generally be constituted by means serving to render the mat substantially rigid transversely, at least over part of its longitudinal extent; the transverse stabilising means are thus typically constituted by a substantially rigid transverse member which extends over substantially the whole width of the mat and over part or all of the length of the mat, the baby being protected from the said member by padding. Advantageously, where the restraining means are constituted by straps, the latter are directly or indirectly secured to the said transverse member.
The restraining means and stabilising means can be provided as an integral part of the mat structure or else as separate items which can be bought as accessories to a basic mat. Thus where the restraining and stabilising means are jointly constituted by a substantially rigid member carrying a pair of straps, then either the said member can be incorporated within the mat with the straps extending up through the mat working surface, or both the rigid member and the straps can be provided as an accessory with the said member, in use, being placed beneath the mat and the straps threaded through preformed apertures in the mat to extend out of the mat's working surface.
Advantageously, the undersurface of the mat is provided with non-slip means (such as, for example strips of rubber) to prevent the mat from moving across the surface upon which it rests as a baby twists and wriggles on the mat.
Mats embodying the invention
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Greer, Jr. Thomas J.
Smith Gary L.
Trettel Michael F.
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