Surgery – Body protecting or restraining devices for patients or infants – Restrainers and immobilizers
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-15
2001-03-20
Brown, Michael A. (Department: 3764)
Surgery
Body protecting or restraining devices for patients or infants
Restrainers and immobilizers
C128S876000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202647
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to restraints for patients and, more particularly, to a restraint especially adapted for restraining a patient to a bed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that under certain circumstances a patient must be restrained on a bed. In this respect, throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to such patient restraints, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,848,993, 3,641,997, 4,524,768, 4,685,454, 4,744,354, 5,522,404, and 5,526,824. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,993 discloses a restraining device which includes wrist straps. Often when a patient is restrained on a bed it is desirable for the patient's hands and wrists to be free of restraint. In this respect, it would be desirable if a patient restraint device were provided which does not employ wrist straps.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,641,997 discloses a restraining device which employs a jacket and a waist strap. Often when a patient is restrained on a bed it is desirable for the patient's waist to be free of restraint. In this respect, it would be desirable if a restraining device were provided which does not employ a waist strap.
Each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,524,768, 4,685,454, and 4,744,354 discloses a restraining device which employs a jacket which is worn by a patient. Wearing of a jacket can pose a number of problems, one of which is restricted access to a patient's back. In this respect, it would be desirable if a patient restraining device were provided which does not employ a jacket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,404 discloses a safety harness which includes a strap that encircles a patient's chest. When it would be desirable to have clear access to a patient's without interference from a chest-encircling strap, such a safety harness may pose a problem. In this respect, it would be desirable if a patient restraining device were provided that does not include a chest-encircling strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,824 discloses a modular restraint system that employs a plurality of modular components for encircling a plurality of body parts. Rather than dealing with the complexities of encircling one or more body parts, it would be desirable if a patient restraint system were provided which does not employ any straps that encircle any body parts.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use patient restraining devices, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a shoulder restraint apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) does not employ wrist straps; (2) does not employ a waist strap; (3) does not employ a jacket; (4) does not include a chest-encircling strap; and (5) does not employ any straps that encircle any body parts. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique shoulder restraint apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a patient restraint apparatus which includes a restraint strap unit which includes a pair of restraint strap ends, a pair of intermediate restraint strap portions connected to the pair of restraint strap ends, a central restraint strap portion connected between the pair of restraint strap portions, and a pair of strap connectors connected to the pair of restraint strap ends. A pair of tie up strap units are connected to the pair of strap connectors.
The pair of strap connectors includes a pair of first buckle members. Each of the tie up strap units includes a second buckle member for connection to a respective first buckle member. Each of the tie up strap units includes a tie strap for tying onto the bed frame.
With another embodiment of the invention, the tie strap includes a pair of strap portions that pass through a strap reception channel in one of the second buckle members. The restraint strap ends and portions of the restraint strap portions are in the form of loops. The loops are attached to other portions of the restraint strap portions by sewn stitches.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least two preferred embodiments of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved shoulder restraint apparatus which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved shoulder restraint apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved shoulder restraint apparatus which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoulder restraint apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such shoulder restraint apparatus available to the buying public.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoulder restraint apparatus which does not employ wrist straps.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoulder restraint apparatus that does not employ a waist strap.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoulder restraint apparatus which does not employ a jacket.
Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoulder restraint apparatus that does not include a chest-encircling strap.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoulder restraint apparatus which does not employ any straps that encircle any body parts.
These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2848993 (1958-08-01), Terrell
patent: 3641997 (1972-02-01), Posey, Jr.
patent: 3701395 (1972-10-01), Theobald
patent: 4524768 (19
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