US2914069A - Bed protector - Google Patents

Description

M. G.' OSBORN BED PROTECTOR Filed March 22, 1956 I Nov. 24, 1959 E INVENTOR. M554 6. 0550/2.

continues rnnwnorncron Mab'eleG. Osborn, :Knox, 31nd. iApplica'tionMarch"22, '1956;"Serial"No.'573,272

claims. atta ns-281 This "invent-ion relates "to improvements" in bed fprotecto'rs, and niofejparticularlyto'a bedjprot'ector adapted "for use''peop1e1suffering illnesses or conditions which vent zthem "fremwnntrdlling their "bodily functions. hefd'evice isfpa'rticdlarly "designed and intended for .use 'byadultsfsuch asaged'peoplewhosemindsarenot clear so that they have no comprehension of their condition and 1 no realization of the occurrence of bodily functions. It

will be 'uri'derstood,"however, that" thedevice'may also be employed in smal ler' sizesifor use by. infants.

, -The primary object of the invention is to -provide a device of this character which canbereadilyapplied to and released from a bed-ridden person. I

1:A furthenobject is to provide-adevice of this character constructe d 'with a waterproof outer sheath and a deta'chtable absorbent liner, so constructed that the linermay -.readily be.applied to and removedlfrom the sheath, and

the sheath being so constructed as to retain and anchor the absorbent lineriportion inrdesiredtrelation thereto and in -a confined position which insures against. leakage of inoist'u're' from the' liner to the eXterior'of the sheath.

A further'obje'ct 'is'to provide a device of this character with retaining means resisting ready removal of the garment by the wearer thereof, and particularly resisting removal by patients whose minds are not clear, and which at the same time is readily releasable by an attendant or nurse.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view of the device in open position, viewed at the interior thereof, and with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a prespective view illustrating the device in its assembled condition.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a sheath which is preferably formed of plastic sheeting, rubber sheeting, or moisture-resistant film material capable of being easily cleaned and which is non-absorbent. Thus the material may constitute a rubberized fabric or plastic sheet material, such as vinyl copolymer resin sheet. The sheath 10 is preferably of substantially the form illustrated in Fig. 1, being characterized by opposite end portions 12 and 14, which are of greater width than a central or intermediate portion 16. In the preferred form the sheath preferably is somewhat wider at portion 12 than at portion 14, and the opposite side edges of the portion 12 may preferably be curved. The portion 14 may be of general arcuate outline as shown, and the side edges of the intermediate portion 16 are preferably I arcuately or substantially semi-circularly curved. One or more marginal strips 18 are secured to the k margin of the sheath 10, as by stitching thereof at 20.

The strip or strips 18 preferably extend continuously or endlessly, but may be interrupted if desired. The outer 2,914,069 .Ratented ...Nov. .24, 1959 2 margins of.the. shea'th '10 and .the. strip or strips .18 ,are prferablyinturnd at" 11; andl19, as illus.trated..inF i g.. 2, .at. the parts .which. are stitched, fforthe purpose of improvingnhetstrength, of .the connection therebetween by -the =stitcliing .20, and for ."the further purpose ofspacing theshea'th 10 and=the.-marg'inal strip orstrips'18 so as to form-a .marginal pocket or po'ckets .to confine therebetween the t-marginal portions or a liner or pad'22. The 1 linerf22 is "formed of anysuitablematerial such as fabric characterized "by absorbent properties, and ispreferably of siibstantia'lly'fthe same shape as the member ,12. so asto fit marginally under the marginal strip or 'strips18 to be retained thereby. At the same time .the.liner'.22 may easily be withdrawn from 'the sheath and a new liner member, 22 may be introduced in place thereof. .The liner 22 rriaybeformed of multiple thicknesses of fabric or other sheet material.

A plurality of straps 24 are stitched or otherwise anchored at one en'dthereof atone margin ofthepart 12 of the shea'th'in spaced relation andextending laterally from the "sheath. "Buckles or other securing members 26 arecar'riedbyfithefree ends of the straps 24. One of the straps f24 shown uppermost inFig. 1 willpreferably be ':locate"d adjacent to the margin'28 of the sheath shown with. the bucklesf26. The. transverse dimension of thepart 12 ofthesheath'willpreferably'bei only slightly less than thegir'th'of the individual who is to wear thesame, so that the .gppositeendsof the'part 12 of the sheath may bebrou'ght'close to each;other, as'illustrated in Fig. 3, whenpassed'around" the body, sothat the same may be held in place when the straps 30 are interlocked with the buckles 26.

A tab 32 is secured to the center of the end of the portion 14 of the sheath to extend lengthwise from the sheath. This tab will be of a length greater than the spacing of the outermost straps 30.

When the garment is worn, the portion 12 of the sheath forms the back part thereof, the portion 16 thereof forms the crotch, and the portion 14 forms the front panel. The opposite side margins of the front panel 14 are overlapped by the opposite side margins of the back panel 12 of the sheath, as illustrated in Fig. 3. After the straps 30 are interengaged with the buckles 26 to hold the gar ment in assembled anchored position, the tongue 32 is interlaced with the straps, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Thus the tongue is illustrated in Fig. 3 as being passed exteriorly of the uppermost buckle 26 and passed under the two lowermost buckle and strap units 24, 26, 30. It will be understood that two or more buckles and straps may be provided, and that, if desired, the interlacing may be accomplished or arranged differently than here illustrated. The strap units are protected by the tongue 32 in a manner to retard the wearer from tampering therewith to release and remove the same. The release of garmentretaining means is a serious problem with aged people whose fingers retain substantial strength and dexterity but whose mental condition renders them irresponsible and likely to perform acts detrimental to their best condition and comfort. The present construction effectively meets this problem. At the same time nurses and attendants may easily manipulate the device whenever desired.

One of the advantages of this construction is that the sheath is totally separable from the moisture-absorbent liner and, therefore, may readily be washed or cleaned individually whenever required. Thus, when changes are device is the fact that any single device will fit persons I in a substantial range of sizes because of the adjustability of the length of the straps 24, 26, 30, and because of the overlapping of the side portions of the ends 12 and 14 of the sheath in the assembled condition of the device.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that changes in the construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A bed protector comprising a flexible sheet of nonabsorbent material having opposed end portions separated by a crotch portion, a narrow marginal endless retainer strip secured marginally to said sheet and projecting inwardly from the edge thereof, an absorbent member of substantially the same shape as said sheet superimposed on said sheet with its margins underlapping said strip, and a plurality of spaced elongated flexible members carried by opposite side margins of one of said sheet end portions and detachably interconnected adjacent their free ends, said crotch portion being curved with the ends of its edges extending at a sharp angle to the side edges of said end portions and being narrow whereby said strip portions lie substantially flat against the body when worn to hold said strip in marginal retaining contact with said retainer strip carried by said sheet and projecting inwardly from the edge thereof, an absorbent member superimposed on said sheet with its margin underlapping said strip, a plurality of spaced elongated members detachably and adjustably connecting opposite side margins of one of said sheet end portions, and a flexible tongue carried by and projecting longitudinally from the other end portion, said tongue being interlaced with said connecting members.

3. A bed protector comprising a flexible sheet of nonabsorbent material having opposed end portions separated by a narrow crotch portion, a narrow retainer strip extending around and secured to the margin of said sheet and projecting inwardly from .the edge thereof, an absorbent member of substantially "the same shape as said sheet superimposed on said sheet with its margin underlapping said strip, and a plurality of spaced elongated members secured to opposite side margins of one of said sheet end portions and detachably connected at their free end portions spaced from said sheet end side margins to hold the latter in overlapping relation to the opposite sheet end portion when worn, the outer margins of said sheet and retainer strip being inturned and being stitched together by stitching passing therethrough and through said inturned portions said retainer strip normally bearing fiat on said sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 584,490 Warren June 15, 1897 1,684,046 Smith Sept. 11, 1928 2,224,518 Lakritz Dec. 10, 1940 2,294,617 Horowitz Sept. 1, 1942 2,575,163 Donovan Nov. 13, 1951 2,754,824 Blaufus July 17, 1956 2,830,589 Doner Apr. 15, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 68,881 Denmark Mar. 28, 1949 986,702 France Apr. 4, 1951

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