Abstract:
An adjustable incubator/crib infant positioning blanket for holding a premature baby securely in an incubator. The blanket includes a pouch to securely hold the baby with its head in an upright position on an inclined plane such as a raised mattress and the blanket is secured to the mattress by a strap. The pouch securely prevents the baby from rolling or sliding toward the bottom of the inclined mattress.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to devices used to secure a baby in a bed and in particular to secure a premature baby in a selected position on a mattress in an incubator. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     New born and premature babies are often wrapped in a blanket or the covering in order to keep the enfant warm while sleeping. 
     Premature babies are often put on a mattress in an incubator which has the upper end elevated to hold the baby in a position where the baby&#39;s head is higher than the rest of the body. Unless otherwise restrained, the newborn babies roll down the incline or eventually wind up at the bottom due to squirming and the like, defeating the purpose of inclining the mattress to hold up the head. There are several types of blanket devices which are secured to a mattress in order to attach a sheet or blanket of a crib mattress and/or bumper pad to limit movement of the infant while sleeping. Some infants frequently change positions while sleeping so it is desirable to secure the baby in a desired sleeping position. Moreover, the risk of infant death due to Sudden infant Death Syndrome, “SIDS”, is though to be reduced by placing babies on their backs to sleep. 
     Moreover, it is recommended to remove soft bedding from the baby&#39;s sleep area, keeping the baby&#39;s head and face uncovered during sleep and keeping blankets and other coverings away from a baby&#39;s mouth and nose by tucking the blanket in around the bottom of the crib mattress. However, merely tucking bedding around a crib mattress is not always sufficient to secure the bedding in view of the movement of active babies that kick and move around in bed. 
     Several devices have been utilized to secure the blanket to the mattress and hold the infant in a selected position upon the mattress. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,481 B2 by Gilbert for APPARATUS FOR SECURING BEDDING which issued on Mar. 4, 2008 teaches bedding including a pouch formed by two U-shaped semi-rigid members held together by magnets. The lower U-shaped member is secured to a blanket and the upper U-shaped member is attached to blanket portion which stretches across and covers the upper U-shaped member. The U-shaped members are removably held together by a plurality of magnets. The blanket and lower U-shaped member are secured to the mattress with two C-shaped frame members which are hooked around each side of the mattress. The inclusion of rigid U-shaped members and magnets and C-shaped hook members pose the problems of unnecessary bulk and problems associated with laundering and care of the bedding articles and storage of same. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,422 B2 for CRIB SAFETY SHEET/BLANKET by Landry which issued on Jan. 27, 2004 teaches a blanket portion sewn to the top central portion of a fitted sheet. The blanket is sewn down a centerline of the blanket portion, leaving the two halves of the blanket portion on either side of the stitching free to wrap around a baby. The blanket is fitted with hook and loop fasteners to secure the blanket around the baby. The fitted sheet is also secured around the mattress by a plurality of straps with hook and loop fasteners. If the Landry device was used on an inclined mattress, the baby could be left dangling from the stitched portion of the blanket and would be free to tip from side to side about the centrally stitched seam. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,603,732 B2 by Robles et al. for SLEEPING INFANT POSITIONING DEVICE which issued on Oct. 20, 2009 teaches bedding which is secured by straps which circumscribe the mattress. The bedding includes a waist panel secured to a bedding panel. The waist panel includes a belt securing an upper opening and two lower openings through which the baby&#39;s legs are passed while the upper opening contains the baby&#39;s lower abdomen. Robles includes several straps for holding the bedding to the mattress and for holding the baby within the waist panel requiring unnecessary time to secure the blanket to the mattress with conventional means. Further, Robles leaves the baby&#39;s legs exposed and unrestrained. 
     U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20080307577 by Leckband for BABY CRIB SAFETY BLANKET published on Dec. 18, 2008 teaches a blanket including a pouch located in the middle of an extended length of blanket material. The extra blanket material on both sides of the pouch is rolled into a coils to help restrict movement of the baby within the bed such as rolling over. Leckband&#39;s blanket is not intended to be strapped to or otherwise connected to the mattress, and is therefore not secure on an inclined mattress. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a device for securing a baby in a selected position on a mattress or blanket panel including a strap for securing the device to the mattress. One end of the strap is fixed to a selected lateral edge of the mattress at the upper end of the mattress. The other end of the strap is fixed to the opposite lateral edge of the mattress at the upper end of the mattress. The strap connecting to the upper marginal edge of the blanket forms a loop. The device also includes a pouch fixed to a central position on a top surface of the mattress. The pouch comprises a blanket portion fixed to the mattress along a lower marginal edge and along both lateral marginal edges of the blanket portion. Also included in the device are means for fixing the pouch to the panel. The strap can be made adjustable by using an elastic material, hook and loop fasteners such as VELCRO, or a buckle. 
     It is an object of this present invention to provide a device which will secure a baby in a selected position on a mattress in an incubator. 
     It is another object of the present invention to hold a baby in position on a flat or inclined mattress using a washable or disposable pad made of paper, cotton, synthetic fibers and combinations thereof which are inexpensive and more comfortable to the baby as well as easy to apply and use. 
     It is another object of the present invention to utilize a portion of the blanket to partially wrap around and tuck under the mattress for more effective securing of the blanket with only a single strap which facilitates ease of use and minimizes the expense of production of same. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which will prevent a baby form slipping down an inclined mattress and maintain the baby&#39;s head in a raised position. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which will secure a baby in a selected position on a mattress wherein the device is a blanket with a pouch and a strap which can be wrapped around the mattress to secure the blanket in place. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent with the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the views wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the blanket including a pouch. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the blanket including a pouch showing the straps attached to the blanket and with the straps secured around a mattress. 
         FIG. 3  is top of the blanket with the pouch secured to a mattress. 
         FIG. 4  is top view of the blanket with the pouch opened for cleaning. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the blanket and pouch with the mattress. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the blanket with a two part strap  22  and hook and a loop fastener for connecting the blanket to a blanket panel. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view showing the detachable flap with hook and loop fasteners on the lateral edges and stitching holding the bottom of the flap to the blanket. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view showing the detached flap with hook and loop fasteners on the lateral edges and stitching holding the bottom of the flap to the blanket. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a device which holds a baby in a selected position on a mattress. In particular, the device is used to hold a premature baby in a selected position on a blanket secured to a mattress in an incubator or crib. One example of a selected position is one wherein the mattress is inclined so that the baby&#39;s head is elevated above the body. Incubator blanket  8  is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Blanket  8  includes a pouch  12  secured to blanket panel  10  with stitching  15  at a lower marginal edge and along the lateral marginal edges of the pouch  12 . 
     One embodiment of the present invention includes a removable or detachable pouch  12  having a flap  13  with gussets  14  which allow the pouch to blouse out and hold a greater volume than without gussets  14 . Elastic band  26  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) is sewn into the upper marginal edge of pouch  12  to help secure a baby&#39;s lower torso within the pouch  12 . Other means for affixing the flap  13  of the pouch  12  to the blanket  8  include buttons, zippers, hook and eye fasteners, straps, ties and the like, and combinations thereof fastened to the mattress by holding means such as hook and loop fasteners “VELCRO”, a buckle, zip ties, or other strap securing means. As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the pouch  12  is removably secured to the top surface of the blanket  8  by hook and loop fasteners  15 ,  16 , and  17  such as VELCRO; however, the pouch could be sewn or snapped in place as well. 
     As shown in the drawings, the blanket  8  includes a single strap  22 , as shown best in  FIG. 2 , which is placed around the mattress  20  with an upper end portion  9  of blanket  8  tucking under mattress  20 . The remaining portion of the blanket  8  is folded down over the top surface of mattress  20 . The strap  22  holds the blanket  8  in a selected fixed position upon mattress  20  as shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 1  shows the mattress  20  inclined to a position wherein a baby held within pouch  12  is held in a position wherein the major axis of the baby&#39;s body is centered with the inclined mattress and where the baby&#39;s head is higher than the baby&#39;s body. Without a pouch  12 , the baby tends to slide or roll down to an undesirable position wherein the head is not in the raised position. 
       FIGS. 1-4  show the blanket being applied to the mattress wherein strap  22  is secured to the mattress by wrapping it around the upper end of the mattress  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the wrap around portion  9  of blanket panel  10  is bounded on one end by strap  22  and on an opposite end by marginal area  30 . Mattress  20  actually rests on top of blanket portion  9  folded in under the mattress to help secure the blanket panel  10  in a selected position. The strap  22  of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , has two free distal ends  23 ,  25  with hook and loop fasteners  27 , or tie means. The combination of blanket portion  9  being held firm under the mattress by friction along with strap  22  holding firm around the mattress is seen as a secure fixing of blanket  8  to mattress  20 . However, the surface of blanket portion  9  which contacts the bottom of mattress  20  may be partially or totally covered with an elastomer or any material which would tend to cling to mattress  22  to further enhance the securing of blanket  8  to mattress  20 . Further, the entire surface of blanket panel  10  which contacts the mattress  20  may be partially or totally covered with an elastomeric type material. Because portion  9  of blanket  8  is disposed below the bottom surface of the mattress while in use, the panel  30  portion may include a zipper  34  or hook and loop material  38  which allows portion  9  to be separated from blanket panel  10  of blanket  8 , thus allowing all but portion  9  of blanket  8  to be laundered separately. This would extend the life of blanket portion  9  and any elastomeric covering which may be included. 
     A further embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , includes strap  32  which is an elastic loop rather than a two part strap  22  with hook and loop fasteners. Also, as shown in  FIG. 7 , pouch  12  is secured to the blanket panel  10  with both stitching  15  at a lower marginal edge and by hook and loop fasteners  16  and  17  at both lateral marginal edges. Hook and loop fasteners  16  and  17  allow pouch  12  to be opened for easy cleaning and easy positioning and removal of the baby. Other embodiments have buttons and eyelets, draw string, zippers, hook and loop fasteners, straps, or ties instead of hook and loop fasteners to secure the lateral marginal edges of pouch  12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the pouch includes spaced apart strips of hook and loop fasteners  16 ,  17  rather than a continuous strip of hook and loop fasteners in order to provide a spacing means defining a channel, duct, or conduit  19 ,  21  for insertion of a lead wire, tubing, or other medical support leads (not shown) which must be connected to the babies feet, legs, abdomen, or chest held within the pouch  12  so as not to be accessible to the babies arms which remain outside of the pouch. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , a distal end of the strap  22  may include one or even two loops  41 ,  42  for insertion of the strap  22 , whereby the free end of the strap  22  can be threaded between the loops  41 , 42  and tightened prior to connecting to the other distal end of the strap  22  by hook and loop fasteners or the like to provide a second means for holding the strap to the mattress or to provide additional tightening means in addition to the hook and loop, button and eyelet, snaps, or buckle. 
     Another embodiment of the invention provides pouch  12  being attached to blanket panel  10  with stitching  24  around both lateral edges and the bottom edge of pouch  12  with elastic  26  sewn into the upper marginal edge. 
     Another embodiment of the invention as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  provide the flap  13  of the pouch  12  being attached to the mattress or blanket panel  10  with stitching  15  around the bottom edge and having hook and loop fasteners  16 , and  17  around both the lateral edges at selected positions spaced apart including gaps there between and having elastic  26  sewn into the upper marginal edge. 
     The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom, for modification will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made upon departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, this invention is not intended to be limited by the specific exemplification presented herein above. Rather, what is intended to be covered is within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.