Abstract:
A special belt is provided for effecting weight loss in the wearer. A central body has a convex side which is pressed into the abdomen about three fingers over the navel. The constant pressure both decreases the appetite and the ability of the stomach to hold large amounts of food.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention is a continuation-in-part of an invention entitled MEANS AND METHOD OF EFFECTING WEIGHT LOSS BY CONTROLLING THE APPETITE filed May 2, 1983 having Ser. No. 06/490,317, which is incorporated herein by reference and which has been abandoned. The current invention comprises improvements and modifications of the original weight reduction belt. 
    
    
     The original device described in the above cited patent application operated on the same principles as do the improvements and modifications described and claimed herein. The principle upon which all the devices operate is that of displacing the abdomen inwardly from the front by means of an object which is cinched fairly tightly around the body. The object should be located with its lower edge about three fingers above the navel. When it is in this position, and the appropriate pressure applied, there is the feeling of having something in one&#39;s stomach which tends to reduce the appetite. Also, by physically displacing into much of the stomach&#39;s volume, less food can be consumed at any one time. If the pressure is great enough, it may evan become difficult to swallow if the stomach is partially full. 
     The initial invention set forth in the parent application was used experimentally, and was used as a basis for developing a more refined product. It consisted of a vacuum-formed sheet of plastic having one distended side which was simply strapped to the body using a Velcro adjustable strap. It was a little rough around the edges, although it proved very effective in testing and experimentation. 
     By testing the original unit plus its improved progeny, the effectiveness of the technique has been proven beyond a doubt. Several dozen people, primarily women, have been and are wearing the belt with striking, and exciting results. Over a period of about seven weeks, it is not uncommon for a typical patient to lose twenty pounds, and even more. To date, no side effects have become apparent. As it became clear that this very simple approach to weight reduction may actually be revolutionary in the weight reduction business, and dramatically improve the lives of millions of people suffering from overweight and obesity, the need for additional patent protection, covering the improvements of the original model, became apparent. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention utilizes the same basic principles used in the original model, but has been substantially improved, both in ease of use, and in comfort to the wearer. The central body is now covered on both sides with a layer of soft foam for the comfort of the wearer. The original belt with the Velcro ends has been replaced with a belt having a tension adjustment buckle, and the the belt itself is made from an elastic band covered with a sheath of stretchable cloth. Thus, the belt adjusts as the person sits down, stands up and otherwise effectively changes his or her girth, and is much more comfortable. Because the cloth sheath which covers the elastic belt expands to smoothly cover the enlarged body which presses against the abdomen, the exterior of the belt now has a smooth, finished appearance. The units in production have a pink, satin look which has no prosthetic or medical appearance, but almost looks cosmetic in nature. 
     In addition to the elastic belt and the foam padding, with the improved adjustability, a number of different variations have been conceived. Different shapes of the central protrusion have been developed, and it has been found that the hollow nature of the central body provides a resonating capability which is effective in soothing the stomach when it is tapped several times by the wearer when he or she may become hungry. Division of this resonant chamber into more than one cavity to produce a different resonant effect is disclosed, together with a solid central body, and a liquid filled central body. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the belt as seen from the bottom of the belt of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is the elevation of FIG. 2, but with the belt extended rather than being buckled; 
     FIG. 4 is an elevational view taken from the opposite direction as FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a section taken along 5--5 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7--7 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 8 illustrates the body portion exploded into its two component parts; 
     FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment using two lobes; 
     FIG. 10 is a section taken along line 10--10 of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 11 illustrates the body portion split into two resonant cavities; 
     FIG. 12 illustrates a three mounds embodiment of the main body; 
     FIGS. 14-16 illustrate verious shapes the main body could assume; 
     FIG. 17 illustrates a modification which has an expandable portion and a valved bulb pump; 
     FIG. 18 is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 16; 
     FIG. 19 is an embodiment utilizing a surface textured with ovate ribs; 
     FIG. 20 illustrates the surface of the body textured with parallel ribs; 
     FIG. 21 illustrates a sectional view of a solid foam with an optional rigid backing body; and, 
     FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a single warped plane plastic embodiment; 
     FIG. 23 is an embodiment illustrating a striation grid on the face of the body; and 
     FIG. 24 illustrates a perforated version of the body. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the overall appearance of the belt from the top. The belt itself indicated at 24 is comprised of a continuous outer sheath 26 which covers elastic band 28 as well as the central body 30. The cloth sheath is continuous over the joints between the elastic in the central body as can be seen in FIG. 1, to produce a very finished appearance in the product. 
     The body itself, although subject to considerable variation, in the preferred embodiment comprises a pair of vacuum-formed parts 32 and 34. The first part, part 32, has a slight, smooth contour as can best be seen in FIG. 5. This is the externally worn part, and the contour is such that when worn under the clothing, no bulge is apparent to anyone. In use, the belt presses into the flesh of the user so that it is substantially flush and not visible from outside. 
     The second part 34 defines the bulge which is effective in causing the weight loss. Both parts are bonded together as best seen in FIG. 5, and covered with a layer of foam 36. The elastic band 28 passes through a series of slots 38 in both plastic parts. As shown in FIG. 5, the left end then terminates with the stitched loop 40, whereas the right side engages square metal D-ring 42, which mounts the semi-cylindrical hook 44. The hook engages then a second D-ring 46 at the other end of the belt. A short flap of cloth 48 protects the wearer from the hook buckle point. Along the length of the belt is a standard buckle adjustment 50 which controls the size of the belt, and therefore the pressure that is applied to the abdomen. This permits the buckle to be set semi-permanently to the tension that is optimal, with the belt being removable at the hook so that the tension does not require resetting every time the belt is removed. 
     This construction makes the belt smooth, visually attractive, comfortable to wear, and unobtrusive. It is both unobtrusive physically and visually. Once the wearer has been using the belt for a few hours, he or she no longer notices that it is on. In fact, many patients get so accustomed to the belt that they feel uncomfortable when it is off. The belt yields to many patients a warm, comfortable feeling as though they had just eaten a nice meal. Provided that the clothing worn by the patient is completely opaque, the belt is not visible by means of any protuberances or distortions of the body to anyone. It is soft, comfortable, and attractive. To mount the belt, first the body is positioned with the lower edge three fingers above the navel, and engaged by tensioning the belt. Then, the belt is increasingly tensioned until the wearer experiences discomfort, at which point the tension is abated until the discomfort abates. This is the optimal tension. 
     A number of different embodiments have been illustrated in FIGS. 9-21, showing different approaches to the formation of the body and similar variations. FIGS. 9-13 illustrate different ways of providing the body as several different resonant chambers rather than one. In FIGS. 9, 10, and 12, this is done by sculpting separate chambers, and in FIGS. 11 and 13, internal baffles define the different cavities. The resonance is helpful in transmitting an appetite supressing vibration to the stomach. In another embodiment, any of the hollow versions of the body could be partially filled with water to stimulate the stomach with temperature difference and/or the vibrating sloshing action of the water. 
     FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate main bodies which have been contoured by the provision of parallel ridges in FIG. 14 and spaced protrusions in FIG. 15. FIG. 16 is partially convex along its base area to provide a more accented point. FIG. 17 illustrates a means of inflating an inflatable version of the body, similar to the inflatable version illustrated in the parent application but using a valved squeeze bulb for pressure rather than a carbon dioxide cartridge. FIG. 18 illustrates how the FIG. 16 embodiment might look if it were star-shaped, and FIG. 19 illustrates a body contoured with concentric ovate ribs. FIG. 20 carries the same concept from FIG. 19 into parallel ribs, similar to FIG. 14. FIG. 21 illustrates a body composed of a solid mass of material 54 such as medium-density, semi-flexible XYLOFOAM foam, with a rigid backing 56. The backing is optionsl and could be omitted provided the foam were strong enough to support the belt. 
     The embodiment shown in FIG. 22 is a single molded piece of plastic with slotted ends to engage the belt. This piec is a warped plane with no curve in the vertical dimension, like a ribbon or belt. Ordinarily it would be coated with a foam material such as the preferred embodiment, but of course this would not be necessary to effectuate the results desired. FIG. 23 illustrates an embodiment having a striated, texturized surface, which might be useful, for example, if one wore a silk undergarment under the body which would cause it to otherwise slip were it not texturized. FIG. 24 illustrtes a body that is perforated, to allow it to breathe in case the person had a perspiration problem. In any of the hollow embodiments, the hollow body could be all or partially filled with water or another liquid, for purposes of providing mass or heat conductivity, and in the case of a partially filled body, provide for a certain amount of sloshing around to stimulate the stomach. 
     It is intended that the claims in this application cover any modification of contour or shape of the central body, provided it serves the one function for which it is designed, to press into the abdomen. Similarly, the belt arrangement has the primary function of pressing the central body into the abdomen, and any other means of compressing the abdomen using an object similar to the main body of the instant invention is intended to be covered by the appended claims. 
     It is believed that this invention and that disclosed in the parent application provide a significant breakthrough in the area of weight loss, and will assist at least some of the millions of people suffering not only the detrimental health aspects of being obese, but even more so the negative self image that obesity creates and the difficulties that come with it.