Patent Publication Number: US-6334444-B1

Title: Inmate escort restraint

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a restraint device for use on humans. More particularly, this invention pertains to a wrist restraint device that humanely and securely restrains a person&#39;s hands behind their back while functioning as a handle to provide a means of controlling the person from the rear and as a means to limit the movement of the restrained individual to a certain area. 
     The device was designed to be a humane restraint with ease of use to fill a long-standing need for more safety and control in the process of restraining, removing, and escorting violent inmates from their cells to and from facility activities. 
     Various types and constructions of flexible material wrist restraints for use by law enforcement personnel in dealing with subduing suspects and controlling prisoners are known. Such restraints in most instances are made of a polymeric based material and embody strap parts which can be formed into loops for girding both wrists of a person, and means to secure or lock the loops, the locking means commonly being teeth or projections carried on the strap parts and a cooperating latch or stop usually carried elsewhere on the strap parts for engaging the teeth or projections to effect a stop function which maintains the loops secured. 
     Representative of the mentioned constructions are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,071,023; 4,909,051; 4,910,831; 5,088,158 and 5,159,728. These patents disclose generally flat strap parts for use as the loop forming component. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,803,280; 5,443,155; and 5,680,781 disclose restraint devices which are modified handcuffs with handles. However, they do not disclose a means to attach the restraint to a cell door or to the user, allowing for more control and greater distance from the restrained individual. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 567,049; 1,478,999; 1,883,598; 2,582,339; and 3,319,609 teach restraint devices for holding animals, in particular pigs. Although these devices each have a loop which can be tightened, they are designed to hold the snout, or some other body part, of an animal and are not suitable for use on humans. 
     Other restraint devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,854,138; 5,460,373; 5,797,404; and 5,099,662. However, none of these devices provide the level of control and ability to restrict the restrained person&#39;s area of movement offered by the present invention. 
     What is needed, then, is a restraint device that effectively and humanely restrains the hands of a person while providing superior control and safety to the officer, including providing a means for releasably attaching the restraint and thus the restrained person, to a cell door or to the officer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Before an inmate&#39;s cell door is opened, the inmate&#39;s hands would be restrained behind his back through a mid-level cell door pass-through, with the device attached to the cell door. When using the device in this manner, the inmate&#39;s area of movement is restricted. Once the device is applied, the cell door can be opened and additional restraints, such as standard handcuffs or ankle cuffs, can be used if necessary to meet custody and control level escort requirements. The inmate would remain restrained at and to the cell door until the officer has the level of control required for a safe escort. The device acts as a handle to provide control over the inmate from the rear. The connection ring allows for the addition of a strap (nylon, leather) or chain to allow the individual to be restrained to a specific location or to allow a greater distance between the officer and the inmate during escort. 
     To operate the device, an individual&#39;s hands are placed behind his back and inserted into the straps. Holding the device at the thumb-rest with one hand, the user uses his other hand to pull the outer sleeve to the rear (away from the individual being restrained) until the straps reach the desired tightness and then rotates the outer sleeve to the right (clockwise) until the locking pin engages the appropriate notch in the locking channel port. To loosen the straps, the outer sleeve is pulled slightly to the rear and rotated to the left so that the locking pin disengages from the locking channel port. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an effective means for restraining a person. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide a restraint which can be applied through the pass-through of a cell door. 
     It is a further object of this invention to provide a restraint which restricts movement of a person to a limited area so that additional restraints may be applied. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a view of two alternate straps for the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a view of the present invention used to restrain a inmate to a cell door. 
     FIG. 5 is a view of the present invention used to escort an inmate. 
     FIG. 6 is a view of the present invention used with leg cuffs. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout, the restraint device of the present invention is referred to generally as  10 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the restraint device comprises a strap  12  which forms two loops  14 ,  15 . It is also contemplated that two straps could be utilized such that each strap formed one loop of the invention. The loops  14 ,  15  are threaded through a housing  16 , or cylindrical housing  16 . At the end of the housing  16  proximate the loops  14 ,  15 , a thumb rest  18  is formed in the housing  16  to provide for a more secure grip on the device  10 . Integrally formed in the housing  16  is a locking channel  26  having multiple notches  28 . 
     Sleeve  20 , or housing sleeve  20 , is a hollow cylinder which is slideable over the outside surface of the housing  16 . Locking pin  30  in the sleeve  20  is configured to engage the notches  28  in the locking channel  26 . In a preferred embodiment, locking pin  30  is integrally formed in sleeve  20 . However, it is contemplated that the locking pin  30  may be attached by any means known to one of skill in the art. 
     The strap  12  is looped inside the housing  16  such that it exits the housing  16  at hole  32 , forms loop  14 , re-enters the housing at hole  32 , then exits the housing at to hole  34 , forms loops  15 , and re-enters the housing at hole  34 . In the preferred embodiment, holes  32  and  34  are located on opposite sides of thumb rest  18 . The ends of strap  12  then run through housing  16 , away from loops  14 ,  15  and attach to the sleeve  20 . 
     Restraint connection ring  24  is attached to the sleeve  20  to provide a means for attaching the restraint device  10  to a door or other suitable object or to a person escorting the restrained individual. 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B show two embodiments of strap  12 . In a preferred embodiment, strap  12  is a semi-rigid flat material formed from nylon or nylon  66 , although it is contemplated that strap  12  could be formed from any number of materials known to one of skill in the art. Further, in a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, the middle portion  50  of strap  12  has a greater diameter than the end portions of strap  12 . FIG. 1 also shows this embodiment of strap  12 . Strap  12  having a wider middle portion  50  provides for greater control over the hands of the restrained individual and reduces, if not eliminates, the possibility of restraint manipulation. FIG. 3A shows an embodiment of strap  12  in which the middle portion has a diameter which is less than the diameter of the end portion. It is also contemplated that the diameter of the middle portion could be equal to the diameter of the end portions. Strap  12  also has holes  52 , or first and second openings  52 , in each end which are used to attach strap  12  to sleeve  20 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, one end  36  of sleeve  20  is threaded to receive end cap  22 , which is also threaded. End cap  22  has a hole  38  in its center. 
     In a preferred embodiment, restraint connection ring  24  is attached to sleeve by means of end cap  22 . Pin  40 , having a head with a greater diameter than the diameter of hole  38  of end cap  22 , is inserted through an opening  42  in restraint connection ring  24 , then inserted through hole  38  in end cap  22  and secured to attach restraint connection ring  24  to end cap  22 . End cap  22  is then screwed onto sleeve  20 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, pin  40  is the means by which strap  12  is attached to sleeve  20 . After pin  40  is inserted into hole  38  of end cap  22 , it is inserted through spacer  44 . Holes  52  in the ends of strap  12  are then aligned with the hole  46  in pin  40 . Screw  48  is inserted through holes  52  and  46  and then secured in nut  49 , to securely attach both ends of strap  12  to end cap  22 , which is then screwed onto sleeve  20 . 
     In one embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, restraint device  10  also includes a fetter  60 , or leash  60  or restraint strap  60 , which is attached to restraint device  10 , preferably at restraint connection ring  24 . Fetter  60  can be used to restrain an individual&#39;s movement by attaching the end of fetter  60  not attached to restrain device  10  to an object, such as a cell door, or another person, such as an officer escorting the restrained individual. As shown in FIG. 6, fetter  60  may also be attached to leg cuffs on the restrained individual. This restraint technique will further restrict the restrained individual&#39;s gait of walk simply by lifting up on device  10 . The attachment is accomplished by catch  62 . It is contemplated that numerous different types of catches could operate effectively. Fetter  60  may be a length of metal chain, nylon leather or any other material known to one of skill in the art. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates how a restrained individual&#39;s movement can be further limited by attaching fetter  60  to a cell door. FIG. 5 illustrates how a restrained individual can be further controlled during escort by attaching fetter  60  to the escorting officer. 
     Method of Restraining a Person&#39;s Hands 
     The hands of the person to be restrained are inserted into the loops  14 ,  15  of the restraint device  10 , one hand in each loop, until the loops  14 ,  15  are around the person&#39;s wrists. The officer grasps the device  10  in one hand, with the thumb of that hand on the thumb rest  18  and tightens the loops  14 ,  15  by using the other hand to pull the housing sleeve  20  in a rearward direction away from the restrained person until the loops  14 ,  15  reach the desired level of tightness. The housing sleeve  20  is then rotated until it engages a notch  28  in the housing  16  to secure the loops  14 ,  15  about the wrists. A restraint strap  60  is attached to the housing  16  and to another object such as a cell door or an officer. 
     To remove the restraint device  10 , housing sleeve  20  is pulled in a rearward direction and rotated in the opposite direction until it disengages from notch  28  in housing  16  to loosen loops  14 ,  15  for removal from a person&#39;s wrists. The restraint device  10  may be applied and removed through the pass-through of a cell door. 
     Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful “Inmate Escort Restraint”, it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.