Patent Publication Number: US-2018050150-A1

Title: Device for securing loose tubing or wires to clothing

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to a retainer device to support loose wiring or tubing from articles of clothing and, more particularly, to a retention device that is detachably connectable to clothing to prevent electronic wiring or medical tubing from hanging loose from a person by detachably securing the wires or tubing to an article of clothing worn by the person utilizing the wiring or tubing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Patients in hospitals are often connected to an intravenous system to deliver medicines and saline solution to the patient. Often the tubing interconnecting the supply of medicine and/or saline solution and the patient is sufficiently long in order to providing some maneuverability for the patient that the tubing hangs well below the patient&#39;s arms when standing. This low hanging tubing presents a safety hazard in that the loop of tubing hanging at the lowest point is subjected to engaging protruding obstacles and can then pull on the patient&#39;s catheter or other connection with the patient. While the use of catheter tubing may be the most common situation in which tubing is hanging from a patient, other similar situations can be found on patients with medicinal pumps, patients with urinary catheters, and patients with feeding tubes, as a few examples. 
     Another remotely similar situation occurs with respect to electronic equipment. In the medical field, a patient can have electronic medical equipment with lead wires, such as EKG monitors and the like, or simply head phone wires, or ear bud wires, such as are connected to iPods to allow the wearer to hear audio programs as well as music stored in the electronic device. Often these electronic wires dangle from the wearer&#39;s ears to the location of the electronic device is attached to the wearer where electronic device is supported with a sufficient length to allow the wearer to have significant flexibility in locating the support place for the electronic device. As with the catheter tubing, the electronic wiring can be engaged by protruding obstacles that pull the hearing implements or medical monitors, etc., away from the wearer and/or the electronic device, thus interrupting the transmission of the desired electronic signal or simply the listening enjoyment of the wearer. 
     A solution to this problem of dangling catheter tubing, wires, etc., particularly when the patient is ambulatory, is often solved by the use of a safety pin that captures the tubing/wiring and is then pinned to the clothing worn by the patient, which is often a thin cotton, or similar material, hospital gown. While this use of a safety pin presents a perfunctory solution to the problem of the dangling catheter tubing, the safety pin cannot be used when the patient is being subjected to tests such as a an X-ray or an MRI, as the metal safety pin has to be removed to perform the tests due to the nature of the machine not being receptive to metal. 
     It would be desirable to provide a retention device that could engage medical tubing or electronic wiring to permit the tubing or wiring to be supported on an article of clothing of the wearer, which would prevent the loop of tubing from hanging too low or away from the wearer for engagement with a protruding obstacle. If allowed with respect to a machine on which testing is being done on the patient, the retention device may not have to be removed, thus retaining control of the tubing even while certain tests are being conducted. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a device for securing loose tubing or wires to clothing in a temporary manner. 
     It is a feature of this invention that the device for securing loose tubing can be utilized to secure IV tubing for patients in hospitals. 
     It is an advantage of this invention that the secured tubing is less likely to be engaged with extraneous objects when the patient is walking from one location to another. 
     It is another feature of this invention that the device for securing tubing can also be utilized to secure electronic wiring to clothing while an electronic device is being operated. 
     It is another advantage of this invention that the device can secure wires for headphones or ear buds for an electronic device like an iPod® while the device is being used and the operator is moving. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a device for securing tubing to clothing in which the device can be engaged to clothing and attached to the tubing to secure the tubing to the article of clothing selected. 
     It is still another feature of this invention that the device for securing tubing to clothing includes a primary body portion and a closure member that is engagable with the primary body portion to trap an article of clothing therebetween. 
     It is still another feature of this invention that the primary body portion is formed with at least two clips to receive tubing therein. 
     It is still another advantage of this invention that the tubing clips can be sized to fit tubing of different diameters, as well as electronic wiring. 
     It is yet another feature of this invention that the primary body portion is formed with a shaped opening that includes an enlarged generally circular end to permit the passage of the head of the button attached to the primary body portion by a tether, and a narrowed linear opening in communication with the enlarged circular end that enables the button to slide into a locking orientation trapping an article of clothing between the button and the primary body portion. 
     It is yet another advantage of this invention that the device can be formed of plastic through injection molding as a single integral device including both the primary body portion and the tethered closure button. 
     It is yet another object of this invention to provide a device for securing medical tubing or electronic wiring to an article of clothing, which is durable in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, carefree of maintenance, facile in assemblage, and simple and effective in use. 
     These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing a device for securing tubing or wiring to an article of clothing in which the device is formed from plastic by injection molding or other suitable manufacturing process. The device includes a primary body portion that is formed with a shaped opening therein. The shaped opening has an enlarged circular part and an integral linear part. The device also includes a closure button formed with a narrow neck attached to a generally planar support member, which in turn is connected to the primary body portion by a tether. The button is sized to fit through the circular opening so that the neck can slide into the linear part and trap an article of clothing between the closure member and the primary body portion. The primary body portion is also formed with a pair of clips that are appropriately sized to receive tubing, such as IV tubing, that can be supported on the patient&#39;s clothing and facilitate mobility for the patient. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a tube holding device incorporating the principles of the instant invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the tube holding device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a end elevational view of the tube holding device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the tube holding device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the tube holding device having a slightly different configuration than the tube holding device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is another perspective view of the tube holding device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the tube holding device; 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of the tube holding device shown in  FIG. 1  with the closure member moved to be engaged with the primary body portion; 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevational view of the tube holding device shown in  FIG. 8  with the closure member being inserted into the primary body portion to secure the tube holding device onto a representative piece of clothing; 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged end elevational view of the tube holding device as shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged top plan view of the tube holding device as shown in  FIG. 9 , the representative piece of clothing to which the tube holding device is secured being shown in phantom; 
         FIG. 12  is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the device incorporating the principles of the instant invention and being operable for supporting both IV and feed tubing; 
         FIG. 13  is an end elevational view of the device corresponding to lines  13 - 13  of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a side elevational view of the device corresponding to lines  14 - 14  of  FIG. 12 ; and 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the device depicted in  FIG. 12 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , a tube holding device incorporating the principles of the instant invention can best be seen. The tube holding device  10  is designed to support conventional medical tubing used for intravenous therapy for patients, catheters and other conventional tubing therapies and practices. As will be noted below, a slight reconfiguration of the primary body portion  20  with or without an inserted disc to engage electronic wires connecting medical monitoring or testing devices, as well as head phones or ear buds to electronic devices, such as iPods, will permit the tube holding device to support the electronic wires. Medical tubing, or in the alternative electronic wiring, is typically supplied in sufficient length to provide some flexibility in movement relative to the medical device, or in the alternative the electronic device, to which the medical tubing or electronic wiring is attached. This extra length of tubing or wiring hangs from one end connected to the medical or electronic device to the person using the medical or electronic device. Referring herein to medical tubing, the medical tubing will hang from the supply of medicine or fluid, or disposal bag, to the connection of that tubing to the patient. This length of medical tubing hangs in a loop that will extend far enough away from the body of the person using the tubing to engage a protruding obstacle and cause damage to the tubing or to the person. 
     The tube holding device  10  is formed with a primary body portion  20  and an attached closure member  12 . One skilled in the art will recognize that the attachment of the closure member  12  to the primary body portion  20  is a matter of convenience and of preference. Although the closure member  12  would operate in the same manner as will be described in greater detail below if the closure member  12  were separate from the primary body portion  20 , but when the two components are disengaged, there would be a tendency or probability of losing one of the two components. The tube holding device  10  is preferably formed from plastic through an injection molding process. Accordingly, the tether  19  connecting the closure member  12  to the primary body portion  20  can be of any size or shape; however, the preferred embodiment would be to have the tether  19  formed from a reduced thickness of plastic material so as to render the tether  19  flexible and enable the closure member  12  to be manipulated relative to the primary body portion  20 . 
     The closure member  12  is preferably formed with a planar support member  13  having a button  15  projecting out of the bottom surface thereof. The button  15  is preferably shaped with an enlarged head  16  mounted at the end of a reduced shank  17 . The tether  19  allows the closure member  12  to be folded back toward the primary body portion  20  in which configuration the button  15  becomes upright for engagement with the primary body portion  20 , as will be described in greater detail below. Preferably, the planar support member  13  is formed to have a thickness greater than the tether  19  so that the planar support member  13  is not as flexible. In an alternative embodiment, the tether  19  could be formed to have a width much narrower than the planar support member  13 ; however, care must be taken that the tether  19  is not subject to being broken from repeated usage. Accordingly, it has been found that forming the tether  19  with a width substantially equal to the planar support member  13 , though with a reduced thickness to induce increased flexibility, provides for a pleasing appearance and proper function. 
     The primary body portion  20  is also generally planar except that the lateral sides of the primary body portion  20  are formed into a specific curled shaped to form semi-circular clips  22  that are designed to mate with standard medical tubing  30 . For catheter tubing, which has a larger diameter than IV tubing, the clips  22  would be formed with a larger diameter so as to conform to the size of the larger tubing. Conversely, if the primary body portion  20  is to be used to engage ear bud wiring for an iPod, as an example or other such electronic devices, the clips  22  should be formed at a smaller diameter so as to be engagable with the wiring for the same purposes to be described below with respect to the medical tubing  30 . 
     Between the two laterally opposed clips  22 , the planar primary body portion  20  is formed with a shaped opening  25  that preferably has an enlarged generally circular end  26 , which permits the passage of the head  16  of the button  15  through the primary body portion  20 , and a narrowed linear opening  27  in communication with the enlarged circular end  26 . The linear opening  27  has a width that will allow the passage of the reduced shank  17  of the button  15  along the length thereof. Optionally, the linear opening  17  can terminate in a reduced diameter circular opening  28  at the end thereof opposite the enlarged circular end  26  to mate with the circular shape of the shank  17 . As another option, the reduced circular opening  28  could be slightly larger in width than the linear opening  27 , as is represented in  FIG. 7 , to accommodate the securing of both the shank  17  and the thickness of material of clothing, as is described in greater detail below. Preferably, the tether  19  is connected to the primary body portion  20  adjacent the reduced circular opening  28  to facilitate the engagement of the button  15  into the shaped opening  25 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 7 , alternative embodiments of the tube holding device  10  can be seen. The primary difference of the tube holding device  10  in  FIG. 5  is the width of the primary body portion  20  and the diameter of the clips  22  on the lateral sides of the primary body portion  20 . The primary body portion  20  is wider than the configuration shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , so that the clips  22  can have a larger diameter to accommodate catheter tubing instead of intravenous medical tubing. By supporting the larger catheter tubing, the width of the primary body portion  20  would preferably be larger than the primary body portion  20  of the tube holding device  10  used with IV tubing so that there would be sufficient room to form the shaped opening  25  between the clips  22 . In  FIG. 7 , the clips at the lateral sides of the primary body portion  20  are formed of at least two upright clip members  23  that are sized to receive the medical tubing through the vertically oriented openings  24  and be retained therein through a friction fit with the clip members  23 . Accordingly, the tubing  30  is simply pressed into the clip members  23  and retained therein until pulled out of the clip members  23 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 8-11 , the operation of the tube holding device  10  can best be seen. First, the medical tubing  30 , or in the alternative electronic wiring or other hanging lines that require control, are placed into the clips  22  on the primary body portion  20 . The curved clips  22  have a shape that will allow the tubing  30  to slide along the clips  22 , or from the viewpoint of the tubing  30 , the primary body portion  20  slides along the tubing  30 , so that the tube holding device  10  can be positioned as desired along the length of the medical tubing  30  hanging loose from the person utilizing the tube holding device  10 . Once the primary body portion  20  has been secured on the tubing  30 , the closure member  12  is rotated toward the underside of the primary body portion  20 . For those configurations in which the closure member  12  is not physically attached to the primary body portion  20 , the closure member  12  is simply grasped an oriented below the underside of the primary body portion  20  with the button  15  projecting upwardly toward the shaped opening  25 . 
     The closure member  12  and the primary body portion  20  are then oriented with respect to an article of clothing  32  being worn by the person utilizing the tube holding device  10  such that the material is positioned between the button  15  and the underside of the primary body portion  20 . The button  15  is then pressed into the enlarged circular opening  26  taking the material of the article of clothing  32  with the button  15  until the head  16  and the material overlying the head  16  is pressed through the enlarged circular opening  26 . The button  15  can then be move along the linear opening  27 , with the material of the article of clothing  32  being caught between the shank  17  and the sides of the linear opening  27 , until the button  15  is secured within the shaped opening  25 , which due to the material of the article of clothing  32  trapped between the button  15  and the primary body portion  20  affixes the tube holding device  10  to the article of clothing  32 . 
     As a result, the tube holding device  10  is secured to the article of clothing  32  which in turn secures the medical tubing  30  to the article of clothing. With appropriate location of the tube holding device  10  relative to the article of clothing  32 , the medical tubing will be lifted onto the tube holding device  10  and will not be free to dangle away from the person using the medical tubing  30 . Thus, a patient utilizing the tube holding device  10  to secure the medical tubing  30  to the article of clothing  32  (which is often a thin hospital gown) is less likely to engage a loop of the medical tubing  30  with a protruding object that will pull on the tubing. For tubing  30  that is so long as to present a danger of stepping on the loop of tubing while walking, the tube holding device  10  keeps the tubing elevated and secured to the article of clothing  32 . 
     An alternative embodiment of the tube holding device  40  is depicted in  FIGS. 12-15  in which the tube holding device  40  is formed to be able to connect with and support two different sizes of tubing, such as an IV tube  34  and a feed tube  36 . The alternative tube holding device  40  has a rectangularly shaped body member  46  on which are mounted opposing grips for engaging tubing of different sizes. On one side of the body member  46  are a mounted two pairs of short IV tubing grips  47 . In each pair of IV tubing grips  47 , one of the grips  47   a  is generally upright while the opposing grip  47   b  is angled upwardly from the body member  46  and toward the upright grip  47   a . This arrangement of the grips  47   a ,  47   b  forms an opening at the top of the grips  47   a ,  47   b  that is smaller than the opening between the grips  47   a ,  47   b  adjacent the body member  46 , and presents a device that traps the IV tubing within the pair of grips  47 . To get the tubing into engagement with the pair of grips  47 , the angled grip  47   b  is tipped backward away from the upright grip  47   a  so that the tubing can pass between the grips  47   a ,  47   b  and be positioned adjacent the base member  46 . 
     The opposite side of the body member  46  is formed with two pairs of larger grips  48  that are sized to receive feed tubing  36  which has a larger diameter than IV tubing  34 . As described above, the feed tubing grips  48  include an upright grip  48   a  and an angled grip  48   b  that are arranged similarly to the IV tubing grips  47  and operate essentially identically. Accordingly, the alternative device  40  is operable to engage and support two different sizes of tubing  34 ,  36  simultaneously or individually, as the need dictates. Alternatively, the two grip members  47   a ,  47   b  or  48   a ,  48   b , can both be angled upwardly from the base member  46  and toward the other grip member of the pair  47 ,  48 , as is depicted in  FIG. 13 . 
     Like the first embodiment described above, the alternative embodiment includes a tether  41  that interconnects a closure member  42  to the body member  46 . The closure member  42  incorporates a button  43  that is sized and shaped to pass through the shaped opening  45  to capture a section of clothing material of the patient in order to support the tubing engaged with the respective grips  47 ,  48 , as noted and described noted above. The tether  41  can incorporate a ridge  44  at the joinder of the closure member  42  to the tether  41 . The ridge  44  facilitates the positioning of the button  43  within the shaped opening  45 , particularly when a section of clothing is positioned between the button  43  and the shaped opening  45 . Also, the body member  46  is formed with slots  49  on the opposing sides of the shaped opening  45  to provide the ability to wrap small electronic wires, such as heart monitor wires or ear bud wires, around the body member  46 . 
     One skilled in the art will also note that the alternative embodiment of the tube holding device  40  can be formed with pairs of grips  47 ,  48  that are sized to engage electronic cords as well as different kinds of medical tubing, such as IV tubing, feeding tubing, oxygen tubing, catheters, chest tubes and heart tubes. Accordingly, the tube holding device  10 ,  40  can be utilized with electronic devices (not shown) having loose cords that can be controlled through the utilization of the tube holding device  10 ,  40 . In addition, the tether  19 ,  41  can be wrapped around an object to secure electronic cords or cables (not shown) to the object while the button  15 ,  43  is engaged into the shaped opening  25 ,  45 . One skilled in the art will also recognize that the tube holding device  10 ,  40 , particularly the alternative configuration  40 , can be formed with multiple pairs of grips or clips to hold more than two tubes, cords or cables. 
     It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiments of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     As an example, one skilled in the art will recognize that the closure member  12  could be selectively separable from the primary body portion  20  when engaged or not engaged therewith. In such a configuration, the closure member  12  could have a tether that is selectively detachable from the main body portion  20  so as to be removable therefrom under conditions where the tube holding device  10  needs to be secured to the article of clothing at a location that is not proximate to an edge of the article of clothing. Such a structure could loop (not shown) on the body portion  20  that would receive a hook or transverse member (not shown) on the tether and retain the tether within the loop until the transverse member was manually manipulated to release the transverse member from the loop. In such a configuration, the tube holding device  10  could be utilized in the same manner as described above, or as a detached closure member  12 .