Patent Publication Number: US-2006016005-A1

Title: Weighted Swaddling Blanket

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Technical Field of the Invention  
      This invention relates to weighted swaddling blanket and, more particularly, to a blanket which positions and swaddles a baby in place on a surface to provide a sense of security and comfort.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      The use of blankets of various designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, blankets of various designs and configurations heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of retaining objects in place while under the force of the wind or under the force of physical strength are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.  
      By way of example, the prior art includes  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,411 discloses Sand Pocket Beach Blanket.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,193 discloses Baby Blanket.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,575 discloses Stay-put towel/blanket system.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,504 discloses Bedding Assembly.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,962 discloses Bed Covering.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,858 discloses Information Exhibiting Single Use Sleeping Bag.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,056 discloses Weighted Services Cloth.  
      It is well known that infants require special care and attention. In this respect, the weighted swaddling blanket according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of positioning and swaddling the baby in place to provide a sense of security and comfort.  
      Before birth, an infant is tightly positioned in the mother&#39;s womb. The baby feels safe and secure in a confining space. Change and open space frighten the infant when he/she arrives in a new environment. The weighted swaddling blanket&#39;s weights anchor and swaddle the infant. The confining effect of the weights and the fabric provide a similar sense of security and comfort as being in the womb. This allows the baby to sleep comfortably and soundly. The weighted swaddling blanket transitions the infant from the womb into his/her new environment.  
      Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved weighted swaddling blanket which can be used positioning and swaddling the baby in place. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of blanket structures now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new and improved weighted swaddling blanket construction. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new weighted swaddling blanket apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the blanket structures mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a weighted swaddling blanket which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art blanket structures, either alone or in any combination thereof.  
      To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a blanket with top and bottom surface of flexible material sandwiching a baby in between. A plurality of compartment assemblies are secured to the top surface and operate to receive pellet material positioning and swaddling a baby relative to a supported surface such as a crib or bed.  
      There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
    
    
      In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.  
      As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
      It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved weighted swaddling blanket which has many of the advantages of the blanket structures mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a weighted swaddling blanket which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art blanket structures, either alone or in any combination thereof.  
      It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved weighted swaddling blanket which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.  
      It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved weighted swaddling blanket which is of a durable and reliable construction.  
      As even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved weighted swaddling blanket which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such weighted swaddling blankets economically available to the buying public.  
      Still yet another object of the present invention is to offer a new and improved weighted swaddling blanket which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.  
      Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved weighted swaddling blanket which includes a blanket web with top and bottom surface of flexible material. The baby is sandwiched in between the top and bottom surface. A plurality of compartment assemblies is secured to the top surface for receiving pellet material positioning and swaddling a baby relative to a supported surface such as a crib or bed. These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.