Patent Publication Number: US-6665879-B2

Title: Weighted insert

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of weighted vests, and in particular to a weighted vest with a plurality of evenly distributed weight enclosures that provides an even pressure across the anterior and posterior shoulder girdle of a person or animal to produce a calming effect. 
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Weighted vests are known in the art and have primarily been developed to improve an athlete&#39;s strength and cardiovascular condition during exercise. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,917 to Massey describes a variably weighted vest with a plurality of deep and large pockets to add up to 30 pounds of weight. Most of the prior art weighted vests are designed for temporary use such as during exercise. Therefore, concerns about comfort, durability, appearance or the number of users are not a concern. Weighted vests designed for exercise also generally teach to keep the weights low on the vest. If the weights are high on the body, the athlete&#39;s balance is affected since the body&#39;s center of mass is raised as the distribution of weights raises. See generally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,267 to Watson. Unfortunately, low placement of the weight frequently causes poor and uneven weight distribution since the weights essentially “hang” from the user. This can cause shoulder discomfort as the weight pulls down on the vest rather than applying direct pressure to the muscles in the shoulder girdle area. 
     Weight placed about the muscles of the shoulder girdle of an individual or animal is known to cause a calming effect and is known as proprioception or deep touch-pressure effect. This calming effect can be an important goal in teaching children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (“ADHD”) and others with attention difficulties such as autism or pervasive developmental disorders. See VandenBerg, N. L.; Vol. 55, No. 6, AJOT 621-628 , The Use of Weighted Vest to Increase On - Task Behavior in Children with Attention Difficulties  and Fertel-Daly, D., Bedell, G., &amp; Hinojosa, J. (2001). Vol. 55, No. 6, AJOT, 629-640 , Effects of a Weighted Vest on Attention to Task and Self - Stimulatory Behaviors in Preschoolers With Pervasive Developmental Disorders . A weighted vest can, for example, calm children who have problems moderating their own level of arousal, preventing them from paying attention or attending to tasks. A weighted vest can allow them to focus attention through the physiological effects of sustained pressure. 
     Unfortunately, application of a typical weighted vest known in the art for this task yields minimal results. The vests are: bulky and unattractive in, for example, a schoolroom setting; they do not apply direct pressure to the shoulder girdle area, but only add weight by hanging and pulling down on areas of the body from which the fabric is supported, causing discomfort; and they do not meet the needs of a school setting to keep items clean and durable. Further, the vest should be comfortable for prolonged use, including sitting. The weights should be fixed in place to avoid removal of the weight for use as a projectile or to prevent being played with. It is typical for ADHD children to frequently fidget with available objects. 
     Therefore, there is a desire and a need to develop a device that avoids the shortcomings in the art and could be incorporated into standard clothing. This device could accommodate a variety of ADHD applications and is simple in design to allow for a durable, concealed, attractive, and economical product available for use in most educational settings, or within a child&#39;s every day environmental settings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a weighted vest insert. Features of the present invention include an insert, that when worn, would have uniformly placed weights predominately over the upper muscles of the back and high on the pectoral muscles (i.e., a shoulder girdle) of a user. The insert can be made from a durable material that is easy to clean and delouse such as vinyl. The insert can be comfortable and can be concealed by incorporation into various garments such as a denim jacket so that it does not look too juvenile or therapeutic. Once incorporated into a vest, the insert imposes mild deep pressure that can produce a calming effect that may help a child/adult stay purposely on-task or otherwise attentive to the task at hand. 
     Specifically, the invention has two layers of a durable material, such as vinyl, forming anterior and posterior portions fastened together at their periphery to define an interior space and shaped to define a neck portion; a plurality of mechanical fasteners attached to an exposed side; and a plurality of sealed compartments having weights within the interior space of predetermined size, weight, shape, and distribution, wherein a uniform and even pressure is applied predominately over the upper muscles of the back and high on the pectoral muscles (i.e., across the anterior and posterior shoulder girdle) of a user. 
     The mechanical fasteners can be pressure sensitive fastening materials, zippers, buttons, ties or hooks. The vest insert weight can be configured as a percentage of a user&#39;s body weight, such in the range between 3 to 5 percent. The weights should have rounded edges and placed within the vest insert sealed compartments to minimize noise and movement of the weights. 
     The invention can also include a vest having an interior surface comprising opposing mechanical fasteners placed corresponding to the fasteners of the insert, whereby the weighted vest insert can be incorporated and concealed within the vest. 
    
    
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     The foregoing advantages and features, as well as other advantages and features, will become apparent with reference to the description and figures below, in which like numerals represent like elements and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a pattern view showing the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the sealed compartments of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a user wearing just the insert of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a view of a possible corresponding vest interior that the present invention can be inserted into; and 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a user wearing a vest with the present invention inserted. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally involves the field of weighted vests. The present invention provides a weighted vest insert with a plurality of evenly distributed weight enclosures that provide an even pressure predominately over the upper muscles of the back and high on the pectoral muscles (i.e., the anterior and posterior shoulder girdle) of a user. This type of weight distribution can provide a proprioception or deep touch-pressure effect, which produces a physiologically calming effect. By way of example, this type of effect can be useful in teaching children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and others with attention difficulties such as autism or pervasive developmental disorders. The insert can be configured to be inserted and concealed within a vest so as not to make a user self-conscious or conspicuous to their peers. The insert can be easily removed for laundering the vest. 
     Referring more specifically to the drawings, a weighted vest insert (“insert”) pattern using the present invention is generally indicated on FIG. 1 at  20 . The insert  20  can include an anterior portion having, for example, first and second front panels  22  and  24  respectively and a posterior portion having, for example, a rear panel  26 . The panels  22  and  24  each have a front edge  23  and the rear panel includes a back edge  27 . The panels  22 ,  24 , and  26  can have two layers of material such as vinyl or other durable material that is easy to clean or delouse. The two layers can be attached together at their periphery, as shown at  40 , to define an interior space  42  within each panel. It is noted that in an alternate embodiment, the pattern would allow for a single panel with anterior and posterior portions and a single defined interior space. 
     The insert  20  can also have a plurality of mechanical fasteners  28  stitched or otherwise attached to it on an exposed side  50  (i.e., the side of the insert  20  that would not be resting on the user). The fasteners  28  can include a variety of fastening devices known in the art such as zippers, buttons, hooks, ties, or a pressure sensitive fastening material commonly known under the trademark of VELCRO. 
     The front panels  22  and  24  can be attached to the rear panel  26  by sewing them together as at  32  along their adjoining top portions. Once the panels are attached they define a neck portion as shown at  34 . 
     The pattern of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1 also includes a plurality of sealed compartments  36  within the interior space  42 . The compartments  36  can be sealed in a variety of manners known in the art such as sewing as shown at  38 . The compartment seals  38  define the compartments  36 . The compartments  36  can be uniformly and evenly spaced. 
     The compartments  36  can be filled with weights  44  of various predetermined size, shape, distribution, and weight prior to being sealed. Factors used to make this determination include a desire to provide a uniform and even pressure applied across the anterior and posterior shoulder girdle of the user. 
     Once sealed, the weights  44  are fixed into place and difficult for the user to access. It is desirable to configure the weights  44  and sealed compartments  36  to minimize weight  44  movement within the sealed compartment  36 . As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the weight can be a flat round disk made of a dense material such as metal. For example, a large common washer found in any hardware store could be used. The weights  44  need to equal a predetermined total desired weight usually based as a percentage of the user&#39;s overall body weight. This percentage can include a range between 3 percent to 5 percent of the user&#39;s body weight. 
     In an alternate embodiment, the weight could be a dense or viscous “gel” pack such as a silicon gel found in some contemporary bicycle seats. This “gel” pack embodiment could also contain metal “shot” such as steel shot evenly dispersed throughout the gel and can also be used in the single panel embodiment described above. 
     FIG. 2 shows a side view illustration of some of the sealed compartments  36 . As shown in this example, the weights  44  include three round metal disks in each sealed compartment  36 . Use of weights  44  with rounded edges are desired to minimize sharp edges that could lead to excessive wear of the insert  20  or discomfort to the user. If a plurality of weights  44  is contained within the same sealed compartment  36 , the weights can be covered in a sound deadening material or secured together, such as by gluing. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the insert  20  placed on a user to demonstrate where it would be positioned. As shown, the neck portion  34  closes up close to the user&#39;s neck to minimize slippage or movement of the insert  20  from side to side. The insert  20  is held in place on the user by the weight of the insert against the user&#39;s body. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the front edge  23  of the front panels  22  and  24  extend to a position approximately at the bust line of the user, and the back edge  27  is positioned at a location above the middle of the user&#39;s back. However, it is to be understood that the front and rear edge may extend a shorter or longer distance. 
     When inserted into a vest  46 , as shown in FIG. 5, the weights are evenly spaced resting entirely across the upper back, shoulder to shoulder, and across the upper chest, shoulder to shoulder (shoulder-girdle area) of the user. The insert  20  lays flat on the user and can be incorporated into a variety of vests known in the art, such as a denim type vest  46 , as shown in FIG. 4 so that it would not be noticeable when in place. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the denim vest  46  in an open position showing a set of opposing mechanical fasteners  48  placed corresponding to the fasteners  28  of the insert  20 . For example, this can be accomplished using the opposing side of the pressure sensitive fastening material commonly known under the trademark of VELCRO. If buttons were used, buttonholes or tabs would be added. Opposing zippers, hooks or ties could also be attached for those types of mechanical fasteners on the insert  20 . 
     Once the insert  20  is incorporated, the vest  46  can be closed at the neck to evenly place the weights  44  in the anterior panels across the user&#39;s chest. As stated previously, pressure from the weights  44  can produce a desired calming effect needed to, for example, help children increase their focus or attention to task. The present invention does not require the use of vest  46  to achieve the desired effect. Therefore, in some insert configurations, the vest need not be present. 
     The insert  20  results in an attractive or concealed appearance that will encourage its use. Thus, the vest insert can allow a therapeutic use with a non-therapeutic appearance. 
     Having described the subject matter of the present invention, it should be apparent that many substitutions, modifications, and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood the invention as taught and described herein is only to be limited to the extent of the breadth and scope of the appended claims.