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US 4,665,907 AGranted
Apparatus for inhibiting digit sucking
OwnerCharles R. Leveretteinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for attaching to the thumb or finger to inhibit thumb sucking. A bracelet fits around the wrist, and a primary ring attaches to the bracelet. The primary ring is supported by two or more tabs extending outwardly from the ring to the bracelet, and cross-tabs extend between the outward tabs to prevent unwanted withdrawal of the thumb from the ring. A separate booster ring is optionally attached to the primary thumb-encircling ring, providing additional hindrance to thumb sucking.
Claims13
Apparatus for inhibiting digit sucking, comprising:
- means encircling the wrist of a hand;
- primary digit encircling means attached ot said wrist encircling means and extending outwardly therefrom to encircle an intermediate portion of a selected finger or thumb on the hand;
- and
- booster digit encircling means selectively connectable to said primary digit encircling means and extending further outwardly along the selected finger or thumb to encircle an outer portion thereof, whereby said bosoter digit encircling means can be selectively added to enhance the thumb sucking inhibiting effect of the apparatus;
- said primary digit encircling means comprising a flexible band of noncicular cross-section at least long enough to encircle said intermediate portion of the selected digit;
- means joining said flexible band in substantially circular configuration to form a ring encircling said intermediate portion;
- a first resilient tab joining said flexible band at a location thereon overlying the front side of the selected digit, said first tab extending laterally downwardly from the flexible band to said wrist encircling means along the front side of said digit and in generally parallel relation to said digit;
- at least one other resilient tab joining said flexible band in spaced apart relation thereon froms aid first tab, said other tab extending downwardly from said flexible band to said wrist encircling means in generally parallel relation to said digit;
- and
- means attaching said tabs to said wrist encircling means, so that the tabs maintain said flexible digit-encircling band at a predetermined distance apart from the wrist encircling means.
7 more elements
Apparatus for inhibiting digit sucking, comprising:
- means encircling the wrist of a hand;
- primary digit encircling means attached to said wrist encircling means and extending outwardly therefrom to encircle an intermediate portion of a selected finger or thumb on the hand;
- and
- booster digit encircling means selectively connectable to said primary digit encircling means and extending further outwardly along the selectedfinger or thumb to encircle an outer portion thereof, whereby said booster digit encircling means can be selectively added to enhance the thumb sucking inhibiting effect of the apparatus;
- said primary digit encircling means comprising a flexible band of noncircular cross-section at least long enough to encircle said intermediate portion of the selected digit;
- means joining said flexible band in substantially circular configuration to form a ring encircling said intermediate portion;
- a first tab joining said flexible band at a location thereon overlying the front side of the selected digit, and extending laterally downwardly from the flexible band to said wrist encircling means in generally parallel relation to said digit;
- at least one other tab joining said flexible band in spaced apart relation thereon from said first tab, and extending downwardly to said wrist encircling means in generally parallel relation to said digit;
- means attaching said tabs to said wrist encircling means, so that the tabs maintain said flexible digit-encircling means;
- means providing a region of increased flexibility across a predetermined location on said flexible band and thereby allowing a selected portion of said band to conform to the encircled digit independently to the remainder of said band;
- and
- said first tab joining said band at said selected portion thereof, so that the selected portion overlies the front of said digit, allowing the remainder of the band to encircle the digit behind the front portion thereof.
9 more elements
Apparatus for inhibiting digit sucking, comprising:
- means encircling the wrist of a hand;
- primary digit encircling means attached to said wrist encircling means and extending outwardly therefromto encircle an intermediate portion of a selected finger or thumb on the hand;
- and
- booster digit encircling means selectively connectable to said primary digit encircling means and extending further outwardly along the selected finger or thumb to encircle and outer portion thereof, whereby said booster digit encircling means can be selectively added to enhance the thumb cuking inhibiting effect of the apparatus;
- said primary digit encircling means comprising a first flexible band of noncircular cross-section at least long enough to encircle said intermediate portion of the selected digit;
- means joining said first flexible band in substantially circular configuration to form a ring encircling said intermediate portion;
- a first tab joining said flexible band at a location thereon overlying the front side of the selected digit, and extending laterally downwardly from the flexible band to said wrist encircling means in generally parallel relation to said digit;
- at least one other tab joining said flexible band in spaced apart relation thereon from said first tab, and extending downwardly to said wrist encircling means in generally parallel relation to said digit;
- means attaching said tabs to said wrist encircling means, so that the tabs maintain said flexible digit-encircling band at a predetermined distance apart from the wrist encircling means;
- said booster digit encircling means comprising a second flexible band at least long enough to encircle said outer portion of the selected digit;
- a second tab joining said second band and extending downwardly therefrom along said front side of the selected digit to meet said first band at the location thereon joined by said first tab;
- and
- means detachably securing said second tab to said first band.
10 more elements
Apparatus for inhibiting digit sucking, comprising:
- means encircling the wrist of a hand;
- primary digit encircling means attached to said wrist encircling means and extending outwardly therefrom to encircle an intermediate portion of a selected finger or thumb on the hand;
- and
- booster digit encircling means selectively connectable to said primary digit encirclig means and extending further outwardly along the selected finger or thumb to encircle an outer portion thererof, whereby said booster digit encircling means can be selectively added to enhance the thumb sucking inhibiting effect of the apparatus;
- said primary digit encircling means comprising a flexible band of noncircular cross-section at least long enough to encircle said intermediate portion of the selected digit;
- means joining said flexible band in substantially circular configuration to form a ring encircling said intermediate portion;
- a first tab joining said flexible band at a location thereon overlying the front side of the selected digit, and extending laterally downwardly from the flexible band to said wrist encircling means in generally parallel relation to said digit;
- at least one other tab joining said flexible band in spaced apart relation thereon from said first tab, and extending downwardly to said wrist encircling means in generally parallel relation to said digit;
- means attaching said tabs to said wrist encircling means, so that the tab maintain said flexible digit-encircling band at a predetermined distance apart from the wrist encircling means;
- means defining an end portion adjacent one end of said flexible band;
- securement means associated with said end portion and protruding outwardly therefrom;
- a plurality of openings formed in said band at intervals therealong, said penings being selectively engagable with said securement means and spaced along the length of the band to define a range of digit-encircling sizes as the flexible band is fitted around said selected digit;
- tab means associated with said booster digit-encircling means and extending in approximately parallel relation along said selected digit to overlap said end portion of said flexible band;
- and
- at least one opening forming in said tab means;
- whereby said tab means opening selectively engages said securement means associated with said end portion and thereby maintains said booster means in predetermined relation to said primary means on the selected digit.
13 more elements
Apparatus for inhibiting digit sucking, comprising:
- means encircling the wrist of a hand;
- primary digit encircling means attached to said wrist encircling means and extending outwardly therefrom to encircle an intermediate portion of a selected finger or thumb on the hand;
- and
- booster digit encircling means selectively connectable to said primary digit encircling means and extending further outwardly along the selected finger or thumb to encircle an outer portion thereof, whereby said bosoter digit encircling means can be selectively added to enhance the thumb sucking inhibiting effect of the apparatus;
- said primary digit encircling means comprising a flexible band at least long enough to encircle said intermediate portion of the selected digit;
- a first tab joining said flexible band at a location thereon overlying the front side of the selected digit, said first tab extending laterally downwardly from the flexible band to said wrist encircling means in generally parallel relation to said digit;
- at least one other tab joining said flexible band in spaced apart relation from said first tab, said other tab extending downwardly from said flexible band to said wrist encircling means in spaced apart relation to said first tab and in generally prallel relation to said digit;
- means attaching said tabs to said wrist encircling means so that the tabs flank said digit and maintain said flexible digit-encircling band at a predetermined distance apart from the wrist encircling means;
- and
- at least one cross tab extending between and interconnecting said tabs at a location therealong behind said digit, thereby preventing withdrawing the digit backward form between the tabs flanking the digit.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.