US2365243A - Heating and humidifying attachment for bassinets - Google Patents

Description

J. W. BOREN Dec. 19, 1944.

HEATING AND HUMIDIFYING ATTACHMENT FOR BASSINETS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 23, 1942 225 Zio@ J. w. BOREN 2,365,243

HEATING AND 'HUMIDIFYING ATTACHMENT FOR BASSINETS Dec. 19, 1944.

Filed June 23, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 19, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEATING AND HUMIDIFYING ATTACHMENT FORBASSINETS John Wm. Boren, Marinette, Wis. Application June 23, 1342, Serial No. 448,119

7 Claims.. (Cl. 12S- 1) This inventionrelatesy to improvements in heating and humidifying?. attachments for bassinets and it consists, ofjthe matters hereinafter described and more vparticularlypointed out in the appended claims.

One type of bassinet, asusedin hospital nurseries consists of Wan elongatedfopentop basket shape body yhavingatv least some openings in ,the bottom, imperioratesideand endiwalls and a removable cover. for *the` open topr usually providedwith agdoored opening` for the circulation.

.bottom of the bassinetvr with a sealing Iaction against the sideand end `-walls of the bassinet, and at the same time permit of ,a limited circulation of 'air ;through'-the.ibase `when thesame is necessary.-

A1so;it is an .object oi.V the invention to provide a unit of this kind which'g-when inoperative positionin av bassinet,y will' affordthe proper degree of lwarmth andhuxnidity'-foranew born infant` placed therein;l

Again, itis an objectof the ,invention to provide a unit of .this kind-which may be `folded to occupy but a substantiallysmall-space for storage but whichjmayquic'klydbe unfoldedor opened up into van extendedV conditionsready rfor application to a conventional bassinet so as to convert it into i an incubator.`

' of a lower height at its foot end than at its head The*abovementionedobjects of the invention,

along wlthothersfas `well asth'e several advantages thereof willfmore fullyvappear as I proceed with my speciiication.

In the drawings:-A

Fig'. 1 is' aflongitudinalvertical 'sectional view through abassinet to which'my-improved attachment has beenxappliedfto lconvert the same into an incubator;` said-attachment vappearing `in side 1 elevation therein.

Fig.` 2'is a kYongitudinal.'vertical sectional view through the attachment 'on-a scale Venlarged over that kof Fig. landjastakenonj'the linea-2 Vofl` Fig. 3.

Fig, 3 .is ahorizontalsectional view through a part ofthe attachmentxasztaken onthe line 3*3 of Fig; 2.

Fig. 4is Aa transverse vertical. sectional view through a part of the attachment, on an enlarged scale over that of Figs. 2 and 3, as taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a certain switch forming apart of the improved attachment `and which will be more fully referred to later.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment `of the invention illustrated in the drawings and] more particularly to Fig. 1,'there is illustrated therein a type Aof hospital nursery bassinet, ythe open top body I0 of which includes a perforate bottom II and upright side and end Walls I2 and I3 respectively, preferably made of transparent plastic material. The top and bottom edges of` the side walls are bound byframes or headings I4 and I5 respectively, held in spaced relation by upright bars I6.' The bottom i I is fixed at its edges as by welding to the frame or beading I5' and its mid portion is supported upon transverse bars Il `iixed'at the ends to the parts of the beading I5.'associated with the side walls of the body. The open top of the body receives a detachable cover I8. Toward the head end of the bodysaid cover'has an'opening I9. door20 is associated 'wthsaid opening and is so carried A,by the cover,k `that it'may be'moved to determine the effective area-0f said openingor to close the same entirely. l i

The body of the bassinet illustrated is made end, although this is not an essential part of the present invention, beinga feature disclosed and claimed in myvprior application SqN." 365,173.'

Generally a removable pad or cushion 2I '(shown in dotted'lines in Fig. 1) is disposed upon the bottom II thereof.` Thispad or cushion is of substantially the same width as the bottom I I but issomewhat shorterk than `said bottom, as best appears in; Fig. 1; When said pad is in place upon said-bottom, one end thereof is disposed against lthe headend wall ofthe body and this spacesthe Yotherend of saidpad fromy the foot' end wall of the bodyto leave an uncovered part ofthe perforatebottom'at the foot'end ofthe body-for the entrance of air up through the same.

When the improved heating and humidiiying attachment is made Yforuse in', connection with a Abassinet body as above described, it includes a generallyr imperforate panel-like member 25. This member is Vof `v4an area approximating that of the bottoml II of the body and it rests yupon said bottom whenVv the attachmentk is disposed or has been placed in the bassinet; The edge of saidmember-25is bound'with a strip of rubber'k A sliding j or the like 26 for a sealing engagement with the associated part of the side and end walls of the body as appears in Fig. 1.

The member is preferably made of a sheet material other than metal. To make it easier to place in and remove from a bassinet body as well as to reduce its area for storage purposes, said member is made in sections so connected together as to be extended into its maximum area or contracted into its minimum area. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the member 25 is made to consist of a head end part 25a and a foot end part 25h, each of which is of an area approximating one-half of the extended area. These parts are connected together at one end by hinges 25e on what is the bottom side of the member when it is in its extended condition. This permits the head end part 25a to be folded under the foot end part 25D as appears in dotted lines in Fig. 2 so as to reduce said member to its minimum area. For easein handling these two parts of said member 25 as a. unit, I provide handle loop 27 of tape or webbing on the top surface of the hinge line end of the part 2517.

On the foot end of the part 25h and spaced from the free edge of the head end part 25a, a distance substantially equalling the length of the pad or cushion 2| I provide an upright transverse barrier 28. This barrier is adapted for engagement by the foot end of the pad to prevent its accidental shifting toward the foot end of the body when the device is placed in the bassinet as appears in Fig. l.

Between the barrier 28 and associated edge of the part 25h is located a water evaporating means 29 in the form of a transversely extending, open top pan. This pan rests upon or may be made integral with a metal block 30 which is bored out to receive a pair of pencil-like electrical heating elements 3l and 32 respectively. Opposite ends of this block have attached thereto L shaped brackets 33, (see Fig. 4), the outer ends of which are fixed to posts 34 rising from the member 25D. As shown in said Fig. 4, these posts are in the form of screws carrying coacting nuts 35 engaging the top and bottom surfaces of said brackets. By manipulating the nuts, the height of the pan and block mentioned; above the part 25h, may be adjusted as is obvious.

Beneath said pan and block and resting on the member 25h is an open top pan-like element 36 of an area larger than that of the pan to catch such water as may overflow from the pan. This pan has end extension flanges 31-31 through which the screws 34 extend and on each screw is a nut 38 to clamp the element 36 in position.

The pan 29, the block 30 and the element 36 are disposed within the area of a deilecting hood or chimney 39, as is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This hood, which is of a suitable double walled, insulated construction, is open at its bottom as at 4D and is open at its top 4l which is directed in a general longitudinal and downward direction toward the part 25a. The open bottom 40 is disposed at an elevation below that of the pan 29 and heater block 30 and above that of the part 25h so as to permit the entrance of air into the bottom end 49 of the hood or chimney. Each side of said hood is provided at its bottom end with a lateral flange 42 and a pair of screws 43, upstanding from the member 25h passes through each flange. Nuts 44 are disposed upon each screw and are engaged with the top and bottom surfaces of the respective flanges. By manipulating these nuts, the bottom of said hood may be adjusted in elevation and by adjusting the nuts on onlyl certain ones of said screws, a limiting tilting may be had for the hood as a whole to provide a better directional effect for the outlet 4I.

In each corner of the member 25h more directly associated with the parts just mentioned, I provide an opening 45 and a cover plate 46 therefor. Each cover plate is pivotally mounted on a screw 41 with which a wing nut 48 is associated. By loosening the wing nut 48, each cover plate may be swung about its screw to expose any part of the associated opening or to entirely close the same. In one instance in Fig. 3 a cover plate 46 is disposed in a position entirely closing its hole 45 and in another instance the cover plate is in a substantially wide open position.

To provide for the discharge of water into the pan 29, a metal tube 49 of small diameter is employed. One end of said tube is made as a gooseneck 50 to discharge into the pan 29 from above. The other end of said tube, passes under the hood 39 and then down through the adjacent hole 45 in the part 25h so as to extend down through one of the openings in the perforate bottom I i of the bassinet body. At a point below said bottom, one end of a flexible tube 5| has a slip on connection with the tube 49, while the other end is connected to a reservoir 52 in the form of a conveniently located bottle disposed at an elevation above that of the pan 29. On said tube 5| near the bottle, I provide a clamp 53 and whereby the amount of water flowing from said bottle into the pan may be controlled. Preferably the feed of water to the pan is drop-bydrop. However, if the pan should overflow, the excess falls into the pan 36.

The pan 36 has connected thereto a metal tube 54 for the drainage of water therefrom. This tube also passes through the same opening 45 in the part 25 as the tube 49 before mentioned and may have attached thereto a flexible tube 55 of rubber leading to a suitable receiver.

The heating elements 3|32 have one end of an electric conductor 56 connected thereto. The other end of said conductor leads to a portable switch box 51 (see Figs. 1 and 5). This switch box is provided with a pair of hooks 58 whereby the switch box may be hung at a suitable point from the top frame or beading I4 upon the outside of the body of the bassinet. The switch box is provided With two switch actuators 59 and 50, one for each heating element 3l and 32, and a. cord 6I has one end attached to the switch box and its other end carries a plug for insertion into a suitable socket of a power supply line. By manipulating one switch or the other, two different degrees of heat may be obtained for evaporation purpose and by actuating both switches simultaneously, the combined heating effect of both elements may be obtained. Thus three degrees of heat are provided.

[It is to be noted from Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings that one end of the means or pan 29 extends beyond the associated end of the heating elements 3I-32 to provide an overhang, in the bottom of which are openings 29a through which water may drip from said means or pan into the pan-like element 36. Thus should current be shut off from the heating elements 3l-32 while water is flowing through the tube 5I, said water will drip through the said openings into the panlike element 36.

To convertI a'bassinet asbefore mentioned, into an incubator by means of the improved device y hereinbefore described, the following procedure is.- desired, the heating feature alone may be advany carried out, assuming of course that the coverr i8 and the cushion 2| have been removed from the body I0. When the device is in the folded con-y dition before mentioned the parts 25a-25h are swung` about the hinges 26 into the open or extended position shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3. With said parts in this position, the device is inserted into the bassinet body through its open top, with the hood end of the device associated with the foot end of said body so` as to engage the panel-like member 25 upon the perforate bottom. Adownward hand pressure imposed upon the margin of the panel-like element will force ity into a position wherein the strip 26 will eiTect a sealing engagement with the bottom part of the side and end walls of the body. In so inserting said member in place, the ends of the tubes 48 and 54 which pass through the hole 45 in the part 25h will project through certain openings in the bottom of the body of the bassinet. The tube 5l kis then slipped onto the end of the tube 49 and the drain tube 55 is slipped onto the tube 54. The switch 51 is then hooked onto the top frame or beading part M, associated with the foot end wall of the body, so that it is disposed upon the outside thereof and easy of access. Thereafter, the plug for the cord 6| is engaged in a` socket of an electrical outlet.

The pad 2| is then replaced in the body upon the members a'and 25h with one end engaged against the barrier 28 and a pillow (see Fig. 1) may be placed in position should the attendant believe the same to be necessary. The infant may now be placed uponthe pad or cushion with its feet facing the barrier 28. cover I8 is replaced upon the body as in Fig. 1.

By manipulating the clamp 53 on the tube 5|y water will flow from the bottle, which is disposed at an elevation above the pan 29, and will drip from the gooseneck into said pan. switch 51 has been actuated to energize either one or both of the elements 3| and 32 in the block 30, the latter will heat the water asy it drips into ,the pan, to vaporize it. By reason of the hood 39, air will enter the bottom 49 and will pass out through the top 4| thereof. In .its passage thro-ugh the hood, the al1' will absorb the water vapor thus generated and will also become warmed to the proper temperature. This may be determined by suitable indicating instruments (not shown), disposed in the body I0 and visible from the outside through the transparent side and end Walls thereof.

By manipulating the clamp 53 and switch box 51, the proper temperature and humidity may be maintained in the body l. The amount of air entering the body with respect to the vapor generated in the hood is controlled by the door 20.

It is to be noted from Fig. 2 of the drawings that the upper portion of that wall of the hood 39 below the outlet 4| is curved upwardly and rearwardly to overhang the heating elements 3| and 32. This forms a restricted passage in the upper rear portion of the hood that ares into the outlet 4|. Such a construction speeds up the passage of the warm humidified air through the hood so that it is carried well toward the head end of the bassinet. The return circulation of air to the interior of the bassinet is accelerated by ythe openings 45-45 before mentioned. Thus a fairly rapid gravity method of circulating warm humidied air is employed and which maintains an even temperature throughout the bassinet.

It will be understood that if humidity is not Thereafter, the

When the" body I0.

upwardly thereon, the parts-25a25b will foldu `bodying therein a substantially tageously used.

Should it be` desired again to vuse the bassineti incubator as a bassinet, the cover I8 is removed from the body so that the attendant has free access to remove the infant. The pad 2| is then removed. Thereafter the tubes 5| and 55 areslipped off the tubes 49 and 54 and the switch box 51 is unhooked from the frame I4 of the By grasping the handle 21 and lifting together and the entire device may be readily lifted from the bassinet body. Thereafter the cushion 2| is replaced in the body and the bassinet is then ready to again receive the infant.

It is apparent that in a hospital nursery where a considerable number of bassinets are employed,

any one thereof may be converted into an ncubator in a very short time. Thus the number of the devices necessary with respect to the number of bassinets in such a nursery may be relatively small because it is not necessary that every bassinet in the nursery be converted into an incubator at the same time.

The device is simple and compact in construction and is relatively inexpensive. It fulfills a much needed want in hospital nurseries. It is light in weight and may be readily applied to and removed from a bassinet body by an `inexperienced attendant.

While in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the parts involved, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense and therefore I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

l2 claim as my invention:

l. A device of the kind described and emimperforate panel-like base member, water evaporating means disposed at one end of said base member, heating means associated with said evaporating means so as to evaporate the water deliveredthereto, means for controlling said heating means, and a hood on said base member and substantially enclosing said evaporating means and said heating means and arranged to take in air at an elevation below that of said evaporating means and to discharge it at an elevation above that of said evaporating means and in the general direction of the other end of said base member.

2. A device of the kind described and embodying therein a substantially imperforate panel-like base member comprising parts hingedly connected together so as to be swung from a superposed folded position providing one area for the base member, to an open extended position providing a larger area, water evaporating means disposed upon one of said parts, heating means associated with said evaporating means so as to evaporate the water delivered thereto, means for controlling said heating means, and a hood also mounted on said one of said parts of the base member and substantially enclosing said evaporating means and said heating means and arranged to take in air at an elevation below that of said evaporating means and to discharge it at an elevation above that of said evaporating means in the general direction of the other end of said base member.

3. In combination with the open top body of a bassinet having a perforate bottom, upright side and end walls and means including/a controllable air outlet for closing the open top of the body, means adapted to be removably placed in the body and embodying therein a substantially imperorate panel-like member adapted to engage upon the bottom of said body, means carried by the marginal portion of said member adapted for a sealing engagement with the side and the end walls of the body, water evaporating means disposed at one end of said member, controllable means for delivering Water to said evaporating means, heating means associated with said evaporating means so as to evaporate the water delivered thereto, means for controlling said heating means, and a hood substantially enclosing said evaporating means and said heating means and arranged to take in air at an elevation below that of the evaporating means and to discharge it at an elevation above that of the said evaporating means and in the general direction of the other end of said member.

4. In combination With the open top body of a bassinet having a perforate bottom, upright side and end Walls and means including a controllable air outlet for closing the open top of the body, means adapted to be removably placed in the body and embodying therein a substantially imperforate panel-like member adapted to engage upon the bottom of said body, said member-having at least one air inlet opening therethrough, means carried by said member and operable to control the area of said opening or to entirely close the same, Water evaporating means disposed at one end of said member, controllable means for delivering water to said evaporating means, heating means associated with said evaporating means so as to evaporate the water delivered thereto, means for controlling said heating means, and a hood substantially enclosing said evaporating means and said heating means and arranged to take in air at an elevation below that of said evaporating means and to discharge it at an elevation above that of said evaporating means and in the general direction of the other end of said member.

5. In combination with the open top body of a bassinet having a perforate bottom, upright side and end Walls and means including a controllable air outlet for closing the open top of the body. lmeans adapted to be removably placed in the body and embodying therein a substantially imperforate panel-like member adapted to engage upon the bottom of said body, said panel-like member comprising parts so connected together as to be manipulated from one relative position providing one area to another relative position providing another area, water evaporating means disposed upon one of said parts, controllable means for delivering water to said evaporating means, heating means associated with said evaporating means so as to evaporate the Water delivered thereto, means for controlling said heating means, and a hood also mounted on said one of said parts substantially enclosing said evaporating means and said heating means and arranged to take in air at an elevation below that of said evaporating means and -to discharge it at an elevation above that of said evaporating means in the general direction of one end of the bassinet body.

6. A device of the kind described and embodying therein asubstantially imperforate panellike base member, water evaporating means disposed at one end of said base member, heating means associated with said eVa-porating means so as to evaporate the Water delivered thereto, means for controlling said heating means, a. hood on said base member and substantially enclosing said evaporating means and said heating means and having an inlet opening arranged to take in air at an elevation below that of said evaporating means and having an outlet opening .above that of said evaporating means and ar-

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