US3334625A - Finger sucking preventive device - Google Patents

Description

ug- 8, 1967 W. BARQN 3,334,62

FINGER SUCKING PHEVENTIVE DEVICE Filed July l2, 1955 ....mw am .......m

.5 INVENTOR Waiter Bamm H@ www ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,334,625 FINGER SUCKING PREVENTIVE DEVICE Walter Baron, 28 Bayville Park Blvd., Bayville, N.Y. 11709 Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,236 4 Claims. (Cl. 12S-133) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A finger sucking preventive device formed of two strips of adhesive material arranged in parallelism whereby respective interior adhesive sides thereof are opposingly arranged in spaced superposed relation, a plurality of slat elements disposed between said strips and arranged transversely with -respect to the length thereof, said elements being in mutually spaced parallelism and adhering to the respective interior sides of said material, the exterior surface of one of said strips being substantially coated with adhesive.

This invent-ion relates to finger sucking deterrents for children and more particularly to a new and useful device of such nature which may be conveniently applied peripherally of one or more fingers of la child and which will destroy any satisfaction otherwise experienced through finger sticking to the end of eliminating the practice thereof.

Whereas the objections to finger sucking, especially where perpetrated by infants, are numerous, the primary object of this invention is to curtail this rather prevalent habit, and thus to preclude malformation of facial features by avoiding deformation yor irregularities of the teeth, to preserve the aesthetic value of normal tooth development and to eliminate the inferiority behavior pattern often associated with finger sucking.

Accordingly, and consonant with the foregoing, the instant invention h-as for an object the provision of a finger sucking preventive device which is provided with sl-ats having air passages therebetween, -whereby iany vacuum otherwise created during the practice of finger sucking will be destroyed to the end of removing the pleasure normally derived by such practice.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the foregoing character which will be capable of positive and secure application to any finger of an infant and which will not Iinterfere with the normal use of the fingers when applied.

A further object of the invention is to provide an antifinger-sucking device which is non-toxic and otherwise safe to use.

Another general object of the present invention resides in the provision of a device of the described character which will be simple in structure, economical of manufacture, easily and quickly installed and highly effective in use.

Other objects and advantages of the inst-ant finger sucking preventive device will be set forth in part hereinafter and in p-art will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice of the invention, the same being realized iand attained by means yof the structure defined and pointed out in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the finger sucking preventive device illustrated in the uli-applied elongate state;

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FIGURE 2 is an illustrative view of the device according to the present invention applied to two fingers of the hand;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational View of the device illustrating the arrangement of adhesive strips and Slat elements;

FIGURE 4 is a plan elevational view of the device in partial cross-section, taken .along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the device illustrating the congul'ation thereof when in the applied operative position;

FIGURE 6 is an end View of the device in the form shown in FIGURE 5; and

'FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken :along line 7-7 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the linger sucking preventive device designated generally by numeral 1 will be seen to comprise two strips of flexible adhesive material 2 and 4 arranged in parallelism whereby opposingly faced sides `6 and y8 are disposed in spaced superposed relation. A plurality of slat or spacer elements 10 are disposed between said strips or lengths of exible material 2 and 4 and are secured to said material by means of adhesive coatings 12 `and 14 which are provided surfacedly of said strips 2 .and 4, respectively, as shown in detail in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. As shown in FIGURE 4, said slrat elements 10` are arranged transversely with respect to the longitudinal dimension of said strips and 'are disposed in mutually spaced parallelism as shown.

It ywill be further observed that the exterior surface 16 of flexible length 4 is coated with adhesive material.

Accordingly, by dint of the arrangement of said slat elements as aforedescribed, `air passages or channels 18 are provided intermediate said flexible lengths of strip material and between said spacer slats. Therefore, it will be appreciated that upon applying said device peripherally of a finger las shown in FIGURE 2, the devel-opment of suction will be prevented where the child draws upon his nger which has been inserted into his mouth. That is, said air passages 18 establish air vents between the finger and the mouth to thereby preclude the formation of any pleasurable sucking sensation otherwise experienced by the child in the absence of `the present device about his finger. It has been observed that where the sucking sens-ation is incapable of effectuation, the finger sucking practice will be discouraged and ultimately the undesirable habit will be eliminated entirely` The flexible strip material is preferably composed of convention-al adhesive tape material although other suitable flexible material capable yof receiving an adhesive coating as described may be utilized. The spacer slat elements are preferably constructed of plastic which is non-toxic such as styrene and which `cannot splinter. Hard wood, however, and other suitable materials may also be used in forming the slats. v

As shown, strip 2 extends substantially beyond the end of strip 4, to prov-ide an overlap portion 20 having the adhesive coating 12 exposed on one side. Thus, when applied t-o a finger, portion 2f) ywill overlap end 22 of the 3 stood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the forms, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A finger sucking preventive device comprising in combination, two strips of adhesive material arranged in parallelism whereby respective yinterior adhesive sides thereof are opposingly arranged in spaced superposed relation, a plurality of slat elements disposed between said strips and arranged transversely with respect to the length thereof, said elements being in mutually spaced parallelism and adhering to said respective interior adhesive sides of said material, said device having an adhesive coating on substantially the entire area of one of the exterior surfaces thereof.

2. A finger sucking preventive device adapted to be applied peripherally of a finger, comprising in combination, a pair of flexible material lengths arranged in spaced, parallel relation, a plurality of individual, separated spacer elements disposed between said lengths, said elements being mutually spaced and attached to said strips, and securing ,means adapted to retain said device in the form of a loop when said device is applied to the nger.

3. A nger sucking preventive device comprising in combination, two strips of adhesive material arranged in parallelism, one strip being slightly longer than the other to provide an overlap portion at one end thereof, one strip lhaving an adhesive coating on one surface thereof, the other strip having ran adhesive coating on both surfaces thereof, an adhesive coating of one strip being disposed in spaced superposed relation with respect to an adhesive coating of the other strip, a plural-ity of slat elements disposed between said strips and arranged transversely with respect to the lengths thereof, said elements being in mutually spaced parallelism and adhering to ar1 adhesive coating of each strip, an inclined surface at each end of the device, said inclined surfaces being comple- ,mentary whereby when seated against each other, a smooth lapped joint is provided, and when so seated, said overlap portion extends therebeyond to reinforce the securement of the device about the finger.

4. A finger sucking preventive device comprising in combination, two strips of adhesive material arranged in parallelism, one strip being slightly longer than the other to provide an overlap portion at one end thereof, one strip having an adhesive coating on one surface thereof, the other strip having an adhesive coating on both surfaces thereof, an adhesive coating of one strip being disposed in spaced superposed rel-ation with respect to an adhesive coating of the other strip, a plurality of slat elements disposed between said strips and arranged transversely with respect to the lengths thereof, said elements being in mutually spaced parallelism and adhering to an adhesive coating of each strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,633,126 3/'1953 Newmark 12B-133 2,896,618 7/1959 Schaefer 12S-156 2,980,110 4/1961 Brumeld et al. 128-87 FOREIGN PATENTS 265,598 5/1927 Great Britain.

ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 3. A FINGER SUCKING PREVENTIVE DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, TWO STRIPS OF ADHESIVE MATERIAL ARRANGED IN PARALLELISM, ONE STRIP BEING SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THE OTHER TO PROVIDE AN OVERLAP PORTION AT ONE END THEREOF, ONE STRIP HAVING AN ADHESIVE COATING ON ONE SURFACE THEREOF, THE OTHER STRIP HAVING AN ADHESIVE COATING ON BOTH SURFACES THEREOF, AN ADHESIVE COATING OF ONE STRIP BEING DISPOSED IN SPACED SUPERPOSED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO AN ADHESIVE COATING OF THE OTHER STRIP, A PLURALITY OF SLAT ELEMENTS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID STRIPS AND ARRANGED TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE LENGTHS THEREOF, SAID ELEMENTS BEING IN MUTUALLY SPACED PARALLELISM AND ADHERING TO AN ADHESIVE COATING OF EACH STRIP, AN INCLINED SURFACE AT EACH END OF THE DEVICE, SAID INCLINED SURFACES BEING COMPLEMENTARY WHEREBY WHEN SEATED AGAINST EACH OTHER, A SMOOTH LAPPED JOINT IS PROVIDED, AND WHEN SO SEATED, SAID OVERLAP PORTION EXTENDS THEREBEYOND TO REINFORCE THE SECUREMENT OF THE DEVICE ABOUT THE FINGER.

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