Utility Security Blanket

Patient-restraining means for use with beds has in the past often taken the form of strong bands or straps, often of canvas-like material fastened to the bed and occasionally to the patient. The bands or straps in the prior art have sometimes have been incorporated in some degree with panels of strong sheet material and sometimes with panels of bed clothing material such as disclosed in two of the patents cited as references in the above mentioned parent application. The background also includes restraining blankets and crib covers with closable openings therein and the use of zippers to close these openings. There is a need, however, for a restraining blanket which in any emergency can be completely and very quickly divided to free a bed patient, or merely to facilitate unrestricted access thereto, without untieing the restraining straps, and there is a further need for a blanket which can be converted easily from a restraining blanket, possibly required for night use, to a substantially normal use bed cover by the easy removal of strap portions, as may be desirable for day use by the same patient for psychological and other considerations.

As claimed, the instant invention is an adequate response to the above mentioned need, the blanket being completely separable into two discrete portions along a line extending the full length of the blanket, straps being incorporated into the blanket on each side of the line of division and having strap extensions securable to a bed frame, these straps being easily removable to convert the restraining blanket to a substantially conventional bed covering. The separation of the blanket into two portions is accomplished by a slide fastener with the slider being concealed to discourage tampering therewith by the patient.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the blanket fully extended and with the zipper closed and concealed;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the divided end portion of the blanket and the zipper at the end of its travel and with the protective flap turned back;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic view illustrating the blanket as applied to a hospital bed.

Referring now to the drawing in which the numerals relate to similar or identical elements throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates the blanket generally and the environment wherewith the blanket will be used will ordinarily be a bed 12 to the frame of which the blanket will be secured or a smaller sized blanket will be secured to a geriatric medical lounge chair, not illustrated, for very similar purposes.

The blanket 10 will ordinarily be a simple rectangular panel of bed clothing material divided longitudinally into two discrete portions 14 and 16. The line of division is offset from the median position so that the portion 16 is considerably larger than the portion 14, and in practice the line of division will be considerably closer to one side of the bed than the other for the convenience of the attendants, and of the bed patient as well, especially when getting into or out of bed. A slide fastener 18, generally referred to as a zipper, connects the two portions and it will be noted that the slider 20 of the zipper is located at the limit of its travel toward the end 22 of the blanket, and that the blanket is permanently divided at the end 22 as at 24, that is, there is no zipper at the split portion 24 which will ordinarily be from two to six inches in length.

A flap 26, preferably of material similar to that of the main portion of the blanket, is sewn to the latter along one edge of the flap as at 28, and positioned so that when closed this flap conceals the slider 20 and also effectively closes the split portion 24 of the blanket. The purpose of the flap in concealing the zipper slider 20 is, of course, to discourage tampering therewith by the patient, but the flap has an opening tab 30 and is held closed only by self-closure means 32-34 such as that sold under the trademark VELCRO.

Longitudinally extending restraining straps 36-38 are secured, as by sewing, to the surface of the blanket, in each of the portions 14 and 16, respectively, and transverse restraining straps 40 and 42 intercept the straps 36 and 38, respectively. In addition, similar straps may be used to reinforce the fabric portions of the slide fastener 18, and diagonal restraining straps 44 are added to reinforce the central panels of the blanket.

If reference is made to FIG. 3 it will be noted how each of the transverse straps 40 and 42 are each provided with a terminal loop 44, preferably sewn to the junctures of the longitudinal and transverse straps. An equal number of strap extensions 46 are releasibly secured by looping the ends 48 thereof through the loops 44, said ends 48 being provided with self-interconnecting means of suitable nature such as that sold under the trademark VELCRO, and said strap extensions are, of course, used to tie the blanket to the bed frame or geriatric lounge chair as may be required to prevent inadvertent or intentional removal by a patient. When not required, it is a simple matter to remove the strap extensions 46 so that the blanket can be used therewithout while still retaining the functionality of an easily divisible blanket by reason of the slide fastener 18.