US3557776A

US3557776A - Hand-holdable pacifier

Info

Publication number: US3557776A
Application number: US793730*A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edmund R Boots; Weston M Willis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-01-24
Filing date: 1969-01-24
Publication date: 1971-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 1988-01-26

Abstract

An elongated hand-holdable pacifier shaped to conform to a comfortable hand grip with a thumb-engageable open ended groove at one end and a handle portion at the other end.

Description

United States Patent Inventors Edmund R. Boots 2310 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, Fla. 32960; I

Weston M. Willis, Bar Harbor, Maine 793,730

Jan. 24, 1969 Jan. 26, 1971 said Willis assignor to said Boots Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee HAND-HOLDABLE PACIFIER 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 128/1, 272/68 Int. Cl A61b 19/00 Field of Search 128/1, 26,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,229,658 6/1917 Sandow 272/68 2,520,355 8/1950 Bell 30/340 2,994,530 8/1961 Cohan 272/68 3,111,322 11/1963 English... 273/183 3,129,939 4/1964 Stock 272/68 3,262,702 7/1966 Kovacs v. 272/68X 3,265,389 8/1966 Carlson 272/68 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,112,170 11/1955 France Primary Examiner-Dalton L. Tmluck AttorneyBrumbaugh, Graves, Donohue and Raymond ABSTRACT: An elongated hand-holdable pacifier shaped to conform to a comfortable hand grip with a thumb-engageable open-ended groove at one end and a handle portion at the other end.

PATENTEDJANZSISII 3557776 u v I /0 INVENTOR. EDMUND R. BOOTS /i WESTON M. wn |s his ATTORNEYS.

HAND-HOLDABLE PACIFIER This invention relates to a pacifier shaped to be comfortably held in one hand while it is stroked by the thumb to have a calming or settling effect on the user.

The pacifier of the present invention is a smooth, hard, elongated body which is wider at one end and narrower at the opposite end. The wider end has a thumb-engageable groove which extends lengthwise along the top of the body to the extreme end thereof to provide a thumb-strokable channel which permits the user to slide the thumb of the hand which holds the pacifier back and forth. The narrower end serves as a handle portion which conforms to the grip of the hand. The bottom is rounded from side to side to rest comfortably between the fingers and palm of the hand of the user while the thumb is stroking the groove.

In a preferred embodiment of the pacifier, one side is generally convexly curved, as viewed from the top, to impart a lengthwise curvature which conforms to the hand grip in which the pacifier is ordinarily held. Also, a plurality of spaced apart finger receiving grooves are preferably provided along the convexly curved side of the handle of the pacifier.

The aesthetic effect of the pacifier can be enhanced by forming it of a precious or semiprecious material. An attractive and relatively inexpensive pacifier can be made of highly polished stone, such as jasper.

For a complete understanding of the invention reference may be made to the detailed description which follows and to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of the pacifier of the present invention showing the hand of the holder in phantom lines;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the pacifier;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are end views thereof;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are plan and bottom views, respectively, of an alternative form of the pacifier; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The pacifier shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings is a solid, smooth, hard, elongated body 10, for example, polished jasper stone. The pacifier has a wider end 11 and a narrower end 12.

The top surface 13 of the pacifier is generally flat, and the bottom surface 14 is rounded from side to side to enable the pacifier to conform with and rest comfortably in the hand of the holder. Portions of the top surface can, however, be rounded, and portions of the bottom'can be flat, as shown in FIG. 4.

A thumb-engageable groove or channel 15 extends lengthwise along the top of the wider end of the body from about the middle of the body and preferably extends to the extreme end of the body to form an open ended channel, the open end being shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The groove or channel 15 has a generally concave curvature from side to side as viewed in FIG. 3.

The narrower end 12 of the pacifier serves as a handle portion. The handle portion gradually diminishes in width to enable it to be held more comfortably.

The side 16 of the handle of the pacifier which is engaged by the fingers is generally convexly curved and the side 17 which is engaged by the palm portion of the hand, although relatively straight, is preferably slightly concavely curved so that it will conform more closely to the hand grip of the holder.

The convexly curved side 16 of the handle has a plurality of spaced-apart finger receiving grooves 18 fonned therein to improve the comfort of the grip.

The alternative form of the pacifier 10', shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 of the drawings, differs chiefly in that the finger grooves 18' are not visible from the top, as shown in FIG. 5, whereas the finger grooves I8 of FIG. I to 4 embodiment are visible from the top as shown in FIG. 1.

The user holds the pacifier in the manner shown in FIG. I with the thumb-engageable groove or channel 15 facing up. the bottom 14 resting in the crooked portions of the fingers, the convexly curved side 16 engaged by the fingers and the side 17 engaged by the palm. With the fingers curled around the handle, the pacifier can be stroked by the thumb sliding back and forth len wise in the groove l5.

The pacifier of e present invention IS intended to afford to the user a pleasurable sensation, a calming effect and a release for nervous energy, thereby contributing to his general sense of well-being. The pacifier may also be used by persons having nervous dispositions, and as a substitute and distraction for harmful habits, such as smoking and finger nail biting. It can be of a size and shape which can be concealed by the hand even when it is being used.

The invention has been shown in preferred forms and by way of example only, and it is obvious that it can take other forms, shapes and be made of other materials. Decorations,

emblems or precious stones can be recessed in the top of the handle portion.

Iclaim:

1. A hand-holdable pacifier comprising an elongated body made of smooth, hard material narrower at one end and wider at the opposite end and having a thumb-engageable groove extending lengthwise along the top of the body at the wider end to enable the thumb of the holder to slide back and forth along the groove when the pacifier is held in the hand, said groove being a channel which extends along the upper surface of the body from an intermediate portion to the extreme wider end thereof forming a groove open at one end, a handle portion of gradually diminishing width at the narrower end, and a bottom surface rounded at the sides to rest in the fingers of the user while the thumb is engageable with the groove.

2. A pacifier as set forth in claim 1 in which one side of the body which is engageable with the fingers is generally convexly curved, as viewed from the top, to conform to the hand grip of the holder.

3. A pacifier as set forth in claim 2 in which the opposite side of the body which normally engages the palm has a slight concave curvature to conform to the hand grip of the holder.

4. A pacifier as set forth in claim 1 including a plurality of spaced-apart finger receiving grooves disposed along one side of the handle portion of the pacifier.

5. A pacifier as set forth in claim 1 in which the elongated body is made of highly polished stone.

6. A pacifier as set forth in claim 5 in which the highly polished stone is jasper.