Pacifier / Binky Holder Assembly and Method Awarded U.S. Patent No. 9,452,110
For parents with children using a pacifier (also called a binky in certain circles), this new patent might be for you. Finally, a new invention to hold a pacifier in place to avoid having to run to the child’s room every 5 minutes and put the pacifier back in: U.S. Patent No. 9,452,110 for a “Pacifier Holder Assembly and Method.”
At first glance this looks like an invention an exasperated dad probably came up with. Out of frustration one night, probably after walking down and putting the binky back in for the 20th time, the dad went out to the garage, grabbed some big clamps, took his leather belt off and voilà! Problem solved. This is most likely version 2. I think version 1 was probably just duct tape draped across the crib with the binky stuck to the middle. I know that is what my first attempt would have looked like. To be honest, I probably would have just kept using the duct tape version myself. (Nothing is better than duct tape. Baling wire is a close second.)
Of course it’s possible that a mom had the initial idea for this invention. I’m pretty sure though that if a mom had the initial idea, she would have quickly gone to Pinterest, and the end result probably would look something like one of the items below, only draped across the crib.
(Photo credit to The Crochet Spot.)
Royalty-Free Alternative – Don’t Try This At Home (or Anywhere For That Matter)
Many parents reading this are now wishing that there was a non-infringing alternative for them to use. (Ok, they’re all wishing for other stuff, but for the sake of this post please just go with it.) You’re in luck! One of our readers has put together a non-infringing alternative apparatus for your viewing pleasure. This is just to look at though. Don’t try it. It has not been tested. It certainly isn’t safe. This is just to look at. (Kind of like all the exercise machines you have in the basement.) I don’t think we need to explain how to build this apparatus.
This first image is a perspective view of the alternative pacifier holder apparatus.
Tape. Lots of tape. Some might be wondering why they didn’t use duct tape. I’m guessing that they didn’t use duct tape because they didn’t want to ruin their crib. Duct tape probably would pull off some of the paint, and it might even tear off some of the slats.
This is the key part of the whole apparatus, the prized pacifier or binky. We thought it best to state that no babies were harmed in the making of the binky holder. To be honest, our reader who put this together wouldn’t let her baby anywhere near this contraption. That’s probably the safest course of action.
For Patent Attorneys Only
For the patent nerds who want to know what the patent’s independent claim looks like, here is claim 1 (the only independent claim):
1. An apparatus for holding a pacifier close to a face of a child lying in a crib having opposite first and second top side rails, the apparatus comprising:
an elongated assembly having a length sufficient for the assembly to be draped across the first and second top side rails of the crib;
a middle section of the assembly, said middle section including pacifier-holding portion for holding the pacifier; and
mounting components for holding the middle section on the first and second top side rails of the crib with the assembly draped across the first and second top side rails so that the pacifier extends downwardly to a position close to the face of the child lying in the crib;
wherein the middle section of the elongated assembly includes an elastic band that extends along an axis of elongation of the elastic band;
wherein the middle section of the elongated assembly includes an elongated cover component that extends along said axis of elongation, said elongated cover component covering the elastic band and including an opening-defining portion defining a pacifier-receiving opening in the cover component for receiving the pacifier; and
wherein the middle section of the elongated assembly includes a pair of first and second elastic strips extending transversely across the cover component on opposite sides of the opening, said first and second elastic strips cooperating with the elastic band to hold the pacifier with the pacifier-receiving opening so that a nipple-stimulating member of the pacifier extends outwardly away from the cover component.