VERSATILE COVER
A cover adapted to calm and comfort an infant. The cover has two panels layered on top of each other. The first panel is disposed at a substantially central position on a second panel. An outer thinner layer is defined around the periphery of the first panel and is a breathable material thin enough to provide ample ventilation to the wearer of the cover. The cover may include a fastener for attaching the cover to an object.
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This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/646,189, filed May 11, 2012; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety into this disclosure.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe subject disclosure relates generally to a garment cover for infants, and more specifically to a versatile swaddle blanket cover.
BACKGROUNDIn an effort to keep an infant comforted and warm, swaddling of newborns has been provided for a number of years. Most infants are typically swaddled for three to four months after birth in order to allow the baby to sleep more soundly. The snugness and binding of the arms in a swaddle is thought to be comforting to the newborn, much like the confinement of the womb. The swaddle provides a sense of security to the infant. It is also believed that pressure across the abdominal and chest area has a calming effect and is thought to relieve colic. Likewise, in a swaddle, a caregiver is able to handle and carry the infant more easily.
It is suggested that swaddling of the infant and positioning them on their back will reduce the risk of SIDS when the infant is sleeping. Overheating can contribute to an increased risk of SIDS. Unfortunately, overheating is also a risk related to swaddling since newborns have difficulties regulating their body temperature. That is, the infant can dangerously overheat and not be able to cool their body temperature down. Unfortunately, conventional swaddle designs have failed to address this problem.
Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail, wherein like reference numerals refer to identical or similar components or steps, with reference to the following figures, wherein:
Particular embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the figures.
In position, an outer layer 15 is formed that surrounds the inner first panel 12. The inner first panel 12 is layered by the second panel 14. As such, the inner portion of the cover 10 is thicker than the outer layer 15 which surrounds the first panel 12 because of the layering of the first panel 12 on top of the second panel 14 as shown in
In
As shown in
Various material and fabrics may be used in accordance with the subject disclosure. For example, various natural and/or man-made fabrics may be employed, such as knits and woven fabrics selected from at least one of a light weight, medium weight, and/or heavy weight fabric and/or other suitable material fabric. The cover 10 can also be made from a light, stretchable material, such as elasticized cotton, muslin, fleece, blended materials and/or other suitable material. Other materials may include the use of organic and/or unbleached materials which are suitable for infant care.
Alternatively, the cover 10 may be made from sheet material. Many fabrics known in the art may be used depending on the desired characteristics such as elasticity, warmth, weight, breathability, stain resistance, absence of allergens, visual appeal and other factors. The cover may be made of a single or multiple layer material or parts of different materials. Flexible, non-fabric materials may also be used to provide special characteristics. Likewise, the various materials may be made of the same or different material weight.
The first panel 12 and the second panel 14 may be attached to each other in a variety of different ways, such as for example, by stitching with a thread, an adhesive, bonding, fusing, and/or other suitable method for attaching various material fabrics to each other in accordance with the subject disclosure.
Although the object 11 is shown as a handle, it is to be understood that the fastener 17 may be attached at various locations of the object. Likewise, the fastener 17 may be used to attach an edge of the cover 10 to another portion of the cover 10 itself as will be described in more detail later.
A variety of different types of fasteners 17 may be employed on the cover 10. For example, the fastener 17 may be a cloth band, an elastic band, a snap connection, a hook and loop fastener connection and/or any other suitable fastener capable of securing and/or connecting the cover 10 to an object and/or to itself.
In a weave construction of the fabric for the cover 10, the first panel 12 portion may be constructed to be thicker or thinner in material weight than the second panel 14 portion of the cover 10. The finished material is preferably an ultra soft fabric so that when placed against a baby's skin, the material is extremely soft and soothing to the infant. In order to obtain a soft fabric construction, various softening processes may be applied to the fabric, such as for example, using silicon to soften the fabric, washing the material, mechanically brushing the fabric to soften the material fabric and/or any other suitable type of softening process in accordance with the subject disclosure.
The first panel 12 is located adjacent to the body of the infant 8 to provide the most coverage over the body to keep the infant 8 comfortably warm. The outer layer 15 of the second panel 14 may be comprised of a thinner construction to allow ample ventilation of the infant 8 and to prevent the infant 8 from overheating when completely swaddled.
One exemplary method of using the cover 10 may be to position the infant 8 centrally on top of the folded first panel 12 as shown in
In
In
In accordance with this subject disclosure, the size and shape of the wings in the first panel 12 or second panel 14 may be varied. That is, the cover can be configured so that one of the wings is shorter than the other. As such, the shorter wing may be first wrapped across the infant 8, and the longer wing may then be folded over the shorter wing. A similar process can be used if both wings are of the same or similar length.
As mentioned above with respect to
As shown in use in
The illustrations and examples provided herein are for explanatory purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that changes or modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the broad inventive concepts of the invention. It is understood therefore that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment which is described, but is intended to cover all modifications and changes within the scope and spirit of the invention.
Claims
1. A cover comprising:
- a first panel; and
- a second panel, the first panel layered on top of the second panel,
- wherein the first panel is disposed at substantially a central position on the second panel, the second panel defines an outer layer that is disposed around the periphery of the first panel.
2. The cover recited in claim 1, further comprising a fastener for securing the cover to an object.
3. The cover recited in claim 2, wherein the fastener is selected from at least one of a cloth band, an elastic band, a snap connection, and a hook and loop fastener connection.
4. The cover recited in claim 1, wherein the second panel is comprised of a breathable material allowing ample ventilation there-through.
5. The cover recited in claim 1, wherein the first panel and the second panel are comprised of different material weights.
6. The cover recited in claim 1, wherein the first panel or the second panel is comprised of one or more material layers.
7. The cover recited in claim 1, wherein the first panel identifies a location of placement for an infant to be swaddled by the cover.
8. The cover recited in claim 1, wherein the cover is used as at least one of the following: a swaddle, an infant carrier cover, an infant placemat, a wearable garment and a burp cloth.
9. The cover recited in claim 1, wherein:
- an area where the first panel is layered on top of the second panel has a first material weight thickness associated with a first thermal property; and
- another area defining the outer layer of the second panel has a second material weight thickness associated with a second thermal property, different from the first thermal property.
10. The cover recited in claim 1, wherein the second panel is a breathable material.
11. The cover recited in claim 10, wherein the outer layer is contiguously disposed completely around the first panel.
12. An infant swaddle blanket comprising:
- a first panel; and
- a second panel, the first panel is fastened to the second panel and defines a location to position an infant,
- wherein the first panel is disposed at substantially a central position on the second panel, an outer layer of the second panel extends beyond the first panel defining an outer border that surrounds an outer edge of the first panel.
13. The infant swaddle blanket recited in claim 12, wherein the cover includes a fastener adapted to be connected to an object.
14. The infant swaddle blanket recited in claim 12, wherein the cover includes an opening through which a caregiver can grasp a handle of an infant carrier.
15. The infant swaddle blanket recited in claim 12, wherein the second panel is a breathable material.
16. The infant swaddle blanket recited in claim 12, wherein the outer border is contiguously disposed completely around the first panel.
17. An infant swaddle blanket comprising:
- a first panel;
- a second panel,
- wherein the first panel is fastened to the second panel at substantially a central position on the second panel such that an outer layer of the second panel extends beyond the first panel defining an outer border; and
- a fastener.
18. The infant swaddle blanket recited in claim 17, wherein the first panel and the second panel are comprised of different material weights.
19. The infant swaddle blanket recited in claim 17, wherein the second panel is a breathable fabric such as cotton, and the outer border is contiguous and completely surrounds an outer edge of the first panel.
20. The infant swaddle blanket recited in claim 17, wherein:
- an area where the first panel is layered on top of the second panel has a first material weight thickness associated with a first thermal property; and
- another area defined by the outer border of the second panel has a second material weight thickness associated with a second thermal property, different from the first thermal property.
Type: Application
Filed: May 11, 2013
Publication Date: Nov 14, 2013
Applicant: Munchkin, Inc. (North Hills, CA)
Inventors: Steven Bryan Dunn (Beverly Hills, CA), Katharine Gray Buford (Santa Monica, CA), Andrea Beatriz Montes (Los Angeles, CA), Adlin Aslan (Jakarta)
Application Number: 13/892,279
International Classification: A41B 13/06 (20060101);