Easy-close infant underwear

Abstract

A one-piece infant undergarment having neck and arm openings, and a bottom opening backed by a prolonged bottom flap dimensioned to wrap around the infant's crotch and to join the front of the bottom opening. Opposing hook-and loop Velcro® strips are sewn onto the undergarment along the margins of the bottom flap and at the front of the bottom opening. When the bottom flap is wrapped around the infant's crotch, it can be conveniently joined to the front by the opposing hook-and loop strips and sealed closed by minimal pressure, thereby forming a releasable crotch cover that facilitates more convenient no-fuss changing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application derives priority from U.S. Provisional patent application No. 60/560,326, filed: Apr. 7, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to infant garments and, more particularly, to a one-piece infant underwear with Velcro® crotch release for more convenient changing of diapers.

2. Description of the Background

During their first few years of infancy babies and toddlers are typically dressed in one-piece undergarments. FIG. 1 shows a prior art one-piece undergarment that is very typical. These are patterned and cut from 100% cotton with expandable neck and arm openings to provide a good fit and easy, no-fuss dressing. The one-piece design keeps the child's tummy covered, but unfortunately complicates the task of changing diapers. To assist in this regard a common design feature of these infant one-piece undergarments is a series of snaps 2 at the crotch line to allow access for changing. Unfortunately it is exceedingly difficult to snap the snaps 2, especially since only one hand is available to do it (the other is typically used for stabilizing the infant on a changing table). It would be greatly advantageous to provide a one-piece infant undergarment with a more convenient and forgiving crotch closure to facilitate single-handed application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a one-piece infant undergarment with a reclosable Velcro® crotch closure to facilitate more convenient no-fuss opening and closing.

These and other objects are accomplished by a one-piece infant undergarment patterned and cut from 100% cotton with expandable neck and arm openings to provide a good fit and easy, no-fuss dressing, and which keeps the child's tummy covered. The one-piece undergarment has releasable crotch flaps that attach via opposing Velcro® strips sewn into the margins of the crotch flaps to facilitate more convenient no-fuss opening and closing. The Velcro® strips provide a much more forgiving crotch closure that facilitates single-handed application more conveniently than conventional snaps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and certain modifications thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a prior art one-piece. undergarment with a series of snaps 2 at the crotch line to allow access for changing.

FIG. 2 shows a one-piece undergarment in accordance with the present invention that incorporates opposing Velcro® strips 4, 6 at the crotch flaps to facilitate more convenient no- fuss opening and closing to allow access for changing

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a one-piece infant undergarment with a more convenient and forgiving crotch closure to facilitate single-handed application.

FIG. 2 shows a one-piece undergarment in accordance with the present invention that incorporates opposing Velcro® strips 4, 6 at the crotch flaps to facilitate more convenient no-fuss opening and closing to allow access for changing.

The one-piece infant undergarment may be patterned and cut from 100% cotton with expandable neck and arm openings to provide a good fit, and a bottom opening backed by a prolonged bottom flap 3 dimensioned to wrap around the infant's crotch and to join the front of the bottom opening. Opposing hook-and loop Velcro® strips 4, 6 are sewn onto the garment at the margins of the bottom flap 3 and at the front of the bottom opening. The Velcro® strips 4, 6 form a releasable crotch cover that may be sealed closed by minimal pressure to facilitate more convenient no-fuss closing. The Velcro® strips 4, 6 provide a much more forgiving crotch closure than the prior art snaps because no alignment is needed, and when one hand is indisposed the Velcro® strips 4, 6 facilitate single-handed application much more conveniently than conventional snaps.

Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiment and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention, various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A one-piece infant undergarment, comprising:

a neck opening at the top of a one-piece infant undergarment;

a right arm opening at the right side of said undergarment;

a left arm opening at the left side of said undergarment;

a bottom opening at the bottom of said undergarment wherein said bottom opening is backed by a prolonged bottom flap dimensioned to wrap around the infant's crotch and to join the front of said bottom opening; and

opposing hook-and loop strips sewn onto said undergarment along the margins of said bottom flap and at the front of said bottom opening, said opposing hook-and loop strips forming a releasable crotch cover wherein said crotch cover is sealed closed by applying minimal pressure to said opposing hook-and loop strips to facilitate more convenient no-fuss closing.

2. A one-piece infant undergarment according to. claim 1 wherein said right arm opening is expandable.

3. A one-piece infant undergarment. according to claim 1 wherein said left arm opening is expandable.

4. A one-piece infant undergarment according to claim 1 wherein said neck opening, right arm opening, left arm opening, bottom opening and bottom flap are integrally formed as a unitary body from cotton.

5. A one-piece infant undergarment according to claim 1 wherein said opposing hook-and loop strips each comprise a strip of nylon fabric with Velcro® closures.

6. A one-piece infant undergarment patterned and cut from a cotton blank and having an expandable neck opening and a pair of opposing arm openings, and a bottom opening backed by a prolonged bottom flap dimensioned to fold overtop an infant's crotch to substantially cover said bottom opening while leaving a pair of leg openings, at least one hook-and loop strip sewn along a margin of said bottom flap, and at least one mating hook-and loop strip sewn onto said undergarment and bordering said bottom opening, said bottom flap and opposing hook-and loop strips serving as a releasable crotch cover when said bottom flap is folded overtop the infant crotch area and is closed by applying minimal pressure to said opposing hook-and loop strips.

7. A one-piece infant undergarment according to claim 6 wherein said opposing hook- and loop strips each comprise a strip of nylon fabric with Velcro® closures.