Clothes for persons requiring bodily device attachments

Abstract

Provided is a garment adapted for wear by persons incapable of donning conventional clothing due to a bulky device attached or connected to their person or by a continuous connection to an external device. The garment comprises front and back panels applicable to said person's torso and sleeve panels applicable to said person's arm. The panels have opposing side and sleeve margins with fastening means distributed thereon for securing the garment under said person's arms and down the side of said person's torso by interconnecting the panels along opposing releasably fastened edge margins in the worn position of the garment, without the necessity of placing said person's head or arms through the clothing holes in normal dressing movements.

Description

This application is filed as a continuation-in-part to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/858,360 filed Jun. 1, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention is related to novel garment assembly especially useful for those requiring a device attachment to an upper appendage or the torso. More particularly, the garment is provided with seams running from the hem to the sleeve which can be assembled around the wearer's body without requiring the normal dressing movements of placing the arms through sleeves.

Those who require device attachment to their arms or torso often find it difficult to don conventionally-designed garments due to the bulkiness of the attached device or a connection between the attached device and an external portion which restricts the insertion of the arms or torso through the designation portions of the garment. Donning traditional garments requires the detachment and reattachment of the medicating or monitoring equipment by a nurse or qualified aide, adding another task to the already overwhelmed health-care providers. Many patients do not get dressed due to their reluctance to ask for, or the reluctance of health-care workers to provide, such assistance. The patient may then be relegated to wearing hospital gowns which may depress the spirit and slow recovery.

Unlike hospital gowns, this garment gives a conventional appearance while allowing sleeve closure around the arms and torso without requiring removal of any device or connection. The ability to don a sleeve without conventional dressing movements allows the device or attachment to be concealed within the garment. Unlike garments created for the handicapped, the body of the garment has a conventional frontal closure, convincingly creating the impression of a conventional garment. Sleeves can be donned conventionally if the arm and torso are free of encumbrances, allowing the garment continued use once the device or connection has been removed. The object of the present invention is to provide clothing which is conventional in appearance but which can be easily donned by those who cannot place their arm through a sleeve in the convention manner of dressing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a major objective of the present invention to provide clothing which, while appearing conventional, is constructed so as to enable their donning with ease by the person being medicated or monitored by machine hookup. It is a more particular object of the invention to provide clothing which can be assembled on the torso of the wearer without need of a nurse to detach and reattach a medicating or monitoring device.

This objective is achieved in accordance with the teachings hereof, by a garment adapted for wear by a person being medicated or monitored by attachment to a device. The garment comprises a back panel, applicable to the back of the person's torso, and one or two front panels, applicable to the front of the person's torso, where one or both front and rear panel opposing side seams have fastening means distributed thereon for assembling the garment around the person's torso. If only one side margin is releasably fastened, the other side margin of the front and rear panels is to be permanently affixed. The garment further comprises two sleeve panels, attached to the shoulders and having, on one or both sleeve, a split bottom seam with fastening means distributed thereon for assembling the garment over the person's arms without the necessity of the normal dressing movement of placing a hand through a sleeve. If only one sleeve has a releasably fastened bottom seam, the bottom seam on the other sleeve is to be permanently affixed. The releasably fastened seams allows the garment to be opened on one or both sides from bottom hem to sleeve cuff, placed around the person's torso and arm, and then fastened.

In particular embodiments, the mentioned front panels are secured to the person's torso by means of overlapping the panels and securing with a length of material. Alternatively, the panels may be secured by means of a fastening system attached to opposing center edge margins of the front panels, including but not limited to a zipper, buttons, snaps, or similar fastening means.

Accordingly then, in another preferred embodiment of this invention, the garment comprises fabric front and rear panels with both front and rear panel opposing side margins overlapped in a fastener secured relationship and having the opposing shoulder seams permanently secured, and further including fabric sleeve panels permanently attached to the front and back panels at the armholes and having the bottom seams defined by opposing panel edge margins overlapped in a fastener secured relationship.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further descried as to illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of an embodiment of the invention as it would look when worn, where front panels are closed over the torso by means of a length of fabric.

FIG. 2 is side view of an embodiment of the invention where front panels are closed over the torso by means of fasteners distributed along opposing side margins and sleeves are closed over the arms by means of fasteners distributed along opposing bottom margins.

FIG. 3 is a view of an embodiment of the invention where the side and sleeve releasably fastened margins are fully opened.

FIG. 4 is a view of an embodiment of the invention where both side and sleeve releaseably fastened margins are fully opened.

DETAILED INVENTION DESCRIPTION

Garment is donned by placing back panel against wearer's back and then placing the front panel or panels against the front of the wearer's torso, keeping bottom arm and side seams open. If only one side seam is releasably fastened, the opposing arm must be placed through the sleeve in a conventional manner. Once the body of the garment has been placed around wearer's torso, the releasably fastened seams are fastened under the wearer's arms and down the side of the torso. If there are two front panels, the front panels are then secured together around the wearer's body.

Thus, a nurse or aide is not needed to get the wearer dressed, a family member of the wearer themselves may apply the garment due to the fact that donning the garment by securing the sleeve portion around the arm and torso once the body is in position within the garment does not require detachment of any device affixed to the wearer's person.

The above described embodiments of this invention are merely descriptive of its principles and are not to be considered limiting. The scope of this invention instead shall be determined from the scope of the following claims including their equivalents.

Claims

1. Garment adapted for wear by one requiring device attachment on an upper appendage or torso which renders them incapable of executing normal dressing; said garment comprising

Two front panels applicable to the front of said person's torso,

A rear panel applicable to the back of said person's torso,

Said front and rear panels having opposing top edge margins permanently fastened to one another and opposing side edge margins having fastening means distributed along their lengths for simultaneously assembling and securing the garment along said person's body,

Sleeve segments having fastening means distributed on bottom length of the sleeves from cuff to underarm for completing a sleeve around said person's arm.

2. Garment according to claim 1 in which said front, rear, and sleeve panels are formed of fabric.

3. Garment according to claim 1 in which said front and rear panels extend to a length between said person's knees and ankles.

4. Garment according to claim 1 in which said front and rear panels extend to a length along said person's upper thighs.

5. Garment according to claim 1 in which said fastening means, disposed along sleeve panels from cuff to armpit and along front and rear panels from armpit to bottom hem comprise longitudinally extended pressure responsive mechanical interconnectors secured to opposing edge margins of said panels defining relation.

6. Garment according to claim 5 in which said fastening means are disposed along only one sleeve panel seam and the corresponding front and rear panel side seam with the sleeve panel seam and corresponding front and rear panel side seam of the other side being permanently affixed to the opposing margins.

7. Garment according to claim 5 in which said fastening means are disposed along both sleeve panels and both side seams of the front and rear panels.

8. Garment according to claim 1 in which the front panels are closed around said person's torso by means of a length of material.

9. Garment according to claim 1 in which the front panels are closed around said person's torso by means of fastening means disposed along opposing center edge margins of the front panels.

10. Garment adapted for wear by one requiring device attachment on an upper appendage or torso which renders them incapable of executing normal dressing; said garment comprising

A front panels applicable to the front of said person's torso,

A rear panel applicable to the back of said person's torso,

Said front and rear panels having opposing top edge margins permanently fastened to one another and opposing side edge margins having fastening means distributed along their lengths for simultaneously assembling and securing the garment along said person's body,

Sleeve segments having fastening means distributed on bottom length of the sleeves from cuff to underarm for completing a sleeve around said person's arm.

11. Garment according to claim 10 in which said front, rear, and sleeve panels are formed of fabric.

12. Garment according to claim 10 in which said front and rear panels extend to a length between said person's knees and ankles.

13. Garment according to claim 10 in which said front and rear panels extend to a length along said person's upper thighs.

14. Garment according to claim 10 in which said fastening means, disposed along sleeve panels from cuff to armpit and along front and rear panels from armpit to bottom hem comprise longitudinally extended pressure responsive mechanical interconnectors secured to opposing edge margins of said panels defining relation.

15. Garment according to claim 14 in which said fastening means are disposed along only one sleeve panel seam and the corresponding front and rear panel side seam with the sleeve panel seam and corresponding front and rear panel side seam of the other side being permanently affixed to the opposing margins.

16. Garment according to claim 14 in which said fastening means are disposed along both sleeve panels and both side seams of the front and rear panels.