Child's Garment With Double Slider Zipper
The child's garment (12) with double slider zipper (10) is a garment having an upper portion configured to cover the child's upper body, including the chest, arms, and upper torso, and a lower portion configured to cover the child's lower body, including the lower torso, hips and legs, and may also cover the feet. The garment (12) is furnished with an elongated zipper (10) on the front of the garment extending from the collar to the foot or lower end of the garment, the zipper (10) extending along only one leg (18) when the garment (12) has two legs. The zipper (10) has a double slider so that the upper portion may be opened by sliding the pull on the upper slider (20) down from the neckline, or the lower portion may be opened by pulling the lower slider (22) up from the foot of the garment (12).
The present invention relates to garments for infants and small children, and particularly to a child's garment with a double slider zipper.
BACKGROUND ARTInfants and small children typically must be kept warm, both while sleeping at night and when going outside during the winter in cold climates. Consequently, sleepwear and outerwear for infants and small toddlers are often in the form of jumpsuits, many of which are equipped with feet or booties for keeping the child's feet warm. Such clothing is effective in keeping the child warm, but can be inconvenient when it becomes necessary to either partially or entirely remove the sleepwear or outerwear, especially when it becomes necessary to change the child's diaper or during toileting. The jumpsuit is often equipped with buttons, which are cumbersome. Even when the jumpsuit is equipped with a zipper, the zipper is a single slider zipper that opens at the top, so that the entire jumpsuit needs to be removed for access to the diaper, which requires time to remove the upper portion of the garment, and which leaves both the child's upper and lower body exposed.
Consequently, there is a need for a one-piece child's garment that covers both the upper and lower body, and which has a closure element that can alternately be opened from either the top or the bottom to access either portion of the child's body when needed. Such a garment would minimize exposure to the cold or other elements, and would further be more convenient to use for the child's parent or caregiver. Thus, a child's garment having a double slider zipper solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTIONThe disclosure is directed to a child's garment with double slider zipper. The garment is adapted for covering both upper and lower portions of a child's body. The garment has a central opening that extends from the upper end of the garment to the lower end. The double slider zipper has teeth mounted on a pair of stringers attached to opposing edges of the central opening. The zipper extends from the upper end of the garment to the lower end. The double slider zipper has an upper slider and a lower slider mounted in bottom-to-bottom relation so that the upper slider is selectively movable to a first open position to provide access to the upper portion of the child's body while keeping the lower portion covered by the garment, and the lower slider is selectively movable to a second open position to provide access to the lower portion of the child's body while keeping the upper portion covered by the garment.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTIONThe current invention is directed to a double zippered child's garment. The garment has an upper portion that is configured to cover a child's upper body, including his chest, arms, and upper torso, and a lower portion configured to cover the child's lower body, including the lower torso, hips and legs, and may also cover the feet. The lower portion may have separate legs with integral booties, or may be a one-piece, sleeping bag configuration. It should be understood that the garment may have any configuration, dependent upon the particular needs and desires of the user. For example, in the above, the garment may include separate legs without attached booties. Alternatively, it should be understood that, as noted above, the double slider zipper may be affixed to a sleeping bag-type structure, or any other suitable garment, cover or flexible structure. The garment is furnished with an elongated zipper on the front of the garment extending from the collar to the foot or lower end of the garment, the zipper extending along only one leg when the garment has two legs. The zipper has a double slider so that the upper portion may be opened by sliding the pull on the upper slider down from the collar, or the lower portion may be opened by pulling the lower slider up from the foot of the garment.
The provision of the double slider facilitates access to one portion of the child's body while keeping the other portion clothed for warmth and comfort, and also requires less work from the caregiver (or from the child), since it is not necessary to remove the entire garment to perform such chores as changing a diaper, or during toileting. The garment may also be equipped with features that prevent accidental opening of the zipper by the child. Such features may include, for example, a flap or tab that covers the pull of the upper zipper. The flap may be releasably secured by a snap fastener, button, or other fastener that the child cannot easily open.
The garment 12 is furnished with an elongated zipper 10 on the front of the garment 12 extending from the collar to the foot or lower end of the garment 12. As shown in the drawings, the zipper 10 extends along only one leg 18 when the garment 12 has two legs. The zipper 12 has a double slider so that the upper portion may be opened by sliding the pull on the upper slider 20 down from the collar, or the lower portion may be opened by pulling the lower slider 22 up from the foot of the garment 12, with the two sliders being independently operable. The zipper 12 is attached to the garment 12 by attaching one stringer 50 to a first side 14 of the garment 12 and attaching the opposing stringer 50 to the opposite second side 16 of the garment.
The garment 12 may be provided with other features for the comfort and safety of the child, such as, for example, having elastic cuffs at the ends of the sleeves, a high friction surface on the bottom of the feet, etc.
The use of the double zipper system with a garment, such as garment 12, is desirable, but not limited to, particular application to infant clothing. Particularly, the opening of the garment from the bottom up, via lower slider 22, allows for easy and comfortable access during diaper changing and toilet training, for example, without requiring the full removal of the garment from the child, thus keeping the child continuously warm throughout the process. It should be understood that such a garment and zipper system may be used with a person of any age where such a double zipper system would be desired.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A child's garment with double slider zipper, comprising:
- a garment adapted for covering both upper and lower portions of a child's body, the garment having an upper end, a lower end, and a central opening extending from the upper end to the lower end; and
- a double slider zipper having teeth mounted on a pair of stringers attached to opposing edges of the central opening from the upper end to the lower end, the double slider zipper having an upper slider and a lower slider mounted in bottom-to-bottom relation so that the upper slider is selectively movable to a first open position to provide access to the upper portion of the child's body while keeping the lower portion covered by the garment, and the lower slider is selectively movable to a second open position to provide access to the lower portion of the child's body while keeping the upper portion covered by the garment.
2. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in claim 1, wherein the upper end of said garment includes a central portion and a pair of laterally opposed sleeves positioned along laterally opposed side edges of the central portion and projecting outwardly therefrom.
3. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in claim 2, wherein an upper region of the central opening is formed substantially centrally through the central portion of the upper end and extends along a substantially longitudinal axis.
4. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in claim 2, wherein the lower end of said garment includes a pair of leg portions joined to the central portion and projecting downwardly therefrom.
5. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in claim 4, wherein a lower region of the central opening is formed through a side wall of one of the leg portions.
6. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in claim 4, wherein an upper region of the central opening is formed through a front surface of the central portion of the upper end of the garment.
7. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
- an upper flap joined to the upper end of the garment adjacent a top end of the central opening along a first side thereof, the upper flap selectively covering the upper slider when the upper slider is positioned adjacent the top end; and
- means for releasably securing the upper flap to a second side of the upper end of the garment adjacent the top end of the central opening, whereby the user may selectively cover and secure the upper flap over the upper slider.
8. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in claim 7, further comprising:
- a lower flap joined to the lower end of the garment adjacent a bottom end of the central opening along a first side of the lower end of the garment, the lower flap selectively covering the lower slider when the lower slider is positioned adjacent the bottom end; and,
- means for releasably securing the lower flap to a second side of the lower end of the garment adjacent the bottom end of the central opening, whereby the user may selectively cover and secure the lower flap over the lower slider.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 5, 2007
Publication Date: Sep 10, 2009
Inventor: Lisa M. Pisano-Ginter (Saint Augustine, FL)
Application Number: 12/227,146
International Classification: A41D 11/00 (20060101); A41D 10/00 (20060101);