RECOVERY AND NURSING GOWN
A patient nursing and recovery gown includes a front portion including closable infant nursing openings covered by privacy panels. The front and back portions each include a top seam at which the front and back portion are joined by re-closable fasteners. The front portion further includes a closable access panel.
Numerous types of patient recovery gowns are in use in hospitals and other medical facilities. Typically, patients staying in a hospital are provided with a gown, as patient apparel, by the hospital. Gowns commonly have a number of different openings allowing access to the patient for procedures, while also allowing some modicum of privacy.
Several types of infant nursing gowns allow new mothers to nurse newborn infants while recovering from the birth process. Again, in many designs, an effort is made to provide some privacy for the mother during the nursing process, while also allowing easy access to the breast for the nursing process.
SUMMARYA patient nursing and recovery gown which combines unique accessibility and privacy is provided. The gown includes a front portion including closable infant nursing openings covered by privacy panels. The front and back portions each include a top seam at which the front and back portion are joined by re-closable fasteners. The front portion further includes a closable access panel.
In a further aspect, a garment comprising a gown is disclosed. The gown has a top edge and a bottom edge, and a first sleeve and a second sleeve. Each sleeve includes a plurality of re-closable fasteners joining a top seam of a front portion of the sleeve to a back portion of the sleeve. The front of the gown includes nursing openings and pleats covering the openings. A center access panel is defined on a first side by the first opening and on the second side by the second opening. The access panel has a top portion including a plurality of re-closable fasteners at a top edge of the panel.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A patient nursing and recovery gown which combines unique accessibility and privacy elements is provided. The gown includes a front portion including closable infant nursing apertures covered by privacy pleats. The front and back portions each include a top seam at which the front and back portion are joined by re-closable fasteners. The front portion further includes a closable torso access panel. The gown provides superior privacy for the patient while allowing access to various portions of the patient's body during treatment.
The front portion 102 includes a yoke section 102a and a main front body section 102b. The main front body section 102b includes a first nursing aperture 140 and a second nursing aperture 142 covered by box pleats 170 and 172, respectively. Each aperture is formed by a first seam 168a, 168b and second seam 169a, 169b (shown in
Each box pleat is formed by supplying sufficient fabric to provide a folded layer of material (folded over to form each pleat) over each respective aperture and the material surrounding the apertures. This allows the apertures 140, 142 to be covered. Double needle stitching at seam 145 secures the fold of each pleat and the main section 102b to the yoke 102a. The front yoke 102a and main front body section 102b are coupled to the sleeves 125a and 125b at seams 115a and 115b respectively.
As illustrated in
Main section 102b also includes an access panel 150, comprising a portion of the fabric defined on a first side by seam 168a (aperture 140) and a second side by seam 168b (aperture 142). The top of the panel is secured to the yoke 102a by closures 162, 163, 164, 166 along a top seam 160. Seam 160 may be provided with a twill tape backing material and one portion (male or female) of the snaps, while a lower portion of yoke 102a along seam 145 includes the male portion of the snaps. It will be recognized that any form of closure or fastener may be used to secure the access panel.
A unique feature of the access panel 150 in the opened or partially opened state is that it may be used to wrap an infant. This is particularly when nursing or holding an infant.
With reference to
While
A neck opening 105 is made wide enough that a human head can comfortably fit through, eliminating the need to unfasten one or more snaps to allow the gown to be put on. The gown may be manufactured in different sizes. The gown should be appropriately sized in length to extend to the thighs of the patient. The gown should be appropriate sized in width to allow the pleats to fold generally vertically along the midsection of a patient. Exemplary dimensions include; a chest width, measured 1″ below the armhole total (with pleat folded) of about 48″ and a front length from the front length seam high point shoulder 106 to bottom hem 168 of about 43⅝″.
As discussed herein, seams 105, 125, 168, 169, 145, and 115 are formed by double fold, coverstitch binding. However, alternative forms of stitching may be used. Seam joints may be bar tacked for comfort. Various numbers and types of fasteners may be used. In one embodiment, fastener spacing at the top seam 111 is 3.5 inches, but alternative spacing may be used.
A pocket 180 may be affixed to pleat 172. It will be recognized that the pocket may be attached by any of a number of conventional stitching methods and may be sized appropriately for use in holding hospital telemetry.
As illustrated in
The gown disclosed herein allows medical personnel to examine and/or treat a patient easily and conveniently by unsnapping any of the various closures and fold back any of the various openings; in addition, a nursing mother is provided with the convenience and privacy of the nursing apertures and pleat covers.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
Claims
1. A garment, comprising:
- a gown having a top edge and a bottom edge,
- a first and a second nursing openings positioned on the front portion;
- a first pleat associated with and covering the first opening and a second pleat associated with and covering the second opening; and
- an access panel defined on a first side by the first opening and on the second side by the second opening, the access panel having a top portion including a plurality of re-closable fasteners at a top edge of the panel.
2. The garment of claim 1 wherein gown comprises a front portion and a back portion, a top edge and a bottom edge.
3. The garment of claim 1 wherein the front portion is joined at said top edge by said plurality of re-closable fasteners.
4. The garment of claim 1 wherein the re-closable fasteners are one of snaps, buttons, ties or clips.
5. The garment of claim 1 wherein each opening comprises an aperture.
6. The garment of claim 1 wherein each aperture includes at least one re-closable fastener.
7. The garment of claim 1 wherein the access panel is made of material of a quantity sufficient to surround an infant.
8. The garment of claim 1 wherein the garment further includes a first sleeve and a second sleeve, each sleeve including a plurality of re-closable fasteners joining a top seam of a front portion of the sleeve to a back portion of the sleeve;
9. A nursing and recovery gown, comprising:
- a gown body including a front portion and a back portion, a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge including a neck opening; a first and a second nursing apertures positioned on the front portion;
- a first pleat associated with and covering the first aperture on the front portion and a second pleat associated with and covering the second aperture; and
- an access panel defined on a first side by the first aperture and on the second side by the second aperture, the access panel having a top portion including a plurality of closures positioned in the front portion a distance below the neck opening.
10. The garment of claim 9 wherein the front portion comprises a yoke portion and a main portion, and the top portion of the access panel is positioned at a bottom end of the yoke when in a closed position.
11. The garment of claim 9 wherein the re-closable fasteners are one of snaps, buttons, ties or clips.
12. The garment of claim 9 wherein each aperture comprises a slit defined by a first seam and a second seam extending from the yoke toward the bottom edge of the gown.
13. The garment of claim 12 wherein each aperture includes at least one re-closable fastener.
14. The garment of claim 9 wherein the access panel is made of material of a quantity sufficient to surround an infant.
15. The garment of claim 9 further including a first sleeve and a second sleeve adjacent to the top edge of the body, each sleeve including an opening sufficient for a human arm to pass through.
16. The garment of claim 9 further including a plurality of closures positioned adjacent to the top edge of the front and back portions, the closures joining the front and back portions.
17. A garment, comprising:
- a gown including a front portion and a back portion, a top edge and a bottom edge, a first sleeve and a second sleeve, each sleeve including an opening sufficient for a human arm to pass through, the top edge including a neck opening and a plurality of fasteners joining the front portion to the back portion at said top edge;
- a first and a second nursing apertures positioned on the front portion;
- a first pleat associated with and covering the first aperture on the front portion and a second pleat associated with and covering the second aperture; and
- an access panel defined on a first side by the first aperture and on the second side by the second aperture, the access panel having a top portion including a plurality of closures positioned in the front portion a distance below the neck opening.
18. The garment of claim 17 wherein the front portion comprises a yoke portion and a main portion, and the top portion of the access panel is positioned at a bottom end of the yoke when in a closed position, and each aperture comprises a slit defined by a first seam and a second seam extending from the yoke toward the bottom edge of the gown.
19. The garment of claim 18 wherein the access panel is made of material of a quantity sufficient to surround an infant.
20. The garment of claim 19 wherein each aperture includes at least one re-closable fastener.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 16, 2008
Publication Date: Apr 22, 2010
Inventors: Sharon Kleppe Grgich (Sonoma, CA), Maria-Paz Santo (Solano, CA)
Application Number: 12/253,012
International Classification: A41D 1/20 (20060101); A41D 10/00 (20060101);