INFANTS WEARABLE BLANKET WITH DOUBLE ENDED ZIPPER

Abstract

A wearable blanket for covering the legs and torso of an infant includes a sheath of generally planar textile material configured to envelope the infant in a bag-like manner. The sheath defines a head opening including a zipper portion extending from substantially a foot end of the sheath to a head end of the sheath and at the head end of the sheath, the head opening is bordered by a collar configured to encircle a neck of the infant. The sheath defines right and left arm holes. A double ended zipper extends along an edge of the head opening over the zipper portion such that when the zipper is in a fully closed position it draws opposing ends of the collar together.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a utility application claiming priority from that provisional application of the same title and having an application Ser. No. 61/121,855 having been filed on Dec. 11, 2008. Reference to the provisional here is intended to incorporate the whole of that provisional as if fully set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to children's clothing and, more specifically, to clothing for infants and toddlers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Since the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published its last statement on SIDS in 2006, it has been unequivocal in stressing the need to avoid redundant soft bedding and soft objects in the infant's sleeping environment. In 1944, Abramson reported that approximately 40% of infants in New York City dying suddenly and unexpectedly during sleep were prone, with their nose and mouth burrowed into “soft pillows, mattresses, or mattress coverings.” Early reports from the New Zealand Cot Death study suggested that a majority of infants dying prone were on sheepskins.

A strong interaction was found between prone sleep position and soft bedding surface, indicating that these two factors together are very hazardous. Soft surfaces have also been implicated in infant deaths occurring on adult beds. A case-control study from the United States has confirmed the strong association of SIDS and using soft bedding or pillows, independent of prone sleep position. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, one of the National Institutes of Health, promulgates the following advice, “Place your baby on a firm sleep surface, such as on a safety-approved crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet. Never place your baby to sleep on pillows, quilts, sheepskins, or other soft surfaces.” The American Academy of Pediatrics stresses substantially the same point, “Keep pillows, quilts, comforters, sheepskins, and stuffed toys out of your baby's crib. They can cover your infant's face—even if she is lying on her back.”

A wearable blanket that cannot be moved to cover the nose and mouth of infants would have great utility as a substitute for soft bedding—allowing the infant to sleep on a mattress without the aid of soft bedding, blankets and especially loose blankets. Such garments uniformly, however, have the additional shortcoming that to change diaper on the infant, or to check the diaper on the infant, it is either (i) necessary to disrobe the infant or expose the torso of the infant, or (ii) the garment is difficult use to place the baby in the garment. These disadvantages are heightened when the infant is asleep or drowsy and the caregiver does not want to wake the baby. What is needed in the art is a wearable blanket that can substitute for a loose blanket to warm an infant and, yet, allow diapers to be changed without fully disrobing the infant and exposing the torso, and still be easy to place the baby in the wearable blanket. Furthermore, it is important that the wearable blanket is safe and the baby cannot escape from the wearable blanket by unfastening or unzipping the garment and create a safety risk consistent with a loose blanket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A wearable blanket for covering the legs and torso of an infant includes a sheath of generally planar textile material configured to envelope the infant in a bag-like manner. The sheath defines a head opening including a zipper portion extending from substantially a foot end of the sheath to a head end of the sheath and at the head end of the sheath; the head opening is bordered by a collar configured to encircle a neck of the infant. The sheath defines right and left arm holes. A double ended zipper extends along an edge of the head opening over the zipper portion such that when the zipper is in a fully closed position it draws opposing ends of the collar together.

The insulating sheath may be made up of any commonly used textile product that suitably insulates the infant from the temperature of air ambient to the infant so as to provide a thermal environment inside of the sheath to allow the infant to safely and comfortably sleep without risking hypothermia or hyperthermia. Examples of such textile products that would be suitable include flannel, fleece, felt, knit, quilted fabric, poplin, wool, muslin, and corduroy including cotton, polyester, viscose rayon materials.

This wearable blanket is configured in a preferred and exemplary embodiment to have the sheath define a collar to accommodate a head of the infant. Arm holes and accommodate a right arm and a left arm. In other embodiments, other collars as well as sleeves, half-sleeves, or enclosed arm warmers are readily substituted for the arm holes without impairing the function and utility of the inventive sleep garment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an inventive garment with a double-ended zipper in the closed position;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the inventive garment with the double-ended zipper being half opened from a head end; and,

FIG. 3 is a side view of the inventive garment with the double-ended zipper being half opened from a feet side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A sleep garment 10 for enclosing an infant 12 is shown in FIG. 1 in a first embodiment. The first embodiment of the sleep garment 10 comprises an insulating sheath 20. The insulating sheath 20 may be made up of any commonly used textile product that suitably insulates the infant 12 from the temperature of air ambient to the infant 12 so as to provide a thermal environment inside of the sheath 20 to allow the infant to safely and comfortably sleep without risking hypothermia or hyperthermia. This sleep garment 10 is configured to have the sheath 20 define the mock turtleneck collar 24 to accommodate a head 12a of the infant 12. Arm holes 22a and 22b accommodate a right arm 12b and a left arm 12c. In other embodiments, other collars 24 as well as sleeves, half-sleeves, or enclosed arm warmers are readily substituted for the arm holes 22a and 22b without impairing the function and utility of the inventive sleep garment 10.

The sheath 20 further defines a slit running laterally from the collar 24 closed by a zipper 30. In the preferred embodiment, the zipper 30 is a zipper 30 having two sliders in opposed relation. As is well known in the art, the bulk of the zipper 30 consists of two strips of fabric tape, each affixed to one of the two edges the sheath 20 defines, and in operation, are to be joined. The fabric tapes carrying tens or hundreds of specially shaped metal or plastic teeth. These teeth can be either individual or shaped from a continuous coil, and are also referred to as elements. Each slider, as it is operated by hand, moves along the rows of teeth. Inside the slider is a Y-shaped channel that meshes together or separates the opposing rows of teeth, depending on the direction of its movement. When the opposing sliders are oriented such that the portion of the zipper 30 therebetween is meshed or joined and the portion of the zipper 30 beyond each slider is separated allowing access through the sheath 20. In that manner, the opening the sheath 20 defines is closed entirely when one slider is at each of opposite ends of the zipper 30.

At opposing ends of the zipper 30, the sheath 20 is further configured, in one nonlimiting embodiment, to include keepers which cover the sliders when each are in the extreme positions of the zipper 30. A head-end keeper 40a includes a head-end tab 42a, itself including a snap 44. In the same manner, a foot-end keeper 40b includes a foot-end tab 42b, itself including a snap 42.

Each of the keepers 40a, 40b serves multiply to keep the infant safe. First, and importantly, the keepers 40a, 40b prevents the infant from manipulating the respective zipper sliders 50a, 50b and opening either side of the double-ended zipper 30 which might allow an infant 12 to become either entangled or might allow a fold or flap of the wearable blanket 10 to cover the face of the infant 12 risking suffocation. Additionally, the keepers 40a, 40b are so configured to prevent the infant 12 from abrasion-type injury to skin by rubbing up against the zipper sliders 50a, 50b. In short, the keepers 40a, 40b remove the sliders 50a, 50b from the scope of the infant's reach.

In FIG. 2, the sleep garment 10 is shown with a head-end slider 50a in a midpoint position and a foot-end slider 50b in the closed position. As is indicated by the infant 12, in phantom, the movement of the head-end slider 50a to the midpoint position allows ready insertion of the infant 12 into the sheath 20. As the sheath 20 is allowed to separate at the zipper 30, the infant 12 can readily insert the arms 12b and 12c into the arm holes 22a and 22b respectively.

The use of the double-ended zipper 30 is extremely advantageous. Because the double-ended zipper 30 extends from the foot end keeper 40b to the head end keeper 40a, drawing the head end slider 50a to the foot end keeper 42b allows the sheath 20 to be opened to a substantially planar surface, thereby allowing the easy placement of the infant 12 into the wearable blanket 10 and thereby minimize the risk that the infant 12 will awaken or become agitated when the caregiver moves to place the infant in the wearable blanket 10. Likewise, the changing of the diaper can be readily accomplished by pulling the foot end slider 50b towards the head end keeper 42a allowing access to the diaper without awakening a sleeping infant 12 or allowing an irritated infant 12 to struggle free from the wearable blanket 10 during the change of the diaper.

In FIG. 3, the wearable blanket 10 is shown with the head end slider 50a in the closed position and the foot-end slider 50b at the midpoint position. The movement of the foot-end slider 50b to the midpoint position exposes legs 12d, 12e of the infant 12 allowing the ready changing of the diaper or checking the diaper. In many instances, the change can occur without waking the infant 12 should the infant 12 be asleep or drowsy. Limited exposure of the infant 12 prevents loss of body heat that might occur if the infant 12 were fully disrobed.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow:

Claims

1. A wearable blanket for covering the legs and torso of an infant comprising:

a sheath of generally planar textile material configured to envelope the infant in a bag-like manner and defining a head opening including a zipper portion extending from substantially a foot end of the sheath to a head end of the sheath and at the head end of the sheath, the head opening being bordered by a collar configured to encircle a neck of the infant, the sheath further defining a right arm hole configured to encircle and admit a right arm of the infant and a left arm hole configured to encircle and admit a left arm of the infant;

a double ended zipper having a head zipper end affixed to the head opening at the head end of the sheath and a foot zipper end affixed to the foot end of the head opening at the foot end of the sheath, the zipper being further affixed to corresponding portions of the edge of the head hole extending over the zipper portion such that when the zipper is in a fully closed position, pulling a head end zipper slider to the zipper head end and a foot end zipper slider to the foot end draws the zipper portion to closure bringing opposing ends of the collar generally together; and

a head end keeper affixed generally at the head end and including a head end tab configured to cover the head end zipper slider when the head end zipper slider is at the zipper head end and a foot end keeper affixed generally at the foot end and including a foot end tab configured to cover the foot end zipper slider when the foot end zipper slider is at the zipper foot end.

2. The wearable blanket of claim 1, wherein the left arm hole includes a left sleeve and wherein the right arm hole includes a right sleeve.

3. The wearable blanket of claim 2, wherein the right sleeve includes a right half-sleeve and the left sleeve includes a left half-sleeve.

4. The wearable blanket of claim 1, wherein the collar is selected from a group consisting of mock turtleneck, turtleneck, standing or stand-up, turnover, flat or falling.

5. The wearable blanket of claim 1, wherein the textile material is selected from a group consisting of flannel, fleece, felt, knit, quilted fabric, poplin, wool, muslin, corduroy, cotton, polyester, and viscose rayon materials.

6. The wearable blanket of claim 1, wherein each of the foot end tab and the head end tabs are secured the zipper slider by means of a fastener.

7. The wearable blanket of claim 6, wherein the fastener is selected from a group consisting of hook and eye, hook and loop, button, toggle, snap, swivel, and buckle.

8. A method for clothing an infant for sleep, the method including:

drawing a sheath of generally planar textile material to envelope the infant in a bag-like manner and defining a head opening including a zipper portion extending from substantially a foot end of the sheath to a head end of the sheath and at the head end of the sheath, the head opening being bordered by a collar configured to encircle a neck of the infant, the drawing further including inserting of a right arm of the infant into a right arm hole configured to encircle and admit the right arm of the infant and including inserting a left arm of the infant into a left arm hole configured to encircle and admit the left arm of the infant;

pulling a head end zipper slider to a zipper head end and a foot end zipper slider to a zipper foot end of a double ended zipper to draw the zipper portion to closure bringing opposing ends of the collar generally together, the zipper having a head zipper end affixed to the head opening at the head end of the sheath and a foot zipper end affixed to the foot end of the head opening at the foot end of the sheath, the zipper being further affixed to corresponding portions of the edge of the head hole extending over the zipper portion; and

fastening a head end keeper affixed generally at the head end and including a head end tab such that the head end tab covers the head end zipper slider; and

fastening a foot end keeper affixed generally at the foot end and including a foot end tab such that the foot end tab covers the foot end zipper slider.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the inserting the left arm into the left arm hole includes inserting the left arm into a left sleeve and inserting the right arm into the right arm hole includes inserting the right arm into a right sleeve.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the right sleeve includes a right half-sleeve and the left sleeve includes a left half-sleeve.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the collar is selected from a group consisting of mock turtleneck, turtleneck, standing or stand-up, turnover, flat or falling.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the textile material is selected from a group consisting of flannel, fleece, knit, felt, quilted fabric, poplin, muslin, wool, corduroy, cotton, polyester, and viscose rayon materials.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein fastening a fastening a keeper includes closure of a fastener.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the fastener is selected from a group consisting of hook and eye, hook and loop, button, toggle, snap, swivel, and buckle.