Anti-Climbing Flexible Panel on an Article of Child Clothing

Abstract

An anti-climbing flexible panel attached to an article of clothing made for a child. The flexible panel, which is incorporated into the article of clothing, aids in preventing a child from climbing over the railing of a crib, playpen, or child gate. The article of clothing includes two legs. The article of clothing includes a flexible panel attached at the crotch and between the legs of the article of clothing. The flexible panel is positioned and sized such that the child has nearly full mobility during normal activity without detaching the flexible panel. In other embodiments the flexible panel may be detachably fastened to the article of clothing. Other embodiments include a flexible panel attached between the arm and the body on each side of an article of clothing which deters a child from reaching to access high places.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/240,550, filed Sep. 8, 2009, by the present inventor, which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Discussion of Prior Art

The following is a tabulation of prior art that presently appears relevant:

U.S. Patents

Patent Number Kind Code Issue Date Patentee

U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,258 B2 Nov. 25, 2003 Pelensky

Cribs, playpens, and child gates are intended to confine and restrict children to a specific relatively safe area, preventing children from getting into dangerous situations. Cribs, playpens, and child gates provide significant utility to parents. Parents use these and similar devices to restrain children from dangerous situations. Cribs, playpens and child gates provide parents with peace of mind achieved by knowing that their children are in a safe or less dangerous situation so long as their children remain in cribs and playpens or remain confined in a known area behind a child gate. Another benefit of cribs, playpens, and child gates is their ease and simplicity of operation. With many cribs, playpens, and child gates, a parent can easily place a child in or remove a child from the confined area by simply lifting the child in or out, or by operating a simple latch device to open the crib, playpen or child gate.

However, some children thwart the significant benefits of cribs, playpens, and child gates. Some children become adept at climbing over the railings of cribs, playpens, and child gates. This climbing is often exhibited by children between the ages of one and three years old. This climbing allows children to escape the relative safety present within the otherwise confined areas provided by cribs, playpens, and child gates. Once a child has climbed over the railing of a crib, playpen, or child gate and extricated himself or herself from the crib, playpen, or from behind the child gate, the child is exposed to dangerous situations. Children exhibiting this climbing behavior often escape the confines of their crib, playpen or child gate without their parents' knowledge.

Additionally, the climbing behavior sometimes results in similarly aged children climbing unsupervised onto tall chairs, tables, cabinets, shelves or other elevated areas where they are exposed to dangerous situations.

What is needed is a means that prevents a child from climbing out of cribs, playpens, and child gates, but at the same time allows for otherwise unrestricted mobility of the child. Additionally, the needed means should not require the parents of a child to perform additional operative steps or procedures to place their child in or out of the restricted area created by cribs, playpens or child gates.

The only prior art addressing this issue presently known to the inventor is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,258 (2003) to Pelensky. Pelensky describes a pair of child's pants with straps shackling the child's lower legs together. Pelensky further describes using snap fasteners on the straps allowing them to be unfastened. This configuration with snaps allows a parent to release their child's legs from the shackled configuration to allow increased mobility of the child when outside the crib, playpen or child gate. Pelensky further describes placing additional detachable fasteners on the leg of the article of clothing to secure the straps to one leg of the pants when the straps are unshackled from the opposite leg. This should be done to prevent loose straps from creating an unsafe situation. The children's pants with straps shackling the lower legs together proposed by Pelensky suffer from a number of disadvantages:

(a) If the straps are left connected between the legs, the straps present tripping hazards between the legs of the child when the child attempts to walk or run.

(b) If the straps are reduced in length to prevent the straps from dangling about the child's feet and dragging on the ground, then the length of the straps limit and reduce the length of the child's normal stride and significantly impact each step taken by the child.

(c) If the straps are unfastened from one leg to allow for normal mobility of the child, the straps then dangle about the feet of the child and the straps are stepped on and easily become entangled and become a tripping hazard when the child walks or runs.

(d) If the straps are made long enough to allow for a child to walk or run with a normal stride, when the child engages in this normal activity, the straps are prone to being stepped on by the child, entangled, or caught on nearby objects thereby creating a significant tripping hazard for the child.

(e) The straps impair the ability of a child to walk up or down a few simple stair steps.

(f) The need to unfasten the straps from the opposite leg and properly secure the straps to a single leg in order to prevent an unsafe situation when the child is outside the crib, playpen, or child gate, places an added burden on parents. When a parent attempts to perform the otherwise simple task of placing the child in or out of a crib, playpen, or child gate, the parent must manipulate the child, the pants, the straps and the fasteners on the straps. These added actions present significant additional burdens on parents and their children, thereby undermining the simplicity of operation normally present in cribs, playpens, and child gates.

(g) When allowed to dangle on the ground, the straps quickly become dirty and soiled with grime creating an unpleasing appearance and a potentially unhealthy condition.

(h) The straps attached to a child's pants further present an inviting handle or tether that can be easily grasped by another child creating yet another tripping hazard and unsafe situation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment an article of clothing for restraining a child from climbing comprising an article of clothing with two legs to cover the legs of the child, a flexible panel with a means of attachment attaching the flexible panel between the two legs, and the location of the attachment being at The Crotch And extending downward along each leg.

ADVANTAGES

Accordingly several advantages of one or more aspects are as follows: to provide a pair of child's pants or similar child clothing with a flexible panel attached between the legs, that deters climbing and prevents a child from elevating one leg to the top of the railing of a crib, playpen, or child gate, that is not overly expensive to manufacture, that does not require a parent to perform additional cumbersome actions when the child is removed from or placed in the crib, playpen or child gate, that does not overly restrict the movement of the child legs while walking, and that does not create additional hazards or expose the child to dangerous situations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a flexible panel on an article of clothing according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a flexible panel on another article of clothing according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a flexible panel on another article of clothing according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front view of a flexible panel on another article of clothing according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a flexible panel partially detached on another article of clothing according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a flexible panel partially detached secured to one leg on another article of clothing according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a flexible panel with another provision for partially detaching the panel on another article of clothing according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the flexible panel on another article of clothing with additional flexible panels attached at the arms according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a back perspective view of a child standing in a crib wearing an article of clothing in accordance with the present invention.

NUMBERED ITEMS

• 10. Sleeper with enclosed feet. 22. Flexible panel half
• 11. Leg 23. Flexible panel half
• 12. Leg 24. Flexible arm panel
• 13. Flexible panel 25. Flexible arm panel
• 14. Sewn attachment 26. Attachment arm to panel
• 15. Crotch 27. Attachment body to panel
• 16. Enclosed feet 28. Open attachment device half
• 17. Pair of pants 29. Arm
• 18. Extension of leg material attachment 30. Sleeper without enclosed feet
• 19. Row of snaps or hook and loop material 31. Crib railing
• 20. Zipper 32. Crib mattress
• 21. Open zipper half

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an anti-climbing flexible panel attached to an article of clothing made for a child. The flexible panel is incorporated into the article of clothing. The article of clothing with a flexible panel aids in preventing a child from climbing over the railing of a crib, playpen, or child gate. One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. The article of clothing in FIG. 1 is commonly known as a one piece sleeper or jumper. The sleeper includes two legs shown as one leg 11 and another leg 12. The sleeper in FIG. 1 includes enclosed feet 16. This sleeper with enclosed feet 10 is a common article of clothing for a child, and there are many well known designs for this type of clothing that will work well for incorporating in the present invention. The article of clothing in FIGS. 1-7 is commonly known as a pair of pants 17, for which there are numerous well known readily available designs that will work well for incorporating the present invention. Each pair of pants illustrated in FIGS. 1-7 include two legs shown as leg 11 and leg 12. FIGS. 1-7 illustrate additional embodiments of the present invention including the flexible panel 13 attached between the leg 11 and leg 12 of the pair of pants 17. FIG. 8 illustrates a sleeper without feet 18 as the article of clothing incorporating the present invention. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8 includes a flexible panel 23 attached between the legs, and a flexible panel 24 and flexible panel 25 attached to the arms 29 of the sleeper without feet 30. FIG. 9 illustrates a back view of a child standing in a crib attempting to lift one leg while wearing a sleeper with enclosed feet 10 incorporating the present invention.

FIG. 1

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a sleeper with enclosed feet 10 incorporating the present invention. The sleeper with enclosed feet 10 includes two legs labeled as leg 11 and leg 12. The point at the upper end of the two legs where the two legs meet is called the crotch 15. A flexible panel 13 is attached to the sleeper with enclosed feet 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the flexible panel 13 is positioned between leg 11 and leg 12. The flexible panel 13 is located in contact with and spanning between leg 11 and leg 12. The flexible panel 13 is positioned at the upper end of the legs in contact with the crotch 15 and extending downward toward the lower end of the legs a predetermined distance along leg 11 and leg 12. The attachment means connecting the flexible panel 13 to leg 11 and leg 12 is located along the edges of the flexible panel 13 where the flexible panel 13 contacts leg 11 and leg 12. This position of the flexible panel 13 and the location of the attachment means are common to all embodiments. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a sewn attachment 14 as the attachment means connecting the flexible panel 13 to leg 11 and leg 12. The sewn attachment 14 runs from the crotch 15 and continues downward toward the lower end of both leg 11 and leg 12 and the sewn attachment 14 terminating at the lower edge of the flexible panel 13.

FIGS. 2-7

Additional Embodiments

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a pair of pants 17 incorporating another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the pair of pants 17 includes two legs illustrated as leg 11 and leg 12. The position of flexible panel 13 is the same as described in the detailed description of FIG. 1 above. This embodiment utilizes the same sewn attachment 14 between leg 12 and flexible panel 13 as described in the detailed description of FIG. 1 above. However, this embodiment utilizes an extension of leg material attachment 18 as the attachment means connecting flexible panel 13 to leg 11. The flexible panel 13 illustrated in FIG. 2 is located between leg 11 and leg 12 in the same position as illustrated in FIG. 1 and described above. Also, the location of the attachment means connecting flexible panel 13 to leg 11 and to leg 12 are located is in the same position as illustrated in FIG. 1 and described above. The attachment means connecting the flexible panel 13 to leg 11 illustrated in FIG. 2 is created when cutting the shape of the covering material of leg 11. The leg 11 material is shaped such that flexible panel 13 and the front of leg 11 are created from a single piece of uninterrupted material with flexible panel 13 positioned as a continuous extension of the covering material of leg 11. The extension of leg material attachment 18 is created by this same shaping of the leg 11 material to include flexible panel 13 as a continuous extension of the leg material. To complete this extension of leg material attachment 18, when assembling the pair of pants, the material making up the back of a leg 11 is sewn to the material making up the front of leg 11 to enclose leg 11 along the inseam location as would commonly be done in a typical pair of pants. However, the flexible panel 13 extending from the leg 11 covering material is positioned such that flexible panel 13 extends from the inseam toward leg 12.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a pair of pants 17 incorporating another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 3, the pair of pants 17 includes two legs illustrated as leg 11 and leg 12. The position of flexible panel 13 is the same as described in the detailed description of FIG. 1 above. This embodiment utilizes the same sewn attachment 14 between leg 12 and flexible panel 13 as described in the detailed description of FIG. 1 above. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a row of detachable fasteners as the attachment means connecting flexible panel 13 to leg 11. The inventor believes that a row of snap fasteners will be one type of detachable fastener among many that may be used in embodiments that include detachable fasteners as the attachment means connecting flexible panel 13 to one or both legs of the article of clothing. Other embodiments will include a row of hook and loop detachable fastener material, sometimes called hook and pile detachable fastener material, as the attachment means connecting flexible panel 13 to one or both legs. Other embodiments will include zippers as a detachable fastener attaching flexible panel 13 to one or both legs. The figures and descriptions included with this application should be considered as a sampling of the numerous different attachment means and many different specific orientations and combinations of attachment means that may be utilized to connect flexible panel 13 to the legs of the article of clothing.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of a pair of pants 17 incorporating another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4, the pair of pants 17 includes two legs illustrated as leg 11 and leg 12. The position of flexible panel 13 is the same as described in the detailed description of FIG. 1 above. This embodiment utilizes the same extension of leg material attachment 18 between leg 11 and flexible panel 13 as described in the detailed description of FIG. 2 above. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 includes a zipper 20 as the attachment means connecting flexible panel 13 to leg 12. Like the row of snaps 19 illustrated in FIG. 3, zipper 20 in FIG. 4 provides a detachable fastener as the attachment means connecting flexible panel 13 to leg 12.

FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of a pair of pants 17 incorporating the same embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 illustrates the zipper in its open position with one half zipper 21 the attached to leg 12 and the other half zipper 21 attached to flexible panel 13. In FIG. 5, flexible panel 13 is illustrated as folded away from leg 12 over top of the attachment means connecting flexible panel 13 to leg 11 concealing that connection from view in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of a pair of pants 17 incorporating the same embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in FIGS. 4-5. FIG. 6 illustrates the zipper in its open position with one half zipper 21 the attached to leg 12 and the other half zipper 21 attached to flexible panel 13. In FIG. 6, flexible panel 13 is illustrated as folded away from leg 12 over top of the attachment means connecting flexible panel 13 to leg 11 and neatly wrapped around leg 11. In this configuration, detachable fasteners may be used to retain the detached edge of a flexible panel 13 to leg 11 and thereby securing flexible panel 13 around leg 11 while flexible panel 13 is in the detached configuration.

FIG. 7 illustrates a front view of a pair of pants 17 incorporating another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 7, the pair of pants 17 includes two legs illustrated as leg 11 and leg 12. In this embodiment the flexible panel is configured from two flexible panels connected together with detachable fasteners. Half flexible panel 22 is connected to leg 11 with a sewn connection 14 and half flexible panel 23 is connected to leg 12 with a sewn connection 14. In this embodiment half flexible panel 22 is detachably fastened to half flexible panel 23 with a zipper extending from the crotch downward, dividing the flexible panel into two pieces. The inventor envisions that in other embodiments of the two-piece flexible panel, the detachable fasteners used to connect the two flexible panels will include a row of snaps, a row of hook and loop fastener material, and other kinds of detachable fasteners.

FIG. 8

Alternative Embodiments

FIG. 8 illustrates a front view of a sleeper without enclosed feet 30 incorporating the present invention. The sleeper without enclosed feet 30 includes two legs labeled as leg 11 and leg 12. In this embodiment, flexible panel 13 is attached to the sleeper without enclosed feet 30 in the same location and the same sewn connection attachment means as 10. The sleeper without enclosed feet 30 includes two arms, both labeled as arm 29. A flexible panel 24 is attached between one arm 29 and the body of sleeper without enclosed feet 30 in a configuration similar to flexible panel 13 connected between the legs. The other arm 29 similarly has a flexible panel connected to arm 29 and the body of the sleeper without enclosed feet 30. Flexible panel 24 is illustrated with the attachment means connecting flexible panel 24 to arm 29 as a sewn connection 26. The attachment means connecting flexible panel 24 to the body of the sleeper without enclosed feet 30 is illustrated as a detachable attachment 27. In this embodiment, flexible panel 25 is attached to sleeve 29 with a sewn connection, and flexible panel 25 is attached to the body of the sleeper without covered feet 30 with a detachable attachment 28. The detachable attachment connecting flexible panel 25 to the body of the sleeper without enclosed feet 30 is illustrated in a detached configuration with a flexible panel 25 wrapped around sleeve 29.

Additional Details:

FIG. 9 is a back view of a child wearing one embodiment of the present invention. The child is standing in a crib grasping the crib railing 13 and lifting his leg above the crib mattress 32 in an attempt to climb over the crib railing 31. The article of clothing worn by the child is an embodiment with flexible panel 13 incorporated in a sleeper with enclosed feet 10.

There are numerous materials that are acceptable to make the flexible panel in the present invention. Most fabrics that are acceptable for use in child sleepwear are also acceptable materials from which to make the flexible panel. These fabrics are available in many different weights and many different weaves and knits. The inventor envisions that in most embodiments the flexible panel will be made from 100% cotton cloth fabrics matching the fabrics most often used to manufacture child's sleepwear. These cotton fabrics are available in a great variety of weights and many different weaves and knits. The inventor also envisions other embodiments in which the flexible panel is made from fabrics made of other natural fiber, fabrics made of synthetic fibers, or fabrics made of various blends of natural and/or synthetic fibers. The flexible panel may also be made with multiple layers or a single layer of fabric or other flexible material.

Operation:

When a child climbs over the railing of a crib, playpen or child gate, the child consistently begins the climb by standing on one leg while bracing him or herself by grasping the railing or a nearby headboard, wall or other convenient handhold. The child then stands on one leg, leans far to the side and extends the other leg far into the air until the lifted leg is high enough for the child's foot to hook over the top of the railing. The flexible panel attached to the legs of the article of clothing act together to limit the height the child can lift his or her leg. Through experimentation the inventor has determined that limiting the height that the leg can be lifted to about the height of the waste of the child is adequate to deter the child from hooking the elevated foot over the railing of a typical crib, play pen or child gate.

Using FIG. 1 for illustrative purposes, leg 11 and leg 12 cover the legs of the child. As explained above, the flexible panel 13 is connected along one edge to leg 11 and flexible panel 13 is connected along the other edge to leg 12. When the child is standing up right flexible panel 13 hangs in a slacked state suspended from the connected edges. When a child wearing the article of clothing leans to the side standing on one leg 11 and raising the other leg 12, leg 11 and leg 12 angle away from each other, the slack previously existing in flexible panel 13 becomes tight. As the child attempts to lift the other leg 12 higher into the air, tension in flexible panel 13 increases and flexible panel 13 transfers this tension to leg 11 and leg 12 which are connected directly to and operate in conjunction with flexible panel 13. Leg 11 and leg 12 surround each of the child's legs, and the tension in leg 11 and leg 12 is transferred to the legs of the child, resisting in deterring the child efforts to further spread the legs apart. With the distance that the two legs can be spread limited in this fashion, the child's efforts to hook one foot over the railing are thwarted and child's unwelcomed escape from the crib, playpen, or child gate is prevented.

The dimensions of the flexible panel affect how well an embodiment performs in deterring the child from climbing. The dimensions of the flexible panel needed for acceptable operation depend upon the multiple factors that are often inter-related. The elasticity of the material used in the article of child clothing and material used in the flexible panel is a substantial factor. Materials that easily stretch without much force will tend to require a flexible panel that extends farther downward along the legs of the article of clothing, and will tend to require a narrower flexible panel to increase the amount of resistance and adequately limit the distance a child can spread the legs. The orientation of many fabrics also affects their elasticity. For example, some woven fabrics will have significantly greater elasticity, stretching significantly farther and with less resistance when stretched diagonally to the weave of fabric, and yet, if the same fabric is stretched in line with the weave of the fabric, the fabric exhibit a much higher resistance to stretching. The weave or knit of the fabric and the fiber also affect the force needed to stretch the fabric and the distance the fabric will stretch. The strength of a child and the dimensions of the legs of a child also impact the dimensions of a flexible panel needed to adequately deter climbing behavior. The design of the article of clothing and whether or not the article of clothing includes covered feet also appear to impact the dimensions of a flexible panel needed to adequately deter climbing. As a result, the inventor conducted experimentation with children wearing the present invention constructed of the specific materials and designs to be used in making the article of clothing with various sized flexible panels currently envisioned in order to determine the required dimensions of the flexible panel.

The shape of the flexible panel 13 as depicted in FIGS. 1-9 approximates a triangular shape. However, the precise shape of the flexible panel is not critical to the invention. The flexible panel 13 can be made rectangular or rounded in shape or other different shapes so long as flexible panel 13 is shaped such that the attached edges can be contoured to follow the contour of the legs and crotch area where flexible panel 13 is attached.

Connecting flexible panel 13 to leg 11 and leg 12 with a continuous connection located at the crotch and continuing along the edges where flexible panel 13 contacts leg 11 and leg 12 serves several functions. Having the flexible panel attached to each leg over a relatively lengthy connection running along both legs and through the crotch 15 restrains flexible panel 13 in its position located relatively high off the ground in the upper portion of the leg. Even when slack, flexible panel 13 does not sag to the ground when a child walks runs or stands in a normal fashion. This continuous connection provides a curtain like suspension of the flexible panel when slack, which allows the embodiment to better perform in a slackened state. Suspended in this fashion, the flexible panel does not dangle on the ground about the feet of the child and create tripping and entanglement hazards during normal activities of the child.

From experimentation, the inventor has determined that the dimensions of flexible panel 13 that appear to most impact the effectiveness of an embodiment are the height and width of flexible panel 13 measured as follows: The height dimension of flexible panel 13 is measured as the length of the attachment means connecting flexible panel 13 to the legs, measured from the crotch downward along either leg to the lower and of the attachment means connecting the flexible panel 13 to the leg 11 or leg 12. The width dimension of the flexible panel is measured across flexible panel 13 from one leg 11 to the other leg 12. This width is measured at the lower ends of the attachment means connecting flexible panel 13 to leg 11 and to leg 12. The inventor currently believes that a flexible panel measuring 10 centimeters in height is of minimal effectiveness. The embodiments currently favored by the inventor, include flexible panel 13 heights of 12 centimeters or greater. The inventor currently expects that most embodiments planned to be produced will include a flexible panel 13 height of 12 to 18 centimeters.

The width dimension of the flexible panel measured as explained above for the embodiments currently favored by the inventor is expected to be less than 20 centimeters. The inventor currently believes that the most favorable performance of current embodiments will occur when the width dimension of flexible panel 13 is made equal to the height dimension of flexible panel 13. However, this current belief is based on the inventor's experimentation with prototypes using the materials and designs that the inventor expects to be most popular. The inventor expects that with other articles of clothing designs different than the expected popular design, flexible panels of different dimensions will be needed to optimize the effectiveness of these other articles of clothing which the inventor expects will be tested and produced in the future. These expected alternative dimensions will be determined through experimentation on the particular additional embodiments as they become known.

Experimentation by the inventor also demonstrates that precise positioning of the flexible panel locating the flexible panel centered front to back between the legs is not required. The positioning of the panel closer to the front of the article of clothing or closer to the back of the article of clothing appears to have minimal impact on the effectiveness of an embodiment when compared to a flexible panel of similar dimensions carefully located between the legs precisely centered front to back on the article of clothing. Accordingly, the flexible panel may be positioned toward the front or the back of the article of clothing so long as the flexible panel is located between the legs.

The use of detachable fasteners included in some embodiments is intended to provide additional versatility in some embodiments. Detachable fasteners address potential interferences that may occur between an embodiment and some child equipment. For example, some child high chairs and some car seats have a safety belt like strap or a structural post that extends between the legs of the child to hold the child secure in the car seat or highchair. In some embodiments the flexible panel located between the legs may interfere with a car seat or high chair of the style described. In these circumstances, detachable fasteners as shown in FIGS. 3-7 can be detached to eliminate the interference when the child is placed in an otherwise interfering child equipment. Additionally, with embodiments that include detachable fasteners on both attached edges of the flexible panel, the flexible panel can be optionally be remove completely from the article of clothing if the parent so desires. It is expected that some parents will desire to use detachable fasteners for other useful reasons not yet discovered.

Advantages

From the description of, the number of advantages of some embodiments of the inventor's Anti-Climbing Flexible Panel on an Article of Child Clothing become evident:

• • (a) The present invention deters a child from climbing and prevents the child from elevating one leg to the top of the railing of a crib, playpen, or child gate.
  • (b) The present invention is not overly expensive to manufacture.
  • (c) The present invention does not require a parent to perform additional cumbersome actions to operate.
  • (d) The present invention does not overly restrict the movement of the child's legs while walking.
  • (e) The present invention allows a child to use a full and normal stride while walking.
  • (f) The present invention does not dangle about the feet of the child.
  • (g) The present invention does not become entangled.
  • (h) The present invention does not present a tripping hazard, include parts that are prone to being stepped on and tangled or caught on nearby objects when the child is walking.
  • (i) The present invention allows the child to walk up and down stair steps.
  • (j) The present invention does not have attached parts that are prone to being stepped on by the child.
  • (k) The present invention allows the parent to easily move the child in or out of a crib, playpen, or child gate without having to manipulate fasteners and without having to attach or remove parts from the article of clothing.
  • (l) The present invention does not have parts that drag along the ground,
  • (m) The present invention does not have attachments or appendages that invite other children to grab.
  • (n) The present invention with its flexible panel attached toward the offer and of the legs creates less of a tripping hazard than straps attached connected at the lower and of the legs.

Accordingly, the reader will see that the anti-climbing flexible panel on an article of child clothing of the various embodiments provides a deterrent to a child climbing out of a crib, playpen, or child gate, without placing additional cumbersome burdens on the parents. Additionally, the addition of the flexible panel to the article of child clothing creates only minimal if any restrictions to the child's normal activity and is not result in creating entanglements and tripping hazards about the feet of the child.

Although the description above contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but as merely providing illustrations of some of the several embodiments. For example, the various attachment means connecting the flexible panel to the legs described above can be used in differing combinations, reversed to the back side of the article of clothing, placed on the opposite legs, etc.

Thus the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.

Claims

1. An article of clothing for restraining a child from climbing, comprising:

a. an article of clothing;

b. two legs as part of said article of clothing to cover the legs of the child, said two legs each having an upper end and a lower end, and said article of clothing having a crotch located where said two legs meet at said upper end of said two legs;

c. a flexible panel as part of said article of clothing, said flexible panel located at the upper end of and between said two legs;

d. at least one attachment means connecting said flexible panel to each of said two legs.

2. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein said flexible panel is made of fabric.

3. The article of clothing of claim 1,

a. wherein said flexible panel has only three perimeter edges;

b. and wherein two of said three perimeter edges are connected perimeter edges and the other of said three perimeter edges is a free perimeter edge;

c. and wherein said two connected perimeter edges are connected by said at least one attachment means to said two legs of said article of clothing;

c. and wherein the third of said three perimeter edges is not connected by said attachment means to said two legs of said article of clothing;

d. and wherein said flexible panel located at the upper end of and between said two legs is positioned such that the first of said two connected perimeter edges is located beginning at the crotch and extending in contact with and along one of said two legs of said article of clothing a predetermined distance from said crotch toward said lower end of said one of said two legs;

e. and wherein the said first of said two connected perimeter edges is connected to said one of said two legs of said article of clothing along the full length of said first of said two connected perimeter edges of said flexible panel by said at least one attachment means connecting said flexible panel to each of said two legs;

f. and wherein said flexible panel located at the upper end of and between said two legs is positioned such that the second of said two connected perimeter edges is located in contact with the other of said two legs of said article of clothing beginning at the crotch of said article of clothing and extending in contact with and along the other of said two legs of said article of clothing a predetermined distance from said crotch toward said lower end of said other of said two legs of said article of clothing;

g. and wherein the said second of said two connected perimeter edges is connected to said other of said two legs of said article of clothing along the full length of said other of said two connected perimeter edges of said flexible panel by said at least one attachment means connecting said flexible panel to each of said two legs;

h. and wherein said free perimeter edge spans between said two legs of said article of clothing and is located with one end of said free perimeter edge adjacent to the end of one of said two connected perimeter edges located toward said lower end of said legs and with the other end of said free perimeter edge located adjacent to end of the other of said two connected perimeter edges located toward the lower end of said legs.

i. and wherein each said two connected perimeter edges of said flexible panel are connected to said legs over a distance greater than 10 centimeters.

4. The article of clothing of claim 3, wherein said flexible panel is made of fabric.

5. The article of clothing of claim 3, wherein said at least one attachment means connecting said flexible panel to one of said two legs is a sewn connection, and wherein said at least one attachment means connecting said flexible panel to the other of said two legs is a sewn connection.

6. The article of clothing of claim 5, wherein said flexible panel is made of fabric.

7. The article of clothing of claim 5, wherein said flexible panel includes two separate panels with said flexible panel divided into said two separate panels along the line extending from a point located along the free perimeter edge of said flexible panel two a point adjacent to said crotch of said article of clothing, and wherein said two separate panels of said flexible panel are connected to each other by a detachable attachment means selected from the group consisting of a zipper, a row of snap fasteners, and a row of hook and loop fasteners.

8. The article of clothing of claim 7, wherein said flexible panel is made of fabric.

9. The article of clothing of claim 3, wherein said at least one attachment means connecting said flexible panel to one of said two legs is a sewn connection, and wherein said at least one attachment means connecting said flexible panel to the other of said two legs is a detachable attachment means selected from the group consisting of a zipper, a row of snap fasteners, and a row of hook and loop fasteners.

10. The article of clothing of claim 9, wherein said flexible panel is made of fabric.

11. The article of clothing of claim 3, wherein said at least one attachment means connecting said flexible panel to one of said two legs is a detachable attachment means selected from the group consisting of a zipper, a row of snap fasteners, and a row of hook and loop fasteners; and wherein said at least one attachment means connecting said flexible panel to the other of said two legs is a detachable attachment means selected from the group consisting of a zipper, a row of snap fasteners, and a row of hook and loop fasteners.

12. The article of clothing of claim 11, wherein said flexible panel is made of fabric.

13. The article of clothing of claim 3, wherein said at least one attachment means connecting said flexible panel to each of said two legs is a single detachable attachment means selected from the group consisting of a zipper, a row of snap fasteners, and a row of hook and loop fasteners.

14. The article of clothing of claim 13, wherein said flexible panel is made of fabric.

15. The article of clothing of claim 1, wherein said article of clothing includes a body to cover the body of the child and two sleeves to cover the arms of the child, and wherein a second flexible panel is located between one of said sleeves and said body of said article of clothing, and wherein said a third flexible panel located between the other of said sleeves and said body of said article of clothing, and wherein said second flexible panel is connected to said one of said sleeves and connected to said body of said article of clothing, and wherein said the third flexible panel is connected to said other of said sleeves and connected to said body of said article of clothing, and wherein each of said connections between said sleeves of said second and third flexible panels and between said body and said second and third flexible panels is an attachment means selected from the group consisting of a sewn connection, a zipper, a row of snap fasteners, and a row of hook and loop fasteners.