WEARABLE BLANKET

Abstract

A garment is described that may be used as a wearable blankets for an infant. The garment may include symmetric tops and bottom pieces having fasteners about the edge. A double sided zip fastener around the sides and bottom permits the wearable blankets to be opened from the bottom or from the side. A snap at one shoulder permits the sack to be easily put on or taken off. An alternative embodiment includes a liner that may be zipped into the inside of the wearable blankets for additional warmth.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to garments for infants, and more particularly to an infant's wearable blanket having a removable liner.

2. Discussion of the Background

Wearable blankets are blankets designed wrapping about the body of infants, and typically completely surround the body of the infant with holes for the head and arms to protrude.

When an infant is in the wearable blankets, it can be difficult to partially open the sack to allow the infant to cool off or to change a diaper. In addition, there is no provision to increase the thickness of the sack to provide additional insulation to the infant.

There is a need in the art for a wearable blankets that allows for greater and easier access to the infant when they are in the sleep sack. There is also a need in the art for a wearable blankets that allows for additional thickness, when needed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of prior art by providing one or more of a wearable blankets having advantageously placed fasteners and/or having a removable liner.

Certain embodiments provide a garment formable into a pouch having a bottom portion adapted to accept the legs and body of infant and a top portion through which the head and arms of the accepted infant may protrude The garment includes a shell having an inner surface and an outer surface, and having a line of symmetry that extends along one side of the shell and which defines a first shell half having a first edge and a second shell half having a second edge, where the first shell half and the second shell half are substantially mirror images of each other. The garment further includes an aperture through the shell along the line of symmetry and near the top portion of the garment; a first fastener extending from the line of symmetry and along equal lengths of the first edge and the second edge; and a second fastener at the top portion of the garment to join mirror image portions of the first edge and the second edge. When the first and second fasteners are closed, a pouch is formed along the line of symmetry and along the first fastener, one arm hole is formed by the aperture, a second arm hole is formed between the first fastener and the second fastener, and a neck hole is formed between the second fastener and the line of symmetry.

Certain other embodiments provide a garment having a bottom portion adapted to accept the legs and body of infant and a top portion through which the head and arms of the accepted infant may protrude, The garment includes a shell having an inner surface and an outer surface; a liner, and a fastener adapted to removably fasten the liner to the inner surface, where the fastener is a zip fastener including one pair of zipper teeth and a slider, where one of the pair of zipper teeth is attached to the inner surface and where the other of the pair of zipper teeth is attached to the liner.

These features together with the various ancillary provisions and features which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, are attained by the garment of the present invention, preferred embodiments thereof being shown with reference to the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of an infant's garment in a closed configuration;

FIG. 2 is view of the garment of FIG. 1 partially open;

FIG. 3 is top view of the garment of FIG. 1 fully open;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the garment of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the garment of FIG. 1 in use.

Reference symbols are used in the Figures to indicate certain components, aspects or features shown therein, with reference symbols common to more than one Figure indicating like components, aspects or features shown therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of an infant's garment 100 in a closed configuration; FIG. 2 is view of garment 100 partially open; FIG. 3 is top view of the garment fully open; FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the garment; and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the garment in use.

Garment 100 is an openable wearable blankets that is sized to hold an infant I, as for example in FIG. 5, and which can be configured in a number of ways, such as to have different portions opened and closed, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5, and to which a liner 20 may be place, as in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, or removed, as in FIG. 2. As described subsequently, garment 100 is provided with fasteners, such as fasteners 107, 109, 111, 113, 201 and 203 which allow for the various configurations.

FIG. 1 shows shell 10 in a fully closed configuration, and having a head end 102, a left side 106, a right side 108, and a closed end 104. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, garment 100 includes a shell 10 having two portions, referred to without limitation, as a top portion 10a and a bottom portion 10b that are also connected by a shoulder strap 115. Top portion 10a and bottom portion 10b are generally symmetric about a right side 108.

Shell 10 also include several fasteners, shown, for example and without limitation, as fasteners 109, 111, and 113. Specifically, fasteners 109, 111, and 113 are shown as snap fasteners, but each fastener may be one of a snap fastener, a button, a hook fastener, a hook-and-loop fastener, or any other fastener appropriate for holding two portions of shell 10 together.

Thus, for example and without limitation, snap fastener 109 includes snap portions 109a on top portion 10a and matching snap portions 109b on bottom portion 10b, snap fastener 111 includes snap portions 111a on top portion 10a and matching snap portions 111b on bottom portion 10b, and snap fastener 113 includes a snap portion 113a on top portion 10a and a matching snap portion 113b on bottom portion 10b.

Shell 10 also includes a fastener 107, which is shown, for example and without limitation, as a zip fastener. Fastener 107 is shown as having a first side 107a on bottom portion 10b, a second side 107b on top portion 10a, and two sliders, 107c and 107d, to allow fastener 107 to be opened from either fastener end.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, garment 100 also includes a liner 20 having a top portion 20a and a bottom portion 20b. Liner 20 is removably attachable to shell 10 by fasteners 201 and 203, which may be zip fastener. Specifically, fastener 201 may include a first side 201a on bottom portion 10b, a second side 201b on liner bottom 20b, and a slider 201c; fastener 203 may include a first side 203a on top portion 10a, a second side 203b on liner top 20a, and a slider 203c.

In one embodiment, garment 100 is formed from 100% polyester fleece and 100% cotton sheeting. The shell may have, for example and without limitation, a weight of 0.90 pounds, and the inside blanket may have a weight of 0.60 lbs.

Shell 10 may be closed in a variety of ways, whether or not liner 20 is attached to shell 10. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, with fasteners 109, 111, and 113 closed, shell 10 forms a head opening 101 between shoulder strap 115 and fastener 112, a left side opening 103 between fasteners 109 and 113, and a right side opening between fasteners 111 and shoulder strap 115. With fastener 107 closed, sides 106, 108 and end 104 forms a sack for the infant's body and feet.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, fasteners 107, 109, 111, and 113 can be opened to provide access to the interior of garment 100. The configuration of FIG. 2 is useful, for example, in putting the garment on an infant. Thus, for example, the infants right arm can be placed through arm opening 105, their neck can be placed next to portion 115, fastener 113 may be closed to form head opening 101 (with the head extending through), and fasteners 109 may be closed below the left arm, resulting in the left arm protruding through arm opening 103. In the configuration of FIG. 5 sliders 107c and 107d are moved to allow access to the feet and bottom of the infant while keeping her upper body within the garment.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

Thus, while there has been described what is believed to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A garment formable into a pouch having a bottom portion adapted to accept the legs and body of infant and a top portion through which the head and arms of the accepted infant may protrude, said garment comprising:

a shell having an inner surface and an outer surface, and having a line of symmetry that extends along one side of said shell and which defines a first shell half having a first edge and a second shell half having a second edge, where said first shell half and said second shell half are substantially mirror images of each other;

an aperture through said shell along said line of symmetry and near the top portion of said garment;

a first fastener extending from the line of symmetry and along equal lengths of said first edge and said second edge; and

a second fastener at said top portion of the garment to join mirror image portions of said first edge and said second edge,

such that, when said first and second fasteners are closed, a pouch is formed along said line of symmetry and along said first fastener, one arm hole is formed by said aperture, a second arm hole is formed between said first fastener and said second fastener, and a neck hole is formed between said second fastener and said line of symmetry.

2. The garment of claim 1, where said first fastener is a zip fastener

3. The garment of claim 2, where said first fastener includes a first zipper chain formed from a pair of zipper teeth and one slider, where one of said pair of zipper teeth is attached at or near the edge the first edge and where the other of said pair of zipper teeth is attached or near said second edge.

4. The garment of claim 3, where said slider is a first slider and further comprising a second slider.

5. The garment of claim 1, where said second fastener is a snap fastener.

6. The garment of claim 1, further including a liner adapted to be removably attached to said inner surface.

7. The garment of claim 1, further including a third fastener adapted to fasten said liner to said inner surface of said first half and a fourth fastener adapted to fasten said liner to said inner surface of said second half.

8. The garment of claim 7, where said third fastener includes a second zipper chain formed from a pair of zipper teeth and a slider, where one of said pair of zipper teeth is attached to said inner surface of said first shell half and where the other of said pair of zipper teeth is attached to said liner.

9. The garment of claim 7, where said fourth fastener includes a second zipper chain formed from a pair of zipper teeth and a slider, where one of said pair of zipper teeth is attached to said inner surface of said second shell half and where the other of said pair of zipper teeth is attached to said liner.

10. A garment having a bottom portion adapted to accept the legs and body of infant and a top portion through which the head and arms of the accepted infant may protrude, said garment comprising:

a shell having an inner surface and an outer surface;

a liner, and

a fastener adapted to removably fasten said liner to said inner surface, where said fastener is a zip fastener including one pair of zipper teeth and a slider, where one of said pair of zipper teeth is attached to said inner surface and where the other of said pair of zipper teeth is attached to said liner.

11. The garment of claim 10, where said fastener is a first fastener, and where said garment further includes a second fastener adapted to removably fasten said liner to said inner surface, where said second fastener is a second zip fastener including one pair of zipper teeth and a slider, where one of said pair of zipper teeth is attached to said inner surface and where the other of said pair of zipper teeth is attached to said liner.

12. The garment of claim 10, where said garment is formable into a pouch having a bottom portion adapted to accept the legs and body of infant and a top portion through which the head and arms of the accepted infant may protrude, said shell having

a line of symmetry that extends along one side of said shell and which defines a first shell half having a first edge and a second shell half having a second edge, where said first shell half and said second shell half are substantially mirror images of each other;

an aperture through said shell along said line of symmetry and near the top portion of said garment;

a second fastener extending from the line of symmetry and along equal lengths of said first edge and said second edge; and

a third fastener at said top portion of the garment to join mirror image portions of said first edge and said second edge,

such that, when said second and third fasteners are closed, a pouch is formed along said line of symmetry and along said first fastener, one arm hole is formed by said aperture, a second arm hole is formed between said first fastener and said second fastener, and a neck hole is formed between said second fastener and said line of symmetry.

13. The garment of claim 12, where said second fastener includes a first zipper chain formed from a pair of zipper teeth and one slider, where one of said pair of zipper teeth is attached at or near the edge the first edge and where the other of said pair of zipper teeth is attached or near said second edge.

14. The garment of claim 13, where said slider is a first slider and further comprising a second slider.

15. The garment of claim 10, where said third fastener is a snap fastener.