COAT EXTENSION INFANT COVER
An infant cover that can be affixed to the open front edges of an item of clothing, such as a coat, to provide protection against weather elements to an infant carried by the person in the front, chest area of the person. The infant cover has a main panel and a pair of side panels that are oppositely disposed and extend outwardly from the main panel. A pair of folds is formed between the main panel and the side panels. One or more affixation devices are located in each fold to affix the infant cover to the front, open edges of the coat and span the area therebetween. The infant cover provides protection to an infant carried against the chest of the person by covering the normally open space present between the front edges of the unsecured coat so as to create a protective environment for the infant.
The present invention relates to a cover to be worn by a person and, more particularly, to a cover that attaches to the front edges of an item of clothing, such as a coat, worn by a person to provide protection or comfort to an infant carried at the chest area of a person or protection or comfort to a person carrying the infant.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThere are known various devices for carrying an infant by a person wherein the infant is safely and securely carried close to the carrying person for warmth and support. One popular device is a front carrying device that allows the carrying person to hold the infant close to the chest of the person so that the infant is secure and comfortable and shares warmth with the person.
Typically, the front carrying devices used in carrying an infant are fairly bulky and when the infant is carried in the front of the person against the chest of the carrying person, the combined bulk of the carrying device and the infant often prevents the person from closing the front of the coat since the front edges of the open coat simply cannot physically be brought together.
However, with cold and/or other inclement weather, the use of front carrying infant devices raises a problem in that with the front edges of the person's coat spaced apart, the infant, as well as the carrying person is exposed to the inclement weather.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a cover that could be affixed to the front edges of a person's coat or other item of apparel or to an infant carrier itself so as to provide a protective environment for the infant so that the infant can be carried against the chest of the person in a protective environment shielded from the inclement weather.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccordingly, the present invention relates to an infant cover that can be used to provide a protective environment along the chest of a person to shield an infant carried by the person from inclement weather by extending the coat across the front of the person to shield the infant. The exemplary embodiment will be explained in terms of a person's coat, however it can will be seen that the present infant cover can be used with other items of clothing or apparel. The infant cover includes a main panel and a pair of side panels that extend outwardly from the main panel such that the side panels extend laterally outwardly a finite distance beyond the main panel.
In an exemplary embodiment, folds are created between the main panel and each of the side panels and there are affixation devices that are located within the fold. The affixation devices are used to secure the infant cover to the open front edges of a coat worn by the person so that the normally open space between the open front edges of the coat is enclosed and a protective and comfortable environment created for the infant.
The infant cover can be used with different sized coats so that the infant cover of the present invention is versatile in its use. It can also be used with various different infant carriers including a front carrier with the infant in either the face forward or face rearward position.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings herein.
Referring now to
Turning then to
The main panel 22 may have a vertical length that covers substantially the torso of the person so that the main panel 22 can fully cover the infant positioned at the chest of the person 10. A pair of side panels 24 extends outwardly from each lateral side of the main panel 22 and can be sewn to the main panel 22. The side panels 24 extend at least substantially the full vertical length of the main panel 22 and, in the exemplary embodiment, extend a finite distance beyond the outer edges 26 of the main panel 22. Again, the side panels 24 may be comprised of two materials similar to the main panel 22 or may be a single weather resistant material.
In order to adjust the fit of the cover, there is an elastic cord 28 and a cord lock 30 running through a sewn channel in the upper and lower end of the main panel 22.
Turning briefly to
Turning next to
In the exemplary embodiment, the affixation devices 32 are clamps that have extending alligator ends 38 and a lever 40 that can be manipulated by a person to bring the alligator ends 38 together and hold a fabric or other material therebetween. The affixation devices 32 may be sewn onto the main panel 22 or the side panels 24.
Turning then to
As can also be seen in
Turning, to
An advantage of the present infant cover 20 is that is can be adapted to interfit with a wide variety of differing coats since the infant cover 20 is simply affixed to the open front edges of the coat and can therefore be used without modification and thus is versatile in its use with such various coats.
Next, in
As shown in
Turning then to
In
The zipper 60 can again be closed so that the infant cover 20 now provides additional protection against cold, inclement weather by adding the additional layer of insulation between the inclement weather and the infant.
Those skilled in the art will recognize numerous adaptations and modifications which can be made to the infant cover of the present invention which will result in an improved protection to an infant, yet all of which will fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A cover adapted to be affixed to the front edges of an item of clothing of a person, the cover comprising a main panel extending at least substantially along front edges of the item of clothing, a pair of opposed side panels extending outwardly from the main panel, affixation devices attached to the main or side panels for affixing the cover to front edges of the item of clothing, wherein the cover can provide protection and comfort to an infant carried by a person.
2. The cover as defined in claim 1 wherein the side panels are sewn to the main panel.
3. The cover as defined in claim 1 wherein folds are formed between the main panel and each of the side panels and the affixation devices are located within said folds.
4. The cover as defined in claim 1 wherein the affixation devices comprise hand manipulated devices adapted to grasp the free edges of clothing.
5. The cover as defined in claim 1 further including at least one elastic cord passing through a channel at the upper or lower portion of the main panel to adjust the cover.
6. The cover as defined in claim 1 wherein the main panel comprises an outer waterproof material and an inner soft material.
7. The cover as defined in claim 6 wherein an insulated insert is located intermediate the outer waterproof material and the inner soft material.
8. The cover as defined in claim 7 wherein the inner soft material has a zipper provided therein to allow the insulated insert to be inserted and removed from the location intermediate the outer waterproof material and the inner soft material.
9. The cover of claim 1 wherein the affixation devices are sewn to the main panel.
10. The cover of claim 1 further including a hood removably affixed to the main panel.
11. The combination of an item of clothing having front edges adapted to be worn by a person and an infant cover, the infant cover having a main panel and having a pair oppositely disposed side panels extending outwardly from the main panel, the infant cover having affixation devices laterally accessible, said affixation devices affixing the infant cover to the front edges of the item of clothing to create a protective environment within the space between the front edges of the item of clothing.
12. The combination of claim 10 wherein folds are formed between the front panel and each of the side panels and the affixation devices are located within said folds.
13. The combination of claim 12 wherein the front edges of the item of clothing are sandwiched within the fold.
14. The combination of claim 11 wherein the main panel comprises an outer waterproof material and an inner soft material.
15. The combination of claim 11 wherein the affixation devices comprise a plurality of spaced apart individual fastening devices.
16. The combination of claim 11 wherein the spaced apart fastening devices are sewn to the main panel.
17. The combination of claim 11 wherein the item of clothing is a coat.
18. A method of providing protection to a person wearing an item of clothing having open front edges, the method comprising the steps of
- providing an infant cover dimensioned to cover substantially the full torso of the person, the infant cover having a main panel and a pair of side panels extending outwardly from the main panel;
- providing affixation devices on the infant cover at the lateral sides thereof; and
- using the affixation devices to affix the infant cover to the open front edges of the item of clothing to close the space between the open front edges of the item of clothing to thereby form a protective environment against the torso of a person.
19. The method of claim 18 where the step of providing an infant cover includes the step of providing an infant cover having folds between the main panel and the pair of side panels and wherein the step of providing affixation devices comprises providing affixation devices located within each of the folds.
20. The method of claim 19 where the step of using the affixation devices to affix the infant cover to the open front edges of the item of clothing includes the step of positioning the front edges of the coat within the folds.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 15, 2012
Publication Date: Jul 10, 2014
Inventor: Sonjie Feliciano Solomon (Brooklyn, NY)
Application Number: 14/236,069