Apparatus for Protecting A Young Human From the Elements

Abstract

A poncho for protecting an adult wearer, and a child worn by the adult, from the weather is disclosed. The poncho has a front opening and a child cape is attached to the poncho beneath the front opening. The child cape may be placed over the child that is worn on the adult's torso.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of outer gear. More specifically, the present invention relates to outer gear that is designed to meet the needs of women and mothers of children.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ponchos have traditionally been used to protect a single individual from the element. A typical poncho is oftentimes fabricated from a single large sheet of fabric with an opening in the center for the user's head, and a piece of fabric that covers the user's head. Rainproof ponchos normally are fitted with fasteners to close the sides once the poncho is draped over the user's body, with openings provided for the user's arms. Sometimes, the piece of fabric covering the user's head is in the form of a hood attached near the opening that covers the user's head during use.

Recently, there has been an increased popularity in devices which allow parents, or other adults, to carry babies and small children in devices close to the adult's body. Such devices may involve securing a baby on an adult's torso with the child's head close to the adult's chest.

As a result, there exists a need for a poncho that protects a wearer from the elements while also allowing the wearer to carry a child in this way. There additionally exists a need for a poncho that provides protection from the elements for not only the adult, but also for the child.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the foregoing in mind, embodiments of the present invention are related to a poncho. Furthermore, the poncho may advantageously combine weather protection for an adult with weather protection for a child secured to the adult's chest.

These and other features and advantages according to an embodiment of the present invention are provided by a poncho that is modified to be worn simultaneously by both an adult and a child. The poncho may include a hood for the adult and a separate hood for the child. The poncho may have a closeable opening in the upper front portion. When the opening is closed, the adult's may be fully protected from the elements similarly to traditional ponchos. However, when a child is secured to the adult's torso, the opening may be left open to allow the poncho to fit over both the adult and child. Additionally, the opening may be beneficial by providing more comfort for the child and allowing the child's head to be fully exposed to ambient air rather than stuck under the cloth of the poncho, which could be detrimental to the health of the child. A cape for the child may also be attached to the front of the poncho. This child cape may extend from the bottom of the poncho, over the length of the child's body that is not protected by the poncho, and include a hood that may be worn on the child's head.

An additional warming cloth may be secured to the bottom of the poncho. This warming cloth may be placed along the bottom portion of a child secured to an adult wearer of the poncho. This warming cloth may also be placed on the handles of a stroller, bicycle, shopping cart, or the like to protect the adult wearer's hands during inclement weather.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the inventive device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the first pocket.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the inside of the poncho, illustrating one embodiment of the bottom liner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Those of ordinary skill in the art realize that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention are illustrative and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

In this detailed description of the present invention, a person skilled in the art should note that directional terms, such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” and other like terms are used for the convenience of the reader in reference to the drawings. Also, a person skilled in the art should notice this description may contain other terminology to convey position, orientation, and direction without departing from the principles of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the device 100 is depicted with the child cape 101 attached to the poncho 102. A front opening may be disposed vertically on the front of the poncho 102, as shown in FIG. 1. The front opening may be closable by use of a zipper, hooks and loop fasteners, buttons, or the like. The front opening 103 may be located on the centerline of the poncho. As shown in FIG. 1, the child cape 101 may attach to the front side of the poncho 102, which may be the side worn on the front of a person's body. The child cape 101 may attach to the poncho 102 below the lowermost portion of the front opening 103. The child cape 101 may secure to the poncho 102 on a first end and be secured to the child's head with a child hood 104 at a second end.

A child hood fastener 116 may be disposed on the child cape 101 below the child hood 104. The child hood fastener 116 may comprise lengths of material connected to each side of the child cape 101 below the child hood 104. The two lengths of material may be secured to one another with a fastening device such as buttons, snaps, hooks and loops, or the like. The child hood fastener 116 may secure the child cape 101 to the child while also securing or positioning the child hood 104 around the head of the child.

There may be two hand slits 106 and 105 in the poncho. Both hand slits 106 and 105 may be placed equidistance from the centerline of the poncho 102. The distance from the centerline to each hand slit 106, 105 may be a hand slit distance. The left hand slit 105 may be located on the wearer's left side and the right hand slit 106 may be located on the wearer's right side. Each hand slit 106, 105 may be an opening in the poncho 102 through which the wearer may insert his or her hand and arm. The hand slits 105, 106 may allow the wearer more mobility while wearing the device 100. The hand slits 105, 106 may be closable with a zipper, hook and loop fasteners, buttons, or the like. In one embodiment, the hand slits 105, 106 may include a cover. In one embodiment, the cover may be rectangular, positioned over the hand slits 105, 106, and secured to the poncho 102 on three sides. The wearer of the poncho 102 may extend his or her hand and arm through the fourth, open side of the cover when utilizing the hand slits. Such a configuration may provide additional protection to the wearer during inclement weather.

A first pocket 107 may be positioned on the front of the poncho 102 below the front opening 103. The first pocket 107 may be an essentially rectangular piece of fabric. The top right and top left corners of the first pocket 107 may be clipped to provide a hexagonal piece of fabric as shown in FIG. 1. The top and bottom sides of the first pocket 107 may be permanently attached to the poncho 102. The left and right sides of the first pocket 107 may be unattached and form a right opening 109 and a left opening 108. Such a configuration may allow the wearer of the poncho 102 to insert his or her hands inside the first pocket 107, through the left opening 108 and the right opening 109, and use it similarly to a muff. In such an embodiment, the wearer may place his or her left hand and a portion of the left arm through the left hand slit 105 and into the left opening 108. The wearer's right hand and a portion of the right arm may be placed through the right hand slit 106 and into the right opening 109. The left and right sides of the first pocket 107 may be partially attached to provide smaller left and right openings through which the wearer may place his or her hands. In one embodiment, the portion of the left and right sides of the first pocket 107, which are essentially perpendicular to the bottom edge of the first pocket 107 may be secured to the poncho 102 while the upper portion of the left and right sides may remain unattached to the poncho.

A child cape slit 110 may be disposed on the first pocket 107. The child cape slit 110 may be closable with a zipper, hoops and loops fasteners, snaps, buttons, or the like. When the child cape 101 is in use, it may attach to the poncho 102 at a location that is covered by the first pocket 107. In some embodiments, the child cape 101 may be permanently attached to the poncho 102. In other embodiments, the child cape 101 may be removably attached to the poncho 102 by a zipper, hoops and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, or the like. Regardless of how the child cape 101 may be fastened to the poncho 102, it may extend through a child cape slit 110 located in the material that forms the first pocket 107.

In one embodiment, the child cape slit 110 may include a child cape slit cover. In such an embodiment, the child cape slit cover may be essentially rectangular, positioned over the child cape slit 110, and secured to the first pocket 107 on three sides. The child cape 101 may extend through the fourth, open side of the child cape slit cover when utilized. Such a configuration may provide additional protection to the contents of the first pocket 107 during inclement weather.

An adult hood 117 may be disposed at the top of the poncho 102. The adult hood 117 may be secured around the head of the wearer using an adult hood fastener. The adult hood fastener may comprise a length of material attached to the bottom of one side of the hood. There may be a loop at the end of this length of material. The loop may be constructed to be secured around a button or other securing device located on the other side of the hood. Additionally, the adult hood fastener may comprise buttons, snaps, hooks and loops, or the like.

The front edge of the adult hood, the edge that may surround a wearer's face, may have an elasticized cable extending through a channel formed along this front edge. There may be an adult hood opening adjuster disposed on the elasticized cable, which may allow the length of the cable to be adjusted. There may be an adult hood opening adjuster disposed on the elasticized cable on both the left and right sides of the hood.

The adult hood may also comprise a hood size adjuster 118. The hood size adjuster 118 may be an elasticized cable connected to one side of the front opening of the hood, extending around the length of the hood, and connecting to the other side of the front opening of the hood with an adjusting device disposed upon the elasticized cable. The adjusting device may be operated to lengthen or shorten the effective length of the elasticized cable. Such operation of the adjusting device may secure the hood more closely to the wearer's head.

Turning to FIG. 2, a second pocket 211 may be disposed on the poncho 202. This second pocket 211 may be located on the poncho 202 directly behind the first pocket 207 in such a way that the second pocket 211 may not be visible when viewing the device. The second pocket 211 may have an opening located near the top of the second pocket 211. This opening may be closed by a zipper, hooks and loops fastener, buttons, snaps, or the like. The opening in the second pocket 211 may be located proximate to the child cape slit 210 and the contents of the second pocket 211 may be accessed through the child cape slit 210. In one embodiment in which the opening of the second pocket 211 may be closed, the fastening device may be accessed through the child cape slit 210. In one embodiment, the fastening device may be accessed through the left opening 208 or the right opening 209.

The second pocket 211 may be formed by securing a piece of material to the poncho 202. This material may be essentially rectangular and may be connected to the poncho 202 on all four sides. An opening may be constructed in the material to allow items to be placed securely inside the second pocket 211. In other embodiments, the material may be secured to the poncho 202 on three sides and the opening formed by the unsecured fourth side may be used to access the contents of the second pocket 211. The second pocket 211 may be large enough to accommodate storage of the child cape. The child cape may also be stored within the first pocket. The second pocket 211 may provide a secure location in which to store keys, wallets, phones, or the like.

The child cape may be removed from storage in the first or second pocket and secured to the poncho by using a fastening device that may be attached to the poncho at a location covered by the first pocket 207. The fastening device may be buttons, snaps, zippers, hook and loop fasteners, or other fastening devices known in the art. Alternatively, the child cape may be permanently attached to the poncho within the second pocket 211 or may removable or permanently attached to the poncho 202 at an alternate location, such as, but not limited to, above the first pocket.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a bottom liner 312 may be seen disposed along the bottom, inside portion of the poncho 302. The bottom liner 312 may be a piece of material that is essentially rectangular. The bottom liner 312 may be attached to the inner side of the poncho 302 on three sides. The bottom edge of the bottom liner 312 may be secured to the bottom hem of the poncho 302 or may otherwise be affixed near the bottom edge of the poncho 302. The sides of the bottom liner 312 may be shorter than the bottom and top edges of the bottom liner 312. The sides of the bottom liner 312 may be secured to the inside of the poncho 302 forming a pocket-like configuration. The material forming the bottom liner 312 may be elasticized. In some embodiments, the material forming the bottom liner 312 may have heat-retaining or insulating properties. The top edge of the bottom liner 312 may be unsecured to the poncho 302. The top edge may have an elasticized cable extending through a channel formed on the top edge. There may be a bottom liner adjuster 313 disposed on the elasticized cable, which allows the length of the cable to be adjusted.

The design of the bottom liner may allow the bottom liner to be slipped over shopping carts, strollers, bicycle handles, or the like and protect the wearer's hands during cold, wet, or otherwise inclement weather. Additionally, the bottom liner 312 may be turned inside out and pulled up over the bottom portion of a child secured to the torso of an adult wearer of the poncho 302.

In one embodiment of the inventive device, a third pocket 314 may be affixed to the inside of the poncho 302. The third pocket 314 may be similar to the first pocket of the device, but attached to the inside of the poncho 302 rather than the outside. The third pocket 314 may be an essentially rectangular piece of material that is secured to the poncho 302 along only the top and bottom edges. This may leave openings on either side of the third pocket 314 through which the wearer may insert his or her hands. The material from which the third pocket 314 is constructed may be elasticized. The material from which the third pocket 314 is constructed may have heat retaining or insulating properties.

The poncho 302 may have thumb loops 315 attached proximate to the inner, bottom edge. The thumb loops 315 may be an elasticized material. The thumb loops 315 may be any elongated material that is connected to the poncho 302 on two ends in a manner that forms a loop. The size of the thumb loops 315 should be large enough to accommodate the insertion of a typical adult thumb through the loop. The wearer of the poncho 302 may insert his or her thumb, or other finger, through the thumb loop 315 to prevent the poncho from blowing upward in windy weather. The location of the thumb loops 315 on the inner side of the poncho 302 may allow the wearer to keep his or her arms protected while also preventing the poncho 302 from blowing up or around the wearer or the child attached to the wearer. The thumb loops 315 may be designed and allow the wearer to secure the bottom edge of the poncho 302 over the wearer's hands while the wearer has his or her hands on bicycle handles, stroller handles, or the like.

One embodiment of the inventive apparatus may include fasteners disposed along the bottom edge of the poncho. The fasteners may include, snaps, hooks and loops, zippers, buttons, or the like. The fasteners may be disposed on the inside of the bottom portion of the poncho. An extender piece may be connected to the fasteners by mating fasteners disposed along the extender piece, The extender piece may be a piece of material that may be connected to the poncho to effectively lengthen the poncho when connected. The top edge of the extender piece may be as long as the bottom edge of the poncho.

A person of skill in the art will appreciate additional embodiments that would be included within the scope and spirit of the present invention, after having the benefit of this disclosure.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for protecting a person from weather comprising:

a poncho having a front side, a bottom edge, and an inside;

a front opening having a bottom edge; and

a child cape;

wherein the front opening is disposed vertically on the front side of the poncho;

wherein the child cape is attached to the front side of the poncho below the bottom edge of the front opening;

wherein the poncho may be worn by the person; and

wherein the child cape may be placed over a child worn by the person.

2. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a left hand slit; and

a right hand slit;

wherein the left hand slit is disposed a hand slit distance to the left of the front opening;

wherein the right hand slit is disposed the hand slit distance to the right of the front opening.

3. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a first pocket disposed on the poncho below the bottom edge of the front opening;

4. The device according to claim 3 wherein a child cape slit is disposed in the first pocket;

wherein the child cape may attach to the poncho inside the first pocket and extend through the child cape slit.

5. The device according to claim 5 wherein the child cape is removably attached to the poncho.

6. The device according to claim 3 further comprising a second pocket disposed on the poncho behind the first pocket, wherein the child cape may be stored within the second pocket.

7. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a bottom liner having a left edge, a right edge, a bottom liner edge, and a top edge;

wherein the bottom liner edge is attached to the poncho proximate to the bottom edge of the poncho and on the inside of the poncho;

wherein the top edge of the bottom liner is not attached to the poncho;

wherein the right edge of the bottom liner and the left edge of the bottom liner are attached to the inside of the poncho.

8. The device according to claim 7 wherein the bottom liner comprises elasticized material.

9. The device according to claim 7 wherein the bottom liner comprises an adjusting cord disposed on the bottom liner proximate to the top edge of the bottom liner; wherein the adjusting cord may be lengthened or shortened.

10. The device according to claim 1 wherein the child cape is removably attached to the poncho.

11. The device according to claim 1 wherein the child cape further comprises

a child hood; and

a child hood fastener;

wherein the child hood fastener may secure the child hood to the child.

12. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a third pocket wherein the third pocket is affixed to the inside of the poncho.

13. The device according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of thumb loops disposed proximate to the bottom edge of the poncho.

14. The device according to claim 12 further comprising:

a hood; and

a hood size adjuster.

15. The device according to claim 10 wherein an attachment point for the child cape is disposed within a first inner pocket.

16. The device according to claim 15 wherein the child cape may be stored within a second inner pocket wherein the second inner pocket is accessed within the first inner pocket.

17. A device for protecting two humans from the elements comprising:

a poncho;

a child cape;

a left hand slit;

a right hand slit;

a first pocket;

a second inner pocket;

a bottom liner;

a bottom liner adjuster;

18. The device according to claim 17 wherein the child cape is removable.

19. The device according to claim 17 wherein the child cape attaches to the poncho inside the first inner pocket.

20. The device according to claim 17 further comprising a hood with a head adjuster.