BLANKET, SLEEPING BAG AND OTHER BEDDING MATERIALS WITH ROTATABLE SECOND LAYER FOR COVERING EXPOSED PORTION OF USER AFTER USER HAS FALLEN ASLEEP
An article of manufacture for covering a user while the user is resting includes a first layer and a rotatable second layer. The second layer is attached to the first layer along a line running across the first layer. The second layer is rotatable around an axis of rotation formed by the line such that the second layer covers a particular portion of the first layer only when rotated toward the particular portion. In operation, a parent or other caregiver covers a resting user with the first layer and rotates the second layer away from a particular portion of the first layer. Then, at a later time, the parent or caregiver rotates the second layer toward the particular portion of the first layer. In this way, the parent or caregiver can easily cover a portion of the user while the user is resting without needing to re-position the first layer.
This application claims the benefit of Canadian Patent Application No. 2,880,619 filed Jan. 27, 2015 and Canadian Patent Application No. 2,871,634 filed Nov. 19, 2014. Both of these applications are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION(1) Field of the Invention
The invention pertains generally to a blanket, sleeping bag and other bedding materials utilized to cover a person while the person is resting. More specifically, the invention relates to articles, assemblies and methods particularly well-suited to keeping children warm and safe while sleeping.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A baby blanket typically comprises a one-piece relatively small and generally flat cover which is wrapped around or laid over a baby. While the foregoing blanket does allow a baby to be kept relatively warm, it suffers from some drawbacks. For example, babies often free their arms and push down the blanket causing the baby's arms and upper body to be cold and uncomfortable. Often times the baby will fall asleep holding on to the upper portion of blanket or with arms over top and covering the upper portion of the blanket.
In winter months and other common situations the ambient air temperature may be too cold for a baby to safely sleep with exposed arms and upper body. However, when a parent discovers the baby has pushed down the blanket and tries to re-position the blanket to cover the baby's arms and upper body, the parent often must pull the blanket out from under the arms of the sleeping baby and risks disturbing and waking the baby.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,164 discloses a baby blanket assembly that is similar to a sleeping bag or sack within which the baby is secured and that includes a number of safety and convenience features. However, even with this improved sleeping bag design, a typical baby can free their arms and push down the cover portion of the assembly causing the baby's arms and possibly upper body to be cold and uncomfortable. A parent who tries to re-position the upper portion of the assembly out from under the sleeping baby still risks waking the baby. It would be easier for the parent to simply lay another blanket over the arms and upper body of the sleeping baby; however, to do so defeats many of the safety features of the sleeping bag design. For example, the baby may later pull this newly added blanket over their face and obstruct their breathing.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to an exemplary embodiment of the invention there is disclosed an article of manufacture for covering a user while the user is resting. The article includes a first layer having a lengthwise direction running from an upper end for positioning toward a head of the user and a lower end opposite the upper end, and a widthwise direction running from a right side to a left side of the user. The article further includes a second layer attached to the first layer along a line on the first layer. The second layer is rotatable around an axis of rotation formed by the line such that the second layer covers a particular portion of the first layer only when rotated toward the particular portion.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the invention there is disclosed an assembly for covering a user while the user is resting. The assembly includes a first layer having a lengthwise direction running from an upper end for positioning toward a head of the user and a lower end opposite the upper end, and a widthwise direction running from a right side to a left side of the user. The first layer has a first attachment means along a line running on the first layer. The assembly further includes a second layer having a second attachment means adapted to attach with the first attachment means. When the second attachment means is attached to the first attachment means, the second layer is rotatable around an axis of rotation formed by the line such that the second layer covers a particular portion of the first layer only when rotated toward the particular portion.
According to yet another exemplary embodiment of the invention there is disclosed a method of covering a user while the user is resting. The method includes covering the user when the user begins resting with a first layer of an article. The first layer has a lengthwise direction running from an upper end positioned toward a head of the user and a lower end opposite the upper end, and a widthwise direction running from a right side to a left side of the user. The method further includes rotating a second layer of the article away from a particular portion of the first layer when the user begins resting. The second layer is attached to the first layer along a line on the first layer, and the second layer is rotatable around an axis of rotation formed by the line such that the second layer covers the particular portion of the first layer only when rotated toward the particular portion. The method further includes rotating the second layer around the axis of rotation formed by the line toward the particular portion of the first layer at a later time while the user is resting.
An advantage of many embodiments of the invention is that a parent or other caregiver can easily cover an exposed portion of a sleeping child with minimal chances of waking or otherwise disturbing the child.
These and other advantages and embodiments of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description and reviewing the preferred embodiments illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent preferred embodiments thereof:
The first layer 110 in this embodiment is a cloth sheet (or other suitable material) of desired thickness to cover and thereby provide warmth to a sleeping baby or other user. For example, the blanket 100 of
As shown in
In an exemplary embodiment, the width of the second layer 102 is kept within 20% of the width of the first layer 110. Preferably the second layer 102 is equal to or slightly greater in width than the first layer 110 to provide better warmth and comfort but this is a not a strict requirement. Similarly, since the attachment means 120 in
The only part of the second layer 102 that is attached to the first layer 110 in this embodiment is the attached edge along the line formed by the attachment means 120. In this way, the second layer 102 is rotatable around the axis of rotation formed by the attachment means 120. As illustrated in
A method of utilizing the blanket 100 of
The blanket 500 of
Operation of the blanket 500 is very similar to as described above for the blanket 100 of
The multiple rotatable layers 502a, 502b may be increased in number by the addition of additional sheets attached onto the attachment means 520. For example, the addition of a third sheet (not shown) of substantially the same size as the first layer 510 and attached to the first layer 510 and/or the second layer 502 along the attachment means 520 would provide two additional rotatable layers (similar to 502a and 502b) and would increase by two the number of times the parents or other caregivers could re-cover the upper body of the sleeping baby. Rather than utilizing buttons, each layer may have a suitable Velcro® strip on one side of attachment means 520 adapted to attach with a corresponding Velcro® strip on an adjacent layer.
It is generally recognized that sleeping bags are safer than blankets for infants and newborns to reduce the chances that the baby can pull soft bedding material up over their face and obstruct their breathing. With the sleeping bag embodiment of
Attached along a line running widthwise along the outside of a middle portion of the first layer 610 is an attachment means 620. The attachment means 620 runs horizontally from right to left side over the stomach area of the baby on the outside of the sack. A second layer 602 is attached to the first layer 610 along this attachment means 620 and, similar to the previously described embodiments, the second layer 602 is rotatable about the line formed by the attachment means 620. In this manner, the second layer 602 can cover either a lower portion or an upper portion of the sleeping bag's first layer 610 depending on the position of rotation. Rather than buttons or Velcro®, in this embodiment, the attachment means is of permanent nature such as by the second layer 602 being sewn directly to the outside stomach area of the sleeping bag layer 610 during manufacture. However, in other embodiments, the second layer 602 may be selectively attachable and detachable to the first layer 610 by an attachment means 620 such as buttons, Velcro®, zipper etc.
The design of the second layer 602 may be adapted to appear from the top down view as if it were an article of clothing such as a dress for a girl or a kilt for a boy. However, unlike these typical articles of clothing, the attachment means 620 does not encircle the whole garment. Instead, the attachment means 620 is only along a line on one side of the sleeping bag layer 610, for instance, only on the stomach side. In this way, a baby can be laid on their back in a crib and the second layer 602 will be facing upward and free to be rotated to either of the upper or lower positions by a parent or caregiver.
Concerning the sack portion of the first layer 610, the sack may be permanently formed during manufacture such that the sack cannot be taken apart or separated into multiple layers, or the sack may be formed by two or more layers that are attachable and deattachable to each other by an end user to form the sack within which the baby can be placed.
An exemplary method of operating the sleeping bag 600 is now described with reference to
Another advantage of the sleeping bag 600 is that even if the baby should later wake and grab a hold of the second layer 602, it will not be possible for the baby to pull the second layer 602 up over the baby's face inadvertently obstructing their breathing. The reason is the second layer 602 is attached to the sleeping bag's first layer 610 via attachment means 620, and the weight of the baby lying within the first layer 610 and the fact that the baby's feet are also within the enclosed sack both help to prevent the baby from pulling the rotatable second layer 602 up over the baby's face. In this way, the sleeping bag 600 with rotatable second layer 602 according to this embodiment is safer in use than a parent or other caregiver simply laying a separate detached blanket over the top of a baby's exposed arms like they might do when utilizing a conventional sleeping bag.
Unlike the second layer 602 of
When the baby is tired and going to have a nap, a parent or other caregiver places the baby on their back within sleeping bag 910 and attaches the attachment means on the sheet forming the second layers 902a, 902b with the corresponding attachment means on the sleeping bag layer 910. Similar to the above described baby blanket 500 of
A benefit of including multiple rotatable second layers 602 is similar to as previously described with reference to the blanket embodiment of
Summing up an example embodiment of the invention, an article of manufacture for covering a user while the user is resting includes a first layer and a rotatable second layer. The second layer is attached to the first layer along a line running across the first layer. The second layer is rotatable around an axis of rotation formed by the line such that the second layer covers a particular portion of the first layer only when rotated toward the particular portion. In operation, a parent or other caregiver covers a resting user with the first layer and rotates the second layer away from a particular portion of the first layer. Then, at a later time, the parent or caregiver rotates the second layer toward the particular portion of the first layer. In this way, the parent or caregiver can easily cover a portion of the user while the user is resting without needing to re-position the first layer.
Although the invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments, it should be understood that various modifications, additions and alterations may be made to the invention by one skilled in the art. For example, the first layer 110 of blanket 100 of
In yet another beneficial modification, different patterns and designs may be selected and added to various second layers 102, 502, 602, 902, 1002 so that a suitable one may be used for different babies or different occasions, moods etc. The first and second layers may be sold or otherwise provided as an assembly that are attached by the user themselves. For instance, different animals, colours, shapes, etc. may be drawn on a plurality of different attachable second layers 602 and the parents, caregiver, or child may select the appropriate or desired one(s) for use. The attachment means 120, 520, 620, 920, 1020, 1120 may be any suitable attachment mechanism for example but not limited to buttons, fabric hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro®, zippers, etc. The attachments means may comprise a first attachment means on a first layer adapted to connect and attach with a corresponding compatible second attachment means on the second layer(s).
In yet another modification, rather than being attachable and re-attachable, the rotatable second layer(s) may be permanently attached to the first layer such as by the various layers being sewn together at the factory during manufacture.
In yet another modification, other types of sleeping and bedding articles of manufacture for covering a person while resting may take advantage of the invention. For example, a rotatable second layer may be added to any suitable first layer such as blankets, duvets, sheets, quilts, sleeping bags, sleeping sacks, comforters, bed covers, sleepers, pyjamas, etc.
In yet another modification, rather than the attachment means being a horizontal line at the halfway point of the first layer similar to as shown in
Additionally, although the above description has focused on covering the upper body and arms of the user, other embodiments and methods of operation are also possible to cover the lower body and legs. For example, rather than rotating the second layer 102 of the blanket 100 in
Likewise, although the above description has focused on covering exposed portions of sleeping babies, infants, and children, embodiments of the invention are also useful and may be employed to cover any resting person or animal. For example, adult patients in a hospital may benefit from having a caregiver such as a nurse easily rotate the second layer 102, 502, 602, 902a,b, 1002, 1102a, 1102b to cover either the patient's upper body or legs as desired without disturbing the patient's sleep. Similarly, the invention with rotatable second layer(s) may also be utilized to cover people with disabilities. Pet owners may also employ the disclosed blankets and sleeping bags to cover and re-cover their sleeping pets such as a dogs and cats. The disclosed blankets and other bedding materials may be adapted for both indoor and outdoor usage as desired.
All combinations and permutations of the above described features, embodiments and configurations may be utilized in conjunction with the invention.
Claims
1. An article of manufacture for covering a user while the user is resting, the article comprising:
- a first layer having a lengthwise direction running from an upper end for positioning toward a head of the user and a lower end opposite the upper end, and a widthwise direction running from a right side to a left side of the user; and
- a second layer attached to the first layer along a line on the first layer;
- wherein the second layer is rotatable around an axis of rotation formed by the line such that the second layer covers a particular portion of the first layer only when rotated toward the particular portion.
2. The article of claim 1, wherein the second layer is attached to the first layer along the line running in the widthwise direction of the first layer.
3. The article of claim 2, wherein:
- the line running in the widthwise direction of the first layer is in a middle portion of the first layer, the middle portion being between the upper end and the lower end; and
- the second layer is rotatable around the axis of rotation formed by the line such that the second layer covers a lower portion of the first layer when rotated toward the lower end of the first layer and covers an upper portion of the first layer when rotated toward to the upper end of the first layer.
4. The article of claim 2, wherein the line at which the second layer is attached to the first layer is positioned halfway between the upper end and the lower end of the first layer.
5. The article of claim 2, wherein the second layer has a length in the lengthwise direction from an attached end at the line to a free end opposite the line such that the free end covers the upper end of the first layer when the second layer is rotated toward the upper end of the first layer.
6. The article of claim 2, wherein the second layer has a length in the lengthwise direction from an attached end at the line to a free end opposite the line such that the free end covers the lower end of the first layer when the second layer is rotated toward the lower end of the first layer.
7. The article of claim 1, wherein the second layer has a width in the widthwise direction within twenty percent of a width of the first layer.
8. The article of claim 1, wherein the second layer has a length in the lengthwise direction within twenty percent of one half a total length of the first layer, the total length being from the upper end to the lower end.
9. The article of claim 1, wherein the second layer is permanently attached to the first layer along the line.
10. The article of claim 1, wherein the second layer is attached to the first layer along the line by way of an attachment means that enables the second layer to be selectively attached and deattached to the first layer.
11. The article of claim 10, wherein the attachment means comprises one or more of a button, a fabric hook and loop fastener, or a zipper.
12. The article of claim 1, further comprising:
- a plurality of second layers attached to the first layer along the line running in the widthwise direction of the first layer;
- wherein each of the second layers is rotatable around the axis of rotation formed by the line such that each of the second layers covers a lower portion of the first layer when rotated toward the lower end of the first layer and covers an upper portion of the first layer when rotated toward to the upper end of the first layer.
13. The article of claim 1, wherein the first layer is one of a blanket, duvet, sheet, quilt, pyjama, or sleeping bag.
14. An assembly for covering a user while the user is resting, the assembly comprising:
- a first layer having a lengthwise direction running from an upper end for positioning toward a head of the user and a lower end opposite the upper end, and a widthwise direction running from a right side to a left side of the user;
- the first layer having a first attachment means along a line on the first layer; and
- a second layer having a second attachment means adapted to attach with the first attachment means;
- wherein, when the second attachment means is attached to the first attachment means, the second layer is rotatable around an axis of rotation formed by the line such that the second layer covers a particular portion of the first layer only when rotated toward the particular portion.
15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the first layer has the first attachment means along the line running in the widthwise direction of the first layer.
16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein:
- the first attachment means along the line running in the widthwise direction of the first layer is in a middle portion of the first layer, the middle portion being between the upper end and the lower end; and
- when the second attachment means is attached to the first attachment means, the second layer is rotatable around the axis of rotation formed by the line such that the second layer covers a lower portion of the first layer when rotated toward the lower end of the first layer and covers an upper portion of the first layer when rotated toward to the upper end of the first layer.
17. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the line at which the second layer is attached to the first layer is positioned halfway between the upper end and the lower end of the first layer.
18. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the second layer has a length in the lengthwise direction from an attached end at the line to a free end opposite the line such that the free end covers the upper end of the first layer when the second layer is rotated toward the upper end of the first layer.
19. A method of covering a user while the user is resting, the method comprising:
- covering the user when the user begins resting with a first layer of an article, the first layer having a lengthwise direction running from an upper end positioned toward a head of the user and a lower end opposite the upper end, and a widthwise direction running from a right side to a left side of the user;
- rotating a second layer of the article away from a particular portion of the first layer when the user begins resting, wherein the second layer is attached to the first layer along a line on the first layer, and the second layer is rotatable around an axis of rotation formed by the line such that the second layer covers the particular portion of the first layer only when rotated toward the particular portion; and
- rotating the second layer around the axis of rotation formed by the line toward the particular portion of the first layer at a later time while the user is resting.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein:
- the first layer is a sleeping bag; and
- covering the user when the user begins resting with the first layer comprises placing the user into the sleeping bag.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 14, 2015
Publication Date: May 19, 2016
Inventor: Liping Zhou (Calgary)
Application Number: 14/852,743