Garment Adapted for Child Car Seat and Method of Use

Abstract

A garment adapted for use in a child's car seat has been disclosed, where multiple openings allow the seat belts to rest between the child's body and the garment. The invention also includes a method of using a garment with multiple openings to safely secure a child into a car seat.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/418,632 filed Nov. 7, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to children's garments and more particularly to children's garments adapted for use with child car seats.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When riding in a motor vehicle, infants, toddlers and small children (hereinafter “child” or “children”) are generally required to be seated in a child safety seat. Child safety seats include a broad group of safety devices designed to safely and securely hold infants to small children in motor vehicles. Child safety seats (hereinafter “car seat(s)”) include, but are not limited to, rear-facing infant seats, forward-facing child safety seats and booster seats. Car seats are required to transport children in motor vehicles because the seat and seat belt systems in most vehicles would not safely restrain a child in the event of an accident.

Many car seats in use today are anchored to a car seat and use an independent seat belt system to restrain a child. Car seats with an independent belt system often use a five-point harness consisting of five straps that meet at a central buckle. The five straps generally include two shoulder straps, two hip straps and one crotch strap, meeting at a centrally located buckle approximately at the height of a child's waist. Five point harnesses may optionally have a chest buckle that holds the two shoulder straps at a predetermined distance from each other approximately over a child's chest.

Children, especially infants and toddlers, are susceptible to extreme temperatures and should be dressed warmly in clothes or blankets when in cold ambient temperatures. While warm clothes or blankets are essential for keeping children warm in cold temperatures, their bulk can interfere with the effectiveness of a car seat. Bulky clothing or blankets worn between a child's body and the safety belt system can create excessive space between the child's body and the safety belts. Excessive space between a child's body and the safety belts is hazardous because the space allows a child to rise off of the seat in an accident, potentially causing a secondary impact against the seat back as the child falls back to the seat or, in extreme cases, increasing the likelihood of the child breaking free of the car seat.

Because warm clothes and car seats are essential for child safety in colder climates, it is an object of the present invention to provide a garment that is adapted for use in car seats. It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of using the garment of the present invention in car seats to increase child safety.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a garment adapted for use in car seats and a method of using the garment to increase child safety. While the present invention may be adapted to a wide range of garments, it has been adapted to a jacket in three exemplary embodiments depicted herein. In a first exemplary embodiment is a jacket with two upper slit openings beginning at the neckline and extending diagonally downward in the direction of the armpit. In the first exemplary embodiment, two optional lower slit openings beginning at the waistline and extending upward in the direction of the armpit are also shown.

In a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a jacket with two front slit openings beginning adjacent to the neck opening and extending downward to a location substantially below the armpit area and adjacent to the waistline of the jacket.

The second exemplary embodiment also includes flaps that are removably attached to the jacket on a portion to hold the center portion of the front slit openings together when in the open position. In a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a jacket that is substantially similar to the first exemplary embodiment except that it is further comprised of two flaps adjacent to the neckline that are removably attached to the jacket on a portion.

The present invention also provides a method of use that increases the effectiveness of car seats when used with warm clothes. The inventive method includes dressing a child in one of the presented embodiments of the invention and placing the child in a car seat. When the child is seated in the car seat and before the seat belts are put into place, each slit opening and flap should be opened. Depending on the embodiment of the present invention used, the slit openings and flaps work together to allow the seat belts to pass through the jacket and buckle close to the child's body, substantially eliminating the gap between the child and the seat belts. Once the child is belted into the seat belts, the jacket may be closed by attaching the flaps, thereby keeping the child warm.

For clarity, a representative structure of a garment to which the inventive clothing adaptation for car seats is shown in the drawings. While only a single type of garment is shown in the drawings, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate how the mechanism described would be integrated into a particular garment. The invention may be installed in other types of garments, including but not limited to, coats, snow suits, sweaters and sweat shirts. The invention may also be installed in blankets or other types of warming devices, including but not limited to, ponchos and capes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in a first position.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the first exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in a second position.

FIG. 3 is top view of the first exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in a first step of a first exemplary method of use.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the first exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in a second step of the first exemplary method of use.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the first exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in a third step of the first exemplary method of use.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the first exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in an alternate view of the third step of the first exemplary method of use.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in a first position.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the second exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in a second position.

FIG. 9 is top view of the second exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in a first step of a second exemplary method of use.

FIG. 10 is a top view of the second exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in a second step of the second exemplary method of use.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the second exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in a third step of the second exemplary method of use.

FIG. 12 is a top view of the second exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in an alternate view of the third step of the second exemplary method of use.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in a first position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1 & 2 is a first exemplary embodiment of the invention adapted to a jacket 10. The jacket 10 is comprised of a right sleeve 11, a left sleeve 12, a back panel 13, a right front panel 14, a left front panel 15, a neck opening 16, a waist opening 17, a front opening 18 extending from the neck opening 16 to the waist opening 17, and a front fastening means 19, capable of selectively opening or closing the front opening 18. The directions right, left, front and back refer to directions as perceived by the person wearing the jacket 10. In FIGS. 1 & 2, the front fastening means 19 is depicted as a zipper in the open position with the zipper pull near the waistline 17 portion of the jacket 10. While a zipper has been disclosed as the front fastening means 19, it is appreciated that many other appropriate fastening means could be substituted, including but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, buttons or adhesive.

The jacket 10 of the first exemplary embodiment is further comprised of a right upper slit opening 30 and a left upper slit opening 31. In some embodiments, it is preferable for said right upper slit opening 30 and said left upper slit opening 31 to be between and including two to ten inches long. In some embodiments, it is more preferable for said right upper slit opening 30 and said left upper slit opening 31 to be between and including three to seven inches long. In some embodiments, it is preferable for the right upper slit opening 30 and left upper slit opening 31 to be positioned substantially along a transverse plane. In some embodiments, it is preferable for a line drawn from the beginning to end of the right upper slit opening 30 and left upper slit opening 31 to be between and including 0 to 90 degrees from a horizontal plane when worn by a person standing upright. In some embodiments, it is more preferable for a line drawn from the beginning to end of the right upper slit opening 30 and left upper slit opening 31 to be between and including 10 to 75 degrees from a horizontal plane when worn by a person standing upright. In some embodiments, it is most preferable for a line drawn from the beginning to end of the right upper slit opening 30 and left upper slit opening 31 to be between and including 10 to 45 degrees from a horizontal plane when worn by a person standing upright.

The right upper slit opening 30 has a fastening means 32 to allow the opening to be selectively opened or closed. The left upper slit opening 31 has a fastening means 33 to allow the opening to be selectively opened or closed. In the first exemplary embodiment, the fastening means 32 & 33 are depicted as zippers, but as noted above, other appropriate fastening means could be substituted, including but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, buttons or adhesive.

The jacket 10 of the first exemplary embodiment is optionally further comprised of a right lower slit opening 34 and a left lower slit opening 35 (not shown in FIGS. 1 & 2). Similar to the upper slit openings, the right lower slit opening 34 has a fastening means 36 to allow the opening to be selectively opened or closed. The left lower slit opening 35 has a fastening means 37 (not shown in FIGS. 1 & 2) to allow the opening to be selectively opened or closed. In the first exemplary embodiment, the fastening means 36 & 37 are depicted as zippers, but as noted above, other appropriate fastening means could be substituted, including but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, buttons or adhesive.

In FIG. 1, the first exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in a first position where upper slit openings 30 & 31 and lower slit openings 34 & 35 (left lower slit opening 35 is not shown) are in the closed position. The fastening means 32 & 33 are shown in their closed position with the zipper pulls closest to the neckline, indicating that the zippers along the upper slit openings 30 & 31 are closed. The fastening means 36 is shown in the closed position with the zipper pull closest to the waistline, indicating that the zipper along the right lower slit opening 34 is closed. The fastening means 37 (not shown) is also in the closed position with the zipper pull closest to the waistline, indicating that the left lower slit opening 35 is closed. The front opening 18 is open in the first position with the front fastening means 19 shown in the open position. The front fastening means is shown in the open position with the zipper pull closest to the waistline, indicating that the zipper along the front opening 18 is open.

The term “open” when used in reference to a zipper means that the zipper teeth on opposite sides of an opening are not meshed together. The term “closed” when used in reference to a zipper means that the zipper teeth on opposite sides of an opening are meshed together, effectively closing the opening.

In FIG. 2, the first exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in a second position where the upper slit openings 30 & 31 and the lower slit openings 34 & 35 (left lower slit opening 35 is not shown) are in the open position. The fastening means 32 & 33 are shown in their open position with the zipper pulls positioned at the bottom of their respective opening, indicating that the zippers along the upper slit openings 30 & 31 are open. The fastening means 36 is shown in the open position with the zipper pull positioned at the top of its opening, indicating that the zipper along the right lower slit opening 34 is open. The fastening means 37 (not shown) is also in the open position with the zipper pull positioned at the top of its opening, indicating that the left lower slit opening 35 is open. The front opening 18 is open in the first position with the front fastening means 19 shown in the open position. The front fastening means is shown in the open position with the zipper pull closest to the waistline, indicating that the zipper along the front opening 18 is open.

In FIGS. 3-6 is the jacket 10 of the first exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in various steps of a first exemplary method of using the jacket 10. In FIGS. 3-6 is a top view of a child 50 wearing the jacket 10 in a car seat 40. In FIGS. 3-6, the top view indicates the orientation of the view when the jacket 10 is worn in a car seat 40 where the child 50 is facing in the upward direction and the child's back is oriented downward. When referencing positions on the jacket 10 itself, top refers to the top of the jacket 10 when standing alone, as in FIGS. 1-2. In other words, the top of the jacket 10 is the end with the neck opening 16 and the bottom of the jacket is the end with the waist opening 17. The child 50 and car seat 40 are drawn without significant detail to bring additional clarity to the invention itself. The car seat 40 can be any type of seat that uses an over the shoulder belt system.

In FIG. 3 is the first step of the first exemplary method of use. In the first step, the jacket 10 is worn by the child 50 with the front opening 18 open and the front fastening means 19 in the open position. The upper slit openings 30 & 31 and their respective fastening means 32 & 33 are also in the open position. The lower slit openings 34 & 35 and their respective fastening means 36 & 37 are in the open position if included on the jacket 10. The child 50 is placed in a car seat 40 in an appropriate position so that the seat belt straps are aligned with the child's shoulders, hips and crotch. The seat belt straps are not shown in FIG. 3 for clarity but the seat belt openings 48 where the seat belt straps pass through the car seat 40 are shown. In many car seats 40, the seat belt straps pass through seat belt openings 48 and are fixed to the bottom of the car seat 40.

In FIG. 4 is the second step of the first exemplary method of use. In the second step, the seat belt straps are placed over the child 50 and buckled together. Portions of the seat belt straps and seat belt buckles that are hidden by the jacket 10 are shown in broken lines. The right shoulder strap 41 passes up out of an opening 48 near the child's 50 right shoulder and passes into the right upper slit opening 30. The right shoulder strap 41 passes between the jacket 10 and the child's 50 chest, passes through a chest buckle 47 and attaches to a central buckle 46. The use of a chest buckle 47 and central buckle 46 is a common configuration in used in car seats 40 with a five-point harness type of seat belt restraint. It is appreciated that different types of seat belt restraints exist and the present invention would likely complement other types of seat belts.

The left shoulder strap 42 passes up out of an opening 48 near the child's 50 left shoulder and passes into the left upper slit opening 31. The left shoulder strap 42 passes between the jacket 10 and the child's 50 chest, passes through the chest buckle 47 and attaches to the central buckle 46. The right lap belt 43 passes up out of an opening 48 near the child's 50 right hip and passes into the right lower slit opening 34. The right lap belt 43 passes between the jacket 10 and the child's 50 hips and attaches to the central buckle 46. The left lap belt 44 passes up out of an opening 48 near the child's 50 left hip and passes into the left lower slit opening 35. The left lap belt 44 passes between the jacket 10 and the child's 50 hips and attaches to the central buckle 46. The crotch strap 45 passes up out of an opening 48 near the child's 50 crotch and attaches to the central buckle 46.

In FIGS. 5 & 6 is the third step of the first exemplary method of use. In the third step, the front opening 18 of the jacket 10 is closed using fastening means 19. The zipper pull of fastening means 19 is positioned near the neckline, indicating that the zipper along the front opening 18 is closed. In FIG. 5, portions of the seat belt straps and seat belt buckles that are hidden by the jacket 10 are shown in broken lines. In FIG. 6 is a top view of the child 50 wearing the jacket 10 and strapped into a car seat 40 without hidden seat belt straps or hidden seat belt buckles shown.

As seen in FIGS. 7 & 8 is a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, a jacket 110. The elements in the alternative embodiments which are substantially the same as the corresponding elements of the first embodiment described are identified with the same numeral. Elements which are similar (but not necessarily identical) in function are denoted by the same numeral plus 100.

In FIGS. 7 & 8 is a second exemplary embodiment of the invention adapted to a jacket 110. The jacket 110 is comprised of a right sleeve 111, a left sleeve 112, a back panel 113, a right front panel 114, a left front panel 115, a neck opening 116, a waist opening 117, a front opening 118 extending from the neck opening 116 to the waist opening 117 and a front fastening means 119 capable of selectively opening or closing the front opening 118. The directions right, left, front and back refer to directions as perceived by the person wearing the jacket 110. In FIGS. 7 & 8, the front fastening means 119 is depicted as a zipper in the open position with the zipper pull near the waistline 117 portion of the jacket 110. While a zipper has been disclosed as the front fastening means 119, it is appreciated that many other appropriate fastening means could be substituted, including but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, buttons or adhesive.

The jacket 110 of the second exemplary embodiment is further comprised of a right slit opening 160 and a left slit opening 161. The right slit opening 160 has a fastening means 162 to allow the opening to be selectively opened or closed. The left slit opening 161 has a fastening means 163 to allow the opening to be selectively opened or closed. In the second exemplary embodiment, the fastening means 162 & 163 are depicted as zippers, but as noted above, other appropriate fastening means could be substituted, including but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, buttons or adhesive.

The jacket 110 of the second exemplary embodiment is optionally further comprised of a right flap 164 and a left flap 165. The right flap 164 and the left flap 165 cover at least a portion of the right slit opening 160 and left slit opening 161, respectively, and are fixed to the jacket on one portion. In the second exemplary embodiment, the right flap 164 is fixed to the right front panel 114 along the long edge closest to the right armpit and the left flap 165 is fixed to the left front panel 115 along the long edge closest to the left armpit. In the second exemplary embodiment, the right flap 164 is removably attached to the right front panel 114 on the side closest to the front opening 118. The left flap 165 is further removably attached to the left front panel 115 on the side closest to the front opening 118.

The removable fasteners used to fasten the right flap 164 to the right front panel 114 and the left flap 165 to the left front panel 115 are depicted in FIG. 8. In the second preferred embodiment, hook and loop fasteners 166 are fixed to the underside of the flaps 164 & 165 and corresponding hook and loop fasteners 167 are fixed to the front panels 114 and 115. While hook and loop fasteners 166 and corresponding hook and loop fasteners 167 as shown in the second exemplary embodiment, it is appreciated that other appropriate fasteners may be substituted, including but not limited to, snap fasteners, buttons or adhesive. Furthermore, the shape and design of the flaps 164 & 165 are exemplary in nature and only one of many solutions that could serve the same function. The flaps 164 & 165 may be comprised of or substituted with any means capable of bridging a portion of the gap between the sides of the slit openings 160 & 161 when in the open position. Instead of a single flap, other means, including but not limited to, multiple flaps, another zipper or additional fasteners could be used to achieve the same ends.

In FIG. 7, the second exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in a first position where the slit openings 160 and 161 are in the closed position. The fastening means 162 & 163 are shown in their closed position with the zipper pulls closest to the waistline, indicating that the zippers along the slit openings 160 & 161 are closed. While the fastening means 162 & 163 are shown with the zipper pulls closest to the waistline when in the closed position, the orientation of the zippers could easily be flipped so that the fastening means 162 & 163 are closed when the zipper pulls are closest to the neckline. The front opening 118 is open in the first position with the front fastening means 119 shown in the open position. The front fastening means is shown in the open position with the zipper pull closest to the waistline, indicating that the zipper along the front opening 118 is open. The right flap 164 is permanently fixed to the right front panel 114 on one portion and removably fixed to the right front panel 114 on another portion.

The left flap 165 is permanently fixed to the left front panel 115 on one portion and removably fixed to the left front panel 115 on another portion.

In some embodiments, a portion or all of the slit openings 160 and 161 can be between and including 10 to 90 degrees from the horizontal plane when worn by a user standing upright. In some embodiments, a portion of the slit openings 160 and 161 are more preferably between and including 25 to 75 degrees from the horizontal plane when worn by a user standing upright. In some embodiments, the slit openings 160 & 161 are preferably between and including two to 30 inches long. In some embodiments, the slit openings 160 & 161 are more preferably between and including three to 20 inches long.

In FIG. 8, the second exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in a second position where the slit openings 160 & 161 are in the open position. The fastening means 162 & 163 are shown in their open position with the zipper pulls positioned at the top of their respective openings, indicating that the zippers along the slit openings 160 & 161 are open. The front opening 118 is open in the second position with the front fastening means 119 shown in the open position. The front fastening means is shown in the open position with the zipper pull closest to the waistline, indicating that the zipper along the front opening 118 is open. The right flap 164 is permanently fixed to the right front panel 114 on one portion and pulled away from the right front panel 114 on another portion. The left flap 165 is permanently fixed to the left front panel 115 on one portion and pulled away from the left front panel 115 on another portion.

In FIGS. 9-12 is the jacket 110 of the second exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in various steps of a second exemplary method of using the jacket 110. In FIGS. 9-12 is a top view of a child 150 wearing the jacket 110 in a car seat 140. In FIGS. 9-12, the top view indicates the orientation of the view when the jacket 110 is worn in a car seat 140 where the child 150 is facing in the upward direction and the child's back is oriented downward. When referencing positions on the jacket 110 itself, “top” refers to the top of the jacket 110 when standing alone, as in FIGS. 7 & 8. In other words, the top of the jacket 110 is the end with the neck opening 116 and the bottom of the jacket is the end with the waist opening 117. The child 150 and car seat 140 are drawn without significant detail to bring additional clarity to the invention itself. The car seat 140 can be any type of seat that used an over the shoulder belt system.

In FIG. 9 is the first step of the second exemplary method of use. In the first step, the jacket 110 is worn by the child 150 with the front opening 118 open and the front fastening means 119 in the open position. The slit openings 160 & 161 and their respective fastening means 162 & 163 are also in the open position. The right flap 164 is permanently fixed to the right front panel 114 on one portion and pulled away from the right front panel 114 on another portion. The left flap 165 is permanently fixed to the left front panel 115 on one portion and pulled away from the left front panel 115 on another portion. The child 150 is placed in a car seat 140 in an appropriate position so that the seat belt straps are aligned with the child's shoulders, hips and crotch. The seat belt straps are not shown in FIG. 9 for clarity, but the seat belt openings 148 where the seat belt straps pass through the car seat 140 are shown. In many car seats 140, the seat belt straps pass through seat belt openings 148 and are fixed to the bottom of the car seat 140.

In FIG. 10 is the second step of the second exemplary method of use. In the second step, the seat belt straps are placed over the child 150 and buckled together. Portions of the seat belt straps and seat belt buckles that are hidden by the jacket 110 are shown in broken lines. The right shoulder strap 141 passes up out of an opening 148 near the child's 150 right shoulder and passes into the upper portion of right slit opening 160. The right shoulder strap 141 passes between the jacket 110 and the child's 150 chest, passes through a chest buckle 147 and attaches to a central buckle 146. The use of a chest buckle 147 and central buckle 146 is a common configuration used in car seats 140 with a five-point harness type of seat belt restraint. It is appreciated that different types of seat belt restraints exist and the present invention would likely complement other types of seat belts.

The left shoulder strap 142 passes up out of an opening 148 near the child's 150 left shoulder and passes into the upper portion of the left slit opening 161. The left shoulder strap 142 passes between the jacket 110 and the child's 150 chest, passes through the chest buckle 147 and attaches to the central buckle 146. The right lap belt 143 passes up out of an opening 148 near the child's 150 right hip and passes into the lower portion of the right slit opening 160. The right lap belt 143 passes between the jacket 110 and the child's 150 hips and attaches to the central buckle 146. The left lap belt 144 passes up out of an opening 148 near the child's 150 left hip and passes into the lower portion of the left slit opening 161. The left lap belt 144 passes between the jacket 110 and the child's 150 hips and attaches to the central buckle 146. The crotch strap 145 passes up out of an opening 148 near the child's 150 crotch and attaches to the central buckle 146.

In FIGS. 11 & 12 is the third step of the second exemplary method of use. In the third step, the front opening 118 of the jacket 110 is closed using fastening means 119. The zipper pull of fastening means 119 is positioned near the neckline, indicating that the zipper along the front opening 118 is closed. The right slit opening 160 and left slit opening 161 remain in the open position with their respective fastening means 162 & 163 in the open position. Over a portion of right slit opening 160, the right flap 164 is folded down, pressing the hook and loop fasteners 166 against the corresponding hook and loop fasteners 167 and fixing the right flap 164 to the front right panel on both sides of the right slit opening 160. The right flap 164 effectively holds the portion of the right slit opening 160 between the right shoulder strap 141 and right lap belt 143 together to prevent warm air from escaping or cold air from entering the jacket 110. Similarly, over a portion of left slit opening 161, the left flap 165 is folded down, pressing the hook and loop fasteners 166 against the corresponding hook and loop fasteners 167 and fixing the left flap 165 to the left front panel on both sides of the left slit opening 161. The left flap 165 effectively holds the portion of the left slit opening 161 between the left shoulder strap 142 and left lap belt 144 together to prevent warm air from escaping or cold air from entering the jacket 110.

In FIG. 11, portions of the seat belt straps and seat belt buckles that are hidden by the jacket 110 are shown in broken lines. In FIG. 12 is a top view of the child 150 wearing the jacket 110 and strapped into a car seat 140 without hidden seat belt straps and hidden seat belt buckles shown.

In FIG. 13 is a third exemplary embodiment of the invention adapted to a jacket 210. In FIG. 13, features that are hidden in this view are shown in broken lines. The jacket 210 is comprised of a right sleeve 211, a left sleeve 212, a back panel 213, a right front panel 214, a left front panel 215, a neck opening 216, a waist opening 217, a front opening 218 extending from the neck opening 216 to the waist opening 217 and a front fastening means 219 capable of selectively opening or closing the front opening 218. The directions right, left, front and back refer to directions as perceived by the person wearing the jacket 210. In FIG. 13, the front fastening means 219 is depicted as a zipper in the open position with the zipper pull near the waistline 217 portion of the jacket 210. While a zipper has been disclosed as the front fastening means 219, it is appreciated that many other appropriate fastening means could be substituted, including but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, buttons or adhesive.

The jacket 210 of the third exemplary embodiment is further comprised of a right upper slit opening 230 and a left upper slit opening 231. The right upper slit opening 230 has a fastening means 232 to allow the opening to be selectively opened or closed. The left upper slit opening 231 has a fastening means 233 to allow the opening to be selectively opened or closed. In the third exemplary embodiment, the fastening means 232 & 233 are depicted as zippers, but as noted above, other appropriate fastening means could be substituted, including but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, buttons or adhesive.

The jacket 210 of the third exemplary embodiment is optionally further comprised of a right lower slit opening 234 and a left lower slit opening 235 placed opposite to the right lower slit opening 234. Similar to the upper slit openings, the right lower slit opening 234 has a fastening means 236 to allow the opening to be selectively opened or closed. The left lower slit opening 235 similarly has a fastening means 237 to allow the opening to be selectively opened or closed. In the third exemplary embodiment, the fastening means 236 & 237 are depicted as zippers, but as noted above, other appropriate fastening means could be substituted, including but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, buttons or adhesive.

In FIG. 13, the third exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in a first position where the upper slit openings 230 & 231 and the optional lower slit openings 234 & 235 are in the closed position. The fastening means 232 & 233 are shown in their closed position with the zipper pulls located closest to the neckline, indicating that the zippers along the upper slit openings 230 & 231 are closed. The fastening means 236 is shown in the closed position with the zipper pull closest to the waistline, indicating that the zipper along the right lower slit opening 234 is closed. The fastening means 237 is also in the closed position with the zipper pull closest to the waistline, indicating that the left lower slit opening 235 is closed. The front opening 218 is open in the first position with the front fastening means 219 shown in the open position. The front fastening means is shown in the open position with the zipper pull closest to the waistline, indicating that the zipper along the front opening 218 is open.

The third exemplary embodiment of the invention further includes a right upper flap 271 and a left upper flap 272. The right upper flap 271 is fixed to the right front panel 214 on a portion and removably fixed to the right front panel 214 on a portion. The right upper flap 271 allows the opposite sides of the right upper slit opening 230 to be pulled together when the fastening means 232 is in the open position. This configuration would occur when a child is wearing the jacket 210 and strapped into a car seat. The right upper flap 271 provides a means to seal the opening created between the right shoulder strap of the car seat and the neckline of the jacket 210. Similarly, the left upper flap 272 is fixed to the left front panel 215 on a portion and removably fixed to the left front panel 215 on a portion. The left upper flap 272 allows the opposite sides of the left upper slit opening 231 to be pulled together when the fastening means 233 is in the open position. This configuration would occur when a child is wearing the jacket 210 and strapped into a car seat. The left upper flap 272 provides a means to seal the opening created between the left shoulder strap of the car seat and the neckline of the jacket 210.

What has been described is a garment adapted for use in a car seat. In this disclosure, there are shown and described only the preferred embodiments of the invention, but, as aforementioned, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of use in various other combinations and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the inventive concept as expressed herein.

Claims

1. An outerwear garment adapted to be worn by a person, said garment comprising:

a torso portion substantially covering said person's torso when worn;

said torso portion having a front portion and a back portion;

a neck opening in said torso portion, extending through an area between said front portion and said rear portion;

a first seat belt opening defined by at least two edges, extending from the edge of said neck opening along a substantially transverse plane and terminating at a point on the torso portion; and

wherein said first seat belt opening is open to said neck opening.

2. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a fastener coupled to said first seat belt opening.

3. The garment of claim 2, wherein said fastener is a zipper.

4. The garment of claim 2, wherein said fastener is a button.

5. The garment of claim 3, wherein said first seat belt opening is through the front portion of said torso portion.

6. The garment of claim 5, wherein said first seat belt opening is between and including two to ten inches long.

7. The garment of claim 5, wherein said first seat belt opening is between and including three to seven inches long.

8. The garment of claim 7, further comprising a second seat belt opening that is a substantially mirrored copy of said first seat belt opening.

9. The garment of claim 8, wherein said torso portion further comprises a waist opening and wherein two additional seat belt openings are positioned vertically along the area between the front portion and rear portion of said torso portion and open to said waist opening.

10. An outerwear garment adapted to be worn by a person, said garment comprising:

a torso portion substantially covering said person's torso when worn;

said torso portion having a front portion and a back portion;

a neck opening in said torso portion, extending through an area between said front portion and said rear portion;

a first seat belt opening defined by at least two edges, originating at a point on the front portion of said torso portion and extending transversely to a second point on the front portion of said torso portion.

11. The garment of claim 10, further comprising a fastener coupled to said first seat belt opening.

12. The garment of claim 11, wherein said fastener is a zipper.

13. The garment of claim 11, wherein said fastener is a button.

14. The garment of claim 12, wherein the angle between a line drawn from the point of origin and termination of said first seat belt opening is between and including 10 degrees to 90 degrees from the horizontal plane when worn by a person standing upright.

15. The garment of claim 12, wherein the angle between a line drawn from the point of origin and termination of said first seat belt opening is between and including 25 degrees to 75 degrees from the horizontal plane when worn by a person standing upright.

16. The garment of claim 15, wherein said first seat belt opening is between and including two to thirty inches long.

17. The garment of claim 15, wherein said first seat belt opening is between and including three to twenty inches long.

18. The garment of claim 17, further comprising a second seat belt opening that is a substantially mirrored copy of said first seat belt opening.

19. The garment of claim 18, wherein said torso portion further comprises a waist opening and wherein two additional seat belt openings are positioned vertically along the area between the front portion and rear portion of said torso portion and open to said waist opening.

20. The garment of claim 7, wherein the angle between a line drawn from the point intersection between said first seat belt opening and said neck opening to the point of termination on said torso portion is between and including 10 degrees to 90 degrees from the horizontal plane when worn by a person standing upright.