Childcare and Personal Wellness Garment
An article of clothing with a central portion, two wing portions with each wing having an outer and inner surface, designed to function as a childcare and personal wellness garment. A large detachable diaper changing system with multiple pockets and a change pad could be attached to the garment to hold baby changing essentials. Multiple pockets on the wing and collar portions hold various embodiments of a concealed nursing cover. Multiple pockets on the childcare garment are designed to hold childcare items such as feeding bottles, diapers, etc. Several pockets are designed to hold personal wellness items like personal electronics, sunglasses, cosmetics etc. An infant cover is concealed in a long vertical pocket within the childcare garment. An annular shaped cloth within the collar pocket of the garment functions as a combination of neck support, neck scarf and a baby blanket when its length is adjusted with fasteners.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/375,430, filed Aug. 15, 2016 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/537,997, filed Jul. 28, 2017, which are incorporated by reference herein.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCHNot Applicable
SEQUENCE LISTINGNot Applicable
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to the field of functional clothing and childcare devices. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus used to carry childcare utilities and personal belongings of the wearer that helps improve the wearer's efficiency in caregiving by supporting and enhancing the wearer's ability to care for an infant or toddler in a timely manner, and at the same time, enable easy access to personal belongings and gadgets to stay connected and have some personal relaxation along with achieving a high level of well-being.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONStepping out of the house with an infant or a toddler requires a great deal of planning and organizing, so that caregivers have all the essential items on hand when the situation demands. Be it a stroll in the park, a quick trip to the grocery store or a long drive, parents and caregivers are in a high stress environment when having to care for infants and toddlers when outdoors. To ease the stress, parents are likely to carry a variety of things such as diapers, wipes, creams/lotions, feeding bottles, sippy cups, nursing cover, infant food, medicines, change pads, pacifiers and the like in a diaper bag. As a result, the diaper bag tends to become heavy and disorganized over a period of time. More often than not, restocking a diaper bag requires long preparation time, that could cut short valuable time spent outdoors. Moreover, even after spending a long time preparing the diaper bag for travel, caregivers often miss packing some essentials because of the disorganized nature of the diaper bag which does not facilitate easy packing for travel, leading to unnecessary and preventable panic. More often than not, caregivers are often digging into the diaper bag looking to find something, while simultaneously consoling a wailing baby, because it does not provide a hands-free experience. After a while, caregivers often find that carrying the diaper bag along becomes a cumbersome process. Caregivers also tend to carry their personal belongings such as a Smartphone, tablet computer, music player, sunglasses, keys, pens, credit cards and the like in a handbag or a backpack. This means the caregiver is compelled to carry two different bags to accommodate all necessary items. And often, the diaper bag needs to be put down on the floor, before one is able to take things out of the bag. And plenty of times, parents are left digging into the diaper bag unable to find what they are looking for. This can also come in the way of holding a child and the situation can become tense and stressful for both the parent and the child. And sometimes, while carrying the diaper bag and the hand bag or backpack, caregivers are required to lift other heavy objects such as car seats, kid bikes or toys as well. Also, there aren't any garments, known so far, that provide an attachable diaper changing system, complete with an antimicrobial, anti-odor and temperature controlling change pad and pockets that are specifically designed to carry diaper changing essentials. Nursing covers and infant covers are not known in the field to be concealed and attached to a garment making it easy for a mother to nurse her baby anywhere and at any time and comfort her child, respectively. Oftentimes, mothers usually neglect their well-being when caring for an infant often leading to posture problems and neck and back pain.
The present invention addresses these problems faced by parents and caregivers by providing ready and easy access to all childcare utilities and personal utilities of the caregiver. The object of the present invention is to address the problems posed by the demands of childcare by providing modern, tech-savvy caregivers with a wearable garment that has well-organized pockets and functions as a diaper bag and a hand bag and also focus on their own needs and well being. Additionally, all of the garment's features can be accessed without having to remove the garment to take feeding bottles, pacifiers, toys, utensils, and the like.
The present invention provides a carrier for often needed items and also provide a transportable diaper changing mechanism that can be easily detached from the garment when needed and placed on any diaper changing facility, with a change mat that has anti-odor, antimicrobial and temperature control properties and a variety of pockets to hold diapers, wipes, creams, lotions, and the like, for easy and efficient changing of infants.
It is another object of the invention to provide an attached and concealed nursing cover within the garment that can be drawn from within the garment and fastened so as to be able to quickly respond to feeding needs of infants.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sterile carrier for pacifiers, breast pump and feeding accessories, so that these items are not contaminated and are free of microbes when in use.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a concealed infant cover that the wearer of the childcare garment can use as an extension in the childcare garment to accommodate and comfort a baby carried on an infant carrier.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a combination of a neck scarf, neck support for the wearer, and a baby blanket embodiment to help the wearer have access to neck support when in discomfort, have a stylish scarf or use the fabric as a blanket to cover and comfort the baby when holding the baby.
While there may be garments in the market that have multiple pockets, these are not tailored to include specific mechanisms to efficiently and sensibly combine storage facilities for diaper bag essentials and handbag essentials and focus on the comfort and well-being of the caregiver as well.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the childcare garment described herein will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTo achieve the above mentioned and other objects and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the apparatus of this invention may comprise a childcare garment. The childcare garment is an outer garment such as a vest, jacket or a coat that includes multiple pockets and holders for infant care essentials such as diapers, wipes, food, lotions, creams, feeding bottles etc. as well as the personal items of the parent or caregiver such as a Smartphone, music player, pen, keys and tablet computer. The garment comprises of a central portion and a left and a right wing portion with several pockets on the inner and outer surfaces. One large pocket on the outer wing portion has insulated lining in the interior of the pocket to hold infant feeding bottles, sippy cups and coffee cups. One large sterile pocket is fixed to the outer wing portions to hold pacifiers, breast pump and bottle accessories. Two smaller pockets on the outer wing portions are sized to fit a Smartphone and a music player, with a slot for carrying chargers and an opening on the flap to let earphones pass through, enabling hands-free usage of the smartphone or music player. A zippered pocket on the left side of the outer wing contains a concealed pouch, which can be pulled out to be left hanging from the garment, to accommodate small toys or other small objects. There is a plurality of pockets in the inner wing portions that can accommodate baby food, utensils, medicines, cosmetics, a purse/wallet, sunglasses, credit/debit cards and driver's license. There are loops in the inner wing portions of the garment that can hold pens and keys. The garment further includes a built-in, detachable baby changing system that is fastened to the outer central portion of the garment, with a change pad and multiple pockets to hold diapers, wipes and lotions, enabling changing at any location, when traveling. The arrangement of the pockets in the diaper changing system is not critical and can be done in any order. One pocket in the diaper changing system is lined with waterproof fabric to hold wet wipes and will have a central opening or a flap to facilitate easy pulling out of wipes. Another important feature of the childcare garment is that it has a concealed nursing cover within the garment, that can be implemented in four different ways to suit the needs and preferences of the user. Yet another feature of the childcare garment is the concealed baby/infant cover provided in a long vertical pocket on the inner wing portion of the childcare garment. And yet another important feature of this childcare garment is the combination of a baby blanket, scarf and neck support arrangement in the collar pocket of the garment.
Some embodiments of the present innovation are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements and in which:
The present invention is a garment worn by a parent or a child caregiver that has several pockets, holders and mechanisms to provide the wearer with a hands-free experience. The added mobility helps the caregiver attend to unpredictable childcare needs in a less stressed-out and timely manner. The childcare garment provides easy access to essential items for childcare and personal use by providing ample storage to hold each item in specific pockets and holders. Some of the unique features of the present invention are the built-in detachable diaper changing system, concealed infant cover, the combination of baby blanket, neck support and neck scarf, the sterile bottle accessories holding pockets, and the concealed nursing cover.
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While the above is a complete description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to use various alternatives, modifications and equivalents. For example, the arrangement of the pockets in the garment are not critical, and can be in any order possible. In another example, the diaper changing system could be attached to the inner or outer portion of the garment and it can be made foldable and concealed in a pocket. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined not with reference to the above description but should, instead, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with their full scope of equivalents. Any feature described herein, whether preferred or not, may be combined with any other feature described herein, whether preferred or not. In the claims that follow, the indefinite article “A”, or “An” refers to a quantity of one or more of the item following the article, except where expressly stated otherwise. The appended claims are not to be interpreted as including means-plus-function limitations, unless such a limitation is explicitly recited in a given claim using the phrase “means for.”
Claims
1. A garment comprising, in combination:
- a central portion having an outer and inner surface;
- at least two wing portions, each having an outer and inner surface;
- at least one stowing pocket designed to hold a clothing accessory for the child's and wearer's needs; and
- a plurality of multifunctional pockets designed to hold articles for the child's and wearer's needs.
2. The garment according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said multifunctional pockets contains antimicrobial lining.
3. The garment according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said multifunctional pockets is designed to hold a concealed pouch that is releasably secured to the pocket using an adjustable retainer.
4. The garment according to claim 1 wherein at least one edge of said clothing accessory is attached to the at least one stowing pocket.
5. The garment according to claim 4 wherein the clothing accessory is a baby blanket.
6. The garment according to claim 4 wherein the clothing accessory is a neck scarf
7. The garment according to claim 4 wherein the clothing accessory is a neck support.
8. The garment according to claim 4 wherein the clothing accessory is an infant cover.
9. The garment according to claim 4 wherein the clothing accessory is a nursing cover.
10. The garment according to claim 9, wherein the at least one stowing pocket is a collar pocket, and the upper edge of said nursing cover is attached to said collar pocket by fastening it to the interior of the collar pocket.
11. The garment according to claim 9, wherein the at least one stowing pocket is a pocket on the inner surface of one of the wing portions, and the left or the right edge of said nursing cover is attached to the interior of said pocket.
12. A diaper changing system, comprising:
- a baby change pad with an inner and outer surface;
- an insulation material that is used to construct at least a portion of the inner surface of said baby change pad; and
- at least one pocket attached to said baby change pad.
13. The diaper changing system of claim 12 wherein said insulation material has antimicrobial properties.
14. The diaper changing system of claim 12 wherein said insulation material has anti-odor properties.
15. The diaper changing system of claim 12 wherein said insulation material has temperature regulating properties.
16. The diaper changing system of claim 12 wherein the at least one pocket is made of waterproof fabric.
17. The diaper changing system of claim 12 wherein the at least one pocket has a central slit.
18. The diaper changing system of claim 12 wherein the at least one pocket is made of a material that facilitates fast drying.
19. The diaper changing system of claim 12 further comprising at least one fastener for removably attaching said diaper changing system to a garment.
20. A method of concealing a childcare clothing in a garment with a plurality of pockets, a central portion having an outer and inner surface, and at least two wing portions each having an outer and inner surface, comprising:
- dividing the childcare clothing into a first piece of fabric and a second piece of fabric, each with a left edge, a right edge, an upper edge and a lower edge;
- attaching at least one of the edges of the first piece of fabric to a first location on the garment;
- attaching at least one of the edges of the second piece of fabric to a second location on the garment; and
- providing at least one fastener for fastening the first piece of fabric to the second piece of fabric for making the said pieces of fabric releasably engageable with each other.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first location is a first pocket located on the inner surface of the wing portion of the garment and the second location is a second pocket located on the inner surface of the wing portion of the garment.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first location is in the inner surface of the central portion of the garment and the second location is in the inner surface of the central portion of the garment.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein the childcare clothing is a nursing cover.
24. The method of claim 20, wherein the childcare clothing is an infant cover.
25. A method of combining and concealing a baby blanket, a neck scarf and a neck support within a garment with a collar, comprising:
- including a collar pocket with a zipper in the garment;
- providing a cloth inside the collar pocket that is held inside the collar pocket by one or more loops or fasteners;
- providing the cloth with a releasably engageable fastener at the opposite ends of said cloth;
- disengaging the releasably engageable fastener to convert it to the baby blanket setting to facilitate the use of the cloth as a blanket for an infant who is carried by a person wearing the garment;
- engaging the releasably engageable fastener to convert the cloth into an approximately annular cloth;
- providing the approximately annular cloth with a plurality of fasteners on the left and right sides of the approximately annular cloth, to facilitate shortening its dimensions to convert it to the neck scarf setting; and
- providing drawstrings or adjustable flaps on the collar pocket to adjust the tautness of said collar pocket with the approximately annular cloth around the neck of a person wearing the garment, to convert it to the neck support setting.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 15, 2017
Publication Date: Jan 3, 2019
Inventor: Sunitha Bhaskaran (LOS GATOS, CA)
Application Number: 15/677,032