U.S. patent application number 12/227146 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-10 for child's garment with double slider zipper.
Invention is credited to Lisa M. Pisano-Ginter.
Application Number | 20090222968 12/227146 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38475443 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090222968 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pisano-Ginter; Lisa M. |
September 10, 2009 |
Child's Garment With Double Slider Zipper
Abstract
The child's garment (12) with double slider zipper (10) is a
garment having an upper portion configured to cover the child's
upper body, including the chest, arms, and upper torso, and a lower
portion configured to cover the child's lower body, including the
lower torso, hips and legs, and may also cover the feet. The
garment (12) is furnished with an elongated zipper (10) on the
front of the garment extending from the collar to the foot or lower
end of the garment, the zipper (10) extending along only one leg
(18) when the garment (12) has two legs. The zipper (10) has a
double slider so that the upper portion may be opened by sliding
the pull on the upper slider (20) down from the neckline, or the
lower portion may be opened by pulling the lower slider (22) up
from the foot of the garment (12).
Inventors: |
Pisano-Ginter; Lisa M.;
(Saint Augustine, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LITMAN LAW OFFICES, LTD.
POST OFFICE BOX 15035, CRYSTAL CITY STATION
ARLINGTON
VA
22215-0035
US
|
Family ID: |
38475443 |
Appl. No.: |
12/227146 |
Filed: |
March 5, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
March 5, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2007/005510 |
371 Date: |
November 7, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60780286 |
Mar 9, 2006 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/80 ; 2/83 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41B 2300/322 20130101;
A41B 13/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/80 ; 2/83 |
International
Class: |
A41D 11/00 20060101
A41D011/00; A41D 10/00 20060101 A41D010/00 |
Claims
1. A child's garment with double slider zipper, comprising: a
garment adapted for covering both upper and lower portions of a
child's body, the garment having an upper end, a lower end, and a
central opening extending from the upper end to the lower end; and
a double slider zipper having teeth mounted on a pair of stringers
attached to opposing edges of the central opening from the upper
end to the lower end, the double slider zipper having an upper
slider and a lower slider mounted in bottom-to-bottom relation so
that the upper slider is selectively movable to a first open
position to provide access to the upper portion of the child's body
while keeping the lower portion covered by the garment, and the
lower slider is selectively movable to a second open position to
provide access to the lower portion of the child's body while
keeping the upper portion covered by the garment.
2. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in
claim 1, wherein the upper end of said garment includes a central
portion and a pair of laterally opposed sleeves positioned along
laterally opposed side edges of the central portion and projecting
outwardly therefrom.
3. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in
claim 2, wherein an upper region of the central opening is formed
substantially centrally through the central portion of the upper
end and extends along a substantially longitudinal axis.
4. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in
claim 2, wherein the lower end of said garment includes a pair of
leg portions joined to the central portion and projecting
downwardly therefrom.
5. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in
claim 4, wherein a lower region of the central opening is formed
through a side wall of one of the leg portions.
6. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in
claim 4, wherein an upper region of the central opening is formed
through a front surface of the central portion of the upper end of
the garment.
7. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in
claim 1, further comprising: an upper flap joined to the upper end
of the garment adjacent a top end of the central opening along a
first side thereof, the upper flap selectively covering the upper
slider when the upper slider is positioned adjacent the top end;
and means for releasably securing the upper flap to a second side
of the upper end of the garment adjacent the top end of the central
opening, whereby the user may selectively cover and secure the
upper flap over the upper slider.
8. The child's garment with double slider zipper as recited in
claim 7, further comprising: a lower flap joined to the lower end
of the garment adjacent a bottom end of the central opening along a
first side of the lower end of the garment, the lower flap
selectively covering the lower slider when the lower slider is
positioned adjacent the bottom end; and, means for releasably
securing the lower flap to a second side of the lower end of the
garment adjacent the bottom end of the central opening, whereby the
user may selectively cover and secure the lower flap over the lower
slider.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to garments for infants and
small children, and particularly to a child's garment with a double
slider zipper.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Infants and small children typically must be kept warm, both
while sleeping at night and when going outside during the winter in
cold climates. Consequently, sleepwear and outerwear for infants
and small toddlers are often in the form of jumpsuits, many of
which are equipped with feet or booties for keeping the child's
feet warm. Such clothing is effective in keeping the child warm,
but can be inconvenient when it becomes necessary to either
partially or entirely remove the sleepwear or outerwear, especially
when it becomes necessary to change the child's diaper or during
toileting. The jumpsuit is often equipped with buttons, which are
cumbersome. Even when the jumpsuit is equipped with a zipper, the
zipper is a single slider zipper that opens at the top, so that the
entire jumpsuit needs to be removed for access to the diaper, which
requires time to remove the upper portion of the garment, and which
leaves both the child's upper and lower body exposed.
[0003] Consequently, there is a need for a one-piece child's
garment that covers both the upper and lower body, and which has a
closure element that can alternately be opened from either the top
or the bottom to access either portion of the child's body when
needed. Such a garment would minimize exposure to the cold or other
elements, and would further be more convenient to use for the
child's parent or caregiver. Thus, a child's garment having a
double slider zipper solving the aforementioned problems is
desired.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
[0004] The disclosure is directed to a child's garment with double
slider zipper. The garment is adapted for covering both upper and
lower portions of a child's body. The garment has a central opening
that extends from the upper end of the garment to the lower end.
The double slider zipper has teeth mounted on a pair of stringers
attached to opposing edges of the central opening. The zipper
extends from the upper end of the garment to the lower end. The
double slider zipper has an upper slider and a lower slider mounted
in bottom-to-bottom relation so that the upper slider is
selectively movable to a first open position to provide access to
the upper portion of the child's body while keeping the lower
portion covered by the garment, and the lower slider is selectively
movable to a second open position to provide access to the lower
portion of the child's body while keeping the upper portion covered
by the garment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a child's garment with
double slider zipper according to the present invention, with the
zipper being in a closed configuration.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a child's garment with
double slider zipper according to the present invention, with the
zipper being in a first open configuration.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a child's garment with
double slider zipper according to the present invention, with the
zipper being in a second open configuration.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a double slider zipper according to the prior art
that may be incorporated into the child's garment of the present
invention.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a partial front view of an alternative embodiment
of the child's garment with double slider zipper according to the
present invention.
[0010] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings.
BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0011] The current invention is directed to a double zippered
child's garment. The garment has an upper portion that is
configured to cover a child's upper body, including his chest,
arms, and upper torso, and a lower portion configured to cover the
child's lower body, including the lower torso, hips and legs, and
may also cover the feet. The lower portion may have separate legs
with integral booties, or may be a one-piece, sleeping bag
configuration. It should be understood that the garment may have
any configuration, dependent upon the particular needs and desires
of the user. For example, in the above, the garment may include
separate legs without attached booties. Alternatively, it should be
understood that, as noted above, the double slider zipper may be
affixed to a sleeping bag-type structure, or any other suitable
garment, cover or flexible structure. The garment is furnished with
an elongated zipper on the front of the garment extending from the
collar to the foot or lower end of the garment, the zipper
extending along only one leg when the garment has two legs. The
zipper has a double slider so that the upper portion may be opened
by sliding the pull on the upper slider down from the collar, or
the lower portion may be opened by pulling the lower slider up from
the foot of the garment.
[0012] The provision of the double slider facilitates access to one
portion of the child's body while keeping the other portion clothed
for warmth and comfort, and also requires less work from the
caregiver (or from the child), since it is not necessary to remove
the entire garment to perform such chores as changing a diaper, or
during toileting. The garment may also be equipped with features
that prevent accidental opening of the zipper by the child. Such
features may include, for example, a flap or tab that covers the
pull of the upper zipper. The flap may be releasably secured by a
snap fastener, button, or other fastener that the child cannot
easily open.
[0013] FIG. 4 shows a conventional double slider zipper 10 which
may be incorporated into the child's garment of the present
invention. The zipper 10 includes a first row of teeth 28 attached
to a first stringer or tape 50, and a second row of teeth 30
attached to a second stringer 50. The zipper 10 includes an upper
slider 20 and a lower slider 22. The sliders 20 and 22 are
configured in a bottom-to bottom arrangement so that the teeth are
locked together when the sliders 20 and 22 are moved to the ends of
the stringers 50, and open or separate when the sliders 20 and 22
are moved towards the middle of the stringers. The zipper 10 is
preferably made from metal or from plastic, although it should be
understood that the materials, sizes and contouring of the zipper
elements are dependent upon the particular needs and desires of the
user.
[0014] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary child's garment with a double
slider zipper of the present invention, designated generally as 12
in the drawings. The garment 12 includes an upper portion
configured to cover the child's upper body, including the chest,
arms, and upper torso, and a lower portion configured to cover the
child's lower body, including the lower torso, hips and legs. The
exemplary garment 12 shown in the drawings has separate legs with
integral booties, although it will be understood that the scope of
the present invention also extends to a garment having a one-piece,
sleeping bag configuration, and to a garment having no provision
for covering the feet, e.g., an elongated coat, and generally to
any child's garment having an upper and lower portion for covering
the child's upper and lower body in which it may be desirable to
have separate access to one portion of the child's body while
keeping the other portion covered.
[0015] The garment 12 is furnished with an elongated zipper 10 on
the front of the garment 12 extending from the collar to the foot
or lower end of the garment 12. As shown in the drawings, the
zipper 10 extends along only one leg 18 when the garment 12 has two
legs. The zipper 12 has a double slider so that the upper portion
may be opened by sliding the pull on the upper slider 20 down from
the collar, or the lower portion may be opened by pulling the lower
slider 22 up from the foot of the garment 12, with the two sliders
being independently operable. The zipper 12 is attached to the
garment 12 by attaching one stringer 50 to a first side 14 of the
garment 12 and attaching the opposing stringer 50 to the opposite
second side 16 of the garment.
[0016] FIG. 1 shows the garment 12 in a closed configuration, with
the upper slider 20 pulled up to the collar and the lower slider 22
pulled down to the lower end of the garment 12. FIG. 2 shows the
garment 12 with the upper slider 20 pulled down to the crotch area
in a first open configuration, with the lower slider 22 remaining
closed, as the garment 12 would be configured to provide access to
the upper portion of the child's body while keeping the lower
portion clothed. The stringer 50 on which the first row of teeth 28
is mounted is attached to the edge 24 of the first side 14 of the
garment 12, for example, by stitching, and the stringer 50 on which
the second row of teeth is mounted is attached to the edge 26 of
the opposite second side 16 of the garment 12.
[0017] FIG. 3 shows the garment 12 with the upper slider 20 pulled
up to the collar and the lower slider 22 pulled up to the crotch
area in a second open configuration, as the garment 12 would be
configured for providing access to the lower portion of the child's
body while keeping the upper portion clothed. The stringer 50 on
which the lower portion 32 of the first row 28 of zipper teeth is
mounted is attached to the edge 40 of the rear portion of leg 18,
for example, by stitching, while the stringer 50 on which the lower
portion 34 of the second row 30 of zipper teeth is mounted is
attached to the opposing edge 36 of leg 18.
[0018] The garment 12 may be provided with other features for the
comfort and safety of the child, such as, for example, having
elastic cuffs at the ends of the sleeves, a high friction surface
on the bottom of the feet, etc.
[0019] FIG. 5 shows the child's garment 12 equipped with an
additional safety or convenience feature in the form of a flap or
tab 52, which may be folded over the upper slider 20 and secured to
the opposite side of the garment 12 by a snap fastener 54, button,
hook and loop, or other releasable fastener. The flap 52 precludes
the child from playing with the pull of upper slider 20 and
accidentally pulling upper slider 20 down to open the upper portion
of the garment. Thus, the child's garment 12 provides the child
with a warm garment 12 that permits the caregiver easy, convenient,
selective access to either the upper or lower portion of the
child's body without the necessity of completely removing the
garment 12. It should be understood that a second flap may also be
provided for the lower slider 22.
[0020] The use of the double zipper system with a garment, such as
garment 12, is desirable, but not limited to, particular
application to infant clothing. Particularly, the opening of the
garment from the bottom up, via lower slider 22, allows for easy
and comfortable access during diaper changing and toilet training,
for example, without requiring the full removal of the garment from
the child, thus keeping the child continuously warm throughout the
process. It should be understood that such a garment and zipper
system may be used with a person of any age where such a double
zipper system would be desired.
[0021] It is to be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and
all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *