U.S. patent application number 12/710768 was filed with the patent office on 2010-08-26 for infant massage garment.
Invention is credited to Julia M. Whitcomb.
Application Number | 20100212060 12/710768 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42629574 |
Filed Date | 2010-08-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100212060 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Whitcomb; Julia M. |
August 26, 2010 |
INFANT MASSAGE GARMENT
Abstract
An infant massage garment including a body portion, sleeves, a
hood, and first and second inwardly folding chest flaps having an
arcuate shape, the garment defining openings therethrough for
accessing the wearers skin through the garment. The garment may
further include detachable blanket and towel layers that may also
include corresponding openings therethrough.
Inventors: |
Whitcomb; Julia M.;
(Harrisburg, NC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ADAMS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW
Suite 2350 Charlotte Plaza, 201 South College Street
CHARLOTTE
NC
28244
US
|
Family ID: |
42629574 |
Appl. No.: |
12/710768 |
Filed: |
February 23, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61154868 |
Feb 24, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/75 ; 2/243.1;
2/84 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41B 13/06 20130101;
A41D 2400/322 20130101; A41B 2400/322 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/75 ; 2/84;
2/243.1 |
International
Class: |
A41D 11/00 20060101
A41D011/00; A41D 3/08 20060101 A41D003/08; A41D 27/00 20060101
A41D027/00 |
Claims
1. An infant massage garment comprising a body portion, sleeves, a
hood, and first and second inwardly folding chest flaps, each of
the first and second chest flaps having an arcuate shape such that
when folded inwardly a double layer of material is provided over an
abdomen portion of the garment while only a single layer of
material is provided over a chest portion of the garment, the first
and second chest flaps each having an elongate opening therethrough
positioned on a non-overlapping portion of the respective flap, and
the body portion having a plurality of elongate openings defined
therethrough.
2. The infant massage garment according to claim 1, further
comprising a removable blanket attached to the body portion and
having a shape corresponding to a shape of the body portion, the
blanket defining a plurality of elongate openings therethrough
corresponding in position with the plurality of openings defined
through the body portion.
3. The infant massage garment according to claim 2, wherein the
corresponding openings defined through each of the body portion and
the removable blanket include an opening positioned aligned along
the longitudinal centerline of the garment and openings positioned
on either side of the longitudinal centerline and at an angle
thereto.
4. The infant massage garment according to claim 2, further
comprising a removable towel attached to the blanket and having a
shape corresponding to the shape of the blanket.
5. The infant massage garment according to claim 1, wherein the
plurality of openings defined through the garment include an
opening aligned along about the longitudinal centerline of the
garment and openings positioned about either side of the
longitudinal centerline and an angle thereto.
6. The infant massage garment according to claim 1, further
comprising a removable pillow attached within the hood.
7. The infant massage garment according to claim 1, wherein ends of
the sleeves have at least one of a flaring and a slit.
8. The infant massage garment according to claim 1, wherein the
elongate opening through each of the first and second chest flaps
is positioned such that it diagonally intersects the chest portion
of the garment to provide access to the chest through the
garment.
9. The infant massage garment according to claim 1, wherein the
garment further includes indicia on an exterior surface of the
garment corresponding to at least one of massage location and
massage technique.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/154,868 filed Feb. 24, 2009 and entitled "INFANT
MASSAGE GARMENT", the contents of which are incorporated by
reference herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of
infant massage, and more particularly, to a multi-layered infant
massage garment including a garment and detachable towel and
blanket layers, wherein predetermined openings are defined through
at least several of the layers of the garment for accessing the
skin therethrough, while keeping the infant covered, comfortable
and warm.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Massage therapy includes various techniques of soft tissue
manipulation for physical, functional and psychological purposes.
As is well known in the art, massage involves acting on and
manipulating the body with pressure, tension, motion or vibration,
and may be accomplished either manually with the hands, fingers,
etc., or with mechanical aids. Massage techniques may be
therapeutic, targeting sore or injured tissues, muscles, tendons,
ligaments, skin, joints and other tissues. Massage may also be
performed on healthy tissue for comforting and bonding purposes,
such as the touch between a mother and her child. It is with regard
to both types of massage that the present invention finds
particular application.
[0006] In professional settings, massage typically involves the
client being treated while lying on a massage table or sitting in a
massage chair. The massage subject may be fully or partly
unclothed, and parts of the body not being massaged may be covered
with a towel or sheet. At home, infant massage is often performed
after a bath, and commonly when applying lotion to the skin. After
being removed from a warm bath, an infant is especially susceptible
to the discomfort of being cold, and is typically quickly wrapped
in a towel or blanket for warmth and comfort. To massage an infant,
it is undesirable to then have to remove the towel to access the
skin, or to remove the towel and replace it with a garment or
blanket, which then also has to be moved or removed to access the
skin. In either situation, portions of the infant are uncovered and
exposed to the cold. In this regard, it would be desirable to
provide a garment that includes all of the benefits of a garment,
towel and blanket, without having to expose the infant to the cold,
and while providing access to the infant's skin.
[0007] Accordingly, the present invention provides a multi-layered
infant massage garment including inner detachable towel and blanket
layers. The garment further defines predetermined openings through
at least several of the layers for providing access to the skin
through the garment, thus obviating the need to remove the garment
to administer massage. The garment may further define a hood
portion, slit sleeves for providing access to the upper arms
through the sleeve ends, and a detachable pillow for cushioning the
head.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In one aspect, an infant massage garment is provided for
keeping an infant substantially covered during massage.
[0009] In another aspect, a multi-layered infant massage garment is
provided including a plurality of detachable layers.
[0010] In yet another aspect, a multi-layered infant massage
garment is provided including an outer layer and at least one of a
detachable blanket and towel layer.
[0011] In yet another aspect, a multi-layered infant massage
garment is provided including an outer layer, a middle blanket
layer and an inner towel layer, wherein at least one of the blanket
and towel layers are detachably fastened utilizing conventional
hook-and-loop fasteners.
[0012] In yet another aspect, an infant massage garment is provided
defining body, sleeve and hood portions.
[0013] In yet another aspect, the infant massage garment includes a
detachable pillow.
[0014] In yet another aspect, the infant massage garment includes a
plurality of openings defined through at least one or more of the
layers for accessing the skin through the garment.
[0015] In yet another aspect, the garment defines flared and/or
partially slit sleeves for accessing the lower arm, upper arm and
portions of the shoulder through the sleeve end.
[0016] In yet another aspect, the garment includes inwardly
foldable, overlapping first and second chest flaps.
[0017] In yet another aspect, the garment includes indicia
corresponding to predetermined massage locations and/or
techniques.
[0018] To achieve the foregoing and other aspects and advantages of
the present invention, in one embodiment a multi-layered infant
massage garment is provided having a body, sleeve and hood
portions, and at least one of an inner detachable blanket and towel
layer, wherein predetermined openings are defined through at least
one of the layers for providing access to the skin through the
garment.
[0019] In another embodiment, an infant massage garment is provided
including a body portion, sleeves, a hood, and first and second
inwardly folding chest flaps, each of the first and second chest
flaps having an arcuate shape such that when folded inwardly a
double layer of material is provided over an abdomen portion of the
garment while only a single layer of material is provided over a
chest portion of the garment, the first and second chest flaps each
having an elongate opening therethrough positioned on a
non-overlapping portion of the respective flap, and the body
portion having a plurality of elongate openings defined
therethrough.
[0020] In a further embodiment, the garment includes a removable
blanket attached to the body portion and having a shape
corresponding to a shape of the body portion, the blanket defining
a plurality of elongate openings therethrough corresponding in
position with the plurality of openings defined through the body
portion. In a further embodiment, the garment includes a removable
towel attached to the blanket and having a shape corresponding to
the shape of the blanket. In the embodiment including the blanket,
the corresponding openings defined through each of the body portion
and the removable blanket include an opening positioned aligned
along the longitudinal centerline of the garment and openings
positioned on either side of the longitudinal centerline and at an
angle thereto.
[0021] The garment further includes a removable pillow attached
within the hood, and the ends of the sleeves have at least one of a
flaring and a slit for access. The garment may optionally include
any indicia on an exterior surface of the garment corresponding to
at least one of massage location and massage technique.
[0022] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be
set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part
will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that
description or recognized by practicing the invention as described
herein. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description present various
embodiments of the invention, and are intended to provide an
overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of
the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are
included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and
are incorporated in and constitute a part of this
specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the
present invention are better understood when the following detailed
description of the invention is read with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a multi-layered infant massage
garment;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a front view of the garment shown with the
inwardly foldable chest flaps open to expose the underlying
detachable towel layer;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a front view of the garment shown with a portion
of the towel layer folded back to expose the underlying blanket
layer;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a front view of the garment showing a plurality of
openings defined through the garment and blanket layers for
providing access to the skin through the layers;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the garment detailing the plurality
of openings; and
[0029] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the
various layers of the garment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] The present invention will now be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the
invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the representative embodiments set forth
herein. The exemplary embodiments are provided so that this
disclosure will be both thorough and complete, and will fully
convey the scope of the invention and enable one of ordinary skill
in the art to make, use and practice the invention. Like reference
numbers refer to like elements throughout the various drawings.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 1, an infant massage garment according to
a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown generally at
reference numeral 20. The garment 20 includes a main body portion
22, a pair of sleeves 24, and a hood 26. The garment 20 is
essentially symmetrical about an inherent longitudinal centerline.
The garment may have any scale, and is preferably sized to
accommodate an infant while being loosely fitting and comfortable.
The garment preferably defines ample room about the intersection of
the arms and body to permit entry of the hands to massage the
shoulder region, either accessing through the sleeves, front or
rear of the garment. The garment may be constructed from any
material or combination of materials, and is preferably constructed
from soft materials including, but not limited to, soft cottons and
fleece. The garment may be constructed from one of more pieces of
material sewn together to provide the desired shape. Although shown
as a garment including a single bottom opening, it is envisioned
that an alternative embodiment may include individually defined leg
portions. Although not shown, the garment may optionally include a
tie about the waist for maintaining the chest flaps in a closed
configuration as desired. The back of the body portion may be
slightly longer than the front.
[0032] The garment 20 includes first and second inwardly folding
(i.e. towards the center), overlapping chest flaps 28 and 30 each
having an arcuate shape. The arcuate shape of the flaps 28, 30
provides a double layer of material over the abdomen portion of the
garment, and a single layer of material over the chest portion of
the garment, when the flaps are in their closed configuration. The
arcuate flap shape further allows for ease of abdominal massage.
Access to the skin through the front of the garment is achieved by
either inserting the hands between the first and second flaps 28,
30, or through first and second openings 32, 34, defined through
corresponding flaps 28, 30, respectively. As shown, the openings
32, 34 are elongated slits positioned near the intersection of the
chest and arms, and more specifically, openings positioned
diagonally intersecting the chest portion. The openings 32, 34
define a length sufficient to permit at least one hand to pass
therethrough, thus permitting the chest to be massaged through the
garment 20 when the flaps 28, 30 are in the closed
configuration.
[0033] It is envisioned that the openings 32, 34 may differ in
length, position, orientation and number to accommodate access to
other desired areas of the body. The openings may be sewn with a
flap or overlap so that they remain substantially closed when not
in use. As the flaps 28, 30 are arcuate and do not overlap at the
openings 32, 34, access to the chest is achieved through a single
opening and layer of material in one of the flaps.
[0034] Each of the pair of sleeves 24 preferably defines an
oversized width for permitting access to the upper arm and shoulder
through the sleeve end. To further facilitate access to the arm and
shoulder through the sleeve end, the ends are flared and/or include
and a slit 36. In one embodiment, the "back" portion of each sleeve
end may be longer than the front to cushion the infant's hand from
underneath. In an exemplary embodiment, to massage the shoulder,
one hand may enter through the end of the sleeve and the other
through its corresponding opening defined through one of the flaps,
all the while keeping the infant substantially covered.
[0035] The hood 26 functions to substantially cover the infant's
head and provide cushioning from beneath when the infant is laid
down flat. To further cushion the head, a pillow 38 is provided and
removably attaches, such as with conventional hook-and-loop
fasteners, within the hood. The pillow 38 is preferable covered in
a soft and washable material. The conventional fasteners are
preferably hidden beneath a flap when the pillow is removed to
avoid direct fastener contact with the skin.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 2, an exploded perspective view of the
multi-layered garment 20 is shown. A towel layer 40 is removably
attached to an underlying blanket layer 42, which is in turn
removably attached to the underlying body portion 22. The towel
layer 40 is optional, and may be used when the garment is applied
subsequent to a bath. The towel layer 40 preferably includes one
portion of a conventional hook-and-loop fastener positioned on the
underside of the towel, thus away from the skin, for engaging the
underlying blanket to secure the towel in place thereto. As shown,
the fastener is a strip spanning the width of the towel along one
side 44. To attach the towel to the blanket, end portion 46 of the
towel 40 is folded over a portion of the underlying blanket layer
42, and fastened to the underside thereof. Thus, with each layer,
it is preferred that the fasteners be positioned so that they do
not contact the skin to cause discomfort. As shown, the towel layer
42 does not define openings therethrough.
[0037] The underlying blanket layer 42 has a size and shape
substantially corresponding to that of the towel layer and the main
body portion 22 of the garment 20. The blanket layer 42 includes an
underlying, conventional hook-and-loop fastener for detachable
attachment with the garment. The blanket layer 42 further defines a
plurality of openings therethrough for accessing the skin through
the blanket layer. As shown, there are three predetermined openings
defined through the blanket layer. Openings 48 and 50 are
positioned adjacent the rear of the intersection of the arms and
chest and at an angle with respect to the longitudinal centerline
of the garment. Opening 52 is positioned in alignment with the
longitudinal centerline and about midway down the back. As stated
above, the openings allow a hand to pass through to contact the
skin, and substantially remain closed when not in use. The
positions of openings 48, 50 and 52 are aligned with and correspond
to openings defined through the garment, such that access to the
skin is permitted through both the garment and blanket
simultaneously. While only three openings are shown having specific
positions, it is envisioned that additional openings and their
positions may be altered without departing from the scope of the
invention.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 3, the garment 20 is shown with the towel
layer 40 attached and the inwardly folding chest flaps 28 and 30 in
their open configuration. Referring to FIG. 4, the garment 20 is
shown with the chest flaps 28 and 30 open and with the towel layer
40 partially pulled back to reveal the underlying blanket layer 42.
As shown, and in an alternative embodiment, the hook-and-loop
fastener is positioned on the backside of the towel layer and the
front of the blanket layer, however, in the preferred embodiment
the towel layer may be folded over the blanket layer to conceal the
fastener. Referring to FIG. 5, the garment is shown with both the
towel and blanket layers removed to reveal the underlying openings
48, 50 and 52 defined through the garment. Referring to FIG. 6, a
rear view of the garment 20 is shown to illustrate corresponding
openings 48, 50 and 52. As stated above with respect to FIG. 2, the
openings 48, 50 and 52 in each of the garment and blanket
align.
[0039] The garment may include any suitable indicia on any part
thereof for instructing the giver where to massage and what
technique is to be applied. Suitable indicia include, but are not
limited to, symbols, printing, text, labels, tags and colors.
Indicia may correspond to a key provided along with the garment.
The key may include techniques, instructions, etc. The garment may
optionally be provided with an inner lining or pouch adapted to
carry a removable thermo therapy pack. The garment may optionally
include a drawstring bottom for substantially closing or decreasing
the opening to the feet.
[0040] While an infant massage garment has been described with
reference to specific embodiments and examples, it is envisioned
that various details of the invention may be changed without
departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the
openings through the at least one layers may be strategically
placed or optimized to allow for maximum benefits of therapeutic
massage. Furthermore, the foregoing description of the preferred
embodiments of the invention and best mode for practicing the
invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not
for the purpose of limitation.
* * * * *