U.S. patent application number 14/015470 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-05 for garment for persons with limited movement.
The applicant listed for this patent is Martha Elizabeth Cox, Harry Richard Stanley. Invention is credited to Martha Elizabeth Cox, Harry Richard Stanley.
Application Number | 20150059048 14/015470 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52581106 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150059048 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stanley; Harry Richard ; et
al. |
March 5, 2015 |
GARMENT FOR PERSONS WITH LIMITED MOVEMENT
Abstract
A garment having a plurality of hook-and-loop seam connectors to
facilitate the donning or removal of the garment by persons having
impaired arm or shoulder movement.
Inventors: |
Stanley; Harry Richard;
(Sulphur Springs, TX) ; Cox; Martha Elizabeth;
(Sulphur Springs, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Stanley; Harry Richard
Cox; Martha Elizabeth |
Sulphur Springs
Sulphur Springs |
TX
TX |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
52581106 |
Appl. No.: |
14/015470 |
Filed: |
August 30, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/69 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 13/129 20130101;
A41D 13/1245 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/69 |
International
Class: |
A41D 13/12 20060101
A41D013/12; A41D 1/00 20060101 A41D001/00; A41D 27/20 20060101
A41D027/20 |
Claims
1. A garment, comprising: a generally tubular abdomen portion
having a neck opening at a first end, a bottom opening at a second
end, and an abdomen side seam connector at which a first portion
and a second portion of the abdomen portion are connectable using
an elongate abdomen side seam connector with a hook portion
connected to one of the first portion and the second portion and a
corresponding loop portion connected to the other of the first
portion and second portion; a first sleeve extending from the
tubular abdomen portion and having a first superior shoulder seam
connector with an elongate first shoulder seam connector hook
portion connectable to an elongate first shoulder seam connector
loop portion, and further including a first inferior shoulder seam
connector disposed on the first sleeve proximal to the first
superior shoulder seam connector and having a first inferior
shoulder seam connector hook portion connectable to a first
inferior shoulder seam connector loop portion; and a second sleeve
extending from the tubular abdomen portion generally opposite to
the first sleeve and having a second superior shoulder seam
connector with a second shoulder seam connector hook portion
connectable to a second shoulder seam connector loop portion;
wherein the abdomen side seam connector, the first superior
shoulder seam connector, the first inferior shoulder seam connector
and the second superior shoulder seam connector are disconnectable
to enable the garment to be donned by and removed from a torso of a
person.
2. The garment of claim 1, further comprising: a pocket disposed on
the first portion of the generally tubular abdomen portion, the
pocket having an interior slit therein to accommodate a conductive
member that can be connected to an instrument stored in the
pocket.
3. A garment, comprising: a trunk portion, with a neck opening at a
top end and a bottom opening at a bottom end, having an elongate
hook and loop seam connector along a first side of the trunk
portion with an elongate hook seam portion and an elongate loop
seam portion connectable to the hook seam portion to close the
trunk portion of garment to form a generally tubular trunk portion;
a first sleeve extending from the trunk portion, proximal to the
neck opening at the top end of the trunk portion, having a hook and
loop seam connector along a top of the first sleeve and extending
from an end of the first sleeve to the neck opening of the trunk
portion, with a hook seam portion and a loop seam portion
connectable to the hook seam portion to close the first sleeve of
the garment to form a generally tubular sleeve portion, the first
sleeve further having a hook and loop seam connector along a bottom
of the first sleeve with a hook seam portion and a loop seam
portion connectable to the hook seam portion to close the first
sleeve of the garment to form, along with the connected hook and
loop seam connector along the top side of the first sleeve, a
generally tubular sleeve portion; a second sleeve extending from
the tubular trunk portion, proximal to the neck opening, at the top
end of the trunk portion and generally opposite the trunk portion
from the first sleeve, and having a hook and loop seam connection
extending along a top side of the second sleeve from an end of the
second sleeve to the neck opening of the trunk portion, with a hook
seam portion and a loop seam portion connectable to the hook seam
portion to close the second sleeve of the garment to form a
generally tubular sleeve portion; wherein the garment is receivable
onto a human torso over the feet and legs by disconnecting the hook
and loop seam connector along a top of the first sleeve and
disconnecting the hook and loop seam connector along the second
sleeve, inserting the feet into an enlarged neck opening produced
by disconnecting the hook and loop seam connector along a top of
the first sleeve and disconnecting the hook and loop seam connector
along, the second sleeve, and by pulling the garment upwardly past
the legs and hips until the hook and loop seam connectors along the
top of the first sleeve and along the second sleeve can be
reconnected above the wearer's shoulders; and wherein the garment
is laterally receivable onto a human torso by disconnecting the
hook and loop seam connector along a top of the first sleeve and
disconnecting the hook and loop seam connector along a bottom of
the second sleeve, and disconnecting, the hook and loop seam
connector along the first side of the trunk portion, laterally
receiving the garment onto the torso while inserting a second arm
into the second sleeve, and by reconnecting the hook and loop seam
connector along the first side of the trunk portion, the hook and
loop seam connector along the top of the first sleeve and the hook
and loop seam connector along a bottom of the first sleeve.
4. The garment of claim 3, further comprising: a pocket disposed on
a front of the trunk portion of the garment, the pocket having an
interior slit therein to accommodate a conductive member that can
be connected to an instrument stored in the pocket.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a garment for the human
torso. More specifically, the present invention relates to a
garment having strategically located connectors along a plurality
of seams of the garment to facilitate donning or removal of the
garment by a person having injuries, surgeries or otherwise limited
flexibility or range of movement. More specifically, the garment of
the present invention can be donned or removed in a manner that
does not require the movement of shoulder joints to extreme
displacements and in a manner that enables the garment to be more
easily donned onto or removed from an unconscious, semi-conscious
or otherwise movement impaired person.
[0003] 2. Background of the Related Art
[0004] Medical patients, especially patients having injuries or
surgeries to a shoulder, an arm, the neck or the collarbone are
often physically impaired and unable to don or remove conventional
clothing or conventional hospital gowns. For example, but not by
way of limitation, a person with a collarbone or shoulder injury, a
broken arm, or a person recovering from collarbone, shoulder, arm,
breast or cardiac surgery, may be unable to position the arm and
elbow above the shoulder to insert the arm into a sleeve of a
conventional pullover shirt. While some hospital gowns are
constructed to be donned from the front, as opposed to the back,
these garments are not generally favorable for being fastened in
the rear or for being worn in a modest manner.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0005] An embodiment of the present invention comprises a garment
comprising a superior shoulder seam connector, an inferior shoulder
seam connector and at least one side seam connector proximal to the
superior shoulder seam connector and the inferior sleeve seam
connector to enable the garment to be donned and/or removed by
persons having a limited range of arm movement in one or both
shoulders. The present invention can be donned or removed by a
person in a laying position, a sitting or standing position. The
present invention can be worn in public because, unlike
conventional hospital gowns, it appears as a conventional pullover
shirt when all of the connectors are in the connected mode.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective frontal view of an embodiment of the
garment of the present invention with all seam connectors
connected.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of the embodiment of the
garment of FIG. 1.
[0008] FIG. 3 is the perspective frontal view of FIG. 1 after the
(user's) left shoulder seam connector and the left side seam
connector are disconnected.
[0009] FIG. 4 is the perspective frontal view of FIG. 1 after the
right shoulder seam connector is disconnected.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective frontal view of an embodiment of the
garment 10 of the present invention with all seam connectors 11, 23
and 24 connected. The embodiment of the garment 10 comprises a
torso portion 12, a front portion 30, a pocket 25 on the front
portion 30, a neck opening 18, a bottom opening 15, a (user's) left
shoulder seam connector 24, a left sleeve superior seam connector
23, a right sleeve 16, and a left side torso seam connector 11. The
a(user's) left shoulder seam connector 24, a left sleeve superior
seam connector 23 and a left side torso seam connector 11 each
comprise an elongate hook seam portion and an elongate loop seam
portion. More specifically, left side torso seam connector 11
comprises an elongate hook seam portion 13 and an elongate loop
seam portion 14 which, when aligned and pressed one against the
other completes the seam and retains the seam in the connected mode
as illustrated in FIG. 1. Similarly, the left sleeve superior seam
connector 23 comprises an elongate hook seam portion 22 and an
elongate loop seam portion 21 which, when aligned and pressed one
against, the other completes the seam and retains the seam in the
connected mode as illustrated in FIG. 1. The garment 10 further
comprises a slit or opening 35 in the interior panel 36 to
facilitate an electronic connector (not shown in FIG. 1).
[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective rear view of the embodiment of the
garment 10 of FIG. revealing a rear portion 31 and a (user's) right
side seam connector 17 comprising an elongate hook seam portion 20
and an elongate loop seam portion 18 which, when aligned and
pressed one against the other completes the seam and retains the
seam in the connected mode as illustrated in FIG. 2.
[0012] It will be understood that, with the seam connectors 11, 17,
23 and 24 in the connected mode as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2,
the garment 10 will function as a conventional pull-over shirt.
However, as will be illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the garment 10
can be donned and/or removed in unconventional ways that are
accommodating for persons having limited mobility of one or both of
the shoulders, one or both of the arms, the neck, the torso or the
collarbone.
[0013] FIG. 3 is the perspective frontal view of FIG. 1 after the
(user's) left shoulder seam connector 24 and the left side seam
connector 11 are disconnected. Also disconnected is the left
inferior sleeve connector 32 comprising of a left inferior sleeve
connector hook portion 27 and a left interior sleeve connector loop
portion 29. It will be understood by inspection of FIG. 3 that the
disconnection of these three connectors 11, 24 and 32 enables the
donning or the removal of the garment 10 onto or from the body of
the user by sliding the garment 10 onto and then up the user's
right arm (riot shown) for donning, or by sliding the garment 10
down and then off of the user's right, arm (not shown); that is by
inserting the user's right hand (not shown) into the right sleeve
16 and then by sliding the right sleeve 16 up and along the user's
tight arm(not shown) until the garment 10 is donned or, for
removal, by sliding the right sleeve 16 down and along the user's
right arm (not shown) and then by pulling the user's right hand
(not shown) through the right sleeve 16.
[0014] FIG. 3 also reveals the interior of the pocket 25 and the
slit 35 on the interior of the pocket 25 to facilitate the wired
connection of a medical instrument such as, for example, a heart
monitor, stored and/or carried in the pocket 25 by the user of the
garment 10.
[0015] FIG. 4 is the perspective frontal view of FIG. 1 after the
right shoulder seam connector 17 is disconnected. It will be
understood that the garment 10 in the configuration illustrated in
FIG. 4 can be donned onto the user's body by having the user insert
his or her feet into the neck opening 18 (which is substantially
enlarged by disconnection of the right shoulder seam connector 17)
and then by raising the garment 10 and sliding the garment 10 up
and along the user's legs, past the user's hips and along the
user's torso, and then by inserting the user's left arm into the
left sleeve 21 and by connecting the right shoulder seam connector
17 above the left shoulder, or by receiving the user's head and
shoulders into the bottom opening 15 and then by sliding the
garment 10 along the user's torso until the right sleeve 21 and the
left sleeve 16 are below the user's armpits, and then by inserting
the user's left arm into the left sleeve 21 and by connecting the
right shoulder seam connector 17 above the user's right shoulder.
It will be understood that this process of donning the garment 10
can be made even easier by beginning with both the right shoulder
seam connector 17 and the left shoulder seam connector 24 in the
disconnected mode.
[0016] It will be understood that the garment 10 in the
configuration illustrated in FIG. 4 can be removed from the user's
body by sliding the garment downwardly along the user's torso, past
the user's hips and downwardly along the user's legs until the
garment 10 is removed past the user's feet, or by having the user
elevate his or her arms over his or her head, and then by sliding
the garment 10 upwardly from the user's torso and along the user's
elevated arms until the user's hands are pulled through the garment
10 and the garment is removed. It will be understood that the
process of removing the garment 10 can be made even easier by
beginning with both the right shoulder seam connector 17 and the
left shoulder seam connector 24 in the disconnected mode.
* * * * *