U.S. patent application number 16/279541 was filed with the patent office on 2019-08-22 for one piece infant garment with hand restraint.
The applicant listed for this patent is Halo Innovations, Inc.. Invention is credited to Dawn Griffin.
Application Number | 20190254355 16/279541 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 67617170 |
Filed Date | 2019-08-22 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190254355 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Griffin; Dawn |
August 22, 2019 |
ONE PIECE INFANT GARMENT WITH HAND RESTRAINT
Abstract
An infant garment that is sized and configured to be worn by an
infant. The infant garment has one or more arm restraining
mechanisms suitably positioned on an interior surface of the infant
garment to be able to restrain the infant's hand(s)/arm(s) so that
the infant's hand(s)/arm(s) can be positioned up and next to
his/her face and/or head while the infant's hand(s)/arm(s) remain
within the infant garment. The infant garment may also include one
or more teethers on an exterior surface thereof.
Inventors: |
Griffin; Dawn; (Minnetonka,
MN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Halo Innovations, Inc. |
Minnetonka |
MN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
67617170 |
Appl. No.: |
16/279541 |
Filed: |
February 19, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62632622 |
Feb 20, 2018 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 27/20 20130101;
A41B 13/06 20130101; A41B 13/005 20130101; A41D 11/00 20130101;
A47G 9/083 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A41B 13/06 20060101
A41B013/06; A41B 13/00 20060101 A41B013/00 |
Claims
1. An infant garment, comprising: a front panel and a rear panel
defining a space for receiving a body of an infant except for the
infant's head; the front panel and the rear panel define an upper
body portion that includes a neck hole; the front panel and the
rear panel define an exterior facing surface that faces away from
the space and an interior facing surface that faces toward the
space; and at least one of the following: a) at least one arm
restraining mechanism disposed on the interior facing surface at
the upper body portion, the at least one arm restraining mechanism
includes an open lower end with an opening that faces downward, and
the at least one arm restraining mechanism is positioned entirely
below the neck hole; b) at least one teether disposed on the
exterior facing surface at the upper body portion, the at least one
teether is formed of a material that is different than a material
of the front panel and the rear panel.
2. The infant garment of claim 1, wherein the front panel includes
a first section and a second section, the first section and the
second section are releasably connectable to one another by a
binding mechanism, and the binding mechanism extends from the neck
hole toward a lower body portion of the infant garment.
3. The infant garment of claim 2, comprising two of the arm
restraining mechanisms, a first one of the arm restraining
mechanisms is disposed on the interior facing surface of the first
section at the upper body portion, and a second one of the arm
restraining mechanisms is disposed on the interior facing surface
of the second section at the upper body portion.
4. The infant garment of claim 2, comprising two of the teethers, a
first one of the teethers is disposed on the exterior facing
surface of the first section at the upper body portion, and a
second one of the teethers is disposed on the exterior facing
surface of the second section at the upper body portion.
5. The infant garment of claim 2, wherein the binding mechanism
comprises a zipper.
6. The infant garment of claim 1, wherein the front panel and the
rear panel define a lower body portion and a waist portion that
interconnects the upper body portion and the lower body portion;
the waist portion tapers inwardly from the upper body portion and
tapers inwardly from the lower body portion so that a width of the
infant garment at the waist portion is less than a width of the
upper body portion and a width of the lower body portion.
7. The infant garment of claim 1, comprising the at least one arm
restraining mechanism, and the at least one arm restraining
mechanism comprises a pocket or a cuff.
8. The infant garment of claim 1, comprising the at least one
teether, and the at least one teether is located at a shoulder of
the infant garment.
9. The infant garment of claim 1, wherein the infant garment is
devoid of arm holes.
10. The infant garment of claim 1, wherein the infant garment
includes the at least one arm restraining mechanism and the at
least one teether.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The garment described herein relates to an infant
garment.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Many examples of infant garments are known. One example is
the SLEEPSACK.RTM. wearable blanket available from Halo
Innovations, Inc. of Minnetonka, Minn. Another example is the
wearable blanket described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,246,392 or the
wearable blanket described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,347,432.
[0003] Additional examples of infant garments include those
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,179,711 and in WO 2007/098558. The
infant garment in U.S. Pat. No. 9,179,711 includes wing portions at
each shoulder that are intended to receive the infant's hands and
maintain the infant's arms in a raised position. The infant garment
in WO 2007/098558 is described as including pockets to receive the
infant's hands and arms.
SUMMARY
[0004] An infant garment is described that is sized and configured
to be worn by an infant. The infant garment has one or more
hand/arm restraining mechanism that are suitably positioned on the
infant garment to be able to restrain the infant's hand(s)/arm(s)
so that the infant's hand(s)/arm(s) can be positioned up and next
to his/her face and/or head while the infant's hand(s)/arm(s)
remain within the infant garment. For sake of convenience, the
language hand/arm restraining mechanism will be shortened to arm
restraining mechanism throughout the following description and in
the claims.
[0005] The infant garment can include one or more arm restraining
mechanisms. In one embodiment, the arm restraining mechanism can be
one or more inner pockets located on an inside surface of a front
side of the infant garment for secure placement of the infant's
hand(s) in an upward position. In another embodiment, instead of
inner pockets, the arm restraining mechanism can be one or more
soft cuffs for secure placement of the infant's hand(s) in the
upward position.
[0006] The arm restraining mechanisms can help the placement of the
infant's hand(s) inside the infant garment. The placement of the
infant's hand(s) inside the infant garment allows for self-soothing
and helps control the Moro reflex. Moro reflex is an infantile
reflex normally present in infants or newborns as a response to a
sudden loss of support. Moro reflex typically occurs when, for
example, the infant feels as if he/she is falling. In a Moro
reflex, the infant would typically spread out the arms (also
referred as to "abduction", the movement of arm(s) away from the
midline of the body or from another part), un-spread the arms (also
referred as to "adduction", movement of arm(s) toward the midline
of the body or toward another part), or crying. The infant garment
is designed with the arm restraining mechanisms (such as inner
pockets, soft cuffs, or the like) for holding the infant's hands up
toward his/her face and/or head position to help control the Moro
reflex. The hand position of the infant (due to the arm restraining
mechanisms) can also help with transitioning from the traditional
arms down (at the side of the body) swaddling.
[0007] In one embodiment, the infant garment can be tapered at the
waist position thereof to keep the bottom of the body from moving
up in the infant garment. The leg(s) area of the infant garment is
wide enough for hip development and leg movement. The infant
garment can also include a zipper, such as a two-way zipper, on the
front thereof for easy dressing and/or diaper changing.
[0008] In one embodiment, the infant garment can further include
one or more teethers incorporated into the infant garment, either
in addition to the arm restraining mechanisms, or in the infant
garment without the arm restraining mechanisms.
[0009] An infant garment described herein can include a front panel
and a rear panel defining a space for receiving a body of an infant
except for the infant's head. The front panel and the rear panel
define an upper body portion that includes a neck hole. In
addition, the front panel and the rear panel define an exterior
facing surface that faces away from the space and an interior
facing surface that faces toward the space. The infant garment
further includes at least one of the following: at least one arm
restraining mechanism disposed on the interior facing surface at
the upper body portion and/or at least one teether disposed on the
exterior facing surface at the upper body portion.
DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a front view of an infant garment according to one
embodiment described herein, with a front zipper thereof zipped
closed.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a front view of the infant garment of FIG. 1 with
the front zipper unzipped, with an infant positioned therein and
showing one of the infant's hands placed in one of the arm
restraining mechanisms in the form of an inner pocket.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a front view similar to FIG. 2 of another
embodiment of an infant garment that uses arm restraining
mechanisms in the form of inner cuffs instead of inner pockets.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a back view of the infant garment of FIG. 1, FIG.
2, or FIG. 3
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, the infant garment 10 includes a
front panel 20 and a rear panel 30 connected to one another. The
front panel 20 and the rear panel 30 define a space or pouch for
receiving the infant's body (i.e. the torso, legs and arms) except
for the infant's head as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The front panel 20
and the rear panel 30 can have any construction that is suitable to
define the space or pouch to receive the infant with the infant's
neck and head disposed outside the garment 10 as depicted in FIGS.
2 and 3. For example, in one embodiment, the infant garment 10 can
be a one-piece construction where the front panel 20 and the rear
panel 30 can be initially separate from one another but joined
together (for example, by sewing or via other suitable process)
along substantially an entire perimeter edge of the garment 10
except for a region that defines a neck hole 18 at a top portion of
the front panel 20 and the rear panel 30 that allows the infant's
neck to extend through as depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. In another
embodiment, the front panel 20 and the rear panel 30 can be
integrally formed whereby the front panel 20 and the rear panel 30
are not initially separate from one another, but are instead formed
from a single piece of material.
[0015] The front panel 20 and the rear panel 30 can be made of any
material that is suitable for use with an infant. The material used
should be soft and comfortable to wear, safe for the infant, and
washable (for example, hand-wash or machine wash). Examples of
suitable materials include, but are not limited to, cotton (organic
or non-organic version), polyester, cotton/polyester blends,
corduroy, silk, rayon, knits, chambray, tulle, or any suitable
infant apparel fabrics.
[0016] The infant garment 10 is illustrated as having an overall
"peanut-shape" but other shapes are possible. The garment 10
includes an upper body portion 11, a waist portion 12, a lower body
portion 13, and a perimeter edge 22. The upper body portion 11 is
big enough to fit the infant's upper body with both arms/hands in
the upward position (see FIGS. 2 and 3). In addition, the upper
body portion 11 is sized so that the infant can move his/her
hand(s) and self soothe, but the movement of getting his/her
hand(s) towards his/her waist should be limited.
[0017] The waist portion 12 tapers inwardly from the upper body
portion 11 and the lower body portion 13 so that the width of the
garment 10 at the waist portion 12 is less than the width of the
upper body portion 11 and the lower body portion 13. The waist
portion 12 provides for a stable fit of the infant's body within
the infant garment 10. In addition, the tapering of the waist
portion 12 helps to prevent the infant's hand(s)/arm(s) from moving
to his/her sides and into the lower body portion 13 and/or helps to
prevent the infant's hip and/or leg(s) from moving into the upper
body portion 11.
[0018] The lower body portion 13 is configured to be wide enough to
permit freedom of movement of the infant's leg(s) to promote
healthy hip development.
[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the front panel 20 is
illustrated as being split into a right or first section 20a and a
left or second section 20b. A binding mechanism 14 is provided on
the right and left sections 20a, 20b for selectively opening and
closing the garment 10 via the right and left sections 20a, 20b.
The binding mechanism 14 can be for example, a zipper, buttons,
clasps, snaps, hook and loop fasteners, or the like. The split of
the right and left sections 20a, 20b extends from the neck hole 18
toward the lower body portion 13. In the illustrated example, the
split of the right and left sections 20a, 20b extends to near the
bottom of the lower body portion 13. The split between the right
and left sections 20a, 20b can extend any extent to permit the
garment 10 to be sufficiently opened to permit entry and exit of
the infant from the interior space or pouch. The binding mechanism
14 selectively controls the opening and closing of the right and
left sections 20a, 20b. In one embodiment, when the binding
mechanism is closed, the only opening of the infant garment 10 can
be the neck hole 18. However, in other embodiments, one or more
other openings can be provided in the garment, for example on the
rear panel 30.
[0020] The neck hole 18 is illustrated as being positioned in the
middle of the garment 10 at the top thereof. The neck hole 18 can
have any shape that is suitable to comfortably allow passage of the
infant's neck. Examples of suitable shapes include, but are not
limited to, a half-circle, half-oval, oval, or the like. When the
binding mechanism 14 is closed, the neck hole 18 is small enough to
prevent the infant's upper body from moving out of the upper body
portion 11 of the infant garment 10 through the neck hole 18 and to
prevent the infant's head from moving into the upper body portion
11 of the infant garment 10 through the neck hole.
[0021] In an embodiment where the binding mechanism 14 is a zipper,
the zipper can be a two-way zipper (which can also be referred to
as dual zipper, double zipper, or two-head zipper) that can be
closed or opened in two opposite directions (i.e., from both ends
of the two-way zipper). The two-way zipper can allow the right and
left sections 20a, 20b to be opened from the neck hole 18 down for
entry and exit of the infant, and allow the right and left sections
20a, 20b to be opened starting from the bottom end thereof in a
direction toward the neck hole 18 to facilitate dressing of the
infant and diaper changes. The opposite parts of the zipper can be
sewn into the right and left sections 20a, 20b.
[0022] The binding mechanism 14 is illustrated as being located
along the middle of the front panel 20 so that the right and left
sections 20a, 20b are symmetrical relative to the line along the
binding mechanism 14. However, in other embodiments, the binding
mechanism 14 can be positioned at an offset location on the front
panel 20 so that the right and left sections 20a, 20b are not
symmetrical.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 4, the rear panel 30 can be solid with no
openings. However, in another embodiment, the rear panel 30 can
have a closable opening, for example at the lower body portion 13,
to facilitate diaper changing.
[0024] Returning to FIG. 2, the infant garment 10 can include one
or more arm restraining mechanisms 16. The arm restraining
mechanisms 16 are positioned and configured to hold the infant's
hands up toward his/her face and/or head position as shown in FIG.
2. Preferably, two arm restraining mechanisms 16 are provided, one
for each hand/arm. The arm restraining mechanisms 16 are located on
the inside surfaces of the right and left sections 20a, 20b of the
front panel 20.
[0025] The arm restraining mechanisms 16 can have any configuration
that is suitable for holding the infant's hands up toward his/her
face and/or head position as shown in FIG. 2. For example, in the
embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the arm restraining mechanisms 16
comprise inner pockets. FIG. 2 shows one of the two inner pockets
located on the inside or interior surface of the right section 20a
of the front panel 20. A similar inner pocket (not visible) is
located on the inside or interior surface of the left section 20b
of the front panel 20. In this embodiment, the inner pockets can be
made of cotton, synthetic, or any suitable material. The inner
pockets are configured such that the infant's hands can be placed
inside the two inner pockets as depicted in FIG. 2.
[0026] In the illustrated example, each of inner pockets includes
an upper end 16a, a left end 16b, a lower end 16c, and a right end
16d. The lower end 16c is an open end through which the infant's
hands, lower arm can be inserted into the pocket. The upper end
16a, the left end 16b, and the right end 16d are closed for example
by sewing the ends 16a, 16b, 16d to the inside surface of the
respective right or left section 20a, 20b. In the illustrated
example, the upper end 16a and the left end 16b can be aligned with
the upper seam and the side seam of the infant garment 10,
respectively.
[0027] The infant's hand(s) can be placed into the pocket through
the open lower end 16c thereof. If desired, an elastic band can be
provided at the open lower end 16c of each pocket to restrict the
size of the opening at the lower ends 16c. The sizes of the spaces
formed by the pockets are big enough so that the infant can still
move his/her hands within the pockets and self soothe. However,
movement of his/her hands towards his/her waist should be
limited.
[0028] Other locations of the pockets other than on the inside
surface of the right and left sections 20a, 20b are possible. For
example, the pockets could be attached to the inside surface of the
rear panel 30, or the pockets could be attached to both the inside
surfaces of the right and left sections 20a, 20b as well as to the
rear panel 30.
[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates a different embodiment of the arm
restraining mechanism 16. In this embodiment, instead of the two
inner pockets as shown in FIG. 2, the arm restraining mechanism 16
comprises two soft cuffs. FIG. 3 shows one of the two soft cuffs
secured to the inside surface of the right section 20a of the front
panel 20. A similar cuff will be disposed on the inside surface of
the left section 20b of the front panel 20. Each of the cuffs can
be made of, for example, fabric or any suitable material. The cuffs
can include some elastic, an elastic polyurethane fabric such as
spandex or LYCRA.RTM. (or any suitable material) for stretch of the
cuffs. For each cuff, the ends thereof can be secured to the inside
surface, for example by sewing or other form of connection.
[0030] In the illustrated example of FIG. 3, each cuff includes a
left end 17a, a right end 17b, a lower end 17c, and an upper end
17d. Both the left end 17a and the right end 17b can be fastened to
the inside surface. The lower end 17c and the upper end 17d are
open so that the infant's hand and lower arm can pass through as
illustrated.
[0031] In use, each of the infant's hands and lower arm is placed
through the two cuffs. For example, the infant's arms can be
positioned so that the cuffs cover the wrists or lower arms of the
infant. The cuffs are sized so that the infant can move his/her
hands and self soothe but limit the ability of the infant to move
his/her hands towards his/her waist.
[0032] Other locations of the cuffs other than on the inside
surface of the right and left sections 20a, 20b are possible. For
example, the cuffs could be attached to the inside surface of the
rear panel 30, or the cuffs could be attached to both the inside
surfaces of the right and left sections 20a, 20b as well as to the
rear panel 30.
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the infant garment 10 can also
include one or more teether(s) 15 attached thereto. The teethers 15
can be used together with the arm restraining mechanisms 16, or
used on the garment 10 by themselves without the arm restraining
mechanisms 16. In the illustrated example, two teethers 15 are
shown. However, the infant garment 10 can include a single one of
the teethers 15 or more than two of the teethers 15. The teether(s)
15 can be located anywhere on the infant garment 10 that can be
accessed by the infant for sucking/chewing by the infant. In the
illustrated example, the teether(s) 15 can be located at or near
both upper hand(s) positions (see FIGS. 2 and 3) on an outer part
of the infant garment 10. In one embodiment, the teether(s) 15 can
be located at or near the shoulders of the garment 10, at or near
the intersection of the side seam and the upper seam of the front
panel 20 and the rear panel 30.
[0034] The teether(s) 15 are safe teether(s) for an infant to chew
on while wearing the garment 10. The teethers 15 can be made of a
material that is different than the material forming the infant
garment 10. For example, the teether(s) 15 can be made of BPA
(bisphenol A) and/or phthalate-free, food-grade silicone, or any
other material that is considered safe for an infant to chew on.
The material used for the teethers 15 should meet or exceed all
U.S. federal safety requirements, including Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) standards, American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) regulations, and/or the most current Consumer
Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in both the U.S. and
Canada.
[0035] In one embodiment, the teether(s) 15 are integrally attached
to the infant garment 10 so that the teether(s) 15 is/are not
intended to be removable. For example, the teether(s) 15 can be
sewn into the infant garment 10 or otherwise permanently attached
to the infant garment 10. In another embodiment, the teether(s) 15
can be removably attached to the infant garment 10, for example
using hook and loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, or any other form of
removable attachment. The teether(s) 15 can be attached entirely to
the front panel 20 or, as illustrated in FIG. 4, some or all of the
teether(s) 15 can be attached to a portion of the rear panel
30.
[0036] While wearing the garment 10, the infant can move his/her
hand(s) inside the arm restraining mechanisms 16 toward his/her
face and/or head. The teether(s) 15 are located at or near both
upper hand(s) positions on the outer part of the infant garment 10.
Thus, the infant is able to use his/her hands and movements of
his/her head to bring the teether(s) 15 to his/her mouth for
sucking on the teether(s) 15.
[0037] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the teether(s) 15 and/or the arm
restraining mechanisms 16 are positioned and configured so that
uppermost portions of the teether(s) 15 and/or uppermost portions
of the arm restraining mechanisms 16 are aligned with or below a
line L which is at or near the neck of the infant. Accordingly, the
infant's hands are retained below the line L. This
design/configuration can help to prevent the teether(s) 15 and/or a
portion of the infant garment 10 (near the upper portions of the
arm restraining mechanisms 16) from covering the infant's nose
(which may cause breathing problem) and/or from touching the
infant's eyes (which may be a safety concern) when the infant moves
his/her hand(s) toward his/her face and/or head.
[0038] The infant garment 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 is devoid of
arm holes in the upper body portion 11 thereof. So in the
illustrated embodiment, the infant's arms cannot extend out of the
infant garment 10 through arm holes. However, in other embodiments,
the infant garment may include arm holes that allow the infant's
arms to extend from the sides of the garment 10 such as found in
the SLEEPSACK.RTM. wearable blanket available from Halo
Innovations, Inc. of Minnetonka, Minn.
[0039] The examples disclosed in this application are to be
considered in all respects as illustrative and not limitative. The
scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather
than by the foregoing description; and all changes which come
within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are
intended to be embraced therein.
* * * * *