AU2020200372A1 - CLOVER: THE DRESSING APRON The Clover is a dressing apron, a multifunctional garment enabling the user to change discretely and dry off after swimming or showering. The Clover will reduce towel usage, influencing behavior change to incorporate the wearable towel into a normal routine, making changing easier inside comfort and design. The apron also allows the user to carry items that would otherwise be stored in a bag, furthering usability. - Google Patents

Abstract

: Clover - the changing apron The Clover enables people, children, and adults to both change modestly anywhere, from top to bottom and is made of toweling fabric so that the user can dry their body with the garment. The garment can be worn from the beach, pool or gym to enable busy people, like mothers to get on with the day without needing to change if they are time-poor. The garment offers two deep pockets to store goggles and other items that would otherwise have been carried in a bag. The flexible design offers solutions for also caring or people who need a garment that provides easy access and discretion. I am truly excited about the potential of Clover and hope to be granted a Standard patent to help me introduce my product to the market this year with confidence. Thank you, Bianca Rodriguez.

Description

APPLICATION FOR STANDARD PATENT Clover - initially applied under provisional patent 9/1/2019 - AU 2019900019

AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990

This is an application for a standard patent for, Clover the changing apron, which was granted a provisional patent 9/1/2019 - Ihave spent one-year sourcing and prototyping the invention.

The Clover enables people, children, and adults to both change modestly anywhere, from top to bottom and is made of toweling fabric so that the user can dry their body with the garment.

The garment can be worn from the beach, pool or gym to enable busy people, like mothers to get on with the day without needing to change if they are time-poor.

The garment offers two deep pockets to store goggles and other items that would otherwise have been carried in a bag.

The flexible design offers solutions for also caring or people who need a garment that provides easy access and discretion.

I am truly excited about the potential of Clover and hope to be granted a Standard patent to help me introduce my product to the market this year with confidence.

Thank you.

Bianca Rodriguez.

3 January 2019

FROM ORIGINAL PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION: au 2019900019

The problem. My six-year-old daughter came home from her school swimming program last November and told me that she didn't like changing in front of her school friends. It made her feel embarrassed and as the teachers need to keep an eye on their students, they need to stay together.

We talked about how we might solve the problem, and she took with her a hooded towel that gave her some comfort, but it was a bit short and didn't entirely solve the problem.

As an avid swimmer myself, I noticed that other school children on school swimming programs were also battling the same issue. I saw towels draped onto changing pegs and girls clutching their towels and facing the walls as they tried to change discretely - which also led to more chatter and delays for the teachers as they tried to hurry the girls along.

I noticed parents with small babies and toddlers - like myself, trying to change out of wet wear, dry themselves and dry their children with a lot of juggling and frustrations rising.

I searched for solutions, finding robes, fastening robes and hooded towels of various sizes but nothing that offered a real solution for the discrete and easy bottom and top changing, drying and design for children and adults alike.

When thinking further I thought about the problems associated with carrying your goggles and even filing away a wet swimsuit and thought - why can't one item do it all?

Solution. What we need is a multifunctional garment that is also fashionably pleasing so that a child or adult would be equally happy to use it.

My invention takes its design direction from the traditional Japanese apron, with a criss-cross back and what I'd like to call 'leaves' that can be pulled apart from the back for easy access and no riding up. This is to make changing out of bottoms, quick, easy and discrete.

The large openings at the sides of the garment, as well as the cross over back allows for the user o easily remove and replace their top.

A traditional Japanese apron, that is used for kitchen or craftwork, does not fasten the crisscross back straps, however, the Clover does fasten at the back for ease of use and to easily distinguish the head, back and armholes of the Garment.

Additionally, the traditional apron does not necessarily close off at the back, but the dressing apron 'Leaves'will overlap to cover the bottom back area of the user.

The length of the changing apron will come to the wearer's knee, to allow enough fabric to dry with and conversely, the back straps wide enough to absorb water at the back.

These garments will also come with two deep pockets at the front to allow for packing away goggles and any other wet gear that the space within the additional pocket allows.

The garment is made of absorbent toweling fabric, and offered in various colors, prints, and sizes for children and adults.

My invention will make life easier for many people wanting to change modestly, in many scenarios, helping users to get on with their day in comfort.

Update 19 January 2020

I have spent one year investigating my invention and have had a series of prototypes. I found local suppliers of toweling fabric and a local manufacturer in Brunswick. The Clover will be entirely sourced and made in Melbourne, Australia.

While proving out my invention I have discovered even more practical applications for the garment design which lends itself to many innovative opportunities that could eventually be employed as hospital gowns that are totally wearable without the need to tie anything up.

The design works exactly as it should for easy top and bottom changing and pockets in the garment are to a size that can comfortably carry goggles, car keys or whatever item which may have been placed in a bag.

I am asking for a Standard Patent to be awarded so that I can confidently begin to produce and market my product that is 100% Australian designed and manufactured.

Claims: Clover - the changing apron

I am seeking patent protection for:

I am seeking a patent to protect the design and function of the Clover, which is both how the garment is structured to enable easy changing anywhere, top and bottom discretion and the function of being water absorbent as a wearable towel.

Essential technical features:

The scoop neck, scoop length under the arms and criss cross back allows for discrete top changing. This is unique to any other towel product as it allows for access to change a top, by pulling a top garment, like a T-Shirt overhead and then under the shoulders to protect the chest area.

The back'leaves' allow for bras to be pulled around the body and fastened while protecting the front chest area.

Button-up shirts can also be changed into or out of by using the back leaves access while continuing to cover the front chest area.

The bottom area is long enough to change out of bottoms, perfectly covering the front and back. The leaves can also be pulled apart if more access is required to change easily.

The garment is manufactured from cotton fleecy toweling, which is both absorbent and maintains its structure as a wearable garment.

The changing apron provides two deep pockets, either side to enable easy transportation of items like goggles.

Single Sentence:

The clover enables easy top and bottom changing and drying anywhere you are.

Drawings - clover - the changing apron. 2020200372

NOTE: ​The adults version of the Clover’s pockets are at the sides rather than the front. The pockets are at the front for children so that guardians can quickly identify if any belongings are missing.

Real Prototype: