AU616595B2

AU616595B2 - Improved garment for nursing mothers

Info

Publication number: AU616595B2
Application number: AU50508/90A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Heather Ellen Hill
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-02-27
Filing date: 1990-02-27
Publication date: 1991-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 2010-02-27
Also published as: AU5050890A

Description

1 FORM COMMONWEALTH OF AUS7'RALIWZ Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Original) Application Number: Lodged: Class Pi 2969 27th February, 1989.

Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: *Related Art: of Applicant: 00 Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: HEATHER ELLEN HILL Lot 47, Haggerty Street, MURADUP,6394, WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

HEATHER ELLEN HILL WATERMARK PATENT A~TTORNEYS SUITE 1t3, 159 ADCLAIDE TERRACE, EAST PERTH, 6004, WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Address for Service: Complete Specification for the invention entitled: IMPROVED GARMENT FOR NURSING MOTHERS The followinc, statement is a full description of this invention, V. including the 1,3st method of performing it known to me.

-2- IMPROVED GARMENT FOR NURSING MOTHERS This invention relates to a garment to be worn by nursing mothers to provide appropriate access for a baby to the mother's breast for feeding whilst maintaining a substantial degree of coverage for the breasts whilst feeding and complete coverage at other times.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a garment for nursing mothers which does not require the conventional button or zipper closed opening in the front of the garment, thereby providing a more pleasing and stylish appearance to the garment, whilst also providing effective access for breast feeding.

With this object in, view, there is provided according to the present invention, a garment for nursing mothers that in use is supported from the shoulders of the G0 wearer, and extends at least to substantially the wearer's I waist, the garment having a neck opening and an opening in 1 the front portion of the garment extending from the neck S. 2 opening to a level that is below the breast nipples of the So 20 wearer when the garment is use, a fabric panel underlying the front portion of the garment and closing the front opening at least from the lower end thereof to a level above G the breast nipples of the wearer when the garment is in use, said panel being secured to the garment so as tu permit S. 25 relative movement between8 the panel and the respective opposite edges of the front opening to provide individual 'access to the respective breast nipples of the wearer when the garment is in use.

Conveniently, the panel is attached to the garment S 30 at upper and lower spaced locations so as to leave a substantially all of the opposite edges of the panel between said -ations free for displacement relative to the edge of the front opening. The panel may be attached to the garment in the vicinity of each shoulder of the garment.

Preferably a strip of the garment along each of the opposite edges of the front opening is shirred or gathered -3using resilient thread to provide the resilient tensioning Sthereof and the resultant stretchability. the shirring or gathering may extend the full length or only part of the length of the front opening. Such stretch characteristics assist in the respective edges of the front opening lying flat without gaping under normal wearing conditions. This contributes substantially to the garment maintaining a stylish and fashionable appearance.

Conveniently, the front opening in the garment is of a generally V-shape, however this may be modified, particularly at the lower end of the opening to suit individual wearer requirements o garment styles. However, the opening must extend down the garment, from the neck opening, a distance sufficient to provide access to the 15 breast nipples of the wearer by a generally sideways displacement of the edge of the front opening and the adjacent edge of the panel,.

'The panel may be shaped at the upper end to provide an appropriate neckline, however, the shape of the neckline *20 is not critical to the functional aspect of the garment and may be in accordance with the wearer's wishes or garment style. Further, the panel may be detachably secured to the I garment such as by Velcro strips or press studs, so that o different panels may be used with the same garment, or the 25 same panel used with different garments.

The present invention may be applied to a wide range of garments, including dresses and nightwear of all kinds, tops of all kinds, T-shirts, blouses and knitted tops.

30 The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of one practical arrangement of the garment as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a front view of a waist length garment incorporating the present invention; Figure 2 is a view of the insert as incorporated in the garment shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of the garment shown in Figure 1 -4in use, with the panel and front portion of the garment displaced to provide access to the wearer's breast nipple.

Referring now to the drawings, the garment illustrated is a blouse or top having sleeve openings 10, a neck opening 11, and respective shoulders 12. The garment is of a length to extend somewhat below the waist of the wearer when in use. The front opening 13 extends down the front of the garment from the neck opening 11 to a point somewhat below the level of the breasts of the wearer. The front opening 13 has marginal edge portions 14 defining the opposite edges of the front opening.

The marginal edge portions 14 are shirred or gathered along the full length thereof, but if desired the extent of shirring or gathering may be of a shorter length extending along only part of the marginal edge portion. If the shirring or gathering is not the full length, it preferably extends down from the upper end of the front opening. The gathering or shirring provides a resilience in that part of the marginal edge of the front opening and is 20 stretched when the garment is in normal use to provide a tension along the edges of the front opening. This prevents or limits gaping of the front opening in normal use of the garment, that is when an infant is not being breast fed, and add to the style and fashion characteristics of the garmen.

25 Other forms of tieatment may be applied to the marginal edge portions of the front opening to provide the tensioned and stretch qualities required. If the garment is of a knitted fabric, the marginal edge portions may be of a rib knit to provide these qualities. Also the marginal edge 30 portions may be made of a stretch material, such as Lycra, which may &Iso be used in other areas of the garment.

As yet a further alternative to povide the tension and stretchability to the edge portions 14 of the opening 13, an elasticised panel or section of streKch fabric may be provided at the lower portion of the opening 13. The panel or fabric 22 in Figure 1 is attached as by sewing to the 9 i "1"11 Of ot0 0 00 00 0 0 0 0

SO

000 0 repective edges of the opening in a stretched or tensioned state.

The panel 15 as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings is of a length to generally extend from the shoulders 11 of the garment to the lower end thereof, and is secured into the shoulders 12 of the garment along the two upper edges 16 of the panel. The lower edge 17 of the panel is secured to the lower edge 21 of the garment. The opposite edges 18 of the panel 15 are unattached to the garment and the width of the panel is such that the edges 18 underline the front of the garment and are spaced outwardly from the edges 14 of the opening 13. The disposition of the panel 15 in the garment of Figure 1 is shown in dotted outline.

The panel 15 as shown in Figure 2 has a part circle 15 neckline 19 and the garment has a V-shaped opening 13, however, this neckline and opening may be of any selected shape appropriate to the garment and to the wish of the wearer and/or the style of the garment.

Although the panel 15 is described above as secured to the garment at the shoulders and lower edge of the garment, as by stitching the panel may be removably attached to the garment as by press-studs, buttons, slide fasteners or Velcro pieces. Thus different pan1ls may be used with the same garment and/or the same panel with different 25 garments.

As can be seen from the drawings, when the panel is in assembly with the garment, the respective edges 18 of the panel are overlaid by a significant extent by the edges 14 of the V-shaped opening in the front of the garment, and 30 thereby the breasts of the wearer of the garment are effectively concealed. Upon the need to breast feed a baby, the wearer can displace the edge portions 14 and 18 of the front opening 13 and panel 15, as seen in Figure 3, with the assistance of the stretching of the edge portion of the front opening, to provide an opening 20 through which a baby may obtain access to th. breast nipple of the wearer of the garment, d;b~ 0000 0 0000 0000 00 @0 0 00 0 00 00 @0

S.

00 S 0 0 00

Claims

1. A garment for nursing mothers that in use is supported from the shoulders of the wearer, and extends at least to s-abstantially the wearer's waist, the garment havfing a neck opening and an opening in the front portion of the garment extending from the neck opening to a level that is below the breast nipples of the wearer when the garment is in use, said garment having respective marginal edge portions defining opposite edges of said front opening, each said e dge portions of the garment bel-ng resiliently tensioned, a fabric panel underlying the front portion of the~ garment and closing the front opening at least from the [I lower end thereof to a level, above the breast nipples of the weLarer when the garment is in use, s, panel being attached at least at the upper portion to the garment outwardly of the opposite edges of the front opening, the opposite edges a of the panel being unattached to the garment along the major 21 a. portion of the length thereof and spaced outwardly beneath the garm~ent from said marginal 'adge portions defining the opposite edgtes of the front cj-pening, whereby stretching of a respective marginal edge portion of the front opening permits relative displacement between the edges of the front opening and panel, to provide individual access to the respective breast nipples df the wearer when the garment is in use.

2. A garment for nursing mothers as claime~d in claim 1 wherein the fabric panel is detachably- secured to the K garment.

3. A garment for nursing mothers as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the panel is secured to the garment in the vicinity of each shoulder of the ga~rment. -7-

4. A garment for nursing mothers as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the panel is secured to the garment at a location that will be positioned in the vicinity of the waist of the wearer of the garment when in use. A garment for nursing mothers as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the marginal edge portions of the front opening are shirred or gathered with resilient threade along at least part of the lenghth thereof to provide the resilient stretchability. DATED this 27th day of February, 1990. HEATHER ELLEN HILL a 0 WATERMARK PATENT ATTORNEYS *SUITE 18, 159 ADELAIDE TERRACE, EAST PERTH, W.A. 6004. S' i e i Disk 0069/1.2