CA2141831A1 - Sleepwear - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to sleepwear or more particularly to a garment worn during sleep, which garment is adapted to encompass at least the lower portion of the body of the wearer including the legs and feet in skintight relation. On at least one leg portion of the sleepwear is provided a pad which can be integral with the sleepwear located on the sleepwear at such a position to cover such portions of the wearer's knee, shin, ankle and foot as would be susceptible to contact with the knee, shin, ankle and foot of the adjacent leg of the wearer during sleep. The overall effect is to cushion any such contact and increase the possibility of restful and undisturbed sleep.

Description

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The invention relates generally to sleepwear but more particularly to a garment incorporating a pad or pads, the purpose of which i8 to prevent contact of one leg against the other during sleep or rest.
Many studies of sleep patterns of various individuals have dealt with a variety of factors affecting a person having a conlfortable and restful sleep. It has been proven that a person' s quality of sleep rather than just quantity of sleep has much to do with how well rested they 10 are when they awaken and how effective they are after wakening, both physically and mentally.
One factor that disturbs sleep is the amount of movement (tos~ing and turning~ which takes place during sleep. The aforementioned studies have shown that the 15 average person changes positions during an average night ' 8 sleep up to forty times. Some movement is necessary to avoid cramping frorn remaining in one position but most movement is caused by discomfort re~ulting from body parts bearing on one another or cramping in what should be 20 comfortable sleeping positions ~fetal position, legs one on top of the other, or crossed).
When in the positions indicated, the knee bones, shinbones and ankles bear one upon the other as well as other parts of the leg causing discomfort within a short 25 period of time. This it has been ~ound results in 21 ~1~31 constant shifting of position to achieve the necessary comf ort .
Various methods and techniques have been proposed in an attempt to obviate this currently re-occurring problem, 5 including the use of pillows, blankets and other devices inserted between the legs. However, such methods are cumbersome, uncomfortable and their purpose is lo~t should such devices be dislodged during sleep.
Once such arrangement or device can be seen f rom t~F~n~ n Patent No. 1,31~,999 iggued January 26, 1993, to Robert Lonardo and entitled "Means for Preventing Skin Abrasions for Patients Having Legs Substantially Locked in ~Tuxtaposition". This prior art patent is ~olely directed to preventing skin abrasion for a medical condition known 15 as "Valgus", and utilizes a pad attached to a patient's leg by means of straps.
Such a device, if used by a healthy person, would be very uncomfortable, and certainlyr by virtue of its physical att*~h--nt to the leg, affect the wearer to such 20 an extent that a restful sleep would be virtually impossible .
It is therefore a principle object of the invention to provlde an article of clothing or sleepwear garment, which incorporates padding to provide comfortable 25 protection during sleep without the drawbacks of the prior art discussed above.
The invention therefore comprises an article of sleepwear, adapted to ~n~ at least the lower portion of the body of the wearer, including the legs and the feet 5 thereof, in skintight relation. At least one inside leg portion of the sleepwear includes integral pad means located 80 as to cover such portions of the wearer's knee, shin, ankle and foot as may be ~usceptible to contact with knee, shin, ankle or foot of the adjacent leg during 10 sleep. Thereby the padding cushions the effect of such contact and facilitates restful and undiQturbed sleep.
The invention will now be described by way of e~ample, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a partial inside leg view of a ~leeping garment incorporating the protective pad according to this invention;
Figure 2 is a full frontal leg view of the invention according to Pigure 1;
Figure 3 is a full inside leg view of the invention according to Pigure 1; and Figure 4 is a partial sectional view of a pad according to Figure 1.
Referring specifically to Figures 1 through 3, it 25 will be appreciated that the structure involved has for ~ 214183~
its purpose the protection of one leg from the other.
This is accomplished by providing as part of the sleepwear or sleeping garment generally indicated at 10, additional thickness in the form of padding 12, over areas of maximum 5 bearing which have the lea~t natural protection, ie: the knees, shins, ankles and feet.
As shown in Figures 1 through 3, this padding extends from above the wearer's knee to the foot, gradually increasing in thickness to a maximum thickness approximate 10 the area of the knee, then continuing with le~ser thicknes~ to cover the shin bone, then with increa~ing thicknes~ to cover the ankle bone and parts of the foot.
In the preferred embodiment, the padding panel would start approximately 6 inches above the knee covering the entire 15 knee plus the inside of the leg, encircling approximately 2/3 of the ~ eg at the area of the knee. The padding 12 then tapers to extend approximately half way around the inside leg, covering the shin bone, the padding at this location having les~er thickness. In the area of the ankle and in~tep, the padding thickness is once again 20 increased and the padding material encircles the foot in stirrup fashion. However, no padding is necessary or indeed desirable under the foot.
A8 can be seen in E`igure 2, this frontal leg view emphasize~ the thicker padding inside the leg next to the 25 knee and ankles. It di~closes the padding covering the ~ 21~18~1 entire knee, but not the outs~ide portion of the leg. The padding over the instep and inside ankIe i~ clearly seen.
The full inside leg view of Figure 3 emphasizes the padding covering the front portion of the leg and 5 additional ly ~3how~ the extent of the padding panel on the inside of the leg, extending beyond the in~ide seam of the garment and at the knee, and following the in~3ide seam to the ankle where in encircle~ the inside ankle bone.
In this disclosed embodiment, the padding panel 12 is 10 integral with the garrnent 10, and with reference to Figure 4, comprise3 an outer layer 13 of the ~3ame or similar n~aterial to that of the garment 10, which layer 13 forms a pocket within which i~ provided a padding material 14. The pocket or filled padding panel 12 i8 then attached, for 15 example, stitching 15 to the garment 10 in the appropriate area as ~pecif ied above .
While in the preferred ~rh~;r-nt, the padding panel i~ permanently attached as by stitching, it will be appreciated, that without departing f rom the spirit of the 20 invention, that the padding panel may be attached by other means, for example, by adhe~ive, or the use of "velcro"
would provide for the adjustment of location of the panel 12 in relation to the leg of the wearer of the garment.
A~ i!3 seen, the sleepwear garment can be in the form 25 of tights, or if preferred, as a full one piece body ~ 2~41~1 covering or suit. The latter may be to advantage since it would tend to maintain more positively the padded portion of the garment in its correct location relative to the body of the wearer.
However, in either case, the garment must be designed to fit snuggly in order to optimize the efficiency of the padding botll f rom a practical and comfort point of view.
The material for the garment can be of any type that is comfortable for sleep such aæ cotton, flannel, light stretch lycra, double knit or sleepwear satin.
The padding material 14 must be such that it does not lose its shape in use, the material could, for eTample, be polyester fibrefill, layered ~[uilting fibrefill, or indeed small poly beads contained between two layers of 15 material 13. The only criteria being that it must be washable, and if compressed, be able to return to its original shape and thickness.
The invention will now be e~emplified by the following claims.

Claims (5)

1. Sleepwear adapted to encompass at least the lower portion of the body of the wearer including the legs and feet thereof, in skintight relation; at least one inside leg portion of said sleepwear including integral panel means located so as to cover such portions of the wearer's knee, shin, ankle and foot as may be susceptible to contact with the knee, shin, ankle and foot of the adjacent leg during sleep, thereby cushioning the effect of such contact and facilitate restful and undisturbed sleep.

2. Sleepwear according to claim 1, wherein said panel means extend from approximately 6 inches above the knee of the wearer to the wearer's foot encircling at least 2/3 of the wearer's leg at the area of the knee .

3. Sleepwear according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the pad means varies throughout its length, the maximum thickness of the pad means occurring in the areas adjacent the knee, ankle and shin bone of the wearer.

4. Sleepwear according to claim 1, wherein the pad means comprises an outer material formed as a pocket, which pocket contains a padding material; said pad means being permanently attached by stitching to the material of the sleepwear.

5. Sleepwear according to claim 1, wherein said pad means is releasably attached 80 as to facilitate adjustment of the location of said pad means in relation to the legs and feet of the wearer.