GB2214403A

GB2214403A - Articles of clothing

Info

Publication number: GB2214403A
Application number: GB8801293A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Helen Florence Clarke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-01-21
Filing date: 1988-01-21
Publication date: 1989-09-06
Also published as: GB8801293D0

Abstract

Articles of clothing (particularly for children), covering at least the upper or lower part of the body trunk and optionally one or more limbs are provided along one or more seams with releasable fasteners such that the article of clothing may be unfastened along the said seam or seams to a substantially flat open position. The child (or person) to be dressed is simply placed down on the clothing and the clothing fastened around the child. In this way little or no collaboration is required from the child. Examples are also given of a jacket (Figs. 3a, 3b, not shown) where the sleeves open out along one seam, and a pants/vest combination (Figs. 1a, 1b not shown). The garments are particularly useful if the proposed wearer is handicapped. <IMAGE>

Description

ARTICLES OF CLOTHING This invention relates to articles of clothing, particularly clothing for handicapped children.

The dressing of handicapped children can be very distressing both for the handicapped child and for their parents. Moreover it is a procedure which has to be suffered by all concerned for many more years than with a normal child.

Conventional clothing requires a certain amount of cooperation and control on the part of the child being dressed if dressing is to be achieved without discomfort or frustration. Arms have to be inserted down sleeves, legs down clothing legs, and tops passed over the head.

There are many types of handicap where this cannot be achieved with any ease or comfort. If the child is unable to cooperate with dressing, control their limbs, or where dressing is painful to them, the whole procedure of dressing, and indeed undressing, becomes distressing to all concerned. Moreover clothing which has been put on a child in such conditions may not be comfortable.

Clothing is available for babies which opens partially to aid dressing; for example stretch baby suits are sold under the Trade Mark BABYGRO. However handicapped children need help with dressing well past the baby stage.

The present invention provides articles of clothing, particularly for children, covering at least the upper or lower part of the body trunk and optionally one or more limbs, which articles of clothing are provided along one or more seams with releasable fasteners such that the article of clothing may be unfastened along the said seams to a substantially flat open position and the person to be dressed may be placed on the open clothing and the article of clothing fastened around the body trunk and along the one or more limbs to dress the person.

The articles of clothing according to the present invention are applied to the child (or person) being dressed by simply placing the child down on the clothing and fastening it around the child. In this way, little or no collaboration is required from the child. Trouser legs may be applied around the legs, sleeves around the arms, and body portions of the clothing secured up the side of the child. In this way, even the most severely handicapped child can be dressed without the normal great difficulty. Of course, this type of clothing can be removed very easily which is also important.

It is essential that clothing for handicapped children is attractive. Their physical deformities make it difficult for many people to approach them. It is my experience that attractive clothing helps to reduce this barrier. The clothing of the present invention can look like normal clothes and be made in bright and attractive colours. They have the added advantage of being easy to get on and off.

The clothing according to the present invention is principally designed for the handicapped, where the problem of difficulty in dressing continues evenwith older children. However the clothing according to the present invention may also be useful for use on ordinary young children who require assistance in dressing.

The fastening method used is important to the success of the clothing according to the present invention. The particular releasable fasteners will depend upon the type of clothing but will include zip fasteners, press-stud fasteners and friction fasteners such as sold under the Trade Mark VELCRO.

The clothing according to the present invention may be underclothing or, more generally, outerclothing.

Examples of underwear according to the present invention include a combination vest and pants provided with releasable fasteners over the shoulders, down one side and between the legs. This combination may be applied to the child by placing the child down on the article and then wrapping the article around the child and fastening at the shoulders, down the side and between the legs. For this kind of application, press-stud fasteners are particularly suitable.

Outer clothing can include tops, trousers and jackets. Trousers according to the present invention can be fastened along both outside seams by means of a long fastener, e.g. zip fastener, the inside leg seams being secured by stitching in the conventional manner. The child to be dressed may then just simply be placed on the unfastened trousers and each trouser leg fastened around the child's leg. Jackets according to the present invention may be releasably fastened up the front (as is conventional) also along the top of both sleeves. In both cases either zip fasteners or friction fasteners are suitable. The child to be dressed is then placed inside the jacket, and the sleeves fastened around the child's arm. The jacket may then be fastened up the front.

The invention is further illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure la shows the inside view a vest/pants combination in unfastened position according to the present invention; Figure ib shows the outside view of the vest/pants combination of Figure la; Figure 2a is the rear view of a pair of trousers with bib front and back according to the present invention and in fastened up position; Figure 2b shows the trousers according to Figure 2a in open position; Figure 3a illustrates a jacket according to the present invention; and Figure 3b illustrates the jacket of Figure 3a in open position.

Referring to Figures la and lb, there is shown, in suitable material, a vest/pants combination comprising two panels 1 and 2 joined by a side seam 3. Each panel 1 and 2 is shaped to provide shoulder strap portions 4 and 5 and 6 and 7. At the top of shoulder strap portions 4 and 5 are provided half press-stud fasteners 8 and 9 and at the top of shoulder strap portions 6 and 7 are provided cooperating press-stud fasteners 10 and 11.

Similarly down the outer edge of panel 1 is provided a series of press-studs and fasteners 12 and at the bottom of the series 13 of press-stud fasteners which cooperate with series 14 and 15 on panel 2.

This vest/pants combination may be applied to the child by placing the child on one of panels 1 and 2, wrapping the other panel around the child and securing the vest at the shoulders by means of fasteners 8, 9, 10 and 11, under the arms and along the side by means of fasteners 12 and 14 and, between the legs by means of fasteners 13 and 15. This way the vest/pants combination is applied to the child with much less distress than would be necessary to put on a conventional set of vest and pants.

Referring now to Figures 2a and 2b, there is shown a pair of trousers with bib front and back. The trousers comprise rear leg portions 20 and 21 and upper rear bib portion 23 to which there is attached, by means of fasteners, straps 24 and 25.

Similarly the trousers also comprise front trouser sections 27 and 28 with a front upper bib portion 29.

The foot holes are shown at 31 and 32.

The rear bib 33 is provided with two side sets of press-stud fasteners 33 and 34 which cooperate with corresponding sets 36 and 37 on front bib portion 29. In addition, the bib portion 29 is provided with press stud fasteners 24a and 25a for attachment of the straps 24 and 25 from bib portion 23.

Along the entire length of the outside leg seam of the trouser portions, are provided fasteners, e.g. zip, press-stud or friction fasteners. A first fastener 40 comprises one half 40a on leg panel 20 and corresponding part 40b along the length of the side of leg panel 28.

Similarly a fastener 41 comprises part 41a along the edge of leg panel 21 and part 41b of leg panel 27. The inside leg seams of the trousers are stitched in conventioanl manner.

For dressing, the trouser and bib combination is unfastened by undoing of the two zips 40 and 41 and undoing of the two sets of press-stud fasteners 33/36 and 34/37 and detaching of the straps 24 and 25 from bib 29.

This way, the article may be arranged substantially flat as shown in Figure 2b. The child to be dressed placed on the clothing and the clothing wrapped and fastened around the child.

The order in which the clothing is fastened around the child is not critical. The convenient method will vary. For example bib 29 may be brought up to the front of the child and fastened along the sides by means of fasteners 33/36 and 34/37 to bib 23 and the shoulder straps 24 and 25 secured. Then by fastening with the zip fasteners of the outside seam, the child is safety dressed with minimum fuss.

Figures 3a and 3b show a jacket 50 with detachable hood 51. The hood may be secured to the collar of the jacket by means of press-stud fasteners 52 as shown.

Alternatively the jacket may be worn without the hood.

The jacket 50 comprises a back panel 53 joined by stitched side seams 54 and 55 to front panels 56 and 57.

The front panels 57 and 58 are themselves provided with a central e.g. zip or friction fastening 58, along their joining edge. The neck portion is provided with an additional neck fastening 59.

The jacket also comprises sleeves 60 and 61, each sleeve comprising a front panel 60a, 61a and a back panel 60b, 61b. Panels 60a and 60b and panels 61a and 61b are secured by a underarm seam 60c and 61c.

At the upper edge of panel 60b and the adjacent shoulder portion of body panel 53 is a part zip or friction fastening 62. Similarly along the upper part of panel 60a and the adjacent shoulder portion of panel 63 is the corresponding half fastener 63. At the other sleeve, part fastener 64 extends along the upper edge of sleeve panel 61b and adjacent shoulder portion of panel 53 and fastener part 65 extends along the upper edge of panel 61a and adjacent shoulder portion of panel 57.

The jacket according to Figures 3a and 3b may readily be applied to the child. The child is placed on body portion 53, the front panels 56 and 57 are brought round the front of the child and the sleeves then applied around the arms and fasteners 62/63 and 64/65 secured to secure the arm and shoulder portions of the jacket.

Claims

1. An article of clothing, particularly for a child, covering at least the upper or lower part of the body trunk and optionally one or more limbs, which article of clothing is provided along one or more seams with releasable fasteners such that the article of clothing may be unfastened along the said seam or seams to a substantially flat open position and the person to be dressed may be placed on the open clothing and the article of clothing fastened around the body trunk and along the one or more limbs to dress the person.

2. An article of clothing according to claim 1 wherein the releasable fasteners are zip fasteners, press-stud fasteners or friction fasteners.

3. A pair of trousers according to claim 1 in which pair of trousers bothoutside seams are fastened by means of a zip fastener, the inside leg seams being secured by stitching in the conventional manner.

4. A jacket according to claim 1 which jacket is releasably fastened up the front (as is conventional) and also along the top of both sleeves.

5. An article of underclothing according to claim 1 or 2 which comprises a combination vest and pants provided with releasable fasteners over the shoulders, down one side and between the legs.

6. An article of underclothing substantially as illustrated in and described with reference to Figures la and ib of the accompanying drawings.

7. A pair of trousers substantially as illustrated in and described with reference to Figures 2a and 2b of the accompanying drawings.

8. A jacket substantially as illustrated in and described with reference to Figures 3a and 3b of the accompanying drawings.