GB2469503A

GB2469503A - Scratch mittens

Info

Publication number: GB2469503A
Application number: GB0906566A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jaipreet Johal; Sukhvinder Johal
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-04-17
Filing date: 2009-04-17
Publication date: 2010-10-20
Also published as: GB0906566D0

Abstract

A scratch mitten 10 for a baby comprises a body portion 12 including a back portion 16 adapted to overlie the back of a baby's hand, an end portion 18 adapted to pass around the tips of the baby's fingers, a palm portion 20 adapted to overlie the baby's palm, and a thumb portion 22 adapted to pass around the baby's thumb. An adjustable wristband 14 is adapted to pass around the baby's wrist, the adjustable wristband comprising a strap secured by hook and eye fastener. The end portion 18 is made from uninterrupted fabric with no seam to reduce irritation from scratching. The wrist band includes a slit (15) and defines an elliptical opening which maintains its shape.

Description

Title: Scratch Mittens for a Baby The present invention relates to a pair of scratch mittens for a baby.

Background to the invention

Scratch mittens are used to help prevent babies from scratching themselves, particularly on the face, by covering their nails. Babies usually have small sharp nails, which can be difficult to cut and which can scratch the face causing discomfort.

Some drawbacks in known scratch mittens have been identified. It can be difficult to get a scratch mitten onto a baby's hand, because the soft and collapsible fabric at the mouth of the mitten has to be held open whilst a hand is inserted in the mitten. This is even more difficult when the baby objects to wearing the mitten by wriggling and the spreading of his or her fingers. Once a mitten is placed on a baby's hand, the mitten is not secured in any way and is prone to either falling off or being pulled off and can become mislaid. Mittens are generally not sized, and the "one size fits all" design is too large for some children. Furthermore, the seams of known scratch mittens run along the distal ends of the mittens at the baby's fingertips. Hence, even when wearing the mittens, irritation can be caused by the seam of a mitten being rubbed against a baby's face.

It is an object of the invention to provide a scratch mitten which reduces or substantially obviates the above mentioned problems.

Statement of Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a scratch mitten for a baby comprising a body portion including a back portion adapted to overlie the back of a baby's hand, an end portion adapted to pass around the tips of the baby's fingers, a palm portion adapted to overlie the baby's palm, and a thumb portion adapted to pass around the baby's thumb, and an adjustable wristband adapted to pass around the baby's wrist, the end portion being made from uninterrupted fabric.

The uninterrupted fabric at the end portion of the mitten provides a smooth surface at the end of the mitten, which does not irritate a baby's face, when rubbed against it.

Preferably the wrist band defines a substantially elliptical opening which substantially maintains its shape, when the mitten is not in use, This facilitates the insertion of a baby's hand into the mitten, because the mitten, does not need to be held open at the mouth.

Preferably a slit is disposed through the wristband for enabling the wristband to be opened at the the mouth of the mitten more effectively.

Preferably the adjustable wristband includes a strap disposed around at least part of the wristband, which can be adjustably secured.

By securing the mitten with thestrap, the mitten is held firmly on the baby's hand Preferably a first end of the strap is rigidly secured to the wristband and the other end of the strap is adjustably secured to the wristband with hook and eye fastener.

Preferably the strap is elastic.

The body portion may be made from a single piece of fabric, with seams extending along either side of the mitten. Alternatively, the body portion may be made in two parts, the first part extending from the wristband and encircling the base of the hand and including the thumb portion, and a second part extending around the fingers and adjoining the first part.

The first and second parts may be made from different fabric. The fabrics may be different colours and/or textures in order to create an enhanced visual appearance and feel to the mitten Preferably a matching pair of right and left handed mittens are provided.

Description of the Drawings

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a righthand scratch mitten; Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of the scratch mitten of Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a schematic side view of the scratch mitten of Figure 1 from the other side.

Description of Preferred Embodiments

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a scratch mitten is indicated generally at 10. The scratch mitten includes a body portion 12 and a wristband 14. The body portion 12 includes a back portion 16 adapted to overlie the back of a baby's hand, an end portion 18 adapted to pass around the tips of the baby's fingers, a palm portion 20 adapted to overlie the baby's palm, and a thumb 22 portion adapted to pass around the baby's thumb.

In one embodiment, the body portion 12 is constructed in two parts 24, 26 from two pieces of fabric. The first part 24 extends from the wristband 14 and encircles the base of the hand and the second part 26 forms the end of the scratch mitten 10 and attaches to the first part 24.

The first part 24 extends around the wrist at the base of the hand and extends substantially diagonally across the palm and the back of the hand from the outer part of the hand, adjacent the wrist, to a position at the tip of the thumb. The first part 24 includes the thumb portion 22. A first seam 28 of the first part 24, shown in Figure 2. extends longitudinally of the mitten and runs along the outer part of the hand, between the wristband 14 and the second part 26. A second seam 30, shown in Figure 3. extends longitudinally of the mitten and runs along the side of the thumb portion 22. The seam does not extend along the entire length of the thumb region, but stops short of an area 32 at the tip of the thumb region 22, which is free from seams, Third and fourth seams 34, 36 connect the wristband to the first part 24 and the second part 26 to the first part 24 respectively.

The second part 26 adjoins the first part 24 and forms an enclosure for the baby's fingers The end portion 18 of the second part is formed without any seams, but first and second side seams 38, 40 extend partially along either side of the mitten. The first seam 38 extends longitudinally from the junction of the seam 28 with the seam 36, as shown in Figure 2. The second seam 40 extends longitudinally of the mitten from the seam 36, where the thumb region 22 joins the end of the thumb region 22.

The wristband 14 is provided with a strap 42, which extends around the majority of the wristband. One end 44 of strap 42 is stitched to the mitten and the other end 46 can be adjustably fastened to the top of the mitten with hook and eye fastener 48. In this way, the strap can be tightened around a baby's wrist and secured in order to prevent the mitten from dropping off or being removed.

The fabric of the mitten 10 tends to hold its shape, and in particular the opening at the mouth of the mitten has some resilience, which tends to hold the mouth open. This facilitates placing the mitten over a child's hand, which can be extremely difficult with existing mittens, the mouths of which tend to collapse inwards preventing access to the mitten. Also a V..

shaped slot or slit 15, see Figure 3, is disposed through the wristband 14, which further facilitates spreading of the mouth of the mitten 10 for placing it on a child's hand. The slit extends from the outer edge of the wristband and extends across the width of the wristband 14.

In the embodiment shown, the first and second parts 24,26 are made from different fabrics. In an alternative arrangement, the mitten may be manufactured from a single base fabric, and the first or second parts 24,26 or other regions, overlaid with further panels of fabric. The fabrics have different colours and textures, which provide interest for a baby, but which are also stylish and comfortable. The end portion iSis free from seams, as is the end of the thumb region 22, which tends to reduce irritation, when scratching. Furthermore, the fabric has resilience, which holds the mouth of the mitten open. The wristband of the mitten can also be tightened, thus preventing accidental loss of mittens and ensuring that a baby's finger nails are covered at all time, as desired. Left and right-handed mittens having identical features are provided in pairs in conventional manner, although it will be appreciated that the mitten shown in the drawings is a right-handed mitten and is intended to be paired with an identical left-handed mitten.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A scratch mitten for a baby comprising a body portion including a back portion adapted to overlie the back of a baby's hand, an end portion adapted to pass around the tips of the baby's fingers, a palm portion adapted to overlie the baby's palm, and a thumb portion adapted to pass around the baby's thumb, and an adjustable wristband adapted to pass around the baby's wrist, the end portion being made from uninterrupted fabric.
2. A scratch mitten for a baby as claimed in claim 1, in which the wrist band defines a substantially elliptical opening which substantially maintains its shape, when the mitten is not in use,
3. A scratch mitten for a baby as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which a slit is disposed through the wristband.
4. A scratch mitten for a baby as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the adjustable wristband includes a strap disposed around at least part of the wristband, which can be adjustably secured.
5. A scratch mitten for a baby as claimed in claim 4, in which a first end of the strap is rigidly secured to the wristband and the other end of the strap is adjustably secured to the wristband with hook and eye fastener.
6. A scratch mitten for a baby as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, in which the strap is elastic.
7. A scratch mitten for a baby as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the body portion is made from a single piece of fabric, with seams extending along either side of the mitten.
8. A scratch mitten for a baby as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the body portion is made in two parts, the first part extending from the wristband and encircling the base of the hand and including the thumb portion, and a second part extending around the fingers and adjoining the first part.
9. A scratch mitten for a baby as claimed in claim 8, in which the first and second parts are made from different fabric.
10. A pair of scratch mittens including left and right handed scratch mittens as claimed in any preceding claim.
11. A pair of scratch mittens substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.