GB2591140A

GB2591140A - An educative garment

Info

Publication number: GB2591140A
Application number: GB2000773.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lauren Harper Adell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-01-20
Filing date: 2020-01-20
Publication date: 2021-07-21
Also published as: GB202000773D0

Abstract

An educative garment 99 comprises a plurality of displaceable portions 2 which are attachable to and removable from the body. The garment covers at least the front of the user’s torso, and the portions 2 represent life-sized human organs. The garment 99 may also have printed features thereon, such as a gastro-intestinal tract. The displaceable portions may represent the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, heart, lungs, spleen and/or kidneys. The user may be able to place the displaceable portions 2 in any position or orientation. The garment preferably also covers the limbs and/or head of the user. A flap 5 may be provided which can be displaced and reconnected at a different location. Regions of the garment may be illuminated by light emitting diodes (LEDs) or light emitting polymers (LEPs).

Description

AN EDUCATIVE GARMENT

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an educative garment, in particular a garment for teaching or learning about the human body.

Background

Increasing digitisation and distraction in many societies can be detrimental to teaching and learning objectives.

Despite having access to large amounts of information many younger people find it hard to contextualise or visualise this information or retain information with reference 15 to their needs.

Visual or physical teaching and learning aids can be very helpful, for example in teaching about the body.

Prior Art

CN 2015 76 390 (SHEN et al) relates to enterostomy teaching demonstration and nursing operation practice clothing. The clothing comprises cloth, a surface, a surface, a surface, a surface, and a surface, wherein the surface and the surface can be folded in a bidirectional way. Organ models such as esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and anal tube which are made of flannelette as well as the models such as transverse colon loop stoma, sigmoid colon stoma, ileum stoma and ileum loop stoma are stuck on the surface A; and the models such as transverse colon loop stoma outlet and the like as well as a stoma bag bottom plate, a stoma bag and a stoma bag clip are arranged on the surface B and the surface. The enterostomy teaching demonstration and nursing operation practice clothing has the advantages of facilitating teaching, being capable of being used for nursing practice repeatedly, helping patients cooperate with treatment and having simple structure, long service life and convenient cleaning, carrying and storing US 2006 0 079 855 (HOOPER) discloses an anatomical apron configured for illustrating an ostomy surgical procedure is provided. The apron includes a body portion having a neck loop attached thereto that is configured to loop around a person's neck so that the body portion covers a frontal area of the person's body. The apron 5 includes one or more pieces of material fashioned as human body organs fastened to the apron body. A first flap is attached to the apron body and configured to cover a portion of the one or more pieces of material fashioned as body organs, wherein the first flap may be fastened in a covered position. The apron also includes one or more slits positioned in the first flap configured such that one or more of the pieces of 10 material fashioned as human body organs may be routed through so as to illustrate a surgical procedure.

US 5 468 152 (LENART) discloses an article of clothing worn by a child for learning an educational concept having a plurality of members consistent with a theme of said 15 educational concept, said article of clothing comprising a garment to be worn by a child having a plurality of pockets, each of said pockets displaying at least one member of said educational concept and containing a removable object displaying at least one member of said educational concept, and each of said removable objects is secured to one of said pockets to prevent disassociation of said objects from said garment. 20 The present invention arose in order to overcome problems suffered by existing devices.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided an educative garment comprising a body with a plurality of displaceable portions which are attachable to and removable from the body, wherein the body is sized and arranged to cover at least a front of a wearer's torso and the displaceable portions represent life-sized human organs.

In some embodiments the garment comprises printed material at least in part. In this way the body for example may comprise printed pictorial or illustrative parts or information, which may relate to placement, location or orientation of the organs or displaceable portions and/or to other bodily functions or elements, such as connecting or connective parts or tracts.

In this way the garment of the present invention may be envisaged to aid in education, adding to tools for learning about food groups to teach children what is good and what is okay if it is eaten or drunk in moderation; and provide a tool for healthy living, in relation for example to the importance of time spent exercising, resting and sleeping and moderation of inactive or screen time spent.

For example the body may comprise printed features such as a gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, leading from a region of one displaceable portion, representing a first life-sized human organ to a second displaceable portion, representing a second life-sized human 10 organ.

Part of the body may comprise a basal section for connection of the portions so as to encourage correct and/or allow for speculative placement. This basal section may comprise one or more pockets or a panel of hook or loop material like Velcro (RTM). 15 Such section may comprise a displaceable section, for example a flap.

A displaceable section may in turn include a means of displaying more than one layer of anatomical information. For example a displaceable flap section may be envisaged to allow a user to remove the skin and/or musculature.

In this way the device of the present invention advantageously comprises a visually arresting and informative means of demonstrating where the organs of a human body are located.

In some embodiments the garment also covers limbs of the wearer.

In some embodiments the garment also covers the head of the wearer.

In some embodiments the garment comprises one or more sections of adjustment. 30 Such adjustment may enable parts of the garment to be rearranged and/or displaced.

For example in some embodiments the section of adjustment may comprise a section which may be displaced, which section may provide a basal section for plural displaceable portions representing plural organs In other embodiments the section of adjustment may comprise adjustment of physical dimensions of the garment, for example limb length.

In some embodiments the portions or sections are arranged to place and displace or 5 be displaced and reconnected at a different location using a connection mechanism and such connection mechanism may be envisaged to be temporary and easily operated, for example comprising hook and loop material like Velcro (RTM). In some embodiments the adjustment section is arranged to adjust and secure using a connection mechanism such as hook and loop like Velcro (RTM) connecting pieces. 10 In others the connection mechanism may comprise hooks and eyes. In other embodiments the connection mechanism may comprise zippers, press studs and/or ferromagnetism.

In some embodiments the garment may be arranged with a means of wearing. This wearing means may comprise a head hole for a pullover top, an elasticated waistband, and/or a front or rear adjustment section. Such adjustment section may comprise a long split or discontinuation and connection mechanism, for example a zipper, such that a user may pull the garment on and use the connection mechanism.

In such embodiments the wearing means may be hidden for a more realistic appearance. For example one or more of the displaceable portions or sections may be arranged to be placed onto or over the wearing means.

In some embodiments the displaceable portions may comprise three-dimensional portions. For example in some embodiments the portions may comprise padding and/or internal skeletons.

In some embodiments the displaceable portions may include displaceable parts, which 30 displaceable parts may be envisaged to change the character, dimension or appearance of the portion.

In some embodiments the displaceable portions comprise printed or illustrated material, for example so as to more closely resemble the organs. The garment or body 35 may have a texture comparable to human skin.

In some embodiments the displaceable portions, body or the garment comprises information or data, and/or access to information and data. For example in some embodiments the garment may comprise machine readable code, for example so as to be read by a portable electronic reader or independently provided personal computing equipment.

The garment or body may show cardiovascular, respiratory, abdominal, neurological, etc. systems and may be accompanied by a handbook and a pen for making annotations on the clothes.

The body may show the location of a muscle system such as including a split view overlaying muscles and underlying muscles, a skeletal system depicting bony landmarks and origin, insertion and function of attached muscles, a lymphatic system showing circulation paths, the location of organs.

The garment may comprise anatomical drawings, such that, when worn by a subject, the garment or body accurately depicts the location and position of anatomical features and landmarks which are relevant in medical examination.

Displaceable sections may be used for displaying information and may be envisaged to be connected to the body, for example comprising displaceable flaps or doors.

The garment may be made from stretchable material e.g. Lycra (RIM) for accurate and user definable placement of anatomical or other information; or flexible inelastic 25 material such as cotton twill for comfort and warmth. The drawings or printed information may be coloured using standard medical colour schemes.

The garment may also be envisaged as an over garment which is translucent or transparent and may be used over the garment or body and may have formed thereon 30 secondary features, such as muscles or bones or blood vessels so as to indicate relative positions with respect to the organs.

In some embodiments the garment may comprise regions that are capable of being illuminated, for example by way of a light emitting diode (LED) or a light emitting 35 polymer (LEP), and interconnected by way of a photo conductive material, such as polymer or fibre optic.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the Figures in which:

Brief Description of Figures

Figure 1 shows a detail isometric view of an embodiment of a garment according to the present invention with displaceable portions in place; Figure 2 shows an isometric view of the embodiment of the garment shown in Figure 1 with displaceable portions displaced; and Figure 3 shows isometric views of the displaceable portions for placement on the embodiment as shown in Figure 2.

Detailed Description of Fiqures

With reference to the figures there is shown an embodiment of the device according to the present invention comprising an educative garment 99 comprising a plurality of displaceable portions 2, wherein the garment comprises a body 39 arranged to cover at least the front of a user's torso and the displaceable portions 2 represent substantially life-sized human organs.

In particular reference to the pictured embodiment the embodiment comprises a body that comprises an all-in-one body suit, with a hood 38, legs 40 and arms 41, all having cuffs.

The body comprises printed features, such as a gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, leading from a region of one displaceable portion, representing a first life-sized human organ to a second displaceable portion, representing a second life-sized human organ.

The printed body may include a twisting tube that extends from a mouth position, which 35 twisting tube includes: a printed portion representing an oesophagus, small intestine, large intestine and an anus.

Locations may be indicated for displaceable portions that are representative of at least the following organs: liver, pancreas and gallbladder.

Locations may be demarcated by material onto which a user is able to place displaceable portions in any user selected position or orientation so that the displaceable portions are retained in a selected position and/or orientation.

The displaceable portions as shown in Figure 3 are a pair of lungs, a brain, a heart, 10 liver and two separate kidneys.

The body further comprises a displaceable section 5 comprising a centrally located flap section.

This flap section is rectangular and provided with a lowermost hinge 51, so as to allow the flap 5 to be folded down when a user wishes to change the appearance of the front of the body.

For example one face of the flap may be provided with a pictorial representation of a 20 skin and nerve and/or musculature layer, whilst a reverse face of the flap, and/or the surface 3 below the displaced flap provides a different layer of information, such as anatomical information such as bone structure.

In some embodiments the reverse face of the flap may be used for displaying 25 information related to, or altering information displayed on other body parts.

The embodiment is shown comprising two connection mechanism strips 1 for the displaceable section 5, which strips are the side edges of the flap section and are hook or loop material such as Velcro (RTM).

The reverse face of the flap 5 comprises two corresponding loop or hook strips 4.

The wearing means comprises a discontinuation in the material of the body. In particular this discontinuation 6 is provided with a hook and loop connection 35 mechanism such as perimetric strips of Velcro (RTM).

The discontinuation 6 is an inverted L shape along the side and above the flap section 5, so as to allow for the garment to be removed but avoiding compromise of the visual appearance of the body.

The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of invention as defined by the claims, in particular but not solely combination of features of described embodiments.

Claims

Claims 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.An educative garment comprising a body with a plurality of displaceable portions which are attachable to and removable from the body, wherein the body is sized and arranged to cover at least a front of a wearer's torso and the displaceable portions represent life-sized human organs.
A garment according to claim 1 wherein the body has printed features, such as a gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, leading from a region of one displaceable portion, representing a first life-sized human organ to a second displaceable portion, representing a second life-sized human organ.
A garment according to claim 2 wherein the printed features include portions of a twisting tube that extends from a mouth position.
A garment according to claim 3 wherein the printed twisting tube includes: a printed portion representing an oesophagus, small intestine, large intestine and an anus.
A garment according to any preceding claim wherein locations are indicated for displaceable portions that are representative of at least the following organs: liver, pancreas and gallbladder.
A garment according to claim 1 wherein locations are indicated for displaceable portions that are representative of at least the following organs: heart, lungs, spleen and kidneys.
A garment according to any preceding claim comprises a material onto which a user is able to place displaceable portions in any user selected position or orientation so that the displaceable portions are retained in a selected position.
A garment according to any preceding claim wherein the garment extends to covers limbs of a wearer.
A garment according to any preceding claim wherein the garment extends to cover the head of a wearer.
10. A garment according to any preceding claim wherein the body comprises at least one displaceable section or flap.
11. A garment according to claim 10 wherein the displaceable section or flap is arranged to be displaced and reconnected at a different location by way of a connection mechanism.
12. A garment according to claim 11 wherein the connection mechanism comprises hook and loop like Velcro (RTM) connecting pieces.
13. An over garment for use with the garment of any preceding claim which is at least translucent and has formed thereon secondary features, such as muscles or bones or blood vessels so as to indicate relative positions with respect to the organs.
14. A garment or an over garment according to any of claims 1 to 12 or an overgarment according to claim 13 includes regions that are capable of being illuminated, for example by way of a light emitting diode (LED) or a light emitting polymer (LEP), and interconnected by way of a photo conductive material, such as polymer or fibre optic.