GB2617238A

GB2617238A - A torso and arm covering garment for users of restricted mobility

Info

Publication number: GB2617238A
Application number: GB2301288.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brennan Treacey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-02-22
Filing date: 2023-01-30
Publication date: 2023-10-04
Also published as: GB202202346D0; GB202301288D0

Abstract

A garment comprises a torso covering comprising a front portion 1 and a rear portion 2, connected at side portions and a neck portion 11 comprising a polo neck (as might be called a turtle neck, or a roll neck) collar. Preferably the polo neck comprises two flaps forming an opening and further preferably the opening extends down the side of the neck and along the top of the shoulder 13. The opening may comprise fasteners in the form of press studs 14 or a zip or slide fastener. The garment may further comprise arm portions, and may comprise expansion portions (99, figure 3) at the side portions below the arms. The garment assists a person to dress themselves or be dressed if they have limited mobility, the polo neck allowing a typical appearance for the wearer that does not make the easier donning features visually apparent.

Description

A TORSO AND ARM COVERING GARMENT FOR USERS OF RESTRICTED MOBILITY

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a torso and arm covering garment for users of restricted mobility, such as a sweater, jumper, sweatshirt or top, and method for forming such. Background In many societies across the world there is an increasingly ageing population, as lifetimes extend across many cultures.

Unfortunately not all such people will remain mobile as they age, and many people with enhanced life chances compared to previous times may also suffer from limitations to mobility which are unavoidable.

In order for such people to make the most of their time it is often possible to improve technology and appliances and environments.

However dressing, donning or removing clothing, can remain problematic for many people of limited mobility, for example donning or removing a sweater, jumper or top, wherein the top needs either a wide neck to easily pass the head through (which can be overly revealing for many) or a button neck, which can often be too fiddly for fingers of reduced mobility.

Prior Art

2016 0 128 391 (MOORE) discloses a side opening garment, comprising: a shirt having an upper end, a lower end, and a pair of sleeves; an opening extending along a side of the shirt from a lower end thereof towards one of the pair of sleeves, and along a lower end of the sleeve; a first edge on a first side of the opening and a second edge on a second side of the opening, wherein the first edge comprises a fastener adapted to removably engage with a mating fastener disposed on the second edge so as to seal the opening on the shirt.

US 5 564 123 (GRASSICK) discloses a single piece upper garment provides for ease of donning and removal by a physically challenged person and/or assistant or caretaker. The garment is formed of one or more sheets or sections of material in which all openings (neck, arms, and torso or trunk) are separable along at least one seam thereof, so the garment may be laid out substantially flat. The garment may include pockets and other conventional features, and may also include decorative but non-functional components such as a simulated front buttoned closure. The result is an outer garment having a conventional appearance for public wear by physically challenged persons. In another embodiment, the garment may have a simpler construction without sleeves, providing for use as a gown, house coat, shift, or night shirt type of garment US 2 720 655 (SIMON et al) discloses a garment adapted to be made larger at its sides, armholes and sleeves, comprising a body having a rear panel with side edges, a pair of front panels each having a side edge adjacent a respective side edge of said edges of said rear panel and a sleeve at each side of said garment, a continuous stitched seam formed at each side edge of said body and a corresponding sleeve past the arm-hole thereof, said seam comprising adjacent longitudinal edges of one of said side panels and said rear panel and meeting longitudinal edges of said sleeve, a row of stitches permanently securing said side longitudinal edges of said body and said sleeve, and a second row of stitches being removable by a pull thereon from an end thereof, said second row of stitches constituting chain stitches and having an extension at one end thereof for facilitating pulling thereof, and a third row of stitches located intermediate said first and said second row of stitches.

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 a torso and arm covering garment for users of restricted mobility. In some embodiments the garment comprises a polo neck.

In this way the garment may provide a neck covering for modesty purposes and/or comfort, style and warmth.

In some embodiments the garment has an opening at the neck comprises two opposed flaps.

This opening may extend onto or into a polo neck if the garment is provided with such.

In some such embodiments such opening extends along one or more shoulders. This opening may thereby provide an easy means to extend or expand the head opening of the garment, easing donning and removal of the garment over the wearer's head.

In some embodiments the opening comprises press stud closure means.

Such style of closure means may enable a wearer of reduced mobility to easily open and close the opening closure means without any difficulty. Additionally or alternatively press studs may enable the flaps to cover the opening discreetly so that a casual observer is unaware of the garment's properties.

In other embodiments the closure means may comprise ferromagnetism in addition or the alternative.

In some embodiments the opening comprises zipper closure means, or hook and loop closure means for example Velcro (RTM) so as to provide a simple to operate opening and closing means In some embodiments the torso covering comprises a front portion and a rear portion, connected at side portions; and arm portions, the arm portions connected to the side portions at joints; each joint comprising an expansion sections formed in flexible material and adapted to extend away from the joint along the side portions and the arm portions, below the arm portions.

In some embodiments the expansion sections comprise elastomeric material, such that the expansion sections may be minimised when not expanded, and have minimal effect on the typical shape of the garment when the expansion sections are not in use to aid the donning or removal of the garment from its wearer.

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 2 shows a second detail isometric view of the embodiment shown with the collar closed according to the present invention; Figure 3 shows an isometric detail view of the embodiment shown with the collar opening.

Figure 1 isometric view of an embodiment of the device according to the prior application invention;

Detailed Description of Figures

Figure 1 the embodiment comprises a polo neck top garment 199, with long arm covering provided by standard sleeves. It may be envisaged that short sleeved embodiments may be possible.

The garment is provided in heavy cotton twill or wool.

The polo neck 100 of the garment is formed as a separate band encircling the neck. This band may be provided in a different material, for example leather or light cotton.

The garment 199 comprises a polo neck 100, Figure 2, provided with an opening 12 comprised by two opposed flaps 11, 31. In this way the opening may be substantially hidden, whereby the two flaps overlap each other when the opening 12 is closed and the garment is in use, so as to resemble a heavy seam rather than a closure means, thereby providing some privacy to the wearer.

Figure 3, The flaps are seamed to ensure there is no fraying, and provided with a closure means 14,15 on opposed faces, namely the lower face of the upper flap 11 and the upper face of the lower flap 31.

The flaps are bipartite, comprising neck flap parts and separate shoulder flap parts. The closure means is likewise bipartite, adapted to close these two faces together tightly and comprising female press studs 15 facing in a first direction on one part and male press studs 14 facing in an opposed direction on the other part, so as to aid in easy engagement and ensure the opening is closed tightly, reliably and with minimal gaps visible.

The opening 12 and the closure means 14,15 extend up the neck of the garment and along a shoulder of the garment Such closure means thereby enables a user to close or open the flaps such as to allow a wearer to easily remove the garment from their body, allowing the wearer to have a larger space around their neck In this way the wearer of reduced mobility will be enabled to remove the garment with lesser amounts of movement and distortion of their body.

The garment further includes two expansion sections 99 of material at the joints 3 between the arm portions 2 and side portions 22, which comprise seams between the front and rear portions, the sections extending in a triangular form laterally away from the joint along the seam or axis of the arm portion or sleeve, and continuing in a triangular form down the seam of the side portion or side edge between the rear and front portions.

The expansion portions are formed in cotton or similar breathable material.

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 protection as defined by the claims.

Claims

Claims Dependent Claims 1. A torso and arm covering garment for users of restricted mobility according to any preceding claim comprises a polo neck.
2. A torso and arm covering garment for users of restricted mobility according to any preceding claim wherein the garment has an opening at the neck comprises two opposed flaps.
3. A torso and arm covering garment for users of restricted mobility according to claim 2 wherein the opening extends along one or more shoulders.
4. A torso and arm covering garment for users of restricted mobility according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the opening comprises press stud closure means.
5. A torso and arm covering garment for users of restricted mobility according to any of claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein the opening comprises zipper closure means.Non Dependent Claim
6. A torso and arm covering garment for users of restricted mobility, comprising: torso covering comprises a front portion and a rear portion, connected at side portions; and arm portions, the arm portions connected to the side portions at joints; each joint comprising an expansion sections formed in flexible material and adapted to extend away from the joint along the side portions and the arm portions, below the arm portions.