Garments with front opening seams

Abstract

A one piece garment having a bottom portion with two leg openings connected to a openable torso portion with two arm openings and a neck opening with closable seams on the left and right front shoulder and arm sections of the garment with detachably fastenable closure means intermittently spaced on adjacent mating edges for dressing an infant, an invalid or oneself without effort or difficulty. The top portion's detachably fastenable closure means begins at the front of the neck opening and continues across the front of the shoulder section; or at the front of the neck opening down the sleeve to an unopenable sleeve cuff banding or all the way down the sleeve to the cuff banding, allowing for the complete opening of the sleeve. Alternatively, the bottom and top portions can be two separate garments. The top portion's detachably fastenable closure means also begins at the front of the neck opening and continues across the shoulder section; or at the front of the neck opening down the shirt sleeve to an unopenable sleeve cuff banding or all the way down the shirt sleeve to the cuff banding, allowing for complete opening of the sleeve. The bottom portion's detachably fastenable closure means begins at the torso opening and continues down the front or slightly offset on the front leg section to the unopenable pant leg cuff banding or down the pant leg section to the openable pant leg cuff banding, allowing for complete opening of the pant leg. The intermittently spaced detachably fastenable closure means can also be used as a means of adjusting the length of the arm or leg portions of the garment when they are to long or as a means to close the arm or leg portion open ends of the garment so the hands or feet do not extend out of the arm or leg openings. The intermittently spaced detachably fastenable closure means comprises buttons, snaps, zippers, hook and loop patches, zip lock fasteners, magnets, etc. secured to or sewn into or onto the garment's openable and closable seam joining edges.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to front opening garments for dressing an infant, an invalid, hospital patient or oneself without difficulty or effort. The garments do not require inserting each leg into each trouser leg or placing the garment over the wearer's head and inserting the arms into the sleeves.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Since the introduction of conventional garments, baby garments, invalid garments and hospital garments, the garment has been modified to conform to the needs of the wearer or for the closure and opening means, and not for the comfort or functionality of the garment. Placing an openable seam on the top of the shoulders, while the wearer is in a vertical position, will cause discomfort while wearing the garment. Placing an openable seam on the back of the garment, while the wearer is laying on their back, will cause discomfort while wearing the garment.[0003]In U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,268 entitled: “PATIENT'S GARMENT”, Freeman di...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0026]It is another object of the present invention to provide a garment which does not have to be slipped over the head of a baby, an invalid or an individual.

[0027]It is still another object of the present invention to provide a garment which does not require the manipulation of the arms or legs of a baby, an invalid or an individual, in order to place the arms and legs into the sleeves or trouser legs of the garment.

[0028]It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a means of adjusting the length of a sleeve, short leg or trouser leg by cuffing the sleeve, short leg or trouser leg and securing it into position by fastening one fastener on the cuff to one of many preferably evenly spaced going up the outside of the sleeve, short leg or trouser leg.

[0031]The present invention and many preferred embodiments of the present invention include a short sleeve, long sleeve or sleeveless full body leotard, a front opening short sleeve, long sleeve or sleeveless full body leotard, a short sleeve, long sleeve or sleeveless shirt or a front opening short sleeve, long sleeve or sleeveless robe, jacket or bullet proof vest. An opening and closure means is located on the front of the neck band, continuing across the collarbone shoulder section to the sleeve seam on both the left and right sides. In another embodiment, the opening and closure means continues from the sleeve seam down the sleeve to an unopenable binding cuff. In another embodiment, the opening and closure means continues from the sleeve seam down the sleeve to an openable binding cuff, allowing for the complete opening of the neck, shoulder, arm and binding cuff sections. Using the same embodiment on a long sleeve leotard, with the opening and closure means continuing from the sleeve seam down the sleeve to an unopenable or openable binding cuff, the lower sleeve section has a row of female opening and closure means located on the front outside of the sleeve. A male opening and closure means is located on the outside of the unopenable binding cuff or the openable binding cuff seam for closure engagement with the female opening and closure means located on the front outside of the sleeve when the sleeve is in a cuffed position, shortening the sleeve's length. When the garment's sleeves are manufactured longer than needed, the male opening and closure means located on the outside of the unopenable binding cuff or the openable binding cuff seam can also be fastened to a female opening and closure means located on the back side of the binding cuff seam, closing off the sleeve end opening. The descriptions provided for the present invention and preferred embodiments can also be used on short sleeve, long sleeve or sleeveless shirts or front opening short sleeve, long sleeve or sleeveless shirts. The opening and closure seams preferably open from the bottom side edge of the seam on a baby's garment, preventing the opening of a closure or seam by the baby, and preferably opens from the top side edge of the seam on an invalid's garment, making it easier for the invalid to dress themselves.

[0032]The present invention and many preferred embodiments of the present invention also includes a pair of trousers or pair of shorts. An opening and closure means is located on the front of the waistband, continuing down the trouser leg section to the ankle or knee binding cuff. The opening and closure means extends to an unopenable or openable binding cuff. The lower trouser leg section has a row of female opening and closure means located on the lower frontal outside section of the trouser leg. A male opening and closure means is located on the outside of the unopenable ankle binding cuff or the openable ankle binding cuff seam for closure engagement with the female opening and closure means located on the lower frontal outside section of the trouser leg when the trouser leg is in a cuffed position, shortening the trouser leg length. When the garment's trouser legs are manufactured longer than needed, the preferred male opening and closure means located on the preferable outside of the unopenable ankle binding cuff or the openable ankle binding cuff seam can also be fastened to a preferred female opening and closure means located on the preferable back side of the binding cuff seam, closing off the trouser leg end or sleeve end opening. The opening and closure seams preferably open from the outside edge of the seam on a baby's garment, preventing the opening of a closure or seam by the baby, and preferably opens from the inside edge of the seam on an invalid's garment, making it easier for the invalid to dress themselves.

[0033]Baby garments are not manufactured in measurement sizes, but in age category sizes. Baby garments come in 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months, 12-18 months, 2 years (2T), 3 years (3T), etc. Producing a garment which can be used for an extended period of time by adjusting the length of the trouser legs or sleeves is advantageous.

Problems solved by technology

Placing an openable seam on the top of the shoulders, while the wearer is in a vertical position, will cause discomfort while wearing the garment.

Placing an openable seam on the back of the garment, while the wearer is laying on their back, will cause discomfort while wearing the garment.

Both disclosures make it difficult to fasten the closure and opening means while a baby is laying on its back.

Many solutions to improve the existing prior art problems have been made, but many are not well suited for the different sizes required for dressing an infant and an invalid with garments.

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