Modular garment with flexible magnetic coupling and safety encapsulation

Abstract

A garment for the upper body, in particular a bodysuit or shirt for infants and toddlers, comprising a torso section (1) and detachably attachable sleeve sections (2), characterized in that the connection between the torso section (1) and the respective sleeve section (2) is made via a magnetic coupling device (3, 4) which is designed such that: a) the end faces of the joining areas of the torso and sleeves, when joined, essentially butt against each other (butt-together principle) (11), without a functional overlap of the fabric panels being absolutely necessary for closure, b) the magnetic coupling device (3,4) comprises a plurality of magnetic elements (10) encapsulated in a flexible, annular carrier tube (9) made of elastomeric material, dimensioned such that a substantially flat surface without any interfering protrusion is formed, and c) the carrier tube (9) is attached to the garment by means of a flexible seam connection (12) (e.g. flexible stitch or elastic yarn) so that the diameter of the connection opening remains elastically stretchable to facilitate putting on and taking off.

Description

[0001] Technical field The invention relates to a garment, in particular for infants and toddlers, with modularly detachable sleeves.

[0002] State of the art: Garments with detachable sleeves, fastened with zippers, snaps, or conventional magnetic closures, are well-known. Zipper solutions are often rigid and can compromise comfort for young children. Mechanical fasteners like snaps also require direct, precise access and usually the use of both hands to release them. This makes flexible handling impossible once the child is wearing outerwear (e.g., a sweater, a jacket), as the sleeves cannot be removed "blindly" or simply by pulling. Common magnetic solutions are often based on the shear principle, where layers of fabric overlap. This leads to material thickening. Furthermore, other solutions use rigid magnetic rings that are not elastic and hinder the dressing process.

[0003] Problem statement The invention is based on the objective of providing a garment whose sleeve connection (1) is so flat that point pressure loads are minimized, (2) allows easy removal of the sleeves even under outerwear by simply pulling, and (3) is flexible enough in diameter so as not to hinder dressing, while simultaneously maximizing safety against the removal of small parts.

[0004] Solution: The problem is solved by the features of claim 1. The invention uses a magnetic butt joint instead of an overlap. The necessary flexibility is ensured by arranging the magnetic elements in a flexible silicone tube, which is enclosed by two further, cascade-like, overlapping flexible fabric layers (e.g., zigzag stitch). A key safety feature is the internal cotter pin connection of the tube ends by an internal magnet. Protection against the magnets being removed (risk of swallowing) is ensured by a cascade-like encapsulation that forms a redundant 5-level safety system. 1. The encapsulation of the magnets in the resistant silicone tube, 2. the material-bonded safety bonding of the hose ends (with internal magnetic cotter pin), 3. sewing this ring into a first textile covering (e.g. bias tape), 4. the insertion of this package into a second textile binding, which is sewn horizontally and vertically, and 5. the final fastening seam, which fixes the entire module to the sleeve.

[0005] Accessibility and Pressure Point Prevention: A particular advantage of the invention lies in its low-barrier design. The combination of the butt joint (no material doubling) with the specific dimensions of the components results in a total connection height of only approximately 3.3 mm. Since the carrier tube is made of soft silicone and enclosed in textile, the entire connection point acts as a cushioning element. When the infant is held in the arms, the tube yields elastically. Hard, localized pressure points, such as those that can occur with metal snap fasteners or rigid zippers, are avoided. This significantly increases sleeping and carrying comfort and prevents skin irritation. Example of implementation

[0006] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to drawings. Fig. Figure 1 shows an overall view of the garment, designed as a bodysuit. The torso section (1) has a short sleeve attachment to which a torso-side magnetic coupling device (3) is attached. The drawn section AA indicates the fixed sleeve connection (axial) on the torso. The detachable sleeve module (2) has a corresponding sleeve-side magnetic coupling device (4), with section BB defining the detachable sleeve connection of the module. Due to the diametrical magnetization ( Fig. 5) Upon approach, a self-centering rotation occurs. In the lower area, the torso section (1) has a crotch closure (5) with snap fasteners and a length adjustment mechanism (6) to allow for growth. Fig. Figure 2 shows the schematic cross-section through the connection point (sections AA and BB from Fig. 1) The end faces of the connection abut flush in a butt joint (11) (butt joint principle) without overlapping. The magnetic elements (10) are arranged inside the flexible carrier tube (9). This is embedded in a textile composite of inner fabric (8) and outer fabric (7) and fixed by means of a flexible seam connection (12) that allows for stretching of the material. Fig. Figure 3 illustrates the internal safety ring connection of the carrier hose (9) in section Y and detail Y. The open ends (9a, 9b) of the hose are connected by an internal coupling pin (13) (split pin) (detail Y), and an adhesive layer (14) provides a material-bonded fixation, resulting in a permanent ring structure (section Y). Fig. Figure 4 (Detail Z) illustrates the compact design of the magnetic coupling device (3, 4). The carrier tube (9) with the magnetic elements (10) is tightly enclosed by the textile layers (7, 8). The design is dimensioned such that the overall height (H) of the connection is less than 4.0 mm to avoid pressure points. Fig. Figure 5 schematically shows the alignment of the magnetic elements as diametrically magnetized cylinders that generate an attractive force perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. Reference symbol list 1 torso section (with short sleeve attachment) 2 Detachable sleeve module 3. Fuselage-side magnetic coupling device 4 Sleeve-side magnetic coupling device 5-step closure (snap fasteners) 6 means of length adjustment 7 Textile outer fabric 8 Textile lining 9 Flexible carrier hose (e.g. silicone) 9 a / b ends of the carrier hose 10 magnetic elements (diametrically magnetized) 11 butt joint 12 Flexible seam connection 13 Internal coupling pin (magnetic core / pin) 14. Adhesive layer H Total height Cut AA Fixed sleeve connection (axial) Cut BB Detachable sleeve connection (axial) Section Y Internal safety ring connection with adhesive layer Detail Y: Detailed view of the hose ends without the adhesion layer Detail Z: Detailed view of the construction of the magnetic coupling device

Claims

[1] Clothing for the upper body, in particular a bodysuit or shirt for infants and young children, comprising a torso section (1) and sleeve sections (2) that can be detachably attached to it, characterized by , that the connection between the torso section (1) and the respective sleeve section (2) is made via a magnetic coupling device (3, 4) which is designed such that: a) the end faces of the joining areas of the torso and sleeves, when joined, essentially butt against each other (butt-together principle) (11), without a functional overlap of the fabric panels being absolutely necessary for closure, b) the magnetic coupling device (3,4) comprises a plurality of magnetic elements (10) encapsulated in a flexible, annular carrier tube (9) made of elastomeric material, dimensioned such that a substantially flat surface without any interfering protrusion is formed, and c) the carrier tube (9) is attached to the garment by means of a flexible seam connection (12) (e.g. flexible stitch or elastic yarn) so that the diameter of the connection opening remains elastically stretchable to facilitate putting on and taking off. [2] Garment according to claim 1, characterized by , that the magnetic elements (10) are designed as diametrically magnetized cylindrical bodies which are arranged serially within the annular carrier tube (9), wherein the magnetization is oriented such that when the sleeve section (2) approaches the body section (1) a magnetic restoring force is generated which forces an automatic coaxial alignment (self-centering) of the connecting rings into the defined impact position (11). [3] Clothing according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the ring-shaped carrier tube (9) is closed at its open ends (9a, 9b) by means of an internal pin connection, wherein a magnetic element acts as a connecting pin (13), which projects halfway into the first and second tube ends (9a, 9b) and is fixed there by means of an adhesive agent (14) in a materially bonded manner (pin locking) in order to form a tensile-resistant ring structure without magnetic interruption. [4] Garment according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the safety encapsulation of the magnetic elements (10) is designed as a multi-stage textile composite system, which is subsequently attached to the torso or sleeve section (1, 2), the structure comprising the following layers: a) the carrier tube (9) which encloses the magnetic elements (10) and is bonded to form a closed ring by means of an adhesive (14) according to claim 3, b) a first textile covering (8) which completely encloses and is sewn around the carrier tube (9), c) a second textile binding (7) which receives the first textile covering (8) together with the carrier tube (9), wherein the second textile binding (7) is sewn both along the ring circumference (horizontally) and transversely to the longitudinal direction (vertically) (12) in order to prevent displacement of the inner layers, and d) a fastening seam (12) (e.g. flexible seam connection) with which this multi-layered construction is finally fixed to the torso or sleeve section (1, 2). [5] Clothing according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the torso section (1) in the crotch area has mechanical fastening means (5), in particular snap fasteners, and preferably means for length adjustment (6) (e.g. multi-row button plackets) to allow adjustment of the torso length across several clothing sizes. [6] Clothing according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the torso section (1) is designed with respect to the neck opening construction as a wrap bodysuit (side opening), as a garment with a round neckline or as a garment with a slip-on neckline (also referred to as envelope neck or American neckline). [7] Clothing according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the magnetic coupling device (3, 4) has a total vertical height (H) of less than 4.0 mm, preferably about 3.2 mm - 3.5 mm, and the carrier tube (9) is made of an elastomeric material (e.g. silicone) which has elastic deformability, so that the connection is compressible under the influence of body weight in order to form a haptically barrier-free and pressure-distributing contact surface (“soft-touch barrier”).

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