Discreet Shoulder Recovery Apparel

Abstract

An adaptive therapeutic garment including but not limited to hooded sweatshirts, crewneck sweatshirts, t-shirts and tank tops and is designed for post-surgical and post-injury recovery. The discreet modification allows the user to maintain use of mainstream clothing, reduce medical stigmatization and accommodate limited range of motion or pain. The garment adaptation location affords the user to move the garment around the injury of the upper extremity. The garments include concealed medial underarm and lateral torso openings with an integrated closure system using snaps or magnets, allowing for one-handed utilization. Limitations may be due to pain or post-surgical healing limitations set by physician, idiopathic and congenital etiology.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0001] Discreetly Adapted Shoulder Recovery Apparel aide individuals recovering from shoulder injury and shoulder surgery often experience difficulty donning and removing conventional garments due to restricted mobility and discomfort. Existing adaptive clothing solutions frequently prioritize functionality but lack discretion, resulting in garments that visually differ from standard mainstream apparel. There is a need for adaptive garments that combine therapeutic textile properties, ease of use and a conventional aesthetic appearance.

[0002] The location of the adaptation differs greatly from what is currently available. There are modifications available to the consumer that have the adaptation exposed on top of the shoulder, continuing along the outside of the arm. These adaptations are made with hook and pile, snaps or zippers. When the modification is located on top of the garment, it can cause discomfort laying onto sensitive surgical incisions and the modification is readily visible to others, making the user feel they are in medical grade clothing. Hook and pile closures are difficult to align to properly secure and rarely wash up well without bucking. Many of the button options are difficult to open and close with one hand, making the user still dependent on another individual for dressing. A zipper closure requires two hands when closing, to prevent the garment from migrating superiorly when attempting to close the zipper. Healing Threads Discreetly Adapted Shoulder Recovery Apparel intent is to allow ease of donning but just as important, hide the adaptation.SUMMARY

[0003] The present invention provides adaptive therapeutic garments including but not limited to sweatshirts, t-shirts and tank tops designed for post-surgical, injury recovery and use during rehabilitation. The garments include discreetly concealed openings under the arm and along the torso, equipped with low-profile closure systems such as snaps and magnets. These features facilitate donning and doffing while maintaining the appearance of standard mainstream garments.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0004] FIG. 1: Front view of adapted hooded sweatshirt showing overall design with garment fastened.

[0005] FIG. 2: Lateral view of adapted hooded sweatshirt showing installation and location of hem and snaps.

[0006] FIG. 3: Front view of adapted hooded sweatshirt showing overall design with garment opened and disassembled.

[0007] FIG. 4: Front view of adapted crew neck sweatshirt showing overall design with garment fastened.

[0008] FIG. 5: Lateral view of adapted crew neck sweatshirt showing installation and location of hem and snaps.

[0009] FIG. 6: Front view of crew neck sweatshirt with garment opened and disassembled.

[0010] FIG. 7: Front view of T-shirt overall design with garment fastened.

[0011] FIG. 8: Lateral view of T-shirt showing overall design with garment opened and disassembled.

[0012] FIG. 9: Front view of T-shirt showing overall design with garment opened and disassembled.

[0013] FIG. 10: Front view with crew neck sweatshirt laying flat showing hem location with garment opened.

[0014] FIG. 11: Back view of crew neck sweatshirt laying flat showing hem location with garment opened.

[0015] FIG. 12: Front view of T-shirt opened showing hem location of posterior garment.

[0016] FIG. 13: Front view of tank top opened showing hem location of posterior of garment.

[0017] FIG. 14: Front view of tank top showing overall design with garment fastened.

[0018] FIG. 15: Lateral view of tank top showing overall design with garment opened.

[0019] FIG. 16: Front view of tank top with garment opened and disassembled.

[0020] FIG. 17: Lateral view of cast iron snap press used to install both plastic and magnetic snaps. Both plastic and magnetic snaps are shown disassembled in figure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

[0021] The crew neck and hooded sweatshirts follow the same fabrication protocol. The incision is purposefully created along the side of the torso 1 and continues along the seam under the axilla and into the seam of the arm 2. The incisions terminate six inches superior to the waist band 6 and six inches superior to the wrist cuff 4, in order to maintain the manufacturers original fit. All garment fabric is sewn at the termination of each incision to prevent the fabric from continuing to fraying, six inches above the waist 7 and six inches superior to the wrist cuff 8. The long-sleeved garment has a reinforced hem, ironed along the entire incision, both front 10 and back 11 of the garment.

[0022] Next, an awl 12 is used to puncture a hole through the fabric and hem reinforcement at both front seam and back seam 10 and 11, to prepare for installation of the snaps. Snap quantities vary slightly, depending on garment type and size. All long-sleeved sized youth and adult, up to and including size extra-large use the following snap design: three snaps on the torso 14 both anterior 10 and posterior 11 seam and four snaps on the arm 13 both anterior 10 and posterior 11 seams. Compared to long sleeved garments sized greater than extra-large, due to the additional length of the garment, the following quantities are used: four snaps on the torso 14 both front seam 10 and back seam 11 and five snaps both on the anterior seam 10 and posterior seam 11, of the arm 13.

[0023] The t-shirt incision begins at the beginning of the arm 5 and continues along the manufacturer seam into the torso 6, terminating six inches superior to the waist band of the shirt 7. The t-shirt adaptation differs, in that the arm is cut through the end of the sleeve 9. The iron on hem offers enough structure to the sleeve, no sewing is required at the sleeve 9. The t-shirt is sewn six inches from the waist of the shirt 7, where the torso incision terminates to prevent fraying of seam. A reinforced hem is adhered to the t-shirts from the incision, beginning six inches superior from the waist 7 all the way to and including the end of the arm 9.

[0024] Next, an awl 12 is used to puncture a hole through the fabric and hem reinforcement both in the anterior hem 10 and the posterior hem 11, to prepare for installation of the snaps. Snap quantities vary slightly, depending on garment and size. The quantity of snaps on t-shirts may vary and are as follows; youth and adult up to and including size extra-large; four snaps both anterior and four snaps posteriorly on torso 15 and three snaps under the arm 16, three snaps on both the anterior 10 and posterior 11 hems forming a pair. Adult sized t-shirts, greater than extra-large, may require five pairs of snaps on torso 15 with one set being on the anterior hem 10 and the other set located on the posterior hem 11. There will consistently reside three pairs of snaps under the arm 16. Again, three snaps on the Tank top incisions begin six inches superior to the waist 3 and terminate at the superior of the torso, in the axilla 28. The shoulder of the garment is not cut at all 29. After the incision is made the tank top is sewn six inches superior to the waist 7. There is no need to sew at the terminating incision at the axilla 28 since the reinforced hem secures the garment at this location. The tank top garment has a reinforced hem applied with the use of an ironed, along the entire incision of both front hem of tank top 10 and back hem of tank top 11.

[0025] Next, an awl 12 is used to puncture a hole through the fabric and hem reinforcement of both the anterior hem 10 and the posterior hem 11, to prepare for installation of the snaps. Snap quantities vary slightly, depending on garment and size. The quantity of snaps on tank top may vary and are as follows; youth and adult up to and including size extra-large require four sets of snaps on torso 17, one set on the anterior hem 10 and one set on the posterior hem 11. Adult sized t-shirts, greater than extra-large, may require five snaps evenly spaced along the torso 17.

[0026] The direction of installation of the snap cap is done with intent to allow the anterior fabric 20, to lay on top of the posterior fabric 21, creating a full circumferential wrap when secured on the individual. All snap caps 17 are installed through the fabric being pushed front to back, for both anterior hem 10 and posterior hem 11 fabric. The fabricator will install the snaps anterior to posterior, while viewing the anterior of the garment 20. Studs 18 are always secured to the underside of the anterior hem 10. While the cap 17 will be secured to the socket 19 on the underside of the posterior hem 11.

[0027] A cast iron snap press FIG. 17 is used to compress the snap cap 17 into the stud 18, through the anterior hem 10. The snap press FIG. 17 is used to then compress a snap cap 17 into the posterior socket 19, through the posterior hem 11. Magnetic snaps 23,24 and 25 are available as an option and are installed in the same manner with all snap caps 23 facing upwards, with the anterior of the garment 20 facing the fabricator. The magnetic stud 24 is secured using the same cast iron snap press FIG. 17, with the stud 24 being secured to the underside of the anterior hem 10. The magnetic socket 25 is secured to the underside of the posterior hem 11 of the garment, using the snap press FIG. 17. All plastic snaps are color matched to the fabric to improve concealing the modification.

[0028] For thicker fabric such as the crewneck sweatshirt and hooded sweatshirt, 20-gauge plastic snaps are used to accommodate the fabric thickness. While, 16 gauge snaps are used for thinner material such as the t-shirts and tank-tops. Once snaps are secured, the posterior fabric 21 is rotated inwards, towards the inside of the shirt and the anterior stud 18 is compressed in a posteriorly directed force, into the now exposed socket 19. Garment snaps are secured and the garment is ready to wear.

Claims

1. A recovery garment configured to provide discreet adaptation to mainstream clothing. The discreet location of the adaptation allows privacy to the user, location encourages the user to move the garment around the injury, sourced closure systems snaps and magnets allow one-handed use, location of adaptation allows medical access, while maintaining a non-medical appearance, comprising:(a) a main body portion sized and shaped to be worn on an upper body of a user;(b) a side opening extending along a lateral side of torso and medial wall of arm along the main body portion;(c) wherein the main body portion terminates approximately six inches superior to a waist region of the user and approximately six inches proximal to a cuff region of a wrist of the user maintaining the original manufacturer fit; and(d) a closure system, discreetly positioned along the underside of the arm and torso, mainly following the seam of the manufacturer fabric opening, maintaining mainstream clothing appearance.

2. The recovery garment of claim 1, wherein the closure system comprises a plurality of snaps.

3. The recovery garment of claim 1, wherein the closure system comprises one or more magnetic closures.

4. The recovery garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is configured to visually resemble mainstream apparel with its discreet adaptation along medial arm and lateral torso, maintaining wrist and waist band originality, rather than medical grade clothing.

5. The recovery garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is configured to reduce or eliminate a medical stigma associated with post-operative recovery apparel.

6. The recovery garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is selected from the group consisting of but not limited to a hoodie, a crewneck garment, a sweatshirt, a t-shirt, and a tank top.

7. The recovery garment of claim 1, wherein the side opening permits access to a medical treatment area without requiring removal of the garment.

8. The recovery garment of claim 1, wherein the garment is configured to be worn during a post-operative or post-injury healing period.

9. The recovery garment of claim 1, wherein the main body portion is formed from a flexible fabric to enhance comfort during recovery.

10. The recovery garment of claim 1, wherein the side opening is substantially concealed under arm11. The recovery garment of claim 1, wherein maintaining full circumferential closing of fabric, directly related to the configuration of the male and female closure orientation of snaps or magnets, when in the closure system orientates the snaps or magnets with the caps of the snaps or magnets in the same direction during fabrication in relation to the fabricator. Therein, posterior fabric is internally closed under anterior fabric allowing for full circumferential closure of garment.

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