Abstract:
A hospital garment comprising a substantially rectangular main panel and a smaller flap panel seamed to an end of a free edge of the main garment. In one position, the flap panel extends across the back of the patient and is connected by ribbons to the main panel so as to conceal the buttocks and back of the patient&#39;s leg and in another orientation of the flap panel, the flap panel does not conceal the buttocks and back of the patient&#39;s leg.

Description:
EARLIER FILED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation-in-Part of application Ser. No. 12/459,957 filed Jul. 11, 2009 now abandoned from which priority is claimed. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to hospital gowns and particularly to a gown that addresses the modesty requirements of the patient. 
     BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE 
     The typical hospital gown is essentially a sheet with sleeves that is stretched across the patients front (chest and abdomen) and is wrapped around the body. 
     A common source of stress for hospital patients is occasioned by the patient&#39;s desire to maintain modesty and decorum during walks through hospital corridors during his convalescent period. 
     There is the additional inconvenience of having to pass medicines or devices through openings in the gown such as stethoscopes, medicines and other appurtenances related to his hospitalization. 
     Typically, the patient is required to open the rear of the gown numerous times during the day and rejoin the ribbons each time. 
     Numerous disclosures have appeared which are intended to accommodate the needs that the patient encounters on a daily-hourly basis. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,773 discloses a hospital gown with a large frontal area covered by a flap that is intended to provide access to the chest area of the patient. This gown has the typical back construction where the edges of the sheet wrapped around the chest meet along the back (spinal column). 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,293,295 discloses a garment having a vest-like construction with a pair pockets on each side of the front of the vest. The pockets are designed for holding containers. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,418,741 discloses a garment including a jacket part and a pants part that is suitable for street wear. The jacket and pants each have pockets for storing containers of liquid according to the medical protocol. Openings in the pocket enable communication of the liquid container with the patient&#39;s body. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,424,750 discloses a gown made up of a single front panel and a single back panel. releaseably connected together along a shoulder seam by a row of releaseable connectors. The gown has a connection device that allows opposing sections of the rear panel to be connected together in a location in front of the person wearing the gown. None of these arrangements provide the convenient accessibility combined with protection of privacy to the rear of the patient as provided by the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a hospital gown that protects the modesty of a patient particularly when the patient is out of bed and walking in the hospital corridors. 
     It is another object that the patient or attendees to the patient have convenient access to private parts of the patient&#39;s body as required for treating the patient and permitting toilet activities. 
     This invention is directed toward a hospital gown of fabric comprising a “main panel” with two sleeves and a “flap” panel. The substantially rectangular “main” panel comprises a top edge parallel to a bottom edge and two parallel side (meeting) edges 
     The main panel extends from the neck toward the ankles and wraps around the patient so that the two “back” (side) edges of the main panel may meet along the spine of the patient 
     The top edge of the main panel has a “v neck” cutout. The ends of the “v cutout” are joined together to enclose the patient&#39;s neck 
     The top edge on each side of the “v-neck” cutout is seamed to an edge of one sleeve Each sleeve also comprises two opposite edges joined by snap fasteners to secure each sleeve around a respective arm. 
     The four edges of the flap panel comprise: 
     a “seam” edge seamed to an entire length of one “back” edge of the main panel; 
     a “bottom” edge that is continuous with the bottom edge of the main panel; 
     a “free edge” opposite and parallel to the “seam” edge but only half as long as the “seam” edge; 
     a “top edge” meeting the top end of the “seam” edge at an obtuse angle and meeting the top end of the “seam edge” at an acute angle. 
     One end of a “joining” ribbon is secured to a corner of the “flap panel 
     A “first body” ribbon and a “second body” ribbon each attached to the front of the main panel, spaced from one another, 
     When complete exposure of the patient&#39;s back and back of legs is required, the “flap” panel is folded back away from along the seam line and secured by the “joining” ribbon continuing around to the patient&#39;s front where it is tied to the nearest ribbon attached to the main panel near the patient&#39;s breast. The meeting edges of the main panel are thereby separated from one another so that the patient&#39;s back and back of legs are exposed. The “flap” panel is thereby laid open. 
     When the patient desires to cover his back, the “flap” panel is extended from the seam line to across the meeting line. The tie ribbon is extended from the flap panel in an enclosing direction around the body and secured to the second body ribbon attached the front of the gown. 
     An opening in the chest area of the main panel provides access to appropriate areas of the patent body. and may comprise pockets accessible from outside the garment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows the laid out panels of the garment with panels detached. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the patient  26  wearing the garment  11  when the back is covered. 
         FIG. 3  shows a rear view of  FIG. 2  where the “back” edges of the main panel come together and the flap panel is drawn over the back edges of the panel. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view when the back is uncovered. The flap is laid back and the meeting edges have been separated 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view when the back is uncovered. The flap has been folded back and maintained by tying the tie ribbon 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now to a discussion of the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows the laid out gown of this invention comprising a fabric main panel  10  seamed on one edge to a “flap” panel  12  and two sleeves  14 . 
     The “main panel”  10  is substantially rectangular. and comprises a top edge  10 A,  10 A′ parallel to a bottom edge  10 B and a seam edge  10 C parallel to a side edges  10 D. 
     The main panel  10  extends from the neck toward the ankles and wraps around the patient so that the side edge  10 D parallel to the seam edge  10 C of the main panel  10  meet along the spine of the patient when the patient wishes to conceal his/her back 
     The top edge  10 A,  10 A′ of the main panel  10  has a “v neck” cutout  12  midway between the ends of the top edge  10 A, A′. The ends of the “v cutout”  12  are tied together by a pair of “neck” ribbons  2 ,  5  when required to enclose and secure the patient&#39;s neck in the “v” cutout  12 . 
     A pair of hook and loop patches  13  temporarily holds the v opening  12  around the neck as an aid to tying the neck ribbons  2 , 5  together across the back of the neck. 
     Segment  10 A and segment  10  A′ of the top edge  10 AA′ on each side of the “v-neck” cutout  12  are contoured to enable seaming one shoulder section  10 A of the top edge  10 AA′ to first sleeve  14 A and to enable seaming another section  10 A′ of the top edge  10 AA′ to second sleeve  14 A′. 
     Each of sleeves  14 A, and  14 A′ has a shoulder opening  15  and an arm opening  17  at opposing ends of the respective sleeve  14 A,  14 A′ arranged for positioning an arm through the respective sleeve. 
     An edge of each shoulder opening  15  of each sleeve  14 A  14 A′ is contoured for seaming to a respective mating section of the top edge  10 A,  10 A′ of the main panel  10 . 
     A parting line  19  in each sleeve  14 ,  14 A′ extends from the respective shoulder opening  15  to the respective arm opening  17 . Each edge  19  of the parting line is joinable to the opposite edge by snap fasteners  19 A′. 
     The flap panel  12  comprises: 
     a “flap seam” edge  12 A seamed to an entire length of one side edge  10 C of the main panel  10 ; 
     a flap “bottom” edge  12 B having one end perpendicularly meeting a lower end of the “flap “seam” edge  12 A; 
     a “flap free” edge  12 C parallel to the “flap seam” edge  12 A but only half as long as the “flap seam” edge  12 A: 
     a “flap bottom edge  12 B meeting an end of the bottom edge  10 B of the main panel  10 ; 
     a ‘flap top” edge  12 D meeting the top end of the “flap free” edge  12 C at an obtuse angle and meeting the top end of the “flap seam” edge  12 A at an acute angle. 
     One end of a “joining” ribbon  1  is secured to the corner where the “flap top” edge  12 D and the ‘flap free” edge  12 C meet. 
     A “first body” ribbon  3  and a “second body” ribbon  4  each have an end secured to the main panel  10 , spaced from one another, and equidistant from the “top” edge  10 AA′ of the main panel  10 . The attached ends of the “first and second body” ribbons  3 , 4  are each secured to respective areas of the main panel  10  adjacent to the right and left breast of the patient. 
     One “neck” ribbon  2  is shown having one end attached to the upper end of the meeting of seam edges  10 C and  12 A and another “neck” ribbon  5  is shown attached to the upper end of free edge  10  D of the main panel. “Neck” ribbons  2  and  5  are always tied together to cover the patient&#39;s upper back and secure the cutout  22  around the back of the patient&#39;s neck. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2  (front) and  3  (back), when greatest exposure of the patient&#39;s back and back of legs is required, the “flap” panel  12  is folded back in a first direction away from along the seam line  12 A and secured in this (folded back) position by the “joining” ribbon  1  continuing around to the patient&#39;s front where it is tied to the nearest (first body) ribbon  3  attached to the main panel  10  near the patient&#39;s right breast. The meeting edges  10 C and  10 D of the main panel are thereby held separated from one another so that the patient&#39;s back and back of legs are exposed. The “flap” panel  12  is in a completely “open” laid back position. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4  (front) and  FIG. 5  (back) when the patient desires to cover his back such as when strolling in the hospital corridor, the “flap” panel  12  is extended from the seam line  12 A,  10 C, across the meeting line.  10 D. The “joining” ribbon  1  is further extended from the flap panel in an enclosing direction around to the front of the body and secured to the “second body” ribbon  4  attached to the front (breast) area of the main panel (the front of the gown). 
     The gown is thereby wrapped completely around the patient and closure of the gown across the back of the legs and buttock is ensured as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     An opening  20  in the chest area of the main panel  10  provides access to appropriate areas of the patent body for devices such as a stethoscope, transfusion device or thermometer. 
     Where required, these openings include pockets accessible from outside the garment. 
     There has been described a gown, particularly targeted for use in a hospital, which features a flap that, when tied in one position, wraps around the body and: covers the back allowing the patient to move around the wearer with the body completely covered, including personal areas of the body when the patient wishes to move through out the hospital; or exposes the back including personal areas of the body when access to this region is required. 
     Variations and modifications of the gown may be contemplated after studying the pictures and reading the description that are within the scope of the invention I therefore wish to define the scope of the invention by the appended claims.