Abstract:
A leg garment includes a stocking and a cushion assembly, the stocking having a leg portion and a foot portion connected thereto, the leg portion having a top and a knee area near the top. The cushion assembly defines a pocket connected to the leg portion and has a cavity and a first pad removably held in the cavity. Additional pads may be readily, slideably interchanged with the first pad to vary the size, shape, cushion, age and/or thematic design of the pad and cushion characteristics contained within the pocket.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to garments, and more particularly, to leg garments with interchangeable padding for infants.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Infants spend a considerable amount of time crawling, during which their knees and toes can either become soiled or can develop abrasions or rug burns. If the infant is wearing a garment, it is often quickly worn through at the knees, which shortens the life of such garment or requires mending. What is needed is a garment or device to protect the infant&#39;s knees and toes under a variety of different circumstances.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003]     Generally speaking, there is provided a leg garment for an infant that provides cushion and wear resistance at least at the knee area and partially at the toe area.  
         [0004]     A leg garment includes a stocking and a cushion assembly, the stocking having a leg portion and a foot portion connected thereto, the leg portion having a top and a knee area near the top. The cushion assembly defines a pocket connected to the leg portion and has a cavity and a first pad removably held in the cavity. Additional pads may be readily, slideably interchanged with the first pad to vary the size, shape, cushion, age and/or thematic design of the pad and cushion characteristics contained within the pocket.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of leg garments  10  being worn by an infant in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is a side view of one of the leg garments  10  of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the leg garment  10  of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged front view of a portion of the leg garment  10  of  FIG. 2 , and with portions cut away for clarity.  
         [0009]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged front view of a portion of the leg garment  10  of  FIG. 4  in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a leg garment  40  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, and with a portion cut away and shown in cross-section for clarity  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0011]     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated herein and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described processes, systems or devices, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein, are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.  
         [0012]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , there is shown a leg garment  10  for an infant  11  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Leg garment  10  includes a foot section  12 , a leg section  13 , and a cushion assembly  14  that generally includes a pocket  15  and a pad  16 . Foot section  12  and leg section  13  are constructed to form a unitary sock or legging that is sized and shaped to receive the foot and leg of an infant therein. Foot section  12  and leg section  13  may be individually constructed and sewn together at the ankle area (indicated at  17 ), or may be made as a unitary piece, as shown. Pocket  15  as used herein refers to the structure creating a partially enclosed cavity  18  with a top opening  19 . Pocket  15  is created with a piece of material  20  that is attached by appropriate means, such as sewing, at the knee area  21 , which is located near the top  22  of leg portion  13 . Piece of material (or material piece) is intended to include any natural or man made piece that is generally flat and suitable to be sized, shaped and attached to leg portion  13  at the knee area. Such material piece  20  is contemplated to comprise any suitable material, such as and without limitation, fabric, plastic, rubber, paper, netting or mesh. Material piece  20  and the adjacent, connected portion of leg section  12  thus create the pocket  15  and its cavity  18 . The sewn (or other appropriate) connection between piece  20  and leg section  13  is made in a U-shape (at  23 ) to create a top opening  19 , through which can be inserted pad  16 . A flap  24  is connected by appropriate means such as sewing (at  25 ) to leg section  13 . Flap  24  is sized, configured and positioned to removably cover the opening  19  to pocket  15 . Pad  16  can be inserted through opening  19  and into the cavity  17  merely by lifting flap  24  to expose the opening  19  thereto. Flap  24  is sized to slightly overlap the top edge  25  of material piece  20 , and the sewn connection  25  extends across (at  26 ) and slightly downwardly therefrom on opposite sides thereof (at  27 ) to close off opening  19  without the need for additional closure means, such as a zipper, snaps or Velcro©. Alternative embodiments contemplate using such alternative closure means, as desired, such as a zipper, snaps or Velcro© to prevent the pad  16  from working its way out of pocket  15  or from being easily removed by the infant. Alternative embodiments are contemplated wherein the upper edge (at  19 ) is provided with an elastic strip (not shown) to bias the upper edge (at  19 ) closed, thus biasing pad  16  to stay within pocket  15  and avoiding the need for the flap  24 . Such elastic strip (not shown) may be attached at the upper edge (at  19 ) by any appropriate means, such as and without limitation, sewing or adhesive.  
         [0013]     Pad  16  is contemplated to be made of any appropriate material that exhibits a resilient, cushioning characteristic to provide padding at the knee area  21  of the leg garment  10 . For example, pad  16  may be made of a foam having a density that provides the desired cushioning characteristic for the particular infant. Thus, a small infant weighing only 20 pounds may warrant a less dense pad  16  than a larger or heavier (e.g. 50 pounds) infant who would require a more dense pad  16 . The size of pad  16  is dictated primarily by the size and shape of cavity  17 , but is contemplated to be primarily rectangular with somewhat rounded edges.  
         [0014]     Pad  16  may also be made with varying thicknesses and densities. Thus, pad  16  may be thicker and/or more dense at its central area  28  ( FIG. 2 ), which is expected to be the primary focus of force concentration of the infant&#39;s knees as he/she crawls along the floor. Consequently, a less dense region away from the center  28  may also be more flexible and enable pad  16  to more easily bend thereat, which may provide the infant more comfort. Pad  16  may also be provided with raised cushioning ridges  29  or other such structures to absorb initial impacts before the remaining full body of the pad  16  is engaged. The size and positionment of pocket  15  at the top  22  of leg section  13 , and the size of pad  16  are selected to maximize the chance that pad  16 , when garment  10  is worn by infant  11 , will be positioned squarely over and properly protect the infant&#39;s knee.  
         [0015]     Pad  16  can be easily inserted and removed from cavity  17 , which permits leg garment  10  to be washed without subjecting pad  16  to the often harsh and damaging effects of a washing machine. The useful life and quality of the pad  16  is thus increased. Being able to remove pad  16  also enables variation in the pad characteristics in response to infant comfort and/or growth. Thus, as the infant grows heavier and taller, the pad  16  may be easily exchanged for a more dense one and/or a thicker one and/or a more flexible one and/or a new, fresh smelling one. It is also contemplated that some infants may be crawling predominately on carpet, thus requiring a thinner and/or less dense pad  16 , while other infants may be crawling entirely or predominately on hardwood, tile or a similar hard surface, and a thicker and/or more dense pad  16  may be required. A single leg garment  10  is thus also contemplated to be sold with multiple pads  16 . Such multiple pads  16  may be identical, thus allowing the user to use, wash and discard each pad  16  as necessary in favor of a new, fresh pad  16 . Alternatively, such multiple pads  16  may be of varying sizes and shapes to enable the user (the parent or guardian of the infant) to interchange the pads  16  to suit the size, weight and crawling habits and expected crawling surfaces of the infant.  
         [0016]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , alternative embodiments are contemplated wherein the material piece  20  is made of a mesh  30  or partially translucent material that enables the pad  16  to be seen exteriorly. Correspondingly, pad  16  is made with at least one side thereof bearing one or more colors, designs, images, pictures and/or indicia (collectively referred to herein as one or more designs  31 ) that may be pleasing to the infant (and to the parent). This also enables the user to interchange the pad  16  with varying original thematic images or reference thematic images. Reference thematic images are intended to mean images that correspond to previously and/or contemporaneously published books, television shows or movies. For example, an image of Spiderman® appearing on pad  16  would be a reference thematic image corresponding to the Spiderman® comic and movie publications. An original cartoon bear and frontier boy, for example, not related to any previously published characters, would be original thematic images. With such colorful and/or thematic pad  16  inserted in the see-through or at least partially see-through material segment  20 , the infant  11  and parent or guardian can see pad  16  therethrough, which visual access and colorful, thematic and/or other design may encourage more frequent use of the leg garment  10  by the parent, guardian, and/or infant  11 . In  FIG. 5 , material piece  20  defines a window  62 , and mesh net  30  is connected to material piece  20  such that net  30  fills window  62 . With pad  16  inserted in the pocket cavity between leg portion  13  and material piece  20  (with its mesh net  30 ), the design  63  on pad  16  is visible through mesh net  30 . Alternative embodiments are contemplated wherein mesh net  30  is replace by a clear material such as a clear plastic. Alternative embodiments are contemplated wherein the window  62  is made small enough that no other covering (such as a mesh net  30 , clear plastic material or other material) are needed, yet the pad  16 , with or without a design, are exposed therethrough.  
         [0017]     Leg garment  10  is also provided with a wear resistant surface  33  at knee area  21  and wear resistant surface  34  on foot section  12 . Surface  33  may be integrally formed with the material at knee area  21  and/or foot section  12  or it may be a coating applied thereto by means known by persons skilled in the art. Such surface or coating  33  is contemplated to be a durable, resilient and/or non-skid material having a rough and/or rubber-like feel to provide infant  11  with increased traction at both the knee area  21  and foot area  32 . At the foot section  12 , such surface or coating  34  covers the bottom  35  of the foot section  12  and wraps around the toe section  36  thereof to ensure that, as the infant  11  crawls, the primary contact points of foot section  12  are provided with the wear resistant material. Such wear resistant material wraps at least around the front of the toe section  36 , and preferably around at least a portion of the top  37  of toe section  36  to provide maximum wear resistance and traction.  
         [0018]     The durable, resilient and non-skid material or coating  33  at knee area  21  provides infant  11  with improved traction and durability thereat. The shape, size and positionment of such surface or coating  33 —that is, the extent of area that the coating covers—may vary with the size of leg garment  10 , which will depend on the size of the infant  11  for whom the leg garment  10  is made. It is preferable that the extent of coverage of coating  33  extends to a greater area than is normally expected for contact with the floor to account for movement of garment  10  on the infant&#39;s leg, that is, twisting and pulling. Thus, as the infant  11  crawls around the floor, if leg garment  10  twists 5, 10 or 15 degrees either way, a portion of coating  33  should still remain in contact with the floor.  
         [0019]     Garment  10  is further provided with an element to bias garment  10  to stay in the up position. For example, leg garment  10  is provided with an elastic band  38  or similar structure proximal its top  22  and in a position to hold top  22  of garment  10  above the knee. Alternative embodiments are contemplated wherein the elastic band  38  is replaced with any suitable device for keeping garment  10  in place, such as and without limitation, a tieable cord (not shown) or an adhesive such as tape (not shown).  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , there is shown a leg garment  40  in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Leg garment  40  is identical to leg garment  10  of  FIGS. 1-3  except that the cushion assembly the  41  of leg garment  40  has a pocket  42  that comprises a one-piece pocket member  43  with an upper opening  44 . Pocket member  43  comprises two pieces of material  46  and  47  connected at their opposing side edges (one shown at  49 ) and bottom edge  50 , together thus defining the upper opening  44 . Near its top  22 , leg section  13  defines a lateral slit  53  with upper and lower edges  54  and  55 , respectively. The upper edge of the inner piece of material  47  of pocket member  43  is connected by appropriate means such as sewing to the upper edge  54  of slit  53 , and the upper edge of the outer piece of material  46  of pocket member  43  is connected by appropriate means such as sewing to the lower edge  55  of slit  53 , with pocket member  43  thus connected with leg section  13  of leg garment  40  and in alignment with slit  53 . Pad  16  is then inserted through slit  53  and into pocket member  43 , thereby encasing the entire pad  16  on the inside of leg garment  40 . In addition to its connection at upper and lower edges  54  and  55 , pocket member  43  may be connected to leg portion  13  at one or more other locations (such as at  60 ) by any appropriate means, such as and without limitation, with Velcro® to maintain the positionment of pocket member  43  relative to the knee area  21 .  
         [0021]     Alternative embodiments are contemplated wherin a design is provide directly on the wear resistant surface  33 .  
         [0022]     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.