Abstract:
An inexpensive, multi-purpose, durable garment in the nature of a child&#39;s vest for general wear which easily accepts the shoulder strap of a vehicle seat belt system regardless of the child&#39;s seated position in the vehicle, is light in weight, easy to put on and take off, comfortable to wear, encourages the habit of seat belt use and is appealing and attractive to children.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a multi-purpose ‘Silent Teacher’ garment in the form of a vest which children of all ages are eager to wear and which easily accepts the shoulder strap of a vehicle seat belt system while allowing children to attach various articles such as toys, pockets and patches thereto for their enjoyment and to make statements concerning a variety of subjects, and which additionally encourages the children to develop the habit of ‘Think Safety First’, always using seat belt safety equipment in automobiles, shopping carts, or any moving vehicle. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   “Click It Or Ticket!” is a concise phrase which summarizes the law regarding the mandatory use of vehicle seat belts in virtually every state of the United States and in many foreign countries. 
   The phrase also is applicable to the requirement under the law which requires that children 4 to 8 years of age, or under 80 pounds must be secured in a safety ‘Booster’ seat which is in turn secured relative to the vehicle seat by the vehicle seat belt system. 
   However, most children resent being tied down, dislike being treated like a baby, and battle against being restrained by any safety belt system, thereby causing stress between parent and child and resulting in serious injuries and even death to unrestrained children during motor vehicle accidents and in falls from shopping carts. 
   There are a wide variety of harnesses and garments in the prior art for wear by children for use with vehicle seat belt systems. However, most are expensive, cumbersome, difficult to put on or take off, uncomfortable to wear, fail to encourage good safety habits or seat belt use, and are not appealing or attractive to children. 
   In addition, while the prior art discloses garments to which various indicia may be applied, the garments have no utility in teaching the wearer to form good social habits and fail to impart a message which encourages seat belt use. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is a primary object of the invention to provide an inexpensive, multi-purpose, durable garment in the nature of a child&#39;s vest for general wear which easily accepts the shoulder strap of a vehicle seat belt system, is light in weight, easy to put on and take off, comfortable and fun to wear, encourages the habit of seat belt use, and is appealing and attractive to children of all ages and genders. 
   Still further objects are to provide a multi-purpose ‘SilentTeacher’ garment in the nature of a vest which children enjoy wearing, permits the use of replaceable indicia and/or patches which can be applied to the garment for identification purposes or to make them visible day or night, while allowing them to make statements concerning a variety of subjects, and which is specifically designed for use with the shoulder strap of a vehicle seat belt system. 
   As a salient feature, with the vest of the invention, the shoulder strap of the vehicle seat belt system is positioned properly so as to guard against chafing of the child&#39;s neck by the shoulder belt, whereby vehicle seat belt systems are more comfortable to wear. 
   With the invention hereof, the vest is provided with primary and secondary restraining and guiding means for properly locating and restraining the vehicle shoulder strap which is passed therethrough in either left to right or right to left directions, with the primary restraining and guiding means being disposed on each shoulder of the vest and the secondary restraining and guiding means being disposed at a central, mid-sternum location on the front of the vest. 
   The primary restraining and guiding means preferably comprises a VELCRO flap fabricated from a soft, fluffy hook and loop material which is fixed adjacent one of its ends to each shoulder of the vest and which is releasably engageable adjacent its opposite end with a VELCRO strip fabricated from rough hook and loop material fixed to each shoulder of the vest, with the flap confining the shoulder strap of a seat belt system positioned therebelow and holding the shoulder strap away from the neck of the wearer of the vest. 
   The soft, fluffy hook and loop material of the primary restraining and guiding means serves to cushion the clavicle of the wearer from the constant rubbing of the shoulder strap while guarding against possible chafing of the neck of the wearer of the vest by the shoulder strap of the vehicle seat belt system. 
   The secondary restraining and guiding means is located on the front of the vest so as to be positioned at a point mid-sternum of the wearer and comprises a snap fastener system wherein a strap having snap fasteners fixed to each end is releasably engaged with spaced snap fasteners fixed to the vest, with the strap serving to maintain the proper slope of the seat belt system shoulder strap from mid-clavicle at the primary restraining and guiding means, to and across the lower mid-sternum of the wearer to the hip of the wearer for engagement with the vehicle seat belt system. 
   The snap fasteners are so positioned relative to the longitudinal central axis of the vest that the strap of the secondary restraining and guiding means may be changed easily from left to right or right to left orientation to accept the vehicle shoulder strap regardless of where the wearer of the vest is seated in the vehicle. 
   As additional features of the invention which make the vest attractive to children, press-on, zip-off patch pockets of varying sizes, patterns, or themes for carrying miscellaneous items may be attached to the front of the vest by VELCRO strips fabricated from hook and loop material provided on the pockets and on the vest, and snap hooks are provided for securing favorite toys and trinkets to the garment. 
   The vest of the invention is preferably fabricated from a durable, resilient, stain-resistant, fire-resistant, machine washable fabric such as duck cloth, and includes elastic side panels for providing a snug fit while permitting expansion for comfort. 
   The vest may be white or any other desired color such as military for army, navy, marines or air force, camouflage, or hunter&#39;s blaze orange to aid in locating a lost child wearing the vest, while making the vest highly visible day or night. 
   Fastening means, such as a zipper, buttons or the like is positioned on the front of the garment to permit the vest to be put on and taken off with ease, while piping is provided on the arm and neck openings of the vest for wearer comfort. 
   As an additional safety feature, a double-ring tether strap is provided on the back of the vest for use in securing the child in a shopping cart and may include an optional hand loop to assist an adult in holding a child back from dangerous situations. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1A  is a front elevational view of a child&#39;s vest embodying a preferred form of the invention arranged for left to right vehicle shoulder strap orientation; 
       FIG. 1B  is a front elevational vies of a child&#39;s vest embodying a preferred form of the invention arranged for right to left vehicle shoulder strap orientation; 
       FIG. 2  is a rear elevational view of the child&#39;s vest of  FIG. 1A  and showing a double ring tether strap in a secured position; 
       FIG. 3  is a rear elevational view similar to  FIG. 2  showing the double ring tether strap in an unsecured position; 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the child&#39;s vest of  FIG. 1A ; 
       FIG. 5  is a right side elevational view of the child&#39;s vest of  FIG. 1A ; 
       FIG. 6  is a left side elevational view of the child&#39;s vest of  FIG. 1A ; 
       FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of a supplemental pocket for use with the child&#39;s vest of the invention; and 
       FIG. 8  is a rear elevational view of the supplemental pocket of  FIG. 7 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   With reference to the drawings, a child&#39;s vest generally indicated by  10  embodying a preferred form of the invention is preferably sleeveless and includes a pair of left and right front panels  12  and  14 , respectively, and a rear panel  16  fabricated from any suitable durable, resilient, stain-resistant, fire-resistant, machine washable fabric such as duck cloth, and a pair of left and right elasticized side panels  18  and  20 , respectively, fabricated from any suitable stretchable, elastic material for providing a snug fit while permitting expansion for comfort when the vest is worn. 
   The adjacent inner side edges of front panels  12  and  14  are releasably fastened together by a zipper  22  located centrally of vest  10 , although other fastening means such as buttons or the like, not shown, may be used. 
   An upper, inner side edge  24  of a left shoulder portion  26  of left front panel  12  curves outwardly and upwardly above zipper  22 . 
   As best seen in  FIG. 4 , an upper edge of left shoulder portion  26  is joined to an upper edge of an adjacent upper edge of rear panel  16  to form a seam  27 . 
   An upper, inner side edge  28  of a right shoulder portion  30  of right front panel  14  curves outwardly and upwardly above zipper  22 . 
   An upper edge of right shoulder portion  30  is joined at its upper edge to an adjacent upper edge of rear panel  16  to form a seam  31 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
   The curved, upper, inner edges  24  and  28  of the shoulder portions of front panels  12  and  14  together define a neck opening generally indicated by  32  for vest  10 . 
   Left side panel  18  extends longitudinally for approximately one-half the length of each of left front panel  12  and rear panel  16  and is joined at its outer edges to a lower portion of an outer edge  34  of the left front panel and to a lower portion of a first outer edge  36  of rear panel  16 . 
   The upper portions of left front panel  12  and rear panel  16  are not joined together at their outer edges which curve inwardly and upwardly above left side panel  18  with identical curvatures to form a left arm opening  38  for vest  10 . 
   Right side panel  20  extends longitudinally for approximately one-half the length of each of right front panel  14  and rear panel  16  and is joined at its outer edges to a lower portion of an outer edge  40  of the right front panel and to a lower portion of a second outer edge  42  of rear panel  16 . 
   The upper portions of right front panel  14  and rear panel  16  are not joined together at their outer edges which curve inwardly and upwardly above right side panel  20  with identical curvatures to define a right arm opening  44  for vest  10 . 
   Vest  10  is provided with primary and secondary restraining and guiding means, generally indicated by  50  and  60  respectively, for properly locating and restraining a vehicle shoulder strap S which is passed therethrough, as shown fragmentarily and in phantom in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B . 
   Primary restraining and guiding means  50  includes a pair of identical, generally rectangular, left and right VELCRO flaps,  50   a  and  50   b  respectively, positioned so as to be disposed mid-clavicle of the wearer on each side of neck opening  32  and fabricated from a soft, fluffy hook and loop material. 
   Flap  50   a  extends along seam  27  on left shoulder portion  26  of left front panel  12 . 
   Flap  50   b  extends along seam  31  on right shoulder portion  30  of right front panel  14 . 
   Each flap  50   a  and  50   b  is generally U-shaped in front elevation and includes a base member  52  which is fixed to its respective shoulder portion  26  or  30  and is bent or curled over on itself adjacent one of its ends to form a hinge  54  and to provide an upper member  56  which is pivoted to the base member  52  adjacent neck opening  32 . 
   Upper members  56  are of greater length than base members  52  whereby an outer end portion  57  thereof overlies and is releasably engageable with VELCRO strips  58  fabricated from hook and loop material positioned adjacent the outer ends of each base member. 
   In use, vehicle shoulder strap S is inserted between base member  52  and upper member  56  of either flap  50   a , as shown in  FIG. 1A , or flap  50   b , as shown in  FIG. 1B , and is restrained from lateral or side-to-side movement in either direction by hinge  54  and the interengagement of the hook and loop material of outer end portion  57  with the hook and loop material of VELCRO strip  58 . 
   Vehicle shoulder strap S may be released from flap  50   a  or flap  50   b  by releasing outer end portion  57  of upper member  56  from its engagement with strip  58  and pivoting the upper member upwardly relative to hinge  54  to a position as shown in  FIG. 4  to permit removal of the shoulder strap. 
   Primary restraining and guiding means  50  guides vehicle shoulder strap S angularly downwardly therefrom to secondary restraining and guiding means  60  which is located on the front of vest  10  so as to be positioned at a point mid-sternum of the wearer. 
   Secondary restraining and guiding means  60  comprises a snap fastener system which includes a strap  62  having snap fasteners  64  at its opposite ends which are selectively and releasably engageable with any of spaced, upper and lower snap buttons  66  and  68  respectively fixed to left front panel  12  or spaced, upper and lower snap buttons  70  and  72  respectively fixed to right front panel  14 . 
   Upper and lower snap buttons  66  and  68  respectively, are spaced outwardly of zipper  22  on left front panel  12  and are vertically aligned with each other and with the zipper, while upper and lower snap buttons  70  and  72  respectively, are spaced outwardly of zipper  22  on right front panel  14  and are vertically aligned with each other and with the zipper so as to define a somewhat box-like configuration. 
   In a first position of use as shown in  FIG. 1A , snap fasteners  64  of strap  62  are releasably engaged with lower snap button  68  on left front panel  12  and upper snap button  70  on right front panel  14  so that the strap extends diagonally upwardly between the snap buttons in a left to right direction across zipper  22  in order to guide and restrain shoulder strap S as it passes thereunder from left flap  50   a  for engagement with the vehicle seat belt, not shown. 
   In a second position of use as shown in  FIG. 1B , snap fasteners  64  of strap  62  are releasably engaged with lower snap button  72  on right front panel  14  and upper snap button  66  on left front panel  12  so that the strap extends diagonally upwardly between the snap buttons across zipper  22  in order to guide and restrain vehicle shoulder strap S as it passes thereunder from right flap  50   b  for engagement with the vehicle seat belt, not shown. 
   With such an optional positioning of strap  62 , vehicle shoulder strap S is guided and restrained regardless of whether the vehicle shoulder strap extends over the left or right shoulder of the wearer and regardless of where the wearer is seated in the vehicle. 
   Strap  62  serves to maintain the proper slope of vehicle shoulder strap S from mid-clavicle at primary guiding and restraining means  50 , to and across the mid-sternum of the wearer at secondary restraining and guiding means  60 , and to the hip of the wearer for engagement with the vehicle seat belt system. 
   For wearer comfort, piping  74  is applied to neck opening  32  and to left and right arm openings,  38  and  44  respectively. 
   As an additional safety feature, vest  10  is provided with a tether strap system generally indicated by  80 , best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , positioned on the central, longitudinal axis of rear panel  16  for use in securing a child in such as a shopping cart or the like, not shown. 
   Tether strap system  80  includes a short strap  82  fixed at its upper end to rear panel  16  immediately below neck opening  32  and having a pair of O-rings  84  and  86  suspended from its lower end and a long strap  88  fixed at its lower end to rear panel  16  immediately above the lower edge of the rear panel. 
   A free end  88   a  of long strap  88  is threaded between O-rings  84  and  86  and is looped back on itself for releasably interengaging long strap  88  with short strap  82 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   As seen in  FIG. 3 , free end  88   a  of long strap  88  may be disengaged from O-rings  84  and  86  so that the long strap may be attached to such as a shopping cart seat, not shown. 
   Tether strap system  80  may also include a hand loop, not shown, to assist an adult in pulling a child back from dangerous situations. 
   Pockets  90 , which may be of varying sizes, are fixed or optionally releasably attached to left and right front panel  12  and  14  respectively for carrying various articles and have snap fasteners  92  suspended therefrom for releasably securing favorite toys, trinkets or other paraphernalia to vest  10 . 
   Strategically located VELCRO patches  94  fabricated from hook and loop material, which may be of various sizes, are fixed to pockets  90  and to the front panels of vest  10  for accommodating accessories  96 , such as awards, emblems insignia, identification/medical tags, reflective or glow-after-dark patches, or the like which relate to areas of safety or are of interest to the child and the child&#39;s parents, with the accessories  96  being backed by suitable hook and loop material, not shown. 
   Supplemental pockets  98  of the type as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , backed by one or more VELCRO strips  100 , fabricated from hook and loop material are also provided for carrying miscellaneous items and for releasable attachment to any one of VELCRO patches  94 . Several such supplemental pockets, having miscellaneous indicia or designs  102  thereon, can be provided in various colors, patterns or themes as desired by the child or parent. 
   It should be understood that while it is preferred to use VELCRO flaps fabricated from hook and loop material such as flaps  50   a  and  50   b  in primary guidance and restraining means  50 , the flaps may be replaced by a strap and snap fastener system on each shoulder of vest  10  similar to the strap and snap button system employed in secondary guidance and restraining means  60 . 
   Similarly, the strap and snap button system employed in secondary guidance and restraining means  60  may be replaced by a VELCRO strap system employing hook and loop material.