Abstract:
Described embodiments relate to a garment for a baby or infant, the garment comprising a neck opening; two enclosed arm portions configured to each receive an arm of a wearer of the garment, each arm portion sized to allow the wearer to straighten their arm within the arm portion; a waist portion being of a reduced width compared to the width of the garment across the arm portions; a single enclosed leg portion, the leg portion being wider than the waist portion and sized to accommodate two legs of the wearer; and at least one closure. The at least one closure allows for fastening and unfastening of the garment at the neck opening and, independently of the neck opening, at the leg portion

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority from Australian Patent Application No. 2016900452 filed Feb. 10, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Described embodiments generally relate to garments for babies and infants. In particular, described embodiments are directed to sleeping garments for babies and infants. 
         [0003]    While babies and infants are in a REM state of sleep, they will often experience twitches and jerks, which are known as the startle reflex, or the moro reflex. This may cause the child to flail their arms sidewards and/or upwards before bringing their arms in to their chest in the foetal position. If the child is falling asleep when a startle reflex occurs, they may be caused to wake up. 
         [0004]    In order to deal with this, babies are often swaddled or wrapped from birth until they grow out of the startle reflex. Babies and infants often find comfort in being swaddled or wrapped up, as it gives them a feeling of security and echoes the feeling of being in the womb. Many infants enjoy the security of being swaddled long after they have grown out of the startle reflex. However, swaddling infants as they grow older becomes more difficult and dangerous. Children develop the ability to escape the swaddling, leaving them uncovered, or tangled in the swaddling cloths. Alternatively, infants are at risk of suffocation if they roll over onto their stomachs while swaddled. 
         [0005]    It is desired to address or ameliorate one or more shortcomings or disadvantages associated with prior baby garments, or to at least provide a useful alternative thereto. 
         [0006]    Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application. 
         [0007]    Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Some embodiments relate to a garment for a baby or infant, the garment comprising: 
         [0009]    a neck opening; 
         [0010]    two enclosed arm portions configured to each receive an arm of a wearer of the garment, each arm portion sized to allow the wearer to straighten their arm within the arm portion; 
         [0011]    a waist portion being of a reduced width compared to the width of the garment across the arm portions; 
         [0012]    a single enclosed leg portion, the leg portion being wider than the waist portion and sized to accommodate two legs of the wearer; and 
         [0013]    at least one closure; 
         [0014]    wherein the at least one closure allows for fastening and unfastening of the garment at the neck opening and, independently of the neck opening, at the leg portion. 
         [0015]    According to some embodiments, the garment encloses the wearer from the neck down. According to some embodiments, the arm portions are sized to provide a slight resistance to the arms of the wearer of the garment when the wearer straightens their arms. 
         [0016]    According to some embodiments, the closure comprises a zipper. According to some embodiments, the closure comprises a double ended zipper. According to some embodiments, the closure comprises at least one of Velcro, snaps, buttons, toggles, hooks and eyes. 
         [0017]    According to some embodiments, the closure extends between the neck opening and a bottom of the garment. According to some embodiments, the closure is positioned to extend from the neck opening, diagonally to a side of the garment at the waist portion, down the side of the garment from the waist portion to the leg portion, and across the bottom of the leg portion 
         [0018]    According to some embodiments, the garment further comprises a closure cover adjacent the neck opening, configured to extend around the closure and protect the wearer of the garment from contact with the closure. 
         [0019]    According to some embodiments, the leg portion is be shaped and sized to accommodate a wearer wearing a hip dysplasia harness beneath the garment. 
         [0020]    According to some embodiments, the garment further comprises a protective flap on the inside of the garment to provide a barrier between the skin of the wearer of the garment and the closure. According to some embodiments, the protective flap is positioned to extend between the neck opening of the garment and the bottom of the garment. According to some embodiments, the protective flap is arranged to cover the entirety of the closure from the inside of the garment. 
         [0021]    According to some embodiments, the width of the garment across the arm portions is between 80% and 90% of the length of garment from the neck opening to the bottom of the leg portion. According to some embodiments, the width of the garment across the arm portions is between 85% and 88% of the length of garment from the neck opening to the bottom of the leg portion. 
         [0022]    According to some embodiments, the width of the garment across the arm portions may be around 56 cm, around 65 cm, or around 75 cm. According to some embodiments, the length of garment from the neck opening to the bottom of the leg portion is around 65 cm, around 75 cm or around 86 cm. According to some embodiments, the diameter of the neck opening may be around 11 cm, around 13 cm or around 14 cm. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    Embodiments are described in further detail below, by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0024]      FIG. 1  shows a front view of a garment according to some embodiments; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  shows a back view of a garment according to some embodiments; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  shows an inside view of the front of a garment according to some embodiments; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  shows a flat layout of some components of a garment according to some embodiments; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  shows a flat pattern layout of a yoke component of a garment according to some embodiments; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  shows a flat pattern layout of a front component of a garment according to some embodiments; and 
           [0030]      FIG. 7  shows a flat pattern layout of a back component of a garment according to some embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0031]    Described embodiments generally relate to garments for babies and infants. In particular, described embodiments are directed to sleeping garments for babies and infants. 
         [0032]      FIG. 1  shows a front view of garment  100 . Garment  100  may be used as a baby or infant sleep garment designed to help babies and infants transition away from being swaddle wrapped, helping babies and infants to cope better with the ‘startle reflex’ and helping them to sleep better and longer. Garment  100  may allow the wearer to move their arms freely, while still providing an enclosed, secure feeling. This allows the baby to roll over onto their stomach and support themselves with their arms, reducing the risk of suffocation. Garment  100  may be a sleep suit that encloses the wearer from the neck down, and provides a slight resistance to the movement of their arms, allowing them to feel secure, even if they have a startle reflex. 
         [0033]    The front of garment  100  is made up of a yoke portion  110  and a body portion  120 . Yoke portion  110  is attached to body portion  120  by a closure  130 , which may include a zipper in some embodiments. The zipper may be a double ended zipper in some embodiments, able to be opened from either end. In some embodiments, closure  130  may additionally or alternatively include one or more buttons, snaps, toggles, hooks, eyes, strips of Velcro, or other closure means. Closure  130  may be positioned to extend between a neck opening  140  of garment  100  and a bottom closure opening  135  of garment  100 . Closure  130  may include a cover  137  adjacent to neck opening  140  to extend around the closure and protect the wearer of garment  100  from contact with closure  130 . 
         [0034]    Garment  100  may include two oppositely disposed arm portions  150 ,  155 , a waist portion  160 , and a leg portion  170  disposed at an opposite end of the garment from the neck opening  140 . Arm portions  150 ,  155  may extend laterally on each side of the neck opening  140  and may each be designed to contain an arm and a hand of the wearer of garment  100 , allowing the wearer to move their arms freely but providing slight resistance in the movement of their arms. Arm portions  150 ,  155  may be of a length to just allow the wearer to straighten their arms fully, but to feel a resistance from the ends of arm portions  150 ,  155  when they do this. Arm portions  150 ,  155  may be enclosed so that there is no opening for a wearer&#39;s hand to extend through, which may prevent the wearer from being able to scratch themselves with their fingernails. Waist portion  160  may be of a reduced width compared to the width of the garment across the arm portions  150 ,  150 , and may be designed to be adjacent to the waist of the wearer of garment  100 . Leg portion  170  may be designed to contain the legs of the wearer of garment  100 . Leg portion  170  may be designed to contain both legs of the wearer in a single enclosed space. Garment  100  may have only one unitary leg portion  100 . Leg portion  170  may be of a larger width than waist portion  160 , and may be shaped and sized to accommodate a wearer wearing a hip dysplasia harness beneath garment  100 . 
         [0035]    In some embodiments, bottom closure opening  135  may be positioned on the side of leg portion  170  of garment  100 . In some embodiments, closure  130  may be positioned to extend from neck opening  140 , diagonally to a side of garment  100  at waist portion  160 , down the side of garment  100  from waist portion  160  to leg portion  170 , and across the bottom of leg portion  170  to end at bottom closure opening  135 . This configuration may allow for closure  130  at the bottom of leg portion  170  of garment  100  to be opened to allow access to the legs of the wearer of garment  100  without opening the upper portion of closure  130  at the neck and chest of the wearer. 
         [0036]      FIG. 2  shows a back view of garment  100 . The back of garment  100  includes a back portion  200 . Back portion  200  has a neck opening  140 , two arm portions  150 ,  155 , a waist portion  160 , and a leg portion  170 . Arm portions  150 ,  155  may each be designed to contain an arm and a hand of the wearer of garment  100 , without restricting the arm position of the wearer. Arm portions  150 ,  155  may be enclosed so that there is no opening for a wearer&#39;s hand to extend through. Waist portion  160  may be of a smaller width than arm portion  160 , and may be designed to be adjacent to the waist of the wearer of garment  100 . Leg portion  170  may be designed to contain the legs of the wearer of garment  100 . Leg portion  170  may be designed to contain both legs of the wearer in a single enclosed space. 
         [0037]      FIG. 3  shows the inside view of the front of garment  100 . A protective flap  300  is attached to the inside of body portion  120  to provide a barrier between the skin of the wearer of garment  100  and closure  130 . Protective flap  300  may be positioned to extend between the neck opening  140  of garment  100  and the bottom closure opening  135  of garment  100 , running along the full length of closure  130 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 4  shows a diagram of yoke portion  110  and a body portion  120  positioned side by side. Yoke portion  110  has a closure edge  115  to which closure  130  may be attached. Body portion  120  has a complementary closure edge  125  to which closure  130  may be attached, to allow yoke portion  110  and body portion  120  to be attached to one another and for garment  100  to be fastened and unfastened. 
         [0039]      FIG. 5  shows a flat pattern view of yoke portion  110 , which forms arm portion  155  of garment  100 . Yoke portion  110  has a seam allowance  520  for attaching yoke portion  110  to back portion  200 . Yoke portion  110  may be attached to back portion  200  by stitching, gluing, or by other attachment means. Yoke portion  110  also has a closure attachment line  510  designating where closure  130  is to be attached to yoke portion  110 . Yoke portion  110  may be attached to closure  130  by stitching, gluing, or by other attachment means. 
         [0040]      FIG. 6  shows a flat pattern view of body portion  120 , which forms arm portion  150 , waist portion  160 , and leg portion  170  of garment  100 . Yoke portion  110  has a seam allowance  620  for attaching body portion  120  to back portion  200 . Body portion  120  may be attached to back portion  200  by stitching, gluing, or by other attachment means. Body portion  120  also has a closure attachment line  610  designating where closure  130  is to be attached to body portion  120 . Body portion  120  may be attached to closure  130  by stitching, gluing, or by other attachment means. 
         [0041]      FIG. 7  shows a flat pattern view of back portion  200 , which forms arm portions  150 ,  155 , waist portion  160 , and leg portion  170  of garment  100 . Back portion  200  has a seam allowance  710  for attaching back portion  200  to yoke portion  110  and body portion  120 . Back portion  200  may be attached to yoke portion  110  and body portion  120  by stitching, gluing, or by other attachment means. 
         [0042]    Garment  100  may be made in a variety of materials, such as cotton, fleece, or jersey. In some embodiments, garment  100  may be made of a natural fibre material. In some embodiments, garment  100  may be made of a breathable material. Garment  100  may be made in a number of different sizes to suit children of different ages and body shapes. In some embodiments, the total width of arm portions  150  and  155  may be between 80% and 90% of the length of garment  100  from neck opening  140  to the bottom of leg portion  170 . In some embodiments, the total width of arm portions  150  and  155  may be between 85% and 88% of the length of garment  100  from neck opening  140  to the bottom of leg portion  170 . 
         [0043]    In some embodiments, garment  100  may be made in a “small” size to suit babies between 3 and 6 months old, having an average weight of 18 pounds. In the small size, the total width of arm portions  150  and  155  may be around 56 cm, and the length of garment  100  from neck opening  140  to the bottom of leg portion  170  may be around 65 cm. Neck opening  140  may be around 11 cm in diameter. 
         [0044]    In some embodiments, garment  100  may be made in a “medium” size to suit babies between 6 and 12 months old, having an average weight above 18 pounds. In the medium size, the total width of arm portions  150  and  155  may be around 65 cm, and the length of garment  100  from neck opening  140  to the bottom of leg portion  170  may be around 75 cm. Neck opening  140  may be around  13 cm in diameter. 
         [0045]    In some embodiments, garment  100  may be made in a “large” size to suit babies over 12 months old. In the large size, the total width of arm portions  150  and  155  may be around 75 cm, and the length of garment  100  from neck opening  140  to the bottom of leg portion  170  may be around 86 cm. Neck opening  140  may be around 14 cm in diameter. The large size may be provide less arm resistance to the wearer of garment  100  than the small and medium sizes. 
         [0046]    In some embodiments, garment  100  may include one or more slots (not shown) in the front and back sections of leg portion  170  to allow a safety belt strap to be passed through garment  100 . This may allow a safety belt to be passed between the legs of a wearer of garment  100 , to allow them to be secured into a car seat, baby carrier, or another harness-like arrangement. 
         [0047]    It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, without departing from the broad general scope of the present disclosure. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.