Patent Publication Number: US-6216274-B1

Title: Nursing cover up with a peek-a-boo pocket

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a cover up, and more particularly to a nursing cover up with a peek-a-boo pocket for mothers to comfortably nurse their baby everywhere with privacy while maintaining their femininity and beauty. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     Giving birth to a baby is for parents, especially for mothers who had physically and mentally prepared to breastfeed their babies. Breastfeeding has many advantages for babies and their mothers. The breast milk contains higher amounts of nutrients that babies need. Also, epidemiological research shows that breast milk provides extra protection from inflection and other problems that are especially common among babies. For many mothers, breastfeeding is one of the connections that they have with their babies during this period. Mothers report that both they and their babies enjoy the special closeness that occurs during breastfeeding. 
     However, many mothers claim that breastfeeding their babies in public is embarrassing since they may need to take off their clothes and expose their bodies that may destroy their beauty and femininity. So, most mothers will first save their breast milk in a bottle and feed their babies with the loaded bottle whenever their babies feel hungry. However, the bottles of breast milk may increase the workload to the mothers such as prepare the breast milk in the bottle. Also, it is really difficult to keep the freshness of the bottles of breast milk during outdoors. Therefore, one of the solutions for breastfeeding in public is that mothers have to hide at a corner or a nursing room that seldom stores provide. Furthermore, breastfeeding in public is considered to be illegal in some countries and mothers may be charged as the improper conduct since they expose their bodies in public. Breastfeeding their babies is such a natural thing should not be prohibited and should have the right to nurse their babies anytime or anywhere. 
     Another alternative solution for breastfeeding in public is to use a blanket to cover up the baby and the exposed breast while breastfeeding, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,479,662 and 5,008,960. However, just a blanket with a strap for anti-fall off still fails to effectively hiding the mother&#39;s breast from being seen in all direction. In fact, for most of the conventional blanket type cover up, the mother&#39;s breast is still be seen by someone next to the mother. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     A main object of the present invention is to provide a nursing cover up with a peek-a-boo pocket, which, during breastfeeding, can effectively cover up the mother&#39;s breast from being seen by anyone in all direction while maintaining good air ventilation for the baby and enabling the mother herself to monitor the breastfeeding of her baby through the peek-a-boo pocket, so that the mother may feel comfortable to breastfeed her baby anytime in anywhere. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a nursing cover up with a peek-a-boo pocket, which properly covers a front side of the nursing mother for keeping privacy. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a nursing cover up with a peek-a-boo pocket, which can be used by a mother to either cover her right breast or left breast selectively by the same nursing cover up. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a nursing cover up with a peek-a-boo pocket adapted for maintaining the femininity and beauty when mothers nurse their baby. 
     Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a nursing cover up with a peek-a-boo pocket, which comprises: 
     a body cover having a size adapted for covering at least a chest portion of a mother user and a hanging means for hanging the body cover in front of the mother user, 
     wherein the body cover comprises a main panel, a side panel and a pocket panel positioned between the main panel and the side panel, 
     wherein the pocket panel and the side panel are capable of covering one side of the chest portion of the mother user while the main panel is capable of covering another side of the chest portion of the mother user, 
     wherein the body cover further comprises a peek-a-boo pocket which has a viewing opening formed on the pocket panel that separates the pocket panel into an upper piece and a lower piece, the peek-a-boo pocket comprising a shield flap which extends from a bottom portion of the upper piece of the pocket panel to overlappingly position behind an upper portion of the lower piece of the pocket panel for covering an upper portion of a breast of the mother user, and a pocket lip formed at a top edge of the upper portion of the lower piece wherein the upper portion of the lower piece of the pocket panel is wider than the bottom portion of the upper piece so as to define the viewing opening between the shield flap and the pocket lip for the mother user to monitor her baby therethrough while breastfeeding. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in order to better support the peek-a-boo pocket, the peek-a-boo pocket further comprises means for supporting the pocket lip to keep apart from the shield flap so as to maintain the viewing opening in an open condition for ease of monitoring. 
     The supporting means may comprises a supporting lining layer attached to at least the upper portion of the lower piece so as to increase the weight of lower piece of the pocket panel with respect to the upper piece of the pocket panel, the main panel and the side panel, so that the heavier upper portion of the lower piece of the pocket panel will remain dropping apart from the shield flap due to gravity. Alternatively, the supporting means can be a flexible supporting wire extended along the pocket lip. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a nursing cover up with a peek-a-boo pocket according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a mother who is using the nursing cover up of the invention to nurse her baby according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the nursing cover up according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of an alternative mode of the nursing cover according to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  3  of the drawing, a nursing cover up  1  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated, which comprises a body cover  10  having a size adapted for covering at least a chest portion of a mother user M and a hanging means  20  for hanging the body cover  10  in front of the mother user M. 
     The body cover  10  comprises a main panel  11 , a side panel  12  and a pocket panel  13  positioned between the main panel  11  and the side panel  12 . As shown in FIG. 2, the pocket panel  13  and the side panel  12  are capable of covering one side of the chest portion of the mother user M while the main panel  11  is capable of covering another side of the chest portion of the mother user M. The side panel  12 , which is an edge piece adapted to cover one side edge of the chest portion of the mother user M, works with the main panel  11  to support the pocket panel  13  to hang down in front of the mother user M. The main panel  11  is preferred to be made large enough to cover one shoulder of the mother user M, as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     The body cover  10  further comprises a peek-a-boo pocket  30 , which has a viewing opening,  31  formed on the pocket panel  13  that separates the pocket panel  13  into an upper piece  131  and a lower piece  132 . 
     The peek-a-boo pocket  30  comprises a shield flap  32  which extends from a bottom portion  131 A of the upper piece  131  of the pocket panel  13  to overlappingly position behind an upper portion  132 A of the lower piece  132  of the pocket panel  13  for covering an upper portion of a breast of the mother user M, and a pocket lip  33  formed at a top edge of the upper portion  132 A of the lower piece  132 , wherein the upper portion  132 A of the lower piece  132  of the pocket panel  13  is wider than the bottom portion  131 A of the upper piece  131  so as to define the viewing opening  31  between the shield flap  32  and the pocket lip  33  for the mother user M to monitor her baby therethrough while breastfeeding. 
     The body cover  10 , having, a first side  10 A and a second side  10 B, is designed to be worn as a demi-cover up or cover uplet, which is preferably made of cotton or poly-cotton for comfort, breathability and easy care for wash and wear. The body cover  10  is cut to be slightly off its center in order to provide a maximum coverage on the chest portion of the mother user M, wherein the body cover  10  has a predetermined length approximately equal to a length from a shoulder to a waist of the nursing mother user M. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to better support the peck-a-boo pocket  30 , the peek-a-boo pocket  30  further comprises means  34  for supporting the pocket lip  33  to keep apart from the shield flap  32  so as to maintain the viewing, opening,  31  in an open condition for ease of monitoring. 
     The supporting means  34  comprises a supporting lining layer  341  attached to at least the upper portion  132 A of the lower piece  132  so as to increase the weight of lower piece  132  of the pocket panel  13  with respect to the upper piece  131  of the pocket panel  13 , the main panel  11  and the side panel  12 , so that the heavier upper portion  132 A of the lower piece  132  of the pocket panel  13  will remain dropping, apart from the shield flap  32  due to gravity, as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     According, to the above preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 to  3 , the supporting lining layer  341  which is made of a stiffness lining fabric is stitched to attach on the entire lower piece  132  of the pocket panel  13  such that the lower piece  132  of the pocket panel  13  is thicker than the upper piece  131  of the pocket panel  13 , the main panel  11  and the side panel  12  of the body cover  10 . The pocket panel  13  is arranged to align with one of the mother user&#39;s breasts. 
     The viewing opening  31  of the peek-a-boo pocket  30  enables the mother user M to view and monitor her baby through the viewing opening  31  of the peek-a-boo pocket  30  during breastfeeding, as shown in FIG.  2 . Therefore, the weight of the lower piece  132  will pull the pocket lip  33  to fall down to form an arc shaped in order to define the viewing opening  31  between the shield flap  32  and the pocket lip  33  for the mother user M to monitor her baby therethrough while breastfeeding. 
     In other words, since the stiffness supporting lining layer  34  stitched to the lower piece  132  of the pocket panel  13  having a relative weight is heavier than the rest part of the body cover  10 , the wider upper portion  132 A of the lower piece  132  of the pocket panel  11  is automatically and naturally dropped down due to gravity to ensure the viewing opening  31  of the peek-a-boo pocket  30  to remain opened. 
     The joining edges of the shield flap  32  and the pocket lip  33  are reinforced by seams so as to prevent the peek-a-boo pocket  30  from being torn off. Furthermore, the viewing opening  31  of the peek-a-boo pocket  30  will remain open when the mother is feeding her baby such that the baby is supplied with fresh air via the viewing opening  31  of the peek-a-boo pocket  30  for better ventilation. Preferably, the peek-a-boo pocket  30  is stitched approximately 3 to 8 inches down from the shoulder of the mother user M and the viewing opening  31  of the peek-a-boo pocket  30  is about 6-7 inches width. 
     The shield flap  32  of the peek-a-boo pocket  30  is integrally and downwardly extended from the bottom portion  131 A of the upper piece  131  of the pocket panel  13 . 
     The shield flap  32  not only forms a part of border around the viewing opening  31 , but also is adapted for partially covering an upper portion of the mother&#39;s breast so as to shade a top exposure of the peek-a-boo pocket  30  such that only the nursing mother is able to view and monitor her baby during breastfeeding. Two sides of the shield flap  32  are remained to connect with neither the upper piece  131  nor the lower piece  132 . Hence, the shield flap  32  is adapted to be reversibly flipped over from the first side  10 A to the second side  10 B of the body cover  10 , for example, such that the shield flap  32  is capable of shading the viewing opening  31  of the peek-a-boo pocket  30  at both sides of the body cover  10 . 
     Preferably, the shield flap  32  has a width slightly narrower than a width of the viewing opening  31  and the shield flap  32  has a predetermined length approximately 3 inches to overlap with the upper portion  132 A of the lower piece  132  of the pocket panel  13 . 
     The hanging means  20  comprises two elongated hanging straps  21 ,  22  integrally extended from the side panel  12  and the main panel  11  respectively, wherein the two hanging straps  21 ,  22  are adapted for encircling around the neck portion of the mother user M. Therefore, the body cover  10  can be loosely hung in front of the chest portion of the mother user M, as shown in FIG.  2 . Preferably, one of the hanging straps  22  connected to a top edge of the main panel  11  has a length longer than a length of the other hanging strap  21  connected to a top edge of the side panel  12  such that the two ends of the two hanging straps  21 ,  22  will meet each other at the mother&#39;s shoulder for easy and convenient attachment. 
     The hanging means  20  further comprises a fastening means  40  for detachably connecting the two connecting ends of the two hanging straps  21 ,  22  with each other. According to the preferred embodiment, the fastening means  20  comprises two pairs of buttons  221  respectively provided on both sides of the connecting end of the hanging strap  22  and that a pair of button slots  211  are correspondingly provided on the connecting end of the hanging strap  21 , so that the either pair of the buttons  221  can be fastened with the pair of button slots  211  to fasten the two connecting ends of the hanging straps  21 ,  22  together. 
     Alternatively, the buttons  221  and the button slots  211  can be substituted by snap buttons or loop and hook fasteners. Also, the fastening means  20  may further comprises a pocket button stitched on the shield flap  32  adapted to fasten with a button slot provided on the upper portion  132 A of the lower piece  132  of the pocket panel  13  for closing the viewing opening  31  such that the mother user can open the peek-a-boo pocket  30  while feeding and close the peek-a-boo pocket  30  when normal wearing the nursing cover up  1 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, an alternative mode of the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the supporting means  30  merely comprises a flexible supporting wire  35  extended along the pocket lip  33  to substitute the supporting lining layer  34  of the above preferred embodiment. The supporting wire  35  well supports the pocket lip  33  apart from the shield flap  32 , which is flatly rest on the upper part of the breast of the mother user M, so as to maintain the viewing opening  31  in open condition during breastfeeding. 
     Furthermore, the body cover  10  is adapted to be reversibly worn for aiming at one side nursing such that the mother is able to nurse with her full capacity. In other words, for example, when the mother user M is wearing the nursing cover up  1  of the present invention with the first side  10 A of the body cover  10  facing outside, as shown in FIG. 2, the peek-a-boo pocket  30  is positioned in front of the left breast of the mother user M, designed for nursing her baby with her left breast. However, when the mother user M reversely wears the nursing cover up  1  of the present invention with the second side  10 B of the body cover  10  facing outside, where the shield flap  32  is also turned behind the upper portion  132 A of the lower piece  132  of the pocket panel  13 , the peek-a-boo pocket  30  is positioned in front of the right breast of the mother user M for nursing her baby with her right breast. 
     The advantages of the nursing cover up of the present invention include the following: 
     1. The nursing cover up is hung on the mother&#39;s body covering her chest portion to prevent her body from being exposed while breastfeeding. 
     2. Mothers will not feel embarrassing anymore while breastfeeding in public since the nursing cover up is adapted to cover their sensitive parts of their bodies that mothers are able to breastfeeding their babies anytime or anywhere without destroying their beauty and femininity. 
     3. Mothers not only are able to view and monitor their babies through the opening of the peek-a-boo pocket of the nursing cover up but also can keep their privacy while breastfeeding. 
     4. One single nursing cover up of the present invention can be used to selectively cover either the left breast or right breast of the mother by using either side of the cover up.