Patent Publication Number: US-8522364-B2

Title: Lift support garment system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to lift support garment systems and more specifically to lift support garment systems for providing physical assistance to persons with limited or no mobility. 
     Our average life expectancy is increasing as better nutrition and health care continue to become available. And so, with this increased life expectancy, the population of elderly individuals with limited mobility is rising. 
     Such elderly individuals might be parents, grandparents and other like family members that more often than not require physical assistance to move or relocate from one location to another. As an example, a grandparent might require assistance to relocate from a living room to the bedroom at bedtime. 
     Limited mobility is not only associated with elderly persons. Handicapped persons, for example, frequently need assistance getting in and out of a wheelchair. When a caregiver or helper renders assistance to the elderly or handicapped person, the caregiver often grabs an article of regular clothing worn by the person to whom assistance is being rendered. 
     Such regular clothing articles are sometimes torn when grasped by a caregiver or helper subjecting the elderly or handicapped person to injury. As a result, the caregiver or helper might attempt to support a falling elderly or handicapped person further subjecting the caregiver or helper to injury. 
     In other instances, if the article of regular clothing does not tear, the clothing might apply localized pressure to those areas of the body being supported during relocation causing either discomfort or injury to the elderly or handicapped person. As an example, when pants worn by an elderly or handicapped person are grasped to lift the individual, the pants might form a wedgie between the buttocks causing pain and discomfort to the buttocks area. 
     There is a need to address one or more of the foregoing disadvantages of conventional systems and methods, and the present invention meets this need. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Various aspects of a garment system for aiding a person that needs assistance with physical movement can be found in exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The person needing assistance might be an elderly or handicapped person, for example. 
     In a first embodiment, the garment system includes a pair of pants having a waistband around the waist area of the pants. The waistband might include a front strap attached to the front portion of the waistband, the front strap extending horizontally along the front portion of the waistband. 
     A back strap that also extends horizontally might be secured to the back area of the waistband, the position of the back strap corresponding to but oppositely disposed to that of the front strap. The straps might be made of reinforced material that is not susceptible to tearing, and the straps are preferably attached to the waistband via double stitching. 
     A plurality of side straps are also fixedly attached to the sides of the pants. Specifically, in one embodiment, a first side strap, elongated and extending downwardly might be attached to a hip area of the pants. A second side strap extending downwardly might also be attached to the oppositely disposed hip area. 
     In another embodiment, the first side strap is attached to the side of the waistband. Here, the first strap might be elongated, extending horizontally and sidewardly along the waistband side. The second side strap extending horizontally and sidewardly is attached to an oppositely disposed side of the waistband. The garment system may also include an interior lining attached to the interior of said pants. 
     In this manner, when a caregiver or helper renders assistance to the elderly or handicapped person, the caregiver can grasp the straps attached to pants worn by the person to whom assistance is being rendered. The article of clothing itself worn by an elderly or handicapped person need not be grasped as in conventional systems. 
     Among other advantages, the present invention enables a caregiver or helper to provide physical assistance without subjecting the elderly or handicapped person to injury. A wedgie in the buttocks area is avoided, and localized pressure is not applied to areas of the body being supported during relocation thus avoiding discomfort and injury to elderly or handicapped persons. 
     A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention herein may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the attached drawings. Further features and advantages of the present invention as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with respect to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates a garment system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1B  is a side plan view of a garment system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1C  illustrates a top plan view of a garment system when viewed from a direction C of  FIG. 1A  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an interior lining of  FIG. 1A . 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates a garment system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3B  is a side plan view of a garment system of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 3C  illustrates a top plan view of a garment system when viewed from a direction E of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a garment system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as to not unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates garment system  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     In  FIG. 1A , among other components, garment system  100  comprises pants  106  having waistband  118 . Waistband  118  might itself consist of elastomeric material for retaining pants  106  around a user&#39;s waist. Pants  106  can be a garment worn by a user, said garment being made of cotton, wool or other comfortable fabric or other type of material that a user can wear daily around the home or like. 
     In  FIG. 1A , garment system  100  further comprises front strap  110  and back strap  114  (shown as hatched lines and further illustrated with reference to  FIGS. 1B and 1C ). Front strap  110  is centered and securely attached to a front area of waistband  118 . Likewise, back strap  114  is centered and securely attached to a back area of waistband  118 . 
     Here, each one of front strap  110  and back strap  114  can be grasped by user helper  102  (e.g. a family member or caregiver) to provide physical assistance to move or to relocate an elderly or handicapped person wearing garment system  100  from one location to another. Although reference has been made to an elderly or handicapped person, the present invention is applicable to persons with little or no mobility that require assistance in order to relocate or move from one location to another. 
     As shown, front strap  110  has two ends namely first end  121  and a second end  107 . First end  121  is securely affixed to waistband  118  via stitching  122  and second end  107  is attached to waistband  118  via stitching  105 , as shown. 
     In  FIG. 1A , front strap  110  is elongated and extends horizontally and sidewardly between first end  121  and second end  107  along the front area of waistband  118 . Back strap  114  is similarly elongated and disposed along the back area of waistband  118 . Note that the positions of back strap  114  and front strap  110  are substantially aligned. Back strap  114  also extends horizontally and sidewardly along the back portion of waistband  118 . 
     Each strap is spaced between the first and the second end so that an average-sized adult hand can grasp onto each strap. Specifically, front strap  110  is spaced between first end  121  and second end  107  for easy grasping. An exemplary length of front strap  110  and back strap  114  is approximately 6.5 inches for size 8 pants (for women). An exemplary breadth for the straps is approximately 1.25 inches for size 8 pants. 
     Note strap  110  and  114  dimensions are similar and are dependent upon the pants size employed. Each of front strap  110  and back strap  114  is comprised of reinforced cotton fiber, the strength of which can withstand shear stress and lateral forces directed at front strap  110  and back strap  114  by the weight of an elderly or handicapped individual during movement. 
     Although not illustrated, one skilled in the art will realize that the aforementioned provided dimensions of garment system  100  are exemplary. As can be seen in  FIG. 1B , user helper  102  can grasp front strap  110  as well as back strap  114 . Front strap  110  and back strap  114  are spaced apart in that first end  121  and second end  107  of front strap  110  are not contiguous or in contact with back strap  114 . 
     Waistband  118 , front strap  110  and back strap  114  work cooperatively and can withstand lateral and shear forces directed at the straps when user helper  102  provides physical assistance to an elderly or handicapped person. In addition to front strap  110  and back strap  114 , garment system  100  also includes additional straps provided on the sides of pants  106 . 
     In  FIG. 1A , specifically, garment system  100  further comprises side strap  112  and side strap  124  attached to the sides of pants  106 . Each of side strap  112  and side strap  124  extends in a downward and vertical direction along the sides of pants  106 . As shown in  FIG. 1A , user helper  102  can grasp side strap  112  and side strap  124  to lift an elderly or handicapped person wearing garment system  100 . 
     The length or dimensions of each side strap  112  and side strap  124  is again dependent on the size of pants  106 . For example, for size 8 pants, an exemplary length of side strap  112  and side strap  124  is 7 inches. 
     First end  113  of side strap  112  is attached via double stitching  117  to the side area of pants  106 . A second end  115  of side strap  112  is attached to pants  106  via double stitching  119 . Similarly, first end  123  of side strap  124  is attached via double stitching  125  to the side area of pants  106 . A second end  130  of side strap  124  is attached to pants  106  via double stitching  132 . Each strap is spaced between its first and the second end so that an average-sized adult hand can grasp onto each strap. 
     In one embodiment, each of side strap  112  and side strap  124  is located so that a midpoint of each side strap is substantially equidistant to front strap  110  and back strap  114 . A midpoint might be located at a distance that is one-half the length of each side strap. The midpoint for side strap  112  might be located halfway between first end  113  and second end  115  of side strap  112 . This midpoint is equidistant to second end  107  of front strap  110  and to the proximal end of back strap  114 . In this manner, the present invention permits lateral and shear forces to be distributed across the straps. 
     In  FIG. 1A , garment system  100  further comprises reinforced material  126  and reinforced material  129  to which side straps  112  and  124 , respectively, are attached. Reinforced materials  126  and  129  are elongated extending downwardly along the side of pants  106 . 
     Reinforced materials  126  and  129  ensure that user helper  102  can use garment system  100  to provide physical assistance to elderly or handicapped persons without tearing or ripping the straps from pants  106  thus avoiding the risk of injury to such elderly or handicapped persons. That is, by using side strap  112  and, side strap  124  attached by reinforcement to materials  126  and  129 , user helper  102  is provided with support holdings that enable safe and reliable movement and relocation of an elderly or handicapped person. 
     In  FIG. 1A , garment system  100  also includes interior lining  128  that is preferably made of a mesh and breathable material. Other materials consistent with the spirit and scope of the present invention can be utilized. 
     Here, interior lining  128  is attached to the inside area of waistband  118 . Specifically, interior lining  128  extends from the upper edge of waistband  118  to immediately below the hip area of pants  106 . Interior lining  128  is also contiguous around the interior front, side and back portions of pants  106 . 
     In  FIG. 1A , interior lining  128  is affixed to sides of pants  106  as well as to waistband  118 . Specifically, interior lining  128  is attached to a first side of pants  106  by stitching  117  and stitching  119 . Note that stitching  117  and stitching  119  also function to attach side strap  112  to pants  106 . 
     Interior lining  128  is also affixed to the second side of pants  106  by stitching  125  and  132 , both of which attach side strap  124  to pants  106 . Interior lining  128  is also attached to the front and back interior of waistband  118 . Specifically, interior lining  128  is attached by stitching  105  and  122  to the front interior area of waistband  118 . 
     In this manner, when garment system  100  is being utilized to assist an elderly or handicapped person, interior lining  128  is securely attached to the interior of pants  106  and not only supports the user&#39;s buttocks area but is wide and firm enough to prevent a wedgie from forming. 
       FIG. 1B  is a side plan view of garment system  100  of  FIG. 1A  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     In  FIG. 1B , front strap  110  and back strap  114  are illustrated. As can be seen, user helper  102  is grasping front strap  110  as well as back strap  114 . Both front strap  110  and back strap  114  are securely and fixedly attached to waistband  118 . In this manner, user helper  102  such as a caregiver for a handicapped person or a family member assisting an elderly parent can easily pick up such a handicapped or elderly person that is wearing pants  106 . 
     User helper  102  need not grasp at any articles of clothing other than the straps provided on pants  106 . The risk of injury to an elderly or handicapped person wearing pants  106  is minimized as the elderly or handicapped person is transported or relocated from one location to another. 
     As previously noted, front strap  110  and back strap  114  can be made of reinforced cotton fiber material or other comparable materials. However, one skilled in the art will realize that other alternative embodiments are possible. That is, straps  110  and  114  can be made of a polymeric material with two ends attached to waistband  118 . 
     In  FIG. 1B , a view of side strap  124  when observed from direction B of  FIG. 1A  is shown. As can be seen, side strap  124  (like side strap  112 ) is elongated and extends in a downwards direction from approximately waistband  118  to immediately below the lower hip area. 
     At first end  123 , double stitching  125  is shown. Double stitching  125  securely attaches side strap  124  at its upper end. At its lower second end  130 , side strap  124  is securely attached to pants  106  via a second double stitching  132  as shown. Not only is double stitching utilized, said double stitching is actually secured to pants  106  via reinforced area  126  as previously discussed with reference to  FIG. 1A . 
     Reinforced area  126  is a piece of material that may be the same or different from the material with which pants  106  are made. Preferably, reinforced area  126  is made of a heavier durable material that is not prone to tearing or cannot easily be torn. Reinforced area  126  has a wider area relative to side strap  124  as shown. 
     Reinforced area  126  also extends from waistband  118  in a downward direction to immediately below the hip area of pants  106 . It is also noted that interior lining  128  is also securely attached to reinforced area  126 . In this manner, the entire unit is integratable as a single, strengthened unit that can hold the weight of an elderly or handicapped person during relocation. 
     Thus, in the embodiments of  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B , garment system  100  comprises two straps, two oppositely disposed side straps and two oppositely disposed front and back straps to assist user helper  102  with transporting or relocating an elderly or handicapped person. 
       FIG. 1C  illustrates a top plan view of garment system  100  when viewed from a direction C of  FIG. 1A  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     In  FIG. 1C , front strap  110  and its oppositely disposed back strap  114  are shown. Similarly, side strap  112  and its oppositely disposed side strap  124  are also shown. 
     As can be seen, straps  110 ,  112 ,  114  and  124  are spaced around the waistband  118  of pants  106 . By spacing said straps around, lateral and shear forces are evenly distributed along waistband  118 . Also shown in  FIG. 1C  is a cross section of interior lining  128 . As can be seen, this cross section indicates that interior lining  128  occupies the inner periphery of pants  106 . Preferably, interior lining  128  is integratably secured to the interior of the straps as well as waistband  118 . Use and operation of garment system  100  will now be described. 
     In  FIGS. 1A-1C , user helper  102  wishing to physically assist an elderly or handicapped person that is wearing pants  106  begins by grasping at least two straps selected from front strap  110 , back strap  114 , side strap  112  and side strap  124 . 
     Once at least two of said straps are grasped by user helper  102 , the straps can be pulled in an upward direction to pick up the elderly or handicapped person. Among other advantages, the present invention allows elderly or handicapped users to wear garment system  100  as part of their daily clothing routine. Unlike other conventional systems such as physical assistance vests that can be bulky and uncomfortable for elderly or handicapped individuals to wear, garment system  100  is simple and more akin to everyday clothing worn by the individuals. 
     No special belts are required; no special contraptions are required, and such elderly or handicapped persons can wear garment system  100  for sleeping, for lounging or other everyday uses. As previously noted, all of the straps are fixedly and securely attached to pants  106  and are reinforced to prevent tearing that can be caused by lateral or shear forces. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates interior lining  128  of  FIG. 1A . 
     In  FIG. 2 , interior lining  128  might include a plurality of reinforced areas  202 ,  204 ,  206  and  208 . In one embodiment, these reinforced areas provide frames for holding the mesh material of interior lining  128  upright. In a second embodiment, the reinforced areas can be employed for attaching interior lining  128  onto the interior surface of pants  106 . 
     Reinforced area  202  extends from waistband area  201  of interior lining  128  downwardly and vertically to leg aperture  205 . Likewise reinforced area  208  extends from waistband area  201  of interior lining  128  downwardly and vertically to leg aperture  210 . 
     Reinforced area  204  runs diagonally from an intersection of waist area  201  and reinforced area  202  to bottom seam area  214  of interior lining  128 . Reinforced area  206  runs diagonally from an intersection of waist area  201  and reinforced area  208  toward bottom seam area  214 . As shown, bottom seam area  214  is itself reinforced and has a wide area that is at least preferably 1 to 3 inches wide to form a support base and prevent a wedgie from occurring when an elderly or handicapped person is being moved. 
       FIG. 3A  illustrates garment system  300  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     In  FIG. 3A , garment system  300  includes pants  306 , front strap  310  and back strap  314  (indicated by hashed lines) that are similar to correspondingly referenced numbers of  FIG. 1A . Unlike the embodiment of  FIG. 1A , garment system  300  includes side waistband strap  313  and an oppositely disposed side waistband strap  325  as illustrated in  FIG. 3B  but does not include side straps (e.g.  112 ,  124  of  FIG. 1A ). 
       FIG. 3B  is a side plan view of garment system  300  of  FIG. 3A . 
     In  FIG. 3B , garment system  300  is shown having side waistband strap  325  as viewed from direction D of  FIG. 3A . As can be seen, side waistband strap  325  is elongated, running in a lateral direction from a first end  326  to a second end  328 . 
     At a first end  326 , side waistband strap  325  is securely attached to pants  306  via double stitching  332 . At second end  328 , double stitching  330  is used for attaching side waistband strap  325  to pants  306 . In this manner, side waistband strap  325  and side waistband strap  313  can be used in conjunction and cooperatively with front strap  310  and back strap  314  for providing assistance to an elderly or handicapped patient. 
       FIG. 3C  illustrates a top plan view of garment system  300  when viewed from a direction E of  FIG. 3A . 
     In  FIG. 3C , both of the side waistband straps are more clearly illustrated. Specifically, side waistband strap  313  and its oppositely disposed side waistband strap  325  are shown in addition to front strap  310  and back strap  314 . Interior lining  328  corresponding to interior lining  128  of  FIG. 1A  is also shown. 
     Here, note that side waistband strap  313 , side waistband strap  325 , front strap  310  and back strap  314  are spaced around waistband  318  to evenly distribute lateral and shear forces. In one embodiment, side waistband straps  313  and  325  are located so that a midpoint of each side waistband strap is substantially equidistant to front strap  310  and back strap  314 . 
     A midpoint might be located at a distance that is one-half the length of each side waistband strap. The midpoint for side waistband strap  313  might be located halfway between the ends of side waistband strap  313 . This midpoint is equidistant to the proximal edge of front strap  310  and to the proximal edge of strap  314 . 
     While the above is a complete description of exemplary specific embodiments of the invention, additional embodiments are also possible. For example: 
       FIG. 4  illustrates garment system  400 , which is another additional embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
     In  FIG. 4 , garment system  400  includes pants  406 , front strap  410  and back strap  414  (indicated by hashed lines) that are similar to correspondingly referenced numbers of  FIG. 1A . Unlike the embodiment of  FIG. 1A , garment system  400  includes side waistband strap  413  and side waistband strap  425 . Garment system  400  further includes side strap  412  and side strap  424  affixed to the sides of pants  406 , side strap  412  and side strap  424  being similar to side strap  112  and side strap  124  of  FIG. 1A . 
     As previously noted, the above is a complete description of exemplary specific embodiments of the invention; additional embodiments are also possible as shown above. Thus, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents.