Patent Publication Number: US-6704953-B2

Title: Combination sleeping bag and mat for infants and children

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a combination sleeping bag and mat adapted for the needs of the user, e.g., infants and children. More particularly, the present invention can easily be rolled up to form a convenient shoulder bag. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The conventional sleeping bags have a slide fastener or zipper that closes the bottom end and one side of the main body of the bag; see U.S. Pat. No. 3,042,039, column 3, lines 19-22 and FIGS. 1-3. Similarly, multiple zippers have been used to close the bottom end and both sides of the sleeping bag; see U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,889. In the latter sleeping bag, the user is required to fasten the bottom end by pulling on the bottom end zipper&#39;s runner and at least the runner on the zipper on one side of the sleeping bag. In the former, the runner of the zipper must be pulled from the bottom end and up the side of the bag. In each of the conventional sleeping bags, an infant or small child becomes disturbed during the fastening and unfastening of the bottom end and sides of the sleeping bag. Additionally, while infants and children can use conventional sleeping bags, such bags are much too large to be rolled into a compact bag easily carried by a child. 
     In recent years, there are an increasing number of infants and children that are being dropped off by their parents or other caregivers to day care centers. These children are often dropped off early in the morning and not picked up until late in the day. This requires the parents or caregiver to provide suitable mats so that these children have a suitable bed for naps. In addition, an increasing number of children are being dropped off by one of the parents of a divorce or separated couple to the residence of other parent. Such children are much more comfortable if they are able to sleep in familiar bedding. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a combination sleeping bag and sleeping mat that rolls into a small, compact bag that may be carried by a child and one that can be accessed without disturbing an infant or child. The sleeping bag becomes that child&#39;s familiar bedding and is used for many years. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The device of the present invention overcomes the problems faced by those individuals requiring a combination sleeping bag for an infant or child that can be opened and closed without awakening the user and a sleeping mat than can be folded into a compact shoulder bag. 
     One embodiment of the present invention comprises a main body having a front, a back, two sides, a head end, a bottom end, a head section, a body section, and a pocket attached to the sides of the head section and having a slit or opening extending laterally from side to side to receive the main body. Preferably a pocket flap of a rectangular piece of material is folded to form the pocket having the lateral slit that receives the main body after it has been rolled up and is ready for being transported or stored. The body section of the main body comprises mating zipper halves respectively attached substantially along the first and second sides of the body section. The mating zipper halves are positioned for engagement as parallel zippers when the bottom end is adjacent the lateral slit in the pocket. 
     To use the combination sleeping bag and mat of this embodiment, the pocket is folded under the back of the head section of the main body leaving a small cushioned area for the user&#39;s head. Alternatively, the pocket may be placed over the head of a mattress in the same manner as a fitted bed sheet. A parent or other caregiver of the user places the user onto the front of the body section with the user&#39;s head on the small cushion area of the head section adjacent the head end. The caregiver then folds the body section of the sleeping bag substantially in two so that the bottom end is just below the user&#39;s head end and pulls the runner of each of the zippers to engage the respective mating zipper halves. The parallel side zippers permit the caregiver to place a sleeping infant or child on the sleeping bag/mat and to use the parallel zippers without disturbing the user. In addition, the parallel side zippers permit the user to be removed from the sleeping bag/mat by the caregiver pulling the runners on both sides up to the user&#39;s head and folding the body section back from the user&#39;s body without disturbing the user. 
     Another unique feature of the present invention is the sleeping mat configuration. The main body is initially placed with the front side up and the parallel side zippers in the unzipped position. The pocket is folded over the head section. The caregiver grasps each side of approximately the upper one-third of the main body&#39;s length and that approximately one-third portion is folded into the lateral slit of the pocket. The pocket is then filled with about one third of the sleeping bag and the sleeping bag with the filled pocket is turned onto its back to form the mat having a cushioned pillow for the user&#39;s head. A child or infant can be placed on the front of the mat of this invention without any interference from a zipper or other fastener. If the sleeping bag of U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,889 referred to under the Background of the Invention section were used as a mat, the lateral zipper attached to the bottom end of the front and back panel would run laterally from side to side approximately in the middle of the mat between the head and bottom ends. This would cause discomfort to the user lying on the mat. 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention another zipper half is attached to the back of the main body and extends laterally from side to side of the body section and a mating zipper half is attached to the inner edge of the pocket and extends laterally along the inner edge of the slit. This zipper is transverse to parallel zippers and permits the caregiver to mate the two transverse zipper halves after the main body has been rolled or folded up toward the head end and tucked through the slit into the pocket. After this zipper is closed, the sleeping bag is in a compact bag position that can easily be transported. 
     In another embodiment, a detachable shoulder strap can be easily clipped in place between the sides of resulting main body after the body section has been tucked into the pocket to form the compact bag. The resulting compact shoulder bag measures approximately 6 to 10 inches in diameter, weighs less than five (5) pounds and may be carried by a child. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further features and advantages will become apparent from the following and more particular description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front and right side perspective view of the sleeping bag constituting one embodiment of the present invention with the lower part of the body section of the main body and the bottom end folded back, and the pocket folded under the back of the head section; 
     FIG. 2 is a back and left side perspective view of a sleeping bag shown in FIG. 1 to show the zipper halves of the transverse zipper; 
     FIG. 3 is a front and right side perspective view of a sleeping bag constituting another embodiment of the present invention with a detached sheet being snapped or otherwise fastened to a portion of the front of the main body; 
     FIG. 4 is a front and right side perspective view of the sleeping bag shown in FIG. 1 with a portion of the main body being tucked into the pocket and a cut away section showing the main body filled with a suitable batting; 
     FIG. 5 is front and right side view of a double sleeping bag constituting still another embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective top, front and right side view of a compact shoulder bag constituting still another embodiment of the present invention with detachable shoulder straps after the body section of the sleeping bag of the type shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  5  is tucked into the pocket and ready for being transported; 
     FIG. 7 is perspective front and right side view of compact shoulder bag shown in FIG. 6 with the shoulder straps being detached; and 
     FIG. 8 is a front and right side perspective view of the sleeping bag shown in FIG. 1 in its sleeping mat configuration with about one third of the main body tucked into the pocket. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 are illustrative of a typical configuration of one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, sleeping bag  1  includes main body or member  4  having head section  6 , body section  8 , front  16 , right side  18 , head end  20 , bottom end  24 , left side  26 , and back  40 . Parallel zipper half  28  is attached along right side  18  and left side  26  of one part of body section  8  and parallel zipper engaging half  30  is attached along right side  18  and left side  26  of along the other part of body section. After body section  8  is folded in two parts of substantially equal length, each parallel zipper half  28  is respectively in a position for engagement with parallel zipper engaging half  30  of parallel zippers  34  as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. About half of the length of zippers  34  is shown in FIG. 1 engaged or mated by means of runner  35  attached to the engaging halves  30  and bottom end  24  is folded back. Engaging half  30  can be sewn along the right and left sides  18  and  26  either on the upper part of body section  8  toward head section  6  or on the lower part of body section  8  toward the bottom end  24  and zipper half  28  can be correspondingly sewn either on the lower part or upper part of body section  8 . The exact placement of the engaging halves of the zippers with the runners is not critical so long as sleeping bag  1  has parallel zippers that are attached to each side of body portion  8  after it has been folded into two substantially equal parts. 
     Pocket flap  36  of pocket  38  is shown in FIG. 1 folded under back  40  of head section  6  of sleeping bag  1  to expose front  16  of the entire head section  6 . Pocket  38  is described below in connection with storing and transporting sleeping bag  1 . 
     The length of main body  4  is specifically designed to accommodate about twice the length of a child. Accordingly, the length of main body  4  is preferably designed to be approximately six (6) to eight (8) feet. The width of main body  4  is approximately 18 to 30 inches. When body section  8  is folded substantially in half, runners  35  are in a position for mating parallel zipper halves  28  with engaging halves  30  and the length of zipper  34  is about 30 to 40 inches. Head section  6  is approximately six (6) inches to eight (8) inches long to accommodate the child&#39;s head. 
     Pocket flap  36  preferably is sewn along right side  18  and left side  26  starting at a point on head section  6  adjacent zipper  34  and extends approximately 8 to 12 inches beyond head end  20  before being folded back onto itself. By sewing pocket flap  36  in this manner, rectangular pocket  38  is formed having lateral slit  42  extending from side to side to accommodated the width of main body  4 . The dimensions of pocket  38  are not critical except to allow sufficient space to accommodate the width of main body  4  and the space occupied by a rolled up main body  4 . 
     Main body  4  is filled with suitable batting or other filling material  5  to provide the necessary insulation so that its overall thickness is in the range of about ¾ to 1-½ inches. In some application, a suitable material is Thinsalite fabric. The batting preferably is sewn into sections of main body  4 , e.g. with a cotton, nylon, or other suitable thread. Front  16 , back  40  and pocket flap  36  of main body  4  consists of a suitable fabric that preferably is washable, e.g. cotton or a synthetic fabric. 
     FIG. 2 shows zipper half  44  attached laterally across back  40  between right side  18  and left side  26  and engaging zipper half  46  attached laterally across pocket flap  36  from right side  18  to left side  26  adjacent slit  42  having runner  48 . After pocket  38  is reversed, main body  4  is tucked into pocket  38 , and then runner  48  is used to engage the two zipper halves of transverse zipper  50  (shown in FIGS.  6  and  7 ). FIG. 4 shows sleeping bag  1  after pocket  38  has been reversed, but before the main body  4  is completely tucked into pocket  38 . 
     Sleeping bag  1  of FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown in FIG. 3 with snaps or other fasteners  52  to attach sheet  56  to front  16  of head section  6  and the upper portion of body section  8 . Alternatively, sheet  56  can be removably attached to front  16  by means of Velcro® fasteners. Sheet  56  can be cotton or other absorbent material. Preferably sheet  56  consists of water resistant material such as a double layer of flannel to serve as protection  15  from perspiration or bed wetting of an infant or child. Rubberized cotton could be used in some cases. 
     In the double sleeping bag configuration shown in FIG. 5, parallel zipper half  66  is convertibility engageable with both engaging half  28  on sleeping bag  1  and engaging half  68  sewn on left side of sleeping bag  70 . All the remaining features of sleeping bags  1  and  70  are the same as described above. 
     Compact shoulder bag  1  shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is the result of main body  1  being tucked within slit  42  of pocket  38  and runner  48  engaging zipper halves  44  and  46  of transverse zipper  48 . A pair of buckles or other fasteners  80  is attached to respective ends of shoulder strap  84 . A pair of mating fasteners  88  is attached to each end of short strap  84  to provide shoulder strap  84  to be easily detached from sleeping bag  1 . Preferably fasteners  80  and  88  are slide release buckle typically used on buoyancy control vests of scuba diving equipment and waist packs. 
     Referring now to FIG. 8, sleeping bag  1  is shown in its sleeping mat configuration with approximately a 12 to 14 inch length of main body  4  below head end  20  folded over onto a similar length of itself and the two lengths tucked into pocket  38 . To place sleeping bag  1  into the sleeping mat configuration, bag  1  is reversed so that back  40  is exposed and the two lengths of main body  4  are folded into pocket  38 , and then bag  1  having filled pocket  38  is turned over to expose front 16 as shown in FIG.  8 . Mat  60  is approximately 36 to 40 inches long and has a pillow of about three (3) to six (6) inches thick at head section  6 . 
     The following example further illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention. These examples are for illustrative purposes and are not meant to limit the scope of the claims in any way. 
     EXAMPLE 
     A sleeping bag shown in FIGS. 1-3 and having the slide release buckles  88  and shoulder straps  84  as shown in FIGS. 6-7 was made having the following finished dimensions: The overall length of sleeping bag  1  was 7 feet; the width was 27 inches; the thickness was approximately 1 inch; the depth of pocket  38  was 15 inches, the length of shoulder strap  84  was 32 inches; and sheet  56  was 26 inches wide by 47 inches long. Sleeping bag  1  had an exterior shell and an inner lining made of cotton flannel; and filled with a poly fiberfill. Sheet  56  was made of a double layer of cotton flannel. The hardware used for sleeping bag  1  was parallel separating zippers  34  having a length of 38 inches, and pocket-separating zipper  50  having a length of 26 inches; slide release buckles  88 ; and snaps  52 . 
     Without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, one of ordinary skill in the art can make various changes and modifications to the device of the present invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions. As such, these changes and modifications are properly, equitably, and intended to be, within the full range of equivalents of the following claims.