Patent Publication Number: US-2018042310-A1

Title: Infant garment with independent zippers

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention pertains to an infant garment having independent zippers. More particularly, the present invention pertains to an infant garment having both a body zipper and an independent crotch zipper for facilitating diapering. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     There are many challenges that parents face with a baby. When asked about their top daily challenges, parents are quick to list diaper changing. Diaper changing can be challenging for many reasons, at least because an infant or child often won&#39;t lay still, and a sleep-deprived parent can&#39;t easily change a diaper in the dark. In addition, exposing an infant&#39;s chest during the diaper changing process, which occurs when clothing around the infant&#39;s torso requires opening and/or removal, can wake an infant from a sleep state or cause the infant general discomfort due to unnecessary temperature change of the skin. No matter which way you look at it, diaper changing can be a harrowing process, and one that every parent has struggled with. 
     One-piece infant garments have not measurably changed since the widespread use of of the one-piece pyjama or sleeper. While today&#39;s infant clothing uses a wider range of materials, the fundamental design of an infant garment or sleeper has remained a standard item of infant clothing. Parents and caregivers are given the limited choice of two basic onesie options: onesies with snaps, and onesies with a single front zipper. Snaps can be challenging at least because unsnapping the outfit can be a jarring experience for a sleeping infant. For parents re-dressing the infant, matching up the snaps in the dark, while tired or while an infant is squirming can lead to frustration, as well as snaps being mismatched and/or infant limbs not being properly covered. 
     Infant garments having a single front zipper can be challenging for different reasons. For example, unzipping a onesie from the top to access the diapering area can let in cold air that can wake up a child during a night-time change. In addition, in a standard garment where the zipper extends from the collar to one foot, getting the leg of the non-zippered side in and out can require pulling, pushing, and/or exerting force on the baby&#39;s leg. 
     In US 2009/0293169 to Wise, in addition to an opening extending from the collar to the waist of an infant garment, a second zipper is incorporated into the infant garment extending from one ankle to the opposite ankle through the crotch area. This enables the opening of the crotch area for diapering, however still requires the garment to be either pulled over the baby&#39;s head or slid over the baby&#39;s body during dressing and undressing 
     Some infant garments with zippers have a two-way zipper, such as US 2009/0222968 to Pisano-Ginter. A two-way zipper, or a zipper that can open from either direction, can somewhat help alleviate the issue of a cold draft to the infant during diaper changing. However, the zipper of the garment still needs to be undone significantly to get the baby&#39;s leg on the non-zippered side out of the garment for diapering. 
     Traditional versions of one-piece infant garments with either a single front one-way zipper, a single front two-way zipper, or snaps from the neckline to the crotch and between the legs, lack the ability to enable easy access to the infant&#39;s entire bottom half from the garment. Additionally, a traditional snap system can be cumbersome and difficult to align in an efficient manner, especially if the garment wearer is moving or in low light conditions. 
     There remains a need for a one-piece infant garment which is easy to put on and also provides access to the crotch area. 
     This background information is provided for the purpose of making known information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an infant garment having independent zippers. More particularly, the present invention provides an infant garment having both a body zipper and an independent crotch zipper for facilitating diapering. 
     In accordance with one aspect, there is provided an infant garment comprising: a one-piece body comprising, attached together, a body portion having a front and a back, a crotch portion, a neckline, two arm portions, and a left leg and a right leg each terminating in a foot portion; a separating body zipper extending along the front of the body portion and having a separating end at the neckline and a closed end at one of the foot portions; and a non-separating crotch zipper extending along an inseam of the left leg portion, through the crotch portion, and along an inseam of the right leg portion. 
     In an embodiment, the crotch zipper extends from the foot portion of the left leg through the crotch portion to the foot portion of the right leg. In another embodiment, the garment further comprises ankle gatherings on the foot portions. 
     In another embodiment, the crotch portion further comprises a gusset. In a preferred embodiment, the gusset is a two-piece gusset. 
     In another embodiment, the garment further comprises a protective neckline flap at the separating end of the body zipper. In another embodiment, the garment further comprises a foot bottom material on the foot portions of the garment. 
     In another embodiment, the garment further comprises a body zipper lining, a crotch zipper lining, or both. In another embodiment, the body zipper and/or the crotch zipper is a two-way zipper. In another embodiment, the body zipper extends substantially along the front of the garment. 
     In another embodiment, the body zipper extends at least partially along a side of the garment. In another embodiment, the garment further comprises a cuff at the end of each arm portion. 
     In accordance with another aspect, there is provided an infant garment comprising: a one-piece body comprising, attached together, a body portion having a front and a back, a crotch portion, a neckline, two arm portions each comprising a cuff, and a left leg and a right leg each terminating in a foot portion; a separating body zipper extending along the front of the body portion and having a separating end at the neckline and a closed end at one of the foot portions; and a non-separating crotch zipper extending from the foot portion of the left leg through the crotch portion to the foot portion of the right leg. 
     In an embodiment, the garment further comprises ankle gatherings on the foot portions. In an embodiment, the crotch portion further comprises a gusset. In a preferred embodiment, the gusset is a two-piece gusset. 
     In another embodiment, the garment further comprises a protective neckline flap at the separating end of the body zipper. In another embodiment, the garment further comprises a foot bottom material on the foot portions of the garment. 
     In another embodiment, the garment further comprises a body zipper lining, a crotch zipper lining, or both. In another embodiment, the garment further comprises the body zipper extends substantially along the front of the garment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       For a better understanding of the present invention, as well as other aspects and further features thereof, reference is made to the following description which is to be used in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an infant garment as described; 
         FIG. 2  is a close up view of the neckline region of the garment; 
         FIG. 3  is a close up view of the left ankle and foot portion comprising the closing end of the crotch zipper; 
         FIG. 4  is a close up view of both foot portions of the garment shown with the closed end of the body zipper and both ends of the crotch zipper; 
         FIG. 5  is a close up view of the back of the garment at both feet with the ankle gathering detail; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  are alternative embodiments of the present invention with alternative placement of the body zipper; and 
         FIGS. 7A and 7B  are alternative designs of the crotch gusset. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Definitions 
     Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. 
     As used in the specification and claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     The term “comprising” as used herein will be understood to mean that the list following is non-exhaustive and may or may not include any other additional suitable items, for example one or more further feature(s), component(s) and/or element(s) as appropriate. 
     The term “infant” as used herein refers to a human baby or toddler for whom easy access to the crotch region is useful, such as for diapering. Although the term “infant” is used to describe the main wearer for the presently described garment, it is understood that a garment of exact or similar design may be used, for example, for infirmed patients or the elderly, in adult work garments, adult sleep or lounging garments, or in other garment applications where ease of dressing in combination with access to the bottom or crotch region of a person is useful. 
     The term “infant garment” as used herein refers to a single piece of clothing that covers most of the body of an infant. The present infant garment has a torso or body portion, and two legs. The legs preferably terminate in feet coverings attached to the legs of the garment. The infant garment also preferably comprises two arms. Other non-limiting examples of commonly used terms describing this article of infant clothing are pyjama, footed pyjama, sleepwear, sleeper, one-piece footed onesie and onesie. 
     The term “separating zipper” as used herein refers to a zipper that has a separating or opening end and a closed end having a bottom stop or end stop such that the bottom end of the zipper does not separate. The term “non-separating zipper” as used herein refers to a zipper that has two closed ends and opens up through the length of the zipper between the two closed ends. The presently described zipper can be a coil zipper, tooth zipper, or any other zipper known to the skilled person. The weight, size, brand and material of the body zipper and crotch zipper can be selected based on the fabric used and application for each garment. 
     The term “inseam” as used herein is a technical term to describe a seam that runs along the interior leg of a garment, generally extending from the crotch region downwards to the lower ankle or foot region. 
     Described herein is an infant garment having two independent zippers. The garment comprises a body zipper and an independent crotch zipper. The body zipper extends from the collar of the infant garment to a foot of the infant garment, and the crotch zipper extends along the crotch of the infant garment, preferably from one foot of the infant garment to the other foot of the infant garment. The present design, in particular the crotch zipper in combination with the body zipper in a single garment, facilitates diapering in infants and can streamline dressing and undressing. In use, the presently described garment can also assist in reducing the amount of time required for diapering. 
     The presently described infant garment has the capability of drastically improving the way that parents and babies experience diaper changing. With a crotch zipper that runs along the garment&#39;s inseam, preferably from ankle through the crotch to the opposite ankle, in combination with an independently movable body zipper that extends from the neckline to one ankle along the front side of the garment, parents can easily dress and undress their child using the body zipper, as well as access their child&#39;s diaper when they need to be changed using the crotch zipper. 
     The crotch zipper of the garment can also be easily unzipped and zipped up even if the infant is rolling over or crawling away. The same can be done in the dark without the need to line up snaps or position garment closures. By further replacing snapped leg crotch closures with a single crotch zipper, opening and closing of the garment for access to and enclosure of the lower half of the body area becomes an efficient, more easily managed movement. Because the presently described garment has two independent zippers, the infant&#39;s chest also remains covered while the infant is being changed through the crotch zipper. In this way, the parent or caregiver can access only the diaper changing area with limited disturbance to the child during diapering. In addition, the smooth movement of a zipper can reduce the amount of time required to manipulate the infant and minimizes the chances of waking an infant during the night. 
     The present design also enables an infant&#39;s legs to be removed from the bottom of the garment easily to enable diapering. Some other advantages that parents may also experience are increased quality and quantity of sleep for both parents and baby, at least because babies get more and better sleep if night-time diaper change disturbances are minimized. Making diaper changing easier, quicker and less challenging can also have a profound positive impact on a new parent&#39;s state of mind and make them better able to handle other issues as they arise. 
     The presently described garment comprises two independent zippers that exist in combination on a single garment that can be worn by infants, children and/or adults. The separating body zipper at the neckline enables the garment to be easily opened, with the infant, child or adult placed on top of the garment in either a laying or sitting position in the opening, their arms and legs fitted easily into each arm and leg opening, then zipped up. In an embodiment where the body zipper is a two-way zipper, the body zipper can be provided with an additional zipper pull at the ankle, allowing the garment user or caregiver to provide an opening of various sizes depending on the intended use of the opening. This can include, but is not limited to, accomodation for: tubes, cords, immobilized limbs (such as post-surgical or injury), or simply another access channel to the wearer. Access to the garment wearer&#39;s lower half of the body becomes easier as only the legs and crotch area are exposed when the crotch zipper is opened. 
     The crotch zipper, in combination with the body zipper, provides a garment having two distinct openings with distinct functions. Specifically, the body zipper functions as a dressing zipper to assist with putting the garment on the infant, and the crotch zipper functions to enable easy access for diapering without the need to undress the infant. The crotch zipper in combination with the body zipper is an improvement to traditional similar designs that have either one zipper or the other, or a truncated form or either or both, but not both full zippers together. In particular, the body zipper extending from neckline to ankle enables full access to the interior of the garment while dressing, while the independently functioning crotch zipper provides full access to the crotch area of the garment for diapering. The present design allows for ease of access to perform tasks that can include, but are not limited to diaper changing, toileting, applying cream or ointments, taking temperatures, bathing, cleansing, or changing undergarments on an infant, child or adult without removing the otherwise clean garment from the wearer. 
     One embodiment of the presently described infant garment is shown in  FIG. 1 . The infant garment  10  comprises the garment body  12 , which is comprised of multiple pieces of fabric sewn or attached together, the construction of which would be fully understood by the skilled person. The garment has the standard pieces found in a traditional onesie, such as a body portion having a front and back, a crotch portion, a neckline, two arm portions, and two leg portions each terminating in a foot portion. The infant garment  10  comprises a body zipper  14  and a crotch zipper  16 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , body zipper  14  is located on the body front portion  22  of the garment along a generally vertical line that starts at the neckline and continues in a downward direction and terminates at one ankle of the garment. Body zipper  14  is a separating zipper comprised of a zipper track originating at the separating end  18  of the body zipper  14  and ending at the closed end  20  of body zipper  14 . The crotch portion is the part of the body found at the inseam of the legs, between the front and back portions of the body. The crotch portion may be at the attachment seam between the front and back portions of the body of the garment at crotch zipper  16 , or can also comprise one or more gussets. 
     A bottom stop  38  of the body zipper  14  is shown in  FIG. 1  at right ankle  42 . Body zipper  14  preferably also comprises a pull tab on the zipper pull  28  that facilitates a better grasp of the zipper pull  28 . The tab can be attached to the zipper pull  28  and made from any material which provides an improved grip for moving the zipper pull  28 . The zipper pull  28  opens from the separating end of the body zipper  18  and terminates at the closed end of the body zipper  20 . The garment optionally also comprises a tab of fabric located directly below the closed end  20  of the body zipper, near the bottom stop  32  of the body zipper. The tab of fabric can provide a secure anchor point for the user to more easily hold the garment while closing the body zipper  14 . The embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  also comprises foot portions or attached garment feet  44  (left) and  46  (right) attached to the left ankle  40  and right ankle  42 , respectively, of the infant garment  10 . 
     The body zipper  14  is shown as a one way zipper having a separating end and a closed end, however it is understood that this zipper could also be replaced with a two-way separating zipper. As shown in  FIG. 1 , body zipper  14  has a separating end  18  at neckline  48  of the infant garment  10  and a closed end  20  at one foot of the infant garment  10 . The body zipper  14  is shown in  FIG. 1  extending from the neckline  48  to the right foot  46  of the infant garment  10 , however it is understood that the body zipper could also extend from the neckline  48  to the left foot  44  of the infant garment  10 . 
     The crotch zipper  16  runs along the inseam or crotch area  52  of the infant garment  10  and has a crotch zipper pull  34 . The crotch zipper pull  34  can also comprise a tab similar to that described for the body zipper pull  28 . The crotch zipper  16  is a non-separating zipper. The crotch zipper preferably extends from the left ankle  40  to the right ankle  42  of the infant garment  10 , however can also have a number of other different configurations. For example, the crotch zipper can be inserted at different points on the garment to provide several opening size options from one inseam side through the crotch to the other inseam side. Some non-limiting examples of options for placement of the crotch zipper are: from ankle level on one side to the ankle level on the opposite side to provide the largest opening; from mid-calf level on one side to the mid-calf level on the opposite side to provide a mid-size opening; and from knee level on one side to the knee level on the opposite side to provide a small opening. The main function of the crotch zipper  16  is to enable access to the diaper area of an infant without having to remove the infant garment  10  from the infant. In  FIG. 1 , the crotch zipper  16  is shown as having an opening end  24  at the right ankle  42  and a closing end  26  with a bottom stop  38  at the left ankle  40 , although it is clear that the opening end and closed end of the crotch zipper  16  can also be reversed left to right, or to the opposite feet shown in  FIG. 1 . Crotch zipper  16  can also be a two-way zipper. 
     Neckline  48  preferably comprises a neckline flap  50  to house the separating end  18  of body zipper  14  and to provide a place for the body zipper pull  28  to rest when the body zipper is closed. The neckline flap  50  helps to cover the top of the separating end of the body zipper  14 , also known as the “top stop”, thus protecting the neck of the garment wearer from irritation from the zipper. Also, the neckline flap  50  can limit accessibility to the zipper by the infant. The neckline flap  50  can also thus prevent the wearer from being able to undo the body zipper at the separating end. The neckline flap  50  can also be folded over the top end of the body zipper pull  28  when the body zipper  14  is in the closed position at the top of the garment at the neckline  48 . The protective flap  50  can be a triangular or square piece of fabric that is the same material or different material as the garment  10 . The neckline flap can also be sewn in such a way that it is part of the neckline and folds over the body zipper pull  28 , remaining in place without the use of snaps, Velcro™ or other securing mechanisms. Since there are no securing mechanisms, it is easy for the garment user to access the body zipper pull  28  when it is located at the separating end  18  of the body zipper while minimizing any disturbance to an infant or child. The protective flap  50  opens to allow access to the zipper pull  28 , and can extend far enough past the body zipper pull  28  along the neckline so that it is not easily reached by an infant&#39;s fingers. The protective flap  50  is preferable and described herein as a safety feature to keep the body zipper pull  28  from being a possible choking hazard when exposed to and accessible by the infant. 
       FIG. 2  is a close up of the neckline region of the presently described garment, with the separating end of the body zipper  18  open. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the garment also preferably comprises a protective lining, or body zipper lining  54  located directly behind the seam of the body zipper on the inside of the garment. The body zipper lining  54  extends along the length of the body zipper along the interior of the garment. The length of the body zipper lining  54  can be shorter than the length of the body zipper  14 , slightly longer than the length of the body zipper  14 , or preferably the same length of the body zipper  14 . The preferred width of the body zipper lining  54  is about 0.4 to 1.0 inches wide, preferably 0.6 to 0.9 inches wide, and most preferably approximately 0.75 inches wide. The body zipper lining  54  can prevent potential irritation from the body zipper  14  or a pinch to the skin of the wearer when closing body zipper  14 . 
       FIG. 3  is a close up view of the left ankle of the garment with the closing end  26  of the crotch zipper  16 . Crotch zipper  16  also preferably comprises a crotch zipper lining  56 . Crotch zipper lining  56  serves a similar purpose as body zipper lining  54  and has the same approximate width dimensions. The length of the crotch zipper lining  56  can be shorter than the length of the crotch zipper  16 , slightly longer than the length of the crotch zipper  16 , or preferably the same length of the crotch zipper  16 . 
       FIG. 4  is a close up view of the right and left foot portions with the body zipper and crotch zipper shown in  FIG. 1 , with both of the zippers in their fully closed positions. 
       FIG. 5  is a close up view of the back of the garment at the feet with the ankle gathering detail. The ankles of the garment can also optionally comprise an ankle gathering  58  along the back and/or front of the foot of the garment to assist retaining of the foot portion of the garment onto the foot of the wearer. Preferably, the ankle gathering is on the back of each foot portion. The ankle gathering  58  can be held in place, for example, with an elastic that has been stretched and sewn in directly into the material. This feature can help keep the infant&#39;s foot in place. The bottom of the foot of the garment can also optionally comprise an additional layer of foot bottom material  60 . The foot bottom material  60  can comprise an applied material such as surfacing, paint, or iron-on individual or complete patches, or can be one or more pieces of fabric attached to the foot bottom. The foot bottom material  60  can be a thin or thick layer of material that can function to provide warmth, reinforcement, increased friction, or any combination thereof to the feet of the garment. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , the body zipper  14  can have different configurations, and the separating end  18  of the body zipper can be at any location on the neckline  48  of the front face of the infant garment  10 . The body zipper  14  can have several different configurations, extending from neckline to ankle Non-limiting examples of these include a straight vertical line, a diagonal line from one side of the neck opening to the opposite ankle, a slight diagonal line from the centre of the neck to one of the ankles, and from any point on the front of the neck portion down either side of the body running from the armpit to the outer ankle on the same side. Two exemplary embodiments of different configurations of the body zipper are shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . As shown in  FIG. 6A , the body zipper  14  can begin on a side of the neckline  48  on the front face of the infant garment  10  and extend along the front face to the side of the garment, and along the side of the garment to the foot. An alternative embodiment is shown in  FIG. 6B , wherein the body zipper  14  extends from a side of the neckline  48  and down the front face to the foot. 
     The crotch of the garment can further be designed to have one or more gusset  62 .  FIGS. 7A and 7B  show two different gusset designs, with  FIG. 7A  showing a one-panel gusset on the back side of the garment, and  FIG. 7B  showing a two-panel gusset ( 62   a ,  62   b ) having a gusset panel on each of the front and back panels of the infant garment. Another possible design is a single gusset attached to the front panel of the garment (not shown). 
     The present garment can be manufactured from any type of fabric suitable for the garment use. Some non-limiting examples of exemplary fabrics include washable or dry clean only fabric, washable fabric such as cotton, nylon, polyester, or blends of the aforementioned, or fire-resistant material per Health Canada and United States Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines for infant and children&#39;s sleepwear. The materials of the garment will also comply with the national regulations, industry or use-specific functions that may be required of the garment. Further, the present garment may also be used for other infant or children&#39;s garments including, but not limited to, and not shown, non-footed pajamas, one piece daywear rompers, or made in larger sizes intended for older children and full grown adults. The garment can also include one or more of cuffs, attached or detachable mitts, or any other accessory known to the skilled person. One function of a cuff on an infant or child&#39;s garment is to secure the hands of an infant or child outside the garment. 
     All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains and are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. 
     The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.