Patent Publication Number: US-2015059050-A1

Title: Garment for Infants, Babies and Toddlers

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of prior U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/872,396, filed Aug. 30, 2013. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to garments, and in a specific though non-limiting embodiment to a close-fitting, lightweight, one-piece garment comprising a top-down or variable enclosure means such as a two-way zipper. 
     BACKGROUND 
     There is presently known in the relevant arts a close-fitting, one-piece lightweight garment for infants, babies and toddlers, usually (though not necessarily) having sleeve and leg portions (which may or may not be closed off with a feet-covering slipper-like means or a hands-covering glove-like means) that fasten and unfasten using a fastener or combination of fasteners, such as one or more of snaps, buttons and/or zippers, and especially such fasteners as are designed to unzip downwardly from a top portion of the garment toward a bottom portion. 
     Such garments are frequently known commercially in the industry as “onesies” or “a onesie.” Applicant takes note that the term “Onesies™” appears to be both a previously marketed brand name, the rights to which appear to be claimed by Gerber Childswear L.L.C. of Greenville, S.C.; as well as a more common, possibly generic, descriptive term for such garments that is relatively common in the industry without any known claim to trademark rights. Applicant offers no opinion regarding these competing branding rights and interests, if any, and states for the record it is, as of the filing date of the instant application, not knowingly related to any such previously existing product or company. 
     Such garments are also referred to as “sleep-and-plays” or “sleep n′ plays”, though again Applicant is not knowingly related to any previously existing product or company employing such branding. 
     Those of skill in the pertinent arts will readily appreciate that such garments secured by non-zippered fasteners such as snaps or buttons are generally difficult to manage without a light source (which will frequently awaken a sleeping child), and such garments fastened and secured by zippers that unzip from the top down (e.g., from a chest-covering portion, and especially from the top of such, beginning from the topmost portion beneath the child&#39;s chin) will likewise require that a child be virtually uncovered during a diaper changing process, which can both awaken the child and/or cause the child to become chilled, due to the fact that such exposure is the only practical means of reaching the diaper from outside of what is otherwise an essentially closed system. An example of representative prior art showing a garment that unzips only from top-to-bottom is presented in  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the garment  100  comprises a zipper system  101  with only one pull tab  102  connected to a slider (not shown). As the pull tab  102  is manipulated to move away from the top end (not shown) toward the lower end  104  of the zipper system  101 , the left and right teeth strips of the zipper track  105  are disengaged, causing the zipper to “unzip” in a top-to-bottom manner. 
     Therefore, there is an important yet unmet need for a garment that overcomes the problems existing in the art. 
     SUMMARY 
     A garment is provided, including at least a zipper track, the zipper track having a left teeth strip and a right teeth strip and an upper end and a lower end; and an upper slider and a lower slider connected to the zipper track, the upper slider being positioned closer to the upper end than the lower slider, and the upper slider and the lower slider are movable to connectively engage and disengage the teeth strips. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the followed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an example of representative prior art, showing a garment that unzips only from top-to-bottom. 
         FIG. 2  is a close-up view of a two-way zipper used on a garment, according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a top-view of a garment having a two-way zipper, according to a further embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
     In order to overcome the long-felt but unmet needs of the prior art, an all-in-one or onesie type garment is provided, which affords the user a choice of zipper directions. In one presently contemplated embodiment, this flexibility is accomplished by means of a two-way zipper, which admits to unzipping in both a top-to-bottom method as is already known, but also in a bottom-to-top manner as is presently unknown in the prior art and marketplace. A representative example of a zipper system  200  useful for such applications is presented in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     In example embodiments, the zipper system  200  comprises a zipper track  201 . The zipper track  201  comprises a left teeth strip  202  and a right teeth strip  203 , and an upper end  204  and a lower end  205 . The teeth strips  202  and  203  are offset from each other. An upper slider  206  connectively engages the teeth strips  202  and  203  as the upper slider  206  is manipulated away from the upper end  204  of the zipper track  201  using a first zipper pull  207  pivotally connected to the upper slider  206 . Likewise, the upper slider  206  “unzips” the teeth strips  202  and  203  when the upper slider  206  is moved toward the upper end  204  of the zipper track  201  using the first zipper pull  207 . This shall be referred to herein as “bottom-to-top” unzipping. 
     In further embodiments, the zipper system  200  comprises a lower slider  216 , which connectively engages the teeth strips  202  and  203  as the lower slider  216  is manipulated away from the lower end  205  of the zipper track  201  using a second zipper pull  217  pivotally connected to the lower slider  216 . Likewise, the lower slider  216  “unzips” the teeth strips  202  and  203  when the lower slider  216  is moved toward the lower end  205  of the zipper track  201  using the second zipper pull  217 . This shall be referred to herein as “top-to-bottom” unzipping. 
     According to example embodiments, the upper end  204  of the zipper track  201  is positioned in close proximity to the neckline of the garment. In further embodiments, the lower end  205  is positioned in the leg or foot portion of the garment. 
     In a further embodiment, the garment unzips in only a bottom-to-top fashion using a traditional one-way zippering means. 
     Using the configuration(s) disclosed herein, the subject person is only undressed from the foot to the waist. 
     In certain embodiments, when the garment is in in the fully “zipped” position, the zipper pulls  207  and  217  are located in the leg or foot portion of the garment. In further embodiments, when the caregiver desires to unzip the garment to change the child wearing the garment, the caregiver is able to unzip the garment by moving the first zipper pull  207  away from the lower end  205  and toward the top end  204 , until the garment is unzipped to a level sufficient to access and change the child. This embodiment affords the parent or other caregiver a quicker, safer and more efficient changing method generally, and especially with respect to late-night diaper changes frequently achieved without lighting and oftentimes while the child remains asleep. 
     By use of the garment disclosed herein, a child is far less likely to be awakened by a cold draft caused by becoming either completely or substantially undressed. Instead, the baby will stay warm and hopefully asleep while only minimal skin surface is being exposed for changing. 
     The child is also less likely to damage the zipper or become injured by interaction with an externally disposed zipper pull, which in some currently known models is achieved by covering the zipper pull  102  with additional material in the form of a tab  103  sewn onto the garment as is shown in prior art  FIG. 1 . By use of the garment disclosed herein, additional zipper pull-covering pieces are unnecessary, as both zipper pulls  207  and  217  are located in the foot or leg portion of the garment when fully zipped. 
     On the other hand, if a given user still prefers to employ the device in a traditional top-to-bottom manner, the dual zipper embodiment allows the user to choose between orientations and directions and unzip the zipper in the traditional top-to-bottom manner instead of the more efficient bottom-to-top manner disclosed herein. 
     It is also contemplated that a great many different types of zippering means, whether presently known or conceived in the future, would be appropriate for execution of the invention, and a plurality of relative positions and specific locations of the zippering terminus points are also expressly contemplated. 
     The foregoing specification is provided for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to describe all possible aspects of the present invention. Moreover, while the invention has been shown and described in detail with respect to several exemplary embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that minor changes to the description, and various other modifications, omissions and additions may also be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.