Patent Publication Number: US-2022211121-A1

Title: Accessibility Garment Apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to accessibility devices and more particularly pertains to a new accessibility device for allowing self-sufficiency for handicapped and disabled people. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to accessibility devices. Known garments have a variety of different opening methods and locations. These devices are often incorporate traditional zippers and are still difficult for independent use. Such garments lack a hook or ring attached to the zipper or other fastener for easier use by wearers with limited dexterity. Such devices also lack integrated absorptive padding. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a garment body having a waistband, a front side, a back side, an inner surface, an outer surface, a crotch portion, an inseam, and a pair of legs. The inseam has an access aperture extending from a right leg to a left leg of the pair of legs. An absorptive pad is coupled to the garment body. The absorptive pad is coupled to the inner surface on the back side. A zipper is coupled to the garment body. The zipper has a chain coupled along the access aperture and a slider engaged with the chain to selectively close or open the access aperture. A hook is coupled to the slider of the zipper. 
     An alternative embodiment of the disclosure generally comprises a garment body having a waistband, a front side, a back side, an inner surface, an outer surface, a crotch portion, an inseam, and a pair of legs. The garment body has an access aperture extending through the crotch portion. An absorptive pad is coupled to the garment body. The absorptive pad is coupled to the inner surface on the back side. A flap is coupled to the garment body. The flap selectively covers or exposing the access aperture. The flap has a plurality of first engagement members. A plurality of second engagement members is coupled to the garment body adjacent the access aperture and is selectively engageable with the plurality of first engagement members to secure the flap in a closed position. At least one pull tab is coupled to the flap. The pull tabs are coupled to the flap proximal a flap top edge to allow the user to disengage the plurality of first engagement members and the plurality of second engagement members to move the flap to an open position. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an accessibility garment apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a rear elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  is an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 10  thereof, a new accessibility device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 10 , the accessibility garment apparatus  10  generally comprises a garment body  12  having a waistband  14 , a front side  16 , a back side  18 , an inner surface  20 , an outer surface  22 , a crotch portion  24 , an inseam  26 , and a pair of legs  28 . The inseam  26  has an access aperture  30  extending from a right leg  32  to a left leg  34  of the pair of legs. The garment body  12  may be a pair of shorts or pants such as, but not limited to jeans, dress pants, slacks, sweatpants, or the like. 
     An absorptive pad  36  is coupled to the garment body  12 . The absorptive pad  36  is coupled to the inner surface  20  on the back side  18 . The absorptive pad  36  may extend from adjacent the waistband  14  to adjacent the access aperture  30  to serve as a secondary diaper or sanitary pad in case of leakage. 
     A zipper  38  is coupled to the garment body  12 . The zipper  38  has a chain  40  coupled along the access aperture  30  and a slider  42  engaged with the chain  40  to selectively close or open the access aperture  30 . A hook  44  is coupled to the zipper  38 . The hook  44  is coupled to the slider  42  and may be J-shaped and larger than a standard zipper pull to make it easier for someone to manipulate. 
     In an alternative embodiment of the invention  50  shown in  FIGS. 6-10 , the garment body  12  has the access aperture  30  extending through the crotch portion  24 . The access aperture  30  may extend from the inseam  26  to adjacent the waistband  14 . The garment body  12  may be an undergarment such as, but not limited to, briefs, boxers, women&#39;s underwire, and the like. A flap  52  is coupled to the garment body  12  adjacent the inseam  26 . The flap  52  selectively covers or exposes the access aperture  30 . The flap  52  has a plurality of first engagement members  54 . The plurality of first engagement members  54  may be a pair of first engagement members  54  coupled adjacent a flap top edge  56  and adjacent a pair of flap outer edges  58 . 
     A plurality of second engagement members  60  is coupled to the garment body  12  adjacent the access aperture  30  and is selectively engageable with the plurality of first engagement members  54  to secure the flap  52  in a closed position as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 . The pair of second engagement members  60  may be a pair of second engagement members  60  coupled adjacent the access aperture  30  and proximal the waistband  14 . Each of the plurality of first engagement members  54  and the plurality of second engagement members  60  may be, but is not limited to, a selectively engageable fastener such as hook-and-loop, snaps, and the like. 
     At least one pull tab  62  is coupled to the flap  52 . The at least one pull tab  62  may be a pair of rings  64 . The pull tabs  62  are coupled to the flap  52  proximal the flap top edge  56  to allow the user to disengage the plurality of first engagement members  54  and the plurality of second engagement members  60  to move the flap  52  to an open position shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     In use, the garment body  12  is worn like a traditional garment. The user then pulls on either the hook  44  or the pull tab  62  to expose the access aperture  30  as needed. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.