Abstract:
A one-piece form-fitting bodysuit includes a front panel, a back panel joined to the front panel with neck and arm holes and a seat opening provided, a crotch panel joined to the front panel, a seat flap connected to the crotch panel, and closure elements provided on the peripheries of the seat opening and the seat flap. The bodysuit may be worn under street clothes and prevents the wearer from exposing his or her private parts area to nearby people. The bodysuit is constructed so that the wearer cannot easily get his or her hands inside of the bodysuit. The back flap can be opened by a caretaker, for changing the wearer&#39;s diaper.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    It is well known that persons, who have dementia, a brain injury from a stroke or a traumatic brain injury, or other mental disabilities may lose some of their inhibitions. With the loss of inhibitions, such persons sometimes engage in socially undesirable behaviors such as publically handling and/or exposing their private body parts. It can be difficult to prevent such behaviors without restricting the person&#39;s movement. Therefore, there is a need for a garment that restricts a person&#39;s access to his or her private parts. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention provides embodiments of a garment that can be worn under street clothes and which prevents the wearer from touching or exposing his or her private body parts when in public. The garment may be a one-piece bodysuit made of a stretchy, form fitting knit fabric that covers the wearer&#39;s torso and upper thighs. Neck and arm openings are cut high on the body so that it is difficult for the wearer to get his or her hands into the bodysuit. The lower leg openings are elasticized so that it is difficult for the wearer to pull them up to the groin area. The bodysuit includes a fully openable back flap that can be opened by a caretaker, but which is resistant to opening by the wearer. 
         [0003]    In an embodiment of the invention, the garment includes: a front panel; a back panel joined to the front panel in such a manner as to provide a central neck opening and opposite arm openings, the back panel having a lower seat opening having a seat opening periphery; a crotch panel joined to the front panel; a seat flap joined to the crotch panel and having a flap periphery similar in shape to the seat opening periphery; and closure elements on the seat opening periphery and the flap periphery, the closure elements cooperating to releasably secure the seat flap to the back panel. The front panel, back panel, crotch panel, and seat flap are formed may form a single, continuous piece of fabric whereby the garment is a one-piece garment. The front panel and seat flap may include leg portions which cover upper leg regions of a wearer of the garment. The closure elements may include cooperating elements of a hook and loop fastener strip. Alternatively, the closure elements may also include cooperating components of a hook and bar fastener. 
         [0004]    When the back flap is opened, the caretaker can push the bodysuit up the wearer&#39;s torso, so as to allow the wearer to go to the bathroom. If the wearer uses a diaper, the caretaker can open the back flap to change the diaper. When finished, the caretaker can close the back flap using closures that prevent the wearer from opening the back flap. 
         [0005]    Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. 
         [0006]    The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a garment according to the present invention showing the front and a side of the garment when on a person. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a back view of the garment wherein a back flap of the garment is in a closed position. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a fragmentary back view of the garment showing details of exemplary closure elements of the garment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the garment illustrating closures of the garment with the back flap shown in an open position. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a greatly enlarged cross sectional view of closures used to close the back flap of the garment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]    As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 
         [0013]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5 , an embodiment of a bodysuit or garment of the present invention is denoted by numeral  1 . The bodysuit  1  is sized and shaped to be worn by a person or wearer  3  so as to prevent the wearer from exposing or handling private body parts in public. The bodysuit  1  is particularly useful for adults suffering from dementia or who have had a brain injury, who have lost their inhibitions and may have a tendency to perform such publically undesirable behaviors. 
         [0014]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the bodysuit  1  may be a one-piece garment that is sized and shaped to cover the wearer&#39;s upper body or torso, generally  5 , and may also cover the wearer&#39;s upper thighs, generally  7 . The bodysuit  1  may be fabricated using sewing techniques well known in the garment industry, and may be formed of a smooth stretchy fabric  9  that generally conforms to the wearer&#39;s body. Preferably, the bodysuit  1  is sized and shaped so that it can be worn under clothing, as an undergarment. Numerous suitable fabrics  9  are known in the art. Fabrics  9  containing elastane, such as some knit fabrics with at least 3% elastane, find particular use in the bodysuit  1 . “Elastane” is a generic reference to a polyester-polyurethane copolymer, which is also referred to generically as “spandex”. Wicking fabrics, which are known to move moisture from an interior side of the fabric to an exterior side of the fabric, also find particular use in the bodysuit  1 . Many of these fabrics  9  can be found in the athletic garment industry. 
         [0015]    The bodysuit  1  includes a bodice portion  11 , which covers the wearer&#39;s torso, and may also include leg portions  13  that extend downwardly from the bodice portion  11  so as to cover the wearer&#39;s upper thighs  7 . The illustrated bodysuit  1  may include a unitary front panel or portion  15  that covers the front of the wearer&#39;s body and a back panel or portion  17  that covers the back of the wearer&#39;s body. The bodice portion  11  includes a neck opening  19 , or neckline, and left and right arm openings  21 , or arm holes. The neck and arm openings  19  and  21  may be defined by hems  23  of the fabric  9 , which may be elasticized, such as is known in the art. The neck opening  19  is preferably positioned high enough on the wearer&#39;s body so that he or she cannot slip his hand through the neck opening  19  and into an interior  25  of the bodysuit  1 . The arm openings  21  are preferably positioned high enough on the body and tight enough so that the wearer cannot easily put his or her hands therethrough and into the bodysuit interior  25 . The bodice portion  11  also covers the sides of the wearer&#39;s body, so as to prevent the wearer from putting his or her hands inside of the bodysuit  1 . 
         [0016]    The leg portion  13  includes two leg portions  27  that terminate in elasticized leg openings  29  that are provided at the bottom of the bodysuit  1 . The leg openings  29  are defined by hems  31  that may include elastic (not shown), which prevents the wearer from pulling up the legs  27 , so as to gain access to his or her groin area. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3-5 , the back portion  17  includes a seat or back opening  18  ( FIG. 3 ) that may be closed by an openable lower back or seat flap, generally  33 , which is securable with a plurality of closures, generally  35 , such as when in a closed position (see  FIG. 2 ). The back flap  33  is generally U-shaped and extends upwardly from the back of one of the leg openings  29   a , to about the back of the wearer&#39;s back waist, generally  37 , across the waist  37 , and then back down to the back of the second of the leg  27  to the second opening  29   b . As is most easily seen in  FIG. 3 , the back flap  33  is joined with the front portion  15  by a crotch panel  39  of the bodysuit  1 . Due to this construction, the garment  1  can be placed in an opened position ( FIG. 3 ) by pulling the back flap  33  downward and pulled between the wearers legs  7 , and then to the front of the body. When in the opened position, the back flap  33  and leg portion  13  can be pulled up to or above the wearer&#39;s front waist, generally  41 . This allows access to the wearer&#39;s lower body, so that the wearer can relieve himself or herself or so that a caretaker can change a diaper (not shown) which may be worn by the wearer  3 . Additionally, with the back flap open, the wearer  3  may put on or take off the bodysuit  1  in the manner of a conventional tee-shirt (not shown). 
         [0018]    The back flap  33  is held in the closed position by the closures  35  on the back or seat opening edge or periphery  43  and the back flap edge or periphery  45 . Suitable closures  35  may, for example, include snaps, hooks and eyes, and hook and loop tape (see  FIGS. 3-5 ). The caretaker unhooks, unsnaps and peels open the associated closures  35 , so as to place the back panel  33  into the opened position. To place the back panel  33  into a closed position, the caretaker re-connects, engages or closes the associated closures  35 , such as is known in the art. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIGS. 305 , the illustrated seat opening  18  has strips of one component  48  of a hook and loop fastener  49  along side portions of the periphery  43  and strips of the complementary component  50  of the fastener  49  along sides of the periphery  45  of the back flap  33 . The hook and loop fastener  49  may be of the type developed and manufactured by Velcro Industries B. V. (www.velcrocom). Additionally, the illustrated bodysuit  1  has a plurality of spaced apart bars  53  secured along a top of the periphery  43  of the seat opening  18  and a complementary plurality of hooks  54  secured along the periphery  45  of the end of the back flap  33 . The hooks  54  engage the corresponding bars  53  of the book and bar fastener sets  55 . It is also foreseen that a single, continuous hook and loop fastener  49  could be employed with one continuous component  48  secured along the seat opening periphery  43  and the other continuous component  50  secured along the flap periphery  45 . It is also foreseen that multiple strips of the hook and loop fastener could be secured along the peripheries  43  and  45  without the use of the hook and bar fasteners  55 . 
         [0020]    The above description discloses several methods and materials of the present invention. This invention is susceptible to modifications in the methods and materials, as well as alterations in the fabrication methods and equipment. For example, the front panel  15 , back panel  17 , crotch panel  39 , and back flap  33  can be formed from a single continuous piece of fabric, whereby the bodysuit  1  is a one piece garment. Alternatively, the panels  15 ,  17 ,  39 , and  33  can be formed separately and joined, as by conventional sewn seams. Such modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of this disclosure or practice of the invention disclosed herein. Consequently, it is not intended that this invention be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but that it cover all modifications and alternatives coming within the scope and spirit of the invention. 
         [0021]    It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.