Abstract:
A garment for a weak or paralyzed patient has handholds to assist a caregiver in moving or positioning the patient. The garment may have a double tail that is passed through the crotch of the patient and fastened on the front of the garment. The tail has left and right portions that pass on opposite sides of the patient&#39;s genitals to prevent discomfort caused by compression of the genitals. In another embodiment of the invention, short trousers have a cutout in the crotch area to prevent discomfort to a male patient. The garment includes handholds on an upper front portion of the garment so the patient can be pulled forward to position pillows behind the patient. One construction of the handholds includes dowels forming rigid members to facilitate gripping by a caregiver.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application serial No. 60/421,523, filed Oct. 26, 2002 entitled Garment for invalid. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates, in general, to garments worn by patients for use by caregivers to manipulate the patient and, more particularly, the instant invention relates to the design of such garments having connecting portions to mount the garment on a patient and handholds for moving or positioning the patient.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    Many of the challenges of caring for patients including, for example, invalids is that of moving or positioning the patients who may be paralyzed or otherwise too weak due to a sickness to position themselves in a bed or furniture for seating. For example, bedridden patients generally required frequent turning to prevent the onset of bedsores in concentrated load bearing areas. Feeble patients require the help of a caregiver to transfer the patient into and out of a bed, a chair, a wheelchair and a car. A post-surgical patient generally benefit or require periods of time for sitting in a generally upright position to prevent an onset of pneumonia. A patient who is placed in a sitting upright position in bed may tend to slide downward in the bed and require repositioning by a caregiver to reestablish the desired upright position in the bed. A patient in bed may need to be moved forwardly by a caregiver for positioning pillows. A patient undergoing physical therapy may need to be positioned appropriately for the therapy. Patients may be physically hard to move due to their weight and bulk, and it may be difficult to protect patients from injury due to brittle bones, and/or fragile skin.  
           [0006]    In response to this need, my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,329 entilted Invalid support garment disclosed handholds in a garment for use by a caregiver to move or position the patient. Various other prior art patents teach garments having handles, these known patents comprise U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,572 entitled Reinforced garment with looped grasping handles discloses garment pants having handles to be used by a dance partner. U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,253 entitled Quick evacuation fireman&#39;s coat discloses a fireman&#39;s coat having straps so that a fireman who has been injured or overcome by heat or smoke can be evacuated by another fireman by the use of the straps. U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,804 entitled Infant&#39;s garment with safety feature disclosed a body suit used as a wrap around an infant and presenting handles on the garment for quickly moving the infant to safety.  
         OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    It is therefore one of the primary objects of the present invention to facilitate the process of moving or positioning a weak or paralyzed patient.  
           [0008]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a garment for a weak or paralyzed patient, the garment having handholds to facilitate moving or positioning the patient.  
           [0009]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a garment for a weak or paralyzed patient, the garment having handholds with rigid portions to protect a care giver&#39;s hands.  
           [0010]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a garment for moving or positioning a male patient, the garment having a bifurcate portion for passing through the crotch of the patient to prevent discomfort.  
           [0011]    A further object of the present invention is to provide, for a weak or paralyzed patient, a garment having separate top and bottom portions, the portions having handholds to facilitate moving or positioning the patient.  
           [0012]    It is an additional object of the present invention to provide, for a weak or paralyzed male patient, a bottom garment having handholds and a bifurcate portion passing through the crotch of the patient to prevent discomfort.  
           [0013]    Still yet, another object of the present invention is to provide, for a weak or paralyzed male patient, a bottom garment having handholds and a bifurcate portion passing thought the crotch of the patient to prevent discomfort, the bifurcate portion including a pair of tail portions.  
           [0014]    Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide, for a weak or paralyzed patient, a top garment having handholds on the front to facilitate moving the patient forward to position pillows.  
           [0015]    A still further object of the present invention is to provide a rigid handhold for a garment for a weak or paralyzed patient. The rigid handhold is for improving the grip of a caregiver when moving or positioning the patient.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0016]    According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a garment used by a caregiver wherein the garment includes a garment body including front garment portion and a back garment portion constructed and arranged for traversing front and back areas of the patient from at least a waist line area of the patient, means formed on the garment body including a plurality of extended garment portions movable into positions to cover at least part a patient and forming a garment body interconnection between the front garment portion and the back garment portion, the plurality of extended garment portions having lengths sufficient to anchor the front and back garment portions in at least one direction perpendicular to the waist line area of the patient, and a plurality of handholds on the a garment body for use by a caregiver to manipulate the patient.  
           [0017]    In another aspect, the present invention provides a garment used by a caregiver wherein the garment comprising a garment body including front portion and a back portion at least partially covering a patient, and a plurality of handholds including at least one rigid member in the garment body for improving a grip by a caregiver to manipulate a patient. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    In addition to the various objects and advantages of the present invention which have been generally described above, there will be various other objects and advantages of the invention that will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art from the following detailed description of the invention, is read in light of the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a male patient wearing a double-tailed body suit having handholds according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a pattern for a back portion of a double-tailed body suit having handholds according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is a pattern for a front chest portion of a double-tailed body suit for the embodiment shown in FIG. 2;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 is a pattern for a plurality of reinforcing patches for the handholds on the patterns shown in FIGS. 2 and 3;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5A is a front view of a top garment according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5B is a back view of the top garment shown in FIG. 5A;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6A is a front pattern portion for the top garment shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6B is a back pattern portion for the top garment shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 7A is a front view of a double tail bottom garment according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7B is a back view of the double tail bottom garment shown is FIG. 7A;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 8A is a front pattern portion for the double tail bottom garment shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 8B is a back pattern portion for the double tail bottom garment shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 9A is a front view of a long leg bottom garment according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 9B is a back view of the long leg bottom garment shown in FIG. 9A;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 10A is a front pattern portion for the long leg bottom garment shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 10 B is a back pattern portion for the long leg bottom shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 11A is a front view of a single tail bottom garment according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 11B is a back view of the single tail bottom garment shown in FIG. 11A;  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 12A is a front pattern portion for the single tail bottom garment shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B;  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 12B is a back pattern portion for the single tail bottom garment shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B;  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 13A is an illustration of a handhold comprising a pair of parallel openings defining a grip strap there between;  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 13B is an illustration of a handhold similar to that shown in FIG. 13A, but further including a reinforcing patch;  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 14 is an illustration of a rigid handhold including a rod having rounded or chamfered ends;  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line  15 - 15  of the rigid handhold shown in FIG. 14;  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 16 shows the rod position on the fabric prior to forming the handhold shown in FIG. 14;  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along lines  17 - 17  of the arrangement shown in FIG. 16;  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 18 is a view of a pair of openings for a handhold cut in the fabric of a garment according to the present invention;  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 19 is a patch for reinforcing one of the openings shown in FIG. 18;  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 20 is a patch for reinforcing one of the openings shown in FIG. 18;  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 21 is a handhold made by attaching the patches shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 to the fabric shown in FIG. 18;  
         [0049]    [0049]FIG. 22 is an isometric illustration of a reinforced attachment for a handgrip forming part of the garment of the present invention; and  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 23 is a sectional view taken along lines  23 - 23  of FIG. 22. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0051]    According to one aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 there is provided a garment  10  used by a caregiver to manipulate the patient, illustrated and identified by reference numeral  12 . The garment  10  includes a garment body  14  including front garment portion  10 F and a back garment portion  10 B constructed and arranged for traversing front area  12 F and back area  12 B of the patient from at least a waist line area  12 W of the patient. The garment body  14  is provided with extended garment portions  16 ,  18  and  24  movable into positions to cover e.g. traverse at least part a patient and forming a garment body interconnection between the front garment portion  10 F and the back garment portion  10 B. The extended garment portions  16 ,  18  and  24  have lengths sufficient to anchor the front and back garment portions about the garment waist area  10 W in at least one direction perpendicular to the waist line area  12 W of the patient. The waist line area  12 W corresponds substantially to the waist line area  10 W of the garment  10 . In some embodiments of the present invention, the garment is comprised of only an upper portion extending from the waist line area  10 W to the extended garment portion  24  and in other instances the garment is comprised of only a lower portion extending from the waist line area  10 W to the portions  16  and  18 . The portions  16  and  18  in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 take the form of a right tail portion and a left tail portion passing through the groin area i.e. crotch of the patient. In other embodiments described hereinafter the portions  16  and  18  take the form of trouser leg portions preferably with a releasable leg closure structure extending about the inseam of the trouser. The portions  24  take the form of shoulder strap portions traversing the trapezius of the patient. The garment body is provided with a plurality of handholds  32 ,  35 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40  and  140  dimensioned and arranged to allow a caregiver to establish a positive load transferring grip of the garment in the area immediately surrounding the handhold. The handholds  32 ,  35 ,  36 ,  38 ,  40  and  140  are strategically disbursed about the front and back portions of the garment to aid use by a caregiver to manipulate the patient. In another aspect of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 provides the handholds including at least one rigid member  92  in the garment body for improving a grip by a caregiver to manipulate a patient.  
         [0052]    In FIG. 1 the patient is nominally designated as a male patient. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate patterns for a garment, generally designated  20  which is similar to garment  10 . The front of a garment formed by pattern  20  is formed as a vest. A garment  10  according to the pattern  20  includes a left tail portion  16  having distal end  17  and a right tail portion  18  having distal end  19 . According to the pattern  20  when garment  10  is placed on a male patient  12 , left tail portion  16  and right tail portion  18  are drawn through crotch  13  of the male patient  12 . Left tail portion  16  is positioned to the left of the genitals of male patient  12  and right tail portion is positioned to the right of the genitals of male patient  12 . For garment  10 , left tail portion  16  and right tail portion  18  are attached to attachment devices  22 . It is presently preferred that attachment devices  22  be loops. Preferably, distal end  17  of left tail portion  16  is drawn through the left loop  22  and attached back on itself by hook and loop fasteners (not shown), of which Velcro is a well known brand name. Likewise, distal end  19  of right tail portion  18  is drawn through the right loop  22  and attached back on itself by hook and loop fasteners (not shown). For garment pattern  20 , left tail portion  16  and right tail portion  18  are drawn through fastening devices  154  and fastened back on themselves. It is presently preferred that fastening devices  154  be reinforced openings. Garment pattern  20  also includes bottom edge handholds  152 .  
         [0053]    Garments  10  produced according to pattern  20  has shoulder straps  24  having handholds  32 . Preferably, shoulder strap handholds  32  comprise epaulettes. Preferably, garment  10  and pattern  20  further comprise upper front handholds  36 , and garment  10  has armhole handholds  35  adjacent armholes  54 . Garment  10  further includes lower front handholds  38 . Garment pattern  20  further includes upper front handholds  150  and nape handhold  155 . Handholds  36  and  38  are formed as openings cut in garment  10  on opposite sides of front closure  15 . Garments  10  and  20  also comprise upper side handholds  40 . Garment  10  further comprises lower side handholds  140  disposed adjacent bottom edge  11  of garment  10 . In the embodiments illustrated, handholds  36 ,  38   40 ,  42 ,  150  and  156  each comprise parallel openings defining a strap there between. A preferred construction of these handholds is shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B. FIG. 4 illustrates a plurality of reinforcing patches  48 , which are applied around the openings  45  shown in FIG. 13A, as illustrated in FIG. 13B. Reinforcing patches  48  may include padding (not shown) in the back and side garment grips with fiber, synthetic padding or gel when desired to protect the hand of the caregiver and skin of the patient.  
         [0054]    A variety of fabrics may be employed for unitary body  14  of garment  10 . Unitary body  14  may be formed of a soft, quilted fabric for a male patient  12  who generally remains in bed. Alternatively, unitary body  14  of garment  10  may be formed of a non-stretch performance or sport fabric for a patient in physical therapy, and for partial weight bearing patients. Mesh fabric may be used for disposable garments.  
         [0055]    [0055]FIGS. 5A and 5B are front and back views, respectively, of a patient  51  wearing an upper garment  50 . FIGS. 6A and 6B show patterns for the upper garment  50 . Upper garment  50  has arm holes  54  and a hole  52  for the neck of patient  51 . Garment  50  has handholds  40  on sides thereof and upper front handholds  136 . Garment  50  also has left and right shoulder strap handholds  32 . It also has back handholds  42 .  
         [0056]    [0056]FIGS. 7A and 7B are front back views, respectively of a lower garment  60  for a male patient  12  (shown in FIG. 1). FIGS. 8A and 8B are front and back patterns for lower garment  60 . Lower garment  60  has a left tail portion  16  and a right tail portion  18 , and is similar, in this regard to the garment  10  illustrated in FIG. 1. Lower garment  60  has handholds  38 ,  40  and  42  for positioning or moving male patient  12 .  
         [0057]    [0057]FIGS. 9A and 9B are front and back views, respectively, of a lower garment  70  for a male patient  12  (shown in FIG. 1). FIGS. 10A and 10B are front and back patterns for lower garment  70 . Lower garment  70  is formed as short trousers having waist handholds  138 , and back waist handhold  142 , as well as additional handholds  43  located on thigh portions of lower garment  70 . Lower garment  70  has a cutout  72  in the crotch area to prevent compression of genital organs of male patient  12 . An undergarment  74 , which in this embodiment is sweat shorts, is visible in FIGS. 9A and 9B. In its presently preferred embodiment, lower garment  70  is openable along inseam  76  to facilitate removal of undergarment  74  for toileting. Lower garment  70  is also recloseable along inseam  76  by devices such as hooks, snaps, zippers or hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro. It is anticipated that the toilet will have grab bars. The patient will be lowered onto the toilet with the garment  70  in place. The patient will then rock or tilt to left and right as a caregiver removes the subsequently replaces undergarment  74  and recloses inseam  76 .  
         [0058]    [0058]FIGS. 11A and 11B are front and back views, respectively, of a lower garment  80  for a female patient. FIGS. 12A and 12B are front and back patters for lower garment  80 . Lower garment  80  has waist handholds  138  and  142  as well as lower side handholds  140  for positioning or moving the female patient. Lower garment  80  has a single tail  82  shown in FIGS. 11A and 12B. Garment  80  may have a stretch fabric panel insert for comfort in the crotch. (Not Shown). Panel may also be bifurcated for easier toileting.  
         [0059]    [0059]FIG. 13A shows a handhold  44  that may be employed at any location on any embodiment of this invention. Handhold  44  includes parallel openings  45  cut in fabric  100 . Parallel openings  45  define strap  47  there between. Preferably, handhold  44  includes stitching  46  to strengthen handhold  44 . Bartack stitching can be used, as necessary, for reinforcement throughout any garment according to the present invention.  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 13B illustrates reinforced handhold  144  wherein a reinforcing patch  48  having parallel openings  145  defining strap  147  there between is added to handhold  44  and attached thereto by reinforcing stitching  146 . Patterns for reinforcing patches  48  are shown in FIG. 4. Studs  149  of the type employed around the pockets of jeans, may be employed to further strengthen handhold  144 . Bartack stitching, which is well known in the art, may alternatively be used.  
         [0061]    [0061]FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate an alternative handhold  90  that is generally employable on front portions or sides of garments. Handhold  90  includes a rigid member, preferably a rod  92  having rounded or chamfered end  94 . FIG. 14 is a view of handhold  90  assembled and FIG. 15 illustrates section  15 - 15  in FIG. 14.  
         [0062]    [0062]FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate fabrication of handhold  90 . The fabric  100  has a linear opening  45  and a three-sided cut  96  defining a flap  98 . Rod  92  having rounded or chamfered ends  94  is placed on fabric  100 . Flap  98  is then wrapped around rod  92  to enclose rod  92  and attached by stitching  46 . To use handhold  90 , a caregiver inserts his or her hand through opening  99 , around rod  92  and brings his or her fingers back out of opening  45  to have a good grip on handhold  90 . A lingerie bone, a plastic dowel, or a wooded dowel is possible alternatives for the rigid member, here shown as rod  92 . Generally, a handhold such as handhold  90  having a rigid member would not be employed on a back portion of a garment because it would be uncomfortable for the patient. For back portion padding alternatives for rigid member may be synthetic padding, natural fiber or gel.  
         [0063]    FIGS.  18 - 21  illustrate a handhold having exceptional strength. FIG. 18 shows openings  160  cut in the fabric  100 , leaving a strap  162  there between. FIG. 19 illustrates a rectangular patch  165  having opening  168  cut in fabric rectangle  170 . Patch  165  has right side portions  169 . FIG. 20 illustrates a rectangular patch  166  having opening  168  cut in fabric rectangle  170 . Patch  166  has left side portion  171 . FIG. 21 illustrates a completed handhold  175  wherein patches  166  and  165  are sewn, in that order, to fabric  100 . Opening  168  in patch  166  is aligned with the right one of openings  160  and opening  168  in patch  165  is aligned with the left one of openings  160 . Left side portion  171  of patch  166  is laid over strap  162  and the right side portion  169  of patch  165  is laid over left side portion  171  of patch  166 , so that there is one layer of material  100  and two layers of the material of fabric rectangle  170  between openings  160  of handhold  175 . Patches  165  and  166  are preferably attached by stitching (not shown).  
         [0064]    [0064]FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate a releasable reinforcement  200  for a handhold such as handhold  144  for application at the desecration of the caregiver. The releasable reinforcement  200  includes a two ply layer of fabric  201  and  202  sewn about the outer peripheral edge and receiving elongated strips of a Velcro hook patch of  204  and Velcro pile patch  205  at opposite facing marginal ends of the layered fabric. An elongated cylinder  206  is interposed in a pocket formed between the layers  201  and  202  at the central midportion of the layers of fabric. The elongated cylinder  206  forms a reinforcing member and is comprised of material selected form the group consisting of dowel, synthetic fabric, natural fiber, or gel.  
         [0065]    A variety of handholds may be employed for garments of the present invention, handhold  44  and handhold  90  being examples. Filler may be added to handholds as padding to protect the caregiver&#39;s hand or patient&#39;s skin. Filler may be synthetic or natural fiber. One type of alternative handhold would be formed of synthetic webbing, (not shown). Another type would be cord type, as is commonly employed on mattresses. A skid resistant fabric may be employed on a handhold to facilitate gripping the handhold. Generally, in any of the places where fastening means are needed, hooks, buckles, snaps, zippers or Velcro may be employed. Garments involving one or two tail portions for passing through the crotch of a patient in front may be secured by fastening means attached to a band similar to an abdominal binder, but generally lacking elasticity.  
         [0066]    While the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims.