GARMENT, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING THE SAME

• US 20140132055A1
• Filed: 11/14/2012
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CJ's Kids LLC
• Original Assignee: CJ's Kids LLC
• Inventors: Jenkins, Cherlyn
• Granted Patent: US 9,420,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/465
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 11/00 Garments for children
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2400/46 Storage or supply of water for drinking purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 27/24 Hems; Seams
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 3/00 Overgarments fur garments A41D5/00; for children A41D11/00; professional or sporting protective garments A41D13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/265 Adaptations for seat belts
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/14 incorporating enlarged restraint areas, e.g. vests, nets , crash pads, optionally for children crash pads for occupants' safety on vehicles in general B60R21/02

Abstract

A garment can include at least one opening that allows the garment to be opened up such that a restraint mechanism can be easily secured to a user when opened. The at least one opening can include left and right openings that extend from a bottom most periphery of a torso portion and along respective sleeves of the garment. The garment can be combined with a child seat for use in a vehicle. Each of the openings can either extend entirely through an outermost portion of a respective sleeve cuff or be stoppable immediately adjacent the cuff such that the cuff remains in annular form during use. A method for using the garment and system includes placing a user into a seat while the user is wearing the garment and then attaching the restraint mechanism to the user via the at least one opening of the garment.

Claims

1. A method for securing a user in a vehicle seat having safety belts comprising:

providing an outerwear garment including,

a torso portion including a head aperture, a torso body portion, and a shoulder portion, wherein the torso body portion is formed as a tubular structure with a bottom end and a top end opposite to the bottom end, the torso body portion includes a front torso portion opposed to a back torso portion, the head aperture is located at the top end, and the shoulder portion lies intermediate the head aperture and the torso body portion,

a left arm aperture located at a left side of the torso body portion and a right arm aperture located at a right side of the torso body portion, wherein the head aperture is larger than the left arm aperture and the right arm aperture,

a right closure structure extending from an outermost extent of the bottom end of the torso body portion and along the right side of the torso body portion to a location adjacent the right arm aperture, the right closure structure thus configured to repeatedly connect and disconnect the front torso portion of the torso body portion with the back torso portion of the torso body portion, and

a left closure structure extending from an outermost extent of the bottom end of the torso body portion and along the left side of the torso body portion to a location adjacent the left arm aperture, the left closure structure thus configured to repeatedly connect and disconnect the front torso portion of the torso body portion with the back torso portion of the torso body portion such that when both the left closure and right closure are completely disconnected, the torso body portion is converted from the tubular structure to a sheet structure folded over on itself at the shoulder portion such that the front torso portion can move relative to the back torso portion and the tubular structure of the torso body portion is broken;

placing the outerwear garment on the user;

placing the user in the vehicle seat;

disconnecting the left closure structure and the right closure structure such that the tubular structure of the torso body portion is broken and the torso body portion is converted from the tubular structure to the sheet structure including the front torso portion and the back torso portion;

moving the back torso portion away from the user and away from the front torso portion;

securing the user to the vehicle seat with the safety belts.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

securing the back torso portion to the vehicle seat above the user'"'"'s head.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disconnecting the left closure structure and the right closure structure such that the only aperture existing in the entire outerwear garment is the head aperture.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a left tubular sleeve structure extending from the torso body portion and terminating at the left arm aperture, wherein the left closure structure extends completely through the left tubular sleeve structure and through the left arm aperture and is thus configured to repeatedly connect and disconnect such that the left tubular sleeve structure is converted between a tubular structure and a substantially sheet structure;

providing a right tubular sleeve structure extending from the torso body portion and terminating at the right arm aperture, wherein the right closure structure extends completely through the right tubular sleeve structure and through the right arm aperture and is thus configured to repeatedly connect and disconnect such that the left tubular sleeve structure is converted between a tubular structure and a substantially sheet structure, wherein

disconnecting the left closure structure and the right closure structure includes converting the left tubular sleeve structure from a tubular structure to a substantially sheet structure and converting the right tubular sleeve structure from a tubular structure to a substantially sheet structure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein disconnecting the left closure structure includes unzipping a zipper that extends from the outermost bottom portion of a torso aperture completely through the left arm aperture such that the left arm aperture is broken and no left arm aperture exists after unzipping and no left arm tubular structure exists after unzipping.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein disconnecting the left closure structure includes unzipping a zipper that extends from a torso aperture completely through the left arm aperture such that the left arm aperture is broken and no left arm aperture exists after unzipping.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein disconnecting includes disconnecting the left closure structure and the right closure structure such that a torso aperture, the right arm aperture, and the left arm aperture are all broken.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a closure structure stop located adjacent at least one of the right arm aperture and the left arm aperture such that a respective one of the right closure structure and left closure structure is prevented from breaking at least one of the right arm aperture and the left arm aperture, respectively.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing a closure structure stop includes providing a portion of hook material and a portion of loop material located adjacent at least one of the first arm aperture and the second arm aperture and configured such that when the hook material is attached to the loop material the respective one of the right closure structure and left closure structure is prevented from breaking at least one of the right arm aperture and the left arm aperture, respectively.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein providing a closure structure stop includes providing a strip of material and button snap lock located adjacent at least one of the first arm aperture and the second arm aperture and configured such that when the strip of material is attached via the button snap lock a respective one of the right closure structure and left closure structure is prevented from breaking at least one of the right arm aperture and the left arm aperture, respectively.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a left tubular sleeve structure extending from the torso body portion and to an outermost left sleeve collar, wherein the left closure structure extends through the left tubular sleeve structure and terminates at the left sleeve collar and is configured to repeatedly connect and disconnect such that the left tubular sleeve structure is converted between a tubular structure and a substantially sheet structure joined at an end by the left sleeve collar;

providing a right tubular sleeve extending from the torso body portion and to an outermost right sleeve collar, wherein the right closure structure extends through the right tubular sleeve structure and terminates at the right sleeve collar and is configured to repeatedly connect and disconnect such that the right tubular sleeve structure is converted between a tubular structure and a substantially sheet structure joined at an end by the right sleeve collar; and

removing the user'"'"'s right hand through the right sleeve collar; and

removing the user'"'"'s left hand through the left sleeve collar,

wherein securing includes securing the user to the vehicle seat with the safety belts after the user'"'"'s right hand and left hand are removed through the right and left sleeve collars, respectively.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a closure structure stop located adjacent at least one of a tubular right sleeve collar and tubular left sleeve collar such that a respective one of the right closure structure and left closure structure is prevented from breaking the tubular configuration of the right sleeve collar and the left sleeve collar, respectively.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the garment is formed as a snowsuit and further includes a left leg portion and a right leg portion extending from the torso body portion, and the left closure structure and right closure structure are joined together providing a back closure structure that extends continuously from the right arm aperture to the left arm aperture and across the back torso portion.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the back torso portion upwards relative to the front torso portion, extending the back torso portion over a top portion of the vehicle seat, wherein

securing the user to the vehicle seat with the safety belts includes placing the safety belts under the front torso portion and buckling the user into the vehicle seat while the back torso portion is removed from a location between the user and the vehicle seat.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a child and the vehicle seat is a portable child'"'"'s safety seat.

16. An outerwear garment comprising:

a torso portion including a left arm aperture, a right arm aperture, a head aperture, and a torso aperture, wherein the head aperture is larger than the left arm aperture and the right arm aperture, and the torso aperture is larger than the head aperture, and the torso aperture has a left side aligned with and opposed to the left arm aperture, and a right side aligned with and opposed to the right arm aperture, the torso portion is formed as a tubular structure with the torso aperture located at a bottom end, and the right arm aperture, the head aperture, and the left arm aperture located at a top end opposed to the bottom end, the torso portion further including a front torso portion opposed to a back torso portion,

a right closure structure extending from and completely through the right side of an outermost bottom portion of the torso aperture to a location that extends completely through an outermost distal portion of the right arm aperture, the right closure structure thus configured to repeatedly connect and disconnect the front portion of the torso portion with the back portion of the torso portion, and

a left closure structure extending from and completely through the left side of an outermost bottom portion of the torso aperture to a location that extends completely through an outermost distal portion of the left arm aperture, the left closure structure thus configured to repeatedly connect and disconnect the front portion of the torso portion with the back portion of the torso portion such that when both the left closure and right closure are completely disconnected, the torso portion is converted from the tubular structure to a sheet structure connected by a shoulder portion in which the front portion of the torso portion is movable relative to the back portion of the torso portion, and the tubular structure of the torso portion is broken.

17. The outerwear garment according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the left closure structure and the right closure structure includes a plurality of buttons and a corresponding plurality of button holes.

18. The outerwear garment according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the left closure structure and the right closure structure includes a zipper structure.

19. The outerwear garment according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the left closure structure and the right closure structure includes a plurality of snap fasteners.

20. The outerwear garment according to claim 16, wherein the garment is formed as one of a sweater, a shirt, a rainjacket, a winter jacket.

21. A child safety restraint system comprising:

an outerwear garment according to claim 16; and

a child car safety seat including a back rest, a seat bottom connected to the back rest, and a safety belt system connected to at least one of the backrest and the seat bottom.

22. A method for assembling an outerwear garment comprising:

providing a torso portion including a left arm portion, a right arm portion, a head aperture portion, and a torso aperture portion having a left side and a right side, the torso portion further including a front torso portion and a back torso portion,

attaching a right closure structure to the garment such that the right closure structure extends from the right side of the torso aperture portion to the right arm portion of the torso portion;

attaching a left closure structure to the garment such that the left closure structure extends from the left side of the torso aperture portion to the left arm portion of the torso portion,

wherein when the left closure structure and the right closure structure are attached and are each in a closed position, the garment includes a head aperture, a torso aperture, a left arm aperture and a right arm aperture, wherein the head aperture is larger than the left arm aperture and the right arm aperture, and the torso aperture is larger than the head aperture, and the torso aperture has a left side aligned with and opposed to the left arm aperture, and a right side aligned with and opposed to the right arm aperture, the torso portion formed as a tubular structure when the left closure structure and the right closure structure are attached and are in the closed position, with the torso aperture located at a bottom end of the tubular structure, and with the right arm aperture, the head aperture, and the left arm aperture located at a top end opposed to the bottom end of the tubular structure,

and wherein the left closure structure extends from and completely through an outermost bottom portion of the left side of the torso aperture to a location that extends completely through an outermost distal portion of the left arm aperture, and the right closure structure extends from and completely through an outermost bottom portion of the right side of the torso aperture to a location that extends completely through an outermost distal portion of the right arm aperture, the left and right closure structures thus configured to repeatedly connect and disconnect the front torso portion with the back torso portion such that when both the left closure and right closure structures are completely opened/disconnected, the torso portion is converted from the tubular structure to two sheet structures connected by a shoulder portion, such that the two sheet structures are movable relative to each other and the tubular structure of the torso portion is broken.