Hospital privacy garment

• US 5,575,006 A
• Filed: 12/05/1994
• Issued: 11/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dorothy T. Wolfe
• Original Assignee: Dorothy T. Wolfe
• Inventors: Wolfe, Dorothy T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crowder, C. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALE, GLORIA M
• Application Number:
  US08/349,748
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 2/114, 2/69, 2/78.1, 2/78.2, 2/78.4, 2/80, 2/83, 2/227, 2/228, 2/238, 2/212, 2/213, 2/400, 2/402, 2/404, 2/405, 2/406, 2/407, 2/408 , 2/70, 2/71, 2/72, 2/76, 2/220, 2/221, 2/237, 450/102-105
• US Class Current: 2/114
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 9/008 with releasable waist connecting means
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1254 for the lower part of the body A41D13/0506 takes precedence

Abstract

A hospital garment is disclosed which includes a waist encircling band, front and rear panels which depend therefrom, and reversible fasteners on the front and rear panels. The waist encircling band is reversibly attachable about the waist of a wearer using snap fasteners. Additional snap fasteners are located in the lower central portion of both the front and rear panels so that the front and rear panels fasten at the crotch of a wearer in a non-overlapping fashion, and leg holes are formed. When the garment is attached about the wearer'"'"'s waist and fastened about the wearer'"'"'s crotch, vertical slits are defined on the outside of the wearer'"'"'s legs. Overlapping flaps are included on the rear and front panels to cover the vertical apertures. Tubing and wiring associated with medical treatment may be inserted through the front and rear panels at the point of fastening in the crotch portion, as well as through the slits in the outer leg portion of the garment, thus allowing access by hospital personnel without requiring removal of the garment.

Claims

1. A hospital garment for covering the lower portion of a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:

(a) a drapeable panel member having top and bottom ends, said panel having a flat structure and configuration;

(b) waist encircling support means for supporting said panel member around a wearer'"'"'s waist;

(c) a plurality of vertically oriented slit means for providing medical access to a wearer, said slit means extending from said waist encircling support means to said bottom end of said panel member;

(d) a plurality of overlapping flaps, one said flap covering each said slit means; and

(e) fastening means adjacent said bottom end of said panel member for providing medical access to said patient adjacent the crotch of said patient.

2. A hospital garment as recited in claim 1, wherein said waist encircling means includes first and second ends, and further includes means for overlapping and fastening said first and second ends.

3. A hospital garment for covering the lower portion of a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:

(a) waist encircling means for encircling a wearer'"'"'s waist;

(b) a drapeable front panel member of flat structure and configuration, said front panel member depending from said waist encircling means, said front panel member having a top and bottom end;

(c) a drapeable rear panel member of flat structure and configuration, said rear panel member depending from said waist encircling means, said rear panel member having a top and bottom end,

(d) a plurality of vertically oriented slit means for providing medical access to a wearer, each said slit means extending from said waist encircling means to said bottom ends of said panel members;

(e) a plurality of overlapping flap means for providing privacy to a wearer, each said flap means covering a corresponding one of said slit means; and

(f) fastening means for providing medical access to a wearer adjacent the wearer'"'"'s crotch, said fastening means positioned adjacent said bottom end of said front panel member and said bottom end of said rear panel member.

4. A hospital garment as recited in claim 3, wherein said waist encircling means includes means for circumferentially adjusting said waist encircling means.

5. A hospital garment as recited in claim 4, wherein said means for circumferentially adjusting said waist encircling means comprises a drawstring.

6. A hospital garment as recited in claim 5, wherein said means for circumferentially adjusting said waist encircling means further comprises a plurality of fasteners.

7. A hospital garment as recited in claim 6, wherein said means for circumferentially adjusting said waist encircling means further comprises elastic.

8. A hospital garment for covering the lower portion of a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:

(a) a waistband, said waistband including means for circumferentially adjusting said waistband to fit the waist size of a wearer;

(b) a drapeable front panel member of flat structure and configuration, said front panel member including a top end and a bottom end, said front panel member joined to and extending from said waistband at said top

(c) a drapeable rear panel member of flat structure and configuration, said rear panel member including a top end and a bottom end, said rear panel member joined to and extending from said waistband at said top end;

(d) first and second vertically oriented slit means for providing medical access to a wearer, said slit means located between said front and rear panel members, each said slit means extending from said waistband to said bottom ends of said front and rear panel members;

(e) said rear panel member including first and second flap means for providing privacy to a wearer, said first and second flap means partly overlapping said front panel member, said first flap means covering said first slit means, said second flap means covering said second slit means; and

(f) a plurality of fastening means for providing medical access to a wearer adjacent the wearer'"'"'s crotch, said plurality of fastening means located adjacent said bottom ends of said front and rear panel members, said plurality of fastening means positioned to allow catheter and colostomy tubing to fit between individual said fastening means.

9. A hospital garment as recited in claim 8, wherein said front panel member includes first and second edges, said rear panel member includes first and second edges, said first edge of said rear panel member overlaps said first edge of said front panel member so as to define said first flap means, and said second edge of said rear panel member overlaps said second edge of said front panel member so as to define said second flap means.

10. A hospital garment as recited in claim 9, wherein said means for circumferentially adjusting said waistband comprises a drawstring.

11. A hospital garment as recited in claim 10, wherein said means for circumferentially adjusting said waistband further comprises a plurality of fasteners.

12. A hospital garment as recited in claim 11, wherein said means for circumferentially adjusting said waist encircling means further comprises elastic.