Hospital gown

• US 6,499,143 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2001
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ann Garza
• Original Assignee: Ann Garza
• Inventors: Garza, Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Hale, Gloria M.
• Application Number:
  US09/829,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 2 6/9, 211/4, 210/4, 210/5, 210/6, 210/8, 2 8/0, 2 8/3
• US Class Current: 2/114
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1236 Patients' garments
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/129 Donning facilities, e.g. characterized by the opening

Abstract

A hospital gown having closable openings on left and right sides to provide:access for physician examination to selectable portions of a patient'"'"'s torso from either side, while substantially maintaining a cover over the unexamined portions.

Claims

1. A gown for use by a patient in a health care environment, comprising:

a front panel having a front top edge, a front bottom edge, a front left side and a front right side;

a back panel having a back top edge, a back bottom edge, a back left side and a back right side, said front and back panels comprising drapable material and being connected at said front and back top edges to form a neck opening of said gown, the bottom of said gown comprising said front and back bottom edges, said front left and back left sides corresponding to a left side of said gown, said front right and back right sides corresponding to a right side of said gown; and

releasable fastening structure associated with left and right openings disposed respectively on said left and right sides of said gown, said fastening structure being adjustable to change a girth of said gown and being operable to maintain an overlap between front and rear portions of said gown at said left and right openings, and being configured and arranged for selectable release whereby to expose desired underlying portions of a patient'"'"'s body for examination, wherein;

said fastening structure comprises a plurality of paired front and back straps, a first end of each front strap being attached adjacent to a side of said front panel, a first end of each back strap being attached adjacent to a side of said back panel, the attachment location of at least one of said paired straps being spaced apart from an edge of said side to form an overlappable side closure in said gown functional to maintain a patient'"'"'s modesty, and with a length between said first end and a second end of each strap being unattached and operable to form a tied coupling with its paired strap.

2. The gown according to claim 1, further comprising a strap hole disposed between a said first end of a strap and an edge of its adjacent side, said strap hole accommodating a paired strap to create a variable overlap between front and back panel sides whereby to change the girth of said gown.

3. The gown according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of strap holes disposed substantially in alignment between a said first end of a strap and an edge of its adjacent side, said strap holes being disposed to receive a paired strap in a stitched relation to improve integrity of an overlap between sides of said front and back panels.

4. The gown according to claim 1, said fastening structure comprising three pairs of straps disposed at each of said left and right sides of said gown.

5. The gown according to claim 1, further comprising an arm opening of adjustable size and formed between a pair of said straps and a shoulder of said gown.

6. A hospital gown comprising:

front and back panels between at least substantially open left and right gown sides, a top edge of said panels being connected to form a neck opening; and

releasable fastening structure associated with both of said left and right gown sides, said fastening structure comprising a plurality of paired straps disposed at said sides to bring portions of said front and back panels into overlapping closure and being operable to maintain an overlap between front and rear portions of said gown at said left and right openings, and being configured and arranged to at least substantially close said open sides of said gown and to allow for release whereby to provide physician access through an opening to selectable portions of a patient'"'"'s body for examination while maintaining a cover substantially over the unexamined portion of the patient'"'"'s body.

7. The gown according to claim 6, the attachment location of at least one of said paired straps being spaced apart from an edge of said side to form an overlappable side closure in said gown functional to maintain a patient'"'"'s modesty.

8. The gown according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of strap holes disposed substantially in alignment between an attached first end of a strap and an edge of a panel adjacent to said strap, said strap holes being disposed to receive a cooperating strap in a stitched relation to improve integrity of an overlap between portions of said front and back panels.

9. The gown according to claim 7, further comprising an arm opening of adjustable size and formed between a pair of said straps and a side of a top edge.

10. The gown according to claim 7, said front panel comprising a length between a top and a bottom sufficient to fall below a patient'"'"'s knee when worn in a sitting position.

11. An improved hospital gown, the improvement comprising:

openings disposed in said gown at left and right side locations corresponding to left and right sides of a patient wearing said gown, said openings being configurable to provide physician access to selectable areas of said patient'"'"'s torso; and

fastening structure disposed in association with said openings and being operable to maintain an overlap between front and rear portions of said gown at said openings, and operable for release whereby to provide said access through said openings, said fastening structure comprising a plurality of paired front and back straps, a first end of each front strap being attached to a front of said gown adjacent to a said opening, a first end of each back strap being attached to a back of said gown adjacent to a said opening, a length between said first end and a second end of each strap being unattached and operable to form a tied coupling with its paired strap.

12. The gown according to claim 11, further comprising an arm opening of adjustable size and formed between a said fastening structure and a shoulder of said gown.

13. The gown according to claim 12, said fastening structure being operable to create an overlap between front and back side portions of said gown.

14. The gown according to claim 11, further comprising a plurality of strap holes disposed substantially in alignment between a said first end of a strap and its adjacent opening, said strap holes being disposed to receive a paired strap in a stitched relation to improve integrity of an overlap between side portions of said gown.

15. The gown according to claim 14, said gown comprising a length between a shoulder and a bottom sufficient for said bottom to remain below a patient'"'"'s knee when worn in a sitting position.