AU2007219642B2

AU2007219642B2 - Infant safety suit

Info

Publication number: AU2007219642B2
Application number: AU2007219642A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Linda M. Moss
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-03-03
Filing date: 2007-03-05
Publication date: 2012-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2027-03-05
Also published as: AU2007219642A1; WO2007098558A1; NZ571423A; AU2006100158A4

Abstract

An article of clothing (10) for a baby (18), the article (10) including a portion (12) that substantially encloses the torso and arms of the baby (18), the portion (12) having at least one restraining member (32) located internally that engages a portion of a respective arm (44) of the baby (18) and substantially prevents the baby (18) moving its arms (44) to the other side of its body.

Description

WO 2007/098558 PCT/AU2007/000256 Infant safety suit TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to articles of clothing and more particularly to articles of clothing for babies and young infants. 5 BACKGROUND ART In ancient times babies and young infants (hereinafter referred to as babies) have been wrapped or swaddled in material to keep a baby warm and secure. By wrapping a baby's arms close to its body, the arms cannot flail around, whether the baby is sleeping or awake. It is believed that preventing a baby 10 from flailing its arms whilst sleeping or going to sleep leads to better settling and better sleep. However, conventional wrapping and swaddling techniques are, generally, incompatible with baby and child restraints in cars and more particularly the restraint belts used to restrain the baby in the restraint. This is because of the general requirement that restraint belts bear on the bony 15 parts of the torso directly and hands and arms are not located between the belt and the torso. Wrapping or swaddling frequently results in the baby's arms crossing over to the other side of their body and if positioned in a car restraint so wrapped the restraint belts may bear on the hands or arms. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 20 In one broad form the invention provides an article of clothing for a baby, the article including a shell portion that substantially encloses the torso and arms of the baby and in which the arms of the baby are generally free to move, the shell portion having at least one restraining member located internally for 4150-1.doc -2 engagement with each arm of the baby and to substantially prevent the baby moving its arms within the shell portion to the other side of its body, wherein the at least one restraining member comprises a pocket which extends over substantially the entire respective front half of the torso and into which the 5 lower arm and hand are received. The article has an aperture through which the baby's neck and head extend, and preferably the aperture extends from or adjacent the waist region. Preferably the edge of the aperture is elastic or otherwise tensioned so as to resist movement of the baby's arms away from its torso. 10 The pocket preferably extends from adjacent the waist region to adjacent the shoulder region. The pocket is preferably triangular. Preferably the pocket extends along or adjacent at least part of the edge of the aperture. The restraining members may each comprise one or more straps that surround 15 the arm, either alone or together with the fabric of the portion. The strap or straps may be elastic. The strap or straps may each define a continuous loop. Each strap may have two segments that are releaseably connected at their free ends so as to define a discontinuous Loop. The article of clothing may have a lower portion that substantially encloses 20 the legs of the baby. Preferably the lower portion encloses the feet of the baby. Preferably the lower portion has region into which both legs extend.

WO 2007/098558 PCT/AU2007/000256 -3 The lower portion may have an aperture passing therethrough to allow one or more belts of a children's car restraint to pass. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims the words 'comprise', 'comprising', and the like are to be 5 construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to". The invention shall be better understood from the following description of non-limiting embodiments and the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS OF NON LIMITING 10 EMBODIMENTS Figure 1 shows a rear view of an article of clothing according to a first embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 shows a front view of an article of clothing according to a first embodiment of the invention. 15 Figure 3 shows a side view of an article of clothing according to a first embodiment of the invention. Figure 4 shows a front view of an article of clothing according to a first embodiment of the invention in a partially opened position. Figure 5 shows a front view of an article of clothing according to a first 20 embodiment of the invention in use and showing then location of child restraint belts. Figure 6 shows a rear view of an article of clothing according to a second embodiment of the invention.

WO 2007/098558 PCT/AU2007/000256 -4 Figure 7 shows a front view of an article of clothing according to a second embodiment of the invention. Figure 8 shows a side view of an article of clothing according to a second embodiment of the invention. 5 BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring to figures 1 to 5 there is shown a baby suit 10 according to an embodiment of the invention. The suit 10 is made out of one or more pieces of suitable fabric. The suit 10 has an upper torso surrounding shell portion 12 and a lower leg 10 surrounding portion 14, delineated approximately by line 16, although this delineation is not important. The suit 10 substantially encloses the baby 18 (shown in figures 4 & 5) with an aperture 20 provided on the front 22 of the suit to allow the baby's neck and head to extend out of the shell portion. The aperture 20 is approximately V-shaped and extends downwards from the top 15 of the suit towards the waist region 24. There is a portion 26 of the aperture that, in use, is closed with fasteners 28 (see figure 4) but which may be opened to enable the suit to be placed on or removed from the baby. It is not critical that the aperture be V-shaped and, for instance, a round neck opening may be provided. The shell portion does not have any separate arms and the 20 baby's arms are enclosed within the shell portion 12 and are generally free to move, except for the restraining members described later. The upper portion 12 of the suit thus has two regions 30a, 30b on either side of the vertical centreline of the suit. The inside of each region 30a, 30b is provided with a restraining member 32, which in this embodiment is a pocket. 25 This pocket 32 is formed by a piece of fabric that is sewn or otherwise attached to the internal surface of the fabric of the suit. If desired the pocket WO 2007/098558 PCT/AU2007/000256 -5 32 may be formed integrally with all or part of the suit fabric. The fabric of the pocket is attached to the suit along the waist line 24 or adjacent to the waist ine and at or adjacent to the edge 34 of the aperture 20. The pocket is thus open along a tine 36 that extends from the waist region 24 to the 5 shoulder region 38, as seen in figures 2 t 3 and has a generally triangular shape. The edge 34 of the aperture 20 is preferably elasticised so that the fabric is putted close to the baby's body and so resists movement of the baby's arms away from the its body. 10 The lower portion 14 of the suit 10 preferably comprises a single enclosure into which both legs of the baby are inserted. An opening 40 is provided to allow a belt of a child restraint to pass. In use the suit is opened and the baby's legs inserted into the tower portion 14. As seen in figure 4, the pockets 32 are sized and positioned so that the 15 baby's hand 42 and lower arm 44 may be positioned in the pocket, with the hands extending into the triangular end near the junction of the waist and aperture 20. Only the part of the upper arm 46 near the elbow extends into the pocket but, if desired, the pocket 32 may be configured so that substantially the entire arm is enclosed by the pocket. 20 As seen in figure 3, the pocket extends over substantially the entire front half of the body, with the opening 36 of the pocket generally at the side of the body. As seen in the figures, each pocket 32 is closed at or near the edge of the opening 20 and so, whilst the baby's arm and hand are within the pocket 32, 25 they cannot cross the body's centreline.

WO 2007/098558 PCT/AU2007/000256 -6 Referring to figure 5, the baby may then be positioned in a child restraint. Most child restraints, particularly those for babies, have a four point harness 48 with a leg belt 50 and two chest/waist belts 52 that join at the harness 48. As seen in figure 5, the leg belt 50 extends through the opening 40. The chest 5 portions 54 of the chest/waist belts 52 extend from the harness to the shoulder region 58 and, because of the pockets 32, the upper and lower arms of the baby are held to the outside of the chest belt portions 54 and above the waist belt portions 56. The pocket may be formed so that there is a region between it and the edge 10 of the aperture 20 over which the chest belt portion 54 extends. This will ensure that the baby's fingers, let alone the rest of its hand or its arm cannot be positioned between the belt 54 and its torso. Referring to figures 7 to 8 inclusive, a second embodiment of the invention is shown in which the suit 100 comprises an upper portion 102 but in which a 15 lower leg portion is omitted. Instead the upper portion has leg openings 104 through which the baby's legs may extend. The configuration of the upper portion 102 is substantially the same as that of the first embodiments and so need not be described further. Whilst the invention has been described with reference to an embodiment 20 that utilises pockets to restrain the baby's arms, other restraining means may be used to prevent the baby from moving its arms across the centreline, or having its arms so positioned. As examples, one or more straps may be used that extend around. the baby's arm and so limit or prevent movement. One or more straps extending around the upper arm will tend to prevent or limit 25 movement. If straps are used these are preferably elasticised. The straps may be continuous or may be formed with a releasable join, such as a press stud. If the straps are discontinuous, they may be formed or two lengths joined to the WO 2007/098558 PCT/AU2007/000256 -7 fabric of the suit or a single length joined at or near its centre to the suit fabric. If desired, the pocket may be provided with an aperture through which the tower arm extends. 5 It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many obvious modifications and variations may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The invention has industrial applicability to clothing.

Claims

1. An article of clothing for a baby, the article including a shell portion that substantially encloses the torso and arms of the baby and in which the arms of the baby are generally free to move, the shell portion having at least 5 one restraining member located internally for engagement with each arm or hand of the baby and to substantially prevent the baby moving its arms within the shell portion to the other side of its body, wherein the at least one restraining member comprises a pocket which extends over substantially the entire respective front half of the torso and into which the lower arm and 10 hand are received.

2. The article of clothing as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pocket is triangular.

3. The article of clothing as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the opening of each pocket extends from at or adjacent the waist region to at or 15 adjacent the shoulder region.

4. The article of clothing as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the opening of each pocket is located at the side of the torso.

5. The article of clothing as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the restraining members are elastic. 20

6. The article of clothing as claimed in claim 5 wherein the restraining members each comprise one or more straps that surround the arm, either alone or together with the fabric of the portion.

7. The article of clothing as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the or each strap defines a continuous loop.

4150-1.doc -9

8. The article of clothing as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the or each strap includes at least two segments that are releaseably connected at their free ends so as to define a discontinuous loop.

9. The article of clothing as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 5 wherein the article has an aperture through which the baby's neck and head extend and the aperture extends from or adjacent the waist region.

10. The article of clothing as claimed in claim 9 wherein the edge of the aperture is elastic or otherwise tensioned so as to resist movement of the baby's arms away from its torso. 10

11. The article of clothing as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the article includes a lower portion that substantially encloses the legs of the baby.

12. An article of clothing, substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.