WO2015170259A1

WO2015170259A1 - An article of clothing extending over the chest of a wearer

Info

Publication number: WO2015170259A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/053291
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hayley Michelle PULSFORD; Kerry John PULSFORD
Original assignee: K.J. & S. Pulsford Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2014-05-08
Filing date: 2015-05-06
Publication date: 2015-11-12
Also published as: GB2540318A; AU2015257302A1

Abstract

There is provided an article (10) of clothing that extends over a chest of a wearer when worn, the article (10) of clothing including a moisture absorbing layer (44) and a water impervious layer (42) beneath the moisture absorbing layer (44). The moisture absorbing layer (44) and the water impervious layer (42) are positioned over the chest of the wearer so as to receive moisture issuing from the mouth of the wearer.

Description

AN ARTICLE OF CLOTHING EXTENDING OVER THE CHEST OF A WEARER

AND AN ACCESSORY

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This invention relates to an article of clothing for extending over the chest of a wearer. This invention also extends to an accessory for an article of clothing that extends over the chest over a wearer.

This invention relates particularly but not exclusively to an article of clothing for an infant that extends across the chest of the infant when worn. It will therefore be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with reference to this example application. However at the same time it must be recognized that the invention is capable of broader application. DEFINITIONS

In the specification the term "comprising " shall be understood to have a broad meaning similar to the term "including" and will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. This definition also applies to variations on the term "comprising" such as "comprise" and "comprises".

BACKGROUND

Applicant has noted that teething infants have a tendency to dribble from the mouth. Often this dribbling occurs over prolonged periods during the day and also during the night.

When an infant dribbles from the mouth this has a tendency to make an upper frontal region of their clothing that extends over their chest area wet, e.g. their jumpsuit. The wet clothing in turn creates dampness and cold on the skin of the chest of the infant and this can cause the infant to get sick, in particular get a cold or a chest infection.

Up to now people have dealt with this situation by changing the infants clothing on a regular basis. However this is quite inconvenient because it requires a large amount of effort and labour. Further the infant's chest still gets damp and cold for some period of time between changes of clothing.

Clearly it would be advantageous if a more effective solution to this situation could be devised. It would possibly make it easier to manage and look after infants while they are teething. It would also reduce the risks of infants getting sick due to their clothing getting damp.

Additionally Applicant has noted that dribbling is a problem with some special needs people, including old and geriatric special needs people. Such dribbling might soil a chest region of their clothing and cause the clothing to get damp.

Clearly it would be useful if a way of managing this problem on old people could be devised without having to replace the article of clothing each time it get wet.

Generally an old person would tend to wear a shirt for a full day and not change it during the day.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to an aspect of this disclosure there is provided an article of clothing that extends over a chest of a wearer when worn, the article of clothing including: a moisture absorbent layer; and

a water impervious layer beneath the moisture absorbent layer,

wherein the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer are positioned over the chest of a wearer so as to receive moisture issuing from the mouth of the wearer. The article of clothing may further include a garment layer. The garment layer may represent a continuation of the fabric from which the article of clothing is formed.

In one form the garment layer may extend over the moisture absorbent layer and be positioned above the moisture absorbent layer. In this form the garment layer presents as a neat aesthetic continuation of the fabric from which the article of clothing is formed.

In an embodiment where the garment layer extends over the moisture and water absorbent layers it effectively hides the other layers so that they are not visible when the article of clothing is being worn. Thus they do not disturb or interfere with the look or the aesthetics of the article of clothing.

In another form the garment layer may extend below the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer. Thus in this form, the garment layer is positioned beneath the other layers and is effectively hidden from the outside.

The moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer may be permanently mounted on the garment layer.

Further the garment layer may be integrally formed with the fabric of the article of clothing or be permanently attached thereto.

Optionally the article of clothing may also include a skin contacting base layer for bearing against the skin of a wearer for providing comfort against the skin of the wearer.

Optionally the garment layer and the skin contacting base layer may form a pouch or a sleeve and the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer may be removably received therein. The moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer may be permanently fixed to each other to form a removable element.

In this embodiment the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer may be removed from the pouch of the article of clothing and be replaced, e.g. when it becomes wet. They could also be washed separately from the article of clothing.

Instead the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer may be separate from each other.

In particular the article of clothing may include a section that fits around the torso of a wearer, e.g. snugly and closely. The article of clothing may include a shirt or a suit.

According to an aspect of this disclosure there is provided an article of clothing that extends over a chest of a wearer when worn, the article of clothing including: an outer garment layer;

a moisture absorbent layer beneath the garment layer;

a water impervious layer beneath the moisture absorbent layer; and a skin contacting base layer for bearing against the skin of a wearer beneath the water impervious layer,

wherein the moisture absorbent layer, the water impervious layer and the skin contacting layer are positioned over the chest of a wearer so as to receive moisture issuing from the mouth of the wearer.

The garment layer may thus be an outermost layer and be visible when the article of clothing is being worn by a wearer. The garment layer may represent a continuation of the fabric from which the article of clothing is formed. The components of the article of clothing may include any one or more of the features of the article of clothing defined in the preceding aspect of the invention.

According to another aspect of this disclosure there is provided an accessory for an article of clothing having a chest section extending over a chest area of a wearer when worn, the accessory including:

a moisture absorbent layer adjacent the garment layer; and

a water impervious layer beneath the moisture absorbent layer,

wherein the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer are positioned over the chest of a wearer when the accessory is mounted on an article of clothing so as to receive moisture issuing from the mouth of the wearer.

The accessory may further include a garment layer and the garment layer may extend over the moisture absorbent layer.

The moisture absorbent layer, the water impervious layer, and the garment layer may include any one or more of the features of these components defined in the preceding aspects of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

An article of clothing in accordance with this disclosure may manifest itself in a variety of forms. It will be convenient to hereinafter describe several embodiments of the disclosure in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The purpose of providing this detailed description is to instruct persons having an interest in the subject matter of the invention how to carry the invention into practical effect. However it is to be clearly understood that the specific nature of this detailed description does not supersede the generality of the preceding broad description. In the drawings: Fig 1 is a schematic perspective view of an item of clothing covering a chest area of a wearer; Figure 2 is a top plan view of a moisture absorbent part of the item in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view through the part of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of an article of clothing covering a chest area of a wearer that is a variation on that in Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through a moisture impervious part of the article of clothing in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an exploded view of the moisture impervious part shown in Figure 5; Figure 7 is an upper perspective view of an article of clothing in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; Figure 8 is an upper perspective view of an article of clothing in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 9 is a schematic front view of an item of clothing in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 10 is a schematic front view of an item of clothing is a variation on that in Figure 9;

Figure 1 1 is a schematic front view of an item of clothing is a variation on that in Figure 9;

Figure 12 is a schematic front view of an item of clothing is a variation on that in Figure 9; Figure 13 is a schematic front view of an accessory for an article of clothing that is mounted on an article of clothing covering the chest that is being worn by a man; Figure 14 is a sequence of schematic drawings showing the different layers in the article of clothing.

Figure 1 shows an article of clothing that is a jump suit being worn by a young infant. In Fig 1 reference numeral 10 refers generally to the article of clothing and the wearer who is a small baby or infant is indicated by numeral 12.

The article 10 comprises broadly a chest section 14 extending over a chest area of the wearer 12 when worn and a body section 16 that extend across areas of the body other than the chest. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the chest section of the article of clothing in more detail. The chest section 16 includes an outermost layer 20 which faces outward. A moisture absorbent layer 22 is adjacent the outermost layer 20 and a water impervious layer 24 beneath the moisture absorbent layer 22. The chest section 14 further includes a garment layer 26 beneath the layers 22 and 24 and adjacent the infant wearer's chest for providing a comfortable and smooth material on the chest. In the illustrated embodiment the garment layer 26 represents a continuation of the fabric forming the body section 16 and the overall article of clothing 10.

The garment layer 26 can be made of a similar fabric to that of the body section 16 of the article of clothing.

The moisture absorbent layer 22 can be made from a section of sponge or foam which is readily able to absorb moisture therein. Typically the section 22 has some depth or height. By contrast the water impervious layer 24 can be made from a

7

RECTIFIED SHEET

(Rule 91 ) ISA/AU thin sheet or section of plastics material which acts as a barrier to the passage of water therethrough.

Figures 4 to 6 illustrates an article of clothing that is a jumpsuit for an infant in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. In the drawings the reference numeral 30 refers generally to the suit of clothing.

The suit 30 comprises a chest section 32 and a body section 34 covering the rest of the body. As with the earlier embodiment the chest section 32 is positioned over the chest of a wearer 12 so as to receive moisture issuing from the mouth of the wearer 12.

The chest section 32 comprises four layers of components which will be described below starting with the component that is lowermost and bears against a wearer's skin and ending with the outermost component.

The first layer is a skin contacting base layer 40 for bearing against the skin of a wearer for providing comfort against the skin of the wearer. The chest section 32 also includes a water impervious layer 42 above the skin contacting base layer 32. The chest section 32 then includes a moisture absorbent layer 44 above the water impervious layer 42. Finally the chest section 32 further includes an uppermost garment layer 46 extending across the moisture absorbent layer 44. The garment layer 46 represents a continuation of the fabric from which the article of clothing is formed and presents as a continuation of the body section of the article of clothing 30.

The garment layer 46 is designed to cover the moisture absorbent and water impervious layers 44 and 42 and to present a neat aesthetic appearance. It will be made of a similar fabric to that of the body section 16 of the article of clothing and will therefore permit the passage of water and moisture there through. In use, saliva issuing from the mouth of the infant 12 dribbles down their face and drops onto the chest section 32 of the suit 30. The moisture passes through the upper most garment layer 46 and is absorbed by the moisture absorbent layer 44. Further the water impervious layer 42 stops moisture received in the water absorbing layer 44 from passing through and contacting the skin of the wearer 12.

After a period of usage which is typically one day the suit 10 is washed and laundered and then allowed to dry. The entire suit 10 is washed as a single article including the moisture absorbing layer 44 and the water impervious layer 42. Thereafter the suit 30 is suitable for a re-use.

Figure 14 is a series of schematic drawings showing how the article of clothing is manufactured with its four superimposed layers. The layers B to D are sewn onto the outer garment layer in the order shown in the drawings. The backing material or skin contacting layer is sewn on last. The end product or nett result is an article of clothing for the upper body that has an absorbent layer for absorbing saliva moisture from a wearer thereby preventing the wearer's chest from becoming wet or damp. Figure 7 illustrates an article of clothing in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention. This embodiment is similar to that described above with reference to Figures 4 to 7. Accordingly the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components in the drawing unless otherwise specified. In the Figure 7 embodiment the innermost base skin contacting layer 40 and the outermost garment layer 46 are permanently mounted to the body section 34 of the article of clothing 30 and these two components 40 and 46 form a sleeve or pouch with an opening or mouth along one side.

The moisture absorbing layer 44 and water impervious layer 42 are attached to each other and form a separate removable component which can be manually

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RECTIFIED SHEET

Rule 91 ISA/AU inserted through the mouth or opening into the sleeve of the suit. The removable component can also be withdrawn therefrom after a period or time of use. The moisture absorbing and water impervious components may be physically attached to each other by adhesive, welding or stitching during the manufacturing process.

This enables the moisture absorbing and water impervious components to be replaced regularly or frequently when the jump suit is being worn. This way the moisture absorbing and water impervious components can be laundered and cleaned separately from the suit. It also opens up the opportunity for the moisture absorbing and water impervious components to be made of disposable components.

Figure 8 illustrates a variation on the embodiment shown in Figure 7. In Figure 8 the moisture absorbing and water impervious components 44 and 42 are separate pieces that are not physically attached or tethered to each other. Otherwise the structure and function of this article of clothing is very much like that shown in Figure 1. Figures 9 to 12 illustrate some schematic drawings of clothing for infants. Unless otherwise indicated the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components as in Figures 4 to 6.

Figure 9 illustrates a jumpsuit 30 having a chest section 32 that is shown in the drawings and a body section 34 which forms the remainder of the suit. The chest section 32 includes an outer garment layer which is shown in the drawings and extends from the sleeves and the neck down to the dotted lines. The body section 34 has short sleeves. Further the crutch region of the body section 34 has releasable clips which can be undone to change a diaper or a nappy. The suit in Figure 10 is in the form of a singlet but is otherwise the same as that in Figure 9. The body section 34 of the suit 30 in Figure 1 1 has long arm sleeves and long pipes or trouser legs for covering the legs of a wearer. However the chest section 32 of the suit in Figure 11 is basically the same as that in Figure 9. In Figure 12, the body section 34 of the suit 30 has short sleeves and short trouser legs for covering the upper legs of the wearer. However the chest section 32 of the suit in Figure 12 is basically the same as that in Figure 9.

While the article of clothing is described above with reference to a suit being worn by an infant in a teething stage of development, it should be understood that the article of clothing could also be in the form of an article of upper body clothing such as a shirt worn by a special needs person. Typically such a special needs person may be an elderly geriatric person. Such an article of clothing would have four layers extending across a chest area of the wearer including a skin contacting layer, a water impervious layer above the skin contacting layer, a moisture absorbent layer above the water impervious base layer, and an uppermost garment layer covering the other layers.

Figure 13 is a schematic drawing of an old man wearing an article of clothing such as a shirt indicated by reference numeral 80. An accessory indicated by numeral 82 is mounted over a chest region of the article of clothing.

The accessory 82 includes a water impervious bottom layer, a water absorbent layer above the water impervious layer and a top layer or cover layer. These layers are similar to those described above with reference to Figures 1 to 8. The accessory 82 can be removably attached to a chest region of the wearer's shirt. In the illustrated embodiment the accessory is mounted by means of press studs 84. An advantage of the article of clothing described above with reference to Figures 1 to 8 is that it would effectively receive and absorb any saliva moisture issuing from

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RECTIFIED SHEET

(Rule 91 ) ISA/AU the mouth of the wearer and stop it from damping and wetting the chest of the wearer.

An advantage of the article of clothing described above with reference to Figures 1 to 8 is that it should reduce the incidence of colds and chest infections caused by dribbling in infants that are teething. Another advantage of the article of clothing described above is that it can be applied equally to special needs adult persons that are prone to dribbling and the health risks posed by moisture on their chest over an extended period of time.

An advantage of the article of clothing described above with reference to Figures 1 to 8 is that it is aesthetically pleasing and does not detract from the aesthetics of the infant's suit. In particular in the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 6 the existence of the moisture absorbing chest section is not visible from the outside of the suit when it is being worn. Instead the functional layers of the chest section are hidden beneath the garment layer thereby providing the appearance of a regular article of clothing.

It will of course be realized that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as is herein set forth.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. An article of clothing that extends over a chest of a wearer when worn, the item of clothing including:

a moisture absorbent layer; and

a water impervious layer beneath the moisture absorbent layer,

wherein the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer are positioned over the chest of a wearer so as to receive moisture issuing from the mouth of the wearer.

2. An article of clothing according to claim 1 , wherein the article of clothing further includes a garment layer.

3. An article of clothing according to claim 2, wherein the garment layer represents a continuation of the fabric from which the article of clothing is formed.

4. An article of clothing according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the garment layer extends over the moisture absorbent layer so that the garment layer presents as a neat aesthetic continuation of the fabric from which the article of clothing is formed and covers the other layers so that they are not visible when the article of clothing is being worn.

5. An article of clothing according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the garment layer is positioned to extend below the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer and is effectively covered by the other layers and hidden from the outside.

6. An article of clothing according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer are permanently mounted on the garment layer.

7. An article of clothing according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the article of clothing also includes a skin contacting base layer for bearing against the skin of a wearer for providing comfort against the skin of the wearer.

8. An article of clothing according to claim 7, wherein the skin contacting base layer is permanently fixed to the water impervious layer and the moisture absorbent layer.

9. An article of clothing according to claim 7, wherein the garment layer and the skin contacting base layer form a pouch or a sleeve and the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer are removably received therein.

10. An article of clothing according to claim 9, wherein the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer are permanently fixed to each other so that they can be handled as a single item.

11. An accessory for an article of clothing having a chest section extending over a chest area of a wearer when worn, the accessory including:

a moisture absorbent layer adjacent the garment layer; and

a water impervious layer beneath the moisture absorbent layer,

wherein the moisture absorbent layer and the water impervious layer are positioned over the chest of a wearer when the accessory is mounted on an article of clothing so as to receive moisture issuing from the mouth of the wearer. 11. An accessory for an article of clothing according to claim 11 , further including a garment layer extending over the moisture absorbent layer.

12. An article of clothing that extends over a chest of a wearer substantially as herein described in the detailed description with reference to the drawings.