Item of baby clothing and a baby carrier in conjunction with such an item of baby clothing

This invention relates to baby clothing principally for use in conjunction with a baby carrier.

Baby carriers are available for carrying a baby to the front or back of a person's body in a substantially upright position. The carriers consist (see Figure 1) of a harness 1 for attaching the carrier to the person carrying the baby and a seat part 2 for holding the baby. At least the top part of the seat may be detachably attached to the harness such that the baby can be conveniently placed into, and removed from, the carrier. The seat part is adjustable to allow babies of different sizes to be carried and the baby can face either backwards, towards the person carrying it or forwards, away from them.

The harness generally consists of shoulder straps 3 connected to a waist band 4, each having connectors 5 located on the front part to allow attachment of the seat. The seat supports the body of the baby and generally extends vertically for the length of the baby's body and also around the sides of the body and between the legs. The shape of the seat allows the baby's arms and legs to protrude, thus holding the baby in a broadly upright position with its arms and legs exposed and free to move. The baby will be equally supported whether it is facing forwards or backwards. A head support 6 may also be provided to support the head when the baby is facing backwards. When the baby is facing forwards the support can be folded downwards such that it does not obscure the baby's face.

While such a carrier provides a convenient way of carrying a baby, there are problems with regulating the temperature of the baby and protecting it from the environment. Once a baby is in a carrier it is not possible to change the baby's clothing without removing the baby from the carrier. This is inconvenient as it involves disturbing the baby and requires the ability to remove, dress and replace the baby, which is often not possible in many situations. Due to this it is common practice for the person carrying the baby to utilise either their own clothing, or a blanket, as additional clothing or protection for the baby.

By wearing the carrier under an outer garment that outer garment can be used to enclose the baby as well as the person thus providing warmth or protection. This is, however, clearly inconvenient and uncomfortable for the person. Alternatively a blanket may be carried and used to place around the baby and carrier when it needs more clothing, again this is clearly inconvenient as it requires carrying a bulky extra item.

Use of the person's clothing can also lead to difficulties with the baby overheating as it is enclosed with the persons body heat. This is particularly a problem when using the clothing to protect the baby from the environment, as the temperature may still be high and protection (e.g. against rain), but not heat insulation, may be required.

The above methods also limit access to the baby's limbs which is needed to allow monitoring of the temperature of the baby, because some babies prefer to have their limbs free and to allow reassuring contact between the person and the baby.

US2005/004674 provides a blanket system which can be attached to a baby carrier. While the system removes the need to carry a separate blanket or to use the person's clothes, it does not address the need for the amount of clothing to be easily varied or to provide access to the baby's limbs. The blanket also covers a significant amount of the person carrying the baby thus making it unpleasant and inconvenient for them. At least part of the blanket is permanently attached to the carrier, therefore limiting the ease with which the baby's clothing can be altered. The blanket system is also quite complicated and so is limited to use with a particular design of carrier.

A further system is provided by SE523709 which provides a bag-like item which can be placed over the baby in the carrier to clothe and protect it. The bag-like nature of the cover means that the baby is completely enclosed. Clearly with this system there is limited access to the baby's limbs to allow monitoring of the baby's temperature. The bag also removes the ability of the baby to move its limbs freely as they are trapped within the bag.

The invention provides an item of baby clothing for use in conjunction with a chest or back mounted baby-carrier, the item of clothing having:

• a body portion, and
• sleeve and leg portions,
• wherein the body portion has a U-shaped opening to the front descending from the top of the body portion.

The U-shaped opening may extend from the top of the body portion to 2/3 down the length of the body portion. The U-shaped opening may have a width of 1/2 of the width of the body portion.

The edge of the U-shaped opening may have a tensioning means. Preferably that tensioning means is elastic. Alternatively the tensioning means may be a drawstring.

Preferably, a strap may be provided across the U-shaped opening, which strap may be located at the top of the U-shaped opening.

The strap may have two parts, one part being attached to each side of the opening and the parts being detachably attached to each other. Alternatively, the strap may be attached to one side of the opening and detachably attached to the other side of the opening. Alternatively, the strap may be attached to both sides of the opening.

The sleeves and/or legs may be made of a material that is more heat insulating than that of the body portion. Alternatively, the sleeves and/or legs may be lined with a material that is more insulating that the material of the body portion.

The sleeves and/or legs may be made of fleece material.

The item of baby clothing may be made of waterproof material.

The sleeves and/or legs may be made of an anti-UV treated material. Preferably, the body portion is not made of that anti-UV treated material.

The sleeves and/or legs may have a pocket formed on the outside at the end such that the end can be turned inside out into the pocket to seal that sleeve or leg.

The item of baby clothing may have a cover attached across the U-shaped opening for use when the item of baby clothing is worn by the baby when the baby is not in the carrier. The cover may be fully detachable from the item of clothing.

A fastening means may be provided on the sides of the U-shaped opening such that the sides of the opening can be attached to each other to close the opening when the item of clothing is worn by the baby when the baby is not in the carrier

The item of baby clothing may have a pocket into which the clothing can be folded. Preferably, the pocket is on the back of the item of clothing.

The invention further provides a baby carrier and an item of baby clothing wherein the front U-shaped opening of the item is such that the item of clothing can be worn by a baby in the carrier fitted outside the carrier and removed without removing the baby from the carrier. Preferably, the item of baby clothing is detachably attached to the baby carrier.

The baby carrier may have a pocket on the seat into which the item of clothing can be folded.

The invention also provides a baby carrier and an item of baby clothing wherein, when the item of clothing is fitted outside the carrier, a strap passes between the shoulder straps of the baby carrier and the person wearing the baby carrier.

The invention also provides an item of baby clothing for use in conjunction with a chest or back mounted baby-carrier, the item of clothing having

an opening for the head or face of a baby in the baby-carrier,

a U-shaped opening descending from that head or face opening, and

a strap across the U-shaped opening.

The strap may be located at the top of the U-shaped opening.

The strap may have two parts, one part being attached to each side of the opening and the parts being detachably attached to each other. Alternatively, the strap may be attached to one side of the opening and detachably attached to the other side of the opening. Alternatively, the strap may be attached to both sides of the opening.

The edge of the U-shaped opening may have a tensioning means. Preferably, the tensioning means is elastic. Alternatively, the tensioning means may be a drawstring.

The U-shaped opening may extend from the head or face opening to 2/3 down the length of a body portion.

The U-shaped opening may have a width of 1/2 of the width of a body portion.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the figures.

Figure 1 shows a baby carrier.

Figure 2 shows a front view of a garment according to the invention.

Figure 3 shows a rear view of a garment according to the invention.

Figure 4 shows a front view of a garment according to the invention and the straps of the harness.

Figure 5 shows a front view of a garment according to the invention with a single strap arrangement.

Figure 6 shows a garment according to the invention in place on the carrier and baby.

Figure 7 shows a closable sleeve or trouser leg end.

Figure 8 shows a garment with a hood according to the invention in place on the carrier and baby when the baby is facing forwards.

Figure 9 shows a garment with a hood according to the invention in place on the carrier and baby when the baby is facing backwards.

Figure 10 shows a rear view of a garment according to the invention having a pocket into which the garment can be folded.

Figure 11 shows a front view of a garment according to the invention having a cover fitted over the U-shaped opening.

The current invention provides an item of baby clothing principally for use in conjunction with a baby carrier which addresses the problems of the prior art.

Figure 2 shows a garment or an item of clothing 10 in accordance with the current invention. The clothing has sleeves 11 and trouser legs 12 attached to a body 13. Thus the baby is free to move its limbs and is not constrained. Figure 3 is a rear view of the garment showing that the back of the body is, in this example, complete and does not have any particular adaptation.

In order to enable the item of clothing to be fitted and removed whilst a baby is in a carrier a U-shaped opening 14 is provided. The opening allows the clothing to fit around where the seat of the baby carrier attaches to the straps and waist band. The garment is fitted around the baby carrier from below with the baby already in position in the carrier. The edge of the opening is elasticated such that a good fit is obtained around the carrier and provides adjustment allowing fitting to carriers of different shapes and sizes. Alternatively, since it also provides tension, a drawstring could be incorporated into the edge of the opening to allow a good fit to the carrier to be obtained.

Figure 4 shows the relationship of the harness and the opening with parts of the straps and the waist band cut away.

A strap 15 is provided across the opening to secure the clothing to the carrier. The strap passes between the shoulder straps and the person carrying the baby and is secured preferably with Velcro^™ or some other quick release fastening; a button or popper fastening would also be suitable, however. The strap 15 is preferably provided as two half straps (Figure 2) each attached to one side of the opening 14, but a single long strap 16 attached to one side 18 and fastenable to the other side 17 may alternatively be provided (Figure 5). The strap prevents the clothing from slipping downwards and from flapping open. By adjusting the fastening position of the strap the fitting of the garment can be adjusted.

The strap could also be a single piece of elasticated material which is secured to both sides of the U-shaped opening. For example in Figure 5 if the strap were fixed at both 17 and 18. This is, however, less convenient as the shoulder straps would have to be opened to allow the strap to be positioned.

When fitting, as the garment is pulled upwards from below the baby's limbs are inserted into the sleeves 11 and trouser legs 12. Figure 6 shows the garment in position on a carrier.

The ends of the sleeves 11 and legs 12 are open. This allows air to circulate and also allows access to the baby's hands/feet to monitor their temperature. The length of the sleeves and trousers can be shortened by rolling them up to allow the baby's hands and/or feet to poke out, changing the amount of the limb that is insulated.

As shown in Figure 7, the arms and legs of the garment each have a patch 20 around half of the outer circumference at the end of the sleeve 11 or trouser leg 12. The patch 20 is sewn (sewing lines are shown as a zig-zag line) along the end 21 of the sleeve 11 or leg 12 and along the edges 22 running along the length of the sleeve or leg, forming a pocket. The patch 20 can be folded over the end of the sleeve, as shown by the arrow, to seal the end and create additional insulation. The patch is made of waterproof material, lined with fleece to keep the baby's extremities warm, and does that whether it is folded over or not, but of course with the patch sealing the end there is less circulation of air and the baby is kept warmer.

Different parts of the garment are made of different materials to provide different functionality. The body is made of a thin material which is not a particularly good heat insulator but which is waterproof and breathable, for example nylon, since that part of the garment is located over the seat of the carrier which is made of thick, and therefore insulative, material and so no extra heat insulation is required in that area. The sleeves and legs of the garment, however, are made of material which is a more effective heat insulator as those parts of the body are not covered by the seat and thus more heat insulation is required. The sleeves and legs can be made of, or lined with, fleece as well as the patches but can of course be less (or more) insulating depending on the climate.

If, as is preferred, the garment is designed to provide protection from the environment, for example sun or rain, suitable materials are selected for the different parts of the garment. In the case of a waterproof garment the whole garment would be made of the waterproof fabric, and additional heat insulating materials could also be used for the limbs as described above.

Parts of the garment can be manufactured from UV protective material to provide protection against the sun. The seat will provide effective protection against the sun and so the UV protective materials are used in the areas not covered by the seat - the arms and legs.

Vents are provided in the garment in convenient locations to allow air to flow around the baby. These vents can be manufactured as openings or mesh regions in the garment. To prevent rain entering the vents they are covered with a flap of waterproof material. Such vents could, for example, be located in the hood over the ears of the baby to additionally allow the baby to hear, but the flap would prevent ingress of rain.

A hood is provided which attaches to the garment to provide protection and/or heat insulation to the head of the baby. The hood can be attached facing either forwards (Figure 8) or backwards (Figure 9) depending upon the direction the baby is facing in the carrier.

A pocket 30 is built into the back of the clothing, into which the clothing can be folded when not in use. The pocket additionally has a strap to allow the package to be worn around the waist or attached to another part of the carrier such that it is conveniently available when needed.

Alternatively, a pocket can be provided on the seat of the baby carrier for the garment to be stored in. The pocket is located on the back of the seat part such that the garment can be folded out and placed onto the baby as described above.

The garment can be attached to the seat such that it is stored securely when the carrier is in use, but is preferably detachable so that it can be removed for cleaning.

In order that the garment can be used as a normal item of clothing for the baby when it is not in a carrier a means of covering the U-shaped opening is provided. Figure 11 shows the garment with a cover 40 attached which covers the opening by attaching to the garment either side of the U-shaped opening 14. Alternatively the garment may be designed such that the opening can be closed and the sides fastened together with suitable fasteners such as a zip or poppers. Since the garment in normal use goes around the baby carrier the garment will be a loose fit when used on the baby along and so there can be spare material allowing the opening to be closed.