Garment

The invention relates to garments, in particular intended for invalids.

Dressing and undressing invalids, in particular older persons, whose arm and leg joints are stiff, presents a great deal of difficulties in practise. When the usual garments such as dresses, blouses, shirts and the like are used, such garments must be pulled over the head and the stiff arms, which often can only be done in a frustrating and painful manner, in particular with demented persons, who frequently offer resistance when being dressed and undressed. Apart from the problems which this causes for the invalids themselves, it also requires a great deal of time and effort of the nursing staff.

In order to meet this problem to a certain extent it has been usual so far to use garments for the invalids in question which are a few sizes larger than is actually necessary for the person in question. This leads to an unattractive appearance, however, which is unpleasant both to the invalid himself as to his surroundings.

From US-A-4,759,083 there is known a sleeveless medical garment with a shoulder structure consisting of two separate parts, which are removable attached to front and rear parts of the garment. At their longitudinal sides said front and rear parts are separated from each other over part of their length.

US-A-4,759,083 (figures 8, 9) shows also a medical garment with very short sleeves and sleeve extensions defining side openings between the front panel and the back panel shielded by the sleeve members and sleeve extensions. Said garment has been provided with releasable closures extending transverse to the longitudinal length of the garment between ends of the very short sleeve members and the remainder of the garment.

From DE-U-8805269.1 there is known a garment wherein a zip fastener extends from the free end of a sleeve along the sleeve and the shoulder portion to the neck opening so that in opening the zip fastener parts of the garment situated on both sides of the zip fastener are fully separated from each other.

The object on which this invention is based is therefore to obtain clothing which is adapted for invalids, in such a manner that while a normal appearance of the garment and the best possible fit are maintained the treatment of the invalid, such as dressing and undressing, can take place in an efficient manner.

According to the invention this objective is accomplished with a garment, in particular a dress or a blouse provided with a front piece, a back piece, as well as with a neck, whereby the part of one of the pieces joining up with the neck is formed by two parts separated along a dividing line at least substantially extending in the longitudinal direction of said piece, and detachable fastenings are provided, which extend from and transverse to the dividing line through the piece comprising the dividing line towards the side edges of said piece, so as to detach or interconnect, as the case may be, the parts of the garment located above and under the detachable fastening, and wherein according to the invention the garment has been provided with sleeves and the detachable fastenings in said piece, formed by zip fasteners, extend also through the sleeves to points located at some distance from the free ends of the sleeves.

By using such a construction the upper part of the piece in question, with the parts of the sleeves joining up with said upper part, can be laid open wide, which will particularly facilitate putting on or taking off, as the case may be, the garment in question.

The invention will be explained in more detail hereafter, with reference to an embodiment of a garment, according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a front view of a garment in the shape of a dres.

Figure 2 shows a back view of the dress illustrated in figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the upper part of the dress illustrated in figure 1, with the fastenings undone.

The dress illustrated in figures 1 and 2 is provided with a front piece 1, a back piece 2 and sleeves 3. A dividing line 5 extending into the front piece joins up with the neck 4, whereby in the closed condition of the dress illustrated in figure 1 the parts of the front piece located on either side of said dividing line are attached to each other by fastening means, preferably press studs 6.

As appears from figure 3 zip fasteners 7 and 8 are provided in the front piece and the sleeves joining said front piece, said zip fasteners being illustrated in the unzipped condition in figure 3. Said zip fasteners 8 extend from points located near the cuffs 9 of the sleeves 3 up to the dividing line 5.

It will be apparent that when the zip fasteners 7 and 8 are unzipped and also the press studs are undone, the dress can be easily provided over the upper body of the wearer of the dress, whilst at the same time the arms of the wearer can be easily inserted into the sleeves, without the arms having to be bent in an unpleasant manner thereby. The zip fasteners 7 and 8 can thereby be sown into the dress in such a manner that they are "invisible" in the closed condition depicted in figure 1. As will furthermore be apparent from figures 1 and 3, the lowermost press stud may thereby be provided in such a manner that said press stud connects the facing extending along the dividing line 5 to a part of the dress located under the zip fasteners, so that the various parts are well-joined together.

Preferably a band 7 is stitched into the inner side of the dress at waist level. An elastic will be tacked into said band, said elastic preferably being adjustable in longitudinal direction. When such an elastic band is used at the level of the waist seam, an attendant can slid the skirt part under the elastic band when the toilet is being used, which will significantly facilitate assisting the patient.