Infant Swaddling Garment Assembly and Method Therefor

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/509,552, filed Nov. 15, 2023, which is incorporated by reference herein.

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The disclosure relates to swaddling garments and more particularly pertains to a new swaddling garment for selectively positioning the arms of an infant in a releasably secured condition against the torso of the infant.

The prior art relates to swaddling garments but which do not allow the arms of an infant to be releasably secured against the torso of the infant at user selected positions. The prior art does not include a connection assembly allowing an infant to adjust their arms relative to their torso while maintaining the arms in a secured condition.

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an infant garment, which comprises a torso section to which is attached a plurality of sleeves that includes a left arm sleeve and a right arm sleeve. The torso section and the left and right arm sleeves are configured to receive a torso and arms of an infant, respectively. The torso section has an upper edge, which is open and which defines a neck opening. A connection assembly releasably attaches the left and right arm sleeves at respective selectable positions on a front side of the torso section. The connection assembly thus is configured to selectively position the arms of the infant in a releasably secured condition against the torso of the infant. In another possible embodiment,

Another embodiment of the disclosure includes a method of swaddling an infant, which entails provision of an infant swaddling garment assembly, according to the disclosure above. Steps of the method include positioning a torso and arms of an infant into the infant garment, releasably attaching a first mating member that is attached to the terminal end of the left arm sleeve to a second mating member that is attached the left portion of the front side of the torso section, and releasably attaching a first mating member that is attached to the terminal end of the right arm sleeve to a second mating member that is attached the right portion of the front side of the torso section.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular tothereof, a new swaddling garment embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeralwill be described.

As best illustrated in, the infant swaddling garment assemblygenerally comprises an infant garmenthaving a torso sectionto which is attached a plurality of sleeves. The plurality of sleevestypically includes a left arm sleeve, a right arm sleeve, and a pair of leg sleeves. The torso section, the leftand rightarm sleeves, and the pair of leg sleevesare configured to receive a torso, arms, and legs of an infant, respectively. As is shown in the figures, the leftand rightarm sleeves may open so that hands of the infant protrude from the leftand rightarm sleeves, respectively. The present invention also anticipates the leftand rightarm sleeves each being closed with a mitten, or the like. Also as is shown in the figures, the leg sleevesmay be open, although the present invention also anticipates each leg sleevebeing terminated by a bootie, or the like.

The torso sectionhas an upper edge, which is open and which thus defines a neck opening. The torso sectionhas a slitpositioned therein, with the slitextending from the neck openingdownwardly into the torso section. A closureis attached to the torso sectionto releasably close the slit. As is shown in, the slitis positioned in a front sideof the torso section, although the present invention also anticipates the slitbeing positioned in a back sideof the torso section. Such garments for infants typically include slits to facilitate donning of an infant with the garment. The closuremay comprise a zipper, as is shown in the figures, or other closing means, such as, but not limited to, buttons, snaps, ties, hook and loop fasteners, or the like.

A connection assemblyreleasably attaches the leftand rightarm sleeves at respective selectable positions on the front sideof the torso section. The connection assemblythus is configured to selectively position the arms of the infant in a releasably secured condition against the torso of the infant.

The connection assemblycomprises a pair of first mating members, the first mating membersof which are attached singly to terminal ends (and, respectively) of the leftand rightarm sleeves, and a pair of second mating members, the second mating membersof which are attached singly to a right portionand a left portionof the front sideof the torso section. As is shown in, each second mating memberis formed as an elongate striphaving opposed ends. Thus, each first mating memberis releasably attachable to a respective elongate stripat a respective position between the opposed ends. As shown in, the first mating membersmay also be positioned at the elbows as well to add additional connection points between the arm sleeves,and the front sideof the torso section.

The elongate stripsmay be magnetically attracted to the first mating membersso that each first mating memberis releasably attachable to and slidable along a respective elongate strip. The connection assemblyis configured to restrict a range of motion of the arms of the infant relative to the torso of the infant. The present invention also anticipates the first mating memberand the elongate stripcomprising hook and loop fastener, a snap closure, or the like, so that the arms of the infant are selectively positionable in a releasably secured condition against the torso of the infant at selectable positions between the opposed endsof the elongate strips.

In one embodiment, the first mating membersare magnetic and the elongate stripsare paramagnetic. In another embodiment, the first mating membersare paramagnetic and the elongate stripsare magnetic. In yet another embodiment, the first mating membersand the elongate stripsare magnetic and the first mating membersare pole matched to the elongate strips. Such magnetic mating members are well known to those skilled in the art of magnets and include flexible strips that can be attached to the infant garmentby conventional means. In addition to the well documented benefits of swaddling, the infant swaddling garment assemblyis anticipated to be useful in monitoring preferred positioning of hands of infants and providing recommendations to parents to optimize the effectiveness of swaddling their infants.

Each elongate stripmay comprise a linear sectionand an arcuate section, as is shown in. The linear sectionhas an upper endthat is positioned proximate to the upper edgeand extends downwardly to a lower end. The linear sectionsof the elongate stripsare positioned so as to bracket a centerlineof the front side. The arcuate sectionis attached to the lower endof the linear sectionand extends downwardly from the linear sectionand away from the centerline. This shape of the elongate stripspositions the elongate stripsalong the torso to cover a range of positions for releasably attaching the first mating members.

Each second mating membermay be formed as the elongate stripalong with a set of blocks, as is shown in. The blocksare spaced along the elongate stripbetween the opposed endsso that each first mating memberis releasably attachable to one or more blocksto selectively position the arms of the infant in a releasably secured condition against the torso of the infant. Also as shown in, the blocksmay be positioned so as to bracket the elongate strip. “Blocks” is used herein descriptively and is not intended to be limited to cuboid shapes. The present invention also anticipates the blocksbeing disc shaped, triangular prismatic shaped, or the like. As can be seen in, the elongated stripmay be raised compared to the blocks. This will allow connection between first mating memberson the sleeves to the blocksat points which do not allow the movement of the first mating member relative to the garment. As shown in, the elongated stripsmay be omitted and only the blocksare included such that a plurality of the second mating members, in this case the blocks, are attached at different locations on the right portionand the left portionof the front sideof the torso section, each defining a connecting point for a corresponding one of the pair of first mating members. The second mating membersare magnetically attracted to the first mating memberssuch that each first mating memberis releasably attachable and movable from one of the second mating membersto another to selectively change the connecting point of each of the first mating members. It should be noted thatshows one possible embodiment of the infant swaddling garment assembly, and thus it should be understood that the elongated stripsand the blocksmay be included or utilized in any of the embodiments of the infant swaddling garment assemblydisclosed herein, either independently or in combination.

As shown in, the infant swaddling garment assemblycan include a leg pocketconnected to the torso sectionand designed to contain the legs of an infant. The leg pocketfunctions as a swaddling-style alternative to the leg sleeves, though it would be possible to combine both in another possible embodiment. The leg pocketcomprises a slitpositioned therein and extending across a bottom edgeof the leg pocket. A closureis attached to the leg pocketto releasably close the leg pocket. In one possible embodiment, such as is shown in, the closureof the torso sectionand the closureof the leg pocketare connected together to form a single continuous closure extending from the neck openingdownwardly across the torso sectionand then curving all the way around the bottom edgeof the leg pocket.

show an additional possible component of an embodiment of the infant swaddling garment assembly, specifically a flapattached to a back portion of the torso sectionand wrappable around the torso sectionto cover at least the arms and torso of an infant. The flapincludes at least two of the first mating membersto releasably attach the flapin a wrapped position on the torso section. In the embodiment shown in, there are a pair of the first mating memberson the flapand they are releasably attachable to a pair of the second mating memberson the torso section.shows the flapwrapped around and releasably attached to the torso section. This design allows for a quick and easy way to swaddle an infant without any complicated wrapping of lengthy cloths or garments. The flapcan be utilized with any embodiment of the infant swaddling garment assembly.

It should be understood that the figures show the first mating membersand the second mating membersas being on or attached to the outer surface of infant garmentfor purposes of clarity and as an exemplary embodiment, and that, in another possible embodiment, some or all of the first mating membersand the second mating membersare disposed within the material or material layers of the infant garment. In that embodiment, the first mating membersand the second mating membersare releasably attachable together through the garment material, that is to say, with the garment material in between.shows an exemplary embodiment in which the elongate strips, the blocks, and the first mating membersare disposed within the garment material, such as in a pocket that is stitched shut or sealed by adhesive or otherwise embedded in the material.

In use, the infant swaddling garment assemblyenables a method of swaddling an infant. The methodcomprises providing the infant swaddling garment assembly, according to the specification above. A first stepof the methodis positioning a torso and arms of an infant into a torso sectionand a left arm sleeveand a right arm sleeveof the infant garment, respectively. A second stepof the methodis releasably attaching a first mating memberthat is attached to the terminal endof the left arm sleeveto a second mating memberthat is attached the left portionof the front sideof the torso sectionto selectively position a left arm of the infant in a releasably secured condition against the torso of the infant. A third stepof the methodis releasably attaching a first mating memberthat is attached to the terminal endof the right arm sleeveto a second mating memberthat is attached the right portionof the front sideof the torso sectionto selectively position a right arm of the infant in a releasably secured condition against the torso of the infant. In at least one possible embodiment, the method alternatively or additionally includes releasably attaching a first mating memberattached to the terminal endof the left arm sleeveto a second mating memberat a first connecting point to selectively position a left arm of the infant in a releasably secured condition against the torso of the infant, and releasably attaching a first mating memberattached to the terminal endof the right arm sleeveto a second mating memberat a second connecting point to selectively position a right arm of the infant in a releasably secured condition against the torso of the infant. The method further includes detaching the first mating memberof the left arm sleeveand releasably reattaching to a second mating memberat a third connecting point, and detaching the first mating memberof the right arm sleeveand releasably reattaching to a second mating memberat a fourth connecting point.

In some embodiments, the assemblymay include data collection means. In particular, the firstand secondmating members may include electronic contacts coupled to a processor and memory for collecting data on where an infant prefers to retain their arms while being in a swaddled position. This will allow for future improvements in design of the assemblyas well as be able to monitor movements of a child throughout their sleep cycle. The data would not include where the locations of the connections were being made, but also the duration of each contact.

The methodabove is not intended to limit use of the infant swaddling garment assembly in any manner. For example, a first mating memberattached to the terminal endof the left arm sleevecould be attached to a second mating memberattached the right portionof the front sideof the torso sectionand a first mating memberattached to the terminal endof the right arm sleevecould be attached to a second mating memberattached the left portionof the front sideof the torso sectionto effectively cross the arms of the infant.

With each second mating memberbeing formed as an elongate stripand being magnetically attracted to the first mating members, each first mating memberis releasably attachable to and slidable along a respective elongate strip. The methodin this case includes a fourth stepof sliding of the first mating membersrelative to the elongate stripsby the infant to comfortably position their arms.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.