Apparel – Body garments – Union type
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-11
2003-07-22
Hale, Gloria M. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Body garments
Union type
C002S069000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06594829
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The present invention is a towel wrap with removable strap for an adult bathing an infant. More specifically it is a protective towel wrap to keep the adult dry while bathing a child, and a towel for drying the baby once bathing has finished.
Currently there are hooded towels on the market that are for adults bathing infants to wrap around the baby coming out of the bath. These towels have a hood mechanism to fit around the back of the baby's head. When the infant is small and cannot walk the adult can kneel beside the tub, drape the towel across their knees and then lift the child out of the tub and onto the towel. However, even the smallest child can kick and wiggle when being picked up by the adult. Also, the child is very slippery and it can be difficult to lift the child from the bath without dropping the child, and a wiggling baby can make the task close to impossible.
As the child reaches toddler and pre-school age, they become harder to handle at bath time. They can remove themselves from the bathtub and get away from their parents or guardians and out of the bathroom before being properly dried, or in some cases dried at all. In these cases the parent must hold the child with one hand, and attempt to reach the towel with the other hand. In this process, the child can become cold as they have been removed from the bath, and often begin to cry, or whine about the cold.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,330,887 issued to White, on May 25, 1982 shows terry cloth gloves. White's invention is unlike the present invention because it does not provide a towel apparatus that can be attached to an adult while drying a baby. White's invention only provides coverage for the adult's hands and arms while bathing a baby and does not provide the adult with possible coverage of their clothes, or any exposed area that they choose.
U.S. Des. Pat. No. 277,352 issued to Klein, on Jan. 29, 1985 shows a baby towel. Klein's invention is unlike the present invention because it is a towel with a measuring device as part of its design. Klein's invention also does not have a removable strap or hood, and it has no means of attaching the towel to an adult or child.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,863 issued to Yamaguchi, et al., on Jun. 21, 1994 shows a bath towel for babies. Yamaguchi's invention is unlike the present invention because it does not provide a removable strap for attaching the towel to an adult, and it is intended to dry the baby after the bath and does not provide for a means to keep the adult dry while bathing the baby.
U.S. Des. Pat. No. 398,140 issued to Lion on Sep. 15, 1998 shows a baby apron towel. Lion's invention is unlike the present invention because it does not have a removable strap, and the strap is not of an appropriate length to fit around an adult to keep the adult dry while bathing the baby.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,886 issued to Washington, on Aug. 10, 1999 shows a baby blanket. Washington's invention is unlike the present invention because it does not have a means for keeping an adult dry while bathing an infant, or a means for drying a baby after a bath. Also Washington's invention does not provide a means for attaching a towel to an adult while bathing an infant.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,686 issued to Knight on May 2, 2000 shows a baby bunting for use in an infant carrier. Knight's invention is unlike the present invention because it is a blanket fitted for an infant carrier, and does not provide a means for keeping an adult dry while bathing a baby, or for drying a baby after a bath.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,821 issued to Quintana, on Jul. 31, 2001 shows a baby blanket. Quintana's invention is unlike the present invention because it is a closable blanket for wrapping a baby for warmth. Quintana's invention does not have a means for keeping an adult dry while bathing a baby, to dry the baby, and does not have a removable strap as does the present invention.
Therefore a need has been established for a towel apparatus that an adult may wear while bathing a baby to keep themselves dry, and also to use to dry the infant after bathing. Further there is a need for a towel apparatus with removable strap sufficient to fit around an adult, and for easy drying of the infant.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention is a protective towel wrap having three primary pieces; a rectangular towel piece, a removable strap having hook and loop closures, and an optional separate hat for drying an infant's head, or merely keeping the child's head warm during drying. The rectangular towel piece can be removably attached to an adult by use of the removable strap. The adult can choose the part of their body that is most likely to get wet while bathing the child and use the strap to attach the towel to that section of their body. The optional separate hat allows the caregiver to attach the hat to the child's head and to wrap the child in the towel for drying purposes.
The towel is of adequate size to cover the upper portion of an adult or to wrap around a child infant through pre-school age—for drying purposes. Although the removable strap is used around the neck of the caregiver to attach the towel, it is feasible for the caregiver to attach the removable strap around their waist or other desired places, to keep particular parts of their clothing or body dry. The optional separate hat is of adequate size to fit on an infant or toddler's head. The adult can also use the towel when lifting the child from the bath to help with maneuvering a slippery child. The adult may remove the towel from their body after bathing the child and wrap the child in the towel. Alternately, while wearing the towel they may place their hands on the underside of the towel and lift the child with the towel in the space between the adult and the towel. In this manner the adult can continue to protect their clothing from dampness, and cradle the child in their arms during the drying process.
The present invention eases the bathing process because the adult does not need to search for a towel after bathing an infant. The caregiver of a toddler does not have to worry about the child standing cold and wet, or getting away from them before they have had a chance to locate a towel and dry the child. They can easily pick the child up from the bathtub and wrap them in the towel. Due to the removable strap the user can pull the towel from the strap in an easy manner, to remove it from them and apply to the child. The strap has hook and loop closures for attaching one end of the strap to the other.
The rectangular towel portion can be constructed of terry cloth or any other applicable absorbent fabric. The top edge of the towel is made of any material that can communicate with a hook and loop closure apparatus as is fixedly attached to the removable strap. The optional separate hat is made of terry cloth or any other applicable material, which is absorbent and can be used on a child's head. The removable strap is a double layer material with hook and loop fastener portions at the base on each end of the strap.
By wearing the present invention around their neck, the adult has both hands free of obstruction while bathing the child or removing them from the tub. Babies, like adults lose much of their body heat through their heads, and the separate optional hat can be applied to dry the child's hair and help to keep them warm while being dried.
Often a new mother or father during bathing time needs to use two towels, one wrapped around themselves and one for the baby. This can become cumbersome when attempting to move, wash, rinse, or pick up a wet baby, as the towel wrapped around the parent can fall, or become entangled as the adult attempts to lift the baby from the bath.
Use of the removable neck strap and its communication means of the hook and loop closures attach the towel portion of the present invention to the caregiver. The towel portion is held in a secure yet removable manner around the neck of the caregiver by attaching the hook and loop
Greenberg & Lieberman
Greenberg Esq. Michael L.
Hale Gloria M.
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