Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02631964 2008-05-22
Title: CONVERTIBLE BLANKET
Field of the Invention
[0011 This application claims the benefit of convention priority of previously
filed
US Application No. 12/060,325 filed on April 1, 2008 under the title
"CONVERTIBLE
BLANKET" by Jennifer Armstrong. The present device relates to blankets used
for
protecting infants and children and in particular relates to a convertible
blanket having
multiple purposes for infant and child use.
Baclkground of the Invention
[002] There are a number of blankets and even convertible blankets presently
on the
market, some of which have been protected through patents which are directed
for use with
infants and children. None of these prior art devices however have the
flexibility or enable
to the extensive use that the present device convertible blanket allows. The
present device
a convertible blanket can be used as a normal square or rectangular style
blanket. It can be
used as a sleeping bag having a zipper opening down the middle. It can be used
as a car seat
blanket having enclosed feet for use with almost any type of car seat harness
that is
available today in the market and it can also be used and converted into a
pillow.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
[003] The present invention will now be described by way of example only with
reference to the following drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the inner surface of the convertible
blanket in a totally
unfolded position.
Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the outer surface of the blanket in the
totally unfolded
position.
Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of the convertible blanket of the inner
surface showing the
folding directions required to place the blanket into the first folded
position.
Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of the front side of the convertible blanket
shown in a first
folded position.
Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of the front side of the convertible blanket
shown with the
bottom flap inside out in a second folded position.
Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of the front side of the convertible blanket
in the second
folded position with a top portion of the inner surface folded down.
Figure 7(a) is a schematic plan view of the backside of the convertible
blanket shown in the
second folded position with arrows indicating the direction of folding in
order to place the
blanket into the third folded position.
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Figure 7(b) is a schematic plan view of the convertible blanket in the second
folded position
showing the front side and the direction of arrows in order to fold the
blanket into the third
folded position.
Figure 8 is a schematic plan view of the convertible blanket shown in the
third folded
position with the top flap outer side visible on the front side of the
blanket.
Figure 9 is a schematic plan view of the convertible blanket shown in the
fourth folded
position with the entire blanket folded into the bottom flap showing the front
side.
Figure 10 is a schematic plan view of the convertible blanket in an open
position in a totally
unfolded position showing the inner surface as well as the vertical slit in a
slit open position
together with the five point harness projecting there through.
Figure 11 is a schematic perspective top view of the convertible blanket
deployed into a car
seat with a child fastened into the car seat with a harness.
Figure 12 is a schematic plan view of the convertible blanket showing the
inner surface
together with the vertical slit shown in the slit open position together with
a three point
harness projecting there through.
Figure 13 is a schematic flow diagram indicating the steps required to fold
the blanket into
the various positions and configurations.
Figure 14 is a schematic partial plan view of the top portion of the
convertible blanket
shown in a fifth folded position with the top flap outer side visible on the
front side of the
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blanket with the head of the child resting entirely on the outer portion of
top flap 130.
Figure 15 is a schematic partial plan view of the convertible blanket shown in
a fifth folded
position with the top flap outer side visible on the front side of the blanket
with the head of
a child partially protected with the raised inside - out position of the top
flap 130.
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Detailed Descriation of the Preferred Embodiment
[004] The present device, a convertible blanket is shown generally as 100 in
an
open position 102 which can also be ternled unfolded position 111 in that the
blanket is
totally unfolded with the entire inner surface 104 visible.
[005] Convertible blanket 100 fiuther includes a top 106, a bottom 108, a top
edge
110, a bottom edge 112, a left edge 114, a right edge 116, centrally
longitudinally oriented
vertical slit 120 shown in a slit closed position 118 along longitudinal
centre 122.
[006] Convertible blanket 100 further includes horizontal slit 124 located
just
below vertical slit 120.
[007] Some stitching 129 is also visible near the horizontal slip 124 which is
the
stitching used to fasten centre flap 132 located on the outer surface 128 of
convertible
blanket 100.
[008] Now referring to Figure 2 which shows the outer surface 128 of
convertible
blanket 100 namely, outer surface 128, however also in the totally unfolded
position 111.
On outer surface 128 one can see that convertible blanket 100 further includes
zipper 126,
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a top flap 130 located near top 106 and top edge 110, a centre flap 132 having
a centre flap
outer side 134 located between top flap 130 and horizontal slit 124 and a
bottom flap 136
having a bottom flap outer side 138 located proximate the bottom 108 and
bottom edge 112
of convertible blanket 100.
[009] Bottom flap 136 is sewn onto outer surface 128 of blanket 100 at side
edges
302 with stitching 129. There may be other ways of attaching the flaps
including hook and
loop fasteners or snaps. The bottom edge of bottom flap 136 is coextensive
with and
fastened securely to bottom edge 112 thereby forming a pocket which is open at
open upper
edge 140. Top flap 130 is sewn onto outer surface 128 of blanket 100 at side
edges 304
with stitching 129. The top edge of top flap 130 is coextensive with and
fastened securely
to top edge 110 thereby forming a pocket which is open at open lower edge 310.
Center flap
132 is sewn onto outer surface 128 of blanket 100 at top and bottom ends 320
with stitching
129. Center flap 132 has open sides 322 through which straps of harness 164
can pass
through.
[010] Referring now to Figure 3 which shows schematically the direction of
folding
of convertible blanket 100 in order to put convertible blanket 100 from the
open position
102 or the unfolded position 111 into the first folded position 144 shown in
Figure 4. In
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this position convertible blanket 100 has a lateral width 330.
[011] The left edge 114 and the right edge 116 are folded inwardly as shown by
the
folding direction arrows 142 thereby joining zipper halves 126 near the
longitudinal centre
122 of convertible blanket 100 thereby allowing zipper 126 to fasten together
the left edge
114 with the right edge 116.
[012] Referring to Figure 4 which shows convertible blanket in the first
folded
position 144 wherein the outer surface 128 of the convertible blanket 100 are
visible. The
left edge 114 and the right edge 116 are brought together and fastened with
zipper 126,
thereby producing a front side 146 which is the side visible in Figure 4.
[013] Referring now to Figure 5 the bottom flap 136 and the bottom 108 of
convertible blanket 100 can be folded inside out into the second folded
position, such that
open upper edge 140 of bottom flap 136 becomes visible on front side 146 of
the
convertible blanket 100 in the second folded position 148.
[014] Figure 6 shows how the top edge 110 of the top 106 of convertible
blanket
100 can be turned down on each side thereby revealing inner surface 104 of
convertible
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blanket 100. In Figure 6 the front side 146 is visible as is the outer surface
128 as well as
a portion of the inner surface 104 being the portion of the top edge which has
been turned
down. Figure 7(a) is a schematic diagram of the backside 154 of convertible
blanket 100 in
the second folded position 148.
[015] Figure 7(b) shows convertible blanket 100 in the second folded position
148
with the bottom flap 136 turned inside out, such that upper edge 140 is
visible on the front
side 146 similar to that shown in Figure 6.
[016] By folding the top edge 110 downwardly in accordance with the folding
direction arrows 143 shown in Figure 7(a) and 7(b), one can place convertible
blanket 100
into the third folded position 156 as shown in Figure 8. In the third folded
position 156, the
top flap outer side 152 is clearly visible and the top edge 110 of convertible
blanket 100 is
turned down onto the front side 146 of convertible blanket 100.
[017] By further folding the top flap 130 downwardly as shown by the folding
direction arrows 145 one can completely fold convertible blanket 100 into the
bottom flap
136 placing the convertible blanket 100 into the fourth folded position 158
which is a pillow
configuration 160.
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[018] Referring now to Figure 10 showing the convertible blanket 100 deployed
onto a car seat having a harness 164.
[019] In Figure 10 vertical slit 120 is shown in the slit open position 162
thereby
providing for passage way of harness 164 through vertical slit 120. In
addition, a portion
of harness 164 also passes through horizontal slit 124 as shown in Figure 10.
This is one
particular harness configuration which convertible blanket 100 is adapted to
be used with.
[020] Of particular note is the fact that despite the fact that vertical slits
120 are
shown in a slit open position 162, the back of the infant or the child
fastened underneath
harness 164 will not be exposed directly to the seat below, but rather to the
centre flap inner
side 166. Therefore, the person skilled in the art will note that one of the
purposes of centre
flap 132 is to ensure protection of the back or the portion of the infant
which is resting
against the back portion of the convertible blanket 100 when vertical slit 120
is in the slit
open position 162.
[0211 Figure 11 shows a schematic perspective view of a child 168 in a harness
164
and inside the convertible blanket 100 with bottom flap 136 turned inside out
thereby
CA 02631964 2008-05-22
protecting the feet or the bottom portion of the infant or child. One can also
see that a
portion of the inner surface 104 is visible as well as the outer surface 128
and the harness
164 holds the child into car seat 170.
[022] Figure 12 is a schematic plan view of the convertible blanket showing an
alternate configuration of harness 164. In this case the harness shown is a
three point
harness 164 with vertical slit 120 in the slit open position 162. A portion of
the harness 164
passes through vertical slit 120 and also one portion passes through
horizontal slit 124.
[023] As per the previous harness arrangements shown in Figure 10 with
vertical
slit 120 in the slit open position 162, the backside of the infant rests
against centre flap inner
side 166 as shown in Figure 12.
[024] Figure 13 is a schematic flow diagram of the steps and/or the method
used in
order to convert the blanket from one position into the next.
[025] From the open position 102 or the unfolded position 111, one folds the
left
edge 114 and the right edge 116 of the blanket towards the longitudinal centre
122 to fasten
the left edge and the right edge together with the zipper 126 to place the
blanket into the first
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folded position shown as 182 in Figure 13.
[026] Thereafter, one turns the bottom flap inside out such that the upper
edge 140
and the bottom flap inner side 150 are now located on the front side 146
forming a second
folded position shown as 184 in Figure 13.
[027] Subsequently folding the top flap 130 downwardly over onto the front
side
146, such that the top flap outer side 152 is now part of the front side 146,
putting the
blanket into the third folded position shown in Figure 13 as 186.
[028] Finally one folds the top downwardly again and into the pocket formed by
bottom flap 136 such that the entire top portion of the blanket folds into the
bottom flap
creating a pillow configuration, thereby forming a fourth folded position,
shown as 188 in
Figure 13.
[029] Referring now to Figures 14 and 15 which shows yet another position
namely,
fifth folded position 800 wherein the top flap 130 is folded inside out,
rather than folded
over on top of itself as shown in Figure 8. In the inside-out position the
length of the blanket
does not change, but rather only the position of the open lower edge 310 moves
from the
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back of the blanket to the front side of the blanket. In fifth folded position
800 top flap 130
is in a flat inside-out position 802, such that the head 804 of a child 168
lies flat on the top
flap outer side 152.
[030] As shown in Figure 15, it is possible to put top flap 130 into raised
inside-out
position 806 wherein the head 804 of a child 168 is partially covered by the
top flap 130.
The reader will note that in both inside-out positions, either the flat inside
out position 802
or the raised inside-out position 806, the open lower edge 310 is visible on
the front side of
the blanket.
[0311 In this manner the head 804 of a child can be partially covered to
protect it
from heat, cold and/or generally to cover its eyes to allow it to sleep. Other
benefits of the
fifth folded position are apparent from the description and the drawings.
[032] It should be apparent to persons skilled in the arts that various
modifications
and adaptation of this structure described above are possible without
departure from the
spirit of the invention the scope of which defmed in the appended claim.
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