Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
MULTILAYER CHILD'S JACKET CONFIGURED TO AVOID IMPEDING
EFFECTIVENESS OF VEHICLE CHILD SAFETY SEAT
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 63/154,235 filed on February 26, 2021.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to garments for children, and more
particularly
to a multilayer child's jacket configured to avoid impeding the effectiveness
of a vehicle
child safety seat.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Young children traveling by automobile are required to be secured in a
vehicle child safety seat (also referred to as a "child vehicle safety seat,"
"child safety
seat," "child restraint system," or simply "car seat"). Car seats typically
employ a
harness system to keep the child securely in place within the seat even upon
rapid
vehicle deceleration.
[0004] It can be dangerous for children secured in car seats to wear thick,
cold
weather outerwear made from a compressible material, such as down or synthetic
fiber-filled jackets. Although the thickness of the material may render it
effective as a
heat insulator, the compressibility of the thick material may impede the
effectiveness of
the car seat. More specifically, the harness may be rendered less effective
for keeping
a child in place within the seat during sudden deceleration. The reason is
that, despite
perhaps appearing to be snugly fitted around a jacketed child's torso, the
harness of
the car seat may actually only be snug against the outer surface of the
jacket's
compressible material. In reality, a gap may exist between the harness and the
torso
of the child, the gap being occupied by the thick compressible material.
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[0005] In the event of sudden vehicle deceleration, the inertia of the child's
body
may carry the body of the child forward towards the harness of the car seat,
quickly
compressing the jacket's thick compressible material to its limit, in which
state it may
be quite thin. By the time the child's body has been truly caught by the
harness, the
compression of the material may have allowed the child's body to move forward,
outside of the safe area of the car seat, increasing the risk of harm to the
child. Such a
scenario may impede safe use of the car seat, similarly to a hypothetical
situation in
which a child wearing no jacket were seated in a car seat with the harness
improperly
adjusted to have too much slack.
[0006] This poses a significant challenge in cold weather when children
require
outerwear garments in order to stay warm when traveling to, in, and from the
automobile.
SUMMARY
[0007] In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a multilayer
jacket
wearable by a child using a vehicle child safety seat having a harness,
comprising: an
outer jacket layer made from a first, compressible material, the outer jacket
layer
comprising two arm sleeves, a posterior panel configured to cover a posterior
side of a
child's torso, and an anterior panel configured to cover an anterior side of
the child's
torso, the anterior panel being openable along a vertical midline by way of an
outer
jacket layer fastener; an inner jacket layer made from a second material, the
second
material being thinner than the first material, the second material being
either non-
compressible or compressible to a significantly lesser extent than the first
material, the
inner jacket layer comprising two arm sleeves, a posterior panel configured to
cover a
posterior side of the child's torso, and an anterior panel configured to cover
an anterior
side of the child's torso, the anterior panel of the inner jacket layer being
openable
along a vertical midline by way of an inner jacket layer fastener; and a pair
of layer
interconnection fasteners configured to fasten the anterior panel of the inner
jacket
layer to the anterior panel of the outer jacket layer, each of the layer
interconnection
fasteners being situated on a respective side of the vertical midline of the
inner jacket
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layer along a line from a respective point at or near a bottom edge of the
multilayer
jacket to a respective shoulder of the multilayer jacket, the pair of layer
interconnection
fasteners being sufficiently spaced apart to accommodate between them a
vehicle
child safety seat harness fastened against the anterior panel of the inner
jacket layer
when the multilayer jacket is worn by a child with the inner jacket layer
being closed,
the outer jacket layer being open, and portions of the anterior panel of the
outer jacket
layer being folded open.
[0008] In another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a
multilayer
jacket wearable by a child using a vehicle child safety seat having a harness,
comprising: an outer jacket layer made from a thick, compressible, heat
insulating
material, the outer jacket layer including an anterior panel configured to
cover an
anterior side of the child's torso, the anterior panel being openable along a
vertical
midline by way of an outer jacket layer fastener; an inner jacket layer made
from a thin
material, thinner and less compressible than the thick material, the inner
jacket layer
including an anterior panel configured to cover an anterior side of the
child's torso, the
anterior panel of the inner jacket layer being openable along a vertical
midline by way
of an inner jacket layer fastener; and a pair of layer interconnection
fasteners
configured to fasten the anterior panel of the inner jacket layer to the
anterior panel of
the outer jacket layer, each of the layer interconnection fasteners being
situated on a
respective side of the vertical midline of the inner jacket layer along a line
from a point
at or near a bottom edge of the multilayer jacket to a respective shoulder of
the
multilayer jacket, the pair of layer interconnection fasteners being
sufficiently spaced
apart to accommodate between them the vehicle child safety seat harness
fastened
against the anterior panel of the inner jacket layer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] In the figures which illustrate example embodiments,
[0010] FIG. 1 is a front view of an example multilayer child's jacket in an
assembled
and fastened state;
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[0011] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the multilayer jacket of FIG_ 1 in the
assembled and
fastened state;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a front view of the multilayer jacket of FIG. 1 with an outer
jacket
layer being unfastened and folded open to reveal a fastened anterior panel of
an inner
jacket layer;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a front view of the multilayer jacket as in FIG. 3 being held
by a
harness 330 of a car seat;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a front view of the inner jacket layer of the multilayer
jacket of FIG.
1;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a front view of the inner jacket layer of the multilayer
jacket of FIG.
1;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a front view of an outer jacket layer of an alternative
embodiment of
multilayer jacket;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a front view of an inner jacket layer of the alternative
embodiment of
multilayer jacket;
[0018] FIGS. 8A and 8B are close-up views of two portions of the inner jacket
layer
of FIG. 8;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a rear view of the inner jacket layer of FIG. 8;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a front view of the alternative embodiment of multilayer
jacket of
FIGS. 7 and 8 during its assembly;
[0021] FIG. 11 is a front view of part of a sled used to test the performance
of a car
seat restraining a child-sized crash test dummy wearing a multilayer jacket;
[0022] FIG. 12 is a graph showing G forces acting upon the head of a child-
sized
crash test dummy restrained in a car seat without a multilayer jacket during
an impact;
[0023] FIG. 13 is a graph showing G forces acting upon the chest of a child-
sized
crash test dummy restrained in a car seat without a multilayer jacket during
an impact;
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[0024] FIG. 14 is a graph showing the G forces acting upon the head of a child-
sized crash test dummy restrained in a car seat wearing a multilayer jacket
during an
impact; and
[0025] FIG. 15 is a graph showing the G forces acting upon the chest of a
child-
sized crash test dummy restrained in a car seat wearing a multilayer jacket
during an
impact.
DESCRIPTION
[0026] For clarity, in this document, the following terms are used
interchangeably:
"exterior layer" and "outer jacket layer"; "inner layer" and "inner jacket
layer"; "anterior"
and "front"; and "posterior" and "back". The term "compressible material" may
refer to a
highly compressible material, i.e. a material that can be compressed to a
small fraction
of its resting thickness, such as a down or synthetic fiber-filled jacket The
term "non-
compressible material" may be considered to include minimally compressible
material,
i.e. material that is slightly compressible (e.g. thin fleece material) or
compressible to a
significantly lesser extent than the "thicker compressible material". The term
"bottom"
may be used to refer to an area at or near a waist or hem of a jacket. The
term "top"
may be used to refer to an area at or near a neck or shoulder region of a
jacket.
[0027] FIGS. 1 and 2 depict an example multilayer child's jacket 100 (a form
of
garment), in front and rear view, respectively. The example jacket 100 has two
layers:
an outer jacket layer 200 and an inner jacket layer 300. Each jacket layer
200, 300 has
a basic jacket shape, including panels for covering a child's torso and
sleeves for the
child's arms. When interconnected and used together as described herein, the
two
jacket layers 200 and 300 cooperate to allow a child to be safely harnessed
into a
vehicle child safety seat, without impeding the effectiveness of the child
safety seat,
while keeping the child warm even in cold temperatures.
[0028]
The outer jacket layer 200 is made from a thick, compressible material, such
as down, feather, or synthetic fiber filling within a fabric shell, to provide
heat
insulation. The outer jacket layer 200 includes two sleeves 202 and 204 and a
panel
206 covering the entire posterior side of the child's torso (see FIG. 2). The
outer jacket
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
layer 200 further has a panel 208 covering the anterior side of the child's
torso (see
FIG. 1) that opens along a vertical midline on the anterior side of the torso
by way of a
fastener 210, such as a zipper. The fastener 210 may be referred to as an
outer jacket
layer fastener 210. When fastener 210 is fastened, the outer jacket layer 200
is said to
be closed. Conversely, when fastener 210 is unfastened, the outer jacket layer
200 is
said to be open.
[0029] The outer jacket layer 200 is open at the neck area, i.e. has a neck
hole. The
example outer jacket layer 200 of FIGS. 1 and 2 lacks a collar. As will be
appreciated,
the omission of a collar from the outer jacket layer 200 may help to reduce a
risk of
impeding proper operation of the car seat. In particular, the lack of collar
on the outer
jacket layer 200 may limit the risk of undesirable trapping of thick,
compressible collar
material between a car seat harness and a shoulder of the occupant, which
could
impede proper operation of the car seat for similar reasons as those
referenced in the
background section above.
[0030] The inner jacket layer 300 is perhaps best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, which
depict the inner jacket layer 300, in front and rear view, respectively, in
isolation from
the outer jacket layer 200. The inner jacket layer 300 is made of thinner
and/or non-
compressible material. In this context, the term "thinner" is understood to be
relative to
a thickness of the material from which the outer jacket layer 200 is made. The
compressible material from which the outer jacket layer 200 is made may
accordingly
be described as "thicker compressible material" because it is thicker than the
material
from which the inner jacket layer 300 is made.
[0031] The inner jacket layer 300 has two arm sleeves 302 and 304, a panel 306
covering the posterior side of the child's torso (see FIG. 6), and a panel 308
covering
the anterior side of the child's torso that opens along a vertical midline on
the anterior
side of the torso by way of a fastener 310 such as a zipper (see FIG. 5). The
fastener
310 may be referred to as an inner jacket layer fastener 310. When fastener
310 is
fastened, the inner jacket layer 300 is said to be closed. Conversely, when
fastener
310 is unfastened, the inner jacket layer 300 is said to be open.
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[0032] The inner jacket layer 300 also has a collar 312_ In this embodiment,
the
collar 312 is attached (e.g., fixedly coupled) to a hood 314.
[0033] Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the jacket 100 is shown in an
assembled
state, with the inner jacket layer 300 being nested within the outer jacket
layer 200 and
being fastened to the outer jacket layer 200 using a mechanism that is
described
below in connection with FIG. 3.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 3, a front view of the jacket 100 in an assembled
state is
depicted. In FIG. 3, the outer jacket layer 200 is open, i.e. the fastener 210
of outer
jacket layer 200 has been unfastened. The example fastener 210 is accordingly
separated into two constituent, complementary fastener halves 210A, 210B,
which
may be zipper halves.
[0035] On each side of the vertical torso midline, a portion 208A or 208B of
the
anterior panel 208 has been folded open laterally away from the vertical torso
midline,
forming an anterior opening 240 in the outer jacket layer 200 with a generally
rectangular shape. The underlying inner jacket layer 300, which is closed
(i.e. its
fastener 310 is fastened), is exposed at anterior opening 240.
[0036] The inner jacket layer 300 is fastened to the outer jacket layer 200 by
two
layer interconnection fasteners 510 and 512, such as zippers, on the anterior
side of
the child's torso. The layer interconnection fasteners 510, 512 run
substantially
vertically from the bottom or waist of the jacket 100 to the shoulder and are
situated on
either side of the child's navel, i.e. on each side of the vertical torso
midline. Put
another way, each layer interconnection fastener 510, 512 extends along a line
from a
bottom edge of the multilayer jacket 100 to a respective shoulder of the
multilayer
jacket 100. The point need not be exactly at the bottom edge of the jacket but
rather
may be near the bottom edge of the jacket. The line may be a straight line but
is not
necessarily so. The lateral position of each layer interconnection fastener
510, 512 is
between the vertical torso midline and the anterior superior iliac spine,
which is the
portion of the pelvis that visibly protrudes on the anterior surface of the
body of some
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people_ As used herein, the term "layer interconnection fastener" refers to a
fastener
used to interconnect different layers of a jacket.
[0037]The flaps 208A, 208B fold open about their respective layer
interconnection
fasteners 510, 512. The layer interconnection fasteners 510, 512 accordingly
define
the lateral edges of the anterior opening 240 of FIG. 3.
[0038]The layer interconnection fasteners 510, 512 are positioned with enough
lateral
separation distance between them to accommodate a fastened harness of a car
seat.
This is depicted in FIG. 4.
[0039]FIG. 4 shows the jacket 100 as in FIG. 3 being held by the harness 330
of a car
seat, as it would appear when a child wearing the jacket 100 is strapped into
the car
seat. The harness 330 has two straps 332, 334 and a buckle 336 for holding the
straps
332, 334 together. Each strap 332, 334 passes over a respective shoulder area
320 of
the child. Because the shoulder area 320 is not covered by the thick,
compressible
material of the outer jacket layer 200, the harness straps 332, 334 can be
made to
snugly contact the non-compressible material of the inner jacket layer 300.
Moreover,
because the outer jacket layer 200 lacks a collar, the risk of thick,
compressible collar
material becoming trapped under the straps 332, 334 at the shoulder area 320
is
minimized or eliminated.
[0040] The anterior opening 240 in the outer jacket layer 200 is sufficiently
wide to
accommodate the fastened harness 330. Accordingly, the harness straps 332, 334
can be safely fastened against the non-compressible material of the closed
inner
jacket layer 300 and secured tightly against the child's torso, without any
slack and
without trapping thick, compressible outer layer material between themselves
and the
child. Moreover, the fastened layer interconnection fasteners 510, 512 prevent
cold air
from entering between the inner jacket layer 300 and outer jacket layer 200.
This
keeps the child warm despite the fact that the thick outer jacket layer 200 is
open.
[0041] The inner jacket layer 300 can be separated from the outer jacket layer
200
by unfastening each of the layer interconnection fasteners 510, 512, e.g. into
constituent halves in the case of a zipper. This permits the inner jacket
layer 300 to be
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worn independently from the exterior layer, as a light jacket for example (see
e.g.
FIGS. 5 and 6). It will be appreciated that the inner jacket layer 300 may
have fastener
halves 510A, 512A attached to the outwardly facing surface of its anterior
panel 308
on either side of the vertical torso midline. It will further be appreciated
that each
fastener half 510A, 512A may be positioned between the vertical torso midline
and the
anterior superior iliac spine, so as to align with a respective complementary
fastener
half (not expressly depicted) on an inner surface of outer jacket layer 200.
The
complementary fastener halves may be affixed to an inner surface of the
anterior
panel 208 of the outer jacket layer 200 in alignment with the fastener halves
510A,
512A.
[0042] In the present embodiment, inner jacket layer 300 has a collar 312 with
a hood
314 attached (e.g., fixedly coupled) to the collar 312 (see e.g. FIG. 5). The
hood 314 is
wearable by a child regardless of whether the inner jacket layer 300 is being
worn
independently or whether the inner jacket layer 300 is being worn in
combination with
the outer jacket layer 200. When not being worn, the hood 314 may hang at the
posterior of the child's torso.
[0043] Although the layer interconnection fasteners 510, 512 are described
above
as possibly being zippers, other forms of fasteners could be used as layer
interconnection fasteners for any embodiment described in this document:
[0044] 1. Hook & loop / Velcro
[0045] PROS: Easy for children to use themselves / Efficient for parents
[0046] CONS: Loud / Possibly decreasing durability and effectiveness over time
[0047] 2. Buttons
[0048] PROS: Aesthetically intriguing
[0049] CONS: Inefficient (time-consuming) for parents / Difficult for children
to use
themselves / Doesn't offer complete closure to external elements (e.g., wind)
[0050] 3. Snaps
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
[0051] PROS: Somewhat efficient for parents / Somewhat easy for children to
use
themselves
[0052] CONS: Wear & tear over time / Not as easy or efficient as a zipper /
Doesn't
offer complete closure to external elements (e.g., wind)
[0053] 4. Magnets
[0054] PROS: Easy for children to use themselves / Efficient for parents
[0055] CONS: Could stick to other metal objects in the car or car seat (e.g.,
the
buckle on the harness) / Unknown health effects of wearing magnets on child's
torso
for extended periods
[0056] 5. Bungee Loops
[0057] PROS: Aesthetically intriguing
[0058] CONS: Wear & tear over time / Inefficient (time-consuming) for parents
/
Difficult for children to use themselves / Doesn't offer complete closure to
external
elements (e.g. wind)
[0059] When the layer interconnection fasteners 510 or 512 are zippers, it is
possible that the zippers may be designed to fasten (i.e. close) by pulling a
zipper
slider from top to bottom, i.e. shoulder to waist. This is so that the
possibly bulky
metallic zipper slider will be situated at the jacket waist when the layers
200, 300 are
interconnected. If the zipper were to conversely zip from bottom to top, it is
possible
that the location of the slider when zipped, at the shoulder area 320, could
create a
risk of the slider becoming trapped under harness strap 332 or 334, which may
be
uncomfortable for a child. In some embodiments, however, a bottom-to-top
zipper
closing direction may be acceptable, e.g. when the zipper does not risk being
trapped
under a harness strap or when the zipper slider is not bulky.
[0060] While jackets with independently wearable removable liners do exist,
the
location where the described jacket 100 fastens the two layers is believed to
be novel,
both in its design and its application for safety when used with a harness
system in a
child vehicle safety seat. Additionally, the combination of the two layers
with the
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
exterior layer having no collar is believed to be novel and enhances the
safety
functionality for use with a harness system in a child vehicle safety seat.
[0061] In one aspect, there is provided a multilayer jacket wearable by a
child using
a vehicle child safety seat having a harness, comprising:
[0062] an outer jacket layer made from a thick, compressible material, the
outer
jacket layer comprising two arm sleeves, a posterior panel configured to cover
a
posterior side of a child's torso, and an anterior panel configured to cover
an anterior
side of the child's torso, the anterior panel being openable along a vertical
midline by
way of an outer jacket layer fastener;
[0063] an inner jacket layer made from a thin, non-compressible material, the
inner
jacket layer comprising two arm sleeves, a posterior panel configured to cover
a
posterior side of the child's torso, and an anterior panel configured to cover
an anterior
side of the child's torso, the anterior panel of the inner jacket layer being
openable
along a vertical midline by way of an inner jacket layer fastener; and
[0064] a pair of layer interconnection fasteners configured to fasten the
anterior
panel of the inner jacket layer to the anterior panel of the outer jacket
layer, each of
the layer interconnection fasteners being situated on a respective side of the
vertical
midline of the inner jacket layer along a line from a bottom edge of the
multilayer jacket
to a respective shoulder of the multilayer jacket, the pair of layer
interconnection
fasteners being sufficiently spaced apart to accommodate between them a
vehicle
child safety seat harness fastened against the anterior panel of the inner
jacket layer
when the multilayer jacket is worn by a child with the inner jacket layer
being closed,
the outer jacket layer being open, and portions of the anterior panel of the
outer jacket
layer being folded open.
[0065] In another aspect, there is provided a garment wearable by a child
using a
harness system for a child vehicle safety seat, comprising:
[0066] (1) a thicker exterior layer, made of compressible material, comprised
of two
arm sleeves, a panel covering the entire posterior side of the child's torso,
a panel
covering the anterior side of the child's torso that opens along a vertical
midline on the
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
anterior side of the torso by way of a fastener (such as a zipper), and is
open at the
neck area; and
[0067] (2) an inner layer, made of thinner and/or non-compressible material,
comprised of two arm sleeves, a collar fixedly coupled to a hood, a panel
covering the
posterior side of the child's torso, and a panel covering the anterior side of
the child's
torso that opens along a vertical midline on the anterior side of the torso by
way of a
fastener such as a zipper;
[0068] wherein:
[0069] the inner layer is fastened to the exterior layer (for example, though
not
necessarily, by a zipper) on the anterior side of the child's torso, by
fasteners
positioned with enough distance between them to fit a harness, one on each
side of
the child's navel, between the child's navel and hip bone, running vertically
from the
bottom of garment to the shoulder, so that the inner layer can be entirely
separated
from the exterior layer and worn independently from the exterior layer; and
[0070] when both layers of the garment are being worn by a child using a
harness
system for a child vehicle safety seat, the anterior opening on the exterior
layer can
receive one or more harness straps which can safely be fastened against the
closed
inner layer of the garment, allowing the straps to be secured tightly against
the child's
torso, without any slack; and
[0071] the hood, fixedly coupled to a collar on the interior layer, is
wearable by a child
when either the interior layer is worn independently or when the interior
layer is worn in
combination with the exterior layer, and can otherwise hang in the posterior
of the
child's torso when not being worn.
[0072] Another embodiment of multilayer jacket 1100 for a child is shown, in a
disassembled state, in FIGS. 7, 8, 8A, 88, and 9. The jacket 1100 has an outer
jacket
layer 1200 (shown in FIG. 7) and an inner jacket layer 1300 (shown in FIGS. 8,
8A,
8B, and 9).
[0073] FIG. 7 is a front view of the outer jacket layer 1200 of multilayer
jacket 1100 in
an opened (unzipped) state. Like outer jacket layer 200 described above, the
outer
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
jacket layer 1200 of FIG_ 7 has two sleeves 1202 and 1204, a panel 1206 for
covering
a posterior side of a child's torso, and a panel 1208 for covering an anterior
side of the
child's torso when the jacket is closed (zipped) by way of a zipper 1210 (a
form of
outer jacket layer fastener). Like outer jacket layer 200, the outer jacket
layer 1200 is
collarless and is made from a thick, compressible, heat-insulating material.
[0074] In FIG. 7, the zipper 1210 is unzipped, i.e., separated into two zipper
halves
1210A and 1210B. The left side (from the wearer's perspective) of the outer
jacket
layer 1200 is folded open in FIG. 7 to reveal the inner surface of the
anterior panel
1208.
[0075] A layer interconnection fastener half 1512B is affixed to the inner
surface of the
anterior panel 1208. In the present embodiment, the layer interconnection
fastener half
1512B is one half of a separating zipper and thus may be referred to as a
"zipper half."
The zipper half 1512B is situated for alignment with a complementary zipper
half
1512A on an outer surface of the inner jacket layer 1300, described below.
[0076] The zipper half 1512B of FIG. 7 includes a tape portion 1520, a set of
multiple
zipper teeth 1522 disposed along the edge of tape 1520, a pin 1524, and a stop
1526.
The tape portion 1520 is affixed (e.g., sewn) to the inner surface of panel
1208. In the
present embodiment, the tape 1520 is affixed so that the zipper teeth 1522 of
the layer
interconnection zipper half 1512B point towards the vertical jacket midline
when the
outer jacket layer 1200 is zipped. This orientation may facilitate layer
interconnection/separation, e.g., as a child wears the inner jacket layer
1300. As
shown in FIG. 7, the layer interconnection zipper half 1512B and the outer
jacket layer
zipper half 1210B are parallel in the present embodiment, with the former
being
shorter than the latter. The interconnection zipper half 1512B and the outer
jacket
layer zipper half 1210B are not necessarily parallel in alternative
embodiments.
[0077]A second layer interconnection fastener half 1510B (depicted in dashed
lines in
FIG. 7), similar to fastener 1512B, is affixed to the inner surface of the
anterior panel
1208 in mirror image to fastener half 15126. The spacing between the layer
interconnection zipper half 1510B and the outer jacket layer zipper half 1210A
is
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
similar to that between the layer interconnection zipper half 1512B and outer
jacket
layer zipper half 1210B.
[0078] To promote robust inter-attachment of the outer jacket layer 1200 to
the inner
jacket layer 1300, the outer jacket layer 1200 further includes a set of
additional
fasteners 1230-1, 1230-2, 1230-3, and 1230-4 (generically or collectively
fastener(s)
1230) disposed at the cuffs and neck of the garment. In the present
embodiment, each
of the fasteners 1230 is a snap loop fastener.
[0079] As shown in detail for fastener 1230-1 only, each snap loop fastener
1230 (FIG.
7) includes a strip 1232 of material with a male snap portion 1234 and a
complementary female snap portion 1236, both disposed on the same face of the
strip
1232. A proximal end of the strip 1232 is attached (e.g., sewn) to the inside
of cuff
1203 so that, when the strip 1232 is bent back on itself and the snap portions
1234
and 1236 are mated, the snap loop fastener 1230 does not protrude beyond an
edge
of the cuff 1203. This design may keep the snap loop fastener 1230 safely
stowed and
out of sight when in that state. The other fasteners 1230-2, 1230-3, and 1230-
4 are
comparable to fastener 1230-1.
[0080] The placement of the two snap loops 1230-4 and 1230-5 at the back of
the
neck area at either side of the change midline may be designed to reduce or
eliminate
a gap between the two jacket layers 1200 and 1300. This may in turn limit heat
loss at
the neck area. Moreover, the reduced or eliminated neck area gap between
layers
may promote safety by limiting a risk that the neck area of the outer jacket
layer 1200
will become snagged on an external object or grabbed by another child.
[0081] The inner jacket layer 1300 of multilayer jacket 1100 is depicted in
FIGS. 8
and 9 in front and rear view, respectively, in a closed (zipped) state. In
many respects,
the inner jacket layer 1300 is similar to inner jacket layer 300 described
above. For
example, the inner jacket layer 1300 has two sleeves 1302 and 1304, a panel
1306
covering the posterior side of the child's torso (see FIG. 9), and a panel
1308 for
covering an anterior side of the child's torso when the jacket is closed
(zipped) by way
of a zipper 1310 (a form of outer jacket layer fastener ¨ see FIG. 8). The
inner jacket
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
layer 1300 also has a collar 1312 that is fixedly coupled to a hood 1314_ Like
inner
jacket layer 300, the inner jacket layer 1300 is made from a material that is
thinner and
less compressible than the material from which the outer jacket layer 1200 is
made.
[0082] A pair of layer interconnection fastener halves 1510A, 1512A is
situated on the
exterior face of the anterior panel 1308 of the inner jacket layer 1300 on
either side of
the vertical torso midline. Each layer interconnection fastener half 1510A,
1512A
extends along a line from a point near the bottom edge of the inner jacket
layer 1300
to a respective shoulder area of the inner jacket layer 1300. The point be
could at the
bottom edge of the jacket in alternative embodiments. The lateral separation
distance
between the layer interconnection fastener halves 1510A, 1512A, which may be
approximately 8 to 8.5" in some embodiments, should generally be sufficient to
accommodate a fastened harness of a standard car seat. The size (e.g., length)
and
positioning of the fastener halves 1510A, 1512A results in their alignment
with the
complementary fastener halves 1510B, 1512B, respectively, of the outer jacket
layer
1200 (described above in connection with FIG. 7) when the jacket layers are
nested.
[0083] In the present embodiment, each layer interconnection zipper half
1510A,
1512A is lapped. As used herein, the term "lapped" means substantially covered
or
hidden by a lap (also referred to as a "flange") of adjacent material, such as
a seam
allowance. Laps may be used for a variety of reasons. A first reason may be to
protect
the zipper halves 1510A, 1512A from being damaged or snagged on an external
object should the inner jacket layer 1300 be worn without the outer jacket
layer 1200
or during washing. A second reason may be aesthetics. A third reason may be to
discourage a child from playing with and possibly damaging the zipper sliders
(described below).
[0084] In FIG. 8, the right side (from the wearer's perspective) zipper half
1510A has a
lap 1530, and the left side layer interconnection zipper half 1512A has a lap
1550. For
clarity, the middle portion of lap 1550 has been lifted (i.e., bent towards
the viewer) in
FIG. 8 to reveal structures of underlying zipper half 1512A. It will be
appreciated that
the lap 1550 normally lays flat in a similar manner as lap 1530 is depicted in
FIG. 8.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
[0085]The upper and lower portions of zipper half 1510A are depicted in
enlarged,
close-up view in FIGS. 8A and 8B respectively. The structure of the other
layer
interconnection zipper half 1512A is similar.
[0086]As illustrated in FIG. 8A, the zipper half 1510A includes a tape portion
1532, a
set of multiple zipper teeth 1534 disposed along the edge of tape 1532, and a
stop
1536 at the top of the zipper half. In the present embodiment, the tape 1532
is affixed
(e.g., sewn) to the exterior of the anterior panel 1308 of inner jacket layer
1300 so that
the teeth 1534 of the layer interconnection zipper half 1510A point away from
the
vertical jacket midline. By virtue of this orientation, the set of zipper
teeth 1534 will face
the set of zipper teeth of the complementary layer interconnection zipper half
1510B of
the outer jacket layer 1200, described above, when the jacket layers 1200 and
1300
are nested. This may facilitate zipping together of the layer interconnection
fastener
halves 1510A, 1510B to form fastened zipper 1510. In FIGS. 8A and 88, the side
of
the lap 1530 towards which the teeth 1534 point is open.
[0087] Referring to FIG. 8B, a zipper slider 1538 having a pull 1540 is
situated just
above a retainer box 1542. It will be appreciated that the slider 1538, pull
1540,
retainer box 1542, tape 530, and teeth 1534 are all covered by lap 1530 in
this
embodiment.
[0088] Referring again to FIG. 8, it will be appreciated that the other zipper
half 1512A
is a mirror image of zipper half 1510A relative to the vertical jacket
midline. In the
present embodiment, the layer interconnection zipper half 1512A and the zipper
1310
are parallel, but this is not strictly required. The spacing between zipper
1310 and the
other layer interconnection zipper half 1510A is similar but in mirror image.
[0089] Referring to FIG. 9, to promote robust inter-attachment of the outer
and inner
jacket layers 1200 and 1300, the inner jacket layer 1300 incorporates a set of
four
fastener anchors 1250-1, 1250-2, 1250-3, arid 1250-4 (generically or
collectively
fastener anchors(s) 1250). These fastener anchors 1250 are positioned so as to
align
with the four respective snap loop fasteners 1230 of the outer jacket layer
1200,
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
described above_ In the present embodiment, each of the fastener anchors 1250
is a
loop of fabric sewn into a seam.
[0090] Assembly of the multilayer jacket 1100 from outer jacket layer 1200 and
inner
jacket layer 1300 is depicted in FIG. 10. The inner jacket layer 1300 may
initially be
nested within the outer jacket layer 1200. The layer interconnection zipper
halves
1512A and 15208 may then be zipped together to form a closed zipper 1512. This
may be done by inserting a pin of layer interconnection zipper half 1512B into
a
retaining box of zipper half 1512A and pulling the slider 1558 upwardly. In
FIG. 10, the
layer interconnection zipper halves 1510A and 1510B have already been
similarly
joined to form a closed layer interconnection zipper 1510.
[0091] To complete multilayer jacket 1100 assembly, a free end of each snap
loop
fastener 1230 may be passed through the corresponding, aligned fastener anchor
fabric loop 1250. The male and female snap portions 1234 and 1236 of each snap
loop 1230 may be mated to secure the fastener 1230 to the corresponding
fastener
anchor 1250.
[0092] On December 9, 2021, a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 (FMVSS
213) regulation sled test was conducted. The test was arranged to demonstrate
that
an example embodiment of the multilayer jacket 1100 does not interfere with
the safe
operation of a child safety seat during a crash. In particular, the test was
intended to
demonstrate that a child safety seat holding a child wearing the jacket 1100
would
comply with FMVSS 213. As is known in the industry, FMVSS 213 is a set of U.S.
federal vehicle regulations specifying design, construction, performance, and
durability
requirements for child safety seat. Compliance with such regulations may also
indicate
compliance with similar federal regulations of other jurisdictions, such as
the Canada
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) of Canada.
[0093] The test involved the use of a track-mounted sled 1595 having two bench
seats,
which is intended to simulate a vehicle with two passenger seats. Two child
safety
seat (car seats) were attached to the two bench seats respectively in a
conventional
manner. One of the child safety seats 1600, referred to as the "test seat,"
was used to
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
restrain a crash test dummy 1602 wearing multilayer jacket 1100_ The other
child
restraint system, referred to as the "control seat" (not depicted), restrains
a crash test
dummy wearing a shirt without any jacket.
[0094] The test seat 1600 used for the test is shown in FIG. 11 in front view.
As
illustrated, the child safety seat 1600 is attached to one bench seat 1597 of
the sled
1595 in a conventional manner. The child safety seat 1600 holds a child crash
test
dummy 1602 wearing example multilayer jacket 1100 in an assembled state with
the
inner jacket layer 1300 closed and the outer jacket layer 1200 open. The outer
jacket
layer fastener 1210 has been separated into two zipper halves 1210A and 1210B.
Anterior panel portions 1208A and 1208B have been folded open to create an
anterior
opening exposing the underlying inner jacket layer 1300. The layer
interconnection
fasteners 1510 and 1512 of multilayer jacket 1100 are both fastened. For the
test, a
size 2 jacket was used.
[0095] In FIG. 11, the dummy wearing the multilayer jacket 1100 has been
strapped
into the child safety seat 1600 by way of a car seat harness 1330. The harness
1330
includes two straps 1332, 1334 and a buckle 1336 for holding the straps 1332,
1334
together. The straps are suitably adjusted so that the fastened harness 1330
is in snug
contact with the minimally compressible or incompressible material of the
inner jacket
layer 1300 covering the front central torso area of the dummy between layer
interconnection fasteners 1510 and 1512. In the control seat, the same type of
crash
test dummy as in FIG. 11 is similarly restrained, but the dummy is not wearing
any
jacket.
[0096] FIGS. 12 and 13 depict respective graphs 1700 and 1710 showing the G
forces
acting upon the head and chest, respectively, of the crash test dummy in the
control
seat of sled 1595 during an impact. In each of FIGS. 12 and 13, the vertical
axis
represents G force, and the horizontal axis represents time, which is measured
in
milliseconds in this example.
[0097] In FIG. 12, a computed head injury criterion (HIC) value is indicated
in the
graph with the preceding label "HIC 36:". As is known in the industry, the HIC
is a
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
value representing a likelihood of head injury during an impact based on G
forces
measured during the impact. Lower HIC values generally corresponding to less
risk of
injury. When the impact test was conducted upon sled 1595, the computed HIC
for the
dummy in the control seat was 365, which is within acceptable limits specified
by
FMVSS 213.
[0098] In FIG. 13, a computed "Clip" value is indicated in the graph with the
preceding
label "Clip:". As is known in the industry, "clip" is a value representing how
well the
buckle 1336 of the harness performs during an impact. Lower values for this
parameter generally correspond to less risk of injury. When the impact test
was
conducted upon sled 1595, the computed clip value for the dummy in the control
seat
was 54, which is within acceptable limits specified by FMVSS 213.
[0099] FIGS. 14 and 15 depict respective graphs 1720 and 1730 showing the G
forces
acting upon the head and chest, respectively, of the crash test dummy 1602 in
the test
seat 1600 (see FIG. 11) of the same sled 1595 during the same impact that
resulted in
graphs 1700 and 1710. The conventions in FIGS. 14 and 15 are the same as in
FIGS.
12 and 13 respectively.
[00100] Notably, the computed HIC value for the multilayer jacket-wearing
crash
test dummy 1602 of FIG. 14 was 321. Not only was this value within acceptable
limits
specified by FMVSS 213, but the value also represents an improvement in HIC
compared with the non-jacket wearing dummy for the same impact (see FIG. 12).
Referring to FIG. 15, the computed clip value for the multilayer jacket-
wearing crash
test dummy 1602 was 46, which is also within acceptable limits specified by
FMVSS
213. Indeed, the latter clip value of 46 represents a notable improvement from
the clip
value of 54 experienced by the non-jacket wearing dummy for the same impact
(see
FIG. 13).
[00101] The foregoing test results are considered to demonstrate that the
example multilayer jacket 1100 did not impede an effectiveness of the vehicle
child
safety seat 1600. The improvement in both HIC and clip values in comparison to
an
identical impact using the same type of child safety seat for a dummy not
wearing any
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
jacket was an unexpected favorable result_ Advantageously, wearing of the
nnultilayer
jacket 1100 as described promotes safe use of the child safety seat 1600 while
avoiding unnecessary exposure of the child to cold temperatures, as might
occur if a
child's jacket were fully removed before the child were restrained in the seat
1600 in
cold ambient temperatures.
[00102] Various alternative embodiments are possible.
[00103] The fasteners 1230 and complementary fastener anchors 1250
depicted
in FIGS. 7 and 9 respectively could be reversed, i.e., the fasteners 1230
could be
attached to the inner jacket layer 1300 and the fastener anchors 1250 could be
attached to the outer jacket layer 1200.
[00104] Although the fasteners 1230 and complementary fastener anchors
1250
depicted in FIGS. 7 and 9 respectively are snap loops and fabric loops
respectively,
alternative fasteners and complementary anchors could be used. These may
include,
e.g., hook-and-loop fasteners separated into their complementary halves;
buttons and
complementary buttonholes; snaps separated into their complementary halves;
and
complementary magnet pairs. The number and placement of these fasteners and
fastener anchors may vary between embodiments.
[00105] The hood 314 or 1314 is shown as being permanently affixed to the
respective inner jacket layer 300 or 1300 (e.g., by being sewn together). In
some
embodiments, the hood of the inner jacket layer 300 or 1300 may be removable
at
collar 312 or 1312, respectively. Fasteners used to facilitate this feature
could include
zippers, velcro, snap loops, buttons, snaps, magnets.
[00106] The sleeves 202, 204 and 1202, 1204 on the example outer jacket
layers
200 and 1200 are permanently affixed to the body of the outer jacket layer
(e.g., by
being sewn together). In an alternative embodiment, the sleeves of the
exterior jacket
layer may be removable, allowing the outer jacket layer 200 or 1200 to be worn
in the
style of a vest. Fasteners used to facilitate this feature could include
zippers, hook and
loop fasteners (e.g. VelcroTm), snap loops, buttons, snaps, or magnets.
- 20 -
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
[00107]
The sleeves 302, 304 and 1302, 1304 on the example inner jacket layers
300 and 1300 are permanently affixed to the body of the inner jacket layer
(e.g., sewn
together). In an alternative embodiment, the sleeves of the interior jacket
layer may be
removable, allowing the interior jacket layer 300 or 1300 to be worn in the
style of a
vest. Fasteners used to facilitate this feature could include zippers, hook
and loop
fasteners (e.g. VelcroTm), snap loops, buttons, snaps, magnets.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-02-25
