Covering for a child

Abstract

A covering for a child for use when the child is being transported in a shoulder-supported harness-style child carrier, car seat or stroller, the covering resembling a coat or jacket on top in having sleeves and an opening for the child's head, and a bunting on the bottom. An aperture is provided in the rear for inserting the child's head and limbs after the child has been placed in the child carrier, car seat or stroller. A hood is removably attached to the opening for the child's head, allowing for use of the covering when the child is placed in a variety of carriers, car seats or strollers. Elastic edges are provided at the openings and apertures to provide comfortable and secure fit on and around the child.

1 . A covering for a child, comprising: 
 a front panel of a flexible material with right and left sleeve portions;    a rear panel of a flexible material with right and left sleeve portions, with an aperture located approximately in the center of the rear panel, where the rear aperture is capable of allowing the child to be placed within the covering; and    a hood of a flexible material,    where the front and rear panels are of substantially the same size, and are joined together at less than the entirety of their respective edges to form an enclosed space, and the right and left sleeve portions of the front and rear panels are joined together to form right and left sleeves,    and where a top aperture is located along one edge of the joined panels between the right and left sleeves, where the top aperture is capable of allowing the child's head to protrude out of the covering when the child is placed within the covering.    
   
   
       2 . The covering of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a hood removably attached at the top aperture.    
   
   
       3 . The covering of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of paired attachment means, where one of the pair of attachment means is located on the hood and the other of the pair of attachment means is located at the top aperture, providing for the hood to be attached at the top aperture in at least one configuration.    
   
   
       4 . The covering of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an adjustable portion of an edge of the rear aperture.    
   
   
       5 . The covering of  claim 4 , where the adjustable portion comprises an elastic material.  
   
   
       6 . The covering of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 adjustment means located on at least one of the front and rear panels, allowing for a bottom edge of the joined front and rear panels to be adjustably secured into a retracted position relative to the top aperture.    
   
   
       7 . The covering of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a pocket formed along an edge of the joined front and rear panels.    
   
   
       8 . The covering of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 a pocket aperture formed within the pocket.    
   
   
       9 . The covering of  claim 1 , where the rear aperture permits the covering to be placed around a child when the child is placed within one of a child carrier, a child's car seat and a stroller.  
   
   
       10 . A covering for a child being supported by a child carrier, where the child carrier supports the child around the child's torso, leaving the child's head, arms and legs unrestrained by the child carrier, the covering comprising: 
 an upper portion with a front side and a rear side, the upper portion capable of enclosing the child's shoulders, arms and upper torso, the upper portion comprising sleeves into which the child's arms may be inserted and a top aperture through which the child's head may be inserted; and    a lower portion with a front side and a rear side, the lower portion capable of enclosing the child's legs,    where the upper portion and lower portion are joined together to form an interior cavity that encloses the child's shoulders, arms, upper torso, legs and lower torso, leaving an rear aperture on the rear side of the joined upper portion and lower portion, into which rear aperture the child may be inserted into the interior cavity after the child has first been placed in the child carrier.    
   
   
       11 . The covering of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a hood removably attached at the top aperture of the upper portion.    
   
   
       12 . The covering of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of paired attachment means, where one of the pair of attachment means is located on the hood and the other of the pair of attachment means is located at the top aperture.    
   
   
       13 . The covering of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 an adjustable portion of an edge of the rear aperture.    
   
   
       14 . A method for covering a child, where the child is being transported in a shoulder-supported harness-style carrier, the method comprising: 
 placing the child in the carrier, where the child is supported around the torso and the child's head, arms and legs are free of the carrier;    inserting the child's head and upper torso through a rear opening in a garment-like covering;    inserting the child's head through a top opening in the garment-like covering, so that the child's head is located outside of the garment-like covering;    inserting the child's arms into sleeves in the garment-like covering; and    inserting the child's legs through the rear opening of the garment-like covering into a bottom compartment of the garment-like covering.