Infant Supporting Garment

Abstract

An infant supporting garment has a tubular neck member arranged to be worn about a neck of the caregiver and a bib member joined to a bottom end of the tubular neck member. The bib member has two side portions spanning laterally outwardly from opposing sides of the tubular neck member so as to be arranged to extend over shoulders of the caregiver when the tubular neck member is worn about the neck of the caregiver. An infant pocket is supported at a front of the bib member below the tubular neck member at an intermediate location between the two side portions of the bib member. The infant pocket is sized so as to be arranged to receive an infant at least partially supported therein such that the infant is suspended from the tubular neck member and such that the infant lies against a chest of the caregiver in use.

1 . An infant supporting garment for use by a caregiver to support an infant, the garment comprising:
 a tubular neck member arranged to be worn about a neck of the caregiver;   a bib member joined to a bottom end of the tubular neck member and including two side portions spanning laterally outwardly from opposing sides of the tubular neck member so as to be arranged to extend over shoulders of the caregiver when the tubular neck member is worn about the neck of the caregiver; and   an infant pocket supported at a front of the bib member below the tubular neck member at an intermediate location between the two side portions of the bib member, the infant pocket being sized so as to be arranged to receive an infant at least partially supported therein such that the infant is suspended from the tubular neck member and such that the infant lies against a chest of the caregiver.   
     
     
         2 . The garment according to  claim 1  wherein the tubular neck member increases in diameter upwardly from the bottom end of the tubular neck member that is connected to the bib member to an opposing top end of the tubular neck member. 
     
     
         3 . The garment according to either one of  claim 1  wherein the infant pocket is supported at a front side of the bib member and wherein the bib member includes a neck opening therein in alignment with the tubular neck member, the neck opening having a forward boundary which is elongated and tapered forwardly towards the infant pocket. 
     
     
         4 . The garment according to any one of  claim 1  wherein the bib member defines a singular bottom opening arranged to commonly receive the shoulders and a chest of the user therein. 
     
     
         5 . The garment according to any one of  claim 1  wherein the bib member extends outwardly from the bottom end of the tubular neck member about a full circumference of the tubular neck member. 
     
     
         6 . The garment according to any one of  claim 1  wherein the infant pocket includes a pair of bottom openings arranged to receive legs of the infant therethrough. 
     
     
         7 . The garment according to any one of  claim 1  wherein the bib member comprises a single flat sheet of pliable material. 
     
     
         8 . The garment according to any one of  claim 1  further comprising an auxiliary pocket supported externally on the infant pocket, the auxiliary pocket being sized to receive a mobile phone or a wallet therein. 
     
     
         9 . The garment according to any one of  claim 1  wherein the infant pocket comprises (i) a rear sheet portion that is formed as a continuous sheet with the bib member and (ii) a front sheet portion joined to the rear sheet portion. 
     
     
         10 . The garment according to  claim 9  wherein the front sheet portion is joined to the rear sheet portion by (i) two side seams along opposing upright side edges of the front sheet portion and (ii) a bottom seam between bottom ends of the front sheet portion and the rear portion, the infant pocket further comprising two gaps are provided between the front sheet portion and the rear sheet portion at a location between the bottom seam and the two side seams respectively, whereby the two gaps define two bottom openings for receiving the legs of the infant therethrough respectively. 
     
     
         11 . The garment according to any one of  claim 1  further comprising a rear pad of material spanning across an inner portion of a seam between the tubular neck member and the bib member at a rear of the neck member so as to be arranged to be engaged upon a rear of the neck of the caregiver in use. 
     
     
         12 . The garment according to any one of  claim 1  further comprising an elastic member supported on the infant pocket so as to be arranged to partially constrict a top opening of the infant pocket. 
     
     
         13 . The garment according to any one of  claim 1  further comprising an elastic member supported on a portion of an upper edge of the tubular neck member so as to be arranged to gather said portion of the tubular neck member.