Cold weather sleeping bag for young children

Abstract

Insulated sleeping bags suitable for use in outdoor environments in ambient temperatures at least as low as 0° F./−18° C. are disclosed. Particularly, the sleeping bags are sized to accommodate young children. The disclosed sleeping bags ensure that the young child using the sleeping bag is insulated against cold ambient temperatures during sleep and eliminates the suffocation hazards posed by previously known cold weather sleeping arrangements for young children.

1 . A sleeping bag adapted for use by a child, comprising:
 a front panel, comprising an inner layer, an outer layer, and at least one insulation layer disposed between the inner and outer layers;   a back panel, comprising an inner layer, an outer layer, and at least one insulation layer disposed between the inner and outer layers;   a collar, disposed atop the front panel and the back panel and configured to fit snugly around the child's neck; and   a zipper, disposed on the outer layer of the front panel, extending vertically between an upper terminus proximate to the collar and a lower terminal point on the outer layer of the front panel, configured to open the sleeping bag by separating opposing lateral halves of the front panel when a zipper pull of the zipper is pulled upwardly and to close the sleeping bag by joining the opposing lateral halves when the zipper pull is pulled downwardly,   wherein the front panel and the back panel are affixed to each other so as to define an enclosure adapted to receive at least a portion of the child's body other than the head.   
     
     
         2 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inner layer of the front panel, the outer layer of the front panel, the inner layer of the back panel, and the outer layer of the back panel comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of nylons and polyesters. 
     
     
         3 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the outer layer of the front panel and the outer layer of the back panel comprises at least one row of stitching configured to prevent shifting of at least an underlying portion of at least one insulation layer. 
     
     
         4 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , further comprising two sleeves, adapted to receive the child's arms and disposed on either lateral side of the front panel and the back panel, wherein the sleeves are formed by affixation of corresponding portions of the front panel and the back panel. 
     
     
         5 . The sleeping bag of  claim 4 , wherein at least one sleeve is at least partially enclosed along an enclosing seam. 
     
     
         6 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein the lower terminal point comprises a reinforcing element, wherein the reinforcing element comprises at least one of a reinforcing portion of fabric and a reinforcing stitch. 
     
     
         7 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein the outer layer of the front panel comprises a vertical row of stitching, disposed proximate and parallel to an edge of the zipper and configured to prevent shifting of at least an underlying portion of the at least one insulation layer. 
     
     
         8 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure formed by the front panel and the back panel is open at a bottom of the sleeping bag. 
     
     
         9 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein the enclosure formed by the front panel and the back panel is at least partially closed at a bottom of the sleeping bag. 
     
     
         10 . The sleeping bag of  claim 9 , wherein the bottom of the sleeping bag comprises leg openings allowing the child's legs to be inserted therethrough. 
     
     
         11 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , further comprising a zipper protector, the zipper protector comprising a fabric element extending over the upper terminus of the zipper and configured to prevent the zipper pull from contacting the child's chin or neck. 
     
     
         12 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein a rear portion of the collar extends upwardly from the back panel to a greater extent than a corresponding front portion of the collar extends upwardly from the front panel. 
     
     
         13 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , further comprising a draft tube, disposed on a portion of the inner layer of the front panel underlying the zipper and configured to reduce at least one of air flow through the zipper and heat loss through the zipper. 
     
     
         14 . The sleeping bag of  claim 13 , wherein a lower terminus of the draft tube is positioned below the lower terminal point of the zipper. 
     
     
         15 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front panel and the back panel comprises at least one baffle, wherein the at least one baffle extends between the inner layer and the outer layer and separates at least one insulation layer into a plurality of chambers. 
     
     
         16 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein the front panel and the back panel are affixed about an enclosure seam disposed on at least one lateral aspect of the sleeping bag. 
     
     
         17 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeping bag is configured to effectively insulate and maintain a body temperature of the child in an ambient temperature selected from the group consisting of no more than about 60° F., no more than about 50° F., no more than about 40° F., no more than about 30° F., no more than about 20° F., no more than about 10° F., and no more than about 0° F. 
     
     
         18 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein a length of at least one of the front panel and the back panel is between about 22 inches about 50 inches. 
     
     
         19 . The sleeping bag of  claim 18 , wherein the length is about 32 inches. 
     
     
         20 . The sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein at least one insulation layer comprises at least one fill material selected from the group consisting of goose down, goose feathers, duck down, duck feathers, polyester fibers, and non-polyester fiber synthetic insulating materials.