Unisex adaptive garment for disabled, incontinent, or infirm patients

Abstract

Disclosed is an adaptive garment which is fabricated to be worn by patients who may be disabled, incontinent, and/or infirm. The inventive concept comprises a one-piece quantity of fabric which incorporates two similar, symmetric patterns, each pattern conforming generally to the front and rear contours of a human body. The one-piece garment is bi-folded at the area of the shoulders. The first folded segment consists of the profile of a front-oriented human body pattern, while the compatible second folded segment consists of the profile of the rear-oriented human body pattern. Both body patterns are integrally merged at common left and right shoulder junctions. Further, both body patterns may be detachably connected at their respective left and right leg inseams, out-seams, and at front and rear bodice segments, by a variety of mechanical and/or fabric fastening mechanisms.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A one-piece garment for wearing by an infirm, debilitated, or incontinent person, the garment comprising a one-piece quantity of fabric having two symmetrical, conjoined patterns, consisting of a front-oriented body pattern and a rear-oriented body pattern, both body patterns united at two junctions, corresponding to the respective left and right shoulders of each body pattern, and further, upon folding the garment along said junctions, both body patterns overlay each other, thereby enabling the patterns to be detachably connected to each other. 
     
     
         2 . A one-piece garment for minimizing the possibility of engaging in scatolia by an infirm, or incontinent person, the garment comprising a one-piece, folding quantity of fabric comprising (a) a front-oriented body pattern having left and right front leg segments, a front bodice; and (b) a rear-oriented body pattern having a left and right rear leg segments, a rear bodice, wherein (c) the front-oriented body pattern and the rear-oriented body pattern are permanently conjoined at common left shoulder and right shoulder junctions, and further, (d) the front-oriented body pattern and the rear-oriented body pattern are detachably connected at seams along the respective front and rear bodices, and seams along the respective left leg and right leg segments. 
     
     
         3 . The one-piece garment of  claim 2 , wherein
 (a) the front-oriented body pattern comprises a front bodice having a front neck opening, left armhole, and a right armhole; a left front leg having a leg hem, an inseam, and an out-seam extending to the front bodice; a right front leg segment having a leg hem, an inseam, and an out-seam extending to the front bodice; a left clasp device, and a right clasp device;   (b) the rear-oriented body pattern comprises a rear bodice having a rear neck opening, left armhole and right armhole; a left rear leg segment having a leg hem, an inseam, and an out-seam extending to the rear bodice; a right rear leg segment having a leg hem, an inseam, and an out-seam extending to the rear bodice, a left clasp receptor, and a right clasp receptor;   (c) the left front leg segment and left rear leg segment have mutually corresponding fastenings incorporated into (i) the length of their respective inseams and (ii) the length of their out-seams, including extensions of the outseams to the front bodice; and   (d) the right front leg and right rear leg have mutually corresponding fastening means incorporated into (i) the length of their respective inseams, and (ii) their out-seams, including extensions of the outseams to the rear bodice.   
     
     
         4 . The one-piece garment of  claim 2 , wherein the means for fastening the outseams and inseams of the front and rear leg segments, and the fastenable seams of the front and rear bodices consists of any one of a variety of cooperative-mated fasteners selected from the group consisting of hook-and-loop mechanisms, male and female snaps, zippers, plastic rails, buckles, buttons, claws, and clasps. 
     
     
         5 . The one-piece garment of  claim 2 , wherein the clasp devices and clasp receptors consists of any one of a variety of mated fasteners selected from the group consisting of hook-and-loop, snaps, zippers, plastic tracks, buckles, buttons, claws, and latches. 
     
     
         6 . A method for employing a garment for clothing a disabled, infirm, and/or incontinent person so as to minimize the possibility of the wearer engaging in scatolia, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing suitable fabric material for constructing a one-piece garment consisting of two conjoined patterns, being a front-oriented body pattern, and a rear-oriented body pattern;   (b) constructing the front-oriented body pattern so as to include:   (i) a left front leg segment having an inseam, outseam, and hem;   (ii) a right front leg segment, having an inseam, outseam, and hem,   (iii) a front neck opening, left front shoulder seam and a right front shoulder seam;   (iv) a front bodice segment having left and right armholes, fastenable seams, and left and right clasping devices;   (c) constructing the rear-oriented body pattern so as to include:   (i) a left rear leg segment having an inseam, outseam, and hem;   (ii) a right rear leg segment, having an inseam, outseam, and hem,   (iii) a rear neck opening, a left rear shoulder seam, and a right rear shoulder seam;   (iv) a rear bodice segment having left and right armholes fastenable seams; and left and right clasp receptors;   (d) fabricating the front-oriented body pattern and the rear-oriented body pattern such that both are conjoined at their respective left and right shoulder seams, thereby forming a left shoulder junction and a right shoulder junction;   (e) providing means for fastening the outseams and inseams of the front leg segments to the corresponding outseams and inseams of the rear leg segments;   (f) providing means for fastening the front and rear bodices at their corresponding seams;   (g) providing a means for tightly securing the left front and left rear hems and also the right front and right rear hems proximate the mid-calf area of a wearer;   (h) placing the unitary garment about the body of the subject person;   (i) fastening the front and rear leg inseams and outseams, and fastening the front and rear bodice segments;   (j) securing the leg cuffs about the mid-calf area both legs of the person; and   (k) attaching the left and right clasp devices to the respective left and right clasp receptors.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the means for fastening the outseams and inseams of the front and rear leg segments, and the fastenable seams of the front and rear bodices consists of any one of a variety of cooperative-mated fasteners selected from the group consisting of hook-and-loop mechanisms, male and female snaps, zippers, plastic rails, buckles, buttons, claws, and clasps. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the left and right clasp devices and the left and right clasp receptors consists of any one of a variety of cooperative-mated fasteners selected from the group consisting of hook-and-loop mechanisms, male and female snaps, zippers, plastic rails, buckles, buttons, claws, and clasps. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein (a) the hem of the left front leg segment is connected to the hem of the left rear leg segment and (b) the hem of the right front leg segment is connected to the hem of the right rear leg segment by the utilization of any one of a variety of cooperative-mated fasteners selected from the group consisting of hook-and-loop mechanisms, drawstrings, male and female snaps, zippers, plastic rails, buckles, buttons, claws, and clasps.