Child's garment for use with carrier

Abstract

A garment is provided which may be worn by a child, and easily adapted for use in a carrier. A child wearing the garment can be rapidly placed into a carrier, e.g., car seat without accumulating materials between the child and the car seat straps. A method is also provided for use of the garment.

1 . A garment comprising:
 a material forming a front panel and rear panel, said front and rear panels sharing a top portion, said front panel extending to a front bottom;   a neck opening at the top portion sized to be disposed over and receive a child's head;   an opening between said front bottom and neck opening to form left and right panels, said left and right panels joined with reversible joining means to allow variable length communication between said left and right panels,   said reversible joining means bound between a first and second variable length continuous opening wherein said left and right panels are not in communication,   said first variable length continuous opening in communication with said neck opening and bound between said neck opening and reversible joining means, said second variable length continuous opening bound between said front bottom and said reversible joining means,   said rear panel sized to fit over a child's back when worn as a garment.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1  wherein said reversible joining means comprises a zipper comprising a top slider bound between the variable length of communication and the neck opening. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 2  wherein said reversible joining means further comprises a bottom slider proximal the front bottom relative to the top slider, said bottom slider bound between the variable length communication and the front bottom. 
     
     
         4 . A garment comprising:
 a material forming a front panel and rear panel, said front and rear panels sharing a top portion,   a neck opening at the top portion for disposition over a child's head,   said front panel extending to a front bottom and comprising left and right panels, said left and right panels joined with reversible joining means to allow communication between said left and right panels,   said reversible joining means bound between a first and second variable length continuous opening wherein left and right panels are not in communication,   said first variable length continuous opening in communication with said neck opening and bound between said neck opening and reversible joining means,   said second variable length continuous opening bound between said front bottom and said reversible joining means,   said rear panel sized to fit over a child's back when worn as a garment.   
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 4  further comprising first and second reversible joining means, wherein communication between left and right panels is a variable length of communication bound between said first and second reversible joining means. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein said first and second reversible joining means comprise first and second zipper sliders. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 6  wherein the first zipper slider varies communication between left and right panels between the variable length of communication and the neck opening. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 6  wherein the second zipper slider varies the communication between left and right panels between the variable length communication and the front bottom. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein said joining means causes left and right panels to be in continuous communication between said neck opening and front bottom when said first slider is extended to the neck opening and said second slider is extended to said front bottom. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 5  further comprising a hood affixed to said rear panel around said neck opening. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein said reversible means is a two-way zipper. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 5  wherein said rear panel is sized to fit over the back panel of a carrier when the child is placed in the carrier, said carrier comprising a seat portion for receiving a child, a back panel posterior to the child to communicate with the child's back, and a harness for securing said child to said seat and back panel. 
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 12  wherein said carrier is a car seat. 
     
     
         14 . A method of transporting a child comprising:
 dressing a child in the garment of  claim 5 ,   arranging the child in a carrier comprising a back panel, seat portion and harness,   draping said rear panel on the back panel,   decreasing communication between left and right panels,   securing said child in said seat without collecting said garment between said child and said harness, and   increasing the communication between said left and right panels.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising draping the rear panel over the back panel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said carrier is a car seat. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled)