U.S. patent application number 11/565887 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-05 for front closure for reversible outerwear.
This patent application is currently assigned to BLAUER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC.. Invention is credited to Toufic G. Atallah, Stephen J. Blauer.
Application Number | 20080127395 11/565887 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39481836 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080127395 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Blauer; Stephen J. ; et
al. |
June 5, 2008 |
FRONT CLOSURE FOR REVERSIBLE OUTERWEAR
Abstract
Reversible outerwear comprised of a pair of front panels and
rear panel joined by a plurality of seams. The front panels are
attached by the zipper. The panels are fabricated as a laminate of
a pair of opposed textile facings with an interstice stratum
therebetween. One of the facings is an abrasion resistant dress
weave and the other is a high-visibility knit. The zipper is
covered by a pair of overlapping flaps, one on each front panel.
The flaps are closed by a temporary fastener.
Inventors: |
Blauer; Stephen J.;
(Lexington, MA) ; Atallah; Toufic G.; (Reading,
MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ALTMAN & MARTIN
6 BEACON ST, STE 600
BOSTON
MA
02108
US
|
Assignee: |
BLAUER MANUFACTURING COMPANY,
INC.
Boston
MA
|
Family ID: |
39481836 |
Appl. No.: |
11/565887 |
Filed: |
December 1, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/87 ; 2/85 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 31/102 20190201;
A41D 13/01 20130101; A41D 15/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/87 ; 2/85 |
International
Class: |
A41D 3/04 20060101
A41D003/04; A41D 3/02 20060101 A41D003/02 |
Claims
1. A reversible raincoat comprising: (a) a first front panel and a
second front panel that span the anterior of a wearer, said panels
being attachable to each other by a zipper; (b) a back panel that
spans the posterior of said wearer; (c) said panels being stitched
together along seams; (d) each of said panels having a pair of
facings; (e) a first flap extending from one of said facings of
said first front panel and adapted to overlap said zipper; (f) a
second flap extending from the same facing of said second front
panel and adapted to overlap said first flap, said flaps being
attachable together by a temporary fastener.
2. The reversible raincoat of claim 1 wherein said temporary
fastener is a mating set of microhook/microloop fasteners.
3. The reversible raincoat of claim 1 wherein said temporary
fastener is a mating set of snaps.
4. The reversible raincoat of claim 1 wherein each of said panels
is fabricated from a single ply of fabric formed from a laminate of
said facings and an interstice stratum therebetween, said
interstice stratum being vapor permeable, and said facings being
infused with a water repellant polymer.
5. The reversible raincoat of claim 4 wherein said interstice
stratum is composed of a waterproof, windproof and breathable
membrane.
6. The reversible raincoat of claim 1 wherein and one of said
facings is fluorescent and a fluorescent tape extends along at
least some of said seams in contact with and bonded to said
fluorescent facing across said last-mentioned seams.
7. A reversible raincoat comprising: (a) a first front panel and a
second front panel that span the anterior of a wearer, said panels
being attachable to each other by a zipper; (b) a back panel that
spans the posterior of said wearer; (c) each of said panels being
fabricated from a single ply of fabric formed from a laminate of a
pair of facings and an interstice stratum therebetween, said
interstice stratum being composed of a waterproof, windproof and
breathable membrane, said facings being infused with a
fluoroethylene polymer, one of said facings being fluorescent, and
said facings and said interstice stratum being laminated together
by a polymer; (d) said panels being stitched together along seams;
(e) fluorescent tape extending along at least some of said seams in
contact with and bonded to said fluorescent facing across said
last-mentioned seams; (f) a first flap extending from one of said
facings of said first front panel and adapted to overlap said
zipper; (g) a second flap extending from the same facing of said
second front panel and adapted to overlap said first flap, said
flaps being attachable together by a temporary fastener.
8. The reversible raincoat of claim 7 wherein said temporary
fastener is a mating set of microhook/microloop fasteners.
9. The reversible raincoat of claim 7 wherein said temporary
fastener is a mating set of snaps.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM
LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] The present invention relates to protective clothing, more
particularly, to reversible protective clothing such as reversible
rainwear.
[0006] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0007] Reversible rainwear are well-known articles of clothing that
have suffered from such uncomfortable characteristics as undue
weight, vapor impermeability, and unpleasant hand and feel. The
undue weight often is due to relatively heavy plastic or rubber
facing or impregnation. The vapor impermeability or vapor locking
often is inherent in the plastic or rubber coating structures that
are relied upon for waterproofing and wind proofing. The unpleasant
hand and feel often is inherent in the ergonomics of non-textile
surfaces. These deficiencies have made it particularly difficult to
fabricate acceptable reversible garments having both the hand and
feel of conventional dress clothing and the desired protection
against inclement weather, chemical, medical, or other
environments.
[0008] When a reversible raincoat is supplied with a covering for
the front zipper, it is generally a single flap that extends over
the zipper and attaches to the front of the raincoat. When the
raincoat is reversed, the flap is on the inside, where it is
difficult to use, thereby hampering the protective operation of the
raincoat.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide reversible
outerwear with a method of covering the zipper that operates
effectively whether the outerwear is in normal or reverse mode.
[0010] More specifically, the reversible rainwear of the present
invention comprises a plurality of panels joined by a plurality of
seams. The panels are fabricated from a clothing material
consisting of a dress facing and work facing. The dress facing
consists essentially of a woven fabric for dress and the work
facing consists essentially of a knit fabric for fluorescence and
high visibility. The surfaces of both the facing strata and the
seams are sealed by thermally laminated tape. The front zipper is
covered by a pair of overlapping flaps, one on each front panel.
The arrangement is such that, in dress mode, the rainwear's style
remains intact, and, in work mode, the knit face retains aesthetic
integrity despite presence of sealing tape. The flaps are outside
when in dress mode and inside when in work mode.
[0011] Other objects of the present invention will become apparent
in light of the following drawings and detailed description of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] For a fuller understanding of the nature and object of the
present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a front view of a reversible raincoat of the
present invention with the dress side out and work side in;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a front view of the raincoat of FIG. 1 with the
work side out and dress side in;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a front view of a reversible rain jacket embodying
the present invention with the dress side out;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a broken away, perspective view of a fragment of
the rainwear of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a grossly exaggerated, cross-section of the
fragment of FIG. 4 taken substantially along the line 5-5; and
[0018] FIG. 6 is a grossly exaggerated, fragmentary view of the
zipper and microhook/microloop fastener arrangement of the rainwear
of FIGS. 1-3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The present invention is a reversible raincoat 10, shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2, and rain jacket, shown in FIG. 3. References to
"raincoat" are intended to encompass raincoats, rain jackets, and
other similar outerwear.
[0020] The raincoat 10 is comprised of a pair of front panels 39,
41, a back panel 43, a collar section 49, and a pair of sleeves 42,
44. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the raincoat 10 has a dress facing
20 and a work facing 22. In FIG. 1 depicting dress mode, the dress
facing 20 is exterior and the work facing 22 is interior. In FIG. 2
depicting work mode, the work facing 22 is exterior and the dress
facing 20 is interior.
[0021] The terms, "dress facing" and "work facing," indicate the
function of the facings in the below-described embodiment. The
dress facing gives the raincoat a more formal appearance, that of a
typical raincoat, whereas the work facing provides high visibility
in inclement weather or darkness. The two facings are illustrative
and the present invention contemplates that they can have any
appearance. The terms, "dress facing" and "work facing," are
intended to include any pair of facings, not only the two described
herein.
[0022] The reversible raincoat 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 and the
reversible rain jacket 12 of FIG. 3 have essentially the same
structure, except that the rain jacket 12 extends from neck to
waist, whereas the raincoat 10 extends from neck to lower legs. The
rain jacket 12 includes front panels 91, 92, a back panel 93, a
collar section 96, and sleeves 94, 95.
[0023] In the fragment of the raincoat 10 shown in FIG. 4, two
panels 24, 26 are shown as being stitched along a seam 28. The seam
28 is sealed by a tape 30, which is bonded to and extends along the
seam 28 in contact with the contiguous edges of the work facings 22
of the panels 24,
[0024] Seams 32 and 33 join the sleeves 42, 44 to the panels 39,
41, 43. Seams 34 and 35 join the front panels 39, 41 to the back
panel 43. Seams 36 and 37 join the lower portions of the reversely
contiguous edges of the fabric from which the sleeves 42, 44 are
formed. With the raincoat 10 in dress mode as in FIG. 1, the taped
seams 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, and 37 are shown as dashed lines,
depicting the tape 30 on the work facing 22 when concealed at the
interior of the raincoat 10. With the raincoat 10 in work mode as
in FIG. 2, the taped seams 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 are shown as
solid lines, depicting the tape 30 on the work facing 22 when
revealed at the exterior of the raincoat 10.
[0025] Optionally, when the raincoat 10 is in work mode, a
retro-reflective band 45 surrounds the chest and back,
retro-reflective bands 47 surround the wrists, and retro-reflective
bands 48 surround arms.
[0026] The front panels 39, 41, the back panel 43, and the sleeves
42, 44 are composed of a fabric construction, where one surface is
the dress facing 20 and the opposite surface is the work facing 22.
The present invention contemplates that any adequate fabric
structure can be used with the present invention. FIG. 5
illustrates details of one such contemplated fabric construction
and is not intended to be limiting. This fabric construction
comprises a single-ply laminate of the dress facing 20, the work
facing 22, and an interstice stratum 52.
[0027] Preferably, for durability and abrasion resistance, the
dress facing 20 is a light-weight nylon or polyester weave of a
dark uniform color, such as navy, midnight blue, brown, or charcoal
black. It is a plain weave in the form of a 100% textured
polyester, ranging from 2.0 to 4.5 oz. per square yard. Preferably,
this weave weighs approximately 2.18 oz. per square yard, and has a
70 denier warp and 140 denier filling.
[0028] Preferably, the work facing 22 is a high-luminosity
polyester knit that is fluorescent yellow or orange. This knit
weighs between 1 oz. and 2.5 oz. per square yard and preferably
weighs approximately 1.65 oz. per square yard. Generally, the tape
30 is composed of the same material as the work facing 22, namely a
high-luminosity polyester knit that is fluorescent yellow or orange
in color. Preferably, the appearance of the tape 30 is virtually
the same as the appearance of the work facing 22 so that it blends
visually with the work facing 22 when bonded thereto.
[0029] When there is an interstice stratum, it is typically
composed of a waterproof, windproof, and breathable microporous or
bicomponent membrane. One such membrane material is sold by W. L
Gore under the trade designation, Gore-Tex or Crosstech. Typically,
the weight of the membrane ranges from 0.75 oz. to 2.5 oz. per
square yard, and preferably is approximately 1.5 oz. per square
yard. The membrane consists of expanded polytetratluroroethylene
that is impregnated with an oleophobic polymer. This membrane
contains billions of pores per square inch, each being thousands of
times smaller than a water droplet but hundreds of times larger
than a water vapor molecule. This composition passes perspiration
vapor from the inside, but blocks water and wind from the outside.
The impregnated oleophobic polymer provides resistance against
blood-borne pathogen and common chemical liquid penetration.
[0030] The dress facing 20, interstice stratum 52, and work facing
22 are laminated together by adhesive bonding strata 54, 56, and
the inner surface of the tape 30 is sealed to a coating 60 of the
work facing 22 by a bonding stratum 64. In one form, the bonding
strata 54, 56 and 64 are composed of a micro-porous or hydrophilic
polymer, such as polyurethane.
[0031] Typically, the outer surfaces of the dress facing 20 and
work facing 22 are infused with a water repellant treatment 58, 60,
which, in combination with the microporous membrane, effectively
render the fabric water repellant, waterproof, and windproof. Water
repellent treatments 58, 60 generally are composed of a
fluorocarbon polymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene.
[0032] Generally, the illustrated laminate ranges in total
thickness between 0.2 to 0.9 millimeters and ranges in weight
between 5 and 6 ounces per square yard. Preferably, the thickness
is approximately 0.38 millimeters and the weight is approximately
5.4 ounces per square yard.
[0033] A zipper 55 extends from the collar section 49 to the waist
section 46 and serves to fasten and unfasten the front of the
jacket. In order for the raincoat 10 to maintain water resistance,
the zipper 55 is typically designed to be waterproof. Water
resistant and waterproof zipper designs are well-known in the
art.
[0034] In order aid in water resistance, the zipper 55 is covered
by a pair of overlapping flaps 68, 70 attached to the dress facing
20, one on each of the front panels 39, 41 adjacent to the zipper
55. The flaps 68, 70 extend at least the length of the zipper 55
and typically from the collar section 49 to the bottom hem 31. The
present invention also contemplates that the flaps are attached to
the work facing.
[0035] The flaps 68, 70 include mating temporary fasteners 76. In
one embodiment, the fasteners 76 are microhook/microloop fasteners.
One flap 68 has on its outer surface a plurality of microhook
patches 72 and the other flap 70 has on its inner surface a mating
plurality of microloop patches 74. Alternatively, microhook and
microloop strips extend the length of the flaps 68, 70.
Alternatively, a microhook strip extends the length of the flap and
the other flap has a plurality of microloop patches. It is obvious
that the locations of the microhook and microloop patches and
strips can be reversed.
[0036] In another embodiment, the fasteners 76 are a series of
mating snaps, with female snaps on one flap and male snaps on the
other flap.
[0037] When the raincoat is in dress mode, as shown in FIG. 1,
fastening the front is achieved by zipping up the zipper 55 and
then overlapping the two flaps 68, 70 and fastening the fasteners
76. When the raincoat is in work mode, as shown in FIG. 2,
fastening the front is achieved by overlapping the two flaps 68,
70, fastening the fasteners 76, and then zipping up the zipper 55.
Naturally, if the flaps are attached to the work facing rather than
the dress facing, the reverse will be true.
[0038] Thus it has been shown and described a reversible,
protective rainwear which satisfies the objects set forth
above.
[0039] Since certain changes may be made in the present disclosure
without departing from the scope of the present invention, it is
intended that all matter described in the foregoing specification
and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as
illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
* * * * *