U.S. patent application number 12/176517 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-01 for buoyant swim garment.
This patent application is currently assigned to Nuvative, Inc.. Invention is credited to Brian J. Staver, Nicholas Vaughn.
Application Number | 20090004938 12/176517 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37804901 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090004938 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Staver; Brian J. ; et
al. |
January 1, 2009 |
Buoyant Swim Garment
Abstract
A swimsuit includes a vest provided with buoyant floatation
members, a bottom portion in the form of swim trunks, and a
coupling mechanism for selectively coupling the vest to the trunks.
The vest may be uncoupled from the swim trunks to permit a user to
remove the swim trunks while still wearing the vest, or to remove
the vest while still wearing the swim trunks.
Inventors: |
Staver; Brian J.; (Maize,
KS) ; Vaughn; Nicholas; (Derby, KS) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jason M. Hunt;Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Suite 3900, 801 Grand Avenue
Des Moines
IA
50309
US
|
Assignee: |
Nuvative, Inc.
Wichita
KS
|
Family ID: |
37804901 |
Appl. No.: |
12/176517 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11379471 |
Apr 20, 2006 |
7438619 |
|
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12176517 |
|
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60711805 |
Aug 26, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
441/115 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 7/001 20130101;
B63C 9/115 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
441/115 |
International
Class: |
B63C 9/08 20060101
B63C009/08 |
Claims
1. A swim garment comprising: a vest adapted to be worn on a user's
torso, the vest including, a first front floatation element, a
second front floatation element, a first rear floatation element
and a second rear floatation element, the first and second front
floatation elements having greater buoyancy than the first and
second rear floatation elements, which floatation elements are
arranged laterally and comprise an ergonomic shape to correspond
with a portion of the user's torso on which each floatation element
is aligned when in use; a bottom portion adapted to be worn by a
user as trunks; and a coupling mechanism for selectively attaching
and detaching the vest portion to the bottom portion.
2. The swim garment of claim 1 wherein the at least one floatation
element comprises a front floatation element and a rear floatation
element and wherein the vest comprises: a front portion including
stretchable material covering the front floatation element; a rear
portion including stretchable material covering the rear floatation
element; and a pair of side panels including relatively inelastic
material, and wherein the coupling mechanism is attached to one or
more of the side panels.
3. The swim garment of claim 1 wherein the at least one floatation
element comprises ergonomically shaped foam.
4. The swim garment of claim 1, wherein the at least one floatation
element comprises an inflatable bladder.
5. The swim garment of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism
comprises a male buckle portion and a female buckle portion.
6. The swim garment of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism
comprises a first strap provided with a hook-and-loop fastener and
a second strap provided with an eyelet that can be engaged by and
securely retained by the first strap.
7. The swim garment of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism
comprises a first flap provided with a male snap portion and a
second flap provided with a corresponding female snap portion for
mating interference fit engagement with the corresponding male snap
portion.
8. The swim garment of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism
comprises a first flap provided with a button and a second flap
provided with a button hole for engaging and retaining the
button.
9. The swim garment of claim 1 wherein: a plurality of loops are
provided below a lower extremity of the vest; the bottom portion
includes a belt retained on the bottom portion, the belt and the
plurality of loops forming the coupling mechanism; and said belt
may engage said plurality of loops to selectively couple the vest
to the bottom portion.
10. The swim garment of claim 1, wherein the vest includes a zipper
to expand an opening in the vest to facilitate the putting on and
taking off the vest.
11. The swim garment of claim 10, wherein the zipper is located on
a back surface of the vest, such that the zipper is not accessible
to a person wearing the vest.
12. The swim garment of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion may be
worn without the vest, and further wherein the coupling mechanism
is adjustable to an uncoupled configuration to permit the bottom
portion to be removed from a person wearing the vest without
removing the vest.
13. The swim garment of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion
comprises a one-piece girl's swimsuit.
14. The swim garment of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion
comprises a bikini bottom, and wherein the swim garment further
comprises a bikini top.
15. A swimsuit comprising a buoyant vest having at least one front
floatation element and at least one rear floatation element, the
front floatation element having greater buoyancy than the rear
floatation element, which floatation elements are arranged
laterally and comprise an ergonomic shape to correspond with a
portion of the user's torso on which each floatation element is
aligned when in use, a swim trunks, and a coupling mechanism to
selectively couple the buoyant vest to the swim trunks such that
the swim trunks retain the buoyant vest on a user when the buoyant
vest is coupled to the swim trunks and further such that the vest
may be uncoupled from the swim trunks to permit a user to remove
the swim trunks while still wearing the vest, and to remove the
vest while still wearing the swim trunks.
16. A swim garment comprising: a vest adapted to be worn on a
user's torso, the vest including at least one floatation element; a
bottom portion adapted to be worn by a user as trunks; and a
coupling mechanism for selectively attaching and detaching the vest
portion to the bottom portion, the coupling mechanism comprising a
first flap having a first portion secured to a portion of the vest
and a second portion carrying a plurality of first coupling
devices, a second flap having a first portion secured to the bottom
portion of the swim garment and a second portion carrying a
plurality of second coupling devices for mating with the plurality
of first coupling devices.
17. The swim garment of claim 16, wherein the first coupling
devices comprise male snaps that extend through the first flap and
the second coupling devices comprise snap bases that extend through
the bottom flap and are engagable with the male snaps.
18. The swim garment of claim 16, wherein the first flap comprises
a plurality of apertures and the second flap comprises a plurality
of buttons engageable with the apertures.
19. A swim garment comprising: a vest adapted to be worn on a
user's torso, the vest including at least one floatation element,
wherein the at least one floatation element comprises a front
floatation element and a rear floatation element and wherein the
vest comprises a front portion including stretchable material
covering the front floatation element, a rear portion including
stretchable material covering the rear floatation element, and a
pair of side panels including relatively inelastic material; a
bottom portion adapted to be worn by a user as trunks; and a
coupling mechanism for selectively attaching and detaching the vest
portion to the bottom portion, wherein the coupling mechanism is
attached to one or more of the side panels.
20. A swim garment comprising: a vest adapted to be worn on a
user's torso, the vest including at least one floatation element; a
bottom portion adapted to be worn by a user as trunks; and a
coupling mechanism comprising a male buckle portion and a female
buckle portion for selectively attaching and detaching the vest
portion to the bottom portion.
21. A swim garment comprising: a vest adapted to be worn on a
user's torso, the vest including at least one floatation element,
wherein the vest includes a zipper to expand an opening in the vest
to facilitate the putting on and taking off the vest, and wherein
the zipper is located on a back surface of the vest, such that the
zipper is not accessible to a person wearing the vest; a bottom
portion adapted to be worn by a user as trunks; and a coupling
mechanism for selectively attaching and detaching the vest portion
to the bottom portion.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/379,471 titled Buoyant Swim Garment, filed
on Apr. 20, 2006 which claims priority to Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 60/711,805, filed Aug. 26, 2005, the contents
of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their
entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to swimwear. More
specifically, the present invention relates to swimwear that
includes flotation members for providing enhanced buoyancy.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] People who are not strong swimmers, and especially children,
have a need for using flotation devices in order to participate in
swimming, or other water-related activities. One presently
available flotation device is a life vest. A life vest is
essentially a vest to be worn on the torso of the user that has
flotation members, such as foam or inflatable bladders incorporated
into its design to improve the buoyancy of the wearer. There are
some drawbacks to existing designs for life vests. Namely, they can
be cumbersome to attach, because they typically involve some sort
of strap that runs betweens the user's legs. They are oftentimes
not esthetically pleasing because they do not match the user's
swimsuit. In the case of girls or women, they are typically worn
over the top portion of a bathing suit or swimsuit, adding an
unnecessary additional layer of clothing, and serving to retain
moisture within the top portion of the swimsuit after the user has
exited the water.
[0004] In response to some of these disadvantages, buoyant swimwear
has been developed that includes flotation members incorporated
into a one-piece swimsuit. However, these one-piece buoyant
swimsuits present some disadvantages of their own. Notably, in
order to use the restroom, or change a diaper, the entire suit must
be removed from a user. When a person is out of the water and does
not need the flotation device, a one-piece swimsuit does not allow
for the removal of the flotation portion of the suit.
[0005] Thus, there exists a need for buoyant swimwear that has
improved characteristics.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention, according to one embodiment, is a
swim garment that includes a vest portion adapted to be worn on a
user's torso. The vest portion includes at least one flotation
element. A bottom portion is provided in the form of trunks
including a waist band and a pair of leg openings. A coupling
device selectively attaches and detaches the vest portion to the
bottom portion. The vest may include front and back body portions
comprising an elastic material enclosing the flotation element, and
side panels of relatively inelastic material. The coupling device
may attach to the vest portion at one or more of the side
panels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a swim garment according to
one embodiment of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a front view of the swim garment shown in FIG.
1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a left side elevation view of the swim garment of
FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the swim garment shown in
FIG. 1;
[0011] FIG. 5 is partial cross-sectional view of the vest portion
of the swim garment of FIG. 1 taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2;
[0012] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the trunks portion of the
swim garment shown in FIG. 1 with a user shown in phantom
lines;
[0013] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the vest portion of the swim
garment of FIG. 1 with a user indicated in phantom lines wearing
the vest portion of the swim garment from FIG. 1 and an unmatched
pair of swimming trunks;
[0014] FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of the vest portion of the
swim garment shown in FIG. 1 with a zipper adjusted to an open
position to permit a user to put on and take off the vest
portion;
[0015] FIG. 9a is a partial detail view of a coupling buckle
according to one embodiment of the present invention in a detached
configuration;
[0016] FIG. 9b is a partial detail view of the coupling buckle of
FIG. 9a adjusted to an attached configuration;
[0017] FIG. 10 is a partial detail front elevation view of a
connection mechanism including a hook and loop strap according to
one embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the connection
mechanism of FIG. 10;
[0019] FIG. 12 is a partial detail isometric view of a connection
mechanism incorporating snap fasteners according to an embodiment
of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 13 is a partial detail isometric view of a connection
mechanism incorporating buttons and button holes according to
another embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 14 is a front elevation view of a buoyant vest
incorporating belt loops as part of a coupling mechanism according
to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 15 is a front elevation view of a pair of trunks that
are suitable for connection to the buoyant vest of FIG. 14;
[0023] FIG. 16 is a front elevation view of a swimsuit formed by
the buoyant vest of FIG. 14 coupled to the trunks of FIG. 15;
[0024] FIG. 17 is an isometric view of a two-piece swim garment
with an incorporated inflatable flotation member according to one
embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vest
portion of the swim garment shown in FIG. 17 taken along line 11-11
of FIG. 17.
[0026] FIG. 19 is a front elevation view of a swim garment
according to one embodiment of the present invention wherein a
buoyant vest attaches to swimming trunks by a zipper coupling;
[0027] FIG. 20 is a rear elevation view of a swim garment according
to one embodiment of the present invention incorporating a matching
bikini bottom and top with a buoyant vest;
[0028] FIG. 21 is a front elevation view of a one-piece girls
swimsuit suitable for use with a buoyant vest according to one
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] The drawings disclose embodiments of buoyant swimwear
according to the present invention. Each of these embodiments
include an upper portion and a lower portion that may be worn
independently of each other or together as a single unit. When in
use, the various embodiments of the buoyant swimwear according to
the present invention maintain and/or assist in maintaining the
wearer in a floating position in the water. When not in the water,
a user may remove the buoyant top portion for comfort and freedom
of movement. The bottom portion may be pulled down to use the
restroom or change a diaper without the need to remove the upper
portion.
[0030] A first embodiment of a swimsuit 10 according the present
invention is disclosed in FIGS. 1-8. The outline of a person 5 is
indicated in FIG. 1 to show how the swimsuit 10 would be worn by a
user. The swimsuit 10 is intended as a garment to be worn while
swimming, or performing other water-related activities. As such,
the materials should be chosen such that they will remain
colorfast, and will not deteriorate in water.
[0031] The swimsuit 10 includes an upper portion in the form of a
vest 12 and a lower portion in the form of trunks 14. It should be
understood that while the trunks 14 shown in FIGS. 1-8 are of a
style commonly worn by boys or men, the shape and style of the
trunks could be modified to an appearance more commonly associated
with girls and womens swimwear. A coupling mechanism 16 is provided
to securely couple the vest 12 with the trunks 14. It is important
that the vest 12 be securely fastened to the trunks 14 when in use
in order to secure the vest 12 from slipping off the user 5. In the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-8, the coupling mechanism 16 includes
two buckle-and-strap mechanisms provided along the sides of the
trunks 14 and vest 12.
[0032] The vest 12 is adapted to be worn generally over the torso
of a user 5. As such, the vest 12 is provided with arm openings 18
and a neck opening 20. The vest 12 may be worn with (FIG. 1) or
without (FIG. 7) the matching trunks 14. As best seen in FIG. 4,
this embodiment of the vest 12 includes a full-length zipper 22
that extends from the neck opening 20 to a torso opening 24. The
zipper 22 is shown in a closed configuration in FIG. 4 and in an
open configuration in FIG. 8. The open configuration of FIG. 8 is
used to put on and take off the vest 12. In the embodiment shown,
the zipper 22 is provided on the back of the vest 12 so that it
will be difficult for a wearer to adjust the zipper 22. The
location of the zipper on the back of vest 12 is thus most suitable
for use with children as a safety feature to prevent them from
removing the vest 12. While not shown, it should be appreciated
that the zipper 22 could be located on the front of the vest 12,
especially if the swimsuit 10 is intended for use by adults or
older children. Additionally, it may not be necessary in all
instances to have the zipper 20 extend the full length from the
neck opening 20 to the torso opening 24. A partial length zipper
could be sufficient to permit the easy attachment and removal of
the vest 12 to a user 5 by slipping the vest 12 over the user's
head. Similarly, in some instances, the material used to from the
vest 12 may have sufficient resiliency that no zipper is needed,
and the vest 12 could be slipped on and off over the user's head
like a shirt. It should also be appreciated that instead of a
zipper 22 other closure devices, such as hook and loop fasteners
(VELCRO), buttons, snaps, hooks, buckles and the like could be
used.
[0033] The front portion of vest 12 that would cover a user's chest
includes a pair of front flotation members 26 retained between an
outer shell 28 and a liner 30. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, the
front flotation members 26 are made from a light-weight relatively
rigid water impermeable foam. A preferred material for the front
flotation members 26 is a PVC closed cell foam, sold under the
brand name WINBOSS 201. Similarly, a pair of rear flotation members
32 made from the same or different material as the front floatation
member 26 are retained between the outer shell 28 and liner 30 on
the rear portion of the vest 12. The flotation members 26 and 32
are preferably contoured to ergonomically match, at least roughly,
the portion of a user's body on which they align with when in use.
The two front flotation members 26 could be replaced by a single
flotation member; however, it is preferred to use two separate
pieces in order to improve the flexibility and comfort of the vest
12 and to allow for easier movement of a person 5 wearing the vest
12. Conversely, the front flotation members 26 could be divided
into more than two members. The flotation members 26 and 32 taken
together should have sufficient volume to provide the buoyancy
necessary to maintain a user's head above water. Also, it is
desirable to arrange the flotation members 26 and 32 generally
symmetrically laterally on the vest 12 so that a user 5 will tend
to float in a generally upright orientation without a side-to-side
tilt. It may be preferable to provide additional volume to the
front flotation members 26 in relation to the rear flotation
members 32 so that a person 5 wearing the vest 12 will tend to tilt
slightly to the rear such that the user's mouth and nose are held
away from the water. According to another embodiment of the present
invention the foam floatation members 26 are provided with openings
or perforations to allow ventilation when a wearer is out of the
water.
[0034] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, the flotation members 26 and
32 are held in place by being sandwiched between the outer shell 28
and liner 30. The outer shell 28 is preferably formed from a light
weight durable flexible material that has high resiliency such that
it will stretch across and cling to the flotation members 26 and 32
to hold them in place. The liner 30 may similarly be formed from
the same material. The flotation members 26 and 32 may each be
individually held in place by stitching the outer shell 28 to the
liner 30 in a perimeter surrounding each individual flotation
member 26 or 32. A material such as spandex is well suited to this
purpose. The outer shell 28 may be formed from one or more pieces
of material, and may have trim items of the same or different
material added for appearance, and durability, especially along the
arm openings 18, neck opening 20, and torso opening 24. Similarly,
the liner 30 may be formed from a single sheet of material, or may
be made from multiple pieces of material stitched together.
[0035] Side panels 36 are provided generally from the bottom of the
arm openings 18 down to the torso opening 24 between the front and
rear portions of the vest 12. The side panels 36 act as a
connection and support to hold the front and rear portions of the
vest 12 together. The side panels 36 are preferably formed from a
highly durable fabric that is relatively inelastic. A fabric sold
under the brand name SUPPLEX has been found to be especially well
suited for use in forming the side panels 36. In one embodiment a
6.3 ounce poly-spandex may be used. The side panels 36 may be
joined to the outer shell 28 and liner 30 by stitching, which is
the preferred method, or by other suitable mechanisms such as
rivets, welding, or adhesive.
[0036] A top portion of the coupling mechanism 16 in the form of an
upper strap 38 is attached to each side panel 36, preferably near
the torso opening 24. The upper strap 38 should preferably be a
highly durable flexible material, such as a knit elastic belt. The
upper strap 38 may be attached to the side panel 36 through the use
of a single needle box-x lock stitch. Other manners of attaching
the upper strap 38 to the side panels 36 would also be acceptable.
In the embodiment shown, a male buckle portion 40 is attached to
the free end of the upper strap 38, for example by a loop 42 formed
at the end of the upper strap 38 (see FIGS. 9a and 9b). Numerous
other attachment devices may be used instead of male buckle portion
40, including, for example, hook and loop fasteners (VELCRO),
buttons, snaps, loop-type belt buckle, or hole and tine type belt
buckle.
[0037] The trunks 14 may generally be of any desired form,
including shorts, bikini type, or wetsuit with knee-length or
full-length pant legs. The trunks 14 have a waistband portion 44
for encircling and engaging a user's waist. Leg openings 46 are
provided at the end of the pant legs. The material used to form the
trunks 14 may be any suitable material that is used to form swim
trunks. Most preferably, the material used for the trunks 14 will
match the material used in forming the vest 12 in color and design.
A pair of attachment panels 48 made of a relatively durable
inelastic material, such as that sold under the brand name SUPPLEX,
are provided on the trunks 14. Preferably, this attachment panel 48
will be located near the waistband 44 and will be in alignment with
the side panels 36 of the vest 12 when the vest 12 and trunks 14
are being worn by a user 5. A lower portion of each coupling
mechanism 16 is fastened to the trunks 14 in the form of a lower
strap 50 (see FIG. 9a) or gusset stitched to the corresponding
attachment panel 48. Again, the preferred mechanism for attaching
the lower straps 50 to the attachment panel 48 is through use of a
single needle box-x lock stitch. Other attachment mechanisms may be
used instead of, or in addition to the lock stitch, such as rivets
or adhesive. A female buckle member 52 is attached to the free end
of lower strap 50, and is suited for mated engagement with male
buckle portion 40. The trunks 14 may be provided with one or more
pockets, or other useful or decorative features.
[0038] As best seen in FIG. 6, the trunks 14 may be worn by
themselves without the vest 12. In this configuration, the trunks
14 function like any other swim trunks. This is especially useful
because it can be desirable to remove the vest 12 when not in the
water so that a user 5 remains cooler, and less constrained. Also,
it can be desirable to remove the vest 12 when it is wet, as it can
be unpleasant to wear wet garments. Furthermore, there can be some
situations where a person may need the flotation vest 12 only some
of the time while swimming. For example, a child may be able to
play safely in the shallow end of the pool, but may need a
flotation device for playing in the deep end.
[0039] Similarly, as seen in FIG. 7, the vest 12 can be worn
without the matching trunks 14. For example, non matching shorts 56
could be worn with the vest 12 in case the matching trunks 14 were
soiled or damaged. More preferably, it is desirable to be able to
remove the trunks 14 in order to permit a user to use the restroom,
or in the case of small children, to have their diaper changed. It
is not recommended that a user 5 swim with the configuration shown
in FIG. 7 because there is a risk that the vest 12 could slip off
of the user 5 if it is not secured to the trunks 14 by the coupling
mechanism 16.
[0040] FIG. 20 shows a girls swimsuit 11 according to one
embodiment of the present invention. It functions identically with
the swimsuit 10 described above with respect to FIGS. 1-8, but is
adapted to match the style of suit preferred by girls.
Specifically, the trunks 14 are replaced in the girls swimsuit 11
by bikini bottom 15. Additionally, a bikini top 17 is provided.
Preferably, the bikini top 17 will match the bikini bottom 15 so
that if a user 5 removes the vest 12 the user 5 will be wearing a
matching bikini type swimsuit. The bikini bottom 15 is provided
with a portion of a coupling mechanism 16, such as a female buckle
member 52, in order to be coupled with and securely fastened to the
vest 12, as described above.
[0041] FIG. 21 shows a one piece girls swimsuit 19 that is adapted
for use with the vest 12 according to one embodiment of the present
invention. The one piece swimsuit 19 is provided with a portion of
the coupling mechanism 16, such as a female buckle 52 mounted on a
strap 50, for engagement with a male buckle member 40 provided on
the vest 12. As with the embodiment of FIG. 20, the one piece
swimsuit 19 permits a female wearer to remove the vest 12 and still
be appropriately attired in the single piece swimsuit 19.
Preferably the coupling mechanism 16 is mounted to the one piece
swimsuit 19 along the sides of the bottom portion, or what might be
considered the trunk portion, of the one piece swimsuit 19.
[0042] FIGS. 9a and 9b illustrate a coupling mechanism 16 according
to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9a shows the
coupling mechanism 16 in a detached configuration such that the
trunks 14 and vest 12 are not coupled together and may be freely
removed from a user's body. The male buckle portion 40 includes two
resilient tines 58 that include locking protrusions 60. In order to
adjust the coupling mechanism 16 into the coupled configuration of
FIG. 9b, the resilient tines 58 of the male buckle portion 40 are
inserted into the female buckle portion 52. Preferably, the
resilient tines 58 have a tapered leading edge that guides the male
buckle portion 40 into the female buckle portion 52, while flexing
the resilient tines 58 inwardly towards each other. The female
buckle portion 52 is provided with slots 62 (not visible in FIGS.
9a and 9b, see FIG. 2) along its outer edges. When the male buckle
portion 40 is slid sufficiently far into the female buckle portion
52, the resilient tines 58 will snap outwardly such that the
locking protrusions 60 are engaged by and retained within the slots
62. In order to move from the coupled configuration of FIG. 9b to
the detached configuration of FIG. 9a, locking protrusions 60 are
squeezed inwardly until the locking protrusions 60 are at least
partially clear from the slots 62 and the male buckle portion 40 is
withdrawn from the female buckle portion 52. It is preferred that
at least two such coupling mechanisms 16 be used to securely fasten
the vest 12 to the trunks 14. Additional coupling mechanisms 16 may
be utilized for additional security.
[0043] FIGS. 10 and 11 show a coupling mechanism 116 according to
an additional embodiment of the present invention. The coupling
mechanism 116 includes an upper strap 138 stitched, or otherwise
fastened to the side panel 36 of the vest 12. The upper strap 138
includes a portion of hooks 170 and a portion of loops 172 of the
kind used in hook-and-loop fasteners sold under the brand name
VELCRO. A lower strap 150 is stitched, or otherwise fastened, to an
upper portion of the trunks 14. A rectangular ring or eyelet 174 is
fastened to the lower strap 150 by a loop formed at the end of the
strap 150. The vest 12 and trunks 14 may be selectively coupled
together by looping the free end of upper strap 138 through the
eyelet 174, and pressing the hook portion 170 against the loop
portion 172 to capture the eyelet 174. In order to uncouple the
trunks 14 from the vest 12, the loop portion 172 of the upper strap
138 is pulled away from the hook portion 170, and the upper strap
138 is withdrawn from the eyelet 174. It is desirable to use at
least two of such coupling mechanisms 116 to securely couple the
vest 12 to the trunks 14. Additional coupling mechanisms 116 may be
used to more securely couple the vest 12 and trunks 14. The
coupling mechanism 116 provides additional flexibility and
adjustability in spacing the vest 12 from the trunks 14.
[0044] FIG. 12 illustrates an additional embodiment of a coupling
mechanism according to the present invention. The coupling
mechanism 216 includes a top flap 217 stitched or otherwise
fastened to the vest 12, and a bottom flap 219 stitched or
otherwise fastened to the top portion of the trunks 14. The top
flap 217 is provided with a pair of snaps 221 that include male
portions (not shown) that extend through the top flap 217. The male
portions of the snaps 221 are suited to be engaged by snap bases
223 with a tight interference fit to retain the snaps within the
snap bases and thereby couple the vest 12 with the trunks 14. The
snaps 221 can be disengaged from the snap bases 223 by pulling the
top flap 217 apart from bottom flap 219. The coupling mechanism 216
could be provided with more than two such pairs of snaps 221 and
snap bases 223. Again, it is desirable to include at least two such
coupling mechanisms 216 on the swim suit 10, in order to securely
couple the vest 12 with the trunks 14.
[0045] FIG. 13 shows yet another embodiment of a coupling mechanism
316 according to the present invention. A top flap 317 is stitched
or otherwise fastened to the vest 12, and is provided with
buttonholes 323. A bottom flap 319 is stitched or otherwise
fastened to the top portion of trunks 14 and includes a pair of
buttons 321. The buttons 321 may be inserted through the button
holes 323 in order to couple the vest 12 with the trunks 14. At
least two such coupling mechanisms 316 should be used in order to
securely couple the vest 12 with the trunks 14. Each coupling
mechanism 316 may include any number of pairs of buttons 321 and
buttonholes 323. The buttons 321 may be fastened to the bottom flap
319 by stitching, or other conventional means. Alternatively, the
buttons 321 could be stitched directly to the top portion of the
trunks 14. Also, it should be appreciated that the buttons 321 and
the buttonholes 323 could be reversed such that the buttons 321 are
provided on the top flap 317 and the buttonholes 323 are provided
on the bottom flap 319.
[0046] FIGS. 14 through 16 show an embodiment of a swimsuit 410
according to the present invention. As seen in FIG. 14, the vest
412 is of similar design to that already described herein, except
that the vest 412 is provided with one or more loops 420 that
extend below the torso opening of the vest 412. These loops 420 may
be attached by stitching, adhesive, rivets, staples, or the like.
As seen in FIG. 15, the trunks 414 are provided with a belt 440
that is constrained by belt loops 450. The belt 440 may be
adjustable in length by using belt buckle 442 that has tine 446 to
engage one of a series of holes 444 provided in the belt 440. The
belt 440 may extend around the entire waistband of the trunks 414,
or may be in the form of two separate belts that each extend
partially around the waistband.
[0047] FIG. 16 shows the swimsuit 410 in a coupled configuration
with the vest 412 coupled to the trunks 414. In this configuration,
the belt 440 is threaded through the loops 420 on the vest 410 and
through the belt loops 450 on the trunks 414. The loops 420, belt
loops 450, and belt 440 thereby form a coupling mechanism 416 to
securely couple the vest 412 to the trunks 414. To detach the
trunks 414 from the vest 412, the belt 440 is unbuckled and
withdrawn from the loops 420 and belt loops 450. The belt 440 may
then be rethreaded through the belt loops 450 to revert to the
configuration shown in FIG. 15.
[0048] FIGS. 17 and 18 show an additional embodiment of a swimsuit
510 according to the present invention. The swimsuit 510 includes a
vest 512 that is provided with inflatable front flotation member
570 and inflatable rear flotation member 580. Valves 560 including
removable caps 561 are provided to permit inflation of the
inflatable flotation members 570 and 580. The front flotation
member 570 is in the form of an airtight bladder 572 that may be
inflated with air, as by blowing through the valve 560 with a
user's mouth, or pump. The rear flotation member 580 is in the form
of an airtight bladder 582 that may similarly be inflated. The
inflated bladders 582 and 572 provide buoyancy for the swimsuit
510. The bladders 572 and 582 are retained in place by being
sandwiched between a liner 530 and an outer shell 528. Preferably,
the liner 530 and outer shell 528 are made from a resilient
stretchable flexible thin fabric such as spandex. Side panels 536
span between the front and rear portion of the vest 512. Coupling
mechanism 16 is used to securely couple the vest 512 with the
trunks 514. The front bladder 572 and rear bladder 582 may be in
air flow communication with each other, such that both bladders 572
and 582 may be inflated and deflated through a single valve 560.
The vest 512 with the inflatable flotation members 570 and 580 is
advantageous in that it can be folded up into a small space when
the bladders 572 and 582 are deflated. Additionally, the vest 712
could be worn as a garment top when the bladders 572 and 582 are
deflated.
[0049] FIG. 19 shows a swimsuit 610 according to one embodiment of
the present invention. A vest 612 that includes flotation members
26 may be coupled to trunks 614. The vest 612 is provided with a
zipper track 619 around the periphery of its torso opening. The
trunks 614 are similarly provided with a zipper track 621 around
its waistband. Zipper 623 may be used to combine the zipper tracks
619 and 621 into a combined closed configuration as shown in FIG.
19 to couple the vest 612 to the trunks 614. The zipper tracks 619
and 621 and the zipper 623 thereby form an alternative coupling
mechanism 616.
[0050] Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings disclose
a swimsuit wherein the upper and lower halves may be worn
independently of each other or may be coupled together as a single
unit. The lower or trunks portion may be easily removed for using
the restroom or for changing a diaper. The upper, or flotation vest
portion may be easily removed for situations where a wearer would
be more comfortable wearing the trunks only.
[0051] Although various representative embodiments of this
invention have been described above with a certain degree of
particularity, those skilled in the art could make numerous
alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the
spirit or scope of the inventive subject matter set forth in the
specification and claims. All directional references (e.g., upper,
lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top,
bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and
counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid
the reader's understanding of the embodiments of the present
invention, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the
position, orientation, or use of the invention unless specifically
set forth in the claims. Joinder references (e.g., attached,
coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and
may include intermediate members between a connection of elements
and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references
do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected
and in fixed relation to each other.
[0052] In some instances, components are described with reference
to "ends" having a particular characteristic and/or being connected
with another part. However, those skilled in the art will recognize
that the present invention is not limited to components which
terminate immediately beyond their points of connection with other
parts. Thus, the term "end" should be interpreted broadly, in a
manner that includes areas adjacent, rearward, forward of, or
otherwise near the terminus of a particular element, link,
component, part, member or the like. In methodologies directly or
indirectly set forth herein, various steps and operations are
described in one possible order of operation, but those skilled in
the art will recognize that steps and operations may be rearranged,
replaced, or eliminated without necessarily departing from the
spirit and scope of the present invention. It is intended that all
matter contained in the above description or shown in the
accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and
not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without
departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the
appended claims.
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