Combined Belt And Ski Jacket

Abstract

This invention relates to a garment of the type which folds away into a pocket of the garment to form a collapsed package. Garments of this type are insufficient in that they are still relatively bulky when in the collapsed or carrying state and cannot be readily pocketed, when not in use, by the person carrying it. The garment of the present invention comprises, in its wearing mode, a back panel, a pocket panel secured to the back panel along two opposing seams and a third seam to form a pocket. The garment is rolled and the pocket everted so that it is contained in the pocket in the carrying mode. By providing a body-encircling strap attached to the interior of the pocket in the wearing mode which is thus exterior in the everted position, the user may secure the garment in its carrying position about his waist thereby leaving his hands free for other tasks.

Description

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

This invention relates to wearing apparel of the kind in which the garment comprises a back panel, two front panels, and which is capable of being folded so as to be contained within a pocket forming a part thereof.

Garments of this type have the advantage that with the jacket or the like enclosed in the pocket, handling of the garment as in carrying is made easy by reducing the bulk of the garment. However, such garments have the disadvantage that they must be carried in a pocket or in the hand of the user.

Fold-away water-proof jackets are of great value to sportsmen where size of the article and convenience is of importance. However, in some outdoor sports, particularly skiing and boating, it is either impossible or impractible to carry the garment in one's hands. Additionally, swim-suits and ski atire do not normally have sufficiently large pocket space for convenient carrying of the fold-away article. By providing the article with a fold-away strap, it can be readily worn about the user's waist, leaving the wearer's hands free for other tasks, yet affording the wearer immediate protection should the garment be required.

The garment of the present invention comprises in a wearing mode, a back panel, a pocket panel secured to the back panel along two opposing seams and a third seam to form a pocket and wherein the garment may be rolled and the pocket everted so that the garment is contained within the pocket in a carrying mode, the improvement in which body-encircling strap means are provided, said strap means being attached to the interior of the pocket in the wearing mode so that they are exposed in the carrying mode and concealed in the wearing mode.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of a garment, in a wearing mode, constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation similar to FIG. 1, but further broken away.

FIG. 3 is a cross section on the line 3--3 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating the garment in the carrying mode.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, the garment comprises a back panel 5, two front panels 6, and means of joining the meeting edges of said front panels such as a slide fastener 7. The garment is provided with a pocket 12 on the inside of the back panel formed by a piece of material 8, substantially equal in width to said back panel, and of a height to provide sufficient depth to the pocket. The pocket is formed when the material is stitched into seams 9 between the front and back panels and along bottom hem 10 of the back panel. In accordance with this embodiment of the invention, two straps 11 are provided, of lengths sufficient that the strap lengths plus the width of the back panel 5 enables the combined lengths to encompass a person's waist. The straps 11 have first ends of a width approximately equal to the depth of the pocket and free ends of a belt-like width. The first ends of the straps are stitched with the seams 9 so as to be contained within the pocket 12 in the wearing mode of the garment. The free ends of the straps are provided with means for attaching the free ends together such as a buckle 13. A closure means in the form of a slide fastener 14 is provided for the pocket 12.

In the wearing mode, said straps are concealed within the pocket so as to provide the appearance of a conventional garment.

When it is desired to remove and carry the garment in its fold-away state, the slide fastener 14 is opened and the front panels 6 and sleeves folded across the outside of the back panel 5 so as to be substantially coincident with the seams 9 so that the garment is substantially equal in width to the pocket 12. The garment is then rolled from the neck downwardly toward said pocket which is exposed on the underside of the garment. The pocket is then everted, or turned inside out, so as to contain the garment within. The pocket can be secured by means of the slide fastener 14. The eversion results in a garment-containing pocket 12 with straps 11 originating from both ends of said pocket for attaching said garment-containing pocket around the body in a belt-like manner. The improvement of providing straps for the garment-containing pocket of the carrying mode not only facilitates carrying but, furthermore, reduces the possibility of misplacement.

Alternative forms of the present invention include providing a garment with the pocket on the outside of the back panel so as to be a useful depository for articles when the garment is in the wearing mode. The strap means may be attached at other places within the pocket, for example, in the middle, and may be of unit construction. Another useful alternative, is to provide the strap means as a single length of elasticized material, the free ends of which are attached to the pocket the elasticized material being exposed in the carrying mode and contained within the pocket in the waring mode of the garment. This would provide a stretchy body-encircling strap means in the carrying mode.

Claims

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a garment comprising, in a wearing mode, a back panel, a pocket panel secured to the back panel along two opposing seams and a third seam to form a pocket and wherein the garment may be rolled and the pocket everted so that the garment is contained within the pocket in a carrying mode, the improvement in which body-encircling strap means are provided, said strap means being attached to the interior of the pocket in the wearing mode so that they are exposed in the carrying mode and concealed in the wearing mode.

2. A garment according to claim 1 in which the body-encircling strap means comprises two strap parts which have first ends secured one in each of said opposing seams and lying within the pocket when the garment is in the wearing mode and outside the pocket when the garment is in the carrying mode and second free ends having means for attachment of the free ends one to another.

3. A garment as claimed in claim 1 wherein the garment is a jacket.