Patent Application
20200305521
Outdoor activities, such as mountain biking, offer an enjoyable way to spend time in nature, while engaging in a fun endeavor and obtaining possible benefits of physical toil and exercise. Because such activities take place outdoors, weather conditions may vary. To reduce the impact of inclement weather, such as rain, outdoor adventurers, such as mountain bike riders, may utilize clothing, such as rain jackets or wind jackets, to stay warm and dry and help shield themselves from environmental moisture and/or cold wind.
However, weather conditions often change, and many times, when riding or otherwise being active outdoors, the wind and/or rain and/or other inclement weather conditions may not persist during the entire time the outdoor activity takes place. Outdoor clothing, such as rain jackets or wind jackets, may not breathe or otherwise ventilate extremely well and can feel bulky or cumbersome for the wearer.
Therefore, it may be desirous for an outdoor enthusiast, such as a mountain bike rider, to avoid wearing clothing, such as a rain jacket, when the wearing of such clothing is not necessitated or otherwise compelled by weather conditions, yet still have the clothing accessible, if the weather changes in a manner prompting the enthusiast to want to wear the clothing.
Various attempts have been made to provide a way for an outdoor adventurer, such as a mountain bike rider, to stow or otherwise carry outdoor clothing with them during their outdoor activities. One solution is to attach clothing, when not in use, around a user's body, such as by tying the arms of a rain jacket around the wearer's waist. However, clothing attached in such a manner can impede physical movement, may become unattached fairly easily, may be cumbersome, and can present safety issues, particularly if the clothing engages equipment such as mountain bike wheels. Another solution is to store the clothing in a backpack, a fanny-pack or some other bag or pouch. But, packs, bags and pouches suffer from similar drawbacks like being cumbersome, possibly impeding movement, and creating a need to for the user to carry not only the clothing, but also the pack, bag or pouch.
Additionally, outdoor enthusiasts, such as mountain bike riders, often desire to find alternative storage solutions apart from a wearer's body. Some bikes, or other outdoor equipment, may be designed with integral and/or external storage compartments that may potentially fit various clothing items. However, such equipment, like bikes having integral or external storage bays, suffer from drawbacks of increased size and weight, which can adversely affect equipment performance. Other attempts have been made to secure clothing to outdoor equipment, such as a mountain bike, by tying the clothing to the equipment, like tying a jacket to a bike. Yet those attempts introduce the added burden of carrying separate ropes, straps, or other securing implements, to make sure the clothing is securely stowed, when not being worn by an outdoor adventurer.
Accordingly, there is a need for improvements in compactable clothing and compactable jackets.
While structures, articles of clothing, and methods are described herein by way of examples and embodiments, those skilled in the art recognize that the compactable jacket and methods for compacting, binding, securing, and/or attaching the compactable jacket are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood that the drawings and description are not intended to be limited to the particular form disclosed. Rather, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Any headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used herein, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to) rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include,” “including,” and “includes” mean including, but not limited to.
This disclosure, its aspects and implementations, are not limited to the specific material types, components, methods, or other examples disclosed herein. Many additional material types, components, methods, and procedures are contemplated for use with particular implementations from this disclosure. Accordingly, for example, although particular implementations are disclosed, such implementations and implementing components may comprise any components, models, types, materials, versions, quantities, and/or the like as is known in the art for such systems and implementing components, consistent with the intended operation.
The word “exemplary,” “example,” or various forms thereof are used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” or as an “example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Furthermore, examples are provided solely for purposes of clarity and understanding and are not meant to limit or restrict the disclosed subject matter or relevant portions of this disclosure in any manner. It is to be appreciated that a myriad of additional or alternate examples of varying scope could have been presented, but have been omitted for purposes of brevity.
While this disclosure includes a number of implementations in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail particular implementations with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the disclosed methods and systems, and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the disclosed concepts to the implementations illustrated.
The present application is directed to a compactable jacket (hereinafter “jacket”), that is configured for compact and secure storage on a bicycle, such as on the handle bars, on the top tube, and/or on the down tube. A variety of different implementations are discussed below. Generally, these implementations may comprise a jacket having at least one cinch strap, elastic cord, elastic draw string, or other wrapping implement, and a clamp or other mechanical fastening member configured to lock the strap, string or other wrapping implement into place with regard to itself, wherein the strap, string or wrapping implement is formed with, integrated into, a part of, or otherwise attached to the jacket, and positioned on the jacket so as to compressively secure the jacket to a bicycle part around which the strap, string or wrapping implement is wrapped and fixed into place by the mechanical fastening member.
Such implementations generally function by allowing the jacket to be folded and rolled into a compact dimension with the strap, string or other wrapping implement still easily accessible and functional to wrap around not only the jacket, when in a compact configuration, but also the bicycle part, such as a handlebar, so as to be securely fastened to the bicycle part. It should be understood that the components depicted and discussed are non-limiting examples, and that the contemplated components may be combined with any of the other components in other implementations.
Implementations of the presently disclosed jacket may include a rain jacket, windbreaker, lightweight poncho, pullover, hoodie, lightweight coat, or other clothing implement configured for wearing on a user's body. The jacket may include a hood, an extended neck covering, full sleeves, and/or shortened sleeves; it may come in a variety of sizes and be shaped to fit men, women and/or children; it may include a center zipper facilitating easy dressing and undressing; it may include one or more pockets; it may be comprised of one or more layers and may, for example, include an outer waterproof or water resistant layer and an inner breathable liner layer; it may be formed of synthetic, or non-synthetic materials and/or any operable combination of both types of materials; and, it may be formed via any operable stitching, seaming, joining or other textile and clothing forming processes.
The body can take various forms, depending on the specific type and style of jacket. For example, for a light bicycling jacket, the body can have a breathable inner lining layer and an outer water resistant layer.
The body 100 of the jacket is configured transition from an expanded state, in which the compactable jacket is wearable, to a compacted state, in which the compactable jacket is not wearable and in which the jacket can be compactly and securely stowed. In order to transition from an expanded state to a compacted state, the jacket may be folded, rolled and/or otherwise compressed into a compact condition facilitating efficient storage (such as on a bicycle part).
Once the jacket has been narrowed, a further compaction step can include rolling the jacket, as shown at numeral 3. The jacket can be rolled-up by starting at the top, or at the neck opening and rolling toward the bottom or torso opening of the jacket. Rolling the jacket in the manner described results in the jacket being in the final compacted state. The compacted state can be the cylindrically-shaped rolled configuration of the jacket shown at numeral 4 of
Of course, other shapes can be utilized for the compacted state that also facilitate effective attachment of the jacket to an object such as a part of a bicycle. One benefit of compacting the jacket for bicyclists is that the impact of the jacket on bike handling is minimized after it is compacted and attached to a bicycle part. Another benefit is that the jacket can be stored securely within or on the small frame of a bicycle.
The jacket additionally includes a hem that is located on the body proximate to the torso opening. The hem itself includes one or more pairs of hem openings, each pair of hem openings comprising two openings in the hem. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the hem houses an elastic component (such as an elastic cord) that emerges from the hem openings and is used to maintain the compacted form of the jacket and secure the jacket onto objects.
The hem also has an elastic cord 104 that runs through a cavity in the hem and that emerges at each of the pairs of hem openings 105(1) and 105(2). The elastic cord extends through the hem and any pairs of hem openings within the hem. The elastic cord can be constructed of any suitable material that provides suitable elasticity. For example, the elastic cord can be paracord (also known as parachute chord) or a cord comprised of any type of synthetic material that provides elasticity. Alternatively, the jacket can utilize a number of other constricting and binding mechanisms, such as cinch straps, hook and loop straps, non-elastic cord, belts, drawstrings, etc.
The elastic cord/cinch straps/binding mechanism helps to securely fasten and store the jacket on an object, such as handlebars. The one or more elastic cords, or portions thereof, may be positioned on and/or in portions of the jacket. For example, the one or more elastic cords may reside in a tube-like hem located at the bottom torso opening of the jacket.
One function of the elastic cord, in operable combination with the fastener member(s), such as spring cord lock(s), may be to bunch, tighten, or otherwise reduce the size of the torso opening of the jacket. Such size-reducing functionality may permit a wearer of the jacket to cinch-up the bottom of the jacket tight against their lower torso and/or hips, thereby helping to keep the jacket in place around their body (preventing it from flapping around) and also helping to prevent wind and/or moisture from penetrating the bottom torso opening of the jacket while worn by a user. Another function pertinent to the present disclosure may involve the provision, locating and utilization of the elastic cord(s), in operable combination with the fastener members, such as spring cord lock(s), in a manner so as to efficiently and effectively secure the jacket into place on a bicycle part, such as the handlebars of a mountain bike, for efficient storage thereon. A portion, or portions, of the elastic cord(s) may protrude from openings of the tube-like hem of the jacket. It may be advantageous to locate the protruding location(s) of the cord portion(s) on the jacket in a manner that facilitates easy access of the cord portion(s) when the jacket has been folded, rolled, and/or otherwise compacted in preparation for secure attachment to an object, such as a bicycle part.
While the example of
The jacket additionally includes one or more clamps corresponding to the one or more pairs of hem openings. As will be shown in
The jacket further includes one or more anchors corresponding to the one or more pairs of hem openings, each anchor coupling the portion of the elastic cord protruding from the corresponding pair of hem openings to the body.
The elastic cord can be looped through or otherwise engaged with anchors located on the jacket. The anchors may be loops of strong material securely sewn onto the jacket in locations potentially near where the elastic cord(s) protrude out from the openings of the tube-like hem. The anchors may extend from and be sewn into the hem. The anchors afford various advantages, such as serving as reinforcement structures allowing users to stretch, pull, apply tension, or otherwise exert significant force upon the elastic cords, without the elastic cords tearing out of the tube-like hem, or otherwise breaking off from the jacket.
Another advantage afforded by the anchors is that they may help keep the corresponding elastic cord portions in proper location and orientation with respect to the jacket, such as a condition when the jacket is fully expanded, by being laid flat or by being worn by a user, and/or such as when the jacket is compacted into a compact state.
Still another advantage afforded by the anchors is that a single elastic cord may be looped through the tube-like hem of the jacket, protruded through the opening(s) of the hem, extended through or otherwise made to physically interact with the clamp(s) or fastener members, such as a spring cord lock, and then joined back with itself, either by being tied to itself, thermally joined or welded to itself, mechanically fastened to itself, such as by sewing or with assistance of an added mechanical joining member, chemically fastened to itself, such as by adhesive, and/or by any operable joining process and/or combinations thereof. The anchors, therefore, permit the secure and operable attachment of the clamp(s), such as spring cord locks, to the elastic cord in a manner that prevents the clamp(s) of fastener member(s), such as spring cord locks, from simply slipping off or otherwise disengaging from an end portion or loop extension of the elastic cord. In addition, the anchors may facilitate manual gripping and handling of the jacket during attachment and storage of the jacket onto an object, such as onto bicycle handlebars.
Additionally, as shown in
Of course, the anchor can couple the portion of the elastic cord protruding from a corresponding pair of hem openings to the body in other ways. For example, if the clamp divides the portion of elastic cord into only two cord portions, then the anchor can directly engage with the clamp (such as by looping through the aperture in the body of the clamp) and couple the clamp to the body of the jacket, thereby coupling the portion of elastic cord to the body. Alternatively, the anchor can engage with one of the two cord portions using a loop material and couple the cord portion to the body of the jacket. Many variations are possible and these examples are not intended to be limiting.
The jacket is constructed such that one or more of the first cord portion and the second cord portion are configured to apply an elastic tension force to the body of the jacket when stretched over the body in the compacted state. This elastic tension force minimizes the overall volume of the jacket and maintains the body of the jacket in the compacted state.
The jacket is further constructed such that one or more of the first cord portion and the second cord portion are configured to apply an elastic tension force to an object when stretched over the object, such as the handlebars of a bicycle. This elastic tension forces serves to secure the jacket to the object. The use of the elastic cord of the jacket for this purpose eliminates the need for persons to carry any additional materials to secure or store the jacket.
As shown in
The clamp structure will now be described in greater detail.
Each clamp is configured to lock the elastic cord in place to thereby prevent and/or restrict movement of the cord through the clamp. As shown in
The spring cord lock can include a toggle button 107B that, when compressed, acts to compress the expansion spring 107A and temporarily release the cord engagement member from engagement with the cord 104. The toggle button 107B, when compressed, acts to compress the expansion spring and release the cord engagement member from engagement with the elastic cord. As such, a user may depress or otherwise push down on the toggle button, and then slide or otherwise move a portion of the elastic cord through the opening of the spring cord lock. When the toggle button is released, the expansion spring again expands against strap engagement member, which engages the elastic cord and clamps or otherwise fastens it into a locked and secure position with regard to the spring cord lock.
The spring cord lock can further include a handle-shaped aperture 107C built into the body of the spring cord lock. This handle-shaped aperture 107C can be used to attach items to the jacket and/or to pass additional cords, strings, or fastening members through the jacket. The handle shape can also be utilized as a latching mechanism to secure the end of the elastic cord after it has been stretched around the body of the compacted jacket and/or object to which the jacket is to be attached.
The clamp can be implemented using a variety of different structures, such as fasteners, including a mechanical fastener, a hook and loop fastener, a latch, and/or a clip. For example, the clamp can be hook and loop type fasteners existent on a portion, or portions of the elastic cord and/or the jacket, buttons, clips, latches and/or other like implements configured to facilitate fastening and securing of the elastic cord. If a different type of clamp is used, then alternative toggle components can be used, such as latches, locks, bindings, etc.
Additionally, when a cinch strap is used, a mechanical fastener can include a knot element, pre-created or created by the user, wherein the knot element serves to mechanically fasten strap portions together in a manner that facilitates securing of the rain jacket to a bicycle.
Embodiments having a clamp, such as a spring cord lock, may have an expansion spring set in compression against a strap engagement member, wherein the strap engagement member is configured to engage the cinch strap, as the cinch strap (often embodied as a bungee-like elastic para cord) resides in a pass-through opening of the spring cord lock.
Returning to
Each second cord portion formed by the clamps (the cord portion that is not stretched over the jacket) can then be used to secure the jacket to an object. In this case, each second cord portion can be configured to apply an elastic tension force to the object when stretched over the object to thereby secure the jacket to the object. For example, the second cord portion can have a very short length while maintaining sufficient elasticity to stretch over a bicycle handlebar and maintain a high level of tension on the outer circumference (or a portion thereof) of the handlebar.
Of course, various different techniques can be used to couple the compacted jacket to an object and to maintain the compacted state of the jacket. For example, when each clamp divides the portion of the elastic cord protruding from a corresponding pair of hem openings into a first cord portion and a second cord portion, then one of the first cord portion or the second cord portion can be stretched around both the body of the jacket in a compacted form and the object to which the jacket is to be secured. In this case, one of the first cord portion or the second cord portion can be configured to apply an elastic tension force to the body of the jacket and the object when stretched over the body in the compacted state and the object, to thereby maintain the body in the compacted state and secure the jacket to the object.
When a portion of an elastic cord is wrapped around a portion of the compacted jacket and also a portion of a bicycle part, that wrapped-around portion of the elastic cord may be clamped and fastened by the clamp, such as a spring cord lock. The clamp can be located in a position to facilitate binding of the compacted jacket and attachment. The clamp or fastener member, such as a spring cord lock, may have a dimension that is larger than the combined dimension of the operably engaged elastic cord as it is wrapped around the clamp. Thus, when under tension, that is effectuated, at least in part, by an elastic resistive nature of an elastic cord in its stretched condition while wrapped around a portion of the jacket and a portion of the object, the elastic cord can remain securely wrapped around the clamp. In such a fastened condition, the elastic cord may maintain secure attachment of the rain jacket to an object such as a bicycle part, thereby storing the jacket on the bicycle part even when the bicycle is operated in various environmental conditions, such as along a bumpy trail, or during high winds.
As discussed above, in a compacted configuration, the jacket exists in a condition more conducive to efficient attachment to an object, such as bicycle handlebars. As depicted in
To disengage the jacket from the object, or otherwise to unfasten the elastic cord from a securely wrapped position around the object, a user may apply force to purposefully and particularly unfasten the clamp or fastener. For example, where the clamp or fastener is a spring cord lock, a user may stretch or otherwise maneuver the elastic cord out and around the corresponding clamp, such as the spring cord lock, thereby freeing the cord from its engaged position around the clamp. Once the elastic cord is freed from its location around the clamp, the elastic cord can then be unwrapped from around the object and the jacket can be removed from its secure storage position. If a plurality of elastic cords or elastic cord portions, along with a corresponding plurality of clamps, such as spring cord locks, are included in the jacket and utilized to secure the jacket to a bicycle part, then the methods of engaging and securing the jacket to the object, such as handlebars, as well as disengaging and releasing the jacket from secure attachment to the bicycle part, may be carried forth in like manner.
When securely attached to and stored on a bicycle part, such as bicycle handlebars, as illustrated in
It will be understood that the compactable jacket is not limited to the specific components disclosed herein, as any components consistent with the intended operation of the jacket can be utilized. Accordingly, for example, it should be understood that, while the drawings, images and accompanying textual description show and disclose particular jacket implementations, any such implementation may comprise any shape, size, style, type, model, version, class, grade, measurement, concentration, material, weight, quantity, and/or the like consistent with the intended operation of the jacket.
The concepts disclosed herein are not limited to the specific jacket implementations shown herein. For example, it is specifically contemplated that the components included in the jacket can be formed of any of many different types of materials or combinations that can readily be formed, joined, and/or assembled into shaped objects and that are consistent with the intended operation of the jacket. For example, the elemental components may be formed of: organic materials, synthetic materials, blends or organic materials, synthetic materials and/or combinations thereof, and/or other like materials; rubbers (synthetic and/or natural) and/or other like materials; elastomers and/or other like materials; polymers and/or other like materials; metals and/or metal alloys; and/or any combination of the foregoing.
Furthermore, the components of the jacket may be manufactured separately and then assembled together, or any or all of the components may be manufactured simultaneously and integrally joined with one another. Manufacture of these components separately or simultaneously, as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, may involve sewing, threading, weaving, stitching, hemming, sealing, stretching, joining, screening, fastening, attaching, or otherwise appropriately assembling. If any of the components are manufactured separately, they may then be coupled or removably coupled with one another in any manner, such as with adhesive, a plastic weld (thermally or chemically), or via clothing and/or textile manufacturing implements and processes, any combination thereof, and/or the like for example, depending on, among other considerations, the particular material(s) forming the components.
Having described and illustrated the principles of our invention with reference to the described embodiment, it will be recognized that the described embodiment can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. It should be understood that the programs, processes, or methods described herein are not related or limited to any particular type of computing environment, unless indicated otherwise. Elements of the described embodiment shown in software may be implemented in hardware and vice versa.
In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of our invention may be applied, we claim as our invention all such embodiments as may come within the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto.
This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/825,727, titled “JACKET BICYCLE STORAGE” and filed Mar. 28, 2019.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 62825727 | Mar 2019 | US |
| Child | 16834517 | US |
