U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,634,031 and D505,787 disclose typical over-the-shoulder pocket bandoliers. People, particularly women, often select their purses and/or scarves in a manner to complement their clothing. However, over the shoulder pocket bandoliers such as shown in these patents, are not constructed or designed as a garment to complement a wearer's outfit or make a complementary fashion statement. During exercise, women have a need to carry cash, cell phone, keys and other objects. Often a waist pack or backpack is used for this purpose. However, these packs tend to bounce around and are thus often uncomfortable during exercise. Therefore there is a need for a form fitting product that can carry normal purse items so as to circumvent such problems, and still look like part of the person's collective exercise outfit.
A convertible garment in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure provides an elastic fabric tubular body adapted to fit snugly around a person's torso. The garment can be worn as a one-shoulder wrap type garment. The garment includes a pocket accessable from an opening through which a person passes her head. The garment is preferably formed of an inner sheet and an outer sheet, with the pocket therebetween. In one embodiment, there is a single first upper opening for one of a person's arms and a second upper opening for the person's head and other arm. Optionally there may be another first upper opening spaced from the first upper opening for the person's other arm. When the pocket is turned inside out, the garment can be stuffed into this pocket to convert it into a clutch purse or waist pack. The pocket may be of sufficient size to carry the typical contents of a purse in addition to the wrap material.
One embodiment is a convertible garment that includes a fabric tubular body adapted to fit snugly around a person's torso, wherein the tubular body is formed of an inner tubular sheet and an outer tubular sheet fastened together to define the tubular body. The tubular body has at least one first upper opening, a second upper opening, and a bottom opening. The at least one first upper opening in the tubular body is adapted to allow one of the person's arms to pass therethrough. The second upper opening in the tubular body is adapted to allow at least the person's head to pass therethrough, and the bottom opening in the tubular body, opposite the at least one first upper opening and the second upper opening, is adapted to fit snugly around the person's waist. A pocket is formed in the tubular body between the inner and outer sheets. This pocket is preferably accessible along one edge of the second upper opening, such that the tubular body of the garment may be stuffed into the pocket to convert the garment into a purse or pack. The garment further may include a second first upper opening in the tubular body spaced from the second upper opening adapted to allow another of the person's arms to pass therethrough.
Another embodiment may further include two mating pairs of belt openings. One of each pair of belt openings may be located on the edges of the pocket and one of each pair of opening may be located on the tubular body adjacent the pocket. When the garment is converted to a purse/pack, the mating pairs of openings may align to allow a belt to pass through the openings.
In another embodiment, mating portions of a belt may be fastened to the side seams of the pocket, thus eliminating the need for the belt openings.
In still further embodiments, the garment may include a hydration bladder holder, a gun holster, or a cell phone holder.
Further features, advantages and characteristics of the embodiments of this disclosure will be apparent from reading the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawing figures.
A perspective view of a convertible sport wrap garment 100 worn by a person 102 in accordance with one embodiment is shown in
The inner sheet 103 may comprise a stretchable or elastic fabric such that the garment 100 fits snugly around the person's torso during exercise. The outer sheet 105 may similarly comprise a stretchable or elastic fabric. A smooth elastic fabric such as spandex may be preferred so as to ride comfortably against the wearer's clothing or skin. The garment 100 may comprise stretchable or elastic mesh fabric to facilitate sweat evaporation during exercise.
As shown in
In one embodiment, the tube retainer 114 comprises a soft fabric so that when the garment 100 is worn inside out, the tube retainer 114 does not cause discomfort to the wearer. Further, a second soft fabric tube retainer (not pictured) may be attached to the inner sheet adjacent to the first upper opening 106 so that when the garment 100 is worn inside out, the second tube retainer is on the outside of the garment 100. In a another embodiment, the tube retainer 114 may comprise a first and a second slit (not pictured) in the tubular body adjacent to the first upper opening 106 such that the hydration bladder tube 116 may be passed into the first slit and out of the second slit.
Turning now to
In the embodiment of
On opposite sides of the bottom opening 110 of the garment 100 are belt loops 128. Not shown in
There are many alternatives and modifications that will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the garment 100 may be configured with additional pockets and holders. The garment 100 may also be configured with a shoulder strap extending from the tubular body such that when the garment is worn over the right shoulder, the shoulder strap may be worn over the left shoulder, and vice versa. The garment 100 may also include a short sleeve portion for the upper arm of the person such that it will not slip down off the person's shoulder when worn during exercise. All such changes, alternatives and equivalents in accordance with the features and benefits described herein, are within the scope of the present disclosure. Such changes and alternatives may be introduced without departing from the spirit and broad scope of my invention as defined by the claims below and their equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/670,364, filed Jul. 11, 2012, entitled Convertible Sport Wrap-Bandolier, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4634031 | Frankhouse | Jan 1987 | A |
4750653 | Prunty | Jun 1988 | A |
6112960 | Seering et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
D432299 | Vazquez | Oct 2000 | S |
D432300 | Vazquez | Oct 2000 | S |
D432301 | Vazquez | Oct 2000 | S |
6419132 | Reed | Jul 2002 | B1 |
D468904 | Vazquez | Jan 2003 | S |
D469251 | Vazquez | Jan 2003 | S |
D469604 | Vazquez | Feb 2003 | S |
6595396 | Cummings et al. | Jul 2003 | B2 |
6634041 | Higashi et al. | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6644527 | Karenga | Nov 2003 | B1 |
6708343 | Ceron | Mar 2004 | B1 |
6851127 | Khan | Feb 2005 | B1 |
6886726 | O'Hare | May 2005 | B1 |
D505787 | Vaughn | Jun 2005 | S |
7870982 | Dong et al. | Jan 2011 | B2 |
20020088048 | Turner | Jul 2002 | A1 |
20020124294 | McKenzie | Sep 2002 | A1 |
20050039242 | Edmondson | Feb 2005 | A1 |
20050056669 | Lavelle | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20060157525 | Furlong et al. | Jul 2006 | A1 |
20080067202 | Silva | Mar 2008 | A1 |
20090229034 | Zmigrosky | Sep 2009 | A1 |
20090320175 | Shih | Dec 2009 | A1 |
20100237121 | Stein | Sep 2010 | A1 |
20120244768 | Oehlert | Sep 2012 | A1 |
20130212772 | Apostoloff | Aug 2013 | A1 |
20140373246 | Chapuis | Dec 2014 | A1 |
20150203281 | Russo | Jul 2015 | A1 |
20150250240 | Hunkele | Sep 2015 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2009-165598 | Jul 2009 | JP |
20-0376077 | Mar 2005 | KR |
Entry |
---|
International Search Report and Written Opinion, dated Feb. 1, 2013, from co-owned International Application No. PCT/US2012/053015. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20140013481 A1 | Jan 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61670364 | Jul 2012 | US |