Patent Application
20180368486
The invention relates to a garment, particularly a protective vest, which is adjustable in its size.
The invention further relates to a zipper arrangement.
Garments adjustable in size are known in numerous variants. This also applies to protective vests. The term “protective vest” is to be understood in its most general sense here. It includes warning vests, safety vests, working vests, etc., to name only a few examples of protective vests. Adjustability in size in currently known protective vests is, for example, provided by hook-and-loop fasteners being fixable in different positions. This is, as such, an implementable solution, such protective vests, however, being comparably complex in manufacturing. Further, adjusting hook-and-loop fasteners may be difficult or troublesome. Also, hook-and-loop fasteners tend to lose their functionality with time under unfavourable conditions.
The invention is based on the object to provide a garment adjustable in its size which is easy to manufacture, can be effortlessly converted into the various size adjustments, and exhibits no or hardly any wear in the area of the means for size adaptation.
Said object is solved by the features of the independent claim.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.
The invention is based on the generic garment adjustable in its size in that at least one outer zipper having two rows of teeth is provided, wherein the garment has a first size in a closed state of the outer zipper and a second size in a opened state of the outer zipper, wherein the first size is smaller than the second size, and wherein the rows of teeth are held together at a distance in the opened state of the outer zipper by material covered by the outer zipper in the closed state of the outer zipper. Here, the adjustability in size is also provided for by one or more zippers. The manufacturing of garments having zippers is easy and low in cost. Further, zippers of appropriate quality have an extremely long service life. Based on the invention, the garment can be effortlessly adjusted in its size. The only thing that needs to be done is to open a zipper, and immediately a larger garment is available. The other way round, the only thing that needs to be done is to close a zipper to make the garment smaller. Particularly with regard to protective vests the simple adjustability in size is of special advantage since protective vests are worn above other garments having different volumes. In summer, a protective vest will possibly be worn above nothing more than a shirt so that a small size of the protective vest is sufficient while in winter it may be required to put on the protective vest, for example, above a voluminous down jacket. Apart from the advantage that, owing to the different sizes of one and the same protective vest, different garments of the same wearer are admissible, it is also so that one and the same protective vest may be used for persons having different dress sizes. This rationalises the manufacturing process, and it provides for a significant facilitation of storage and distribution. The garment according to the invention may, for example, also be an identification vest or a vest with a number, for example for competitions.
The invention is advantageously further developed in that at least one other row of teeth is provided which is at least partly covered by the outer zipper in the closed state of the outer zipper, which is exposed in the opened state of the outer zipper, and which can be coupled with one of the rows of teeth of the outer zipper in the way of a zipper. Thus, not only two different sizes of the garment are available. By coupling a row of teeth of the outer zipper with the other row of teeth, rather, another size can be made available. The term “covered” is no definition in the strictly geometrical sense so that, for example, the zipper would have to be superposed by the row of teeth in any projection. What is meant is rather that the row of teeth is covered by whatever. This applies to all embodiments of the present disclosure.
Likewise, it may be contemplated that an inner zipper having two rows of teeth is provided which is at least partly covered by the outer zipper in the closed state of the outer zipper and which is exposed in the opened state of the outer zipper, and that, in the opened state of the outer zipper and in the opened state of the inner zipper, at least one of the rows of teeth of the outer zipper can be coupled with at least one of the rows of teeth of the inner zipper in the way of a zipper. In this way also, additional sizes are realisable.
The invention is further developed in a particularly advantageous way in that, in the opened state of the inner zipper, the rows of teeth are held together at a distance by a material which is covered by the inner zipper in the closed state of the inner zipper. So if, for example, exactly one outer and one inner zipper are present, apart from the smallest size with the outer zipper closed, two additional sizes are adjustable by only opening the outer and opening the inner zipper. If the rows of teeth of the zippers are then combined among each other, at least one additional size of the garment can be made available.
Furthermore, it may be contemplated that at least one other row of teeth is provided which is at least partly covered by the inner zipper in the closed state of the inner zipper, which is exposed in the opened state of the inner zipper, and which can be coupled with one of the rows of teeth of the inner zipper and/or of the outer zipper in the way of a zipper. Insofar, the principle of the present invention is expandable step by step. Again and again further rows of teeth or further zippers may be added, the rows of teeth present then being all or partly combinable with each other.
In this sense it is particularly advantageous that a further inner zipper having two rows of teeth is provided which is at least partly covered by the inner zipper in the closed state of the inner zipper and which is exposed in the opened state of the inner zipper, and that, in the opened state of the outer zipper, of the inner zipper, and of the further inner zipper, at least one of the rows of teeth of the inner zipper and/or at least one row of teeth of the outer zipper can be coupled with at least one of the rows of teeth of the further inner zipper in the way of a zipper.
A garment according to the invention may defined in that a plurality of zippers are provided, wherein zippers located further toward the outside, respectively, cover zippers located further toward the inside in the closed state of the zippers located further toward the outside, respectively, and the zippers located further toward the inside are exposed in the opened state the zippers located further toward the outside, respectively, and in that at least one row of teeth of a zipper can be coupled with at least one row of teeth of another zipper in the way of a zipper.
It may further be contemplated that at least one other row of teeth is provided which can be coupled with at least one row of teeth of a zipper among the plurality of zippers in the way of a zipper.
It is particularly advantageous that a zipper arrangement is provided by the zipper(s), and that zipper arrangements are provided in a plurality of positions of the garment. For example, it may be contemplated that, in protective vests, a zipper arrangement is disposed on each side of the protective vest, respectively.
In this connection it may be useful that the zipper arrangements are, at least partly, identical in design. All zipper arrangements will then have the same functionality.
However, it may also be useful that the zipper arrangements are, at least partly, different in design. In laterally provided zipper arrangements of protective vests, for example, one of the sides may be more complex in design than the other. This is particularly useful where the vest has other functional features which might impose constraints on the design of the zipper arrangements.
The invention is also realized in a zipper arrangement suitable for use in a garment according to the invention and defined in connection with the garment according to the invention.
The invention will now be explained by way of example in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
When the outer zipper 12 is opened by moving the slider 30 toward the end piece 28 the image shown in
If the two states of the garment shown in
Now,
However, it is also possible to realise further sizes with the present zipper arrangement. This will be explained in connection with
With the aid of
Another variant of the present invention can be explained with reference to
The thus described nesting of zippers or rows of teeth may be continued as desired so that finally a multitude of zippers together form the zipper arrangement.
The described zipper arrangement as a whole may be offered as a textile component. The textile component will then be sewn into a garment like a single zipper.
In the embodiment described above only a single zipper arrangement is shown. Preferably a zipper arrangement which may be identical or different in design as compared to the described zipper arrangement is also present on the other side of the garment, namely below the other arm opening. Likewise, it might be contemplated to provide zipper arrangements between the lower edge of the garment and the head opening, be it in the breast and/or in the back area. Zipper arrangements may also extend horizontally, for example between the two arm openings. In this way, the length of a garment may be varied.
The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, in the drawings, as well as in the claims may be essential for the implementation of the invention individually as well as in any combination.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2016 105 007.5 | Mar 2016 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2017/055720 | 3/10/2017 | WO | 00 |
