Patent Application
20050044607
The present invention relates to ventilated garments, and, in particular, to garment with subpanel ventilation assembly.
When operating fast moving, relatively open vehicles such as motorcycles, bicycles, and some aircraft, the use of protective apparel is important. However, to be useful, protective apparel must be comfortable enough to wear. Many of the garments commonly used for such applications, such as leather suits and jackets, are unacceptably uncomfortable because they provide poor ventilation. Poor ventilation can be a serious problem during warm or moderate weather.
Wearing poorly ventilated protective apparel is uncomfortable on warm days because poor ventilation causes excessive heat buildup. As a result, the wearer may discard the apparel on warm days. Alternatively, the wearer may partially unfasten the front of the garment to provide some ventilation. However, wearing an unfastened garment can be hazardous when traveling at high speed. Air trapped by the opened garment causes billowing or ballooning of the garment and generates unstable forces on the wearer.
Ventilation assemblies for protective garments are known in the art. One type of the prior art garment includes a ventilating assembly having mesh vents at various locations on the garment, particularly at locations requiring little protection, such as the armpits and throat. Air scoops in the garment allow airflow into the mesh vents and through the garment. The garment does not, however, permit the wearer to selectively control the amount and location of ventilation. The prior art ventilating assembly for the garment also is uncomfortable for the wearer, and is hard use for control of ventilation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a ventilating panel for a garment with an improved ventilation assembly.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a ventilating panel for a garment that offers increased comfort and simplicity of design.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a ventilating panel for a garment with an adjustable ventilating assembly that provides increased ventilation over the body of the wearer.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the appended drawings and description thereof.
The present invention provides a garment with subpanel ventilation assembly. According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the garment panel includes an upper air impervious panel having a top edge and a bottom edge, a lower air impervious panel having a top edge and a bottom edge, an air permeable vent panel having a top edge continuously joined with the bottom edge of the upper air impervious panel, and a bottom edge continuously joined with the top edge of the lower air impervious panel, and an air impervious underlay panel underlying and spanning the vent panel. The underlay panel includes peripheral edges affixed to the peripheral edges of the vent panel. The garment panel is preferably used as a back panel of a jacket, and the side edges of the garment panel are preferably joined to the upper portion of the sleeves and the front panel of the jacket.
The underlay panel further defines a slit extending along a vent axis. A selectively operable closure assembly extends along the slit for selectively opening or closing the slit. In one preferred embodiment, the closure assembly is a zipper with multiple zip heads. In one preferred form, the zipper includes one pair of oppositely directed, facing or non-facing zip heads. In an alternative form, the zipper includes two pairs of oppositely directed, facing or non-facing zip heads. A wearer can adjust the zip heads to control the amount and location of ventilation. In another preferred embodiment, the closure assembly is a hook and loop fastener. A wearer also can adjust the hook and loop fastener to control the amount and location of ventilation.
The panel with the improved air venting assembly can be used with any type of garment, including, for example, pants, vests, leggings, chaps, gloves, and full-body suits.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and the objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and in which:
According to one aspect of the present invention, the upper air impervious panel 14 includes two opposing edges, a top edge 22 and a bottom edge 24. The lower air impervious panel 16 also includes two opposing edges, a top edge 26 and a bottom edge 28. The air permeable vent panel 18 extends along a vent axis X, and also includes a top edge 30 and a bottom edge 32 on either side of the vent axis X. The top edge 30 of the vent panel 18 is continuously joined with the bottom edge 24 of the upper panel 14 by stitches or by other suitable means. The bottom edge 32 of the vent panel 18 is continuously joined to the top edge 26 of the lower panel 16. The vent panel 18 is made of an air permeable material, such as a mesh or otherwise perforated material, which admits air into and out of the garment. The side edges of the panels may either coupled to the upper portion of the sleeves or the front panel of the jacket 10.
In one preferred embodiment, the closure assembly 42 is a zipper with multiple zip heads, for example, four zip heads as shown in
The zipper 42 may include multiple zip heads 52 directed in the same directions, or in opposite directions.
The panel with improved air venting assembly described herein is not only able to be used as a back panel of a jacket as illustrated in the figures, but also applicable to any type of garment, including, for example, front panel of a jacket, pants, vests, leggings, chaps, gloves, and full-body suits.
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.
