Patent Application
20090070910
Embodiments of the present invention are related to protective garments, and, in particular, to garments that protect a person's waders, pants, or legs.
In recent years, the number of people engaging in water-related activities such as fishing, water gardening, and off-road riding has increased. In order to stay dry and comfortable during these activities, many people wear waders, which are a waterproof garment consisting of pants with attached boots that cover a person's legs and feet and can even extend to cover the person's hips and chest. In order to maximize a person's freedom of movement while wearing waders during these activities, waders are typically made of thin, light-weight, waterproof materials including vulcanized rubber, plasticized polyvinyl chloride, neoprene, and waterproof breathable fabrics.
However, many water-related activities include walking or hiking through dense foliage to reach a watery destination, and because waders are often made of thin light-weight materials, the waders can be torn on thistles, branches, and foliage. A person can remove the waders and risk tearing his/her pants or scratching his/her legs only to put the waders back on at the watery destination, or the person can leave the waders on and risk tearing the waders. It is often the case, however, that most tears in waders that are obtained from walking or hiking through dense foliage may be too small to be readily observed and go unnoticed until after the person is engaged in the water-related activity. As a result, the person may have to stop the activity to search for tears in the waders, or the lower portion of the waders may slowly fill with enough water to hinder the person's movements and place the person at risk of falling and in some cases drowning. People who engage in water-related activities have recognized a need for a device that can protect waders, pants, and/or a person's legs from damaged or scratched during certain water-related or outdoor activities.
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to protective garments that can be used to protect waders, pants, and person's legs from damage during water-related or other outdoor activities. In one embodiment, a protective garment comprises an apron, a first leg protector, a second leg protector, a pouch, and at least one releasable fastener. The apron covers the lower abdominal region of a person and has a top edge, a front surface, a back surface, and a waist attachment means configured to releasably securing the apron to the waist of the person. The first leg protector extends from the apron and has at least one leg attachment means configured to releasably securing the first leg protector to a first leg of the person. The second leg protector extends from the apron and has at least one leg attachment means configured to releasably securing the second leg protector to a second leg of the person. The pouch has a flap and a back portion attached to the top edge of the apron. The at least one releasable fastener has a first fastener portion attached to the back portion of the pouch and a second fastener portion attached to the flap, wherein the apron and first and second leg protectors can be rolled-up and stored within the pouch by attaching the first fastener portion to the second fastener portion.
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to protective garments that may be used to protect waders, pants, and legs from being torn or scratched. In particular, protective garment embodiments of the present invention include an apron and two leg protectors that may protect a person's waders or pants from tearing, or the person's legs from being scratch, when the person is hiking or walking through shrubs, bushes, trees, and foliage. Protective garment embodiments of the present invention also include a pouch attached to the apron and configured to store the leg protectors and the apron around a person's waist when the protective garment is not in use.
In various embodiments of the present invention, protective garment 100 may have a waterproof or water repellant front surface and may be fabricated from canvas, nylon, rip-stop nylon, or any other suitable durable fabric that resists tearing. Attachment means straps, such as straps 116, 118, 128, and 130, can be nylon straps. The waist and leg attachment means are not limited to using side release buckles as fasteners. In other embodiments of the present invention, center release buckles, cam buckles, ladder lock buckles, snap hooks and loops, hook-and-loop fasteners, and rope can be used to attach protective garment 100 to a person's waist and legs.
Studs 316-319 and sockets 306-309 are positioned so that studs 316-319 can be inserted into sockets 306-309, respectively, when apron 102 and leg protectors 104 and 106 are rolled-up and stuffed into pouch 108.
Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to using four snap fasteners to close pouch 108. For example, in other embodiments of the present invention, the number of snap fasteners can range from one to ten or more to close pouch 108. Also, in other embodiments of the present invention, pouch 108 can be closed using any one of a number of different types of suitable fasteners. For example, fasteners for pouch 108 can be hook-and-loop fasteners in which a hook surface can be attached to the inner surface of flap 114 and a loop surface can be attached to the back surface of back portion 302 of pouch 108, which can be closed by pressing the hook surface against the loop surface; a zipper having a first strip of teeth attached to the back surface of back portion 302 of pouch 108, and a second strip of teeth attached to the edge of flap 114 can be used to close pouch 108; a first rope attached to the back surface of back portion 302 of pouch 108 and a second rope attached to the edge of flap 114 can be tied together to close pouch 108; and at least one attachments means comprising a first strap attached to the back surface of back portion 302 of pouch 108, a second strap attached to the edge of flap 114, and a buckle configured to fasten the first and second straps to close pouch 108.
Leg protectors 104 and 106 and apron 102 of protective garment 100 can be rolled-up and stored in pouch 108 without disconnecting the waist attachment means that attaches apron 102 to the waist of a person. This can be accomplished by releasing the leg attachment means from the legs of the person, rolling-up leg protectors 104 and 106 and apron 102 toward pouch 108, stuffing rolled-up leg protectors 104 and 106 and apron 102 into pouch 108, and closing pouch 108 by inserting studs 316-319 into corresponding sockets 306-309.
In other embodiments of the present invention, fasteners can be included on the front of the apron in order to prevent flap 114 from flapping when protective garment 100 is in use. For example, four or fewer studs can be attached and positioned on the front surface of apron 102 and can be inserted into sockets 306-309 in order to secure flap 114 when protective garment 100 is in use.
The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the invention. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive of or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments are shown and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents:
