TRANSFORMABLE GARMENT

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to and claims priority benefits from German Patent Application No. DE 102018209810.7, filed on Jun. 18, 2018, entitled TRANSFORMABLE GARMENT (“the '810.7 application”). The '810.7 application is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a garment that may be transformed by using an extension portion stored in an integrated pocket when not in use.

BACKGROUND

Changing at least one of the environmental conditions or activity levels of a person wearing a garment may result in the desire to change the fraction of the body surface covered by a garment worn by the person. In particular, during at least one of outdoor or sports activities the need arises to change the configuration of such garment by reversible transformations of the garment. In this context, transformable garments such as upper body jackets with integrated hoods are well known in the references. Moreover, the JP 2000/282309, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,663, the US 2008/0092273 A1, the JP 2017/89065 A, the US 2016/0206022 A1 and the FR 2 819 384 A1 provide further examples of such garments.

In detail, both the JP 2000/282309 and the US 2008/0092273 A1 relate to a pair of shorts that may be transformed into a pair of trousers by using a pair of zippers located at the bottom edge of each leg portion of the pair of shorts. A pair of lower leg portions may be reversibly attached to the pair of shorts by closing the zippers. For the purpose of the present invention, the term “transform” entails any change or rearrangement of the configuration of a garment.

Further, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,663 relates to an outdoor vest comprising a complete long-sleeve and hooded jacket attached to the bottom edge of the back panel of the vest. The jacket may be stored in a dedicated pocket arranged at the inside of the bottom end of the back panel of the vest and is adapted to be worn underneath the vest when removed from the pocket. However, in order to wear the jacket underneath the vest the wearer first needs to take off the vest, remove the jacket from the pocket at the back panel, put on the jacket, and then put on the vest again over the jacket.

Further, the JP 2017/89065 A relates to a jacket that may be transformed into a vest by reversibly detaching the sleeves of the jacket by using a pair of zippers arranged on the proximal edge of each sleeve. The sleeves may remain connected to the vest portion of the jacket along a small section of the connection edge when not in use and may be stored in inside pockets of the vest. However, in order to transform the jacket into a vest the wearer needs to open the jacket, detach the sleeves by using the zippers, pull the sleeves through the arm holes of the vest, store the sleeves in the pockets, and then close the vest again.

Further and very similar to the teachings of the JP 2000/282309 and the US 2008/0092273 A1 discussed above, the US 2016/0206022 A1 relates to a pair of shorts that may be transformed to a pair of trousers by reversibly attaching a pair of lower leg portions to the bottom edge of each leg of the pair of shorts by using a pair of zippers. However, the lower leg portions are not completely removable from the pair of shorts but remain permanently connected to the pair of shorts by a thin fraction of the bottom edge of each leg of the pair of shorts (shown in FIG. 2B of the US 2016/0206022 A1). Moreover, the lower leg portion can each be stored in a side pocket of the pair of short when detached from each leg of the pair of shorts.

Further and similar to the teaching of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,663 discussed above, the FR 2819384 A1 relates to a vest comprising a complete long-sleeve and hooded jacket that in contrast to the U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,663 is permanently connected to the vest along the complete outer circumference of the waist part of the vest and may be stored in a dedicated pocket arranged along the complete circumference of the bottom part of the vest. Thus, a person wearing the vest can remove the outer jacket from the pocket while wearing the vest and close the jacket by using a pair of zippers arranged on the front part of the jacket.

However, the garments known from the references have various disadvantages. For instance, some of the garments require dedicated attachment means to attach and detach the additional portions of the respective garment. Said attachment means may be subjected to wear due to repeated operation and fail eventually. Moreover, depending on at least one of the position or material of the attachment means, said attachment means may impair at least one of the wearing comfort or the performance of the garment in particular during intense sports activity. Further, said attachment means may be prone to malfunction, e.g., caused by dirt or material fatigue, and may also impair the water resistance of the respective garment.

Moreover, some of the garments known from the references require the wearer to first open or even take off the garment in order to transform the configuration of the garment. Especially during at least one of competitive sports activities or strong wind, rain, or snowfall, such procedures may be undesired.

Further, some of the garments known from the references exhibit a large degree of redundancy in the sense of covering essentially the same portion of the body surface of the wearer twice. Consequently, the weight of such garment may be unnecessarily high and at least one of the wearing comfort, breathability or performance during sports activities may be substantially degraded. In this respect and for the remainder of the application, the term “essentially” shall be defined as “within at least one of typical manufacturing, operation, or design tolerances”.

Moreover, some of the garments comprise pockets for storing the additional portions of the respective garment that are difficult to operate and may also impair at least one of the optical appearance, performance, or wearing comfort of the garment.

Thus, there remains a strong interest to provide an improved design for a transformable garment that overcomes at least partly some of the above outlined deficiencies.

SUMMARY

The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below. Embodiments of the invention covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various embodiments of the invention and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any or all drawings and each claim.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a transformable garment comprises a base portion and at least one extension portion stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when the at least one extension portion is not in use; wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least an extremity of a wearer of the garment and less than ⅔ of the body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion; and wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion along the majority of a connecting edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a transformable garment comprises a base portion and at least one extension portion stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when the at least one extension portion is not in use; wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least an extremity of a wearer of the garment and less than ⅔ of at least one of the dorsal body surface or the ventral body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion; and wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion along the majority of a connecting edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a transformable upper body garment comprises a base portion and at least one extension portion stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when the at least one extension portion is not in use; wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover an upper part of the torso of a wearer; and wherein the majority of a lower edge of the at least one extension portion is not connected to the base portion.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a transformable lower body garment comprises a base portion and at least one extension portion stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when the at least one extension portion is not in use; wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least a portion of an extremity of a wearer; and wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion along the majority of a connecting edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

In some embodiments, the transformable garment is adapted to be transformed by removing the at least one extension portion from the at least one pocket while the garment is worn.

The at least one pocket, in certain embodiments, is arranged on the inside of a distal end of the base portion and extends along the inner circumference of the distal end of the base portion.

The at least one extension portion, in some embodiments, does not fully cover the abdomen and the lower back of the wearer.

In certain embodiments, the base portion is adapted for executing a relative movement with respect to the lower edge of the at least one extension portion, when is use.

The transformable garment, in some embodiments, does not include an attachment to connect the at least one extension portion with the base portion.

The at least one extension portion, in certain embodiments, covers a fraction of the base portion and wherein the covered fraction of the base portion comprises a different material than the non-covered fraction of the base portion.

In certain embodiments, at least one of the at least one extension portion and the non-covered fraction of the base portion comprise a waterproof material or the covered fraction of the base portion comprises a breathable material.

In some embodiments, the at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion via a stitching seam sandwiched in between at least two patches of reinforcement material.

In certain embodiments, the at least one pocket is arranged on either a left side-panel or a right side-panel of the base portion.

The at least one extension portion, in some embodiments, is closed around an extremity of the wearer via a closure extending substantially along the longitudinal extent of the extremity.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a transformable garment comprises a base portion and at least one extension portion stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use; wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to provide an additional layer of insulation arranged between a surface of a body of a wearer and an inner surface of the base portion, and wherein the extension portion, when in use, is adapted to improve the insulation of selected areas of the base portion.

The at least one extension portion, in some embodiments, is adapted to cover at least a portion of at least one of the abdomen, the lower back, the buttocks, or the thighs of the wearer.

In some embodiments, the surface area of the at least one extension portion is smaller than the surface area of the base portion.

In certain embodiments, the at least one extension portion comprises a fastener adapted to attach the at least one extension portion to the inner surface of the base portion.

The at least one extension portion, in some embodiments, is adapted to increase its volume by absorbing air when removed from the at least one pocket.

The at least one extension portion, in certain embodiments, is permanently connected to the base portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed description, embodiments of the invention are described referring to the following figures:

FIG. 1a is a front perspective view of a transformable garment according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1b is a rear perspective view of a transformable garment according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the transformation process of a transformable garment according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a transformable garment according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the transformation process of a transformable garment according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 5a, 5b are partial views of a connection seam between the base portion and the extension portion of a transformable garment according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the outer layer of an outdoor jacket according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the inner layer of an outdoor jacket according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a partial view of the inner layer of an outdoor jacket according to certain embodiments of the present invention showing a transformable insulation layer when attached to the inner surface of the outer layer of the jacket.

FIG. 9 is a partial view of the inner layer of an outdoor jacket according to certain embodiments of the present invention showing a transformable insulation layer during the transformation process.

FIG. 10 is a partial view of the inner layer of an outdoor jacket according to certain embodiments of the present invention showing a transformable insulation layer when stored in an integrated pocket of the outdoor jacket.

FIG. 11 is a front and rear view of the inner layer of an outdoor parka according to certain embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The above-mentioned problems are at least partly solved by the subject matter of the independent claims of the present application. Further embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a transformable garment comprising a base portion and at least one extension portion stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use, wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least an extremity of a wearer of the garment and less than ⅔ of the body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion. In further embodiments, the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least an extremity of a wearer of the garment and less than ½ of the body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion. In still further embodiments, the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least an extremity of a wearer of the garment and less than ⅓ of the body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion. The at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion along the majority of a connecting edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a transformable garment comprising a base portion and at least one extension portion stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use, wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least an extremity of a wearer of the garment and less than ⅔ of at least one of the dorsal body surface or the ventral body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion. In further embodiments, the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least an extremity of a wearer of the garment and less than ½ of at least one of the dorsal body surface or the ventral body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion. In still further embodiments, the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least an extremity of a wearer of the garment and less than ⅓ of at least one of the dorsal body surface or the ventral body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion. The at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion along the majority of a connecting edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

In further embodiments, the present disclosure provides a transformable upper body garment comprising a base portion and at least one extension portion stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use, wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover an upper part of the torso of a wearer, and wherein the majority of a lower edge of the at least one extension portion is not connected to the base portion.

In still further embodiments, the present disclosure provides a transformable lower body garment comprising a base portion and at least one extension portion stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use, wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least a portion of an extremity of a wearer and wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion along the majority of a connecting edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

Further, the garment may be adapted to be transformed by removing the extension portion from the at least one pocket whilst wearing the garment.

For instance, transformable garments according to the above embodiments enable the wearer to transform such garments in a fast and easy manner even whilst wearing the garment and without the need to carry the respective extension portions separately. For example, if the garment is an upper body garment the wearer may even transform the garment while running a mountain trail or riding a bike during rainfall with only a minor loss of time.

For example, the transformable garment may also be a pair of shorts intended for outdoor sports activities such as trail running or hiking where weather conditions may change substantially during the respective activity. For instance, a trail running competition may start at a location having a low altitude over sea level and exhibiting warm and dry weather. During the competition the person wearing the pair of shorts may experience a sudden drop in temperature especially while running through a mountain range. Being able to transform said pair of shorts into a pair of trousers providing a much better thermal insulation eliminates the need to carry an additional pair of trousers or attachable extension portions for the pair of shorts. Thus, such transformable pair of shorts according to the present disclosure provide a significant benefit in terms of a lower carrying weight and faster availability of the required additional thermal insulation.

For some embodiments, the at least one pocket may be arranged on the inside of a distal end of the base portion and may extend along the inner circumference of the distal end of the base portion.

On the one hand, such configuration may improve the optical appearance and wearing comfort of the garment, and, on the other hand, such positioning of the respective pocket facilitates the execution of the transformation process. For instance if the garment is a pair of shorts, the person wearing said pair of shorts just has to bend down a little and pull out both lower leg extension portions from the respective pocket arranged around the inner circumference of the legs of the pair of shorts.

For some embodiments, the extension portion may cover the upper part of the torso of the wearer and the majority of a ventral-dorsal edge of the extension portion may not be connected to the base portion.

For instance, such configuration of the extension portion may improve the ventilation properties of the garment when the extension portion is in use. For instance, if the extension portion comprises a waterproof material and is configured such that the majority of the bottom edge is not connected to the base portion, air may enter in between the extension portion and the base portion while the extension portion is still providing rain protection for the wearer.

Further, the at least one extension portion may not fully cover the abdomen and the lower back of the wearer when in use. The base portion may be configured for executing a relative movement with respect to the ventral-dorsal edge of the at least one extension portion when in use.

Such garment combines the benefits of a vest, such as providing thermal insulation for the body core and enhanced mobility for the upper extremities of the wearer, with the rain and wind protection properties of a jacket while at the same time keeping the weight added by the extension portion to a minimum.

Moreover, such configuration of the extension portion and the base portion may improve the performance of the garment during activity when the extension portion is in use. For instance, if the garment is a vest and is transformed to a jacket, the mechanical forces applied by the extension portion onto the torso and the upper extremities of the person wearing the garment is reduced substantially for example while running or bicycling.

Further, the garments provided by the present disclosure may be configured to comprise no attachment to connect the at least one extension portion with the base portion.

For instance, avoiding the use of a detachable attachment such as a zipper to connect the extension portion with the base portion may improve the durability of the garment and facilitate the transformation process.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the at least one extension portion covers a fraction of the base portion and the covered fraction of the base portion may comprise a different material than the non-covered fraction of the base portion. In particular, the extension portion and the non-covered fraction of the base portion may comprise a waterproof material, and the covered fraction of the base portion may comprise a breathable material.

Such configuration provides the garment with superior ventilation properties when the extension portion is not in use and ensures at the same time that the garment is water-tight and provides complete rain protection when the extension portion is in use.

Further, the at least one extension portion may be permanently connected to the base portion via a stitching seam sandwiched in between at least two patches of reinforcement material.

Such connection design improves the mechanical integrity and durability of the permanent connection between the at least one extension portion and the base portion of the transformable garment.

In some embodiments, the at least one pocket may be arranged on either a left side-panel or a right side-panel of the base portion.

For instance, arranging the pocket at such position facilitates easy removal of the extension portion from the pocket and easy insertion of the extension portion into the pocket, in particular, while wearing and using the garment.

Further, the at least one extension portion may be closed around an extremity of the wearer via a closure extending essentially along the longitudinal extent of the extremity.

Having such a closure arranged only along the longitudinal direction of the respective extremity of the wearer reduces at least one of potential chafing or friction caused by said closure on the skin of said extremity. In this manner, the occurrence of at least one of skin irritations or lesions caused by said closure, especially during extensive sports activities, may be reduced.

In further embodiments, the present disclosure provides a transformable garment comprising a base portion and at least one extension portion stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use, wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to provide an additional layer of insulation arranged between the surface of the body of a wearer and an inner surface of the base portion, and wherein the extension portion, when in use, is adapted to improve the insulation of selected areas of the base portion.

In this way, the insulation properties of the transformable garment may be individually adjusted to at least one of changing environmental conditions or the current activity level or insulation requirements of the wearer. For instance, if the garment is an upper body garment such as a jacket the at least one extension portion may be removed from the inside of the outer layer and stored in the integrated pocket. This may be particularly desirable when at least one of the ambient conditions are liable to change or the activity level of the wearer changes.

For example, in the case of an outerwear hard-shell jacket comprising a wind and waterproof layer, it would not be desirable to take off the jacket because this would expose the wearer to the environmental conditions. However, an increase in the activity level of the wearer would cause the upper body of the wearer to radiate a large amount of heat and, thus, the wearer themselves would overheat. Similarly, when a wearer decreases activity level, the body of the wearer radiates less heat, and there may be a need for additional insulation to keep the wearer warm. For example, when a hiker reaches the highest point of elevation and starts descending, typically the activity level of the hiker drops and additional insulation may be required to keep his body at the desired/required temperature.

Further, the at least one extension portion of such transformable garment may be adapted to cover at least a portion of at least one of the abdomen, the lower back, the buttocks, or the thighs of the wearer.

For instance, said body portions are radiating a significant amount of heat during elevated activity levels and thus having a transformable insulation layer for said body portions improves performance of the transformable garment.

Further, the surface area of the at least one extension portion may be smaller than the surface area of the base portion.

Further, the at least one extension portion may comprise a fastener adapted to attach the at least one extension portion to the inner surface of the base portion.

Such configuration allows at least one of precisely or tightly attaching the additional insulation layer to the base portion thereby enhancing wearing comfort and performance of the transformable garment.

Further, the at least one extension portion may be adapted to increase its volume by absorbing air when removed from the at least one pocket. Such arrangement facilitates the insulation properties of the at least one extension portion.

Further, the at least one extension portion may be permanently connected to the base portion in order to improve handling of the respective transformable garment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described in more detail, with reference to a transformable vest and a transformable pair of shorts. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to such specific embodiments, but could be applied to all kinds of upper and lower body garments.

Moreover, while specific feature combinations are described in the following with respect to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. In other words, not all features have to be present in certain embodiments, and the embodiments may be modified by combining certain features of some embodiments with at least one feature of other embodiments.

FIG. 1a shows a vest 100 according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure that may be transformed into a jacket by removing an extension portion 110 from an integrated pocket 140 arranged on the left side-panel of the vest 100. The integrated pocket 140 comprises a closure 150, such as a water-tight zipper, to close the pocket 140 when the extension portion 110 is folded into the pocket 140.

The vest 100 further comprises an upper torso portion 130 and a lower torso portion 120 that may comprise the same material. In some embodiments, however, the lower torso portion 120 may comprise a different material than the upper torso portion 130. For instance, the upper body portion 130 may comprise at least one of a lightweight or breathable material, such as cotton or nylon, and in particular at least one of a nylon or cotton ripstop fabric. The lower torso portion 120 may comprise at least one of a robust, waterproof, or windbreaker material such as GoreTex® or Packlite®.

The extension portion 110 may also comprise at least one of a robust waterproof, or windbreaker material such as GoreTex® or Packlite®. In particular, the extension portion may comprise the same material as the lower torso portion 120 or the vest 100.

In some embodiments, the extension portion 110 comprises a hood 155, a front panel 160 having a left and a right portion connectable via a zipper 180 arranged essentially along the centerline of the front panel 160. The extension portion 110 further comprises long sleeves 170 and is configured to essentially cover the upper torso portion 130 of the vest 100.

In some embodiments, a rain protection jacket may be provided when the extension portion is in use, which may be transformed into a partially waterproof vest 100 with enhanced ventilation properties provided by the breathable material of the upper torso portion 130 when the extension portion is not in use.

It should be noted that for certain embodiments the extension portion 110 is permanently connected to the vest via a special panel of material (shown in detail in FIG. 5). Said panel of material is connected to the inside of the extension portion 110 along a connection seam 190 that is arranged in the vicinity of the integrated pocket 140. The connection seam 190 may also be arranged such that it at least partially covers the pocket 140 when the extension portion 110 is in use. The other end of the special panel of material is permanently connected to the inside of the pocket 140. In this way the extension portion 110 can be easily removed from and re-inserted into the pocket 140 without the need for a dedicated attachment, such as zippers, to connect the extension portion 110 to the vest 100.

Since the extension portion 110 is essentially connected to the vest 100 only along the connection seam 190, the majority of the ventral edge 195 of the extension portion 110 has no connection to the vest 100 beneath. This configuration facilitates relative movements between the vest 100 and the extension portion 110 as well as improves the ventilation properties of the garment when the extension portion 110 is in use i.e. when the extension portion is worn over the upper torso portion 130 of the vest 100.

FIG. 1b depicts a back view of the transformable vest 100 with the extension portion 110 removed from the pocket 140 and in place on top of the upper torso portion 130 of the vest 100. For some embodiments, the back panel 220 of the lower torso portion 120 of the vest 100 covers a larger fraction of the body surface of the wearer than the front panel of the lower torso portion 120 of the vest 100. Correspondingly the dorsal edge 230 of the extension portion is arranged slightly higher than the ventral edge 195. However, in some embodiments, other configurations may be used. The back panel 210 of the extension portion 110 also covers the back panel of the upper torso portion 130 of the vest 100 such that rain or snow fall cannot directly hit the back panel of the upper torso portion 130 of the vest 100.

The pocket 140 that is used to store the extension portion 110 when not in use is arranged on the left side-panel of the vest 100. Further the zipper 150 of the pocket 140 is arranged on the top end of the pocket 140 and oriented such that the slope of the zipper 150 declines from the dorsal to ventral end of the zipper 150. Said arrangement of the pocket 140 and the zipper 150 facilitates the transformation of the vest 100 while wearing it. For example, the person wearing the vest 100 can easily open the pocket 140 with his right hand and remove the extension portion 110 with a single movement. The wearer can then put on the extension portion 110 over the upper body portion 130 of the vest 100 and use the zipper 180 to close the extension portion 110 around the upper torso of the wearer.

FIG. 2 illustrates the transformation process from the jacket configuration 300 into the vest configuration 330 of the vest 100 from FIG. 1. First, the zipper 180 of the extension portion 110 is opened in order to allow the wearer to take off the extension portion 110 from his arms and upper torso. In step 310 the extension portion 110 is then folded and in step 320 rolled together and inserted for storage into the pocket 140 of the vest 100 from FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a pair of shorts 400 according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure that may be transformed into a pair of trousers by removing two lower leg extension portions 440 from a pocket (not shown) integrated into the bottom end of each leg 410 of the pair of shorts 400. Each of said pockets is arranged on the inside of the bottom end 430 of each leg 410 of the pair of shorts 400 and can also be accessed while wearing the pair of shorts 400. The lower leg extension portions 440 are permanently connected to the lower end 430 of the pair of shorts 400 and require no additional closures to connect and position the lower leg extension portions 440 with the pair of shorts 400.

The lower leg extension portions 440 comprise a closure 450, such as at least one of zippers, snap fasteners, or hook and loop fasteners to close the lower leg extension portions 440 around the legs of the wearer. In the embodiments of FIG. 3, a zipper 450 is arranged on the medial face of each leg and may be used to close the lower leg extension portions 440 around the legs of the wearer.

The pair of shorts 400 may also comprise waterproof panels 420 on each outer side of the pair of shorts 400 and an additional waterproof panel (not shown) on the back portion of the pair of shorts 400 to allow the wearer to sit down on wet surfaces without getting wet.

FIG. 4 illustrates the transformation process from the trouser configuration 500 of the transformable pair of shorts 400 into the shorts configuration 520. First, the zippers 450 of the lower leg extension portions 440 are opened to allow the wearer to roll up the lower leg extension portions (see panel 510 of FIG. 4). The rolled up lower leg extension portions are then inserted into the storage pocket. The fact that the storage pocket is arranged on the inside of the bottom end 430 of each leg portion 410 of the pair of shorts 400 may improve at least one of the optical appearance or the wearing comfort of the pair of shorts 400 when the lower leg extension portions 440 are not in use.

FIGS. 5a and 5b depict details of the seam construction for connecting the extension portion to the base portion of a transformable garment according to certain embodiments of the disclosure. For instance, the panel 600 may be part of the extension portion 110 of the transformable garment shown in FIG. 1.

As indicated in FIG. 5a, a connection panel 610 is permanently connected to the inside surface of the panel 600 of the extension portion 110 of FIG. 1 via a connection seam 620 that may be formed by a stitching seam. However, other connection methods, such as gluing, edge melting, etc., may also be employed to permanently connect the panel 600 of the extension portion 110 of FIG. 1 to the connection panel 610.

The width of said connection panel 610 may correspond approximately to the length of the connection seam 190 shown in FIG. 1. The other end of the connection panel 610 may be permanently connected to the base portion of the transformable garment for example to the inside of the pocket 140 arranged on the left side-panel of the vest 100 of FIG. 1.

In order to enhance the durability of the connection seam 620 the connection seam may be at one side covered by a patch of reinforcing material 630 and on the other side by at least another patch or panel of reinforcing material 635, 640 or 650. In other words, the connection seam 620 may be reinforced by sandwiching it between various panels of reinforcing material 630, 635, 640 or 650. However, in other embodiments the connection panel 610 may be directly connected to the panel 600 of the extension portion without using the additional patches or panels 635, 640, 650. Further, the patch of reinforcing material 630 may also be omitted in some embodiments.

The patches or panels of reinforcing material 635, 640, and 650 may also serve a further purpose such as reinforcing the bottom edge 660 of the panel 600 of the extension portion. Further, the length of the connection panel 610 may be chosen to be short enough that the extension portion is well positioned at the base portion of the transformable garment when the extension portion is in use but also to be long enough to facilitate an easy and fast transformation process of the garment in particular while wearing the base portion as a garment itself.

FIG. 6 depicts another example of a transformable garment according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. A transformable outdoor jacket 700 is depicted in front view in FIG. 6. The jacket comprises an outer layer of material. The outer layer of material may be adapted to the purpose of the jacket, for example, to provide at least one of wind or water protection for the wearer of the jacket. The jacket further comprises a zipper 720 (as further shown in FIGS. 8-9) to reversibly connect the left front panel 710-L and the right front panel 710-R of the jacket 700. The outer layer of material may for example comprise a hard-shell material such as GoreTex Pro® or other similar material.

FIG. 7 depicts another front view of the outdoor jacket of FIG. 6 with the outer layer of material omitted. In this way, the inner layers of material of the outdoor jacket 700 may be illustrated. The jacket 700 comprises, in particular, a layer of permanent insulation 810 arranged in the upper torso region of the jacket 700. Said layer, may for instance comprise a quilted layer of any insulation material or combination of materials known in the art.

Further the jacket 700 comprises at least two patches of transformable insulation 820-L, 820-R, which may also be referred to as extension portions, that may be removably attached to the outer layer of material (not shown) and arranged in the lower abdomen region of the jacket 700 such that the insulation properties of the outer layer of material are improved. For instance, the left 820-L and the right 820-R layers of transformable insulation (i.e. the extension portions of the jacket 700) may comprise an insulating material such as an insulating lining material. Further, such lining material may be adapted to change its volume by compression and decompression. For example, the extension portions 820-L, 820-R may be adapted to increase their volume by absorbing air to the inside of each portion 820-L and 820-R, thereby enhancing their respective insulation properties. Naturally, at least one of any natural or engineered insulation material known in the art or any combination thereof may be used for forming the layers/portions of transformable insulation 820-L, 820-R.

Further, the layers of transformable insulation 820-L, 820-R may be adapted to be removably attached to the outer layer of the jacket 700, for instance by using a detachable attachment, such as at least one of press buttons 830 or zippers 840. In some embodiments, any other detachable attachment may also be employed such as hook-and-loop fasteners, hooks, buttons, etc.

When the layers/portions of transformable material 820-R and 820-L are not required, e.g. during at least one of periods of warm weather or elevated physical activity of the wearer, they may be detached from the outer layer of material (not shown) of the jacket 700 and stored in integrated pockets (not shown) of the jacket 700. Said integrated pockets may, for example, be at least one of arranged on or part of the outer layer of material.

FIG. 8 shows a detailed view of the inside of the left front panel 710-L of the jacket 700. In the depicted configuration, a left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L is fully unfolded and attached via a zipper 840 and two press buttons 830 to the inner surface of the left front panel 710-L. As may be seen in FIG. 8 the left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L is adapted to improve the insulation of the left lower abdomen region of the torso of the wearer. When not required, the left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L may be detached from the left front panel 710-L of the jacket 700 and may be stored in an integrated pocket 910 of the left front panel 710-L of the jacket 700. The integrated pocket 910 may or may not comprise a closure (not shown) for closing the integrated pocket 910. Further, the left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L may be permanently connected to the left front panel 710-L of the jacket 700, e.g., connected to a strip of material inside or adjacent to the integrated pocket 910.

Further, the integrated pocket 910 may be adapted such that the volume of the left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L is compressed when the left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L is inserted into the integrated pocket 910. Moreover, the integrated pocket 910 may be configured such that the left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L does not significantly impair at least one of the wearing comfort or the optical appearance of the jacket when the left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L is not in use and stored inside the integrated pocket 910.

FIG. 9 shows another detailed view of the inside of the left front panel 710-L of the jacket 700 during the transformation process of the left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L. In the shown configuration, the left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L has been removed from the integrated pocket and at least partially unfolded. The attachments, such as the lower press button 830-a, 830-b and the zipper 840-a, are not yet closed to attach the left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L to the inner surface of the left front panel 710-L.

FIG. 10 shows another detailed view of the inside of the left front panel 710-L in a configuration when the left layer/portion of transformable insulation 820-L is still almost completely stored inside the integrated pocket 910 of the left front panel 710-L of the jacket 700. Moreover, the zipper 840-a, 840-b is still open.

FIG. 11 depicts another example of a transformable garment with at least one extension portion 1120 that is adapted to improve the insulation of the base portion of the garment when in use. In some embodiments, an outdoor parka 1100 is of similar construction as the outdoor jacket 700 discussed in detail with reference to FIGS. 6-10 above. Similar to the outdoor jacket 700, the outdoor parka 1100 comprises two layers/portions of transformable insulation 1120-L and 1120-R that may be attached to the inner surface of the outer layer (not shown) of the parka when in use, e.g., via a fastener such as zippers, buttons, etc.

In addition, the outdoor parka 1100 also comprises a layer/portion of transformable insulation material 1120-B arranged on at least one of the mid or lower back of the torso of the wearer. In a similar way as for the outdoor jacket 700 of FIGS. 6-10, the layers/portions of transformable insulation material 1120 may be stored in integrated pockets (not shown) of the outdoor parka 1100 when not in use.

Naturally, the above discussed concept of transformable insulation layers can readily be applied to other types of garments such as trousers, shorts, vests, coats, and many more.

In the following, further examples are described to facilitate the understanding of the invention:

Example 1

Transformable garment comprising:

a. a base portion and at least one extension portion stored into at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use;

b. wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least an extremity of a wearer of the garment and less than ⅔, preferably less than ½ and more preferably less than ⅓ the body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion; and

c. wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion along the majority of a connecting edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

Example 2

Transformable garment comprising:

a. a base portion and at least one extension portion stored into at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use;

b. wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least an extremity of a wearer of the garment and less than ⅔, preferably less than ½ and more preferably less than ⅓ of the dorsal body surface and/or the ventral body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion; and

c. wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion along the majority of a connecting edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

Example 3

Transformable upper body garment comprising:

a. a base portion and at least one extension portion stored into at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use;

b. wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover an upper part of the torso of a wearer; and

c. wherein the majority of a lower edge of the at least one extension portion is not connected to the base portion.

Example 4

Transformable lower body garment comprising:

a. a base portion and at least one extension portion stored into at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use;

b. wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to cover at least a portion of an extremity of a wearer; and

c. wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion along the majority of a connecting edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

Example 5

Transformable garment according to any of the preceding Examples 1-4, wherein the garment is adapted to be transformed by removing the at least one extension portion from the at least one pocket whilst wearing the garment.

Example 6

Transformable lower body garment according to Example 4, wherein the at least one pocket is arranged on the inside of a distal end of the base portion and extends along the inner circumference of the distal end of the base portion.

Example 7

Transformable upper body garment according to Example 3, wherein the at least one extension portion does not fully cover the abdomen and the lower back of the wearer.

Example 8

Transformable upper body garment according to any of the Examples 3, or 7, wherein the base portion is adapted for executing a relative movement with respect to the lower edge of the at least one extension portion, when is use.

Example 9

Transformable garment according to any of the preceding Examples, wherein the transformable garment comprises no attachment means to connect the at least one extension portion with the base portion.

Example 10

Transformable garment according to any of the preceding Examples, wherein the at least one extension portion covers a fraction of the base portion and wherein the covered fraction of the base portion comprises a different material than the non-covered fraction of the base portion.

Example 11

Transformable garment according to the preceding Example, wherein the at least one extension portion and the non-covered fraction of the base portion comprise a waterproof material and/or wherein the covered fraction of the base portion comprises a breathable material.

Example 12

Transformable garment according to any of the preceding Examples, wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion via a stitching seam sandwiched in between at least two patches of reinforcement material.

Example 13

Transformable garment according to any of the preceding Examples, wherein the at least one pocket is arranged on either a left side-panel or a right side-panel of the base portion.

Example 14

Transformable garment according to any of the preceding Examples, wherein the at least one extension portion can be closed around an extremity of the wearer via closure means extending essentially along the longitudinal extent of the extremity.

Example 15

Transformable garment comprising:

a. a base portion and at least one extension portion stored into at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use;

b. wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted, when in use, to provide an additional layer of insulation arranged between the surface of the body of a wearer and an inner surface of the base portion, and

c. wherein the extension portion, when in use, is adapted to improve the insulation of selected areas of the base portion.

Example 16

Transformable garment according to the preceding Example, wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted to cover at least a portion of the abdomen and/or the lower back and/or the buttocks and/or the thighs of the wearer.

Example 17

Transformable garment according to any of the preceding Examples 15-16, wherein the surface area of the at least one extension portion is smaller than the surface area of the base portion.

Example 18

Transformable garment according to any of the preceding Examples 15-17, wherein the at least one extension portion comprises fastening means adapted to attach the at least one extension portion to the inner surface of the base portion.

Example 19

Transformable garment according to any of the preceding Examples 15-18, wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted to increase its volume by absorbing air when removed from the at least one pocket.

Example 20

Transformable garment according to any of the preceding Examples 15-19, wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently connected to the base portion.

Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible. Similarly, some features and sub-combinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims below.

TRANSFORMABLE GARMENT

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