CN110613193A

CN110613193A - Convertible garment

Info

Publication number: CN110613193A
Application number: CN201910525555.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 皮特·安德烈亚斯·施维茨; 康罗伊·詹姆斯·纳奇蒂加尔
Original assignee: Adidas AG
Current assignee: Adidas AG
Priority date: 2018-06-18
Filing date: 2019-06-18
Publication date: 2019-12-27
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-18
Also published as: EP3626095A1; CN110613193B; US20190380403A1; DE102018209810A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a convertible garment comprising a base portion and at least one extension portion, the extension portion being stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use, wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted to cover at least one extremity of a wearer of the garment and a body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion of less than 2/3, preferably less than 1/2 and more preferably less than 1/3 when in use, and wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently joined to the base portion along a majority of a joining edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

Description

Convertible garment

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a garment which can be converted by using an extension which is stored in an integrated pocket when not in use.

Technical Field

Changing the environmental conditions and/or activity level of a clothed person results in a desire to change the portion of the body surface covered by the clothing worn by the person. In particular, in outdoor and/or sporting activities, there arises a need to change the configuration of such garments by reversible transformation of the garment. In this context, convertible garments such as upper body jackets with integrated hoods are well known in the art. Further, JP2000/282309, US4,217,663, US2008/0092273a1, JP2017/89065A, US2016/0206022a1 and FR2819384a1 provide further examples of such garments.

In detail, both JP2000/282309 and US2008/0092273a1 relate to a pair of shorts that can be transformed into a pair of trousers by using a zipper 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 a pair of shorts by closing the zipper. In the present invention, the term "transformation" includes any change or rearrangement of the garment construction.

Furthermore, US4,217,663 relates to an outdoor vest comprising full long sleeves and a hooded jacket attached to the bottom edge of the vest's back panel. The jacket may be stored in a dedicated pocket provided in the bottom end of the vest back panel and adapted to be worn under the vest when removed from the pocket. However, in order to put the jacket under the vest, the wearer first needs to remove the vest, remove the jacket from the pocket at the back panel, put on the jacket, and put on the vest again.

Furthermore, JP2017/89065A relates to a jacket that can be transformed into a vest by reversibly separating the sleeves of the jacket using a zipper disposed on the proximal edge of each sleeve. When not in use, the sleeve may remain attached to the vest portion of the jacket along a small section of the attachment edge and may be stored within a pocket of the vest. However, in order to change the jacket into a waistcoat, the wearer needs to open the jacket, separate the sleeves using zippers, pull the sleeves through the arm openings of the waistcoat, store the sleeves in pockets, and then close the waistcoat again.

Further and very similar to the teaching of JP2000/282309 and US2008/0092273a1, mentioned above, US2016/0206022a1 relates to a pair of shorts that can be converted into a pair of pants by reversibly connecting a pair of lower leg portions to the bottom edge of each leg of the pair of shorts using a zipper. However, the lower leg portion cannot be completely removed from a pair of shorts but remains permanently attached to the pair of shorts via a thin portion of the bottom edge of each leg of the pair of shorts (shown in fig. 2B of US2016/0206022a 1). Further, the lower leg portions, when separated from each leg of the pair of shorts, may each be stored in a side pocket of the pair of shorts.

Further and similar to the teaching of US4,217,663 mentioned above, FR2819384a1 relates to a vest comprising full long sleeves and a hooded jacket, which, contrary to US4,217,663, is permanently attached to the vest along the entire outer circumference of the waistline of the vest and can be stored in a dedicated pocket provided along the entire circumference of the bottom of the vest. Thus, the person wearing the vest can remove the outer jacket from the pocket while wearing the vest and close the jacket using a zipper disposed at the front of the jacket.

However, the garments known from the prior art have different drawbacks. For example, some of the garments described require special attachment means to attach and detach additional portions of the respective garment. The described connection devices are subject to wear and eventual failure due to repeated use. Furthermore, depending on the location and/or material of the attachment means, said attachment means may impair wearing comfort and/or garment performance, especially during strenuous physical exercise. Furthermore, the attachment means may be prone to failure, for example due to dirt or material fatigue, and may also weaken the water resistance of the respective garment.

Furthermore, some of the garments known in the prior art require the wearer to first open or even remove the garment to change the configuration of the garment. Such a procedure may be undesirable, particularly during competitive sports and/or high winds, heavy rain or snowfall.

Furthermore, some of said garments known from the prior art exhibit a large degree of redundancy in the sense of two-fold covering of substantially the same body surface portions of the wearer. Thus, the weight of such garments can be unnecessarily high and the wearing comfort, breathability and/or performance during athletic activities can be significantly degraded. In this regard and for the remainder of this application, the term "substantially" should be defined as "within typical manufacturing, operating, and/or design tolerances".

In addition, some of the garments described include pockets to store additional portions of the respective garment, which can be difficult to manipulate and can also impair the visual appearance, performance and/or wearing comfort of the garment.

Accordingly, it remains highly desirable to provide an improved design for a convertible garment that at least partially overcomes some of the above-described deficiencies.

Disclosure of Invention

The above 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 one embodiment, the present invention provides a convertible garment comprising a base portion and at least one extension portion, the at least one extension portion being stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use, wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted to cover at least a portion of the extremity of a wearer of the garment when in use, and less than 2/3, preferably less than 1/2 and more preferably less than 1/3 of the body surface of the wearer covered by the base portion, and wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently joined to the base portion along a majority of the joining edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a convertible garment comprising a base portion and at least one extension portion, the at least one extension portion being stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use, wherein the at least one extension portion is adapted to cover at least a portion of the extremities of a wearer of the garment when in use, and less than 2/3, preferably less than 1/2 and more preferably less than 1/3 of the dorsal and/or abdominal body surfaces of the wearer of the garment are covered by the base portion, and wherein the at least one extension portion is permanently attached to the base portion along a majority of the connecting edge between the at least one extension portion and the base portion.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a convertible top dressing comprising a base portion and at least one extension portion, the at least one extension portion being stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use; wherein the at least one expansion portion is adapted to cover an upper torso of the wearer when in use; and wherein a majority of a lower edge of the at least one extension portion is not connected to the base portion.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a convertible lower garment comprising a base portion and at least one extension portion, the at least one extension portion being stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use; wherein the at least one expansion portion is adapted to cover at least a portion of an extremity of the wearer when in use; and wherein the at least one extension is permanently attached to the base portion along a majority of the connecting edge between the at least one extension and the base portion.

Further, the garment may be adapted to be transformed by removing the at least one expansion from the at least one pocket while the garment is worn.

For example, a convertible garment according to the above-described embodiments enables a wearer to convert such a garment in a quick and easy manner, even while wearing the garment, and without the need to separately carry the respective expansion portions. For example, if the garment is top-loaded, the wearer can change the garment even off-road on mountains or while riding in the rain, and with only little time consumption.

For example, the convertible garment may also be a pair of pants intended for outdoor sports, such as cross-country or hiking, where weather conditions may change significantly during the respective activity. For example, an off-road game may begin in a location with low altitude at sea level and exhibiting warm and dry weather. During the game, the person wearing the pair of pants experiences a sudden drop in temperature, particularly when running across mountains. Being able to convert the pair of shorts into a pair of pants provides significantly better thermal insulation, eliminating the need to carry another pair of pants or an attachable extension for the pair of shorts. Such a convertible pair of pants according to the invention thus provides significant advantages in terms of reduced carrying weight and rapid attainment of the additional thermal insulation required.

For some embodiments, the at least one pocket may be disposed inside the 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 a construction may improve the visual appearance and wearing comfort of the garment and on the other hand such a position of the respective pockets facilitates the changing process. For example, if the garment is a pair of shorts, the person wearing the pair of shorts need only bend down slightly and pull out the two lower leg extensions from respective pockets provided around the inner circumference of the legs of the pair of shorts.

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

For example, the extension portion thus constructed can improve breathability of the garment when the extension portion is used. For example, if the extension comprises a waterproof material and is configured such that a majority of the bottom edge is not attached to the base portion, air can enter between the extension and the base portion while the extension still provides rain protection for the wearer.

Furthermore, the at least one expansion portion may not completely cover the abdomen and lower back of the wearer and/or the base portion may be configured to perform a relative movement with respect to the abdomen-back edge of the at least one expansion portion when in use.

Such a garment combines the advantages of a vest, such as providing thermal insulation for the torso and enhanced mobility for the upper limbs of the wearer, with the weather-resistance of the jacket, while keeping the weight added by the extension to a minimum.

Furthermore, such a construction 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 example, if the garment is a vest and can be transformed into a jacket, the mechanical forces applied to the torso and upper limbs of the person wearing the garment via the expansion portion are significantly reduced, for example during running or cycling.

Further, the garment provided by the present invention may be configured to not include a connecting means for connecting the at least one extension portion to the base portion.

For example, avoiding the use of a separable attachment device, such as a zipper, to attach the extension portion to the base portion may improve the durability of the garment and facilitate the changing process.

In some embodiments of the invention, the at least one extension covers a portion of the base portion, and the covered portion of the base portion may comprise a different material than the uncovered portion of the base portion. In particular, the extension portion and the uncovered portion of the base portion may comprise a waterproof material, and the covered portion of the base portion may comprise a breathable material.

Such a construction provides the garment with excellent breathability when the extension is not in use and at the same time ensures that the garment is water impermeable and provides complete rain protection when the extension is in use.

Further, the at least one expansion portion may be permanently connected to the base portion via a suture sandwiched between at least two sheets of reinforcing material.

Such a 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 convertible garment.

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

For example, providing the pocket in such a position facilitates easy removal of the expansion from the pocket and easy insertion of the expansion into the pocket, particularly when the garment is worn and used.

Furthermore, the at least one expansion portion may be wrapped around the limb of the wearer via a wrapping means extending substantially along the longitudinal extent of the limb.

Such a longitudinal arrangement of the covering device only along the respective extremity of the wearer reduces the potential chafing and/or friction of the covering device on the skin of the extremity. In this way, the incidence of chafing and/or damage caused by the covering device may be reduced, particularly during strenuous physical exercise.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a convertible garment comprising a base portion and at least one extension portion, the extension portion being stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use; wherein the at least one expansion portion is adapted to provide an additional insulating layer disposed between the body surface of the wearer and the inner surface of the chassis portion when in use, and wherein the expansion portion is adapted to improve the insulation of selected areas of the chassis portion when in use.

In this way, the insulation properties of the convertible garment can be individually adjusted to alter the wearer's environmental conditions and/or current activity level and/or insulation requirements. For example, if the garment is a jacket, for example, the at least one extension may be removed from the inside of the outer layer and stored in an integrated pocket. This may be particularly advantageous when environmental conditions are susceptible to change and/or when the activity level of the wearer changes.

For example, in the case of an outer hard jacket comprising a wind and water resistant layer, it is undesirable to remove the jacket because this exposes the wearer to environmental conditions. However, an increase in the level of activity of the wearer will cause the upper body of the wearer to emit a significant amount of heat and thus the wearer itself will overheat. Similarly, as the wearer lowers the activity level, the wearer's body emits less heat and additional insulation may be needed to keep the wearer warm, such as when a hiker reaches a point of maximum altitude and begins to descend, typically the hiker's activity level decreases and additional insulation may be needed to maintain his body at the desired/needed temperature.

Furthermore, at least one expanded portion of such a convertible garment may be adapted to cover at least a part of the abdomen and/or lower back and/or buttocks and/or thighs of the wearer.

For example, the body part emits a large amount of heat in high activity levels and therefore has a switchable insulating layer for the body part to improve the performance of the switchable garment.

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

Furthermore, the at least one extension part may comprise fastening means adapted to connect the at least one extension part to the inner surface of the base part.

Such a construction allows for precise and/or intimate attachment of the additional insulating layer to the base portion, thereby increasing the wearer comfort and performance of the convertible garment.

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

Furthermore, the at least one extension portion may be permanently attached to the base portion to improve the disposability of the respective convertible garment.

Drawings

Aspects of the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These figures show that:

FIGS. 1a, 1b are front and back views of a convertible garment according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view showing a transformation process of a transformable garment according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a convertible garment according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a transformation process of a convertible garment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5a, 5b are schematic structural views of a seam between a base portion and an extension portion of a convertible garment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 6 is a schematic structural view of an outer layer of an outdoor jacket according to another embodiment of aspects;

fig. 7 is a schematic structural view of an inner layer of an outdoor jacket according to another embodiment of the aspect;

fig. 8 is a photograph of an inside layer of an outdoor jacket showing the switchable insulation layer when attached to the inside surface of the outside layer of the jacket according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a photograph of an interior layer of an outdoor jacket according to one embodiment of the present invention showing the switchable insulating layer during a switching process.

Fig. 10 is a picture of an interior layer of an outdoor jacket showing a transformable insulating layer when stored in an integrated pocket of the outdoor jacket, according to one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural view of an inner layer of an outdoor fur coat according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In the following, exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail with respect to a convertible vest and a convertible pair of shorts. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, but may be applied to all types of coats and undergarments.

Furthermore, although specific combinations of features are described below in relation to exemplary embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to such embodiments. In other words, not all features may be required to implement the invention, and the described embodiments may be modified by combining certain features of one embodiment with one or more features of another embodiment.

Fig. 1a shows a vest 100 according to one embodiment of the invention that may be converted into a jacket by removing an expansion 110 from an integrated pocket 140 provided on the left side panel of the vest 100. The integrated pocket 140 includes a wrapping device 150, such as a water-tight zipper, to close the pocket 140 after the expansion portion 110 is folded into the pocket 140.

Vest 100 further comprises upper torso part 130 and lower torso part 120, which may comprise the same material. In some embodiments, however, lower torso part 120 may comprise a different material than upper torso part 130. For example, upper torso part 130 may comprise a lightweight and/or breathable material such as cotton and/or nylon and, in particular, nylon and/or cotton ripstop fabrics. Lower torso part 120 may include sturdy and waterproof and/or windproof materials, for exampleAnd/or

The extension 110 may also comprise a strong and waterproof and/or windproof material, such as GoreTex and/or Packlite. In particular, the extension may comprise the same material as the lower torso portion 120 or the vest 100.

For this embodiment, the extension 110 includes a hood 155, a front panel 160 having left and right portions that may be connected via a zipper 180 disposed substantially along a centerline of the front panel 160. The extension 110 further includes a long sleeve 170 and is configured to substantially cover the upper torso portion 130 of the vest 100.

This embodiment thus provides a completely rain-proof jacket when the extension is partially in use, and it can be transformed into a partially waterproof vest 100, with enhanced breathability provided by the breathable material of the upper torso portion 130.

It should be noted that for this embodiment, the extension 110 is permanently attached to the vest via a special fabric (shown in detail in fig. 5). The panels are joined to the inside of the expanded portion 110 along seams 190 that are positioned adjacent to the integrated pocket 140. A seam 190 may also be provided such that it at least partially covers pocket 140 when using extension 110. The other end of the special panel is permanently attached to the inside of pocket 140. In this manner, the expansion portion 110 may be easily removed and reinserted from the pocket 140 without the need for special attachment means, such as a zipper, to attach the expansion portion 110 to the vest 100.

Because the expanded portion 110 is substantially attached to the vest 100 only along the seam 190. Most of the abdomen border 195 of the expanded portion 110 is not attached to the underside of the vest 100. This configuration facilitates relative movement between the vest 100 and the expansion 110 and improves breathability of the garment when the expansion 110 is used (i.e., when the expansion is worn on the upper torso part 130 of the vest 100).

Fig. 1b shows a rear view of the convertible vest 100 with the expansion portion 110 removed from the pocket 140 and in place atop the upper torso portion 130 of the vest 100. For this embodiment, the back panel 220 of the lower torso section 120 of the vest 100 covers a larger portion of the wearer's body surface than the front panel of the lower torso section 120 of the vest 100. Accordingly, the back edge 230 of the expanded portion is disposed slightly above the abdomen edge 195. However, other configurations are possible. The back panel 210 of the expanded portion 110 also covers the back panel of the upper torso portion 130 of the vest 100 so that rain or snow does not directly impact the back panel of the upper torso portion 130 of the vest 100.

A pocket 140 for storing the expanded portion 110 is provided on the left side panel of the vest 100 when not in use. Further, the zipper 150 of the pocket 140 is disposed on the top end of the pocket 140 and oriented such that the inclination of the zipper 150 is lowered from the back to the abdominal end of the zipper 150. The illustrated arrangement of the pocket 140 and/or zipper 150 facilitates the transformation of the vest 100 as it is worn. For example, a person wearing vest 100 may easily open pocket 140 with his right hand and move expanded portion 110 in a single movement. The wearer can then put the expansion 110 on the upper torso part 130 of the vest 100 and use the zipper 180 to close the expansion 110 around the wearer's upper torso.

Fig. 2 shows the transformation of the vest 100 of fig. 1 from the jacket configuration 300 to the vest configuration 330. First, the zipper 180 of the expansion part 110 is opened to allow the wearer to detach the expansion part 110 from his arms and upper torso. The extensions 110 are then folded at step 310 and rolled together at step 320 and inserted into pockets 140 for storage in the vest 100 of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a pair of shorts 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which can be converted into a pair of trousers 410 by removing two lower leg extensions 440 from pockets (not shown) integrated into the bottom end of each leg of the pair of shorts 400. Each of the pockets is disposed inward of the bottom end 430 of each leg of the pair of shorts 400, and may also be used while wearing the pair of shorts 400. The lower leg extension 440 is permanently attached to the lower end 430 of the short 400 and no additional wrapping mechanism is required to attach and position the lower leg extension 440 at the short 400.

The lower leg extension 440 includes a covering means 450 such as a zipper, snaps, and/or hook and loop fasteners to close the lower leg extension 440 around the wearer's leg. In the embodiment of fig. 3, a zipper 450 is provided at the medial surface of each leg and can be used to close the lower leg extensions 440 around the legs of the wearer.

The pair of shorts 400 may also contain a water resistant panel 420 on each outer side of the pair of shorts 400 and an additional water resistant panel (not shown) on the back of the pair of shorts 400 to allow the wearer to sit on a wet surface without getting wet.

Fig. 4 illustrates the process of transforming a convertible pair of shorts 400 from a pants configuration 500 to a shorts configuration 520. First, the zipper 450 of the lower leg extension 440 is opened to allow the wearer to roll the lower leg extension (see panel 510 of fig. 4). The rolled lower leg extension is then inserted into a storage pocket. The fact that a storage pocket is disposed inboard of the bottom end 430 of each leg portion of the pair of shorts 400 may improve the visual appearance and/or wearing comfort of the pair of shorts 400 when the lower leg extensions 440 are not used.

Figures 5a and 5b show the construction of a seam for attaching the extension portion to the base portion in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. For example, the panel 600 may be part of the expansion portion 110 of the convertible garment 100 shown in fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 5, the joined panel 610 is permanently joined to the inside surface of the panel 600 of the extension 110 of fig. 1 via a seam 620 (which may be formed by a seam). However, other joining methods such as gluing, edge melting, etc. may also be used to permanently join the panels 600 of the extension portion 110 of fig. 1 to the joined panels 610.

The width of the joined panels 610 may generally correspond to the length of the seam 190 described in figure 1. The other end of the connecting panel 610 may be permanently attached to the basic part of the convertible garment, for example, to the inside of a pocket 140 provided on the left panel of the vest 100 of fig. 1.

To enhance the durability of the seam 620, the seam may be covered on one side with a sheet of reinforcing material 630 and on the other side with at least one further sheet of reinforcing material or panel 635, 640 or 650. In other words, the seam 620 may be reinforced by being sandwiched between different panels 630, 635, 640, or 650 of reinforcing material. In other embodiments, however, the joined panels 610 may be joined directly to the extended section panels 600 without the use of additional panels or panels 635, 640, 650. In addition, the reinforcing material sheet 630 may also be omitted in some embodiments.

The reinforcing material sheets or panels 635, 640 and 650 may also serve another purpose, such as reinforcing the bottom edge 660 of the extended portion panel 600. Furthermore, the length of the connector panel 610 may be selected to be short enough so that the extension portion is located sufficiently at the basic portion of the garment to be converted when used, while being long enough to facilitate an easy and quick conversion process of the garment, particularly when the basic portion is worn as the garment itself.

Figure 6 shows another example of a convertible garment according to an embodiment of the invention. This embodiment relates to a convertible outdoor jacket 700, shown in front view in fig. 6. The jacket comprises an outer layer of material. The outer layer material may be adapted for jacket purposes, for example to provide wind and/or water resistance to the wearer of the jacket. The jacket further comprises a pullerA chain 720 reversibly connects the left front panel 710-L and the right front panel 710-R of the jacket 700. The outer layer material may, for example, comprise a hard-skinned material, such as GoretexOr the like.

Fig. 7 shows another front view of the outdoor jacket of fig. 6, with the outer layer of material omitted. In this way, the inner layer material of the outdoor jacket 700 may be displayed. Jacket 700 specifically includes a permanent insulation layer 810 disposed in the upper torso region of jacket 700. The layer may, for example, comprise a quilted layer of any insulating material or combination of materials known in the art.

The jacket 700 further comprises at least two switchable insulating sheets 820 which may be removably attached to an outer layer of material (not shown) provided in the lower abdominal region of the jacket 700 to improve the insulating properties of the outer layer of material. The left 820-L and right 820-R layers, such as the switchable insulating portion (i.e., the expanded portion of jacket 700), may comprise an insulating material, such as an insulating liner material. Furthermore such a lining material may be adapted to change its volume by compression and decompression. For example, the expanded portions 820 may be adapted to increase their volume by absorbing air within each of the portions 820-L and 820-R, thereby improving their respective insulation. Naturally, any natural and/or engineered insulating material and/or any combination thereof known in the art may be used to form the switchable insulating layer/portion 820.

Further, the layers of the transformable insulating portion 820 may be adapted to be removably attached to the outer layers of the jacket 700, for example by means of detachable attachment means such as buttons 830 and/or zippers 840. It is clear that any other detachable attachment means may be used, such as hook and loop fasteners, hooks, buttons, etc.

When the layers/portions 820-R and 820-L of switchable material are not needed, such as during warm weather and/or increased physical activity of the wearer, they may be separated from the outer layer material (not shown) of jacket 700 and stored in an integrated pocket (not shown) of jacket 700. The integrated pocket may, for example, be provided on and/or as part of the outer layer material.

Fig. 8 shows a detail view of the interior of the left front panel 710-L of the jacket 700. In the illustrated construction, the switchable insulating left layer/section 820-L is fully unfolded and attached to the inner surface of the left front panel 710-L via a zipper 840 and two buttons 830. As can be seen in fig. 8, the switchable insulating left layer/portion 820-L is adapted to improve insulation in the lower left abdominal region of the wearer's torso. When not needed, the switchable insulating left layer/section 820-L may be separated 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 include a covering device (not shown) for covering the integrated pocket 910. Additionally, the transformable insulating left layer/section 820-L may be permanently attached to the left front panel 710-L of the jacket 700, such as to a strip of material within or adjacent to the integrated pocket 910.

In addition, an integral pocket 910 may be employed such that the volume of the transformable insulating left layer/portion 820-L is compressed when the transformable insulating left layer/portion 820-L is inserted into the integral pocket 910. Further, the integrated pocket 910 may be configured such that when the transformable insulated left layer/portion 820-L is not used and stored within the integrated pocket 910, the transformable insulated left layer/portion 820-L does not significantly impair the wearer comfort and/or visual appearance of the jacket.

Fig. 9 shows another detail view of the interior of the left front panel 710-L of jacket 700 during conversion of the convertible insulating left layer/section 820-L. In the illustrated construction, the transformable insulating left layer/portion 820-L has been removed from the integrated pocket and at least partially expanded. Attachment means such as the lower snaps 830-a, 830-b and zipper 840-b have not been closed to attach the convertible insulating left layer/section 820-L to the inner surface of the left front panel 710-L.

Fig. 10 shows another detail view of the interior of the left front panel 710-L when the transformable insulated left layer/section 820-L is still in a configuration where it is almost completely stored in the integrated pocket 910 of the left front panel 710-L of the jacket 700. In addition, the zippers 840-a, 840-b remain open.

Figure 11 shows another example of a convertible garment having at least one expansion 1120 adapted to improve the insulation of the base portion of the garment when in use. The example presented is an outdoor fur coat 1100 similar in structure to the outdoor jacket 700 detailed above with reference to fig. 6-10. Similar to the outdoor jacket 700, the outdoor jacket 1100 includes two switchable insulating layers/portions 1120-L and 1120-R, which may be attached, in use, to an inner surface of an outer layer (not shown) of the jacket, e.g., via fastening means such as zippers, buttons, or the like.

In addition, the outdoor jacket 1100 also includes a layer/portion 1120-B of transformable insulating material, which is disposed on the middle and/or lower back of the wearer's torso. In a manner similar to the outdoor jacket 700 of fig. 6-10, the layer/portion 1120 of transformable insulating material may be stored in an integrated pocket (not shown) of the outdoor jacket 1100 when not in use.

Naturally, the above concept of the switchable insulating layer can be easily applied to other types of garments such as trousers, shorts, waistcoats, coats and other garments.

Claims

1. A convertible garment comprising:

a. a base portion and at least one expanded portion, the at least one expanded portion being stored in at least one pocket of the base portion when not in use;

b. wherein the at least one expansion portion is adapted to cover at least one extremity of a wearer of the garment when in use, and less than 2/3, preferably less than 1/2, more preferably less than 1/3 of the body surface of the wearer is covered by the base portion; and

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

2. A convertible garment comprising:

b. wherein the at least one expansion portion is adapted to cover at least one extremity of a wearer of the garment when in use, and less than 2/3, preferably less than 1/2 and more preferably less than 1/3 of the base portion covers the dorsal and/or ventral body surface of the wearer; and

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

3. A convertible garment comprising:

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

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

4. A convertible garment comprising:

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

5. A convertible garment according to any of claims 1-4, wherein said garment is adapted to be converted by removing said at least one expanded portion from said at least one pocket while said garment is being worn.

6. The convertible lower garment of claim 4, wherein the at least one pocket is disposed inwardly of the distal end of the base portion and extends along an inner circumference of the distal end of the base portion.

7. The convertible top garment of claim 3, wherein the at least one expansion does not completely cover the abdomen and lower back of the wearer.

8. A convertible top assembly according to claim 3 or 7, wherein said base portion is adapted to perform relative movement, in use, with respect to a lower edge of said at least one expansion portion.

9. A convertible garment according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said convertible garment does not comprise attachment means for attaching said at least one expansion portion to said base portion.

10. A convertible garment according to any of claims 1-9, wherein the at least one expanded portion covers a portion of the base portion, and wherein the covered portion of the base portion comprises a different material than the uncovered portion of the base portion.

11. The convertible garment of claim 10, wherein the at least one expansion portion and the uncovered portion of the base portion comprise a waterproof material and/or wherein the covered portion of the base portion comprises a breathable material.

12. A convertible garment according to any of claims 1-11, wherein said at least one expansion portion is permanently attached to said base portion via a seam, said seam being sandwiched between at least two sheets of reinforcing material.

13. A convertible garment according to any of claims 1-12, wherein the at least one pocket is provided on a left side panel or a right side panel of the base portion.

14. A convertible garment according to any of claims 1 to 13, wherein said at least one expansion is adapted to be wrapped around the extremity of the wearer via a wrapping means extending substantially along the longitudinal extent of the extremity.

15. A convertible garment comprising:

b. wherein the at least one expansion portion is adapted to provide, in use, an additional insulating layer disposed between the body surface of the wearer and the inner surface of the chassis portion, and

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

16. A convertible garment according to claim 15, wherein the at least one expansion is adapted to cover at least a portion of the abdomen and/or lower back and/or buttocks and/or thighs of the wearer.

17. A convertible garment according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the surface area of the at least one expanded portion is less than the surface area of the base portion.

18. A convertible garment according to any of claims 15-17, wherein said at least one extension comprises fastening means adapted to attach said at least one extension to an inner surface of said base portion.

19. A convertible garment according to any of claims 15-18, wherein said at least one expansion is adapted to increase its volume by absorbing air when removed from said at least one pocket.

20. A convertible garment according to any of claims 15 to 19, wherein said at least one extension portion is permanently attached to said base portion.