GB2234154A

GB2234154A - Novelty garment

Info

Publication number: GB2234154A
Application number: GB8917106A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henry Berthold Ratzker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-07-26
Filing date: 1989-07-26
Publication date: 1991-01-30
Also published as: GB8917106D0

Abstract

A dual-function article of clothing, e.g. an anorak, jacket, raincoat, pullover or T-shirt, which may be worn in the conventional manner as a novelty garment and which may also be used, either when actually worn or separately, as a playing surface for a game such as "noughts and crosses". The garment is of special appeal to children. The front has fastening means in the form of strips 12 of plastics (usually nylon) fabric in a 3 x 3 array, each strip having a tangle of tiny hooked threads co-operating with strips with a coarse surface stuck to the underside of playing tiles (20, Figs. 2 & 3) with either an "O" or an "X" on them; the strips and tiles can thus form a strong but detachable bond when pressed together. The fastening means may instead comprise press studs or buttons. <IMAGE>

Description

This invention concerns a novelty garment which has a dual function: it may be worn in the conventional manner as a garment or it may be used, either when actually worn or separately, as a playing surface for a game.

ln a preferred embodiment, the garment is a T-shirt equipped at predetermined locations with means coooperable with playing pieces to enable a board game or 'noughts-and-crosses' to be played.

The enjoyment of the novelty garment is enhanced when it is worn by a person e.g. a child, while a game is played on it, because such play may involve physical contact, tickling etc.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a garment having a surface provided with a plurality of fastening members arranged in an array predetermined by the rules of a given game, the said fastening members being interengageable with a plurality of playing pieces provided with fastening members complementary with the first-mentioned fastening members for the ready attachments and detachment of the playing pieces in accordance with the said rules.

The fastening members may take a variety of forms. Thus they may be male and female coupling members such as press studs, buttons/buttonholes and the like; or attachments having adhesive but non-permanently bonding surfaces of the well-known 'peel-off' type. Bowever, the preferred fastening members of this invention are strips of plastics (usually nylon) fabric having a tangle of tiny hooked threads co-operating with strips with a coarse surface that form a strong but detachable bond when pressed together: such fastenings are sold e.g. under the trade mark Nn3XMxr and will hereafter be simply called Velcro-strips.

Althcrugh the garment may be any garment that is worn as an outer garment, e.g. anorak, jacket, raincoat, pullover etc. for simplicity and ease of conprehension reference will hereafter be made exclusively to T-shirts the 'playing surface' of which is the front portion provided with Velcro strips in a predetermined configuration.

The invention will be described, merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying purely diagrammatic drawings, wherein:~ Figure 1 is a front elevation of a T-shirt embodying the invention, and Figures 2 and 3 are, respectively, front and side elevations on an enlarged scale of a playing piece in the form of a tile cooperable with the T-shirt shewn in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one typical example of realizing the invention, a T-shirt 10 is provided with nine Velcro-strips 12 of, say, 1-2 cm length arranged in a regular 3 x 3 matrix 14, attached to the outside of the front 16 thereof. The playing pieces are constituted by a set of 'tiles' 20 made of any suitable material, such as plastics or textile material. Each tile 20 has a Velcro-type backing 22 and bears either a nought '0' or a cross 'X' 24 on one end face 26 to make it possible to play the well-known game of 'noughts and crosses'.

Of course, when the fastening members are Velcro strips, the invention encompasses the alternative where the garment has the strips with the coarse surface and the 'tiles' have the tiny hooks.

A game of noughts and crosses to be played by or with children where one of the players wears the garment as the playing surface is much more fun than where the game is played on paper with pencil or with an ordinary board and tiles.

The invention extends to the combination of a garment according to the invention as set forth above with a set of playing pieces provided with the appropriate interengageable but readily detachable fastening means.

Although 'noughts and crosses' has been mentioned, other games are also possible by appropriately varying the number of fasteners and their array on the garment as well as varying the number of playing pieces, e.g. checkers, chess etc.

Having the playing surface at the front of the garment enables the wearer to play but it is within the scope of the invention for the playing surface to be on the back or some other part of the garment so that the wearer need not be an active participant in the game which is then played by two other players. Nor does the garment have to be worn for a game to be playable.

When the wearer simply wishes to use the garment as such but not to play a game, and wishes to conceal the fasteners (Velcro strips), he or she may simply attach tiles to each 'site' and wear the garment in that manner.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A dual-function article of clothing having an external surface provided with a plurality of outwardly-facing fastening members arranged in an array predetermined by the rules of a given game, the said fastening members being inter-engageable with a plurality of playing pieces provided with fastening members complementary with the first-mentioned fastening members for the ready attachment and detachment of the playing pieces in accordance with the said rules.

2. An article of clothing according to claim 1, wherein said fastening members are male and female coupling members such as press studs, buttons/buttonholes.

3. An article of clothing according to claim 1, wherein said fastening members are attachments having adhesive but non-permanently bonding surfaces of the well-known 'peel-off' type.

4. An article of clothing according to claim 1, wherein said fastening members are strips of plastics (usually nylon) fabric having a tangle of tiny hooked threads co-operating with strips with a coarse surface on said playing pieces that form a strong but detachable bond when pressed together.

5. An article of clothing according to any preceding claim, wherein the said surface is on a T-shirt the 'playing surface' of which is the front portion.

6. An article of clothing according to any preceding claim, wherein said array is a two-dimensional 3 x 3 array, said game is "noughts and crosses" and said playing pieces are tiles bearing either an "O" or an "X".

7. An article of clothing according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.