Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A41—WEARING APPAREL
  • A41D—OUTERWEAR; PROTECTIVE GARMENTS; ACCESSORIES
  • A41D27/00—Details of garments or of their making
  • A41D27/28—Means for ventilation
  • A41D27/285—Means for ventilation with closure adjustment

Definitions

• protective apparel When operating fast moving, relatively open vehicles such as motorcycles, bicycles, and some aircraft, the use of protective apparel is important. However, to be useful, protective apparel must be comfortable enough to wear. Many of the garments commonly used for such applications, such as leather suits and jackets, are unacceptably uncomfortable because they provide poor ventilation. Poor ventilation can be a serious problem during warm or moderate weather.
• Air trapped by the opened garment causes billowing or ballooning of the garment and generates unstable forces on the wearer.
• U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,715 issued to Miller et al. teaches a vented garment having a linear closure element, e.g., a zipper provided on the garment, with an air permeable material extending in a rough "C" shape from the edges of the closure element.
• the vents are adjustably opened by an associated zipper. With the vents opened, the garment would distort in use, providing a poor fit to the wearer.
• U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,451 issued to Brown teaches providing a garment with openings that are spanned by a stretchable mesh fabric.
• Variable closure elements adjustably cover the openings to permit selective control of the effective area of the opening, and thus also control the air flow through the opening.
• Brown garment does provide effective ventilation, however, due to the stretchable nature of the mesh fabric, it provides a poor fit to the wearer.
• the invention provides a ventilated garment having at least one substantially non-stretchable front panel and at least one rear panel, in which the front and rear panels each have an opening therein permitting air flow in through the front panel and out through the rear panel.
• the front panel includes a vent element which is a substantially non-stretchable, air permeable, sheet, and has a shape substantially corresponding to the front panel opening.
• the vent element is affixed to the front panel along the periphery of the front panel opening, thereby spanning that opening.
• the front panel further includes a cover element having a shape substantially corresponding to the front panel opening.
• a first portion of the periphery of the cover element is affixed to the front panel substantially along a first portion of the periphery of the front panel opening.
• a first adjustable closure element adjustably couples a second portion of the periphery of the cover element to the front panel substantially along a second portion of the periphery of the front panel opening, and a second adjustable closure element adjustably couples a third portion of the periphery of the cover element to the front panel substantially along a third portion of the periphery of the front panel opening.
• the second and third portions of the cover element periphery extend from opposite ends of the first portion of the cover element periphery and the second and third portions of the periphery of the front panel opening extend from opposite ends of the first portion of the periphery of the front panel opening.
• the vent panel is provided in the form of perforated material.
• first and second adjustable closure elements are provided in the form of zippers.
• a third adjustable closure element adjustably couples a fourth portion of the cover element to a fourth portion of the periphery of the front panel opening.
• the third closure element can be provided in the form of a hook and loop type fastener, such as a VELCROTM fastener.
• the rear panel includes a rear closure element for adjustably closing the rear panel opening.
• the rear closure element can be provided in the form of a zipper.
• the rear panel may also include a substantially non-stretchable vent panel that is affixed to the rear panel substantially under the rear panel opening.
• the cover element does not have a shape corresponding to the front panel opening.
• the invention provides a ventilated garment having at least one substantially non-stretchable front panel and at least one rear panel, in which the front panel and the rear panel each have an opening therein permitting air flow in the front panel and out the rear panel.
• the front panel includes a vent element which is a substantially non-stretchable, air permeable, sheet, having a shape substantially corresponding to the front panel opening.
• the vent element is affixed to the front panel along the periphery of the front panel opening, thereby spanning that opening.
• the front panel further includes a cover element.
• a first portion of the periphery of the cover element is affixed to the front panel along a first curve.
• a first adjustable closure element adjustably couples a second portion of the periphery of the cover element to the front panel along a second curve
• a second adjustable closure element adjustably couples a third portion of the periphery of the cover element to the front panel along a third curve.
• the second curve and the third curve extend substantially from opposite ends of the first curve and a fourth curve extends substantially between opposite ends of the second and the third curve distal from the first curve such that the first, second, third, and fourth curves form a periphery that substantially overlies the front panel opening.
• Figure 1 shows a front view of a jacket according to the present invention
• Figure 2 shows a front view of the jacket of Figure 1 in which the cover elements are opened;
• Figure 3 shows a rear view of the jacket of Figure 1; and Figure 4 shows a front view of a jacket according to another embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG 1 shows a front view of a jacket 100 according to the present invention.
• Jacket 100 is equipped with a central zipper 102, arms 104, and two front panels 106.
• Each front panel 106 contains an opening 108 (not shown in Figure 1). Openings, 108 are bounded by edges 112, 114, 116, and 118 in the front panels 106.
• Cover panels 110 are affixed to front panels 106 to adjustably overlie portions of the openings 108. As shown in Figure 1, the cover panels 110 fully overlie the openings 108 in both panels 106. As described below, the cover elements 110 may be adjusted to fully or partially expose openings 108.
• cover panel 110 is affixed to front panel 106 along edge 112 at the lower end of opening 108.
• cover panel 110 is stitched or otherwise permanently affixed to front panel 106 along edge 112.
• cover panel 110 may be otherwise fastened to front panel 106 along edge 112 or alternatively, cover panel 110 may be formed from the same piece of material that forms front panel 106.
• cover panel 110 is selectively and adjustably coupled to front panel 106 along edges 114, 116, 118.
• Zippers 120 or other adjustable couplers such as snaps or buttons, adjustably couple cover panel 110 to front panel 106 along edges 114, 116.
• Flap 122 extending from front panel 106, adjustably couples cover panel 110 to front panel 106 along edge 118.
• flap 122 couples cover panel 110 to front panel 106 by use of a hook and loop type fastener, such as a VELCROTM fastener.
• flap 122 couples cover panel 110 by use of buttons, snaps, or other fasteners.
• Figure 1 shows the cover panels 110 completely covering the openings 108. In this configuration relatively little ventilation is provided through openings 108. The jacket is worn in this configuration during cold or bad weather days.
• Ventilation elements 210 are fabricated of a relatively non-stretchable, air permeable, sheet material, and preferably provide a resistance to stretching forces similar to that which is provided by front panel 106 when the zippers 120 are fully closed.
• front panels 106 are constructed of leather or vinyl
• ventilation elements 210 are constructed of perforated leather or vinyl. Other non-permeable materials may be used as well.
• Perforations 212 provide an air flow path through the vent elements 210.
• cover panels 110 are shown in a maximally open position. In this configuration, zippers 120 have been maximally opened and the cover panels
• Cover panel 110 have been folded into a retracted position.
• Cover panel 110 may be retracted simply by rolling the fabric of the panel upon itself, or alternatively, the folded panel may be tacked into a specially provided lower pocket 214.
• a lesser amount of ventilation can be provided by only partially opening cover panels 110, or by opening only one of the zippers
• vent elements 210 Due to the non-stretchable nature of vent elements 210, a garment according to the invention will retain its shape and provide an improved fit to the wearer, even when cover panels 110 are maximally open as shown in Figure 2.
• Figure 3 shows a rear view of jacket 100.
• jacket 100 contains a rear panel 310 which contains two openings 312. Openings 312 can be adjustably opened or closed by zippers 314.
• Figure 3 shows the zippers 314 in the maximally opened position which exposes vent elements 316, which underlie the zippers 314.
• vent elements 316 may be omitted.
• vent elements 316 are constructed of a perforated leather or vinyl similar to that used for front vent elements 210, or may be constructed of other perforated non-permeable materials or from air permeable materials, such as nylon mesh.
• vents 316 in the rear panels 310 of garment 100 establish an air flow through path permitting influx through vent elements 210 and outflux through vent established by openings 312.
• opening front vent panels 210 and rear vent openings 312 allows air to pass through jacket 100 and around the body of the wearer (not shown), thus providing ventilation and preventing excessive heat buildup.
• FIG. 4 shows a front view of another embodiment of a garment 400 according to the invention.
• the garment 400 is generally similar to the garment 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2, and corresponding elements are identified with the same reference designations in Figures 1,2 and 4.
• cover panels 410 are larger and are not shaped similarly to vent elements 210 (shown in phantom, and underlying cover panels 410).
• the cover panels 410 can be formed in a variety of shapes not necessarily corresponding to the shape of the vent elements.
• Cover panels 410 as shown in Figure 4 are maximally closed and thereby minimize the air flow through vent elements 210. Vent panels 210 may be exposed, thereby increasing the air flow therethrough, by opening cover panels
• each each include two front panels, each having a vent, and a rear panel, having a vent
• cover number is shown is preferably constructed of a non-strechable material, but in other configurations, it may be strechable since the vent elements provide the structural stability for the garment.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Professional, Industrial, Or Sporting Protective Garments (AREA)
• Details Of Garments (AREA)
• Display Devices Of Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
• Respiratory Apparatuses And Protective Means (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22242461

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (2)

Citations (17)

• 1994
  • 1994-04-14 AU AU68153/94A patent/AU6815394A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1994-04-14 EP EP94916532A patent/EP0758203B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-04-14 AT AT94916532T patent/ATE220864T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1994-04-14 ES ES94916532T patent/ES2180578T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1994-04-14 DE DE69431073T patent/DE69431073T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1994-04-14 WO PCT/US1994/004121 patent/WO1995028099A1/en active IP Right Grant

Patent Citations (17)

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