WO2020058133A1 - Item of clothing with removable sleeves - Google Patents

Abstract

An item of clothing (10) comprising: • - a vest (11, 111) provided with two sides (19a, 19b) and two armholes (13a, 13b, 113b), • - two sleeves (12a, 12b, 112b), which extend from the vest (11, 111) and can be at least partially removed from the vest (11, 111) by using means (14) for association at and/or proximate to the armholes (13a, 13b, 113b), • - one or more receptacles (18) for the sleeves (12a, 12b, 112b), each provided with a hem (20a, 20b, 120b) which faces the armpit of the user during the use of the item (10), the one or more receptacles (18) being arranged in the vest (11, 111). The item (10) comprises elements (21, 121) for connection between the sleeves (12a, 12b, 112b) and the vest (11, 111).

Description

ITEM OF CLOTHING WITH REMOVABLE SLEEVES

The present invention relates to an item of clothing that comprises removable sleeves.

Currently, items of clothing adapted to protect and insulate the user’s body from cold and wind, leaving the arms free, are known and widespread.

These items, known as waistcoats or vests, can be also padded and are worn over a suit and/or under a jacket or an overcoat.

This background art has some drawbacks.

The versatility of the mentioned items of clothing can be jeopardized by the variation of seasonal conditions or even more so by daily weather conditions.

In order to obviate this limitation, over the years items of clothing which have removable sleeves have been developed.

However, even the use of this type of clothing can be jeopardized when the removable sleeves of said items are not available when necessary, because they are stored elsewhere, or are impractical to reattach to the item.

In order to solve all these problems, some solutions have been devised over the past decades.

EP1535527A2, for example, contains the teachings for providing an item of clothing provided with sleeves that can, if needed, be accommodated in adapted pockets arranged around the openings for the arms.

Nevertheless, these pockets are of modest size with respect to the length of the sleeves and therefore said sleeves have to be folded many times in order to be accommodated inside them.

This aspect limits the thickness of the fabric and of any padding usable for providing the sleeves.

Furthermore, the multiple folds of the sleeves subject the materials of which they are made to repeated stresses which can compromise their integrity.

Finally, the sleeves, folded many times in order to be accommodated inside the pockets, constitute a significant bulk that can hinder the freedom of movement of the arms and cause discomfort to the user.

KR200281680Y 1 instead contains the teachings for providing an item of clothing in which the sleeves have zip fasteners that allow a partial opening thereof lengthways and allow to free the arms.

When necessary, the sleeves can be stored in suitable inner pockets, located on the surface of the item directed toward the body of the user.

However, a considerable portion of the sleeves cannot be accommodated in the pockets, creating a bulk that is uncomfortable and limiting the freedom of movement of the arms.

Furthermore, in the sleeveless configuration the item of clothing generates an unpleasant visual impact.

The aim of the present invention is to provide an item of clothing with removable sleeves that is capable of overcoming the disadvantages of the background art in one or more of the above mentioned aspects.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide an item of clothing with removable sleeves that can be stored in or extracted from receptacles located inside the item, when not in use, so that it is not necessary to leave them around with the risk of losing them.

Another object of the invention is to provide an item of clothing with removable sleeves, the sleeves of which do not create bulk or hindrance to arm movement when they are not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an item of clothing with removable sleeves that is capable of ensuring greater comfort to the user than that achieved by the items of the known type.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an item of clothing with removable sleeves that allows to accommodate the sleeves, when not in use, in a position that is as distended as possible, preventing them from sagging and/or creasing.

Moreover, an object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the background art in a manner that is alternative to any existing solutions.

Another object of the invention is to provide an item of clothing with removable sleeves that is highly reliable, relatively easy to provide and at competitive costs.

This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by an item of clothing comprising:

- a vest, provided with two sides and two armholes,

- two sleeves, which extend from said vest and can be at least partially removed from said vest by using means for association at and/or proximate to said armholes,

- one or more receptacles for said sleeves, each provided with a hem which faces the armpit of the user during the use of said item, said one or more receptacles being arranged in said vest, said item being characterized in that it comprises elements for connection between said sleeves and said vest.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of some preferred but not exclusive embodiments of the item of clothing with removable sleeves according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a general view of an item of clothing according to the invention with the sleeves in use;

Figure 2 is a closed view of the item of clothing of Figure 1, with a configuration of the sleeves partially removed;

Figure 3 is an open view of the item of clothing of Figure 1, with the sleeves in the same configuration as Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view of the item of clothing of Figure 1 with the sleeves completely removed;

Figure 5 is a detail view of the item of clothing of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a view of a constructive variation of an item of clothing according to the invention.

With reference to the figures, an item of clothing with removable sleeves according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

The item 10 comprises a vest 11 from which two removable sleeves extend, respectively 12a and 12b.

Such sleeves 12a and 12b are associated with the vest 11, each one substantially at and/or proximate to an armhole, respectively 13a and 13b, by virtue of association means 14.

The term“armhole” is intended to be referred to the portion of the vest that surrounds the armpit of the user.

In particular, these association means 14 can be constituted by zip fasteners, preferably of the“concealed” type, also known as concealed zips.

As an alternative, the association means 14 can be constituted, for example, by press-studs.

These association means 14 are adapted to separate, at least partially, the sleeves 12a and 12b from the vest 11.

Figures 2 and 3 show the item of clothing 10 with the sleeves separated from the vest 11.

Figure 4 shows the item of clothing 10 without sleeves.

By virtue of the at least partial separation of the sleeves 12a, 12b from the vest 11, openings 15a, 15b are created for the passage of the user’s arms 16a, 16b, which in this manner are disengaged from the sleeves.

With reference to Figure 3, the vest 11 has an internal surface 17, on which one or more receptacles 18 are arranged.

The term“internal surface” is intended to be referred to the surface facing the user’s body during use.

The receptacles 18 are, for example, pockets and are adapted for the insertion of the sleeves 12a, 12b when they are not in use. Preferably, the sleeves 12a, 12b are inserted in the receptacles 18 lengthways.

The receptacles 18 have such dimensions as to allow to store the sleeves 12a, 12b inside them without the need to fold said sleeves repeatedly.

Preferably, the receptacles 18 have substantially the same length as the sleeves 12a, 12b and/or extend from the bottom of the vest 11 up to the armpit.

The expression“bottom of the vest”, in the present description, is intended to be referred to the end of the vest that is opposite the one that affects the shoulders of the user and is generally lower in the configuration for use.

In this manner the sleeves 12a, 12b do not crease or sag.

The item 10 allows to free the user’s arms 16a, 16b, shown in Figure 4, by separating the sleeves 12a, 12b from the vest 11 and inserting them in the receptacles 18, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3.

Such receptacles 18 extend mainly along the sides 19a and 19b of the vest 11, substantially up to the armholes, respectively 13a, 13b.

In this manner the receptacles 18 are almost hidden from view from the outside of the item, even when the sleeves 12a, 12b are stored inside them.

With reference to Figure 5, in a particularly preferred first embodiment the association means 14 are constituted by a zip fastener and allow the separation of the sleeves 12a, 12b from the vest 11.

Each receptacle 18 has a hem 20a, 20b, which is an upper hem in the configuration for use and faces the user’s armpit during use of the item 10. For the sake of simplicity, Figure 5 only shows the armhole 13b and the sleeve 12b.

The vest 11 has, proximate to and/or at each armhole 13a, 13b, elements 21 for connection to the corresponding sleeve 12a, 12b, substantially adjacent to at least one portion of the hem 20a, 20b of the receptacle 18.

The connecting elements 21 are external to the receptacle 18.

These elements 21 can form a permanent or temporary connection. With reference to Figure 5, for example, each connecting element 21 is constituted by a flap which is integral both with the vest and with the respective sleeve and forms a permanent coupling between the vest 11 and the corresponding sleeve 12a, 12b.

In this manner, the sleeves 12a, 12b are coupled to the vest 11 at the elements 21 and there is no risk that the user might forget them after storing them away from the vest 11.

The connecting elements 21 are shorter than, or as long as, the hems 20a, 20b of the receptacles 18.

The armholes 13a, 13b are substantially free, at least apart from the hems 20a, 20b, of couplings to the sleeves 12a, 12b.

This particularity allows to substantially completely store the sleeves 12a, 12b inside the respective receptacles 18, ensuring at the same time a suitable freedom of movement to the user’s arms.

It should be noted that the elements 21 for coupling the sleeves 12a, 12b and the vest 11, being arranged substantially adjacent to the hems 20a,

20b, outside the receptacles 18, ensure that there are no portions of the sleeves 12a, 12b that are not accommodated inside the receptacles 18.

Figure 6 shows an item of clothing 110 according to the invention in a different embodiment.

The item 110 is provided with a vest 111 from which removable sleeves extend which are associated with the vest by association means, not shown.

The vest 111 is coupled to the sleeves through elements 121 for nonpermanent connection.

For the sake of clarity, Figure 6 only shows the sleeve 112b. In particular, the sleeve 112b is coupled to the vest 111 at the hem 120b of the receptacle, not shown in the figure, by connecting elements 121 that form a nonpermanent coupling.

These connecting elements 121 are constituted, for example, by a tape 122 and a buttonhole 123.

For example, the tape 122 extends from the sleeve 112b and the buttonhole 123 is arranged on the vest 111 proximate to and/or at the armhole 113b.

The sleeves are thus each coupled to the respective armhole at the tapes 122, which enter the buttonholes 123 and close onto themselves, for example by means of press-studs and/or strips of material of the hook and loop type, for example the one known by the trade name Velcro® or the like, not shown in the figures.

Subsequently, by opening the tapes 122 and making them exit from the buttonholes 123 it is possible to release the sleeves completely from the armholes and thus from the vest.

It should be noted that this embodiment allows to separate the sleeves from the vest along the armholes, disengaging them completely from the association means, not shown, and to store them in the receptacles keeping them as distended as possible and thus avoiding creasing them.

Furthermore, by removing the sleeves from the vest 111 along the armholes and disengaging them completely from the association means, constituted for example by zip fasteners, stresses such as tensions and/or torsions on said zip fasteners are avoided.

These stresses might occur in the step in which the user handles the sleeves in order to store them in the receptacles and, in the long run, might damage the association means.

The length of the tapes 122 is set conveniently in order to allow to store the sleeves inside the receptacles in the most distended possible manner. For example, for a sleeve that has a length of approximately 67 cm, with reference to an Italian man's size 50, the tape has a length comprised between approximately 2 cm and approximately 10 cm, and is preferably of approximately 4 cm.

The tapes 122 and the buttonholes 123 are arranged substantially adjacent to the hems of the receptacles, ensuring the user that there are no sleeve portions that are not accommodated inside the receptacles.

In this embodiment also, the connecting elements 121 constituted by buttonholes 123 and tapes 122 allow to keep the sleeves connected to the vest 111 even when they are separated along the armholes.

In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, providing an item of clothing with removable sleeves that can be stored in or extracted from receptacles inside the item, when not in use, without creating bulk or hindrance to the movement of the arms, and allows to accommodate the sleeves, when not in use, in the most distended position possible, preventing them from sagging and/or creasing.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. 102018000008663 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. An item of clothing (10) comprising:

- a vest (11, 111) provided with two sides (19a, 19b) and two armholes (13a, 13b, 113b),

- two sleeves (12a, 12b, 112b), which extend from said vest (11, 111) and can be at least partially removed from said vest (11, 111) by using means (14) for association at and/or proximate to said armholes (13a, 13b, 113b),

- one or more receptacles (18) for said sleeves (12a, 12b, 112b), each provided with a hem (20a, 20b, 120b) which faces the user’s armpit during the use of said item (10), said one or more receptacles (18) being arranged in said vest (11, 111),

characterized in that it comprises elements (21, 121) for connection between said sleeves (12a, 12b, 112b) and said vest (11, 111).

2. The item (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said connecting elements (21) are adapted to define a permanent coupling.

3. The item (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that each one of said connecting elements (21) is constituted by a flap which is integral both with said vest (11) and with one of said two sleeves (12a, 12b).

4. The item (110) according to claim 1, characterized in that said connecting elements (121) are adapted to form a nonpermanent coupling.

5. The item (110) according to claim 4, characterized in that said connecting elements (21) are constituted by a tape (122) and a buttonhole (123).

6. The item (110) according to claim 5, characterized in that said tape (122) has at least one press-stud and/or strips of material of the hook and loop type.

7. The item (10, 110) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each one of said connecting elements (21, 121) is proximate to and/or at each armhole (13a, 13b, 113b), substantially adjacent to at least one portion of said hem (20a, 20b, 120b) of said receptacle (18).

8. The item (10, 110) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said connecting elements (21, 121) are shorter than, or as long as, said hems (20a, 20b, 120b) of said receptacles (18).

9. The item (10, 110) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said receptacles (18) have such dimensions as to contain substantially fully said unfolded sleeves (12a, 12b, 112b).

10. The item (10, 110) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said receptacles (18) are arranged predominantly along said sides (19a, 19b) of said vest (11, 111).

11. The item (10, 110) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said receptacles are arranged on the internal surface (17) of said vest (11, 111).

12. The item (10, 110) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said receptacles (18) are hidden from view from the outside of said item (10, 110).

13. The item (10, 110) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said association means (14) are constituted by zip fasteners, preferably of the so-called concealed type.

14. The item (10, 110) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said association means (14) are constituted by press-studs.