Apparel – Nether garments – Bifurcated
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-11
2001-11-20
Hale, Gloria M. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Nether garments
Bifurcated
C002S069000, C002S082000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317893
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to waders, and more particularly to an improved construction for waterproof breathable waders.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Waders used by fishermen and hunters are well-known in the art. They essentially comprise waterproof pants that usually extend above the wearer's waist up to mid chest level and are supported and carried by the wearer by means of suspenders. The lower leg portions of the waders are typically integrally attached to a shoe or boot or sock or bootie, to form a unitized waterproof garment for the lower body portion of the wearer.
Early wader configurations were made from gas impermeable materials such as rubber. Such materials were generally heavy, making them cumbersome to use and did not provide any ventilation to the wearer, thereby causing discomfort to the wearer due to moisture accumulation within the wader. Such moisture accumulation results in a clammy feeling and can contribute to chaffing between the interior surfaces of the wader and the skin of the wearer. A further disadvantage of the materials such as rubber used in such typical commercially available waders is that such materials have a tendency to deteriorate and readily abrade.
With the commercialization of breathable film materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and hydrophilic coatings which provide for water impermeability in one direction but vapor permeability in the other, a number of lightweight waterproof yet breathable materials have been developed. Such breathable materials have become commonplace in outerwear clothing such as jackets, gloves and the like. They have also been used to construct waterproof breathable waders, such as described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,096. Such breathable wader configurations provide significant advantages in reducing the overall weight of the wader material and allow the material to breathe, providing enhanced use flexibility and increased comfort to the wearer. Such materials also enable the wader shell to be constructed of more durable and abrasion resistant materials than the previously used rubber materials.
One problem associated with the use of such light weight breathable materials is that such materials readily conduct the external water temperature to the wearer, requiring the use of some type of insulating liner within the outer wader shell to provide comfort to the wearer against cold and varying water temperatures and to provide additional structural support to the wader shell. Prior breathable wader configurations have incorporated a single standard insulative liner within the outer wader shell. Such liner has typically been bonded or laminated to the outer shell, thus providing only one level of insulation and warmth to the wearer. Such liners are typically of a weight that does not adequately insulate against frigid water temperatures, and which may provide too much insulation against warm water temperatures. In order to adapt the wader for use in waters of varying temperatures, the wearer has had to dress appropriately for the particular water temperature with which the wader is to be used, by donning insulative garments of appropriate weight.
Accordingly, there is a need for a breathable waterproof wader having a construction and configuration which allows for interchangeability of inner liners to accommodate the water temperatures with which the waders will be used. The present invention addresses this need.
SUMMARY
This invention provides a detachable lining system for waders that is particularly applicable for use with uninsulated waders having thin breathable material. The lining system provides liners of varying weight and insulative properties that can be readily inserted and attached to, or unattached and removed from the waders by means of simple fastener mechanisms. For example, a warm quilted insulative liner can be operatively fastened to the wader shell to accommodate use of the waders in relatively cold water conditions; whereas a lighter-weight fleece lining could be fastened to the waders for use in relatively warmer water conditions. Obviously, the liners can also be rapidly replaced in the outer shell for other reasons as well, such as in the event of wear or damage to the liner.
Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention there is provided a lining system for uninsulated waterproof waders of the type having an outer pant-shaped shell with integrally connected socks, comprising: (a) a liner of insulating material configured in pants-like shape and sized to matingly cooperatively fit within the outer wader shell, the liner having an upper portion terminating at an upper peripheral edge and being sized to encircle the upper torso of a person, and a pair of leg portions downwardly depending from the upper portion and terminating at lower edges and configured to extend to the lower legs or ankles of a person; (b) an upper fastener having one part thereof connected to the liner adjacent its upper peripheral edge and a second mating part thereof mounted to an inside surface of the outer shell, for detachably securing the upper portion of the liner to the outer shell; and (c) a lower fastener having one part thereof connected to each of the leg portions of the liner and adjacent the lower edges thereof, and a second mating part thereof mounted to an inside surface of the outer shell, for operatively detachably securing the leg portion to the outer shell. According to one embodiment of the invention, the liner comprises fleece material. According to another embodiment, the liner comprises quilted insulative material. According to one aspect of the invention, the upper fastener member comprises a zipper. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other fastener materials could be used. In similar fashion, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lower fastener comprises a zipper or a hook and loop type fastener. However, other fastener members could also be used within the spirit and intent of this invention.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a pair of waders, comprising: (a) an outer waterproof shell of unlined material configured in pants-like shape; (b) a pair of sock members sealingly connected to lower extremities of leg portions of the outer shell; and (c) a pants-like liner configured for removable insertion within the outer shell. The outer shell preferably comprises a lightweight breathable, yet waterproof material. The liner is preferably detachably secured to the outer shell by means of one or a plurality of fastener members such as zippers or hook and loop fasteners. Preferably one such fastener secures the upper peripheral edge of the liner adjacent the upper end of the waders, and second fasteners secure the lower leg portions of the liner to the wader outer shell at or adjacent the sock portions of the waders. The waders may include additional features such as an external belt for cinching the waders about the wearer's body, protective knee pads, suspenders, pockets, additional padding, and the like.
While the present invention will be described with respect to a particular wader shell configuration, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other shell configurations could be used. Further, while the invention is described with respect to a particular type of lightweight, breathable wader material, those skilled in the art will readily recognize the applicability of the invention to other types of waterproof materials. Further, while several specific types of liners and liner materials area illustrated with respect to the preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize the applicability of the invention to yet other types of liners and liner materials. Further, while particular types of fasteners and their relative locations relative to the outer shell and liner materials are illustrated, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the specific types of fas
Hale Gloria M.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Stearns Inc.
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