Apparel – Body garments – Coats
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-09
2002-07-23
Hale, Gloria M. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Body garments
Coats
Reexamination Certificate
active
06421834
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi-purpose articles of clothing and article carriers, and more particularly to a sportsman or survival jacket which article can be converted into a backpack and having a special pocket in the back panel for housing and carrying a full-sized tent.
2. Preliminary Discussion
Conventional outerwear, such as an upper torso covering jacket for outdoor enthusiasts and hikers, is usually lightweight, has a wind and weather resistant outer shell, a lining to keep the user warm, and a plurality of pockets on both the inner and outer panels of the jacket mainly for carrying small articles. During any given hike, changes in temperature due to, for example, changing weather conditions or, if the hiker is climbing a mountain, changes in altitude, can occur quickly and often unexpectedly. On the one hand, if the weather is generally warm and sunny, which warm temperature may be amplified by any physical exertion involved, it may be desirable to wear a jacket in the morning hours and remove the jacket during the midday hours. However, it is inconvenient for a hiker to manually carry a jacket, as one wishes to keep his or her hands generally free during hiking. Thus, it is desirable to have a means for conveniently storing or carrying a garment without having to carry an extra backpack or pouch. On the other hand, there are also times when the weather quickly becomes colder, and a jacket is required for warmth or protection.
In other instances, such as an overnight hiking trip or even a day trip to a lake or beach, it is often desirable to bring a tent along to provide additional protection from the sun or cold when resting. However, as is well-known to outdoor enthusiasts, quickly changing weather conditions or other emergencies such as an injury from a fall or the like, may arise, which situations may be further aggravated if they occur in a remote area where the hiker may be stranded overnight or longer. In such situations, in addition to a tent it may be important to have other survival gear, such a thermal blankets, flashlights, emergency medical equipment, or other provisions. On more routine trips, while initially it may be desirable to bring a backpack to carry a lunch or the like, after such items have been removed and the backpack is essentially useless, it would be convenient if the backpack could be converted into and worn as a jacket Such interconvertibility would eliminate the need for carrying both a jacket and a backpack in many situations.
The present inventor has developed a particularly versatile article which can be either worn as a jacket, or, if desired, can be converted from jacket form into a backpack or carrying bag. In addition, while most jackets do not include a storage pocket large enough to fit a full-size tent, a special pocket is provided in the back lining of the inventor's jacket for carrying a light but essentially full size tent, including all of the poles, stakes and the like necessary to erect it. Such oversize pocket covers almost or substantially the entire area of the back panel of the jacket so that the tent can be laid neatly and compactly into the pocket without bulging or appearing awkward. The jacket also includes a reflective emergency or signaling means on the outermost side of the tent pocket cover or panel, which cover is revealed when the outer lining of the jacket is rolled up. The reflective panel may also be completely removed from the jacket to be used as an emergency flag, helicopter landing marker, or the like. The jacket also preferably provides a plurality of specially sized and constructed pockets, a pair of which are on the forearm area of the sleeves for carrying gloves, and a pair on the upper arms for carrying thermofoil blankets. This eliminates the need to carry these items in the more conventional side and front pockets of the jacket where they contribute to excess bulk and bulging of the jacket. Other special pockets for holding survival gear or other equipment may be provided. In order to help distribute the load forces exerted on the jacket when the tent is housed in the pocket or pouch on the back of the jacket, a pair of shoulder straps and a waist belt are provided attached to the pocket through the inner wall of the jacket such that the pocket is supported across substantially its entire width and height. In addition, such straps are used support the interconvertible article or clothing of the invention when used in backpack form, as shown and described in detail below.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
Many different types of multi-functional or convertible jackets have been developed over the years, both for hikers or outdoorsman who may encounter inclement weather or other emergencies, as well as for everyday use.
For example, it is well known to provide a poncho which can be adapted for use as a shelter or tent, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 578,691 issued to H. I. Conant. Conant discloses a single sheet of canvas which can be used alternatively as a poncho, blanket, knapsack and shelter tent if combined with two or more similar ponchos. See also U.S. Pat. No. 1,155,800 issued to A. H. Corbet U.S. Pat. No. 1,895,911 issued to G. C. Bosson, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 2,344,379 issued to E. H. Wallin and U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,867 to M. I. Ridgeway, Jr. for similar disclosures. The resulting shelters in such references, however, are primitive at best, and provide only limited protection to the user from wind, rain, cold, and other elements, and are not convenient for sleeping. In addition, all such references require use of the garment itself as part of the shelter or covering. Often this may not be desirable, for example, in cold weather or other emergency situation when the jacket is the wearer's only significant protection from the elements. U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,735 issued to G. Rolf et al. discloses a combination poncho and tent wherein a supplemental tapered sleeve is attached to the poncho to form a tent. While such configuration is useful for its limited purpose, it still does not provide a complete tent structure separate from the garment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,521 issued to R. E. Asher et al. shows a similar garment.
Jackets having large pockets situated on the back outer panel are also known. For example, U.S. Design Pat. No. 251,936 issued to T. G. Shaw shows a jacket having a detachable pocket or pack on the back of the jacket. However, such pocket extends outwardly from the main portion of the jacket and is not concealed or protected by the outer lining of the jacket or shell as in the present invention. In addition, the Shaw pocket does not contain smaller pockets on the outer wall of the large pocket for holding tenting provisions such as tent poles and stakes. Similarly, while the garments disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,187, U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,719 issued to L. Robinson, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,644 issued to Mengato, also have large capacity pockets, such pockets are also not concealed or covered by the jacket shell and would be inconvenient if not unusable for storing and carrying tenting provisions.
Numerous jacket and backpack combinations are also known in the prior art. Several references show a jacket having a knapsack or backpack attached to the back of the jacket, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,315 issued to R. C. Yellen et al., which discloses a combination coat and detachable backsack supported by shoulder straps on the inner panel of the jackets. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,315 issued to R. C. Yellen et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,719 issued to L. Robinson. In other references, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,735 issued to R. E. McLaughlin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,831 issued to Greenberger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,777 issued to T. Park, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,117 issued to G. Prendergast, the jacket portion is foldable into a compartment in the backpack. However, unlike the present invention, such combinations include separate backpack and jacket structures, while in the present invention the jacket is essentially folded t
Hale Gloria M.
Patel Tejash
Wilkinson Charles A.
Wilkinson Clinton H.
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