This invention relates to a collapsible garment and a method for using the same. More particularly, the invention relates to a swimsuit that can be folded into its belt or a pouch attached to the belt without the necessity of taking the garment off and a method for manufacturing such a swimsuit.
In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the "back to nature" movement and in enjoying life unencumbered by clothes. Most jurisdictions have regulations against public nudity and this acts as a restraint on those who would like to enjoy life in pretty much the state in which they were born. People will be people and those who would like to swim "in the raw", so to speak, have two choices if they wish to act unfettered: (a) wear no clothing, or, (b) wear a swimsuit on the beach and take it all offwhen at a safe distance from any Peeping Toms.
As noted above, option (a) is usually illegal and, in many instances, people are not disposed to so appear in public. There is also the problem of finding a deserted location at which to take off the swimsuit. Facilities for discrete donning and removal of clothing may not exist at beaches and swimming pools. Removing clothing also presents problems in cold and/or windy weather.
Option (b), while aesthetically more appealing to the public at large, presents dangers to the swimmer. Taking the swimsuit off under water requires either bending down or stepping out of the swimsuit and can be dangerous and has the problem of collecting sand and grit inside the swimsuit. There is the additional problem of holding on to the garment once it has been taken off: if both hands are not devoted to the task, there is the risk of losing the swimsuit and the swimmer is back to the situation presented in option (a). Prior art swimsuits also present problems in putting the swimsuit back on. There is difficulty in identifying the proper holes into which legs must go, particularly in active surf. Once back on, any accumulated sand and grit can be very uncomfortable.
One embodiment of the invention of Holland is illustrated in Fig. 1 (Prior Art). As shown, the swimsuit 1 includes a belt 3 adapted to encircle a human waist. The belt defines an inside and an outside. The belt is preferably made of a fabric with some ability to stretch so as to maintain a snug fit with the waist of the person wearing the garment. The swimsuit also includes a body part 4, one end 4a of which defines a pair of pouches (storage compartments) 2 that enclose a portion of the belt. The sides of pouches arc maintained in sliding contact with the portion of the belt that they encircle and are provided with openings purpose of which will be discussed below. As shown in Fig. 1, the pouches are separated by a seam 12 in the middle, the seam coupling the body part 4 to the belt 3. An alternate embodiment of the invention has a single pouch extending all the way across the back.
The invention of Holland, while being fully adapted for the function for which it was designed, was found to have some drawbacks. Drawbacks are purely aesthetic. When the swimsuit is fully folded into the pouch surrounding the belt may, it may have a bulky appearance. In addition, when the swimsuit is in the configuration for wear on the beach, it may be difficult to configure the top rear of the suit for a perfect fit.
There is a need for a swimsuit that enables the law abiding swimmer to comply with applicable rules and regulations. Such a swimsuit should allow the swimmer to enter the water discretely clothed. Such a swimsuit should preferably be safe and easy to disengage from the human body. Such a swimsuit should remain attached to the human body without the use of hands. Such a swimsuit should be easy to put back on. In addition, it should preferably be aesthetically appealing in both the engaged and disengaged positions. The swimsuit should also be easy to manufacture. The present invention satisfies this need.
According to the present invention there is provided a swimsuit as claimed in claim 1, a method of removing a swimsuit as claimed in claim 5 and a method of making a swimsuit as claimed in claim 8.
One aspect of the preferred embodiment is a modification of a conventional swimsuit that has a pair of detachable fasteners. When the fasteners are decoupled, the portion of the swimsuit encircling human legs is "opened up" and may be rolled into a compact size that can be stowed inside a pouch on the swimsuit. Support for the swimsuit is provided by a loop that at least partially encircles a human waist.
Another aspect of the preferred embodiment is a method of using the swimsuit so as to appear covered up in the closed configuration of the swimsuit and to be able to open up the swimsuit while the swimsuit is supported by a loop around the human waist.
Yet another aspect of the preferred embodiment is a method of making a novel collapsible swimsuit by attaching a loop and a plurality of fastening devices to a prior art swimsuit that has been altered.
Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is best understood with reference to Figs. 2-5 that illustrate the arrangement of the various parts of the swimsuit. Referring to Fig. 2, a swimsuit 101 is shown. The swimsuit includes a loop 105 attached to the swimsuit to at least partially enclose a human waist: the exact manner in which it encircles the human waist is discussed below. The loop may be made of any suitable material but in a preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in Fig. 2 preferably comprises a decorative chain that is made of material resistant to corrosion by seawater. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the loop comprises a tubular member such as a cord or "piping". Two fasteners 103a, 103b on the swimsuit 101 are shown in the engaged position so that the swimsuit appears at first sight to be a conventional swimsuit with a decorative loop.
Turning now to Fig. 3, the swimsuit is shown in the disengaged configuration with the fastener 103a now showing its components 103a' disengaged into its components and fastener 103b disengaged into its components 103b'. In the configuration shown in Fig. 3, another feature of the swimsuit becomes apparent: the rear of the swimsuit is seen to have an additional piece of fabric 112 (with a seam 111) that defines a pouch between the member 112 and the rear of the swimsuit. The pouch as shown in Fig. 3 has two openings 113a, 113b.
Also seen in Fig. 3, the loop member is preferably inserted into the pouch (storage compartment). In one embodiment of the invention, the loop member may pass completely through the pouch and thus be capable of fully encircling the human waist. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the loop member may be fastened at two places (not shown) to the rear of the swimsuit and thus only partially encircle the human waist. Other configurations of the swimsuit may include two pouches as taught in Holland.
As taught in Holland, the body of the swimsuit may be rolled up and inserted for storage into the pouch or storage compartment. As discussed in Holland, this is accomplished by rolling up the portion of the swimsuit disengaged from the portion of the swimsuit proximate to the loop and inserting the rolled up portion into the pouch. This is shown in after rolling up and storing in the pouch in Fig. 4. Details of the method of rolling up and storing are discussed below with reference to Figs. 7 and 8.
Turning now to Figs. 5 and 6, a method of making the swimsuit discussed above is shown. Fig. 5 shows a conventional swimsuit 201. By separating the swimsuit, e.g. by cutting, at locations indicated by 211a, 211b, the configuration shown in Fig. 6 results. Manufacture of the swimsuit according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention then requires the addition of a piece of fabric 221 to the swimsuit by a seam such as 231 to define a storage compartment with ends 213 shown, the addition of fastening devices at or near the locations of the separation points 211a, 211b of Fig. 5, and the incorporation of the loop 205 to give a result that would appear to be substantially the same as in Fig. 3. The advantages of this method of making the swimsuit would be clear since this modification could be done to "off the rack" items that are widely available.
The method in which the swimsuit is stored within itself is shown using the teachings of Holland as an example. FIG. 7 illustrates the invention of Holland when the fasteners are disengaged and the body is rolled up tightly to abut the pouches 302 encircling the belt 303. The body in the rolled up position is depicted by 304'. Also shown are the openings 315 in the pouches 302. Because the pouches of Holland are made of the same material as the body and arc flexible, the rolled up body can be inserted into the openings and at the same time, the edges of the opening 315 folded back to the position 315' shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the ends of the opening have been folded back from both sides. As can be seen in FIG. 8, when the clips are disengaged, the body rolled up, and the ends of the opening folded back, the entire garment collapses to a compact shape defined by the belt and the small enclosure around it. The same method is used in the present invention for rolling up and storing the swimsuit within itself using the openings 113a, 113b.
Fig. 9 is an illustration of a swimsuit not forming part of the present invention in what is commonly known as a "thong" swimsuit. Shown is a swimsuit 501 with a "thong" portion 511 extending to the back of the swimsuit, the front of the swimsuit having a width greater than the width of the thong at the back of the swimsuit. The swimsuit is provided with a pouch 507 defined by the seam 505 of a piece of fabric attached to the body of the swimsuit. To simplify the illustration, the openings of the pouch are not shown. A chain 503 (or piping or other tubular member) defines a loop that can encircle the human waist. Alternatively, element 503 may be an integral part of the body of the swimsuit. As with the embodiment discussed above, the chain or tubular member may circle the human waist partially or entirely. The end of the thong is provided with a fastener 509 for attaching to the chain 503. One important difference between this swimsuit and the one discussed above (and in Holland) is that the pouch is now in the front rather than in the back. The method of folding and stowing remain the same.
The foregoing description has been limited to specific embodiments of this invention. It will be apparent, however, that variations and modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments, with the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the invention. Therefore, it is the object of the appended claims to cover all such variations and modifications as come within the true scope of the invention as defined by the claims.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.