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(11) | EP 0 111 634 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Combination outerwear and pack |
| (57) 57 An outerwear such as a jacket, anorak or parka, for example, has an opening (2)
defined in a back (1D) thereof and a pocket (7) being positioned below sleeves (1B)
and normally inside a torso portion (1A). The pocket (7) can be taken out of the torso
portion (1A) through the opening (2) and turned inside out. The outerwear can be folded
into the pocket (7) as turned inside out, and the opening (2) can be closed by a pair
of drawstrings (3, 4). The folded outerwear is used as a knapsack with the drawstrings
(3, 4) serving as shoulder straps, or simply as a shoulder bag. According to another
arrangement, a front (26) and a back (27) of an outerwear support thereon a pair of
slide fastener stringers (28,29), respectively, which can be interconnected by a slider
(30) after sleeves (17), a hood (18), and portions of the front (26) and back (27)
have been folded into a space or pocket (37) being positioned below sleeves (17) and
between the front (26) and back (27). The folded outerwear can also serve as a knapsack
or a shoulder bag with a pair of drawstrings (20, 21) on an outerwear hem (19) serving
as shoulder straps. |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an outerwear such as a jacket, anorak, parka, for example, which can be folded or rolled into a built-in pocket or interior space so as to be usable as a pack such as a knapsack or shoulder bag.
[0002] During outdoor activities such as sports or hiking, it frequently happens that people wearing jackets, anoraks, parkas, for example, want to take off their outerwears due to an ambient temperature rise or a body heat buildup. Usually, the outerwears that have been took off are carried by hand when there is no place available to put them in. This is undesirable since at least one hand is occupied by holding the outerwear, and only the other hand is free for doing something that may come up during the activity. Furthermore, some people often tend to leave the removed outerwear somewhere and foreget to bring it along.
[0003] A need sometimes arises during outdoor activities for carrying something small by hand, and this also imposes limitations on the availability of the both hands.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an outerwear foldable into its own pocket or interior space for use as a knapsack or shoulder bag, for instance.
[0005] According to the present invention, there is provided an outerwear such as a jacket, anorak, or parka, for example, comprising a torso portion having a pocket having a normally-open closable open end, a pair of sleeves extending from the torso portion, the pocket being positioned below the sleeves, and means attached to the torso portion around the open end for closing the open end, the arrangement being such that at least a portion of the torso portion and the sleeves can be folded into the pocket through the open end and then said open end can be closed by said means. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the open end is attached to the torso portion, the pocket being normally disposed in the torso portion and capable of being turned inside out when brought through the open end out of the torso portion, the torso portion and the sleeves being all accommodatable in the pocket as it is turned inside out. The means comprises a pair of drawstrings slidably attached to the torso portion. According to another embodiment, the torso portion has a front and a back, the means comprising a pair of first and second slide fastener stringers attached respectively to the front and the back, one of the first and second slide fastener stringers having a slider slidably mounted thereon for interengaging the first and second slide fastener stringers.
[0006] The shoulder bag or knapsack thus constructed from the folded outerwear can carry small pieces therein to free user's hands for various activities. With the folded outerwear carried as the shoulder bag or knapsack, the user is no longer likely to leave the outerwear which has been taken off somewhere.
[0007] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008]
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a hooded jacket or parka according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the jacket shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the jacket of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the manner in which the jacket is folded into a pocket of its own;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a knapsack in which the jacket of FIG. 1 is folded;
FIG. 6 is a view illustrative of the manner in which the knapsack of FIG. 5 is used as a shoulder bag;
FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of an anorak according to another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of the anorak shown in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX - IX of FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is a plan view of a pair of drawstrings incorporated in the anorak illustrated in FIG. 7;
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the anorak as folded into an interior space thereof as a knapsack;
FIG. 12 is a rear elevational view of the completed knapsack; and
FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the completed knapsack.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0009] As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, an outerwear 1 such as a hooded jacket or parka in which the principles of the present invention are incorporated has a body or torso portion lA, a pair of sleeves 1B, 1B extending from the torso portion lA, and a neck portion 1C connected to the torso portion 1A with a hood attached thereto. The torso portion lA includes a back 1D having a horizontal opening 2 in the form of a slit defined therein and positioned immediately below the joints between the sleeves 1B, 1B and the torso portion lA. A pair of looped drawstrings 3, 4 is supported on the back 1D around the opening 2 and accommodated in a pair of tubes 5, 5 mounted on the back 1D on.opposite edges, respectively, of the opening 2. The drawstrings 3, 4 have end portions extending out of the tubes 5, 5 through holes 6 defined in the back 1D. The exposed ends of the drawstrings 3, 4 are secured together by short bars 10, 10, as shown in FIG. 2. The opening 2 can thus be closed by pulling the drawstrings 3, 4 out of the holes 6.
[0010] As best shown in FIG. 3, a pocket 7 is positioned below the sleeves lB and is attached to an inner surface of the back 1D and has a size large enough to accommodate the overall jacket 1 therein. The pocket 7 has open edges 8 sewn to the peripheral edge of the opening 2 so that the pocket 7 can be turned inside out through the opening 2 out of the jacket 1. The pocket 7 has a pair of looped hooks 9, 9 attached to its bottom corners and located inside the pocket 7 when the latter is stored within the jacket 3. When the pocket 7 is pulled out of the jacket 3 and turned inside out, therefore, the looped hooks 9, 9 are exposed as shown in FIG. 5. The short bars 10, 10 on the drawstrings 3, 4 can then be locked in the looped hooks 9, 9.
[0011] The back 1D also has a cover flap 11 attached at an upper edge thereof to an outer surface thereof and covering the opening 2. The cover flap 11 has a lower edge fasten- able to the back lD by means of fasteners 12, 13 known as a Velcro (trademark) closure. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the pocket 7 in the jacket 1 is covered and concealed by a lining 14 attached to the inner surface of the back lD.
[0012] The jacket 1 is used as follows: In a normal mode of use, a wearer wears the jacket 1 with the opening 2 covered by the cover flap 11 and the drawstrings 3, 4 substantially withdrawn in the tubes 5. When the jacket 1 is to be folded into a knapsack, the wearer takes off the jacket 1, and the cover flap 11 is unfastened and the pocket 7 is pulled out of the jacket 1 through the opening 2 during which time the pocket 7 is turned inside out. Then, the entire jacket 1 is folded and put into the pocket 7 as shown in FIG. 4. Small pieces may also be placed into the pocket 7, and thereafter the drawstrings 3, 4 are pulled out close the opening 2 and the short bars 10, 10 are engaged by the hooks 9, 9, respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The knapsack thus formed can now be carried on the user's back. Instead of using the folded jacket as the knapsack, it may be used as a shoulder bag as shown in FIG. 6 by pulling out the drawstrings 3, 4 and tying them together.
[0013] The drawstrings 3, 4 may be of an increased length such that they can be used as a waist belt when the jacket 1 is worn by the user during normal usage thereof.
[0014] FIGS. 7 through 13 illustrate an outdoor jacket 15 such as an anorak according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the jacket 15 is composed of a body or torso portion 16, a pair of . sleeves 17, 17, and a hood 18. The torso portion 16 has a folded hem 19 in which a pair of drawstrings 20, 21 is inserted. The drawstrings 20, 21 have end portions 22, 23 disposed out of the folded hem 19 and fastened together by short bars 24, 25, respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 10.
[0015] The torso portion 16 has a front 26 and a back 27 as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, respectively. The front 26 has a first slide fastener stringer 28 extending horizontally just below the junctions between the sleeves 17 and the torso portion 16, and likewise the back 27 has a second slide fastener stringer 29 extending horizontally just below the junctions between the sleeves 17 and the torso portion 16. The second slide fastener stringer 29 supports thereon a slider 30 for taking the first and second slide fastener stringers 28, 29 into mutually meshing relation, as described later on. The back 27 also has a pair of laterally spaced hooks 31, 32 engageable with the end portions 22, 23 of the drawstrings 20, 21, respectively. The front 26 has a vertical slide fastener 33 extending between the hood 18 and the first slide fastener stringer 28 for opening and closing a chest portion 34 of the front 26, and a pocket 35 positioned immediately below the first slide fastener stringer 28 and openable and closable by a horizontal slide fastener 36.
[0016] The jacket 15 can be worn by a user in a normal mode of use. When the jacket 15 is no longer necessary, the sleeves 17, 17, the hood 18, and the chest portion 34 are folded and stuffed into an interior space or pocket 37 which are positioned below the sleeves 17 between the front 26 and the back 27 through a gap or open end 40 between the first and second slide fastener stringers 28, 29. The first and second slide fastener stringers 28, 29 are then brought into meshing engagement by the slider 30 slidably moved therealong, thereby closing the open end 40. The drawstrings 20, 21 are pulled out to close an opening 38 defined by the hem 19 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The end portions 22, 23 of the pulled-out drawstrings 20, 21 are then engaged by the hooks 31, 32, respectively. The completed pack can therefore be used as a knapsack, in which small pieces may be carried. Rather than locking the drawstring end portions 22, 23 in the hooks 31, 32, they may be tied or left untied and held by hand to carry the bag.
1. An outerwear comprising a torso portion (lA; 16) having a pocket (7; 37) having
a normally-open closable open end (2; 40), a pair of sleeves (lB; 17) extending from
said torso portion (lA; 16), said pocket (7; 37) is positioned below the sleeves (lB;
17) and means (3, 4; 28, 29, 30) attached to said torso portion (lA; 16) around said
open end (2; 40) for closing said open end (2; 40), the arrangement being such that
at least a portion of said torso portion (lA; 16) and said sleeves (lB; 17) can be
folded into said pocket (7; 37) through said open end (2; 40) and then said open end
(2; 40) can be closed by said means (3, 4; 28, 29, 30).
2. An outerwear according to claim 1, wherein said open and (2) is attached to said
torso portion (lA) said pocket (7) being normally disposed in said torso portion (lA)
and capable of being turned inside out when brought through said open end (2) out
of said torso portion (lA), said torso portion (lA) and said sleeves (lB) being all
accommodatable in said pocket (7) as it is turned inside out.
3. An outerwear according to claim 2, wherein said means comprises a pair of drawstrings
(3, 4) slidably attached to said torso portion (lA).
4. An outerwear according to claim 3, wherein said pocket (7) has a pair of hooks
(9, 9) attached to bottom corners thereof, respectively, inside the pocket (7) when
the latter is located in said torso portion (lA), said hooks (9, 9) being positionable
outside said pocket when the latter is taken out of said torso portion (lA) and turned
inside out, and engageable with said drawstrings (3, 4).
5. An outerwear according to claim 3, wherein said torso portion (lA) has a back (1D),
said opening (2) being defined horizontally in said back (lD), and said pocket (7)
being attached to said back (lD).
6. An outerwear according to claim 5, including a cover flap (11) attached at one
end thereof to said back (lD) in covering relation to said opening (2), and a fastener
(12) for removably fastening an opposite end of said cover flap (11) to said back
(lD).
7. An outerwear according to claim 5, including a lining (14) attached to said back
(lD) within said torso portion (lA) and concealing said pocket (7) as located within
said torso portion (lA).
8. An outerwear according to claim 1, wherein said torso portion (16) has a front
(26) and a back (27), said means comprising a pair of first and second slide fastener
stringers (28, 29) attached respectively to said front (26) and said back (27), one
of said first and second slid fastener stringers (28, 29) having a slider (30) slidably
monted thereon for interengaging said first and second slide fastener stringers (28,
29).
9. An outerwear according to claim 8, including a pair of drawstrings (20, 21) mounted
on a hem (19) of said torso portion (16) for closing an opening of said torso portion
(16) defined by said hem (19).
10. An outerwear according to claim 9, including a pair of hooks (31, 32) mounted
on said back (27) adjacent to said second slide fastener stringer (29) for engaging
said drawstrings (20, 21), respectively.
11. An outerwear according to claim 8, wherein said first and second slide fastener
strigers (28, 29) extend substantially horizontally across said front (26) and said
back (27).