GARMENT ASSEMBLY WITH DEPLOYABLE SEAT

Abstract

A garment assembly comprises a garment, a seat, and at least one elastic member extending between the seat and the garment. When the seat is in a stowed position, a) a bottom surface of the seat is constructed and arranged to be alongside and face an outer surface of the garment and b) a top surface of the seat is constructed and arranged to face away from the outer surface of the garment. The at least one elastic member is configured to stretch to accommodate movement of the seat from the stowed position to a deployed position adjacent to a butt of the user. The at least one elastic member, in one configuration, retains the seat in the stowed position and, in another configuration, biases the top surface of the seat against the butt of the user when the seat is in the deployed position.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. A garment assembly comprising: a garment configured to be wearable by a user and to cover at least a portion of a back of the user, the garment having an inner surface and an opposing outer surface, wherein, when the garment is worn by the user, the inner surface of the garment faces toward the user and the outer surface of the garment faces away from the user; a seat having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface and the bottom surface are on opposite sides of the seat; wherein, when the seat is in a stowed position, a) the bottom surface of the seat is constructed and arranged to be alongside and face the outer surface of the garment and b) the top surface of the seat is constructed and arranged to face away from the outer surface of the garment; and at least one elastic member extending between the seat and the garment, the at least one elastic member configured to stretch to accommodate movement of the seat from the stowed position to a deployed position adjacent to a butt of the user; and wherein the at least one elastic member, in one configuration, retains the seat in the stowed position and, in another configuration, biases the top surface of the seat against the butt of the user when the seat is in the deployed position.

22. The garment assembly of claim 21, wherein the at least one elastic member comprising a first end section attached to the garment, a second end section attached to the garment, and an intermediate section extending through the seat, at least one of both the first end section and the second end section are elastic, and the intermediate section is elastic.

23. The garment assembly of claim 22, wherein the intermediate section is elastic.

24. The garment assembly of claim 22, wherein both the first end section of the at least one elastic member and the second end section of the at least one elastic member are elastic.

25. The garment assembly of claim 22, wherein the seat includes an aperture that extends through the seat from a first side surface of the seat to a second side surface of the seat, and wherein the intermediate section of the at least one elastic member extends through the aperture of the seat.

26. The garment assembly of claim 21, wherein the at least one elastic member comprising a first section fixed to the garment and a second section fixed to the seat, wherein the seat is connected to the garment by the first section and the second section of the at least one elastic member.

27. The garment assembly of claim 21, wherein the at least one elastic member comprising: a first elastic member comprising: a first section fixed to the garment, and a second section fixed to the seat, a second elastic member comprising: a first section fixed to the garment, and a second section fixed to the seat; wherein the first elastic member and the second elastic member are separate structures, and wherein the seat is connected to the garment by the first elastic member and the second elastic member.

28. The garment assembly of claim 27, wherein the seat is connected to the garment by only the first elastic member and the second elastic member.

29. The garment assembly of claim 27, further comprises at least one hinging strap, the at least one hinging strap comprising a first section and a second section, the first section attached to the seat and the second section attached to the garment.

30. The garment assembly of claim 29, wherein the seat is connected to the garment by only the first elastic member, the second elastic member and the at least one hinging strap.

31. The garment assembly of claim 27, wherein the first elastic member and the second elastic member are configured to increase in length during an initial portion of deployment and thereafter to decrease in length during a subsequent portion of deployment

32. The garment assembly of claim 21, further includes at least one hinging strap, the at least one hinging strap including a first section and a second section, the first section of the at least one hinging strap attached to the seat and the second section of the at least one hinging strap attached to the garment.

33. The garment assembly of claim 32, further includes a hinging strap connector attached to at least one of the first section of the at least one hinging strap and the second section of the at least one hinging strap.

34. The garment assembly of claim 33, wherein the first section of the at least one hinging strap is releasably connected to the second section of the at least one hinging strap via the hinging strap connector.

35. The garment assembly of claim 33, wherein the hinging strap connector includes a first hinging strap connector portion releasably connected to a second hinging strap connector portion, the first hinging strap connector portion attached to the first section of the at least one hinging strap, the second hinging strap connector portion attached to the second section of the at least one hinging strap.

36. The garment assembly of claim 21, wherein, when the garment is worn by the user, the seat extends more vertically than horizontally in the stowed position and more horizontally than vertically in the deployed position.

37. The garment assembly of claim 21, wherein at least one elastic member comprising a first section attached to the garment, and a second section attached to the garment and extending through the seat; and a connector attached to at least one of the first section and the second section, the first section releasably connected to the second section via the connector, such that the seat is deployable between the stowed position exterior to and outside of the garment and across from the back of the user and the deployed position adjacent to the butt of the user.

38. The garment assembly of claim 37, further comprising an intermediate section extending through the seat.

39. The garment assembly of claim 37, wherein the connector includes a first connector portion and a second connector portion, the first connector portion attached to the first section of the at least one elastic member, the second connector portion attached to the second section of the at least one elastic member, the first connector portion releasably connected to the second connector portion.

40. The garment assembly of claim 37, further includes first and second hinging straps, each of the first and second hinging straps including a first section and a second section, wherein the first sections of each of the first and second hinging straps are attached to the seat, and wherein the second sections of each of the first and second hinging straps are attached to the garment.

41. The garment assembly of claim 40, further comprising first and second hinging strap connectors, the first hinging strap connector attached to at least one of the first section and the second section of the first hinging strap, the second hinging strap connector attached to at least one of the first section and the second section of the second hinging strap.

42. The garment assembly of claim 41, wherein the first section of the first hinging strap is releasably connected to the second section of the first hinging strap via the first hinging strap connector, and the first section of the second hinging strap is releasably connected to the second section of the second hinging strap via the second hinging strap connector.

43. The garment assembly of claim 21, wherein the seat is deployable between the stowed position exterior to and outside of the garment and across from the back of the user and the deployed position adjacent to the butt of the user.

44. The garment assembly of claim 21, wherein the at least one elastic member is configured to bias the bottom surface of the seat towards the outer surface of the garment when the seat is in the stowed position and to bias the top surface of the seat against the butt of the user when the seat is in the deployed position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0021] FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of one embodiment of a garment assembly with a deployable seat in a stowed position.

[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates the garment assembly of FIG. 1 during deployment of its seat.

[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates the garment assembly of FIG. 1 with its seat in a representative deployed position.

[0024] FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the seat used by the garment assembly of FIG. 1.

[0025] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the garment assembly of FIG. 1 while being worn by a user and with its seat in a stowed position.

[0026] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the garment assembly of FIG. 5 that illustrates the user initiating deployment of the seat.

[0027] FIG. 7 as a perspective view of the garment assembly of FIG. 5 that illustrates the seat in a representative deployed position and with the user sitting on this seat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Each of the patents and patent applications listed in the Cross Reference to Related Applications section of the present patent application is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present patent application. Such incorporation by reference should be understood to include, but not be limited to, each of the claims as originally filed in each of those patents and patent applications.

[0029] One embodiment of a garment assembly is illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 and is identified by reference numeral 10. The garment assembly 10 includes a garment 14 and a deployable seat 22. The garment 14 may be of any appropriate size, shape, configuration, and/or type, and may be used for any appropriate application (e.g., hunting). For instance, the garment 14 may be in the form of a jacket, vest, life jacket, shirt, coat, parka, backpack, or sporting event seat. In the illustrated embodiment, the garment 14 is in the form of a vest (e.g., a hunting vest).

[0030] The deployable seat 22 includes a top or upper surface 26, a bottom or lower surface 30, a pair of side or side surfaces 34, a front or front surface 38, and a rear or rear surface 42. The seat 22 may be of any appropriate size, shape, and/or configuration, and may incorporate any appropriate supporting material or combination of supporting materials. Moreover, any desirable properties may be incorporated/utilized by any of the surfaces 26,30,34,38,42 (e.g., the bottom or lower surface 30 of the seat 22 may be waterproof; the entire exterior of the seat 22 may be waterproof).

[0031] A pair of lower strap assemblies or hinging strap assemblies 48 interconnect the garment 14 and the seat 22, and may facilitate the deployment of the seat 22 in a manner that will be discussed in more detail below. Each lower strap assembly 48 may include a buckle 52 (FIGS. 5-7) to facilitate detachably interconnecting the garment 14 and seat 22. Any appropriate number of lower strap assemblies 48 may be used, each lower strap assembly 48 may be fixed at any appropriate location on each of the garment 14 and seat 22 and in any appropriate manner, multiple lower strap assemblies 48 may be disposed in any appropriate arrangement, and each lower strap assembly 48 may use one or more straps of any appropriate type (e.g., elastic; non-elastic). In the illustrated embodiment, each lower strap assembly 48 is fixed to the seat 22 at or near its rear 42. It may be possible to alleviate the lower strap assemblies 48 altogether, although again the use of the lower strap assemblies 48 may facilitate the deployment of the seat 22.

[0032] The garment assembly 10 further includes a pair of upper strap sections 56 that each interconnect with the garment 14 and that each at least interface or interact with the seat 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper strap sections 56 are actually part of a single strap that extends through the interior of the seat 22 via a side-to-side aperture 44 (FIG. 4) that is incorporated by the seat 22 (e.g., an intermediate section of this single strap extends through the seat 22 and joins with each of the upper strap sections 56). The upper strap sections 56 could also be separate structures and separately attached or fixed to the seat 22 in any appropriate manner and at any appropriate location. In any case, an end of each upper strap section 56 is fixed or mounted to the garment 14 in any appropriate manner and at any appropriate location. In the illustrated embodiment, a buckle 60 is provided for each upper strap section 56 to detachably interconnect the garment 14 with the seat 22 at two additional location s. The upper strap sections 56 and the lower strap assemblies 48 thereby support the seat 22 in its stowed position of FIG. 1. Although the seat 22 may be detachably interconnected with the garment 14 so as to be totally separable from the garment 14 as thus far described, it should be appreciated that at least one interconnection may remain between the seat 22 and the garment 14 at all times (not shown).

[0033] Each upper strap section 56 also interfaces with the seat 22 at a pair of laterally spaced locations, or along each of the two sides 34 of the seat 22 as noted. In the illustrated embodiment where the upper strap sections 56 are part of a common strap, the upper strap sections 56 are not actually fixed to the seat 22 as noted. However and once again, it should be appreciated that the upper strap sections 56 could indeed be separate structures, with one portion (e.g., one end) of each such upper strap section 56 being appropriately fixed or mounted to the garment 14 and with another portion.(e.g., the opposite end) of each such upper strap section 56 being appropriately fixed or mounted to the seat 22 in any appropriate manner.

[0034] The upper strap sections 56 of the garment assembly 10 facilitate deployment of the seat 22, and notably without having to disconnect the seat 22 from the garment 14 of the garment assembly 10 in any manner. In this regard, the upper strap sections 56 are each able to extend or stretch (i.e., increase in length) some time during deployment of the seat 22. More specifically, each upper strap section 56 extends or stretches (i.e., increases in length) during the initial portion of the deployment of the seat 22, and thereafter may contract (i.e., decreases in length) during a subsequent portion of the deployment of the seat 22. Preferably, each upper strap section 56 is formed from an appropriate elastic or other appropriate resilient material, such that each upper strap section 56 may extend or stretch when exposed to an appropriate force, and thereafter uses stored internal energy or the like to contract or retract to at least some degree upon experiencing at least a certain reduction of this force (including via a pure elastic deformation, where each upper strap section 56 would move back to its undeformed state once a load is totally removed).

[0035] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate three representative positions for the seat 22. FIG. 1 illustrates a stowed position for the seat 22, where the bottom or lower surface 30 of the seat 22 faces the back side of the garment 14 and where the top or upper surface 26 of the seat 22 faces away from the back side of the garment 14. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, when the garment assembly is worn by the user, the seat extends substantially/generally vertically (i.e., more vertically than horizontally) in the stowed position. The upper strap sections 56 may pull the seat 22 against the garment 14 at this time (e.g., to resiliently bias the seat 22 against the garment 14, particularly when being worn by a user), although such is not required (e.g., the upper strap sections 56 may be in tension or stretched with the seat 22 in its stowed position). FIG. 2 illustrates a representative intermediate position of the seat 22, or a partially deployed position, while FIG. 3 illustrates a representative deployed position of the seat 22 (i.e., other deployed positions may exist). In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, when the garment assembly is worn by the user, the seat extends substantially/generally horizontally (i.e., more horizontally than vertically) in the deployed position. Generally, the seat 22 may be characterized as' being pivoted, flipped, or inverted to move from the stowed position of FIG. 1 to the deployed position of FIG. 3 (e.g., the deployment of the seat 22 may be characterized as the front 38 of the seat 22 pivoting at least generally about the rear 42 of the seat 22, as illustrated by the arrows A and B in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively), and again this motion may be undertaken without disconnecting the seat 22 from the garment 14 in any manner which may be desirable for one or more applications (e.g., hunting).

[0036] With the seat 22 being in the stowed position of FIG. 1, the front or front surface 38 of the seat 22 is moved at least generally away from the garment 14 to initiate deployment of the seat 22. Each upper strap section 56 extends or stretches to accommodate movement of the seat 22 from the stowed position of FIG. 1 to the intermediate of FIG. 2. That is, the length of each upper strap section 56 in FIG. 2 is greater than its corresponding length in the stowed position of FIG. 1. Again, note that the seat 22 remains interconnected with the garment 14 by the upper strap sections 56 and the various lower strap assemblies 48.

[0037] In order to move the seat 22 from the stowed position of FIG. 1 to the representative deployed position of FIG. 3, the front 38 of the seat 22 is also moved in a downward direction. Compare the vertical position of the front 38 of the seat 22 in each of FIGS. 1 and 2, again where FIG. 2 is an intermediate position of the seat 22 during its deployment. Movement of the seat 22 from the intermediate position of FIG. 2 to the deployed position of FIG. 3 entails directing the front 38 in a continued downward direction and then back toward a position where the seat 22 is now disposed underneath the garment 14 versus behind the garment 14 as in the case of the stowed position of FIG. 1. The existence of the lower strap assemblies 48, which again interconnect the seat 22 with the garment 14, may facilitate the abovenoted type of motion for deployment of the seat 22 (e.g., a pivoting or pivotallike motion of the seat 22 at least generally about its rear 42).

[0038] In the FIG. 3 position, the upper strap sections 56 may be of an intermediate length compared to the FIGS. 1 and 2 configurations. That is, the upper strap sections 56 may be in an extended or stretched state in FIG. 3 compared to the FIG. 1 position (FIG. 1 being the stowed position), but are contracted or retracted in FIG. 3 (deployed position) compared to the FIG. 2 position (intermediate position). That is, the upper strap sections 56 may and preferably are in tension in the deployed position of FIG. 3, which desirably retains the top or upper surface 26 of the seat 22 against the user. Stated another way, the upper strap sections 56 preferably resiliently bias the seat 22 into contact with a user of the garment assembly 10 with the seat 22 being in the deployed position of FIG. 3.

[0039] The above-described motion of the seat 22 during its deployment in effect inverts or flips the seat 22. Recall that in the FIG. 1 position (the stowed position), the bottom or lower surface 30 of the seat 22 faces the garment 14 (in a horizontal dimension), while in the FIG. 3 position (a representative deployed position) the bottom or lower surface 30 of the seat 22 faces away from the garment 14 (in a vertical dimension). Moreover, the top or upper surface 26 of the seat 22 faces away from the garment 14 of the garment assembly 10 in the stowed position of FIG. 1 (facing in a horizontal dimension), but faces the garment 14 in the deployed position of FIG. 3 (facing upwardly in a vertical dimension). It should be appreciated that the above-noted protocol may simply be reversed to move the seat 22 from a deployed position (FIG. 3) back to the stowed position of FIG. 1.

[0040] FIGS. 5-7 illustrate three representative positions for the seat 22, with the garment assembly 10 being worn by a user, and with the lower strap assemblies 48 being fixed at or near a lower edge 18 of the garment 14 (although again the lower strap assemblies 48 may be fixed or anchored at any appropriate location of the garment 14 as noted above, and in fact may be alleviated altogether). FIG. 5 is a stowed position for the seat 22, where the bottom or lower surface 30 of the seat 22 faces the garment 14, and where the top or upper surface 26 of the seat 22 faces away from the garment 14 (in a rearward direction in relation to the direction that the user is facing in FIG. 5). At this time, the upper strap sections 56 may be in tension to pull the seat 22 against the back of the user, although again such is not required. Although the lower strap assemblies 48 are not necessarily required, they may enhance the retention of the seat 22 in the stowed position of FIG. 5.

[0041] FIG. 6 illustrates the use of a single hand to initiate the deployment of the seat 22 by moving the front 38 of the seat 22 both away from the garment 14 of the garment assembly 10 and in a downward direction, as illustrated by the arrow C. Both of the user's hands could of course be used. This movement of the seat 22 is accommodated by stretching or extending each of the upper strap sections 56 (i.e., the length of the upper strap sections 56 is increased progressing from the stowed position of FIG. 5 to the intermediate position of FIG. 6). The movement of the seat 22 from the FIG. 5 position to the FIG. 6 position exposes the bottom or lower surface 30 of the seat 22 (the bottom 30 now facing up in FIG. 6 versus facing the back of the user in the stowed position of FIG. 5), and further changes the orientation of both the top or upper surface 26 of the seat 22 and its bottom or lower surface 30. For instance, the top 26 of the seat 22 faces down in the intermediate position of FIG. 6 (in a vertical dimension), versus facing rear or away from the user in the stowed configuration of FIG. 5 (in a horizontal dimension).

[0042] FIG. 7 illustrates a deployed position where the user is sitting on the top or upper surface 26 of the seat 22. In order to dispose the seat 22 in the deployed position of FIG. 7 from the intermediate position of FIG. 6, the user manipulates the seat 22 to move the front 38 of the seat 22 at least generally in the direction depicted by the arrow D in FIG. 7, typically while still in a standing position. In the deployed position of FIG. 7, the upper strap sections 56 are preferably of an intermediate length compared to the configurations of FIGS. 5 and 6. That is, preferably the upper strap sections 56 in FIG. 7 are longer compared to the FIG. 5 configuration (the stowed position for the seat 22), but are shorter compared to the FIG. 6 configuration (an intermediate position in the deployment of the seat 22). As such, the upper strap sections 56 will retract to at least a degree at some point in time of the movement of the seat 22 from the intermediate position of FIG. 6 to the deployed position of FIG. 7 (possibly when the deployed position of FIG. 7 is reached). In any case, the upper strap sections 56 are preferably in tension or stretched to a degree in the deployed position of FIG. 7 to pull the seat 22 against the butt of the user, although such may not be required in all instances.

[0043] The garment assembly 10 with its deployable seat 22 offers a number of advantages. One is that the user does not have to unlock or unlatch any buckles to move the seat 22 from the stowed position (e.g., FIG. 5) to a deployed position (e.g., FIG. 7). Unlocking or unlatching buckles generates undesired noise for hunting applications. Stated another way, all structural connections between the seat 22 and the garment 14 of the garment assembly 10 may be retained or maintained while moving the seat 22 between its stowed position and a deployed position. Moreover, the user does not have to hold onto the seat 22 when moving from standing position to a position where the user is sitting on the seat 22, as the upper strap sections 56 may provide a force for retaining the seat 22 against the user at this time. Yet another advantage is that the user may leave the seat 22 in a deployed position when moving from one location to another location. That is, the user may stand up from the position illustrated in FIG. 7 and need not grab the seat 22 to do sothe upper strap sections 56 should retain the top or upper surface 26 of the seat 22 against the butt of the user during the user's transition from the sitting position of FIG. 7 to a standing position. Moreover, the seat 22 may be retained in a deployed position (i.e., the seat 22 need not be moved back to the stowed position of FIG. 5) if the user is moving only a short distancethe upper strap sections 56 again should retain the top or upper surface 26 of the seat 22 against the butt of the user. However, if the user is going to move any significant distance, the foregoing deployment protocol may be reversed to dispose the seat 22 back into the stowed position of FIG. 5 (again, without having to disconnect the seat 22 from the garment 14 of the garment assembly 10 in any manner).

[0044] The foregoing description of the present invention has been for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the above teachings, and skill and knowledge of the relevant art, are within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments described hereinabove are further intended to explain best modes known of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or other embodiments and with various modifications required by the particular application(s) or use(s) of the present invention. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.

[0045] It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims.