COLD WEATHER VENTED GARMENT

Abstract

The present invention relates to breathable, vented, and insulating cold weather garments. More particularly, the present invention relates to garments with chambers to retain an insulating fill material. Perforations along the seams between the insulating chambers may achieve optimal evaporative moisture transfer from the inside (proximal to the body of a wearer) of the garment to the outside environment.

Claims

1. A method of making a garment comprising: providing a first panel of material; providing a second panel of material; affixing the first panel and the second panel together at a plurality of seams to form one or more chambers between the first panel and the second panel; perforating one or more of the plurality of seams to create at least one perforation on the one or more of the plurality of seams, wherein the at least one perforation extends through the one or more of the plurality of seams, through the first panel, and through the second panel; filling the one or more chambers with a thermally insulating fill material; and forming the garment using at least the first panel of material and the second panel of material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermally insulating fill material is at least one of down and a synthetic fiber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the affixing step comprises: stitching the first panel and the second panel together to form the plurality of seams along predetermined sections.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the affixing step comprises: applying an adhesive along predetermined sections of an inner face of one of the first panel or the second panel, and positioning an inner face of the other of the first panel or the second panel such that it is adjacent to the inner face of the respective of the first panel or the second panel with the applied adhesive.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the applied adhesive is activated by one of: (A) heat energy; or (B) ultrasonic energy.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of seams created after affixing the first panel and the second panel together are further reinforced by one of: (A) adding stitching along a lower edge of each of the plurality of seams, along a length of each of the plurality of seams; (B) adding stitching along an upper edge of each of the plurality of seams, along a length of each of the plurality of seams; or (C) adding stitching along an upper edge and a lower edge of each of the plurality of seams, along a length of each of the plurality of seams.

7. A method of making an upper body garment, the method comprising the steps of: providing at least one front panel adapted to cover a front torso area of a wearer when the upper body garment is in an as worn configuration; providing at least one back panel adapted to cover a back torso area of the wearer when the upper body garment is in the as-worn configuration; and affixing the at least one front panel to the at least one back panel such that together they help to define in part at least a neckline opening, a first sleeve opening, a second sleeve opening, and a waist opening; wherein providing the at least one front panel or the at least one back panel comprises: (A) forming from a first fabric piece, an inner panel configured to face the wearer when the upper body garment is in the as-worn configuration; (B) forming from a second fabric piece, an outer panel having a shape corresponding to the inner panel, the outer panel configured to be exposed to the external environment when the upper body garment is in the as-worn configuration; (C) affixing the inner panel and the outer panel together at a plurality of seams to form one or more chambers between the inner panel and the outer panel; (D) perforating one or more of the plurality of seams to create one or more perforations on the plurality of seams, wherein the one or more perforations extend through the one or more of the plurality of seams, through the inner panel, and the outer panel; and (E) filling the one or more chambers with a thermally insulating fill material.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of affixing the inner panel and the outer panel together comprises: stitching the inner panel and the outer panel together to form the plurality of seams along predetermined sections.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of affixing the inner panel and the outer panel together comprises: applying an adhesive on an inner face of one of the inner panel or the outer panel at one or more predetermined sections; and positioning an inner face of the corresponding inner panel or the outer panel such that it is adjacent to the inner face of the respective inner panel or the outer panel with the applied adhesive.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the applied adhesive is activated by one of: (A) heat energy; or (B) ultrasonic energy.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of seams created after affixing the inner panel and the outer panel together are further reinforced by one of: (A) adding stitching along a lower edge of each of the plurality of seams, along a length of each of the plurality of seams; (B) adding stitching along an upper edge of each of the plurality of seams, along a length of each of the plurality of seams; or (C) adding stitching along an upper edge and a lower edge of each of the plurality of seams, along a length of each of the plurality of seams.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the thermally insulating fill material is at least one of down and a synthetic fiber.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the perforating step is done at one of: (A) the same time as the affixing the inner panel and the outer panel step; (B) after the affixing the inner panel and the outer panel step; or (C) after the filling with thermally insulating fill material step.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of perforations are formed: (A) continuously along a length of the one or more of the plurality of seams; or (B) intermittently along a length of the one or more of the plurality of seams.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of perforations comprise different sizes.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of perforations comprise different shapes.

17. A garment comprising: at least one panel adapted to cover an upper body portion of a wearer when the garment is in an as-worn configuration; wherein the at least one panel comprises: (A) an inner panel configured to face the wearer when the garment is in the as-worn configuration; (B) an outer panel configured to be exposed to an external environment when the garment is in the as-worn configuration; (C) a plurality of seams that join the inner panel and the outer panel; (D) at least one chamber formed between the inner panel and the outer panel; (E) a thermally insulating fill material contained within the chamber; and (F) at least one perforation located on one or more of the plurality of seams, wherein the at least one perforation extends through the one or more of the plurality of seams, through the inner panel, and through the outer panel.

18. The garment of claim 17, wherein the thermally insulating fill material is at least one of down and a synthetic fiber.

19. The garment of claim 17, wherein the plurality of seams that join the inner panel and the outer panel are formed by one of bonding using an adhesive, stitching, or bonding using an adhesive and stitching.

20. The garment of claim 17, wherein the inner panel comprises a textile material that weighs 89 g/m.sup.2 or less.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0012] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

[0013] FIGS. 1A and 1B are a front and back view, respectively, of an exemplary cold weather vented garment in accordance with the present invention;

[0014] FIG. 2A is a close up view of a section of a venting seam from the cold weather vented garment in FIG. 1A;

[0015] FIG. 2B is a close up view of a section of a different example of a venting seam from a cold weather garment in accordance with the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a small section of the cold weather vented garment in FIG. 1, where the insulating chambers are shown in relation to the perforated seams;

[0017] FIG. 4 is a view of a different exemplary cold weather vented garment in accordance with the present invention;

[0018] FIG. 5 is a close up view of a section of a venting seam from the cold weather vented garment in FIG. 4;

[0019] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a small section of the cold weather vented garment in FIG. 4, where the insulating chambers are shown in relation to the perforated seams; and

[0020] FIGS. 7A and 7B depict front and back view of an additional exemplary cold weather vented garment in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] FIGS. 1A and 1B are a front view 140 and a back view 150 of a vented cold weather garment 100 in accordance with the present invention. The vented cold weather garment 100 in FIGS. 1A and 1B may be made from conventional synthetic or natural fabrics. The fabrics may be water repellent and fill proof, or alternatively such as in the case of light fabrics, they may need to be treated with waterproofing and down proofing chemicals such as for example, the chemical treatments referred to as DWR (durable water repellent). Since cold weather garments may be down or synthetic thermal fiber filled, an upside of these treatments, is that they prevent the fill from poking through the fabric and, they prevent water moisture from the environment from entering inside of the garment. A downside of these chemical treatments on fabrics, is that these treatments may create a barrier preventing moisture generated from perspiration to evaporate when the vented cold weather garment is in an as-worn configuration.

[0022] The vented cold weather garment in FIGS. 1A and 1B may be constructed by cutting out a first inner panel and a corresponding second outer panel, for each section of the garment, from a fabric piece(s) (not shown). An adhesive tape suitable for the particular type of fabric may be placed on the inner face of one of the panels along predetermined sections of the panel to form chambers with the desired shape. Once the adhesive tape is set in place, the second panel may be aligned on top of the panel with the adhesive tape with its inner face facing the tape. Then, the two panels may be pressed together with sufficient force and/or energy applied, to activate the adhesive tape to create a bond(s) between the two panels. The adhesive tape may be activated by heat, or ultrasonic energy, or any other type of applied energy. Once the fabrics are bonded, seams 120 with chambers 130 in between each adhesive taped region are created. The seams 120 may be spaced apart along the length of the garment (as shown), or seams 120 may be spaced apart lengthwise, perpendicular to the length of the garment, along the width of the garment (not shown). The spacing of seams 120 may vary, as may the relative orientation of the seams and/or the shape of the seams, enabling chambers 130 to be different shapes and/or sizes. The chambers 130 may then be filled with down, or synthetic insulating fabrics. Depending on the size and/or shape of the chambers formed, the chambers may be filled with down or thermal insulating fibers, either manually or mechanically. Further, manual filling may be the preferred method if the chambers 130 are relatively small or irregularly shaped. Seams 120 may be perforated during bonding, after bonding, and/or after filling the chambers. Perforations 110 may be formed using a laser, an ultrasonic cutter, and/or a mechanical cutter. The plurality of perforations 110 may provide ventilation and moisture management by allowing moisture vapor from perspiration to escape to the outer environment. Provided the proper equipment, the seams 120 may be simultaneously formed and perforated in a single step, although the seams and perforations may be formed in separate steps without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0023] In a different example of the garment in accordance with the present invention, depending on the fabric material used, the seams 120 may be created without the use of an adhesive tape. For example if the fabric already has adhesive properties, or is weldable by heat, pressure, or ultrasonic energy, the seams 120 may be created and perforated without the use of adhesive tape.

[0024] FIG. 2A is a close up of a seam 120. The seams 120 formed as described above, may be presented in a straight line (as shown), in a curved line, in a wavy line, or any other shape that may be useful, for example in forming a chamber, and being visually appealing at the same time. The seams 120 may be mechanically perforated by using a welding and cutting wheel assembly, or may be perforated with a laser, an ultrasonic cutter, and/or a mechanical cutter to form the plurality of perforations 110. The plurality of perforations 110 may be of the same size, or different sizes (as shown). The plurality of perforations maybe of different shapes such as circular (as shown), triangular, rectangular, or any other shape desired. The plurality of perforations 110 may be evenly spaced in a straight line, curvy line, zig-zag, or any other suitable shape for placing the plurality of perforations 110 on seams 120, where the plurality of perforations 110 extend through the seams 120. Additionally, depending on the size of the individual perforations, there may be multiple rows of perforations on each seam. The plurality of perforations 110 may be presented continuously along the seams 120 (as shown), or may be presented intermittently along seams 120, or may be strategically placed only in the areas of high perspiration such as along the back of a wearer, under the arms of a wearer, between the legs of a wearer, etc. The size and frequency of the individual perforations 110 may be determined to provide optimal ventilation and breathability, while still maintaining the structural integrity of the fabric, and maintaining a high level of thermal insulation. For example, the width size of each individual perforation in the plurality of perforations 110 may range anywhere from 0.1 mm-5 mm, and the spacing between each individual perforation measured from edge to edge, may range anywhere from 0.5 mm-10 mm. Other sizes and/or spacing of perforations may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 2B is a close up of a seam 220. The seams 220 formed as described above, may be presented in a straight line (as shown), in a curved line, in a wavy line, or any other shape that may be useful, for example in forming a chamber, and being visually appealing at the same time. The seams 220 may be mechanically perforated by using a welding and cutting wheel assembly, may be perforated with a laser, an ultrasonic cutter, and/or a mechanical cutter, or may be perforated in any other way to form the plurality of perforations 210. The plurality of perforations 210 may be of the same size (as shown), or different sizes. The plurality of perforations maybe of different shapes such as circular (as shown), triangular, rectangular, or any other shape desired. The plurality of perforations 210 may be evenly spaced in a straight line, curvy line, zig-zag, or any other suitable shape for placing the plurality of perforations 210 on seams 220, where the plurality of perforations 210 extend through the seams 220. Additionally, depending on the size of the individual perforations, there may be multiple rows of perforations on each seam. For example, as seen in FIG. 2B, there may be three rows of perforations 210, wherein the perforations 210 of the middle row may or may not be offset from the perforations of the first and third rows. In the case where the perforations 210 of the middle row are offset (as shown), the offset distance may range anywhere from 0 mm-10 mm, or any other distance suitable for the performance and design desired in the final product. While in the present example, only the middle row is offset, all or none of the rows may be offset or, if more rows of perforations are present, different rows may be chosen to be offset. The plurality of perforations 210 may be presented continuously along the seams 220 (as shown), or may be presented intermittently along seams 220, or may be strategically placed only in the areas of high perspiration such as along the back of a wearer, under the arms of a wearer, between the legs of a wearer, etc. The size and frequency of the individual perforations 210 may be determined to provide a desired level of ventilation and breathability, while still maintaining the structural integrity of the fabric and maintaining a desired level of thermal insulation. For example, a desired amount of ventilation, breathability, structural integrity, and thermal insulation may be achieved in a garment using light fabric/textile and down fill with a width size of each individual perforation in the plurality of perforations 210 ranging anywhere from 0.1 mm-5 mm, and the spacing between each individual perforation measured from edge to edge ranging anywhere from 0.5 mm-10 mm, although other sizes and configurations are within the scope of the present invention.

[0026] One way of measuring the amount of breathability of a garment, such as garments in accordance with the present invention, may be by performing a hot-plate transfer test, which allows for measurement of the resistance to evaporative transfer of a textile or garment. The lower the resistance number obtained from the test, the less resistance to evaporation there is and therefore, the more evaporation that occurs through the garment in a given amount of time. Garments in accordance with the present invention may be shown to have lower resistance to evaporative transfer than un-perforated garments in hot-plate transfer testing.

[0027] The garment construction may become more apparent in reference to FIG. 3, where an angled cross-sectional view 300 of a small section of the garment with all the novel features, is shown. The garment in accordance with the present invention may be constructed from a first inner panel 310 and a second outer panel 320. The seams 120 and chambers 130 may be created as described above in reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, where the chambers 130 are created between pairs of seams 120 between the first inner panel 310 and the first outer panel 320. The plurality of perforations 110 extend through the first inner panel 310 and the second outer panel 320 to provide ventilation and moisture management by allowing moisture vapor from perspiration to escape to the outer environment when the vented cold weather garment is in an as-worn configuration. The chambers 130 may then be filled with a fill 330, such as down or synthetic fibers.

[0028] Now, in reference to FIG. 4, a front view of a different cold weather garment 400 in accordance with the present invention is provided. Like the cold weather garment 100 of FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vented cold weather garment 100 in FIG. 4 may be made from conventional synthetic or natural fabrics. The fabrics may be water repellent and down proof, or alternatively such as in the case of ultra-light fabrics (29 g/m.sup.2 or lower) and light weight fabrics (89 g/m.sup.2-30 g/m.sup.2), the fabrics may need to be treated with waterproofing and down proofing chemicals such as for example, the chemical treatments referred to as DWR (durable water repellent).

[0029] The cold weather garment in FIG. 4 may be constructed in a fashion similar to that described above with regard to the garment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B to form seams 420 to create chambers to hold fill material, with a plurality of perforations 410 formed in seams 420. The seams 420 may be further reinforced by adding stitching 470 along their upper edge/boundary 510 and/or lower edge/boundary 520, as can be seen in the close up view of FIG. 5.

[0030] Stitching 470 may be applied mechanically and/or by hand, and may use any type of thread, whether natural or synthetic. Stitching 470 may be applied before or after applying pressure and/or energy to form seams 420. Likewise, stitching 470 may be applied before or after perforations 410 and/or before or after chambers 430 are filled.

[0031] The garment construction may become more apparent in reference to FIG. 6, where an angled cross-sectional view 600 of a small section of the garment with all the novel features, is shown. The garment in accordance with the present invention may be constructed from a first inner panel 620 and a second outer panel 610. The seams 420 and chambers 430 may be created as described above in reference to FIG. 4. The chambers may then be filled with fill 630, such as down or synthetic fibers.

[0032] Alternatively, in a further different example of the garment in accordance with the present invention, the seams 420 may be produced by omitting the adhesive tape layer altogether. In other words, the seams 420 may be created simply by stitching 470 along the upper seam boundary 510 and lower seam boundary 520. The plurality of perforations 410 may then be placed in between the stitched boundaries. This example may be pictured better in reference to FIG. 5.

[0033] The insulating chambers in the garments in accordance with the present invention may be formed by welding separate pieces of fabric at each seam, or as discussed earlier, may be formed by pressing two whole panels with adhesive tape in strategic places in between the two panels. If the chambers were formed by welding separate pieces of fabric at each seam, this would allow for the introduction of different textures, colors, or functionalities by introducing different types of fabrics at different sections of the garment.

[0034] Further, the vented cold weather insulating garment examples shown in the examples of FIGS. 1A, 1B, and FIG. 4 are vented cold weather jackets or coats. However, the insulating vented garments in accordance with the present invention may also be constructed in the form of vests, pants, overalls, gloves, hats, etc. FIGS. 7A and 7B depict an example vest 700 in accordance with the present invention, with FIG. 7A depicting a front view 740 and FIG. 7B depicting a back view 750 of the exemplary vest 700. As seen in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the vest 700 may have seams 720 with a plurality of perforations 710, forming thermally insulating chambers 740, which may be filled with down, or any other thermally insulating material, such as polyester fibers. The vest 700 may or may not have stitches along the edges of seams 720 for reinforcement of the seams. The vest 700 may be used as a light weight breathable thermal insulation garment, for example by a runner.

[0035] From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.

[0036] It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

[0037] Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.