Garment Having Work Revealing Window and Method of Use
The invention is a garment or like apparel that has a substantially transparent window connected to a pocket or cavity within the garment or like apparel, with the garment or like apparel being adapted to selectively reveal work performed preferably on a hand-held electronic device that is contained within the pocket or other garment or apparel cavity. The garment or like apparel is useful in allowing the manipulation of the hand-held electronic device contained within a cavity of the garment or like apparel while protecting the user's hands from the weather or harsh environment or while keeping such use discreet or private.
This application claims priority to and is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/353,239 filed Jan. 13, 2009 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUNDThe present invention relates generally to garments and like apparel having a transparent window to reveal work that is performed within the garment or like apparel. More particularly, the present invention relates to garments having a selectively openable window covering operable to expose a transparent window to reveal the use of hand-held electronic devices.
RELATED ARTHand-held electronic devices such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), electronic games, pagers, calculators, puzzle solvers, miniature computers, combinations of the preceding, etc., have become prevalent in society, with their use becoming increasingly common and being adopted by users of increasingly younger ages. Such devices have found use in placing phone calls, sending text messages, playing games, browsing internet pages, purchasing goods and services, solving puzzles, and other sundry uses. Some garments are known to have been adapted for using such hand-held electronic devices and related devices. Further, some garments are known to have various pockets or other features so as to provide a particular utility to the user of the garment. Examples of such concepts are disclosed in the following US patents and applications which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,296,303, 6,826,782, 6,774,296, 6,665,878, 6,014,774, 5,845,337, 5,794,263, 5,787,505, 5,699,632, 5,682,610, 5,678,249, 5,499,401, 5,461,728, 5,269,023, 5,241,706, 5,139,187, 4,949,887, 4,893,357, 4,876,724, 4,495,659, 4,408,355, 4,221,954, 3,793,643, 3,491,373, 3,203,005, 2,751,952, 2,727,241, 2,611,901, 2,557,280, 369,817, 255,420, D472,364, D440,738, D373,235, D371,892, D364,724, D300,984, D255,505, D254,216, D138,009, D132,164, D132,163, D132,162, D132,161, D123,010, D116,525, D115,369, D97,354, D97,237, D97,236, D29,775, D7,537, D7,536, D6,826, D4,254, D4,019, D3,946, D3,697, D2,841, D2,835, 20080196140, 20070261703, 20070139875, and 20040035742.
SUMMARYIt is recognized that oft times when using a hand-held electronic device, the user's hands as well as the hand-held device are subject to cold, rain or other inclement weather as well as to sand, dirt and other debris. An example of such use is for instance, a football fan using a cell phone while attending a cold open air football game to send a text message of the football game score. Furthermore, it is recognized that when using a hand-held electronic device, the user may want to avoid drawing attention to the use, or the user may want to conceal such use. An example of such use is for instance, a student using a cell phone while attending a class to send a text message to a friend without the “texting” becoming known to the instructor or other select students. The invention therefore is a garment or related apparel (e.g. a purse) that has a substantially transparent window connected to a pocket or cavity, with the garment being adapted to selectively reveal work performed preferably on a hand-held electronic device that is used within the pocket or other garment cavity. The garment may take the form for instance of a hoodie (or hoody—a hooded sweatshirt or like garment) having a pocket with a transparent window, a jacket having a pocket with a transparent window, a purse having a transparent window, a muff (or muffler—a hollow cylindrical or tubular garment for use warming hands), a mitten adapted for two-handed use having a transparent window, or a glove having a transparent window. The use may be for instance preparing and sending a text message on a cell phone while the cell phone is held within the windowed cavity of the garment by the wearer of the garment or by the user of the related apparel.
In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are included to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.
The invention is a garment or related apparel that has a substantially transparent window connected to a pocket or cavity within the garment or related apparel, with the garment or related apparel being adapted to selectively reveal work performed preferably on a hand-held electronic device that is contained within the pocket or other garment or apparel cavity. The garment or related apparel is useful in allowing the manipulation of the hand-held electronic device contained within a cavity of the garment or related apparel while protecting the user's hands and the hand-held device from the weather or harsh environment or while keeping such use discreet or private.
In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention in reviewing the drawings accompanying the specification, a feature list is provided below. It is noted that like features are like numbered throughout all of the figures.
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The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
Claims
1. A hand garment for use in manipulating a hand-held electronic device within said hand garment while observing said manipulation from without said hand garment through a window in said hand garment so as to perform said hand-held electronic device manipulation without exposing a user's hands to inclement weather without said hand garment, said hand garment defining a hand garment having a window formed therein and being adapted such that when at least one of a hand and a hand-held electronic device is located within said hand garment, at least one of said hand and said hand-held electronic device is viewable without said hand garment.
2. The hand garment of claim 1, wherein said hand garment further includes a hand-held electronic device removably contained within said hand garment.
3. The hand garment of claim 1, wherein said hand garment further includes an openable and closable window covering.
4. The hand garment of claim 3, wherein said window covering includes a Velcro closure mechanism.
5. The hand garment of claim 1, wherein said hand garment further includes at least one access opening having a flexible cuff.
6. The hand garment of claim 1, wherein said hand garment further includes an engagable and disengagable strap adapted to secure said hand garment to a user of said hand garment.
7. The hand garment of claim 1, wherein said hand garment further defines a muff having an openable and closable window covering having a Velcro closure mechanism, at least one access opening having a flexible cuff, and an engagable and disengagable strap adapted to secure said muff to a user of said muff.
8. A muff for use in manipulating a hand-held electronic device within said muff while observing said manipulation from without said muff through a window in said muff so as to perform said hand-held electronic device manipulation without exposing a user's hands to inclement weather without said muff, said muff having a window formed therein and being adapted such that when at least one of a hand and a hand-held electronic device is located within said muff, at least one of said hand and said hand-held electronic device is viewable without said muff.
9. The muff of claim 8, wherein said muff further includes a hand-held electronic device removably contained within said muff.
10. The muff of claim 8, wherein said muff further includes an openable and closable window covering.
11. The muff of claim 10, wherein said window covering includes a Velcro closure mechanism.
12. The muff of claim 8, wherein said muff further includes at least one access opening having a flexible cuff.
13. The muff of claim 8, wherein said muff further includes an engagable and disengagable strap adapted to secure said muff to a user of said muff.
14. The muff of claim 8, wherein said muff further includes an openable and closable window covering having a Velcro closure mechanism, at least one access opening having a flexible cuff, and an engagable and disengagable strap adapted to secure said muff to a user of said muff.
15. A method for use in manipulating a hand-held electronic device within a hand garment while observing said manipulation from without said hand garment through a window in said hand garment so as to perform said hand-held electronic device manipulation without exposing a user's hands to inclement weather without said hand garment, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a hand garment,
- inserting a hand-held electronic device within said hand garment, and
- manipulating said hand-held electronic device within said hand garment.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said method further includes the step of viewing said manipulation of said hand-held electronic device without said hand garment through a window formed in said hand garment.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein said hand garment further includes an openable and closable window covering.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said window covering includes a Velcro closure mechanism.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein said hand garment further includes at least one access opening having a flexible cuff.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein said hand garment further includes an engagable and disengagable strap adapted to secure said hand garment to a user of said hand garment.
21. The method of claim 16, wherein said hand garment further defines a muff.
22. The hand garment of claim 16, wherein said hand garment further defines a muff having an openable and closable window covering having a Velcro closure mechanism, at least one access opening having a flexible cuff, and an engagable and disengagable strap adapted to secure said muff to a user of said muff.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 31, 2011
Publication Date: Feb 23, 2012
Inventor: Patrick G. Jarboe (Davisburg, MI)
Application Number: 13/285,075