OUTERWEAR GARMENT WITH INTEGRAL INFLATABLE HEAD AND NECK CUSHION

Abstract

An outerwear garment composed of a body having a neckline and a collar includes a collar accessory that includes front and back regions of material joined to the body of the outerwear garment in proximity to the neckline. The collar accessory has an interior space of changeable volume between the front and back regions. An elongated inflatable air cushion is positioned within the interior space. The air cushion expands into the interior space and assumes a tubular shape to support at least one of the neck and head of the wearer when the air cushion is in an inflated state. The air cushion includes a valve stem through which the wearer can deliver pressurized air to inflate the air cushion to its inflated state or from which the wearer can expel air to flatten the air cushion to its non-inflated state.

Description

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

©2011 IPPASA, LLC. A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR §1.71(d).

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to outerwear garments and, in particular, to an outerwear garment of closeable front-opening or pullover type having an integral inflatable air cushion that, when in an inflated state, supports at least one of the head and neck of a person wearing the garment.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,349 describes a travel pillow for cradling the head and neck of a user while sitting in repose in a high backed chair or seat. One disadvantage of the travel pillow is that it is a separate, bulky article the user must transport when it is not in use. What is needed is a readily transportable head and neck support cushion.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An outerwear garment composed of a body having a neckline and a collar includes a collar accessory that, in preferred embodiments, is a hood of a sweatshirt, a collar of a front-opening jacket, and a collar of a pullover garment. The collar accessory includes front and back regions of material joined to the body of the outerwear garment in proximity to the neckline. The collar accessory also includes an interior space of changeable volume between the front and back regions. The front region lies in proximity to the garment wearer's head when the wearer dons the outerwear garment to wear it. An elongated inflatable air cushion is positioned within the interior space. The air cushion is sized to fit and lie flat within the interior space when the air cushion is in a non-inflated state and to expand into the interior space and assume a tubular shape to support at least one of the neck and head of the wearer when the air cushion is in an inflated state. The air cushion includes a valve stem through which the wearer can deliver pressurized air to inflate the air cushion to its inflated state or from which the wearer can expel air to flatten the air cushion to its non-inflated state. A removable plug configured to allow the wearer to close the valve stem maintains internal air pressure of the air cushion in its inflated state.

Additional aspects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are, respectively, front perspective and right-side elevation views of a person wearing, in one embodiment of outerwear garment, a hooded sweatshirt of closeable front-opening type having in a non-inflated state an integral inflatable air cushion configured in accordance with the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the hooded sweatshirt of FIGS. 1 and 2, with the inflatable air cushion in a non-inflated state but with the hood pulled over the top of the head of the person wearing the hooded sweatshirt.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are, respectively, right-side elevation, frontal elevation, rear elevation, and top plan views of the hooded sweatshirt with the inflatable air cushion in an inflated state and being worn by a person standing in an upright position.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show in a non-inflated state two exemplary embodiments of an inflatable air cushion that is suitable for installation in the disclosed outerwear garment embodiments.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are, respectively, front perspective and right-side elevation views of a person wearing, in a second embodiment of outerwear garment, a jacket of closeable front-opening type having in a non-inflated state an integral inflatable air cushion configured in accordance with the disclosure.

FIGS. 11, 12, 13, and 14 are, respectively, right-side elevation, frontal elevation, rear elevation, and top plan views of the front-opening jacket with the inflatable air cushion in an inflated state and being worn by a person standing in an upright position.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are, respectively, front perspective and right-side elevation views of a person wearing, in a third embodiment of outerwear garment, a pullover long-sleeve shirt having in a non-inflated state an integral air cushion configured in accordance with the disclosure.

FIGS. 17, 18, 19, and 20 are, respectively, right-side elevation, frontal elevation, rear elevation, and top plan views of the pullover long-sleeve shirt with the inflatable air cushion in an inflated state and being worn by a person standing in an upright position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 show a person 10 wearing, as a first embodiment of a head supporting outerwear garment, a front-opening hooded sweatshirt 12 in which an elongated inflatable air cushion 14 is installed. FIGS. 1 and 2 show sweatshirt 12 with air cushion 14 in a non-inflated state. Sweatshirt 12 includes a sweatshirt body 16 to which a nondetachable hood 18 is attached along a neckline 20 by a sewn seam 22. FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 show that hood 18 has an opening 24 into which the head 26 and neck 28 of person 10 fits when he pulls hood 18 over the top and back of his head 26 to cover it. Hood 18 includes a front region or layer 30 and a back region or layer 32 of fabric material that are joined together by an outer hood seam 34 along a periphery 36 of opening 24 and by an inner hood seam 40 along neckline 20 of sweatshirt body 16. The confronting surfaces of fabric layers 30 and 32 form in hood 18 an interior space 42 characterized by a volume that changes in relation to changes in distance between them.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show two exemplary embodiments of air cushion 14 in a non-inflated state. Air cushion 14 is made of durable vinyl that is constructed to include a plastic inflation valve 46. A collapsible tubular valve stem 48 extends outwardly from valve 46 and is configured to receive a removable plug 50 at a distal end 52 of valve stem 48. Air cushion 14 of a shape shown in FIG. 8A is sized to fit and lie flat within interior space 42 when air cushion 14 is in a non-inflated state and expand into interior space 42 and assume a tubular shape to support the back of head 26 of person 10 when air cushion 14 is in an inflated state. Air cushion 14 is positioned within interior space 42 to extend along outer hood seam 34 and project inwardly into interior space 42 when air cushion 14 is in its inflated state. Valve stem 48 is accessible from front layer 30 of hood 18.

FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 show air cushion 14 in its inflated state projecting inwardly into interior space 42 from periphery 36 of front layer 30 to support head 26 and neck 28 of person 10 when standing upright.

FIGS. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 show a person 10 wearing, as a second embodiment of a neck supporting outerwear garment, front-opening jacket 12j having a turnover collar 60 in which air cushion 14 is installed. FIGS. 9 and 10 show jacket 12j with air cushion 14 of a shape shown in FIG. 8A in a non-inflated state. Jacket 12j includes a jacket body 16j to which collar 60 is attached along a neckline 20j. FIGS. 11, 12, 13, and 14 show collar 60 with air cushion 14 in an inflated state and resembling a large three dimensional letter “C” that cradles neck 28 and the lower part of head 26 of person 10. Collar 60 includes a front region or layer 30j and a back region or layer 32j of fabric material that are joined together by an outer seam 34j along a periphery 36j of collar 60 and by an inner seam 40j along neckline 20j of jacket body 16j. The confronting surfaces of fabric layers 30j and 32j form in collar 60 an interior space 42j characterized by a volume that changes in relation to changes in distance between them.

Air cushion 14 is sized to fit and lie flat within interior space 42j when air cushion 14 is in a non-inflated state, and expand into and fill interior space 42j and assume a tubular shape to support the back of neck 28 of person 10 when air cushion 14 is in an inflated state. Air cushion 14 is positioned within interior space 42j to extend along outer seam 34j and project inwardly into interior space 42j when air cushion 14 is in its inflated state. Valve stem 48 is accessible from front layer 30j of collar 60.

FIGS. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 show a person wearing, as a third embodiment of a neck supporting outerwear garment, a long-sleeve pullover shirt 12p having a flat collar 70 and a closed fabric case 72 in which air cushion 14 of a shape shown in FIG. 8B is installed as a turnover collar accessory. FIGS. 15 and 16 show pullover long-sleeve shirt 12p with air cushion 14 in solid lines to illustrate it in a non-inflated state, and FIG. 15 shows pullover shirt 12p with air cushion 14 in phantom lines to illustrate it in an inflated state. Pullover garment 12p includes a garment body 16p to which flat collar 70 is attached along a neck opening 74. Neck opening 74 defines a neckline for pullover shirt 12p. FIGS. 17, 18, 19, and 20 show flat collar 70 with air cushion 14 installed in an inflated state in case 72 and resembling a large three-dimensional letter “C” that cradles neck 28 and the lower part of head 26 of person 10. Case 72 includes a layer 76 of fabric material joined at its ends by a seam 78 to form an enclosure along a periphery 80 of flat collar 70. Layer 76 includes a front region (FIG. 18) that lies in proximity to head 26 of person 10 and back region (FIG. 19) that is opposite the front region. The interior of the enclosure forms an interior space 82 characterized by a volume. Access to the interior is provided by a zippered opening (not shown).

Air cushion 14 is sized to fit and lie flat within interior space 82 when air cushion 14 is in a non-inflated state, and expand into and fill interior space 82 and assume a tubular shape to support the back of neck 28 of person 10 when air cushion 14 is in an inflated state. Air cushion 14 is positioned within interior space 82 to extend along seam 78 and project inwardly into interior space 82 when air cushion 14 is in its inflated state. Valve stem 48 is accessible from layer 76 of case 72.

Person 10 wearing any of outerwear garment embodiments 12, 12j, or 12p inflates air cushion 14 by blowing or otherwise delivering pressurized air into valve stem 48. Person 10 maintains the internal air pressure of air cushion 14 by inserting removable plug 50 into distal end 52 of valve stem 48 to contain the air within air cushion 14. Person 10 removing plug 50 causes release of air from air cushion 14 and thereby flatten it to its non-inflated state. Valve stem 48 has an articulated structure, and air cushion 14 has at the base of valve stem 48 a circumferential recess such that person 10 pushing down on valve stem 48 causes it to collapse lengthwise on itself and fold into the circumferential recess with removable plug 50 positioned flush against the outer surface of air cushion 14. Thus, air passageway stem can be stored within the circumferential recess in either the inflated or non-inflated state of air cushion 14.

It will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many changes may be made to the details of the above-described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. The scope of the present invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims.

Claims

1. An outwear garment including a body having a neckline and a collar, comprising:

a collar accessory including front and back regions of material joined to the body in proximity to the neckline, the collar accessory further including an interior space of changeable volume between the front and back regions, the front region lying in proximity to the garment wearer's head when the wearer dons the outerwear garment to wear it;

an elongated inflatable air cushion sized to fit and lie flat within the interior space when the air cushion is in a non-inflated state and to expand into the interior space and assume a tubular shape to support at least one of the neck and head of the wearer when the air cushion is in an inflated state, the air cushion including a valve stem through which the wearer can deliver pressurized air to inflate the air cushion to its inflated state or from which the wearer can expel air to flatten the air cushion to its non-inflated state; and

a removable plug configured to allow the wearer to close the valve stem to maintain internal air pressure of the air cushion in its inflated state.

2. The outwear garment of claim 1, in which the collar accessory includes a hood that the wearer can pull over his head to cover it.

3. The outwear garment of claim 1, in which the collar accessory includes a collar of a front-opening jacket.

4. The outerwear garment of claim 1, in which the collar accessory includes a collar of a pullover garment.