POINT OF PURCHASE VEST

Abstract

A garment comprising a garment body has a substantially transparent outer layer and an inner layer coupled to the outer layer by a plurality of seams. The plurality of seams form pockets between the outer layer and the inner layer over substantially all of the garment body and at least one of the pockets is accessible through a slit formed in one of the outer layer and the inner layer.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a garment for use in sales and advertising. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a vest with pockets for holding salable goods or advertising materials.

Often, when a worker is on the job, specialized clothing is worn by the worker. Sometimes, unique features are present in the specialized clothing to facilitate the worker's activities or to promote goods, services, or organizations.

Specialized clothing known in the art sometimes includes pockets for holding items such as tape measures or nails for use by the worker or printing permanently applied directly on the clothing to promote goods or services such as a store logo.

SUMMARY

A garment has one or more of the features recited in the appended claims and/or the following features which, alone or in any combination, may comprise patentable subject matter:

A garment may include a garment body including a substantially transparent outer layer and an inner layer. The inner layer may be coupled to the substantially transparent outer layer by a plurality of seams. The plurality of seams may form pockets between the substantially transparent outer layer and the inner layer over substantially all of the garment body and at least one of the pockets may be accessible through a slit formed in one of the substantially transparent outer layer and the inner layer.

In some embodiments, the slit may be formed through the inner layer. Each of the pockets may be accessible through a corresponding slit formed in the inner layer. The inner layer may be substantially transparent.

It is contemplated that at least one of the plurality of pockets may be bordered on at least four sides by a respective one of the plurality of seams. At least one of the seams may form a top border of one pocket and a bottom border of another pocket. The plurality of seams may be formed by RF welding together the substantially transparent outer layer and the inner layer.

In some embodiments, the substantially transparent outer layer may be about twice as thick as the inner layer. At least one of the pockets may have an equal height and width. At least one of the pockets may have an asymmetric shape.

The garment body may include a back panel, a left front panel coupled to the back panel to form a left armhole, and a right front panel coupled to the back portion to form a right armhole. The left front panel may be spaced apart from the right front panel to form an opening along the front of the garment body.

The plurality of seams may include horizontal seams and vertical seams. At least two pockets may be accessible through slits extending through the inner sheet and the slits may be spaced from and parallel to the horizontal seams.

A method of making a garment may include the steps of providing a first sheet of substantially transparent material and providing a second sheet of substantially transparent material. The method may also include the steps of coupling the first sheet to the second sheet with a series of seams in a pattern to form pockets between the first sheet and the second sheet and slitting the first sheet so that a wearer can access at least one of the pockets.

In some embodiments, the method may include the step of cutting the coupled first sheet and second sheet into a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel. The method may also include the steps of coupling the second panel to the first panel with a seam so that the first panel and the second panel cooperate to form a first armhole and coupling the third panel to the first panel with a seam so that the first panel and the third panel cooperate to form a second armhole. It is contemplated that the second panel may be spaced apart from the third panel to form an opening along the front of the garment body.

A method of displaying and promoting lottery tickets from a vest including a garment body portion having an inner layer and a substantially transparent outer layer may include the step of inserting lottery tickets into pockets formed between the inner layer and the outer layer so that the lottery tickets face toward the outer layer and are visible by onlookers. The method may also include the step of putting on the vest so that the lottery tickets are displayed to potential customers. In some uses, tickets of other types, such as tickets to sporting or entertainment events may be displayed and dispensed from the vest. Thus, in such embodiments, the method may further include the step of removing one of the tickets from one of the pockets of the vest to sell to a customer.

In some embodiments, the method may include the step of inserting an informational card into at least one of the pockets so that one of worker name, lottery jackpot, and previous winning lottery numbers are displayed to customers. The lottery tickets may be inserted and removed through a plurality of slits formed through the inner layer.

Additional features, which alone or in combination with any other feature(s), such as those listed above and those listed in the claims, may comprise patentable subject matter and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the embodiments as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a vest for displaying lottery tickets or advertising to promote a lottery, the vest including a substantially transparent garment body with pockets covering front panels of the substantially transparent garment body so that lottery tickets and advertisements are displayed to potential customers;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the vest show in FIG. 1 showing that the substantially transparent garment body includes a back panel with pockets for displaying additional lottery tickets; and

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the vest shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 showing that the lottery tickets displayed in the vest are accessible to a worker wearing the vest so that the lottery tickets can be removed or changed over time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one illustrative embodiment, a substantially transparent garment is embodied as a vest 10 for use as a display and/or dispenser of advertisements and goods as shown in FIG. 1. In the illustrative embodiment, the vest 10 includes a substantially transparent garment body 12 having rectangular pockets 14 and asymmetrical pockets 15 as shown in FIG. 1. In the illustrative embodiment, pockets 14, 15 hold a series of lottery tickets 16 that are visible to an onlooker and to a worker wearing vest 10. Lottery tickets 16 are accessible to a worker wearing vest 10 through slits 18 extending into pockets 14, 15 as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, a worker wearing vest 10 is able to both advertise and promote a lottery with lottery tickets 16. In other embodiments, pockets 14, 15 may hold coupons, advertising cards, tickets, consumer goods, ID badges, price tags or other items for display and/or sale.

Garment body 12 includes an outer layer 20 and an inner layer 22 coupled to outer layer 20 by vertical seams 26 and horizontal seams 28 as shown in FIGS. 1-3. Both outer layer 20 and inner layer 22 are illustratively made from a substantially transparent plastics material. In other embodiments, inner layer 22 may be made from a substantially opaque material. Outer layer 20 illustratively has a sixteen gage thickness to protect lottery tickets 16 held in pockets 14, 15. Inner layer 22 illustratively has an eight gage thickness to contain lottery tickets 16 and to promote flexibility of vest 10. In other embodiments, outer layer 20 and inner layer 22 may have different thicknesses to accommodate various items held in pockets 14, 15 and various environments of use.

Vertical seams 26 and horizontal seams 28 couple outer layer 20 to inner layer 22 as shown, for example, in FIG. 1. In the illustrative embodiment, seams 26, 28 are radio frequency (RF) welds as suggested in FIGS. 1-3. In other embodiments, seams 26, 28 may be formed through other processes such as heat welding, sonic welding, stitching, or other suitable processes. Seams 26, 28 may also be arranged in configurations other than perpendicular lines to form pockets with irregularly angled or curved corners.

Pockets 14, 15 extend over substantially all of garment body 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Pockets 14, 15 are formed between outer layer 20 and inner layer 22 and are bordered by seams 26, 28. In the illustrative embodiment, a side 34 of a square pocket 14 is about four and one-fourth inches (4.25″) in length on each side to accommodate lottery tickets 16. In the illustrative embodiment, forty-four of the pockets 14, 15 are sized to accept lottery tickets 16. In other embodiments, pockets 14, 15 may be other shapes or sizes and may house a different number of items depending upon the specific application of vest 10 and the items to be held in pockets 14, 15.

Slits 18 illustratively provide access to each pocket 14, 15 and are formed through inner sheet 22 as shown in FIG. 3 so that lottery tickets 16 are secure until a worker opens vest 10 to remove a lottery ticket 16. In other embodiments, slits 18 may be formed through outer sheet 20 so that a worker can quickly access lottery tickets 16 or other items without opening or removing vest 10. Slits 18 are spaced apart from one another and do not extend into seams 26, 28. Slits 18 are illustratively spaced apart from and extend along horizontal seams 28 as shown, for example in FIG. 1. In other embodiments, at least one pocket 14, 15 may not be accessible by a slit 18 and a permanent identifier, advertisement, or item may be placed in the inaccessible pocket prior to coupling of the inner layer 22 to the outer layer 20.

Construction of vest 10 is illustratively accomplished by forming slits 18 through inner layer 22 in a predetermined pattern as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the illustrative embodiment, slits 18 are made in an irregular predetermined pattern; however, in other embodiments, slits 18 may be applied in a regular pattern. Outer layer 20 is laid on top of inner layer 22. Outer layer 20 is coupled to inner layer 20 by applying seams 26, 28 in a predetermined pattern to form the shapes of pockets 14, 15 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the illustrative embodiment, seams 26, 28 are made in an irregular pattern; however, in other embodiments, seams 26, 28 may be made in a regular pattern. Seams 26, 28 are illustratively made by RF welding outer layer 20 with inner layer 22 forming vertical seams 26 and horizontal seams 28. Slits 18 may be formed in inner layer 22 before or after outer layer 20 is coupled to inner layer 22.

After the pockets 14, 15 are formed by coupling the outer layer 20 with the inner layer 22, a back panel 40, a left front panel 42, and a right front panel 44 are cut from the coupled outer layer 20 and inner layer 22 to be assembled into garment body 12. Left front panel 42 is coupled by to back panel 40 by stitching or by RF welds so that left front panel 42 and back panel 40 cooperate to form a left armhole 46. Right front panel 44 is then coupled to back panel 40 so that right front panel 44 and back panel 40 cooperate to form a right armhole 48. Left front panel 42 and right front panel 44 remain spaced apart from one another so that an opening 50 is formed along the front of vest 10 and is available to a user opening or removing vest 10. In other embodiments, back panel 40, left front panel 42, and right front panel 44 may remain a single unitary piece and armholes 46, 48 and opening 50 may be cut out prior to garment body 12 being folded along a shoulder line and front panels 42, 44 being coupled to back panel 40 by seams. Finally, piping 52 is coupled to the edges of the assembled garment body 12 as shown in FIG. 12 to protect exposed edges from delaminating. In the illustrative embodiment, piping 52 is folded over the edges of garment body 12 and stitches are extended through piping 52 and garment body 12 to couple piping 52 to garment body 12. In some embodiments, a closure (not shown) such as a button, a clasp, an adhesive, or a piece of Velcro® may be added to vest 10 to provide a means for closing off opening 50 between left front panel 42 and right front panel 44.

In one illustrative method of use, a worker may display scratch off or pull tab lottery tickets 16 for the purpose of making sales or promoting goods and services as suggested in FIGS. 1-3. The worker inserts a variety or a single type of lottery ticket 16 facing toward the outer layer 20 into one or all of pockets 14, 15 formed in garment body 12 through slits 18 so that the lottery tickets 16 are displayed to onlookers of the vest 10. In some embodiments, the worker may insert cards showing the current lottery jackpot amount or cards showing previous winning numbers. The worker puts on the vest 10 by inserting arms through the armholes 46, 48 and aligning the opening 50 with his front side. A worker can remove a lottery ticket 16 from pocket 14, 15 formed in one of front panels 42, 44 by opening vest 10, pulling a front panel 42, 44 outwardly from his body, and removing a lottery ticket 16 from a pocket 14, 15 through slit 18 as suggested in FIG. 3. Additionally, a worker may remove a lottery ticket 16 from back panel 40 by withdrawing his arms from armholes 46, 48 and removing vest 10. The worker may then remove a lottery ticket 16 from back panel 40 through slit 18 accessing pocket 14, 15 containing the lottery ticket. Substantially similar steps may be taken to display and dispense event tickets, coupons, trading cards, other consumer goods, advertising flyers, or other items. In one particular embodiment of the method, a worker may display and dispense hardware store goods such as screws, nuts, bolts, packets of seeds, and other items. In some embodiments, a worker may also display an identification card showing the worker's name, employer, skill sets, and other information.

In another method of use, a worker may display a single advertisement in vest 10 that is larger than any one pocket 14, 15 included in vest 10. Examples of large advertisements include movie posters, a playbill, a political sign, or the like. The worker first cuts the single advertisement into several advertisement pieces corresponding in size and shape to a plurality of the pockets 14, 15. The worker then inserts the advertisement pieces facing toward the outer layer 20 into the plurality of pockets 14, 15 corresponding to each of the advertisement pieces so that the original single advertisement is displayed to onlookers of the vest 10. The worker puts on the vest 10 by inserting arms through the armholes 46, 48 and aligning the opening 50 with his front side. In some embodiments, some of the pockets 14, 15 are used to display a single advertisement larger than one pocket 14, 15 can accommodate and other of the pockets 14, 15 are used to hold lottery tickets 16 or other items.

Although certain illustrative embodiments have been described in detail above, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of this disclosure as described and as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A garment comprising a garment body including a substantially transparent outer layer and an inner layer coupled to the outer layer by a plurality of seams wherein the plurality of seams form pockets between the outer layer and the inner layer over substantially all of the garment body and at least one of the pockets is accessible through a slit formed in one of the outer layer and the inner layer.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein the slit is formed through the inner layer.

3. The garment of claim 1, wherein each of the pockets is accessible through a corresponding slit formed in the inner layer.

4. The garment of claim 1, wherein the inner layer is substantially transparent.

5. The garment of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of pockets is bordered on at least four sides by a respective one of the plurality of seams.

6. The garment of claim 5, wherein at least one of the seams forms a top border of one pocket and a bottom border of another pocket.

7. The garment of claim 1, wherein the plurality of seams are formed by RF welding together the substantially transparent outer layer and the inner layer.

8. The garment of claim 1, wherein the substantially transparent outer layer is about twice as thick as the inner layer.

9. The garment of claim 1, wherein at least one of the pockets has an equal height and width.

10. The garment of claim 9, wherein at least one of the pockets has an asymmetric shape.

11. The garment of claim 1, wherein the garment body includes a back panel, a left front panel coupled to the back panel to form a left armhole, and a right front panel coupled to the back portion to form a right armhole, wherein the left front panel is spaced apart from the right front panel to form an opening along the front side of the garment.

12. The garment of claim 1, wherein the plurality of seams include horizontal seams and vertical seams.

13. The garment of claim 12, wherein at least two pockets are accessible through slits extending through the inner sheet and the slits are spaced from and parallel to the horizontal seams.

14. A method of making a garment comprising the steps of

providing a first sheet of substantially transparent material,

providing a second sheet of substantially transparent material,

coupling the first sheet to the second sheet with a series of seams in a pattern to form pockets between the first sheet and the second sheet, and

slitting the first sheet so that a wearer can access at least one of the pockets.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of cutting the coupled first sheet and second sheet into a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of

coupling the second panel to the first panel with a seam so that the first panel and the second panel cooperate to form a first armhole,

coupling the third panel to the first panel with a seam so that the first panel and the third panel cooperate to form a second armhole.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second panel is spaced apart from the third panel to form an opening along the front of the garment.

18. A method of displaying lottery tickets from a vest including a garment body portion having an inner layer and a substantially transparent outer layer comprises the steps of

inserting lottery tickets into pockets formed between the inner layer and the outer layer so that the lottery tickets face toward the outer layer and are visible by onlookers, and

putting on the vest so that the lottery tickets are displayed to potential customers and are available to the worker as he performs other duties.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of inserting an informational card into at least one of the pockets so that one of worker name, lottery jackpot, and previous winning lottery numbers are displayed to customers.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the lottery tickets are inserted and removed through a plurality of slits formed through the inner layer.