Waterproof Pocket

Abstract

A waterproof garment pocket is provided. The pocket consists of a front sheet and a rear sheet. Attached to the inner side of the front sheet is a resealable bag such as, for example, a ZIPLOC® bag. The front sheet contains at least two creases across its width to allow the sheet to fold over itself, and the resealable bag with it, at least three times. After the front sheet is folded over, it is secured by a waterproof closure mechanism such as, for example, three pairs of corresponding VELCRO® strips. This provides extra barriers to the infiltration of water when the user is in the water.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a waterproof pocket for swimming garments. More particularly, the present invention relates to a waterproof pocket with a resealable bag integrated into its interior and the ability to fold over itself and the resealable bag at least two times for additional protection from water.

2. Description of Related Art

People who decide to swim, whether recreationally, or professionally, are usually unable to bring personal belongings with them for fear of damaging the items or being obstructed by the items during the swim. This leaves swimmers with only one choice: Having to leave their items unsupervised while they are in the water. This is inconvenient because most people swim in public places such as communal swimming pools or beaches, and thus face the risk of having their belongings stolen. It is therefore desirable for swimmers to be able to have their most valuable possessions, such as money, credit cards, or cellular phones, on their persons without being obstructed during their swims.

Inventions in the prior art do not adequately achieve this objective because they provide only one barrier against water. Many inventions make use of a watertight zipper mechanism. Many others make use of a pocket with a resealable pouch. The major disadvantage of these inventions is that any damage to the fabric or the closure mechanism will allow water to infiltrate the pocket's interior.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, what is required is a waterproof pocket that can be integrated into swimming garments and provide multiple barriers to water. This application discloses such an invention. It should be noted that the subject matter of this application may involve, in some cases, interrelated products, alternative solutions to a particular problem, and/or a plurality of different uses of a single system or article.

In one aspect, this application discloses a waterproof garment pocket comprising an overlying front sheet and a rear sheet of a waterproof material sealed together to define a pocket having an opening. Attached to and extending from the front sheet is a resealable bag such as, for example, a ZIPLOC® bag, or a bag with a similar zipper lock connection, attached to the front sheet. There are at least two creases across the width of the front sheet which are configured to form three flaps that fold over each other and the bag. Once folded over, the arrangement is held together by a closure mechanism such as, for example, VELCRO® strips. A second flap extending from the second sheet may additionally hold the folded bag in place by extending over it and securing to the first sheet. The resealable bag and the body of the pocket itself are impervious to the penetration of water. In some embodiments, the bag may be integral with the pocket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1(a)&(b) show the pocket in accordance with the present invention without an object in it, and with an object in it, respectively.

FIGS. 2(a)&(b) show the pocket after the first fold has been made and secured by the closure mechanism, and after the first fold has been made but not secured, respectively.

FIG. 3 shows how the pocket may be incorporated into a garment such as a pair of swimming trunks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention and does not represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments.

Generally, the present invention discloses a waterproof pocket with a resealable bag integrated into the inner side of a first front sheet and configured to fold over itself at least three times to provide added protection from the water.

The disclosed invention can be integrated into any garment designed for swimming. Examples of such garments include, but are not limited to, swimming trunks and other men's swimsuits, one-piece bikinis, two-piece bikinis, wetsuits, dry suits, and the like. Regardless of the garment to which the pocket is integrated, the resealable bag will have enough room for a number of valuable items. Non-limiting examples of such items are cards, keys, cellular phones, earphones, MP3 players, condoms, coins and paper money, and pens. In one embodiment, the pocket may be sized to receive a specific item such as a cellular telephone. It should be noted, however, that larger pockets can be manufactured to contain items such as tablet computers and notepads. In a particular embodiment, the pocket may be sized to be approximately six inches deep.

Referring now to FIGS. 1(a)&(b), FIGS. 2(a)&(b), and FIG. 3, the waterproof pocket consists of a front sheet 1 and a rear sheet 2. The sheets 1 and 2 may be made from any waterproof material including, but not limited to, plastics, nylon, rubber, fabrics, and the like. The sheets 1 and 2 may not necessarily be made from the same material as the garment 3 into which they are integrated. The sheets 1 and 2 may be of any shape, and may vary depending on embodiment and intended storage. In one embodiment, the rear sheet 2 may be manufactured to conform to the shape of the body part nearest to which the pocket is placed. For example it may have an inwardly contoured face to match the outward contour of a leg of the wearer. In another embodiment, the front sheet 1 may be similarly manufactured to conform to the shape of the body part nearest to which the pocket is placed. In yet another embodiment, both sheets 1 and 2 may be manufactured to conform to the shape of the body part nearest to which the pocket is placed. In yet another embodiment, there may only be a front sheet 1 attached to the garment 3 by one of its sides. In this embodiment, the garment may have a waterproof backing, or the front sheet may define the pocket itself. In this embodiment, the closure mechanism that secures the pocket to the garment 3 will be integrated directly into the appropriate area on the garment 3 itself. While the pocket is shown attached to an outside of the swimming garment, it should be understood that the pocket may be integrated into the garment such that all that is visible on the outside is the top flap covering the folded portion.

Those of skill in the art will recognize that a wide variety of methods are known in the art for attaching the sheets 1 and 2 to the garment 3. By way of example only, one possible method of creating a pocket could be to stitch the front sheet 1 on to a garment 3 after creating the rear sheet 2. First, a cut of a desired shape would be made in the garment 3 during manufacture. Then, a rear sheet 2, with slightly larger dimensions than the hole over which it will be placed, will be stitched into place. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one strip 8 of a hook and loop connector assembly will be stitched into the rear sheet 2. In another embodiment, at least one mating half of a waterproof zipper assembly will be integrated into rear sheet 2 by creating an incision and installing one mating half of the assembly by methods that are well-known in the art. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the hook and loop connector strip 8 or the mating half of the zipper assembly may be integrated directly into the fabric of the garment 3 and one edge of the front sheet 1 simply stitched an appropriate distance from the strip 8 or mating half. The front sheet 1 will also have integrated into it one of the closure mechanisms described above.

A resealable bag 4 is shown attached to, and integral with the front sheet 1. In one embodiment, the bag is defined by the mating of the first sheet 1 and the second sheet 2. In another embodiment, the resealable bag 4 may be connected to the front sheet, and separate therefrom. Those of skill in the art will recognize that there are a variety of methods in the art to attach a resealable bag 4 to the inner surface of the front sheet 1. Some non-limiting examples include stitching, stapling, gluing or other adhering, sealing, and the like. The resealable bag 4 is the first layer of protection for items placed in the pocket. The resealable bag 4 may be made of an appropriate waterproof material such as, for example, plastic. At its single opening in a zipper lock embodiment, the bag 4 has a ridge on one of its lips and a corresponding groove on the opposite lip. A well-known example of such a configuration is the ZIPLOC® bag. In one embodiment, the bag 4 is closed by pressing the groove and ridge together, whereby the two mate such that the ridge forms a watertight seal with the groove. In another embodiment, a sliding clamp may be attached to one end of the bag's 4 seal to facilitate the opening and closing of the bag 4.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the front sheet 1 contains at least two permanent creases. In this embodiment, there are at least two strips 5 and 6 of either hooks or loops on the inner side of the front sheet 1 and at least one corresponding strip 7 of loops or hooks, respectively, on the outer side of the front sheet 1. There is one corresponding strip 8 on the on the rear sheet 2. After the resealable bag 4 is loaded with the desired item(s) 6 shown here as a smartphone, and sealed, the user will fold the front sheet 1 over at least three times and the resealable bag 4 along with it. After folding the bag 4 and the front sheet 1 over at least three times, the user will fasten the folds by putting one strip 5 on the front sheet's 1 inner side into contact with the corresponding strip 7 on the front sheet's 1 outer side. The user will then secure the entire arrangement by attaching the second strip 6 on the front sheet's 1 inner side to its corresponding strip 8 on the rear sheet 2 such that the rear sheet 2 flap extends over the folded and secured bag 4. This ensures that the user's belongings 6 will be protected by more than one barrier when secured.

In another embodiment, the closure mechanism may entail a waterproof zipper assembly. The front sheet 1 contains at least two permanent creases. The waterproof zipper assembly comprises at least two female mating zipper halves on the inner side of the front sheet 1, one male mating zipper half on the outer side of the front sheet 1, and one male mating mating zipper half on the rear sheet 2. After making three folds, the user will secure the folds by interlocking one pair of mating halves on the front sheet 1 by using a pull tab attached to the slider to manually interlock the male and female mating halves, creating a hermetically sealed interlocking configuration. The user will then secure the entire arrangement by interlocking the female mating half on the front sheet 1 to the male mating half on the rear sheet 2. This ensures that the user's belongings 6 will be protected by more than one barrier when in the water.

While several variations of the present invention have been illustrated by way of example in preferred or particular embodiments, it is apparent that further embodiments could be developed within the spirit and scope of the present invention, or the inventive concept thereof. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and are inclusive, but not limited to the following appended claims as set forth.

Claims

1. A waterproof pocket integrated into a swimming garment, the waterproof pocket comprising:

an overlying front sheet and a rear sheet of a waterproof material connected together at three of four edges, and defining an opening at the fourth edge, wherein the pocket is integrated into the swimming garment by attaching the front sheet to the second sheet, the rear sheet being integrated directly into a fabric of the swimming garment;

a resealable bag attached to the front sheet and positioned within the opening defined by the first and second sheets, the bag comprising a closure mechanism forming a waterproof seal when in a closed position and being open when in an open position;

at least three creases across the width of the front sheet configured to form folds; and

a pair of interfacing hook and loop connector strips on the first sheet configured to connect together when the first sheet and the bag from the folds, and a second pair of hook and loop connector strips comprising one strip on an outer surface of the front sheet and the corresponding strip on the rear sheet, the second pair of hook and loop connector strips connectable together when the second sheet extends over the folded first sheet and bag when the first hook and loop connector pair are connected.

2. The pocket of claim 1, wherein the closure mechanism comprises at least two pairs of mating halves of a waterproof zipper assembly having a plurality of interconnecting grooves.

3. The pocket of claim 2, wherein the front sheet can be folded.

4. The pocket of claim 1, wherein the closure mechanism of the resealable bag is opened and closed by a sliding clamp.

5. The pocket of claim 1, wherein a width of the first and second hook and loop connector pairs is at least greater than a width of the resealable bag.

6. The pocket of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second sheets is inwardly concave.

7. The pocket of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first and second sheets are transparent.

8. The pocket of claim 7, wherein the resealable bag is air and water impermeable when sealed.

9. A method of using the waterproof pocket integrated into the garment of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

placing at least one item into the resealable bag;

forming a watertight seal between a mating and sealing groove of the closure mechanism of the resealable bag;

folding the bag and first sheet at least three times, each fold being over one of the at least three creases, forming a folded assembly;

securing the folded assembly by bringing the first pair of hook and loop connector strips on the first sheet into contact with each other and securing the entire pocket by bringing the second pair of hook and loop connector strips on the outer surface of the first sheet into contact with the corresponding strip on the second sheet; and

entering the water, submerging the item in the water with the waterproof pocket immovably secured to the garment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first pair of interfacing hook and loop connector strips are integrated into an inner surface of the first sheet and the second pair of hook and loop connector strips comprise one strip on an outer surface of the first sheet and the corresponding strip on the second sheet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the closure mechanism comprises at least two pairs of mating halves of a waterproof zipper assembly having a plurality of interconnecting grooves and wherein the sealing step comprisies urging the mating halves into mating connection.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the resealable bag is opened and closed by a sliding clamp.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the width of the first and second hook and loop connector pairs is at least greater than the width of the resealable bag.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming least one of the front surface and the rear surface to be contoured to substantially match a bodily region of a wearer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the front and rear sheets are transparent.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the resealable bag is air and water impermeable when sealed.