RAIN SUIT

Abstract

This invention relates generally to a novel rain suit which may be designed for one-time use (disposable) or more permanent design.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Appn. 61/728,471 filed Nov. 20, 2012 by Robert W. Reagan, Jr. having Atty. Docket No. RWR12001USV and U.S. Provisional Appn. 61/790,143 filed Mar. 15, 2013 by Robert W. Reagan, Jr. and Rebecca E. Ryan having Atty. Docket No. RWR12001USV2, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a novel rain suit.

2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

2.1. Related Art

Ponchos have been used as disposable rain protection for sporting events and the like. A variety of patents disclose poncho or poncho-like rain protectors, e.g., PCT Publ. No. WO 2003/017791 (Dodge); U.S. Patent Appn. Pub. No. 2007/0028343 (Makowka); U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,852 (Wallace), U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,802 (Polster), U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,755 (Crumby), U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,725 (Brewer, see FIGS. 2 & 7), U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,985 (Wade), U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,526 (Baena), U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,881 (Fagan et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,132 (Wigutow).

Others have disclosed combination garments such as outerwear and handbags, International Publication No. WO 1984/01092 (Hager); outerwear and carrier packs, U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,125 (Waldman et al.).

Still others have disclosed fully sealed protective suits for protection against nuclear hazards or biohazards. Examples include a protective bodysuit, International Publication No. WO 2008/118556 (Brookman); or a protective garment for nuclear environments, U.S. Patent Appn. Pub. No. 2009/0235439 (Cox et al.).

None of these references disclose a disposable rain suit with removable hand and foot coverings and one or more air vents for air circulation.

3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In particular non-limiting embodiments, the present invention provides a rain suit, the rain suit comprising an upper body portion for covering the upper body of the wearer, the upper body portion including arm portions each having an enclosed removable hand covering; a lower body portion connected thereto for covering the lower body of the wearer, the lower body portion including leg portions each having an enclosed removable foot covering; and wherein the upper body portion or the lower body portion has at least one covered air vent to permit air circulation.

The rain suit may be disposable or manufactured from a material intended for a one-time use. The rain suit may further comprise a zipper located on a front portion of the upper body portion and a front portion of the lower body portion. The rain suit may have an upper body portion also includes a removable head covering.

The rain suit may be constructed such that the removable hand covering, the removable head covering, and removable foot covering are scored to be tear-away. The rain suit may have leg portions having a reinforced knee portion, a reinforced elbow portion and/or each enclosed foot covering has a reinforced sole portion.

The reinforced sole portion further may comprise a non-slip tread portion and the leg portions further comprise an elastic closure above the removable foot covering.

The leg portions further may comprise a Velcro® closure above the removable foot covering. The leg portions further may comprise a tie closure above the removable foot covering which may have loops so as to be adjustable.

The arm portions further may comprise an elastic closure above the removable hand covering or a Velcro® closure above the removable hand covering. Alternatively, the arm portions further comprise a tie closure above the removable hand covering which also may have loop(s) so as to be adjustable.

The rain suit's upper body portion and the lower body portion may be made of a clear plastic material, an opaque plastic material, a colored plastic material or other waterproof or coated material.

4. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a front view of the one piece rain suit.

FIG. 2 shows an enlargement of the foot portion of the rain suit.

FIG. 3 shows a back view of the one piece rain suit.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of a second embodiment of the rain suit.

FIG. 5 shows an enlargement the hood portion of the rain suit.

FIG. 6 shows a back view of the second embodiment of the rain suit.

FIG. 7 shows a back view of the foot covering and the pants of second embodiment of the rain suit.

FIG. 8 shows an enlargement of the sleeve and hand portion in one embodiment of the rain suit.

FIG. 9 shows an enlargement of the foot covering.

FIG. 10 shows the interaction of the foot covering and the pants portion of the rain suit.

FIG. 11 shows optional straps to hold/tighten the foot portion of the rain suit.

FIG. 12 optional straps to hold/tighten the hand portion of the rain suit.

5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The rain suit described herein may be used to protect the clothing from getting wet while sitting or standing in the rain in open arenas watching sporting events, at concerts, at track meets, etc. In addition, the invention is suitable for use in connection with outdoor concerts, or any other type of outdoor activity, the Olympics or other like games, sporting events or any type of outdoor events, such as where people are gathered en masse in large numbers. Rain suit color could be “school or team colors” if worn at sporting events.

If manufactured for use at gaming events and sports events, the rain suit may optionally include logos of various universities, professional sports teams, etc. printed or laminated on to the rain suit. Also, in one embodiment, the rain suit may have corporate logos for company promotional events, company picnics, outings, etc.

It may be worn in amusement parks on the “wet rides”. It also may be used while riding amusement park rides (roller coasters, etc.) in the rain, while affording much more protection for the clothes than, for example, the available ponchos, raincoats, etc. The rain suit may be worn while white water rafting. Also, the rain suit may be used by exterminators, insulation installers, or other service personnel (e.g., those who crawl under houses or in attics, etc.) to protect their clothes. It may be worn by workers in the poultry and swine businesses, who pass through the chicken, turkey and hog “houses” to protect clothes from dirt, excrement, etc. The rain suit may be used in other “hostile” environments to protect the wearer's clothes.

Another application for the rain suit would be for students on campus (college, high school, etc) to wear, leaving hands free and without the need of an umbrella. For example, the invention may be useful for college students who must walk extended distances across campuses in the blowing rain. Back pack, computer, projects to turn in, etc., could be worn under rain suit and protected from the rain on the way to class.

Another application would be Department of Transportation (DOT) workers who work the highways. Another application would be for Highway Patrol/Traffic Control persons in the rain, snow, etc. Rain suit could be made in different colors, specifically yellow or orange. Another application would be for motorcycle riders in the rain, snow, etc.

Another application would be for farm workers/employees who harvest crops manually and in the rain, snow, etc. The rain suit not only will afford protection from the elements and environment, but the gloves should give the hands protection against cuts, abrasions, etc. The rainsuit, as a whole, could also potentially provide protection from pesticide exposure for agricultural workers involved in either mixing, formulating, or applying pesticides.

Rain suit could be clear plastic material, or it could be black (see-through or not) or it could be any number of colors (see-through or not) such as DOT orange as mentioned above.

In the unused form, this rain suit should be quite portable and folded into a small, neat and easily manageable package/unit. After use, the rain suit may be rolled or folded (inside out if rain suit is wet or soiled) into a small manageable unit that is secured by a tape, a tie or Velcro® closures. The rain suit, after use, may be disposed of into a plastics recyclable container, which is generally available at sporting events, arenas, stadiums, or at any number of public recyclable centers.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, this invention is directed to a one-piece rain suit 1, which may or may not be disposable, comprising (a) an upper body portion 2 for covering the upper body of the wearer, the upper body portion including arm portions 3 each having an enclosed removable hand covering 4; (b) a lower body portion 5 connected thereto for covering the lower body of the wearer, the lower body portion including leg portions 6 each having an enclosed removable foot covering 7; and (c) wherein the upper body portion or the lower body portion has at least one covered air vent 21 to permit air circulation. The disposable rain suit may further comprise a zipper 8 located on a front portion of the upper body portion and a front portion of the lower body portion. The zipper 8 may extend the full length of the rain suit on either the left or the right side. The zipper 8 may also only extend on the upper body portion of the rain suit. The upper body portion may also include a removable head covering 9.

The removable hand covering, the removable head covering, and removable foot covering may be scored 10 to be tear-away. The head covering may attach to the upper body portion through attachment 23.

In one non-limiting embodiment, each of the leg portions may have a reinforced knee portion 11 or each of the arm portions has a reinforced elbow portion 31. Alternatively, each enclosed foot covering 7 has a reinforced sole portion 12 which may or may not include a non-slip tread portion 22. The leg portions 6 may have one or more air vents 21 which may be located on the back of the leg, the side of the leg, upper or lower leg depending on design considerations.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the leg portions may comprise a closure above the removable foot covering 13 or the arm portions may comprise a closure above the removable hand covering 14. The rain suit may optionally contain a closure around the waist 15. The closure may be an elastic band, a tape closure, a tie string, or a Velcro® closure; or a combination thereof. The rain suit may optionally contain a logo 16 for branding purposes. The rain suit may also contain pockets 17 on the front of the upper body portion or the front or back of the lower body portion.

The wearer may remove the hand coverings 4 (gloves or mittens) at the wrist 10 (perforation points in one non-limiting embodiment), if he/she wishes to wear the suit without hand protection. A closure 14 located at the wrists and just above the removable hand portion provides closing means to tighten the cuffs about the wrists of the wearer, if the gloves are removed. If the wearer elects not to remove the gloves, the closure may be used to better tailor the fit of the gloves about the wrists.

Similarly, the wearer may remove the foot coverings 7, at the ankle 10 (perforation points in one non-limiting embodiment), if he/she wishes to wear the suit without foot protection. A closure 13 located at the ankle and just above the removable foot covering provides closing means to tighten the cuffs about the ankles of the wearer, if one or more of the foot coverings are removed. If the wearer elects not to remove the foot coverings, the closure may be used to better tailor the fit of the foot coverings to their boots or shoes.

The bottoms of the foot covering may be reinforced for wear and tear and also may be equipped with grippers and/or ridges 22 to prevent slippage of the foot, especially in wet conditions.

The knees may be reinforced 11 for those who wear the suit and who may crawl (for work purposes, for example) while wearing the suit. The elbows may be reinforced 31 for those who wear the suit and who may crawl (for work purposes, for example) while wearing the suit. The toes of the foot/shoe/boot covers also may be reinforced for wear and tear.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative version of the rain suit (which may or may not be disposable) with an upper body portion 42, an arm portion 43, and hand portions 44. The detachable pants 45 have two leg portions 46 and detachable foot portions 47. The rain suit may also have a head covering 48 which may or may not be removable. The upper body portion of the rain suit may also have an optional draw string to tighten around the waist 49. The arms of the upper body portion may optionally have loops 410 and Velcro® or ties 411 to adjust the arm lengths. The lower body portion may have an elastic or draw string around the waist 412. The leg portion may optionally have loops 413 and Velcro® or ties 414 to adjust the length of each leg. Optionally, it may have pockets which may be located in the pants, e.g., 415. The draw string for the hood is shown as item 417.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the head covering 48 of the rain suit with an optional clear plastic flap 51 to cover the eyes. The flap may be attached with Velcro® attachments 52.

FIG. 6 shows a back view of the alternative version of the rain suit. In one embodiment it has Velcro® attachment portion(s) 61 affixed to the interior of the upper body portion to attach the upper body portion to the exterior of pants portion. In addition it may have Velcro® attachment portion(s) 62 on the inside of the leg portions rain suit to hold the foot covering portions to the legs. These attachments may be a piece of Velcro® or may be snaps, zippers or adhesive tape. They may be patches as shown or may be strips that encircle the waist or leg. FIG. 7 shows a Velcro® patch 71 on the pants portion to attach to the jacket. FIG. 7 also shows the foot covering portion 47 with a Velcro® attachment 72 on the backs of the foot coverings. A non-slip tread, 73, is also shown.

FIG. 8 shows an enlargement of the adjustable arm portions 43 with loops 410 and Velcro® tie 411. In one embodiment, the arm portions have cuffs 81, to cover the wrist portion of the detachable hand coverings 44 which may be scored as shown by item 82. Alternatively, the hand coverings 44 may attach to the arm portions 43 by a zipper, buttons, snaps, Velcro®, or other suitable means of attachment.

FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show detailed views of the foot covering 47. In one embodiment portions of the foot covering have a stretchy mesh material 92 and pleats around the toe area 93. The foot covering portions may optionally have laces 94 going through eyelets 95 in the foot covering material. The stretchy material need not be a mesh material, it may be another elastic fabric, e.g., spandex. It may line the entire foot, or just portions of the foot covering. The laces 94 may be a material that does not stretch or an elastic material. Alternatively, Velcro® may be used to tighten the foot covering.

Also shown in FIG. 9 is the back view of the foot covering showing the non-slip bottom portion 73 and the Velcro® portion 72 for attachment to the leg portion. FIG. 10 shows how one may tighten the foot covering around the feet using the laces and tuck one's pants into the foot covering portion prior to putting on the rain suit pants. The foot covering may be sold with the rain suit or sold as a separate item. It may also be a tear-away portion of the rain suit.

FIG. 11 shows an enlarged view of the foot covering 47 and an alternative means for attaching or securing the foot covering to the leg portion 46. Specifically, a strap 111 attached to the leg portion at item 112 can go under the instep of the foot and through one of the loops 413. In one embodiment, the strap has Velcro® 113 to secure it after it passes through the loop. Alternatively, the foot covering 47 may attach to the leg portions 46 by a zipper, buttons, snaps, Velcro®, or other suitable means of attachment.

FIG. 12 shows an enlarged view of the arm covering and an alternative means for attaching or securing the hand portion to the arm covering. Specifically, a strap 121 attached to the arm portion at item 122 (which may be a pivot or a grommet) passes between the thumb and fingers and through one of the loops 413. In one embodiment, the strap has Velcro® 113 to secure it after it passes through the loop. Alternatively, it may attach with a snap, a button, or another fastener. A similar configuration to that of FIG. 12 may be made for the strap 111 with a pivot on the leg portion 46 so as to either (i) go under the foot covering 47 or (ii) loop around the leg portion to tighten the leg portion around the wearer's leg.

In one embodiment, the legs of the rain suit have adjustable length and may be folded and affixed with tape, plastic ties, or Velcro® located around the upper thigh or calf of the rain suit to tailor the length of the leg(s) to fit the wearer. The tape, plastic ties, or Velcro® may be used to secure the leg or legs at the desired length.

Similarly, the arm or arms of the rain suit may be adjustable in length and may be folded and affixed with tape, plastic ties, snaps, buttons, or Velcro® located on the upper arm (biceps area) or lower arm (forearm) to tailor the length of the arms to fit the wearer.

In other non-limiting embodiments, a second tape, plastic tie, or Velcro® (total of 2 at each foot) may be included in the ankle areas, possibly one located and secured at the inside ankle and one located and secured at the outside ankle areas. Whether or not the foot covering is left in place, a tie may be passed and crossed under the shoe/boot, brought up over the shoe and tied over the shoe lace area. With the shoe covering left in place, this will more securely and snugly fit the shoe covering. Also, whether or not the shoe covering is removed, the tie will secure and more tailor the length of the leg into position.

The length of the foot/shoe/boot covering also may be tailored to fit the foot/shoe/boot size of the wearer by folding the tip of the covering over the top of the shoe and securing it in place with a piece of tape or tie located on the foot/shoe/boot covering, in one embodiment at the toe of the foot covering. The zipper 8 may be plastic or metal depending on manufacturing consideration. Other closures such as snaps, buttons, Velcro® may also be used on the front of the rain suit.

The rain suit may optionally have plastic and waterproof pockets 17. In non-limiting embodiments, they may be located at the front, right shirt side and two on the rear pants as shown on the drawings. These pockets may optionally have a plastic flap to cover and to protect the contents from water. The flap may be secured with Velcro® closure.

In one embodiment, the rain suit has a waist tie 15 attached at the back of the suit. The waist tie(s) may be used to tie in front of the suit to better fit the rain suit at the waist of the wearer.

An air vent 21 may be located on the upper back of the rain suit and will be so that water cannot run into the rain suit and wet the wearer's clothes. Alternatively, similarly designed, but smaller, air vents may be located on each leg on the top, bottom, front, or back. In one non-limiting embodiment, the air vents may be located on the side just above the foot/shoe/boot ties and the perforation at the ankle.

The rain suit may include a hood 9 or be manufactured without a hood. Without the hood is self-explanatory. With a hood, the hood could be a plastic pullout and go over the head and tie in place under the chin. In non-limiting embodiments, the hood may be a separate and/or removable feature, or affixed to part of the rain suit.

In one embodiment, the upper body portion and the lower body portion are made of a traditional clear plastic material, an opaque plastic material, or of a colored plastic material appropriate for the application or occasion. The plastic may be ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyester (PES), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or a blend thereof. It may also be a biodegradable plastic, or a recycled plastic. The rain suit may be made of a natural or synthetic fabric, e.g., nylon, that are laminated to or coated with a waterproofing material such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, and wax. Alternatively, it may be made of a “breathable” material such as Conduit from Mountain Hardwear, Entrant Dermizax™ (Toray Industries), Entrant GII XT Laminate (Toray Industries), EVENT Laminate (BHA Technologies), Expanded PTFE Membrane, Gore-Tex® (Standard), Gore-Tex XCR™, Lowe Alpine Triplepoint Ceramic, Membrane from Marmot, Nextec from Patagonia “Velocity”, North Face “Hydroseal” (Burlington “XALT”), Omni-Tech “Titanium” Columbia Sportwear, or Sympatex Laminate. It may be a material with a nanoparticle coating, e.g., Zhao et al., 2012 Langmuir 28(15) 6328-6335.

The rain suit or portions thereof as described herein may be made of a non-woven material or a composite and/or laminate of woven and non-woven materials, e.g., or PCT Publ. No. WO2010/141670 (Ray); U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,791 (Langley); U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,824 (Brunka et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,856 (Brunson); U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,251 (Druecke); U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,566 (Greisbach et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 7,437,775 (Reynolds); U.S. Pat. No. 7,856,669 (Sommers et al.); or U.S. Pat. No. 8,256,030 (Williams et al.), the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

It may be from about 0.001 mm to about 0.5 mm in thickness, preferably it will be from about 0.01 mm to about 0.3 mm, more preferably about 0.02 mm to about 0.2 mm in thickness. The rain suit may be manufactured as a one size fits all item or it may be manufactured in a variety of sizes at this time (e.g., child, adult, S, M, L, XL, etc).

In one embodiment, the benefits and uniqueness of the rain suit include: lightweight; optionally disposable; inexpensive; one-piece; simple to use; fits entirely over wearer's own choice of clothing and footwear; covers both hands entirely; covers both feet/shoes/boots entirely; no separate shoes or rain boots are required; provides protection from rain without need for umbrella, thereby leaving wearer's hands free; tear-away glove/gloves if wearer wishes to have hand(s) exposed; tear-away foot/shoe/boot covers if wearer wishes to have feet/shoes/boots exposed; keeps wearer's clothes dry from neck to feet, even in blowing wind or on amusement park rides; and versatile—may be used to protect against rain, water, snow, mud, dirt, other debris.

The basic design may be modified to and tailored to fit different body frames; optionally including: reinforced elbows; reinforced knees; reinforced soles; reinforced toes; slip-resistant, gripper soles; multiple vents in suit prevent condensation from sweat.

The article “a” and “an” are used herein to refer to one or more than one (i.e., to at least one) of the grammatical objects of the article. By way of example, “an element” means one or more elements.

Throughout the specification the word “comprising,” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising,” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. The present invention may suitably “comprise”, “consist of”, or “consist essentially of”, the steps, elements, and/or reagents described in the claims.

It is to be understood that, while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description, thereof, the foregoing description and figures are intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications of the invention are within the scope of the claims set forth below. All publications, patents, and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1.-20. (canceled)

21. A foot covering comprising a reinforced sole portion, a pleated toe portion, a stretchy material encircling the upper portion of the foot covering, a series of eyelets, and laces to tighten the foot covering.

22. The foot covering of claim 21, wherein the reinforced sole portion further comprises a non-slip tread portion.

23. The foot covering of claim 21, wherein the reinforced sole portion further comprise grippers or ridges to prevent foot slippage.

24. The foot covering of claim 21, wherein the stretchy material encircling the upper portion is a mesh material.

25. The foot covering of claim 21, wherein the stretchy material encircling the upper portion is a spandex material.

26. The foot covering of claim 21, wherein the stretchy material encircling the upper portion is an elastic material.

27. The foot covering of claim 26, wherein the elastic material encircling the upper portion is a spandex elastic material.

28. The foot covering of claim 21, wherein the stretchy material encircling the upper portion lines the entire shoe.

29. The foot covering of claim 21, wherein the laces are made of an elastic material.

30. The foot covering of claim 21, wherein the laces are made of a material that does not stretch.