ATHLETIC GARMENT WITH INTEGRATED HANGING POCKET
One non-limiting embodiment of the present invention includes an athletic garment including a garment configured to snugly fit a torso wherein the garment has a front portion and a rear portion. The athletic garment further includes a pocket secured to the rear portion of the garment providing a pocket for containing items therein. The pocket includes a secured portion and a hanging portion wherein the secured portion is secured to the garment and the hanging portion is not secured to the garment.
This application claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 13/802,245 filed Mar. 13, 2013, titled ATHLETIC GARMENT WITH INTEGRATED HANGING POCKET, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and is to be considered a part of this specification.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to athletic garments and, in particular, athletic garments having an integrated hanging pocket.
Description of the Related ArtMany bicycle riders wear tight fitting clothing which can stretch and flex. The clothing may be a one piece bib liner style athletic garment or the clothing may comprise separate garments, a jersey and a short for example. The tight fitting garments sometimes include a pocket in which the rider can store tools, food, water, and extra clothing. Often, these pockets are located on the back of the garment near the rider's lower back.
Some bicycle riders, mountain bike riders in particular, prefer to wear loose style clothing in addition to a tight fitting garment. These riders may wear a one piece athletic garment underneath a pair of loose fitting shorts for example. The tight fitting garment may also incorporate a pad for seat comfort.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe systems, methods and devices described herein have innovative aspects, no single one of which is indispensable or solely responsible for their desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of the claims, some of the advantageous features will now be summarized.
One aspect of the present invention is the realization that many mountain bikers prefer to ride without backpacks to carry tools, food, water, and extra clothing as backpacks can be heavy and hot to wear. In addition, many mountain bikers who wear loose style clothing prefer not to carry many items in the pockets of their loose fitting shorts as it tends to bounce around inside the pockets, which can be both uncomfortable and distracting. Conventional tight fitting clothing that incorporates pockets into the back of the garment near the rider's lower back (See
One non-limiting embodiment of the present invention includes an athletic garment comprising a garment configured to snugly fit a torso wherein the garment has a front portion and a rear portion. The athletic garment further comprises a pocket secured to the rear portion of the garment providing a stretchable pocket for containing items therein. The pocket comprises a secured portion and a hanging portion wherein the secured portion is secured to the garment and the hanging portion is not secured to the garment.
Another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention includes a method of manufacturing the invention described herein.
Another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention includes a method of use of the invention described herein.
Throughout the drawings, reference numbers can be reused to indicate general correspondence between reference elements. The drawings are provided to illustrate example embodiments described herein and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
In one embodiment, the athletic garment 100 has a front portion 110 and a rear portion 120. When worn by a user, the front portion 110 is adjacent their chest and stomach while the rear portion 120 is adjacent their back. In one embodiment, the rear portion 120 of the athletic garment 100 includes a pocket 200 near the user's lower back to store items such as food, water, and tools. The location of the pocket 200 allows the user to reach items stored in the pocket 200 without removing the athletic garment 100 by reaching around to their lower back. In one embodiment, the pocket 200 comprises a stretchable fabric forming a stretchable pocket 200 for containing objects therein with a stretch fit. In one embodiment, the pocket 200 may comprise a fabric which is not stretchable. In one embodiment, the pocket 200 may contain object therein without a stretch fit. In one embodiment, the athletic garment 100 may include additional pockets in other locations to hold additional items.
As illustrated in
In another embodiment, as illustrated in
In one embodiment, the upper body portion 130 is constructed to snugly fit at least a user's torso. In one embodiment, the upper body portion 130 resembles a jersey. In one embodiment, the upper body portion 130 may be constructed like a shirt which fully encompasses the user's torso and at least a portion of their arms. In one embodiment the upper body portion 130 may include sleeves. In another embodiment the upper body portion 130 may not include sleeves. In one embodiment, the upper body portion 130 may use less material than a shirt-like configuration. In one embodiment, the upper body portion 130 includes a front portion 110 and a rear portion 120. In one embodiment, the front portion 110 and rear portion 120 may be joined by a pair of connecting portions 150, such as shoulder straps which run over the top of the user's shoulders to support the athletic garment 100. In one embodiment, the upper body portion 130 may take on alternative configurations which are known to those skilled in the art.
In one embodiment, the lower body portion 140 is constructed to snugly fit at least a portion of a user's thighs, buttox, and groin. In one embodiment, the lower body portion 140 resembles a pair of shorts. In one embodiment, the lower body portion 140 is joined to the upper body portion 130. In one embodiment, the lower body portion 140 may incorporate portions which are less elastic than other regions in order to retain the athletic garment 100 in its proper location. In one embodiment the lower portion of the lower body portion 140 which surrounds each thigh may comprise a portion which is less elastic than the rest of the garment 100 to more snugly fit the thighs and prevent the thigh portions of the lower body portion 140 from riding up the user's legs. In one embodiment, the less elastic region may comprise a less elastic material. In one embodiment, instead of a portion of material which is less elastic, the athletic garment 100 may incorporate multiple layers of material in order to achieve a portion of the garment 100 which is less elastic than other portions of the athletic garment 100. In one embodiment, the lower body portion 140 incorporates a pad 160 constructed to cushion the user from bicycle seat. In one embodiment, there is no distinct marking or seam on the athletic garment 100 to demarcate a dividing line between the upper body portion 130 and lower body portion 140; the terms are simply used herein to help describe embodiments of the present invention.
In one embodiment, the forward portion 220 and back portion 230 of the hanging pocket 200 may not comprise a single panel. The forward portion 220 and back portion 230 may be separate pieces of material. In one embodiment, forward portion 220 comprises a forward bottom edge located along the bottom of the forward portion 220. In on embodiment, the back portion 230 comprises a back bottom edge located along the bottom of the back portion 230. In one embodiment, the forward portion 220 is secured to the back portion 230 along the bottom edge of each portion. In one embodiment, the forward portion 220 is secured to the back portion 230 with stitching along the bottom edge of each portion.
In one embodiment, the forward portion 220 of the single panel 215 may be larger than the back portion 230 so that the forward upper edge 224 extends further up the athletic garment 100 than the back portion 230. In one embodiment, the forward left edge 222 and forward right edge 226 of the forward portion 220 and the back left edge 232 and back right edge 236 of the back portion 230 comprise extensions 228, 229, 238, 239 protruding outwards from each edge. These extensions 228, 229, 238, 239 may be integral to the forward portion 220 and back portion 230 of the pocket 200 or they may be additional material secured to the edges of the pocket 200. In one embodiment the forward left edge 222 of the forward portion 220 is secured to the back left edge 232 of the back portion 230 and the forward right edge 226 of the forward portion 220 is secured to the back right edge 236 of the back portion, forming a pouch. In one embodiment, the forward upper edge 224 and the extensions 228, 229, 238, 239 are secured to the athletic garment 100. In one embodiment the pocket 200 may not comprise extensions 228, 229, 238, 239 and each edge may be secured to the garment 100. In one embodiment the back portion 230 may not comprise extensions 238, 239 and the back left edge 232 and back right edge 236 may be secured to the forward portion 220 and the extensions 228, 229 on the forward portion 220 may be secured to the garment 100. In one embodiment the forward portion 220 may not comprise extensions 228, 229 and the forward left edge 222 and forward right edge 226 may be secured to the back portion 230 and the extensions 238, 239 on the back portion 230 may be secured to the garment 100. In one embodiment, the forward upper edge 224 may be secured to the garment 100.
In one embodiment, the forward portion 220 forms one wall of the pocket 200, wherein the forward portion 220 is the wall closest to the athletic garment 100 and adjacent the user's back. The back portion 230 forms the outside wall of the pocket 200. In one embodiment, the back upper edge 234 of the back portion 230 is not secured to the forward portion 220 or the athletic garment 100, forming a region between the back upper edge 234 and the forward portion 220 where the user can insert items in the pouch formed within the pocket 200.
In one embodiment, the secured portion 205 of the pocket 200 comprises a portion of the pocket 200 which includes the forward upper edge 224 and the extensions 228, 229, 238, 239. In one embodiment, the hanging portion 210 of the pocket 200 comprises the portion of the pocket 200 which is located below the extensions 228, 229, 238, 239. In one embodiment the extensions 228, 229, 238, 239 are constructed to reach the left and right side garment seam 170 as illustrated in
In one embodiment, the secured portion 205 of the pocket 200 and the hanging portion 210 of the pocket 200 each comprise a portion of the vertical height of the pocket 200. In one embodiment, the secured portion 205 may comprise a larger portion of the vertical height of the pocket 200 than the hanging portion 210 and the ratio of the portion of the vertical height of the secured portion 205 to vertical height of the hanging portion 210 may be approximately, for example, 10 to 1, 9 to 1, 8 to 1, 7 to 1, 6 to 1, 5 to 1, 4 to 1, 3 to 1, 2 to 1, or 1 to 1. In one embodiment, the hanging portion 210 may comprise a larger portion of the vertical height of the pocket 200 than the secured portion 205 and the ratio of portion of the vertical height of the hanging portion 210 to the vertical height of the secured portion 205 may be approximately, for example, 10 to 1, 9 to 1, 8 to 1, 7 to 1, 6 to 1, 5 to 1, 4 to 1, 3 to 1, 2 to 1, or 1 to 1. When defining the portion of the vertical height of the pocket 200 for the secured portion 205 and the hanging portion 210 for the ratios listed above, and only for the ratios listed above, the vertical height of the secured portion 205 shall be the average of the length between the point where the back upper edge 234 intersects the back left edge 232 and the lowest point at which the back left edge 232 is secured to the garment 100 and the length between the point where the back upper edge 234 intersects the back right edge 236 and the lowest point at which the back right edge 236 is secured to the garment 100, and the vertical height of the hanging portion 210 shall be the average of the length between the lowest point at which the back left edge 232 is secured to the garment 100 and the lowest point on the back left edge 232 and the length between the lowest point at which the back right edge 236 is secured to the garment 100 and the lowest point on the back right edge 236. In addition, for defining the ratios above, the length of the back left edge 232 and back right edge 236 shall include any extensions 238, 239 which are part of each back left edge 232 and back right edge 236.
In one embodiment, the pocket 200 may comprise a plurality of sub-pockets 250. In one embodiment the pocket 200 comprises three sub-pocket 250. In one embodiment, there is a center sub-pocket, a left sub-pocket, and a right sub-pocket. In one embodiment each sub-pocket 250 is approximately the same size. In one embodiment the center sub-pocket may be larger than the other sub-pocket. In one embodiment the center sub-pocket may be smaller than the other sub-pockets 250. In one embodiment the center sub-pocket is substantially aligned with the spine of the user. In another embodiment, the center sub-pocket may be offset to either side of the spine. In one embodiment, each sub-pocket 250 may be separated from the other sub-pockets 250 by sub-pocket stitching 255 securing the back portion 230 of the pocket 200 to the forward portion 220 of the pocket 200. In one embodiment the sub-pocket stitching 255 spans the height of the pocket 200. In one embodiment, the sub-pocket stitching 255 may only span a portion of the height of the pocket 200. In one embodiment the sub-pocket stitching 255 is substantially linear forming substantially vertical sub-pocket 250 which items can be inserted from the top. In one embodiment each sub-pocket stitching 255 separating each sub-pocket 250 may be angled to one side or the other. In one embodiment, each sub-pocket stitching 255 may be substantially horizontal. In one embodiment, the sub-pocket stitching 255 may comprise an alternative method of securing said back portion 230 to said forward portion 220, for example adhesives, velcro, or buttons may be used.
In one embodiment the sub-pocket 250 may be angled to each side to allow the user easier access to each sub-pocket 250 when reaching around their back. In one embodiment, a sub-pocket 250 may be angled approximately 1 degrees to approximately 45 degrees from vertical. In another embodiment, a sub-pocket 250 may be angled approximately 5 degrees to 30 degrees from vertical. In one embodiment, a sub-pocket 250 may be angled approximately 15 degrees to 25 degrees from vertical. In one embodiment, the center sub-pocket may be substantially vertical while the left sub-pocket is angled to the left and the right sub-pocket is angled to the right.
In one embodiment the pocket 200 may comprise regions which are less elastic than other regions. In one embodiment, the rear upper edge may comprise a region of lower elasticity than the rest of the pocket 200 in order to retain any items stored within the pocket 200. In on embodiment, the back upper edge 234 of the back portion 230 of the pocket 200 comprises a region of lower elasticity. The region of lower elasticity tends to pull tighter against the forward portion 220 of the pocket 200, and in some embodiments, tends to cover at least a portion of an item within the pocket 200 from above, preventing the item stored within the pocket 200 from falling out of the pocket 200 during any movements the user may sustain. In other embodiments, the pocket 200 may include other methods of retaining the items stored within the pocket 200. In some embodiments, the pocket 200 may include means for pulling the back upper edge 234 of the back portion 230 of the pocket 200 towards the front portion 110 or connecting the back upper edge 234 of the back portion 230 of the pocket 200 to the front portion 210. In one embodiment the pocket 200 may include buttons to secure the back upper edge 234 of the back portion 230 to the forward portion 220. In other embodiments the pocket 200 may include a zipper, a plurality of zippers, or magnets to secure the back upper edge 234 of the back portion 230 to the forward portion 220. In another embodiment, the pocket 200 may include a drawstring which runs through at least the back upper edge 234 of the back portion 230 of the pocket 200 which pulls the back upper edge 234 towards the forward portion 220 when the drawstring is pulled tight by the user.
It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. For instance, various components may be repositioned as desired. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be included within the scope of the invention. Moreover, not all of the features, aspects and advantages are necessarily required to practice the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to be defined only by the claims that follow.
Claims
1. An athletic garment with integrated pocket comprising:
- a garment configured to snugly fit a torso wherein said garment has a front portion and a rear portion;
- a pocket of secured to said rear portion of said garment providing a pocket for containing items therein;
- wherein said pocket comprises a secured portion and a hanging portion; and
- wherein said secured portion of said pocket is secured to said garment and wherein said hanging portion of said pocket is not secured to said garment.
2. The athletic garment with integrated pocket of claim 1, wherein said secured portion of said pocket is located above the natural position for a waistband of a pair of loose fitting shorts and said hanging portion of said pocket is located below said secured portion.
3. The athletic garment with integrated pocket of claim 2, wherein said pocket comprises a forward portion and a back portion, wherein said forward portion comprises a forward left edge and a forward right edge and said back portion comprises a back left edge and a back right edge, wherein the back left edge is secured to the forward left edge and the back right edge is secured to the forward right edge, and wherein a portion of said forward left edge and a portion of said forward right edge are secured to said garment.
4. The athletic garment with integrated pocket of claim 2, wherein said secured portion of said pocket further comprises extensions on the left and right edges of said pocket, where each said extension comprises an integral protrusion extending outwards from said left or right edges of said pocket, wherein each said extension is secured to said garment.
5. The athletic garment with integrated pocket of claim 2, wherein said extensions are secured to said garment along garment seams.
6. The athletic garment with integrated pocket of claim 3, wherein said pocket comprises a plurality of sub-pockets separated by sub-pocket stitching securing said back portion to said forward portion.
7. The athletic garment with integrated pocket of claim 6, wherein said garment comprises an upper body portion and a lower body portion, wherein said pocket comprises a single panel, wherein said single panel is folded along a folding axis, wherein said folding axis comprises the intersection of said forward portion and said back portion.
8. The athletic garment with integrated pocket of claim 1, wherein said hanging portion comprises a portion of the vertical height of said pocket, wherein said secured portion comprises a portion of the vertical height of said pocket, and wherein the ratio of said vertical height of said hanging portion to said vertical height of said secured portion is at least 1 to 1 and less than or equal to 4 to 1.
9. The athletic garment with integrated pocket of claim 1, wherein said hanging portion of said pocket is configured to sit over the top of a waistband of a loose fitting pair of shorts wherein said waistband of said loose fitting shorts is located in its natural position.
10. A pocket comprising:
- stretchable fabric configured to be secured to an athletic garment providing a stretchable pocket for containing items therein with a stretch fit;
- wherein said pocket comprises a secured portion and a hanging portion; and
- wherein said secured portion of said pocket is configured to be secured to said garment and wherein said hanging portion of said pocket is configured to not be secured to said garment.
11. The pocket of claim 10, wherein said secured portion of said pocket is located above the natural position for a waistband of a pair of loose fitting shorts and said hanging portion of said pocket is located below said secured portion.
12. The pocket of claim 11, wherein said pocket comprises a single panel comprising a forward portion and a back portion, wherein said single panel is folded along a folding axis, wherein said folding axis comprises the intersection of said forward portion and said back portion, and wherein the sides of said back portion are configured to be secured to the sides of said front portion, and a portion of the sides of said forward portion and side portion are configured to be secured to said garment.
13. The pocket of claim 12, wherein said pocket comprises a plurality of sub-pockets separated by sub-pocket stitching securing the back portion to the forward portion.
14. A method of manufacturing an athletic garment with integrated pocket comprising:
- providing a garment configured to snugly fit a torso wherein said garment has a front portion and a rear portion;
- providing a pocket for containing items therein with wherein said pocket comprises a secured portion and a hanging portion and wherein said hanging portion is located below said secured portion;
- securing said secured portion of said pocket to said rear portion of said athletic garment above the natural position for a waistband of a pair of loose fitting shorts.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said pocket comprises a forward portion and a back portion, and wherein said forward portion comprises a forward left edge and a forward right edge and said back portion comprises a back left edge and a back right edge.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising
- securing said back left edge to said forward left edge and said back right edge to said forward right edge; and
- securing a portion of said forward left edge and said forward right edge to said garment.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising dividing said pocket into a plurality of sub-pockets with sub-pocket stitching securing said back portion to said forward portion.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said garment comprises an upper body portion and a lower body portion.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said pocket comprises a single panel, wherein said forward portion and said back portion are separated by a folding axis. further comprising folding said single panel along said folding axis.
20. The method of claim 14, wherein said hanging portion of said pocket is configured to sit over the top of a waistband of a loose fitting pair of shorts wherein said waistband of said loose fitting shorts is located in its natural position.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 15, 2017
Publication Date: Nov 22, 2018
Inventors: Anna Asnis (San Jose, CA), Jason Israel (Santa Cruz, CA)
Application Number: 15/843,378