Abstract:
A suction fitted garment is disclosed. There is provided a garment for water-related activities, said garment including a body shaped to fit a wearer and a pump mounted to the body for operation out of water and underwater to remove the air and water trapped between the body and the wearer and to generate a vacuum between the body and the wearer. Generating a vacuum between the body and the wearer provides a close fit to the wearer, whereby said close fit enhances the wearer&#39;s tactile sensitivity through the body.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to garments and particularly to flexible garments. The invention specifically relates to garments for water-related activities. The invention has particular application to booties, but can be applied to other garments and uses.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Wetsuits and booties are typically used by water-goers when engaging in water-related activities, such a scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, sailing, kite surfing, surf skiing, wind surfing, canoeing, kayaking, jet skiing or any other application where wetsuits, and the like are used.  
         [0003]     In the course of these activities, but particularly with surfing, air and water becomes trapped between the wetsuit, booties, or other similar such garments and the wearers body. While the trapped air and water provides an insulative layer due to being heated by the wearers body heat, the trapped air and water separate the wearer&#39;s body from the wetsuit, bootie or other similar such garment. In this manner the trapped air and water act as a cushion to diminish the wearers tactile sensitivity through the wetsuit, bootie or other similar such garment. This reduced sensitivity deprives the wearer of information, or feel, which would otherwise be available if the wetsuit, bootie or other similar such garment were closely fitted to the wearer. In surfing, for example, the cushioning effect may reduce a surfers information feedback from their surfboard on the board handling and wave conditions and ability to balance and move on and around the surfboard.  
         [0004]     In relation to the close fitting of snow ski boots to a wearer&#39;s feet to improve feel while snow skiing, U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,338, to George et. al, uses pumps to evacuate air from a rigid ski boot and to generate a vacuum within the boot such that the soft boot liner fits closely to the wearer&#39;s foot. Similar vacuum fitting boots are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,022 and mounted to the body for operation out of water and underwater to remove the air and water trapped between the body and the wearer and to generate a vacuum between the body and the wearer. Generating a vacuum between the body and the wearer provides a close fit to the wearer, whereby said close fit enhances the wearer&#39;s tactile sensitivity through the body.  
         [0005]     It will be appreciated that the vacuum causes the whole garment to closely fit to the wearer such that the exterior of the garment conforms to the shape of the wearer&#39;s body part to which the garment is fitted.  
         [0006]     In the preferred embodiment, the garment is formed of a flexible material, such as neoprene or similar such material, and can be a bootie, but may otherwise be a wetsuit or similar such garment or part thereof. The pump is preferably formed or mounted on the bootie or similar such garment for manual operation by a wearer, but may be formed as a cavity or chamber in the body or in or on a surface of the bootie or similar such garment.  
         [0007]     In the case of a bootie, it is preferable for booties formed according to the invention to have the pump located on the heel of the wearer&#39;s foot for actuation by the user&#39;s hand, opposite foot, or by forcing the pump against a fixed object, such as a foot strap or the deck of a sail boat, sail board or other surface. In such location, it is preferred that the garment includes a conduit for conveying air and water inside the bootie from the toe area to the pump. While such location of the pump and conduit is preferable, other locations may be used. For instance the conduit may be formed to collect water from a number of different positions within the bootie or garment where water collects. For example this could be either side of the arch of the bootie, the heel as well as the toe area. The conduit preferably includes a filter that prevents water-entrained sand and grit from entering the pump. Where a conduit is not used a filter would preferably still be included for the pump to prevent water-entrained sand and grit from entering the pump. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a cross section of a bootie in accordance with the invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  shows the adaptation of the invention to a split toe bootie.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  show the preferred embodiment of the pump for this invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0012]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a garment according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown as wetsuit bootie  10 . The bootie  10  comprises a body  12  and a pump  30  for removing air and water trapped between the body  12  and the foot of a wearer and to generate a vacuum between the body  12  and the wearers foot such that the body  12  fits closely to the wearer&#39;s foot.  
         [0013]     The body  12  includes a sole  16 , upper  14  and heel  42  on which is mounted the pump  30 . Mounted in this location, the pump  30  does not restrict ankle movement and does not interfere with a full length wetsuit or an ankle rope for a surf board.  
         [0014]     The pump  30  comprises of a resilient bladder  32  formed as a hollow dome from a suitable rubber or similar material. The bladder  32  is preferably formed from a soft rubberised material to provide the bladder  32  with resiliency and to ensure that the bladder  32  does not cause injury to the wearer or other people or damage to the wearer&#39;s surf board or other equipment. Although the bladder  32  here is shown as a dome, the bladder  32  may be formed in other shapes to minimise drag in the water. The pump  30  further includes one-way valves or similar devices  34 ,  36  which respectively communicate air and water from the interior of the bootie  10  to the bladder  32  and from the bladder  32  to the outside environment. The one-way valves  34 ,  36  are formed of non-corrosive materials so they can withstand use over a prolonged period in salt-water. The one way valves  34 ,  36  are preferably slit valves or other suitable system that allow the passing of sand and grit that has entered and are shaped to minimise drag in the water.  
         [0015]     A conduit  38  is provided in the form of tube. The conduit  38  preferably extends around the bootie  10  to terminate inside the bootie  10  at the toe area  44 , such that the pump  30  operates to remove water from the lower portions of the bootie  10  where the water collects under the influence of gravity. The conduit enters the pump at the pump inlet  52 . The conduit  38  tube is preferably concealed within the outside folds  46  of the sole  16  of the bootie as they wrap around the upper  14  of the bootie. The conduit  38  is preferably made from a soft, flexible, tubing material that won&#39;t crimp and can retain its shape if bent, such as PVC, silicon or other similar such materials. Alternatively, the conduit may take the form of groves or channels etched into, moulded or formed by other means within the form of the bootie  10 .  
         [0016]     A filter  40  is provided and fitted to the free end of the conduit  38 . The filter  40  is adapted to prevent sand and grit entering the conduit  38  and blocking the one-way valves  34 . The filter  40  is a porous fabric or other material that allows air and water to pass and prevent sand and grit from passing. The inner lining of a bootie  10  could also be used as the filter  40 . The filter preferably encloses the free end or ends of the conduit to the wall of the bootie  10 , covering an area where the conduit end enters the inside of the bootie  10 . A soft fabric material used for filter  40  will also act as a cushion for the wearer from the edges of the conduit  38  within the bootie  10 . Where the inner lining of the bootie is used as the filter  40 , then the conduit end would terminate at the inner lining of the bootie  10  and no additional material would be required for the filter  40 . The filter  40  may also be adapted directly to the pump where no conduit is used.  
         [0017]     The pump  30  can be operated by deforming the bladder  32  to reduce its volume. In reducing the volume of the bladder  32 , the pressure inside the bladder  32  increases and the one-way valve  34  remains closed but the one-way valve  36  opens due to the increased pressure. Consequently air and water held within the bladder  32  are expelled through the valve  36  to the outside environment. This is one method of operation. The patent is to cover this and also any other method of operation.  
         [0018]     After being deformed, the bladder  32  will revert to its domed shape. In doing so, the pressure inside the bladder becomes less than the pressure inside the bootie so the valve  36  closes and the valve  34  opens and thereby sucks air and water out of the bootie  10 . Once the bladder  32  has returned to its domed shape, it may be deformed again to expel the air and water held within the bladder  32  via the one-way valve  36 .  
         [0019]     Repeated pumping of the bladder  32  removes air and water from within the bootie  10  and, in part, improves the fitting of the body  12  to the wearer&#39;s foot. The bladder  32  may, however, be pumped to an extent such that a vacuum is created within the bootie  10  which ensures that the body  12  closely fits about the wearers foot and thus ensures that tactile sensitivity through the bootie  10  is optimised.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  shows a variation of the bootie in the form of a split toe bootie, where it&#39;s preferable for the conduit  38  to be formed as a branch leading from the points where water collects. In the case of  FIG. 2 , the preferable points where the branched conduit ends are either side of the split toe  48 , where water will collect when the bootie  10  is pointed in a downwards direction. In  FIG. 2  both branches of the conduit  38  lead into the pump inlet  52  within the pump  30 . The conduit  38  can be branched to a number of points, within a bootie or similar such garment, to optimise removing air and water within the bootie or similar such garment.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows the outer casing  50  of the preferred embodiment of the pump  30 , including the casing section for the pump inlet  52 , the casing section for the internal one way valve  34 , the bladder  32  and the external one way valve  36 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  show the inner casing  54  of the preferred embodiment of the pump  30 , which is moulded to the shape of the heel  42  of the bootie  10 , including the pump inlet  52 .  
         [0023]     In an alternative embodiment of the pump  30  may include a small electric pump that is powered by battery, solar or other such power source. The electric pump and power source may be located externally on the garment or bootie  10  or located within the body  12  of the bootie or garment. The electric pump may further include the conduit and filter  40  mentioned above, respectively, for retrieving water from a number of different locations where the water collects within the garment or bootie  10  and for preventing sand and grit entering the conduit and obstructing the electric pump.