Abstract:
A connecting arrangement for apparel for such as sportswear, casual wear, technical wear and the like, as well as the apparel equipped with such arrangement. The connecting arrangement for apparel includes a first item of apparel including first connecting members and an item of apparel including second connecting members, the second connecting members being complementary to the first connecting members to allow a removable connection of the article of apparel to the first apparel item, the first and second connecting members providing a sliding male/female type connection.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a connecting arrangement for apparel such as sportswear, casual wear, technical wear and the like.  
           [0003]    The invention is particularly suitable for attaching a first apparel item, or an accessory such as a hood, a pocket, a tool, or storage device or the like, to a particular article of apparel, such as a jacket, pants, etc.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Background and Relevant Information  
           [0005]    Jackets, especially winter or waterproof jackets, often have a hood to protect the head of the user when atmospheric conditions become difficult or severe, such as during the onset of snow, rain, and/or particularly strong winds.  
           [0006]    However, when the atmospheric conditions improve and the user no longer needs protection for the head, he/she might desire that the head protection be removed.  
           [0007]    Thus, hoods are often mounted in a removable manner.  
           [0008]    A commonly used solution consists in providing the rear bottom of the hood with connecting elements, such as buttons, snaps, or a sliding zipper, which cooperates with appropriate complementary connecting elements of the jacket.  
           [0009]    Such a connection, however, is not sufficient to provide a good waterproof or windproof connection in the front part of the jacket.  
           [0010]    Indeed, when atmospheric conditions are severe, it is important to have a connection which is as closed as possible around the neck of the user, also in the front area.  
           [0011]    Therefore, other attachment means, such as snaps or hook and loop attachment means, such as Velcro attachments, e.g., are often added at the front part of the hood to provide attachment with an associated collar part of the jackets.  
           [0012]    In order to improve the aesthetic aspect of such a connection, some pockets are commonly provided on the collar part of the jacket to hide the attachment means. However, such pockets can render the attachment means difficult to use.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    The present invention achieves an efficient and simple connecting arrangement between a first apparel item and an article of apparel or an accessory.  
           [0014]    Further, the invention includes a connecting arrangement which can be adapted to various types of clothing and particularly which can be used to removably affix an apparel item, such as a hood, a pocket, accessory etc., to an article of apparel, such as a jacket, a pant, etc.  
           [0015]    Still further, the present invention provides for a removable connecting arrangement which is aesthetically appealing.  
           [0016]    Therefore, the invention encompasses a connecting arrangement for article of apparel, including a first apparel item, comprising first connecting members and an article of apparel comprising second connecting members, the second connecting members being complementary to the first connecting members to allow a removable connection of the article of apparel to the first apparel item, the first and second connecting members providing a sliding male/female type connection.  
           [0017]    In a particular embodiment, the connecting arrangement includes a sleeve member with a longitudinal slit, and a rod member that is slidably coupled to the sleeve member for attaching the connecting arrangement together.  
           [0018]    Such connecting arrangement is easy to use and is aesthetically appealing. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    The general nature of the invention having been described above, reference will be now made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of an illustration, particular embodiments thereof and in which:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a jacket and a hood provided with a connecting arrangement according to the invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a partial front view showing a first step of a connection process between the jacket and the hood;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a similar view to FIG. 2, showing a second step of the connection process;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, showing a final step of the connection process;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a rear view of FIG. 4, once the connection process is completed;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is an elevation view of the male part of the connecting arrangement;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6A is a transverse cross-sectional view of FIG. 6;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the female part of the connecting arrangement;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 7A is a transverse cross-sectional view of FIG. 7;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 8 is an elevation view of both connecting parts after assembly;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 9 is a detailed view of FIG. 8;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 10 is an elevation view of male and female parts according to a second embodiment;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of a jacket/hood connecting arrangement according to a third embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0033]    [0033]FIG. 1 shows a first article of apparel or garment, such as a sport jacket, winter jacket, or windbreaker  1 , and a hood  10 , which is constructed so as to be removably connected to the jacket  1 .  
         [0034]    The jacket  1  includes a body  2  with sleeves  3  and a collar  4  extending vertically from the top end of the jacket to protect the neck of the user.  
         [0035]    The collar  4  has a common longitudinal front opening  5  with the jacket, which is closed by a zipper  7 , the zipper  7  being hidden by a flap  8 .  
         [0036]    On each side of the opening  5  and flap  8 , the collar  4  includes a first connecting member  100 .  
         [0037]    The hood  10  includes a frontal opening  11  which is partially closed in the bottom by front flaps  12 .  
         [0038]    Each flap  12  is provided on its internal side with a second connecting member  200 .  
         [0039]    First and second connecting members, respectively  100 ,  200 , cooperate together to allow a removable connection of the front flaps  12  of the hood with the front part of the collar.  
         [0040]    Furthermore, a connection by means of a zipper  9  is provided in a manner known per se, between the hood  10  and the jacket  1  at the rear thereof.  
         [0041]    Such a connection by zipper  9  is depicted more specifically in FIG. 5.  
         [0042]    First and second connecting members  100 ,  200  are depicted in detail on FIGS.  6 - 9 .  
         [0043]    First connecting member  100  includes a substantially flat rectangular base  101  with a longitudinal female receiving member or sleeve  102 , directly attached thereto for receiving an associated rod member  202  of the second connecting member  200 .  
         [0044]    The base  101  can be affixed, for example by stitching, to the collar  4  of the jacket.  
         [0045]    As shown in FIG. 7A, the sleeve  102  is provided on the side opposed to the flat base  102  with a longitudinal slit  106  to allow the sleeve  102  to slide with respect to the rod  202 .  
         [0046]    Internally, the sleeve  102  includes a substantially cylindrical housing  103  having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the rod  102  to allow housing of the rod  102  within the sleeve  102 , and the longitudinal slit  106  opens within such a housing  103 .  
         [0047]    Transverse flexibility cuts  104  are provided, preferably regularly, along the entirety of the length of the sleeve  102 , or at least substantially along the entirety of the sleeve, to provide the sleeve with a certain flexibility.  
         [0048]    With this construction, it is guaranteed that the sleeve  102  will not impart too much rigidity to the collar to which it is attached.  
         [0049]    Depending upon the particular material(s) used for the sleeve, or the need for flexibility, such cuts  104  can be omitted.  
         [0050]    In a particular embodiment, the sleeve  102  is made of a material such as TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) and, again in a particular non-limiting embodiment, of a material having a greater rigidity than that of the rod. Depending upon the desired ease of release, the materials of the male and female parts may be of similar or the same rigidity.  
         [0051]    As shown also in FIG. 7, the top of the housing  103  is closed by a wall  108 , while the bottom thereof shows a truncated conical entry part  105  to facilitate entry of the rod part  202 .  
         [0052]    In another construction (not shown), the top part of the female end is open and the rod part protrudes through the opening in the top and thus also secures the two pieces by preventing one piece from being pulled away from the other one.  
         [0053]    A slight indent  107  or peripheral groove is also provided at the bottom of the housing  103  in the embodiment illustrated.  
         [0054]    Second connecting member  200  also includes a substantially flat rectangular base  201  and a longitudinal rod  202  attached thereto.  
         [0055]    The base  201  can be affixed by stitching, for example, to the flaps  12  of the hood  10 .  
         [0056]    As previously indicated, the rod  202  has a substantially cylindrical shape with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the housing  103 .  
         [0057]    The top end of the rod  202  has a conical shape  205  to facilitate its entry in the associated conical entry part  105  of the sleeve  102 .  
         [0058]    A projecting part  207  is also provided at the bottom of the rod  202  to cooperate with the groove  107  at the sleeve  102  and to indicate the completion of the connecting phase by a snap effect.  
         [0059]    The role of the projecting part  207  and groove  107 , or snap elements  107 ,  207 , is also to avoid an unwanted disassembly of both connecting members  100 ,  200 . The projecting part and groove part may be placed in other areas of the assembly.  
         [0060]    The rod  202  is made of a softer material than that of the sleeve part, in a particular embodiment, and, for example, the rod can be made from TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) of a lesser hardness. According to a non-limiting example, the TPU of the male part  202  has a durometer hardness of Shore A 75, while the female part  101  has a durometer hardness of Shore A 90. The invention encompasses hardnesses of different values, as well as different materials.  
         [0061]    Various steps of the assembly phase of connecting the hood  10  to the jacket are depicted in FIGS.  2  to  4 .  
         [0062]    Once the hood  10  and the jacket are assembled at the rear via the zipper  9 , both rod parts  202  are introduced from the bottom (see arrows  1  in FIG. 2) in each associated sleeve part  102  in an ascending movement, the connecting phase being completed when the snapping of the projecting part  207  occurs in an associated groove  107 .  
         [0063]    It will be appreciated that the positions of the sleeve  102  and rod  202  may be switched.  
         [0064]    Similarly, materials can also be switched or chosen differently.  
         [0065]    Rod  202  and sleeve  102  can also have different cross-sectional shapes, such as rectangular, square, triangular, or otherwise.  
         [0066]    An advantage of a circular cross-section is to allow a mutual rotation once the connecting members are assembled. However, different cross-sectional shapes could provide additional security from the male and female parts pulling apart.  
         [0067]    [0067]FIG. 10 depicts a second embodiment of the rod and sleeve in which similar elements will be referred to by the same reference numerals.  
         [0068]    A primary difference between this second embodiment and the previously described embodiment is that each connecting member  100 ,  200 , respectively, has portions of sleeve member  102 , rod member  202  of a given length l, and the successive rod and sleeve portions  202 ,  102 , respectively, are separated by open areas  210 ,  110 , respectively, having a length L greater than the length l of the rod and sleeve portions.  
         [0069]    With such a construction, the introduction movement of the rod members in the sleeve members is effected first by a translation movement T for introducing each rod member  202  in an associated open area  110  of the sleeve and then a vertical sliding movement V of each rod member  202  within a sleeve member  102 .  
         [0070]    With such a construction the introduction is easier as it requires less space (only the length L).  
         [0071]    [0071]FIG. 11 depicts a third embodiment in which similar elements will be referred to by the same reference numerals.  
         [0072]    The embodiment of FIG. 11 is substantially the same as that depicted in FIG. 1. A difference is that the hood  10  is devoid of front flaps  12 .  
         [0073]    In such an embodiment, both the first and second connecting members  100 ,  200  are visible from the outside.  
         [0074]    In such a case, both first and second connecting members  100 ,  200  are dyed in a color matching the color of the hood and the jacket, for example in the same color or in a contrasting color.  
         [0075]    In such a case, a very aesthetic and/or technological appearance can be achieved.  
         [0076]    While the above invention has been described with reference to certain particular embodiments, it should be kept in mind that the scope of the present invention is not limited to these particular embodiments.  
         [0077]    For example, the materials and fasteners can be used on other garments, shoes, articles, bags, and the like. The embodiments described above can also be modified so that some features of one embodiment are used with the features of another embodiment. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.