Abstract:
A spectator rain shelter for personal use at outdoor events for protection from inclement weather includes a portable housing made of a transparent material with a retractable front opening to serve as a window, thereby allowing a person to avoid getting rained on during inclement weather while still enjoying the event they are attempting to watch.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to rain shelters and more particularly pertains to a new spectator rain shelter for personal use at outdoor events for protection from inclement weather. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   The use of rain shelters is known in the prior art. More specifically, rain shelters heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
   Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,872; U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,251; U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,606; U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,931; U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,728; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 378,540. 
   While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new spectator rain shelter. The inventive device includes a portable housing made of a transparent material with a retractable front opening to serve as a window, thereby allowing a person to avoid getting rained on during inclement weather while still enjoying the event they are attempting to watch. 
   In these respects, the spectator rain shelter according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of personal use at outdoor events for protection from inclement weather. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of rain shelters now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new spectator rain shelter construction wherein the same can be utilized for personal use at outdoor events for protection from inclement weather. 
   The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new spectator rain shelter apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the rain shelters mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new spectator rain shelter which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art rain shelters, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
   To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a portable housing made of a transparent material with a retractable front opening to serve as a window, thereby allowing a person to avoid getting rained on during inclement weather while still enjoying the event they are attempting to watch. 
   There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
   In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
   As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
   Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new spectator rain shelter apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the rain shelters mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new spectator rain shelter which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art rain shelters, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a new spectator rain shelter which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new spectator rain shelter which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
   An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new spectator rain shelter which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such spectator rain shelter economically available to the buying public. 
   Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new spectator rain shelter which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
   Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new spectator rain shelter for personal use at outdoor events for protection from inclement weather. 
   Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new spectator rain shelter which includes a portable housing made of a transparent material with a retractable front opening to serve as a window, thereby allowing a person to avoid getting rained on during inclement weather while still enjoying the event they are attempting to watch. 
   Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new spectator rain shelter that is very portable in nature, making it easy to carry along and use. 
   Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new spectator rain shelter that completely protects the user&#39;s entire body not only from the rain, but also from the chilling effects of the wind. 
   These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic front perspective view of a new one-person spectator rain shelter according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic front perspective view of a new two-person spectator rain shelter according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic front perspective view of the front window. 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic side view of the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 4  thereof, a new spectator rain shelter embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
   As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the spectator rain shelter  10  generally comprises a housing that has a plurality of walls defining an interior space. The housing  66  is designed for slipping over at least one user, such that the user is positioned within the interior space of the housing  66 . The housing  66  is designed for preventing adverse weather from contacting the user when the user is within the interior space of the housing  66 . 
   A window panel  12  is coupled to a front wall  14  of the housing and is designed for permitting the user to view activities outside of the housing  66  when the user is inside it. 
   The walls of the housing  66  are constructed from a transparent material such that the user can view activities outside of the housing  66  while remaining inside. 
   The plurality of walls includes a pair of side walls  16 , a top wall  17 , and a rear wall  18 . 
   The side walls  16  each have a bottom edge  24  designed for resting on a seat  68  such that the housing  66  is supported on the seat  68 . They also have ventilation holes  20  positioned close to the top wall  17  of the housing  66  for exhausting warm exhaled air from the user, thus preventing exhaled breath from fogging the window panel  12 . 
   The rear wall  18  is positioned opposite the front wall  14  of the housing and is designed to protect the back of the user. 
   The front wall  14  has a window opening  28  with the window panel  12  coupled to the upper edge  26  of the window opening  28 . The window opening  28  is designed for being pushed out by the user for permitting the user access outside of the housing  66  without the user having to leave the interior space of the housing  66 . 
   A first fastener tab  32  is attached to a lower edge  34  of the window opening  28 , with a second fastener tab  30  coupled to the window panel  12 . The second fastener tab  30  is for realeasably coupling to the first fastener tab  32  for selectively securing the window panel  12  to the front wall  14 . 
   A plurality of window panels  12  are coupled to the front wall  14 . Each window panel  12  is designed for permitting viewing of activities outside of the housing  66  by one of a plurality of users when the users are within the interior space of the housing  66 . 
   As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
   With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
   Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.