Patent Publication Number: US-6698029-B2

Title: Pants convertible into hammock

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/367,190, filed Mar. 21, 2002. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to multiple use clothing and in particular to a pair of pants convertible into a hammock. The pants, once converted into a hammock configuration, are adapted for suspension from an adjacent structure. 
     With increased population density and mobility comes a need for urban housing solutions. Just as the cost of houses and apartments increases, so too do the costs of temporary shelters and bed spaces. There is accordingly a need for creative solutions to relieve the urban housing shortage. The invention might also serve as a recreational luxury item that would relieve the need for a traveling person to bring along a portable dwelling as an accessory, by integrating the dwelling into the person&#39;s clothing. 
     Convertible garments are known for transforming into other useful configurations or for multiple uses. U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,772 to Connelly discloses a multi-purpose convertible garment with adjustable side vents that converts from a vest to a blanket or sleeping pad. U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,226 to Garcia discloses a convertible garment and method for converting pants into a satchel, backpack, gun case, or pillow. U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,888 to Archer discloses removable and convertible ski pants. U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,209 to St. Ange discloses a separable pants assembly designed for law enforcement personnel to accommodate a hand gun, radio, handcuffs, and other devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,892 to Tisdale discloses trousers that convert to shorts and a long-sleeved shirt that converts to a short-sleeved shirt. However, nothing in the prior art teaches a garment that converts to a ground level or elevated sleeping platform. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Pants convertible into a hammock according to the invention comprise a pair of pant legs joined at a front side of each pant leg by a front fastener extending from the waist to crotch of the pair of pant legs, and joined at a back side of each pant leg by a companion back fastener extending from the waist to crotch of the pant legs. Each pant leg has an inseam fastener extending the full length of the inseam of the leg. The pant legs are convertible into a hammock configuration by (1) unfastening the front fastener to separate the front sides of the pant legs, (2) unfastening the back fastener to separate the back sides of the pant legs, (3) separating the pant legs, (4) unfastening the inseam fastener of each pant leg, (5) opening each pant leg into a flat formation, (6) abutting the bottom edges of the opened pant legs, and (7) fastening together the bottom edges of the pant legs with a bottom edge fastener. The pant legs thus converted to the hammock configuration may be suspended from an adjoining structure. 
     When the pant legs are joined together in the hammock configuration, the waist portions of each pant leg are at opposite longitudinal ends of the hammock configuration. At the waist portion of each pant leg is provided a hemmed band, open on both ends, forming a sleeve extending between the open ends. Each sleeve is appropriately dimensioned to receive one of a pair of rigid rods, each rod having a length at least as great as the width of the hammock configuration. When inserted in the sleeves in the waist portion of each pant leg—the end portions of the open pant legs in the hammock configuration—the rods rigidify the pant legs in the hammock configuration across its width. 
     Each of the rods is collapsible from a fully extended configuration to a collapsed configuration. The rods in collapsed configuration are approximately one-third their length in the fully extended configuration. Each pant leg has a pocket of sufficient depth to store one of the collapsed rods. 
     The pants in the hammock configuration are suspended from an adjacent surface using a plurality of straps attached to the inside surface of the pant legs. A first longitudinal strap extends between surface-anchoring ends of each of the two rods. The surface-anchoring ends of the rods serve to anchor the rods and pants to a selected point on an adjacent structure, preferably a vertical structure such as a hurricane fence. A second longitudinal strap extends between floating-side ends of the two rods, located opposite the surface-anchoring ends of the rods across the width of the pant legs in the hammock configuration. The first longitudinal strap is stitched to substantially the entire length of a surface-adjacent longitudinal edge of the pants in the hammock configuration, and the second longitudinal strap is stitched to substantially the entire length of a floating-side longitudinal edge of the pant legs in the hammock configuration. A pair of lateral straps extend from the floating-side ends of the rods to anchor points on the adjacent structure lateral to the surface-anchoring ends of the rods. Finally, a pair of suspension straps extend from the floating-side ends of the rods to superior anchor points on the adjacent structure above the surface-anchoring ends of the rods. Thus, by firmly securing the surface-anchoring ends of the rods in fixed positions on the adjacent structure, the suspension straps will suspend the floating-side ends of the rods from the adjacent structure, while the lateral straps provide side-to-side stability. 
     The straps attach to the rods by inserting the tip of each rod into a grommet on the end of each strap. Each rod expands to form an annular shoulder behind the tip. The tip of the rod is sized for insertion into the aperture of each grommet, but since the shoulder has a greater diameter than the aperture, the tip cannot be inserted past the shoulder. In this manner, once the pants have been arranged into the hammock configuration, the rods are inserted through the sleeves in the waist portions of the pant legs, the tips of the rods are inserted into the grommets of the first and second longitudinal straps, and the lateral and suspension straps are extended to the side and upwards, respectively, from the floating-side ends of the rods to lateral and superior anchor points on an adjacent vertical surface. A stable and comfortable elevated hammock is thus constructed in moments for suspension from a vertical surface. 
     A primary object of the invention is to provide a pair of wearable pants convertible into an elevated hammock. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of pants convertible into a hammock which has an integrally attached plurality of straps for suspending the pants in the hammock configuration from an adjacent structure. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a pair of pants convertible into a hammock configuration, the pants in the hammock configuration having oppositely disposed sleeves sized for receiving a pair of rigid rods for rigidifying the pants across their width in the hammock configuration. 
     A still further object of the invention is to provide a pair of wearable pants that are cheap and easy to manufacture which can be readily converted into a viable elevated hammock suitable for accommodating an individual. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of the front side of a pair of pants convertible into a hammock according to the invention. 
     FIG. 1A is a plan view of the back side of the pants of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of the pants of FIG. 1 shown separated into two pant legs, and also showing a pair of rigid rods in collapsed configuration. 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pant legs of FIG. 2, each opened into a flat formation, and also showing the pair of rods of FIG. 2 each opened into a fully extended configuration. 
     FIGS. 4A and 4B show one of the pair of rigid rods in a collapsed configuration and in a fully extended configuration. 
     FIG. 4C is a blow-up of the threaded connection between the main tube and an extension tube of the rigid rod, and of the threaded connection between an extension tube and an extension shaft. 
     FIG. 4D is a close-up view of the preferred embodiment of the tip and shoulder of the end of one of the rigid rods. 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the inside surface of the pants of FIG. 3 shown joined together at their bottom edges into a hammock configuration, with the rigid rods inserted in the waist portions of the pants. 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of the outside surface of the pants of FIG.  5 . 
     FIGS. 7,  8 , and  9  are plan views of the pants of FIG. 5 showing the straps in various phases of being unfolded and extended. 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the pants of FIG. 5 attached to an adjacent vertical surface. 
     FIG. 11 is a fragmentary close-up perspective view of the surface-anchoring ends of the rigid rods and straps of the pants of FIG. 10 being inserted through openings in an adjoining fence. 
     FIG. 11 a  is a fragmentary top plan view of the surface-anchoring ends of the rigid rods and straps of the pants of FIG. 11, the fence being shown in section. 
     FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the pants of FIG. 1 according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
     A pair of pants convertible into a hammock according to the invention is illustrated in the attached drawings and described as follows. Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 1A, a pair of pants convertible into a hammock  10  comprises a pair of pant legs  12 , each pant leg having a front side  14 , a back side  16 , a waist portion  18 , a bottom edge  20 , an inseam portion  22 , and a crotch portion  24 . A front fastener  26  extends from the waist portion  18  of the pant legs to the crotch  24 , and joins together the front sides  14  of the pant legs. Similarly, a back fastener  28  extends from the waist portion  18  of the pant legs to the crotch  24  for joining together the back sides  16  of the pant legs. Accordingly, as seen in FIG. 2, the pant legs can be separated by unfastening the front fastener  26  and back fastener  28 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, each pant leg  12  is shown having been opened into a flat formation by having unfastened an inseam fastener  30  at the inseam  22  of each pant leg. By laying the bottom edge  20  of each pant leg  12  in abutment to the other, the bottom edges may be joined together by a bottom edge fastener  32  into a hammock configuration as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the front fastener  26 , back fastener  28 , inseam fastener  30 , and bottom edge fastener  32  are zippers. Bottom edge fastener  32  in the preferred embodiment is a heavy-duty fastener, given that it must support the weight of a person disposed on the hammock. However, in alternate embodiments, each or all of the fasteners comprise a plurality of loops and carabiners similar to the arrangement described in detail below, snaps, rivets, hook and catch arrangements, hook-and-loop type fasteners, or tied-off lengths of twine or rope. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, one of a pair of rigid rods  40  is illustrated in a collapsed configuration (FIG. 4A) and a fully extended configuration (FIG.  4 B). Each rod comprises a main tube  48 , a pair of extension tubes  50 , and a pair of extension shafts  52 . The main tube  48  has a center bore  54 . Each of the extension tubes  50  may be slid into the center bore  54 , the combined lengths of the extension tubes  50  being no greater than the length of the main tube  48 . Similarly, each of the extension tubes  50  has an extension tube bore  56  of a diameter sufficient to receive one of the extension shafts  52 . Thus the extension tubes and extension shafts may be collapsed inside the main tube  48 . In FIG. 4B, extension tubes  50  have been extended out from the main tube  48 , and the extension shafts  52  have been extended out from the extension tubes  50 . 
     Referencing FIG. 4C, it is seen that extension tube  50  has a proximal end  58  and a proximal end thread set  60  for mating alignment with a main tube thread set  62 . The diameter of the main tube&#39;s center bore  54  is greater than the major diameter  60 M of the extension tube&#39;s proximal end thread set  60 , such that when the proximal end thread set  60  is threaded all the way into and through the main tube thread set  62 , the proximal end thread set  60  may slide into the main tube&#39;s center bore  54 . Similarly, each extension tube  50  has an outer diameter  50 D smaller than the minor diameter  62 M of the main tube thread set  62 , such that it may slide into the main tube thread set  62 . In this manner, each extension tube  50  may be locked against lateral movement with respect to the main tube  48  by threading it into full engagement with the main tube thread set  62 . However, when desired, the extension tubes  50  can be threaded and slid to their full length into the main tube  48 . 
     The extension shafts  52  have a similar construction with respect to a distal end  64  of the extension tube  50 . The extension shaft  52  has an extension shaft thread set  66  for mating engagement with an extension tube distal end thread set  68 . The extension tube bore  56  has a diameter larger than the major diameter  66 M of the extension shaft thread set  66 , such that the extension shaft thread set  66 , when threaded into and fully through the extension tube distal end thread set  68 , slides into the extension tube bore  56 . The extension shaft  52  has a diameter  52 D smaller than the minor diameter  68 M of the extension tube distal end thread set  68 , allowing the extension shaft  52  to slide through the extension tube distal end thread set  68 . The extension tube bore  56  has a length at least as great as the extension shaft  52 . In this manner, the full extent of the extension shaft  52  may be inserted into the extension tube bore  56 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, each end  70  of the pants arranged in the hammock configuration is provided with a hemmed band  72  which forms a flexible sleeve, open at both ends  74 , sized for insertion of one of the rods  40 . Referring back to FIG. 5, a plurality of straps  76 ,  76 ′,  78 ,  78 ′,  80 ,  80 ′,  82 , and  82 ′, are attached to the inside surface of pant legs  12 . The straps are provided to adapt the unfolded pants for suspension from an adjacent structure. However, other components could be provided on the inside of the pants to adapt the pants, once unfolded, to a multitude of other uses such as a simple pad or a tent. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the straps is attached to the inside surface of the pants and is folded back and attached to itself using a plurality of hook-and-loop type fasteners  84  (FIG.  7 ). FIGS. 5,  7 ,  8 , and  9  illustrate a progression of the straps  76 ,  76 ′,  78 ,  78 ′,  80 ,  80 ′,  82 , and  82 ′ being unfolded. Straps  76  and  76 ′ are unfolded at folds  76   a  and  76   a ′ (FIG. 5) to their unfolded positions shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Strap  78  is joined together with strap  80  and strap  82 , as best seen at juncture point  86  in FIG.  9 . Similarly, straps  80 ′ and  82 ′ are joined to strap  78 ′ at juncture point  86 ′. In FIG. 5, it is seen that straps  80  and  80 ′ are shown in their folded positions. Referring now to FIG. 7, it is seen that straps  80  and  80 ′ have been unfolded at fold lines  80   a  and  80   a ′, respectively. In FIG. 8 it is seen that straps  80  and  80 ′ have been unfolded again at fold lines  80   b  and  80   b ′. Referring back to FIG. 7, it is seen that straps  82  and  82 ′ are shown in a folded position. In FIG. 8, it is seen that straps  82  and  82 ′ have been unfolded at fold lines  82   a  and  82   a ′. With reference now to FIG. 9, it is seen that straps  78  and  78 ′ have been unfolded at fold lines  78   a  and  78   a ′, unfolding not only straps  78  and  78 ′ but reorienting straps  80 ,  80 ′,  82 , and  82 ′ in a fully unfolded configuration. 
     With continuing reference to FIG. 9, straps  76  and  76 ′ extend between surface-anchoring ends  88  of rigid rods  40 . Similarly, straps  78  and  78 ′ extend between floating-side ends  90  of rigid rods  40 . FIG. 4D shows the preferred embodiment of the end portions of rods  40 . Behind the rod tip  92  is a shoulder  94  having a larger diameter than the diameter of tip  92 . Referring back to FIG. 9, once the straps are extended, they are attached to the rods by inserting rod tips  92  through grommets  96  in the straps. Each grommet  96  has an aperture large enough to admit tip  92 , but smaller than shoulder  94 , such that the rod tip  92  can be inserted into the aperture but not past shoulder  94 . Each tip  92  extends from the shoulder  94  a sufficient length such that, when the tip  92  is inserted into the aperture, the rod  40  securely engages the grommet  96  and associated strap. Straps  76  and  76 ′ are linked together using a carabiner  100  inserted through loops in adjoining portions of the straps. Similarly, straps  78  and  78 ′ are linked together by insertion of a carabiner  100  through adjoining loops. Carabiners  100  are also provided on the ends of straps  80 ,  80 ′,  82 , and  82 ′ for affixing the straps to an adjoining vertical structure, such as chain link fence F. 
     Referring now to FIG. 10, straps  80  and  80 ′ extend from floating-side ends  90  of rods  40  and are attached to anchor points AA above surface-anchoring ends  88  of rods  40  to suspend the hammock pants from the vertical structure. Likewise, straps  82  and  82 ′, which also extend from floating-side ends  90  of rods  40 , are attached to anchor points AL lateral to the surface-anchoring ends  88  of rods  40  for restricting lateral movement of rods  40 . Straps  76  and  76 ′ are affixed to a surface-adjacent longitudinal edge  102  of the pant legs  12  in the hammock configuration. Straps  78  and  78 ′ are likewise affixed to a floating-side longitudinal edge  104  of the pant legs  12 . When straps  76 ,  76 ′, and  78 ,  78 ′ are stretched between the ends of rods  40 , they help support the pant legs in hammock configuration between the rods. 
     If the hammock-configured pants are suspended from a chain link fence F, the downward force of gravity provided by weighting down the pants, e.g., by a person reclining in the hammock, will not only drive the hammock downward, but will drive the anchoring ends  88  of the rods  40  inwards through openings  106  in the fence F as shown in FIGS. 11 and 11A. Thus, lying on the hammock forces the anchoring ends  88  into the openings  106  in the fence F selected to serve as anchor points. Since the grommets  96  used to link straps  76 ,  76 ′ to anchoring ends  88  are small enough to fit through the openings  106  in a chain link fence F along with the ends  88  of the rods, the grommets  96  will follow the rod ends  88  into the fence openings  106 . This stretches linked straps  76 ,  76 ′ between anchoring ends  88  until forces equalize at which point anchoring ends  88  are firmly embedded in the fence openings  106 . It will be understood that the mechanics of securing the invention can be duplicated on any vertical surface where anchor points AA and AL and openings for anchor ends  88  can be found or replicated. 
     FIGS. 2 and 12 show that pockets  110  are provided on the front side of pant legs  12 . Each pocket is longitudinally dimensioned to receive one of the rods  40  in its fully collapsed configuration. 
     There have thus been described certain preferred embodiments of pants convertible into a hammock. While preferred embodiments have been described and disclosed, it will be recognized by those with skill in the art that modifications are within the true spirit and scope of the invention. The appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications.