Patent Publication Number: US-2020297050-A1

Title: High Visibility Waterproof Vest

Description:
REFERENCE TO PENDING APPLICATIONS 
     This application does not claim the benefit of any issued U.S. patent or pending application. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention is generally directed toward a high-resolution safety garment, more specifically to a high-resolution safety vest. 
     BACKGROUND 
     High-visibility clothing, sometimes known as “hi-viz”, is any clothing worn that has highly reflective properties or a colour that is easily discernible from any background. Occupational wearers of clothing with high-visibility features include railway and highway workers, airport workers, or other places where workers are near moving vehicles or in dark areas. Hi-viz garments commonly utilize highly reflective strips of material, fluorescent yellow or orange coloured material, and/or a combination thereof. An example of a hi-viz clothing would include florescent yellow coats are worn by emergency service workers. Most industrial employers require it as a type of personal protective equipment. 
     One type of hi-viz clothing is a hi-vis vest that can fit over a workers clothing. This garment allows the worker to comply with safety regulations while on the job site while allowing the hi-viz garment to be removed when not on the site. 
     The prior art vest is typically constructed from a thin material that provide little to no protection from the elements. Additionally, it is common for workers to carry items such as cell phones, workpapers, and the like with them while on the job site. However, the prior art hi-viz vests provide no ability to store these items. This requires the worker to either not carry such on the site, which is impracticable, or to remove the vest in order to obtain the access to pockets or other storage compartments contained in the other articles of clothing worn by the worker. 
     Therefore, there is a need to for a safety vest and satisfies the needs as set out above. 
     SUMMARY 
     In some aspects, a waterproof, high visibility vest is disclosed. The vest includes a vest body having a right front portion, a left front portion, and a back portion defining an exterior surface and an inner surface. The right front portion, the left front portion and the back portion are arranged to define a neck opening and a right arm hole and a left arm hole. The right front portion and left front portion each have a parallel vertical edge. A continuous fastener, such as a hook and mesh fastener or a zipper, is positioned along the edges to allow for the closure of the front portions. A plurality of strips of reflective material affixed to the exterior surface of the vest body in a manner to provide high visibility. 
     The vest body is constructed to be waterproof, in that is may be may be constructed from a natural or synthetic fabric that is coated with a waterproofing material, such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, and wax. Additionally, the vest body may be constructed from a waterproof material such as neoprene. 
     The vest body also includes at least one inner waterproof pocket affixed to the inner surface of the vest body. The at least one inner waterproof pocket is also constructed from the waterproof material. In those aspects with a plurality of waterproof interior pockets, each of said plurality of interior pockets may be of a different size. 
     Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view, 
         FIG. 1  is a front plan view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a front plan view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating the interior surface. 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the back an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of interior surface of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As illustrated by  FIGS. 1-4 , an embodiment of the inventive vest of the present invention is disclosed. Vest  10  has an exterior surface  17  and an inner surface  19  and includes right and left front portions  14  and  16  respectively and a back portion  15  arranged to define a neck opening  30  and arm holes  24  and  26  respectively. The right and left front portions  14  and  16  have parallel vertical edges  18  and  20 . A continuous fastener  22  is positioned along the edges  18  and  20  as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The continuous fastener  22  may be a hook and mesh fastener, a plurality of buttons a zipper, a combination thereof or other suitable fastener that can secure right and left front portions  14  and  16  together. Attached to the exterior surface  17  of vest body  12  are a plurality of strips of reflective material  32  in a manner to provide high visibility. 
     Vest body  12  is constructed from a waterproof material in order to provide with user with protection from the environment when there is rain or when other water is present. Vest body  12  may be constructed from a natural or synthetic fabric that is coated with a waterproofing material, such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers, and wax. Additionally, vest body  12  may be constructed from a waterproof material such as neoprene. 
     As best illustrated in  FIG. 4 , vest body  12  also has a plurality of waterproof pockets  40  affixed to the inner surface  19  of the vest body  12 . Each of the pockets  40  are also constructed from waterproof material. In this embodiment, the waterproof material is the same material from which vest body  12  is constructed therefrom. This is illustrative and not meant to be limiting. Those skilled in the art will recognize that pockets  40  and vest body  12  may be made from different waterproof material. Further, in this embodiment, three pockets  40   a,    40   b  and  40   c  are illustrated, with each pocket  40  being of a different size. In this embodiment, pocket  40   a  has a dimension that can accommodate workpapers, pocket  40   b  has a dimension that can accommodate a mobile phone and pocket  40   c  has a dimension that can accommodate general items. The inclusion of three pockets is also illustrative. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various configurations pockets  40 , having various sizes, may be located on the inner surface  19  of vest body  12 . 
     In some embodiments, pocket  40  may be configured to be a patch-style pocket  42  having a flap cover  44 . Flap cover  44  may be secured with a continuous fastener, such as hook and mesh fastener such that the interior portion of pocket  40  is waterproof. 
     In some embodiments, vest body  12  also includes mini-sleeves  28  that extend away from arm holes  24  and  26  respectively. Mini-sleeves  28  are designed to provide additional protection to the user&#39;s arms and torso from a wet environment without being constrained by a full sleeve configuration. 
     In some embodiments, vest body  12  may also include reinforced shoulders to provide more durability. The reinforcement may be created by adding additional material along the shoulders section of vest body  12  and/or overlapping the right and left front portions  14  and  16  with a back portion  15 . 
     While preferred embodiments of the present inventive concept have been shown and disclosed herein, it will be obvious to those persons skilled in the art that such embodiments are presented by way of example only, and not as a limitation to the scope of the inventive concept. Variations, changes, and substitutions may occur or be suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the intent, scope, and totality of this inventive concept. Such variations, changes, and substitutions may involve other features which are already known per se and which may be used instead of, in combination with, or in addition to features already disclosed herein. Accordingly, it is intended that this inventive concept be inclusive of such variations, changes, and substitutions, and by no means limited by the scope of the claims presented herein.