Patent Publication Number: US-2021186129-A1

Title: Convertible Garment

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to convertible garments, and more specifically to a dress which can be converted into different styles through the manipulation of its hem, neckline, and sleeves. 
     Related Art 
     Convertible garments are well-known in the art. These are garments which can be configured into more than one style, providing flexibility and the potential to save wardrobe space. Convertible dresses have been developed in the art to provide a number of solutions. More specifically, convertible dresses have been developed in the art to provide solutions for pregnant women as their size changes throughout the pregnancy. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,726 A discloses an adjustable dress wherein a single garment can be easily adjusted to comfortably fit substantially all wearers regardless of their particular sizes, shapes or weights. U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,595A discloses a convertible garment to be worn by a woman before, during and after pregnancy, which will provide a comfortable fit and appropriate attire for the working woman both pregnant and non-pregnant. 
     Convertible dresses have also been developed for providing bridal parties and their guests with formal attire with multiple neckline options. For example, U.S. Publication Number 2014/0123365 A1 discloses a strapless multi-use garment having a plurality of panels adaptable for multiple configurations that allows the multi-use garment to be worn in a wide range of stylish designs. 
     The present invention discloses a convertible dress providing a plurality of styles. The convertible dress being a wardrobe staple in each of its forms. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     The present invention is directed to a garment which can be converted into three different lengths and which can be worn in a plurality of styles. The convertible garment allowing its wearer to change the style and length of the sleeves, to opt for a sleeveless look, to wear a hooded style, or to wear a mock neck style. The convertible garment including a torso member having an upper edge, a lower edge, a front, a back, and two sides, a neck opening on the upper edge of the torso member for receiving a wearer&#39;s neck, the neck opening having a collar extending from the neck opening, the collar having of a pocket for holding a hood, said pocket open and closed via a closure. The convertible garment further having a single leg opening on the lower edge of the torso member for receiving a wearer&#39;s legs and an arm opening on each side of the torso member distal from the leg opening. 
     The torso member adjustable to create three different lengths—a short length, a middle length, and a longer length. The torso member having a lower length adjustor and an upper length adjustor on its interior. The lower length adjustor for being detachably secured to the upper length adjustor by folding the lower edge of the torso member inward and towards the upper length adjustor to create the short length which is the shortest version of the garment. The middle length is formed where the lower length adjustor and the upper length adjustor are detached and the torso member is extended to its full length. Further, there is a length extension for being detachably secured to the lower length adjustor for creating the longer length which is the longest version of the garment. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the specification and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example only, and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and wherever possible, the same or like reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a convertible garment with the sleeves and length extension detached according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear view of a convertible garment with the hood outside of the pocket according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of a convertible garment showing the shortest version of the convertible garment with sleeves and length extension removed according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an interior view of a convertible garment according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5 a    is a magnified view of the interior hem showing the upper and lower length adjustors of a convertible garment according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5 b    is a magnified view of the interior hem showing the process of folding the lower length adjustor inward towards the upper length adjustor in order to detachably secure the length adjustors to each other and create the short length of a convertible garment according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5 c    is a magnified view of the interior hem when the upper and lower length adjustors of a convertible garment are attached according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a magnified view of a pocket of a convertible garment according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the figures where similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the figures,  FIGS. 1 through 4  show a convertible garment  100  having a torso member  101 , a length extension  103 , and two sleeves  132   a ,  132   b . The torso member  101  having an upper edge  102 , a lower edge  104 , a front  106 , a back  108 , and two sides  110   a ,  110   b . The torso member  101  also having a lining  105  on its interior. The lining  105  having a top edge, a bottom edge, and two arm openings. The lining  105  extending throughout the interior of the torso member  101  and ending at the bottom edge. The top edge of the lining  105  is flush with a portion of the top edge  102  of the torso member  101 . The bottom edge of the lining at a distance ranging from 1.5 to 6.5 inches away from the lower edge  104  of the torso member  101 . The lining  105  preferably made of an elastane blend fabric. The lower edge  104  having a single leg opening for receiving both of a wearer&#39;s legs. The upper edge  102  having a neck opening  112  for receiving a wearer&#39;s neck and a collar  114  extending vertically from the neck opening  112 . The collar  114  having a pocket for holding a hood, the pocket spanning the length of the collar. The pocket opened and closed via a pocket fastener  120 . The pocket fastener  120  is preferably a zipper but may be any fastening means known to one of ordinary skill in the art including hook and loop fastener, hook and eye fastener, snap fasteners, magnets, adhesive material, buttons, tie fasteners, strings or any combination thereof. 
     Each side  110   a ,  110   b  having an arm opening  130   a ,  130   b  closer to the upper edge  102  than to the lower edge  104 , the arm openings  130   a ,  130   b  for receiving a wearer&#39;s arms. Each arm opening of the lining  105  hidden by the arm openings  130   a ,  130   b  of the torso member  101 . The convertible garment having sleeve fasteners each comprising of two or more corresponding parts  131   a ,  131   b , where one or more of the two or more corresponding parts of the sleeve fasteners  131   a ,  131   b  are on the arm openings of the lining and one or more of the two or more corresponding parts of the sleeve fasteners  131   a ,  131   b  are on each sleeve  132   a ,  132   b , the sleeve fasteners  131   a ,  131   b  for attaching the sleeves  132   a ,  132   b  to the arm openings of the lining. The sleeves  132   a ,  132   b  may be of any style commonly known, which may include long sleeves, short sleeves, or three-quarter length sleeves. The sleeve fasteners  131   a ,  131   b  are preferably zippers but may be any fastening means known to one of ordinary skill in the art including hook and loop fasteners, hook and eye fasteners, snap fasteners, magnets, adhesive material, buttons, tie fasteners, strings or any combination thereof. 
     The convertible garment  100  further including a lower length adjustor  134  and an upper length adjustor  135  both running horizontally around the interior of the torso member  101 . The upper length adjustor  135  is on the bottom edge of the lining  105 . The lower length adjustor  134  at a distance ranging from 0.5 to 4 inches away from the lower edge  104 . The upper length adjustor  135  is at a distance ranging from 1 to 5 inches away from the lower length adjustor  134 . The lower length adjustor  134  for being detachably secured to the upper length adjustor  135  by folding the lower edge  104  of the torso member  101  inward and towards the upper length adjustor  135  to create the short length which is the shortest version of the garment  100 . The middle length is formed where the lower length adjustor  134  and the upper length adjustor  135  are detached and the torso member  101  is extended to its full length. The upper length adjustor  135  and the lower length adjustor  134  are preferably corresponding parts of a zipper but may be any dual-member fastening means known to one of ordinary skill in the art including hook and loop fasteners, hook and eye fasteners, snap fasteners, magnets, adhesive material, buttons, tie fasteners, strings or any combination thereof. 
     The length extension  103  having a length extension adjustor  142  running horizontally around the top edge of the length extension  103  for detachably securing the length extension  103  to the lower length adjustor  134  of the torso member  101  to create the longer length which is the longest version of the garment  100 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the length extension adjustor  142  and the upper length adjustor  135  are male parts of a male and female fastener and the lower length adjuster  134  is a female part of a male and female fastener. The length adjustors  134 ,  135 ,  142  are preferably corresponding parts of a zipper but may be any dual-member fastening means known to one of ordinary skill in the art including hook and loop fasteners, hook and eye fasteners, snap fasteners, magnets, adhesive material, buttons, tie fasteners, strings or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the length extension  103  also has a lining  105 . 
     In an embodiment of the present invention the upper and lower length adjustors  135 ,  134  and the length extension adjustor  142  all stop at stopping points  144 , where the stopping points  144  may be 0 to 5 inches away from the center of the front  106  of the garment  100 . The stopping points are equidistant from the center of the front  106  of the convertible garment  100 . Each length adjustor  134 ,  135 ,  142  also having additional securing means  146 , the additional securing means  146  extending beyond the stopping points  144  and preferably in the form of snap fasteners but may be any dual-member fastening means known to one of ordinary skill in the art including hook and loop fasteners, hook and eye fasteners, magnets, adhesive material, buttons, tie fasteners, strings or any combination thereof. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention the torso member  101  includes a waistband  136  extending horizontally around the torso member  101  at a location where a wearer&#39;s waist would sit. The waistband  136  for providing cinching around a wearer&#39;s waist and may include elastic material or a drawstring threaded through tunneling in the fabric of the torso member  101 . 
     The front  106  of the torso member  101  includes a closure  138  extending vertically through the center of the torso member  101 . The closure  138  extending from the top edge of the collar  114  to an end point  140  which is approximately 1 to 10 inches away from the lower edge  104 . 
     While any fabric known to one skilled in the art may be used, the preferred fabric is water resistant polyester for the torso member and the hood and stretch polyester for the sleeves and inner lining. 
     In some embodiments there are also pockets  181  on either side  110   a ,  110   b  of the torso member  101 . Alternatively, the pockets  181  may be on the front  106  or back  108  of the torso member  101 . The pockets  181  having means for charging a cellular device. The means for charging a cellular device including one or more flexible solar panel strips  180  wherein the one or more flexible solar panel strips  180  are rectangular. The one or more flexible solar panel strips  180  having a USB port for connecting a charging wire  182  to the one or more flexible solar panel strips  180  for charging a cellular device  184 . The one or more flexible solar panel strips  180  preferably detachably connected to an outer surface of at least one of the pockets  181 . However, the one or more flexible solar panel strips  180  may also be detachably connected to an inner surface of at least one of the pockets  181 . The one or more flexible solar panel strips  180  detachably connected to the pocket  181  via any detachment means commonly known in the art, which may include hook and loop fasteners or adhesive fasteners. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention there are sufficient flexible solar panel strips to deliver 5 Volts of power. 
     In some embodiments of the present invention the convertible garment may be folded and stored within the hood of the convertible garment and a drawstring tunneled through the edges of the hood may be used to secure the convertible garment within the hood. 
     This disclosure is not intended to limit the invention to the particular assembly disclosed, but, to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the claims.