Patent Publication Number: US-2017347729-A1

Title: Pocket Garment Assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a pocket garment assembly. More particularly the present invention relates to a work out tank top having a rear pocket in a lower back area of a user. 
     Description of Related Art 
     When exercising, it is often required to carry personal items such as keys, cellular phones, wallets, cards, medicines, and the like. However, often exercise clothing is tight fitting and does not provide space or capability for the carrying of such items. 
     Therefore, what is needed is a pocket garment assembly that may be used to safely store personal items while, for example, exercising. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The subject matter of this application may involve, in some cases, interrelated products, alternative solutions to a particular problem, and/or a plurality of different uses of a single system or article. 
     In one aspect, a pocket tank top assembly is provided. The pocket tank top assembly is particularly suited for exercise clothing and is configured to store personal items while a user is exercising and capable of holding them in place during the movements experienced during exercise. The tank top has a front and rear torso portion connected together by, for example, vertical seams. The tank top further comprises a chest covering, and two shoulder straps, which define arm holes and a head hole. A rear patch is attached to a surface of the rear torso portion by stitching about at least three sides of the patch. The patch, stitching, and rear torso portion define a cavity which forms the pocket. Personal items may thus be placed in the pocket and will be held in place by the construction of the pocket and the materials used. For example, the patch may be a flexible elastic material which may hold the items in place. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  provides a rear view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  provides a rear view of another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  provides a rear view of still another embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  provides a front view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  provides a side view of an embodiment of the pocket garment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention and does not represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. 
     Generally, the present invention concerns a tank top or related garment having a rear pocket. This tank top may have straps or may be strapless. The garment may be particularly suited for exercise clothing, and may be formed of an appropriate lightweight material. The rear pocket may be configured to hold items in place during exercise, and may be formed in such a way to tightly and securely hold the items. In further embodiments, two front pockets may be utilized on a side waist or upper torso area of the tank top. These pockets may similarly be configured to securely store items during exercise. 
     Items stored within the pockets of the pocket garment may include, but are not limited to personal items such as cellular telephones or other handheld electronic devices, headphones, exercise tracking devices, GPS devices, pedometers, bio-monitors, and other electronics, medical devices, keys, cards, wallets, medicines, cosmetics, money, sporting equipment, and the like. 
     The pockets for the present invention are formed by patches attached to the fabric of the garments, in most embodiments. Typically the attachment is by a stitching however other connection solutions may also be within the scope of this invention. These patches may be formed of any material. Typically they may be formed either of a same material as the garment, or a stretchable material, generally a stretchable fabric such as spandex and the like. An advantage of such stretchable fabric is the ability to stretch about the contents within the pocket to hold the contents securely in place, preventing it from jostling during movement. However, it should be understood that the patches need not be formed of such a material. Further, while typically depicted as rectangular, and rectangular with curved edges, it should be understood that the patches and corresponding pockets may be any shape without straying from the scope of this invention. 
     In a particular embodiment, the garment of the present invention is designed to protect wearers from radio frequency emissions from electronic devices supported by the system. To achieve this protection, the garment material may be fabricated of a radio frequency protective material. The radio frequency protective material is fabricated of a blend of fabrics chosen from the class consisting of polyester and cotton and further including copper and silver. In one embodiment, the radio frequency protective material is fabricated of 78 percent of a blend of fabric chosen from the class consisting of polyester and cotton and further including 21 percent copper and 1 silver. In another embodiment, the radio frequency protective material is fabricated of 90 percent of a blend of fabric chosen from the class consisting of polyester and cotton and further including 9.5 percent copper and 0.5 silver. 
     The opening providing access to the pocket interior may be formed in any manner, whether for a rear pocket or front pocket. In one embodiment, a break in the stitching holding the patch to the garment may form an opening in the pocket allowing items to be passed through the opening into a cavity formed between the garment and patch. The non-stitched edge may then be moved away from the garment when in an open position, and may be position against the garment when in a closed position. In one embodiment having a four sided patch, the stitching may be on both vertical side, and a bottom horizontal side, while the opening may be along an entire length of the top horizontal side. In further embodiments, the stitching may be along a small percentage (less than 50%) of the horizontal side as well. 
     In another embodiment, the opening may be provided by a linear slit in the patch. The slit may be, for example, parallel with and closely spaced from the upper edge of the patch. However, this slit may be positioned anywhere on the patch without straying from the scope of the present invention. In a particular embodiment, the slit may have a length that is greater than 90 percent of the width of the patch. Many slit embodiments comprise stitching about an entire perimeter of the patch. In another embodiment, the slit may have a length that is between 75-90 percent of the width of the patch. Through the slit, items may be passed to the cavity between the garment and patch. In further embodiments, an elastic band may be disposed on one side of the slit or both sides of the slit, the elastic band may aid in returning the slit to a closed position and may urge the slit closed when an item is within the pocket. In other words, the slit may stretch open when items are being inserted, and may be configured to automatically contract to a closed orientation when items are within the pocket cavity by virtue of its material properties. 
     In varying embodiments, piping may be positioned along an edge of the patch at the opening, or about the slit forming the opening, depending on embodiment. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of the pocket garment assembly is provided. In this view, a patch  13  is positioned on a lower rear torso portion  12  of a tank top. The tank top also has a chest portion  11 , shoulder straps  10 , and a front torso portion (not shown) on the front of the tank top below the chest portion  11 . In the chest portion, a bra (such as a shelf bra, sports bra, or cup bra) may be built into the tank top. However, not all embodiments require the built in bra. The patch  13  is connected about its entire perimeter by stitching  15  to the rear torso portion  12 . A slit  14  is formed in a surface of the patch extending approximately 70-90% across the width of the patch  13 . The slit  14  provides access to an interior pocket defined as the space between the patch  13  and rear torso portion  12 . It should be understood that this patch  13  may be attached to either an inside or an outside of the rear torso portion, such that it forms an outer pocket or an inner pocket. 
     In a similar embodiment to  FIG. 1 , the rear pocket may be formed as a pocket that comprises two layers separate from the garment material. In this embodiment, two layers of fabric may be joined together at bottom and both side edges. Top edges may be open to define the pocket. These top edges of the two layers are connected to the garment about their perimeter. In the garment, a slit is formed about which the two pocket layers are attached, allowing the pocket to be accessed from the outside. Such an embodiment having the separate multi-layer pocket may be used as an equivalent and/or alternative to the patch structures discussed herein for any of the rear pocket, front pocket, and/or side pockets discussed. 
       FIG. 2  shows another embodiment of the pocket garment assembly. In this view, a patch  23  is positioned on a lower rear torso portion  12  of a tank top. The tank top also has a chest portion  11 , shoulder straps  10 , and a front torso portion (not shown) on the front of the tank top below the chest portion  11 . The patch  23  is connected at three of the four sides of its perimeter by stitching  25  to the rear torso portion  12 . At the forth side, the patch  23  is not connected to the rear torso portion  12 , allowing it to move away from the garment to form an opening to the pocket. A flap  24  is attached to the rear torso portion  12 , also by stitching, at its top edge. This flap is flexible and configured to cover the top perimeter end of the patch  23  when in a closed, resting position, and can be lifted up to expose the opening to the pocket. In one embodiment, the flap  24  is connected to the rear panel portion  12  above the top edge of the patch  23 . In another embodiment, the flap  24  is connected to the rear panel portion  12  below the top edge of the patch  23 . In yet another embodiment, the flap  24  is connected to the rear panel portion  12  at a position aligned with the top edge of the patch  23 . 
     In a particular embodiment, flap  24  may be the attached to the rear torso portion  12  along its two side edges as well as on its top edge. This attachment may be adjacent to and slightly outside of the stitching connecting the patch  23  to the rear torso portion  12 , or using the same stitching connecting the patch to the rear torso portion (or attached adjacent to and slightly outside of the slit in the rear torso portion if a multi-layer pocket is used). In this embodiment, the flap may be formed of a flexible material and may have piping about its leading edge. To access the rear pocket, a user may lift the flap upward, stretching it away from its resting position, exposing the opening to the pocket. In a further embodiment, the top edge of the patch may also be flexible to facilitate access to the pocket by stretching away from the garment. Further, the top edge of the patch may also comprise piping in this embodiment. At rest, this embodiment retains the flap in a closed position, and the flap can only move to the open position to provide access to the pocket by a stretching away from the top edge of the pocket. Once this stretching force is removed, the patch will return to its closed resting position. A similar configuration may be used for a flap covering other pockets of the present invention including front pockets and side pockets. 
     As is shown in  FIG. 3 , the flap  24  may have a closure to hold it in place in the closed position. In this embodiment, two opposing snap connectors  31 ,  32  can be connected together to hold the flap  24  in the closed position over patch  23 . Snap  32  is connected to the flap  24 , and snap  31  is connected to the patch. It should be understood that any two portion closure assembly may be used, including, but not limited to, hook and loop (such as Velcro®) fasteners, zippers, magnetic connections, toggle and loop connectors, and the like. 
       FIG. 4  provides a frontal view of an embodiment of the pocket garment. In this view, two waist level front pockets are seen. These may be in addition to or alternative to the rear pocket of the prior figures. In this embodiment, a rectangular patch  40  is positioned in two places on a front torso portion  42  of the tank top. These patches  40  are connected about their perimeter by stitching  42 . In the embodiment shown, the stitching  42  covers all four sides of the patches  40  at their outer edge. In another embodiment, the stitching  42  may cover three sides of the patches  40  but not a top side, which is left open to provide access to the pocket. In the embodiment shown, a slit  41  is formed in a surface of the patch  40  extending approximately 70-90% across the width of the patch  40 . The slit  41  provides access to an interior pocket defined as the space between the patch  40  and front torso portion  43 . It should be understood that this patch  40  may be attached to either an inside or an outside of the front torso portion  43 , such that it forms an outer pocket or an inner pocket. It should be noted that the pockets in this embodiment are formed directly below a chest portion at a top of a waist of the wearer. 
     In a similar embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the front pocket may be formed as a pocket that comprises two layers separate from the garment material. In this embodiment, two layers of fabric may be joined together at bottom and both side edges. Top edges may be open to define the pocket. These top edges of the two layers are connected to the garment about their perimeter. In the garment, a slit is formed about which the two pocket layers are attached, allowing the pocket to be accessed from the outside. Such an embodiment having the separate multi-layer pocket may be used as an equivalent and/or alternative to the patch structures discussed herein for any of the front pocket, and/or side pockets discussed. 
       FIG. 5  provides a side view of an embodiment of the pocket garment. In this view, a side pocket is shown. The side pocket is positioned below and adjacent to the arm hole on the chest portion  11 . A patch  51  is shown attached to the garment. The patch  51  may be on the inside or outside of the garment chest portion  11  material. An opening  52  is formed at the top of the patch  51 . This opening  52  may be formed by a slit formed in the patch allowing access to the spacing between the patch  51  and chest portion  11 . In another embodiment, the patch  51  may be connected at three of the four sides of its perimeter by stitching to the chest portion  11 . At the forth side, the patch  51  is not connected to the chest portion  11 , allowing it to move away from the garment to form an opening  52  to the pocket. A seam  53  runs up the center of the side of the garment, joining rear torso portion  12  and front torso portion  43 . In various embodiments, the patch  13  may extend from a seam  53  on one side of the garment across the back to another seam on the other side of the garment. In another embodiment, the patch  13  may contact at least one of the first height wise seam  53  and the second height wise seam. In other embodiments, a seamless embodiment of the garment may be provided. In this embodiment, patch  13  may be positioned anywhere on the rear of the garment, including on a center, or extending all the way from one side of the garment to the other, or having an edge on a side of the garment extending to the back middle area, among other orientations. For example, in one embodiment, the front torso portion and rear torso portion of the tank top are connected by a first height wise seam and a second height wise seam on the sides of the tank top, In such an embodiment, the patch may contact at least one of the first height wise seam and the second height wise seam. 
     While several variations of the present invention have been illustrated by way of example in preferred or particular embodiments, it is apparent that further embodiments could be developed within the spirit and scope of the present invention, or the inventive concept thereof. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and are inclusive, but not limited to the following appended claims as set forth.