Patent Publication Number: US-4055853-A

Title: Convertible coat and tote bag

Description:
This invention relates to a convertible garment and specifically to an outer garment capable of being worn as a jacket and which is adaptable to be converted into a tote bag as designed by the user. 
     This invention is concerned with providing a wearer with a fashionable outer garment that has the capability of being used functionally as a tote bag. 
     A review of the prior art concerning convertible garments shows that the art has developed primarily in the area of rain garments that are specifically designed to fold into small areas, either into specialized pockets for ease of carrying, or to fold within a pocket of the garment itself or possibly into a preconstructed opening in the collar area of the garment. 
     These prior art convertible garments do not change their function into a different kind of garment but rather are simply refolded for ease of carrying and usually in a much smaller space or area. 
     The prior art also discloses convertible garments of the type that are turned inside out in which different colors or different kinds of material are placed on the outside and the lining to thereby allow the user to use the garment with a different outside covering to he elements. These prior art garments preserve the garment in their original configuration and simply consist of turning the garment inside out with buttons or belts suitably located to accomplish the change. 
     The present disclosure is concerned with an outer garment that is stylish and capable of being worn as a conventional outer garment without any indicia or evidence that the garment is capable of being converted into a tote bag. When the garment is converted into a tote bag in accordance with the teachings of this invention, the tote bag has no relationship to an outer garment and will appear to the trained and untrained observer to be a tote bag having large deep pockets on one side of a handle and large deep pockets on the other side of a handle for accepting indicia usually carried by persons having a tote bag. The user may fill the pockets on either side in a conventional manner and still have these pockets available for access when the tote bag is again converted to an outer garment and worn by the user. 
     The invention is concerned primarily with an outer garment having an adjustable belt for completely encircling the garment. 
     The style of the garment is not critical to the invention and it is presumed that the garment may either have long sleeves or short sleeves, a full collar or small collar, or a collar of any size determined only by the mores of the times. The front portion of the garment below the belt contains a pair of deep pockets having zippered openings on the uppermost portion. The front portion of the garment above the belt also contains a pair of deep pockets each having zippered portions on both the uppermost portion and the lowermost portion. 
     The collar contains a pair of snaps adapted to be connected to a pair of snaps located on the back of the garment in the area covered by the belt. The snaps are located to define an equal portion of the garment below the belt and above the belt when the collar portion is snapped in place to the back portion of the garment. The sleeves are suitably folded in behind the collar thereby keeping the sleeves in place. The garment is folded about the belt around the back thereby exposing the upper deep pockets on one side of the belt and the lower deep pockets on the other side of the belt. 
     Hooks located on the longitudinal outside edge of both the lower pockets and the upper are connected together to form the basic tote bag. The garment is gathered about the belt and the belt adjusted to be used either as a strap around the shoulder or as a handle to be hand held. 
     The user therefore has access to both the upper pockets by using the lowermost zippered openings and the bottom pockets by using the uppermost zippered openings. To all outward appearances the tote bag appears to be a conventional tote bag with no evidence to the casual observer that the tote bag is anything but a tote bag. 
    
    
     Further objects and advantages of the invention will be made more apparent by referring now to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the garment being worn by the user as a conventional outer jacket; 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the garment being worn by the user as a tote bag; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the front view of the garment as an outer garment prior to conversion; 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the rear view of the garment with the sleeves folded; 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the rear view of the garment with the collar connected to the snaps located on the back of the garment; 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the garment folded about the belt and exposing the upper deep pockets located on the front of the garment; 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the garment folded about the belt and illustrating the lower deep pockets located on the front of the garment; 
     FIG. 8 illustrates a side view showing the hooks located on the longitudinal edge of the deep pockets connected together to form the tote bag; and 
     FIG. 9 illustrates the converted tote bag to be worn by the user. 
    
    
     Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a model 10 wearing an outer garment 12 constructed according to the teachings of this invention. 
     The outer garment 12 is constructed in the form of a jacket having a collar 14, long sleeves 16 and 18, a front portion 20, a rear portion 22 more fully illustrated in FIG. 4, and a belt 24. 
     The actual style of the garment 12 is not critical to the invention since it is envisioned that the sleeves 16 and 18 may be short sleeves or mid-length or any other length determined only by the designer. Similarly the length of the jacket may be longer or shorter and the collar 14 may be deep, long, short, or even have no collar at all. The designer will therefore have wide latitude in presenting a convertible outer garment according to the teachings of this invention. 
     The critical portion of the invention concerns a pair of deep pockets 26 and 28 located on the front member 20 and below the belt 24. Deep pockets 26 and 28 have operable access ports 30 and 32 located only on the uppermost portion of the deep pockets respectively. In the preferred embodiment, ports 30 and 32 may consist of zippers or any other type of closure devices considered stylish by the designer. 
     Located on the front member 20 and above the belt 24 is a second pair of deep pockets 34 and 36. Deep pockets 34 and 36 each contain operable access ports on the uppermost portion 38 and 40 respectively, and ports 42 and 44 on the lowermost portion of the pockets 34 and 36 respectively. In the preferred embodiment ports 38, 40, 44 may be conventional zippers or any other kind of closure devices desired by the designer. It is critical to the practice of the invention that upper pockets 34 and 36 contain closure ports on both the uppermost portion and the lowermost portion. 
     The convertibility of the outer garment 12 is predicated on the garment eventually being folded about the belt so as to expose the upper pockets 34 and 36 on one side of the belt and lower pockets 26 and 28 on the lower side of the belt and for this reason closure ports 42 and 44 on the upper pockets are necessary since in the folded position as a tote bag, ports 42 and 44 will be near the belt and in the uppermost portion closest to the user. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a model 10 wearing the convertible garment as a tote bag. The strap of the tote bag is actually adjustable strap 24 placed in the longest position to be worn over the shoulder of the user. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a front view of the outer garment 12 preparatory to be folded and converted into a tote bag 50. The outer garment 12 illustrated in FIG. 3 is shown having a centrally located zipper 52. The outer garment 12 may have any kind of closure means, be it a zipper, buttons or velcro fastening device. It is required in the practice of the invention that a closure means sufficient to hold the front member portion in a closed position be provided. 
     In the practice of the invention all closure means associated with the outer garment 12 are zippered shut. For example, zipper 52 is closed as well as zippers 38 and 42 associated with pocket 34, 
     zippers 40 and 44 associated with pocket 36, zipper 30 associated with pocket 26, and zipper 32 associated with pocket 28. 
     Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a back view of the outer garment 12 more fully illustrating the rear portion 22. Sleeves 16 and 18 are folded and placed against the rear member 22. 
     Located on the back of collar 14 is a pair of snaps 54 and 56. Located in the central portion on the rear member 22 is a pair of cooperating snaps 58 and 60. Snaps 58 and 60 are placed in an area on the rear member 22 that is substantially covered by the belt 24 when located in the conventional position. FIG. 4 illustrates how belt 24 is moved to expose snaps 58 and 60. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown the outer garment 12 folded about the rear member 22 in such a manner that snaps 54 and 56 on the back of a collar 14 are engaged respectively with snaps 58 and 60 located on the back of the rear member. 
     A review of FIG. 5 will show that the upper portion of the garment 62 measured from the belt 24 and the lower portion of the garment 64 also measured from the belt 24 is substantially equal. 
     It is important in the practice of the invention that the upper portion 62 and the lower portion 64 be substantially equal since the upper portion 62 is then folded over the belt 24 to thereby form the basis for the tote bag 50. 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, there is illustrated the very next step where the upper portion 62 is folded over the belt 24 thereby exposing pockets 36 and 34 located on the upper portion of the front member 20. 
     Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown the reverse side of the tote bag 50 illustrating deep pockets 28 and 26 located on the bottom portion of the front member 20. 
     A review of FIGS. 6 and 7 will show that the tote bag 50 allows the user access to deep pocket 34 and 36 located on one side through zippers 38 and 40 respectively. Deep pockets 26 and 28 are similarly available to the user on the other side through zippers 30 and 32 respectively. 
     The tote bag is completed by means of interlocking hooks 70 and 72 located on the vertical outside panel of deep pockets 26 and 28 respectively with hooks 74 and 76 located on the vertical outside panel of pockets 34 and 36 respectively. 
     Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown a side view of the tote bag 50 showing how the hook 74 located on pocket 34 is interconnected with hook 70 located on the side panel of pocket 26. 
     Referring now to FIG. 9, there is shown the finished tote bag 50 with the adjustable belt 24 extended to the longest position to be used as an over the shoulder tote bag. The tote bag itself is fluffed up formed over the belt 24 thereby exposing deep pockets 28 and 26 on the side illustrated.