Patent Publication Number: US-2022218057-A1

Title: Clothing set for practicing a winter sport

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority of French patent application number 2011900, filed on Nov. 19, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to a clothing outfit, in particular for practising a winter sport such as skiing, snowboarding or sledging. 
     BACKGROUND 
     It applies in particular to a clothing outfit intended to be worn by a child, for example an integral combination, in particular for a very young child, or a coat for an older child. 
     Outfits are known that comprise:
         an article including two sleeves respectively covering a limb of a user, each of said sleeves having an opening for a distal part of said limb to emerge;   two accessories for respectively covering a distal part.       

     In the case of a coat, the sleeves are arranged to cover the arms of the user, the accessories being gloves or mittens. In the case of an integral combination intended for a very young child, the article comprises two supplementary sleeves each intended to respectively cover a leg of said child, as well as two other accessories in the form of boots or bootees. 
     When a sporting and/or play activity is being practised, the accessories, in particular when it is a case of gloves, may slide from the hand of the user, which may interfere with their movements, or even lead them to take off said gloves. Moreover, in some cases, the glove may fall from the hand of the user, and thus be definitively lost. 
     To overcome these drawbacks, outfits are known comprising two devices respectively associating an accessory on a sleeve, each device comprising a male connector and a female connector. 
     For example, the document CN-209 090 081 describes an integral combination for a child comprising four accessories including two mittens for the hands and two bootees for the feet, each of said accessories being able to be associated reversibly on a sleeve or a leg of said combination by means of a system of male/female connectors of the press stud type. 
     This solution does not give complete satisfaction, in that it is difficult to distinguish the accessories according to the laterality thereof, so that the user or the adult assisting them to dress may easily make a mistake in fitting them on, in particular when it is a case of mittens. 
     Moreover, the accessories are generally dissociated from the combination during washing or storage of the outfit, so that the user may waste a great deal of time in looking for them, in particular after a long period of non-use of said outfit. 
     The document US-2014/0173804 describes a safety assembly for avoiding losing a pair of gloves, said assembly comprising two devices that each have two male and female connectors of the buckle/clip type for pairing said gloves and for removable attachment thereof to the garments of the user. 
     To do this, each glove is equipped with a female connector that is permanently attached to it by means of a strap loop disposed in a keeper secured to said connector. Moreover, the safety assembly comprises:
         a first strap equipped with a male connector at each of the free ends thereof, in order to allow the coupling of each connector with the female connector of respectively a glove, said strap optionally having a sliding buckle making it possible to vary the distance between the two gloves; and/or   a second strap having on a first end a male connector compatible with the female connectors of the gloves, and on its second end a clamp making it possible to associate said glove with any garment.       

     This solution is also not satisfactory, in that it proves to be difficult to use for a child. In particular, the presence of straps may be dangerous for a very young child, because of risks of strangling and/or grabbing. Moreover, this solution does not make it possible to solve the problem of laterality of the gloves. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention aims to improve the prior art by proposing a clothing outfit for practising a winter sport that is simple and intuitive to use, in particular for a child, while being arranged to optimally limit the risk of loss of an accessory, in particular during the practice of a sporting activity or during the storage of the outfit. 
     For this purpose, the invention proposes a clothing outfit, in particular for practising a winter sport, comprising an article including two sleeves for respectively covering a limb of a user, each of said sleeves having an opening for a distal part of said limb to emerge, said outfit further comprising two accessories for respectively covering one of said distal parts and two devices for respectively associating an accessory on a sleeve, each of said devices comprising a male connector and a female connector, the male—or respectively female—connector of a device being attached to an accessory—or respectively to a sleeve, the female—or respectively male—connector of the other device being attached to the other accessory—or respectively to the other sleeve, the male connectors of the devices being arranged to be able to be associated with either one of the female connectors in order to allow the association of the accessories on respectively a sleeve and of the accessories with each other. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other particularities and advantages of the invention will emerge in the following description, made with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1 a    and  FIG. 1 b    show schematically in front view a clothing outfit according to one embodiment of the invention, the accessories being respectively dissociated ( FIG. 1 a   ) and associated ( FIG. 1 b   ) with their respective sleeves of the clothing article; 
         FIG. 2  shows schematically in front view a clothing outfit according to another embodiment of the invention, the accessories being dissociated from their respective sleeves; 
         FIG. 3  shows schematically two sets of accessories equipping the clothing outfits of  FIGS. 1 a , 1 b    and  2 , said accessories being respectively dissociated (at the top) and associated (at the bottom) by means of the devices with which they are each equipped; 
         FIG. 4 a    and  FIG. 4 b    show schematically a male connector of one of the association devices of the preceding figures, respectively in perspective ( FIG. 4 a   ) and in top view ( FIG. 4 b   ); 
         FIG. 5 a    and  FIG. 5 b    show schematically the female connector that is complementary to the male connector of  FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b   , respectively in perspective ( FIG. 5 a   ) and in cross section ( FIG. 5 b   ); 
         FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  show in perspective respectively the female connector ( FIG. 6 ) and the male connector ( FIG. 7 ) of the other association device of the preceding figures. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In relation to these Figures, a description is given below of a clothing outfit intended to be worn in cold weather, in particular for practising a winter sport such as skiing, snowboarding or sledging. 
     The outfit comprises an article  1  comprising two sleeves  2 ,  2   a ,  2   b  respectively covering a limb of the user, each of said sleeves having an opening  3  for a distal part of said limb to emerge. 
     In the embodiments shown, the clothing article  1  further comprises a hood  4  for covering the head of the user, said hood comprising a front opening  5  intended to surround the face of said user. 
     In  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , the clothing article  1  is in the form of an integral combination, in particular intended for a very young child, and has two upper sleeves  2   a  arranged for covering the arms of the user and two lower sleeves  2   b  arranged for covering the legs of said user. 
     In particular, each lower sleeve  2   b  comprises an elastic strip  6  associated by stitching in proximity to its opening  3  for a foot to emerge and intended to come into abutment under said foot when fitting the combination  1 , in order to avoid bunching of the lower sleeve  2   b  along the leg of the user. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the clothing article  1  is in the form of a coat intended to cover the chest of the user, said coat having solely two sleeves  2  for respectively covering an arm of said user. 
     The outfit further comprises two accessories  7  for respectively covering a distal part of the user. In the embodiments shown, each outfit comprises two accessories  7  in the form of gloves or mittens intended to respectively cover a hand of the user. According to a variant embodiment of the combination  1  of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , the outfit may also comprise two accessories in the form of boots or bootees intended to respectively cover a foot of the user. 
     The article  1  and the accessories  7  each comprise an outer shell arranged to provide the protection of the user against bad weather. To do this, the shell may comprise various parts produced from different materials, in particular from cloths, leather, hide, non-woven fabrics, run-resistant knitted fabrics, knitwear or polymer films. Furthermore, according to the degree of protection sought, the shell may be formed by a plurality of superimposed textile layers. 
     Advantageously, the article  1  and/or the accessories  7  may also comprise:
         an inner lining, in particular produced from a textile material of the polar type, which is arranged to provide the thermal insulation and to improve the comfort of the user; and/or   a padding, for example of the wadding type; and/or   an impermeable breathable membrane that is mounted between the inner lining and the outer shell.       

     The gloves  7  each comprise at least one part  8  for covering the hand of the user and an opening  9  for enabling said glove to be fitted. 
     In the embodiments shown, the part  8  for covering the hand is extended towards the rear by a sleeve  10  for covering the wrist. In particular, the sleeve  10  has dimensions that are arranged to enable it to be fitted over an upper sleeve  2   a ,  2 , as shown in  FIG. 1   b.    
     The part  8  for covering the hand comprises at least one housing  8   a ,  8   b  for covering at least one finger of the user. In the figures, the part  8  has a separate housing  8   b  for the thumb and a common housing  8   a  for the other fingers. In a variant, the glove  7  may have for example two distinct housings for respectively the thumb and the index finger and a third common housing for the other fingers, or one housing for each of the five fingers of the user. 
     The sleeve  10  for covering the wrist comprises a front end associated with the part  8  covering the hand and a free rear end in which an opening  9  is formed for introducing the hand of the user. 
     In the embodiment shown, the sleeve  10  is formed in a single piece with the part  8  covering the hand. In particular, the glove  7  comprises an elastic structure  11  formed at the junction between the part  8  covering the hand and the sleeve  10  covering the wrist, in order to allow an automatic adjustment of the glove  7  around the wrist of the user. 
     To avoid loss of the accessories  7 , the outfit further comprises two devices for respectively associating an accessory  7  on a sleeve  2 ,  2   a , each of said devices comprising a male connector  12  and a female connector  13 . 
     The connectors  12 ,  13  are attached to the accessories  7  by a tie  14  that is engaged in a keeper  15  formed in said connectors. In the embodiments shown, the connectors  12 ,  13  are attached to the gloves  7  by means of textile ties  14 , for example elastic, which are engaged in their keepers  15  to form a loop that is attached by stitching in proximity to the opening  9  for introducing the hand. 
     Likewise, the connectors  12 ,  13  are attached to the sleeves  2 ,  2   a  by means of a platform  16  that can be associated by gluing and/or stitching on said sleeve, a male  12   a  or female  12   b  association structure being carried by said platform. 
     In particular, the platform  16  may be produced from a material, in particular plastics material, that has an adapted thickness and/or flexibility to enable it to be perforated by a needle along the periphery thereof, when it is attached by stitching to the sleeve  2 ,  2   a.    
     Such an arrangement makes it possible to avoid the connectors  12 ,  13  hanging along the sleeves  2 ,  2   a , in particular when they are not used. Thus the risk is limited of hooking the sleeve  2 ,  2   a  onto an external mechanical structure, in particular a ski tow or a chairlift, and therefore the risk of injury for the user. 
     Advantageously, the connectors  12 ,  13  can be attached to the sleeves  2 ,  2   a  in the vicinity of the openings  3 , in order to allow the association of the accessories  7  in the position of respectively covering one of the distal parts of the user. Thus the risk of slipping of the accessory  7  during use thereof is limited, which improves the comfort of the user, but also reduces the risk of loss of said accessory. 
     In  FIGS. 1 a , 1 b    and  2 , the connectors  12 ,  13  are disposed on the sleeves  2 ,  2   a  at a distance from the opening  3  that is equivalent to the length of the sleeve  10  covering the wrist. Thus the connectors  12 ,  13  make it possible to hold the sleeve  10  covering the wrist over the sleeve  2 ,  2   a  of the clothing article  1 , which prevents the penetration of snow and/or cold air into the glove  7  and/or into said sleeve. 
     In the embodiments shown, the association structures  12   a ,  13   a  of the connectors  12 ,  13  have adapted geometry and dimensions, in particular a rounded peripheral shape, in order to facilitate manipulation thereof by a user, in particular by a child. 
     Moreover, the association structures  12   a ,  13   a  each have a top wall  17  on which a set of transverse grooves  18  is formed, in order to improve gripping thereof by the user, in particular during association or disassembly thereof. 
     The male  12 —and respectively female  13 —connector of a device is attached to an accessory  7 —or respectively to a sleeve  2 ,  2   a , the female  13 —or respectively male  12 —connector of the other device being attached to the other accessory  7 —or respectively to the other sleeve  2 ,  2   a.    
     Such an arrangement enables the user to easily put on the accessories  7  while respecting the laterality thereof, which in particular enables a child to use said accessories autonomously. Furthermore, the invention makes it possible on each occasion to attach the correct accessory  7  to the correct sleeve  2 ,  2   a , in particular by respecting the direction of the fingers for a glove or a mitten, in order to assist the child if they wish to get dressed alone and also to facilitate the life of the parents. 
     Moreover, to improve the aesthetic appearance of the outfit and ergonomics of use of the accessories  7 , the connectors  12 ,  13  may have different colours and/or forms. Thus the male  12  and female  13  connectors of a same device may be of the same colour, which is different from that of the connectors  12 ,  13  of the other device. 
     Moreover, the play aspect can be improved by making provision for the male  12  and female  13  connectors of a same device each to bear a complementary visual that forms together a design, for example of a children&#39;s character (rabbit, bear cub, etc.), that is different from the one formed by the other device. 
     The male connectors  12  of the devices are furthermore arranged to be able to be associated with either one of the female connectors  13 , in order to allow both the association of the accessories  7  on respectively a sleeve  2 ,  2   a  and of the accessories  7  with each other, as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Thus the accessories  7  can be associated together when they are not used, in particular when the user puts on only the article  1 , which limits the risk of loss of one of said accessories. 
     Advantageously, the male connectors  12  and/or the female connectors  13  of the devices have the same association structure  12   a ,  13   a , which facilitates manufacture thereof, in particular by moulding from a plastics material. In particular, in the embodiments shown, the male connectors  12  and the female connectors  13  both have identical association structures  12   a ,  13   a.    
     The female connectors  13  each have a housing  19 , the male connectors  12  being arranged to be snapped into said housing. 
     In particular, the male connectors  12  each have two lugs  20  separated by a groove  21 , the housings  19  of the female connectors  13  each being delimited between two top  17  and bottom  22  walls separated by a slot  23 . 
     The male connectors  12  each have a top wall  17  that is arranged to come into alignment with the top wall  17  of a female connector  13  when the lugs  20  are inserted in the housing  19  of said female connector. 
     Moreover, the housings  19  each have a central wall  24  with a form complementary to that of the groove  21 , said central wall delimiting on either side two compartments  25  for respectively receiving a lug  20 . 
     To facilitate the introduction of the lugs  20  into their respective compartments  25 , the groove  21  has an entry chamfer  26 . 
     Furthermore, to make the association of the connectors  12 ,  13  reliable, one from the housing  19  and the male connector  12  has a tab  27 , the other one from said housing and said male connector having an orifice  28  for receiving said tab by snapping in. 
     In the embodiments shown, the male connectors  12  each have two tabs  27  formed on respectively a lug  20 , the housing  19  having two snapping-in orifices  28  formed in respectively a compartment  25  while emerging on the top wall  17 . 
     The connectors  12 ,  13  are produced from a plastics material arranged to allow deformation thereof when they are assembled and disassembled, in order to be respectively able to engage and disengage the tabs  27  in and from the snapping-in orifices  28 . 
     In particular, the connectors  12 ,  13  are arranged to enable them to be disassembled when they are subjected to a tensile force that exceeds a given threshold value, in particular to allow disconnection of the accessory  7  from the sleeve  2 ,  2   a  in the event of said accessory being hooked in an external mechanical structure, and thus preventing injury to the user.