Abstract:
The present invention is a stowable vest that is secured at one end within a compartment or enclosure disposed on the exterior of a garment, such as a jacket. The vest can be withdrawn from the enclosure and positioned around the garment to provide a highly visual display on the exterior of the garment. Further, the vest is easily disengagable from the exterior of the garment and reinsertable within the enclosure in order to enable the garment to function in a manner which enables an individual, such as a hunter, to selectively display the vest only when desired.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/560,585, filed on Apr. 8, 2004. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to garments, and more specifically, to a garment with a vest attached thereto for selective display of the vest on the exterior of the garment. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In certain situations such as when hunting, it is necessary for an individual to enable others to easily identify the individual as a human being and not as an animal to be hunted. To do so, a variety of garments have been designed with various attachments and other features which provide the function of identifying that of an individual wearing the garment as a human being. 
   Certain garments of this type are formed entirely of an easily identifiable color, i.e., blaze orange, which clearly identifies an individual as a human being when the individual is wearing the garment. However, because the color is easily identifiable and is clearly visible from a significant distance, the animals being hunted in additional to other individuals, can easily spot the garments of this color, which often times prevents an individual wearing the garment of this color from approaching the animal to be hunted undetected. 
   To be able to prevent detection by an animal from occurring, individuals can also wear garments formed with the easily detectable color that can be worn over an existing garment. Thus, the individual can selectively put on and take off the garment when desirous. However, because it is often necessary to quickly put on or take off the easily visible garment, with entirely separate garments of this type, it is difficult to do so. The separate garments are usually stored in a location separate from the individual, such that it requires a significant amount of time to remove the garment from this location and put it on, or to remove the garment and replace it within the storage location. Also, for those individuals choosing to wear the separate garment formed of this color over an existing, and preferably camouflaged garment, the additional garment layer can often restrict the movement of the individual making the task of hunting an animal more difficult for the individual wearing the numerous articles or layers of clothing. 
   In an attempt to remedy this shortcoming, certain garments have been developed which provide the ability of an individual wearing the garment to selectively display a panel or panels which have the easily-identifiable color thereon. One example of a garment of this type is disclosed in Moyer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,718, which illustrates a safety hunter&#39;s garment. In this garment, a number of releasable panels are secured in various points on the garment. Each of the releasable panels has a camouflage colored exterior or viewable surface and covers or obscures a safety panel having an easily identifiable colored surface that, when the releasable panel is moved from a closed position to a display position, is easily seen and identified on the exterior of the garment. 
   However, the releasable panels disclosed on the safety hunter&#39;s garment of the Moyer &#39;718 patent are all located on the exterior of the garment, in locations where the panels can easily become hung up or snagged upon trees or underbrush through which the individual is walking while hunting. Furthermore, the placement and size of the safety panels on the individual are such that while the individual is walking through or sitting or standing in grass, trees and/or underbrush while hunting, the panels are small enough when they can be easily obscured by the brush, trees or grass through which the individual is walking, effectively rejecting the safety features provided by the safety panels. 
   As a result, it is desirable to develop a garment which is capable of being used by an individual while hunting that provides the visibility associated with a separate garment formed entirely of the easily identifiable color, but without the resulting limitations regarding the slowness in displaying and storing the garment and/or restriction of movement, while also allowing for the selective display of the garment similar to the panels disclosed in the Moyer &#39;718 patent without the possibility of inadvertently exposing the panels on a tree or brush that the individual is moving past. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to a primary aspect of the present invention, a stowable vest is secured within an enclosure disposed on the exterior of a garment. The vest can be quickly and easily withdrawn from within the enclosure and attached to the exterior of the garment in order to provide an easily viewable part of the garment which has a readily identifiable color. The vest is secured at one end within the enclosure in order to maintain the vest in connection with the garment. The other end of the vest is engageable with the exterior of the garment in order to position the vest over the garment in a manner which prevents the vest from obstructing the movement of the individual while the vest is displayed. When it is desired to stow the vest, the second end of the vest is disengaged from the exterior of the garment, and the vest can be quickly repositioned within the enclosure. In this configuration, no portion of the vest is displayed on the exterior of the garment, such that the individual wearing the garment can utilize a camouflage pattern on the exterior of the garment to approach an animal being hunted without being easily visually detectable. 
   Numerous other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawing figures. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The drawings illustrate the best mode currently contemplated of practicing the present invention. 
     In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is an isometric view a garment including the stowable vest of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a front plan view of the garment with the vest of  FIG. 1  in a stowed configuration; 
       FIG. 3  is a front plan view of the garment including the vest of  FIG. 2  secured to the garment in a displayed configuration; 
       FIG. 4  is a rear plan view of the garment with the vest of  FIG. 1  in a stowed configuration; 
       FIG. 5  is a rear plan view of a garment with the vest of  FIG. 2  in the displayed configuration; 
       FIG. 6  is a front plan view of the vest of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIG. 7  is a front plan view of a second embodiment of the vest of  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   With reference now to the drawing figures in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the disclosure, a stowable vest constructed in accordance to the present invention is indicated generally as  10  in  FIG. 1 . The vest  10  is secured to a garment  12 , which in a preferred embodiment is a jacket, but may also be in any other suitable type of garment capable of being worn on an individual, such as a vest, pants, poncho, jumpsuit or overalls, among others. 
   The garment  12  has body  14  formed of a front section  16  secured at opposite ends to a rear section  18 . The front section  16  and rear section  18  define an exterior surface  20  and an interior surface  22  for the garment  12 . The exterior surface  20  on the front section  16  includes a number of pockets  24  which are releasably closable by flaps  26  located adjacent and releasably engageable with the pockets  24 . The flaps  26  can be engaged with the pockets  24  using any type of suitable releasable closure (not shown) such as a zipper, a snap, or a hook and loop closure, among others. Alternatively, the pockets  24  can be formed as opened ended or exposed pockets with or without a releasable closure located at the open end. 
   The rear section  18  may also include a number of pockets  24  or other supporting structure, but is also capable of supporting a pouch  28  thereon. The pouch  28  can be any suitable backpack-like structure, but is preferably a pouch as shown and discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,650. Alternatively, the exterior surface  20  of the rear section  18  can be devoid of any type of pocket  24  or supporting structure, if desired. 
   A pair of arms  30  are secured between the front section  16  and a rear section  18  on the exterior surface  12  of the body  14  and extended away from the body  14 . The arms  30  include cuffs  32  located opposite the body  14 . Each cuff  32  is preferably formed with an elastic material (not shown) contained within each cuff  32  to enable the cuff  32  to conform to the size of the wrist of the individual wearing the garment  12 . Each cuff  32  also includes a securing strap  34  that extends outwardly from the cuff  32  and is selectively engageable with a hook and loop pad  36  disposed on the cuff  32  and spaced from the strap  34 . The engagement of the strap  34  with the pad  36  enables an individual wearing the garment  12  to effectively close off the opening defined by the cuff  32  around the wrist of the individual thereby preventing a significant amount of air and/or moisture from entering the garment  12  through the cuff  32 . 
   The body  14  also defines a neck opening (not shown) around which is disposed a collar  38 . The collar  38  extends upwardly from the body  14  and serves to enclose and protect the neck of an individual wearing the garment  12 . 
   In order to assist the individual in putting on and removing the garment  12 , the front portion  16  of the body  14  also includes a zipper  40  or other suitable closure which divides the front section  16  into a pair of adjoining halves  42  and  44  that are selectively connectable by the zipper  40 . The zipper  40  also extends through the collar  38  to assist in closing the color  38  around the neck of the individual. 
   On the exterior surface  20  of one of the halves  42  or  44  of the front section  16 , the garment  12  includes an enclosure  46  having a selectively fastener closure  48 . In a preferred embodiment, the enclosure  46  is disposed adjacent both the zipper  40  and the collar  38  to position the enclosure  46  at an easily reachable location for the individual wearing the garment  12 , but may be located in virtually any position on the exterior surface  20  of the body  14 . However, it is also contemplated that the enclosure  46  and fastener  48  can be formed separately from the garment  12 , and with the enclosure  46  being secured to the exterior surface  20  of the garment  12  when desired by a suitable securing means (not shown). 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 2–7 , the stowable vest  10  includes a back portion  50 , a pair of sleeves  52  and  54  connected at one side to the back portion  50 , and a pair of front portion halves  56  and  58  connected to the back portion  50  and to the respective sleeves  52  and  54  opposite the back portion  50 . The back portion  50  can optionally include a securing member  60  that is engageable with a complementary member  62  disposed on the exterior surface  20  of the rear section  18  of the garment  12  to hold the back portion  50  in position on the rear section  18  when the vest  10  is displayed. Further, the diameter of the sleeves  52  and  54  is greater than the diameter of the arm  30  attached to the body  14 , such that the arms  30  can easily pass through the sleeves  52  and  54  when the vest  10  is being moved to the displayed position on the garment  12 . However, in an alternate embodiment, the sleeves  52  and  54  are omitted, such that the back portion  50  and front halves  56  and  58  define arm openings  63  therebetween. In this embodiment, the arm openings  63  has a diameter greater than the diameter of the arms  30  to enable the arms  30  to be inserted through and move freely within the openings  63  when the vest  10  is displayed. 
   In order to maintain the vest  10  in engagement with the garment  12 , the front portion half  56  includes a securing means  64  thereon that is located opposite the sleeve  52  and is engageable with a complementary means  66  disposed within the interior of the enclosure  46 . The securing means  64  and complementary means  66  can be any suitable securing and complementary means, such as a zipper, a snap closure, a hook and loop closure, or a spring-biased clip closure, among others. The engagement between the securing means  64  and complementary means  66  ensures that the vest  10  is maintained in engagement with the garment  12 , such that the vest  10  cannot be inadvertently disengaged from the garment  12 , preventing the unintentional loss or misplacement of the vest  10 . 
   Similarly, the front portion half  58  can also include a similar securing means  64  that is engageable with a complementary means  66  disposed on the exterior surface  20  of the front section half  44  in order to adequately secure the vest  10  to the exterior surface  20  of the garment  12  when displayed. However, in an alternative embodiment, due to the insertion and engagement of the arms  30  with each of the sleeves  52  and  54  of the vest  10 , the engagement of the arms  30  with the sleeves  52  and  54  is also sufficient to maintain the position of the vest  10  on the garment  12 , thereby making optional the presence of the second securing means and second complementary means on the front half  58 . Further, the securing means  64  located on the first portion  56  can also be permanently engaged with the complementary means  66  disposed within the enclosure  46  in order to prevent any inadvertent disengagement of the respective means and removal of the vest  10  from the garment  12 . 
   In order to move the vest  10  from a stored configuration within the enclosure  46  to a displayed configuration on the exterior of the garment  12 , initially the fastener  48  on the enclosure  46  is opened to allow access to the interior of the enclosure  46 . The vest  10  is then withdrawn from the enclosure and the arms  30  are inserted through the respective sleeves  52  and  54  on the vest  10 . The vest  10  can then be secured to the exterior surface  20  of the garment  12  utilizing the back portion securing member  60  and the second securing means  64 , if present. 
   When it is desired to stow the vest  10 , the securing member  60  and/or securing means  64  are disengaged from the respective complementary members or means  62  and  66 , and the arms  30  are withdrawn from the sleeves  52  and  54 . The vest  10  can then be folded, rolled or otherwise comprised and reinserted into the enclosure. Thereafter the fastener  48  is closed, maintaining the vest  10  in the compressed configuration within the enclosure  46 . 
   The materials utilized in forming the vest  10  are selected in order to provide a vest  10  having an easily stowable configuration and size in addition to other features desired for the vest  10 . For example, the vest  10  is preferably formed of a natural or synthetic fabric material that can be easily folded or otherwise compressed to fit within the enclosure  46 . The fabric material can also have other beneficial functions, such as being waterproof or reflective depending on the particular use for the vest  10 . Also, while the vest  10  is disclosed as preferably being used in association with hunting garments, the stowable vest  10  is contemplated as being usable with other types of garments used for various other activities. 
   Various alternatives are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.