Abstract:
An article of apparel includes a concealed weapon pocket positioned at a location on the article of apparel which allow for easy access by a user, such as a lower side portion of a coat or jacket, for example. The front panel includes an upper portion that is releasably secured about its top edge and upper side edges to the main panel, and a lower portion that is fixably secured about its bottom and lower side edges to the main panel. A flap associated with a front cargo pocket may be grasped by hand and moved in a generally forward and downward direction to expose the upper portion of the concealed weapon pocket. The user may then grasp and deploy a weapon disposed in the pocket with minimized structural interference from any portion of the pocket or surrounding apparel structure.

Description:
STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR UNDER 37 C.F.R. 1.77(b)(6) 
     An article of apparel including a concealed weapon pocket, in accordance with the present invention and jointly invented by the present inventors, Christopher S. Miner and Kelly A. Alwood, was publicly shown at the WESA Show in Denver, Colo., USA on Jan. 20, 2015. Prior Disclosure Photos 1-8 showing this article of apparel including a concealed weapon pocket are provided on a concurrently filed Information Disclosure Statement. In each of Prior Disclosure Photos 1-8, features of the concealed weapon pocket described herein are shown with reference numerals corresponding to the reference numerals used in the present application for identical features shown and described in the Detailed Description and drawings. A listing of such reference numerals and their respective corresponding structures is provided with the concurrently filed Information Disclosure Statement. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an article of apparel having a pocket adapted to carry a weapon in a concealed manner, yet facilitate rapid deployment of the weapon. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Many jurisdictions throughout the United States allow for the possession of weapons, such as firearms, on persons for self-defense. Possession of such weapons is typically carried out in a manner in which the weapon is concealed from view to prevent exposing the bearer to a potential threat from another that could result from the weapon being exposed to view or which could potentially raise suspicion or otherwise cause the bearer to be a target of a violent encounter. 
     While many clothing options exist in the marketplace to aid in the concealment and deployment of concealed weapons, known articles of clothing do not allow extremely rapid deployment of the weapon in the event of an emergency situation while still maintaining a high degree of concealment. When an emergency situation arises in which the bearer is in grave danger of severe bodily harm or death, time is of the essence. In order to maximize concealment, many clothing systems require the bearer to conceal their weapon underneath standard clothing or on the inside of the article of clothing, such as with jackets, vests and other outwear. This requires the wearer to reach inside or underneath their clothing to access their weapon, and therefore provides a greater risk of fumbling the weapon or snagging the weapon on a part of the clothing when removing the weapon from the storage area, in turn sacrificing speed to maintain maximum concealment. Any slight delay in deploying the weapon can potentially have tragic consequences. 
     What is needed is an improvement over the foregoing. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides an article of apparel, such as a coat or jacket, for example, that includes a concealed weapon pocket. The pocket may be formed by a first panel which is at least partially fixably secured to a main panel of the article of apparel. The pocket is positioned at a location on the article of apparel which allow for easy access by a user, such as a lower side portion of a coat or jacket, for example. The front panel includes an upper portion that is releasably secured about its top edge and upper side edges to the main panel by hook-and-loop fasteners and snap fasteners, and a lower portion that is fixably secured about its bottom and lower side edges to the main panel. A flap, associated with a front cargo pocket disposed exteriorly of the concealed weapon pocket, may be grasped by hand and moved in a generally forward and downward direction to release the hook-and-loop fasteners and snap fasteners and expose the upper portion of the concealed weapon pocket and, in turn, expose the upper portion of a weapon disposed in the pocket. The user may then grasp and deploy the weapon with minimized structural interference from any portion of the pocket or surrounding apparel structure. Advantageously, the present concealed weapon pocket provides for effective concealment of a weapon, yet facilitates rapid deployment of the weapon during a time of need. 
     In one form thereof, the present invention provides an article of apparel, including: a main panel having a front side; a first panel having a front side, a rear side, and first periphery, the first periphery including a top side, a bottom side, a left side, and a right side, the first panel fixably secured to the main panel along a fixed first seam including the bottom side and a fixed portion of a total vertical extent of each of the left and right sides, the first panel releasably secured to the main panel along a releasable second seam including the top side and a releasable portion of the total vertical extent of each of the left and right sides by hook and loop fastener strips; the fastener strips including first strips fixably secured to and extending respectively along the rear side of the first panel and along the top side and the portions of the vertical extents of each of the left and right sides of the first panel, and second strips fixably secured to and extending along portions of an underlying periphery of the front side of the main panel corresponding to respective locations of the first strips, the first and second strips releasably securable to one another; a first pocket defined between the main panel and the first panel, the first pocket defining an upper portion and a lower portion; the lower portion bounded by the front side of the main panel, the rear side of the first panel, and the fixed first seam, and the upper portion bounded by the front side of the main panel, the rear side of the first panel, and the releasable second seam, the upper portion exposable upon release of the releasable second seam; a second panel defining a second periphery substantially co-extensive with the first periphery, the second periphery including a top side, a bottom side, a left side, and a right side, the second panel fixably secured to the first panel along the bottom side and along each of the left and right sides, with a second pocket defined between the first and second panels; and a flap fixably secured along the top side of the first panel, the flap overlapping the top side of the second panel. 
     In another form thereof, the present invention provides an article of apparel, including: a main panel having a front side; a weapon mounting panel fixed to the main panel and adapted to receive a weapon system; a first portion of a releasable seam fixed to the main panel and having left side, right side and top portions; a cargo pocket having a non-deployable bottom portion fixed to the main panel by a fixed seam and a deployable top portion releasably secured to the main panel by the releasable seam, the weapon mounting panel disposed between the main panel and the cargo pocket, the fixed seam of the non-deployable bottom portion having a vertical extent of at least 45% of an overall vertical extent defined by the cargo pocket, the cargo pocket including: a first panel having a second portion of the releasable seam secured to a rear side of the first panel, the second portion of the releasable seam having left side, right side and top portions sized and positioned to cooperate with the left side, right side and top portions of the first portion of the releasable seam to selectively secure the deployable top portion to the main panel; a second panel fixed to the first panel with along respective sides and along a bottom, such that the first panel and the second panel cooperate to define the cargo pocket with an open upper end; and a flap selectively covering the open upper end, the flap defining a flap height of at least 3 inches whereby the flap can be firmly grasped by a user of the article of apparel to release the deployable top portion from the main panel. 
     In yet another form thereof, the present invention provides a method of deploying a weapon from an article of apparel, including the steps of: grasping a top flap of an exterior pocket, the top flap fixably secured along an upper edge thereof to a front panel of the article of apparel, the front panel in turn at least partially fixably secured to a main panel of the article of apparel; translating the top flap in an outward and downward direction with respect to a user to release an upper portion of the front panel from the main panel and to reveal a proximal portion of a weapon disposed within a concealed carry storage area defined between the front panel and the main panel; and removing the weapon from the concealed carry storage area. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of the present disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a coat made in accordance with the present disclosure, including weapon concealment pockets and worn by a user; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a vest made in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a women&#39;s coat made in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the weapon concealment pocket shown in  FIG. 1 , in which the pocket is in an open configuration with the concealed carry storage area exposed; 
         FIG. 5  is another perspective view of the weapon concealment pocket shown in  FIG. 1 , in which the pocket is in a closed configuration with the concealed carry storage area hidden; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the weapon concealment pocket shown in  FIG. 5 , with the top flap of the standard top access pocket shown in the open configuration; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the weapon concealment pocket shown in  FIG. 4 , illustrated with a firearm in the concealed pocket; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective, exploded view of the weapon concealment pocket shown in  FIG. 7 , with the firearm and outer pocket panels removed for clarity; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-section, elevation view, taken along the line IX-IX of  FIG. 5 , illustrating the material layers and construction of the weapon concealment pocket; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-section, elevation, exploded view of the weapon concealment pocket shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a weapon concealment pocket in accordance with the present disclosure, illustrating a user grasping a firearm contained within the concealed pocket thereof; 
         FIG. 12  is a front elevation view of a portion of the coat shown in  FIG. 1 , illustrating a user grasping a flap of the weapon concealment pocket in preparation for access to the concealed carry storage area; 
         FIG. 13  is another front elevation view of the coat shown in  FIG. 12 , illustrating the user exposing the concealed carry storage area; and 
         FIG. 14  is another front elevation view of the coat shown in  FIG. 12 , in which both left and right concealed carry storage areas are fully exposed and the user is grasping a firearm contained in one of the weapon concealment pockets. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure provides an article of clothing, such as coat  10  shown in  FIG. 1 , including one or more weapon concealment pockets  11 , such as the left and right pockets  11  shown in  FIG. 1 . As described in further detail below, weapon concealment pockets  11  provide a versatile, accessible and effective concealed carry storage area  30  ( FIG. 4 ) for secure retention of a weapon system, such as firearm  54  and holster  56  ( FIG. 7 ) and/or related accessories and equipment such as extra ammunition magazines ( FIG. 14 ). Pocket  11  effectively conceals the existence of concealed carry storage area  30  and the presence of a weapon contained therein by eliminating external visual cues suggesting the weapon-bearing capacity of coat  10 . For example, structures and materials used for containment of a weapon system within storage area  30 , or for accessing storage area  30 , are not readily visible. In addition, one or more pleats (e.g., pleats  46 ,  48  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 ) cooperate with the material and construction used for pocket  11  to reduce or eliminate “printing,” or outside visibility of the shape of firearm  54  through the fabric of coat  10 . 
     Moreover, as described in further detail below, the high degree of concealment provided by coat  10  combines with a fast and simple mode of access into concealed carry storage area  30 , including the use of top flap  44  as a grab handle to “tear away” the deployable portion  32  of pocket  11  ( FIG. 4 ) to expose the entire proximal portion of the weapon contained in storage area  30  (e.g., firearm  54  as shown in  FIG. 7 ). This tear-away action and the subsequent retrieval of the weapon uses a fluid and easily accomplished motion, thereby providing a tactical advantage to the user of coat  10  in exigent circumstances which may impair the user&#39;s fine motor skills. Thus, concealment pockets  11  of coat  10  provide a superior combination of secure and discrete weapon storage and rapid weapon deployment. 
     While coat  10  is shown as an illustrative article of clothing in  FIG. 1 , it is contemplated that other articles of clothing may be provided within the scope and content of the present disclosure. For example,  FIG. 2  illustrates vest  10 A including left and right weapon concealment pockets  11 , while  FIG. 3  illustrates a women&#39;s parka  10 B also containing concealment pockets  11 . Moreover, it is appreciated that weapon concealment pockets  11  can be applied to any article of clothing as required or desired for a particular application. Examples of alternative articles of apparel include cargo pants, coveralls, overalls and other workwear, light jackets, and wearable cargo carriers such as purses, handbags, shoulder bags and backpacks. More generally, concealment pocket  11  can be applied to any article of apparel in which rapid-deployment, concealed weapon storage is desired in a structure which appears as a simple external cargo pocket. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 4-6 , the structure and function of concealment pocket  11  is illustrated in greater detail. In  FIG. 5 , pocket  11  is shown in a fully closed configuration, with concealed carry storage area  30  ( FIG. 4 ) not visible and flap  44  in a closed position. In this configuration, all cargo contained in concealment pocket  11  is fully secured and coat  10  is effectively indistinguishable from similar coats lacking provision for weapon concealment. Optionally, insulation or other materials  28  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) may be disposed behind main panel  12  to provide warmth for the user. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the conventional functionality provided by top access cargo pocket  42  and side access pocket  70 , both of which are separate from concealed carry storage area  30 . As illustrated, cargo pocket  42  may be accessed by disengaging a central snap fastener  52  (i.e., unsnapping female snap fastener  52 B from male snap fastener  52 A) and unfolding flap  44 . As cargo is added to top access cargo pocket  42 , outer pleat  46  may expand to accommodate the volume of the cargo. 
     Side pocket  70  is accessed by laterally placing cargo through the open slot between main panel  12  of coat  10  and side pocket panel  72 . Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , side pocket panel  72  is secured behind main panel  12 , and in front of insulation  28 , such that side access pocket  70  is behind the other structures of weapon concealment pocket  11 . This arrangement ensures that the presence of cargo and/or weapons contained within concealed carry storage area  30  will not expand the opening to side access pocket  70 , thereby avoiding a visual cue of the cargo contained within storage area  30 . Rather, side access pocket  70  appears as a typical pocket structure, in registry with the adjacent side of pocket  11 , regardless of whether storage area  30  is in use. In an exemplary embodiment, the bottom of the opening for side pocket is about one inch above the bottom of concealment pocket  11 , such that cargo contained therein cannot easily roll out, and is at least 6-inches tall to easily accommodate a user&#39;s hands and/or cargo. Side pocket  70  may be omitted in some embodiments or coat  10 , or in other apparel such as cargo shorts or pants including concealment pocket  11 . 
     Turning back to  FIG. 4 , concealment pocket  11  is shown with an upper, deployable portion  32  of the conventional cargo pocket  42  “torn away” from main panel  12  to expose concealed carry storage area  30 . As described in further detail below, such tearing away may be accomplished by opening flap  44  and using flap  44  as a handle to firmly grasp deployable portion  32 , followed by pulling flap  44  and deployable portion  32  outwardly and downwardly to disengage releasable seam  18 , which is normally held in place by hooked and looped fastener strips  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26  and/or corner snap fasteners  50 . This tearing-away motion facilitates rapid access to the cargo contained in storage area  30  (e.g., firearm  54  as shown in  FIG. 7 ) by a single, fluid and manual movement easily performed using only gross motor skills. 
     The components assembled to create concealment pocket  11  are best seen in in  FIGS. 4, 9, and 10 . Main panel  12 , which may be the main fabric panel used at the left or right side of coat  10 , forms the foundation for attachment of the other structures of pocket  11 . Hooked fastener strips  20  are affixed (e.g., by sewing and/or adhesive) to main panel  12  to define one portion of releasable seam  18  along the left and right sides of pocket  11 . Similarly, a second hooked fastener strip  22  is fixed to main panel  12  and extends between the side fastener strips  20  to define the top side of pocket  11  and the top portion of releasable seam  18 . As best seen in  FIG. 4  and further described below, main panel  12  forms the back or inner surface of concealed carry storage area  30 . 
     The front or outer surface of storage area  30  is defined by a first outer panel  14 , which also forms the back of cargo pocket  42  as further described below. A lower, non-deployable portion  34  of first outer panel  14  is affixed to main panel  12  by fixed seam  16  ( FIG. 4 ), which extends along a portion of the left and right sides of pocket  11  and across the bottom side of pocket  11 . The remaining portion of the left and right sides of first panel  14  have looped fastener strips  24  fixed (e.g., by sewing and/or adhesive) to panel  14 . Top looped fastener strip  26  is similarly fixed to the top side of panel  14 . 
     The left and right looped strips  24  cooperate with the left and right hooked strips  20  to releasably secure the left and right sides of weapon concealment pocket  11 , while the looped and hooked fastener strips  26 ,  22  cooperate to secure the top side of concealment pocket  11 . Together, the hook-and-loop closure provided by fastener strips  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  form releasable seam  18 , which may also be augmented by snap fasteners as detailed below. Although the hooked portions of releasable seam  18  are fixed to main panel  12  and the looped portions are fixed to first panel  14 , it is of course contemplated that this arrangement can be reversed as appropriate for a particular application. In one exemplary embodiment, hooked fastener strips  20 ,  22  and looped fastener strips  24 ,  26  are Velcro® brand connectors available from Velcro Industries B.V. of the Netherlands, or other non-branded equivalents thereof. However, it is also contemplated that other securement options may be used in place of the illustrated hook-and-loop fasteners, as required or desired for a particular application. Examples of alternative securement for releasable seam  18  include a series of buttons and other snap-fit fasteners, magnets, zippers, releasable adhesives, and various other materials that perform similarly to hook-and-loop fasteners but do not utilize a hook-and-loop arrangement. 
     In addition to the hook-and-loop securement provided along releasable seam  18 , snap fasteners  50  may be provided at the upper right and upper left corners of weapon concealment pocket  11 , as best seen in  FIG. 4 . In particular, male snap fasteners  50 A are provided within the field of the hooked fastener strips  20 ,  22  at the upper left and upper right junctions thereof, e.g., male snap fasteners  50 A are riveted in place directly onto the material of hooked fastener strips  20  and/or  22 . Similarly, female snap fasteners  50 B are provided at corresponding locations of looped fastener strips  24 ,  26 , i.e., at the upper left and upper right junctions thereof, and are also riveted in place within the field of looped fastener strips  24 ,  26 . When weapon concealment pocket  11  is configured in its closed configuration ( FIG. 5 ), male and female snap fasteners  50 A,  50 B snap together to provide additional releasable fixation between the deployable portion  32  and main panel  12 . As discussed below, these corner fasteners  50  mitigate the risk of accidental exposure of concealed carry storage area  30  while still allowing the user to readily access the same should the need arise. 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , female snap fasteners  50 B have a fastener head which remains behind flap  44  when pocket  11  is in the closed configuration ( FIG. 5 ). This arrangement hides the presence of snap fasteners  50  behind flap  44  during normal use of coat  10 , thereby ensuring that fasteners  50  do not provide any visual cue suggesting the presence of concealed storage area  30 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, corner snaps  50 A,  50 B are placed up to one-half inch from any adjacent edge of hooked or looped fastener strips  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 , respectively. This ensures that snap fastener  50  will be securely concealed within the field of hook-and-loop connection between deployable portion  32  and main panel  12 , while also ensuring that continuity of the field of hook-and-loop connection is maintained. The presence of snap fasteners  50  at the upper right and upper left corners of pocket  11  provide significantly more strength of attachment at the corner regions of pocket  11 , which are the most likely regions to catch or snag during daily use of coat  10 . This additional strength prevents accidental deployment of deployable portion  32 . 
     The hook-and-loop fastening along releasable seam  18  cooperates with the snap-fit fastening of fasteners  50  to provide a secure, continuous and positive attachment between deployable portion  32  of concealment pocket  11  and main panel  12 . In an exemplary embodiment, the area occupied by releasable seam  18  may also be set as a function of the surface area occupied by deployable portion  32  of pocket  11 . In particular, the area of deployable portion  32  is equal to the vertical extent DR of releasable seam  18  multiplied by the width W of concealment pocket  11  (which is equal to the width of releasable seam  18 , as pocket W is shown in the shape of a rectangle). The aggregate area occupied by hooked fastener strips  20 ,  22  (which may be equal to the aggregate area of looped fastener strips  24 ,  26 ) may be as little as 25%, 27%, or 29% of the total area of deployable portion  32 , or as much as 32%, 34%, or 36% thereof, or may be any percentage within any range defined by any pair of the foregoing values, such as between 25% and 36%, 27% and 34%, or 29% and 32%. Advantageously, the foregoing percentages of hook-and-loop fastener area provides for a secure and robust connection between deployable portion  32  and main panel  12  while also allowing a user of typical strength to easily and readily access concealed carry storage area  30  upon demand using the “tear away” method described herein. 
     An additional consideration addressed by the design of weapon concealment pocket  11  is the security of a weapon (such as firearm  54  shown in  FIG. 7 ) within concealed carry storage area  30  when deployable portion  32  is in the fully open configuration ( FIGS. 4 and 7 ). To this end, weapon concealment pocket  11  provides elastic mounting strips  58  and hook-and-loop mounting strips  60  in an alternating grid pattern, sometimes referred to as a MOLLE system. In addition, concealment pocket  11  provides a spatial arrangement of fixed seam  16  and releasable seam  18  which, in the context of the overall size and geometry of pocket  11 , also adds security to weapon retention even with deployable portion  32  open. These features are described in turn below. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the attachment grid used in weapon concealment pocket  11  is best shown in  FIG. 8 . As illustrated, alternating horizontal strips of hook-and-loop mounting strips  60  and elastic mounting strips  58  are joined to firearm mounting panel  66 , which in turn is fixed (e.g., by sewing and/or adhesive) to main panel  12 . Vertical seams  62  fix strips  58  and  60  to panel  66  at regular intervals in order to provide the illustrated “grid” of attachment points for a variety of mounting options. In an exemplary embodiment, the grid of elastic mounting strips  58  and hook-and-loop mounting strips  60  are arranged according to a modified MOLLE convention (MOLLE being an acronym for MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) utilized by NATO armed forces, including the U.S. Army. In particular, mounting strips  58  and  60  may each by 1″ wide, and seams  62  may be separated at 1.5″ intervals. 
     This MOLLE arrangement provides for the use of many standardized components and weapon systems, such as holster  56  as shown in  FIG. 8 . As illustrated, holster  56  includes holster attachment arms  57  which are sized and configured to interface with the MOLLE attachment grid and, therefore, may be securely attached to one of mounting strips  58 ,  60 . In typical use of coat  10 , hook-and-loop mounting strips  60  are preferable for mounting holster  56  in order to provide for a secure, non-elastic connection between holster  56  and concealed carry storage area  30 . 
     In addition to the MOLLE grid disposed in storage area  30 , the spatial arrangement of fixed seam  16  and releasable seam  18  provides for additional secure fixation of a weapon system within concealed carry storage area  30 . In particular, referring to  FIG. 4 , fixed seam  16  has a vertical extent DF sufficient to ensure that the distal end of the weapon system contained in storage area  30  is always securely “sandwiched” between main panel  12  and first panel  14 . This, in turn, prevents accidental inversion of the weapon system and precludes accidental/gravitational withdrawal of firearm  54  from holster  56  under the force of ( FIG. 7 ). In particular, the vertical extent DR of releasable seam  18  may occupy a specified maximum portion of the overall vertical extent DT of pocket  11 , thereby leaving the remaining portion of the vertical extent, namely vertical extent DF of fixed seam  16 , always intact for secure retention of the weapon system. In an exemplary embodiment, vertical extent DF of fixed seam  16  may be as little as 45%, 50%, 55%, or 60% of vertical extent DT, or as much as 70%, 75%, or 80% thereof, or may be any vertical extent within any range defined by the foregoing values, such as between 45% and 80%, 50% and 75%, or 55% and 70%. Moreover, in the context of firearm  54 , vertical extent DF of fixed seam  16  may be at least four inches in order to retain at least the bottom half of a wide range of handheld firearms  54  within non-deployable portion  34  of concealment pocket  11 . 
     In addition to secure retention of a weapon system in concealed carry storage area  30 , weapon concealment pocket  11  also offers comprehensive concealment of the weapon system and/or accessories contained therein, with minimal or nonexistent “printing” visible to an observer of the user of coat  10 . This concealment is achieved with a combination of pleats  46 ,  48  and the materials and construction used for weapon concealment pocket  11 , as detailed below. 
     First panel  14  and second panel  40  ( FIG. 4 ) cooperate to define top access cargo pocket  42 , and are both positioned exterior of concealed carry storage area  30 . This arrangement places two layers of material between storage area  30  and the exterior of pocket  11 , which in turn mitigates the potential for printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the interior of cargo pocket  42  may be formed of quilted material to provide further padding and thereby further prevent printing. 
     In addition, outer pleat  46  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) is formed in outer panel  40 , and inner pleat  48  ( FIGS. 4 and 14 ) is formed in first panel  14 . Each of pleats  46 ,  48  allows for horizontal and vertical expansion of the outer surface of pocket  11 , thereby allowing the visible outer surface to “bulge” uniformly in reaction to the presence of cargo in storage area  30  and/or cargo pocket  42 . This uniform bulging appearance at the exterior of pocket  11  avoids any printing on the otherwise telltale shape of, e.g., firearm  54  from passing through first and second panels  14 ,  40  when concealed carry storage area  30  is occupied. Rather, the expansion of pleats  48 ,  46  merely gives the appearance of generic cargo contained in top access cargo pocket  42 . In one embodiment, shown in  FIG. 7 , elastic pleat backing  64  may be provided at the interior surface of inner pleat  48 , in order to restrain the expansion of inner pleat  48  when a weapon system such as firearm  54  is contained within concealed carry storage area  30 . In other embodiments, such as are shown in  FIGS. 4 and 14 , elastic pleat backing  64  may be omitted. 
     In use, a user of coat  10  may deposit a weapon system, such as firearm  54  and holster  56 , in either the right or left pocket  11  of coat  10 . In this way, coat  10  provides an ambidextrous weapon concealment system, in that right handed and left handed users may conceal firearm  54  in whatever position and orientation as desired by the user. In some instances, accessories may be placed in the pocket not contacting the weapon system, such as shown in  FIG. 14 . For example, spare ammunition magazines  55  may be secured in the concealed carry storage area  30  not housing firearm  54 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, magazines  55  are secured within storage area  30  using portions of the elastic mounting strips  58  of the MOLLE grid in storage area  30 . The material of elastic mounting strips  58  is rated to expand to at least 2.17 times its relaxed length, such that objects with a total girth of 4.5″ or less can be retained within any one of the 1.5″ wide elastic sections between neighboring seams  62 . This configuration ensures that standard firearm magazines  55  for a wide variety of firearm makes and models can be retained by elastic mounting strips  58 . 
     In addition, further accessories and weapon systems can be affixed by hook-and-loop attachment to the hook-and-loop mounting strips  60  provided on the MOLLE grid. In an exemplary embodiment, shown in  FIG. 8 , the MOLLE grid provided in accordance with the present disclosure has at least four (4) 1.5″ wide columns of securement points and at least six (6) rows of strips  58 ,  60 , which provide sufficient surface area to mount or otherwise attach a wide variety of firearms, other weapon systems, or other items. Similarly, width W of pocket  11  ( FIG. 4 ) may be at least 6.25″, which also provides sufficient space to accommodate and conceal a large number of firearms or other weapon systems. 
     If the user of coat  10  is called upon to deploy his or her concealed weapon system, the structure and function of weapon concealment pocket  11  facilitates rapid, reliable, and effective access to the weapon system and other items contained therein.  FIGS. 12-14  illustrate an exemplary deployment process. 
     In  FIG. 12 , both concealment pockets  11  are in there fully closed configurations. As illustrated, the user of coat  10  grasps flap  44  of cargo pocket  42  to initiate the deployment process. In an exemplary embodiment, flap  44  is sized to allow the user to easily gain a firm and complete grasp of flap  44  in order to facilitate positive and reliable engagement between the user&#39;s hand and the flap  44 . 
     For example, flap  44  may define a height F of as little as 3 inches, 3.5 inches, or 4 inches, or as much as 5 inches, 5.5 inches, or 6 inches, or flap height F may be any height within any range defined by the foregoing values, such as between 3 inches and 6 inches, 3.5 inches and 5.5 inches, or 4 inches and 5 inches. Advantageously, the foregoing flap height F is sufficiently large for a user of average size to grasp to flap  44  completely or substantially completely with one hand, i.e., with the thumb and multiple fingers. For example, material from flap  44  may extend the entire length of the user&#39;s fingers and engage the user&#39;s palm, which provides for a large-area grasp by the user. This allows the user to easily exert substantial force when pulling deployable portion  32  away from main panel  12  as further described below. At the same time, the above-described vertical extent F for flap  44  is within a normal range for conventional pocket flaps on coats such as coat  10 , such that the size and configuration of flap  44  does not provide any visual cue regarding the presence of concealed carry storage area  30 . 
     Moreover, the inventors have determined that the above-described size and configuration of flap  44 , in cooperation with the overall structure and function of concealment pocket  11 , provides for a highly reliable deployment of deployable portion  32 , which is also forgiving of errors by a user under extreme stress. For example, the large vertical extent F of flap  44  allows a user of coat  10  to firmly and reliably grasp flap  44  in high-stress situations, despite any loss of fine motor skills which may occur during such situations. The relatively large width W of flap  44  also allows the user to grasp any part of flap  44 , including either corner and the middle portion of flap  44 , while still obtaining sufficient material to ensure that the user reliably gains full access to concealed carry storage area  30  on the first attempt. Still further, the location of pocket  11  at the natural “hip pocket” location shown in  FIG. 1  allows the user to access concealed carry storage area  30  with a minimum of arm and body movement, thereby promoting highly reliable access to the weapon system or other items contained in storage area  30 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 13 , with flap  44  firmly grasped within the user&#39;s hand, the user pulls downwardly and outwardly to disengage female corner snap fasteners  50 B ( FIG. 11 ) from the male corner snap fasteners  50 A, while simultaneously disengaging looped fastener strips  24 ,  26  from hooked fastener strips  20 ,  22 , respectively. This disengagement may be accomplished with the user&#39;s strong-side hand, as shown in  FIG. 13  or with the opposing weak side hand, as shown in  FIG. 11 . A user&#39;s strong side is typically considered to be the user&#39;s dominant hand for weapon deployment, such as the right hand for a right-handed shooter. By contrast, the user&#39;s weak side is the side opposite the strong side. As deployable portion  32  is disengaged from main panel  12 , concealed carry storage area  30  becomes exposed. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 14 , deployable portion  32  is shown in a fully deployed and open position, with concealed carry storage area  30  fully exposed and firearm  54  easily accessible. In order to facilitate the full and complete deployment of deployable portion  32  without any damage to pocket  11  and/or excessive exposure of storage area  30 , bartacks  36  ( FIG. 4 ) may be provided at the junction between fixed seam  16  and releasable seam  18 . Bartacks  36  provide a robust bowl work against fraying of fixed seam  16  due to forceful opening of deployable portion  32 . 
     With the concealed carry storage area  30  fully exposed as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 14 , the user of coat  10  may grasp firearm  54  and withdraw the same from holster  56  ( FIG. 14 ) as required by the situation and circumstances presented to the user. Advantageously, the above-described arrangement of vertical extents DF and DR of fixed and releasable seams  16  and  18 , respectively, cooperate with the provision and positioning of the modified MOLLE grid of strips  58  and  60  to allow the user to position firearm  54  and holster  56  at a desired location and angle within concealed carry storage area  30  for reliable access. In particular, the entire proximal portion of firearm  54  is presented to the user when deployable portion  32  of pocket  11  is in the open configuration, including the entire grip and any grip-mounted safety mechanisms, the rear portion of the slide and any slide-mounted safety mechanisms, and at least a portion of the trigger guard. In addition, any release mechanism which may be present on holster  56  is also exposed by opening deployable portion  32 . Thus, the user can easily gain a firm and secure grip on firearm  54  when needed, despite the potential lack of fine motor skills which may accompany emergency situations as noted above. As also noted above with respect to the opening of deployable portion  32 , the location of pocket  11  positions firearm  54  near the user&#39;s hip for minimum arm and body movement in grasping firearm  54  and, therefore, maximum deployability thereof. 
     Referring still to  FIG. 14 , the other concealment pocket  11  may be opened in a similar fashion to the weapon-bearing pocket  11  in order to expose any accessories or other weapon systems contained therein. In the illustrated embodiment, magazines  55  may be contained in the weak-side pocket  11  for reloading firearm  54  as necessary. As described above with respect to the strong-side pocket  11 , the configuration of pocket  11  on the weak side also facilitates simple, reliable and repeatable access to magazines  55  or other items retained in concealed carry storage area  30  as needed. 
     While this disclosure has been described as having exemplary designs, the present disclosure can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.