Abstract:
A sportswear garment is provided for wearing around the waist when needed to enhance the comfort of athletes such as joggers, skaters, cyclists, and the like. The garment is essentially “T” shaped similar to a sweater, and the arms wrap around a person&#39;s waist so that the back outermost layer of fabric covers the person&#39;s buttocks and upper thigh area, and wherein the back outermost layer contains at least one safe-keeping pocket, a waterproof protective sitting area, and optionally reflective or iridescent portions for safety. In an alternative embodiment, the wearer&#39;s arms can be inserted into the garment arms and the garment wrapped around the shoulders.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1) Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to a sportswear garment which serves as a functional wrap around ones waist and is designed to enhance the comfort of those persons engaging in outdoor activities such as jogging, in-line skating, bicycling and the like.  
         [0003]     2) Background Art  
         [0004]     Numerous articles of apparel for use as athletic sportswear are described in the patent literature. For example, a body cover for outdoor use is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,277 which issued Feb. 1, 1994. The sportswear clothing described therein is in the form of sweat pants comprised of a material portion adapted to be placed over the anterior portion of the athlete&#39;s body and is comprised of a plurality of longitudinal, attached panels of Neoprene. This first layer is waterproof and provides insulation and wind protection. A second material portion is adapted to be placed over the posterior region of the body and is comprised of a plurality of longitudinal attached panels of Lyrca which allows evaporation of liquid from the posterior portion of the body. A third elastic material portion attaches the first and second portions together.  
         [0005]     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,125 which issued Sep. 17, 1991, there is disclosed and claimed an article of clothing designed to cover at least a portion of the torso and is comprised of at least two layers of fabric attached to form the shape of an article such as a shirt or pants. The fabric layers of this invention have pockets extending longitudinally along the length of the article into which weights can be enclosed to substantially increase the weight of the clothing. Hence, the sportswear of the disclosed invention is useful for improving the strength and general conditioning of physically active persons.  
         [0006]     Also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,571 which issued Apr. 5, 1994, there is discribed an article of outerwear clothing which has at least one sewn-in liquid cushioned bladder conforming to one or more pressure points which would experience friction or repeated shock. The clothing item has vents and sealed islands which define one or more endless channels to facilitate moisture transfer and assure even liquid distribution with body movement.  
         [0007]     A pleated tennis skirt with hidden pocket is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,386 which issued Jun. 10, 1997. The pocket is hidden within a pleated, partially tacked down portion of the pleat. The skirt therefore provides a hidden pocket which can hold keys, tennis balls, and other items, without distracting from the continuous pleated look.  
         [0008]     For those athletes who engage in activities such as jogging, skating and the like, it is not unusual to wear limited attire, such as shorts, for freedom of motion. Upon completion or resting from such activity, it would be desirable to have a readily available article of clothing which could easily be wrapped around ones waist to provide comfort for their buttocks and upper thighs as well as provide a pocket for safe keeping of personal articles such as keys and the like.  
         [0009]     After extending periods of jogging, skating or other activities wherein extensive sweating occurs, it can be uncomfortable to stand or sit when the weather is cold. Although a towel could be wrapped aroung ones waist, it is cumbersome, not easy to keep in place and does not necessarily provide a good sitting surface. A towel, of course, usually does not provide a convenient pocket for storing personal items.  
         [0010]     Accordingly, one or more of the following object will be achieved by the present invention. It is an object of this invention to provide a sportswear garment which is easily wrapped around ones waist after or during an athletic activity and provides comfort to the wearer. Another object of this invention is to provide a garment which is essentially T-shaped for ease of attachment and removal from a person&#39;s body. A still further object of the invention is to provide a sportswear garment which not only has the appearance of a sweater, but provides at least one safe-keeping pocket on its exterior. A further object is to provide a garment wherein the inner surface which touches the buttocks and upper thighs is comprised of, in part, a soft absorbent material such as terry cloth or fleece. Another object of the present invention is to provide a sweater-like sportswear garment which has on its outer surface a protective sitting surface and/or an upper surface if the users wished to lie down. Another object is to provide a garment which has sweater-like arms into which the wearer can insert his or her arms at openings at arm pit level. A still further object is to provide a garment having on its exterior side, reflective and/or iridescent materials, logos, names, numbers and the like. These and other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the teachings herein set forth. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view depicting the inner side of the sportswear garment of this invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the outer side of the sportswear garment.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the garment of  FIG. 1  taken through line A-A′ 
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the sportswear garment which contains additional features.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the outer back side of another aspect of the sporrtswear garment of this invention. 
     
    
       [0016]     Fig is a schematic view of the inner side adjacent to the body of the wearer of the sportswear garment of  FIG. 5  of this invention.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]     In is broad aspect, the invention is directed to a novel sportswear garment which can serve as a functional wrap to improve the comfort of those persons engaging in outdoor activities, including jogging, skating, cycling and a variety of other activities.  
         [0018]     The sportswear garment of this invention is comprised of fabric in the shape of a “T” wherein the arms of the T are composed of at least one layer of material for affixing the garment around a person&#39;s waist or shoulders, the remainder of the garment is comprised of one or more layers of material which preferably include an inner layer which is in contact with the person wearing the garment and an outer layer attached to the first layer, and wherein the outer layer has at least one pocket disposed near waist level for easy access, and a protective sitting surface on at least a portion of the outer layer.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     The present invention will be more readily understood by reference to the drawings wherein:  
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of garment  10  showing arms  12  extending from each side and providing a T shaped article. The arm extensions can be wrapped around the person&#39;s waist or even around the shoulders when not worn to cover the buttocks and thighs. Arms  12  can either be tied together or contain fastening devices  14  such as buttons, VELCRO strips, clips and the like. Arms  12 , unlike the arms of a sweater, are usually formed of a single layer of fabric. The arms  12  can also be fitted with or contain as part of the fabric absorbent sections, not shown, for wiping ones brow due to sweating. Both the arms  12  and the center portion  16  of  FIG. 1  can be fabricated from a wide variety of materials including, but not limited to, materials such as cotton, terry cloth, synthetic fabrics, mixtures of cotton with other natural or synthetic fibers, and the like. The inner layer of the garment can also contain a center section  18  which is made of an absorbent material while the rest of the inner layer is of a different composition.  
         [0021]     As shown in  FIG. 2  which is a cross-section of  FIG. 1  taken through line A-A′, garment  10  is comprised of at least two layers, inner layer  18  and outer layer  20 . In practice, the layers are attached to one another only around the edges. Hence, there is no access to the interior space between the layers. However, the sealed space between the layers allows each layer a certain amount of movement with respect to the other layer to enhance the comfort of the wearer. In one embodiment of this invention a third layer, such as a waterproof or additional absorbing layer, can be contained between the inner and outer layers.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of the exterior or outer side of garment  10  showing arms  12 , attachment means  14  for attaching one arm to the other, and pocket  20 . The garment can of course contain more that one pocket and also pockets in the vertical position to hold long articles such as a water bottle, combs and the like. However, pocket  20 , when the garment is worm, is preferably located at waist level so that the person can easily reach behind and open the pocket without difficulty. Also shown in  FIG. 3  is a section  22  of the outer layer which can be comprised of a waterproof material and also a material which can be used as a protective sitting surface.  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  depicts the garment of this invention wherein the outer layer which covers the buttocks and upper thigh areas can also contain additional pockets  24 . The outer layer can also have reflective or iridescent strips for easy detection by motorist approaching behind as well as logos, numbers, or names, which are not shown.  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  depict another version of the sportswear garment showing the inside ( FIG. 5 ) and the outside ( FIG. 6 ) of the garment wherein in  FIG. 5  the arms  12  are tublular ending in a flared configuration and into which the wearer can insert his or her arms through openings  26 . Pocket  20  would therefore be located between the shoulder blades of the wearer rather than at hip level since the garment would be worn higher up on the body. The back flap would then be located on the wearer&#39;s back rather than the over the buttocks. Of course, the garment depicted in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  can still be worn at the waist is so desired  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  as noted above, depicts the outer side of the sportswear garment showing arms  12 , in the form of sleeves with openings  28  through which the hands can protrude. Pouch  20  is preferably comprised of a spongy material and is accessed by opening  30  which is closed by a zipper, VELCRO, or other sealing means across the opening. Adjacent to each side of Pouch  20  are small pockets  24 , such as those that could be used to carry combs, sunglasses, and the like. As shown in  FIG. 6 , pocket  24  can optionally have sealing means such as a zipper, VELCRO fastener or other means or otherwise remain open.  
         [0026]     Although as note previously, and as depicted in  FIG. 6 , the inside of the back flap of the garment can be comprised of a towel material, such as terry cloth. The garment depicted in  FIG. 5  can also contain an additional layer in the form of waistband flaps  36  which can extend around the midriff and be joined in front by an overlapping flap  38 . In place of flap  38 , the waistband flaps can be joined if desire but a button, clasp, or other means. In this configuration, the waistband flaps will insure that the garment is held tightly against the wearer&#39;s back. When not engaged around the wearer&#39;s back, flaps  36  and fastener  38  can be folded against the inner flap on the back of the garment. Waistband arms are preferably comprised of, or fabricated from a material that has at least one portion thereof which is elastic so that when it is not in use it fits snuggly to the back flap of the garment.  
         [0027]     The back pouch  20  as shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  in one embodiment of the invention can be comprised of a spongy patch or a patch with a removable rectangular towel (not shown) on the inside of the pouch which rests against the small of the back.  
         [0028]     While the sportswear garment of this invention can be fabricated in a variety of different sizes and materials, the garments depicted in the drawings might have arms of about 5 inches in diameter, the width of the pouch  20  of about 10 inches, and the two small vertical pockets have an inner diameter of about 3 inches. The waistband flaps  36  and overlap flap  38  have about a 1 inch wide elastic band which stretches when used around the waist. Also, as previously noted, the arms  12  can be fabricated from a variety of materials, such as swim suit materials, including black, stretch materials, Nylon, LYCRA, and the like.  
         [0029]     Although the sportswear garment of this invention has been designed to have the appearance of a sweater with sleeves which can be wrapped around a person&#39;s waist or shoulders, it combines several features into one article of clothing to provide a unique garment. The garment of this invention can function as a brow mop in place of a sweat band, contain at least one safe keeping pocket, as well as a protective sitting surface. Optionally, the garment can also contain reflective surfaces for ease of identification during dusk hours. Other items such as logos, numbers, markings can be located on the garment if desired.  
         [0030]     A major feature of the present invention is that the pockets are located on the back side of the garment and hence articles carried in the pockets would not flop around on the waist as the fanny packs tend to do. In this invention the pocket can be of rectangular shape that would press against the small of the back of the user to limit bouncing of articles contained in the pocket. If the garment is comprised of a stretchable material, such as SPANDEX, it will tend to press the contents of the pocket against the body and thus minimize bouncing.  
         [0031]     In one embodiment of the invention the arms of the garment extending from the uppermost portion are composed to two layers of material and have openings or slits in proximity to where the arms join the garment. The arms are similar to the arms of a sweater and the user when going to or from an athletic location can wear the garment over his or her shoulders and insert arms into the garment arms through the openings. The end of the arms can be open or end in mitten-like gloves. This would provide some warmth while the users goes or returns from the place of exercise. The material of the arms in this embodiment are formed of a very resilient material and have elastic bands around the openings at the arm pit area.  
         [0032]     In a further embodiment of this invention when the garment is tied around the waist and the user wishes to not only sit, but also to stretch out horizontally, the garment can contain an additional flap or sheet attached to the upper edge of the garment such as by buttons, VELCRO fasteners or other means. Such a flap is preferably comprised of a soft material, such as terry cloth, to provide a soft surface to rest upon. Optionally, the outer surface of the flap which will touch the ground can be comprised of a waterproof or moisture barrier material.  
         [0033]     Although the invention has been illustrated by the foregoing description, it is not to be construed as being limited to the materials disclosed, but rather, the invention relates to the generic area as hereinbefore disclosed. Various modifications and embodiments thereof can be made with departing from the spirit or scope thereof.