Abstract:
A chest wader having advantageous features with respect to securing the wader to an individual, increased flexibility for movement without straining the seams of the wader, hand warming capabilities and pocket draining elements.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a chest wader having advantageous features with respect to securing the wader to an individual, increased flexibility for movement without straining the seams of the wader, hand warming capabilities and pocket draining elements. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Waders are a critical piece of equipment for anglers or hunters who spend lots of time either fishing or hunting in cold rivers, fishing or hunting in colder weather or wading in shallow lakes or ponds that have colder water. The waders keep the angler dry and also keep the angler warm. 
     Waders are made of many different materials such as neoprene, breathable fabric, coated nylon, and rubber or a combination of rubber and canvas waders are available in different thicknesses, and different styles such as hip-high, waist-high and chest-high. 
     Breathable waders include fabric that allows perspiration to escape, while preventing water from entering. GORE-TEX fabric is an example of one of the materials that allow perspiration to escape. Some waders tend to be less flexible and heavier than other type waders making them cumbersome to maneuver and adding stress to their seams. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a chest wader having advantageous features with respect to securing the wader to an individual, increased flexibility for movement without straining the seams of the wader, hand warming capabilities and pocket draining elements. 
     These objects are accomplished by a wader made of a material having a double suspender system for securing the wader to an individual. A double shoulder strap/double buckle arrangement is used, with one buckle on either side of the front of the wader. The shoulder straps include adjustable belts connected to one part of a two buckle part system. The second part of the two buckle part system is secured to the wader. Once the buckle on the shoulder strap is secured within the buckle on the wader, the adjustable belts are shifted to adjust the height of the front of the wader based upon an individual&#39;s size. 
     To ensure a secure connection of the shoulder straps to the body of the wader, a second connection for each shoulder strap is provided. This would overcome prior problems with the bib portion of the chest wader when loaded down with shotgun shells or other ammunition which would tend to force a single suspender system to disengage due to the weight hanging on the front of the wader. 
     This second connection includes a two part hook and loop fastener, made of VELCRO, for example, with one part being positioned on an exterior surface of each of the two shoulder straps. Lining the interior of the wader, extending from an upper front edge downward into the interior of the wader, is the second part of the hook and loop fastener. By pressing the exterior surface of each shoulder strap against the interior surface of the wader, the hook and loop fastener portions are interengaged to securely holder the shoulder straps in position as assisted by the interconnection of the two part buckle system for each shoulder strap. This dual suspender system secures the shoulder straps in place. 
     Another feature of the present invention is a hands through-pocket defined on the front of the bib of the wader. This pocket, similar to a through-pocket located on the front of a hooded sweatshirt, may be used by the individual wearing the wader to rub their hands together in a protected area so to generate and retain heat. 
     In the present invention, positioned in this through-pocket is a resealable container for housing a replaceable chemical heat pouch. The chemical heat pouch, once activated, is placed in the resealable container which is located in the through-pocket of the wader. 
     The individual may then place their hands behind, in front or around the container having the chemical heat pouch for extended periods of time, depending upon the particular type of chemical heat pouch used. Typically, the chemical heat pouch may last three to five hours in providing a constant source of heat. This would be ideal for a typical fishing or hunting excursion and provide support for an extended length of stay. 
     Another feature of the present invention is the inclusion in two side pockets and in a central bib pocket of at least three aligned through holes which allow easy escape of any captured water. Oftentimes, when leaving a stream, water is retained in any pockets included with the wader. The water retained in these pockets is difficult to empty in that the wader must be either removed or the individual must go through contortions so as to attempt to remove the water from the pockets. 
     By the present invention, water easily escapes from external pockets by holes intentionally made near the bottom of these pockets. Gravity forces the water through the at least three holes in each of the external pockets. 
     Traditionally, the seams of a wader converge at a single point in the crotch area of the wader. This would include the leg seams on the inside of the legs an well as a center seam of the front and rear portions of the wader. Large amount of stress forces are imparted on this single point of conversion of seams when the individual wearing a wader squats, splits or lifts up their legs as is normally encountered in wading. 
     Alternatively, prior waders have included a diamond shaped insert at the junction of the upper part of the legs and the front and rear of the wader. This diamond shaped section typically extends for approximately 8inches in length and 12 inches in width. Great stress is applied along its multiple seams during movement of the wader. 
     In an effort to distribute these stress forces across a wider area, the wader of the present invention includes an approximately two inch wide single rectangular strip which extends up from each boot and continues along the interior of the legs between both boots. The seams are positioned at the front and rear of each leg so as to move the point of stress on the seams away from the crotch area. This positioning avoids the stress factors previously encountered in waders. 
     Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a wader having a dual connection/dual suspender system for ensuring secure attachment of the wader on an individual. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a pass through pocket on the front of a bib of a wader having a container for holding a chemical warming material which would pass heat to the hands of a user when the hands are inserted in the pass through pocket. 
     It is still yet another object of the present invention to have a series of external pockets on a wader with through holes at the bottom of each pocket for releasing water that may be entrapped in the pocket when the wader is removed from the water. 
     It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a wader having an elongated rectangular strip extending along the two leg portions between each of the boots so as to minimize the stress levels encountered in the crotch area of the wader during movement of the wader. 
     It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a wader having a dual connection/dual suspender system for ensuring secure attachment of the wader on an individual, a pass through pocket on the front of a bib of a wader having a container for holding a chemical warming material which would pass heat to the hands of a user when the hands are inserted in the pass through pocket, to have a series of external pockets on a wader with through holes at the bottom of each pocket for releasing water that may be entrapped in the pocket when the wader is removed from the water and a wader having an elongated rectangular strip extending along the two leg portions between each of the boots so as to minimize the stress levels encountered in the crotch area of the wader during movement of the wader. 
     These and other objects of the invention, as well as many of the intended advantages thereof, will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a wader according to the present invention shown secured onto an individual. 
     FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the bib portion of a wader with one of the shoulder straps detached and a cover over the pass through pocket being raised so as to gain access from an upper portion of the pass through pocket. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a partial front view of the bib portion of the wader with both shoulder straps detached and a cut away view of the interior of the pass through pocket. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of the leg portions of the wader. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
     With reference to the drawings, in general, and to FIG. 1, in particular, a multi-featured wader embodying the principles of the present invention is generally designated as  10 . The wader includes a front portion  12 , a rear portion  14  and two leg portions  16   a ,  16   b . At the bottom of the leg portions are secured wading boots  18   a ,  18   b , respectively. The wading boots  18   a ,  18   b  are an integral part of the wader  10 . 
     In an upper portion of the wader, a fastening belt  20  encircles a waist portion of the wader for securing the wader around the waist of an individual. Two side straps  22 ,  24  are also used to adjust the wader so as to grab the sides of an individual. 
     Two shoulder strap assemblies  28   a ,  28   b  secure the wader around the shoulders  26  of an individual. Each of the shoulder strap assemblies  28   a ,  28   b  includes a two part buckle  30   a ,  30   b  with the parts  32  and  34  of buckle assembly  30   a  shown in FIG.  2  and the additional parts  36 ,  38  of buckle assemble  30   b  shown in FIG.  3 . The buckle parts  32  and  34  are controlled by straps  32   a  and  34   a  to adjust the position of the respective buckle parts  32 ,  34 , parts  36 ,  38 . The straps  32   a ,  34   a  and  36   a , adjust the length of the shoulder strap assemblies  28   a ,  28   b  according to the height of the individual. Similarly, straps  36   a  and  38   a  control the location of the buckle parts  36 ,  38 . The straps  32   a ,  34   a  and  36   a ,  36   b  adjust the length of the shoulder strap assemblies  28   a ,  28   b  according to the height of the individual. 
     As generally shown in FIG. 1, the front  12  of the wader includes a bib portion  40  which includes a pouch  42  separated into a plurality of shotgun shell holding sections. Alternatively, pouch  42  may be designed to hold clips of ammunition or individual bullets. The weight of shotgun shells, ammunition clips and/or bullets, is significant and adds stress to the interconnection of the two part buckle assemblies  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38 . 
     To ensure against the separation of the buckle parts  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38 , the shoulder strap assemblies  28   a ,  28   b  include a second system for securing the shoulder strap assemblies  28   a ,  28   b  in place. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the strap  44  includes an exterior surface having one part  46  of a hook and loop fastener secured thereto. On the interior of the front section  12  of the wader is located the other part  48  of the hook and loop fastener. As best shown in FIG. 5, the strap  44  is secondarily held in place by the hook and loop fastener so as to avoid the forces exerted on pouch  42  due to the weight of shotgun shells, clips of ammunition and/or ammunition. 
     Another advantageous feature of the present invention is provided by the use of the hand warming openings  50 ,  52  of the bib  40 . Once the hands of the individual are placed through these openings, the hands are able to engage a container  54  as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. 
     By lifting flap  56  as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and by separation of hook and loop fastener parts  58 ,  60 , access is gained to the container  54  which has a two part hook and loop fastener  62 ,  64  to secure the top of the container  54 . A chemical heat pouch  66  is activated so as to retain heat within the container  54 . The pouch  66  is inserted into the container  54  in the direction of arrows  68 ,  70 . 
     Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the hands  72  of the individual are placed through the openings  50 ,  52  so as to be located adjacent to the container  54 . The heat from pouch  66  radiates towards the hands  72 . Once the heat from pouch  66  is dissipated, another chemical heat pouch may be placed into container  54 . 
     Again with reference to FIG. 1, in addition to the bib  40 , two side pockets  74 ,  76  are located on the front  12  of the wader. Each of the side pockets  74 ,  76  and the bib  40  include sets of holes  74   a ,  74   b ,  74   c ,  76   a ,  76   b ,  76   c  and  40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c , respectively. These sets of holes allow any water trapped in the pockets  74 ,  76  and/or bib  40  to escape when the wader is removed from water. These sets of holes do not affect the insulating properties of the wader in that pockets  74 ,  76  and bib  40  are external to the panels making up the wader  10 . 
     Another object of the present invention is the incorporation of approximately a two inch wide strip  80  which extends from boot  18 a along leg  16   a , down leg  16   b  and into boot  18   b . The strip  80  is made of the same stretchable material as the rest of the wader. The strip  80  extends into each of boots  18   a  and  18   b  for approximately two inches. 
     The rectangular shaped strip is secured to legs  16   a ,  16   b  by seam  82  at front portion  12  of the wader. Similarly, seam  84  interconnects the legs  16   a ,  16   b  with the strip  80  at the rear portion  14  of the wader. A central elongated seam  86  intersects the strip  80  at the front portion  12  of the wader. Similarly, a seam  88  extending along the rear portion  14  intersects the strip  80 . 
     By offsetting all seam stress points away from a concentrated central point or central section of the wader located in the crotch area, the stresses on the seams  82 ,  84 ,  86  and  88  are minimized. This prolongs the life of the wader by transferring stress forces to the elongated rectangular strip  80  formed of a stretchable material, and away from traditional concentrated seam areas. 
     One or more of the various advantageous features of the present invention may be incorporated into a wader for beneficial results. These features provide benefit individually as well as collectively to produce an improved wader. 
     The foregoing description should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.