Patent ID: 8448264

Claim:
A jacket having a quick opening feature, comprising: a jacket body configured to cover at least the torso of a user, the jacket having a bottom edge at a position to be essentially below the waist of a user, a generally vertically extending access opening at one side of the jacket, positioned to be at one side of a user when worn, the opening extending at least part way up toward an underarm area of the jacket and dividing a rear portion of the jacket from a front portion of the jacket, a non-locking zipper extending along the generally vertical opening, oriented so as to close the opening when a handle of the zipper is pulled down to near the bottom edge of the jacket, a releasable plastic clip comprising two engageable clip components, one component secured to the front portion of the jacket near the bottom edge and the other component secured to the rear portion of the jacket near the bottom edge, the two clip components being configured to snap and lock together when one is pushed into the other, and a rip cord connected to one of the clip components and effective to release the clip when pulled outwardly, allowing the two clip components to pull apart, whereby pulling of the rip cord with one hand of a user, in a direction to pull one portion of the jacket away from the other, will release the clip, unzip the zipper and open the access opening, allowing quick access to an item stored under the jacket, which access can be with the user's other hand.