Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to an apparatus or an article of manufacture of clothing and more particularly an article of clothing which may be converted or unfolded into a bed roll, blanket or covering. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Articles of clothing providing multiple features are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,272 to Maeshima discloses a multi-purpose vest with a pocket suitable for containing items such as a waterproof jacket. U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,574 to Doshi illustrates a garment folded into a bundle which may be carried as a backpack. U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,412 to Perry discloses a multi-use vest with several configurations of pockets. The foregoing are provided herewith in an Information Disclosure Statement in accordance with 37 CFR 1.97. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention discloses a jacket, vest, coat, shirt or similar clothing article which converts or unfolds into a bed roll, covering or blanket to provide sleeping support or overall body coverage and comfort. The disclosed jacket or vest is assembled with a pocket formed between a portion of the jacket, such as a jacket outer covering, and a portion of a blanket wherein a portion of the blanket is foldably received into and stored within the pocket for removal and unfolding when use of the blanket is required. The pocket thus formed may be at any location on the jacket including but not limited to the front, back and inside of the vest or jacket. The manufacture of the vest or jacket is principally a blanket or fabric unit or portion integral with the vest or jacket portion. The blanket or fabric portion is contained, by folding, in the pocket. The vest or jacket is worn and utilized as any jacket or vest garment. The integral blanket or fabric portion may be removed from the pocket and unfolded forming, with the vest or jacket portion and the primary area of the blanket or fabric, generally a blanket, comforter or other covering. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a convertible garment demonstrated as a jacket, having a jacket top and bottom, right and left sides, a neck opening and arm openings showing a sleeveless style with vertical front opening, amenable to a variety of closure devices, and collar with the blanket and pocket opening observed at the neck opening. 
     FIG. 1A is a front view of the jacket showing a sleeveless and collarless style with the blanket and pocket opening observed at the neck opening. 
     FIG. 2 shows the left side of the jacket partially opened. 
     FIG. 2A shows the left side of the jacket partially opened with the pocket oriented such that the pocket is at the jacket inside and the pocket opening is proximal to the left side. Illustrated is the pocket bottom, bottom seam and left and right seam. This illustration suggests the variety of pocket orientations which are encompassed within this invention. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the right and left sides of the jacket in partially opened positions, a pocket opening is illustrated at the inside with the pocket bottom shown at the jacket right side at the jacket inside. 
     FIG. 4 shows the jacket from the back showing right and left seams, a bottom seam and pocket bottom and pocket opening at the back proximal to the jacket top. 
     FIG. 4A shows the jacket as it would appear from either the front or back showing an alternative positioning of the pocket where the pocket opening is other than positioned proximal to the jacket top. Sleeves  11  are depicted as an alternative feature. 
     FIG. 5 commences illustrations demonstrating the steps for access to and manner of extracting and reinserting the blanket from and back into the pocket. This figure shows the blanket partially pulled out of the pocket after first reaching in through the pocket opening. This figure illustrates the pocket opening proximal to the collar front. The blanket is removed from the pocket reaching into the pocket at the pocket opening and grasping the bottom of the pocket at the pocket bottom and pulling the folded blanket through the interior of the pocket and out of the pocket opening. 
     FIG. 6 shows the blanket layout after the pocket is completely pulled inside-out and the blanket flattened. The collar back is shown in this view. This illustration shows the blanket in a folded layer which was contained within the pocket. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the double folded blanket in a partially unfolded orientation. A remaining fold is seen in this view. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates the double folded blanket in a partially unfolded orientation. A remaining double folded blanket is seen in this view. 
     FIG. 9 shows the partial unfolding demonstrating the full-length position of the blanket which still contains folded material extending over the length of this view. 
     FIG. 10 illustrates the unfolding of the remaining lengthwise fold displaying the blanket in its fully opened orientation. 
     FIG. 11 shows the unfolded portion reversed and upended to demonstrate the opposite side of the view shown in FIG.  10 . 
     FIG. 12 shows the pocket, pocket opening and blanket seams and jacket inside with the neck collar facing downward in this view; alternatively this illustrates the circumstance where a collar is folded into the pocket; alternatively this illustrates the circumstance where a pocket is formed at the front of a jacket; alternatively, this illustrates the circumstance where a pocket is formed at the jacket inside. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The Convertible Garment  1  disclosed herein is illustrated in FIG.  1  through FIG.  12 . FIG. 1 is a front view of the jacket  1  showing a sleeveless style with vertical front opening  5 , amenable to a variety of closure means including but not limited to for example, VELCRO®, zippers, buttons and snaps and other closure means, and collar  8  with a blanket  12  observed at neck opening  19 . The jacket  1  has a right and a left side  22 ,  20 . The collar  8  has a collar front and a collar back  9 ,  10 . The collar  8  is shown in FIGS. 1 through 4,  5  through  8  and  11 . The collar front  9  is shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 and  5  while the collar back  10  is shown in FIGS. 6 and 11. The left side  20  of the jacket  1  is shown partially opened in FIG.  2 . FIG. 3 illustrates the right and left sides  22 ,  20  of the jacket  1  in partially opened positions. FIG. 3 also shows the blanket  12  of the jacket  1 . FIG. 4 shows the jacket  1  from the back  40  with left and right seams  45 ,  47  illustrating or indicating a portion of the jacket  1  structure forming the perimeter or boundary of a pocket  35  formed between the back  40  and the blanket  12 . The pocket  35  has a pocket opening  37  positioned, for example in the preferred embodiment, proximal to the collar  8  at the collar front  9 , as shown in FIGS. 1 through 2A,  11  and  12 , and a pocket bottom  39  positioned distal from the pocket opening  37 , as shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 and  11  and  12 . The blanket  12  forms a portion of the pocket  35  as is shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 and  9  through  12 . The blanket  12  is additionally folded into and contained within the pocket  35 . The blanket  12  in the preferred embodiment is composed of a double folded layer of blanket material. However, the blanket  12  may be composed of many different fabrics or materials including but not limited to, for example, canvas and fire resistant materials, plastics and reflective materials including but not limited to mylar, blanket stock and other materials recognized by one of ordinary skills in the garment arts. 
     In an alternative embodiment the pocket opening  37  may be positioned proximal to the collar  8  at the collar back  10 , at the jacket inside and at the jacket side. The jacket  1  may be in a vest, jacket or coat form, with or without collar or sleeves. A jacket shell or other outer garment or an inner lining may be utilized. The pocket opening  37  will be amenable to a variety of fastening or closure means including but not limited to VELCRO®, zippers, buttons and snaps and other closure means devices or methods. The pocket  35  may be oriented so that the pocket opening  37  is positioned in a multitude of orientations including, as examples without limitation, proximal to the jacket top or bottom  17 ,  18 , proximal to the right or left  22 ,  20 , diagonal to a vertical from the jacket top to bottom  17 ,  18  at the front or back  3 ,  40  or inside  26 . 
     FIG. 5 is illustrative of an arm and hand having partially pulled the blanket  12  out of the pocket  35  after first reaching in through the pocket opening  37  proximal to the collar  8  at the collar front  9 . The blanket  12  is removed from the pocket  35  to reveal and present a fabric or material covering. The blanket  12  is removed from the pocket  35  by inserting hands into the pocket opening  37  and grasping, at the inside of the pocket, the pocket bottom  39 . The blanket  12  is extracted from the pocket  35  after extending one&#39;s arm fully into the pocket  35  via the pocket openings  37  and pulling the blanket  12  from the pocket  35 . FIG. 6 shows the blanket  12  in a double folded form where the blanket  12  is completely extracted from the pocket  35  and flattened in the preferred folded configuration of this embodiment. FIG. 6 also illustrates the collar back  10  and the blanket  12  which was contained within the pocket  35 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the blanket  12  in a partially unfolded orientation. A remaining fold  14  is demonstrated in FIG.  7 . FIG. 8 shows what was depicted as a remaining fold  14 , in FIG. 7, unfolded into the full-length of the blanket  12  which remains, in FIG. 8, partially folded. FIG. 9 illustrates a remaining lengthwise fold  16 . FIG. 10 displays the blanket  12  in the position where the pocket  35  has been turned inside-out revealing additionally the pocket bottom  39  and the left and right seams  45 ,  47 . FIG. 11 is a view of the blanket  12  extracted from the pocket  35  with the pocket  35  turned inside-out and bounded by the left and right seams  45 ,  47 , the pocket opening  37 , the pocket bottom  39  and the jacket back  40 . FIG. 11 shows the opposite side of jacket  1  from that shown in FIG.  10 . FIG. 11 additionally demonstrates the collar  8  facing downward revealing the collar back  10 . FIG. 12 shows the collar  8  folded into the pocket  35  at the pocket opening  37 . 
     The jacket  1  is returned to a jacket form by reversing the process described. The folded orientation of the blanket  12  in FIG. 6 demonstrates the position for reinsertion of the blanket  12  into the pocket  35  to return to the form of a jacket. The jacket  1  is returned to the jacket  1  form by reaching through the pocket opening  37  into the pocket  35  and grasping the pocket bottom  39  and drawing the folded blanket  12  into the pocket  35  as the pocket  35  is again turned inside-out to the position demonstrated by FIGS. 1 through  4 . 
     The convertible garment is comprised in the elemental sense of a garment, shown here for convenience as a jacket  1 , with a blanket  12  affixed by means to the jacket  1 , forming a pocket  35 ; the blanket  12  affixed to the jacket such that portions of the blanket  12  are foldably received into the pocket  35 . The jacket  1  may have a liner or a shell, be collar or collarless, sleeve or sleeveless and possess other commonly understood structures in the garment arts. The blanket  12  may be of regular geometric shapes including but not limited to square, rectangular and circular or irregular shapes. The blanket  12 , for convenience, is described as having a blanket top and bottom  13 ,  14 , a blanket right and left edge  15 ,  16  and a centerline  42  extending generally centrally from blanket top to blanket bottom  13 ,  14 ; the blanket  12  is affixed to the jacket  1  generally by stitching with other commonly understood affixing means appropriate including but not limited to VELCRO®, snaps, buttons, brads, glues and other affixing means. The blanket  12  is affixed to the jacket  1  in a variety of orientations including at the jacket back  40 , front  3  and inside  26 . The blanket  12  is affixed to the jacket  1  such that portions of the blanket  12  will be folded and received into the pocket  35  at the pocket opening  37 . The blanket  12  may be affixed to the jacket  1  intermediate to the blanket right edge  15  and the centerline and intermediate to the blanket left edge  16  and the centerline and proximal to the blanket bottom  14  forming a pocket having a pocket opening proximal to the blanket top  13  and distal to the blanket bottom  14  which foldably receives, at the pocket opening  37 , those portions of the blanket  12  positioned between the affixing means and the blanket right and left edges  14 ,  15  and between the pocket opening  37  and the blanket top  13 . 
     The jacket  1  has an outer covering  2 , a front and a back  3 ,  40 , a jacket top and bottom  17 ,  18 ; a jacket inside  26 ; the jacket  1  at the front  3  has a right and a left side  22 ,  20 ; and a neck opening  19  at the jacket top  17 . The blanket  12  may be affixed by means to the jacket outer covering  2  at the back  40 , at the front  3  and at the inside  26 . 
     Another description of the orientation of the blanket and jacket is found in the description of the blanket  12  as affixed by means to the jacket  1  by left and right seams  45 ,  47  and a bottom seam  48 ; the bottom seam  48  is generally orthogonal to the left and right seams, which are generally parallel, and intersecting the left and right seams  45 ,  47 ; the left and right seams  45 ,  47  and the bottom seam  48  fasten by affixing means to the blanket  12  to the jacket  1  forming the perimeter or boundary of a pocket  35 , the pocket  35  having a pocket opening  37  and a pocket bottom  39  positioned distal from the pocket opening  37  and the bottom seam  48 . Again, the blanket  12  may be affixed by means to the back  40 , front  3  and inside  26 . Alternatively the left and right seams  45 ,  47  are generally vertically formed commencing proximal to the jacket top  17  and proceeding proximal to the jacket bottom  18 ; the bottom seam  48  is generally horizontally formed proximal to the jacket bottom  18  at the back  40  intersecting the left and right seams  45 ,  47 ; the left and right seams  45 ,  47  and the bottom seam  48  fasten by means the outer covering  2  at the back  40  to the blanket  12  forming the perimeter or boundary of a pocket  35  residing between the back  40  and the blanket  12 ; the pocket  35  having a pocket opening  37  positioned proximal to the jacket top  17 , and a pocket bottom  39  positioned distal from the pocket opening  37  proximal to the jacket bottom  18  and the bottom seam  48 ; the blanket  12  is folded into and contained within the pocket  35 . The blanket  12  may be affixed by means to the front  3 , the back  40  and/or the inside  26 . In all events, the blanket  12  is folded into and contained within the pocket  35  when the jacket  1  is used and is otherwise unfolded and used as a blanket  12 . It will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the garment arts that the affixing pattern, above described as right and left seams  45 ,  47  and a bottom seam  48 , may form other patterns including but not limited to “U” shaped and semicircular. The affixing means in the preferred embodiment is stitching. However other affixing means will suffice including but not limited to, VELCRO®, zippers, buttons, snaps, brads, glues and other affixing means recognized by one of ordinary skill in garment arts. 
     The jacket  1  may have a collar  8 , at the neck opening  19 , having a collar front and a collar back  9 ,  10 ; arm openings  23  proximal to the jacket top  17  at the right and left sides  22 ,  20 ; the outer covering  2  at the front  3  may have a center front opening  5  from the neck opening  19  to the jacket bottom  18 ; the center front opening  5  amenable to a variety of jacket closure means including but not limited to VELCRO®, zippers, buttons and snaps and other closure means devices or methods. 
     The pocket  35  may be positioned to place the pocket opening  37  proximal to the collar  8  at the collar front or back  9 ,  10  or proximal to the jacket top  17  at the front or back  3 ,  40  or inside  26 . The pocket  35  may alternatively be oriented to place the pocket opening  37  toward the right or left  22 ,  20  or in other orientations. In any event, the blanket  12  is folded and inserted into and contained within the pocket  35 . 
     The method of converting the garment of claim  7  comprises inserting a hand through the pocket opening  37  into the pocket  35 ; grasping, at the inside of the pocket, the pocket bottom  39 ; turning the pocket  35  inside-out revealing additionally the pocket bottom  39  and the left and right seams  45 ,  47 ; extracting the blanket  12  from the pocket  35 ; unfolding the blanket  12 . The reverse returns the blanket  12  into the pocket  35  including folding the blanket  12 , reaching through the pocket opening  37  into the pocket  35  and grasping the pocket bottom  39 ; drawing the folded blanket  12  into the pocket  35  as the pocket  35  is again turned inside-out to the starting position. 
     Alternative embodiments apply to this invention, as would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the garments art, to articles of clothing other than jackets including for example, without limitation, overcoats, pants and trousers. The matter of the application of a pocket foldably containing a blanket or other covering is equally applicable to other articles of clothing other than upper jacket type apparel. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Category: 1