BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to outerwear, and more specifically to insulated outerwear, such as jackets, coats and vests.

[0002] A wide variety of coats and jackets are available on the commercial market. Many coats and jackets are designed with insulation provided to contain body heat and maintain warmth. One common types of insulated coat or jacket is a puffer jacket (also known as a down jacket). A conventional puffer jacket includes an inner fabric layer and an outer fabric layer that are joined together in a way that creates a plurality of open, internal baffles between the layers. The baffles are filled with down insulation, synthetic insulation or a blend of down and synthetic insulation. These types of jackets are well known for providing warmth while still being light-weight and easily packable. Unfortunately, the highly insulative nature of these jackets can cause excessive buildup of heat and humidity in high-output activities, such as hiking, backpacking and other outdoor sports.

[0003] Outerwear manufacturers have developed a number of techniques for addressing the buildup of heat and humidity within coats and jackets. For example, some coats and jackets are provided with vents that allow heat and humidity escape. In some cases, the vents are fixed in the panels of the coat or jacket and remain open at all times. Although vents of this nature can be helpful, they provide for the free flow of air into and out of the jacket. To prevent the vents from allowing too much air exchange, vent are usually limited to relatively small regions of the coat or jacket. As a result, these types of conventional vents do not provide uniform temperature regulation throughout the jacket, but instead have a tendency to create excessively cool spots at each vent. These cool spots can be even more evident and potentially uncomfortable to the wearer during and after high- output activities. In some cases, the vents are configured to be opened by the wearer when it is desirable to allow venting. To illustrate, a number of commercially available coats and jackets include strategically located zippers that can be opened selectively (unzipped) to provide venting and closed (re-zipped) to preclude venting. With some products, a zipper is located in each armpit that can be unzipped to create a vent opening adjacent to the armpits to facilitate venting of heat and humidity from the armpit region. While this type of construction allows selective venting, the presence of a zipper in the armpit can cause discomfort, can create reliability issues and may affect the ability to provide a waterproof coat or jacket. Further, when the zippers are open, they may allow too much venting, thereby forcing the wearer to open and close the zippers repeatedly as the wearer becomes alternately too hot and then too cold.

[0004] As a result, there remains a long-felt and unmet need for outerwear capable of providing more balanced and controlled venting, and that results in improved temperature regulation and in more effective management of heat and humidity throughout.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention provides a puffer jacket having a back panel with a baffle and insulation arrangement configured to provide improved temperature regulation through the use of graduated venting. The baffles are arranged to provide reduced insulation and increased venting of heat and humidity toward the center of the back. In one embodiment, the jacket includes a back panel including a plurality of laterally extending baffles in which the shape and/or amount of insulation varies from baffle to baffle to provide progressively less heat retention toward the center of the back. In one embodiment, alternating baffles have insulation or are free of insulation.

[0006] In one embodiment, the back panel has an inner layer, outer layer and insulation disposed between the inner and outer layers. The back panel is divided into a plurality of separate laterally extending baffles by joining the inner and outer layers together along laterally-extending lines. For example, the inner and outer layers may be joined by stitching, adhesive or bonding tape.

[0007] In one embodiment, the back panel includes insulation baffles and vent baffles. The insulation baffles include insulation and the vent baffles are free of insulation. In one embodiment, the back panel includes alternating insulation baffles and vent baffles.

[0008] In one embodiment, the insulation baffles and vent baffles are defined by laterally extending lines of stitching. The lines of stitching may follow a profile configured to provide the vent baffles with greater height and the insulation baffles with lesser height toward the center of the back panel. The lines of stitching may be configured to provide the insulation baffles with an hourglass shape resulting in a narrowing of the insulation baffles toward the center of the back a widening of the vent baffles toward the center of the back.

[0009] In one embodiment, the jacket includes gender-specific back panel baffle configurations. The men’s jacket includes a higher level of venting than the women’s jacket.

[0010] The present invention provides a simple and effective jacket construction with graduate venting properties that provide increased venting toward the center of the back panel. In those applications that include stitched baffles, the graduated baffles can be easily manufactured by changing the path along which the stitching crosses the back panel. The present invention is particularly well-suited for use in hiking and other high-output outdoor activities. Graduated venting of the back panel can provide enhanced benefits when hiking with a back pack because it facilitates venting of heat and humidity that might build up beneath the backpack.

[0011] These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the current embodiment and the drawings.

[0012] Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in various other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including" and "comprising" and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components. Any reference to claim elements as“at least one of X, Y and Z” is meant to include any one of X, Y or Z individually, and any combination of X, Y and Z, for example, X, Y, Z; X, Y; X, Z ; and Y, Z.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of a jacket in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of a jacket in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Fig. 3 is an enlarged representational view of a portion of the back panel.

[0016] Fig. 4 is an illustration showing the insulation weight of the jacket throughout various regions.

[0017] Fig. 5 shows various implementations of the present invention in men’s outerwear.

[0018] Fig. 6 shows various implementations of the present invention in women’s outerwear. [0019] Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the back panel taken along line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

[0020] Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the back panel taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

[0021] Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the back panel illustrating various alternative embodiments.

[0022] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the jacket of Fig. 1.

[0023] Fig. 11 is a front view of the jacket showing dimensions.

[0024] Fig. 12 is a rear view of the jacket showing dimensions.

[0025] Fig. 13 is an enlarged representational view of a portion of Area S of Fig. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT

[0026] Overview.

[0027] A jacket in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 10 and generally designated 10. The jacket 10 is a puffer jacket with an inner layer 12, an outer layer 14 and an insulation material 16 filling baffles l8a-b formed by selectively joining the inner layer 12 and the outer layer 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the baffles l8a-b are configured to provide controlled venting in select portions of the jacket 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the jacket 10 includes a back panel 20 in which the baffles l8a-b are configured to provide graduated venting to the back of the jacket 10. In this embodiment, the shape of the baffles l8a-b and the amount of insulation 16 contained in each baffle l8a-b are varied to control the bending characteristics of the jacket 10. With jacket 10, the baffles 1 Sa il are defined by a plurality of lines of stitching 22 that extend transversely across the back from left to right. The lines of stitching 22 follow paths configured to vary the shape of adjacent baffles l8a-b. Further, in this embodiment, the back panel 20 includes alternating insulation baffles l8a and vent baffles l8b. The vent baffles l8b are empty of insulation 16 so that every other baffle l8a-b in the back panel 20 provides enhanced venting. As shown in Fig. 3, the lines of stitching 22 in jacket 10 follow a profile configured to provide the vent baffles l8b with greater height and the insulation baffles l8a with lesser height toward the center of the back panel 20. While the precise shape of the lines of stitching 22 may vary, the lines of stitching 22 in jacket 10 provide the insulation baffles l8a with an hourglass shape that results in a narrowing of the insulation baffles l8a toward the center of the back a widening of the vent baffles 18b toward the center of the back. This configuration provides the back panel 20 with graduated venting that allows progressively greater venting of heat and humidity toward the center along the full height of the back. This arrangement not only improves the positioning of venting, but also spreads venting over a much greater area than conventional venting arrangements, thereby providing improved temperature regulation.

[0028] Directional terms, such as“vertical,”“horizontal,”“top,”“bottom,”“ upper,” “lower,”“inner,”“inwardly,”“outer” and“outwardly,” are used to assist in describing the invention based on the orientation of the embodiments shown in the illustrations. The use of directional terms should not be interpreted to limit the invention to any specific orientation(s).

[0029] Although described in the context of a specific hooded jacket 10, the present invention may be incorporated into a wide range of outerwear product, including a wide range of coats, jackets and other apparel items that might include insulation contained in baffles. For example, Fig. 5 shows men’s vest, men’s jacket and men’s hooded jacket embodiments of the present invention and Fig. 6 shows women’s vest, women’s jacket and women’s hooded jacket embodiments of the present invention. Further, the present invention may be incorporated into outerwear designed for use in essentially any temperature range. For example, the size and shape of the baffles, as well as the volume and insulative characteristics of the insulation material may be selected to provide a range of outerwear products tuned for use in temperature ranges from mild to extreme cold.

[0030] Hooded Jacket. [0031] As noted above, the present invention is described in connection with a puffer jacket 10 having a back panel 20 with baffles l8a-b configured to provide the back with graduated insulation and venting properties that result in improved temperature regulation. In the illustrated embodiment, jacket 10 is formed by joining together a plurality of panels that cooperatively form the desired shape. The jacket 10 of Fig. 1 generally includes a front panel 24, a right side panel 26, a left side panel 28, a back panel 20, a right shoulder panel 30, a left shoulder panel 32, a right sleeve 34, a left sleeve 36 and a hood 38. Each of these panels may be formed by an arrangement of subpanels. For example, the hood 38 may be formed by joining left, right and center subpanels 38a, 38b and 38c, respectively, and the front panel 24 may be formed from left and right subpanels 24a and 24b that can be joined to close the jacket 10. In the illustrated embodiment, graduating venting is incorporated only into the back panel 20. As a result, the remaining panels are designed and manufactured in a generally conventional manner, and will not be described in detail. Suffice it to say that each of these panels may include inner and outer layers that are joined together, for example, by lines of stitching, to form baffles that are filled with the desired type and volume of insulation. Each of the inner and outer layers may include one or more layers of fabric, textile or other materials. If applications where either inner or outer layer includes more than one layer, the separate layers may be laminated or otherwise joined. For example, two layers may be joined by cement or other adhesive, or may be fused together if they include fusible components. The various panels of the jacket 10 are joined together by stitching, adhesive and/or other suitable technique. The front panel 24 of this embodiment is separated into right and left subpanels 24a and 24b that are capable of being selectively joined by a zipper 40. The zipper 40 may be replaced or supplemented by other closures. Further, trim, pockets and other openings and accessories may be incorporated into any one or more of the panels. For example, trim may be added around the hood opening and/or the cuffs of the sleeves. As another example, zippered pockets 42 may be added to the front panel 24 using generally conventional techniques. In the illustrated embodiment, the front panel 24 includes hand pockets 42, but could include alternative or additional pockets, such as a breast pocket or an interior pocket. Additionally, the hood 38 may be provided with a drawstring or other closure.

[0032] It should be noted that while the present invention includes graduated venting only in the back panel 20, graduated venting may, however, be incorporated into other panels. For example, graduated venting may be incorporated into the side panels 26 and 28 to provide enhanced venting toward the center of the side panels, and/or graduated venting may be incorporated into the sleeves 34 and 36 to provide enhanced venting along the center, inside of the sleeves 34 and 36 (i.e. facing the side panels 26 and 28, respectively).

[0033] As noted above, the jacket 10 includes a back panel 20 that includes graduating venting in accordance with the present invention. Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8, the back panel 20 has an inner layer 12, an outer layer 14 and insulation 16 disposed between the inner and outer layers. In this embodiment, the inner layer 12 and the outer layer 14 are manufactured from a polyester fabric or a polyester blend fabric. For example, the outer layer 14 may be manufactured from a 65/35 polyester/cotton micro rip-stop fabric, available from Toray Industries. The inner layer 12 and outer layer 14 may, however, be manufactured from essentially any suitable fabric. The outer layer 14 may have a durable water repellant coating when it is desirable to provide a water resistant or waterproof jacket. The inner and outer layers 12 and 14 may, however, be manufactured from any individual layer or combination of layers of essentially any fabric, textile or other material suitable for forming the jacket shell. In some applications, the interior of the back panel 20 and/or other panels may be lined with a liner (represented by broken line L in Fig. 8). For example, the liner may be selected to provide a soft and comfortable interface with the wearer’s skin. In typical applications, the materials used to form the inner and outer layers 12 and 14 of the back panel 20 will be used to form the other panels of the jacket 10. [0034] The back panel 20 is divided into a plurality of separate laterally extending baffles by joining the inner layer 12 and the outer layer 14 together along laterally extending lines. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of lines of stitching 22 extend laterally across the back panel 20 to join the inner and outer layers 12 and 14. The lines of stitching 22 are spaced apart from one another to form baffles l8a-b between the lines of stitching 22. Although the baffles l8a-b are defined by stitching 22 in the illustrated embodiment, the inner and outer layers may be joined in other ways to create an interior space capable of containing insulation. For example, the inner and outer layers 12 and 16 may be joined by adhesive or strips of bonding tape that extend laterally across the back panel 20. The size, shape and configuration of the baffles l8a-b may vary from application to application. For example, the distance between adjacent lines of stitching 22 and the amount of insulation 16 filling each baffle l8a-b may be varied. In some applications, the amount of material forming the inner layer 12 and the outer layer 14 between adjacent lines of stitching 22 may be varied to control the shape of the insulation-filled baffles. For example, more material may be used in forming the outer layer 14 between lines of stitching 22 to cause the baffles l8a-b to bulge more in an outwardly direction and less in an inwardly direction.

[0035] The jacket 10 may include essentially any type of insulation. For example, the insulation may be natural down (e.g. goose down), synthetic insulation (e.g. synthetic down) or a blend of natural and synthetic insulations. In the illustrated embodiment, the insulation material is a blend containing 65% natural down and 35% synthetic insulation. The natural down may be water-resistant and RDS certified goose down. The synthetic insulation may be waterproof, Prim aloft™ Gold Eco Synthetic Down. In the illustrated embodiment, the same type of insulation is used throughout the jacket 10, but the amount of insulation may vary from region to region. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the insulation baffles 18a in the back panel 20 include 90G of insulation, the vent baffles l8b in the back panel 20 include no insulation and the baffles throughout the remainder of the jacket 10 include 80G of insulation. The insulation arrangement of the illustrated embodiment is merely exemplary, and the types and amounts of insulation may vary from product to product and from region to region within each product.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the baffles l8a-b and insulation 16 are arranged in the back panel 20 to provide reduced insulation and increased venting of heat and humidity toward the center of the back panel 20. The back panel 20 of the illustrated embodiment includes a plurality of laterally extending baffles l8a-b in which the shape of the baffles and/or amount of insulation varies from baffle to baffle to provide progressively less heat retention toward the center of the back. In this embodiment, the back panel 20 has alternating baffles l8a-b that vary in shape and in amount of insulation. Referring now to Figs. 2-4, the back panel 20 includes an arrangement of insulation baffles l8a that include insulation and vent baffles l8b that are free of insulation. In the back panel 20 of the illustrated embodiment, the baffles l8a-b repeatedly alternate between insulation baffles l8a and vent baffles 18b. Although the insulation baffles 18a and vent baffles 18b alternate in a regular repeating pattern, that is not strictly necessary and the arrangement may vary in alternative embodiments. The baffles l8a-b may be arranged with essentially any arrangement and/or combination of insulation baffles l8a and vent baffles l8b.

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment, the shape of the baffles l8a-b varies across the back panel 20. More specifically, the relative height of the insulation baffles l8a and the vent baffles 18b varies with the vent baffles 18b having greater height toward the center of the back panel 20. In this embodiment, the insulation baffles l8a and vent baffles l8b are defined by laterally extending lines of stitching 22. Each line of stitching 22 defines the top of the immediately below baffle l8a-b and the bottom of the immediately above baffle l8a-b. As a result, variations in the line of stitching simultaneously affect the shape of the above and below baffles l8a-b. In the illustrate embodiment, the lines of stitching 22 follow paths across the width of the back that are selected to provide the vent baffles l8b with greater height and the insulation baffles l8b with lesser height toward the center of the back panel. The lines of stitching 22 of this embodiment provide the insulation baffles l8a with an hourglass shape resulting in a reduction in the height of the insulation baffles l8a toward the center of the back and an increase in the height of the vent baffles 18b toward the center of the back. For example, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional illustration of a portion of the back panel 20 taken along line 7-7 of Fig. 2 at a location toward the side of the back panel 20 where the insulation baffles l8a have significantly great height than the vent baffles l8b. Fig. 8 is a similar cross-sectional illustration, except take along line 8-8 of Fig. 2 at a location that is approximate at the center of the back panel 20. As can be seen, the insulation baffles 18a and the vent baffles l8b have roughly the same height in Fig. 8. Figs. 11-13 are marked with dimensions for the illustrated embodiment. These dimensions are exemplary and the size, shape and configuration of the insulation baffles and vent baffles may vary from application to application. As the vent baffles l8b occupy a greater and greater percentage of the back panel 20 toward the center of the back panel 20, the back panel 20 provides greater and greater venting for heat and humidity. Although the lines of stitching 22 may follow a gradual undulating curve (as perhaps best shown in Figs. 3), the lines of stitching 22 may follow essentially any other paths that provides the desired graduated venting profile. For example, the lines of stitching may alternative have linear rather than curved segments or may have a combination of linear and curved segments.

[0038] In the illustrated embodiment, the jacket 10 includes a gender- specific baffle configuration. When implementing gender- specific configurations in the back panel, the men’s jacket will generally include a higher level of venting than the women’s jacket. For example, the relative height of the insulation baffles and vent baffles may differ between the men’s jacket and the women’s jacket. Fig. 6 shows various women’s outerwear products l0a-c’ that include graduated venting in the back panel 20’. As shown, the configuration of the lines of stitching 22’ in the women’s jackets lOa-c’ varies from the configurations in the men’s jacket 10 (compare the men’s products of Fig. 5 with the women’s products of Fig. 6). In the illustrated embodiment, the lines of stitching 22 in the men’s jacket 10 are configured to provide the insulation baffles l8a with a generally hourglass shape. However, in the women’s jacket l0a-c’ the lines of stitching 22’ that form the bottom of each vent baffle l8b’ are generally straight, thereby reducing the amount of variation in relative height between the insulation baffles l8a’ and the vent baffles l8b’ toward to the center of the back. As shown in Fig. 6, every other line of stitching 22’ is essentially straight. In alternative embodiments, the lines of stitching 22’ may be configured differently to achieve the desired level of graduated venting. For example, instead of making every other line of stitching straight, the degree of deviation in the top and bottom stitching lines 22’ for each vent baffle l8b’ may be reduced.

[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, the vent baffles l8b are entirely free of insulation. However, the vent baffles l8b do not necessarily need to be entirely void of insulation. In alternative applications, the desired level of temperature regulation may be achieved by providing vent baffles l8b that are not empty, but have materially less insulation than the insulation baffles l8a. Additionally or alternatively, the insulation baffles l8a and vent baffles l8b may include different types of insulation that creates a material difference in the insulative properties of the different types of baffles l8a-b. To illustrate, Fig. 9 shows an alternative embodiment in which the back panel 20” includes vent baffles l8b” that contain a relatively small amount of insulation. The amount of insulation in the baffles l8a-b” is selected to control the temperature profile of the back panel 20”. For example, in cold- weather applications, the vent baffles l8b” may include insulation 16” in a volume of approximately 10% of the volume of the insulation baffles l8a”. As another example, the amount of insulation 16” in the vent baffles l8b” may be increased to approximately 35% of the volume of insulation of the insulation baffles l8a” (as shown by broken line A). Additionally or alternatively, the vent baffles l8b” may include an insulation material 16” with an insulation-factor that is no more than approximately 10% of the insulation-factor of the insulation baffles l8a”, or no more than approximately 35% of the insulation-factor of the insulation baffles l8a”.

[0040] The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. For example, and without limitation, any individual element(s) of the described invention may be replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similar functionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes, for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those that might be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that one skilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative. Further, the disclosed embodiments include a plurality of features that are described in concert and that might cooperatively provide a collection of benefits. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles“a,”“an,”“the” or“said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.