Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a vest, a layered overlay and a garment. More specifically, it relates to a layered overlay constructed and adapted to modify the appearance of a vest and to a garment comprising a vest and a layered overlay.

Background

Adventure games are games in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film. Nearly all adventure games are designed for a single player, since this emphasis on story and character makes multi-player design difficult. Combat and action challenges are limited or absent in adventure games thus distinguishing them from action games.

Action games however are games that emphasise physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games and platform games which are widely considered the most important action games, though some real-time strategy games are also considered to be action games. In an action game, often one leading player must navigate a level, collecting objects or in-game currency, avoiding obstacles and battling enemies with various attacks. For example, in the 'British Bulldog invasion' game, Bulldogs are aiming to capture any Mutants or Monsters running between two safe zones on the playing field. Hobby action games allow players to create their own costumes, such as the Battle

Wardrobes, to be worn during a themed physical challenge, such as a battle. The creation and then the wearing of Battle Wardrobes provide a magical entertainment experience for the gaming community for players of all ages. The making of do-it-yourself Battle Wardrobes brings and bonds game players together, players who already boast a shared passion and imagination for creating their own Bulldog, Mutant or Monster Battle Wardrobes for the next British Bulldog invasion.

The Battle Wardrobe workshop provides hours of fun for players allowing them to build their very own battle vests or blazers, followed by the cutting out and the painting of their very own Mutant or Monster overlays or skin costumes for decoration of the vests. The workshop also offers specialist knowledge and material suggestions about how to build other skin costumes by using recycled materials found around the players' homes.

It can be difficult to make battle vests or blazers which fit players of different shapes and sizes. For instance, a Bulldog adult's vest would be too big for a Bulldog child to wear comfortably during the game. These vests are usually made in a fixed size which cannot be adjusted in a manner enabling the formation of a vest of a desired shape and / or size.

Therefore it is difficult to make a One size fits all' battle vest or blazer. Furthermore, the customisation of the appearance of the vests by using overlays or skin costumes can be difficult when single-use overlays are used. That creates a lot of wastage of overlays and the removal of the overlay could damage the surface of the vest when it is peeled off from the external surface of the vest. A technique which manufacturers of battle wardrobes have used for some years is to get a skin costume already embedded into the external surface of the vest. This method has the disadvantage that different vests in different sizes would have to be used for each of the themed action games. The game providers would then need to have a large amount of stock of vests to let out to players of all different ages, this stock also matching the theme of the action game.

There is a need for a do-it-yourself vest whose size and / or shape can be adjusted to fits players of all ages and whose appearance can be modified to match the themes of different action games.

Summary / Statements of invention

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a vest comprising at least one front panel and a back panel, each panel having at least one primary fastening region, wherein either or both said primary fastening regions are provided with primary fastening means enabling a front panel to be releasably engaged to the back panel in a manner enabling formation of a desired vest shape and / or vest size.

The vest may further comprise a pair of said front panels, both such front panels having at least one secondary fastening region, the or each such secondary region being provided with secondary fastening means enabling the front panels to be releasably engageable in a manner enabling formation of a desired vest shape and / or vest size. The presence of a pair of front panels, rather than a single front panel, allows the wearer of the vest more means for adjusting the shape and / or size of the vest.

The fastening means may be located at pre-defined positions on the front and / or back panels. More specifically, the fastening means may be located in a fastening region between the panels. Having dedicated regions on the vest panel for attaching the fastening means thereto guides and helps the wearer through the process of assembling the panels together to form a vest of a specific shape and / or size. The fastening means may be stitched in a fastening region between the panels. Stitching provides a resilient securing of the fastening means onto the front and / or back panels. Stitching also strengthens the vest together once constructed from the front and back panels. Each front and / or back panel may comprise a panel-edge strengthening trim. The strengthening trim may be made of a heavy duty material, such as cotton. The trim increases the rigidity of the individual vest panels.

Each front and / or back panel may comprise an affixing material. The affixing material renders a simplified construction of the vest panels. Each front and / or back panel may be constructed principally from said affixing material, more specifically from an affixing material which may have at least one 'mushroom loop'-Velour type affixing surface. The affixing material may be a soft material with a 'mushroom loop' Velour surface visible on both sides of the vest panels. This is thus a vest panel made of a double-sided 'mushroom-loop' Velour cloth which is comfortable to wear.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a layered overlay constructed and adapted to modify the appearance of a vest, the overlay comprising an under-layer releasably engageable with a vest and a top-layer displaying such a modified appearance. The layered overlay may be constructed and adapted to modify the appearance of the vest according to the first aspect of the invention.

The top-layer may be principally exposed to the intended wearer of the vest. Thus the intended wearer will dress up in a vest with an appearance which may be modified to match the theme of the action game. The top-layer may printed, covered, treated or coated with a modifying design. These 'coating' methods of the top-layer allow a cheap manufacturing method of the modifying design. The modifying design may comprise a foil, such as an aluminium foil for a metal-effect modifying design.

The top-layer may be made of paper, card, vinyl or foil. These materials are flexible and they allow the overlay to conform to the vest.

The under-layer may comprise an affixing material, which may have a microscopic Velcro 'hook'-type affixing surface. The under-layer engages with the vest such that the whole layered overlay is then easily fastened securely onto the vest's panels via the 'hook'-type affixing surface.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a garment comprising the vest according to the first aspect of the invention and the layered overlay according to the second aspect of the invention. The garment may be in the form of a (themed) battle blazer, a baseball jacket, a customised promotional jacket, a road-safety jacket, a motorbike jacket, a bullet proof jacket, a protective jacket (for hockey players, for example), a wearable- electronics jacket. The protective jacket may be padded with detachable 'pouches' applied externally to the vest panels as overlays which may be easily removed when damaged. In the ready-assembled garment, the affixing material according to the second aspect of the invention may be releasably engageable with the affixing material according to the first aspect of the invention. More specifically, the 'mushroom loop'-Velour type affixing surface of the vest panels of the first aspect of the invention may be arranged to be releasably engageable with the Microscopic 'hook'-type affixing surface of the layered overlay of the second aspect of the invention so as to modify the appearance of the vest. This fastening method enables the formation of an easily re-sizeable and customisable garment.

The garment may further comprise one or more releasably engageable coin shapes. The coin shapes may comprise gold-coloured coins. The coins are used as in-game currency to pay the winning player. The precise location of the coin shapes may be screen printed onto the vest panels to guide the wearer where to apply the gold coins.

The garment may further comprise one or more releasably engageable information carriers, such as a card. The card may be a 'dogtooth seized' capture card. The card may be kept inside the vest before the game begins and before the capture of a player (by, for example, affixing the card onto the internal Velcro 'mushroom-loop' Velour surface of the vest panels) and then affixed to the external surface of the vest panels (also using the 'mushroom-loop' affixing surface) after capture of the player.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of forming the vest according to the first aspect of the invention, the method comprising: a) making the front and the back panels from sheets of material;

b) optionally applying a strengthening panel-edge trim to each of the front and the back panels;

c) applying at least one fastener at pre-defined positions on each of the front and the back panels so as to define a fastening region between the panels;

d) releasably engaging the panels together at the fastening region to a desired vest shape and / or vest size.

The making of the front and the back panels may comprise cutting the panels from sheets of material. The cutting may be performed using child scissors which are much safer to use by young game players.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of forming the layered overlay according to the second aspect of the invention, the method comprising: a) providing a sheet of material comprising an under-layer and a top-layer;

b) making at least one layered overlay from the sheet of material;

c) applying a fastener to the under-layer;

d) applying a modifying design to the top-layer.

The making of the least one layered overlay may comprise cutting the least one layered overlay from sheets of material. The front and / or the back overlays to be applied to the front and / or the back vest panels may be cut from the same or from different sheets of material. Cutting the overlays from the same sheet of material prevents wastage of un-used material.

The applying a modifying design to the top-layer may comprise printing, covering, treating or coating the modifying design onto the top-layer.

Brief description of the figures

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 a and 1 b show plan views of the outside and the inside of an embodiment of the vest panels in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows perspective views of the sides, the front and the back of a vest formed from the vest panels of figures 1a and 1 b;

Figures 3a and 3b show plan views of layered overlays being exemplary embodiments of layered overlays in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention; Figures 4A to 4C are perspective views demonstrating making (by cutting) of the layered overlays of Figures 3a and 3b and affixing of the layered overlays onto the outside sides of the vest panels of Figures 1a and 1 b; and

Figure 5 is a front view of an embodiment of the garment in accordance with the third aspect of the present invention, in the form of a customisable baseball jacket (version without hood) in which a portion of applied vest is shown open and about to be fastened.

Figures 5A to 5E are views of baseball jacket embodiments, according to the Figure 5 arrangement and a hooded version, to which the vest component has been applied and fastened, and

Figure 5F to 5I are views of the figure 5A to 5E baseball jacket embodiments to which layered overlays are being applied to the already present vest component. In the drawings, like parts are denoted by like reference numerals.

Specific description

Figures 1 a and 1 b show the outside and the inside respectively of 3 vest panels of a Battle Vest (10): Front I panel (100), Front II panel (200) and Back III panel (300).

Both the outside and the inside sides of the Battle Vest (10) have been cut from the exact same 1.5m width of heavy-duty Velcro™ 'mushroom-loop' Velour cloth. This particular heavy-duty weight of Velcro™ Velour has an extremely rigid and stiff structure with a very soft 'mushroom-loop' Velour affixing surface, both of which are very important for this Battle Vest (10) to enable it to fold evenly and comfortably around a player's ribs, without any part of the Battle Vest (10) structure collapsing in on itself. Any lighter-weight of the Velcro™ 'mushroom-loop' Velour cloth would be totally unsuitable because it would have much less rigidity or stiffness and it would therefore become unmanageable to fold evenly around a player's ribs.

This unique and inventive method of using the exactly same heavy-duty weight of Velcro™ 'mushroom-loop' Velour cloth for both the outside and the inside sides of the Vest (10) provides an adjustable and reusable Velcro™ 'seam' that can fasten in any position and angle the game player decides when constructing their own Battle Vest (10). When forming or assembling the Battle Vest (10), fasten each of the panels (100), (200), (300) together with the Velcro™ 'mushroom-loop' Velour affixing surface showing upwards, visible on both the outside and the inside sides of the panels (100), (200), (300).

After the panels (100), (200), (300) are cut from the Velcro™ Velour cloth, the edge of each panel (100), (200), (300) is finished with a heavy-duty cotton trim (400), which also helps to further increase the rigidity of each of the individual vest panels (100), (200), (300). This means that each of the individual vest panels (100), (200), (300) is stiff enough so that it can be held up right in the player's hand without any part of the Velcro™ Velour panel collapsing or folding over. This in turn ensures that each panel (100), (200), (300) has the correct rigidity and strength for a high quality and comfortable fold around a player's body. Typical dimensions of the Battle Vest (10) (in Figures 1 a and 1 b like parts are denoted by like reference letters):

- Front I (100) and Front II (200) panels: (A) Centre Front (for both Front I & Front II panels) Pattern: 485mm / Finished: 475mm

(B) Front Arm Hole (for both Front I & Front II panels) Pattern: 350mm / Finished: 340mm

(C) Front Sides (for both Front I & Front II panels) Pattern: 380mm / Finished: 355mm

(D1) Front I Hem (only for Front I) Pattern: 385mm / Finished: 355mm

(D2) Front II Hem (only for Front II) Pattern: 405mm / Finished: 375mm (bigger than D1 , for overlap fastening)

(E1) Front I Collar (only for Front I) Pattern: 170mm / Finished: 145mm (E2) Front II Collar (only for Front II) Pattern: 180mm / Finished: 155mm (bigger than E1 , for overlap fastening)

- Back III (300) panel:

(F) Back III Collar (only for Back III) Pattern: 230mm / Finished: 220mm

(G) Shoulder Seam (only for Front I, Front II & Back III) Pattern: 100mm / Finished: 90mm

(H) Back III Hem (only for Back III) Pattern: 660mm / Finished: 630mm

(I) Back III Sides (only for Back III) Pattern: 380mm / Finished: 355mm (J) Back Arm Holes (only for Back III) Pattern: 355 / Finished: 345mm Each panel (100), (200), (300) of the Battle Vest (10) has guidelines screen-printed onto the outside side of the Front I (100) and Front II (200) panels (guidelines (103) and (203) in Figure 1 a) and onto both the outside and the inside sides of the Back III panel (300) (guidelines (303) and (304) in Figures 1 a and 1 b). The guidelines (103), (203) and (303) present on the outside sides of the panels (100), (200), (300) respectively help to indicate where the game player should position each layered overlay constructed and adapted to modify the appearance of the Battle Vest (10).

Each panel (100), (200), (300) has Velcro™ 'hook' tapes stitched to the edges of the panels as follows:

- 2 x 20 mm (in width) Velcro™ 'hook' tapes are stitched onto the Front I panel (100).

The Velcro™ 'hook' tape (101) is positioned onto the outside of the centre front-edge of the Front I panel (100) (see Figure 1a). This tape (101) will function as the main centre front opening of the Vest (10).

The Velcro™ 'hook' tape (102) is positioned on the inside side-edge of the Front I panel (100) (see Figure 1 b). This tape (102) will be used for fastening the side-edge of the Front I panel (100) onto the right side of the Back III panel (300) using the guidelines printed thereon. Its function is to adjust the right side 'size' of the Vest (10).

- 2 x 20 mm (in width) Velcro™ 'hook' tapes are stitched onto the Front II panel (200). The Velcro™ 'hook' tape (201) is positioned onto the inside of the centre front-edge of the Front II panel (200) (see Figure 1 b). This tape (201) will be used for fastening onto the tape

(101) of the centre front of the Front I panel (100). Its function is as the main centre front opening of the Vest (10).

The Velcro™ 'hook' tape (202) is positioned onto the inside side-edge of the Front II panel (200) (see Figure 1 b). This tape (202) will be used for fastening the side-edge of the Front II panel (200) onto the left side of the Back III panel (300) using the guidelines printed thereon. Its function is to adjust the left side 'size' of the Vest (10).

- 2 x 20 mm (in width) Velcro™ 'hook' tapes (301) and (302) (see Figure 1 a) are stitched onto both outside side-edges of the Back III panel (300). These tapes (301) and (302) will be used for securing the Back III panel (300) onto the insides of the Front I (100) and Front II (200) panels. They are also used to strengthen the Vest (10) together once assembled.

The Battle Vest (10) is made from exactly the same unique pattern design, which has four extra-long side seams & two very narrow shoulder seams. The Battle Vest (10) is also made without any fixed side seams, instead it has six 20mm width Velcro™ 'hook' tapes (101),

(102) , (201), (202), (301) and (302) which are stitched onto each seam edge as a means for multi-sizing and re-shaping of the Battle Vest (10).

The four extra-long side seams allow the Battle Vest (10) to increase or reduce in size and shape, subject to each game player's own preference. The front two extra-long side seams fold and stick onto the back of the Battle Vest (10), with the back two extra-long side seams folding and fastening inside the Battle Vest (10).

The very narrow shoulder seams provide a more comfortable fit for the smaller game players, since this detail would be less noticeable for the larger game players. The Battle Vest (10) will also appear much longer in length for the smaller game players, but will appear much shorter in length for the larger game players. Thus one unique pattern design would fit most game players aged between 4 years - 40 years, making the hobby action game a truly Family Game.

Figure 2 shows a formed Battle Vest (10) (i.e., all panels (100), (200), (300) are fastened together) from several perspective views: two front side profile views, three back side profile views and one full back view. The forming of the Battle Vest (10) comprises the following steps:

1) place the vest's inside collar around the player's neck with the screen-printed guidelines (303) visible on the player's back;

2) fasten both centre front panels together by following the instructions screen-printed on the Front I panel (100), which read "Stick under the centre Front 2 layer";

3) tuck both side edges of the Back III panel (300) inside the Battle Vest (10), but do not fully fasten them yet;

4) take both front panel side edges and fasten them onto the Back III (300) panel. Follow the instructions screen-printed on the Battle Vest (10) which read "Stick edge onto back age/size chart". Fasten both symmetrical onto guidelines with equal proportions at both ends for a more comfortable fit;

5) complete the shape shift process by fastening flat the side seams of the Back III panel (300) inside onto both Front I (100) and Front II (200) panels, but it may help to take-off the Battle Vest (10) for a more smooth quality finish (i. e., unfasten and refasten); Once fastened or formed the Vest (10) will remain symmetrical and unchanged as long as the screen-printed guidelines have been used correctly. And once the Battle Vest (10) has been correctly fitted to a game player's own size and shape, then that player only needs to open and close the Velcro™ centre front panel fastening to put the vest on or to take the vest off.

The Battle Vest (10) can be remoulded or re-shaped into a different size any number of times by following the forming steps 1) to 5) mentioned above. At any time the Battle Vest (10) can be refitted into a new body shape or size by simply unfastening each of the 6 x 20mm Velcro™ 'hook' tapes on each seam, then simply overlaying the inner and the outer front and back side seams symmetrically using the screen-printed guidelines.

Figures 3a and 3b show plan views of a front layered overlay (20) and a back layered overlay (30), both overlays being constructed and adapted to modify the appearance of the front and the back respectively of the Battle Vest (10). The front overlay (20) comprises 2 panes (21) and (22) labelled Front 01 and Front 02 in Figure 3a, whereas the back overlay (30) comprises a single pane (31) labelled Back 01 in Figure 3b. The panes (21) and (22) of the front overlay (20) are cut from the same A2 sheet of material and the larger back pane (31) is cut from a separate A2 sheet of the same material. The material from which each of the panes (21), (22), (31) is cut comprises a top-layer of printed- paper, printed-card or printed-vinyl and an under-layer of adhesive Velcro™ having a microscopic 'hook'-type affixing surface. The material has a weight suitable for young game players to cut-out the panes from the A2 sheets using child scissors. The material is also the perfect weight for the fastening and unfastening of the overlay panes from the Battle Vest (10) in a single sweeping motion.

The panes (21), (22), (31) of the overlays (20) and (30) respectively have the exact same size and shape as the guidelines (103), (203), (303) screen-printed onto the outside sides of the vest panels (100), (200), (300) of the Battle Vest (10). This is to help guide the game player to cut-out their overlay panes and then to fasten those onto the front and the back of the Battle Vest (10).

Figures 4A to 4C illustrate schematically perspective views demonstrating cutting of predefined overlay panes (21), (22) and (31) out of a sheet of suitable material followed by the fastening of the cut-out panes onto the outside sides of the front and back of the Battle Vest (10) of Figures 1a and 1 b.

During a hobby workshop, the player must first decide which Bulldog, Mutant, Monster or Policeman design to wear on their Battle Vest (10). Then carefully the player must cut-out with child-scissors from the A2 sheet of material (around the dotted lines) the Front 01 pane, followed by Front 02 pane and then the Back 03 pane. Then the player must stick each overlay pane onto their corresponding positions screen-printed on the outside sides of the front and the back of the Battle Vest (10).

Each of the overlay panes can be easily removed at any time by simply unpeeling the panes from the vest panels in a sweeping motion, then exchanging them with other overlay panes by following the same craft work process presented in the paragraph immediately above. Game players can also exchange or trade their personalised overlay panes between themselves before a Bulldog Battle, for example, because it could be fun to have 8 Mutant Zombies running through the battle zone chased by 5 Gun Singer Bull Dogs. Figure 5 illustrates the front of one baseball jacket (40) embodiment (without hood) and together with figures 5A to 5J show how the jacket (in both with and without hood versions) can be customised by fastening of the overlay panes (21), (22) and (31) onto the front and the back panels of the vest bodice, (which has already been applied to the jacket as shown in Figures 5A to 5E). The vest is usefully made of a Velcro™ material with a 'mushroom loop'-Velour type affixing surface, whereas the sleeves are made from a non-Velcro™ material to prevent them from 'sticking' onto the vest.

The in-game currency is represented by 10 "notional" gold coins (50) shown at the bottom of Figure 3b, 5G, 5I and within 5J. The gold coins are cut from the same A2 sheet of material as the back overlay (30). The coins can be fastened onto the Vest (10) using the

corresponding guidelines screen-printed onto the Front I (100) and Front II (200) panels of the Battle Vest (10). The coins are used to pay the winning player, who must collect at least one gold coin from each of the Bulldog players at end of a British Bulldog game.

The capture cards (60) shown at the bottom of Figure 3B, 5G, 5I and 5J are cut by following the dotted lines from the same A2 sheet of material as the front overlay (20). The 'Seized' capture cards (60) can be kept stuck inside your Battle Vest (10), hidden away safe until the start of the British Bulldog invasion game. Each Bulldog uses his or her own 'Seized' card (60) for capturing any Mutants or Monsters running between the two safe zones on the playing field. Each 'Seized' capture card (60) can be stuck onto any part of the Battle Vest (10). Once a 'Seized' capture card (60) has been stuck onto a Battle Vest (10), then that player must help the other Bulldogs with the capturing of all the remaining Mutants and Monsters left on the Bulldog battlefield.

Various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the vest, the overlay, the garment, ... can be made of be in the form of ...