CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application 62/412,202, filed on 10/24/2016, and US Utility Patent Application 15/689,881, filed on Aug. 29, 2017, all incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to costumes, and more particularly to a winged cape. DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

Children's costumes such as wearable wings and capes often have items that can be choking hazards, such as ties or bands worn that are fixed around the neck. During play, if such a cape were to snag on an object, the tie or band around the child's neck may cause serious injury to the child. For example, the cape toy of US Patent Application 09/841,814 to Haar et al. shows a neckpiece configured for fixing around a child's neck.

Other wing-type costumes, such as those disclosed in US Design Patent D351,493 to DeCinque on Oct. 18, 1994, teach a winged costume device that does not cover a substantial portion of the body, and as such cannot easily be used to keep a person warm during play.

Therefore, there is a need for a wing -type costume that is not fastened around the neck, presenting a choking hazard. Such a needed invention would further be adapted to keep the user warm if desired during use. The needed costume would be made in a variety of shapes and sizes to allow for a variety of personal tastes in color and design. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present device is a winged cape for wearing by a person. The person may be a child, a teen or an adult, the cape being suitable for keeping warm as well as for pretend play as a winged creature, for example.

A flexible inner web and a flexible outer web are each fixed together with a threaded stitch at a common outline thereof. Each web is preferably a soft fabric material, but may also be a vinyl sheet, paper sheet, or other flexible web material. Each web has a top edge and at least one side edge. Four arm slots are formed through the inner web to define a pair of sleeves that are generally orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of each web. The sleeves are preferably generally coaxially aligned and integrally formed with the inner web. In some embodiments each sleeve is proximate to and generally parallel with the top edge of the webs. Each arm slot may further be hemmed with a buttonhole stitch therearound.

Preferably two or more opposing elastic finger rings are each fixed with the at least one side edge of the inner web on opposing sides of the longitudinal axis of the inner web and proximate to a longitudinal axis of the sleeves.

In use, with embodiments that include the sleeves, with each arm of the person positioned through one of the sleeves between the sleeve and the outer web, the longitudinal axis of the webs are parallel with and aligned with the person's torso. In embodiments having the finger rings, a finger of each hand of the person may be inserted through one of the finger rings to retain the side edges of the webs with the person's fingers. The webs form a winged cape worn by the person.

The present invention is a wing-type costume that is not fastened around the neck, but rather around the arms or fingers, thereby reducing the chance of choking during use. The present invention is adapted to keep the user warm during use, and can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes to allow for a variety of personal tastes in color and design. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention, illustrated as used by a person;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 with the person omitted for clarity of

illustration;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the invention, showing an inner web and an outer web sewn together at a common peripheral edge;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the invention, taken generally along lines 4— 4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of an alternate embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 6 is a rear elevational view of another alternate embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of and enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise," "comprising," and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to." Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words "herein," "above," "below" and words of similar import, when used in this

application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the claims use the word "or" in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list. When the word "each" is used to refer to an element that was previously introduced as being at least one in number, the word "each" does not necessarily imply a plurality of the elements, but can also mean a singular element.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a winged cape 10 for wearing by a person 20. The person 20 may be a child, a teen or an adult, the cape being suitable for keeping warm as well as for pretend play as a winged creature.

A flexible inner web 30 and a flexible outer web 40 are each fixed together at a common outline 50 thereof (FIG. 3). Each web 30 is preferably a soft fabric material, such as polyester fleece fabric, but may also be a vinyl sheet, paper sheet, or other flexible web material. Each web 30,40 has a top edge 38,48 and at least one side edge 35,45. Each web 30,40 is mutually fixed together preferably with a threaded sewn stitch 80, but may also be fixed together with ultrasonic bonding, adhesive, or the like. Each web 30,40 may optionally be further mutually sewn together along at least two additional stitches 85 (FIGS. 5 and 6) outside of the sleeves 70 defined between arm slots 60 in the inner web 30. The visible sides of each web 30,40 are preferably printed with a bright pattern representing butterfly or bird wings (not shown), insect markings, or the like.

Preferably four arm slots 60 (FIGS. 1-5) are formed through the inner web 30 to define a pair of sleeves 70 that are generally orthogonal to a longitudinal axis Li of each web 30,40. The sleeves 70 are preferably generally coaxially aligned and integrally formed with the inner web 30. In some embodiments each sleeve 70 is proximate to and generally parallel with the top edge 38,48 of the webs 30,40. Each arm slot 60 may further be hemmed with a buttonhole stitch 86 (FIGS. 3 and 4) therearound.

Preferably two or more opposing elastic finger rings 90 are each fixed with the at least one side edge 35 of the inner web 30 on opposing sides of the longitudinal axis Li of the inner web 30 and proximate to a longitudinal axis L2 of the sleeves 70.

In use, with embodiments that include the sleeves 70, with each arm 25 of the person positioned through one of the sleeves 70 between the sleeve 70 and the outer web 40, the longitudinal axis Li of the webs 30,40 are parallel with and aligned with the person's torso 23. In embodiments having the finger rings 90, a finger 26 of each hand 24 of the person 20 may be inserted through one of the finger rings 90 to retain the side edges 35,45 of the webs 30,40 with the person's fingers 26. The webs 30,40 form a winged cape worn by the person 20. While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, particular shapes of the webs 30,40 may be utilized, such as those that look like butterfly wings (FIG. 1), bat wings (FIG. 5), beetle wings (FIG. 6), or other shapes as desired such as airplane wings (not shown). Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.

Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention.

The above detailed description of the embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above or to the particular field of usage mentioned in this disclosure. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Also, the teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.

All of the above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference.

Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention.

Changes can be made to the invention in light of the above "Detailed Description." While the above description details certain embodiments of the invention and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Therefore, implementation details may vary considerably while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated.

While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventor contemplates the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the invention.