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  Golf jacket with grip pocketUSPTO Application #: 20060150298Title: Golf jacket with grip pocket Abstract: A garment including an outer shell, an inner liner, and a pocket extending vertically upward for receiving a grip of a golf club, the pocket being disposed between the outer shell and the liner. (end of abstract) Agent: Acushnet Company - Fairhaven, MA, US Inventor: Andy Jones USPTO Applicaton #: 20060150298 - Class: 002093000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, Body Garments, Coats The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060150298. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention is directed to a jacket and, in particular, a golf jacket including a pouch for protecting the grip of a golf club during inclement weather. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] All-weather jackets typically have a variety of constructions, such as an inner liner and an outer shell, to help insulate the wearer and keep out water and wind, respectively. Jackets generally include a torso portion and sleeves that are designed to fit smoothly on a wearer when they are standing upright. When the wearer is a golfer, however, the wearer may experience a number of shortcomings associated with conventional jackets. [0003] Because proper golf stance requires the wearer to bend forward at the waist and abdominal sections of the body, most jackets tend to `bunch up` at undesirable locations when the posture of the wearer is other than upright. This `bunching` interferes with a golf swing as fabric of the jacket protrudes into the arcuate path through which the arms of the golfer must travel during the golf swinging motion. [0004] Additionally, while many jackets sufficiently protect the wearer from the elements, golf is a unique sport in that it is often played in inclement weather, requiring substantial protection from outerwear. Conventional golf outerwear, however, does not adequately protect the golfer's equipment, in particular, the grips of the club. The golf grip is the critical link between the golfer's hands and the club--if the grips get wet, the grip surface can become quite slippery, making it difficult at best for the golfer to make a proper golf swing without losing grip on the club. When playing in the rain, many golfers try to carry a towel over the grip or hold the grip against the shaft of an umbrella to protect the grip from getting wet. These attempted solutions, however, are cumbersome and the extraneous items certainly must be discarded prior to making the golf shot. Typically, the time between discarding any protective items and actually making the golf shot is more than sufficient for the grip to get wet. Some golfers even awkwardly attempt to `hide` the grip from the elements under a shirt or jacket. Since shirts are generally tucked into the golfer's pants and many jackets are relatively form fitting and provide little room for the protection of golf club grips, there remains a need, therefore, for a manner of keeping a golf grip dry during inclement weather that is simple, easy to use, and doesn't require any hindering protective items, such as a towel or an umbrella. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] The present invention is directed to a garment including an outer shell, an inner liner, and a pocket extending vertically upward for receiving a grip of a golf club, the pocket being disposed between the outer shell and the liner. In a preferred embodiment, the pocket includes a sheath including a closed end and an open end, the open end being attached to a downward-facing aperture in the shell or the liner. The aperture typically includes a closure, such as a snap, hook-and-loop (Velcro.RTM.), or a zipper. [0006] The garment may include sleeves for covering a wearer's arms (or a portion of the arms, such as in a vest). Preferably, the sleeves cover the wearer's entire arms. The sleeves may also be removable, such as by snaps or zippers circumscribing the arm near the shoulder of the wearer resulting in a vest-type garment once the sleeves are removed. [0007] So that the garment is suitable for use in extreme weather, at least one of the pocket and the outer shell should be substantially waterproof, such that the golf grip remains dry while being protected within the sheath. [0008] The outer shell, when present, typically includes an outside surface facing away from the liner and an inside surface facing the liner so as to define an inner space therebetween, the shell including first and second anchored portions and defining an opening in the first anchored portion, the shell also including a tensionable portion disposed between the anchored portions, wherein the shell and liner are configured for encircling the wearer. [0009] Additionally, the garment may further include a cinch, such as an elastic band disposed in the inner space and attached to first and second ends which are anchored to the first and second anchored portions, respectively, such that a closed path encircling the wearer is defined through the cinch and the tensionable portion. Preferably, the tensionable portion is located at a front of the abdomen section. The cinch may also include an anchor securable to the first end and dimensioned larger than the first opening such that the anchor is prevented from passing through the first opening. [0010] In one embodiment, the shell includes a pocket on the outside thereof; and the first opening is disposed inside the pocket such that the first end and the anchor are operable for releasably securing to each other from inside the pocket. Generally, the anchor is attached to the shell to retain the anchor when the first end is pulled from outside the shell. The elastic band typically has a band length between the ends and a band height perpendicular thereto and the inner space has a space height parallel to the band height and at least three times as large as the band height. [0011] The garment may further include a closure attached to the liner and the shell in the tensionable portion, the closed path being defined when the closure is closed. The cinch may include an anchor anchored to the first end and the first anchored portion, and the anchor is connected with the first end and the first anchored portion such that the anchor remains associated therewith when the closure is open for automatically stretching the elastic band around a wearer when the closure is closed. [0012] The garment also typically includes an upper body section including a torso portion and a sleeve having a shoulder, an elbow, and a wrist. Together these include a plurality of panels including first and second panels that extend from the shoulder to the wrist and are attached to each other by a back seam. The shoulder is generally attached to the torso portion such that the back seam runs from a back of the shoulder to a back of the elbow to a back of the wrist, and the first and second panels have back edges joined at the back seam, each back edge having a convex curvature of a radius that decreases towards the elbow. [0013] The present invention is also directed to a garment including a pocket extending vertically upward for receiving a grip of a golf club. In one embodiment, the pocket includes a sheath including a closed end and an open end, the open end being secured to a downward-facing aperture in the garment. [0014] The present invention is further directed to a golf jacket including an outer shell, an inner liner, configured to circumscribe the torso of a person and to define a gap between the shell and the liner; a vertically-extending zipper; and a pocket extending vertically upward for receiving a grip of a golf club, the pocket being disposed in the gap between the shell and the liner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] FIG. 1 is a cutaway front view of a preferred embodiment of a jacket constructed according to the invention; [0016] FIG. 2 is a cutaway back view of the jacket; [0017] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional top view of a portion of the jacket; [0018] FIG. 4 is a blown up cross-sectional view of a portion of the front of the jacket; [0019] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the back of the jacket; [0020] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional top view of a portion of the jacket with an open pocket; and Continue reading... Full patent description for Golf jacket with grip pocket Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Golf jacket with grip pocket patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Golf jacket with grip pocket or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Use of thermoregulatory material to improve exercise performance Next Patent Application: Latex gloves and articles with geometrically defined surface texture providing enhanced grip and method for in-line processing thereof Industry Class: Apparel ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Golf jacket with grip pocket patent info. 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