Motorcycle jacket

Abstract

The motorcycle jacket is an article of apparel for providing protection while riding and a lightweight, attractive street jacket for casual wear when not riding. The motorcycle jacket includes a jacket shell having a rear panel and a split front panel, the shell defining arm openings and being adapted for covering the shoulders and torso. A pair of sleeves extend from the arm openings. The split front panel includes a releasable fastener, such as a zipper, for closing the front panel. At least the sleeves have a lining formed of an abrasion resistant fabric. The elbows have pockets inside the sleeves that removably receive protective foam pads, and a protective foam pad for the spine is removably disposed adjacent the rear panel on the inside of the jacket shell. The spine pad is attached to a flexible panel of abrasion resistant fabric, either directly or by being placed in a pocket or pouch formed on the panel, the panel being secured to the shell by releasable fasteners.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to apparel with protective padding, and particularly to a motorcycle jacket having removable padding to provide protection while riding the cycle and to provide a fashionable conventional jacket with the padding removed.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]Potentially dangerous recreational activities, such as riding a motorcycle, often require the use of protective jackets. Motorcycle riders, for example, commonly wear leather jackets or other garments formed from durable materials that offer at least a minimal degree of padding. For comfort and aesthetic reasons, many motorcycle riders wear “off the rack”, or unaltered, garments, such as the aforementioned common leather jacket, which may not provide additional means for protection.[0005]Although padded garments are well known, such garments are typically used in contact sports, such as football, or in hazardous duty, such as body...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]Since the spine pad is attached to an abrasion resistant fabric panel that is removable from the interior of the jacket shell, the exterior of the motorcycle jacket may be made from any desired material, e.g., soft suede, leather, vinyl, natural or synthetic fibers or fabrics, etc. Removing the padding renders the jacket lightweight, more flexible, and less bulky, so that the motorcycle jacket is suitable for casual street wear. The elbow pads are preferably disposed in pockets within the sleeves that are releasably closed by zippers. The spine or back pad is attached to a panel of abrasion resistant fabric or material, the panel being attached to the shoulders by hook and loop fasteners or zippers, and being secured to the torso of the jacket by loops extending from the seams of the garment through grommets in the panel and being closed by snap fasteners or other releasable fasteners.

[0011]Instead of just the sleeves, other portions of the motorcycle jacket may be lined with an abrasion resistant fabric sewn to the interior of the garment. Alternatively, the jacket may be lined with a moisture wicking fabric, such as CoolMax® (a registered trademark of E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company of Wilmington, Del., now owned by Invista North America S.A.R.L. Luxembourg) for greater comfort in warm climates.

Problems solved by technology

Potentially dangerous recreational activities, such as riding a motorcycle, often require the use of protective jackets.

For comfort and aesthetic reasons, many motorcycle riders wear “off the rack”, or unaltered, garments, such as the aforementioned common leather jacket, which may not provide additional means for protection.

These typical protective garments are not only often aesthetically displeasing, but also inhibit full movement of the wearer.

Motorcycle jackets, in particular, may have padding sewn into the lining so that is not removable, and an outer layer of leather or an abrasion resistant fabric, both of which may provide a degree of protection to the cyclist, but are rather bulky and not very attractive for casual wear.

The bulk created by the single purpose design of the conventional motorcycle jacket is a drawback for riders and passengers of cruising and touring motorcycles, since there is little room for storage of the jacket when traveling long distances.

Further, such padded motorcycle jackets often include hard armor, which inhibits the movement of the wearer and may be uncomfortable when worn for extended periods of time.

Although such padded and protective garments might shield a motorcycle rider from injury in the case of a crash or skid, the garments might also inhibit the range of motion of the rider due to their general inflexibility and bulkiness.

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