Garment

Abstract

A garment 100 for the upper body of a person comprising a pocket 102 positioned such that a central vertical axis of the pocket is aligned approximately with a central vertical axis of the garment, an

Description

The present disclosure relates to garments for the upper body, and in particular, although not exclusively, relates to the provision of a convenient 5 phone pocket that may be incorporated into upper body garments such as T-shirts, vests, shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies. Urban wear and sportswear are well established areas of the retail clothing market. This is comprised of garments such as T-shirts, vests, shirts, 10 sweatshirts, and hoodies. These are worn due to the convenience they offer the wearer when doing sports or work activities. They can be worn as casual wear in warm or cold environments. Cell (mobile)phones have been sold worldwide as a necessary and convenient is device for communication and have become part of the fabric of daily life. They offer us the means to be in continuous and constant contact with others. However, for most use cases, they are required to be held in the hand to answer a call if the owner of the phone is aware they have received a call. Unfortunately, there are occasions where calls are missed, often in 20 environments where it is difficult to hear the phone. Such missed calls can be most inconvenient to the user, particularly when the call is of an urgent nature. Circumstances where holding and, particularly, hearing a cell phone presents difficulty include, for example: 25 1. At music concerts and sports events. 2. At DIY or construction environments. 3. During cycling on the roads. 4. During bad weather e.g,, rain. 30 5. Shopping. In the above examples, the noise of the surrounding environment makes it difficult for a person to hear cell phone alerts. For example, during a football match the crowd of people are generally loud that it is at times difficult to hear others within that environment. This is due to the high ievels of noise inhibiting the abiiity to hear the phone alerts, for example a ring tone. One way in which this issue is mitigated is by use of a phone's vibration alert 5 system, which causes the phone to vibrate alongside or instead of an alert or ring tone. However, even if the vibration system of the phone is activated, a person may still not be aware of a phone call if the phone is in a jacket or trouser pocket. This is due to the wearer not being able to feel the phone vibrating because it is not located at an optimum area of the body for detecting 10 vibration. For example, a trouser pocket holds a cell phone in close proximity to the leg, which is not particularly sensitive to vibration and thus any vibrationbased phone alert may not be detected by the person. Advancements in cell phone technology have provided for mobile devices which is are thinner, lighter in weight and safer, due to improvements in the interna! radiation shields within the new generation of ceil phones. The present inventor has recognised these advances as an opportunity to safely and conveniently integrate technology (cell phones, for example) into urban wear and sportswear garments. 20 In particular, the present inventor has identified a need for a garment with means of holding a cell phone such that a vibration of the ceil phone can be more easily detected. 25 According to a first aspect of the disclosure there is provided a garment for the upper body, or torso, of a person, the garment comprising a pocket positioned such that a central vertical axis of the pocket is aligned approximately with a central vertical axis of the garment, and a central horizontal axis of the pocket is situated at or above a central horizontal axis of the garment. 30 The garment may cover some or all of the upper body or torso of the person. The garment may be a T-shirt, vest, shirt, sweatshirt or hoody, for example. The phone pocket is situated in the central part of a T-shirt so as to provide a convenient location for a specifically a cell phone, or other objects e.g., pens, 35 pencils, and spectacles and (sunglasses) etc. When the garment is worn, the pocket may be positioned over at least a portion of an area of the person's thorax which is situated at the person's cardiac plexus, a region that is particularly sensitive to vibration. 5 In one or more embodiments, when the garment is worn, the pocket may be positioned over at least a portion of an area of the person's thorax which is situated at person's cardiac plexus. In one or more embodiments the central vertical axis of the pocket may be 10 aligned approximately with a central vertical axis of the garment means that the central vertical axis of the pocket is within a distance of a tenth of a width of the garment at the central horizontal axis of the garment from the central vertical axis of the garment. The central vertical axis of the pocket may be within a distance of one of 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, or 20% of a width of the is garment at the central horizontal axis of the garment from the central vertical axis of the garment. In one or more embodiments, when the garment is worn, the pocket may be aligned approximately with a sagittal plane of the person. The central vertical 20 axis of the pocket may be within a distance of one of 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, or 20% of a width of the garment at the central horizontal axis of the garment from the sagittal plane of the person. In one or more embodiments the pocket may be configured to hold a personal 25 communication device, such as a cell phone. In this way, the pocket located in the centra! area of the garment may accommodate a cel! phone and Facilitate hands free listening, speaking, and awareness when a call is received. Because the cell phone is held at close proximity to the mouth of the wearer of the garment, the wearer can speak and hear the caller without the need for 30 wireless headphones. If a cail is received, the garment 10 further allows the wearer to answer the call using hands-free headphones because the cell phone can now be situated and held securely at the central area of the torso by the pocket 12. In addition, when wireless headphones are used, a stronger connecting signal may be established because the phone is held closer to the 35 headphones. In one or more embodiments, a distance between an upper corner of the pocket and a lower corner on the laterally opposing side of the pocket may measure between 4 inches (about 10 cm) and 7 inches (about 18 cm). This distance is 5 a diagonal dimension. Such dimensions accommodate modern smartphone designs, A cell phone may be totally concealed i.e., not protruding from the phone pocket. In one or more embodiments, the pocket may comprise of an elasticated '0 material or fabric. Such a material or fabric may improve aesthetic appeal and presentation of the garment when the cell phone is repeatedly removed and replaced and may reduce gaping at the opening or mouth of the pocket. The use of elasticated fabric may also allow the pocket to securely retain devices with a broader range of dimensions, for example by facilitate total closure of is the pocket and securing the contents within the pocket. In one or more embodiments, at least a portion of the pocket may comprise perforated or netted material or fabric. Such a material or fabric may assist cooling of the cell phone when the cell phone is held in the pocket, preventing 20 potential damage to the cel! phone caused by overheating and preventing injury or discomfort to the wearer of the garment. In one or more embodiments, an opening of the pocket may comprise a closure mechanism. The closure mechanism may comprise a zipper, hook and loop 25 fastener, elasticated strip / band, or button at the opening of the pocket. In one or more embodiments, the pocket may be situated on an external side of the garment. In one or more embodiments, the pocket may be situated on an interna! side of the garment and a mouth of the pocket is accessible from 30 an external side of the garment. In both internal and external embodiments of the pocket, the cell phone may be totally concealed and not protruding from the phone pocket. The phone pocket may be manufactured to be on the external side of the 35 garment. The phone pocket may be manufactured to be on the internal side of the garment, with the opening or mouth of the pocket visible externally. In both interna! and externa! versions of the pocket, the cell phone may be totally concealed and not protruding from the phone pocket. 5 In one or more embodiments, a rear panel of the pocket may include an opening. In one or more embodiments: a rear panel of the pocket may include an opening; and 10 when the garment is worn, the opening may be positioned such that a camera Sens and a light source / torch of a phone occupying the pocket has direct view of the portion of the area of the person's thorax which is situated at the person's cardiac plexus. is In one or more embodiments, an external or front pane! of the pocket may include an opening. The opening may allow a camera lens of a phone to be unobstructed by the pocket. This may allow a person wearing the garment to record their surroundings with their phone held securely in place. The opening may be formed by removal of material. The opening may be elongated so as 20 to expose a variety of smart phone camera lens. Embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of a garment 25 according to the present disclosure; Figure 2 shows a front view of another embodiment of a T-shirt according to the present disclosure; Figure 3 shows a cell phone being held in the pocket of the garment of Figure 2; 30 Figures 4a and 4b shows close-up views of a cell phone being held in the pocket of the garment of Figure 2. Figure 5 illustrates a front view of a further embodiment of a garment according to the present disclosure; Figure 6 shows a front view of an additional embodiment of a T-shirt 35 according to the present disclosure; Figure 7 shows a cell phone being held in the pocket of the garment of Figure 6; and Figure 8 shows a close-up view of the cell phone held in the pocket shown in Figure 7. Figure 1 illustrates a front view of an embodiment of a garment 10. The garment 10 comprises a pocket 12 positioned such that a central vertical axis 14 of the pocket 12 is aligned approximately with a central vertical axis 16 of the garment 10. A central horizontal axis 18 of the pocket 12 is situated at or '0 above a central horizontal axis 20 of the garment 10. It will be appreciated that the garment may take the form of any upper body garment, including a vest, shirt, sweatshirt, hoody, or the like, while still providing the same advantages as laid out in the present application. A distance 22 from a lowest point of the neck of the garment 10 to the top of the pocket 12 may typically is be 10 cm. In this example, the central vertical axis 14 of the pocket 12 is coincident with the central vertical axis 16 of the garment 10. In other examples, the central vertical axis 14 of the pocket 12 could be provided within a distance of a tenth 20 of a width 24 of the garment 10 (at the central horizontal axis 20 of the garment 10) from the central vertical axis 16 of the garment 10. The central vertical axis 14 of the pocket 12 may be within a distance of one of 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, or 20% of a width 24 of the garment 10 (at the central horizontal axis 20 of the garment 10) from the central vertical axis 16 of the garment 10. 25 In one or more embodiments, when the garment 10 is worn, the pocket may be aligned approximately with a sagittal plane of the person (not shown). In such examples, the central vertical axis 18 of the pocket 12 may be arranged to be within a distance of one of 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, or 20% of a width 24 of 30 the garment 10 (at the central horizontal axis 20 of the garment 10) from the sagittal plane of the person when the garment 10 is being worn by the person. The position of the pocket 12 of the garment 10 offers a central position for a phone to be located on the upper part of the body (torso) when the garment 35 10 is worn by a person, who may also be referred to as the wearer. The placement of the pocket means that it is near the heart and chest cavity It has been found that the central region of the person's thorax, or the area of the thorax which is situated at the cardiac plexus, is highly sensitive to vibration, in particular low level vibration, which allows the person to more easily detect 5 when a vibration event is triggered by a cell phone. The heighted sensitivity in the central torso area is due to the concentration of nerves around the heart, and in particular, a complex network of nerves known as the cardiac piexus innervates the heart. Additionally, the mechanoreceptors located around the chest area also assist in detecting mechanical stimuli (vibration) through the 10 skin. These physiological aspects mean that when a wearer of the garment 10 of the present disclosure uses the pocket 12 to hold a phone, they are significantly more likely to feel the vibrations from the phone and thus will be made aware of a new call in environments where an audio alert is not sufficient. is In addition, central alignment of the pocket 12 with respect to the garment 10 facilitates ease of unbiased extraction of a phone from the pocket 12 by either left-handed or right-handed wearers. As the pocket 12 is positioned over a central region of the wearer’s thorax, a 20 conversation can be held when the cell phone is located in the pocket 12 because of the close proximity to the wearer's head without the need for headphones or in-ear listening devices. This feature is of significant benefit when riding a bike, for example, because headphones and in-ear listening devices can block out all other surrounding noise, for example car horns, and 25 this could prove dangerous if a rider is not aware of their surroundings, such as traffic. Additionally, when a person is unable to use their hands, e.g. walking with bags when shopping, the garment 10 with a central pocket 12 offers the convenience 30 of securely holding the cell phone and leaving the hands free. Figure 2 shows a front view of a T-shirt 10' with a pocket 12' that generally corresponds to the embodiment described previously with reference to Figure 1. Figure 3 shows a cell phone 13' being held in the pocket 12' of the garment 10' of Figure 2. The pocket 12' is broadly rectangular in this example and sized to hold a conventional cell phone 13', which may typically measure between 4 and 7 inches along a diagonal dimension of the phone. In some embodiments, 5 the pocket 12' may be custom sized to accommodate a specific cell phone model. Figures 4a and 4b show enlarged perspective views of the pocket 12' of the garment 10' in greater detail. The pocket 12' in this example is constructed 10 from a layer of fabric that is sewn, or otherwise bonded, to the body of the garment 10'. The pocket 12' has a mouth 25', or opening, at the top (with respect to the garment when in use, that is, the side facing the neck of the garment) so that the cell phone 13' may be inserting into or removed from the pocket via the mouth 25'. The cell phone 13' protrudes from the opening of is the mouth 25' in this example. The other sides of the pocket than the mouth 25' are closed by being stitched to the body of the garment. The layer of fabric that forms the pocket 12’ may comprise perforated or netted material or fabric (not shown). Such a material or fabric may assist cooling of 20 the cell phone when the cell phone is held in the pocket, preventing potential damage to the cell phone caused by overheating and preventing injury or discomfort to the wearer of the garment. The mouth 25' of the pocket 12' may be provided with an elasticated material 25 or fabric. Such a material or fabric may improve aesthetic appeal and presentation of the garment when the cell phone is repeatedly removed and replaced and may reduce gaping at the opening or mouth of the pocket. The use of elasticated fabric may also allow the pocket to securely retain devices with a broader range of dimensions, for example by facilitate total closure of 30 the pocket and securing the contents within the pocket. In alternative examples to that illustrated, the pocket 12' may be dimensioned so that the cell phone 13' is totally concealed i.e., not protruding from the pocket 12'. Figures 5 shows another embodiment of a garment 100 with a pocket 102 that includes a second opening 126 on an external panel or face 128 of the pocket 102. 5 Figure 6 shows a front view of a T-shirt 100' with a pocket 102' that generally corresponds to the embodiment described previously with reference to Figure 5. The opening 126' allows a camera lens of the cell phone 103' to be exposed and face outwards from the pocket 102', The opening 126' may be sized to allow a camera lens of a phone to view surrounding unobstructed. The opening 10 126' may be elongate in order to expose a wide range of smartphone camera lens. The opening 126' may allow a person wearing the garment to take pictures or record a video whilst a ceil phone is being held in the pocket. This may be achieved by way of a remote-control device, for example a remotecontrol device 130', which can connect to the cell phone 103' wirelessly. As is such, video recording of the surrounding landscape and scenery during, for example, cycling or walking is possible. In modern smart phones, the touch screen is typically locked during video recording and therefore recording can proceed with the phone screen touching the internal face of the pocket in some examples. 20 The second opening 126' of the pocket 102' may be manufactured by removing material from a layer of fabric that provides the external face of the pocket 102'. 25 Figure 7 shows the garment 100' of Figure 6 with a cell phone 103' placed entirely within the pocket 102'. Figure 8 shows a close-up of the pocket 102’ of the garment of Figures 6 and 7 with the cell phone 103' placed only part of the way into the pocket 102', for 30 illustrative purposes. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, not pictured, the pocket of the garment is modified to include an opening on the rear panel of the pocket. When the garment is worn, a cell phone in the pocket is positioned centrally 35 over an area of a person's thorax which is close to the heart and cardiac plexus, which influences heart rate, cardiac output, and contraction forces of the heart. There are various phone apps that can detect and monitor heart beats and rates using a cell phone. This is of benefit, for example, for people taking part in exercise, sports or just assessing levels of fitness. The rear opening may be formed in a similar manner to the front opening described previously with reference to figures 6 to 8. As the cel! phone location is central with respect to a person's thorax, the 10 removal of material to create an opening or a hole at the back of the pocket of the present invention makes it possible to detect heart rate by allowing the phone camera lens, and in some embodiments a phone torch / light source, to be orientated directly towards the chest at the position of the heart, allowing for PPG (photoplethysmography) techniques to be used. Most heart monitoring is apps of this nature use the phone camera on a finger which does not necessarily give a strong enough pulse for detection, unlike a reading directly aimed at the heart.

Claims

1. A garment for the upper body of a person, the garment comprising a pocket positioned such that a central vertical axis of the pocket is aligned 5 approximately with a central vertical axis of the garment, and a central horizontal axis of the pocket is situated at or above a central horizontal axis of the garment.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein, when the garment is worn, the pocket '0 is positioned over at least a portion of an area of the person’s cardiac plexus.

3. The garment of claims 1 or 2, wherein the central vertical axis of the pocket being aligned approximately with a central vertical axis of the garment means that the central vertical axis of the pocket is within a distance of a tenth is of a width of the garment at the central horizontal axis of the garment from the central vertical axis of the garment.

4. The garment of any of claims 1-3, wherein, when the garment is worn, the pocket is aligned approximately with a sagittal plane of the person.

205. The garment of any of claims 1-4, wherein the pocket is configured to hold a personal communication device, such as a cell phone.

6. The garment of any of claims 1-5, wherein a distance between an upper 25 corner of the pocket and a lower corner on the laterally opposing side of the pocket measures between 4 inches (about 10 cm) and 7 inches (about 18 cm).

7. The garment of any of claims 1-6, wherein the pocket comprises of an elasticated material or fabric.

308. The garment of any of claims 1-7, wherein at least a portion of the pocket comprises perforated or netted material or fabric.

9. The garment of any of claims 1-8, wherein an opening of the pocket 35 comprises a closure mechanism.

10. The garment of claim 9, wherein the closure mechanism comprises a zipper, hook and loop fastener, elasticated strip / band, or button at the opening of the pocket,11. The garment of any of claims 1-10, wherein the pocket is situated on an exterior of the garment.12, The garment of any of claims 1-10, wherein the pocket is situated on an 10 internal side of the garment and a mouth of the pocket is accessible from an exterior of the garment.

13. The garment of any of claims 1-12, wherein a rear panel of the pocket includes an opening.1514. The garment of claim 2, wherein:a rear panel of the pocket includes an opening; andwhen the garment is worn the opening is positioned such that a camera lens of a phone occupying the pocket has direct view of the portion of the area 20 of the person's thorax which is situated at the person's cardiac plexus.

15. The garment of any of claims 1-14, wherein an external panel of the pocket includes an opening.25 16. The garment of claim 15, wherein the opening of the external panel iselongated.13

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