Split sports jacket

Abstract

A split sports jacket includes a pair of mating right and left jacket halves with dependent sleeves that cover a person's upper torso and arms. The jacket halves include respective halves of a collar around a neck opening and halves of an elasticized waist band around a waist opening thereof. Respective front and rear zippers retain the jacket halves mated together that extend vertically are laterally centered on the person's upper torso. The front zipper is of upright configuration that zips up from bottom to top. The rear zipper is of inverted configuration that zips up from top to bottom utilizing gravity to stay closed. Respective front and rear flaps allow covering of the front and rear zippers and are securable by snap fasteners. The jacket halves are interchangeable with other mating jacket halves having differing external visual characteristics to change an overall look of the sports jacket such as colors, patterns, patches, logos, indicia, or emblems. These preferably include affiliations with sports teams, sports players, schools, religions, and the like.

1 . A split sports jacket for covering an upper torso of a person, comprising: 
 a body comprised of a pair of mating right and left jacket halves adapted to cover respective right and left halves of the person's upper torso;    respective front and rear closure devices adapted for retaining said jacket halves mated together covering the person's upper torso; and    wherein said jacket halves may be interchanged with other mating jacket halves having differing external visual characteristics to change an overall look of the sports jacket.    
   
   
       2 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 1 , wherein the right and left jacket halves include respective right and left sleeves dependent therefrom adapted to receive respective right and left arms of the person.  
   
   
       3 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 2 , wherein each sleeve comprises a tubular body which terminates at an elasticized cuff.  
   
   
       4 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 1 , wherein the right and left jacket halves include respective right and left halves of a split collar affixed to the body around a neck opening thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 1 , wherein the right and left jacket halves include respective right and left halves of an elasticized split waist band affixed to the body around a waist opening thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the jacket halves includes a pocket.  
   
   
       7 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 1 , wherein the front and rear closure devices extend vertically and are laterally centered on the person's upper torso.  
   
   
       8 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 1 , wherein the right and left jacket halves differ in at least one of the visual characteristics chosen from the group consisting of colors, patterns, patches, logos, indicia, emblems, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       9 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 8 , wherein the right and left jacket halves differ in the characteristics that are indicative of various affiliations.  
   
   
       10 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 9 , wherein the affiliations are chosen from the group consisting of sports teams, sports players, schools, and religions.  
   
   
       11 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the jacket halves includes at least one of the characteristics at a location thereon chosen from the group consisting of right front, left front, right sleeve, left sleeve, right rear, and left rear.  
   
   
       12 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 1 , wherein the front and rear closure devices respectively comprise front and rear zippers.  
   
   
       13 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 12 , wherein the front zipper is of upright configuration that zips up from bottom to top and the rear zipper is of inverted configuration that zips up from top to bottom.  
   
   
       14 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 1 , wherein the body includes respective front and rear flaps adapted to selectively cover the front and rear closure devices that are securable thereover by a plurality of spaced connectors.  
   
   
       15 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 14 , wherein one of the jacket halves has both of the front flap and rear flaps.  
   
   
       16 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 14 , wherein the connectors each comprise a first connector half affixed to the body and corresponding second connector halves affixed to respective of the flaps which snap-fit thereto.  
   
   
       17 . A split sports jacket for covering an upper torso of a person, comprising: 
 a body comprised of a pair of mating right and left jacket halves adapted to cover respective right and left halves of the person's upper torso, and respective right and left sleeves dependent therefrom adapted to receive respective right and left arms of the person;    respective front and rear zippers that extend vertically and are laterally centered on the person's upper torso adapted for retaining said jacket halves mated together covering the person's upper torso, said front zipper being of upright configuration that zips up from bottom to top and said rear zipper being of inverted configuration that zips up from top to bottom; and    wherein said jacket halves may be interchanged with other mating jacket halves having differing external visual characteristics to change an overall look of the sports jacket, and said right and left jacket halves differ in at least one of the visual characteristics chosen from the group consisting of colors, patterns, patches, logos, indicia, emblems, and combinations thereof.    
   
   
       18 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 17 , wherein the body includes respective front and rear flaps adapted to selectively cover the front and rear zippers that are securable thereover by a plurality of spaced connectors, one of said jacket halves has both of said front flap and rear flaps, said connectors each comprise a first connector half affixed to the body and corresponding second connector halves affixed to respective of the flaps which snap-fit thereto, at least one of said jacket halves includes at least one of the characteristics at a location thereon chosen from the group consisting of right front, left front, right sleeve, left sleeve, right rear, and left rear, and the affiliations are chosen from- the group consisting of sports teams, sports players, schools, and religions.  
   
   
       19 . The split sports jacket according to  claim 18 , wherein the right and left jacket halves include respective right and left halves of a split collar affixed to the body around a neck opening thereof and respective right and left halves of an elasticized split waist band affixed to said body around a waist opening thereof, at least one of said jacket halves includes a pocket, and each sleeve comprises a tubular body which terminates at an elasticized cuff.  
   
   
       20 . A split sports jacket for covering an upper torso of a person, comprising: 
 a body comprised of a pair of mating right and left jacket halves adapted to cover respective right and left halves of the person's upper torso, said body including a split front panel which includes respective right and left panel halves and a split rear panel which includes respective right and left panel halves;    respective front and rear closure devices adapted for retaining said jacket halves mated together covering the person's upper torso, said front closure device comprising two halves respectively affixed to said right and left panel halves of said split front panel, and said rear closure device comprising two halves respectively affixed to said right and left panel halves of said split rear panel; and    wherein said jacket halves may be interchanged with other mating jacket halves having differing external visual characteristics to change an overall look of the sports jacket.