Garment for use with portable electronic devices connected with wiring to one or more earphones

Abstract

The invention provides a garment which allows a user to manage through the garment wiring extending between one or more earphones and a portable electronic device.

1 . A garment for use with a portable electronic device connected with wiring to one or more earphones; the garment including a body having a collar; and wherein the collar includes a guide mechanism which extends at least partly along a length of the collar and which assists in movement of a wire connecting at least one of the earphones to the portable electronic device between an extended position at which the respective earphone is capable of being engaged with an ear of a user and a storage position at which the respective earphone is stored en in the collar; whereby the guide mechanism guides the movement of the wire relative to the collar thereby to cause the wire to be drawn in a predetermined path;
 wherein the guide mechanism extends from a first end of the collar to an opposed, second of the collar;   and wherein the guide mechanism includes a plurality of pulleys which are secured at spaced apart locations along the length of the collar.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A garment according to  claim 1  wherein the positions of each of the plurality of pulleys are chosen in order to assist movement of a wire of one of the earphones to be drawn along the predetermined path adjacent the collar. 
     
     
         5 . A garment according to  claim 1  wherein the collar is formed to have at least one strip of material; and wherein the at least one strip of material includes an outer side to which the at least three pulleys are secured; and wherein the outer side is lined with a material which reduces friction which may be caused by movement of the wires of the earphones across the outer side. 
     
     
         6 . A garment according to  claim 1  wherein the collar is formed to have a first strip of material and a second strip of material which extends from the first strip of material and which is moved relative to the first strip of material so that the second strip of material lies adjacent the first strip of material thereby to create an inner cavity between the adjacent first and second strips of material; and wherein the guide mechanism operates inside the inner cavity. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A garment according to  claim 1  wherein each of the at plurality of pulleys includes a first casing, a second casing, and a pulley wheel which is mounted between the first and second casings for rotational movement about a central axis of the pulley wheel;
 wherein one of the first and second casings includes a spindle to which the pulley wheel is mounted for rotational movement about the central axis; 
 wherein the second casing carries the spindle. 
 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A garment according to  claim 9  wherein the first casing includes a pair of spaced apart side walls each of which extends partly around a periphery of the first casing thereby creating an opening at opposed ends of the first casing between the spaced apart side walls; and wherein fitment of the pulley wheel on the spindle between the first and second casings allows a wire of one of the earphones to extend through the first casing between one of the two spaced apart side walls and a pulley wheel side. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A garment according to  claim 9  wherein at least the first casing includes a number of spikes which anchors each pulley of the plurality of pulleys onto the collar thereby to reduce the likelihood of pivotal rotation of each of the at least three pulleys when mounted to the collar about a longitudinal axis of the spindle. 
     
     
         16 . A garment according to  claim 1  wherein the collar includes a storage cavity on each end of the collar which allows an earpiece of the one or more earphones to be stored onto the collar; and wherein each earpiece of the one or more earphones is stored inside the respective storage cavity when the one or more earphones are moved to the storage positions. 
     
     
         17 . A garment according to  claim 16  wherein each of the storage cavities has an entrance which is on one side of the collar and an exit which is on an opposed, second side of the collar thereby allowing the wiring to extend through the collar and an internal pathway or passage allows the wiring connecting the portable electronic device with the earphones to be concealed inside the garment. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A garment according to  claim 17  wherein the internal pathway has a maximum cross sectional diameter which varies along a length of the internal pathway thereby to form at least one organizing section in the internal pathway which has an entrance at one end and an exit at an opposed, second end; and wherein the entrance and exit each having a maximum cross sectional diameter which is less than a maximum cross sectional diameter of an intermediate section and whereby the intermediate section is capable of accommodating coiling of the wiring when opposed ends of the wiring are moved towards each other while the entrance and exit each restricts coiling of a section of the wire extending through the entrance and exit respectively. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A garment according to  claim 17  wherein the internal pathway includes at least two organizing sections. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A garment according to  claim 17  wherein the internal pathway includes a storage pocket which is accessible from an outside of the garment and into which the wiring is pulled when the one or more earphones are moved from the extended position to the storage position; and wherein the storage pocket includes an entrance through which an interior of the storage pocket is accessible; and wherein the entrance is openable and closable thereby to selectively allow access to the interior of the storage pocket. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A garment according to  claim 24  wherein the storage pocket is positioned at an upper end of the pathway; and wherein the storage pocket includes a storage pocket entrance which allows the wiring to extend from the outside of the garment into the internal pathway through the storage pocket. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A garment according to  claim 27  wherein the internal pathway includes a clamp mechanism which secures the wiring to the garment whereby the clamp mechanism is used to anchor the wiring to the garment after a user has determined a desired extended position for each of the one or more earphones and whereby the user of the garment is able to determine when each of the one or more earphones has been moved to the extended position by pulling on the respective earphones until the wiring pulls on the clamp mechanism. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A garment according to  claim 29  wherein the clamp mechanism is positioned inside the internal pathway adjacent the storage pocket whereby the wiring is anchored to the garment at a point which is next to a storage pocket exit. 
     
     
         33 . A garment according to  claim 32  wherein the storage pocket includes a wire control guide which allows a user of the garment to readily locate and grip wiring housed inside the storage pocket; and wherein the wire control guide includes a first wire control point which is adjacent to a storage pocket entrance whereby the wiring extends directly from the storage pocket entrance to the first wire control point so that the user is able to locate and grip the wiring at the first wire control point when the user wishes to pull on the wiring to move the one or more earphones to the storage positions. 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A garment according to  claim 33  wherein the wire control guide includes a second wire control point which is adjacent to a storage pocket exit and wherein the first and second wire control points are in close proximity to each other so that regardless of the extent of coiling of the wiring housed by the storage pocket, the user is able to locate and grip the wiring after the user has located the first and second wire control points. 
     
     
         36 . A garment according to  claim 35  wherein the first and second wire control points are positioned immediately below an entrance of the storage pocket whereby the user can really locate the first and second wire control points inside the storage pocket. 
     
     
         37 . (canceled)