Garment with removable hand protectors

Abstract

A coat assembly or garment can include a coat portion and/or one or more sleeves and one or more hand protectors. A hand protector can be configured to be removably coupled to a distal end of a sleeve. The hand protectors, which may include gloves, mittens, or the like, may be removably couplable to the sleeve via a fastener such as a zipper.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A coat assembly comprising:
 a coat portion comprising a first sleeve and a second sleeve;   a first hand protector removably couplable to a distal end of the first sleeve; and   a second hand protector removably couplable to a distal end of the second sleeve.   
     
     
         2 . The coat assembly of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first hand protector and the second hand protector is selected from at least one of a glove or a mitten. 
     
     
         3 . The coat assembly of  claim 2 , wherein each of the first hand protector and the second hand protector is a glove. 
     
     
         4 . The coat assembly of  claim 2 , wherein each of the first hand protector and the second hand protector is a mitten. 
     
     
         5 . The coat assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first hand protector is removably couplable to the distal end of the first sleeve via a first fastener, and wherein the second hand protector is removably couplable to the distal end of the second sleeve via a second fastener. 
     
     
         6 . The coat assembly of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first fastener and the second fastener is selected from at least one of a hook and loop fastener, a zipper, a plurality of buttons, a plurality of clasps, or a plurality of snaps. 
     
     
         7 . The coat assembly of  claim 6 , wherein each of the first fastener and the second fastener is a zipper. 
     
     
         8 . The coat assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first sleeve comprises a first cuff at or adjacent the distal end of the first sleeve, wherein the second sleeve comprises a second cuff at or adjacent the distal end of the second sleeve, and wherein each of the first cuff and the second cuff is coupled to a first portion of a zipper. 
     
     
         9 . The coat assembly of  claim 8 , wherein the first hand protector comprises a first cuff at or adjacent a proximal end of the first hand protector, wherein the second hand protector comprises a second cuff at or adjacent a proximal end of the second hand protector, and wherein each of the first cuff and the second cuff is coupled to a second portion of a zipper. 
     
     
         10 . The coat assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first portion of the zipper is removably couplable to the second portion of the zipper. 
     
     
         11 . The coat assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first hand protector and the second hand protector is interchangeable with each of a third hand protector and a fourth hand protector, respectively. 
     
     
         12 . The coat assembly of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first hand protector and the second hand protector is configured for different environmental conditions than each of the third hand protector and the fourth hand protector. 
     
     
         13 . The coat assembly of  claim 11 , wherein each of the first hand protector and the second hand protector is configured for a different use than each of the third hand protector and the fourth hand protector. 
     
     
         14 . A garment comprising:
 a sleeve configured to be positioned on an arm of a wearer of the garment; and   a hand protector configured to be removably attached to a distal end of the sleeve, wherein the hand protector in an attached configuration is disposed in a fixed position relative to the sleeve, and wherein the hand protector in an uncoupled configuration is disposed completely uncoupled from the sleeve.   
     
     
         15 . The garment of  claim 14 , wherein the sleeve is one of a pair of sleeves of the garment and the hand protector is one of a pair of hand protectors of the garment. 
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 14 , wherein the sleeve comprises a first fastener portion, and wherein the hand protector comprises a second fastener portion. 
     
     
         17 . The garment of  claim 16 , wherein the first fastener portion is configured to be removably attached to the second fastener portion. 
     
     
         18 . The garment of  claim 16 , wherein the first fastener portion comprises a first zipper portion, wherein the second fastener portion comprises a second zipper portion, and wherein the first zipper portion is configured to be removably attached to the second zipper portion, such that the hand protector is configured to be removably attached to the coat via the first zipper portion and the second zipper portion. 
     
     
         19 . A method of removably coupling a hand protector and a coat, the method comprising:
 contacting a first fastener portion disposed at a distal end of a sleeve of the coat with a second fastener portion disposed at a proximal end of a hand protector; and   engaging each of the first fastener portion and the second fastener portion to removably couple the hand protector to the distal end of the sleeve of the coat via the engagement of the first fastener portion and the second fastener portion.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 disengaging each of the first fastener portion and the second fastener portion such that the hand protector is completely uncoupled from the coat.