Modular Garment Harness System

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a modular garment harness system including a lower body garment, a waist member, a leg loop member, and a coupler. The waist member may act as both a belt and waist portion of the harness by encircling the waist region of the lower body garment. The waist member may be coupled to the lower body garment so as to enable a user to single handedly adjust the internal circumference of the waist region. The leg loop member and coupler are modular components in that they may be easily stored and engaged when full harness operation is necessary. The coupler may enable a user to intercouple the anterior middle region of the leg loop member, the posterior middle region of the leg loop member, and the fixed gap formed between the waist member and lower body garment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A modular garment harness system comprising:
 a lower body garment configured to be worn over a user's lower body including a waist region and a hip region corresponding to the navel and hip regions of the user respectively, wherein the waist region has an internal circumference, and wherein the lower body garment includes an anterior and a posterior region corresponding to the anterior and posterior of the user;   a waist member encircling the waist region of the lower body garment through a sleeve and a buckle member, wherein the waist member is adjustably and fixably coupled to the lower body garment to effect the internal circumference of the waist region, and wherein the coupling between the waist member and the lower body garment forms a fixed gap external of the sleeve;   a leg loop member configured to encircle the hip region of the lower body garment, wherein the leg loop member is a continuous loop having a circumference greater than the hip region, and wherein the leg loop member includes an anterior mid region and a posterior mid region corresponding to the anterior and posterior sides of the lower body garment; and   a coupler configured to releasably couple the anterior mid region, the posterior mid region, and the fixed gap.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve extends substantially around a non-navel portion of the waist region of the lower body garment. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes an external member circumferentially coupled around a top and bottom of the waist region. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the waist member is fixably coupled to a first ends of the buckle member and adjustably coupled to a second end of the buckle member. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the adjustable coupling between the waist member and the lower body garment is configured to permit a user to reduce the internal circumference with a single hand operation. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fixed gap is adjacent to the buckle member and the sleeve. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fixed gap and buckle member are substantially disposed on the waist region corresponding to the navel region of the user. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fixed gap includes an internal loop fixably coupled to the waist member and the waist region. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the waist member and buckle member form a continuous loop around the waist region. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler is a carabiner. 
     
     
         11 . A modular garment harness system comprising:
 a lower body garment configured to be worn over a user's lower body including a waist region and a hip region corresponding to the navel and hip regions of the user respectively, wherein the waist region has an internal circumference, and wherein the lower body garment includes an anterior and a posterior region corresponding to the anterior and posterior of the user;   a waist member encircling the waist region of the lower body garment through a sleeve and a buckle member, wherein the sleeve extends substantially around a non-navel portion of the waist region of the lower body garment, and wherein the waist member and buckle member form a continuous loop around the waist region, and wherein the waist member is adjustably and fixably coupled to the lower body garment to effect the internal circumference of the waist region, and wherein the coupling between the waist member and the lower body garment forms a fixed gap external of the sleeve;   a leg loop member configured to encircle the hip region of the lower body garment, wherein the leg loop member is a continuous loop having a circumference greater than the hip region, and wherein the leg loop member includes an anterior mid region and a posterior mid region corresponding to the anterior and posterior sides of the lower body garment; and   a coupler configured to releasably couple the anterior mid region, the posterior mid region, and the fixed gap.   
     
     
         12 . A method for engaging a modular harness system on a lower body garment comprising the acts of:
 providing a lower body garment configured to be worn over a user's lower body including a waist region and a hip region corresponding to the navel and hip regions of the user respectively, wherein the waist region has an internal circumference, and wherein the lower body garment includes an anterior and a posterior region corresponding to the anterior and posterior of the user;   encircling a waist member around the waist region of the lower body garment through a sleeve and a buckle member, including adjustably and fixably coupling the waist member is to the lower body garment to effect the internal circumference of the waist region, and creating a fixed gap external of the sleeve between the waist member and the lower body garment;   encircling a leg loop member around the hip region of the lower body garment, wherein the leg loop member is a continuous loop having a circumference greater than the hip region, and wherein the leg loop member includes an anterior mid region and a posterior mid region corresponding to the anterior and posterior sides of the lower body garment; and   coupling the anterior mid region, the posterior mid region, and the fixed gap.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the act of coupling the anterior mid region, the posterior mid region, and the fixed gap includes routing the posterior mid region under and between a set of leg regions of the lower body garment to the anterior mid region. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the act of coupling the anterior mid region, the posterior mid region, and the fixed gap includes translating the anterior and posterior mid regions to substantial proximity with the fixed gap. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the act of coupling the anterior mid region, the posterior mid region, and the fixed gap includes routing a carabiner through the fixed gap and across both the anterior and posterior mid regions. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the act of encircling a leg loop member around the hip region of the lower body garment includes the acts of:
 routing the leg loop member over at least one of the user's head and feet; and   translating the leg loop member to the hip region of the user.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the act of encircling a waist member around the waist region of the lower body garment through a sleeve and a buckle member includes forming a continuous loop around the waist region with the waist member and the buckle. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the act of creating a fixed gap external of the sleeve between the waist member and the lower body garment includes coupling an internal loop within the fixed loop to the waist member and the waist region. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the act of encircling a waist member around the waist region of the lower body garment through a sleeve and a buckle member includes extending the sleeve substantially around a non-navel portion of the waist region of the lower body garment. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , where the act of adjustably and fixably coupling the waist member is to the lower body garment to effect the internal circumference of the waist region includes enabling a user to reduce the internal circumference with a single hand operation.