Adaptable protective garment

Abstract

An adaptable protective garment is configured to be donned by a user to cover and identify a sensitive portion of the user. The adaptable protective garment broadly includes an outer garment layer, an inner garment layer, and exposed indicia. The outer garment layer covers the sensitive portion when the garment is donned. At least one of the garment layers defines an interior pocket that is covered by the outer garment layer when the garment is donned so as to be hidden from view. The exposed indicia is secured to the exterior surface of the outer garment layer and is viewable when the garment is donned. The exposed indicia is located adjacent the interior pocket to visibly identify the location of the interior pocket along the exterior surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An adaptable protective garment configured to be donned by a user to cover and identify a sensitive portion of the user, and configured to support a padding so that the padding at least partly covers the sensitive portion, said adaptable protective garment comprising:
 a layered garment structure extending about and defining a user-occupiable space configured to receive the user when the garment is donned,   said layered garment structure including an inner garment layer and an outer garment layer superposed with one another, with the outer garment layer covering the sensitive portion when the garment is donned,   said outer garment layer presenting interior and exterior surfaces, with the exterior surface being viewable when the garment is donned,   said inner garment layer being fixed relative to the interior surface of the outer garment layer and being coextensive with part of the outer garment layer along a corresponding circumferential section of the layered garment structure,   said layered garment structure defining an interior pocket between the inner garment layer and the outer garment layer, with the interior pocket configured to receive the padding,   said interior pocket extending along the circumferential section, with the interior pocket being covered by the outer garment layer when the garment is donned so as to be hidden from view; and   exposed indicia secured to the exterior surface of the outer garment layer and viewable when the garment is donned,   said exposed indicia overlying the interior pocket to visibly identify the location of the interior pocket along the exterior surface.   
     
     
         2 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 1 ; and
 a garment pad removably mounted within the interior pocket to provide the padding.   
     
     
         3 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 said exposed indicia at least partly overlying the garment pad.   
     
     
         4 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 said exposed indicia at least partly surrounding the garment pad.   
     
     
         5 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 2 ,
 said inner garment layer at least partly defining an open pocket top that communicates with the interior pocket and the user-occupiable space when the garment is donned, with the open pocket top permitting insertion and removal of the garment pad relative to the interior pocket.   
     
     
         6 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 1 ; and
 an intermediate garment layer superposed between the inner garment layer and the outer garment layer and cooperating with the inner garment layer to form the interior pocket,   said intermediate garment layer and said outer garment layer cooperatively defining another interior pocket that is covered by the outer garment layer when the garment is donned so as to be hidden from view.   
     
     
         7 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 6 ,
 said intermediate garment layer being substantially coextensive with the outer garment layer,   said another interior pocket being elongated to extend vertically along the length of the garment between upper and lower pocket ends.   
     
     
         8 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 7 ,
 said intermediate garment layer presenting an access slit that communicates with the another interior pocket and is spaced vertically between the pocket ends.   
     
     
         9 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 8 ; and
 a garment pad removably mounted within the another interior pocket to provide the padding, with the access slit permitting insertion and removal of the garment pad relative to the another interior pocket.   
     
     
         10 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 6 ,
 said interior pockets at least partly overlapping one another, with the exposed indicia being located adjacent the another interior pocket to visibly identify the location of the interior pockets along the exterior surface.   
     
     
         11 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 10 ; and
 first and second garment pads positioned to provide the padding,   said first garment pad being removably mounted within the first-mentioned interior pocket and said second garment pad being removably mounted within the another interior pocket,   said open pocket top permitting insertion and removal of the first garment pad relative to the first-mentioned interior pocket,   said access slit permitting insertion and removal of the second garment pad relative to the another interior pocket.   
     
     
         12 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 11 ,
 said exposed indicia at least partly overlying both of the garment pads.   
     
     
         13 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 1 ; and
 a fluid transfer assembly supported relative to and covered by the outer garment layer when the garment is donned so as to be hidden from view,   said fluid transfer assembly including a fluid reservoir, with the fluid transfer assembly configured to transfer fluid between the fluid reservoir and the user.   
     
     
         14 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 13 ,
 said exposed indicia being located adjacent the fluid reservoir to visibly identify the location of the fluid reservoir along the exterior surface.   
     
     
         15 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 1 ,
 at least one of said garment layers including a stretchable material that permits circumferential expansion and contraction of the garment while restricting the interior pocket from moving circumferentially.   
     
     
         16 . The adaptable protective garment as claimed in  claim 15 ,
 said at least one of the garment layers including a first panel that at least partly defines the interior pocket and a second panel that extends circumferentially from the first panel and includes the stretchable material.