Garment for harness system

Abstract

A garment wearable by an individual using a harness system of a vehicle seat has an inner front layer, and an adjacent outer front layer comprising a left panel, a right panel and a coupling member adapted to join or separate the left and right panels. The garment is adapted to receive one or more harness straps of the harness system between the inner front layer and the outer front layer when the one or more harness straps are routed from a shoulder region to a waist region of the garment, and when so routed, the one or more harness straps lie flush against at least a chest area of the inner front layer.

Currently claimed inventions: 
     
         1 . A garment wearable by an individual using a harness system for a vehicle seat, the garment comprising:
 an inner front layer defining a shoulder region;   an adjacent outer front layer; and
 an outer collar portion fixedly coupled to and disposed at the shoulder region of the garment and extending continuously at least between an anterior side and a posterior side of the garment on a first side of the individual's neck, wherein a posterior side of the outer collar portion does not extend into a back side portion of the garment; 
   wherein the outer front layer has a higher compressibility than the inner front layer; and   the garment is adapted to receive one or more harness straps of the harness system over the back side portion, between the individual's neck and the outer collar and between the inner front layer and the outer front layer when the one or more harness straps are routed from the shoulder region to a waist region of the garment, and when so routed, the one or more harness straps lie flush against at least a chest area of the inner front layer.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a second outer collar portion fixedly coupled to and disposed at the shoulder region of the garment and extending at least continuously between an anterior side and a posterior side of the garment on a second side of the individual's neck opposed from the first side. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein the outer collar portion is separate from the second outer collar portion at the back of the garment. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 2 , wherein a width of each of the outer collar portion and the second outer collar portion tapers from the anterior side to the posterior side of the garment. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the inner front layer has a left edge joining a left panel of the outer front layer, and a right edge joining a right panel of the outer front layer, wherein a spatial distance between the left edge and the right edge is progressively wider from the waist region to the shoulder region of the garment, and the spatial distance is sufficiently wide so as to accommodate the one or more harness straps. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the inner front layer has a first thickness when no force is applied via the one or more harness straps, and a second thickness in response to a predetermined force applied normally to the inner front layer via the one or more harness straps, wherein the second thickness is less than the first thickness, and the ratio of the second thickness to the first thickness is greater than a first predefined ratio. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 6 , wherein the outer front layer has a first thickness when no force is applied, and a second thickness in response to a predetermined force applied normally to the outer front layer, and the ratio of the second thickness to the first thickness is less than a second predefined ratio, wherein the second predefined ratio is higher than the first predefined ratio. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the outer front layer has a closable opening, wherein the opening in the outer front layer can be sufficiently opened so as to expose and allow access to the one or more harness straps fastened over the inner front layer. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 8 , wherein the opening in the outer front layer can be sufficiently closed so as to cover and inhibit access to the one or more harness straps fastened over the inner front layer. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the inner front layer has an alignment marker for aligning a cross member of the harness system that interconnects a pair of vertically oriented harness straps that lie flush against at least the chest area of the inner front layer. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 10 , wherein the alignment marker has a non-slip exterior surface area arranged to receive a portion of the pair of vertically oriented harness straps. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 10 , wherein the alignment marker is positioned at a vertical location corresponding to a height of armpits of the individual. 
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the inner front layer has a non-slip exterior surface extending from the shoulder region to the waist region. 
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the outer collar portion is configured to prevent a harness strap from shifting away from the shoulder region. 
     
     
         15 . A garment wearable by an individual using a harness system of a vehicle seat, the garment comprising:
 an inner front layer defining a shoulder region;   an adjacent outer front layer comprising a left panel, a right panel and a coupling member adapted to join or separate the left panel and the right panel; and   an outer collar fixedly coupled to, and disposed at, the shoulder region of the garment and extending continuously between an anterior side and a posterior side of the garment on a side of the individual's neck;   wherein the inner front layer has a left edge joining the left panel of the outer front layer, and a right edge joining the right panel of the outer front layer, wherein a spatial distance between the left edge and the right edge is sufficiently wide so as to accommodate one or more harness straps of the harness system when the one or more harness straps are routed between the individual's neck and the outer collar from the shoulder region to a waist region of the garment, and when so routed, the one or more harness straps lie flush against at least a chest area of the inner front layer.   
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the outer front layer has a higher compressibility than the inner front layer. 
     
     
         17 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the inner front layer has an alignment marker for aligning a cross member of the harness system that interconnects a pair of vertically oriented harness straps that lie flush against at least the chest area of the inner front layer, wherein the alignment marker has a non-slip exterior surface area arranged to receive a portion of the pair of vertically oriented harness straps. 
     
     
         18 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the inner front layer has a non-slip exterior surface extending from the shoulder region to the waist region. 
     
     
         19 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more harness straps do not lie over the outer collar when the one or more harness straps are routed between the individual's neck and the outer collar at the shoulder region. 
     
     
         20 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the outer collar is configured to prevent a harness strap from shifting away from the shoulder region.