Garment with a storage hem band

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a garment with a storage hem band. The garment has a front panel, a back panel and a hem band connected to a lower edge of the front panel and a lower edge of the back panel. The hem band has an elastic inner panel facing a wearer's body, an elastic outer panel, a closed bottom edge, a top edge and a body extending around a torso opening of the garment. The inner and outer panels of the hem band are connected together at least at two connection points on the top edge. A storage pocket is formed between the elastic inner panel and the elastic outer panel of the hem band, the storage pocket having an entrance opening extending along at least a portion of the hem band.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A garment with a storage hem band comprising:
 a front panel configured to cover a front part of a wearer's torso;   a back panel configured to cover a back part of the wearer's torso;   a hem band connected to a lower edge of the front panel and a lower edge of the back panel, the hem band comprising:
 an elastic inner panel facing a wearer's body, an elastic outer panel, a closed bottom edge, a top edge and a body extending around a torso opening of the garment; and 
   a storage pocket formed between the elastic inner panel and the elastic outer panel of the hem band, the storage pocket having an entrance opening extending along at least a portion of the hem band.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic inner panel and the elastic outer panel of the hem band are connected together at least at two connection points on the top edge. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the entrance opening is formed at the top edge of the hem band, on the elastic outer panel of the hem band, or on the elastic inner panel of the hem band. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 3 , further comprising a fastener to close and open the entrance opening of the storage pocket. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the storage pocket is divided into two or more pockets, the two or more pockets being adjacent one to the other along a length of the hem band. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 5 , further comprising a pocket flap attached to the elastic inner panel along the top edge of the hem band, the pocket flap covering the entrance opening to at least one of the two or more pockets. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a pocket gripping surface formed on at least a portion of an inside surface of the storage pocket to reduce movement or bouncing of an item inserted into the storage pocket. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a gripping surface formed on the elastic inner panel of the hem band on a surface facing the wearer. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a first inner pocket panel connected to an inner surface of the elastic inner panel of the hem band, wherein side edges and a bottom edge of the first inner pocket panel form a first inner pocket within the storage pocket. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a second inner pocket panel connected to an inner surface of the elastic outer panel of the hem band, wherein all edge sides of the second inner pocket panel form a second inner pocket between an inner surface of the elastic outer panel and the second inner pocket panel, an entrance opening of the second inner pocket being formed at an outer surface of the elastic outer panel of the hem band. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 10 , further comprising a fastener to close and open the entrance opening of the inner pocket. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the hem band is removably connected to the lower edge of the front panel and the lower edge of the back panel. 
     
     
         13 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the front panel and the back panel of the garment are removable from the hem band and packable in the storage pocket. 
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the front panel of the garment comprises a front panel outer water-resistant liner and a front panel inner liner, the front panel inner liner comprising a mesh engineered to match a body heat map. 
     
     
         15 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the back panel of the garment comprises a back panel outer liner and a back panel inner liner, the back panel inner liner comprising a mesh engineered to match a body heat map. 
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 15 , wherein the back panel outer liner extends over at least a portion of the back panel inner liner. 
     
     
         17 . The garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of sleeves, each of the pair of sleeves comprising a sleeve outer water-resistant liner and a sleeve inner liner, the sleeve inner liner comprising an engineered mesh. 
     
     
         18 . The garment of  claim 17 , wherein the sleeve outer liner of each of the pair of sleeves extends over at least a portion of the sleeve inner liner of each of the pair of sleeves. 
     
     
         19 . The garment of  claim 17 , wherein each of the pair of sleeves is removably connected to the garment. 
     
     
         20 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the garment is a jacket, a pullover, a vest or a top.