Sleeping bag having open-cell polyurethane foam insulation and a center opening with magnetic fasteners

Abstract

An improved sleeping bag is provided, which has an open-cell, polyurethane or polyether foam insulation layer sandwiched between an outer shell of fully-synthetic, tightly-woven, water-resistant, yet breathable fabric and a more loosely-woven smooth liner fabric, also made of a smooth, fully-synthetic polymeric material. The sleeping bag also has a longitudinal overlapping opening that extends the full length of the bag. Once the two sides of the opening are overlapped, the overlapping sides become secured together with a plurality of magnetic fasteners. Each fastener consists of a magnetic button component, which fits into a magnetic socket component of opposite polarity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An improved sleeping bag comprising:
 an outer shell of tightly-woven, water-resistant, yet breathable fabric;   an inner liner made of smooth fabric that is more loosely woven than the fabric of the outer shell;   an open-cell, synthetic foam insulation layer sandwiched between the outer shell and the inner liner, said insulation layer, said outer shell, and said inner liner extending a full length of the sleeping bag;   a longitudinal opening formed by overlapping opposite ends of the sandwich formed by the outer shell, the foam insulation layer and the inner liner;   a plurality of magnetic fasteners which releasably secure the overlapping opposite ends together.   
     
     
         2 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 1 , where the fabric of said outer shell is made from at least one fully-synthetic material. 
     
     
         3 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 2 , wherein the fully-synthetic material from which the fabric of said out shell is made is selected from the group of polymers consisting of nylon and polyester. 
     
     
         4 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 3 , wherein the breathable fabric, from which said outer shell is made, is woven with a ripstop grid structure. 
     
     
         5 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 1 , where the smooth fabric from which the inner liner is made is selected from the group consisting of polyester, silk, and nylon. 
     
     
         6 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein said longitudinal opening extends up to the full length of the sleeping bag. 
     
     
         7 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein the open-cell, synthetic foam from which the insulation layer is made is selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic, open-cell polyurethane and hydrophobic, open-cell polyether foams. 
     
     
         8 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein the magnetic fasteners are self-centering. 
     
     
         9 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 1 , wherein when a temperature gradient exists with a temperature, within the sleeping bag, of 27.2° C. and a temperature of 4.44° C., external to the sleeping bag, the WVTR through the outer sheet is at least 1200 g per m 2  per day. 
     
     
         10 . An improved sleeping bag comprising:
 an outer shell of fully-synthetic, tightly-woven, water-resistant, yet breathable fabric;   an inner liner made of smooth, breathable, fully-synthetic polymeric fabric, that is more loosely woven than the fabric of the outer shell;   an open-cell, synthetic foam insulation layer sandwiched between the outer shell and the inner liner, said insulation layer, said outer shell, and said inner liner extending a full length of the sleeping bag;   a longitudinal opening formed by overlapping opposite ends of the sandwich formed by the outer shell, the foam insulation layer and the inner liner;   a plurality of self-centering magnetic fasteners which releasably secure the overlapping opposite ends together.   
     
     
         11 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 10 , wherein said longitudinal opening extends up to the full length of the sleeping bag. 
     
     
         12 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 10 , wherein the fully-synthetic material from which the fabric of said outer shell is made is selected from the group of polymers consisting of nylon and polyester. 
     
     
         13 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 12 , wherein the breathable fabric, from which said outer shell is made, is woven with a ripstop grid structure. 
     
     
         14 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 10 , where the smooth fabric from which the inner liner is made is selected from the group consisting of polyester, silk, and nylon. 
     
     
         15 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 10 , wherein the open-cell, synthetic foam from which the insulation layer is made is selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic, open-cell polyurethane and hydrophobic, open-cell polyether foams. 
     
     
         16 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 10 , wherein when a temperature gradient exists with a temperature, within the sleeping bag, of 27.2° C. and a temperature of 4.44° C., external to the sleeping bag, the WVTR through the outer sheel is at least 1200 g per m 2  per day. 
     
     
         17 . An improved sleeping bag comprising:
 an outer shell of fully-synthetic, tightly-woven, water-resistant, yet breathable fabric;   an inner liner of smooth, breathable, fully-synthetic, polymeric fabric;   a hydrophobic, open-cell, synthetic foam insulation layer sandwiched between the outer shell and the inner liner, said insulation layer, said outer shell, and said inner liner extending a full length of the sleeping bag;   a longitudinal opening formed by overlapping opposite ends of the sandwich formed by outer shell, the foam insulation layer and the inner liner, said longitudinal opening extending up to the full length of the sleeping bag;   a plurality of magnetic fasteners which releasably secure the overlapping opposite ends together.   
     
     
         18 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 17 , wherein the fabric of said outer shell is selected from the group consisting of nylon and polyester. 
     
     
         19 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 17 , wherein the synthetic foam insulation layer is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane foam and polyether foam. 
     
     
         20 . The improved sleeping bag of  claim 17 , wherein when a temperature gradient exists with a temperature, within the sleeping bag, of 27.2° C. and a temperature of 4.44° C. external to the sleeping bag, the WVTR through the outer sheet is at least 1200 g per m 2  per day.