Articles of apparel for upper body

Abstract

This disclosure relates to articles of apparel with ornamental design(s) and/or features for the upper body. An article of apparel may comprise: a body portion to cover and uncover a first part of an upper body; a chest area located in the body portion; an opening in the chest area of the body portion, providing access to the first part of the upper body, shaped to have at least a height dimension and a width dimension; and a closure element to cover and uncover at least a portion of the opening. A sleeve may comprise: a fabric portion to cover a first part of an arm; a zipper element integrated into the fabric portion, extending longitudinally along a length of the sleeve; and one or more slider elements to open and close the zipper element, so as to provide access to the first part of the arm.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article of apparel comprising:
 a body portion configured to cover and uncover at least a first part of an upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body;   a chest area located in the body portion, the chest area corresponding to a front region of the upper body;   an opening in the chest area of the body portion, the opening providing access to the first part of the upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body, wherein the opening is shaped to have at least a height dimension and a width dimension; and   a closure element configured to cover and uncover at least a portion of the opening in the chest area of the body portion.   
     
     
         2 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least some of the opening in the chest area of the body portion is located at a right chest area of the body portion, the right chest area corresponding to a right front region of the upper body.   
     
     
         3 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein:
 at least some of the opening in the chest area of the body portion is located at a left chest area of the body portion, the left chest area corresponding to a left front region of the upper body.   
     
     
         4 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the closure element comprises a chest flap, the chest flap attached to the body portion, the chest flap configured to cover and uncover at least a portion of the opening in the chest area of the body portion, so as to provide access to the first part of the upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body.   
     
     
         5 . The article of apparel of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the chest flap has one or more edges or sides, the one or more edges or sides attachable to or detachable from the body portion of the article of apparel,   wherein the chest flap, via the one or more edges, is configured to cover and uncover at least a portion of the opening in the chest area of the body portion, so as to provide access to the first part of the upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body.   
     
     
         6 . The article of apparel of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the chest flap has an inner side that faces the upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body,   wherein the chest flap comprises a flap pocket on the inner side of the chest flap.   
     
     
         7 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a front closure configured to open and close the article of apparel when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body,   wherein, when the front closure opens the article of apparel, the article of apparel is divided into at least a right front portion and a left front portion.   
     
     
         8 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a hood configured to cover at least a portion of a head connected to the upper body.   
     
     
         9 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a sleeve configured to cover at least a first part of an arm connected to the upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body, wherein the sleeve comprises:
 a zipper element integrated into the sleeve, the zipper element extending longitudinally along a length of the sleeve; and 
 one or more slider elements for the zipper element, the one or more slider elements configured to open and close the zipper element, so as to provide access to the first part of the arm connected to upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body. 
   
     
     
         10 . The article of apparel of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the sleeve comprises:
 a longitudinal seam extending along the length of the sleeve, 
 wherein the zipper element is integrated into the longitudinal seam of the sleeve; 
 wherein the one or more slider elements are configured to open and close the zipper element along the longitudinal seam. 
   
     
     
         11 . The article of apparel of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the sleeve is attached to the body portion of the article of apparel so that the longitudinal seam faces laterally inward toward a torso portion of the article of apparel.   
     
     
         12 . The article of apparel of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the sleeve is attached to the body portion of the article of apparel so that the longitudinal seam is rotated axially frontward from a position where a longitude of the sleeve faces laterally inward toward a torso portion of the article of apparel.   
     
     
         13 . The article of apparel of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the body portion of the article of apparel comprises a thickness of 300 grams per square meter (GSM) or more.   
     
     
         14 . A sleeve comprising:
 a fabric portion configured to cover at least a first part of an arm connected to an upper body when the sleeve is worn by the arm;   a zipper element integrated into the fabric portion of the sleeve, the zipper element extending longitudinally along a length of the sleeve; and   one or more slider elements for the zipper element, the one or more slider elements configured to open and close the zipper element, so as to provide access to the first part of the arm connected to the upper body when the sleeve is worn by the arm.   
     
     
         15 . The sleeve of  claim 14 , comprising:
 a longitudinal seam extending along the length of the sleeve,   wherein the zipper element is integrated into the longitudinal seam of the sleeve,   wherein the one or more slider elements are configured to open and close the zipper element along the longitudinal seam, and   wherein, when the sleeve is attached to an article of apparel for the upper body, the longitudinal seam is located at a position where the longitudinal seam faces laterally inward toward a torso portion of the article of apparel for the upper body.   
     
     
         16 . The sleeve of  claim 14 , comprising:
 a longitudinal seam extending along the length of the sleeve,   wherein the zipper element is integrated into the longitudinal seam of the sleeve,   wherein the one or more slider elements are configured to open and close the zipper element along the longitudinal seam, and   wherein, when the sleeve is attached to an article of apparel for the upper body, the longitudinal seam is rotated axially frontward from a position where a longitude of the sleeve faces laterally inward toward a torso portion of the article of apparel for the upper body.   
     
     
         17 . The sleeve of  claim 14 , comprising:
 a longitudinal seam extending along the length of the sleeve,   wherein, when the sleeve is attached to an article of apparel for the upper body, the longitudinal seam is located at a first position where the longitudinal seam faces laterally inward toward a torso portion of the article of apparel for the upper body,   wherein the zipper element is integrated into the fabric portion of the sleeve along a longitude of the sleeve that is located axially frontward from the first position where the longitudinal seam is located, and   wherein the one or more slider elements are configured to open and close the zipper element along the longitude of the sleeve that is located axially frontward from the first position where the longitudinal seam is located.   
     
     
         18 . A method of manufacturing an article of apparel, the method comprising:
 providing a body portion configured to cover and uncover at least a first part of an upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body;   determining a chest area located in the body portion, the chest area corresponding to a front region of the upper body;   forming an opening in the chest area of the body portion, the opening providing access to the first part of the upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body, wherein the opening is shaped to have at least a height dimension and a width dimension; and   attaching a closure element configured to cover and uncover at least a portion of the opening in the chest area of the body portion.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the closure element comprises a chest flap, the chest flap attached to the body portion, the chest flap having one or more edges or sides, the one or more edges or sides attachable to or detachable from the body portion of the article of apparel,   wherein the chest flap, via the one or more edges, is configured to cover and uncover at least a portion of the opening in the chest area of the body portion, so as to provide access to the first part of the upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , comprising:
 attaching a sleeve to the article of apparel, the sleeve configured to cover at least a first part of an arm connected to the upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body, wherein the sleeve comprises:
 a longitudinal seam extending along the length of the sleeve, 
 a zipper element integrated into the longitudinal seam of the sleeve, the zipper element extending along the longitudinal seam; and 
 one or more slider elements for the zipper element, the one or more slider elements configured to open and close the zipper element along the longitudinal seam, so as to provide access to the first part of the arm connected to upper body when the article of apparel is worn by the upper body, 
   wherein the sleeve is attached to the body portion of the article of apparel so that the longitudinal seam is rotated axially frontward from a position where a longitude of the sleeve faces laterally inward toward a torso portion of the article of apparel.