U.S. patent application number 09/751887 was filed with the patent office on 2001-06-07 for tailored garment with integral support unit.
Invention is credited to France, Judy, Kochmann, Jane, Wheeler, Thomas M., Yoffee, Al.
Application Number | 20010002493 09/751887 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26853984 |
Filed Date | 2001-06-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010002493 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wheeler, Thomas M. ; et
al. |
June 7, 2001 |
Tailored garment with integral support unit
Abstract
A garment comprises an outer shell and a support unit integrally
secured thereto by an adjustable securement to allow an upper band
of the support unit to expand and contract about a wearer of the
garment relatively freely of the waistband of the outer shell so as
to avoid collapsing it. The outer shell garment may thus be
presented as a tailored, smooth finished garment with no indication
that the support unit is beneath and the need to use a stretch
fabric in the outer shell waistband is thereby alleviated,
facilitating the look of a high quality tailored piece of clothing
having a smooth, non-gathered waistband. Integration of the support
unit into the outer shell also allows a closure and one or more
stays of the support unit to be properly aligned or offset from the
outer shell as needed to minimize or prevent bulges or lines in the
outer shell.
Inventors: |
Wheeler, Thomas M.;
(University City, MO) ; Yoffee, Al; (St. Louis,
MO) ; Kochmann, Jane; (St. Louis, MO) ;
France, Judy; (St. Louis, MO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Matthew E. Leno, Esq.
McDermott, Will & Emery
31st Floor
227 West Monroe Street
Chicago
IL
60606
US
|
Family ID: |
26853984 |
Appl. No.: |
09/751887 |
Filed: |
December 29, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09751887 |
Dec 29, 2000 |
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09455273 |
Dec 6, 1999 |
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6205591 |
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60157292 |
Oct 1, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/236 ;
2/227 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 1/06 20130101; A41B
9/08 20130101; A41D 2400/38 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/236 ;
2/227 |
International
Class: |
A41D 001/06; A41D
013/02 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A garment comprising: an outer shell; a support unit for
providing bodily support to a wearer of the garment; and an
adjustable securement integrating the support unit to the outer
shell; wherein the adjustable securement allows substantially
independent expansion and contraction of the support unit relative
to the outer shell.
2. The garment of claim 1 wherein the adjustable securement secures
an upper band of the support unit to a waistband of the outer
shell, the outer shell waistband being substantially
non-elastic.
3. The garment of claim 1 wherein the adjustable securement
comprises an adjuster band securing the support unit to a waistband
of the outer shell.
4. The garment of claim 3, the adjuster band further comprising a
releasable securement facilitating selective detachment of the
support unit from the outer shell.
5. The garment of claim 4, wherein the releasable securement
comprises a zipper.
6. The garment of claim 3 wherein the adjuster band is secured to
an upper band of the support unit and the elasticity of the
adjuster band differs from the elasticity of the support unit upper
band.
7. The garment of claim 1 further defined in that: the outer shell
comprises a closure and a seem; and the support unit comprises a
closure and a stay; wherein the support unit closure is offset from
the outer shell closure and the support unit stay is aligned with
the outer shell seem.
8. The garment of claim 1 wherein the support unit comprises a
support unit body which is constructed to allow stretching thereof
in any direction except for a portion of the support unit body
configured to associate with the abdomen of a wearer and is
constructed to allow stretching thereof only in the vertical
directions.
9. The garment of claim 1 wherein the outer shell is comprised of
one of the group consisting of shorts, slacks, trousers, a skirt
and a dress.
10. A support unit for integration with an outer shell garment to
provide bodily support to a wearer of the support unit, the support
unit having an adjustable securement attached thereto for
integrating the support unit to the outer shell, wherein the
adjustable securement will allow substantially independent
expansion and contraction of the support unit relative to the outer
shell.
11. The support unit of claim 10, the adjustable securement
comprising: a lower end attached to an upper band of the support
unit; and an upper end for attachment to a substantially
non-elastic waistband of the outer shell.
12. The support unit of claim 10 wherein the adjustable securement
comprises an adjuster band.
13. The support unit of claim 12, the adjuster band further
comprising a releasable securement for facilitating selective
detachment of the support unit from the outer shell.
14. The support unit of claim 13, wherein the releasable securement
comprises a zipper.
15. The support unit of claim 12 wherein the adjuster band is
secured to an upper band of the support unit and the elasticity of
the adjuster band differs from the elasticity of the support unit
upper band.
16. The support unit of claim 10, the support unit comprising: a
closure configured for being offset from a closure of the outer
shell; and a stay configured for being aligned with a seem of the
outer shell.
17. The support unit of claim 10 wherein the support unit comprises
a support unit body which is constructed to allow stretching
thereof in any direction except for a portion of the support unit
body configured to associate with the abdomen of a wearer to allow
stretching thereof only in the vertical directions.
18. The support unit of claim 10 for attachment to one of the group
consisting of shorts, slacks, trousers, a skirt and a dress.
19. A method of constructing a garment comprising the steps of: a.
providing a support unit to provide bodily support to a wearer
thereof; b. providing an adjustable securement for integrating the
support unit to an outer shell, wherein the adjustable securement
is configured to allow substantially independent expansion and
contraction of the support unit relative to the outer shell; and c.
securing the adjustable securement to the support unit.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of providing an
adjustable securement comprises constructing the adjustable
securement to be substantially the same length as a waistband of
the outer shell.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein the support unit comprises a
support unit body and an upper band secured to an upper end of the
support unit body, the step of securing the adjustable securement
to the support unit comprises maintaining the support unit upper
band stretched to be of substantially equal length to the
adjustable securement throughout the step of securing the
adjustable securement to the support unit.
22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of: d.
providing an outer shell; and e. securing the adjustable securement
to the outer shell.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of securing the
adjustable securement to the outer shell comprises maintaining the
support unit upper band stretched to be of substantially equal
length to the outer shell waistband throughout the step of securing
the adjustable securement to the outer shell.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of securing the
adjustable securement to the outer shell comprises maintaining an
upper end of the adjustable securement stretched to be of
substantially equal length to the outer shell waistband throughout
the step of securing the adjustable securement to the outer
shell.
25. The method of claim 20 wherein the adjustable securement
comprises a releasable securement comprised of a zipper attaching
an adjustable securement first part and an adjustable securement
second part, the step of securing the adjustable securement to the
outer shell comprising securing the adjustable securement first
part to the outer shell.
26. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of securing the
adjustable securement to the support unit comprises aligning a stay
of the support unit with a seem of the outer shell and offsetting a
closure of the support unit with a closure of the outer shell.
27. A garment comprising: an outer shell comprising a closure and a
seem; and a support unit for providing bodily support to a wearer
of the garment integrally secured to the outer shell, the support
unit comprising a closure and a stay; wherein the support unit
closure is offset from the outer shell closure and the support unit
stay is aligned with the outer shell seem.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a garment having
a body support unit secured thereto; particularly to a garment
having a body support unit secured thereto in a manner allowing the
support unit to expand or contract substantially freely of the
garment.
[0003] 2. Background
[0004] Support units have long been used for compressing unwanted
body bulges to conceal them from view and provide a thinner or
smoother body image. One example of a support unit is commonly
referred to as a girdle. To complete the desired image, the support
unit was often concealed beneath outer clothing to prevent others
from detecting that the support unit was employed to provide the
thinner, smoother image exhibited. While some garments have been
manufactured in the past with interior support or stretch panels
fixed thereto, such garments have typically been assembled
utilizing exterior shell fabrics of the type that incorporate
mechanical stretch properties inclusively engineered into the woven
or knitted shell fabric.
[0005] One such garment is disclosed by Kishi in U.S. Pat. No.
5,888,118. In Kishi, an interior stretch lining is stitched to an
outer stretch-type shell garment at the site of the slide fastener
(zipper) of the shell. Other garments have an outer shell garment
having an elastic-type gathered waistband employed to allow the
marrying of a smaller waistband of a stretch lining to the larger
elastic-type gathered waistband of the shell. In these garments,
the lining waistband and the shell waistband are each typically
constructed to be smaller than the waist of the intended wearer
such that upon placing the garment on the wearer's body, both the
shell waistband and the stretch lining were stretched and the
propensity for the lining to return to its relaxed state allowed
the lining to have its intended effect of compressing the wearer's
body bulges. With the lining fastened directly to the shell, the
contraction of the lining waistband caused a concomitant
contraction in the shell waistband. Thus, the elastic gathered
waistband was gathered and bunched by the contraction of the
stretch lining as it contracted to the wearer's body. In yet
another example disclosed by Bergstein in U.S. Pat. No. 3,234,947 a
stretch lining having panels of Lycra.RTM. was cut to be relaxed at
the top of the front and back panels of the outer shell garment.
The bottom of the Lycra.RTM. panels were cut to be narrower than
the accompanying shell leg panels with which they were to be
combined. However, the expansion and contraction of the stretch
linings of these prior garments resulted in a concomitant reaction
at the outer shell garment attached thereto causing an unattractive
and cheaper, low-end look to the garment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides tailored or casual garments
such as ladies slacks, shorts, skirts, and dresses, or men's
tailored or casual trousers and shorts, having a fully integrated
inner support unit. The inner support unit of the present invention
is highly effective in supporting and compressing body bulges into
a smoother, more flattering appearance while the outer garment
simultaneously offers the exterior appearance of a highly tailored
article of clothing of the type not previously associated with an
integral support unit, and concealing the presence of the inner
support unit.
[0007] The present invention enables integral incorporation of a
support unit into a shell garment of any type of cloth fabrication
such as worsted woolens, cotton poplins, linens, poly combinations,
as well as knitted goods and any other stretch fabric of natural or
artificial makeup or blends thereof, while allowing the support
unit to expand or contract about a wearer's body, without affecting
the look of the shell garment due to bunching or the like, by
buffering the support unit from the shell.
[0008] One objective of the present invention is to provide highly
desirable tailored or casual garments to individuals who
consciously want to employ a support unit therewith to provide an
improved lower body appearance.
[0009] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an
integrated shell garment and support unit wherein the support unit
will constrict and flatten the abdomen, smooth the hips, and
constrict and shape the buttocks.
[0010] A further object of the present invention is to enable a
highly expandable and relatively smaller-sized support unit
waistband to be integrated with a relatively larger waistband of a
tailored shell without pulling in, collapsing or bunching the outer
shell or requiring a gathered, elastic-type waistband which
connotes a lower-end product.
[0011] An additional object of the present invention is to provide
an integrated shell garment and support unit wherein the support
unit is substantially free to expand or contract with respect to
the outer shell.
[0012] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
integrated shell garment and support unit wherein the support unit
is integrated into the outer shell by a buffering adjustable
securement which facilitates relatively free expansion and
contraction of the support unit with respect to the outer
shell.
[0013] A further object of the present invention is to provide an
integrated shell garment and support unit wherein the support unit
is integrated into the outer shell by a buffering adjustable
securement which facilitates relatively free expansion and
contraction of the support unit waistband with respect to the outer
shell waistband.
[0014] An additional object of the present invention is to provide
an expandable support unit integrated to a substantially
non-expandable portion of an outer shell garment wherein the
support unit is substantially free to expand or contract with
respect to the shell without pulling in, collapsing or bunching the
outer shell or requiring a gathered, elastic type waistband which
connotes a lower-end product.
[0015] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
method of constructing an integrated shell garment and support unit
wherein the support unit is integrated into the outer shell by a
buffering adjustable securement which facilitates relatively free
expansion and contraction of the support unit waistband with
respect to the outer shell waistband.
[0016] Still a further object of the present invention is to
provide an integrated shell garment and support unit wherein the
support unit is aligned with respect to the shell in order to
minimize the visibility of the support unit through the shell.
[0017] An additional object of the present invention is to provide
an integrated shell garment and support unit wherein the support
unit may be quickly disconnected from the shell garment.
[0018] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an
integrated shell garment and support unit wherein the support unit
is resistant to bunching or riding up the body of the person
wearing the garment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1A is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the
garment of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 1B is a rear elevational view of the garment of FIG.
1A.
[0021] FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of the garment of FIG.
1A with the outer shell garment partially cut away to expose a
support unit attached thereto according to the present
invention.
[0022] FIG. 2B is a side perspective view of the garment of FIG. 2A
with the outer shell garment partially cut away to expose a support
unit attached thereto according to the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 2C is a rear perspective view of the garment of FIG. 2A
with the outer shell garment partially cut away to expose a support
unit attached thereto according to the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 2D is an exploded top elevational view of the garment
of the FIG. 2A.
[0025] FIG. 2E is an enlarged view of portion 2E of the support
unit, the adjustable securement and the outer shell waistband of
FIG. 2A.
[0026] FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the garment of FIG. 2A
taken along line 3A-3A.
[0027] FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the garment of FIG. 1A
and a support unit secured therein taken along line 3B-3B.
[0028] FIG. 4A depicts an adjuster band of the present invention
being secured to the support unit of FIG. 6A according to the
present invention.
[0029] FIG. 4B depicts the support unit of FIG. 6A with the
adjuster band fully secured thereto and prior to attachment to the
outer shell garment.
[0030] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the various panels
and overlays of the support unit of the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 6A is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the
support unit of the present invention.
[0032] FIG. 6B is a rear perspective view of the support unit of
FIG. 6A.
[0033] FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of the support unit of
FIG. 6B taken along line 6C-6C.
[0034] FIG. 7 comprises a table indicating comparative dimensions
of the outer shell and support unit of one embodiment of the
garment of the present invention.
[0035] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative
embodiment of the present invention having a detachable support
unit.
[0036] FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of another alternative
embodiment of the present invention having an alternative
adjustable securement, with the outer shell garment partially cut
away.
[0037] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of another alternative
embodiment of the present invention having an alternative
adjustable securement.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0038] One embodiment of the garment 10 of the present invention is
depicted in FIGS. 1A, 1B which indicate a pair of slacks having a
fully integrated inner support unit concealed therein. While the
garment 10 is depicted as a pair of slacks, the present invention
provides for any tailored or casual garments such as ladies slacks,
shorts, skirts, and dresses, or men's tailored or casual trousers
and shorts, having a fully integrated inner support unit. One
embodiment of the garment 10 of the present invention shown in
FIGS. 2A-2E and 3A-3B wherein an outer shell garment 12 is
integrally attached to a support unit 14 by an adjustable
securement 16. In FIGS. 4A-4B, 2A-2E and 3B the adjustable
securement 16 is comprised of an adjuster band 18. As depicted in
FIG. 3B, a waistband 20 of the outer shell 12 comprises a waistband
shell 22, a banrol 24, a waistband curtain underskirt 26 and a
waistband curtain 28, all of which are attached along securing
lines 30. These components of the outer shell waistband 20 may be
attached along the securing lines 30 by stitching or other methods
known in the art. The components of the outer shell waistband 20
described herein constitute only one of many shell waistband
constructions capable of use with the present invention. An upper
end 34 of the adjuster band 18 is secured to a lower end 32 of the
waistband curtain underskirt 26 along securing line 35 by stitching
or other methods known in the art. Securement of the adjuster band
18 to the waistband curtain underskirt 26 along securing line 35
may accomplished by any of these known methods in a continuous or
intermittently dispersed manner about securing line 35. An adjuster
band lower end 36 is secured to a support unit upper band 38 which
circumscribes the upper end of the support unit 14 which is, in
turn, secured to a support unit body 40 which comprises the various
panels described hereinbelow.
[0039] As shown in FIGS. 3B and 6B, the support unit body 40 may
comprise one or more stays 42 to resist the tendency of the support
unit 14 to ride up the body of the wearer causing bunching which
may result in visible lines in the outer shell garment 12 or
general discomfort to the wearer. One embodiment of the support
unit body 40 is depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6A-6C comprising four main
sections, specifically, a right front section 44, a left front
section 46, a right rear section 48 and a left rear section 50. The
four main sections 44, 46, 48, 50, depicted in an exploded view in
FIG. 5, are constructed of mechanical stretch fabric manufactured
of spandex fiber, or the like, having properties which provide for
360.degree. of stretch and recovery. It has been found that
comprising the four main sections 44, 46, 48, 50 of a stretch
fabric marketed as Darlington Powernet #5614 provides sufficient
stretch and recovery properties to achieve the goals of the present
invention. Other fabrics may be substituted consistent with the
objectives of the present invention. The support unit body 40
further comprises a pair of overlays, specifically, a right front
overlay 52 and a left front overlay 54 positioned on opposing sides
of a support unit closure 56 and over the right and left front main
sections 44, 46 respectively as depicted. The overlay sections 52,
54 are manufactured of a two-way, vertical only stretch material
such that the overlay sections will stretch only in the vertical
direction. Thus, the pair of overlays 52, 54 provide additional
compression and control at the front of the support unit 14 which
will associate with the lower abdomen of a wearer. In one
embodiment, the overlays 52, 54 are made of a stretch fabric
marketed as Native #42118. Other fabrics may be substituted
consistent with the objectives of the present invention. Of course,
the strength of the stretch and recovery properties of any of the
four main sections 44, 46, 48, 50 or the overlays 52, 54 may be
varied to provide more or less support to the wearer of the garment
10. Furthermore, other support garments of varying constructions
can be used in practicing the invention.
[0040] The main sections 44, 46, 48, 50 of the support unit body 40
are secured together, as depicted, between the right front section
44 and the right rear section 48, between the left front section 46
and the left rear section 50, and between the right rear section 48
and the left rear section 50 by known methods. It has been found
that stitching of a zig zag nature, as known in the art, allows the
stretching and recovery of the fabrics without breaking the
stitching. It has also been found that threads having a polyester
core with a cotton wrap cover afford proper stitching. Other
stitching and threads may be employed as known in the art to
accomplish the objectives of the present invention. The right and
left front sections 44, 46 (along with the overlays 52, 54
respectively secured thereto) are selectively secured one to the
other by the closure 56 which allows the support unit to be opened
for placement over the body of a wearer of the garment 10. While
the closure may be of any type known in the art, it has been found
that a closure of the hook and eye type (depicted in FIG. 6A) will
achieve the objectives of the present invention. Depending on the
model and size of the garment 10, it has been found that between
five and ten hooks and corresponding eyes will provide a proper
closure 56. Using a closure of the hook and eye type allows the
stretch fabrics of the support unit 14 to be closed in distinct and
disparate segments which allows the closing action to be easier and
more comfortable than a continuous closure such as, for example, a
zipper. If a zipper were to be employed as the closure of the
present invention, then a protective placket should be used to
protect the skin of the wearer from being caught therein during
zipping. It is contemplated that the closure 56 may allow complete
separation of the right and left front sections 44, 46 (along with
corresponding overlays 52, 54) as an alternative to only allowing
partial separation as depicted in the figures. Additionally, it is
contemplated that the support unit 14 may accomplish the objectives
of the present invention without any closure, but rather by
constructing the support unit as a continuous unit wherein the
overlays 52, 54 could be a single overlay and the right and left
front sections 44, 46 could be a single front section. In this
configuration, the elasticity of the support unit 14 may be
adjusted to assure that the support unit 14 may fit over the hips
of the wearer.
[0041] Regardless of the type of support unit closure employed, it
is preferred that the closure is recessed from the outer surface of
the support unit 14 to prevent if from protruding into the outer
shell 12 and causing a visible bulge. This may be accomplished, for
example, by securing the closure to either the inner or outer side
of the right and left front sections 44, 46 of the support unit
body 40.
[0042] In one embodiment, the support unit closure 56 is offset
from a closure 58 of the outer shell 12 as shown in FIG. 3A.
Offsetting the support unit closure 56 in this manner assures that
any bulge caused thereby will not be aligned with the outer shell
closure 58. Cumulative bulging of the closures 56, 58 is thereby
avoided and visible bulging in the front of the outer shell 12 is
eliminated or minimized. Offsetting of the support unit closure 56
may be accomplished by configuring the right and left front
sections 44, 46 as well as the overlays 52, 54 of the support unit
body 40 to be of different sizes or configurations. For example,
the right front section 44 and right overlay 52 are depicted herein
as larger than the left front section 46 and left overlay 54 to
provide the desired closure offset. Other manners of accomplishing
this offset are also contemplated. The outer shell closure 58 may
comprise any typical manner of closing a high quality garment such
as a nylon or metal zipper. Other closure methods including, but
not limited to, buttons and buttonhole and/or the use of
Velcro.RTM. closures are also contemplated.
[0043] The support unit 14 depicted comprises a plurality of stays
42. One embodiment, as best depicted in FIG. 6B, comprises three
stays 42, one at the intersection of each of the right front
section 44 and the right rear section 48, the left front section 46
and the left rear section 50, and the right rear section 48 and the
left rear section 50. The stays may be secured to the support unit
body 40 or pockets may be created at the location of the stays 42
to allow insertion and removal of the stays 42 for cleaning of the
support unit 14. Other known methods of incorporating a stay, or
other numbers of stays may also be employed consistent with the
objectives of the present invention. Importantly, by placing the
stays 42 at these positions in the support unit 14, the stays 42
will be aligned with the seams 59 of the outer shell 12. Aligning
the stays 42 with the seams 59 of the outer shell 12 will assist in
hiding the presence of the stays which might otherwise become
visibly evident at the exterior of the outer shell 12.
[0044] It has become evident that integrating the support unit 14
into the outer shell 12 of the garment 10 of the present invention
allows the garment 10 to be properly designed to hide the presence
of the support unit 14 by "marrying" the construction of the
support unit 14 to that of the outer shell 12. As described above,
the garment 10 of the present invention has, in the depicted
embodiment, offset the support unit closure 56 from the closure 58
of the outer shell 12 ("closure offset") and has aligned the
support unit stays 42 to the outer shell seems 59 ("stay-to-seam
alignment"). Each of these features contributes to the concealment
of the support unit 14. Moreover, the closure offset and the
stay-to-seem alignment is substantially maintained by the integral
nature of the present garment 10 provided by the adjustable
securement 16.
[0045] The support unit 14 further comprises a lower band 60
attached to a lower end of the support unit body 40 which may,
depending upon the constrictive force therein, assist the stays 42
in resisting the tendency of the support unit 14 to ride up the
body of a wearer. Unlike the support unit upper band 38, the
support unit lower band 60 may circumscribe the entire lower end of
the support unit body 40 in the depicted embodiment. Both the
support unit upper and lower bands 38, 60 may be comprised of an
elastic material to assist in assuring that the support unit is
closely formed to the wearer. On feminine garments, stretch lace
may be employed as, or in addition to, the upper and lower bands
38, 60 to provide an aesthetically pleasing finish to the support
unit 14.
[0046] Proper integration of the support unit 14 into the outer
shell 12 is provided by the adjustable securement 16 which is, in
one embodiment, represented in the figures by adjuster band 18. The
length of the support unit upper band 38 is preferably shorter than
the length of the shell waistband 20 to fit the support unit 14
into the outer shell 12. Therefore, the perimeter of the support
unit upper band 38 will be smaller than perimeter of the shell
waistband 20 creating a size differential therebetween. Because the
outer shell waistband 20 is substantially non-flexible, this size
differential will fluctuate as the support unit upper band 38
expands and contracts with the size and movement of the body of a
wearer of the garment 10. The adjustable securement 16 accommodates
this fluctuating size differential. It is contemplated that the
advantages of the present invention may also be achieved by
integrally attaching a support unit 14 to an outer shell having a
substantially expandable or stretch-type waistband, by the
adjustable securement 16 of the present invention.
[0047] In the depicted embodiment, as discussed below with
reference to the method of manufacturing the garment 10 of the
present invention, the adjuster band 18 is constructed to be
substantially the same length as the waistband curtain underskirt
26 to which it is secured. To assure even distribution of the
adjuster band 18 about the support unit upper band 38, the two are
secured along securing line 35, one to the other, while the support
unit upper band 38 is in a stretched configuration wherein the
support unit upper band 38 is elongated to substantially the same
length as the adjuster band 18. FIG. 4B depicts the adjuster band
18 secured to a support unit upper band 38 with the upper band 38
in a relaxed state and displays the evenly dispersed bunching of
the adjuster band 18 which results from the contraction of the
support unit upper band 38. Integration is accomplished when the
adjuster band upper end 34 is secured to the lower end 32 of the
waistband curtain underskirt 26. FIG. 2E provides an enlarged view
of the adjuster band 18 accommodating the size differential between
the support unit upper band 38 and the smaller outer shell
waistband 20. Specifically, it can be seen in FIG. 2E that once
attached to the outer shell waistband 20, the adjuster band 18
bunches up only near the lower end 36 thereof while it remains
relatively flat near the upper end 34 thereof. Thus, by
constructing the adjuster band 18 of a flexible and durable
material, it may accommodate the fluctuating size differential
between the support unit 14 and the outer shell 12. The flexible
and durable adjuster band 18 therefore accommodates this size
differential with small bunches which are not detectable through
the outer shell 12 and thus contributes to concealing the presence
of the support unit 14 unlike prior garments in which the flexible
lining was accommodated by being attached to a visible elastic
shell waistband. In one embodiment, the adjuster band 18 is made of
Darlington #253 nylon spandex. Other fabrics are also contemplated.
Proper integration may also comprise employing an adjuster band 18
of a different elasticity than that of the support unit upper band
38. For example, providing the adjuster band 18 with a greater
elasticity or expandability than the support unit upper band 38 may
assure that the support unit upper band 38 will expand
substantially freely of the outer shell waistband 20 such that the
expansive and contractive forces of the support unit upper band 38
is not transmitted to the outer shell waistband 20. As discussed
below, it is also contemplated that the adjuster band upper end 34
may be attached to the outer shell 12 at other locations such as,
for example, the configuration described in reference to the
alternative embodiment depicted in FIG. 10.
[0048] It has been found that providing a garment 10 with one half
inch (0.5 inches) of adjuster band 18 between the securing line 35
and the support unit upper band 38 (i.e. the adjuster band
`height`) will allow that garment 10 to meet the objectives of the
present invention. Other adjuster band heights are also
contemplated as allowing an associated garment to achieve the
objectives of the present invention. For example, an adjuster band
18 having a larger height may be desired to allow incorporation of
the releasable securement 62 as in the alternative embodiment
described below in relation to FIG. 8.
[0049] One embodiment of the present invention is comprises various
sizes and measurements for the outer shell and the support unit
which have been found to meet the objectives of the present
invention and can be seen in FIG. 7 for various "Misses" garment
sizes of this embodiment. In this embodiment the shell waistband 20
is constructed to be substantially two inches longer than the
support unit upper band 38 to provide a wearer with a comfortably
fitting outer shell 12 and an effective support unit 14. However,
this dimension could vary, depending on construction methods used.
While a wearer of the garment 10 of the present invention may vary
by body type, it has been found that the hip circumference is one
full size larger than the waist circumference on the average
person. Therefore, it can be seen in FIG. 7 that for each garment
size indicated in this embodiment, the support unit hip
circumference (located at lower band 60) is larger than that of the
corresponding support unit upper band 38 by two and one half
inches. Once again, these measurements can vary, depending on
construction methods used. A vertical length of the support unit 14
(measured from the top of the support unit upper band 38 to the
bottom of the support unit lower band 60) of eight inches for sizes
6, 8 and 10 in the "Misses" range has been found to meet the
objectives of the present invention. On each upwardly graded size
thereafter, through size 14, the support unit may be lengthened by
1/4inch. From size 16 and up, the support unit may be increased by
3/8inch. FIG. 7 depicts the vertical length of the support unit for
various "Misses" garment sizes of this embodiment. While the
dimensions of FIG. 1 have been found to provide the embodiment of
garment 10 employing those dimensions with the advantages of the
present invention, other dimensions are contemplated and the
present invention is not limited by the dimensions of FIG. 1.
[0050] For the embodiments of the present invention described
herein, it will become apparent from the description herein that
construction of the outer shell 12 is accomplished as with any
other outer shell in manners known in the art. In these
embodiments, the only requirement for accomplishing the present
invention is that the lower end 32 of the waistband curtain
underskirt 26 extend below the waistband securing lines 30 to allow
securement of the adjuster band 18 thereto. Because this is a
standard construction in the garment industry, the outer shell 12
need not comprise any special construction to be susceptible of the
present invention. Indeed, any shell of standard construction will
allow the present invention to be accomplished by integrating the
support unit 14 and adjuster band 18 therein.
[0051] In one embodiment, construction of the garment 10 of the
present invention is accomplished by constructing the support unit
14 and the outer shell 12 separately. Beneficially, separate
construction of the outer shell 12 and the support unit 14 allows
for integration of the support unit 14 into any outer shell 12 such
that any standard, preconstructed outer shell garment 12 may be
susceptible to the benefits of the present invention. Once an
appropriately sized support unit 14 is selected for an intended
outer shell 12, the adjuster band 18 is constructed to be of
substantially equal length to the outer shell waistband 20. The
lower end 36 of the support unit upper band 38 is then stretched to
the length of the outer shell waistband 20 (and therefore the
length of the adjuster band 18) and secured thereto as described
herein and depicted in FIG. 4A. Once secured to the support unit
(FIG. 4B), the adjuster band upper end 34 is then positioned
against the outer shell waistband curtain underskirt 26 in a
configuration affording the closure offset and the stay-to-seem
alignment discussed above. The upper end 34 of the adjuster band 18
is then secured to the outer shell waistband curtain underskirt 26
along securing line 35 to complete the integration. Both the
support unit upper band 38 and the adjuster band 18 may be
stretched to the length of the outer shell waistband curtain
underskirt 26 during this final step of integration. Alternatively,
the support unit upper band 38 may be relaxed and the adjuster band
18 may be stretched to the length of the outer shell waistband
curtain underskirt 26.
[0052] Alternatively, the adjuster band 18 (with or without the
support unit 12 attached) could be secured into the outer shell
waistband 20 during construction of the outer shell garment 12
either along waistband securing lines 30 or along the separate
securing line 35. However, this alternative method reduces the ease
with which the support unit 12 and adjuster band 18 of the present
invention may be integrated into a preconstructed outer shell.
[0053] In another embodiment of garment 10 depicted in FIG. 8, an
adjustable securement 16 similar to the adjuster band 18 described
above and shown in FIG. 3B, but additionally having a releasable
securement 62 along the entire length thereof to allow the support
unit 14 to be readily removed from the outer shell 12. In the
embodiment depicted in FIG. 8, the releasable securement 62
comprises a fine zipper within the adjuster band 18 allowing the
support unit 14 to be zipped out of the outer shell 12. This
zip-out embodiment could be appropriate to allow for easier
pressing of the shell as well as separate laundering or
dry-cleaning of the outer shell 12 and the support unit 14. The
zipper embodiment of the releasable securement 62 is not intended
to be exclusive and the releasable securement 62 may be comprised
of other than a zipper. Alternatively, the adjustable securement 16
could be detachable from the support unit upper band 38 or the
outer shell waistband curtain underskirt 26.
[0054] In another embodiment of garment 10 depicted in FIG. 9, the
adjustable securement 16 is comprised of a plurality of distinct
and disparate connector tabs 64 (rather than the continuous band of
the adjuster band 18) connecting the support unit 14 to the
waistband curtain underskirt 26.
[0055] In yet another embodiment depicted in FIG. 10, the adjuster
strip upper end 34 is connected to an upper end of the outer shell
waistband curtain underskirt 26 rather than the outer shell
waistband curtain underskirt lower end 32 as depicted in FIG. 3B.
It is also contemplated that the adjuster strip upper end 34 may be
secured to other portions of the outer shell waistband 20 to
accomplish the objectives of the present invention.
[0056] By securing the support unit 14 to the outer shell 12 via
the adjustable securement 16 of the present invention, the garment
10 allows the support unit upper band 38 to expand and contract
about the wearer thereof without collapsing the outer shell
waistband 20 because the adjustable securement 16 adjusts to both
the length of the support unit upper band 38 and the outer shell
garment waistband 20. The outer shell garment 12 may thus be
presented as a tailored, smooth finished garment with no indication
that the support unit 14 is beneath. The need to use a stretch
fabric in the outer shell 12 is thereby alleviated and the look of
a high quality tailored piece of clothing may be presented having a
smooth, non-gathered waistband 20. Integration of the support unit
14 into the outer shell 12 allows the closure and the stays thereof
to be properly aligned or offset as needed to avoid creating bulges
or lines therefrom.
[0057] From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the
garment of the present invention has a number of advantages, some
of which have been described above and others of which are inherent
in the present invention. Also, it will be understood that
modifications can be made to the garment of the present invention
without departing from the teachings of the invention. Accordingly
the scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by
the accompanying claims.
* * * * *