U.S. patent application number 10/395723 was filed with the patent office on 2005-02-17 for disposable gaiter guard.
Invention is credited to McIntyre, David C., Ridpath, Frankie.
Application Number | 20050034221 10/395723 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34134986 |
Filed Date | 2005-02-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050034221 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ridpath, Frankie ; et
al. |
February 17, 2005 |
Disposable gaiter guard
Abstract
A disposable gaiter guard for use in weedwacking vegetation
which is made of a single piece of thin plastic and packaged so
that a user may pull one out for use and dispose of it when
finished the immediate chore of weekwacking The guard is designed
to protect the lower leg and instep of a user's legs and has
integral strap portions which are wrapped around the leg to secure
the guard thereto.
Inventors: |
Ridpath, Frankie; (Pulaski,
VA) ; McIntyre, David C.; (Christiansburg,
VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
James W. Hiney, Esq.
Suite 1100
1872 Pratt Drive
Blacksburg
VA
24060
US
|
Family ID: |
34134986 |
Appl. No.: |
10/395723 |
Filed: |
March 21, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/242 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 17/00 20130101;
A41D 2400/52 20130101; A41D 13/0543 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/242 |
International
Class: |
A41D 017/02; A41B
011/00 |
Claims
1. a disposable leg guard, said guard comprising a main portion
configured to surround a wearer's leg, a first pair of opposed tie
means contiguous with said main portion and extending oppositely
therefrom so as to engage a wearer's leg in the knee region, a
second pair of opposed tie means spaced from said first pair of tie
means and extending oppositely therefrom so as to engage a wearer's
leg in the ankle region, said second pair of opposed tie means
being contiguous with the main portion of said guard, whereby the
guard is one piece and can be discarded after use:
2. A guard as in claim 1 wherein both said tie means includes eye
and thread means.
3. A guard as in claim 1 wherein both said tie means includes
slotted portions.
4. A guard as in claim 1 wherein both said tie means includes zip
strips.
5. A guard as in claim 1 wherein said guard has a foot portion
extending from said main portion so as to cover a wearer's
foot.
6. A guard as in claim 5 wherein said foot portion has ribbed areas
thereon for strengthening the portion to maintain it atop the foot
when the guard is worn.
7. A guard as in claim 5 wherein said foot portion has glue areas
thereon adapted to engage the top of a wearer's foot to maintain it
atop the foot when the guard is worn.
8. A guard as in claim 1 and including a thigh portion extending
along the center line of the main portion and having a third pair
of oppositely extending tie means thereon for engaging a wearer's
thigh.
9. A guard as in claim 1 and including perforated sections in said
main section whereby a portion of the guard may be ripped from the
remainder and not used.
10. A guard as in claim 1 wherein said guard and ties are made from
one piece of thin film plastic.
11. A guard as in claim 10 wherein said plastic is from 0.85 to 5
mils thick.
12. A guard as in claim 11 wherein said plastic is low density
polyethylene.
13. A box of disposable plastic leg guards, said box comprising a
plurality of disposable plastic leg guards, each guard having at
least two pair of oppositely extending contiguous tie means for
securing the guard to the wearer's knee and ankle regions, a box
structure for containing said plurality of leg guards, and a tab
means for allowing a user to pull one guard from the box at a
time.
14. A box as in claim 13 wherein said leg guards are all made from
one contiguous piece of plastic and are still attached in places,
and removal of one by a user allows it to be severed from the
remaining guards in the box.
15. A box as in claim 14 wherein said guards are in a folded
configuration.
16. A box as in claim 14 where said guards are in a rolled
configuration.
17. A guard as in claim 1 wherein said guard has a plurality of air
holes therein to provide venting for the leg of a wearer.
18. A guard as in claim 1 wherein said guard has a design imprinted
thereon.
19. A guard as in claim 1 wherein said guard is made of high
density polyethylene.
20. A guard as in claim 1 wherein said guard is made of polyvinyl
chloride.
21. A box as in claim 14 and wherein said guards are in a folded
configuration and the box has an aperture therein through which one
pulls the guards out one at a time.
22. A box as in claim 21 wherein said aperture is elongated and the
guards are pulled out the top of the box.
23. A box as in claim 21 wherein said aperture is circular and the
guards are pulled out the end of the box.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to a disposable gaiter guard which is
made of thin plastic and comes packaged in a box similar to plastic
trash bags. The guard is for use when operating flexible or rigid
weed trimming equipment. The guard is made out of single layer
plastic film which has portions extending therefrom to act as ankle
and knee ties to secure the guard to the lower leg of a user. As
the guard becomes coated with grass stains and other vegetable
matter it is simply disposed of after use and the next time a user
of the equipment initiates a weed trimming operation, he or she
just pulls one from the carton and ties it to the leg.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] With the advent of weed wackers or trimmers in the 1970s
people began to notice that their bare legs or trousers were often
times coated with vegetable, plant, dirt and other sort of matter
resulting from operating either a rigid blade weed trimmer or a
flexible line trimmer. Various attempts were made to remedy this
situation which resulted in several protective devices.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,217 is one such device. It shows a
protective leg sock which has an upper cuff 60 around the top
thereof and into which an elastic cord is adapted to pass allowing
a user to tie the sock up below the knee. The sock is vented by
grommets 90 and have a lower elastic ring 30 which keeps the lower
portion of the sock tight around the ankle portion of a user. Bias
tape 50 is sewn around the bottom of the sock and the sock is
constructed of four mil diamond embossed plastic film which keeps
the grass from sticking. This is important as the sock is designed
to be repeatedly worn by a user and not discarded after every use.
A spring based barrel closure acts to keep the cord tight around
the upper leg.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,525 shows a leg guard which is designed
to prevent mechanically propelled objects from impacting on a
persons lower leg and/or being deposited in their footwear. It
consists of protective material such as foam rubber, heavy canvas
or rubber having a series of straps with Velcro thereon designed to
secure the guard to the front and sides of a wearer's leg.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,881 shows apparatus for protecting the
limbs of a wearer. The apparatus consists of two or more
anthropometrically shaped panels which are formed from sheets that
are both flexible and able to maintain their shape. This is a form
of "body armor" and is designed primarily to protect the wearer
from injury, not from flying plant matter. The panels have an outer
layer of canvas of between 10 and 24 ounces weight and the inner
panel is formed of "duck" material. The apparatus, as it is called,
is a permanent item designed to be worn repeatedly.
[0006] U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,143,762; 5,375,262; 6,210,352 and 6,272,688
show various forms of limb protectors but are not close in form,
function or design to the instant invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is designed with several ideas in
mind. The First is simplicity, which is afforded by a one-piece
design having tie portions as part of the overall plastic body of
the device. These ties simple allow the user to tie it on.
[0008] The second idea in mind was to have something that could be
inexpensively produced so that it could be affordable to all users
of weed trimming equipment. Commercial users of the equipment
cannot afford to clean costly leg protectors each and every day and
the employees thereof cannot afford to wash their work clothes
every day. Weed and grass and general plant matter both sticks and
stains, rendering clothes unusable after a few smattering work outs
with a weed eater. Thus, the present invention is designed to be
produced like trash bags on an assembly of cutting plastic film and
packaged in a box similar to trash bags or tissues where on merely
pulls the next one out and disposes of it after use. As the guards
are attached to one another as a result of the manufacturing
process, one simply pulls one out and the force of the pull rips
the one being pulled from the next one in the box.
[0009] The third idea in mind was to have something disposable as
one does not want to spend time cleaning permanent type guards or
socks after each use. After many uses such guards and socks would
become worthless as the build up would accumulate too much without
intensive cleaning after each use.
[0010] The present invention uses the same film plastic as used in
plastic trash bags and i it can vary somewhat in thickness
depending on whether a commercial user is going to wear it all day
or the use is just a homeowner going out for his weekly battle with
the weeds. The device can be tied above or below the knee depending
on personal preferences and can be made in several sizes if
desired. Basically there would be a small and large size which
tends to fit the men and women users.
[0011] As an alternative to just tying the ties they can be slotted
which allows for the slots to interact to protect a simple hooking
function in securing the tie ends together. Another alternative is
to have an "eye" or slit formed in one of the tie pairs thus
allowing one tie end to be passed through the "eye" or slit to
secure the ties. Alternatively, a "zip strip" securement could be
used to secure the tie ends.
[0012] To keep the flap portion of the device atop the users foot
or shoe, glue or spot glue can be provided on the flap so as to
insure coverage of the shoe and to keep plant matter from being
deposited thereon. To strengthen the flap portion ribs can be
provided in the portion to keep the flap in place over the
shoe.
[0013] The material of the device can be low density polyethylene,
high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene
Terephthalate, as well as other plastics. The thickness of the
device can be from 1 mil to 100 mil but is most preferably in the
0.85 to 5 mil range. The material can be provided with small holes
or perforations to allow allow release of moisture from the user's
leg. The holes can be any shape. The plastic of the device can be
clear, colored or printed in a pattern. Any color can be used. As
the guard must fit a variety of leg sizes, it can be made in many
sizes. It could be "one size fits all" or be in small, medium,
large and extra large sizes. The extensions used to tie the device
to the user's shoe or ankle and leg can vary in length depending on
the elasticity of the material chosen. The extensions or ties
should be long enough for the user to tie them in front of their
leg and/or ontop of their shoe. This allows the user to see the
knots they are tying.
[0014] The guards can be packaged in many ways which is incident to
their method of production. The guards can be manufactured like
trash or grocery bags and remain connected at various points.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a
disposable leg guard for use in wearing when operating weed
trimming equipment and other mechanical equipment which results in
plant matter being thrown through the air, and
[0016] It is another object of this invention to provide an
inexpensive leg guard for use in operating a weed trimmer, and
[0017] It is still another object of this invention to provide a
guard device which limits The amount of debris which impacts a
person's leg when using a rotary trimmer to cut weeds or grass,
and
[0018] A further object of this invention is to provide a leg guard
which is formed of one piece of plastic film, and
[0019] A still further object of this invention is to provide a leg
guard made of plastic film from 2 to 5 mil thick which is
disposable and can be packaged still attached to one another in a
disposable box.
[0020] These and other objects of the invention will become
apparent when reference is had to the accompany drawings in
which:
[0021] FIG. 1 is partial view of a leg of a wearer showing the
guard in place.
[0022] FIG. 2 shows the guard of this invention in plan view with
the four ties extending therefrom.
[0023] FIG. 3 shows diagrammatic view of the guard ties being
secured above and below the knee and ankle.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a view of the guard in plan view with zip strip
securement.
[0025] FIG. 5 is shows the show portion of the guard with alternate
applications of glue or sticky sealing.
[0026] FIG. 6 shows the guard in plan view with an eye and thread
connection tie pair.
[0027] FIG. 7 shows guard ties with match slots.
[0028] FIG. 8 shows the foot portion of the guard with ribs.
[0029] FIG. 9 shows shows a side view of a display pack with tabs
for dispensing the guards.
[0030] FIG. 10 shows the box pack of FIG. 9 with the pull tab and
the tissue box like closure.
[0031] FIG. 11 shows various configurations of the means to
dispense the guard.
[0032] FIG. 12 shows the foot portion or thigh portion of the guard
as being able to be torn off when not desired.
[0033] Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown the guard 10 secured
onto a users leg. The main portion of the guard 11 covers the calve
area and the ties, such as at 12 and 13, secure the guard to the
leg below the knee and above the ankle. A foot portion 14 extends
over the front of the wearer's shoe or foot,
[0034] FIG. 2 shows the guard 10 with ties 12 and 13 and some
general overall dimensions. As can be seen, the guard tapers down
from the knee area to the ankle area so as to more fully conform to
the leg of the user. The dimensions shown are general in nature and
show the relationship of the ties to the main body 11 of the guard
10 and it is understood that these dimensions can be altered.
[0035] FIG. 3 shows the users leg with the guard 10 tied above the
knee and around the ankle and below the knee and across the instep
of the user's foot.
[0036] FIG. 4 shows the guard 10 with zip strip fasteners 14, 15 on
ties 12 and 13. Another way of securing the ties would be to use
the eye 16 and thread 17 arrangement of FIG. 6 or the matching
slots 18, 19 of FIG. 7. Such slots merely interlock with one
another to secure the ties.
[0037] In FIG. 5 there is shown the section 14 with glue spot
applications thereon so that the portion can adhere to the top of
the shoe of the wearer to keep it from blowing up. In this vein,
flap 14 can have ribs as shown in FIG. 8 which keep the portion 14
stiff and atop the shoe or foot. If the portion 14 is not desired,
the device can have perforations such as 20 in FIG. 12 to allow the
user to rip it off and discard it. When this is done an additional
tie strip 21 is employed as shown to secure the end of the device
to the shoe of the wearer. In FIG. 12, the upper portion 22 of the
device is adapted to secure the device to the thigh of the user.
This configuration can also have the thigh portion ripped off by
tearing the lower portion along perforations 23.
[0038] FIG. 15 shows the side view of a display pack 100 that
allows the user to pull it out on tab 101 which pulls up the next
guard for use in a fashion similar to that used in grocery stores.
The guards are attached in the same manner as grocery bags and rip
off when tab 101 is engaged. Alternatively, the guards can be
packaged in a tissue like box 103, as shown in FIG. 10, which
allows the guards to be packaged 8 to 10 to a box. There is a tab
104 to allow the user to start pulling the guards from the box and
a slot 105 which allows egress from the box. FIG. 11 shows various
configurations of how the guards could be packaged in a box B. They
can be in roll form as shown as 110 and removed one at a time from
the box, or folded as at 111 and torn at a perforation as they are
removed or, they can be in one large roll as at 1 12 and torn off
at the perforation.
[0039] FIG. 9A shows a box 120, much like a tissue box, although
larger, which can have a slot like 121 and through which one pulls
guards such as 122 out. The guards 122 are stacked in the box like
tissues. Alternately, the box may have a tight aperture 123 through
which one pulls guards such as 124 out the end of the boy like some
wipe boxes.
[0040] Having described various embodiments of the invention it
will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that many
changes and modifications can be made without departing from the
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *