U.S. patent application number 11/267183 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-11 for water belt.
Invention is credited to Hayaldree P. Just-Buddy.
Application Number | 20060097019 11/267183 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36315279 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060097019 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Just-Buddy; Hayaldree P. |
May 11, 2006 |
Water belt
Abstract
The water belt is a flat, lightweight foam belt having a
sufficient length to encircle a person's waist. A plurality of
releasable fasteners, such as hook and loop fasteners or snap
fasteners, are affixed along the length of the belt. Small plastic
bottles are held onto the water belt using the fasteners. In this
manner a user may access the plastic bottles and rehydrate when
exercising. The water belt may also be integrated into the waist of
a pair of athletic shorts or the waist portion of an athletic
shirt. An alternative embodiment reinforces an athletic shirt with
vertical straps that extend below the waist of an athletic shirt
for attachment to a pair of shorts and provide support for one or
more small water bottles removably attached to the shoulders of the
athletic shirt.
Inventors: |
Just-Buddy; Hayaldree P.;
(Washington, DC) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LITMAN LAW OFFICES, LTD
PO BOX 15035
CRYSTAL CITY STATION
ARLINGTON
VA
22215
US
|
Family ID: |
36315279 |
Appl. No.: |
11/267183 |
Filed: |
November 7, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60625576 |
Nov 8, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
224/148.7 ;
224/665; 224/679; 224/901.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 2200/0566 20130101;
A45F 2003/144 20130101; A45F 5/021 20130101; A45F 5/02 20130101;
A45F 2200/0583 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/148.7 ;
224/665; 224/679; 224/901.8 |
International
Class: |
A45F 3/16 20060101
A45F003/16 |
Claims
1. A water belt, comprising: an elongated strap having a first end
and a second end, the strap being dimensioned and configured to
encircle a person's waist, the strap having a plurality of
apertures longitudinally positioned along the second end; a buckle
attached to the first end of the strap, the strap and the buckle
forming a belt; a plurality of first releasable fasteners affixed
along the length of the belt; and, a plurality of plastic bottles,
each of the bottles having at least one second releasable fastener
affixed thereto releasably mating with at least one of said first
releasable fasteners for attaching the bottles to the belt, the
bottles being adapted for containing water.
2. The water belt of claim 1, wherein said first and second
releasable fasteners comprise hook and loop fasteners.
3. The water belt of claim 1, wherein said first and second
releasable fasteners comprise snap fasteners.
4. The water belt system of claim 3, wherein said snap fasteners
are raised away from a surface of said strap sufficient to keep
condensation on said bottles from reaching the user.
5. The water belt of claim 1, wherein each of said bottles has a
capacity for holding a volume of about three ounces of liquid.
6. The water belt of claim 5, wherein said bottles are
flower-shaped.
7. The water belt of claim 5, wherein said bottles have a shape
simulating a lady bug.
8. The water belt according to claim 1, further comprising a pair
of shorts having a waistband having a plurality openings defined
therein, said strap being affixed to the waistband within the
shorts with said plurality of first fasteners being accessible
through the openings defined in the waistband for releasably mating
said second fasteners to said first fasteners in order to attach
the bottles to the shorts.
9. The water belt according to claim 1, further comprising a shirt
having a lower portion defining a waist opening, the lower portion
having a plurality of openings defined therein, said strap being
affixed to the lower portion within the shirt with said plurality
of first fasteners being accessible through the openings defined in
the lower portion for releasably mating said second fasteners to
said first fasteners in order to attach the bottles to the
shirt.
10. The water belt according to claim 1, further comprising: a
shirt having an upper portion defining shoulders and a lower
portion defining a waist opening; a plurality of reinforcement
straps extending from the shoulders of the shirt to below the waist
opening; a plurality of third releasable fasteners attached to the
straps below the waist opening, the third releasable fasteners
mating with the first releasable fasteners in order to attach said
belt to the shirt; a plurality of foam pads attached to the
shoulders of the shirt; and a plurality of fourth releasable
fasteners attached to the foam pads, said second releasable
fasteners mating with the fourth releasable fasteners in order to
attach said bottles to the shoulders of the shirt.
11. The water belt according to claim 10, wherein said
reinforcement straps are stitched to the shirt from the shoulders
to the waist opening in order to prevent said bottles from
swaying.
12. The water belt according to claim 1, wherein said elongated
strap forming the belt is made from a foam material.
13. An athletic garment with attachable water bottles, comprising:
a shirt having an upper portion defining shoulders and a lower
portion defining a waist opening; a plurality of reinforcement
straps extending from the shoulders of the shirt to below the waist
opening; a pair of shorts having a waistband and a plurality of
first releasable fasteners attached to the waistband; a plurality
of plastic bottles, each of the bottles having at least one second
releasable fastener affixed thereto, the bottles being adapted for
holding water; a plurality of third releasable fasteners attached
to the reinforcement straps below the waist opening, the third
releasable fasteners mating with the first releasable fasteners in
order to attach the shirt to the shorts; a plurality of foam pads
attached to the shoulders of the shirt; and a plurality of fourth
releasable fasteners attached to the foam pads, the second
releasable fasteners mating with the fourth releasable fasteners in
order to attach the bottles to the shoulders of the shirt.
14. The athletic garment according to claim 13, wherein said
reinforcement straps are stitched to the shirt from the shoulders
to the waist opening in order to prevent said bottles from
swaying.
15. The athletic garment according to claim 13, wherein each of
said bottles has a capacity for holding a volume of about three
ounces of liquid.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 60/625,576, filed Nov. 8, 2004.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a water belt, and
particularly to a lightweight belt capable of supporting one or
more small water bottles in order to hydrate a user while
exercising.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] People that engage in exercise, such as jogging, running or
walking, often carry water or other fluids with them to rehydrate
themselves due to fluids lost during exercise. Although some people
simply carry a water bottle in their hands, others choose to have
the bottle attached to their person.
[0006] A variety of ideas have been put forward for apparatus to
inexpensively and efficiently carry fluid while exercising.
Examples include waist belts with attached water bottles, and more
complicated systems in which a reservoir of fluid is accessed
through a tube to the user's mouth. The apparatus currently in use
have disadvantages, however. In the example of the waist belt
systems, commonly one or two large water bottles are used that sit
below a runner's center of gravity and impede the runner's
exercise. Further, as a water bottle is emptied, the remaining
water creates a free surface effect in the bottle as water sloshes
back and forth. This free surface effect can hinder a runner's
balance and performance.
[0007] Hydration systems utilizing reservoirs and bladders also
have disadvantages. One disadvantage is that it is hard for a
runner to control his or her intake of fluid. Since bladders and
reservoirs can hold thirty-two ounces of fluid or more, a runner
may inadvertently drink more water than they should and subject
themselves to cramps. Hydration systems can also be bulky and
expensive.
[0008] A water belt that is both lightweight and further allows a
user to regulate the amount of their water consumption is needed.
Thus, a water belt solving the above problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The water belt is a flat, lightweight foam belt having a
sufficient length to encircle a person's waist. A plurality of
fasteners, such as hooks and loop fasteners or snap fasteners, are
affixed along the length of the belt. Small plastic bottles are
held onto the water belt by the fasteners. In this manner a user
may access the small water bottles and rehydrate when exercising.
The fasteners may be used to affix another accessory, such as a
cell phone or canister of pepper spray, which a user may require
while exercising. The water belt may also be integrated into the
waist of a pair of athletic shorts or the waist portion of an
athletic shirt. An alternative embodiment of the water belt
reinforces an athletic shirt with vertical straps that extend below
the waist of an athletic shirt for attachment to a pair of shorts
and that provide support for one or more small water bottles
removably attached to the shoulders of the athletic shirt.
[0010] These and other features of the present invention will
become readily apparent upon further review of the following
specification and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a water belt
according to the present invention having hook and loop
fasteners.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of a water belt
according to the present invention having snap fasteners.
[0013] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of an embodiment of a water
bottle according to the present invention having hook and loop
fasteners.
[0014] FIG. 3B is a perspective view of a cell phone featuring hook
and loop fasteners for use with a water belt according to the
present invention.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a water
belt with water bottles shaped as a flower and a ladybug.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a water belt integrated into
a pair of athletic shorts according to the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a water
belt integrated into an athletic shirt according to the present
invention.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a front view of an athletic shirt with straps and
water bottle attachments according to the present invention.
[0019] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] The present invention is a water belt, a first embodiment of
which is referred to generally as 10a in FIG. 1. The water belt 10a
is a flat, lightweight foam strap 12 having a first end 14 and a
second end 16. A buckle 18 is attached to the first end 14 and a
series of apertures 20 are bored into the second end 16 to receive
the tongue of the buckle 18. The strap 12 is of sufficient length
to encircle a person's waist.
[0021] One or more small plastic bottles 22 are attached to the
water belt 10a. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the belt 10a having
one or more hook and loop fastener strips 24 affixed along the
length of the water belt 10a. FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of
the water belt 10b that is substantially the same as belt 10a, but
has a plurality of snap fasteners 26 affixed to the strap instead
of hook and loop strips 24. The fasteners may also be raised away
from the surface of the strap 12 to keep possible condensation on
the plastic bottle 22 from reaching the user. Mating fasteners,
such as hook and loop strips 24 or snap fasteners, are also affixed
to one side of the plastic bottle 22, as shown in FIG. 3A. It is
contemplated that other articles besides plastic bottles 22 can be
attached to the water belt 10a or 10b according to the needs of the
user. Examples include a cellular phone 40 (shown in FIG. 3B) or a
canister of pepper spray. It is contemplated that the plastic
bottles 22 are small and hold approximately three ounces of liquid.
The small size of the plastic bottles 22 would allow a user to
accurately monitor their fluid intake. Further, because a user
would likely consume all three ounces of liquid at once, the free
surface effect of a bottle of liquid sloshing back and forth on a
user's waist would be eliminated. For aesthetic reasons, plastic
bottles 22 could take unconventional shapes, such as a
flower-shaped bottle 72 or a ladybug-shaped bottle 74, as seen in
FIG. 4.
[0022] Another embodiment of the water belt integrates the water
belt into an athletic garment. FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the
water belt 10c integrally formed as part of a pair of athletic
shorts 28. In FIG. 5, the water belt 10c is attached inside the
waist of the athletic shorts 28 and the athletic shorts 28 are
provided with openings 30 so that the hook and loop strips 24 or
other releasable fasteners are available for the attachment of a
plastic bottle 22. Similarly, a water belt 10d may be integrated
into an athletic shirt 32, as shown in FIG. 6. The water belt 10d
is attached inside the waist portion of the athletic shirt 32 and
the athletic shirt 32 is provided with openings 30 so that the hook
and loop strips 24 are available for the attachment of a plastic
bottle 22. It is contemplated that the water belt 10c or 10d may be
integrated into the inside or the outside of an athletic shirt 32
or pair of athletic shorts 28.
[0023] A further embodiment of the technology associated with the
water belt can be seen in FIG. 7. An athletic shirt 32 has
vertically positioned straps 34 stitched along the lower portion of
the athletic shirt 32 that extend below the waist of the athletic
shirt 32. The lower portion of the straps 34 are equipped with
either hook and loop fasteners 24 or snap fasteners 26 and the
vertical straps may extend below the waist of an athletic shirt for
attachment to a pair of shorts, and provide support for one or more
small water bottles removably attached to the shoulders of the
athletic shirt. The hook and loop fasteners 24 or snap fasteners 26
on the straps 34 may also be attached to a water belt, as described
in the first embodiment, above, to increase the rigidity of the
athletic shirt 32.
[0024] The rigidity of the athletic shirt 32 is further increased
by hard or supportive stitching 36 extending vertically upwards
from the straps 34 to the shoulder area of the athletic shirt 32.
Fitted to the shoulder area of the athletic shirt 32 are soft foam
pads 38 that are also equipped with hook and loop fasteners 24 or
snap fasteners 26. In this manner a plastic bottle 22 may be
attached to the pads 38. Some users would prefer to have a plastic
bottle 22 positioned above their center of gravity. The straps 34
and hard supportive stitching 36 keep the plastic bottle 22 from
swaying due to a user's motion.
[0025] It is to be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and
all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
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