U.S. patent application number 11/105311 was filed with the patent office on 2006-10-19 for convertible closure for garments and garment utilizing the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to The Millwork Trading Co. Ltd.. Invention is credited to Patricia Hassell, Yelena Shterenberg.
Application Number | 20060230503 11/105311 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37106998 |
Filed Date | 2006-10-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060230503 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shterenberg; Yelena ; et
al. |
October 19, 2006 |
Convertible closure for garments and garment utilizing the same
Abstract
A convertible closure capable of adjusting and/or converting to
accommodate the expansion and/or contraction of the waist and/or
abdominal region of the wearer is provided. The convertible closure
includes a droppable flap having a second waist band portion
configured to be capable of operably engaging a first waist band
portion of the garment at one or more points to form a convertible
and continuous waist band about the garment such that the overall
waist size of the garment may be adjusted to accommodate a wearer
having a varying waist size. The convertible closure may, in some
embodiments, also include a stretchable front panel disposed behind
the droppable flap and configured to be capable of supporting the
waist and/or abdominal region of the wearer of the garment when the
convertible closure is fastened about the waistline of the
wearer.
Inventors: |
Shterenberg; Yelena;
(Secaucus, NJ) ; Hassell; Patricia; (Long Beach,
NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ALSTON & BIRD LLP
BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA
101 SOUTH TRYON STREET, SUITE 4000
CHARLOTTE
NC
28280-4000
US
|
Assignee: |
The Millwork Trading Co.
Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
37106998 |
Appl. No.: |
11/105311 |
Filed: |
April 13, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/309 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41F 9/00 20130101; A41D
1/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
002/309 |
International
Class: |
A41F 19/00 20060101
A41F019/00 |
Claims
1. A convertible closure adapted to be capable of adjusting the
size of a garment and supporting a wearer of the garment,
comprising: a first waist band portion operably engaged with the
garment, the first waist band portion comprising a first plurality
of fasteners; a flap operably engaged with a front portion of the
garment, the flap comprising a second waist band portion comprising
a second plurality of fasteners configured to be capable of
operably engaging at least one of the first plurality of fasteners
such that the second waist band portion is configured to be capable
of operably engaging the first waist band portion to form a
continuous adjustable waist band about the garment; and a front
panel operably engaged with a first front facing and a second front
facing of the garment, the front panel being separate from and
disposed behind the flap when the second waist band portion is
operably engaged with the first waist band portion to form the
continuous adjustable waist band such that the front panel is
configured to be capable of supporting an abdominal region of the
wearer of the garment.
2. (Cancelled)
3. The convertible closure of Claim 1, wherein the first plurality
of fasteners are selected from the group consisting of: buttons;
hook and loop type fasteners; hooks; eyes; snaps; ties; grommets;
zippers; button holes; and combinations thereof.
4. The convertible closure of claim 3, wherein the second plurality
of fasteners are complimentarily configured with respect to the
first plurality of fasteners and capable of operably engaging the
first plurality of fasteners to removeably secure the first waist
band portion to the second waist band portion, and the second
plurality of fasteners are selected from the group consisting of:
buttons; hook and loop type fasteners; hooks; eyes; snaps; ties;
grommets; zippers; button holes; and combinations thereof.
5. The convertible closure of Claim 2, wherein the front panel
comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a
stretchable blended knit material; a stretchable woven material;
97% cotton and 3% spandex jersey material; 97% cotton and 3%
spandex 1.times.1 rib material; 90% cotton and 10% spandex jersey
material; 100% cotton 1.times.1 rib material; 100% cotton 2.times.2
rib material; 95% cotton and 5% spandex material; and combinations
thereof.
6. A convertible garment adapted to be capable of adjusting in size
to support a wearer of the garment comprising: a first waist band
portion operably engaged with a rear portion of the garment, the
first waist band portion comprising a first plurality of fasteners;
a flap operably engaged with a front portion of the garment, the
flap comprising a second waist band portion comprising a second
plurality of fasteners configured to be capable of operably
engaging at least one of the first plurality of fasteners such that
the second waist band portion is configured to be capable of
operably engaging the first waist band portion to form a continuous
adjustable waist band about the garment; and a front panel operably
engaged with a first front facing and a second front facing of the
garment, the front panel being separate from and disposed behind
the flap when the second waist band portion is operably engaged
with the first waist band portion of form the continuous adjustable
waist band such that the front panel is configured to be capable of
supporting an abdominal region of the wearer of the garment.
7. (Cancelled)
8. The convertible garment of Claim 6, wherein the first plurality
of fasteners are selected from the group consisting of: buttons;
hook and loop type fasteners; hooks; eyes; snaps; ties; grommets;
zippers; button holes; and combinations thereof.
9. The convertible garment of claim 6, wherein the second plurality
of fasteners are complimentarily configured with respect to the
first plurality of fasteners and capable of operably engaging the
first plurality of fasteners to removably secure the first waist
band portion to the second waist band portion, and the second
plurality of fasteners are selected from the group consisting of:
buttons; hook and loop type fasteners; hooks; eyes; snaps; ties;
grommets; zippers; button holes; and combinations thereof.
10. The convertible garment of Claim 7, wherein the front panel
comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: a
stretchable blended knit material; a stretchable woven material;
97% cotton and 3% spandex jersey material; 97% cotton and 3%
spandex 1.times.1 rib material; 90% cotton and 10% spandex jersey
material; 100% cotton 1.times.1 rib material; 100% cotton 2.times.2
rib material; 95% cotton and 5% spandex material; and combinations
thereof.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to garments such as
pants, skirts, dresses, shorts, and pajamas, having a convertible
closure. More particularly, the embodiments of the present
invention provide a convertible closure whereby the size, fit,
and/or appearance of a garment may be adjusted using the
convertible closure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] There exist numerous types of closures for garments, such as
trousers, skirts, dresses, and others, many of which provide for an
adjustable sizing and/or fit about the waist of the wearer of the
garment. For instance, conventional garments having adjustable
waist sizes often include elastic materials disposed within a waist
band or other component of the garment in order to provide
adjustable sizing that may conform to the waist or abdominal region
of a wearer of the garment.
[0003] For instance, conventional adjustable garments sometimes
include an adjustable fastening portion including a circumferential
band having an elastic portion that is capable of stretching about
the waist of a wearer. Other conventional adjustable-waist
garments, such as conventional maternity pants, include a waist
band containing reinforcing elastic and a succession of button
holes that may cooperate with buttons disposed on a front flap of
the pants. In addition, some conventional garments are designed to
provide support to the abdomen of a wearer using either elastic
components disposed about the wearer's abdomen or a brace provided
about the wearer's waist which acts to flatten the waistline of the
wearer when the garment is closed and secured.
[0004] Other conventional garments provide a front drop flap that
allows for some adjustment via the fastening of one or more buttons
at one or more points about a waist band without providing a wide
range of sizes. Furthermore, other conventional adjustable garments
require that excess material or material overlaps (exposed, for
instance when the garment is taken in to a smaller waist size) be
folded, overlapped, and/or gathered behind a front flap and/or
within the pockets of the garment. Some additional conventional
adjustable garments provide an adjustable waist by defining a slit
or v-shaped opening in the waist band of the garment that may be
opened and/or closed (and, in some cases, overlapped) in order to
adjust the waist or overall size of the garment.
[0005] While such garments provide some degree of adjustability to
the waist size of the garment, many such adjustable garments
require the use of elastic, which may result in shirring and/or
bunching of fabric about the areas containing reinforcing elastic
material. In addition, many conventional garments require that
excess material (disposed, for instance, in flaps, overlaps, and/or
gussets) be folded, bunched, and/or taken up about the waist of the
wearer of the garment when the garment is adjusted to a smaller
size. Finally, while some conventional adjustable garments provide
for adjustability using buttons and/or notches defined in or around
a waist band, such garments do not include provisions for the use
of resilient fabric panels (such as, for instance, woven and/or
knit materials blended with Lycra) to line the garment and provide
extra support to a wearer without the use of elastic waist band
components.
[0006] Therefore, there exists a need for a convertible garment
and/or convertible garment closure for providing an adjustable fit
and/or size wherein the garment exhibits a clean and flat look
regardless of the size adjustment made to the garment. More
particularly, there exists a need for a convertible garment closure
that does not require the use of elastic material and that does not
require the folding or excessive overlap of material about the
waist or other body part of the wearer of the garment. In addition,
there exists a need for a convertible garment that is fully
adjustable and supportive to the wearer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The above and other needs are met by the present invention
which, in various embodiments, provides a convertible closure for
garments which is configured to be capable of accommodating the
expansion and/or contraction of the waist and/or abdominal region
of the wearer which may occur for a number of reasons including,
for example, pregnancy, weight loss/gain, illness, and
developmental growth. In addition, the convertible garment closure
provided according to the various embodiments of the present
invention is also configured to be capable of accommodating such
expansion and/or contraction without restriction of the waist or
hip region of the wearer. According to one embodiment a convertible
closure is provided that is adapted to be capable of adjusting the
size of a garment and supporting a wearer of the garment. The
convertible closure comprises a first waist band portion operably
engaged with the garment and including a first plurality of
fasteners and a flap operably engaged with a front portion of the
garment. The flap comprises a second waist band portion including a
second plurality of fasteners configured to be capable of operably
engaging at least one of the first plurality of fasteners such that
the second waist band portion is capable of operably engaging the
first waist band portion to form a continuous adjustable waist band
about the garment.
[0008] According to other embodiments, the convertible closure
further comprises a front panel operably engaged with the front
portion of the garment between a first front facing and a second
front facing of the garment. In such embodiments, the front panel
may be disposed behind the flap when the second waist band portion
is operably engaged with the first waist band portion to form the
continuous waist band. Thus, the front panel is configured to be
capable of supporting an abdominal region of the wearer of the
garment as well as resiliently taking in excess material in the
garment such that the garment maintains a clean and/or flat look
regardless of the degree to which the waist of the garment is
adjusted. According to various other embodiments of the convertible
closure and garment of the present invention, the first and second
plurality of fasteners may comprise fasteners including, but not
limited to, buttons, Velcro fasteners, hooks, eyes, snaps, ties,
grommets, zippers, button holes, and combinations thereof.
[0009] Thus the various embodiments of the convertible closure and
garment of the present invention provide many advantages that may
include, but are not limited to: providing a garment which is
capable of accommodating the expansion and/or contraction of the
waist and/or abdominal region of a wearer without restriction of
the waist or hips of the wearer; providing a convertible closure
for garments which does not require the use of elastic material to
accommodate expansion and/or contraction of the waist and/or
abdominal region of a wearer; providing a convertible closure for
garments such providing a clean and/or flat appearance; providing a
convertible closure for garments such that the garment is
comfortable for the wearer; and providing a convertible closure for
garments which is easy to use and requires no special fasteners or
complicated procedures for fastening.
[0010] These advantages and others that will be evident to those
skilled in the art are provided in the convertible closure and
garment of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Having thus described the invention in general terms,
reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are
not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 shows a front and rear view of a convertible closure
disposed in a pair of pants according to one non-limiting
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0013] FIG. 2 shows a front view perspective of a convertible
closure as disposed in a pair of pants, showing a droppable flap of
the convertible closure in a dropped position according to one
non-limiting embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] The present invention now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention
may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,
these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the
invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like
elements throughout.
[0015] While the convertible closure and garment 10 embodiments of
the present invention are described below in the context of a pair
of pants 10, it should be understood that the embodiments of the
present invention may also be utilized to provide a comfortable,
adjustable, and convertible closure for a variety of different
garment types such that the garment may be adjusted to accommodate
the expansion and/or contraction of the abdominal region and/or
waist of the wearer of the garment. For instance, the front and
rear portions 20, 30, flap 35, and first and second waist band
portions 60, 70 may be configured to provide a convertible closure
for a variety of different garment types, including, but not
limited to, skirts, shorts, shirts, coveralls, overalls, dresses,
pajamas, undergarments, and other garments. In addition,
embodiments of the present invention may also be applied to
garments for a variety of different purposes, including casual
wear, formal wear, athletic apparel, and/or other activity-specific
clothing types.
[0016] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a convertible closure for garments
according to one embodiment of the present invention wherein the
garment comprises a pair of pants 10. According to the embodiment
shown, the pants 10 are of a construction known generally to one
skilled in the art in that they comprise a rear portion 20 (or
seat, for instance), a front portion 30, and two leg portions 40,
50 which may be formed and joined using techniques that will also
be appreciated by one skilled in the art. According to the various
embodiments of the convertible closure and/or garment of the
present invention, the material of the garment may include, but is
not limited to, woven material (such as, for example, 100% cotton
twill, denim, canvas, poplin materials, rip stop nylon blends),
novelty fabrics, stretch fabrics comprising woven material and
spandex blends (such as, for example, 97% cotton 3% spandex
blends), blended woven fabrics (such as, for example,
rayon/nylon/spandex blends, cotton/nylon/spandex blends, and/or
polyester/nylon blends), and other materials suitable for forming
the desired garment. Thus, according to the embodiments of the
present invention, the convertible closure (including the flap 35,
first and second waist band portions 60, 70 and first and second
plurality of fasteners 80, 90) may be configured to be capable of
operably engaging a variety of garment types composed of one or
more materials including blends of one or more of the fabrics
listed above.
[0017] As shown in the non-limiting embodiment of FIG. 1, the pants
10 comprise a convertible closure comprising a first waist band
portion 60 operably engaged with the garment 10, the first waist
band portion comprising a first plurality of fasteners 80. As shown
generally in FIG. 1, the first waist band portion 60 may extend
from the back portion 20 of the pants 10 around the waistline and
partially around the front portion 30 of the waistline (see
generally, FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2, the ends 63, 67 of the
first waist band portion 60 may be configured to terminate short of
each other such that the ends 63, 67 are spaced apart to define a
front aperture in the front portion 30 of the garment 10. The
convertible closure of the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2
further comprises a flap 35 operably engaged with a front portion
30 of the garment 10 wherein the flap comprises a second waist band
portion 70 comprising a second plurality of fasteners 90 configured
to be capable of operably engaging at least one of the first
plurality of fasteners 80 such that the second waist band portion
70 is configured to be capable of operably engaging the first waist
band portion 60 to form a continuous adjustable waist band about
the garment 10 (as shown generally in FIG. 1).
[0018] In the non-limiting embodiment shown generally in FIGS. 1
and 2, the pants 10 further include legs 60, 70 that extend
downward from the flap 35, front and rear portions 30, 20 and other
convertible closure components of the garment 10. The first and
second waist portions 60, 70 may comprise typical waist band
construction details for pants (including, in some instances, belt
loops, suspender fasteners, or other details) that will be
appreciated by one skilled in the art. In some embodiments,
however, the waist band portions 60, 70 of the convertible closure
may comprise other types and/or styles of waist band construction
including, but not limited to, a waist facing (such as a "Hollywood
waist"), variable-width bindings forming the tope edge of the
waistline of the garment 10, and/or other waistline types suitable
for the style and function of the garment 10 with which the
convertible closure may be operably engaged according to the
various embodiments of the present invention.
[0019] As shown generally in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first and second
waist band portions 60, 70 also comprise a corresponding first and
second plurality of fasteners 80, 90 that may be operably engaged
with one another to join the first and second waist band portions
60, 70 into a continuous adjustable waist band extending about the
garment 10 such that the waist size (or circumference of the
resulting continuous adjustable waist band) may be altered by
selectively operably engaging one or more of the first plurality of
fasteners 80 (disposed, for instance on the first waist band
portion 60) with one or more of the second plurality of fasteners
90 (disposed, for instance, on the second waist band portion 70).
For example, the first waist band portion 60 may comprise a
plurality of button holes configured to be capable of connecting
with one or more of a plurality of buttons disposed on the second
waist band portion 70 formed on an upper edge of the flap 35.
[0020] In some embodiments of the convertible closure and/or
garment of the present invention wherein the garment 10 comprises,
for instance, a maternity garment, the fasteners 80, 90 may be
grouped in three or more general positions such that the garment
may be worn by an expectant mother during all three trimesters of
pregnancy. For example, in the first trimester, the wearer of the
garment may adjust the convertible closure (by selectively operably
engaging a "first trimester" set of corresponding fasteners 80, 90)
to conform to a relatively small waist size. In addition, according
to some embodiments during the first trimester, the wearer of the
maternity garment 10 may also choose to remove the front panel 140
(discussed in detail below) from the garment 10 until such time as
it may be needed to support the wearer's abdominal region. The
wearer may also choose to leave the front panel 140 in place as in
some embodiments, its resilient material may be utilized to take in
excess material of the garment 10 when, for instance, the waist
size of the garment is adjusted to be relatively small. During the
second and third trimesters, when the wearer of the garment 10 is
more likely to experience an increase in waist size and/or size of
the abdominal region, the wearer may adjust the garment 10 to
operably engage either a "second trimester" or "third trimester"
set of corresponding fasteners 80, 90 such that the ends 63, 67 of
the first waist band portion 60 are spread further apart to engage
corresponding fasteners from the second plurality of fasteners 90
disposed on the second waist band portion 70 disposed on the flap
35 of the garment 10. In addition, in later trimesters, the wearer
may (according to some embodiments) attach a stretchable front
panel 140 (as described in more detail below) between the front
facings 100, 110 to better support the abdominal region of the
wearer as well as provide better coverage of the wearer's abdominal
region.
[0021] While the first and second plurality of fasteners 80, 90
discussed above and shown generally in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprise
buttons and corresponding button holes, the first and second
plurality of fasteners 80, 90 may include any complementary
fastener types suitable for joining the first and second waist band
portions 60, 70 to form the continuous adjustable waist band as
discussed above. Such fasteners may include, but are not limited
to, snaps, Velcro closures, ties, grommets, zippers, hook and eye
closures, and/or other fastener types suitable for use in the type
of garment 10 with which the convertible closure of the present
invention may be operably engaged.
[0022] As shown generally in FIG. 2, the front portion 30 of the
garment 10 further comprises a first and second front facing 100,
110 wherein the first front facing 100 is disposed on the left side
of the front portion 30 garment and the second front facing 110 is
disposed on the right side of the front portion 20 of the garment
10. These front facings 100, 110 may be connected to the first
waist band portion 60 as well as to the outer side seams 120, 130
of the garment 10 (which may be in outside seams of the legs 40, 50
in embodiments wherein the garment 10 comprises a pair of pants, as
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). The front facings 100, 110 may thus be
moved farther apart (in conjunction with the ends 63, 67 of the
first waist band portion 60) when the wearer encounters the need to
upwardly adjust the waist size of the garment 10 and/or the overall
circumference of the continuous adjustable waist band formed by
joining the first and second waist band portions 60, 70. Thus, the
front facings 100, 110 may lie flat underneath the flap 35 to
provide a flat and/or clean appearance to the front portion 30 of
the garment 10 both in cases where the convertible closure is
adjusted inward (corresponding to a wearer having smaller waist
and/or abdominal region) and wherein the convertible closure is
outwardly adjusted (corresponding to a wearer having a larger waist
and/or abdominal region (such as an expectant mother)).
[0023] In addition, in some embodiments, the convertible closure
and/or garment 10 of the present invention may further comprise a
front panel 140 operably engaged with the front portion 30 of the
garment between the first front facing 100 and the second front
facing 110 of the garment 10. The front panel 140 is thus disposed
behind the flap 35 when the second waist band portion 70 is
operably engaged with the first waist band portion 60 to form the
continuous adjustable waist band about the waist and/or abdominal
region of the wearer of the garment 10. Thus, the front panel 140
is configured to be capable of supporting an abdominal region of
the wearer of the garment when the convertible closure of the
present invention is closed about the waist of the wearer.
According to some embodiments, the front panel 140 may be
rectangular in shape and smaller in overall size than the flap 35
such that the front panel 140 may be hidden behind the flap 35 when
the convertible closure is closed about the waist of the wearer. In
some embodiments, the front panel 140 may be configured to be
capable of being removed from the garment 10. For example, in some
embodiments, the front panel 140 may be buttoned, zipped, or
attached via other fastener type to the front facings 100, 110 of
the garment such that the wearer of the garment 10 may selectively
remove the front panel 140 from the garment 10 such as when, for
example, the wearer adjusts the convertible closure and/or garment
10 to a smaller waist size (such as in the timeframe immediately
following a pregnancy (where the garment 10 is a maternity
garment)). Thus, the wearer may remove the front panel 140 such
that the flap 35 of the garment 10 need not lie flat over the
extraneous material comprising the front panel 140.
[0024] According to various embodiments of the present invention,
the front panel 140 may be composed of one or more layers of
stretchable and/or resilient materials that may be suitable for
resiliently supporting the abdominal region of the wearer of the
garment 10. For instance, the front panel may comprise materials
including, but not limited to, a stretchable blended knit material;
a stretchable woven material; 97% cotton and 3% spandex jersey
material; 97% cotton and 3% spandex 1.times.1 rib material; 90%
cotton and 10% spandex jersey material; 100% cotton 1.times.1 rib
material; 100% cotton 2.times.2 rib material; 95% cotton and 5%
spandex material; and/or any other blended knit and/or woven fabric
which exhibits good recovery characteristics.
[0025] According to some embodiments, one or more pockets may be
defined by the front facings 100, 110 and/or the flap 35 of the
present invention. In some embodiments, for instance, hidden
pockets may be defined on an inner surface of the flap 35 or on an
outer surface of the front facings 100, 110. Furthermore, in some
embodiments patch pockets or other pocket styles that will be
appreciated by one skilled in the art may be disposed on the outer
surface of the flap 35 and/or front portion 30 of the garment 10.
In addition, as shown generally in FIGS. 1 and 2, the garment 10
may include one or more additional pockets defined in the rear
portion 20 of the garment 10 as will be appreciated by one skilled
in the art.
[0026] Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention
will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention
pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the
foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it
is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the
specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other
embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the
appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they
are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for
purposes of limitation.
* * * * *