U.S. patent application number 15/013405 was filed with the patent office on 2016-08-04 for pants having waistband for receiving flexible restraints.
The applicant listed for this patent is 5.11, Inc.. Invention is credited to Elizabeth Claire Hoiles.
Application Number | 20160219943 15/013405 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56553591 |
Filed Date | 2016-08-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160219943 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hoiles; Elizabeth Claire |
August 4, 2016 |
PANTS HAVING WAISTBAND FOR RECEIVING FLEXIBLE RESTRAINTS
Abstract
A pants garment is provided with features for storing and/or
concealing flexible restraints such as plastic restraints commonly
used by law enforcement. A restraint tunnel may extend along a
waistband of the pants garment and include an opening. The opening
may be sized and arranged so as to facilitate, when a flexible
restraint is stored in the tunnel, removal of the flexible
restraint from the tunnel through the opening when the plastic
restraint is grasped and pulled by fingers of the wearer from a
position along at least one of the interior side or the exterior
side of the pants garment when the pants garment is worn by the
wearer. The tunnel may attach to the interior of the pants along
the waistband, or may be incorporated into the waistband with an
opening to the exterior or interior side of the pants garment.
Inventors: |
Hoiles; Elizabeth Claire;
(Encinitas, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
5.11, Inc. |
Modesto |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
56553591 |
Appl. No.: |
15/013405 |
Filed: |
February 2, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62110984 |
Feb 2, 2015 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41D 29/00 20130101;
A41D 2200/10 20130101; A41D 13/0012 20130101; A41D 1/06
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A41D 1/06 20060101
A41D001/06; A41F 9/00 20060101 A41F009/00 |
Claims
1. A pants garment, comprising: an interior side of the pants
garment configured to face toward a wearer of the pants garment
when the pants garment is worn by the wearer; an exterior side of
the pants garment configured to face away from a wearer of the
pants garment when the pants garment is worn by the wearer; a
waistband configured to be positioned about a waist of the wearer
when the pants garment is worn by the wearer; and an elongated
tunnel extending along the waistband, said tunnel sized and
configured for receiving and storing at least a portion of each of
one or more flexible restraints therein, said tunnel further having
an opening therein, said opening sized and arranged so as to
facilitate, when the one or more plastic restraints are stored in
the tunnel, removal of at least one of the one or more plastic
restraints from the tunnel through the opening when the at least
one of the one or more plastic restraints is grasped and pulled by
fingers of the wearer from a position along at least one of the
interior side or the exterior side of the pants garment when the
pants garment is worn by the wearer.
2. The pants garment of claim 1, further comprising belt loops
having upper and lower attachment points, wherein the elongated
tunnel is disposed within a region of the pants garment
circumscribed by the upper and lower belt-loop attachment
points.
3. The pants garment of claim 1, wherein the tunnel comprises a
tube fixed to the interior side of the garment.
4. The pants garment of claim 3, wherein the tunnel is positioned
proximate to a lower seam of the waistband.
5. The pants garment of claim 1, wherein the waistband comprises a
hollow inner portion, and wherein the tunnel is formed at least in
part by the hollow inner portion such that the opening of the
tunnel forms a passage from the hollow inner portion to at least
one of the exterior side or the interior side of the pants
garment.
6. The pants garment of claim 1, wherein the opening of the tunnel
forms a passage from the hollow inner portion to the exterior side
of the pants garment.
7. The pants garment of claim 1, wherein the opening of the tunnel
forms a passage from the hollow inner portion to the interior side
of the pants garment.
8. The pants garment of claim 1, wherein the opening is sized and
arranged so as to facilitate, when the one or more plastic
restraints are stored in the tunnel, removal of at least one of the
one or more plastic restraints from the tunnel through the opening
when the at least one of the one or more plastic restraints is
grasped and pulled by fingers of the wearer from a position along
the exterior side of the pants garment when the pants garment is
worn by the wearer.
9. The pants garment of claim 1, wherein the opening is sized and
arranged so as to facilitate, when the one or more plastic
restraints are stored in the tunnel, removal of at least one of the
one or more plastic restraints from the tunnel through the opening
when the at least one of the one or more plastic restraints is
grasped and pulled by fingers of the wearer from a position along
the interior side of the pants garment when the pants garment is
worn by the wearer.
10. The pants garment of claim 1, further comprising a slit
providing a passage through which the opening is accessible from a
position within a pocket so that a wearer of the pants garment can
grasp and extract at least one of the one or more plastic
restraints stored in the tunnel when the pants garment is worn by
the wearer and when fingers of the wearer have been inserted into
the pocket.
11. The pants garment of claim 1, further comprising a flexible
restraint stored in the tunnel.
12. The pants garment of claim 11, wherein the flexible restraint
comprises a head and a tail, wherein the head has a larger
cross-sectional size than the tail.
13. The pants garment of claim 12, wherein the opening is sized
relative to the cross-sectional sizes of the head and the tail so
to permit passage by the tail through the opening into or out of
the tunnel and to prevent passage by the head through the opening
into or out of the tunnel.
14. The pants garment of claim 1, wherein the tunnel is arranged
relative to the waistband so that, when a belt is worn with the
pants and a flexible restraint is received in the tunnel, at least
one of the tunnel or an end of the flexible restraint is hidden
from view by the belt.
15. A pants garment, comprising: an interior side of the pants
garment configured to face toward a wearer of the pants garment
when the pants garment is worn by the wearer; an exterior side of
the pants garment configured to face away from a wearer of the
pants garment when the pants garment is worn by the wearer; a
waistband configured to be positioned about a waist of the wearer
when the pants garment is worn by the wearer; and an elongated
tunnel extending along the waistband, the tunnel formed at least in
part by a tube fixed to an interior side of the pants garment at or
adjacent to a lower seam of the waistband, the tunnel sized and
configured for receiving and storing at least a portion of each of
one or more flexible restraints therein, said tunnel further having
an opening therein, said opening sized and arranged so as to
facilitate, when the one or more plastic restraints are stored in
the tunnel, removal of at least one of the one or more plastic
restraints from the tunnel through the opening when the at least
one of the one or more plastic restraints is grasped and pulled by
fingers of the wearer from a position along at least one of the
interior side or the exterior side of the pants garment when the
pants garment is worn by the wearer.
16. The pants garment of claim 15, further comprising a slit
providing a passage through which the opening is accessible from a
position along the exterior side of the pants garment.
17. The pants garment of claim 15, wherein the opening is disposed
along a front portion of the pants garment.
18. A pants garment, comprising; an interior side of the pants
garment configured to face toward a wearer of the pants garment
when the pants garment is worn by the wearer; an exterior side of
the pants garment configured to face away from a wearer of the
pants garment when the pants garment is worn by the wearer; a
waistband configured to be positioned about a waist of the wearer
when the pants garment is worn by the wearer, the waistband
comprising a hollow inner portion; and an elongated tunnel
extending along the waistband, the tunnel formed at least in part
by the hollow inner portion of the waistband, the tunnel sized and
configured for receiving and storing at least a portion of each of
one or more flexible restraints therein, said tunnel further having
an opening therein that forms a passage from the hollow inner
portion to at least one of the exterior side or the interior side
of the pants garment, said opening sized and arranged so as to
facilitate, when the one or more plastic restraints are stored in
the tunnel, removal of at least one of the one or more plastic
restraints from the tunnel through the opening when the at least
one of the one or more plastic restraints is grasped and pulled by
fingers of the wearer from a position adjacent the opening when the
pants garment is worn by the wearer.
19. The pants garment of claim 18, wherein the opening of the
tunnel forms a passage from the hollow inner portion to the
exterior side of the pants garment.
20. The pants garment of claim 18, wherein the opening of the
tunnel forms a passage from the hollow inner portion to the
interior side of the pants garment.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/110,984, filed Feb. 2, 2015, the entire contents
of which are incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In many jurisdictions, law enforcement officers have adopted
use of flexible restraints (commonly made of a flexible material
such as plastic and referred to as Flexibands, Flexible Handcuffs,
Plastic Handcuffs, Flexicuffs, and other terms). A variety of
reasons for such adoption exist, including low cost, low weight and
profile, and sanitary considerations. Unlike conventional metal
handcuffs, such restraints are generally not reusable. However,
even so, flexible restraints may become indispensable whenever a
large number of restraints is required or whenever it is
impractical for an officer to carry conventional handcuffs, such as
while undercover or in plain-clothes. Although low-profile compared
to conventional restraints, flexible restraints still compete for
space with other equipment in the modern police officer kit, and
may still present an unacceptable visual cue as to the status of
undercover police. In order to remain inconspicuous, off-duty,
undercover, and plainclothes police officers may forego carrying
this useful tool. Therefore, the provision of tactical storage and
concealment of flexible restraints is useful for law-enforcement
officers.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0003] The following presents a simplified summary of some
embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic
understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive
overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify
key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of
the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of
the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more
detailed description that is presented later.
[0004] Embodiments herein are directed to a slender pocket forming
a tunnel in a pants garment (e.g., full length pants, shorts,
overalls, jumpsuit, suit, girdle, harness, or other variations).
For example, in at least one embodiment, the tunnel is formed as a
tube of fabric that is fixed to an interior side of the pants
garment and that runs parallel to and/or along the waistband. The
tunnel is sufficiently narrow that a flexible restraint contained
therein is held along the contour of the waistband, and
sufficiently broad that one or more flexible restraints may be
stored therein. One or more openings in the tunnel permit access to
the restraints, such as at or near an edge of the waistband. Such
openings may correspond to an end of the tunnel which the flexible
restraints or cuffs can be inserted into. Additionally or
alternatively, the opening or openings may be oriented transverse
to--or parallel to--a direction of travel of the tunnel. For
example, for a tunnel traveling in a horizontal direction along the
waistband or waistline of the pants, a given opening may be
oriented to permit vertical feeding of a flexible restraint into
the tunnel or may instead be oriented to permit horizontal feeding
of a flexible restraint into the tunnel. In various embodiments,
the tunnel is fixed along a region of a lower seam of the
waistband, but other orientations and locations of the tunnel
and/or openings may be utilized. In accordance with various
embodiments, equipment secured within the tunnel may be disguised
or hidden by the lower seam. The tunnel (or restraints extending
therefrom) may additionally or alternatively be covered and
obscured from view by a belt worn through a region circumscribed by
belt loops if any belt loops are present.
[0005] In some embodiments, the slender tunnel or pocket is formed
within the waistband of the pants garment. The tunnel may be
bounded by existing layers of material that are folded over or
otherwise arranged to form the waistband, or additional layers of
material may be added to the waistband to form part or all of the
tunnel. Thus, in one example, the tunnel is incorporated into the
waistband, and positioned within a region of the pants normally
covered by a belt. At least one opening of the tunnel may be
proximate to or within that covered region, for example, to provide
easy access to the tunnel or contents thereof for a wearer of the
pants. The tunnel can be sufficiently narrow that a plastic cuff,
locking plastic tie, or other flexible restraint inserted therein
will follow the contour of the waistband when the pants are worn.
The tunnel may also be sufficiently broad that one or more flexible
restraints can be easily tucked into and removed from the tunnel.
In at least one example, the tunnel has at least one opening placed
within reach of the wearer, such as near a seam where the waistband
meets the remainder of the body of the pants garment (or the
self-fabric). The open end or openings may exit to the exterior of
the pants in some embodiments, or additionally or alternatively
exit to the interior of the pants. When the pants are worn, the
pressure of a belt, the tension in the waistband, or both can cause
the flexible restraints to remain in place until intentionally
removed.
[0006] For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of
the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing
detailed description and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a belt received in pants
that include features for storing, accessing, and/or concealing
flexible restraints in accordance with at least one embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the pants of FIG. 1,
showing the pants without the belt.
[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the pants of FIG. 1,
showing the pants turned inside out.
[0010] FIG. 4 illustrates a front perspective view of another
arrangement of the pants of FIG. 1, showing features for storing,
accessing, and/or concealing flexible restraints at least partially
within in a hollow inner portion of a waistband of the pants.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] In the following description, various embodiments of the
present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation,
specific configurations and details are set forth in order to
provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it
will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present
invention may be practiced without the specific details.
Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in
order not to obscure the embodiment being described.
[0012] Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference
numerals represent like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1
shows an example of a pants garment 100 (hereinafter pants 100)
having features for storing, accessing, and/or concealing flexible
restraints 116 such as flexible restraints. Such features may
include tunnels, e.g., features provide a passage through at least
some portion of the pants 100. The flexible restraints 116 may be
formed of plastic and/or any other suitably flexible material and
correspond to restraints referred to as Flexibands, Flexible
Handcuffs, Plastic Handcuffs, Flexicuffs, and other terms. The
pants 100 may correspond to any variation of garment worn about the
legs, waist, and/or torso of a wearer, including, but not limited
to full length pants, shorts, overalls, jumpsuits, suits, girdles,
harnesses, or other variations. The pants 100 may be worn with a
belt 126 (such as shown in FIG. 1) or without a belt (such as shown
in FIG. 2). In some embodiments, the belt 126 may provide an
additional modicum of concealment for the flexible restraints 116,
for example, as described in more detail below; however, in various
embodiments, the flexible restraints 116 may still be effectively
concealed in the pants 100 even without use of the belt 126.
[0013] FIG. 3 shows the pants 100 inside-out. Thus, an interior
side 132 of the pants 100 (e.g., that faces toward a wearer of the
pants 100 when worn by the wearer) occupies most of the view in
FIG. 3, although a portion of an exterior side 130 (e.g., that
faces away from the wearer when worn) may also be seen. This is in
contrast to FIG. 1, in which a larger portion of the exterior side
130 and a smaller portion of the interior side 132 are visible.
[0014] The pants 100 shown in FIG. 3 have a waistband 102. At least
part of the waistband 102 may form a transition between the
interior side 132 and the exterior side 130 of the pants 100. The
waistband 102 may correspond to a portion of the pants 100 that may
be secured or cinched around a waist of a wearer when worn. The
waistband 102 may be formed with any suitable construction, and may
include any suitable features for obtaining a desired construction
including, but not limited to hems, stitching, joining of multiple
layers of fabric, etc.
[0015] A restraint tunnel 104 for receiving flexible restraints 116
is shown in FIG. 3 as a tube of material affixed to the waistband
102 so as to at least partially encircle waist of a wearer of the
pants 100 when the pants 100 are worn by the wearer. Openings 112
may be provided for access into or from the tunnel 104 for flexible
restraints 116. For example, the illustrated restraint tunnel 104
has a first opening 112A and a second opening 112B at respective
first and second ends 118A and 118B of the restraint tunnel 104.
The first and second openings 112A and 112B are shown respectively
positioned on each side of the centerline 120 of the pants 100.
These illustrated first and second openings 112A and 112B of the
restraint tunnel 104 are located at a distance 110 from the
centerline 120 of the pants. This distance may be 4 inches in
accordance with some embodiments, for example, to allow ease of
access to these first and second openings 112A and 112B for the
wearer, but the distance may also vary. Additionally, the distance
may differ or be the same between the sides of the centerline
120.
[0016] Openings 112 can also be provided in the tunnel 104 at
locations other than the ends 118 of the tunnel 104. For example,
the tunnel 104 in FIG. 3 is also shown with third and fourth
openings 112C and 112D. The illustrated third opening 112C is
oriented transverse to a direction of travel of the tunnel 104,
while the fourth opening 112D is oriented parallel to a direction
of the tunnel 104. Hence, if the direction of travel of the tunnel
104 is considered to be a horizontal direction, flexible restraints
116 can be fed into the third opening 112C also in a horizontal
direction. In contrast, a flexible restraint 116 may be fed
vertically into the tunnel 104 through the fourth opening 112D, and
the contour of the tunnel 104 may cause the vertically-fed flexible
restraint 116 to curve and shift into a horizontal alignment as the
flexible restraint 116 is inserted further into the tunnel 104.
[0017] Providing openings 112 on each side of the centerline 120
may allow flexible restraints 116 to be inserted into either side
and drawn from either side. In some aspects, a flexible restraint
116 may be of a length that is sufficient to extend through an
entire length of the tunnel 104, for example, from the first
opening 112A at the first end 118A to an opening 112B at the second
end 118B. Additionally or alternatively, flexible restraints 116
may be used that have lengths that are sufficiently short that
different restraints 116 can be inserted into different openings
112A and 112B and extend into the tunnel 104 without contacting
and/or interfering with one another.
[0018] The openings 112 of the restraint tunnel 104 may be sized
relative to the flexible restraints 116. For example, the flexible
restraints 116 may include a head and a tail. The head may have a
larger cross-sectional size than the tail. For example, the head
may correspond to a ratcheting or other receiving structure for
receiving a ribbed surface of the tail so that the flexible
restraint 116 can be secured about a person's wrist, foot, or other
limb by routing the tail through the head and pulling the tail
until the flexible restraint 116 is taut or exhibits a suitable or
desired amount of tension. Any opening 112 in the restraint tunnel
104 can be sized to permit passage by the tail through the opening
112 into or out of the restraint tunnel 104 and prevent passage by
the head through the opening 112 into or out of the restraint
tunnel 104. For example, this may cause the head of the flexible
restraint 116 to always be accessible outside of the restraint
tunnel 104 for ease of grasping by a wearer of the pants 100. As
one illustrated example, the fourth opening 112D in FIG. 1 is shown
having a narrower width than either a width or thickness that
determine a cross-sectional size of a head of a corresponding
flexible restraint 116. As may also be appreciated with reference
to the other openings 112 in FIG. 1, not all openings 112 need
necessarily exhibit sizing restrictions relative to the head of a
corresponding flexible restraint 116.
[0019] The waistband 102 shown in FIG. 3 is substantially within a
region of the pants 100 that may be covered by the belt 126. This
may correspond to a region defined by belt loops 122. For example,
the illustrated pants 100 include belt loops 122 fixed at upper
tack points 106 and lower tack points 108 at intervals spaced about
the waistband 102, and the restraint tunnel 104 is shown positioned
between these upper tack points 106 and lower tack points 108.
Moreover, although belt loops 122 and corresponding tack points 106
and 108 are shown in this example, in some embodiments the pants
100 may lack belt loops 122 entirely and remain within the scope of
this disclosure.
[0020] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the restraint
tunnel 104 is affixed to the interior of the waistband 102 in a
region proximate to a lower seam 114 of the waistband 102. The
lower seam 114 may correspond to a facing seam, which may represent
where a fabric forming the waistband 102 is attached to itself
after being folded over to form a hem of the waistband 102.
However, although the openings 112 of the restraint tunnel 104 are
shown proximate to the lower seam 114 of the waistband 102 and
facing the front-side centerline 120 of the pants 100, the precise
locations of the openings 112 may vary.
[0021] The restraint tunnel 104 can receive a single flexible
restraint 116 or multiple flexible restraints 116. When received,
the flexible restraints 116 may extend toward a rearward portion of
the restraint tunnel 104, e.g., along and around the waistline of
the wearer. Additionally, although the restraint tunnel 104 is
shown in FIG. 3 as a single continuous tunnel around the waistband
102 (e.g., which may simplify manufacturing processes), the
restraint tunnel 104 may correspond to separate tunnels, e.g. such
that the openings 112 and 112 B correspond to separate tunnels
extending along different portions of the waistband 102.
Additionally or alternatively, multiple tunnels 104 may be
positioned adjacent one another (e.g. stacked vertically above one
another between the upper and lower tack points 106 and 108).
[0022] In some aspects, features made be provided that facilitate
moving flexible restraints 116 between a position along the
interior side 132 of the pants 100 and a position along the
exterior side 130 of the pants 100. For example, in the embodiment
shown in FIG. 3, a slit 124 is provided adjacent the first opening
112A in the first end 118A of the tunnel 104. This slit 124 may
permit a wearer of the pants 100 to reach from the exterior side
130 of the pants 100 and through the slit 124 (e.g. as illustrated
by arrow 180 in FIG. 1), such as to grasp a flexible restraint 116
projecting from the first opening 112A of the tunnel 104 or
otherwise positioned at another location along the interior side
132 of the pants 100.
[0023] The slit 124 may be positioned so as to be difficult to
detect when the pants 100 are worn by a wearer. For example, the
slit 124 may be positioned within the region of the pants 100 that
may be covered by the belt 126. Additionally or alternatively, the
slit 124 may be formed by omitting or severing stitching that would
otherwise be present in the pants 100. For example, with reference
to FIG. 2, the slit 124 may be formed by separating stitching 140
that is used for attaching and/or forming a flap along the
fastening interface at a front of the pants 100. Such a
construction may hide the presence of the slit 124 from an
observer, for example, when the pants 100 are worn without a belt
126, as in FIG. 2.
[0024] In some aspects, a slit 134 can be provided to provide
access to a flexible restraint 116 through a pocket 138 of the
pants 100. For example, the slit 134 shown in FIG. 3 may permit a
wearer of the pants 100 to reach inside the pocket 138 for
accessing (via the slit 134) a flexible restraint 116 positioned at
a location along the interior side 132 of the pants 100. In some
cases, this may include the wearer reaching through the slit 134 to
reach and/or grasp the flexible restraint 116 (e.g., as is
illustrated by arrow 182 in FIG. 2). Such an arrangement may permit
a wearer of the pants 100 to store the flexible restraint 116 in
the tunnel 104 by directly inserting the flexible restraint 116
along the interior side 132 of the pants 100, which may be easier
than storing the flexible restraint 116 by a process of
respectively threading through the pocket 138, slit 134, and the
first opening 112A.
[0025] In some embodiments, the belt 126 when worn may conceal any
sign of flexible restraints 116 stored in the restraint tunnel 104.
As one example, the free end of a flexible restraint 116 extending
out of one of the openings 112 can be tucked under the belt 126 or
behind a region covered by a belt, offering additional concealment
while maintaining ready access for the wearer. Also, the pants 100
may allow a wearer to protect against a free end of a flexible
restraint 116 and/or portions of the tunnel 104 from being visible
through the fabric of the pants 100. For example, the belt 126 may
cover a portion of the fabric of the pants 100 that may otherwise
bulge or be raised by the presence of the flexible restraint 116
pushing against the fabric, such as in response to the pants 100
being tightly cinched about the wearer.
[0026] FIG. 4 shows another arrangement of the pants of FIG. 1,
showing a tunnel 104A that may be used in addition to or in lieu of
the tunnel 104 shown in FIGS. 1-3. The pants 100 shown in FIG. 4
include a hollow inner portion 140 of the waistband 102. For
example, the hollow inner portion 140 may correspond to a space
formed between a fold and stitching in a hem that forms at least
part of the waistband 102. The hollow inner portion 140 may
additionally or alternatively correspond to any other space formed
between multiple joined portions of fabric of the waistband 102A.
The hollow inner portion 140 of the waistband 102 forms boundaries
of the tunnel 104A shown in FIG. 4. Thus, for example, in pants 100
having belt loops 122, the restraint tunnel 104 may be located
within a region circumscribed by upper tack points 106 and lower
tack points 108 of the belt loops 122.
[0027] Flexible restraints 116 stored within the restraint tunnel
104 may be accessed through a fifth opening 112E that provides a
passage from the inner hollow portion 140 of the waistband 102 to
the exterior side 130 of the pants 100. The fifth opening 112E is
shown in FIG. 4 as located along the lower external waistband seam
114. The fifth opening 112E may be sufficiently long or large that
a user can reach within the opening using one, two, or more fingers
to secure or to retrieve one or more flexible restraints 116
therefrom. Alternatively, an end of a flexible restraint 116 may
extend from the opening, so that the end is readily accessible to a
wearer of the pants 100.
[0028] In various embodiments, the fifth opening 112E may be
situated so that the fifth opening 112E is fully covered by a belt
126 when worn by the wearer, or so that the fifth opening 112E is
otherwise obscured. This arrangement may permit the wearer to grasp
a free end of the flexible restraint 116 by reaching underneath
and/or behind the belt 126. As with the tunnel 104 shown in FIG. 1,
the tunnel 104A shown in FIG. 4 can extend contiguously and/or
fully around the waistband 102 of the pants 100, or more than one
tunnel 104A can extend from one or from each side of the pants 100
and extend partly or fully around the waistband 102 of the pants
100.
[0029] Openings 112 for the tunnel 104A shown in FIG. 4 may be
placed in other locations or at other orientations than those just
described for the fifth opening 112E. For example, a sixth opening
112F is shown in FIG. 4 at a rear of the pants 100 rather than at a
front of the pants 100. Such a location may provide a wearer with
more options of storage locations and/or access points for flexible
restraints 116. Nevertheless, locating flexible restraints 116 so
as to be accessible from a front of the pants 100 may allow a
wearer to more easily load flexible restraints 116 into the pants
100 while wearing the pants 100 and/or more easily check and
confirm that stored flexible restraints 116 are not visible or
otherwise remain suitably concealed. The sixth opening 112F is also
arranged with a vertical span rather than the horizontal span shown
for the fifth opening 112E, although other orientations are also
possible. Moreover, in various embodiments, due to the restraint
tunnel 104A extending around the belt line of the wearer, contour
changes to the pants 100 due to one or more flexible restraints 116
being received in the tunnel 104A can be covered by a belt 126 worn
by the wearer.
[0030] As maybe appreciated by the foregoing description, the
tunnel 104 or 104A (or multiples thereof) and respective openings
112 can be arranged relative to the pants 100 to facilitate a
variety of manners of accessing flexible restraints 116. For
example, with respect to FIG. 1, a wearer of the pants 100 may
reach along the interior side 132 of the pants 100 (e.g. starting
from above the waistband 102) to reach a flexible restraint 116,
such as reaching along the illustrated arrow 184 toward the third
opening 112C (e.g. for a horizontally-fed flexible restraint 116)
and/or reaching along the illustrated arrow 186 toward the fourth
opening 112D (e.g., for a vertically-fed flexible restraint 116).
Additionally or alternatively, as best seen in FIG. 4, a wearer of
the pants 100 may reach along the exterior side 130 of the pants
100 (and behind the belt 126, if present) to grasp a flexible
restraint 116, such as reaching along the illustrated arrow 188
(e.g. toward a bottom of a belt loop 122 in order to access a
flexible restraint 116 from the second opening 112B) and/or along
the illustrated arrow 190 (e.g. toward a top of a belt loop 122 in
order to access a flexible restraint 116 from the second opening
112B). As also noted above and most readily apparent from FIG. 2,
in some embodiments, the wearer of the pants 100 may reach through
the pants 100 to grasp a flexible restraint 116, such as reaching
along the illustrated arrow 180 (e.g. through the slit 124) and/or
along the illustrated arrow 182 (e.g., through the pocket 138
and/or slit 134). Thus, the pants 100 may be configured in a number
of suitable combinations so that a wearer of the pants 100 may
readily access, grasp, and deploy a flexible restraint 116 for use,
e.g., without the flexible restraint 116 being visible to others
beforehand.
[0031] Other variations are within the spirit of the present
invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various
modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated
embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been
described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that
there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form
or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover
all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents
falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in
the appended claims.
[0032] The use of the terms "a," and "an," and "the," and similar
referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in
the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover
both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein
or clearly contradicted by context. The terms "comprising,"
"having," "including," and "containing" are to be construed as
open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to,")
unless otherwise noted. The term "connected" is to be construed as
partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together,
even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of
values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of
referring individually to each separate value falling within the
range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value
is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually
recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in
any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise
clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples,
or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein, is
intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention
and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless
otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be
construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the
practice of the invention. As one example, although features may be
described herein using ascending ordinal numbers such as first,
second, etc., such terms are used merely to assist with
identification among various features and do not imply a
requirement that all such features be included in all
embodiments.
[0033] Preferred embodiments of this invention are described
herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying
out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may
become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading
the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to
employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for
the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically
described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all
modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the
claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover,
any combination of the above-described elements in all possible
variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise
indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
[0034] All references, including publications, patent applications,
and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to
the same extent as if each reference were individually and
specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set
forth in its entirety herein.
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