AU2004100754A4 - Protective chaps - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Applicant(s): Anna Davis Invention Title: PROTECTIVE CHAPS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 PROTECTIVE CHAPS Field of the Invention This invention relates to protective chaps for protecting a wearer's legs and clothing.

Background of the Invention Many activities are performed by people which ideally require some degree of protective to clothing, such as pants or trousers worn by the person, as well as the person's legs. Such activities include those in which it may be desirable to merely maintain the wearer's pants or trousers clean or dry, as well as environments in which some degree of protection against scratching or abrasions to a person's skin is needed.

Summary of the Invention The object of the present invention is to provide protective chaps for protecting a wearer's pants or trousers, as well as the wearer's legs, yet provide comfort and freedom of movement.

The invention provides protective chaps for wearing about a wearer's leg, comprising: a panel having a first edge, a second edge, a bottom edge and an upper edge; a first component of a fastener adjacent the first edge, and a second component of the fastener adjacent the second edge; wherein the panel, in use, is wrapped around a user's leg and the first and second components of the fastener connected to hold the chaps around the user's leg; and wherein the panel is formed from a canvas material.

The formation of the panel from the canvas material provides protection to a wearer's leg and clothing worn by the wearer beneath the chaps, whilst at the same time Hs\Luisa\Keep\Speci\Anna Davies Innov Protective Chaps.doc 30/08/04 3 allowing flexibility of movement to thereby provide comfort and complete freedom of movement by the wearer.

The canvas material also enables the chaps to "breathe" and circulate air around the wearer's leg. The canvas material is sufficiently strong to provide heavy duty protection against abrasive surfaces, tearing and cuts to the wearer's legs or pants or trousers, as well as water resistance and wind resistance to maintain the wearer's leg warm and dry. The canvas material also offers sun protection.

Preferably the upper edge comprises a first upper edge portion which extends from the second edge to an intermediate point on the upper edge, the first upper edge portion having a curved profile, and a second upper edge portion extending from the intermediate point to the first edge, so that a stem portion is defined by part of the curved profile of the first upper edge portion, the second upper edge portion, and an upper part of the first edge.

Preferably the stem portion includes a belt loop for receiving a belt to facilitate fastening of the chaps to a wearer's body.

Preferably the fastener comprises a zip and the first component of the fastener comprises one side of the zip and the second component of the fastener comprises the other side of the zip so that when the panel is wrapped around a wearer's leg, the two parts of the zip are brought together and joined by a zip slide to thereby secure the first edge to the second edge and the chaps around the wearer's leg.

In other embodiments, the fastener may comprise buttons and eyes for receiving the buttons, a Velcro (trade mark) type fastener, press studs or any other suitable fastener.

H-\Luisa\Keep\Speci\Anna Davies Innov Protective Chaps.doc 30/08/04 4 Preferably the second edge tapers relative to the first edge so that the panel is narrower adjacent the bottom edge than the upper edge.

In one embodiment, the panel may include a foot flap connected to the lower edge for protecting a wearer's shoe, and a hip flap connected at an upper portion of the first edge for providing additional protection at the wearer's hip.

In a still further embodiment, an ancillary crutch bib may be provided, the crutch bib having at least one belt loop for receiving a belt so that the belt can be used to secure the chap to the wearer and also the crutch bib to provide additional protection at the wearer's crutch.

Preferably a pair of chaps is provided with each chaps in the pair being a mirror image of the other, so that one chaps is for wrapping around one of the user's legs, and the other chaps is for wrapping around the other of the user's legs.

Brief Description of the Drawings Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view of a chaps according to the preferred embodiment; Figure 2 is a view along the line II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of a person wearing a pair of chaps according to the preferred embodiment; and Figure 4 is a view of an ancillary crutch protecting bib.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments With reference to Figure i, a chaps 10 for wearing on a user's leg is shown. Most preferably, a pair of chaps is Ht\Luisa\Keep\Speci\Anna Davies Innov Protective Chaps.doc 30/08/04 5 provided for a wearer with the other chaps being a mirror image of the chap shown in Figure 1. However, in some environments, if only one leg needs protection, only a single chaps may be provided to a wearer.

The chap 10 comprises a panel 12 which has a first edge 14, a second edge 16, a lower edge 18 and an upper edge The upper edge 20 has a first upper edge portion 21 which is of curved profile and which extends from the second edge 16 to an intermediate point P. The upper edge is completed by a second upper edge portion 22 which extends from the intermediate portion P to the first edge 14, and which is substantially straight. A stem 24 is defined by part of the curved profile of the first upper edge portion 21, the second upper edge portion 22 and an upper part of the first edge 14. The stem 24 is folded over itself and stitched along stitch line 25 to define a belt loop 27, as is best shown in Figure 2.

A first component 30 of a zip is sewn at the first edge 14 and a second component 31 of a zip is sewn along the second edge 16. The second component 31 includes a zip slider 32.

In order to wear the chaps of Figure 1, the chap panel 12 is wrapped around a user's leg, as is shown in Figure 3, so that the curved profile of the first edge portion 21 generally follows the line of the user's groin, and so that the zip components 30 and 31 are brought together at the outside of the user's leg. The zip slider 32 is then engaged with the zip component 30 so that the zip can slide to join the zip components 30 and 31 together to hold the chap around the user's leg, as shown in Figure 3.

The other chap in the pair of chaps is wrapped around the user's other leg in the same manner, as is shown in Figure 3. A belt 40 is then passed through the belt loops 27 and Ht\Luisa\Keep\Speci\Anna Davies Innov Protective Chaps.doc 30/08/04 6 is fastened, as is conventional, to hold the chaps around the wearer's waste.

As is shown in the preferred embodiment, the belt loop 27 has the width of the second edge portion 22. However, in other embodiments, the belt loop could be narrower, or a number of belt loops could be provided at the stem portion 24.

In still further embodiments, a foot flap 50 can be sewn along the bottom edge 18 which extends for about half the length of the bottom edge 18, as is shown in Figure 1.

When the chaps are worn, the foot flap 50 will locate over a user's shoe to provide some protection to the user's shoe.

Similarly, a hip flap 60 may be sewn at the upper portion of the first edge 14 to provide a further degree of protection at the user's hip when the chaps are worn.

Figure 4 shows a crutch bib 45 which can also be worn in place of the belt 40. The crutch bib 45 includes a crutch panel 80 which has a belt loop 81 which extends for the entire width of the crutch panel 80. The belt loop 81 is formed by folding the upper part of the crutch bib 45 over upon itself and sewing along stitch line 82. However, in other embodiments, the belt loop 81 could be narrower than the crutch bib 80 or a number of belt loops could be provided. In this embodiment, a belt 90 locates through the belt loop 81 and is worn around the user's waste after passing through the loops 27 of the chaps 10. In this embodiment, the belt may secure at the rear by a buckle 94 rather than at the front.

The chaps of the preferred embodiment of the invention provide protection for a user's legs as well as clothing worn by the user, so the user can perform various tasks Hs\Luisa\Keep\Speci\Anna Davies Innov Protective Chaps.doc 30/08/04 7 which ideally require some protection to the user's clothing or legs. Such tasks include car washing where it may be desired to maintain a user's trousers or pants dry, window cleaning, pet grooming, painting, gardening, pool cleaning, fishing, motorbike riding, horse riding, bush walking and camping. The chaps may also be used in various workplaces such as for factory use, farm and outdoor work, and any other environment where protection is required for a user's legs, and clothing worn by the user beneath the chaps.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", is used in an inclusive sense, ie. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled within the art, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described by way of example hereinabove.

Hs\Luisa\Keep\Speci\Anna Davies Innov Protective Chaps.doc 30/08/04

Claims (7)

1. 2. The chaps of claim 1 wherein the upper edge comprises a first upper edge portion which extends from the second edge to an intermediate point on the upper edge, the first upper edge portion having a curved profile, and a second upper edge portion extending from the intermediate point to the first edge, so that a stem portion is defined by part of the curved profile of the first upper edge portion, the second upper edge portion, and an upper part of the first edge.
2. 3. The chaps of claim 2 wherein the stem portion includes a belt loop for receiving a belt to facilitate fastening of the chaps to a wearer's body.
3. 4. The chaps of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the fastener comprises a zip and the first component of the fastener comprises one side of the zip and the second component of the fastener comprises the other side of the zip so that when the panel is wrapped around a wearer's leg, the two parts of the zip are brought together and joined by a zip slide to thereby secure the first edge to the second edge and the chaps around the wearer's leg. Hs\Luisa\Keep\Speci\Anna Davies Innov Protective Chaps.doc 30/08/04 9 The chaps of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the second edge tapers relative to the first edge so that the panel is narrower adjacent the bottom edge than the upper edge.
4. 6. The chaps of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the panel may include a foot flap connected to the lower edge for protecting a wearer's shoe, and a hip flap connected at an upper portion of the first edge for providing additional protection at the wearer's hip.
5. 7. The chaps of any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein an ancillary crutch bib may be provided, the crutch bib having at least one belt loop for receiving a belt so that the belt can be used to secure the chap to the wearer and also the crutch bib to provide additional protection at the wearer's crutch.
6. 8. The chaps of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein a pair of chaps is provided with each chaps in the pair being a mirror image of the other, so that one chaps is for wrapping around one of the user's legs, and the other chaps is for wrapping around the other of the user's legs.
7. 9. A pair of chaps substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. H,\Luiea\Keep\Speci\Anna Davies Innov Protective Chaps.doc 30/08/04