AU2007100052B4 - Adjustable waistband for an article of clothing - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INNOVATION PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Agent and Address for Service: Invention Title: Andrew Levy Investments Pty Ltd Alexandra Louise Levy MADDERNS, 1st Floor, 64 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia ADJUSTABLE WAISTBAND FOR AN ARTICLE OF

CLOTHING

This application is a Divisional of Parent Application No: 2005203288 dated 27 July 2005.

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to clothing having adjustable elements.

oo BACKGROUND Clothing is generally designed and sized to fit on an individual of a particular size.

This can become problematic if the individual puts on or loses weight. A particular example of this is with pregnant women.

S Today's maternity clothing is designed to grow with a pregnant woman's body.

C 0 Maternity clothing has been transformed to accommodate the changing physical needs of the expectant mother. Big shirts and tent like dresses no longer appeal to a generation of women who are fashion conscious and desire fashionable and comfortable maternity clothing.

Maternity pants pose a particular problem for maternity clothing designers since the waistline of the pants must accommodate the growing belly. The waistline is not easily moved under the expanded belly as might a skirt for example. This is because the leg portions of the pants must join at the top of the legs under the crotch and the body portion necessarily extends upwards from that join. It is undesirable to move !0 the crotch of the pants too low and uncomfortable to move the crotch of the pants too high. Similar problems are faced in other garments which have two separate leg portions such as shorts, three-quarter length pants, etc. Nevertheless, women want maternity garments which look and feel like the pants that they were wearing prepregnancy.

Known maternity jeans and pants can have several different design constructions to fit the growing belly. For example, flat panel pants have full belly coverage with the front of the pants worn over the belly. A disadvantage with this type of pant is that a new pair of pants is required at each stage of pregnancy as the belly expands. This can be inconvenient to the wearer and may involve considerable expense on items of clothing which are only useful for a few months in a woman's lifetime.

Side panel pants have waist styling with side panel insets for added comfort. These 0 pants often feature an adjustable drawstring to adjust the size of the pants around the growing belly. Other types of pants use drawstrings at the front or back section of the pants design which can be used to adjust the size of the waist. A disadvantage of pants using a drawstring is that the drawstring does not look fashionable and the ends of the drawstring hang loose (inside or outside the pants) and can be annoying ttn to the wearer. When disposed on the inside of the pants the drawstring can rub against the skin and cause irritation. Furthermore, the drawstring can untighten and requires retightening while wearing. This is frustrating to the wearer and results in a C 0 lack of confidence in the look and the fit of the item of clothing.

It is an object of the present invention to provide clothing which addresses at least one of the problems associated with the prior art discussed above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a pair of pants including: a waistband defining an aperture; a pocket disposed within the waistband; .0 an aperture adjusting means disposed within the pocket for adjusting the size of the aperture; and an access hole in the waistband for providing access to the aperture adjusting means; wherein the aperture adjusting means can be entirely contained within the pocket.

In one form, there is at least one fastener able to be disposed within the pocket, for fastening the aperture adjusting means.

In one form, the aperture adjusting means includes at least one securer adapted to engage with the at least one fastener.

S

In one form, the aperture adjusting means is an elastic strip, and the at least one fastener is a button.

S Throughout this specification and the claims that follow unless the context requires o00 otherwise, the words 'comprise' and 'include' and variations such as 'comprising' and 'including' will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of tIt integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, 0 0 an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that such prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described in some further detail with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying figures. These embodiments are illustrative, and not meant to be restrictive of the scope of the invention.

Suggestions and descriptions of other embodiments may be included within the scope of the invention but they may not be illustrated in the accompanying figures or alternatively features of the invention may be shown in the figures but not described in the specification.

!0 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An illustrative embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying representations in which: Figure 1 is a front view of the adjustable waistband of a pair of jeans according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a clothing maker's fabric pattern for making the jeans of the present invention; and Figures 3A F are views of the steps involved in adjusting the size of the waistband according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE

INVENTION

The invention will be generally discussed in relation to pants however it is not oo necessarily so restricted and the article of clothing may be shorts, three-quarter length pants, leggings, skirts or even tops such as shirts or jumpers. The invention is also equally applicable to children's pants and clothing where the child is growing quickly and their clothing must be able to be adjusted to cater for their changing size and shape.

0 Referring to Figure 1, pants 10 have a waistband 12 defining an aperture. Waistband 12 fits around the waist and belly of a pregnant woman. In the preferred embodiment the waistband is made from a denim material and the pants are jeans. It should be understood that the pants (or other articles of clothing) are most useful for a pregnant woman, however, the invention is not limited to use by a pregnant woman and the adjustable waistband may be used by men or women whose waistline increases or decreases in size with, for example, weight gain or weight loss.

Furthermore, the aperture to be sized need not be defined by a waistband. The aperture could be defined at, for example, a cuff of a sleeve, a pant leg or a neck of a top.

.0 Figure 1 shows the front portion of the waistband of the jeans folded downwards for clarity. It will be appreciated that the detail seen in this view will actually be facing inwards of the jeans in use.

In one form, waistband 12 is formed by folding a length of fabric in half along the longitudinal axis to provide a pocket 14. This pocket wraps around the waist of the wearer. It will be understood that the pocket forms a channel or envelope running around the waist of the wearer of the jeans, however the pocket could be sealed at both ends 11 and 13 and is sealed along the top and bottom sides of the pocket. It will be understood that the term 'pocket' refers to a pouch or envelope or covered channel which may contain the elements of the arrangement of the present invention.

S The pocket need not be sealed at either or both ends, and may extend in a band C around substantially or the entire length of the waistband.

00 It is an option that waistband 12 be formed from two separate pieces of fabric which can be sewn together to form an equivalent pocket defining the waistband.

C Alternatively, a separate strip of fabric may be sewn or otherwise attached to the existing waist of the jeans. Furthermore, the aperture arrangement may be constructed separately, and later attached to a desired article of clothing.

C 0 Preferably, during manufacture, the waistband is sewn to the top of a pair of jeans so that the jeans look similar to traditional jeans worn pre-pregnancy. The waistband of the jeans is held up around the waist in the same way as known jeans are held up and together by a button at the front. The pocket has a first end 11 and a second end 13. To securely close the jeans, button 15 can be engaged into buttonhole 15' both of which are disposed towards the ends 11 and 13 of pocket 14. Alternatively, the ends of pocket 14 terminate before button 15 and buttonhole 15'. In this instance, additional pieces of fabric support button 15 and buttonhole 15' or, if the pocket is sewn to existing jeans, the underlying fabric of the jeans supports button 15 and buttonhole 15' in the usual manner.

!0 The jeans of the present invention are made according to the known dress sizes of women. The metric dress sizes in Australia range from sizes 8, 10, 28, etc. The width and length of the legs of the jeans, as well as the length of the body portion 16 of the jeans, are all based upon these traditional sizes. Waistband 12 and body portion 16, however, are widened to accommodate the additional size of the woman's pregnant belly. The expanded waist and body portion sizes are estimated based upon the expanded belly size of known pregnant women.

Figure 2 shows a cloth-maker's or dress-maker's pattern for use in making a pair of jeans in dress size 8 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. The pattern shows waistband 12, formed from two half waistband panels 12a and 12b.

The half waistband panels 12a and 12b are joined at one end and then folded in along the longitudinal axis to provide the pocket. This pocket wraps around the waist of the wearer. The pattern also shows panel portions 17 which form the top back part of 0 the jeans and pockets 18 and 20. The leg and body portion of the jeans are formed from two separate pieces 22 and 22' which are sewn together to form the jeans in a known manner. The skilled addressee would appreciate that the pattern of the jeans has been modified to accommodate the pregnant belly of a woman. The skilled addressee will appreciate that the particular pattern could be modified to modify the S style or cut of the jeans.

C- 0 Waistband 12 is made long enough to fit around the waist (and the belly) of a pregnant woman in around week 40 of her pregnancy towards the end of her pregnancy). However, a woman's body starts to change in shape around week 8 of pregnancy so the size of her waist will continually change (increase) from week to week. Accordingly, means is provided to adjust the size of the waistband in order to achieve a good fit around the waist during all stages of pregnancy.

The aperture adjusting means in the preferred embodiment is a length of resilient strip or cord 24. The resilient strip (or cord) 24 is threaded through the pocket 14 !0 which forms the waistband of the pants. The strip 24 can be threaded through pocket 14 once the pants have been manufactured, however, for convenience it is preferred that the strip be incorporated within pocket 14 during manufacture. Preferably the resilient strip or cord is a woven elastic strip which is disposed flat against the walls of pocket 14.

Means other than an elastic strip could be used to adjust the size of the waistband, for example, an elastic cord or a rubber strip could be usefully employed.

Furthermore, although a resilient material is preferred, a non-resilient material such as fabric could be used to adjust the waistband. It will be understood however that the use of an elastic strip means that there is no bunching up of fabric in the waistband since the same length of elastic can accommodate the waistband at its N widest expanded size and at the smallest reduced size.

oo Elastic strip 24 has a number of securers disposed along its length. These securers are secured to a fastener 28 which is sewn onto the inside wall of pocket 14. The securers c- are buttonholes 26 which are cut into the strip during manufacture. The strip has these buttonholes cut into the strip along its entire length, however it will be understood that only the buttonholes toward the first and second ends (11 and 13) of S the strip will be usefully employed.

c- 0 If the means for adjusting the size of the waistband is something other than an elastic strip, for example a cord, then the securers may be a number of loops running along the length of the cord. Furthermore, the securers may be poppers or press-fit buttons (commonly used in clothing) disposed along the length of a cord or strip.

In the preferred embodiment there are two fasteners; a first fastener 28 disposed toward the first end 11 of pocket 14 and a second fastener 28' disposed towards the second end 13 of pocket 14. The fasteners can be any means for holding the elastic strip in the desired position, for example, when buttonholes are used in the elastic !0 strip, the fasteners are buttons or some other devices which pass through the buttonhole. If the securers mentioned above are loops running along the length of a cord then the fasteners may be also be buttons. If the strip has poppers or press-fit buttons running along its length then the fasteners will be popper fasteners. Of course, the fasteners and the securers can be reversed with, for example, a plurality of buttons 28 being disposed along elastic 24 and the buttonholes being disposed on the waistband.

In the preferred embodiment the fasteners 28 are flat, round plastic buttons. The buttons have a size larger than the size of the buttonhole 26 so that once button 28 is passed through buttonhole 26 the elastic strip is secured in position.

It is an option that the elastic strip 24 is fastened by a means which does not require a ci securer disposed along the strip. For example, the strip 24 may be passed through a buckle fastener which secures the strip in place by friction. The friction is provided 0 by passing the elastic strip through the buckle apertures as many times as necessary to provide the requisite friction. The friction may also be provided by prongs C disposed on the buckle which grip the elastic strip and prevent the elastic strip from retracting from the buckle.

S Figure 3 is a close up of elastic strip 24, buttonholes 26 and button 28. In Figure 3A c- 0 the strip and the buttons are shown inside pocket 14 which forms the waistband of the clothing. The dotted line indicates that the strip and the button are inside the pocket 14 and are accessible via access hole 30. Access hole 30 is preferably a slit cut into pocket 14. However, it will be appreciated that any form of access hole or port may be used, including forming the pocket in two parts and having one part removable or openable and then replaced to close the access port. Figure 3B shows that the first step in adjusting the size of the waistband involves manually exposing button 28 through access hole 30. In Figure 3C the end portion of elastic strip 24 is then retrieved from pocket 14. The button 28 can then be undone or disengaged from the buttonhole 26 to render elastic strip 24 unsecured. The end of elastic strip 24 can !0 then be pulled tight or tension can be released until the waistband is adjusted to comfortably fit around the waist and belly of the pregnant woman who will wear the jeans. Once the desired waist size has been achieved, the button 28 is then engaged into the corresponding buttonhole 26 and the elastic strip is secured at that size (Figure 3D). In this particular Figure, the size of the waistband has been reduced by one spacing between buttonholes 26.

Following adjustment, the exposed end of strip 24 is fed back into pocket 14 (Figure 3E). Button 28 is then pushed back into pocket 14 through access hole 30 resulting in a flat waistband having no pieces of fabric or button exposed on the inner side (Figure 3F) thereby reducing the instance of skin contact and irritation.

In the preferred embodiment the waistband is adjusted by tightening elastic strip 24 C from both the first end 11 of pocket 14 and the second end 13 of pocket 14. It is an option, however, that one end of strip 24 be permanently secured within pocket 14 oo by either stitching or other suitable means. The waistband is then adjusted by tightening the strip from one end of the strip only. One disadvantage with this single c- fastener-type arrangement is that the end portion of the strip which does not form part of the size of the waist the unused portion of the strip) can become very long and is difficult to dispose back inside the pocket when the jeans are worn.

C 0 Figure 1 shows that belt loops 32 and 32' (mostly obscured in the view by the folding over of the top of the jeans) are stitched onto the outside of waistband 12 to cover the area of stitching resulting from the attachment of buttons 28 and 28' to the inside of pocket 14. The result is a pair of jeans which look and feel to the wearer substantially the same as jeans worn pre-pregnancy. The unique adjustment of the waistband in the present arrangement results in an adjustable waistband which is flat and has no pieces of fabric or button exposed on the inner side. The waistband is therefore more comfortable for the wearer and exposed materials or buttons do not rub upon the skin.

!0 The adjustable waistband means that the pregnant woman can continue to wear her adjustable jeans throughout her entire pregnancy. This means only one pair of jeans needs to be purchased during pregnancy which represents a reduced cost over prior unadjustable arrangements. The wearer is secure in the knowledge that the adjusted waistband is held securely in place and that the adjusting means cannot be seen by others. The wearer also feels confident and fashionable in her comfortable maternity clothing.

The preferred embodiment described above provides a comfortable adjustable waistband in an article of maternity clothing which can be worn by a woman throughout her entire pregnancy. The waistband can be adjusted by tightening or releasing a woven elastic strip contained within the waistband which is accessible to the wearer via slits cut into the inner side of a pocket which forms the waistband.

c-i The woven elastic strip is secured in the desired position by a button which can be passed through any one of a number of buttonholes which run along the length of oo the adjustable elastic strip. Once the elastic strip has been used to tighten or loosen the waistband, the strip and the button can both then be threaded and pushed back inside the waistband respectively. The inside portion of the waistband which contacts the skin of the wearer is flat and is free from protruding fabric or buttons which results in reduced irritation to the skin of the wearer.

C, 0 It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted in its use to the particular application described. Neither is the present invention restricted in its preferred embodiment with regard to the particular elements and/or features described or depicted herein. For example, the waistband of the jeans may have two or more separate pockets, each containing its own elastic band secured at one end of the pocket and a button secured at the other. The wearer could then individually adjust the tightness of the elastic band within each pocket as desired. It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. Therefore, the invention should be understood to include all such modifications within its scope.

Claims (4)

1. A pair of pants including: a waistband defining an aperture; a pocket disposed within the waistband; an aperture adjusting means disposed within the pocket for adjusting the size tV of the aperture; and San access hole in the waistband for providing access to the aperture adjusting means; S0 wherein the aperture adjusting means can be entirely contained within the pocket.

2. A pair of pants according to claim 1, further including at least one fastener able to be disposed within the pocket, for fastening the aperture adjusting means.

3. A pair of pants according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the aperture adjusting means includes at least one securer adapted to engage with the at least one fastener. .0

4. An article of clothing according to any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein the aperture adjusting means is an elastic strip, and the at least one fastener is a button. A pair of pants substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.