EP1074189A2

EP1074189A2 - Trousers

Info

Publication number: EP1074189A2
Application number: EP00202639A
Authority: EP
Inventors: designation of the inventor has not yet been filed The
Original assignee: LEE Cooper Group Ltd
Current assignee: LEE Cooper Group Ltd
Priority date: 1999-07-27
Filing date: 2000-07-21
Publication date: 2001-02-07
Also published as: GB9917553D0; EP1074189A3

Abstract

A pair of trousers is able to be introverted by forming the fly of two stands (16) which sandwich a zip-fastener (15) between them, one of the stands being integral with one of the front panels of the fabric from which the trousers are made, while the other is made from a separate piece (22) of the same material that is sewn or otherwise fastened to the other front panel. In a preferred form of the invention, the fabric is a single-ply material having faces of significantly-different colour and/or appearance.

Description

This invention relates to trousers, and particularly to such garments made from a single ply of fabric having faces of significantly-different appearance.

While reversible (introversible) garments are known, such is not the case for trousers made from textile material. One of the primary problems in designing such a garment is to design the fly so that it is of satisfactory appearance and utility, irrespective of which face of the fabric is outermost.

The present invention aims at providing introversible trousers of which the fly is unobtrusive and effective whichever face of the fabric is outermost.

Accordingly the present invention provides trousers which are as claimed in the appended claims.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the trousers of this invention with the dark side of a single-ply fabric outermost;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of the trousers introverted so that the pale face of the fabric is outermost;

Figure 3 is a partial view of the fly of the trousers shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the panels turned back to show how each component of the zip-fastener is disposed in the final garment, and

Figure 4 is a side view of the upper part of the trousers of Fig. 2, showing how the side seams thereof are covered by a tape.

The trousers of this particular embodiment are made from a single ply of fabric made from a mixture of synthetic materials. In one specific example, the fabric is made from 90% polyester and 10% polyamide. The weaving process is such that one face of the fabric is of light grey and lustrous appearance, while the other face is of charcoal-grey colour showing paler longitudinal threads, and also lustrous. In this specification, the lighter colour will be referred to as 'pale', and the other one as 'dark'. In the drawing, the pale colour has not been indicated, but the dark face has been indicated by patches of cross-hatching.

Although the invention is particularly attractive when using such a fabric, the trousers may be made from other fabrics, such as a two-ply fabric of which the outer faces may be of identical appearance.

In this specification the same references refer to the same components.

In the 'dark' trousers of Fig. 1, the waistband 2 has belt loops 4 sewn to it. Each pocket 6 is formed by a piece of fabric 7 sewn to the rear face of the respective front panel 8, with the pocket opening being defined by a curved border 10 of the front panel. The ends of the opening are reinforced by decorative rivets 12.

Where the ends of the waistband overlap, they are secured together by a press-stud 14.

Extending from adjacent the crotch to the waistband, the edge of the respective front panel is straight. Concealed behind the straight-edged border of this panel is one component of a conventional zip-fastener of which the line of teeth is indicated by a chain-dotted line 15, so that the zip is hidden behind a straight-edged 'fly stand' 16, having its inner border defined by a line of stitching 18. Shown in the drawing is a short section 19 of stitching acting as a stop to prevent the lower (as viewed) part of the stand 16 from being pulled away to such an extent that the zip-fastener is damaged by its inter-engaging teeth being deformed.

Looking now at the 'pale' trousers of Fig. 2, the principal differences from the Fig. 1 embodiment are that the pockets 20 are sewn-on patch pockets, with the pocket openings being in a straight line, and that the fly stand 22 has a separate plaquette with a non-linear outer border. Similarly to Fig. 1, the stand 22 has the other component of the zip-fastener sewn to it.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 4, it will be seen that the side seams of the trousers are hidden behind strips 24 of a waterproof material fused to the fabric bordering the seams. In order to make the seams flat, they would be produced from double-felled seams lock-stitched together before the strip 24 is applied.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, only one press-stud 14 is used, in the form of two large metal buttons on the outer faces of the trousers, which have inter-engaging parts on the inner surfaces of the overlapping portions of the waistband 2. This enables the waistband to be secured and released with equal facility, whichever face of the fabric is outermost. In similar fashion, there are only four rivets 12, which are of the double-headed variety.

As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, one strip 26 of the zip-fastener 28 is largely hidden under a fold of the front panel of fabric, so that only one border of the strip, with its line of protruding 'teeth' 30, is exposed. The other strip 32 of the fastener is sewn or otherwise secured to the pale face of the back of stand 16. The 'slider' 34 of the zip-fastener is of symmetrical construction, having a loop from each major face, and a pull tab 36 secured in each loop, so that the slider is equally movable by force applied to whichever pull tab is accessible to the wearer.

It will thus be seen that this invention provides a trouser fly construction in which the zip-fastener proper is concealed from view between two stands, of which one is integral with one front panel of the trousers, and of which the other is the plaquette (flap) which is sewn or otherwise secured to the other front panel.

Claims

A pair of trousers made from a fabric of which both faces are intended to be viewed alternatively, and of which the fly (16) is intended to be closed by means of a zip-fastener (15) sandwiched between two stands, with one stand being integral with one front panel of the fabric from which the trousers are made, and with the other stand being made from a separate piece of fabric (22) sewn or otherwise secured to the other front panel.
A pair of trousers as claimed in claim 1, in which each front panel is secured to a respective back panel of fabric by stitching to form side seams, and in which the rows of stitching are covered by strips of waterproof material fused or otherwise bonded to the material bordering the side seams.
A pair of trousers as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the fabric from which they are made is of a single-ply material having faces of significantly-different colours.
A pair of trousers as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the fabric from which they are made is of a double-ply material.
A pair of trousers as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the overlapping portions of the waist band (2) have mounted in them one part of a two-part detachable fastener.
A pair of trousers as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the ends of the pocket openings in both faces of the garment are clamped by pairs of double-headed rivets.