US20080196212A1 - Clothes fastening system - Google Patents
Clothes fastening system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20080196212A1 US20080196212A1 US12/150,277 US15027708A US2008196212A1 US 20080196212 A1 US20080196212 A1 US 20080196212A1 US 15027708 A US15027708 A US 15027708A US 2008196212 A1 US2008196212 A1 US 2008196212A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- wearer
- attachment member
- footwear
- fastener
- fastening system
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A41—WEARING APPAREL
- A41F—GARMENT FASTENINGS; SUSPENDERS
- A41F17/00—Means for holding-down garments
- A41F17/02—Clips or the like for trousers or skirts, e.g. for cyclists
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B1/00—Footwear characterised by the material
- A43B1/0081—Footwear characterised by the material made at least partially of hook-and-loop type material
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A43—FOOTWEAR
- A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
- A43B23/00—Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
- A43B23/02—Uppers; Boot legs
- A43B23/06—Waterproof legs
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T24/00—Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
- Y10T24/22—Trouser guards, clips, straps [e.g., above shoetops]
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a fastening system for fastening clothing to footwear.
- Clothing styles change with the times.
- many individuals prefer loose fitting and even oversized clothing.
- many persons wear pants several sizes larger than their proper size.
- a pair of pants or other clothing may be the proper size, a part of such clothing may not fit correctly.
- the loosely fitting or oversized parts of the clothing that cover a person's limbs e.g., arms, legs
- the legs of an oversized pants may hang over a wearer's shoes and heels to such an extent that part of the legs drags against the ground as the wearer is walking resulting in frayed ends.
- the overhanging portion of the pants' legs is dragged along the wet and dirty ground possibly ruining the wearer's pants.
- the wearer of an oversized pair of pants can possibly avoid ruining the pants by tucking in the ends of the pants' legs into the wearer's footwear or folding the ends of the pants' legs so that they do not drag against the ground.
- such apparent resolutions are not acceptable because (1) the wearer may not be able to tuck in the pants' legs into the wearer's footwear because there's not enough room to do so and (2) folded pants legs eventually become unfolded as the wearer is walking requiring that the pants legs be folded again.
- the present invention provides a fastening system that allows a wearer of clothing and footwear to detachably fasten the wearer's clothing to the wearer's footwear to prevent at least a portion of such clothing from being dragged along the ground as the wearer is walking and to allow the wearer to maintain at least a portion of the clothing a certain distance above the ground while walking or standing.
- the fastening system of the present invention comprises an attachment member having a receiving surface where the receiving surface has attached thereto a first fastener.
- the fastening system of the present invention further comprises a fastening mechanism to which a second fastener is attached. The fastening mechanism is affixed to the wearer's clothing.
- the attachment member is detachably affixed to the wearer's footwear or to a portion of a limb of the wearer (such as ankle or lower leg) to allow the first and second fastener to be positioned with respect to each other so that they fasten to each other in detachable fashion.
- the first and second fasteners being so attached prevent at least a portion of the wearer's clothing from being dragged along the ground as the wearer is walking.
- FIG. 1 is a side view of a portion of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed;
- FIGS. 2A , 2 B and 2 C show top side and rear views of the attachment member and top and side views of the fastening mechanisms of the clothes fastening system of the present invention
- FIG. 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the clothes fastening system of the present invention
- FIGS. 4A , 4 B and 4 C show top, rear and side views of another embodiment of the attachment member
- FIG. 5 shows a side view of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed using attachment member from FIGS. 4A , 4 B and 4 C;
- FIGS. 6A , 6 B and 6 C show top, side and rear views of yet another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention
- FIGS. 7A , 7 B and 7 C show top, side and rear views of still another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 shows an exploded perspective view of the clothes fastening system of the present invention using attachment member from FIGS. 7A , 7 B and 7 C and fastening mechanism from FIGS. 7A and 7B ;
- FIGS. 9A , 9 B and 9 C show top, side and rear views of a further embodiment of the attachment member
- FIG. 10 shows a side view of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed using attachment member from FIGS. 9A , 9 B and 9 C;
- FIGS. 11A and 11B shows front and back views of still a further embodiment of the fastening mechanism
- FIG. 12 is a side view of a portion of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed using fastening mechanism from FIGS. 11A and 11B ;
- FIGS. 13A , 13 B and 13 C show top, side and rear views of yet another embodiment of the attachment member
- FIG. 14 is a side view of a portion of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed using attachment member from FIGS. 13A , 13 B and 13 C;
- FIGS. 15A and 15B show top and side views respectively of the attachment member and fastening mechanism of yet another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention
- FIG. 16 shows a side view of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed using attachment member and fastening mechanism from FIGS. 15A and 15B ;
- FIGS. 17A , 17 B and 17 C shows an enlarged view of the cord lock, sectional view of cord lock and cord stop respectively of the attachment member of FIGS. 15A and 15B of the clothes fastening system of the present invention
- FIG. 18 shows a magnified sectional view of the engagement between the cord lock pistons and cylinder of the attachment member of FIGS. 15A and 15B of the clothes fastening system of the present invention
- the present invention provides a fastening system that allows a wearer of clothing and footwear to detachably fasten the wearer's clothing to the wearer's footwear to prevent at least a portion of such clothing from being dragged along the ground as the wearer is walking and to allow the wearer to maintain at least a portion of the clothing a certain distance above the ground while walking or standing.
- the fastening system of the present invention comprises an attachment member having a receiving surface where the receiving surface has attached thereto a first fastener.
- the fastening system of the present invention further comprises a fastening mechanism to which a second fastener is attached. The fastening mechanism is affixed to the wearer's clothing.
- the attachment member is detachably affixed to the wearer's footwear (or to a portion of the wearer's limb such as an ankle or lower leg) to allow the first and second fastener to be positioned with respect to each other so that they fasten to each other in detachable fashion.
- the first and second fasteners being so attached prevent at least a portion of the wearer's clothing from being dragged along the ground as the wearer is walking.
- FIG. 1 there is shown a side view of the clothes fastening system of the present invention installed to a wearer of pants 110 and footwear 112 .
- attachment member 100 is detachably affixed to footwear 112 (shown as boots).
- the surface of pants 110 is shown as a see through depiction so as to allow one to view the clothes fastening system of the present invention when installed.
- Attachment member 100 has a downwardly extending portion 102 having a receiving surface 104 to which a first fastener 106 is permanently or detachably attached.
- Fastening mechanism 108 comprising material 109 and fastener 114 is attached to inner surface of pants 110 as shown.
- material 109 has outer surface 116 which is used to permanently or detachably attach fastening mechanism 108 to pants 110 .
- material 109 has inner surface 122 (not shown in FIG. 1 ; see FIG. 2A ) to which a second fastener 114 is attached.
- attachment member 100 is to configure attachment member 100 as a U-shaped (see FIG. 2A ) metallic spring preferably made from a rust resistant (e.g., stainless steel) alloy and/or metal.
- Attachment member 100 can also be made from a plastic material. Referring to FIGS. 2A , 2 B and 2 C there are shown top, side and rear views of attachment member 100 respectively.
- Attachment member 100 has arms 100 a and 100 b and bent portion 100 c .
- arms 100 a and 100 b are constructed so that their respective end portions 100 d and 100 e are located a certain distance, W 1 from each other which distance is less that the width, W 2 of bent portion 100 c thus forming a spring.
- Fastening mechanism 108 comprises material 109 having inner surface 122 (see FIG. 2A ) and outer surface 116 .
- material 109 is a flexible material such as rubber.
- Second fastener 114 is attached to the inner surface 122 of material 109 . Second fastener 114 can be permanently or detachably attached to inner surface 122 of material 109 .
- the attachment member implemented as a U-shaped spring and has a downwardly extending portion 102 having a receiving surface 104 on which first fastener 106 is attached.
- Material 109 of fastening mechanism 108 has an outer surface 116 which is attached to the inner surface of the wearer's pants 110 (not shown in FIG. 2 ).
- Material 109 is made of a flexible material (e.g., rubber) that can be sewn, glued, cemented or attached through any well known means onto the inner surface of the wearer's clothing.
- the detachable attachment of fastening mechanism 108 to the wearer's clothing can be achieved with well known detachable attachment arrangements such as hook and loop fasteners (e.g., VELCRO ® strips), snap-attach buttons or reusable glue or cement.
- the first and second fasteners are shown as mating VELCRO ® attachments or strips.
- a material 120 of high coefficient of friction e.g., rubber
- FIG. 2A a material 120 of high coefficient of friction (e.g., rubber) is attached to the inner surface of bent portion 100 c so that when the attachment member is installed onto a wearer's footwear, the attachment member will not tend to slide downward. It should be noted that downwardly extending portion 102 (as shown in FIG.
- the first and second fasteners are positioned on the wearer's footwear 112 and the wearer's clothing 110 respectively such that when they engage or when they fasten to each other they maintain at least a portion of the clothing 110 a certain distance D above the ground 118 (or above a platform on which the wearer is standing) preventing at least that portion of the clothing from being dragged against the ground or platform 118 .
- the distance D is typically several inches or centimeters.
- a layer of reusable glue or cement solvent can be applied to the receiving surface 104 and to the inner surface 122 of material 109 where such glue or cement allows the surfaces 104 and 122 to detachably adhere to each other so as to affix clothing 110 to footwear 112 ; the reusable glue or cement is such that it can be used many times without losing its adhering capability.
- Attachment member 200 has first fastener 206 that is permanently or detachably attached to its outer surface 204 .
- a material 220 of relatively high coefficient of friction e.g., rubber
- a fastening mechanism 208 has a material 209 that has an outer surface 216 which is used to permanently or detachably attach fastening mechanism 208 to a wearer's clothing.
- Fastening mechanism 208 has an inner surface 222 to which second fastener 214 is permanently or detachably attached.
- Second fastener 214 is such that it mates, engages or fastens is detachable fashion to first fastener 206 .
- Outer surface 216 of fastening mechanism 208 is adhered to a wearer's clothing with the use of well known adherence arrangements.
- First and second fasteners are again shown as VELCRO ® strips.
- attachment member 400 there are shown top, rear and side views of another attachment member; i.e., attachment member 400 .
- attachment member 400 At the end of arms 400 a and 400 b are openings 400 f and 400 g respectively through which shoe laces or some other extended footwear member is passed to affix attachment member 400 to a wearer's footwear.
- attachment member 400 has a first fastener 406 permanently or detachably attached to its outer surface 404 .
- the attachment member 400 has a downwardly extending portion 402 which is curved inward to reduce the likelihood of the attachment member sliding downwards (downward direction shown by arrow 411 ) when installed onto a wearer's footwear.
- a material 420 having a high coefficient of friction is attached to the inner surface of the bent portion 400 c of attachment 400 similar to the manner material 120 is attached to bent portion 100 c of attachment member.
- a fastening mechanism (not shown) similar in configuration to that shown in FIG. 2A is used with attachment member 400 to practice the clothes fastening system of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 there is shown the manner in which attachment member 400 is attached to a wearer's footwear.
- Boot lace or shoe lace 401 is passed through the openings 400 f (not shown) and 400 g .
- opening 400 f oppositely positioned at the other side of shoe 112 is not shown in FIG. 5 .
- FIGS. 6A , 6 B and 6 C there is shown yet another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention where a snap-attach button arrangement is used to detachably attach a wearer's clothes to the wearer's footwear.
- Attachment member 600 in FIG. 6A is shown to have arms 600 a and 600 b , bent portion 600 c and first fastener 606 which can be male or female portion of a snap-attach button.
- Fastening mechanism 608 comprises material 609 having outer surface 616 and inner surface 622 to which second fastener 614 is permanently or detachably attached.
- Fastening mechanism 608 can be permanently or detachably attached to a wearer's clothing via outer surface 616 . Referring to FIG.
- first fastener 606 is permanently or detachably attached to surface 604 of downwardly extending portion 602 of attachment member 600 .
- Downwardly extending portion 602 is curved inward to prevent the attachment member from sliding downward (direction shown by arrow 611 ) when the attachment member is attached to a wearer's footwear.
- a material 620 of high coefficient of friction is attached to the inner surface of attachment member 600 to prevent the attachment member from sliding downward when attached to a wearer's footwear.
- FIG. 6C shows first fastener 606 as the female portion of the snap-attach button arrangement made from first fastener 606 and second fastener 614 .
- FIGS. 7A , 7 B, 7 C there is shown another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention where a strap and clip arrangement is used to detachably attach a wearer's clothes to the wearer's footwear.
- Attachment member 700 in FIG. 7A is shown to have arms 700 a and 700 b , bent portion 700 c and first fastener 706 which is a clip that is integral with bent portion 700 c and forms part of surface 704 (see FIG. 7B ).
- clip 706 can be a separate clip component distinct from attachment member 700 but which can be permanently or detachably adhered to at least a portion of surface 704 of attachment member 700 .
- Fastening mechanism 708 comprises material 709 having outer surface 716 and inner surface 722 to which second fastener 714 is permanently or detachably attached. Fastening mechanism 708 can be permanently or detachably attached to a wearer's clothing via outer surface 716 .
- first fastener 706 is shown as being integral with surface 704 that forms at least part of downwardly extending portion 702 of attachment member 700 . Downwardly extending portion 702 is curved inward to prevent the attachment member from sliding downward (direction shown by arrow 711 ) when the attachment member is attached to a wearer's footwear.
- a material 720 of high coefficient of friction is attached to the inner surface of attachment member 700 to help prevent the attachment member from sliding downward when attached to a wearer's footwear.
- material 720 can be made with an adhering substance so that attachment member 700 is permanently or detachably attached to the wearer's footwear.
- FIGS. 7B-7C show first fastener 706 and second fastener 714 respectively. The engagement of first fastener 706 and second fastener 714 is shown and explained in FIG. 8 .
- Attachment member 700 has first fastener 706 that is permanently or detachably attached to its outer surface 704 .
- Second fastener 714 is positioned such that it goes over first fastener 706 in the direction indicated by arrow 712 ; second fastener 714 thus engages first fastener 706 whereby the second fastener 714 is detachably or permanently secured between bent portion 700 c of attachment member 700 and first fastener 706 .
- Outer surface 716 of fastening mechanism 708 is adhered to a wearer's clothing with the use of well known adherence arrangements.
- FIGS. 9A , 9 B, 9 C there are shown top, rear and side views respectively of another attachment member; i.e., attachment member 900 .
- attachment member 900 At the end of arms 900 a and 900 b are clips 900 f - 900 h and 900 g - 900 i respectively which are clipped onto the left and right side of a shoe cuff to affix attachment member 900 to a wearer's footwear.
- the clips 900 f - 900 h and 900 g - 900 i are oriented at an angle with respect to arms 900 a and 900 b respectively and are integral to said arms.
- FIG. 9C As in FIG.
- attachment member 900 has a first fastener 906 permanently or detachably attached to its outer surface 904 .
- the attachment member 900 has a downwardly extending portion 902 which is curved inward to reduce the likelihood of the attachment member sliding downwards (downward direction shown by arrow 911 ) when installed onto a wearer's footwear.
- a material 920 having a high coefficient of friction is attached to the inner surface of the bent portion 900 c of attachment member to help prevent attachment member 900 from sliding downward.
- material 920 can be made with an adhering substance so that attachment member 900 is permanently or detachably attached to the wearer's footwear.
- a fastening mechanism (not shown) similar in configuration to that shown in FIG. 2A is used with attachment member 900 to practice the clothes fastening system of the present invention.
- FIG. 10 there is shown the manner in which attachment member 900 is attached to a wearer's footwear.
- Boot cuff or shoe cuff 903 i.e., upper portion of boot 112
- Clip 900 f - 900 h (not shown) and 900 g - 900 i .
- clip 900 f - 900 h is oppositely positioned with respect to clip 900 g - 900 i and clips onto an upper portion of boot 112 in substantially the same manner as clip 900 g - 900 i.
- Fastening mechanism 1100 comprises material 1109 having outer surface 1122 (see FIG. 11A ).
- a portion of outer surface 1122 has second fastener 1114 (e.g., adhering substance) that is used to adhere permanently or detachably fastening mechanism 1100 to a wearer's footwear such as boot 112 .
- Second fastener 1114 is permanently or detachably attached to outer surface 1122 of material 1109 .
- Fastening mechanism has inner surfaces 1116 a and 1116 b as shown.
- material 1109 is a flexible material such as rubber or soft leather that can facilitate the folding of fastening mechanism 1100 across indentation line 1107 (see FIG. 11B ) such that inner surfaces 1116 a and 1116 b mirror each other.
- fastening mechanism 1100 is attached to a wearer's pants.
- Fastening mechanism 1100 is folded such that outer surface 1122 is mounted on the outer surface of the wearer's pants 110 and second fastener 1114 is seen on the inner surface of the wearer's pants.
- Inner surfaces 1116 a and 1116 b are permanently or detachably attached to the heel of wearer's pants 110 .
- the use of fastening mechanism 1100 aids in preventing any dirty liquids or substances from touching the heel surface of the wearer's pants 110 .
- attachment member 1300 there are shown top, rear and side views of another attachment member; i.e., attachment member 1300 .
- attachment member 1300 At the end of arms 1300 a and 1300 b are clips 1300 f - 1300 h and 1300 g - 1300 i respectively which are clipped onto the left and right side of a slipper strap to affix attachment member 1300 to a wearer's foot and footwear (see FIG. 14 ).
- Attachment member 1300 has a first fastener 1306 permanently or detachably attached to its outer surface 1304 .
- the attachment member 1300 has a downwardly extending portion 1302 which is curved inward to reduce the likelihood of the attachment member sliding downwards (downward direction shown by arrow 1311 ) when installed onto a wearer's foot. Also, a material 1320 having a relatively high coefficient of friction is attached to the inner surface of the bent portion 1300 c of attachment member 1300 .
- a fastening mechanism (not shown) similar in configuration to that shown in FIG. 2A is used with attachment member 1300 to practice the clothes fastening system of the present invention.
- bent portion 1300 c , and clips 1300 f - 1300 h and 1300 g - 1300 i are preferably made from a soft polymer (e.g., plastic) material while arms 1300 a and 1300 b are preferably made from an elastic (e.g., rubber) material to allow such arms to stretch and have an elastic bias to allow attachment member 1300 to form a relatively tight fit with respect to the user's foot and footwear as shown in FIG. 14 .
- an elastic e.g., rubber
- FIG. 14 there is shown the manner in which attachment member 1300 is attached to a wearer's foot 113 and footwear 212 .
- Footwear strap 1303 is clipped onto by clips 1300 f - 1300 h (not shown) and 1300 g - 1300 i .
- clip 1300 f - 1300 h is oppositely positioned with respect to clip 1300 g - 1300 i and attaches onto footwear 212 in substantially the same manner as clip 1300 g - 1300 i.
- FIGS. 15A and 15B there is shown yet another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention comprising attachment member 1500 having a downwardly extending portion 1502 with a receiving surface 1504 to which a first fastener 1506 is permanently or detachably attached.
- the downwardly extending portion 1502 can be glued, stitched or in some manner adhered to attachment member 1500 .
- the downwardly extending portion 1502 can be integral with attachment member 1500 .
- the downwardly extending portion 1502 (as shown in FIG.
- Attachment member 1500 can be mounted on a wearer's footwear or limb or detachably attached to the wearer's footwear or limb.
- Fastening mechanism 1508 which can be detachably attached to attachment member 1500 via downwardly extending member 1502 as described below, comprises material 1509 having inner surface 1522 (see FIG. 15B ) and outer surface 1516 .
- Material 1509 is preferably flexible and can be waterproof. However, material 1509 can also be rigid.
- Attachment member 1500 consists of a looped cord 1500 h , cord lock 1600 , cord stop 1700 and first fastener 1506 (part of downwardly extending portion 1502 ) which can be permanently or detachably attached to outer surface of 1504 of portion 1502 .
- the cord 1500 h can be flat or ribbon-like and can be made from tightly woven material that can be elastic or non-elastic.
- Attachment member 1500 uses first fastener 1506 to detachably attach a wearer's clothes to the wearer's limb such as an ankle or the wearer's footwear via second fastener 1514 of fastening mechanism 1508 .
- a material 1520 preferably made from a soft polymer (e.g., plastic) is attached to inner surface of 1504 to prevent chaffing against the wearer's heel if the attachment member is worn around the ankle.
- the curvature in the downwardly extending portion 1502 in combination with a material 1520 of relatively high coefficient of friction for the inner surface of portion 1502 will similarly decrease the likelihood that the surface 1502 will slide downward while worn by a wearer. As shown in FIGS.
- the looped cord 1500 h passes through cord lock 1600 twice and hole 1700 a of cord stop 1700 once; although not shown (See FIG. 17A ), the width of aperture 1600 d of cord lock 1600 is smaller compared to the size (i.e., diameter or width or thickness) of cord stop 1700 so as to prevent the cord 1500 h from becoming separated from cord lock 1600 .
- Cord lock 1600 forms two loops 1500 d and 1500 e with cord 1500 h as shown in FIG. 15A . That is, a section of cord 1500 h referred to as 1500 d combined with cord lock 1600 form a first loop; similarly a section of 1500 h referred to as 1500 e along with cord lock 1600 form a second loop.
- spring loaded pistons 1600 a and 1600 b of cord lock 1600 allows the wearer to adjust the perimeter of loop 1500 e by pulling or pushing cord 1500 h through aperture 1600 d (See FIG. 17A ) of cord lock 1600 .
- Loop 1500 d of cord 1500 h can be worn around an ankle or lower leg of a wearer and/or mounted onto the wearer's footwear. While wearing the clothes fastening system of FIGS. 15A-B or prior to wearing the clothes fastening system of FIGS. 15A-B , a wearer/user can use cord lock 1600 to adjust the size (i.e., diameter or circumference) of loops 1500 d or 1500 e .
- Fastening mechanism 1508 is similar in configuration to that shown in FIG. 2A with differences in orientation towards attachment member 1500 as seen in FIGS. 15A-B and 2 A-B; fastening mechanism 1508 is used in conjunction with attachment member 1500 to practice the clothes fastening system of the present invention.
- attachment member 1500 is attached to a wearer's footwear 112 .
- the wearer inserts their foot or footwear through cord loop 1500 d (see FIG. 15A ) of the attachment member to the desired height above the ground or platform 118 .
- the wearer would then adjust the cord 1500 h using the cord lock 1600 to decrease or increase the circumference of loop 1500 d (not shown) around the wearer's ankle or footwear to a desirable fit.
- Cord lock 1600 consists of two pistons 1600 a and 1600 b , a cylinder 1600 c which houses the pistons and two biasing springs 1600 m and 1600 n .
- Cord lock further has side openings 1600 i and 1600 L which are generally aligned to each other as shown in FIG. 17B .
- Piston 1600 a has an opening 1600 j at its lower portion and similarly, piston 1600 b has an opening 1600 k at its lower portion.
- Cord stop 1700 comprises a ring having opening 1700 a through which cord 1500 h (see FIG. 15A ) passes as shown in FIG. 15A .
- pistons 1600 a and 1600 b are held within the body of cylinder 1600 c .
- pistons 1600 a and 1600 b run channels 1600 r , 1600 t and 1600 v , 1600 x respectively.
- prongs 1600 s , 1600 u and 1600 w , 1600 y are pointed inward facing channels 1600 r - 1600 t and 1600 v - 1600 x respectively. Because the prongs are set within the channels of the pistons the pistons are therefore unable to be removed from the cylindrical housing.
- the channels 1600 r , 1600 t , 1600 x and 1600 v along with their corresponding prongs ( 1600 u , 1600 s , 1600 y and 1600 w ) of the cylinder 1600 c form a type of tongue-in-groove structure where the prongs (i.e., tongues) slidably engage the channels (i.e., grooves) in a friction fit to allow the pistons to move toward each other when they are pressed and away from each other when released.
- the prongs i.e., tongues
- attachment member 700 By it self A portion of a person's clothing would therefore be caught in between the first fasteners 706 and receiving surface 704 .
- the use of the attachment member would facilitate the purpose of keeping the clothing a certain distance above the ground.
- FIGS. 1 , 3 and 5 show one manner in which the attachment member and the fastening mechanism are positioned to allow the first and second fasteners to engage each other thus detachably attach the wearer's clothing to the wearer's footwear.
- the attachment member can be used to hold a wearer's clothing against the wearer; in such a case, the attachment member is mounted on the wearer's foot even with a portion of the wearer's clothing trapped between the footwear and the attachment member.
- cord lock 1600 and cord stop 1700 shows one manner in which to prevent the separation of looped cord 1500 h and cord lock 1600 . It would be obvious that the cord lock of the present invention can be designed such that it does not require a cord stop to prevent its separation from cord 1500 h.
- the clothes fastening system of the present invention comprises any system in which an attachment member is configured to attach to a wearer's footwear and/or limb and has a first fastener so positioned so that when a second fastener is attached to a wearer's clothes the two fasteners engage each other in detachable fashion to prevent at least a portion of the wearer's clothes from dragging against the ground (or platform on which wearer is being supported or walking) as the wearer is walking.
- a boot and pants are shown as the footwear and clothing to which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed, the present invention is certainly not limited to such clothing and such footwear.
- a full length woman's skirt along with tall boots or shoes can be used as the clothing and corresponding footwear to which the present invention can be installed.
- footwear are socks, stockings, panty hose, ski boots and sports shoes.
- clothing are skirts and overcoats.
- a user's limb include ankles, lower leg, and various parts of a user's foot.
- any type of clothing worn such that they are positioned in the vicinity of the wearer's footwear can be used to install the clothes fastening system of the present invention so that at least a portion of the clothing is prevented from dragging against the ground as the wearer is walking.
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- Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
Abstract
A clothes fastening system comprising an attachment member configured for attachment to a wearer's footwear where such attachment member has a first fastener attached thereto. A fastening mechanism is attached to the wearer's clothing where such fastening mechanism has a second fastener attached thereto. The first and second fasteners are detachably attached to each other thus preventing at least a portion of the wearer's clothing from dragging against the ground while the wearer is walking.
Description
- This application is a Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/358,678, filed on Feb. 21, 2006, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/410,034, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,275.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to a fastening system for fastening clothing to footwear.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Clothing styles change with the times. Currently, many individuals prefer loose fitting and even oversized clothing. In particular, many persons wear pants several sizes larger than their proper size. Also, sometimes even though a pair of pants or other clothing may be the proper size, a part of such clothing may not fit correctly. Regardless of whether or not a person intentionally wears oversized clothing, the loosely fitting or oversized parts of the clothing that cover a person's limbs (e.g., arms, legs) often have to interface and/or engage with footwear or hand wear. For example, the legs of an oversized pants may hang over a wearer's shoes and heels to such an extent that part of the legs drags against the ground as the wearer is walking resulting in frayed ends. Also during inclement weather (e.g., rain, snow) the overhanging portion of the pants' legs is dragged along the wet and dirty ground possibly ruining the wearer's pants. The wearer of an oversized pair of pants can possibly avoid ruining the pants by tucking in the ends of the pants' legs into the wearer's footwear or folding the ends of the pants' legs so that they do not drag against the ground. However, such apparent resolutions are not acceptable because (1) the wearer may not be able to tuck in the pants' legs into the wearer's footwear because there's not enough room to do so and (2) folded pants legs eventually become unfolded as the wearer is walking requiring that the pants legs be folded again.
- In many instances a relatively new pair of pants can be ruined because the pants' legs are frayed or ripped beyond repair. It is therefore desirable to provide some mechanism that prevents clothing such as pants from being damaged due to their portions being dragged along the ground as they are being worn.
- Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a fastening system that allows a wearer of clothing and footwear to detachably fasten the wearer's clothing to the wearer's footwear to prevent at least a portion of such clothing from being dragged along the ground as the wearer is walking and to allow the wearer to maintain at least a portion of the clothing a certain distance above the ground while walking or standing. In particular, the fastening system of the present invention comprises an attachment member having a receiving surface where the receiving surface has attached thereto a first fastener. The fastening system of the present invention further comprises a fastening mechanism to which a second fastener is attached. The fastening mechanism is affixed to the wearer's clothing. The attachment member is detachably affixed to the wearer's footwear or to a portion of a limb of the wearer (such as ankle or lower leg) to allow the first and second fastener to be positioned with respect to each other so that they fasten to each other in detachable fashion. The first and second fasteners being so attached prevent at least a portion of the wearer's clothing from being dragged along the ground as the wearer is walking.
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FIG. 1 is a side view of a portion of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed; -
FIGS. 2A , 2B and 2C show top side and rear views of the attachment member and top and side views of the fastening mechanisms of the clothes fastening system of the present invention; -
FIG. 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the clothes fastening system of the present invention; -
FIGS. 4A , 4B and 4C show top, rear and side views of another embodiment of the attachment member; -
FIG. 5 shows a side view of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed using attachment member fromFIGS. 4A , 4B and 4C; -
FIGS. 6A , 6B and 6C show top, side and rear views of yet another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention; -
FIGS. 7A , 7B and 7C show top, side and rear views of still another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention; -
FIG. 8 shows an exploded perspective view of the clothes fastening system of the present invention using attachment member fromFIGS. 7A , 7B and 7C and fastening mechanism fromFIGS. 7A and 7B ; -
FIGS. 9A , 9B and 9C show top, side and rear views of a further embodiment of the attachment member; -
FIG. 10 shows a side view of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed using attachment member fromFIGS. 9A , 9B and 9C; -
FIGS. 11A and 11B shows front and back views of still a further embodiment of the fastening mechanism; -
FIG. 12 is a side view of a portion of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed using fastening mechanism fromFIGS. 11A and 11B ; -
FIGS. 13A , 13B and 13C show top, side and rear views of yet another embodiment of the attachment member; -
FIG. 14 is a side view of a portion of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed using attachment member fromFIGS. 13A , 13B and 13C; -
FIGS. 15A and 15B show top and side views respectively of the attachment member and fastening mechanism of yet another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention; -
FIG. 16 shows a side view of a person's leg wearing pants and footwear in which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed using attachment member and fastening mechanism fromFIGS. 15A and 15B ; -
FIGS. 17A , 17B and 17C shows an enlarged view of the cord lock, sectional view of cord lock and cord stop respectively of the attachment member ofFIGS. 15A and 15B of the clothes fastening system of the present invention; -
FIG. 18 shows a magnified sectional view of the engagement between the cord lock pistons and cylinder of the attachment member ofFIGS. 15A and 15B of the clothes fastening system of the present invention; - The present invention provides a fastening system that allows a wearer of clothing and footwear to detachably fasten the wearer's clothing to the wearer's footwear to prevent at least a portion of such clothing from being dragged along the ground as the wearer is walking and to allow the wearer to maintain at least a portion of the clothing a certain distance above the ground while walking or standing. In particular, the fastening system of the present invention comprises an attachment member having a receiving surface where the receiving surface has attached thereto a first fastener. The fastening system of the present invention further comprises a fastening mechanism to which a second fastener is attached. The fastening mechanism is affixed to the wearer's clothing. The attachment member is detachably affixed to the wearer's footwear (or to a portion of the wearer's limb such as an ankle or lower leg) to allow the first and second fastener to be positioned with respect to each other so that they fasten to each other in detachable fashion. The first and second fasteners being so attached prevent at least a portion of the wearer's clothing from being dragged along the ground as the wearer is walking.
- Referring to
FIG. 1 , there is shown a side view of the clothes fastening system of the present invention installed to a wearer ofpants 110 andfootwear 112. At the rear offootwear 112attachment member 100 is detachably affixed to footwear 112 (shown as boots). It should be noted that the surface ofpants 110 is shown as a see through depiction so as to allow one to view the clothes fastening system of the present invention when installed.Attachment member 100 has a downwardly extendingportion 102 having a receivingsurface 104 to which afirst fastener 106 is permanently or detachably attached.Fastening mechanism 108 comprisingmaterial 109 andfastener 114 is attached to inner surface ofpants 110 as shown. In particular,material 109 hasouter surface 116 which is used to permanently or detachably attachfastening mechanism 108 topants 110. Also,material 109 has inner surface 122 (not shown inFIG. 1 ; seeFIG. 2A ) to which asecond fastener 114 is attached. - One embodiment of the fastening system of the present invention is to configure
attachment member 100 as a U-shaped (seeFIG. 2A ) metallic spring preferably made from a rust resistant (e.g., stainless steel) alloy and/or metal.Attachment member 100 can also be made from a plastic material. Referring toFIGS. 2A , 2B and 2C there are shown top, side and rear views ofattachment member 100 respectively.Attachment member 100 hasarms bent portion 100 c. Referring toFIG. 2A ,arms respective end portions bent portion 100 c thus forming a spring. Forattachment member 100 to be detachably attached ontofootwear 112,arms arrows arms attachment member 100 is mounted ontofootwear 112 so thatbent portion 100 c makes contact with the rear of the footwear (or is relatively closely positioned to the rear of footwear 112); thearms positions grasping footwear 112.Fastening mechanism 108 comprisesmaterial 109 having inner surface 122 (seeFIG. 2A ) andouter surface 116. In a preferred embodiment,material 109 is a flexible material such as rubber.Second fastener 114 is attached to theinner surface 122 ofmaterial 109.Second fastener 114 can be permanently or detachably attached toinner surface 122 ofmaterial 109. - Referring to
FIGS. 2B and 2C , the attachment member implemented as a U-shaped spring and has a downwardly extendingportion 102 having a receivingsurface 104 on whichfirst fastener 106 is attached.Material 109 offastening mechanism 108 has anouter surface 116 which is attached to the inner surface of the wearer's pants 110 (not shown inFIG. 2 ).Material 109 is made of a flexible material (e.g., rubber) that can be sewn, glued, cemented or attached through any well known means onto the inner surface of the wearer's clothing. The detachable attachment offastening mechanism 108 to the wearer's clothing can be achieved with well known detachable attachment arrangements such as hook and loop fasteners (e.g., VELCRO ® strips), snap-attach buttons or reusable glue or cement. InFIGS. 2A-2C , the first and second fasteners are shown as mating VELCRO ® attachments or strips. InFIG. 2A amaterial 120 of high coefficient of friction (e.g., rubber) is attached to the inner surface ofbent portion 100 c so that when the attachment member is installed onto a wearer's footwear, the attachment member will not tend to slide downward. It should be noted that downwardly extending portion 102 (as shown inFIG. 2B ) is shown as curving inwards to further reduce the likelihood of the attachment member sliding downward (i.e., in the direction shown by arrow 111) once installed onto the wearer's footwear. The first and second fasteners are positioned on the wearer'sfootwear 112 and the wearer'sclothing 110 respectively such that when they engage or when they fasten to each other they maintain at least a portion of the clothing 110 a certain distance D above the ground 118 (or above a platform on which the wearer is standing) preventing at least that portion of the clothing from being dragged against the ground orplatform 118. The distance D is typically several inches or centimeters. It will be readily obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs that other well known fastening mechanisms can be used that allows a wearer to detachably attach the wearer'sclothing 110 to the wearer'sfootwear 112. For example, a layer of reusable glue or cement solvent can be applied to the receivingsurface 104 and to theinner surface 122 ofmaterial 109 where such glue or cement allows thesurfaces clothing 110 tofootwear 112; the reusable glue or cement is such that it can be used many times without losing its adhering capability. - Referring to
FIG. 3 there is shown a perspective view of another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention.Attachment member 200 hasfirst fastener 206 that is permanently or detachably attached to itsouter surface 204. Amaterial 220 of relatively high coefficient of friction (e.g., rubber) is attached to the inner surface ofattachment member 200. Afastening mechanism 208 has a material 209 that has anouter surface 216 which is used to permanently or detachably attachfastening mechanism 208 to a wearer's clothing.Fastening mechanism 208 has aninner surface 222 to whichsecond fastener 214 is permanently or detachably attached.Second fastener 214 is such that it mates, engages or fastens is detachable fashion tofirst fastener 206.Outer surface 216 offastening mechanism 208 is adhered to a wearer's clothing with the use of well known adherence arrangements. First and second fasteners are again shown as VELCRO ® strips. - Referring to
FIGS. 4A , 4B and 4C, there are shown top, rear and side views of another attachment member; i.e.,attachment member 400. At the end ofarms openings attachment member 400 to a wearer's footwear. As inFIG. 2 ,attachment member 400 has afirst fastener 406 permanently or detachably attached to itsouter surface 404. Theattachment member 400 has a downwardly extendingportion 402 which is curved inward to reduce the likelihood of the attachment member sliding downwards (downward direction shown by arrow 411) when installed onto a wearer's footwear. Also, amaterial 420 having a high coefficient of friction is attached to the inner surface of thebent portion 400 c ofattachment 400 similar to themanner material 120 is attached tobent portion 100 c of attachment member. A fastening mechanism (not shown) similar in configuration to that shown inFIG. 2A is used withattachment member 400 to practice the clothes fastening system of the present invention. - Referring to
FIG. 5 , there is shown the manner in whichattachment member 400 is attached to a wearer's footwear. Boot lace orshoe lace 401 is passed through theopenings 400 f (not shown) and 400 g. It should be noted that opening 400 f oppositely positioned at the other side ofshoe 112 is not shown inFIG. 5 . - Referring to
FIGS. 6A , 6B and 6C there is shown yet another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention where a snap-attach button arrangement is used to detachably attach a wearer's clothes to the wearer's footwear.Attachment member 600 inFIG. 6A is shown to havearms bent portion 600 c andfirst fastener 606 which can be male or female portion of a snap-attach button.Fastening mechanism 608 comprisesmaterial 609 havingouter surface 616 andinner surface 622 to whichsecond fastener 614 is permanently or detachably attached.Fastening mechanism 608 can be permanently or detachably attached to a wearer's clothing viaouter surface 616. Referring toFIG. 6B ,first fastener 606 is permanently or detachably attached to surface 604 of downwardly extendingportion 602 ofattachment member 600. Downwardly extendingportion 602 is curved inward to prevent the attachment member from sliding downward (direction shown by arrow 611) when the attachment member is attached to a wearer's footwear. Also, amaterial 620 of high coefficient of friction is attached to the inner surface ofattachment member 600 to prevent the attachment member from sliding downward when attached to a wearer's footwear.FIG. 6C showsfirst fastener 606 as the female portion of the snap-attach button arrangement made fromfirst fastener 606 andsecond fastener 614. - Referring to
FIGS. 7A , 7B, 7C there is shown another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention where a strap and clip arrangement is used to detachably attach a wearer's clothes to the wearer's footwear.Attachment member 700 inFIG. 7A is shown to havearms bent portion 700 c andfirst fastener 706 which is a clip that is integral withbent portion 700 c and forms part of surface 704 (seeFIG. 7B ). Although not shown,clip 706 can be a separate clip component distinct fromattachment member 700 but which can be permanently or detachably adhered to at least a portion ofsurface 704 ofattachment member 700.Fastening mechanism 708 comprisesmaterial 709 havingouter surface 716 andinner surface 722 to whichsecond fastener 714 is permanently or detachably attached.Fastening mechanism 708 can be permanently or detachably attached to a wearer's clothing viaouter surface 716. Referring toFIG. 7B ,first fastener 706 is shown as being integral withsurface 704 that forms at least part of downwardly extendingportion 702 ofattachment member 700. Downwardly extendingportion 702 is curved inward to prevent the attachment member from sliding downward (direction shown by arrow 711) when the attachment member is attached to a wearer's footwear. Also, amaterial 720 of high coefficient of friction is attached to the inner surface ofattachment member 700 to help prevent the attachment member from sliding downward when attached to a wearer's footwear. Also,material 720 can be made with an adhering substance so thatattachment member 700 is permanently or detachably attached to the wearer's footwear.FIGS. 7B-7C showfirst fastener 706 andsecond fastener 714 respectively. The engagement offirst fastener 706 andsecond fastener 714 is shown and explained inFIG. 8 . - Referring to
FIG. 8 , there is shown a perspective view ofattachment member 700 andfastening mechanism 708.Attachment member 700 hasfirst fastener 706 that is permanently or detachably attached to itsouter surface 704.Second fastener 714 is positioned such that it goes overfirst fastener 706 in the direction indicated byarrow 712;second fastener 714 thus engagesfirst fastener 706 whereby thesecond fastener 714 is detachably or permanently secured betweenbent portion 700 c ofattachment member 700 andfirst fastener 706.Outer surface 716 offastening mechanism 708 is adhered to a wearer's clothing with the use of well known adherence arrangements. - Referring to
FIGS. 9A , 9B, 9C there are shown top, rear and side views respectively of another attachment member; i.e.,attachment member 900. At the end ofarms clips 900 f-900 h and 900 g-900 i respectively which are clipped onto the left and right side of a shoe cuff to affixattachment member 900 to a wearer's footwear. As shown inFIG. 9C theclips 900 f-900 h and 900 g-900 i are oriented at an angle with respect toarms FIG. 2 ,attachment member 900 has afirst fastener 906 permanently or detachably attached to itsouter surface 904. Theattachment member 900 has a downwardly extendingportion 902 which is curved inward to reduce the likelihood of the attachment member sliding downwards (downward direction shown by arrow 911) when installed onto a wearer's footwear. Also, amaterial 920 having a high coefficient of friction is attached to the inner surface of thebent portion 900 c of attachment member to help preventattachment member 900 from sliding downward. Also,material 920 can be made with an adhering substance so thatattachment member 900 is permanently or detachably attached to the wearer's footwear. A fastening mechanism (not shown) similar in configuration to that shown inFIG. 2A is used withattachment member 900 to practice the clothes fastening system of the present invention. - Referring to
FIG. 10 , there is shown the manner in whichattachment member 900 is attached to a wearer's footwear. Boot cuff or shoe cuff 903 (i.e., upper portion of boot 112) is clipped onto byclips 900 f-900 h (not shown) and 900 g-900 i. It should be noted thatclip 900 f-900 h is oppositely positioned with respect to clip 900 g-900 i and clips onto an upper portion ofboot 112 in substantially the same manner asclip 900 g-900 i. - Referring to
FIGS. 11A , 11B there are shown front and back views respectively of another fastening mechanism; i.e.,fastening mechanism 1100.Fastening mechanism 1100 comprisesmaterial 1109 having outer surface 1122 (seeFIG. 11A ). A portion ofouter surface 1122 has second fastener 1114 (e.g., adhering substance) that is used to adhere permanently ordetachably fastening mechanism 1100 to a wearer's footwear such asboot 112.Second fastener 1114 is permanently or detachably attached toouter surface 1122 ofmaterial 1109. Fastening mechanism hasinner surfaces material 1109 is a flexible material such as rubber or soft leather that can facilitate the folding offastening mechanism 1100 across indentation line 1107 (seeFIG. 11B ) such thatinner surfaces - Referring to
FIG. 12 , there is shown the manner in whichfastening mechanism 1100 is attached to a wearer's pants.Fastening mechanism 1100 is folded such thatouter surface 1122 is mounted on the outer surface of the wearer'spants 110 andsecond fastener 1114 is seen on the inner surface of the wearer's pants.Inner surfaces pants 110. The use offastening mechanism 1100 aids in preventing any dirty liquids or substances from touching the heel surface of the wearer'spants 110. - Referring to
FIGS. 13A , 13B, 13C there are shown top, rear and side views of another attachment member; i.e.,attachment member 1300. At the end ofarms clips 1300 f-1300 h and 1300 g-1300 i respectively which are clipped onto the left and right side of a slipper strap to affixattachment member 1300 to a wearer's foot and footwear (seeFIG. 14 ).Attachment member 1300 has afirst fastener 1306 permanently or detachably attached to itsouter surface 1304. Theattachment member 1300 has a downwardly extendingportion 1302 which is curved inward to reduce the likelihood of the attachment member sliding downwards (downward direction shown by arrow 1311) when installed onto a wearer's foot. Also, amaterial 1320 having a relatively high coefficient of friction is attached to the inner surface of thebent portion 1300 c ofattachment member 1300. A fastening mechanism (not shown) similar in configuration to that shown inFIG. 2A is used withattachment member 1300 to practice the clothes fastening system of the present invention. It should be noted thatbent portion 1300 c, and clips 1300 f-1300 h and 1300 g-1300 i are preferably made from a soft polymer (e.g., plastic) material whilearms attachment member 1300 to form a relatively tight fit with respect to the user's foot and footwear as shown inFIG. 14 . Although not shown inFIG. 14 , because of the elasticity and the spring back force of thearms - Referring to
FIG. 14 , there is shown the manner in whichattachment member 1300 is attached to a wearer'sfoot 113 andfootwear 212.Footwear strap 1303 is clipped onto byclips 1300 f-1300 h (not shown) and 1300 g-1300 i. It should be noted that, although not shown,clip 1300 f-1300 h is oppositely positioned with respect to clip 1300 g-1300 i and attaches ontofootwear 212 in substantially the same manner asclip 1300 g-1300 i. - Referring to
FIGS. 15A and 15B , there is shown yet another embodiment of the clothes fastening system of the present invention comprisingattachment member 1500 having a downwardly extendingportion 1502 with a receivingsurface 1504 to which afirst fastener 1506 is permanently or detachably attached. The downwardly extendingportion 1502 can be glued, stitched or in some manner adhered toattachment member 1500. Alternatively, the downwardly extendingportion 1502 can be integral withattachment member 1500. The downwardly extending portion 1502 (as shown inFIG. 15B ), which can be flexible or rigid, is shown as curving inwards to further reduce the likelihood of the attachment member sliding downward (i.e., in the direction shown by arrow 1511) once installed onto the wearer's footwear or limb.Attachment member 1500 can be mounted on a wearer's footwear or limb or detachably attached to the wearer's footwear or limb. -
Fastening mechanism 1508, which can be detachably attached toattachment member 1500 via downwardly extendingmember 1502 as described below, comprises material 1509 having inner surface 1522 (seeFIG. 15B ) andouter surface 1516.Material 1509 is preferably flexible and can be waterproof. However,material 1509 can also be rigid.Attachment member 1500 consists of a loopedcord 1500 h,cord lock 1600,cord stop 1700 and first fastener 1506 (part of downwardly extending portion 1502) which can be permanently or detachably attached to outer surface of 1504 ofportion 1502. Thecord 1500 h can be flat or ribbon-like and can be made from tightly woven material that can be elastic or non-elastic.Attachment member 1500 usesfirst fastener 1506 to detachably attach a wearer's clothes to the wearer's limb such as an ankle or the wearer's footwear viasecond fastener 1514 offastening mechanism 1508. InFIGS. 15A-B , amaterial 1520 preferably made from a soft polymer (e.g., plastic) is attached to inner surface of 1504 to prevent chaffing against the wearer's heel if the attachment member is worn around the ankle. Also, the curvature in the downwardly extendingportion 1502 in combination with amaterial 1520 of relatively high coefficient of friction for the inner surface ofportion 1502 will similarly decrease the likelihood that thesurface 1502 will slide downward while worn by a wearer. As shown inFIGS. 15A-B and best seen inFIG. 15A , the loopedcord 1500 h passes throughcord lock 1600 twice andhole 1700 a ofcord stop 1700 once; although not shown (SeeFIG. 17A ), the width ofaperture 1600 d ofcord lock 1600 is smaller compared to the size (i.e., diameter or width or thickness) ofcord stop 1700 so as to prevent thecord 1500 h from becoming separated fromcord lock 1600.Cord lock 1600 forms twoloops cord 1500 h as shown inFIG. 15A . That is, a section ofcord 1500 h referred to as 1500 d combined withcord lock 1600 form a first loop; similarly a section of 1500 h referred to as 1500 e along withcord lock 1600 form a second loop. Referring toFIG. 15A , spring loadedpistons cord lock 1600 allows the wearer to adjust the perimeter ofloop 1500 e by pulling or pushingcord 1500 h throughaperture 1600 d (SeeFIG. 17A ) ofcord lock 1600.Loop 1500 d ofcord 1500 h can be worn around an ankle or lower leg of a wearer and/or mounted onto the wearer's footwear. While wearing the clothes fastening system ofFIGS. 15A-B or prior to wearing the clothes fastening system ofFIGS. 15A-B , a wearer/user can usecord lock 1600 to adjust the size (i.e., diameter or circumference) ofloops loop 1500 d around his/her ankle, for example, by usingcord lock 1600.Fastening mechanism 1508 is similar in configuration to that shown inFIG. 2A with differences in orientation towardsattachment member 1500 as seen inFIGS. 15A-B and 2A-B;fastening mechanism 1508 is used in conjunction withattachment member 1500 to practice the clothes fastening system of the present invention. - Referring to
FIG. 16 , there is shown the manner in whichattachment member 1500 is attached to a wearer'sfootwear 112. The wearer inserts their foot or footwear throughcord loop 1500 d (seeFIG. 15A ) of the attachment member to the desired height above the ground orplatform 118. The wearer would then adjust thecord 1500 h using thecord lock 1600 to decrease or increase the circumference ofloop 1500 d (not shown) around the wearer's ankle or footwear to a desirable fit. - Referring to
FIGS. 17A , 17B, 17C there are shown close-up views of thecord lock 1600, a sectional view of thecord lock 1600, and a close-up view of thecord stop 1700 respectively.Cord lock 1600 consists of twopistons cylinder 1600 c which houses the pistons and two biasingsprings side openings 1600 i and 1600L which are generally aligned to each other as shown inFIG. 17B .Piston 1600 a has anopening 1600 j at its lower portion and similarly,piston 1600 b has anopening 1600 k at its lower portion. Depending on the relative positioning ofpiston openings aperture 1600 d is formed from their overlap through whichcord 1500 h is passed.Cord stop 1700 comprises aring having opening 1700 a through whichcord 1500 h (seeFIG. 15A ) passes as shown inFIG. 15A . - It is shown in
FIG. 17A that whenpistons pistons arrows aperture 1600 d relatively much smaller thanside openings 1600 i and 100L and the spring biasing causesaperture 1600 d to constrict the movement ofcord 1500 h through theside openings 1600 i and 1600L. Alternatively, when the pistons are depressed in the directions indicated byarrows aperture 1600 d formed from the overlap ofpiston openings side openings 1600 i and 1600L, thecord 1500 h is no longer constricted by the pistons allowing a wearer/user to adjust the sizes ofloops aperture 1600 d is enlarged to allow free movement ofcord 1500 h there through. When the pistons are released, the spring biasing once again causes the piston to constrict thecord 1500 h keeping theloops - Referring to
FIG. 18 , there is shown the manner in whichpistons cylinder 1600 c. Along the sides ofpistons b run channels cylinder 1600 c,prongs channels 1600 r-1600 t and 1600 v-1600 x respectively. Because the prongs are set within the channels of the pistons the pistons are therefore unable to be removed from the cylindrical housing. Thechannels cylinder 1600 c form a type of tongue-in-groove structure where the prongs (i.e., tongues) slidably engage the channels (i.e., grooves) in a friction fit to allow the pistons to move toward each other when they are pressed and away from each other when released. - Referring back to
FIG. 7 , although not shown, it would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to useattachment member 700 by it self A portion of a person's clothing would therefore be caught in between thefirst fasteners 706 and receivingsurface 704. The use of the attachment member would facilitate the purpose of keeping the clothing a certain distance above the ground. - It should be noted that
FIGS. 1 , 3 and 5 show one manner in which the attachment member and the fastening mechanism are positioned to allow the first and second fasteners to engage each other thus detachably attach the wearer's clothing to the wearer's footwear. Also, the attachment member can be used to hold a wearer's clothing against the wearer; in such a case, the attachment member is mounted on the wearer's foot even with a portion of the wearer's clothing trapped between the footwear and the attachment member. - Referring back to
FIGS. 15A and 15B , it should be stated that the combination ofcord lock 1600 andcord stop 1700 shows one manner in which to prevent the separation of loopedcord 1500 h andcord lock 1600. It would be obvious that the cord lock of the present invention can be designed such that it does not require a cord stop to prevent its separation fromcord 1500 h. - It will be readily understood that various designs of the clothes fastening system of the present invention although not shown or discussed in detail fall within the scope of the claims of this invention. The clothes fastening system of the present invention comprises any system in which an attachment member is configured to attach to a wearer's footwear and/or limb and has a first fastener so positioned so that when a second fastener is attached to a wearer's clothes the two fasteners engage each other in detachable fashion to prevent at least a portion of the wearer's clothes from dragging against the ground (or platform on which wearer is being supported or walking) as the wearer is walking. Although a boot and pants are shown as the footwear and clothing to which the clothes fastening system of the present invention is installed, the present invention is certainly not limited to such clothing and such footwear. For example, a full length woman's skirt along with tall boots or shoes can be used as the clothing and corresponding footwear to which the present invention can be installed. Examples of footwear are socks, stockings, panty hose, ski boots and sports shoes. Examples of clothing are skirts and overcoats. Examples of a user's limb include ankles, lower leg, and various parts of a user's foot. It will be appreciated that any type of clothing worn such that they are positioned in the vicinity of the wearer's footwear can be used to install the clothes fastening system of the present invention so that at least a portion of the clothing is prevented from dragging against the ground as the wearer is walking.
Claims (9)
1. A clothes fastening system comprising:
an attachment member having a downwardly extending portion; and
a fastening mechanism having an inner surface and an outer surface where the downwardly extending portion has a receiving surface to which a first fastener is attached and a second fastener is attached to the inner surface of the fastening mechanism allowing the first and second fasteners to detachably engage each other.
2. The clothes fastening system of claim 1 where the first and second fasteners are hook and loop fasteners.
3. The clothes fastening system of claim 1 where the fastening mechanism is detachably attachable via its outer surface to clothing of a user.
4. The clothes fastening system of claim 1 where the attachment member is mountable onto a footwear of a user.
5. The clothes fastening system of claim 1 where the attachment member is adjustable.
6. The clothes fastening system of claim 1 where the attachment member is made from an elastic material.
7. The clothes fastening system of claim 1 where the attachment member is detachably attached to a wearer's footwear or limb and the fastening mechanism is attached to the wearer's clothing to allow the wearer to detachably attach a portion of the clothing to the footwear or limb with the first and second fasteners.
8. The clothes fastening system of claim 7 where a portion of the wearer's clothing is maintained a certain distance above a platform on which the wearer is walking when the first fastener is attached to the second fastener.
9. The clothes fastening system of claim 1 where the attachment member comprises a cord that is loop through a cord lock and a cord stop to allow a user to adjust the cord while the attachment member is detachably attached to the user's footwear.
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US12/150,277 US20080196212A1 (en) | 2003-04-08 | 2008-04-25 | Clothes fastening system |
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US10/410,034 US7032275B2 (en) | 2003-04-08 | 2003-04-08 | Clothes fastening system |
US11/358,678 US7665189B2 (en) | 2003-04-08 | 2006-02-21 | Clothes fastening system |
US12/150,277 US20080196212A1 (en) | 2003-04-08 | 2008-04-25 | Clothes fastening system |
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US11/358,678 Continuation-In-Part US7665189B2 (en) | 2003-04-08 | 2006-02-21 | Clothes fastening system |
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US12/150,277 Abandoned US20080196212A1 (en) | 2003-04-08 | 2008-04-25 | Clothes fastening system |
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Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US11116285B2 (en) | 2018-03-27 | 2021-09-14 | Shoespender Inc. | Footwear retention system |
US11490690B2 (en) | 2019-07-26 | 2022-11-08 | Nike, Inc. | Footwear upper with magnetic hold open for foot entry |
US11523660B2 (en) | 2018-04-13 | 2022-12-13 | Nike, Inc. | Footwear fastening system |
US11553760B2 (en) * | 2019-07-26 | 2023-01-17 | Nike, Inc. | Closure strap for footwear upper with looped grab handle |
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US386345A (en) * | 1888-07-17 | Cuff-holder | ||
US392676A (en) * | 1888-11-13 | Apron and support therefor | ||
US397704A (en) * | 1889-02-12 | Abraham diamond and otto kohnert | ||
US405761A (en) * | 1889-06-25 | Hip-belt | ||
US416477A (en) * | 1889-12-03 | Skirt-supporter | ||
US561576A (en) * | 1896-06-09 | Skirt-supporting belt | ||
US211500A (en) * | 1879-01-21 | Improvement in pantaloons-protectors | ||
US1879991A (en) * | 1929-05-31 | 1932-09-27 | William E Pratt Mfg Company | Live decoy halter |
US2615171A (en) * | 1948-03-15 | 1952-10-28 | Emma G Borowick | Skirt and blouse connector |
US2596112A (en) * | 1948-09-24 | 1952-05-13 | Andrew A Aines | Trouser blousing method |
US2525756A (en) * | 1949-02-16 | 1950-10-17 | Andrew A Aines | Trouser blousing means |
US3137863A (en) * | 1962-04-02 | 1964-06-23 | Harry J Dimpfl | Trouser blousing device |
US3501774A (en) * | 1966-05-25 | 1970-03-24 | George R Norman | Garter |
US4140253A (en) * | 1977-08-15 | 1979-02-20 | Vickers Charles K | Gun carrier |
US4322077A (en) * | 1980-01-21 | 1982-03-30 | T Hof Gustaaf Van | Wrist band for tennis rackets and the like |
US5082156A (en) * | 1987-08-07 | 1992-01-21 | Braun Thomas D | Tool wrist strap |
US4825475A (en) * | 1987-10-20 | 1989-05-02 | Smart Keith M | Pantleg restraining band |
US5074439A (en) * | 1990-11-13 | 1991-12-24 | Wilcox Larry A | Scent or lure dispensing device |
US5307966A (en) * | 1991-03-18 | 1994-05-03 | Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Strapping structure for an instrument and the like |
US5412545A (en) * | 1993-02-16 | 1995-05-02 | Brett R. Rising | Head and hip mounted flashlight holding device |
US5483704A (en) * | 1994-04-25 | 1996-01-16 | Filipiak; Edmund C. | Clip-on garter |
US5542156A (en) * | 1994-09-01 | 1996-08-06 | Oglesby; Larry W. | Trouser leg retaining device |
US6029870A (en) * | 1998-08-21 | 2000-02-29 | Giacona Container Company | Bottled drink carrier apparatus |
US6131780A (en) * | 1999-06-28 | 2000-10-17 | Becker; Elsie Clare | Bottle tote |
US6216319B1 (en) * | 1999-08-16 | 2001-04-17 | Oscar K. Elkins | Tool tether |
US6626333B2 (en) * | 2000-07-14 | 2003-09-30 | Michel Gilbert Levesque | Bottle-connector |
US6776317B1 (en) * | 2001-03-19 | 2004-08-17 | Parker Systems, Inc. | Tool lanyard for holding tools |
US6393619B1 (en) * | 2001-06-19 | 2002-05-28 | Kimberly N. Bardes | Anklet for encircling an ankle of a child and engaging a foot covering so as to prevent loss of the foot covering |
US6997362B1 (en) * | 2002-02-04 | 2006-02-14 | Pidcock Ralph M | Cane holder |
US6691722B2 (en) * | 2002-06-19 | 2004-02-17 | Brenda Allen | Walking cane holder apparatus |
US6701582B1 (en) * | 2003-02-20 | 2004-03-09 | Vernon L. Milburn | Trouser leg retaining device |
US7032275B2 (en) * | 2003-04-08 | 2006-04-25 | Sherlon Arleigh Nelson | Clothes fastening system |
US7665189B2 (en) * | 2003-04-08 | 2010-02-23 | Sherlon Arleigh Nelson | Clothes fastening system |
US7574753B1 (en) * | 2004-02-27 | 2009-08-18 | Colette Seyfried | Garter for items of apparel and method of use |
US7237306B1 (en) * | 2005-03-22 | 2007-07-03 | Vinson Flowers | Clip and trouser combination |
US20070095870A1 (en) * | 2005-11-01 | 2007-05-03 | Griffith Grant L | Continuously variable, closed loop, instrument tether |
US7594354B1 (en) * | 2006-07-31 | 2009-09-29 | Karen Chadwick | Portable fishing pole and binoculars support apparatus and associated method |
US7836559B2 (en) * | 2007-04-10 | 2010-11-23 | Athenas Menoudakos | Teething holder |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11116285B2 (en) | 2018-03-27 | 2021-09-14 | Shoespender Inc. | Footwear retention system |
US11523660B2 (en) | 2018-04-13 | 2022-12-13 | Nike, Inc. | Footwear fastening system |
US11707114B2 (en) | 2018-04-13 | 2023-07-25 | Nike, Inc. | Footwear fastening system |
US11490690B2 (en) | 2019-07-26 | 2022-11-08 | Nike, Inc. | Footwear upper with magnetic hold open for foot entry |
US11553760B2 (en) * | 2019-07-26 | 2023-01-17 | Nike, Inc. | Closure strap for footwear upper with looped grab handle |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |