US20120222190A1

US20120222190A1 - Clothing item

Info

Publication number: US20120222190A1
Application number: US13/505,639
Authority: US
Inventors: Bodo W. Lambertz
Original assignee: X Technology Swiss GmbH
Current assignee: X Technology Swiss GmbH
Priority date: 2009-11-11
Filing date: 2010-11-08
Publication date: 2012-09-06
Also published as: WO2011057746A1; BR112012011005A2; CL2012001216A1; EP2498632A1; DE202009015269U1; KR20120091336A; CA2780029A1; MX2012005405A; AU2010318274A1; CN102655774A; JP2013510957A

Abstract

The invention relates to a clothing item comprising front and back with a neck opening (3) in the front. A zipper (5) extends with one end to the neck opening (3). A reinforcement (6) serving as a bite edge is provided at the neck opening (3) in the region of the end (55) of the zipper (5). The user can grip the reinforcement in his/her mouth to facilitate one hand operation of the zipper.

Description

The invention relates to a clothing item that has a neck opening and, on its front, a zipper that extends, with its one end, to the neck opening.
Items of clothing of the type just stated are very common. They can be designed in the form of jackets, pullover sweaters, or the like. The zipper provided on the clothing item thereby offers the possibility of opening the clothing item easily in order to simplify the process of putting on and removing the item, or to make ventilation possible during rising temperatures. In addition, the zipper offers the advantage, relative to other closing possibilities for items of clothing, such as buttons, that the clothing item is completely closed so that no moisture or air drafts, as the case may be, consequently penetrate into the clothing item.
It is difficult to open the zipper with only one hand, particularly in items of clothing that are manufactured from very elastic material. This is due to the fact that the clothing item, because of its high elasticity, sags when the zipper is pulled down. This results in folds in the clothing item, which result in an undulating form of the zipper. The zipper cannot then be opened. It is thus necessary to use the second hand and to hold on to the clothing item in the area of the neck opening with the second hand in order to bring about sufficient stability of the clothing item to make it possible to open the zipper. This is, on the one hand, disadvantageous if the wearer of the clothing item is handicapped, and, on the other hand, in situations where one hand is needed for another activity. Such activities may include bicycling or driving, for example, in which the second hand must remain on the handlebar or steering wheel, as the case may be.
The task that forms the basis for the invention is thus that of creating a clothing item which makes it possible to open the zipper with only one hand. This task is solved, in accordance with the invention, through the fact that a reinforcement serving as a bite edge is positioned on the neck opening in the area of the end of the zipper.
The invention creates a clothing item that makes it possible to open the zipper with only one hand. For this, the wearer of the clothing item needs only to place the reinforcement serving as a bite edge into his or her mouth in order to thereby give the clothing item sufficient stability so that it is possible to operate the zipper, even in highly elastic items of clothing.
In a further development of the invention, the reinforcement has an essentially U-shaped cross-section. This configuration offers the advantage that the reinforcement can thereby overlap the neck opening in certain areas, so that a reinforcement serving as the bite edge is provided, both on the inner side of the clothing item in the area of the neck opening, as well as on the outer side.
The reinforcement preferably consists of plastic or rubber. The use of plastic or rubber ensures, on the one hand, a high level of workability, so that the reinforcement can easily be adjusted to the specific clothing item, and, on the other hand, materials that are food-safe and therefore not harmful to the health.
The reinforcement preferably covers the zipper, at least partially. By this means, the reinforcement can serve as a cover for the zipper, in order to thereby prevent the zipper from catching on the throat. The wearing comfort of the clothing item is thereby further increased.

Other further developments and refinements of the invention are stated in the remaining sub-claims. One embodiment of the invention is depicted in the diagrams and is described in detail in the following. These diagrams present:

FIG. 1: A view of a certain area of a clothing item with zipper and reinforcement;

FIG. 2: A side view of the clothing item in the area of the neck opening;

FIG. 3: A view of a person with the clothing item when activating the zipper.

The clothing item selected as an embodiment consists of a front side 1 and of a rear side, which is not shown in the diagram. The clothing item has a sleeve 2. It has a neck opening 3, which is formed in this embodiment by a stand-up collar 4. On its front 1, the clothing item has a zipper 5.
The zipper 5 is sewn into the clothing item in the manner as known per se, as is clarified by the seams 51. It has, in the known manner, teeth 52, which are clasped together by means of a sliding unit 53. A gripping unit 54 is provided on the sliding unit 53. The zipper 5 projects into the neck opening 3 with its one end; in the embodiment, the visible end 55 of the zipper is located on the upper area of the stand-up collar 4.
On the neck opening 3, a reinforcement 6 serving as a bite edge is positioned in the area of the end 55 of the zipper 5; in this embodiment, the reinforcement 6 is provided on the free ends of the stand-up collar 4 forming the neck opening 3. In the embodiment, the reinforcement 6 is sewn into the stand-up collar 4, which is made visible by the seams 61. The reinforcement 6 is preferably manufactured from plastic or rubber. In the selection of the material for the reinforcement 6, on the one hand, a high level of workability is important so that the reinforcement can easily be adjusted to the form of the clothing item in the area . . . of the neck opening 3. In addition, it is important for the material selected to have no characteristics that are damaging to the health. In addition, the material should have a relatively high flexibility, so that mobility is not thereby restricted. These characteristics are fulfilled, in particular, by means of suitable plastics and rubber.
The reinforcement 6 has an essentially U-shaped cross-section, through which it overlaps the neck opening 3 or the stand-up collar 4, as the case may be. As the result, the leg 62 of the reinforcement 6 is positioned on the outer side of the clothing item, while the leg 63 is positioned on the inner side of the clothing item. The middle part 64 connecting the legs 62 and 63 is located above the free end of the neck opening 3 or of the stand-up collar 4, as the case may be, as is particularly evident in FIG. 2.
As can be inferred, in particular, from FIG. 3, the reinforcement 6 partially overlaps the zipper 5. The reinforcement 6 thus projects over the zipper 5 horizontally. In the closed condition of the zipper 5, the reinforcement 6 completely overlaps with the end 55; in the condition with the zipper 5 not completely closed, the reinforcement 6 projects partially over the one side of the zipper 5 in a horizontal orientation, as is particularly evident in FIG. 3.
Upon the activation of the zipper, the reinforcement 6 serving as a bite edge offers a considerable simplification, particularly in cases in which a second hand is not available to activate the zipper, whether because of a handicap or because the second hand is not available due to other actions, such as holding a handlebar during bicycling. In order to activate it, it is only necessary for the wearer of the specific clothing item to bite on the reinforcement 6. By this means, the reinforcement 6 is held between the teeth of the wearer of the clothing item. It is consequently possible to fix the neck opening 3 in such a manner that it is possible to activate the zipper 5 with one hand, as is depicted in . . . . FIG. 3. FIG. 3. A one-handed operation of the zipper is consequently also possible if the zipper is provided on highly elastic items of clothing, such as is the case with bicycling shirts. Since both hands frequently cannot be removed from the handlebar during bicycling, a significant improvement is created by means of the invention in regard to the handling of the zipper, even under unfavorable conditions.

LIST OF REFERENCES

1 Front
2 Sleeve
3 Neck opening
4 Stand-up collar
5 Zipper
6 Reinforcement
51 Seam
52 Teeth
53 Sliding unit
54 Gripping unit
55 Ends
61 Seam
61 Leg
63 Leg
64 Middle part

Claims

1. A clothing item that has a neck opening and a zipper on its front, which extends with its one end to the opening of the neck, characterized in that, a reinforcement (6) serving as a bite edge is positioned on the neck opening (3) in the area of the end (55) of the zipper (5).

2. A clothing item in accordance-with claim 1, characterized in that, the reinforcement (6) has an essentially U-shaped cross-section.

3. A clothing item in accordance-with claim 1, characterized in that, the reinforcement (6) consists of plastic.

4. A clothing item in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that, the reinforcement (6) consists of rubber.

5. A clothing item in accordance with claim 1 characterized in that, the reinforcement (6) at least partially overlaps the zipper (5).

6. A clothing item as in claim 2, wherein the reinforcement (6) consists of plastic.

7. A clothing item as in claim 2, wherein the reinforcement (6) consists of rubber.

8. A clothing item as in claim 2, wherein the reinforcement (6) at least partially overlaps the zipper (5).

9. A clothing item as in claim 8, wherein the wearer of the clothing item is readily able to grip the bite edge in his/her mouth to facilitate unzipping the zipper and removal of the clothing item from the wearer.