WO2001097642A1

WO2001097642A1 - Clothing

Info

Publication number: WO2001097642A1
Application number: PCT/GB2001/002746
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bernard Mark Hardy Blechman; Alfred Martin Lopez
Original assignee: Bernard Mark Hardy Blechman; Alfred Martin Lopez
Priority date: 2000-06-23
Filing date: 2001-06-21
Publication date: 2001-12-27
Also published as: AU7429701A; GB0015521D0

Abstract

The application describes an item of clothing (1) including a cord (2) encircling or running along a part of the clothing so that part can be adjusted in width, length or height, an apertured body (3) being provided on the cord (2), which body can grip the cord to fix it in position on the cord. The cross-sectional width of the aperture in the body (3) is less than the width or diameter of the cord (2) in its relaxed condition and the cord is reducible in width or diameter under tension when pulled, so that the body (3) can move relative to the cord (2) when the cord is pulled to adjust the clothing (1) but clamps the cord when it is not being pulled.

Description

CLOTHING

This invention relates to an item of clothing the width or length of a component part of which is adjustable by means of a cord.

Items of clothing are often adjusted by means of a pull cord. For example, in the case of a pair of tracksuit trousers, a cord runs around the waist, in a tunnel of material, the two ends of the cord being present at the front . Relatively large beads are attached to the ends of the cord, to prevent those ends disappearing into the tunnel . The wearer tightens the trousers by pulling on the cord and tying the ends together. In another example, cords are often used in waterproof jackets, where the waist, hood or cuff can be tightened by means of a cord. Often, the material at the waist, hood or cuff is maintained in its gathered position around the cord, after that cord has been pulled, by means of a cord lock, the excess length of cord being optionally tied in a knot.

Standard cord locks work on the principle of an apertured body with a sprung plug slotted therein, the plug also having an aperture which can register with the aperture in the body. The spring between the body and the plug acts to force the plug in a direction out of the body and into a position in which the apertures do not properly register. Cooperating lips between the body and plug prevent the plug from coming fully out of the body. On manufacture of the garment, the cord is threaded through the cord lock. Depression of the plug into the body brings the apertures into registration, so that the cord can easily slip through. However, when the wearer releases the plug, the apertures try and come out of registration, thereby clamping the cord. This clamping action can be increased by having a toothed surface on the inside of the apertures. On some cord locks, a set of double apertures is provided, so a pair of cords runs through and can be locked in the same cord lock.

These cord locks not only prevent the ends to the cord from going into the tunnel of material through which the cord runs, but also locks the cord in position relative to the material of clothing, so that the adjusted position of the item of clothing is maintained until it is desired to be loosened.

Although the above described cord locks function well, they can sometimes be difficult to operate and are relatively complicated items in the context of clothing. It is believed that there is a need for an improved clamping mechanism for use in connection with cords for adjustable clothing.

According to the present invention there is provided an item of clothing including a cord encircling or running along a part of the clothing so that part can be adjusted in width, length or height, an apertured body being provided on the cord, which body can grip the cord to fix it in position on the cord, characterized in that the cross-sectional width of the aperture in the body is less than the width or diameter of the cord in its relaxed condition and in that the cord is reducible in width or diameter under tension when pulled, such that the body can move relative to the cord when the cord is pulled to adjust the clothing but clamps the cord when it is not being pulled.

Preferably, the body member is a substantially spherical bead with a central cylindrical bore therethrough. The cord may be formed of an elastic line, or with an elastic core, so that its diameter is naturally decreased when it is stretched by pulling.

A better understanding of the invention will be gained from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention whcih are described below, by example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a schematic front view of the waist part of a pair of tracksuit trousers including an example of the present invention; Figs. 2a and 2b are schematic cross-sectional views showing the cooperation between the body and the cord;

Figs. 3a and 3b show alternative possible configurations of the body member of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a schematic front view on one leg of a pair of trousers showing another use of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the waist part of a pair of trousers, showing another example of the use of the invention; Figs . 6 and 7 are views of the cuff or bottom trouser leg of an item of clothing, again showing an example of the use of the invention.

The tracksuit trousers or bottoms 1 illustrated in Fig. 1 include a cord 2 going around the waist, the two ends of the cord emerging at the front, the very ends of the cord being knotted in a conventional manner. Towards each end of the cord is arranged a body member 3 which grips the cord in accordance with the invention and as explained in more detail below.

To tighten the waistband of the trouser bottoms, the wearer can hold one or both body members 3 between the fingers of one hand, while pulling one or both cord ends with the other. The pulling of the cord 2 causes its width or diameter to decrease, thus allowing it to slip relatively easily through the aperture of the body member 3. When the waistband is sufficiently tight on the wearer, the body member and cord is released; upon relaxation of the cord, its thickness or diameter reverts to the normal size so that the cord is gripped by the smaller diameter aperture of the body member. The excess length of cord at the front can then be tied in a bow knot, as desired.

The cooperation between the body member 3 and the cord 2 is illustrated more clearly in Figs. 2a and 2b. Fig. 2a shows the cord in its relaxed condition whereas Fig. 2b shows the cord under tension, when it is pulled. The body member 3 is shown in cross-section so that its bore 4 is visible. In Fig. 2a, the width or diameter d_b of the bore 4 is sufficiently less than the thickness or diameter d_c of the cord that a sufficient clamping force is exerted on the cord to prevent it from slipping through the body member other than when pulled with a substantial force.

On pulling of the cord, for example when the item of clothing is to be adjusted, the thickness or diameter d_c is reduced to a sufficient extent that the cord can relatively easily slip through the bore 4 of the body member 3. Preferably, when the cord is pulled, the thickness or diameter d_c can be less than the bore diameter d_b, though it will be appreciated that the cord will move relatively easily through the bore if d_c substantially equals d_c. The extent to which diameter d_c is reduced will of course depend on the force with which the cord is pulled. A cord with a diameter which will reduce when the cord is under tension is most easily achieved by using an elastic cord. Such items are standard in the clothing industry and a suitable elastic cord may be formed by a rubber core being sheathed in a relatively loose woven textile sleeve. Persons skilled in the clothing business will appreciate that cords which stretch or otherwise reduce in diameter may be formed in other ways also.

The gripping force between the body member 3 and the cord 4 in its relaxed state can obviously vary depending on the relative diameters of d_b and d_c. Furthermore, the resistance to pull of the cord through the bore 4 of the body member 3 can be increased by having a relatively sharp edge to the ends of the bore. This arrangement is naturally achieved in a central bore of a substantially spherical bead, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. However, a rounded rim to the opening of the bore is perfectly possible, if the relaxed diameter of the cord is larger to a sufficient degree than the diameter of the bore.

Although it is suggested that the body member may be in the form of spherical bead, this is not essential and other geometries to the body member are equally possible. For example, the body member could be tubular, as shown in Fig. 3a or could be in the form of a ring with a relatively sharp edged aperture as shown in Fig. 3b. The body member should be big enough so that it cannot retreat into the hem around the waist where the cord runs. Alternatively, a larger washer can be used next to the body member.

In the example of Fig. 4, the idea is used in connection with a pair of long trousers. The trousers are shown purely schematically, the view showing the front of one of the legs of the trousers . The waistband of the trousers is not shown but the bottom of the leg is indicated by reference numeral 12. The inventive idea will of course be present on the other trouser leg and is conveniently provided on both the inside and outside of each leg.

A pocket 13 is provided somewhere along the length of the leg, in this version at about hip level. A cord 2 runs from the bottom of the trouser leg to the pocket 13, the cord running for at least a major portion of its length inside the trouser leg.

In this version, the cord 2 is provided by as a pair of cords . The cord is turned back at the bottom end 12 to form a double length of cord, with a loop emerging at the bottom end of the trouser leg. It is not, however, essential that the cord is exposed to the bottom of the trouser leg, but such exposure may create a desirable "look" to the garment. Of course, the cord 2 can be connected to the bottom of the trouser leg in any convenient fashion, e.g. by stitching, according to the wishes of the garment producer.

As is seen in Fig. 4, the cord 2 (or cords) runs outside the trouser leg for part of its length. This feature both helps to keep the cord at the desired place within the trouser leg, but also adds to the "look" of the garment . The cord may of course be exposed at more than one position along the length of the garment.

In the trousers shown, pocket 13 is a hip pocket, though this is not essential. An external pocket could be appropriate to some items of clothing, for example combat trousers, with a more conventional inset pocket being chosen on other garments where a plainer look is desired.

The cord 2 can emerge from the inside of the trouser leg below, above or adjacent the pocket or even inside the pocket. In the illustrated version, the cord emerges from the inside of the trouser leg below the pocket and then runs back through the leg into the lower part of the pocket, where it ends. The loop of cord below the pocket is visible to add to the "look" of the garment. However, the loop near the end of the cord need not be visible on the outside of the pocket and the cord can emerge directly on the inside of the pocket, particularly if the pocket is large enough (as shown) to allow a wearer's hand to fit inside to release the cord gripping means.

On the loop of the cord which is near the pocket 13, a body member 3 is provided, as described in relation to Fig. 2.

When the wearer of the garment, here a pair of trousers, wishes to adjust the length, the upper end of each cord 2 is pulled from inside the trousers, so that it can slip through the body member 3, and this action in turn pulls at least part of the length of the cord which initially is inside the trouser leg up and into the pocket of the trouser leg. When the garment has been shortened to the degree desired by the wearer, the cord lock is operated to prevent the lower end of the garment falling down again.

It will be understood that at this stage there will be a length of cord at the pocket end, this length approximately being equal to the length by which the garment has been shortened. This excess cord is conveniently rolled, folded or otherwise arranged in the pocket 13. The location of the excess cord within the pocket avoids a length of cord dangling from the garment, which could be aesthetically displeasing and could even be dangerous if it caught on some nearby structure.

The length by which the garment can be shortened is selectable by the user. For example, with long trousers, the user has the option of turning them into three quarter length or into shorts. To reduce the trousers to a short length, the cord will be pulled to its full degree, part of the length of the cord obviously remaining inside the trouser leg as the length of the leg "bunches" around the user's thigh. Irrespective of how much the garment is shortened, the excess cord length can nonetheless be conveniently accommodated within the pocket 13.

The operation to shorten the legs is obviously reversed to return them to their full length.

The upper end of the cord need not be located in the pocket itself. In such an arrangement a short length of cord may be outside of the pocket, after the cord is tucked away.

Fig. 5 shows part of a pair of trousers, with the cord

2 encircling the waist of the trousers 1. For most of the circumference of the waist the cord 2 is located within the material of the waist. This concealed part of the cord is shaded.

At a convenient position, generally the front, a loop of the cord emerges from the garment and then goes again to the inside of the garment, through offset pairs of standard eyelets 15, 15' . At this exposed part of the cord is provided a pair of body members 3, as described above. The part of the cord which is arranged on the inside of the garment, next to the body member 3 which is on the outside of the garment, can be considered the cord pull section 16. If desired, this pull section can have a bead 17 or something similar arranged thereon to aid location and gripping by the wearer .

Conveniently, the pull section 16 is accessed by the wearer through a pocket 13 , the interior geometry of which is shown by the heavy dotted lines.

Thus, in order to adjust the waist of the trousers, it is only necessary for the wearer to place his or her hand in the pocket and pull on the part of the cord which is there, to reduce the thickness of the cord. When the waist is sufficiently tight, the pull section of the cord is released, so that the body member 3 again grips the cord. The extra length of the cord which has been pulled out of the waist is automatically hidden on the inside of the garment, in particular within the pocket. Needless to say loosening of the garment is achieved by the reverse operation.

If the trousers have a fly, the cord will be stitched at either side of the fly, rather than going around the entire waist as in the case of jogging pants. The cord can emerge on both sides of the fly, so two pairs of members 3 are present. In an alternative embodiment, not illustrated, the cord is tightened by pulling one of its ends on the inside of the garment, so a body member 3 on a single cord is used, rather than the illustrated double members .

Figs . 6 and 7 show a cuff or trouser hem which is constructed in a similar fashion to the waist of the trousers of Fig. 5, though of course the circumference at the cuff or trouser leg will in practice be much less than that of the trouser waist. Again, there is a cord 2 encircling the cuff or hem, the cord being for the most part of the circumference concealed within a "tunnel" of material formed in a conventional fashion at the hem by stitching. The cord emerges from the cuff or hem and then passes again onto the inside of the garment, so as to form a cord pull section 16 which can be accessed by the wearer. A pair of body members 3 is provided on the parts of the cord 2 which are exposed.

In this embodiment, a pocket will not generally be provided on the inside of the cuff or hem. Instead, the wearer will simply place his or her hand inside (for Fig. 6) or outside (for Fig. 7) and pull the cord pull section 16 to gather the cuff or hem to the desired degree. Because the diameter of the cuff or hem will be far less than that of the waist of the garment, it is expected that the excess length of cord within the garment, after adjustment, will not be great and thus no problem will be caused by the fact that this excess length is not within a specific pocket. In Fig. 6, the excess length is loose within the leg or sleeve; for Fig. 7, it is pushed into the tunnel of material formed by the folded hem.

For reasons of style, it is preferred that a pair of trousers has the above described cord systems at both waist and trouser hem locations.

While the example here has been illustrated and described in relation to pair of trousers, it has equal application to other types of garments, for example sleeved garments and dresses. It will be understood that the advantage of the invention is that the length of the garment can be adjusted in any easy manner, and/or without leaving excess lengths of cord hanging loosely from the garment. In particular, in relation to trousers, there is no excess length of cord dangling below the bottom of the shortened trouser leg.

Claims

1. An item of clothing including a cord encircling or running along a part of the clothing so that part can be adjusted in width, length or height, an apertured body being provided on the cord, which body can grip the cord to fix it in position on the cord, characterized in that the cross-sectional width of the aperture in the body is less than the width or diameter of the cord in its relaxed condition and in that the cord is reducible in width or diameter under tension when pulled, such that the body can move relative to the cord when the cord is pulled to adjust the clothing but clamps the cord when it is not being pulled.

2. An item of 'clothing according to claim 1, wherein the body member is a substantially spherical bead with a central bore therethrough.

3. An item of clothing according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cord is formed of an elastic line, or with an elastic core, so that its diameter is naturally decreased when it is stretched by pulling.

4. An item of clothing according to any preceding claim, wherein the cord runs from a lower part of the clothing to an upper part, the cord being pullable by the wearer to lift the lower part relative to the upper part, and wherein the clothing item has a receiver, preferably a pocket, at the upper part for receiving at least some of the length of the cord after it is pulled so as to shorten the clothing.

5. An item of clothing according to any preceding claim, wherein the item is a pair of trousers.

6. An item of clothing according to claim 5, wherein there is a cord at the outer side of each leg.

7. An item of clothing according to claim 5, wherein there is a cord at the outer side and the inside of each leg.

8. An item of clothing according to claims 5, 6 or 7, wherein each cord is provided as a double length of cord.

9. , An item of clothing according to any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the cord ends within a pocket at the thigh or top of the leg.

10. An item of clothing according to claim 9, wherein the cord loops out from the pocket and back into the leg.

11. An item of clothing according to claim 10, wherein the body member is provided in the loop adjacent the pocket.

12. An item of clothing according to any preceding claim, having a component part the width of which can be adjusted by the user, the cord at least partly encircling the relevant part, wherein the cord can be pulled by the wearer to adjust the width or tightness of the part by means of gathering of the material of the part around the cord, wherein for the majority of the circumference of the relevant part the cord is concealed under the material but emerges at a desired point and then passes again to the inside of the item of clothing so as to form a cord pull section on the inside of the clothing, the said body member holding the component part in its tightened or gathered condition about the cord and the cord pull section being used by the wearer for adjustment of the width of the relevant part.

13. An item of clothing according to claim 12 , wherein the cord is provided at the waist of the clothing item, for example a pair trousers or a skirt, and the cord pull section is arranged inside a pocket of the clothing item, so that the wearer adjusts the waist by pulling the cord from inside the pocket.

14. An item of clothing according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the body member is provided at both sides of the fly or zip of the garment, in particular, trousers.

15. An item of clothing according to any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the cord is arranged at the ends of sleeves or trouser legs of the clothing item.

16. An iteπrof clothing substantially as herein described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.