Patent Application
20220175069
The present invention relates to articles of clothing, and more particularly, articles of clothing with attachable fidget toys.
In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control reported that approximately 1 in 54 children in the United States is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (“ASD”). Autism, or ASD, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication. ASD is often accompanied by sensory sensitivities, medical issues, and challenges such as anxiety, depression, and attention issues. It has been shown that fidget toys and similar sensory stimulation tools improve productivity and decrease stress and anxiety for people diagnosed with an ASD. In fact, a study from Friendshipcircle.org showed the writing scores of an Autistic class increased to 83% from 73% when using stress balls.
Fidget toys and similar sensory stimulation tools are typically small in size and can be easily lost. Therefore, there exists an unmet need for a solution to make such toys and tools available but also easily retainable. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides for articles of clothing that are attachable to fidget toys and sensory stimulation tools.
The present disclosure provides various embodiments of an article of clothing. The article of clothing includes at least one textile area and at least one device attached to the at least one the textile area at a grommet or eyelet extending through the at least one textile area.
In some embodiments, the at least one device is attached with a fastener. In further embodiments, the fastener is a clamping device. In further embodiments, the clamping device is a carabiner.
In some embodiments, the article is one of a shirt, a pair of pants, sweatpants, a pair of gloves, a belt, headgear, a scarf, wrist band, a jacket or coat, a hoodie, a sweat shirt, long-sleeve shirt, T-shirt, socks, a sweater, a bandana, a bathing suit, a purse or a backpack. In further embodiments, the headgear is one of a hat, a cap, a headband, or a beanie.
In some embodiments, the at least one device is a sensory stimulation tool. In some embodiments, the at least one device is a fidget toy. In some embodiments, the article further includes multiple grommets or eyelets extending through the at least one textile area. In some embodiments, the article is a shirt and wherein the grommet or eyelet is located proximate to a bottom edge of the article of clothing.
In some embodiments, the article further includes a second textile area. In further embodiments, the article further includes a grommet or eyelet extending through the second textile area and a second device. The second device may be attached to the second textile area at the grommet or eyelet extending through the second textile area. The article may be a hoodie and the textile area (e.g., the first or second textile area) may be a pocket of the hoodie.
In accordance with further embodiments, a method for attaching a device to an article of clothing may include selecting an article of clothing having at least one textile area and inserting at least one grommet or eyelet into the at least one textile area of the article of clothing such that the grommet or eyelet extends through the at least one textile area. The method may also include attaching at least one device to the at least one textile area at the grommet or eyelet to secure the at least one device to the article of clothing.
In some embodiments, attaching the at least one device may include attaching the at least one device with a fastener (e.g., a clamping device). The article may be a shirt, a pair of pants, sweatpants, a pair of gloves, a belt, headgear (e.g., a hat, cap, beanie, headband, and the like), a scarf, wrist band, a jacket or coat, a hoodie, a sweat shirt, long-sleeve shirt, T-shirt, socks, a sweater, a bandana, a bathing suit, a purse or a backpack. The at least one device may be a sensory stimulation tool or a fidget toy.
In accordance with additional embodiments, inserting at least one grommet or eyelet includes inserting multiple grommets or eyelets extending through the at least one textile area. Additionally or alternatively, the article of clothing may have a second textile area. In such embodiments, the method may also include (1) inserting a grommet or eyelet extending through the second textile area, and (2) attaching a second device to the second textile area at the grommet or eyelet extending through the second textile area.
It may be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The foregoing features of the invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to certain exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure, certain examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
In this application, the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise. In this application, the use of “or” means “and/or” unless stated otherwise. Furthermore, the use of the term “including”, as well as other forms, such as “includes” and “included”, is not limiting. Similarly, the use of the term “comprising,” as well as other forms, such as “comprises,” is also not limiting. Any range described herein will be understood to include the endpoints and all values between the endpoints.
The section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described. All documents, or portions of documents, cited in this application, including but not limited to patents, patent applications, articles, books, and treatises, are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety for any purpose.
Illustrative embodiments of the present invention provide an article of clothing (e.g., a T-shirt) with an interchangeable and customizable fidget toy or sensory tool that may be attached to and/or detached from the article of clothing. Once attached the fidget toy/tool may allow the wearer to utilize the fidget toy/tool which, in turn, helps the wearer concentrate, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase productivity and assists with sensory-related issues.
As shown in
A grommet and/or eyelet 110 may be located on the article of clothing 100. The grommet and/or eyelet 110 may extend through the textile material of the article of clothing 100. In embodiments where the article of clothing 100 is a T-shirt, a grommet and/or eyelet 110 may be located proximate to a bottom edge of the shirt. It should also be noted that in some embodiments, the location of the grommet/eyelet 110 and/or the fidget toys/tools 120 may vary (e.g., it may not be located on the bottom edge of the article of clothing 100). For example, in some embodiments, the grommet/eyelet 110 may be located on the right side of the article of clothing 100 or the sleeve or pant leg of the article of clothing 100, to name but a few locations. Additionally or alternatively, if the article of clothing is a hoodie, pants, or a shirt with a pocket, the grommet may be located on the pocket of the hoodie, pants or shirt. In such embodiments, the fidget toy/tool 120 may be oriented such that it is located inside the pocket of the hoodie, pants or shirt, or such that the fidget toy/tool 120 is located outside of the pocket when attached to the hoodie, pants or shirt. In the embodiment depicted in
The grommet and/or eyelet 110 may be any conventional grommet and/or eyelet. An exemplary grommet/eyelet may be a Pinty® 1000 Grommet+1000 Washer with a nickel finish, #2 size, ⅜″ eyelet. As discussed in greater detail below, the grommet/eyelet 110 allows the fidget toy/tool 120 to be attached to the article of clothing 100 and helps prevent the material of the article of clothing 100 from fraying or tearing where the fidget toy/tool 120 is attached. The grommet/eyelet 110 may be installed into the article of clothing 100 using a QWORK® Hand Press Heavy Duty Eyelet Grommet Machine, or similar device.
In some embodiments, the grommet/eyelet 110 may be sized to receive a keyring attached to the fidget toy/tool 120. Additionally or alternatively, the grommet/eyelet 110 may be sized to receive a fastener, for example a carabiner.
Various embodiments of the present invention can use any type of appropriate fidget toy/tool 120, including, but not limited to, a Juvale® Soccer Ball Keychain Mini Foam Balls sold by Juvo+®, 8 Pcs Raised Eyes Doll Anti Stress Ball Vent Animal Keychain Squeezing Toys sold by SO GRATITUDE STORE®, Coral Entertainments® Squishies, American Food Squishy Toys (Hot Dog, Hamburger, French Fries, Donut & Ice Cream), Slow Rising Squeeze Scented Charms, Stress Relief Toy with Key-Chains Misc. sold by Coral Entertainments®, OHill Emoji Plush Pillows Mini Keychain sold by OHill Direct®, Born2Calm® ADHD Fidget Toys Stress and Anxiety Relief Silent Sensory Fidgets for Classroom as Fidgets Sensory Toys for Kids with Carrying Pouch sold by Born2Calm®.
The fidget toy/tool 120 may be secured to the article of clothing 100 at the grommet/eyelet 110 using a fastener 130. In some embodiments, the fastener 130 may be a clamping device. In further embodiments, the fastener 130 may be a carabiner (e.g., 1.85″/4.7 CM Aluminum Carabiners with a Nickel Metal Key Ring that is a Lightweight D Shape Keychain Clip).
In some embodiments, the fidget toy/tool 120 may be attached to a keychain ring and the fastener 130 may be passed through the keychain ring and then the grommet/eyelet 110 within the article of clothing 100. In alternative embodiments, the fastener 130 may first be attached to the grommet/eyelet 110 and the fidget toy/tool 120 may be attached to the fastener 130. The fastener 130 secures the fidget toy/tool 120 to the article of clothing 100 to prevent the fidget toy/tool 120 from becoming lost. The fastener 130 also allows the fidget toy/tool 120 to always be accessible for the wearer. Additionally, if the wearer wishes to change the fidget toy/tool 120 that is attached to the article of clothing 100, they may detach the fastener 130 from the article of clothing 100, remove the fidget toy/tool 120 from the fastener (e.g., be sliding the keychain ring of the fidget toy/tool 120 off of the fastener 130), attach a new fidget toy/tool 120 to the fastener 130 and then reattach the fastener 130 to the article of clothing 100.
Some embodiments may include more than one fidget toy/tool 120 located on the article of clothing 100. For example the article of clothing 100 may include one fidget toy/tool 120 located on the left side, one fidget toy/tool 120 located on the right side, and/or one fidget toy/tool 120 located on a sleeve or pant leg. Furthermore, some embodiments may have multiple types of fidget toys/tools 120 located on the article of clothing 100 (e.g., the left side may include a fidget spinner and the right side may include a stress ball).
Next at Step 320, a grommet or eyelet is inserted in a textile area of the article of clothing. The grommet and/or eyelet may be inserted with a QWORK® Hand Press Heavy Duty Eyelet Grommet Machine, or similar device. In some embodiments, the grommet and/or eyelet may be inserted proximate to a bottom edge of the article of clothing. For example, in some embodiments, the grommet/eyelet may be located on the right and/or left side of the bottom of an article of clothing, or the sleeve or pant leg of the article of clothing. Additionally or alternatively, additional grommets or eyelets may be inserted into other textile areas of the article of clothing. For example, a second grommet or eyelet may be inserted into a second textile area of the article of clothing.
Next at Step 330, a fidget toy or sensory tool is attached to the grommet or eyelet. In some embodiments, the fidget toy/tool includes a keyring and the keyring is attached to the grommet/eyelet. In some embodiments, the fidget toy/tool is attached to the grommet/eyelet with a fastener. If the article of clothing has a second textile area with a grommet or eyelet, a second fidget toy or sensory tool may be attached to the second grommet.
In some embodiments, before Step 330, a fastener, for example a carabiner, may be attached to the fidget toy/tool of the grommet/eyelet. In such embodiments, Step 330 includes attaching a fastener previously attached to the fidget toy/tool to the grommet/eyelet, or attaching a fastener previously attached to the grommet/eyelet to a fidget toy/tool.
It should be noted that, although the above describes the grommet/eyelet being inserted into an article of clothing and the fidget toy/sensory tool attached to the article of clothing, other embodiments of the present invention may attach the fidget toy/sensory tool to other, non-clothing items. For example, the grommet/eyelet and the fidget toy/sensory tool may be inserted into/attached to bed sheets, pillow cases, blankets, towels, or any other item that may provide a benefit to an individual with an ASD if it were to have a fidget toy/sensory tool attached to it.
It should also be noted that any of the lists and/or examples provided above are meant to only provide some examples of the clothing, textiles, non-clothing items, and fidget toys/sensory tools. Other embodiments may utilize different types of clothing, different textiles, different non-clothing items and/or different fidget toys/sensory tools. Similarly, the exemplary grommet/eyelet 110, fastener 120, and hand press discussed above are merely provided as examples, and other types of grommets/eyelets, fasteners, and hand presses may be used. For example, some embodiments may use different size grommets/eyelets and fasteners, different style grommets/eyelets and fasteners, and/or grommets/eyelets and fasteners made from different materials. Additionally, any type device may be used to insert the grommets/eyelets 110 into the clothing, textile, and/or non-clothing items.
Furthermore, it should be noted that other embodiments of the present invention need not utilize a grommet or eyelet to attach the fidget toys/sensory tools. For example, a hole may be made within the textile area of the article and the fidget toys/sensory tools may be attached directly at the hole. In such embodiments and to prevent fraying at the hole, a seam may be added around the opening/hole, the opening of the whole may be sewn along the edge, or another material (e.g., additional textile material, a plastic or rubber material) may be placed around the opening of the hole
The embodiments of the invention described above are intended to be merely exemplary; numerous variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in any appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63120848 | Dec 2020 | US |
