Patent Application
20060174399
The present invention relates to garments, more specifically, to pants-type garments including pants, jeans, trousers, and other similar such articles of clothing.
In society, clothing in general, and pants-type articles in particular have served not only as items for covering the body, but additionally as articles of fashion, and as eye-catching elements which influence the appeal of an individual to those around her. The latter functions of pants-type garments—those beyond simply covering and protecting the body—have become increasingly important
Historically, the color coding of human clothing is predominantly, and perhaps exclusively, represented by monotonously colored items or horizontal color layers within clothing items. This manner of color coding has largely been accepted as a rule in the design of items within the fashion industry. In respect to pants-type garments, such as jeans, trousers, etc., color coding is either monotonous, such as when both leg portions are of the same color, or symmetrical, such as both leg portions possessing the same pattern. Quite obviously, such a consistent color scheme for all pants-type garments greatly reduces the diversity and variability available to meet consumer demands.
Millions of consumers, particularly those of a young age category, eagerly await fashion items that, through their color and other attributes, reflect the wearer's mood, personality, traditions, sexuality and sociality. Furthermore, there is consumer demand for items of fashion which can be easily customized in order to achieve said differentiation and thus further reflect the wearer's attributes through the attributes of her customized article of clothing. In response to the need for customization and vertical coding of color and other characteristics, the present invention is being offered.
Generally, pants-type garments are designed and sold as a unit comprising a torso section, with leg sections extending therefrom, and a crotch section. As a result, there is no possibility to customize such an article of clothing without altering the item itself through some form of sewing, painting, coloring or otherwise embellishing of the garment.
In one prior-art form, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,419, there is provided a trouser-like garment consisting of two permanently joined half-sections. The purpose is the creation of a garment which has increased potential for adjustment to different sizes and which can be donned and removed with increased rapidity. In another prior art form, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,595, there is provided a woman's trouser with a releasable opening extending throughout the crotch area. The purpose is to minimize the exposure of a woman's body if she must relieve herself outside the privacy of a restroom facility. In a third prior art form, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,828 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,878, there is provided an article of clothing with added crotch openings which may be concealed through a number of different methods. The purpose is to provide access to a specific body region for hygienic or toiletry reasons.
However, the prior art neither describes nor teaches a pants-type garment which is assembled from two completely separate and independent parts with an aesthetic purpose in mind. The use of two separate parts and the ability to releasably join either of these parts with a complimentary part allows for the creation of a customized pants-type garment without significant efforts in the form of creativity and then labor on behalf of the consumer. These features are characteristic of the present invention, which is described in detail hereinafter.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a means of customization for a pants-type garment by providing the consumer with two parts, using which such a garment may be easily and readily assembled. The said two parts are independent from each other until joined and, once joined, remain separatable. Furthermore, any part that corresponds, in a complementary manner, to the means of releasable joining is interchangeable. Once a pants-type garment is separated into its constituent two parts, each of these parts may be used to create a new pants-type garment by combining either with a complimentary part along the separation area, extending from the top of the front waistband to the top of the rear waistband. This allows for the creation of four aesthetically different pants-type garments using four parts, provided that two parts correspond to each separation side. As a result, not only is the ability to customize achieved but also an increased number of different pants-type garments can be created. Any two complimentary parts may be joined through a zipper, plurality of zippers, Velcro, buttons, snaps, hooks or any other similar fastening method.
Another object of the present invention is to facilitate vertical coding of characteristics for pants-type garments. The assembly of two parts along the means of releasable joining allows each part to possess its own set of characteristics. Since each part extends in a downward manner, the specific coding achieved is of a vertically oriented manner. Such coding of characteristics may include any of the following: color, material, texture, ornamentation, opacity, patches, fit, finish, accenting, closures, number of pockets, cut, or any other differentiating characteristic.
The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein;
Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views,
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it is obvious that a number of changes, additions, and omissions may be made in the disclosed pants-type garment without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. For example, a means of securing parts 21 and 22 other than zipper halves 14 and 16 may be used or a method of differentiating these parts other than varied pockets 25 and 26 or patterns 33 and 34 may be used. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims shall cover any modifications and applications that will not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
