Patent Application
20060021202
This invention generally relates to an attractive, decorative, and comfortable-to-wear device for holding a garment waistband.
The waistband of pants, skirts, shorts, and other garments typically has a number of belt loops sewn or attached at intervals around its circumference, through which a belt is inserted and attached by its ends with a buckle at the front of the waistband. For many wearers, having to purchase and maintain many belts of different types, colors, and styles to go with different colors and combinations of clothes can be costly and inconvenient. A waist circumference-length belt requires the use of a considerable amount of expensive material, such as conditioned and sewn leather, and its original color and style cannot be readily changed after purchase. Many wearers also find the bulk of the typical belt and the tension applied around the waist to be unaesthetic for a slim profile and slightly uncomfortable to wear. Particularly for teenage girls and young women, the typical belt is an accessory that does readily allow the wearer to interchange colors, styles, textures, and/or ornamental appearance.
It would be very desirable to have a belt-like device that is inexpensive, can be worn comfortably and with a slim profile, and allows the wearer the option to readily change its color, style, texture, and/or appearance.
In accordance with the present invention, a device, for holding a garment waistband of the type provided with belt loops attached at spaced intervals thereon, comprises:
In the preferred embodiments of the invention, the first members of the fastener components are snap-buckles formed by a metal wire of substantial rigidity that is bent into a symmetrically curved shape forming a bent back bar for the elastic-band-mounting end and a hook-loop fastener end which hooks onto the projecting post end of the second member. The bent back bar of the elastic-band-mounting end has a concave cross-section for clasping onto the thickness of the belt loop. The fastener component can be readily formed from the conventional type of snap-buckle on riveted post typically used for attaching the ends of suspenders to jeans overalls. The free end of the conventional snap-buckle can simply be bent back to form the elastic-band-mounting end of the fastener component with a thin channel shape of concave cross-section defining a gap between its open ends slightly greater than the thickness of the elastic band combined with the thickness of typical fabric belt loop, i.e., about 3 mm to 4 mm thickness. In this manner, the channel shape can be seated around the exposed length of the belt loop and clasp it by its thickness between the attached elastic band at the back side and the fastener component at the front side thereof.
The clasping of the exposed length and thickness of the belt loop serves to distribute the pulling tension of the elastic band along the length of the belt loop and avoid distorting its shape when the device is worn on the belt loops of the garment waistband. This enhances both the aesthetic appearance of the device and the comfort of the wearer. The device may be worn across the front belt loops or any combination of side or back belt loops according to fashion. As the device is worn across only two belt loops, instead of the circumference of the waist, it provides the wearer with a slimmer profile and is more comfortable to wear.
As an interchangeable version of the device, the back bar for holding the end of the elastic band can have a cut-away gap to allow a stitched tubular end of the elastic band to be readily sleeved on and off the back bar halves, in order to allow the wearer to interchange elastic bands of different colors and styles and/or snap-buckles. This allows the device combination to be marketed in various product configurations, such as pairs of decorative snap buckles sold separately as decorative accessories, sets of elastic bands of different colors, textures, or styles, and elastic bands for different waistband widths, belt loop spacings, and/or wearing on the front belt loops or side or back belt loops. The snap buckles may be sold in various arrangements of decorative front plate, or with attachable chains, jewelry, charms, or other decorative elements to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the device.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be explained in the following detailed description of the invention having reference to the appended drawings.
Referring to
Referring in more detail to
Preferably, the first members 12, 14, of the fastener components are formed as snap-buckles made of metal wire of substantial rigidity that is bent into a symmetrically curved shape to form back bars for the elastic-band-mounting ends 12B, 14B, and terminate in the fastener ends 12A, 14A. The elastic-band-mounting ends 12B, 14B, have the back bar bent over to form a thin channel of concave cross-section. The elastic band 10 is attached to the back bar by folding it over at the ends and sewing a stitch line to form a tunnel that is sleeved over the back bar. The concave cross-section of the back bar is configured to form a gap L2 between its open ends which is slightly greater than the thickness of the elastic band combined with the thickness of a typical fabric belt loop, i.e., about 3 mm to 4 mm thickness. In this manner, when the elastic-band-mounting end 12B, 14B, is seated around the thickness of the belt loop, it holds and clasps the exposed length of the belt loop by its thickness between the attached elastic band at the back side and the fastener component at the front side thereof. The fastener ends 12A, 14A, are formed by shaping the metal wire to form a narrowed neck which fits with an interference fit (snaps) onto the outer diameter of the post end 16A, 18A, of the second member 16, 18. The post end may have a larger-diameter button on the front end thereof as a decorative element. The metal wire is formed with enlarged loop bends to fit over the button and allow the fastener end to be snap-hooked onto the post end. An end clip 17A, 17B, is bent back and clamped to the ends of the metal wire to hold them together and to center the fastener ends on the post end without any slack.
The fastener component can be readily formed from the conventional type of snap-buckle and rivet post with button top typically used for attaching the ends of suspenders to jeans overalls. Such overall buckles and rivet buttons are available commercially, for example, from the Prym-Dritz Corporation, of Spartanburg, S.C. The free end of the conventional snap-buckle can simply be bent back to form the back bar of the elastic-band-mounting end of the fastener component.
To use the device, the ends of the fastener components are inserted through the insides of the two chosen belt loops and the elastic band is stretched to the length (L1) of the interval across the belt loops. The elastic-band-mounting ends 12B, 14B, of the fastener components are then doubled over and seated onto the exposed lengths of the belt loops, and the fastener ends 12A, 14A, are slipped over and snap-hooked onto the post ends of the riveted second members on the intermediate portion of the elastic band.
The stretching of the elastic band provides a slight tension that sufficiently holds the garment waistband on the wearer. Since the device is worn only across two belt loops, it provides a slimmer profile for the wearer and is more comfortable to wear, in contrast to wearing a belt around the circumference of the waist. The clasping of the exposed length and thickness of the belt loops serves to distribute the pulling tension of the elastic band 10 along the length of the belt loops. This avoids distorting their shape when the device is worn, and enhances both the aesthetic appearance of the device and the comfort of the wearer.
Referring to
The second embodiment of the fastener component with cut-away gap allows the device to be marketed in various product configurations of the interchangeable parts. The pairs of decorative snap buckles may be sold separately as decorative accessories. Elastic bands may be sold in sets of different colors, textures, or styles. Elastic bands may be sold in progressive sizes (Short, Medium, Long) or widths to accommodate different waistband sizes, belt loop spacings, and/or wearing on the front, side or back belt loops. The snap buckles may be sold in various arrangements of decorative front plate, or attachable chains, jewelry, charms, or other decorative elements to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the device. The elastic bands may be offered in different materials, styles, or textures, such as braided, knitted or woven stretch fabric, and may come in lengths, e.g., from 4.75 to 6.75 inches, and different widths, e.g., from 0.75 to 2.0 inches.
It is understood that many modifications and variations may be devised given the above description of the principles of the invention. It is intended that all such modifications and variations be considered as within the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the following claims.
