Patent Application
20200367583
This invention relates to an elongated length adjustable pocket assembly. Beneficially, such a pocket assembly provides an elongated pocket that attaches to a garment outer surface to hold items; whereby the pocket has an elongated configuration for retaining long objects, and whereby the pocket is defined by a top edge that can be length adjusted along the garment surface through a male fastener that attaches to corresponding female fasteners at incremental attachment points on the garment surface, so as to increase or decrease the length of the pocket.
Typically, a pocket is a loose receptacle that fastens to a garment or container to hold small objects. The pocket can also be integral with luggage, backpacks, and similar items. Often, the pocket is used to hole elongated objects, such as pencils, rods, instruments, and tools. The length of the pocket is dependent on the length of the object that can be contained therein.
Often, a pocket is fabricated with a front fabric flap that forms a parallel relationship with a rear fabric flap. The flaps are stitched together at their bottom and side edges, with the top opening left open to receive the objects for holding. The length of the front fabric flap is difficult to adjust because of the stitching along the side edges.
It is desirable, and an object of the present invention, to provide an elongated pocket that attaches to a garment to hold items; where the pocket is elongated to hold long objects, and the pocket is defined by a top edge that can be length adjusted along the garment surface through a male fastener that attaches to corresponding female fasteners at incremental attachment points on the garment surface.
From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for an elongated length adjustable pocket assembly. Beneficially, such a pocket assembly provides an elongated pocket that attaches to a garment surface to hold items. The pocket has an elongated configuration for retaining long objects. The pocket is defined by a top edge that can be length adjusted along the garment surface through a male fastener that attaches to corresponding female fasteners at incremental attachment points on the garment surface, so as to increase or decrease the length of the pocket.
The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available pockets. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide an elongated, length adjustable pocket that overcome many or all of the above-discussed shortcomings in the art.
The elongated length adjustable pocket assembly comprises a front panel and a rear panel that are attached throughout the entire edge sections except a partial section at the top edges where an opening forms.
One or more male fasteners are disposed at the corners of the top edge of the front panel of the pocket. The male fasteners face inwardly so that they can detachably fasten to corresponding upper and lower female fasteners that position at different heights on a garment outer surface, so as to enable the top edge of the pocket to fasten at different heights on the garment surface; and thereby length-adjust the pocket.
The front panel of the pocket extends fully so that the male fastener attaches to an upper female fastener. When the male fastener of the pocket attaches to an upper female fastener, the front panel of the pocket extends to a full length. To achieve a lesser length, the front panel folds down so that the male fastener attaches to at least one lower female fastener. When the male fastener of the pocket attaches to at least one female fastener, the front panel of the pocket folds down to a quarter-length, a half-length, or lengths therebetween, dependent on the attachment point of the female fastener. Thus, shortening the length of the pocket might be more fashionable, and changes the appearance of the pocket.
In a further embodiment, the front panel of the pocket body is rectangular.
In a further embodiment, the front panel of the pocket body is fabricated from a resilient material.
The assembly, in one embodiment, is configured so that the male fastener comprises a snap button.
In another embodiment, the female fastener comprises a snap button receiver.
In yet another embodiment, the surface garment comprises a pair of pants.
In a further embodiment, the at least one male fastener comprises two spaced-apart male fasteners disposed in alignment.
In a further embodiment, the at least one female fastener comprises two spaced-apart female fasteners disposed in alignment at a full-length attachment point.
In a further embodiment, the at least one female fastener comprises two spaced-apart female fasteners disposed in alignment at a half-length attachment point.
In a further embodiment, the at least one female fastener comprises two spaced-apart female fasteners disposed in alignment at a quarter-length attachment point.
In a further embodiment, the attachment point of the female fastener is at an outside thigh area on one leg of the pants.
In a further embodiment, the male fastener includes at least one of the following: a magnet, a zipper, a hook and loop fastener, and a friction fit mechanism.
In a further embodiment, the female fastener includes at least one of the following: a magnet, a zipper, a hook and loop fastener, and a friction fit mechanism.
In a further embodiment, the front panel is defined by two top corners and two bottom corners.
In a further embodiment, two male fasteners join with the top two corners of the front panel.
In a further embodiment, two anchor fasteners join with the bottom two corners of the front panel.
Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.
These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of programming, software modules, user selections, network transactions, database queries, database structures, hardware modules, hardware circuits, hardware chips, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.
The assembly 100 has a unique, elongated configuration that is effective for holding long objects, such as pencils, nails, instruments, and tools. The depth of the assembly 100 may be 6″ or longer when fully extended. The width of the assembly 100 may be 4″ or longer. However, since the present invention is scalable, smaller or greater lengths may also be used.
Turning now to
In some embodiments, the top edge 104 of the front panel forms an opening 124 with the garment surface 118. The items are positioned into the opening and retained between the front panel and the garment surface 118. In one non-limiting embodiment, the opening 124 that forms at the top edge 104 of the front panel 102 is perpendicular to a seam 126 extending along a length of a pant leg. The bottom edge 108 of the front panel 102 orients towards a ground surface when the garment 116 is donned.
In some embodiments, at least one male fastener 120a, 120b is disposed at the top edge 104 of the front panel 102. The male fastener 120a, 120b may have a knob or handle at the outer side 110 of the front panel 102. In one non-limiting embodiment, the male fastener 120a, 120b comprises two spaced-apart male fasteners 120a, 120b disposed in horizontal alignment at each top corner 112a-b of the front panel 102.
The assembly 100 is unique in that the top edge 104 of the front panel 102 can be length adjusted along the longitudinal length of the garment surface 118. This length-adjustability is possible because of through use of the male fastener 120a, 120b that attaches to corresponding female fastener 400a, 400b at incremental attachment points 402a, 402b, 402c on the garment surface 118. This allows the entire length of the front panel 102 to be length adjusted in relation to the portion of the garment surface 118 on which the front panel 102 lies, so as to increase or decrease the height of the pocket.
Continuing with
Further, two anchor fasteners 122a, 122b join with the bottom two corners of the front panel 102. The anchor fasteners 122a, 122b are fixed, not detachably attachable like the male fasteners 120a, 120b. The anchor fasteners 122a, 122b reinforce the bottom corners 114a, 114b of the front panel 102 and surface garment 116 connection. This can be useful when long, pointed objects are being held in the pocket assembly 100. Though in embodiments in which the front panel 102 is defined by a circular shape or rounded top and lateral edges 106a, 106b, the corners may not be part of the front panel 102 configuration.
In another embodiment, the two lateral edges 106a, 106b of the front panel 102 are stitched or welded to the garment surface 118, aligning so that the front panel 102 is stretched laterally for optimal space usage between the front panel 102 and the garment surface 118. The garment surface 118 has at least one female fastener 400a, 400b that can be positioned on multiple attachment points. As discussed above, the male fastener 120a, 120b detachably attaches to the female fastener 400a, 400b to secure the top edge 104 of the front panel 102 at a desired height on the garment surface 118. Then female fastener 400a, 400b is positioned at incremental attachment points that allow the top edge 104 of the front panel 102 to be attached at a set height along the garment surface 118. This creates a fashionable look, changes the appearance of a pocket, or holds shorter objects.
In some embodiments, the at least one female fastener 400a-c comprises three sets of two spaced-apart female fasteners 400a-c that are disposed in alignment, and incrementally. The attachment points include: a full-length attachment point 402a, a half-length attachment point 402b, and a quarter-length attachment point 402c. However in other embodiments, the female fastener 400a-c receivers may also be disposed at incremental attachment points above, below, or between the aforementioned incremental attachment points. In one alternative embodiment, the attachment point of the female fastener is at an outside thigh area on one leg of the pants. It is the attachment point 402a-c of the female fastener 400a-c that determines the height of the top edge 104 of the front panel 102.
The male fastener 120a-b and the female fastener 400a-b may include a snap button and a snap button receiver, respectively. Though other fastening means may include, without limitation, a magnet, a zipper, a hook and loop fastener, and a friction fit mechanism.
The attachment points on the garment surface 118 may include a full-length attachment point 402a, a half-length attachment point 402b, a quarter-length attachment point 402c, or any point therebetween. The full-length attachment point 402a is where a pair of upper female fasteners 400a, 400b is disposed. In the full-length attachment point, the front panel 102 is fully extended to maximum length and the male fasteners 120a-b attach to the upper female fastener 400a-b . The front panel 102 of the pocket extends fully so that the male fastener 120a-b attaches to a corresponding upper female fastener 400a-b. When the male fastener 120a-b attaches to the upper female fastener 400a-b, the front panel 102 of the pocket extends to a full length, as shown in
To achieve a lesser length, the front panel 102 folds down so that the male fastener 120a, 120b attaches to the corresponding female fastener 400a-b at the two top corners 112a, 112b of the front panel 102. The garment surface 118 may also include a half-length female fastener 400c, and/or two quarter length female fasteners.
As
As defined for the present invention, the half-length attachment point 402b is where a halfway female fastener 400c is disposed. Here, the front panel 102 is folded down to half the length so that the male fastener 120a, 120b can attach to a female fastener 400a, 400b, 400c and the male fasteners 120a, 120b attach to the halfway female fastener 400c. The front panel 102 is folded inwardly with the inner side 404 of the top edge 104 remaining oriented outwardly to mate with a corresponding female fastener 400a-c.
The quarter-length attachment point 402c is where a quarter female fastener is disposed. Here, the front panel 102 is folded down to a quarter of the length so that the male fastener 120a, 120b can attach to a female fastener so that the male fastener 120a, 120b can attach to a female fastener. The front panel 102 is folded inwardly with the inner side 404 of the top edge 104 remaining oriented outwardly to mate with a corresponding female fastener.
In one aspect of the present invention, the assembly 100 claims the front panel 102, the at least one male fastener 120a-b, and the at least one female fastener 400a-c. However, the garment 116 and garment surface 118 are not part of the invention. In another aspect of the assembly 100, the front panel 102, male fastener 120a-b, female fastener 400a-c, and garment surface 118, and garment 116 are all claimed together; whereby the garment 116, i.e., pants, shirts, are part of the invention.
In operation, a wearer, retains multiple items 200 between the front panel 102 and the garment 116, which form a pocket design. The male fastener 120a-b is attached to a corresponding female fastener 400a-b at the full-length attachment point. The fasteners are detached, and the front panel folds inwardly to a half-way attachment point. From this folded arrangement, the top edge male fasteners are attached to corresponding female fasteners at the half-way attachment point 402b. The items 200 still remain retained in the pocket, but with a shorter length.
The pocket 702 in the shown embodiment may be affixed detachably or permanently to the interior or exterior of the pants as shown. The anchor fasteners 122a-b may comprise a button or snap fastener.
In the shown embodiment, the top portion 704 of the pocket 702 is of uniform width from top to bottom. The pocket 702 also comprises a lower portion 706 which tapers toward the bottom. The width of the lower portion 706 reduces toward the lower end.
Fasteners position at the break point on the pocket 702 between the top portion 704 and the lower portion 706.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
