PANTS, IN PARTICULAR RIDING JEANS

Abstract

A pair of pants includes two pant legs, with each pant leg having a front pant panel and a back pant panel which are interconnected by two side seams. The front and back pant panels are sized such that one of the side seams has a seam course which, at least in one section is shifted to the back toward a leg back side of a wearer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of individual material panels, laid flat, for a prior art pair of jeans;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of individual material panels, laid flat, for a pair of (riding) jeans according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the front and back panels of the prior art jeans;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the front and back panels of the riding jeans according to the present invention, without back pockets; and

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the front and back panels of the riding jeans according to the present invention, with back pockets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Throughout all the figures, same or corresponding elements may generally be indicated by same reference numerals. These depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way. It should also be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols, phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.

Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a plan view of individual material panels, laid flat, for a conventional pair of jeans which is also usable as riding jeans. The pair of jeans has two pant legs 8a, 8b, each pant leg 8a, 8b including two parts, i.e. a front pant panel 12a, 12b and a back pant panel 14a, 14b. FIG. 1 shows only one back pant panel 14a, 14b, even though a second back pant panel is required, because the two back pant panels are mirror images of one another. The front pant panels 12a, 12b, on the other hand, slightly differ from one another because of the different configuration in the area of the zipper of the pants and thus have been shown separately in FIG. 1 (this is not the case in FIG. 2 described furtherbelow). Arrow 32 designates a construction line to indicate the middle or run of thread of the respective pant leg and corresponds to the position of the middle of the leg of the wearer of the pair of pants.

In addition to the back and rear pant panels, the pair of jeans includes further components such as saddle piece 20 (for the buttock), pockets 16 as well as further components 18 for the waistband. As these components do not form part of the invention, further description thereof is omitted for the sake of simplicity. The individual components are sewn together in a known manner for producing the jeans so that seams are formed at the respective interfaces. These technically required seams for joining two material components are to be distinguished from mere decorative seams.

As shown in FIG. 11 the front pant panel 12a, 12b and the back pant panel 14a, 14b are of substantially same width at least in the bottom area of the pant legs so that the construction line 32 of the front and back pant panels has approximately a same distance from the hemline to about midsection of the wearer's thigh in relation to the side seams. As a result, the joining side seams extend along the circumference of the pant legs typically at an angular distance of about 180°, i.e. in opposing relationship, and at the leg inner and outer sides, respectively, of a wearer of the pants.

Turning now to FIG. 2, there is shown a plan view of individual material panels, laid flat, for a pair of (riding) jeans according to the present invention. Parts corresponding with those in FIG. 1 are denoted by identical reference numerals for ease of understanding the differences. In the jeans of FIG. 2, the front pant panel 12a, 12b is cut to include part of the back pant panel 14a,14b so that the inner side seam is shifted to the leg back side, while the position of the outer seam of each pant leg essentially remains unchanged. In other words, the outer and inner side seams no longer oppose one another, and the construction lines 32 have no longer a same distance to the two side seams. The back pant panel 14a, 14b becomes narrower, while the front pant panel 12a, 12b becomes wider so that the construction line 32 of the back pant panel 14a, 14b is at a substantially smaller distance to the inner side seam than the construction line 32 of the front pant panel 12a, 12b.

The shift of the inner side seams is implemented just about far enough so that the shifted side seam is no longer perceptible when the leg of a rider contacts the horse belly or saddle flaps or fenders, but also does not interfere with the shape of the pant leg and the fit of the pair of pants. The shift of the inner side seams to the back may amount to about 25% to 40% of the knee size of the back pant panel 14a, 14b. Currently preferred is a shift of about 30% of the knee size of the back pant panel 14a, 14b, whereby, compared to the knee or hem region, this percentage may slightly deviate in the thigh area in view of the greater leg circumference.

As a result, the cut of the pant legs can confer a fit beyond a tubular design, e.g. the jeans may have a slight tapering in the knee region, as shown in FIG. 2. For example, when the knee width of the back pant panel 14a, 14b is 24 cm, the shift of the inner side seam may amount to between 6 and 9.6 cm. The front pant panel 12a, 12b is wider than the back pant panel 14a, 14b, and the distances of the side seams from the construction line 32 are no longer the same in the respective leg.

The pair of jeans according to the present invention is schematically illustrated in FIG. 4, with the front shown on the left-hand side, and the back shown on the right-hand side on a smaller scale. For ease of understanding and comparison, FIG. 3 shows again a conventional pair of jeans. Reference signs 22a, b designate outer seams, and reference signs 24a, 24b designate the inner seams which are not visible in FIG. 3 in view of their position.

Compared to FIG. 3, the right-hand side illustration in FIG. 4 shows the different position of the inner side seams 24a, 24b by way of the rear view of the pair of pants 10. The inner side seams 24a, 24b initially extend upwards from about the heel 30 of a person wearing the pants (or slightly offset inwards in relation to the heel) in approximate parallel relationship to then meet a buttock seam 28 in an intersection or meeting point 26 in the buttock area. Again compared to FIG. 3, the meeting point 26 of the pants 10 according to the present invention lies higher than in conventional jeans, thereby preventing pressure and chafing areas in the buttock region and/or crotch region because the meeting point 26 no longer lies in the seating zone. Like the shift of the inner side seams, the meeting point 26 is also shifted upwards just about far enough to realize the described effect and to prevent interference with the fit of the jeans.

FIG. 5 shows a pair of pants which differs from the embodiment of FIG. 4 solely by the provision of additional back pockets 29.

The riding pants according to the invention may have any design and can be optically modified by pockets, flaps, decorative stitching, embroideries, and other ornamentations. The pants can be made from jeans material, cotton, or leather and designed stable, transversely elastic, longitudinally elastic, or bi-elastic. Furthermore, the principle according to the invention may be realized regardless whether men's pants, women's pants, or children's pants are involved.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein:

Claims

1. A pair of pants, comprising two pant legs, each said pant leg including a front pant panel and a back pant panel which are interconnected by two side seams, said front and back pant panels being sized such that one of the side seams has a seam course which, at least in one section, is shifted to the back toward a leg back side of a wearer.

2. The pair of pant for use as a pair of riding pants in the form of jeans.

3. The pair of pants of claim 1, wherein the one side seam is shifted to the back sufficient to prevent a rubbing of the one side seam upon a leg inner side of the wearer during riding a horse and contacting of the leg inner side with the horse belly.

4. The pair of pants of claim 1, wherein the other one of the side seams extends substantially along a leg outer side of the wearer.

5. The pair of pants of claim 1, wherein the one side seam extends upwards from a heel area of the wearer and converges at a meeting point in an upper region of the pair of pants in a central buttock seam.

6. The pair of pants of claim 5, wherein the meeting point is situated at a height sufficient to prevent the wearer to sit on the meeting point.

7. The pair of pants of claim 1, wherein the two side seams are the only side seams.

8. The pair of pants of claim 1, wherein the pant leg has a length of varying diameter.

9. The pair of pants of claim 1, wherein the pant leg is made of jeans material, cotton, or leather.

10. The pair of pants of claim 1, wherein the front pant panel has a width which is wider than a width of the back pant panel.

11. The pair of pants of claim 1, wherein the one side seam is shifted to the back by about 25% to 40% of a knee size of the back pant panel.

12. The pair of pants of claim 1, wherein the one side seam is shifted to the back by about 30% of a knee size of the back pant panel.