Patent Application
20240225156
The present invention relates to a pocket cuff that allows a pocket to retain its warmth while securely retaining objects in the pocket.
Many different types of garments include one or more pockets. As non-limiting examples, pockets may be found on coats, vests, jackets, sweaters, shirts, and pants. These garments may be worn for many different reasons. As examples, these garments may be worn outside while hiking or hunting or may be worn inside while performing a sporting activity.
It is sometimes desirable for a pocket to form an interior space to protect and provide warmth to the hands of the wearer of the garment. However, to make sure the hand of the wearer and/or other objects to be stored in the pocket fit into the pocket, the opening of the pocket must be made larger than the hands and objects put in the pocket. Applicant has noticed that this may cause a gap between a wrist of the wearer of the garment and the opening of the pocket. In cold weather, this may allow warm air out of the pocket and cold air into the pocket, thereby reducing the warmth provided by the pocket.
It is also sometimes desirable for pockets to provide a safe and secure area for objects the wearer of the garment may desire to store in the pocket. However, to make sure the objects fit into the pocket, the opening of the pocket must be bigger than the largest object stored in the garment. Applicant has noticed this may cause the opening of the pocket to be unnecessarily large and allow one or more of the stored objects to fall out of the pocket, particularly if the wearer of the garment is actively moving around.
Accordingly, the invention is directed to a pocket cuff that allows for a warmer interior of the pocket and a safer interior of the pocket such that objects in the pocket are less likely to fall out of the interior of the pocket.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the figures.
The present invention provides a garment having a pocket with an opening and an internal area. The garment may be a coat, jacket, vest, backpack, shirt or pants. In some embodiments, a single garment may have two or more of the pockets herein described. The opening of the pocket may be the same size and shape as the first opening of the mini-sleeve.
A mini-sleeve may have a first end with a first opening and a second end with a second opening. The first end of the mini-sleeve may be attached to the opening of the pocket. A cuff may have a first end with a first opening and a second end with a second opening. The second opening of the mini-sleeve may be attached to the first opening of the cuff. The second opening in the cuff may allow for hands to enter the interior of the pocket. The mini-sleeve may be between 0.5 inches and four inches in length, between 2 inches to 3 inches in length, greater than 2 inches in length or greater than 4 inches in length.
The pocket, the mini-sleeve and the cuff may define a continuous passageway from outside the garment to inside the internal area of the pocket. In some embodiments, the mini-sleeve may be tapered from the end attached to the cuff to the end attached to the pocket. In some embodiments, the cuff may be elastic.
This Summary section is neither intended to be, nor should be, construed as being representative of the full extent and scope of the present disclosure. Additional benefits, features and embodiments of the present disclosure are set forth in the attached figures and in the description hereinbelow, and as described by the claims. Accordingly, it should be understood that this Summary section may not contain all of the aspects and embodiments claimed herein.
Additionally, the disclosure herein is not meant to be limiting or restrictive in any manner. Moreover, the present disclosure is intended to provide an understanding to those of ordinary skill in the art of one or more representative embodiments supporting the claims. Thus, it is important that the claims be regarded as having a scope including constructions of various features of the present disclosure insofar as they do not depart from the scope of the methods and apparatuses consistent with the present disclosure (including the originally filed claims). Moreover, the present disclosure is intended to encompass and include obvious improvements and modifications of the present disclosure.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
In the drawings:
The following detailed description describes a pocket cuff, method of using and making the same and is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the disclosed subject matter in the context of one or more particular implementations. Various modifications, alterations, and permutations of the disclosed implementations can be made and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined may be applied to other implementations and applications, without departing from scope of the disclosure. The present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the described or illustrated implementations, but to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the described principles and features.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing(s), and specific language will be used to describe the same.
Appearances of the phrases an “embodiment,” an “example,” or similar language in this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment, to different embodiments, or to one or more of the figures. The features, functions, and the like described herein are considered to be able to be combined in whole or in part one with another as the claims and/or art may direct, either directly or indirectly, implicitly or explicitly.
As used herein, “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “is,” “are,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional unrecited elements or method steps unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Reference will now be made in detail to an embodiment of the present invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Referring to
The mini-sleeve 110 may have any desired shape. As non-limiting examples, the mini-sleeve 110 may have a shape of the opening of the pocket 140 of the garment 100, be a hollow cylinder or a hollow tube in shape, be a tapered hollow cylinder or the mini-sleeve 110 may change shapes over the length of the mini-sleeve 110. A mini-sleeve 110 having a tapered shape towards the opening in the pocket 140 allows for a bigger opening of the pocket 140 (allowing for a bigger and more useful pocket 140), while allowing the cuff 120 to be narrower to both keep the interior of the pocket 140 warmer, i.e., fewer air gaps, and prevent items from falling out of the interior of the pocket 140.
The mini-sleeve 110 may have a first opening on a first end for attachment to the pocket 140 and a second opening on a second end for attachment to a cuff 120. In a preferred embodiment, the first opening on the first end of the mini-sleeve 110 is the same shape and size as the opening in the pocket 140. The mini-sleeve 110 may be any desired length. As non-limiting examples, the mini-sleeve 110 is preferably between 0.5 inches to 4 inches in length.
A mini-sleeve 110 may be made out of any desired material or combinations of material and have one or more layers. As non-limiting examples, the mini-sleeve 110 may be made of various combination or layers of wool, faux fur, nylon, fleece, hemp, flannel, Gore-Tex, mohair, cotton, corduroy, silk and/or Cashmere.
The cuff 120 may have any desired shape. As non-limiting examples, the cuff 120 may have a shape of the second opening on the second end of the mini-sleeve 110, be a hollow cylinder or a hollow tube in shape, be a band or be a tapered hollow cylinder.
The cuff 120 may have a first opening on a first end for attachment to the second end of the mini-sleeve 110 and the cuff 120 may also have a second opening on a second end. In a preferred embodiment, the first opening on the first end of the cuff 120 is the same shape and size as the second opening on the second end of the mini-sleeve 110. In preferred embodiments, the second opening of the cuff 120 is smaller than the opening in the pocket 140 and the cuff 120. The cuff 120 may be any desired length. As non-liming examples, the cuff 120 may be 0.5 inches to 2 inches in length.
A cuff 120 may be made out of any desired material or combination of materials and have one or more layers. As non-limiting examples, the mini-sleeve 110 may be made of various combination or layers of wool, faux fur, nylon, fleece, hemp, flannel, Gore-Tex, mohair, cotton, corduroy, silk and/or Cashmere. The cuff 120 may be inelastic or elastic. An elastic cuff 120 is hereby defined to mean that the second opening of the cuff 120 may be stretched to increase the diameter of its opening by 25% without visual damage to the cuff 120 and the cuff 120 is able to spontaneously resume its normal size after being stretched as described above.
The opening of the pocket 140 may be attached, such as by sewing, to the first opening on the first end of the mini-sleeve 110. If the mini-sleeve 110 is tapered, the larger opening of the mini-sleeve 110 may be attached to the opening in the pocket 140.
The second opening on the second end of the mini-sleeve 110 may be attached, such as by sewing, to the first opening on the first end of the cuff 120. If the cuff 120 is tapered, the larger opening of the cuff 120 may be attached to the second opening on the second end of the mini-sleeve 110.
The opening of the pocket 140 with the first opening of the mini-sleeve 110 and the second opening of the mini-sleeve 110 with the first opening of the cuff 120 are preferably connected so as to provide a single continuous passageway, without holes or gaps, from outside the garment 100 to inside the pocket 140.
While the pocket 140 does not have to have a zipper 130, in some embodiments a zipper 130 may be added to the outside of the pocket 140 to further increase the security of the pocket 140. In embodiments with a zipper 130, the zipper 130 may be used to close the opening in the pocket 140 (with the mini-sleeve 110 and cuff 120 totally inside the pocket 140).
In another embodiment, the mini-sleeve 110 is not used. The first opening on the first end of the cuff 120 is attached, such as by sewing, to the opening of the pocket 140. This surrounds the opening of the pocket 140 with the cuff 120.
Referring to
The inventions and methods described herein can be viewed as a whole, or as a number of separate inventions, that can be used independently or mixed and matched as desired. All inventions, steps, processed, devices, and methods described herein can be mixed and matched as desired. All previously described features, functions, or inventions described herein or by reference may be mixed and matched as desired.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
This U.S. Non-Provisional patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/438,325, filed Jan. 11, 2023 and titled Pocket Cuff, which is fully incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63438325 | Jan 2023 | US |
