BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The presently disclosed invention relates to wearing apparel and, more specifically, legwear that can be worn below the knee and above the foot and that can be combined to form other articles of apparel.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
As used herein, legwear refers to those garments that surround the lower leg between the foot and the knee. In some cases, legwear has been used to extend the purposes of footwear, such as legwear that engages a boot and extends protection of the footwear above the ankle. Examples are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 888,745; 1,725,597; 1,844,997; 2,155,599; 2,398,802; 6,477,788; 7,428,787; and 8,065,821 and U.S. Patent Publications 2003/0097765; 2010/0186259; 2011/0167538; and 2012/0324765. In other cases, legwear has been used for purposes of fashion to enhance or change an appearance of certain footwear such as high heeled shoes and boots. Examples are shown in U.S. Design Pat. Nos. D396,740; D505,777; D599,981; D599,982; D643,598; and D668,025 and U.S. Patent Publication 2011/0078919.
A difficulty with such prior art legwear was that it tended to ride up the wearer's leg in the direction away from the shoe. To overcome this problem, the legwear was designed to engage the particular style of footwear with which it was intended to be used or, sometimes, to secure to the user's foot.
In many cases, prior art legwear was intended to coordinate with a particular style or design of footwear. However, there are many types and styles of footwear including shoes, sandals, boot-shoes, flip flops, high heels, ballet flats, stiletto heels, wedges, dance shoes, athletic shoes, team shoes, slippers, and many more. Consequently, legwear that was designed to be connected to coordinating footwear generally would not engage footwear of a different style. Accordingly, such legwear tended to be limited to use with the particular footwear with which it was coordinated.
In other cases, the legwear was limited to footwear of a design that was capable of accommodating the legwear's foot attachment. Therefore, there was a need in the prior art for legwear with versatility such that it could be used with any type of footwear, irrespective of the style, design or structure of the footwear.
Prior art legwear that was worn primarily for fashion also was somewhat limited. For example, legwear that had one design or color could not be easily changed. Legwear that could display more than one design or color would be a preferable fashion option. Still other flexibility such as allowing the legwear to be closed at alternative positions about the leg would afford further fashion options as well as additional functional flexibility.
One venue for legwear has been outdoor public events such as football games and other sporting events where weather conditions are a consideration. Many spectators prefer to bring extra clothing and blankets to accommodate inclement weather conditions or even changes in weather conditions during the course of the event. However, carrying multiple articles such as the event ticket, a purse, a cell phone and snacks along with blankets, seat cushions, umbrellas, rain suits and the like can be awkward and inconvenient. Moreover, continually tightening security measures at such events have progressively limited the number and type of articles that spectators are permitted to carry into the stadium or arena where the event is held. In particular, various types of bags and vessels are strictly controlled and are often subject to pre-entry search. Such search procedures sometimes significantly delay the spectator's entry to the stadium or arena and can even result in the choice between forfeiture of the article or denial of entry.
Various garment types and designs were known in the prior art. However, they were generally unsuited as apparel and were of limited adaptability. In some cases, the article was primarily a cushion and did not function as apparel at all. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,591,033 (describing a cushion that can be stored in a roll) and U.S. Patent Application 2006/0042014 (directed to seat cushion that can also be used in connection with spectator cheers at sporting events). Examples of designs that can be adapted to form a seat cushion, but are not intended for general wear are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,764 (a bag that can be worn while seated and that includes a pillow in the seat area); U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,897 (a travel bib); U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,706 (a foldable pad that can be used as a cushion or a muffler); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,465,207 (flotation device that can be used as a cushion). Other examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,109,951; 4,060,852; 5,884,331; 6,243,873; 6,275,993; 6,708,343; and 7,651,016 that illustrate designs in the nature of a hooded rain protector that can be folded to form a seat cushion or used as a seating vapor barrier. Still other designs such as the scarf shown in U.S. Patent Application 2004/0088778 that could be worn as a garment did not serve as a cushion at all and were generally unsuited for protection from adverse weather conditions.
Accordingly, an article of apparel that could be worn while passing through security and thereafter converted into an alternative garment or carrying device would be very useful in avoiding difficulty and delay at the security checkpoint and thereafter providing additional clothing or protective cover.
For these and other reasons, there was a need in the prior art for legwear that could be secured to the user's leg independently of any choice of footwear and also legwear that was aesthetically more versatile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the presently disclosed invention, legwear and methods for making the same are directed to the problem of securing the legwear on the user irrespective of the particular footwear that the user may be wearing. The presently disclosed invention is compatible with any footwear and includes a panel that is shaped to secure the legwear to the user without connection to any footwear or to the user's foot. The panel can be designed for various purposes including as a protective covering, as an insulative covering, and for fashion purposes, either alone or in combination.
The disclosed panel is formed in a pattern having a top edge and having a bottom edge that are located between oppositely disposed side edges. Each side edge of the material pattern defines a concave shape with the spacing between the side edges being greatest at or adjacent to at least one of the top edge and the bottom edge and the spacing between the side edges being the smallest at a position between the midpoint between the top edge and the bottom edge on one side edge and the midpoint between the top edge and the bottom edge on the other side edge. The legwear also includes a closure device having first and second parts with the first part connected to the panel adjacent one side edge and the second part connected to the panel adjacent the opposite side edge, such that at times when the first and second parts of the closure device are connected to each other, the top edge of the panel defines a top opening for the legwear and the bottom edge of the panel defines a bottom opening for the legwear.
Preferably, the two sheets of material have different colors and/or patterns such that one face of the panel presents a first color or pattern and the other face of the panel presents an alternative color or pattern. In this way, the legwear can be worn with either side of the panels exposed as the outside of the legwear making the legwear reversible with alternate patterns and/or colors being exposed.
Also in accordance with the presently disclosed invention, a set of legwear includes first and second legwear items, each having at least one sheet of flexible sheet material such as fabric that defines top and bottom edges and oppositely disposed side edges. On each legwear item, each side edge is provided with a respective closure member and the closure members on opposite sides are complementary to each other. In this way, at times when the closure members of the opposite sides are engaged, the flexible sheet material forms a generally cylindrical shape that can surround the user's limb.
Alternatively, two separate legwear items can be joined together by connecting the closure member of one legwear item to the complementary closure member of another legwear item. In this way, the two legwear items combine to form a blanket. Also, the open ends of the two separate legwear items can be joined together by connecting the closure members at the respective ends to form a different article such as a double seat cushion or a handwarmer. In some cases, the legwear items can include a loop and a belt that is connectable through the loop such that the belt can be used as a shoulder strap or handle for the combined legware items. In some examples, the combined legwear items can include a fastener to close the side of the legwear items that is opposite from the side to which the loop is secured so that the combined legwear can function as a bag.
In this way, the presently disclosed invention provides flexible legwear that can be worn as apparel at times when passing through a security checkpoint or when the user is carrying additional items. Thereafter, the legwear can be converted to another article such as a cushion, handwarmer, handbag or blanket that may be better suited to the immediate needs or preferences of the user.
Other objects and advantages of the presently disclosed invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a description of a presently preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A presently disclosed embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a sheet of material having an outer face and an inner face;
FIG. 2 illustrates two sheets of material that are oriented with their respective outer surfaces facing each other.
FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the movement of a closed end of the sheets of material between the open ends of the sheets of material.
FIG. 4 shows two sheets of material that are secured together wherein the closure device is a set of grommets and lacing.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the signature tab that is connected to the panel shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 shows the panel of FIG. 4 wherein the closure device is a zipper.
FIG. 7 shows the panel of FIG. 4 wherein the side edges are rolled in opposite rotations.
FIGS. 8A and 8B shows the panel of FIG. 4 wherein the side edges further include decorative trim.
FIG. 9 shows the panel of FIG. 6 when secured to a user's leg by a grommet and lacing closure.
FIG. 10 shows the panel of FIG. 4 when secured to a user's leg by a zipper closure.
FIGS. 11A, 11B and 11C illustrate the panel of FIG. 4 when secured to a user's leg with the connector being in a front position, a back position and a side position respectively.
FIG. 12 illustrates respective panel in the condition that they are secured to a user's legs and that further include exterior straps with fasteners.
FIG. 13 shows the panels of FIG. 12 with the fasteners shown in FIG. 12 uncoupled and complementary fasteners securing one side edge of one panel to the side edge of another panel.
FIG. 14 shows the two panels of FIG. 13 with the open side edges that are shown in FIG. 13 being partially connected by respective complementary fasteners.
FIG. 15 shows the two panels of FIG. 14 with the side edges that were partially connected in FIG. 14 being fully connected.
FIG. 16 shows the two panels of FIG. 15 with the panels collapsed together for use as a seat cushion.
FIG. 17 shows four panels of the type shown in FIGS. 12-16 that are connected together in side-edge to side-edge relationship to form a blanket.
FIG. 18 shows two panels that are connected together as also shown in FIG. 15 with a belt passed through loops in the side of the top edge of the panels to form a shoulder strap for the connected panels.
DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSED INVENTION
A presently preferred method for making an embodiment of the disclosed invention is shown in FIGS. 1-4. FIG. 1 shows a rectangular sheet of material 10 that can be used in the manufacture of the disclosed legwear. The sheet of material 10 has a top edge 12 and a bottom edge 14 that are located between oppositely disposed side edges 16 and 18. The edges of sheet 10 define an outer face 20 on one side and an inner face 22 on the opposite side.
Preferably, sheet 10 is material that is selected from any of the materials that are composed of woven natural threads, woven synthetic threads, natural fibers, synthetic fibers, animal hides. Examples of such material include leather, suede, faux leather, ultrasuede, cotton, rain-resistant fabrics, and stretchable athletic fabrics. Preferably, for fashion purposes the outer face 20 has a selected color and/or pattern that is aesthetically desireable.
Sheet 10 also shows pattern lines 24 that designate cutting lines for sheet 10. In the manufacture of the disclosed legwear, sheet 10 is cut along lines 24 to form the material in an “hourglass” shape 26 as shown in FIG. 2. In shape 26 the side edges 16 and 18 of the material 10 have been replaced by new side edges 28 and 30. Side edges 28 and 30 define respective concave curvatures between the top edge 12 and the bottom edge 14. The spacing between side edges 28 and 30 is greatest at respective points of side edges 28 and 30 that are located at or adjacent to the top edge 12 or that are located at or adjacent to the bottom edge 14. In some cases, the spacing between the side edges 28 and 30 can be the same at the top edge 12 and the bottom edge 14.
Surprisingly, it has been found that the location of the shortest spacing between the side edges 28 and 30 in combination with the curvature of side edges 28 and 30 is significant in securing the disclosed legwear to the user so as to avoid the legwear riding up or down on the user. Preferably, the spacing between the side edges 28 and 30 is smallest between respective locations on edges 28 and 30 that are the midpoints between top edge 12 and bottom edge 14. In the example of FIG. 2, the spacing between side edges 28 and 30 is smallest between location point 32, which is the midpoint on edge 28 between top edge 12 and bottom edge 14, and location point 34, which is the midpoint on edge 30 between top edge 12 and bottom edge 14. The curvature of side edge 28 is the inverse of the curvature of side edge 30 such that a line 36 tangent to the curvature of side edge 28 at point 32 is parallel to a line 38 that is tangent to the curvature of side edge 30 at point 34.
Importantly, it has been found that a shape wherein the spacing between edges 28 and 30 is least between midpoints 32 and 34 and greatest at points at or adjacent to the top edge 12 and/or the bottom edge 14 wherein the tangent 36 to the curvature of one side edge at the midpoint is parallel to the tangent 38 to the curvature of the other side edge at the midpoint of that side edge tends to support the legwear on the user such that it tends to resist movement longitudinally along the leg of the user. Thus, the shape of the legwear resists the legwear slipping down and from riding up the leg of the user.
In combination with the spacing between side edges 28 and 30, it has also been found that the curvature of the edges 28 and 30 aids in maintaining the legware securely on the user. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 the curvature of edges 28 and 30 can be described as a continuous curvature having a radius R1 of curvature of approximately 16 inches in the direction from the midpoint of either side edge that is orthogonal to the tangent to the midpoint. The radius of curvature for both side edges 28 and 30 steadily increases with increasing angles from the orthogonal to the tangent to the midpoint of the side edge to a radius of curvature R2 of about 17 inches at angles of plus or minus 30 degrees from the orthogonal to the tangent to the midpoint. In other embodiments, the radius of curvature R1 in the direction from the midpoint of either side edge that is orthogonal to the tangent to the midpoint can be in the range of 15 inches to 17 inches with the radius of curvature R2 at angles of plus or minus 30 degrees from the orthogonal to the tangent to the midpoint in the range of 16 inches to 18 inches.
In accordance with the presently disclosed invention, as particularly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the legwear can be made to have selected colors and/or patterns on both faces of a panel that is reversible. In this way, the legwear can be worn with either side of the panel facing outwardly such that either side can be exposed as the outside of the legwear. In this way, the legwear affords alternative colors and patterns for fashion purposes. As particularly shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, a panel 40 is made by forming a second shape of material 42 in substantially the same manner as previously described herein with respect to shape 26 except that the outer surface of shape 42 has an alternative color and/or pattern 43 that is different than the color or pattern of the outer surface of the first shape. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the first shape 26 and the second shape 42 are aligned with the outer face 43a of the first shape opposing the outer face 43b of the second shape. The shapes 26 and 42 are sized such that edges of the second shape 42 coincide with the respective edges of the first shape 26. Shapes 26 and 42 are then secured together along three sides of their perimeter. Specifically, shapes 26 and 42 are sewn together along the concave side edges 28 and 30 and along either the top 12 or the bottom edge 14.
Next, as illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the top edge 12 or the bottom edge 14 where the shapes 26 and 42 have been sewn together is passed between the opposite end of the shapes that have not been sewn together. This causes the outer face of both shapes 26 and 42 to face outwardly so that the panel has alternative colors or patterns on opposite faces thereof in accordance with the colors and/or patterns on the outer face of the shapes 26 and 42. FIG. 4 shows a finished panel in which the top edge or bottom edge that was not sewn closed as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B is sewn together to complete the panel 40 having a top edge 44, a bottom edge 46, and oppositely disposed side edges 48 and 50.
In alternative embodiments where at least one of the shapes 26 or 42 is made of a relatively stiff or bulky material such as leather, the method illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B of turning the partially sewn shapes inside out can be replaced by hemming the lining fabric or reverse material on all four edges and then attaching the two shapes together by sewing or adhesives to construct the panel.
To make the disclosed legwear, the panel 40 is further provided with a closure by which opposite side edges 48 and 50 can be joined together with the panel 40 traveling around the leg of the user. The closure can be any suitable closure such as known in the art including grommets and laces, zippers, hook and loop material, buckels, rings, ties bar slides, buttons and loops, and elastic panels as well as others.
In some embodiments, such closure devices can be selected so as to augment the disclosed legwear's capability for maintaining position on the user's limb without sliding up or down. Such closure devices can enable the user to cinch the disclosed legwear so as to make minor adjustments to improve comfort and fit. Such adjustments further secure the disclosed legwear so as to enable the disclosed legware to accommodate the anatomical range of a large number of users with legwear in a relatively small number of nominal sizes.
In the presently disclosed embodiment of FIG. 4, a grommet and lace type of closure 52 is shown. More particularly, a series of grommets 54 is added to the panel 40 adjacent to side edge 48 and a second series of grommets 56 is added to panel 40 adjacent to side edge 50. When the panel is placed around the leg of the user between the knee and the foot, the grommets 54 form a first part of the closure and the grommets 56 that are adjacent to side edge 50 form a second part of the closure. When the grommets 54 and 56 are connected by a lace (as shown in FIG. 9) the panel 40 defines an opening along the top edge 44 of said panel 40 and another opening along the bottom edge 46 of said panel so as to accommodate the leg of the wearer. The shape of panel 40 follows the same “hourglass” shape of the shapes 26 and 42 such that the panel secures to the wearer in a manner that maintains the panel 40 without slipping down or riding up.
As also shown in FIG. 4, the legwear includes a tab 58 that is secured to the top edge 44 of the legwear. Tab 58 is convenient for adjusting the position of the legwear by the user and for hanging the legwear when it is not in use. FIG. 5 illustrates that tab 58 can be sewn into the seam between the top edge of the shapes 26 and 42 at the time that they are sewn together to form panel 40. The exact construction of tab 58 can vary in the strength and shape of the material forming tab 58 as well as the manner in which tab 58 can be secured to panel 40. For example, as an alternative to sewing tab 58 into the seam of top edge 44, tab 58 can be secured to panel 40 by an adhesive.
FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the disclosed legwear in which the closure is a zipper 60. Zipper 60 has a first part 62 that is secured to the panel 40 along side edge 48 and a second part 64 that is secured to panel 40 along side edge 50. As will be understood to those skilled in the art, zipper 60 and all those zippers described in connection with the various embodiments disclosed herein include a pull tab for opening and closing the two sides of the zipper. The pull tab may be of the type that operates from the front or back face of the zipper to accommodate the reversible features of the disclosed invention. In this way, when the first and second parts of zipper 60 are joined together, the top edge 44 of the legwear defines an opening and the bottom edge 46 of the legwear also defines an opening to accommodate the limb of the user. Preferably, the first and second parts of zipper 60 are secured to the panel at the time that the side edges 28 and 30 of shapes 26 and 42 are sewn together.
FIGS. 7, 8A and 8B also show alternative embodiments of the presently disclosed invention. In FIG. 7, the side edges 48 and 50 of the panel 40 are rolled up. As shown in FIG. 7, side edge 48 is rolled in a counterclockwise direction and side edge 50 is rolled in a clockwise direction. This provides a contrasting welt at the seam when the closure draws the side edges together. Preferably, for aesthetic reasons this rolled feature is used in combination with closures other than a zipper. FIGS. 8A and 8B show a panel 40 with decorative trim 66 incorporated therein. Trim 66 includes a lip 68 that is sewn into the seams between the shapes 26 and 42 at the time that those shapes are sewn together to form panel 40.
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the disclosed legwear as displayed during use. FIG. 9 has the grommet and lacing closure as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 10 shows the zipper closure as shown in FIG. 6. For the reversible panel 40, the legwear can be worn with either side of panel 40 being exposed as the outside.
FIGS. 9 and 10 also show that the top of the legwear can be turned down to form a cuff 70 at the top of the legwear. In this way, the disclosed legwear can accommodate legs of various dimensions between the knee and ankle. For the reversible panel 40, the outside of the cuff 70 will display the color pattern of the inner pattern of the panel and the rest of the legwear will display the outer pattern of the panel. This offers the additional flexibility of contrasting colors and/or patterns for the legwear.
FIGS. 11A, 11B and 11C illustrate the use of the disclosed legwear with the closure in the front, back and side positions respectively. Preferably, the bottom edge 14 of shapes 26 and 42 and of panel 40 have an outward curvature of a generally constant radius as particularly shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. This shape allows the legwear to be oriented at any angular position about the user's leg. As illustrated in FIGS. 11A, 11B and 11C, in this way the legwear offers still further flexibility in that the closure can be located at any angular position at the discretion of the user and according to their particular tastes and preferences.
As previously described herein, the disclosed legwear is not connected to any footwear. Independence from the footwear allows the legwear to be fully reversible and to be worn in any angular position according to the user's own preferences. The disclosed legwear can be worn directly next to the skin such as with shorts, dresses or skirts. Alternatively, the disclosed legwear can be worn over tights, stockings, leggings, jeans, pants, sweatpants and outerwear. Additionally, the disclosed legwear can be worn over high-top boots. The disclosed legwear has been found to require relatively little room in luggage so that it is convenient for travel where the user can especially appreciate the versatility of the disclosed legwear.
FIG. 12 shows an alternative embodiment of the presently disclosed invention wherein a set of legwear 80 includes a first legwear 82 and a second legwear 84. Legwear 82 may be similar to legwear previously described herein in connection with FIGS. 1 through 11C and may include a flexible panel or flexible sheet material 86 that defines a top edge 88 and a bottom edge 90 that is oppositely disposed on the sheet material 86 from the top edge 88. The flexible sheet material 86 also defines a first side edge 92 and a second side edge 94 that is oppositely disposed on the sheet material 86 from the first side edge 92. In some embodiments, the flexible sheet material may be of a rip-stop design or other design that is adapted for particular uses such as hunting. In such cases, the sheet material may be made of waxed canvas, canvas, leather or other rugged material. In many embodiments, the flexible sheet material is selected for its thermal and water resistant properties.
Legwear 82 includes a first closure member 96 that is secured to side edge 92 and a second closure member 98 that is secured to second side edge 94. The first closure member 96 and the second closure member 98 are complementary to each other such that the first and second closure members cooperate with each other to connect together and thereby connect the first side 92 of legwear 82 to the second side edge 94 of legwear 82. In the example of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 12, closure members 96 and 98 are respective sides of a zipper. Other complementary closure members also could be used as previously described herein in connection with FIGS. 1 through 11C. In this way, at times when legwear 82 is worn as legwear to cover below the knee and above the foot of the user, sides of the legwear are secured together around the limb of the user.
Second legwear 84 is similar to first legwear 82. As shown in FIG. 12, second legwear 84 may include a flexible panel or flexible sheet material 100 that defines a top edge 102 and a bottom edge 104 that is oppositely disposed on the sheet material 100 from the top edge 102. The flexible sheet material 100 also defines a first side edge 106 and a second side edge 108 that is oppositely disposed on the sheet material 100 from the first side edge 106.
Legwear 84 includes a first closure member 110 that is secured to side edge 106 and a second closure member 112 that is secured to second side edge 108. The first closure member 110 and the second closure member 112 are complementary to each other such that the first and second closure members cooperate with each other to connect together and thereby connect the first side 106 of legwear 84 to the second side edge 108 of legwear 84. In the example of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 12, closure members 110 and 112 are respective sides of a zipper so that when legwear 84 is worn as legwear to cover below the knee and above the foot of the user, sides of the legwear are secured together around the limb of the user. As described previously herein, the zipper that is disclosed in FIG. 12 and in FIGS. 13-18 as hereinafter described is of the type that includes a reversible pull tab for opening or closing the zipper. The pull tab is reversible in the sense that it operates either from the front face or the back face of the zipper. In this way, the zipper accommodates the reversible features of the disclosed invention. Other types and styles of closures such as hook-and-loop, buttons, snaps and ties also could be used.
In some embodiments, flexible sheet material of legwear 82, legwear 84 or both may include pockets for carrying personal items. Such pockets may be either on the outside surface of the flexible sheet or on the inside surface and may include a flap or closure mechanism such as pressure snaps. Pockets on the inside surface could also be used to carry hand warmers or foot warmers of the type that generate heat such as by an exothermic chemical reaction.
Second closure member 112 is also complementary to the first closure member 96 of first legwear 84 such that second legwear 84 cooperates with first legwear 82 to selectively form a more complex article such as a seat cushion, a blanket or a handwarmer as hereafter further explained in connection with FIGS. 13 through 18.
As shown in FIG. 13, the first closure member 96 of first legwear 82 is complementary to the second closure member 112 of legwear 84. The closure members 96 and 98 of the first legwear 82 are opposite sides of a fully separating zipper so that closure members 96 and 98 are completely separable from each other. The closure members 110 and 112 of the second legwear 84 are also opposite sides of a fully separating zipper so that closure members 110 and 112 are completely separable from each other. However, because the first closure member 96 of first legwear 82 and the second closure member 112 of second legwear 84 are complementary, first closure member 96 engages the second closure member 112 to secure the side edge 92 of legwear 82 to the side edge 108 of legwear 84. FIG. 13 shows that this combination can be used as a lap blanket 114.
FIGS. 14 through 18 show alternative combinations of legwear in accordance with the presently disclosed invention. In FIG. 14, the second closure member 98 of first legwear 82 is complementary to the first closure member 110 of the second legwear 84. In this way second closure member 98 engages first closure member 110 to secure the side edge 94 of legware 82 to side edge 106 of legwear 84. To better disclose the details and features of the presently disclosed invention, FIG. 14 shows second closure member 98 and first closure member 110 in partial engagement and FIG. 15 shows second closure member 98 and first closure member 110 fully engaged.
With the second closure member 98 and first closure member 110 fully engaged as shown in FIG. 15, legwear 82 and legwear 84 can be collapsed together to form a complex article that is a seat cushion 116 as more specifically shown in FIG. 16. Seat cushion 116 has the same thermal and water repellant properties as the legwear that are previously explained herein.
In the same way that two legwear articles 82 and 84 can be secured together as shown and explained in connection with FIG. 13, additional legware articles can also be combined in a longer array to form a larger blanket. An example of such a larger blanket is shown in FIG. 17 wherein additional legwear articles 120 and 122 have been joined to legwear 82 and 84 by combining the closure members of the respective legwear 120 and 122 in the same manner as explained in connection with the blanket shown and described in connection with FIG. 13. In other examples, additional legwear articles with appropriate padding in the flexible sheet may be used to form an exercise mat. In still another embodiment, additional legwear articles could be connected linearly and then folded together to provide a seat cushion with extra padding.
In some embodiments, the side edges of the legwear 82, 84, 120 and 122 shown and described in connection with FIGS. 13 through 17 may define respective concave shapes between the respective top edge and bottom edge of each legwear article such as previously explained in connection with FIGS. 1 through 11C. In such embodiments, the curvature of the concave shape is gauged according to the elasticity of the sheet material of legwear 82, 84, 120 and 122 so that the opposing side edges of adjacently placed legware are in compression at locations adjacent the top and bottom edges of the legwear and in tension at the midpoint of the concave shape. For example, at times when the side edge 106 of legwear 84 is connected to the side edge 94 of legwear 82, side edges 94 and 106 are in compression at locations adjacent the top and bottom edges of legwear 82 and 84 and in tension at the midpoint of the concave shape of side edges 94 and 106. The counter-effects of the tension and compression between the side edges of adjacent legwear tends to cause the connected edges between adjacent legwear to appear to be straighter than the curvature of the side edges of the legwear in an unconnected state.
As best shown in FIGS. 14 and 17, the elasticity of the sheet material of legwear 82, 84, 120 and 122 is selected that the tension between the middle of opposing side edges substantially balances the compression adjacent the ends of the opposing side edges. In this way the legwear can be combined together in linear or circular fashion as shown and explained in connection with FIGS. 13 through 17 without undue distortion from a planar shape of the connected legwear. An example is shown in the blanket that is depicted in FIG. 17. In some cases, it will be preferable that the flexible sheet material of legwear 82, 84, 120 and 122 incorporates an insulation layer to enhance the thermal barrier that is established by the legwear. In such cases, the thickness of the flexible sheet material will favor the balance of compression and tension between the side edges of adjoining legwear because the legwear will generally have a greater thickness that affords a larger bearing surface to establish and maintain the compression/tension balance.
FIGS. 12 through 18 further show that each of the legwear further includes a respective loop 124, 126, 128 and 130 that is secured to the top edge of the legwear. Alternatively, loops 124, 126, 128 and 130 could be connected to the respective bottom edges of the legwear and applied according to the user's individual needs as points of attachment for various articles.
In addition, as particularly shown in FIG. 12, each legwear article further includes one of belts 132 and 134 and a respective fastener such as buckles 136 and 138 that is connectable to the belt. As particularly shown in FIG. 12, the ends of belts 132 and 134 are respectively connected to opposite sides of buckles 136 and 138. Buckles 136 and 138 include complementary parts 136a, 136b and 138a, 138b that are connectable to opposite ends of respective belts 132 and 134. One part of each buckle 136a, 138a may be provided with a barbed extension that is lockingly insertable into the complementary part 136b, 138b of the same buckle so that buckles 136 and 138 can be locked together by inserting one part into the other. Also, buckles 136 and 138 may be opened by releasing the barb on the extension from engagement with the opposing part of the buckle. Each part of buckle 136 and 138 can receive the opposite end of belt 132 or 134 and is adjustable from the end of the belt to tighten the legwear to the user at times when the legwear is worn between below the knee and above the foot of the user.
FIG. 18 shows that the same belts 132 and 134 and fasteners or buckles 136 and 138 can be used in cooperation with loops 124 and 126 to provide a handle or carrying strap for connected legwear 82 and 84. As demonstrated in FIG. 18, the loops 124 and 126 are sized large enough that belts 132 and 134 can be threaded through a respective loop when at least one end of the belt is a free end that is apart from buckles 136 and 138. After the belt is threaded through the loop, the free end of belts 132 and 134 is then secured to buckles 136 and 138 to form a carrying strap 140 and 142.
Alternatively, buckles 136 and 138 may be interchangeable so that one part 136a of buckle 136 is complementary to one part 138b of buckle 138 and the one part 138a of buckle 138 may be engagable with the complementary part 136b of buckle 136. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, the part 136a of buckle 136 that has a barbed extension is engagable with the complementary part 138b of buckle 138 and the part 138a of buckle 138 that has a barbed extension is engagable with the complementary part 136b of buckle 136. The loops 124 and 126 are made large enough so that one part of buckle 136 or 138 can pass through the loop. Thereafter, one part 136a of buckle 136 may be connected to the complementary part 138b of buckle 138 and the complementary part 136b of buckle 136 may be connected to the one part 138a of buckle 138. In this way, the buckles can be quickly and easily connected together to form the carrying strap without necessity for disconnecting the belts 132 or 134 from the buckles 136 and 138.
In some cases, it may be preferable to further modify the cushion such as shown in FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 into a carrying bag. One manner of modifying the cushions is to secure the bottom edges of the two legwear articles together such as by the use of a patch or straps that connect to the legwear by means of hook-and-loop connectors, snap connectors, or other suitable connectors. An example is shown in FIG. 18 where a hook-and-loop patch 144 is connected to the respective flexible sheets 86 and 100 of legwear 82 and 84 and across the separation between the bottom edges 90 and 104 of legwear 82 and 84. In this way, the cushion severs the further purpose of a carrying bag with straps or handles. This feature of the presently disclosed invention is particularly helpful in those circumstances where bags are not allowed past security checkpoints such as at public athletic events. In this way, the user complies with the security restrictions for entering the stadium or arena and, once inside, can still have a carrying bag for conveniently maintaining and transporting personal items.
The presently disclosed invention is not limited by the description of the presently preferred embodiment and is further embodied within the scope of the following claims.
Patent Application
20140020156
