Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The present invention relates to a novelty
article having bubble, blis~er or container with liquid which
together with artwork ena~les the article to function as a
novelty item.
~ The novelty industry has seen the development of
articles of clothing provided with various illustrations and
designs. Typically hats, T-shirts and trousers have been
provided with imprints of eminent people, artwork derived from
motion pictures or videos, school names, emblems phrases and
advertising logos or the like. These articles had as there
primary purpose the provision of illustrations or designs
either for advertising or for novelty purposes.
In US Patent no. 4120053 there was disclosed an
article of clothing provided with a sheet of material placed
in confronting relation with and affixed to an inner surface
of the article to form a pocket for holding a number of solid
novelty-type objects. An aperture was formed in an outer
surface of the article to communicate the outer surface to the
pocket and to allow the objects to be dispensed from the
pocket. The outer surface had an illustrative design that
drew the viewer's attention to and suggested the aperture as a
dispensing point for the objects.
The illustration was a representation of part of
3~
3 ~5
a gum ball machine whilst the poc~et formed a ~acsimile of the
transparent dome for the machine. The objects were
representative of or were gum balls.
The article disclosed in US Patent no. 4120053
was not suitable for providing a novelt~ article where liquids
rather than solid objects were to be contained in the pocket.
There have been prior proposals for articles of
clothing with pockets, bubbles or the like and in which the
possibility was provided for having the pockets filled with
some substance such as air or a liquid~
In US Patent no. 4310927 a shirt was proposed
having a plurality of inflatable chest muscle portions,
inflatable stomach muscle ~ortions and in~latable ~iceps
portions. The various portions could be inflated manually by
a pump.
In US Patent no. 4384369 an e~ercise suit was
disclosed. The suit had numerous pockets into which discrete
bags containing liquids could ~e inserted to provide a weight
load.
US Patent no. 4591521 teaches the use of
contoured pads inser-ted into pockets to highlight an
illustrative design. The pockets were not constructed to
contain liquid and were formed on the inside surface of a
shirt.
US Patent no. 4466136 disclosed a T-shirt having
a design with a complementary object fastened thereto.
.. _ . , _ ., ... . , . , , ., .,, ., .. .. .. , . , .. . .. , .. . _. _ . , __ _ ~ _ __. .
-- 3
US Patent no. 4627110 disclosed the use or a
plastic writing surface stitched to the front of a T-shirt and
made complementary to the design.
None of these earlier patents suggested a
novelty article of clothing having permanently secured thereto
a poc~et, bubble or pouch carrying a liquid and including a
design or illustration having an association or relationship
to the pocket which gives the article its novelty value.
It is an object of the invention to provide a
novelty article having a pouch containing llquid.
It is another object of the invention to provide
a novelty article of clothing having a pouch containing
liquid.
The invention provides in one aspect an article
having a surface bearing indicia and a pouch comprising two
superimposed layers of transparent sheet material a peripheral
seal extending around an edge periphery of the sheets and
securing the sheets to each other, an inner seal spaced
inwardly of the peripheral seal and securing the sheets
together to define an enclosed space and a liquid at least
partially illing the space in the pouch whereby said indicia
is visible through the pouch.
The invention provides in another aspect an
article of clothing adapted to be worn by a person and having
a surface a pouch comprising two superimposed layers o
transparent material having a peripheral seal extending around
3i~
-- 4 --
an edge peripher~ of the sheets and an inner seal spaced
inwardly of the perlpheral seal and said inner seal securing
the sheets together to define an enclosed space, said pouch
being secured to the surface between the seals;
liquid within the space; and,
indicia on the surface where~y said indicia is visible through
the pouch.
The invention provides in yet another aspect a
T-shirt having a surface, a pouch comprising two superimposed
layers of transparent material having a peripheral seal
extending around an edge periphery of the sheets and an inner
seal spaced inwardly of the peripheral seal and the inner seal
securing the sheets together to define an enclosed space, said
pouch being secured to the T-shirt between the seals; liquid
within the space said liquid including distilled water about
0.5 grams/litre of water of sodium benzoate, about 4 grams
citric acid/litre of water, at least one food dye and about
0.15 grams/litre of water of saponin; and, indicia on the
T-shirt representative of a beverage container whereby the
indicia is visible through the pouch.
In the accompanying drawings in which is shown
one of the various possible exemplary embodiments of the
invention:
Figure 1 is a view of a pouch according to an
embodiment of the invention;
;~2~3~5
-- 5
Figure 2 is a view of a T-shirt having the pouch
of Figurz 1 secured thereto; and,
Figure 3 is an alternative view of a T-shirt to
that show~ in figure 2.
Referring now in detail to the drawings, the
numeral 10 designates generally a pouch, poc~et or bubble.
Pouch 10 is typically made of clear or translucent plastics
material. Plastics material such as PVC UV stabilised and
having a thickness of about 0.3 mm is preferred because it
results in a pouch of having the desired degree of
flexibility, so~tness and durability to facilitate washing of
the T-shirt and to resist rough treatment whilst still being
clear enough to view the liquid and any artwork on the T-shirt
covered by the pouch 10. The pouch 10 is made of two layers
secured to each other to ~orm a peripheral seal 11. The
layers may be cut from sheet material in any suitable way such
as by an electrode. The pouch has rounded corners 12 and the
seal 11 may be achieved by bonding the layers to each other
using a bonding agent or adhesive. Alternatively, high
frequency welding may be used to produce the seal. The seal
11 may be achieved by using a hot air gun or a hot bar weld
but high frequency welding is preferred.
Inner seal 13 can be produced in a like fashion
to seal 11. Seal 13 defines a volume between the layers of
the pouch which may be filled with a liquid. The liauid may
lZ~Z3~5
-- 6
fill pouch 10 up to a level indicated by ghost outline 14
although other levels may be used.
To manufacture pouch 10 two layers of plastics
material are placed in overlapping relationship and seal 13 is
produced leaving a small opening through which the liquid and
a desired volume of air or othex gas is then injected using a
pump. Seal 13 is then completed. Seal 11 is then formed and
the pouch is ready to be secured to an article of clothing
such as a T-shirt.
Figure 2 shows a T-shirt 15 with a pouch 10
secured thereto. The T-shirt 15 has artwork including a
representation of a can of beer 16, text 17, 18 and the upper
portion of a glass 19. Clearly, the artwork may be chosen as
desired. Where the artwork is such that the novelty value of
the T-shirt requires the liquid in the pouch to be a
reasonable facsimile of a beverage, the liquid should be
carefully chosen to give the desired effect. For example the
liguid should be treated to inhibit or stop the growth of
bacteria without bleaching or discolouring the material from
which the pouch is made.
The pouch is preferably filled with a non-toxic
liquid distilled water with about 0.5 grams sodium benzoate or
other mild antioxidant or bacteriacide. Preferably about
4 grams o~ citric acid per litre or other preservative is also
added to the distilled water.
Where it is desired to have the liquid resemble
3~5
or be a reasonable facsimile of a beverage it is desirable to
include in the liquid a suitable dye or dyes. The dye(s)
should be chosen so as to not permane11tly colour the material
of the pouch.
The dyes may typically be food dyes such as C.I.
constitution no. 16255 (RED), 42090 (BLUE) and 19140 (YELLOW)
mixed or otherwise included in the liquid to provide the
colour required.
For simulation of a beverage such as beer for
example which may normally have a frothy head a frothing agent
such as saponin or substitute or e~uivalent may be added to
the liquid. Saponin or other frothing agent may be added in
the amount of about 0.15 grams/litre of liquid.
The pouch 10 can ~e welded, glued or otherwise
attached to the T-shirt. However, if the pouch is to be
secured to a T-shirt and that shirt has artistic designs or
embellishments on it, it is preferable to sew the pouch onto
the shirt. Straight stitching is preferred. Regardless of
whether sewing or some other attachment is used, the
attachment should occur between the two seals. In this way
the integrity of the pouch is not destroyed.
For manufacturing purposes it is conceivable
that a supply of T-shirts may be held in stock and pouches may
be secured as demand dictates. Where sewing is employed to
secure the pouch, the thread should be of a suitable strength
although after sewing a broken thread will not easily pull
3~
through the pouch material and it is unlikely that the pouch
will become separated from the T-shirt.
With reference to figure 2 there is shown a T-
shirt 15 having artwork consisting of text 17, 18, a pictorial
representation of a beer can 20 and a glass 19. Pouch 10 with
liquid is superimposed over the part of the artwork. The
liquid within the pouch, when the pouch is positioned in this
way suggest khat the glass 19 is partially full. The above
description is provided in relation to an article of clothing
and in particular a T-shirt. This is by way of example only.
Clearly the article may be clothing other than a T-shirt or
indeed may not even be an article of clothing at all. For
example the article may simply be a textile article or sheet
of material.
Figure 3 shows an alternative T-shirt 15 to that
shown in figure 2. The shirt of figure 3. A pouch 10 is
shown positioned on shirt 15 relative to indicia 20, 21 and
22. The pouch has liquid 23 up to level 24. Indicia 21
includes a representation of a beer tap and which together
with liquid 23 gives the impression of beer having been
dispensed from the tap.
Therefore, the above description and
illustrations should not be construed as limiting the scope
of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.
