METHOD OF PROTECTING GARMENTS FROM SOILING AND WEAR

METHODE DE PROTECTION DES VETEMENTS CONTRE LES TACHES ET L'USURE

English Abstract

A method of protecting a visible garment area from soiling and
wear comprises adhesively attaching a flexible first adhesive
patch, decorated with a design or advertisement to a desired
garment area; removing and discarding the first adhesive
patch and attaching a flexible second adhesive patch to
substantially the same garment area.

French Abstract

Une méthode de protection d'une zone de vêtement visible contre les taches et l'usure comprend les étapes consistant à fixer par voie adhésive une première pièce adhésive flexible, décorée d'un dessin ou d'une publicité, sur une zone de vêtement souhaitée ; à retirer et jeter la première pièce adhésive et à fixer une deuxième pièce adhésive sur essentiellement la même zone de vêtement.

Claims

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CLAIMS
I claim:
1. A method of protecting a garment area from soiling and
wear, the method comprising:
providing an adhesive covering substantially all of a
back surface of flexible first and second adhesive
patches;
providing a design or advertisement on an opposite outer
surface of the flexible first and second adhesive
patches;
releasably attaching the flexible first adhesive patch to
a desired normally visible garment area;
removing and discarding the first adhesive patch and
attaching the flexible second adhesive patch to
substantially the same garment area.

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2. The method of Claim 1 wherein the first adhesive patch is
removed when the first adhesive patch becomes soiled or
worn.
3. The method of any one of Claims 1 or 2 wherein the first
adhesive patch is removed when it is desired to restore
the garment to its original appearance, and wherein the
second adhesive patch is attached later to protect the
garment from soiling and wear.
4. The method of any one of claims 1 - 3 further comprising
providing the adhesive patches with rounded or oblique
corners to reduce the likelihood of the adhesive patches
peeling off the garment.
5. The method of any One of Claims 1 - 3 further comprising
providing generally oval or circular adhesive patches
with no corners to reduce the likelihood of the adhesive
patches peeling off the garment.
6. The method of any one of Claims 1 - 5 wherein the

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adhesive patches comprise a thin plastic membrane, with
adhesive applied to a back side thereof, the adhesive
covered with a peel off cover.
7. The method of any one of Claims 1 - 6 wherein the outer
surface of the adhesive patches is adapted to facilitate
wiping the surface clean.
8. The method of Claim 7 wherein the outer surface is a
smooth and impermeable surface.
9. The method of any one of Claims 1 - 8 wherein the garment
a pair of pants, and wherein the adhesive patches are
adhesively attached to the pants such that the adhesive
patches extend down from a lower portion of a child's
knee when the child is standing in the pants.
10. The method of Claim 9 wherein a top edge of the
adhesive patches is attached to the pants at a lower
portion of a child's knee when the child is standing in
the pants.

Description

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MSTHOD OF PROTBCTINC3 CiARMRNTS FR02~i SOI1~INC3 AkS~ WEAR
This in~C~xtio~rl is in the fiCld of elotkl.ian~ and. in particular
protCCting areas of garments from soiling and wear with an
E
s adhesive patch which could incorporate an ad~rertisement.
k
r
~0 rt is well known that certt~~.n areas of garments become soiled
and wear more quickly than others, for example the knee area
of pants and the elbow area of shirts, sweatexs and like tops.
Childran~s clothing is paxt~.cularly susceptible to such
so~,ling and wear because of the activities of the Children.
is
a
Such areas often are the only area of a garment that is
soiled, but the whole garment must be washed. Similarly
these are oftCn tk~e only area that is worn, but the whole
garment must be discard~d. Protecting such areas from soiling
20 and wear ~nrbL~ld be a great ttttrx~Ctiori to 2i Child's care-giver.
It is known to provide certain areas with reinforcement with a

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different material, however these permanently change the
garments appearance, and are soiled the same as the rest of
the garritCnt .
3 Companies are constantly seeking new ways to advertise their
wares. Zt is highly desirable to take any opportunity to
keep a company's name or logo before the public eye as much -
as possible. A cQmgaxiy that could provide protection to a
garment, such as a child's parsts, would find that care-
givers were quite willing and even enthusiastic about
displaying the company's message to the pVbliC while
providing the protection. '~
is sur~n.RY og TxE =rms~rrzoN
It is an objeot of the present invention to provide zt method
of protecting garments from soiling and wear, while at the
eame time allowing the garm~snt to be restored to its original
2o appearance if desired.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide

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0
such a method that also provided opportunities far advertis~rs
to increase their exposure to the public.
It is a further object of the present inveritioi7, to provide
3 such a method wherein a removable and disposab7.e adhesive
patch is applied t.o the desired garrnexa.t area, and whareiri the
adhesive patch could display an advertisers message. -
The present invention provides in one aspect a method of
protecting a garment area from soiling and wear, the method
comprising adhesively attaching a flexible first adhesive
patch to a desired garmexxt area; removing and discarding the t
first adhesive patch and~atta~hirig a f~.eatible second adhesive
patch to substantially the same garment area.
Soiling arid wear takes place on the patch, rather than on the
garment. 'fhe patch can then Ins removed and discarded, arid -
then replaced with a new patch.

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a
DESCRZPTTON bF DRAPPIIQf3S
V
rn1'hilC the iz'ivention is claimed in the concluding portions
hereof, preferred embodiments are provided in the accompanying
detailed description which may be best understood in
ii
conjunction with the accompanying dit~grarns whex'e like parts in
n
each of the several diagrams axe lalaeled with like numbers,
a
and where: :-
Fi.g, 1 is a schematic side view of an adhesztre patch of the
invention;
Fig. 2 is a front view of a pair of pants worz~ by a child and
showing ti suggested location of an adhesive patch of the
invention;
ii
Fig. 3 shows an example of a design to decorate the adhesive
patch;
Fig. 4 shows that an advertisement could be placed on an
adhesive patch of the i.xivention.

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DBTAILSD DESCRZBTION OF TH8 ILLUSTRATED EMBOD=M~N''fS:
Figs. 1 - 4 illustrate a meth4d of protecting a garment from
soiling and wear. 'The method comprises adhesively attaching a
flexible first adhesive patch 1 to the desired visible garment
a
area, illustrated as the knee area ~ of a pair of childr~n's -
pants 3. Other risible areas of various garments, such as the .
seat or elbows could similarly be protested.
In order to provide satisfactory protection in the particular
application illustrated, the adhesive patch 1 is adhesively
attached to the pants 3 such that the adhesive patch 1 extends
down from a lower portion o~ a child's knee 4 when the child
~.s stazading in the pants 3. Zn this way, when the child bends
v
the knee 4 to kneel an the ground, the adhesive patch 1 rides
up somtwhat and is in the proper position to Cover the area of
the pasts 3 that is between the knee 4 and the ground. Grass
stains, dirt and the like, as well as friction and wear, takes
2o place on the adhesive patch 1, xather than on the pants 3.
The adhesive patch 1 can simply be removed when sailed or

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4
F
worn, leaving the pants with their arzginal appaarariGe, and
replaced immediately or later with a second adhesive patch 1
to cbver substantially the same knee area_
The adhesivt patch 1, can be provided witk~ rounded or oblique
F
corners 6, 7 ax may be a generally oval or circular adhesive
patch 8 with no corners to reduce the likel~.hood of the
adhesive patch 1 peeling off the garment. Square or acute
angles peel away froth the garment more readily.
In order to enhance the dcxirability of the adhGSive patches
to a child wearing tZaem, they are decorated with a design
c
desirable to children, such as the happy face 9 illustrated.
Other designs or pictures that might be popular ax- trendy at
is any given time, such as alYtOSaIIrS, may be applied to the
s
adhesive patch.
The adhesive patches of the invention could als4 provide an
attractive advCrtisi~cag medium. An advertising design could be
appJ.ied to the adhesive patch by a fast food ar entertainment
company or the like, and the adhesive patches could be sold
for an inexpensive price, or given away as a promotion, child

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care-givers would readily attach the adhesive patches to the
child's clothing, in order to protect the clothizag from '
soiling and wear. The child would be attracted lax a pleasing
design, which Manx advertisers are presently adept x~t
providing. The adhesive patch then would serve as a mini-
billboard, as well as a protective device for the garment.
As schematically illustrated in Fig. 1, the adhesive patch 1
cornpxises a thin plastic membrane 10, with an
adhesivellapplied to a back side 12 thereof. The adhesivell
is covexed with a peel off cov~r 13. It is contemplated that
other arratxgaments for adhesive ~;t.tachment would also serve
the purpase_
1S Tha outer sux'face 14 of the adhesive patch 1 is a smooth and
impermeable surface adapted to facilitate wipizag tkle outer
Surface 14 cletul. Such surfaces are known in the art such as
polyester plastic with a clear coat or varnish to protect tha
design. IT1 some instanGCS tl2e surface 1~ can be simply be
2o wiped to remove stains, extending the life of the adhesive
patch 1_

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Children especially get their clothes dirty very quickly, in
many cages requiring a change more than anca a day. bften it
is oril~' a small area that is~ soiled, such as the knee area.
With an adhesive patch of the invention, the care-giver can
often simply wipe the adhesive patch clean, or remove it and
apply tt nGw adhesive patch in its place, rather than change
and wash the garmerat . -
The adhesive patches offer an advantageous advertising
appartunity as well.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous changes
and modifications wilt read~.ly occur to those skilled in the
1$ axt, it is not desired to limit the ~.riverltian to the exact
construCtian and oporEttiori S~howxl t3nd described, and
accordingly, all such suitable changes or madi~icatians in
structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended
to fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

Representative Drawing