Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PANTS WITH INTERCHANGEABLE GUSSET INSERTS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pants and, more specifically, to a
pants
garment having a closable exterior slit extending vertically from the pant leg
bottom to a terminus
with a removably attachable inset fastened to the periphery of the slit. The
inset, or gusset, is
removably attached by means such as snaps, zippers, buttons or Velcro.
Additionally, the gusset has a pleated and/or gathered portion causing the
fabric material
to ripple while walking. Additionally the gusset of the present invention is
removable to allow for
increased comfort while the slit is closed.
Description of the Prior Art
There are other pants with interchangeable inserts designed for a similar
purpose.
Typical of these is U.S. Patent No. 4,215,435 issued to Miele on August 5,
1980.
Another patent was issued to Charron on January 27, 1987 as U.S. Patent No.
5,943,699. Yet another U.S. Patent No. 6,161,223 was issued to Andrews on
December 19,
2000 and still yet another was issued on October 23, 2001 to Chou as U.S.
Patent No.
6,305,027.
Another patent was issued to Blaire on November 12, 2002 as U.S. Patent No.
6,477,716. Another U.S. Patent No. 7,231,671 was issued to Allen on June 19,
2007 and yet
another issued to Girod on April 1, 2008 as U.S. Patent No. 7,350,242. An
International patent
application was published on August 2, 2007 to Mullen as publication no.
WO2007/087532.
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U.S. Patent Number 4,215,435
Inventor: Joseph Miele
Issued: August 5, 1980
Convertible trousers including a body portion configured to be placed on the
lower half of
a human torso in a conventional manner, a pair of leg portions for
accommodating therein a pair
of human legs, the leg portions each comprising a plurality of flexible
interchangeable tubular
elements, and means for selectively removeably securing the flexible
interchangeable tubular
elements coextensively together. The tubular elements may be joined to the
body portion in
various configurations to produce a garment of a variable length which may be
altered to present
several different visual appearances.
U.S. Patent Number 4.638,509
Inventor: Rene Charron
Issued: January 27, 1987
Protective trousers for wearing over the lower portion of a dry or wet diving
suit include a
pair of panels joined at the crotch area and defining leg, hip and waist
encircling elements. Clips
and straps are provided for connecting the open side edges of the trousers,
and for securing the
bottom ends of the trousers to the feet of a user.
U.S. Patent Number 5.943,699
Inventor: Claude Barbeau
Issued: August 31, 1999
The firefighter's turnout pants according to the invention are designed so
that each pant
leg comprises a front panel and a back panel above the knee region, the panels
being joined by
an outseam and an inseam, and cylindrical panels below the knee region, the
cylindrical panels
being each joined by only an outseam and connected via a circumferential seam
at the knee to
the two-panels above the knee. The absence of an inseam below the knee of the
firefighter's
pants eliminates a chronic problem of abrasion of the threads used in that
portion of the inseam
and subsequent failure of the inseam. The absence below the knee of an inseam
with the
potential for failure reduces the maintenance and repair of the firefighter
pants, reduces the risk
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of burn injury resulting from a breach in the protective envelope of the
firefighter's pants, and
reduces the incidence of reflective trim becoming coincidentally detached from
the pants.
U.S. Patent Number 6,161,223
Inventor: Allison Andrews
Issued: December 19, 2000
A pair of pants that is easily separable at the crotch into right and left leg
portions. Each
leg portion is selected from a set of various styles to flexibly create a
custom mixed or matched
style for a given wearing of the pants. A closure system is provided for quick
and convenient
separation and re-combination of the leg portions while also providing secure
use of the pants.
U.S. Patent Number 6,305,027
Inventor: Chao Mu Chou
Issued: October 23, 2001
Pants with a spiral seam with a zipper provided from a torso part of pants
extending
downward to lower ends of the pants legs spirally around the respective pants
leg and away
from a front side of the knee.
U.S. Patent Number 6,477,716
Inventor: Gloria Blaire
Issued: November 12, 2002
Uniform pants are disclosed. The pants are particularly well suited for
persons in law
enforcement, the military, security, construction and the like as well as
medical patients and
senior citizens who desire easier access, convenience and safety when
attending to their
restroom needs. The pants comprise: a) a waistband; (b) two leg members
extending from the
waistband; a continuous fastener member positioned along the inseam of the leg
members,
wherein the fastener member begins at a point above the bottom edge of one leg
member and
extends upwardly and through the crotch area and then downwardly along the
second leg
member and ends at a point above the bottom edge of the second leg member; and
wherein the
positioning of the fastener member creates an opening between the bottom edge
of the inseam
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and the fastener member on each leg member; and (d) a separate protective
shield positioned
beneath the full length of the fastener member. Fastener members include
zippers, snaps,
buttons, hooks, and hook and loop type fasteners. The zipper is of the
regular, visible or
invisible type when positioned inside the pants. Additionally, the inclusion
of a continuous outer
flap on top of the fastener member functions to conceal the fastener member
from view. This
outer flap is unnecessary when an invisible type zipper is used as the
fastener member.
U.S. Patent Number 7,231,671
Inventor: Bradley Allen
Issued: June 19, 2007
Variable leg width trousers, offering the wearer the ability to change the
diameter of the
lower leg sections of the trousers near the foot end while keeping the
diameter of the upper leg
sections constant. Each lower leg section is formed to have a width adjustment
slot. The
trousers may include a width adjusting insert, releasably attached to the
lower leg sections by at
least one joining device for each width adjustment slot, with which to vary
the size of the width
adjusting inserts. This allows the user to select the contraction or expansion
of each lower leg
section for functionality or appearance. The inserts may be constructed of the
same material as
the trousers or may be constructed of contrasting materials and/or colors. The
width adjusting
inserts may incorporate decorative indicia or expressive indicia, or may bear
certain functional
features, such as reflectors or pockets.
U.S. Patent Number 7,350,242
Inventor: Elizabeth Girod
Issued: April 1, 2008
Garments having an inside-out appearance are disclosed and are designed to be
inside-
out and fashionable. Unique fasteners, belt carriers and modifications of
pockets make possible
wearing a garment having an inside-out appearance. When a conventional garment
is turned
inside out many features such as belt carriers, zippers, and pockets become
difficult or
impossible to use when the garment is worn. Garments disclosed herein permit
full use of
features such as belt carriers, buttons, zippers, and pockets.
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International Patent Publication Number W02007/087532
Inventor: Nicole Mullen
Published: August 2, 2007
A garment constructed so that parts of the garment are detachable and
interchangeable.
For a pair of pants, the top portion of the garment is made of a pair of
shorts, Capri pants,
gauchos, or pants. A fastener is attached to each pants leg, either at the hem
or some inches
above the hem. The fastener can be exposed or covered by fabric. Extenders,
which may be
made of any kind of fabric and in a variety of shapes (i.e., bell bottoms,
flares or straight), attach
to the fastener of the garment, changing the appearance and style of the
garment by adding
length, various trims such as fur or leather, or various colors, textures
and/or patterns to the
existing fabrics. For example, a pair of shorts could be converted into Capri
or full length pants
or simply be given a trim.
While these pants may be suitable for the purposes for which they were
designed, they
would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as
hereinafter described.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to provide pants having a
closable exterior slit
extending from the pant leg bottom to a terminus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide pants having an inset,
or gusset,
which is removably attachable to the periphery of the slit.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide pants having a
gusset which is
removably attachable to the periphery of the slit by means selected from the
group of snaps,
zippers, buttons and Velcro.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide pants with a
removable
gusset having a pleated and/or gathered portion at its apex causing the fabric
material to ripple
while walking.
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Another object of the present invention is to provide pants having gussets
that are
interchangeable.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide pants having gussets
with
different colors and/or designs.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description
proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing
pants
having a closable exterior slit extending from the pant leg bottom to a
terminus with a removably
attachable gusset fastened to the periphery of the slit. The gusset is
removably attached by
means taken from the group of snaps, zippers, buttons and Velcro. The gusset
has a pleat at its
apex causing the fabric material to ripple while walking.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the
description to
follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings,
which form a part
hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in
which the invention
may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to
enable those
skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that
other embodiments may
be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the
scope of the
invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate
the same or
similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a
limiting sense, and
the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be
described, by way
of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
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FIGURE 1 is an illustrative view of the present invention in use.
FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of the present invention.
FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the present invention.
FIGURE 4 is an assembled view of the present invention with pants slit open.
FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the present invention using snap fasteners.
FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the present invention using Velcro fasteners.
FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the present invention using button fasteners.
FIGURE 8 is a sectional view of the present invention using zipper fasteners.
FIGURE 9 is an illustrative view of the present invention.
FIGURE 10 is an illustrative view of the present invention with slit in a
closed position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCED NUMERALS
Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference
characters denote
similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the
pants having removable
gussets of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used,
the following
numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures.
10 pants garment
12 user
14 pant leg
16 gusset
18 hip region of said pants garment
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20 bottom hem
22 slit
24 pair of mating slit edges
26 terminus
28 zipper
30 peripheral length of gusset
32 means for attaching gusset to pant leg
34 interior region of pant leg
36 knee
38 vertical pleats
40 outside portion of pant leg
42 seam in pant leg
44 open position of zipper
46 partly open position of zipper
48 fabric material
50 snaps
52 ornamentation
54 hook and loop fasteners
56 buttons
57 button holes
58 zippers
60 closed position of zipper
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention
(and
several variations of that embodiment). This discussion should not be
construed, however, as
limiting the invention to those particular embodiments, practitioners skilled
in the art will
recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For definition of the complete
scope of the
invention, the reader is directed to appended claims.
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FIGURE 1 is an illustrative view of the present invention in use. The present
invention is
a pants garment 10 wearable by a user 12, the pants garment pant legs 14
having removable
and replaceable gussets 16 for flaring out the pant legs 14. The pants garment
10 is shown as a
pant leg 14 extending vertically from about a hip region 18 of the pants
garment 10 to a bottom
hem 20. A slit 22 extends upward from the hem 20, vertically dividing the pant
leg 14 into a pair
of mating slit edges 24 ending at a terminus 26 with a zipper 28 acting as
means for releasably
closing the slit 22. A gusset 16 has a peripheral length 30 sized to match the
pair of mating slit
edges 24, both of which have affixed thereto means 32 for removably attaching
the gusset 16 to
the pant leg 14. Preferably, the peripheral length 30 of the gusset 16 is
removably attachable to
an interior region 34 of the pant leg 14 adjacent the slit edges 24, such that
the zipper 28, when
closed, maintains the gusset 16 inside the pant leg 14. The terminus 26 can be
located at any
point between the hem 20 and the hip region 18, and preferably is near or
above the knee 36.
Illustrated is an embodiment of the invention wherein the fabric material
making up the
gusset 16 flares out from the terminus 26 to the hem 20 and further includes a
plurality of vertical
pleats 38. The pants garment 10 of the present invention can have one or both
legs having
removable gussets 16. The slit 22 can be situated at any vertical line along
the pant leg 14;
shown is an embodiment wherein the slit 22 runs vertically up an outside
portion 40 of the pant
leg 14 and is generally co-linear to a seam 42 in the pant leg 14.
In use a user 12 attaches a gusset 16 to the pant leg 14, then manipulates the
zipper 28
to a desired position, such as an open 44, closed or partially open 46
position. Shown is the
zipper 28 in an open position 44 and a partially open position 46. Optionally,
the zipper 28 is
adapted to remain in the selected position.
FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of the present invention. Shown is a pants
garment 10
with pant legs 14 having removable pleated 38 gussets 16 being attached
thereto. A slit 22
extends upward from the hem 20, vertically dividing the pant leg 14 into a
pair of mating slit
edges 24 ending at a terminus 26 with a zipper 28 acting as means for
releasably closing the slit
22. A gusset 16, preferably formed of a fabric material 48, has a peripheral
length sized to
match the pair of mating slit edges 24, both of which have affixed thereto
means 32 selected
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from snaps 50, buttons, zippers and hook and loop fasteners (VELCRO) for
removably attaching
the gusset 16 to the pant leg 14.
FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the present invention. Shown is a pants
garment 10
with pant legs 14 having removable gussets 16 being detached therefrom. A slit
22 extends
upward from the hem 20, vertically dividing the pant leg 14 into a pair of
mating slit edges 24
ending at a terminus 26 with a zipper 28 acting as means for releasably
closing the slit 22. A
gusset 16, preferably formed of a fabric material 48, has a peripheral length
sized to match the
pair of mating slit edges 24, both of which have affixed thereto means 32
selected from snaps
50, buttons, zippers and hook and loop fasteners (VELCRO) for removably
attaching the gusset
16 to the pant leg 14.
FIGURE 4 is an assembled view of the present invention with pants slit open.
Shown is
a pants garment 10 with pant legs 14 having a removable gusset 16 being
attached thereto. A
slit 22 extends upward from the hem 20, vertically dividing the pant leg 14
into a pair of mating
slit edges 24 ending at a terminus 26 with a zipper 28 acting as means for
releasably closing the
slit 22. A gusset 16, preferably formed of a fabric material 48, has a
peripheral length sized to
match the pair of mating slit edges 24, both of which have affixed thereto
means 32 selected
from snaps 50, buttons, zippers and hook and loop fasteners (VELCRO) for
removably attaching
the gusset 16 to the pant leg 14.
FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the present invention 10 using snap fasteners
50.
Shown is a sectional view of the present invention using mating snap fasteners
50 as a means
of attaching the gusset 16 to the pant leg 14. Also shown is an embodiment of
the invention
wherein the fabric material 48 further comprises ornamentation 52, such as
patterns, textures
and other adornments.
FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the present invention 10 using hook and loop
(Velcro)
fasteners 54. Shown is a sectional view of the present invention using hook
and loop fasteners
54 as a means of attaching the gusset 16 to the pant leg 14. Also shown is an
embodiment of
the invention wherein the fabric material 48 further comprises ornamentation
52, such as
patterns, textures and other adornments.
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FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the present invention 10 using button
fasteners 56.
Shown is a sectional view of the present invention using button fasteners 56
and mating button
holes 57 as a means of attaching the gusset 16 to the pant leg 14. Also shown
is an
embodiment of the invention wherein the fabric material 48 further comprises
ornamentation 52,
such as patterns, textures and other adornments.
FIGURE 8 is a sectional view of the present invention 10 using zipper
fasteners 58.
Shown is a sectional view of the present invention using zipper fasteners 58
as a means of
attaching the gusset 16 to the pant leg 14. .
FIGURE 9 is an illustrative view of the present invention 10. Shown is a
sectional view of
the pant leg 14 of the present invention with the zipper 28 in a partly open
position 46. The
gusset 16 contains a plurality of pleats 38.
FIGURE 10 is an illustrative view of the present invention 10 with slit 22 in
a closed
position 60. Shown is a sectional view of the pant leg 14 of the present
invention with the zipper
28 in a closed position 60. The present invention provides for pants that can
be used with a
formal appearance having the slit 22 closed 60 and a fashionable appearance
having the slit
open displaying the rippled gusset. Additionally the gusset may be removed for
comfort or left
remaining for future use, should the user decide to close the zipper 28.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or
more together
may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from
the type described
above.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described
and are
pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the
details above, since it will
be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes
in the forms and
details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those
skilled in the art
without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
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Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the
present
invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for
various applications
without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly
constitute essential
characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
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