Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 03115410 2021-04-06
WO 2020/051392 PCT/US2019/049841
PANTS WITH AN UNDERSIDE OPENING
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
100011 This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional
Application No.
62/727,646, filed September 6. 2018, and titled "Pants with an Underside
Opening," and U.S.
Design Application No. 29/694,940, filed June 14, 2019 and titled "Pants with
an Underside
Zipper," and each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
100021 The present invention generally relates to pants. In particular, the
present invention is
directed to Pants with an Underside Opening.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Pants, including shorts, capris, under-layer or base-layer pants,
work-pants, leggings,
underwear, and outerwear (such as ski pants, snow pants, and rain gear) often
include a closable
opening (or fly) in the center front area that facilitates putting on and
taking off of the pants as well
as allowing wearers with male urinary anatomy to urinate without having to
lower the pants. These
designs. however, require wearers with female urinary anatomy to lower the
pants off of the waist in
order to urinate, thereby exposing more of the body to the elements or to
others. This can be
inconvenient and unsafe, especially in harsh environments/weather conditions
and/or in non-private
circumstances, such as may be encountered on lengthy hiking, biking, or skiing
adventures or at
certain job sites. (The term "pant" is used herein to describe any article of
clothing that generally
includes a waist, a front crotch area, a rear area, and legs, and can include
a variety of items of
apparel such as jeans, shorts, leggings, snow pants, ram pants, trousers,
knickers, slacks, undenvear,
etc.).
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[00041 In an embodiment, an underside opening for a lower body garment
includes a first
closable opening running from below a front center of a waistband of the
garment down along a
crotch area of the garment, a second closable opening running from beyond the
first closable
opening, through the crotch area, and up toward a rear center of the
waistband, a zipper track
running from below the front center of the waistband, through the crotch area,
and up toward the rear
center of the waistband, an exterior blocking member traversing the zipper
track, the exterior
blocking member being attached to an exterior of the garment and separating
the first closable
CA 03115410 2021-04-06
WO 2020/051392 PCT/US2019/049841
opening from the second closable opening, and an interior blocking member
traversing the zipper
track, the interior blocking member being attached to an interior of the
garment opposite the exterior
blocking member. The zipper track is continuous and includes a first zipper
pull on a first side of the
exterior blocking member and a second zipper pull on a second side of the
exterior blocking
member.
[0005] In another embodiment, a pair of pants includes a first leg opening,
a second leg
opening, a waist opening, a lowest crotch point, a first closable opening
running from below a front
center of the waist opening down toward the lowest crotch point, a second
closable opening running
from beyond the first closable opening, through the lowest crotch point, and
up toward a rear center
of the waist opening, a zipper track running along the first closable opening
and the second closable
opening, an exterior blocking member traversing the zipper track, the exterior
blocking member
being attached to an exterior of the pants and separating the first closable
opening from the second
closable opening and an interior blocking member traversing the zipper track
the interior blocking
member being attached to an interior of the pants opposite the exterior
blocking member. The zipper
track is continuous and includes a first zipper pull on a first side of the
exterior blocking member and
a second zipper pull on a second side of the exterior blocking member.
[0006] In another embodiment, a closable opening for a crotch area of a
garment includes a
single, continuous zipper track running from below a front portion of a
waistband of the garment,
through the crotch area, and up toward a rear portion of the waistband,
wherein the zipper track has
an inner side and an outer side, an exterior blocking member traversing the
outer side of the zipper
track, wherein the exterior blocking member is designed and configured to
prevent a zipper pull
from continuing along the zipper track, and an interior blocking member
traversing the inner side of
the zipper track and being opposite the exterior blocking member, wherein the
interior blocking
member is designed and configured to prevent a zipper pull from continuing
along the zipper track.
The zipper track includes a first zipper pull on a first side of the exterior
blocking member and a
second zipper pull on a second side of the exterior blocking member.
[0007] In another embodiment, a lower body garment has an interior side and
an exterior side,
and the garment includes a first leg opening, a second leg opening, a waist
opening, a lowest crotch
point, a first closable opening running from below a front center of the waist
opening down toward
the lowest crotch point, a second closable opening running from beyond the
first closable opening,
2
CA 03115410 2021-04-06
WO 2020/051392 PCT/US2019/049841
through the lowest crotch point, and up toward a rear center of the waist
opening, a first zipper track
running along the first closable opening, a second zipper track running along
the second closable
opening, a first interior flap designed and configured to reversibly cover the
first zipper track on the
interior side of the garment, a second interior flap designed and configured
to reversibly cover the
second zipper track on the interior side of the garment, a first exterior flap
designed and configured
to reversibly cover the first zipper track on the exterior side of the
garment, and a second exterior
flap designed and configured to reversibly cover the second zipper track on
the exterior side of the
garment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show
aspects of one or more
embodiments of the invention. However, it should be understood that the
present invention is not
limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the
drawings, wherein:
FIG. I is a front perspective view of pants with an underside zipper in
accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the pants shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the pants shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a right side view of the pants shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the pants shown in FIG. 1;
FIG_ 6 is a bottom view of the pants shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the pants of FIG. 1 with cover flaps
turned outward;
FIG. 8 is a front view of the pants shown in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a rear view of the pants shown in FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is a left side view of the pants shown in FIG. 7:
FIG_ 11 is a top view of the pants shown in FIG. 7; and
FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the pants shown in FIG. 7.
3
CA 03115410 2021-04-06
WO 2020/051392 PCT/US2019/049841
DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0009] Pants with an underside opening of the present invention facilitate
the urination of those
persons possessing female urinary anatomy or, potentially, for those
possessing male or female
urinary anatomy who wish to defecate without having to lower the pants off of
the waist In an
embodiment, the pants of the present invention include two, separately
openable and closable
openings, an underside opening and a front or fly opening. In another
embodiment, the two openings
share a continuous closing mechanism that is separated by exterior and
interior blocking members,
thereby allowing the openings to be operated separately. In another
embodiment, under layer
garments such as long underwear or thermal underwear are provided with a slit
or opening along the
bottom of the crotch area. Alternatively, a single long closable opening may
run from the center
front waist area through the bottom of the crotch.
[0010] Turning to the figures, in an embodiment, pants with an underside
opening of the present
invention, for example full length pants 100 shown in FIGS. 1-12, include a
front 104, a back 108, a
left leg portion 112L, a right leg portion 112R, a waistband 116, a waistband
closure 120, and a
crotch area 122. A first closable opening 124 (e.g., a fly) runs from just
below waistband closure 120
downward along the center of the crotch area to a location 126 near or above a
low point 128 of the
crotch area (low point 128 is the lowest point of the crotch area when a
garment is being worn or
held upright). A second closable opening 130 runs from just below or beyond
location 126, along the
crotch area, and back up along the back side of the crotch area terminating at
or near the center of
back side 108 of waistband 116.
[0011] First closable opening 124 includes an exterior front flap 132 and
an interior front
flap 136, each of which reversibly covers a respective side of a closing
mechanism for first closable
opening 124, such as a zipper or buttons. Second closable opening 130 includes
an exterior back
flap 144 and an interior back flap 148, each of which reversibly covers a
respective side of a closing
mechanism for second closable opening 130, such as a zipper or buttons.
Exterior flaps 132 and 144
may be secured on one side or on both sides (in which case the flaps would be
split down the
middle) to the exterior side of pants 100 and are designed and configured to
cover respective closing
mechanisms for appearance sake, as well as provide insulating properties when
the closing
mechanism is thermally conductive. Interior flaps 136 and 148 may be secured
on one side or on
both sides (in which case the flaps would be split down the middle) to the
interior side of pants 100
4
CA 03115410 2021-04-06
WO 2020/051392 PCT/US2019/049841
and are designed and configured to cover respective closing mechanisms in
order to provide an
insulating (and protective) barrier between the closing mechanisms and the
user. Flaps 132: 136,
144, and 148 may include a slight curve that generally follows the slight
curve in the material that
forms crotch area 122 of pants 100 in order to help reduce bunching when worn.
100121 In a preferred embodiment, and as can best be seen for example in
FIGS. 11-12, the
closing mechanisms for first closable opening 124 and second closable opening
130 made with a
single zipper track 156 running along the length of the crotch from just below
the center of the front
of waistband 116 to just below the center of the back of waistband 116. In
this embodiment, zipper
track 156 includes a front pull 160 and a rear pull 164, and is traversed by a
pair of blocking
members 168 (exterior blocking member 168A and interior blocking member 168B)
that prevents
front pull 160 and rear pull 164 from passing. In this way, first closable
opening 124 may be opened
and closed by use of front pull 160 and second closable opening 130 may be
opened and closed by
use of rear pull 164, effectively providing two closing mechanisms while only
a single zipper track
need be sewn onto pants 100. Blocking members 168 may be any suitable
material, including the
same material from which pants 100 are made, and be sewn or otherwise secured
to pants 100 on
both sides across zipper track 156. Exterior blocking member 168A is secured
across zipper
track 156 on the exterior side of pants 100 while interior blocking member
168B is secured across
zipper track 156 on the interior side of pants 100 at a location that is
directly opposite the location on
the exterior side where exterior blocking member 168A is positioned. Blocking
members 168 may
be made from the same material as and/or be contiguous with the flaps: in
particular, exterior
blocking member 168A may be contiguous with exterior flaps 132 and 144 and
interior blocking
member 168B may be contiguous with interior flaps 136 and 148, with the
difference being that the
flaps may be repositioned or opened to expose or allow access to zipper track
156, blocking
members 168 cannot be repositioned in such a manner by wearer under typical
use conditions.
100131 In another embodiment, a first zipper secures a fly opening that
runs from the top of the
waistline of a pair of pants down toward the bottom of the crotch, as may
often be found on pants. A
second zipper that secures a second opening that may start approximately 0-3
inches further toward
the bottom of the crotch than where the first opening/zipper ends. This second
opening/zipper
continues through the bottom of the crotch and up the backside of the pants a
distance sufficient to
allow for female urination or unitary defecation, e.g., up to approximately
just after a location that
CA 03115410 2021-04-06
WO 2020/051392 PCT/US2019/049841
would be adjacent to the anal opening on a wearer, though in alternative
embodiments the second
opening/zipper may extend up to the tailbone.
10014] The second zipper is preferably discreetly hidden by a flap on the
outside that covers the
zipper, the flap being a fabric strip or the like that is about one-quarter
inch to about two inches in
width. A second flap or liner may be included on the inside of the pants. The
second flap is sized and
located to cover the inside facing portion of the zipper to thereby prevent
the second zipper from
coming into contact with skin when the pants are worn. Both the inner and
outer flaps may include a
slight curve that generally follows the slight curve in the material that
forms the crotch area of the
pants in order to help reduce bunching.
100151 In another exemplary embodiment, under layer garments such as long
underwear or
thermal underwear are provided with a slit or opening along the bottom of the
crotch area. The
opening is sized and positioned to allow wearers with female urinary anatomy
to urinate without
having to lower or remove the garment. Because these types of garments are
typically worn beneath
other garments, the opening is closed or covered preferably without the use of
a securement
mechanism such as a zipper or buttons but rather through the use of
overlapping flaps on either side.
These garments may be used separately or in conjunction with the outerwear
described above.
[0016] In an embodiment, an underside opening for a lower body garment
includes a first
closable opening running from below a front center of a waistband of the
garment down along a
crotch area of the garment, a second closable opening running from beyond the
first closable
opening, through the crotch area, and up toward a rear center of the
waistband, a zipper track
miming from below the front center of the waistband, through the crotch area,
and up toward the rear
center of the waistband, an exterior blocking member traversing the zipper
track, the exterior
blocking member being attached to an exterior of the garment and separating
the first closable
opening from the second closable opening, and an interior blocking member
traversing the zipper
track, the interior blocking member being attached to an interior of the
garment opposite the exterior
blocking member. The zipper track is continuous and includes a first zipper
pull on a first side of the
exterior blocking member and a second zipper pull on a second side of the
exterior blocking
member.
6
CA 03115410 2021-04-06
WO 2020/051392 PCT/US2019/049841
[0017] Additionally or alternatively, an interior flap designed and
configured to reversibly cover
the zipper track is included.
[0018] Additionally or alternatively, an exterior flap designed and
configured to reversibly
cover the zipper track is included.
[0019] Additionally or alternatively, the interior flap and the exterior
flap include curvatures to
prevent bunching during normal wear of the garment by a wearer.
100201 Additionally or alternatively, the first zipper pull opens and
closes the zipper track along
the first closable opening and the second zipper pull opens and closes the
zipper track along the
second closable opening.
[0021] Additionally or alternatively, a third zipper pull that opens and
closes the zipper track
along the second closable opening is included.
[0022] In another embodiment, a pair of pants includes a first leg opening,
a second leg
opening, a waist opening, a lowest crotch point, a first closable opening
running from below a front
center of the waist opening down toward the lowest crotch point, a second
closable opening running
from beyond the first closable opening, through the lowest crotch point, and
up toward a rear center
of the waist opening, a zipper track miming along the first closable opening
and the second closable
opening, an exterior blocking member traversing the zipper track, the exterior
blocking member
being attached to an exterior of the pants and separating the first closable
opening from the second
closable opening, and an interior blocking member traversing the zipper track,
the interior blocking
member being attached to an interior of the pants opposite the exterior
blocking member. The zipper
track is continuous and includes a first zipper pull on a first side of the
exterior blocking member and
a second zipper pull on a second side of the exterior blocking member.
[0023] Additionally or alternatively, an interior flap designed and
configured to reversibly cover
the zipper track is included.
[0024] Additionally or alternatively, an exterior flap designed and
configured to reversibly
cover the zipper track is included.
7
CA 03115410 2021-04-06
WO 2020/051392 PCT/US2019/049841
[0025] Additionally or alternatively, the interior flap and the exterior
flap include curvatures to
prevent bunching during normal wear of the pants by a wearer.
[0026] Additionally or alternatively, the first zipper pull opens and
closes the zipper track along
the first closable opening and the second zipper pull opens and closes the
zipper track along the
second closable opening.
100271 In another embodiment, a closable opening for a crotch area of a
garment includes a
single, continuous zipper track running from below a front portion of a
waistband of the garment,
through the crotch area, and up toward a rear portion of the waistband,
wherein the zipper track has
an inner side and an outer side, an exterior blocking member traversing the
outer side of the zipper
track, wherein the exterior blocking member is designed and configured to
prevent a zipper pull
from continuing along the zipper track, and an interior blocking member
traversing the inner side of
the zipper track and being opposite the exterior blocking member, wherein the
interior blocking
member is designed and configured to prevent a zipper pull from continuing
along the zipper track.
The zipper track includes a first zipper pull on a first side of the exterior
blocking member and a
second zipper pull on a second side of the exterior blocking member.
[0028] Additionally or alternatively, an interior flap designed and
configured to reversibly cover
the zipper track is included.
[0029] Additionally or alternatively, an exterior flap designed and
configured to reversibly
cover the zipper track is included.
[0030] Additionally or alternatively, the interior flap and the exterior
flap include curvatures to
prevent bunching during normal wear of the garment by a wearer.
[0031] Additionally or alternatively, the interior flap is connected to the
interior blocking
member.
[0032] Additionally or alternatively, the exterior flap is connected to the
exterior blocking
member.
8
CA 03115410 2021-04-06
WO 2020/051392 PCT/US2019/049841
[0033] Additionally or alternatively, the first zipper pull closes the
zipper track when moving
away from the exterior blocking member and the second zipper pull closes the
zipper track when
moving away from the exterior blocking member.
[00341 In another embodiment, a lower body garment has an interior side and
an exterior side,
and the gamient includes a first leg opening, a second leg opening, a waist
opening, a lowest crotch
point, a first closable opening running from below a front center of the waist
opening down toward
the lowest crotch point, a second closable opening running from beyond the
first closable opening,
through the lowest crotch point, and up toward a rear center of the waist
opening, a first zipper track
running along the first closable opening, a second zipper track running along
the second closable
opening, a first interior flap designed and configured to reversibly cover the
first zipper track on the
interior side of the garment, a second interior flap designed and configured
to reversibly cover the
second zipper track on the interior side of the garment, a first exterior flap
designed and configured
to reversibly cover the first zipper track on the exterior side of the
garment, and a second exterior
flap designed and configured to reversibly cover the second zipper track on
the exterior side of the
garment.
[0035] Additionally or alternatively, two zipper pulls are included on the
second zipper track.
[0036] Exemplary embodiments have been disclosed above and illustrated in
the accompanying
drawings. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various
changes, omissions and
additions may be made to that which is specifically disclosed herein without
departing from the
spirit and scope of the present invention.
9
