Abstract:
A pair of pants with an adjustable waist including an elastic band extending lengthwise around the interior of the waistband. The elastic band includes notches positioned along its length, and an engaging means (for example, a button), which is attached to the waistband near each end of the elastic band. The engaging means affixes to the elastic band through different notches to adjust the size of the waist in the pants. The pants also have a unique cut, including a shortened transverse distance from the button to the crotch in the front of the pants, and an elongated transverse distance from the crotch to the waistband in the back of the pants.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of co-pending Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/941,176, filed May 31, 2007. 
     
    
     COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
       [0002]    A portion of the disclosure of this patent document includes material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 
       FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates generally to the field of clothing. More specifically, the present invention relates to pants to be worn by a pregnant woman. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The typical problem a pregnant woman faces relates to issues with her belly, which becomes protruded during pregnancy. It is well understood that a problem with maternity clothing is the evolution and wearability of the clothing as the woman gets deeper into the term of the pregnancy. It is undesirable to purchase clothing that is wearable for only a few weeks or a few months. Therefore, a common goal of maternity clothing is to be adjustable with the pregnancy. Another common goal is for the clothing to be comfortable for the pregnant woman. The adjustability and comfortability of existing maternity clothing causes the stylishness to suffer. 
         [0005]    There exist various known clothing options for pregnant women. For example, one approach is to wear stretchable garments, such as Lycra or yoga-style pants. These non-fashionable options offer stretch-ability of the item based on the material itself. However, this solution limits a woman&#39;s choice in wardrobe selection based on the limited amount of clothing available in stretchable material. A woman may feel out of place wearing yoga-style pants or “sweatpants” in public, such as to work, meeting friends for lunch, or shopping. Therefore, these existing clothing options provide limited appeal and solutions for the limited scenarios where dressed-down attire is either suitable or acceptable, such as in the comfort of one&#39;s home or at the gym. 
         [0006]    Another common option available to pregnant women includes very unflattering pants or jeans styles that are made of about seven/eighths normal pants and a stretchable piece of material in place of the waistband. These prevalent maternity pants/jeans require the woman to encase the bottom half of her belly in this stretchable material and then purchase suitable maternity tops that not only cover the top portion of the belly, but also the stretchable material on her pants. 
         [0007]    Existing maternity clothing options provide little or no alternatives for a woman looking to purchase stylish pants or jeans made of standard clothing material such as denim, silk or cotton instead of synthetic fibers such as lycra. As such, it would be desirable to provide pregnant women with jeans or pants made of more fashionable, natural clothing materials wearable for the duration of the pregnancy. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention improves over the above-described shortcomings of the prior art by providing stylish maternity pants having an adjustable length waistband. The adjustable waistband includes a hidden elastic band disposed within an interior seam of the waistband. The distal ends of the elastic material include notches for attaching engaging means, which are connected to the waistband. The notches can be any means for connecting the engaging means to the elastic band. The waist may include elastic material sewn directly into the waist in conjunction with the elastic band. 
         [0009]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the maternity pants provide an adjustable waistband through the inclusion of the elastic band disposed within the interior of the seam, but also through the adjustability of the band itself. At various stages in the pregnancy, the wearer may adjust the positioning on the band by choosing to engage different notches with the engaging means. For example, to give more waistline circumference, a wearer may move one or both ends of the band to connect to wider-spaced notches in the band. The maternity pants also include additional features as described in more detail below. 
         [0010]    In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the maternity pants provide for comfortable and stylish pants through the cut of the pant itself in conjunction with the above-described adjustable waistline. Whereas previous maternity clothes included synthetic fabrics for stretching over a pregnant woman&#39;s belly, these pants do not impede the protrusion of the belly itself. Rather, the jeans, in the cut and design, provide for displacement underneath a woman&#39;s belly. 
         [0011]    Through the utility features described below, the present invention provides for stylish adjustable maternity pants that allow a pregnant woman to wear the pants during the term of the pregnancy and allow the pants to thereby expand in conjunction with the woman&#39;s expanding belly throughout pregnancy. 
         [0012]    Other and further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following descriptions of the various embodiments. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the following embodiments are provided for illustrative and exemplary purposes only, and that numerous combinations of the elements of the various embodiments of the present invention are possible. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The invention is illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings which are meant to be exemplary and not limiting, in which like references are intended to refer to like or corresponding parts throughout, and in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of a back portion of a waistband of a pair of maternity pants in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates one embodiment of a left side portion of the waistband of a pair of maternity pants in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of a right side portion of the waistband of a pair of maternity pants in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of a front side portion of a pair of maternity pants in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of a back side portion of a pair of maternity pants in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0019]    More specifically,  FIG. 1  illustrates a back interior portion  100  of a waistband  102  of a pair of pants  140  that extends around a pair of maternity pants in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The waistband  102  includes an elastic band  104  that extends lengthwise across the back portion  100 , where the band  104  is interiorly disposed within an inner seam portion (not visible). The band  104  extends out of slits  106  in the waistband  102 . 
         [0020]    The elastic band  104  is made of any suitable resilient material such as elastic, cotton, or spandex as recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art. The band  104  includes notches  108  disposed at various positions. In  FIG. 1 , two of the notches are not visible because of the engaging means, which in this embodiment is a button  110  sown directly into the waistband  102 . It is also recognized that additional notches are not visible as these may be disposed on the portion of the band  104  disposed within the interior of the waistband  102 . 
         [0021]    As shown herein, the engaging means  110  are buttons that connect through the notches  108  disposed in the band  104 , but it is recognized that any suitable engaging means such as snaps, hooks or velcro may be used. 
         [0022]    The waistband  102  may be made of the same material as the pants  140 . In one embodiment of the invention, for example, in the event of maternity jeans, the waistband itself  102  is made of the same denim or other jean material. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  also illustrates creases  112  in the back portion  100 . As the band  104  contracts in the waistband  102 , this causes the original material to crease up, just slightly. As illustrated, the band  104  provides an even distribution of cinching force across the back portion  100  such that the creasing  112  is done in a uniform manner, thus maintaining the wearability and fashionability of the pants  140  instead of creating one or more large visible creases to tuck in or cinch the excess material. Also illustrated, the back portion  102  may include a label  114  for designer information or other information. 
         [0024]    In utilizing the maternity pants  140  having the waistband  102 , the user may adjust the dimensions of the waistband  102  by changing the position of the notches  108  relative to the engaging means  110 . In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1 , this may include unbuttoning the button  110  from the selected notch and then selecting another notch  108 . For example, if the wearer needs to take in the pants  140 , they can select a notch  108  closer the middle of the band  104  and if the wearer needs to let out the waist, they can select a notch  108  further away from the center of the band  104 . Thereby, this hidden band  104  discretely provides for adjusting or cinching the waistline of the maternity pants  140  in a uniform fashion across the back portion  100 . The inner seam allows the band  104  to be mostly hidden, as well as allowing for the waistband  102  to be made of the same material as the rest of the pants  140 . Furthermore, the construction of the inner seam relative to the band  104  provides for relatively uniformed pleating or cinching  112  of the waistband  102 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  illustrates a left portion  120  of the waistband  102  of a pair of pants  140  extending from the engaging means  110  and the band  104  with notches  108  emerging from the seam  106 . The left portion  120  extends around and concludes with a backside of a button  122 . As visible in  FIG. 2 , the backside of the button  122  is illustrated in  FIG. 2  indicates the interior portion of the waistband  102 , therefore the large end of the button  124  extends outward. When a person puts on the pants  140 , this portion  120  wraps around the right-hand side of the wearer&#39;s waist and the button  124  sticks out at the midpoint of the persons waist for fastening the pants  140 . 
         [0026]    Also visible, the left portion  120  includes the pleats  112 , which in one embodiment may be made by an interiorly-embedded elastic material (not visible) that is entirely sown into the waistband approximately between the button  122  and the fastening means  110 . It is recognized that the length of this interior elastic material may be adjusted to provide varying levels of a front-end elasticity. But similar to the back portion  100  of  FIG. 1 , the elastic material remains hidden and provides a relatively uniform pleating or cinching action on the waistband  102 . 
         [0027]    Similar to the left portion  120  of  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  illustrates a right portion  130  of the waistband  102  of a pair of pants  140 . The right portion culminates in a buttonhole  132  that can engage the button  122  of  FIG. 2  when the pants  140  are secured about the wearer&#39;s waist, as the right portion wraps around the left-side of the wearer&#39;s waist. Similarly, the right portion includes an interiorly-disposed elastic material (not visible) that is entirely sown into the waistband approximately between the buttonhole  132  and the fastening means  110 . It is recognized that the length of this interior elastic material may be adjusted to provide varying levels of a front-end elasticity. But similar to the back portion  100  of  FIG. 1 , the elastic material remains hidden and provides a relatively uniform pleating or cinching action on the waistband  102 . 
         [0028]    It is further noted that the present invention is directed primarily, but not exclusively, to maternity pants and by that extension, includes additional features beyond the waistband  102  of  FIGS. 1-3 . The maternity pants of the present invention further includes features relating to the cut of the pants  140  as may further facilitate comfort for the wearer during pregnancy. 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  illustrates the front portion of one embodiment of a pair of maternity pants  140 , in this embodiment, maternity jeans. The figure illustrates one embodiment of cut of the material through the crotch  150  and in the front portion.  FIG. 4  illustrates the front side of the right and left portion engaged, with a shortened distance  142  between the button  144  and the bottom of the crotch  150 . This entails reducing the length of the fly  142  on the pants, whether it is a zipper, button-fly or other type. Whereas existing maternity pants include a much-elongated front portion to encapsulate the bottom portion of a pregnant belly, the present invention is cut to be disposed below the belly  148 . This obviates the need and hence the lack of comfort and style, of a pair of maternity pants having to extend out around the apex of a pregnant belly. As visible, the waistband includes the creases  112  from the interior elastic matter, where the creases are relatively uniform. 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  illustrates the rear perspective of one embodiment of a pair of maternity pants  140 . As visible, the waistband includes the creases from the interior elastic matter, where the creases are relatively uniform. It is also recognized that when a person wears the jeans, many of the creases shall disappear. 
         [0031]    As visible in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the maternity cut of the pants  140  includes a short front portion  142  ( FIG. 4 ) with a longer backside portion  160  ( FIG. 5 ). Through the front portion, the wearer&#39;s belly may extend out and possibly over the waistband. Through the back portion, the pants provide the proper support for the front portion and provide the stylish and comfortable fit not found in existing styles of maternity pants. 
         [0032]    As noted previously, the figures and examples described herein are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention to a single embodiment. Other embodiments are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the present invention can be partially or fully implemented using known components. While the invention has been described and illustrated in connection with various embodiments, many variations and modifications as to be evident to those of skill in the relevant art(s) may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and the invention is thus not to be limited to the precise details set forth above, as such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. 
         [0033]    While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.