Abstract:
The present invention provides vents placed in and around a location of the knee in each leg of pants, trousers, jeans, cargo pants, breathable pants and sweat pants to allow for the circulation of air in the pants. These vents in each leg provide ventilation and air circulation to help keep the body cooler, especially as concerns the legs and trunk of a body. The ventilation system is located in the generally in the back of each leg of the pants and preferably in the general area of the knees. By having the ventilation system in each knee area of each leg, the air circulates throughout the pants helping to keep the body cooler.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/327,032 filed Apr. 25, 2016, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to the field of clothing or apparel, and more particularly to pants having a ventilation feature in each of the legs. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Regular work pants provide protection from dirt and other object in the work environment, but do not allow for proper airflow in the pants in high temperature conditions. Hot temperatures in the environment combined with heat generated by a body from physical activity and exertion can lead to heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke. Shorts provide for maximum airflow but are often prohibited by many companies and may be undesirable to many individuals in the work environment. Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide clothing, and specifically pants, trousers and jeans, with a ventilation system to allow additional air circulation and flow through the pants to keep a body cooler. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides pants, trousers and jeans with vents in each of the legs to allow for hot air to escape and cooler air to enter. Such ventilation system in the legs provides necessary and effective ventilation to help keep the body cooler, especially as concerns the legs and trunk of a body. The ventilation system is located in the generally in the back of each leg of the pants and preferably in the general area of the knees. By having the ventilation system in each knee area of each leg, the air circulates throughout the pants helping to keep the body cooler. 
         [0005]    In one embodiment, pants have a right leg and a left leg, and where the pants comprises a first vent opening on the right leg; a first flap attached to the right leg and capable of substantially covering the first vent opening; a second vent opening of the left leg; and a second flap attached to the left leg and capable of substantially covering the second vent opening. 
         [0006]    In another embodiment, pants have a right leg and a left leg and a backside, and where the pants comprises a first vent opening on the backside of the right leg; a first flap attached to the backside of the right leg and capable of substantially covering the first vent opening; a first mesh material attached to the backside of the right leg and that covers the first vent opening; a first attachment that holds the first flap for covering the first vent opening; a second vent opening on the backside of the left leg; a second flap attached to the backside of the left leg and capable of substantially covering the second vent opening; a second mesh material attached to the backside of the left leg and that covers the second vent opening; and a second attachment that holds the second flap for covering the second vent opening. 
         [0007]    In yet another embodiment, pants have a right leg and a left leg and a backside, and where the pants comprises a first vent opening on the right leg; a first flap attached to the right leg and capable of substantially covering the first vent opening; a second vent opening of the left leg; and a second flap attached to the left leg and capable of substantially covering the second vent opening, wherein the first vent opening is located on the backside of the right leg of the pants in an area of where a knee would be located, and wherein the second vent opening is located on the backside of the left leg of the pants in an area of where the other knee would be located. 
         [0008]    Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed and not to limit it. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates pants having a vent in each leg according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate a flap having different attachments according to embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates vertical flaps according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0012]    The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0013]    “Pants” is a general term and should be interpreted in its broadest sense to refer to any article of clothing or apparel worn on a body of human below or starting at the waist and covering each leg up to the general area of the foot or ankle. Pants comprise all types of clothing or apparel worn over the legs, including pants, cargo pants, jeans, slacks, trousers, sweat pants and any other article of clothing worn over the legs and hips. Pants can be made from any and all types of material including combinations thereof, including synthetic fibers, wool, jeans, canvas, nylon, breathable fabrics, etc. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates pants having a vent in each leg according to an embodiment of the present invention. A “vent” can also be referred to as “vent opening” or “opening”. The pants  100  has a right leg  101 , a left leg  102  and a waist  103 , and also a frontside and a backside (the backside corresponding to the rear of a body). Each leg of the pants  100  ends around the general area of the foot or ankle. Each leg of the pants  100  has a ventilation system around the general area of the knee. The ventilation system in each leg includes at least a vent opening  105 ,  110  that is protected by a corresponding flap  115 ,  120 . The flaps  115  and  120  are “opened” for air to circulate through the leg, and “closed” to block air from leaving or entering the leg. 
         [0015]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the vent opening  105  on the right leg  101  is located preferably around the area of the knee, although it could also be located above the area of the knee or below such area. The vent opening  105  shown in  FIG. 1  is in the “open” position, where the flap  115  is secured via a snap  125  in this embodiment to stay open. In contrast, the vent opening  110  on the left leg  102  is shown in the “closed” position where the flap  120  covers the vent opening  110 . Each of the vents or flaps can have any shape, size and color, including but not limited to rectangular, square, semi-circular and triangular, and each can be different in shape, size and color from one another for design or fashion purposes. 
         [0016]    Each flap  115 ,  120  is made of similar material to the material of the pants  100  and made in the shape and size of the vent openings  105 ,  110  to cover each such vent openings  105 ,  110 . Each flap has four sides, where one side is stitched or sewned into the legs of the pants, while the other three sides are open. By having the flap stitched or sewn on one end, this allows the flap to cover a vent opening when in the “closed” position, when the vent opening is in the “open” position, to hang down the leg. Snaps or other attachments (Velcro, ties, hook/loops) may be used to hold the flap in place along the leg when the flap is in the “open” position. 
         [0017]    Each flap  115 ,  120  has an interior side and an exterior side. The interior side of a flap faces directly toward the vent when “closed” and faces outward when “open”. The exterior side of the flap faces outward when “open” and faces directly toward a leg when “open”. On both flap  115  and  120 , there either are two snaps, one snap located on the interior portion of the flap (such as shown in  FIG. 1  as snap  125 , where the flap  115  is in the “open” position”) and one snap located on the exterior portion of the flap (such as shown in  FIG. 1  as snap  140 , where flap  120  is in the “closed” position). Snap  125  is made to connect to snap  145 , while the snap on the opposite side of flap  115  is made to connect to the snap in the leg—similar to snap  140  on the left leg  102  connecting to the snap  130  when the flap  120  is opened. 
         [0018]    Snap  125  is either a male or female snap, and will attach to or snap into the opposite male or female snap  135  when the flap  115  is closed. Snap  145  is preferably attached to the material of right leg  101  above the vent opening  105  although it may attach within the vent opening  105  via a piece of material hanging down and over the vent opening  105  or any other way. 
         [0019]    In an alternative embodiment, each flap  115 ,  120  could use a single snap, where one part of the snap includes an interior snap (for closing a flap over the vent opening) and an exterior snap (for holding the flap when the vent is not covered). Snaps  125 ,  130 ,  135 ,  140  are all commercially available, and can be any combination of male/female snaps. 
         [0020]    Snap  125  is located on the inside or interior portion of flap  115  that attaches to a snap that is sewn or stitched into the material of the right leg  101 . This snap can be seen on the left leg  102  as snap  130  which is placed at a location on the leg that is equal to the height of the flap (where the height is the measurement of the flap in the vertical direction, and the width is the measurement of the flap in the horizontal direction). The use of this snap  125  attaching to or snapping to the snap on the leg, this keeps the flap  115  from fluttering or flapping around while moving. 
         [0021]    Mesh  135  covers the vent opening  105  and can be attached to the outside material of the right leg  101  or inside the material of the right leg  101 . Alternatively, mesh  135  can be attached to the outside material of the right leg  101  and then a cover or material is stitched or sewn over the edge of the mesh to give the pants  100  a cleaner look. Mesh  135  is preferably an air permeable material that is stretchable so that it will stretch during movement. For example, mesh  135  may have a substantially open, stretchable texture, such as polyester, nylon, cotton or any combination thereof. The use of stretchable fabric is particularly desirable while engaging in physical labor or play. The stretchable material improves the flexibility and comfort of the pants  100  especially when the knees are being flexed. The mesh  135  provides enough airflow for cooling the leg of the pants  100 . 
         [0022]    Although the snaps attached to a flap and a leg are preferred, alternatively, any other type of attachment could be used as well, including but not limited to buttons, Velcro and zippers. Also, one or more snaps could be used on the each flap (when flap closed) and on each of the legs (when flap is open but secured to leg). Different embodiment could use one, two or more snaps to keep the flap closed, while only using one snap to keep the flap open and secured against the leg to prevent the flap from flapping around during walking. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 2A-2D  illustrate the different types of means for securing a flap over a vent. In  FIG. 2A , a button  200  could be sewn into the leg, where one or more buttons are positioned above the vent opening and one or more buttons below the vent opening. There would be one or more slit or openings in each flap for fitting the button through such slit. 
         [0024]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2B  for another embodiment, Velcro  201  is shown around the vent opening and is attached to the edge or the outside of a vent opening. Velcro would be similar lined on the interior side of a flap so that when the flap is “closed”, the Velcro on the flap aligns with the Velcro  201  around the vent opening to provide a secure closing of the flap over the vent opening. Additionally, the flap could be rolled when in the “open” position, where Velcro of the rolled flap could be secured to the Velcro  201  located at the bottom of the vent opening. 
         [0025]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2C  for another embodiment, a zipper  204  could be used to open or close the semi-circle flap  206 , whereby the zipper would be unzipped to “open” the flap so that air could flow into the vent, and “closed” to prevent air from flowing into the vent. In other embodiments, different combinations of the attachments could be used, such as Velcro (for keeping the flap “closed” over the vent opening) and a snap (for keeping the flap from moving around when the vent is open). 
         [0026]    Each flap on each leg substantially overlaps the mesh material in the vent opening. Preferably, the flap and mesh is made the same color as the color of the material used in the pants in order to reduce the visibility of the flap and mesh. However, it may be fashionable to create designer pants where the color and/or material of the flap does not match the color or material of the pants. 
         [0027]    Although it is preferred to place the vent opening on each leg on the backside of the pants in the general knee area, in alternative embodiments, the vent openings could be located on the sides of each of the legs of the pants such as shown in  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 3 , two vertical vents  302 ,  304  face each other. Vents  302 ,  304  would preferably be opened and closed using a zipper, or any of the other ways described herein. Alternatively, two vertical vents  310 ,  312  as illustrated in  FIG. 3  could be located on the opposite side of the legs of the pants where the vents  310 ,  312  would not face each other. Vents  310 ,  312  would preferably be opened and closed using a zipper, or any of the other ways described herein. Moreover, in yet another embodiment, two vents  302 ,  310  and  304 ,  312  could be used on each leg, where the two vents would be in the general knee area. This configuration would allow area to circulate through the knee area instead of using a single opening. 
         [0028]    While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.