Abstract:
Pants ( 10 ) are provided with one or more exterior pockets ( 14, 16, 20 ) for access to one or more interior pockets for receiving a concealed item. One or more of the exterior pockets includes an opening for passing the user&#39;s hand inward. A sleeve-shaped member ( 44, 50 ) inside the pants is provided for fitting circumferentially about the leg of the user, and includes a front planar layer and a rear planar layer. A supporting strap ( 48, 52 ) is provided for fitting circumferentially about the waist or the leg of the user, and a suspension strap ( 52, 56 ) interconnects the supporting strap to the sleeve-shaped member.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to techniques for concealing items within clothing. More particularly, this invention relates to a combination of pants with an outer access through an exterior pocket for communication with a pocket interior of the pants and supported separately from the pants. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Various types of devices have been patented for obtaining access through an outer garment pocket to gain access a device within the outer garment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,269 discloses a pocket structure to conceal a valuable object, such as a billfold. U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,465 discloses a pocket holster for concealing a handgun. A concealed pocket comprising a container and a belt loop are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,157. U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,782 discloses a vest with various pockets for concealing an item, and a multi-pocket garment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,147. U.S. Pat. No. 7,058,987 discloses utility pants for law enforcement personnel, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,231,662 discloses an undergarment with pockets. U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,758 discloses a harness for a handgun holster. Another version of a concealed holster for a gun is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,631,368. Publication U.S. 2008/0061098 discloses a harness for handgun accessories. 
         [0003]    The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention, and pants with one or more exterior pockets for access to one or more pockets interior of the pants for receiving a concealed item is hereinafter disclosed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In one embodiment, pants with one or more exterior pockets are provided for access to one or more pockets interior of the pants for receiving a concealed item. The one or more exterior pockets of the pants each have an opening for receiving a user&#39;s hand, with the opening being exposed to the interior of the pants. A sleeve-shape member is provided inside the pants and fitted circumferentially about the leg of the user. In one embodiment, this sleeve-shape member has a front planar panel and a rear planar panel, with a spacing between these panels forming an interior pocket for receiving the concealed item. A supporting strap is positioned above the sleeve-shape member for fitting circumferentially about one of the waist and the leg of the user, and a suspension strap interconnects a supporting strap and the sleeve-shape member, such that the concealed item within the inner pocket is supported by the supporting strap. 
         [0005]    These and further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, wherein reference is made to the figures in the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of pants with access to the interior of the pants. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a side view of an alternative pair of pants. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a front view of yet another pair of pants. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the pants shown in  FIG. 3  with the zippers open. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  illustrates components interior of the pants, including an upper sleeve-shape member, a lower sleeve-shape member, a supporting strap for each sleeve-shape member, and a suspension strap interconnecting each supporting strap and sleeve shape member. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  illustrates one form of pocket in a portion of a sleeve shaped member. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0012]      FIG. 1  depicts a pair of pants  10  having a waistband  12 , which may be elastic or may include a belt. The pants include respective left and right side upper pockets  14 , immediate pocket  16 , and lower pockets  18 . The exterior of each pocket  14  is conventional for pants, and a pocket liner  26  may be provided for supporting objects in the pocket, and moves with the pocket to expose an interior of the pants. Rather than have the lower end of the pocket  14  be closed, however, the pocket is provided with a releasable connection, such as Velcro strips  28 , so that the hand of the user can be placed into the pocket, the fingers used to separate the Velcro strips, and the hand thereby gain access to the interior of the pants. The pocket liner  26  is optional, and entry into liner  26  is separate from entry which opens the pocket. 
         [0013]    In a similar manner, the pocket  16  includes a cover  18  which normally closes over the top of the opening to the pocket  16 . The cover  18  may be held closed by one or more buttons or snap members  24 . This pocket need not have a liner, and the user can simply unsnap the buttons  24 , raise the cover  18 , and gain access into the interior of the pants through the pocket  16 . Alternatively, a pocket liner with a releasable connector may also be provided for pocket  16 , with separate access to the pocket releasing member. Similarly, the lower pocket  18  includes a cover  22  which is also held in place by a button or snap members  24 . In the same manner as discussed above, the user may gain entry to the pocket by raising the cover  22  and thereby gaining access to the interior of the pants. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the pockets may be provided on both the left side and the right side of the pants, or on only one side of the pants. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the left side pockets are in a temporarily closed position, while the liner for the right side pockets  14 ,  16 , and  20  on the left leg of the pants are shown in a position such that the user can access the interior of the pants. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates an alternative pair of pants  10  with the same upper pockets  14  but with alternative side pockets  16  and lower pockets  20 . Pockets  16  and  20  may have Velcro strip  28  at the top and along a portion of a side, so that the user can pull the pocket away from the pants and thereby gain access to the interior of the pants. 
         [0015]      FIG. 3  depicts an alternative pair of pants  10 , and in this case the pants are supported by a belt  13 . The pants may include pockets  14  as previously disclosed, and also an upper zipper  30  and lower zipper  32 . Each of the zippers  30 ,  32  may be hidden in the seam of the pants and may be unzipped to allow access to the interior of the pants. The zipper may thus be considered a pocket for gaining access to the interior of the pants. The zipper may be separated or joined at the bottom when open, and preferably is joined at the top. 
         [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates one of the pant legs with the zipper  30  unzipped, and the lower zipper  32  similarly unzipped to create an opening to the interior of the pants. A zipper clasp or handle  31  is provided for each zipper. 
         [0017]    When referring to the exterior pocket on the pants, the term “pocket” should be understood to include any opening in the outer material of the pants which is suitable for inserting the user&#39;s hand through the opening. The opening itself may be temporarily closed, e.g., with a zipper or a flap. Similarly, the term “pocket” when referring to the item interior of the pants for receiving a concealed item is intended to encompass any pocket or pouch, and again the opening to that pocket may be open or temporarily closed. 
         [0018]      FIG. 5  depicts the components  42  provided in the interior of the pants, which include a sleeve-shaped member  44 , a support belt or strap  48 , and a connecting strap  52  interconnecting the sleeve-shaped member  44  and the belt or strap  48 . In other embodiments, the support strap may be the waistband  12  or the belt  13  for the pants, with the upper end of the connecting strap being removably securable (e.g., Velcro straps, buttons, clips) to the waistband or belt. The sleeve-shaped member  44  may be made from an elastomeric material which is circumferentially stretchable, or an adjustment member, such as Velcro strips  46 , may be used to hold the ends of the sleeve-shaped member snuggly about the thigh of the user. A lower sleeve-shaped member  50  may be held against the calf of the user by Velcro strips  54 , with a supporting strap  52  provided below the knee and above the sleeve  52 , and strap  56  interconnecting the strap  52  and the sleeve  50 . 
         [0019]    A significant feature of the invention is that the sleeve-shaped members  44  and  50  may each be formed from elastic, and may consist of an outer plastic material layer  72  and an inner plastic material layer  74 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , which are substantially adjoining when no object is being concealed. The outer plastic layer may be cut by the user, and the outer layer pulled away from the inner layer, as shown in  FIG. 7 , thereby forming an inner pocket  76  for concealing an object, such as cash, a weapon, or other valuables. If the sleeve-shaped members are not formed from a circumferentially elastic member, elastic straps or other elastic members be used for joining the ends of the sleeve-shaped member when placed about the leg of the user. 
         [0020]    The sleeve-shaped members  44  and  50  preferable are each formed from an outer and inner plastic layers which are substantially adjoining when no object is being concealed in the inner pocket. The components as shown in  FIG. 6  may be worn at times when an item is not concealed in the inner pocket. Even when an item is concealed in the inner pocket, however, the substantially planar configuration of the inner and outer layers, in combination with the weight of the concealed item being borne by the supporting strap rather than the cloth material of the pants also provides a “streamlined” look such that most people cannot observe that user is wearing a concealed item. If access is necessary for this concealed item, however, the outer pocket may be used to gain access to the inner pocket, and the concealed item removed from the inner pocket and retrieved through the outer pocket. By providing the sleeve formed from a plastic material, the likelihood of the pants material getting temporarily “snagged” on the sleeve-shaped member is substantially reduced, which is important since any such snagging is more likely to allow third parties to realize that the user has something concealed under his or her pants. 
         [0021]    Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein in some detail, this has been done solely for the purposes of explaining the various aspects of the invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the claims which follow. Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment shown and described is exemplary, and various other substitutions, alterations and modifications, including but not limited to those design alternatives specifically discussed herein, may be made in the practice of the invention without departing from its scope.