Abstract:
The present disclosure provides devices for embellishing or adjusting the length of pant legs and/or sleeves of clothing items, and methods of making and using same.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/190,299, filed Jul. 9, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference and relied upon. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to devices for embellishing or adjusting the length of pant legs and/or sleeves of clothing items. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Some clothing items do not proportionally fit on many consumers. This is especially true for clothing items for infants and toddlers. For example, many items are too long in the legs or sleeves, but otherwise fit properly. Long pant legs pose some safety/tripping risks during walking or running. Folding the excess length can provide some temporary improvement, but the resulting cuffs eventually unfold. It is desirable to have clothing that fits properly without the cost and inconvenience of permanently altering clothing item, such as by a tailor. For example, a temporary yet secure means of adjusting pant leg length will enable use of some clothing items through many stages of a child&#39;s growth while avoiding tripping risk. The need for an improved device for providing adjustable pant leg and/or sleeve length is therefore needed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The present disclosure provides a method and device for shortening the length of a pant leg or a sleeve. In some embodiments, the device also provides a cuff on the pant leg or sleeve, optionally having a contrasting style (e.g., color, texture and/or pattern) than the clothing item. In some embodiments, the device comprises a semi rigid elastic band covered in fabric, wherein the fabric has a length that enables it to be folded with and over the distal end of a pant leg or sleeve. In one embodiment, the semi rigid elastic band provides increased stiffness relative to the remaining portion of the device, but is not inflexible. Viewed another way, in one embodiment the cuff is a sleeve or tube of fabric that is at least partially elastic and configured to be secured over a distal end of a pant leg or sleeve. In some embodiments, the fabric is not itself elastic and an elastic band is sewn into or otherwise secured to the sleeve. In some embodiments, the fabric comprises no integral elastic band and no semi-rigid portion. The stylish fabric can vary in length, color, style, and texture depending on consumers&#39; desires and intended purpose (simply shortening pant legs, style, etc . . . ). In some embodiments, the device has a length sufficient to allow a child to wear a pair of pants over several stages of youth by enabling successive adjustments of the length of the pant legs as the child grows over time. 
         [0005]    In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a device for adjusting the length of a pant leg or shirt sleeve, the device comprising a sleeve of material having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and an elastic or semi-rigid portion at the first end for securing the device to the pant leg or shirt sleeve. 
         [0006]    In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method for adjusting a length of a pant leg or a shirt sleeve, the method comprising sliding a first end of a sleeve of material over a distal end of the pant leg or shirt sleeve, shortening the length of the pant leg or shirt sleeve by rolling the distal end of the pant leg or shirt sleeve away from the distal end on itself, and folding the second end of the sleeve of material over the rolled distal end of the pant leg or shirt sleeve. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a pair of devices for shortening the length of a pant leg or a sleeve consistent with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows a device for shortening the length of a pant leg associated with a pant leg, consistent with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows a device for shortening the length of a pant leg associated with a pant leg, and after the pant leg has been rolled or folded up once compared to the view shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows a device for shortening the length of a pant leg associated with a pant leg, and after the distal end of the device has been pulled up past a rolled or folded distal portion of the pant leg, for example in a step subsequent to the view shown in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows a device for shortening the length of a pant leg associated with a pant leg, and in the process of the distal end of the device being pulled over the rolled or folded distal portion of the pant leg, for example in a step subsequent to the view shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  shows a device for shortening the length of a pant leg associated with a pant leg, and after the distal end of the device has been pulled over the rolled or folded distal portion of the pant leg, for example in a step subsequent to the view shown in  FIG. 5 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  shows two embodiments of semi rigid elastic bands suitable for use in a device according to the present disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a device for shortening the length of a pant leg or a sleeve, especially showing the semi rigid elastic band portion located between two layers of material consistent with one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Referring generally to  FIGS. 1-8 , the present disclosure provides a device  100  for adjusting the length of a pant leg or a sleeve of a clothing item P. In some embodiments, the device comprises a sleeve of material  10  and an elastic or semi-rigid portion  20  at one end  30  of the sleeve of material  10 . 
         [0016]    In some embodiments, the sleeve of material  10  is a sleeve or tube of fabric. The sleeve or tube of fabric can vary in color, style, and texture to meet consumers&#39; desires. In some embodiments, the color, style and/or texture of the fabric is chosen to contrast with the article of clothing on which it will be applied. In some embodiments, the fabric has either the same or different color, style and/or texture on either side. 
         [0017]    In some embodiments, the device includes a semi-rigid portion  20  at one end  30 . For example, in one embodiment, the sleeve of material  10  includes a reinforcement band  50  at one end  30 . In another embodiment, the sleeve of material  10  includes multiple layers of the fabric  20  at one end  30 , for example formed by folding over one end of the fabric one or more times. In one embodiment, the device includes a semi-rigid portion  20  as described above at both ends  30 ,  40 . In some embodiments, the entire device  100  comprises semi-rigid fabric or material  10 . 
         [0018]    In some embodiments, the fabric  10  has a diameter or width W that enables the device to fit snugly around the pant leg or shirt sleeve. In some embodiments, the diameter or width W is adjustable. For example, the device  10  may include an elastic portion  50  adhered to one end  30  of the sleeve of material. In some embodiments, the elastic portion  50  is adhered to the inner surface of the sleeve of material  10 . In some embodiments, the elastic portion  50  extends over the entire length of the device  100  or over a substantial portion of the length of the device  10 . In other embodiments, the elastic portion  50  extends over only a small portion of the device  100 , such as less than the length of a cuff formed by the distal portion P′ of the pant leg or sleeve P after it has been rolled on itself. In some embodiments, the device  100  is free of an elastic portion  50  or semi-rigid portion  20  altogether. 
         [0019]    In some embodiments, the device  100  has a length L sufficient to cover the distal end P′ of the pant leg or sleeve P after it has been rolled on itself one or more times. In other embodiments, the device  100  has a length L sufficient to cover the semi-rigid portion  20  of the sleeve of material (e.g., the length L is about twice the width of the elastic band  50  or semi-rigid portion  20  of the device  100 ). 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a device  100  for adjusting the length L of a pant leg or shirt sleeve P, the device  100  comprising a sleeve of material  10  having a first end  30  and a second end  40  opposite the first end  30 , and an elastic  50  or semi-rigid portion  20  at the first end  30  for securing the device  100  to the pant leg or shirt sleeve P. In some embodiments, the sleeve of material  10  further comprises a decorative element  60 . In some embodiments, the elastic  50  or semi-rigid portion  20  is an elastic band  50 . In some embodiments, the device  100  covers a distal end P′ of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P when the pant leg or shirt sleeve P is shortened by rolling the pant leg or shirt sleeve P away from the distal end P′ on itself. In some embodiments, the sleeve  10  comprises at least two materials having different decorative elements  60 ,  62 . 
         [0021]    The present disclosure also provides methods of embellishing or shortening a pant leg or a shirt sleeve P. In some embodiments, the elastic  50  or semi-rigid portion  20  of a device  100  as disclosed herein is slid over the distal end P′ of a pant leg or a shirt sleeve P. Optionally, the edge  30  of the device  100  is aligned with the distal edge P″ of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P while the opposite edge of the device  40  is extended up the pant leg or shirt sleeve P (e.g., away from the distal edge P″ of the pant leg or the shirt sleeve P). In some embodiments, the distal edge P″ of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P is folded or rolled away from the distal edge P″ (e.g., inverted) at least once, optionally twice or more than twice, to form a cuff. After this step, in some embodiments, a portion  25  of the device  100  extends past the cuff away from the distal edge P″ of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P. In some embodiments, the portion  25  of the device extending past the cuff is then folded over the cuff. 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, the method comprises sliding a first end  30  of a sleeve of material  10  (e.g., a sleeve of material  10  of a device  100  as disclosed herein) over a distal edge P″ of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P, shortening the length of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P by rolling the distal edge P″ of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P away from the distal edge P″ on itself, and folding the second end  40  of the sleeve of material  100  over the rolled distal portion P′ of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P. In some embodiments, the step of shortening the length of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P further comprises rolling the rolled pant leg or shirt sleeve away from the distal edge P″ on itself a second time. In some embodiments, the sleeve of material  10  comprises an elastic band  50  at the first end  30 . In some embodiments, the sleeve of material  10  further comprises a decorative element  60 . In some embodiments, the sleeve of material  10  comprises at least two materials having different decorative elements  60 ,  62 . In some embodiments, the step of sliding the first end  30  of the sleeve of material  10  over the distal edge P″ of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P comprises aligning the distal end  30  of the sleeve  10  with the distal edge P″ of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P. In some embodiments, the pant leg or shirt sleeve P is a shirt sleeve. 
         [0023]    In some embodiments, the method comprises inserting a sleeve of material  10  (e.g., a sleeve of material  10  of a device  100  as disclosed herein) inside a pant leg or a shirt sleeve P, optionally aligning the distal edge P″ of the pant leg or shirt sleeve P with the first end  30  of the sleeve of material  10 , and rolling the pant leg or shirt sleeve P up with the sleeve of material  10  to expose the sleeve of material  10 . 
         [0024]    In other embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method of reinforcing a cuff formed in a distal portion P′ of a pant leg or a shirt sleeve P. In some embodiments, the method comprises rolling or folding a device  100  as disclosed herein, and thereafter sliding the rolled or folded device  100  over the distal portion P′ of the pant leg or the shirt sleeve P. In some embodiments, the distal portion P′ of the pant leg or the shirt sleeve P is then rolled or folded over the device  100  to form a cuff.