Abstract:
An apparatus is provided for stabilization and support of an accessory such as a kneepad. The accessory includes non-invasive attachment devices such as straps. The apparatus includes an article of apparel, an attachment panel secured to a load supporting portion of the article of apparel in a position that facilitates operation of the accessory. An attachment interface that includes a plurality of insertion points can be secured to the attachment panel. The attachment interface secures the accessory with respect to the article of apparel. The plurality of insertion points form a plurality of position adjustments for the accessory. A load from the non-invasive attachment devices can be passively transferred to the article of apparel through one of the plurality of insertion points through which the non-invasive attachment device is inserted, the attachment interface and the attachment panel.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present disclosure is related to apparel and, more specifically, to support structures including a loop or plural loop structures and the like for securing accessories such as kneepads to a garment, such as a military uniform, police uniform, work garment, or the like. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Protective kneepads are widely available and are used not only by workpersons to protect the knees during work requiring contact between the knee and objects or the ground, such as carpet laying, flooring working, and the like, but are often used by military and law enforcement personnel who may be operating in a prone position such as infantry, sniper, SWAT units and the like, or by anyone who expects that they may come into contact with hard objects at some point. It will be appreciated that knee pads are available in a variety of shapes and configurations including protection afforded to, for example, portions of the shin or portions of the leg above and to the side of the knee. It can be easily appreciated that kneepads can be quite useful for protecting the knee joint and the sensitive tissues around the knee joint from injury and can further provide comfort and confidence to the wearer when operating in rugged conditions where unintended contact with the knee joint can occur or when deliberately subjecting the knee to contact with hard or rugged surfaces such as through a specific kind of work or operation. 
         [0003]    The use of kneepads typically requires placement of the pad in the vicinity of the knee over the clothing and then fastening the kneepad unit with attachment devices such as straps. Since kneepads are typically configured to be removable, they are advantageously attached in a non-invasive manner over a garment. In other words, the attachment devices generally do not penetrate the underlying fabric with devices such as pins, buttons, or the like since the underlying fabric may be associated with a garment, such as a uniform garment, where marring with pins and the like would be undesirable and where rapid removal may be necessary or desirable. The typical knee pad attachment devices can consist of upper and lower straps around the leg at points above and below the knee joint. The straps tend to hold the kneepads in place in the area in front of the knee cap and surrounding join and tissues. The upper straps are secured on the upper portion of the kneepad and are wrapped around the legs above the knees while the lower straps are secured to the lower portion of the kneepad and wrapped around the legs below the knees. 
         [0004]    In order to be highly effective, the kneepads must be secure and must be properly positioned so that the pads maintain their relative location to be coincident with that of the knee area of the wearer, for example, when in the standing, walking, running, and kneeling positions. The kneepad straps can provide the ability to secure the kneepads into position conveniently from outside the garment without any need for removal of or interaction with the garment. However, disadvantages are still present. 
         [0005]    For example, it will be appreciated that, to make the kneepad secure on the knee, the straps must be tightly secured around the legs. However, disadvantages can arise in that the tighter the straps are secured around the knee, the higher likelihood that the straps will cause constriction and discomfort in the wearer. Further, it can be appreciated that if the straps become loose, which is common during vigorous working of the leg and knee, the kneepads can slip down such that they are positioned improperly, cannot perform the protective function, and become ineffective. In a worst case scenario, kneepads that slip out of place can become trip hazards or the like and can become a liability for the wearer. Pads that are ineffectively positioned, for example, below or to the side of the proper location at the knee area, can lead to a failure of support for one or both knees and an increase in the chance for discomfort or injury. Still further, the wearer must re-adjust the kneepads more often leading to inconvenience and distraction, which can have devastating consequences in a high stakes environment such as a military, law enforcement, or engineering operation. 
         [0006]    In some approaches to providing a kneepad system that does not slip, elaborate systems of snaps, fixtures and pockets have been developed, none of which provides a completely suitable solution. For example, snaps can be complicated, can come undone, can create a pressure point when kneeled upon, and the like. Other fixtures can be complicated and can provide for tensions in the underlying clothing that can affect the look and wearability of the clothing, can pull out the retaining structures, or the like. Pockets are generally unsuitable since, in order to prevent binding of the protector, the pocket must be sufficiently large. A large pocket however reintroduces the problem of fixing the pad within a specific location relative to the knee joint. 
         [0007]    In addressing the above described and other problems, some solutions have been developed. For example, in French Patent No. FR2930871 (A1), filed 13 Nov. 2009, a kneepad system is described that can be utilized in military and police operations and can form a basic part of the standard gear. In accordance with the &#39;871 system, the kneepads may be held in place by loops stitched on, for example, a front side of pant legs, above the knee. It will be appreciated that since the loops of &#39;871 are stitched horizontally, there is a relatively large pulling force exerted which can lead prematurely to failure of the loop or the fabric of the garment, or the stitching of the loop and/or garment; and can lead to a misshaping or other distortion of the garment. 
         [0008]    In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2007/0150993, published on 5 Jul. 2007, a single supporting device such as a button or tack button is described. The button is located on the front side of the pant leg above the knee. While a standard form of kneepad strap systems exist where the strap is designed to encircle the leg and can be fixed, using Velcro or other fixtures, the kneepad system in &#39;993 necessitates a specifically designed kneepad with an unusual and non standard three-strap attachment system. A single upward strap with a button fixture adapter can be buttoned or be clipped on the single strap loop or tack button in front of the pant leg. Two straps can be wrapped around the leg of the wearer and fastened together by specifically adapted clips. Disadvantages with the system are the concentration of downward pulling forces on a single point at the tack button and the use of a non-standard three strap configuration. 
         [0009]    Still further, U.S. Pat. No. 7,380,283, issued on 3 Jun. 2008 to Dumont describes at least one kneepad and an associated method of attaching kneepads onto work pants by strips of an attachment hook and loop fastener such as Velcro® or the like. One obvious disadvantage of Dumont&#39;s approach is that a hook and loop system has limits on the degree of stress that they can withstand before releasing. Further, over time, the hook fastener strips that can be, for example, sewn into the knee area of the pants will inevitably be worn out by laundering and will lose effectiveness. 
         [0010]    In still other systems, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,216,370, 6,751,804, 6,421,839, and 5,611,081, pockets are sewn into the pant seams to receive kneepads or other sort of cushioning pad to protect the knees and the shin. It will be appreciated that the solutions in the above identified documents are disadvantageous in that the knee padding or cushioning pads are inserted into pockets sewn inside the leg of the pants across the knees area. Consequently, the surface of the areas that come into contact with the ground or the surface being kneeled upon will be constituted of the material of the pants or apparel itself. Repeated contact between the material and the kneeling surface would eventually cause the disintegration of the clothing material across the knees area, particularly if the material in the area of the pants or apparel coming into contact with the work surface was not reinforced. 
         [0011]    In still other systems, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,403, issued on 19 Feb. 2002 to Wilcox, a protective knee system is provided for attaching a pair of knee pads to a pair of pants to protect the knees. A pair of pants can be included that have a pair of leg portions with a first panel, a second panel, an inseam and a side seam. A plate can be included that has a front side, a backside, a top edge, a bottom edge and a pair of side edges. The plate is integrally attached to the front side of the panel. A fastening means can be used for securing the panel to the pair of pants such that the pair of side edges of the panel is removably coupled to the inseam and the side seam of the pair of pants. It will be appreciated that, disadvantageously, the plates utilized for fastening the kneepads to the pants may not be durable enough to withstand constant laundering. Metal plates may be prone to rusting or crushing; plastic plates may be easily cracked. 
         [0012]    It would be desirable therefore, for a system that would not become easily subject to wear and tear. Also, it would be desirable to obviate the need to develop specially constructed or non-standard kneepads since the ability to use regular or commonly available strap attached kneepads would be most advantageous. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    Therefore, in view of the above and other disadvantages in the art, an apparatus is disclosed herein for providing stabilization and support for an accessory. The accessory can include non-invasive attachment devices and can be adapted to be attachable over a garment using the non-invasive attachment devices. The apparatus can interface with the non-invasive attachment devices for providing the stabilization. 
         [0014]    In accordance with an exemplary aspect, an article of apparel is provided. An attachment panel can be secured to a load supporting portion of the article of apparel in a position that facilitates operation of the accessory, which can include a knee pad or protector. An attachment interface can be secured to the attachment panel. The attachment interface secures the accessory with respect to the article of apparel by providing a plurality of insertion points for the non-invasive attachment devices, which can include straps. The plurality of insertion points form a plurality of position adjustments for the accessory. A load from or acting upon the accessory through action by a wearers and through the non-invasive attachment devices can be transferred passively to the article of apparel through one of the plurality of insertion points through which the non-invasive attachment device is inserted, the attachment interface and the attachment panel. 
         [0015]    It will be appreciated that the non-invasive attachment device includes an upper strap and a lower strap, the upper strap being inserted through the one of the plurality of insertion points. The attachment panel can include a cloth panel onto which the plurality of insertion points are attached and the plurality of insertion points can be a plurality of loops. The plurality of loops can include a single set of loops having an odd or even number thereof, or can include both a first set of loops having an odd or even number thereof and a second set of loops adjacent to the first set of loops having either an odd number of loops thereof or an even number of loops thereof. It will be appreciated that the number and arrangement of the loops can be established based on the desired degree of adjustability of the knee pads. In some embodiments, there may be an extensive number of loops where protectors that cover the entire upper leg, lower leg, or upper and lower leg are contemplated. 
         [0016]    The load supporting portion of the article of apparel includes one of an inner leg seam and an outer leg seam and the position includes above the knee portion of the article of apparel. Alternatively, the load supporting portion of the article of apparel can include a back portion of a pant leg and the position includes an above the knee portion of the article of apparel. the article of apparel includes an athletic garment. In accordance with various embodiments, the article of apparel includes a workpant garment, a uniform lower garment such as the lower garment of a military Army Combat Uniform (ACU), Airman Battle Uniform (ABU), Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) and the like. 
         [0017]    In accordance with another aspect, an apparatus can be provided for fixing to an article of apparel. The apparatus providing stabilization and support for an accessory, the accessory including non-invasive attachment devices, the accessory adapted to be attachable over a garment using the non-invasive attachment devices, the apparatus interfacing with the non-invasive attachment devices for providing the stabilization. The apparatus can include an attachment panel that, when fixed to a load supporting portion of the article of apparel in a position that facilitates operation of the accessory, provides stabilization and support of the accessory. The apparatus can further include an attachment interface secured to the attachment panel. The attachment interface can secure the accessory with respect to the article of apparel by providing a plurality of insertion points for the non-invasive attachment devices. The plurality of insertion points form a plurality of position adjustments for the accessory. A load from the non-invasive attachment devices can be transferred passively to the article of apparel through one of the plurality of insertion points through which the non-invasive attachment device is inserted, the attachment interface and the attachment panel. 
         [0018]    In accordance with another aspect, an exemplary method can provide stabilization and support for an accessory on an article of apparel. The accessory including non-invasive attachment devices and can be adapted to be attachable over a garment using the non-invasive attachment devices such as straps. The non-invasive attachment devices can be used in accordance with the method for providing the stabilization. An attachment panel can be fixed to a load supporting portion of the article of apparel in a position that facilitates operation of the accessory and provides stabilization and support of the accessory. The attachment interface can be secured to the attachment panel. The attachment interface can include a plurality of insertion points for the non-invasive attachment devices. The plurality of insertion points can form a plurality of position adjustments for the accessory. A load can be passively transferred from the non-invasive attachment devices to the article of apparel through one of the plurality of insertion points through which the non-invasive attachment device is inserted. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    The invention as discussed and described herein can be exemplified in the following drawings, which are illustrative in nature and not contemplated and limiting the ways in which the invention can be embodied, in which: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a view of an inner seam portion of an exemplary apparel item in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a view of an outer seam portion of an exemplary apparel item in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating a view of an exemplary placement of kneepads on an apparel item in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0023]      FIG. 4A  is a diagram illustrating a view of an apparel item in accordance with an embodiment, without kneepads in place; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4B  is a diagram illustrating a view of various apparel items in accordance with an embodiment, without kneepads in place; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a view of an apparel item with an alternative placement of kneepads in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6A  is a diagram illustrating details of a kneepad securing loop system on an apparel item in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0027]      FIG. 6B  is a diagram illustrating details of a kneepad securing loop system on an apparel item showing placement of a kneepad strap in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating a flexed position of an apparel item with kneepads placed within a kneepad securing loop system in accordance with an embodiment; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 8  is a diagram illustrating a back side view of an apparel item with an alternative placement of a kneepad securing loop system in accordance with an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0030]    In accordance with various exemplary embodiments as discussed and described herein in connection with the figures, a system for securing kneepads is disclosed that incorporates kneepad securing loops into the construction and design of regular work pants or lower garments used by those requiring the use of adaptively designed kneepads or regular variety kneepads such as Black Hawk brand and Hatch brands kneepads commonly used in connection with particular activities performed by particular workpersons, such as craftspersons, industrial workers and soldiers. The kneepads can be used in connection with the work pants, overalls, coveralls or the like, or the lower garment of the battle-dress-uniform (BDUs) or the like of military or police force personnel. The inventive system described herein can utilize the standard elastic bands with loop and hook attachment in connection with a loop system that is incorporated into the work pants. 
         [0031]    The invention can be used to address the inconveniences that arise when kneepads are displaced due to looseness of the straps or too much movement on the part of the wearer. Typical strap-on kneepads usually slip out of position or get displaced whenever the elasticity of the kneepad strap bands is overcome by the force of action placed upon the straps by the movement of the wearer. Even when the straps are tightly wound around the legs, straps can loosen giving rise to the chance of slipping whenever the user kneels for a long time or is required to run such as soldiers in battle. 
         [0032]    The concepts discussed and described herein can be distinguished over the above-described prior art systems, through embodiments involving strap loops that can be constructed onto an attaching cloth panel which can accommodate any one of a variety kneepads that use hook and loop attachment system or other buck or clasp secured strap system or the like. Such panel can be integrated onto the design/construction of the receiving pants or lower garment for maximum strength. For further stability, the panels can be incorporated into high vertical pull strength areas such as seams, which are better suited for bearing the pulling forces associated with the wearing of such accessories. 
         [0033]    In accordance with various embodiments, sets of ten (10) to fourteen (14) vertical and integrally stitched loops on an attaching cloth panel, can be integrated behind the knee areas of each leg in a two (2) set configuration. Alternatively, twenty (20) to twenty eight (28) vertical and integrally stitched loops can be attached along the inner and outer seams of the pants in connection with a four (4) set configuration. In order that the kneepads may be adequately adjusted by the wearer, the insertion or placement of the kneepad straps may be performed such that the upper and lower straps are placed within the system or, alternatively, the placement of the kneepad can be effectively lowered along the series of loops by inserting, for example, only the upper straps into the system, so as to comfortably place the kneepad directly on top of the knees by approximating the height and length of the legs of the wearer. 
         [0034]    In accordance with embodiments discussed and described herein, there is no need for the development of specially adapted or modified kneepad units—standard kneepad units can be used. Also, the construction of the integrally and systematically placed and stitched-on strap loops panels, such as can be integrated at the back of the knees areas or alongside the seams of the work pants, are more durable than the prior art systems, for example as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2007/0150993 hereinabove, where a single vertically supporting button or tack button is constructed and attached on the front of the pant leg where there may be no sewing anchorage and the pull of the solitary kneepad strap upon kneeling by the wearer will prove greater considering its location on the pants. 
         [0035]    Similar disadvantages are not present in accordance with embodiments, because the loop system is incorporated into the design and construction of the apparel and can be placed in a reinforced area at the back of the knee or can be incorporated into an area already having the added strength of the pant seams particularly in the vertical pulling direction. Hence, there are no hook and loop fasteners which would be degraded by environmental conditions such as dirt and dust, or by repeated washing and laundering. 
         [0036]    In accordance with an embodiment, an exemplary panel can be constructed having two (2) sets of strap loops side by side. The strap loop sets can be in either odd-odd, even-even, or odd-even configurations, such as five (5)-five (5), three (3)-five (5), three (3)-four (4) or the like, that can be integrally and systematically placed and stitched-on to an attaching panel for integration into the pants using, for example, box-stitching or lock stitching. It will be further appreciated that the number of loops will be directed correlated with the degree of vertical adjustability. The panel can be constructed from heavy duty cloth, such as denim or the like, and can be reinforced with additional layers of cloth or other materials such as polymer sheets or the like. The loops can be constructed from, for example, nylon webbing or the like, which can be laid out on to the cloth panel so as to provide a variety of placement options for the straps and in a manner to facilitate the integration of the panel on the back pants surface in a strategic area, such as above the knee area on the back of the pants. Alternatively, the panels including the loop pairs can be integrated vertically parallel to one or both of the in-seam and out-seam of the legs of any work pants, athletic pants, or BDU lower garment. 
         [0037]    The strap loop panels can be incorporated into the garment by fixing the holding cloth panel into place along the back of the knee area or the seam of the apparel in a position slightly above the knee area and sewing the panel. The purpose of the loops is to stabilize and support an adaptively designed set of kneepads, such as kneepads with a plurality of straps that can be inserted into a plurality of the loops, or regular kneepads that use elastic bands with loop and hook attachment, such as Velcro, or the like, or any other kneepads with around-the-leg, strap-on mechanism. 
         [0038]    While the incorporation of loops into other utilitarian gear, such as workbelts, bags, or the like has been contemplated, the addition of such load bearing loops to clothing for the practical application of stabilizing accessories has not previously been contemplated as evidenced by the description of the documents set forth above. Among the reasons include that the use of knee pads is not so widespread outside the utilitarian sector as to create a correspondingly widespread demand for such loops into standard or even work garments. Counterintuitively, many work persons may use fairly ordinary clothing when working in connection with the need for kneepads. Thus the use of kneepads with ordinary clothing forms at least one long felt need for the product as discussed and described herein. In the realm of traditional apparel, while belt loops exemplify the highly important but often overlooked need to make the wearer more comfortable and mobile during support and carriage of the pants or lower garment, such concepts have not been adapted for the support of external accessories such as kneepads. 
       First Embodiment 
       [0039]    In accordance with a first exemplary embodiment, a set of loops including an odd number of loops, such as a seven (7) loop set, is contemplated for placement on the inner and outer seams of each pant leg leading to the requirement of four (4) sets. The loop sets provide an adaptively designed kneepad support system that can be systematically incorporated to the design and construction of athletic, industrial and military lower garment apparel. While the primary application would be to utility pants, the loop sets could also enhance any regular tailored pants to achieve the desired effect when the wearer will be using a pair of kneepads 
         [0040]    In the figures, it will be appreciated that four sets of seven loops are labelled in accordance with the following guidelines. The twenty eight loops will be labelled loop # 1  thru  7  for each loop set. The letters “I” and “O” can indicate inner seam and outer seam respectively. “R” and “L” can indicate right and left for right leg and left leg, respectively. 
         [0041]    A view of the inner seam of the pants with the incorporated kneepad loops system is shown and described in connection with  FIG. 1 . Therein, seven (7) loops are shown, including loops that can be dimensioned as follows. Each loop can be a suitable size to easily accommodate the width of a kneepad strap, such as, for example, 1.5 inch long, and can be incorporated into panel  1  that can be integrally stitched along a pant seam  2 , shown in  FIG. 1  as an inner seam, in a longitudinal fashion (not shown) or in a side by side configuration, such as with four vertically placed loops LI- 1   3 , LI- 2   4 , LI- 3   5 , LI- 4   6 , one above of the other on one side of panel  1 , and another three vertically placed loops, LI- 5   7 , LI- 6   8  and LI- 7   9 , adjacent to the first four loops and positioned, for example, on a common central reference. 
         [0042]    A view of the outer seam of the pants with the incorporated kneepad loops system is shown and described in connection with  FIG. 2 . Therein, like the inner seam, seven (7) loops are shown, including loops that can be dimensioned as follows. Each loop can be a suitable size to easily accommodate the width of a kneepad strap, such as, for example, 1.5 inch long, and can be incorporated into panel  11  that can be integrally stitched along a pant seam  10 , shown in  FIG. 2  as an outer seam, in a longitudinal fashion (not shown) or in a side by side configuration, such as with four vertically placed loops LO- 1   12 , LO- 2   13 , LO- 3   14 , LO- 4   15 , one above of the other on one side of panel  11 , and another three vertically placed loops, LO- 5   16 , LO- 6   17  and LO- 7   18 , adjacent to the first four loops and positioned, for example, on a common central reference. 
         [0043]    To better appreciate the configuration in accordance with an embodiment,  FIG. 3  shows a view including two visible sets of a four set configuration, for example, as described above in connection with  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . As in the above examples, the loops are laid out in a ¾ configuration with loops RO- 1  through RO- 7  shown in connection with the right (R) outside (O) seam for the right leg and loops LI- 1  through LI- 7  shown in connection with the left (L) inside (I) seam for the left leg. It can be appreciated that the loops can be used to support and secure the placement of kneepads by inserting the standard kneepad straps such as straps  18  and  19  into the loops as shown. For example, strap  18  can be inserted into LI- 5 , LI- 2 , or the like depending on what position provides the most desirable placement of the contact portion of the kneepad in terms of both comfort and protection and the like. Similarly, strap  18  can be inserted tino loop RO- 2  or the like depending on the optimum positioning from the standpoint of the wearer or according to regulations or the like. It will be appreciated that while  FIG. 3  illustrates one inner and one outer loop set, a corresponding inner and outer loop set can be present on the sides of the right and left legs that are not visible, such as the inner side of the right leg and the outer side of the left leg. The straps from the kneepads can be inserted similarly into these loop sets in the above described manner. 
         [0044]    To better understand a four set embodiment as described above, the inside and outside loops sets are variously shown in  FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B . Taken together the figures show a complete view of one side of a pair of pants showing the layout of the kneepad loops system both on the in-seam and out-seam of the pants 
         [0045]    In  FIG. 5 , the layout of the kneepad loops system while in-use with kneepads is shown along with the insertion of straps. It should be noted that the upper straps are inserted into the loop in an embodiment. In other embodiments, it may be possible to insert both upper and lower straps into different portions of the loop system, particularly if additional sets of loops are provided or if a long loop panel is provided that can accommodate both the upper and lower straps thereof. 
         [0046]    While the panel can be stitched onto the pant leg in a back or seam area thereof, a more detailed view of an exemplary loop system showing the stitching and insertion in greater detail, is shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B . The loops can be stitched in a variety of ways including stitching the loops more or less flat on the panel as shown. Alternatively, the loops can be closed and then stitched on one side. The size of the loops can be set so as to accommodate the width of the strap, which can be inserted, as shown in  FIG. 6B  thereinto. While the relationship between the loop and the strap is shown at right angles, it will be appreciated that the loops may be stitched at an off-angle to accommodate certain operational positions or flex. In other words, if the loops that accommodate the upper straps of the kneepads are angled slightly downward, the wearer will not experience as much of a binding force when the wearer is in, for example, a kneeling position or the like, such as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
       Second Embodiment 
       [0047]    While the above examples show a configuration whereby four loop panels are placed respectively on the right leg inseam and outseam, and the left leg inseam and outseam, the four panel system can be replaced with a two panel system as shown in  FIG. 8 . In the present embodiment, the back portion of the pant legs can be configured to incorporate the kneepad supporting loop system. It will be appreciated that the area where the loop panels are attached may be reinforced or the like to assist in bearing the load from the kneepads. It will be appreciated that load can refer to the static pulling load from the weight of the kneepads themselves, and more importantly the pulling load developed during use when the wearer is kneeling or is otherwise applying force to the pads such as when in operation. The panels in the present embodiment can be provided with seven loops as described in connection with the first embodiment. Accordingly, the loops can be 1.5 long and can be integrally stitched in a ¾ pattern or any pattern including side by side and longitudinal as would be appreciated. 
         [0048]    While various exemplary and alternative exemplary embodiments are shown and described herein in connection with the drawings, they are exemplary and illustrative in nature and should not be considered as limiting of the invention solely to the illustrated details. It will be appreciated that other embodiments may exist along with other suitable alternatives that were not exhaustively enumerated. Rather than being unduly limited by the above description and figures, the description and figures should be used to understand exemplary embodiments and the like, while the invention should be considered as limited only by the following claims.