Abstract:
According to an aspect of the present invention, herein provided are pants having a body-shaping function, the pants including: an elastic fabric included in the pants, compression patches, and shaping seams having boundaries that are partially fixed on the pants to support the hips of a wearer; and a pair of shaping seams fixed on the elastic fabric and sized in a manner that will push the hips and buttocks up so as to make the contours of the hips appear smaller and flatter the wearer&#39;s rear end.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    None 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 U.S. Patents 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Patent Number 
                 Kind Code 
                 Issue Date 
                 Patentee 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 4,596,253 
                 A 
                 Jun. 24,1986 
                 Griffith 
               
               
                   
                 5,535,451 
                 A 
                 Jul. 16, 1996 
                 Tassone, et al. 
               
               
                   
                 5,765,214 
                 A 
                 Jun. 16, 2998 
                 Johnson 
               
               
                   
                 5,937,442 
                 A 
                 Aug. 17,1999  
                 Yamaguchi 
               
               
                   
                 6,327,713 
                 B1 
                 Dec. 11, 2001 
                 Gomez 
               
               
                   
                 6,520,926 
                 B2 
                 Feb. 18, 2003 
                 Hall 
               
               
                   
                 6,543,062 
                 B1 
                 Apr. 8, 2003 
                 Amsel et al. 
               
               
                   
                 7,341,500 
                 B2 
                 Mar. 11, 2008 
                 Horn et al. 
               
               
                   
                 7,950,069 
                 B2 
                 May 31, 2011 
                 Lee 
               
               
                   
                 8,141,176 
                 B2 
                 Mar. 27, 2012 
                 Lee 
               
               
                   
                 8,272,073 
                 B2 
                 Sep. 25, 2012 
                 Arensdorf 
               
               
                   
                 8,347,412 
                 B2 
                 Jan. 8, 2013  
                 Clement 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 U.S. Patent Application Publications 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Publication Number 
                 Kind Code 
                 Publ. Date 
                 Applicant 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 2005/0132474 
                 A1 
                 Jun. 23, 2005  
                 Amsel et al. 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
       FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENT 
       [0003]    None found 
       NONPATENT LITERATURE DOCUMENTS 
       [0004]    None found 
       NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT AND TRADE DRESS 
       [0005]    A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. This patent document may show and/or describe matter which is or may become trade dress of the owner. The copyright and trade dress owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright and trade dress rights whatsoever. 
       DISCUSSION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0006]    The amount of attention individuals give to their physical appearance has led to the development of various types of clothing for enhancing physical appearance while satisfying their proclivities for style and taste. Garments today go beyond the basic functions of isolating the wearers body from the elements. We have reached a point where they are also capable of satisfying an individual&#39;s desires to feel and appear more attractive hiding imperfections and enhancing beauty. 
         [0007]    Undergarments have traditionally been the most commonly used clothing for sculpting the wearers body, changing the body contour, and fundamentally enhancing the appearance of the wearer by accentuating positive attributes. For example, a girdle pushes the hips of the wearer or tightens the thighs up by distributing subcutaneous fat, thus, making the wearer appear slimmer. Another example is when a wearer puts on a pair of tight-fitting jeans. Using pressure, an effect similar to that of the girdle is achieved improving the wearers appearance satisfying their desire to appear thinner. 
         [0008]    In recent years, girdles have fallen into disfavor because they suffer from a variety of drawbacks. Girdles lack the ability to expand in order to compress and shape the body. They are painful to wear and difficult to put on and take off. Girdles can affect blood circulation because of the amount of pressure placed on the hips or thighs of the wearer. Moreover, girdles commonly enhance one area of the body at the expense of another. For example, the wearers thighs may be tightened to make them appear thinner while, at the same time, their hips are made to appear larger. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, there exists a need for pants having a body shaping function, the pants including a stretchable fabric and silicone fixed integrally therein with seams for shaping the hips and buttocks of a user. Such a pant would eliminate the need to wear a girdle to enhance the appearance of common problem areas containing excessive subcutaneous tissue. All the while, being comfortably wearable all day long and not affecting blood circulation in a way that would be needlessly impact the wearer. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,224 discloses a body support garment that creates an hourglass torso shape at the waist but does not address the wearer&#39;s lower body. U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,253 too addresses abdominal support via three elastic webs but does not address the Buttocks and hips through cosmetic reshaping. U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,442 discloses a shoulder and arm support garment that covers the upper body of a human. One of the objectives of this design is to prevent and treat shoulder joint or muscle disorders rather than being addressed to a compression tool to shape the wearer&#39;s body. U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,926 references a compression support sleeve designed to prevent migration of the garment on the skin of the wearer during exercise. None of these patents show the complete control of the torso and arms that is needed to properly shape a women&#39;s body. 
         [0011]    Even though body shaping garments have been proposed in the past, all of the those heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages:
       (a) the known body shaping garments are painful to wear, put on, and remove;   (b) the known body shaping garments flatter one body part at the expense of another;   (c) the known body shaping garments do not take advantage of modern advances in shapewear design; and   (d) the known body shaping garments do not take advantage of modern advances in shapewear materials.       
 
         [0016]    Various garment for sculpting the wearers body and minimizing unflattering body areas have been proposed. However, none of the foregoing combine the characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, there is a need for a body sculpting garment that utilizes the latest understanding of technical construction and materials incorporated into a garment in a figure-enhancing garment that is structured to particularly sculpt the buttocks or seat area and thighs of the wearer. The present invention effectuates these needs. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0017]    Provided are pants having a body-sculpting function. The present invention relates generally to the field of clothing construction and in particular to a new and useful construction for pants, trousers, jeans, shorts or any garment for covering the trunk portion of the body and having seat and crotch areas. 
         [0018]    According to an aspect of the present invention, herein provided are pants having a body-shaping function, the pants including: an elastic fabric included in the pants, compression patches, and shaping seams having boundaries that are partially fixed on the pants to support the hips of a wearer; and a pair of shaping seams fixed on the elastic fabric and sized in a manner that will push the hips and buttocks up so as to make the contours of the hips appear smaller and flatter the wearer&#39;s rear end. 
         [0019]    The pants may further include: supporting bands that are fixed on both end portions of the shaping seams on both sides of the elastic fabric and extend upward so as to push the hips inward. 
         [0020]    One embodiment may include silicon fixed to panels of the garment to facilitate the shifting of tissue to desirable areas within the garment. In one embodiment, these panels may be located in thigh region of the garment. Such a compression region creates the impression of a thinner thigh by squeezing and making the thigh region less stretchable than other regions of the garment. Following the path of least resistance, most excessive tissue will shift to areas of the pant with less compressed fabric. 
         [0021]    According to another aspect of the present invention, such use of silicone leads to a number of desirous properties. These include, but are not limited to, minimized stretching for the stretchable fabric in regions were is is applied, reduced bulging of tissue located around the wearers hips, lifting and pushing of the wearers buttocks following the pants seams to enhance the overall appearance of the wearer&#39;s lower body. 
         [0022]    The pants may further include an elastic waist band that is wider than those conventionally used. The resulting garment will prevent excess tissue from the wearer&#39;s body protruding above or over the waist band by spreading the pressure of the waistband across a larger section of skin. The aforementioned pressure distribution minimizes pinching in tissue surrounding the wearer&#39;s waist. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment of said waist band, it may be larger than 1.25 inches wide. 
         [0024]    In yet another embodiment of said band, it may further comprise a layer of silicone, or other material with similar properties, for better adherence to the wearer&#39;s skin. 
         [0025]    The pants may be further comprised of at least two shaping seams stitched so as to direct the wearer&#39;s excessive subcutaneous tissue from the hips and thighs towards the buttocks. An upper shaping seam will push excess tissue down in the buttock region downward. Meanwhile, a lower shaping seams will support the buttock while shifting excess tissue upwards. The result being a more attractively shaped, rounder, and youthful backside. 
         [0026]    The shaping seams may work in conjunction with one another to shape the buttocks. The two seams will define the boundaries of two symmetrical oval shapes one above each buttock. The use of elastic and silicone in other regions of the pant will shift the wearers tissue into this region where it will be supported and held in place with the help of the two aforementioned shaping seams. 
         [0027]    Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that similar results may be accomplished using a variety of different fabrics and materials. So long as the region comprising tissue the wearer desires to have shifted comprises a less stretchable fabric than the area to which said tissue is to be shifted, the results will be similar. Thus, the excess tissue will temporarily move from the less stretchable portion of the garment to a nearby area where there is more stretch or less resistance. 
         [0028]    In one embodiment of the body-sculpting garment herein disclosed, the buttock of the wearer may be further pushed up and out through the use of a narrowly cut thigh region. 
         [0029]    The pants may further include a vertical thigh compression seam. Such a seam would be sewn into the side of the pant along the wearers thigh and help compress tissue that would otherwise bulge out from the wearer sides thereby minimizing their appearance. 
         [0030]    Similarly, a second compression seam sown into the pants around the wearers hips will function in the same way making the wearers hips appear smaller. 
         [0031]    It is envisioned that, in one embodiment, the body sculpting pants may have a front rise that is lower than the rear rise. The downward slopping angle generated by the size discrepancy between the front and back rises will enhance the appearance of the buttock making it appear more flattering. 
         [0032]    Finally, elastic material may be fixed to a rear seam of the pant. Such placement is an effective means for making the buttocks appear rounder thereby increasing visual appeal. Placing elastic along the inside of the vertical rear seam joining the right leg hole and the left leg hole shapes the buttocks. The resulting shape provides for a more rounded appearance increasing visual appeal of the wearer&#39;s buttocks while the pant, herein disclosed, is being worn. 
       ADVANTAGES 
       [0033]    Thus several advantages of one or more aspects are to provide a body sculpting garment that:
       (a) makes the wearer appear thinner;   (b) enhances the wearer&#39;s buttocks;   (c) compresses the wearer&#39;s thighs;   (d) does not flatter one area of the wearer&#39;s lower body at the expense of another;   (e) may be put on or taken off with little or no difficulty; and   (f) is comfortable enough to be worn all day.       
 
         [0040]    These and other advantages of one or more aspects will become apparent from consideration of the ensuing description and accompanying drawings. Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but as merely providing illustrations of some of several embodiments. 
         [0041]    The description of the invention which follows, together with the accompanying drawings should not be construed as limiting the invention to the example shown and described, because those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will be able to devise other forms thereof within the ambit of the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
         [0042]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the upper torso region of the pant according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0043]      FIG. 2  is a rear view of the pant in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0044]      FIG. 3  is an inside out rear view of the pant in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0045]      FIG. 4  is a full length front view of the pant in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0046]    Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. The showings are for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments and not for purposes of limiting the same. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of an enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments. 
         [0047]      FIG. 1  illustrates in profile the upper portion of a body sculpting garment shown here embodied as a pant  100  which, when worn, enhances the appearance of the legs, hips, waist, thighs, and lower torso of the wearer. Here, the pant  100  includes a general three piece construction which includes a front panel  102 , a side panel  104 , and a rear panel  106  which are joined together so as to fit the lower body of the wearer as a pant  100 . In one embodiment, a waistband  108  encircling the wearers lower torso may also be included. However, those of ordinary skill will recognize that such a waistband is not necessary in order to properly execute the invention of the present application. Moreover, the pant  100  may also include secondary pieces of material to form pockets, belt loops, yokes, etc. The pant  100  may be constructed of a wide range of elastic fabrics, of woven or knit types. 
         [0048]    The fabric may also be constructed in a range of weave and knitting patterns to adjust the direction and amount of the elasticity. Accordingly, in one embodiment, a shape recovery fabric for the pant  100  may have elastic fibers oriented more in a horizontal direction than in a vertical direction, that is, the material stretches more in one planar axis than in the other generally perpendicular planar axis. In this configuration, the shape recovery material may have more oblique stretch to provide human body-shaping advantages of the pant  100 . 
         [0049]    The pant  100  further includes a series of seams that are fixed so as to accentuate the appearance of the wearers lower body.  FIG. 1  illustrates the upper support seam  110  as well as the lower support seam  112 . These two substantially horizontal and horizontal and vertical seams respectively work with the anatomy of the wearer to enhance the appearance of their gluteal region. The lower support seam  112  includes a concave shaped edge sloping up towards the upper support seam  110 , which when joined with the corresponding edge of the pant sections enables the rear panel  106  to engage the lower portion of the wearer&#39;s buttock in such a way that the body profile is improved. The concave shaped edge has a slope across its length that extends away from the waistband  108  or the top edge of the pant  100 . Having this shape assists the lower support seam  112  to lift the wearer&#39;s buttocks thus reducing the impact of gravity and age on their appearance. 
         [0050]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , the pant  100  also includes a vertical seam  114  that runs along the side of the pant  100  and couples the front panel  102  and the side panel  104  through sewing. The vertical seam  114  acts as an anchor for the upper support seam  110 . The position of these two seams facilitate the shifting of subcutaneous tissue from the hips and thighs of the wearer to their buttocks and the rear panel  106 . 
         [0051]      FIG. 2  illustrates a back-side view of the upper portion of a body sculpting garment shown here embodied as a pant  200  which, when worn, enhances the appearance of the legs, hips, waist, thighs, and lower torso. Here, the pant  200  still includes a general three piece construction which includes a front panel (not shown), a side panel  204 , and a rear panel  206  which are joined together so as to fit the lower body of the wearer as a pant  100 . One aspect is a waistband  208  encircling the wearers lower torso which may be included but is not necessary. 
         [0052]    This perspective further illustrates a center seam  214 . The center seam  214  is concave shaped and extends downwardly from the upper support seam  210  to define a gluteal cleft. As will be discussed in further detail below, in one aspect, this seam may be coated in an elastic material to facilitate the rounding properties of the pant  200  and accentuate the appearance of a circular buttock while being worn. In one embodiment, the aforementioned elastic material may be silicone. 
         [0053]    The pant  200  may include pockets  216  on the rear. Pockets may also be included on the front of the pant (shown in  FIG. 4 ). Furthermore, the waistband  208  may include a plurality of loops  218  for use with a belt. In addition, a yoke may also be added to the rear of the pant  200 . 
         [0054]      FIG. 3  illustrates what the pant  300  may appear like in the rear when turned inside-out. It includes the side panel  304 , the rear panel  306 , the waist band  308 , the upper support seam  310 , the lower support seam  312 , and the center seam  314 . Further illustrated in  FIG. 3  is the fact that the garment may be comprised of more than one type of material. 
         [0055]    It is an aspect of the present invention that subcutaneous tissue may be shifted from one area within a pant  300  to another area by using different types of elastic fabrics. Specifically, the wearer&#39;s tissue will migrate from the region inside a pant with more resistance to an area with less resistance. Therefore, having less stretch in a region commonly associated with excess fat and more stretch in another region, will cause fat to follow a path of least resistance to end up in the region with the most stretch. 
         [0056]    In this figure, the areas with less stretch are shaded and the areas with more stretch are not. More specifically, the fabric in the side panel  304  directly beneath the lower support seam  312  in a region defined by the hips and buttocks of the wearer are less elastic than fabric in the rest of the pant  300 . To further facilitate the shifting of tissue, the region of the pant directly above the upper support seam  310  and beneath the waistband  308  may also be comprised of a less stretchable material than the rest of the pant  300 . In one aspect, both the aforementioned regions may be comprised of a material less stretchable than the rest of the pant. 
         [0057]    It is envisioned, and those of reasonable skill in the art will recognize, that there exists a variety of different ways a specific region or regions can be made more or less stretchable. By way of example and not limitation, different fabrics may be used to construct the garment. In this embodiment, a more stretchable fabric would be used in regions where tissue is to be shifted to and a less stretchable fabric would be used in regions where the fabric is to be shifted from. 
         [0058]    In another embodiment, varying the elasticity of the fabric could be accomplished using a fabric coating technique. In this embodiment, the entire garment would be comprised of a single fabric. In regions where it is desirous to be less elastic, the fabric may be coated with a different substance in order to harden or reduce the elasticity of the garment in that region. In yet another embodiment, the coating substance may be silicone. 
         [0059]      FIG. 3  further illustrates an aspect of the waistband  308 . In one embodiment of the waistband  308  it may be coated in silicone or other material having similar chemical properties when reacting with the skin of a wearer. Coating the waistband  308  in silicone will reduce sliding by increasing adherence to the user&#39;s skin. The resulting garment will prevent excess tissue on the wearer&#39;s body from protruding above or over the waistband  308  by spreading the pressure on the waistband  308  across a larger section of skin. The aforementioned pressure distribution minimizes pinching in tissue surrounding the wearer&#39;s waist. 
         [0060]    In one embodiment of said waistband  308 , it may be larger than 1.25 inches wide to further facilitate the body sculpting functionality of the pant  300 . 
         [0061]    Still referring to  FIG. 3 , this figure clearly illustrates where several of the seams meet. In particular, the center seam  314 , the upper support seam  310 , and the lower support seam  312 .  FIG. 3  illustrates how both the upper and lower support seams  310  &amp;  312  are connected to the center seam  314 . This may be accomplished by stitching or sewing. 
         [0062]    Because the lower support seam  312  originates at a higher point sewn to the upper support seam  310  in the side panel  304  (see also  FIG. 1 ) and travels horizontally beneath the buttocks to the center seam  314 , each buttock is encapsulated between the upper and lower support seams  310  &amp;  312  and anchored to the vertical seam not shown here (see  114  in  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0063]    In one embodiment of the center seam  314 , it may be coated in silicone or other substance having similar elastic properties to facilitate the body sculpting feature of the present invention making the buttocks appear more rounded. 
         [0064]      FIG. 4  is illustrative of the front region of the pant  400  according to the present invention. The front of the pant  400  includes an upper portion generally designated  402  and a lower portion generally designated  404 . The upper portion of the front of the pant  402  comprises the waistband  408  and a crotch  406 . The lower portion of the front of the garment comprises the front portion of a pair of legs  410 . 
         [0065]    The front of the upper portion  402  includes an adjustable fastening system  412 , which reliably secures the pant  400  on the wearer. The adjustable fastening system  412  may comprise a zipper, buttons and complementary buttonholes or other types of fastening devices used for clothing. The waistband  408  may also have a fixed fastening structure such as a button, hook-loop, etc. A concave shaped crotch seam  406  extends downwardly from the upper front region  402  to define a crotch area of the assembled pant  400 . 
         [0066]    The front side of the garment  400  is attached to the rear side of the garment (not shown) from the waist to the bottom of the legs  404  by sewing means along the outer edges or sides of the front and rear sides, which is referred to as the vertical seams  414  shown. The front and rear sides are also attached via sewing means from the crotch  406  to the bottom of the legs  410  along inner edges or sides. 
         [0067]    The pant  400  of the present invention can be manufactured in a variety of styles such as boot cut, low on waist, sexy fit and/or slim fit. 
         [0068]    Although the above exemplary embodiments of the present invention show a specific number of horizontal, vertical, or transverse seams, additional seams may be provided and the number of separate panels may be increased. 
         [0069]    Thus, a pant garment that enhances the anatomic shape of the lower portion of a human body and provides an improved fit is enclosed and described. A preferred aspect of the invention, the pant provides an enhanced front and rear profile. All the while, said garment maintains a natural appearance and fit on the body which ensures high degrees of comfort making them wearable all day long. 
       CONCLUSIONS, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE 
       [0070]    While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the less stretchable portion of the garment is described as elastic coated with silicone though the inventor contemplates the possibility that a variety of different fabrics may be used so long as the region where the excess tissue is to be shift is more stretchable than the region from which said tissue is to be shifted. Accordingly, is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims. 
         [0071]    The teachings provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described herein. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention. 
         [0072]    Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being refined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the body sculpting garment with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be constructed to limit the body sculpting garment to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above description section explicitly define such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the disclosed garment. 
         [0073]    The above description of embodiments of the body sculpting garment is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the precise form disclosed above or to a particular field of usage. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the body sculpting garment are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible which those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. 
         [0074]    While certain aspects of the body sculpting garment are presented below in particular claim forms, the inventor contemplates the various aspects of the body sculpting garment in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the body sculpting garment.