Patent Publication Number: US-2016219943-A1

Title: Pants having waistband for receiving flexible restraints

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/110,984, filed Feb. 2, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     In many jurisdictions, law enforcement officers have adopted use of flexible restraints (commonly made of a flexible material such as plastic and referred to as Flexibands, Flexible Handcuffs, Plastic Handcuffs, Flexicuffs, and other terms). A variety of reasons for such adoption exist, including low cost, low weight and profile, and sanitary considerations. Unlike conventional metal handcuffs, such restraints are generally not reusable. However, even so, flexible restraints may become indispensable whenever a large number of restraints is required or whenever it is impractical for an officer to carry conventional handcuffs, such as while undercover or in plain-clothes. Although low-profile compared to conventional restraints, flexible restraints still compete for space with other equipment in the modern police officer kit, and may still present an unacceptable visual cue as to the status of undercover police. In order to remain inconspicuous, off-duty, undercover, and plainclothes police officers may forego carrying this useful tool. Therefore, the provision of tactical storage and concealment of flexible restraints is useful for law-enforcement officers. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
     Embodiments herein are directed to a slender pocket forming a tunnel in a pants garment (e.g., full length pants, shorts, overalls, jumpsuit, suit, girdle, harness, or other variations). For example, in at least one embodiment, the tunnel is formed as a tube of fabric that is fixed to an interior side of the pants garment and that runs parallel to and/or along the waistband. The tunnel is sufficiently narrow that a flexible restraint contained therein is held along the contour of the waistband, and sufficiently broad that one or more flexible restraints may be stored therein. One or more openings in the tunnel permit access to the restraints, such as at or near an edge of the waistband. Such openings may correspond to an end of the tunnel which the flexible restraints or cuffs can be inserted into. Additionally or alternatively, the opening or openings may be oriented transverse to—or parallel to—a direction of travel of the tunnel. For example, for a tunnel traveling in a horizontal direction along the waistband or waistline of the pants, a given opening may be oriented to permit vertical feeding of a flexible restraint into the tunnel or may instead be oriented to permit horizontal feeding of a flexible restraint into the tunnel. In various embodiments, the tunnel is fixed along a region of a lower seam of the waistband, but other orientations and locations of the tunnel and/or openings may be utilized. In accordance with various embodiments, equipment secured within the tunnel may be disguised or hidden by the lower seam. The tunnel (or restraints extending therefrom) may additionally or alternatively be covered and obscured from view by a belt worn through a region circumscribed by belt loops if any belt loops are present. 
     In some embodiments, the slender tunnel or pocket is formed within the waistband of the pants garment. The tunnel may be bounded by existing layers of material that are folded over or otherwise arranged to form the waistband, or additional layers of material may be added to the waistband to form part or all of the tunnel. Thus, in one example, the tunnel is incorporated into the waistband, and positioned within a region of the pants normally covered by a belt. At least one opening of the tunnel may be proximate to or within that covered region, for example, to provide easy access to the tunnel or contents thereof for a wearer of the pants. The tunnel can be sufficiently narrow that a plastic cuff, locking plastic tie, or other flexible restraint inserted therein will follow the contour of the waistband when the pants are worn. The tunnel may also be sufficiently broad that one or more flexible restraints can be easily tucked into and removed from the tunnel. In at least one example, the tunnel has at least one opening placed within reach of the wearer, such as near a seam where the waistband meets the remainder of the body of the pants garment (or the self-fabric). The open end or openings may exit to the exterior of the pants in some embodiments, or additionally or alternatively exit to the interior of the pants. When the pants are worn, the pressure of a belt, the tension in the waistband, or both can cause the flexible restraints to remain in place until intentionally removed. 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of a belt received in pants that include features for storing, accessing, and/or concealing flexible restraints in accordance with at least one embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a front view of the pants of  FIG. 1 , showing the pants without the belt. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a front view of the pants of  FIG. 1 , showing the pants turned inside out. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a front perspective view of another arrangement of the pants of  FIG. 1 , showing features for storing, accessing, and/or concealing flexible restraints at least partially within in a hollow inner portion of a waistband of the pants. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described. 
     Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  shows an example of a pants garment  100  (hereinafter pants  100 ) having features for storing, accessing, and/or concealing flexible restraints  116  such as flexible restraints. Such features may include tunnels, e.g., features provide a passage through at least some portion of the pants  100 . The flexible restraints  116  may be formed of plastic and/or any other suitably flexible material and correspond to restraints referred to as Flexibands, Flexible Handcuffs, Plastic Handcuffs, Flexicuffs, and other terms. The pants  100  may correspond to any variation of garment worn about the legs, waist, and/or torso of a wearer, including, but not limited to full length pants, shorts, overalls, jumpsuits, suits, girdles, harnesses, or other variations. The pants  100  may be worn with a belt  126  (such as shown in  FIG. 1 ) or without a belt (such as shown in  FIG. 2 ). In some embodiments, the belt  126  may provide an additional modicum of concealment for the flexible restraints  116 , for example, as described in more detail below; however, in various embodiments, the flexible restraints  116  may still be effectively concealed in the pants  100  even without use of the belt  126 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the pants  100  inside-out. Thus, an interior side  132  of the pants  100  (e.g., that faces toward a wearer of the pants  100  when worn by the wearer) occupies most of the view in  FIG. 3 , although a portion of an exterior side  130  (e.g., that faces away from the wearer when worn) may also be seen. This is in contrast to  FIG. 1 , in which a larger portion of the exterior side  130  and a smaller portion of the interior side  132  are visible. 
     The pants  100  shown in  FIG. 3  have a waistband  102 . At least part of the waistband  102  may form a transition between the interior side  132  and the exterior side  130  of the pants  100 . The waistband  102  may correspond to a portion of the pants  100  that may be secured or cinched around a waist of a wearer when worn. The waistband  102  may be formed with any suitable construction, and may include any suitable features for obtaining a desired construction including, but not limited to hems, stitching, joining of multiple layers of fabric, etc. 
     A restraint tunnel  104  for receiving flexible restraints  116  is shown in  FIG. 3  as a tube of material affixed to the waistband  102  so as to at least partially encircle waist of a wearer of the pants  100  when the pants  100  are worn by the wearer. Openings  112  may be provided for access into or from the tunnel  104  for flexible restraints  116 . For example, the illustrated restraint tunnel  104  has a first opening  112 A and a second opening  112 B at respective first and second ends  118 A and  118 B of the restraint tunnel  104 . The first and second openings  112 A and  112 B are shown respectively positioned on each side of the centerline  120  of the pants  100 . These illustrated first and second openings  112 A and  112 B of the restraint tunnel  104  are located at a distance  110  from the centerline  120  of the pants. This distance may be 4 inches in accordance with some embodiments, for example, to allow ease of access to these first and second openings  112 A and  112 B for the wearer, but the distance may also vary. Additionally, the distance may differ or be the same between the sides of the centerline  120 . 
     Openings  112  can also be provided in the tunnel  104  at locations other than the ends  118  of the tunnel  104 . For example, the tunnel  104  in  FIG. 3  is also shown with third and fourth openings  112 C and  112 D. The illustrated third opening  112 C is oriented transverse to a direction of travel of the tunnel  104 , while the fourth opening  112 D is oriented parallel to a direction of the tunnel  104 . Hence, if the direction of travel of the tunnel  104  is considered to be a horizontal direction, flexible restraints  116  can be fed into the third opening  112 C also in a horizontal direction. In contrast, a flexible restraint  116  may be fed vertically into the tunnel  104  through the fourth opening  112 D, and the contour of the tunnel  104  may cause the vertically-fed flexible restraint  116  to curve and shift into a horizontal alignment as the flexible restraint  116  is inserted further into the tunnel  104 . 
     Providing openings  112  on each side of the centerline  120  may allow flexible restraints  116  to be inserted into either side and drawn from either side. In some aspects, a flexible restraint  116  may be of a length that is sufficient to extend through an entire length of the tunnel  104 , for example, from the first opening  112 A at the first end  118 A to an opening  112 B at the second end  118 B. Additionally or alternatively, flexible restraints  116  may be used that have lengths that are sufficiently short that different restraints  116  can be inserted into different openings  112 A and  112 B and extend into the tunnel  104  without contacting and/or interfering with one another. 
     The openings  112  of the restraint tunnel  104  may be sized relative to the flexible restraints  116 . For example, the flexible restraints  116  may include a head and a tail. The head may have a larger cross-sectional size than the tail. For example, the head may correspond to a ratcheting or other receiving structure for receiving a ribbed surface of the tail so that the flexible restraint  116  can be secured about a person&#39;s wrist, foot, or other limb by routing the tail through the head and pulling the tail until the flexible restraint  116  is taut or exhibits a suitable or desired amount of tension. Any opening  112  in the restraint tunnel  104  can be sized to permit passage by the tail through the opening  112  into or out of the restraint tunnel  104  and prevent passage by the head through the opening  112  into or out of the restraint tunnel  104 . For example, this may cause the head of the flexible restraint  116  to always be accessible outside of the restraint tunnel  104  for ease of grasping by a wearer of the pants  100 . As one illustrated example, the fourth opening  112 D in  FIG. 1  is shown having a narrower width than either a width or thickness that determine a cross-sectional size of a head of a corresponding flexible restraint  116 . As may also be appreciated with reference to the other openings  112  in  FIG. 1 , not all openings  112  need necessarily exhibit sizing restrictions relative to the head of a corresponding flexible restraint  116 . 
     The waistband  102  shown in  FIG. 3  is substantially within a region of the pants  100  that may be covered by the belt  126 . This may correspond to a region defined by belt loops  122 . For example, the illustrated pants  100  include belt loops  122  fixed at upper tack points  106  and lower tack points  108  at intervals spaced about the waistband  102 , and the restraint tunnel  104  is shown positioned between these upper tack points  106  and lower tack points  108 . Moreover, although belt loops  122  and corresponding tack points  106  and  108  are shown in this example, in some embodiments the pants  100  may lack belt loops  122  entirely and remain within the scope of this disclosure. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the restraint tunnel  104  is affixed to the interior of the waistband  102  in a region proximate to a lower seam  114  of the waistband  102 . The lower seam  114  may correspond to a facing seam, which may represent where a fabric forming the waistband  102  is attached to itself after being folded over to form a hem of the waistband  102 . However, although the openings  112  of the restraint tunnel  104  are shown proximate to the lower seam  114  of the waistband  102  and facing the front-side centerline  120  of the pants  100 , the precise locations of the openings  112  may vary. 
     The restraint tunnel  104  can receive a single flexible restraint  116  or multiple flexible restraints  116 . When received, the flexible restraints  116  may extend toward a rearward portion of the restraint tunnel  104 , e.g., along and around the waistline of the wearer. Additionally, although the restraint tunnel  104  is shown in  FIG. 3  as a single continuous tunnel around the waistband  102  (e.g., which may simplify manufacturing processes), the restraint tunnel  104  may correspond to separate tunnels, e.g. such that the openings  112  and  112  B correspond to separate tunnels extending along different portions of the waistband  102 . Additionally or alternatively, multiple tunnels  104  may be positioned adjacent one another (e.g. stacked vertically above one another between the upper and lower tack points  106  and  108 ). 
     In some aspects, features made be provided that facilitate moving flexible restraints  116  between a position along the interior side  132  of the pants  100  and a position along the exterior side  130  of the pants  100 . For example, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , a slit  124  is provided adjacent the first opening  112 A in the first end  118 A of the tunnel  104 . This slit  124  may permit a wearer of the pants  100  to reach from the exterior side  130  of the pants  100  and through the slit  124  (e.g. as illustrated by arrow  180  in  FIG. 1 ), such as to grasp a flexible restraint  116  projecting from the first opening  112 A of the tunnel  104  or otherwise positioned at another location along the interior side  132  of the pants  100 . 
     The slit  124  may be positioned so as to be difficult to detect when the pants  100  are worn by a wearer. For example, the slit  124  may be positioned within the region of the pants  100  that may be covered by the belt  126 . Additionally or alternatively, the slit  124  may be formed by omitting or severing stitching that would otherwise be present in the pants  100 . For example, with reference to  FIG. 2 , the slit  124  may be formed by separating stitching  140  that is used for attaching and/or forming a flap along the fastening interface at a front of the pants  100 . Such a construction may hide the presence of the slit  124  from an observer, for example, when the pants  100  are worn without a belt  126 , as in  FIG. 2 . 
     In some aspects, a slit  134  can be provided to provide access to a flexible restraint  116  through a pocket  138  of the pants  100 . For example, the slit  134  shown in  FIG. 3  may permit a wearer of the pants  100  to reach inside the pocket  138  for accessing (via the slit  134 ) a flexible restraint  116  positioned at a location along the interior side  132  of the pants  100 . In some cases, this may include the wearer reaching through the slit  134  to reach and/or grasp the flexible restraint  116  (e.g., as is illustrated by arrow  182  in  FIG. 2 ). Such an arrangement may permit a wearer of the pants  100  to store the flexible restraint  116  in the tunnel  104  by directly inserting the flexible restraint  116  along the interior side  132  of the pants  100 , which may be easier than storing the flexible restraint  116  by a process of respectively threading through the pocket  138 , slit  134 , and the first opening  112 A. 
     In some embodiments, the belt  126  when worn may conceal any sign of flexible restraints  116  stored in the restraint tunnel  104 . As one example, the free end of a flexible restraint  116  extending out of one of the openings  112  can be tucked under the belt  126  or behind a region covered by a belt, offering additional concealment while maintaining ready access for the wearer. Also, the pants  100  may allow a wearer to protect against a free end of a flexible restraint  116  and/or portions of the tunnel  104  from being visible through the fabric of the pants  100 . For example, the belt  126  may cover a portion of the fabric of the pants  100  that may otherwise bulge or be raised by the presence of the flexible restraint  116  pushing against the fabric, such as in response to the pants  100  being tightly cinched about the wearer. 
       FIG. 4  shows another arrangement of the pants of  FIG. 1 , showing a tunnel  104 A that may be used in addition to or in lieu of the tunnel  104  shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The pants  100  shown in  FIG. 4  include a hollow inner portion  140  of the waistband  102 . For example, the hollow inner portion  140  may correspond to a space formed between a fold and stitching in a hem that forms at least part of the waistband  102 . The hollow inner portion  140  may additionally or alternatively correspond to any other space formed between multiple joined portions of fabric of the waistband  102 A. The hollow inner portion  140  of the waistband  102  forms boundaries of the tunnel  104 A shown in  FIG. 4 . Thus, for example, in pants  100  having belt loops  122 , the restraint tunnel  104  may be located within a region circumscribed by upper tack points  106  and lower tack points  108  of the belt loops  122 . 
     Flexible restraints  116  stored within the restraint tunnel  104  may be accessed through a fifth opening  112 E that provides a passage from the inner hollow portion  140  of the waistband  102  to the exterior side  130  of the pants  100 . The fifth opening  112 E is shown in  FIG. 4  as located along the lower external waistband seam  114 . The fifth opening  112 E may be sufficiently long or large that a user can reach within the opening using one, two, or more fingers to secure or to retrieve one or more flexible restraints  116  therefrom. Alternatively, an end of a flexible restraint  116  may extend from the opening, so that the end is readily accessible to a wearer of the pants  100 . 
     In various embodiments, the fifth opening  112 E may be situated so that the fifth opening  112 E is fully covered by a belt  126  when worn by the wearer, or so that the fifth opening  112 E is otherwise obscured. This arrangement may permit the wearer to grasp a free end of the flexible restraint  116  by reaching underneath and/or behind the belt  126 . As with the tunnel  104  shown in  FIG. 1 , the tunnel  104 A shown in  FIG. 4  can extend contiguously and/or fully around the waistband  102  of the pants  100 , or more than one tunnel  104 A can extend from one or from each side of the pants  100  and extend partly or fully around the waistband  102  of the pants  100 . 
     Openings  112  for the tunnel  104 A shown in  FIG. 4  may be placed in other locations or at other orientations than those just described for the fifth opening  112 E. For example, a sixth opening  112 F is shown in  FIG. 4  at a rear of the pants  100  rather than at a front of the pants  100 . Such a location may provide a wearer with more options of storage locations and/or access points for flexible restraints  116 . Nevertheless, locating flexible restraints  116  so as to be accessible from a front of the pants  100  may allow a wearer to more easily load flexible restraints  116  into the pants  100  while wearing the pants  100  and/or more easily check and confirm that stored flexible restraints  116  are not visible or otherwise remain suitably concealed. The sixth opening  112 F is also arranged with a vertical span rather than the horizontal span shown for the fifth opening  112 E, although other orientations are also possible. Moreover, in various embodiments, due to the restraint tunnel  104 A extending around the belt line of the wearer, contour changes to the pants  100  due to one or more flexible restraints  116  being received in the tunnel  104 A can be covered by a belt  126  worn by the wearer. 
     As maybe appreciated by the foregoing description, the tunnel  104  or  104 A (or multiples thereof) and respective openings  112  can be arranged relative to the pants  100  to facilitate a variety of manners of accessing flexible restraints  116 . For example, with respect to  FIG. 1 , a wearer of the pants  100  may reach along the interior side  132  of the pants  100  (e.g. starting from above the waistband  102 ) to reach a flexible restraint  116 , such as reaching along the illustrated arrow  184  toward the third opening  112 C (e.g. for a horizontally-fed flexible restraint  116 ) and/or reaching along the illustrated arrow  186  toward the fourth opening  112 D (e.g., for a vertically-fed flexible restraint  116 ). Additionally or alternatively, as best seen in  FIG. 4 , a wearer of the pants  100  may reach along the exterior side  130  of the pants  100  (and behind the belt  126 , if present) to grasp a flexible restraint  116 , such as reaching along the illustrated arrow  188  (e.g. toward a bottom of a belt loop  122  in order to access a flexible restraint  116  from the second opening  112 B) and/or along the illustrated arrow  190  (e.g. toward a top of a belt loop  122  in order to access a flexible restraint  116  from the second opening  112 B). As also noted above and most readily apparent from  FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, the wearer of the pants  100  may reach through the pants  100  to grasp a flexible restraint  116 , such as reaching along the illustrated arrow  180  (e.g. through the slit  124 ) and/or along the illustrated arrow  182  (e.g., through the pocket  138  and/or slit  134 ). Thus, the pants  100  may be configured in a number of suitable combinations so that a wearer of the pants  100  may readily access, grasp, and deploy a flexible restraint  116  for use, e.g., without the flexible restraint  116  being visible to others beforehand. 
     Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. 
     The use of the terms “a,” and “an,” and “the,” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. As one example, although features may be described herein using ascending ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc., such terms are used merely to assist with identification among various features and do not imply a requirement that all such features be included in all embodiments. 
     Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. 
     All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.