Abstract:
A removable garment patch which protects the thigh portion of a pants leg. The patch has an inner surface which is secured to the thigh portion of pants, and an outer surface which provides a location that the wearer can wipe with the wwearer&#39;s hands. The wearer can remove the garment patch prior to leaving the work site. The garment patch can be a single patch, or alternatively, it can be distributed in bulk quantities, such as multiple patches attached together on a roll of patches. The garment patch can be secured to the thigh portion of the pants prior to the initiation of work. The garment patch should be secured to the thigh portion of the pants prior to beginning work activities. At the end of work activities, or at the wwearer&#39;selection, the patch can be removed. Alternative embodiments provide discrete patches or rolls of patches which can be dispensed as needed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to devices for protecting clothing from stains, soiling, and excessive wear. In particular, it relates to a disposable and removable temporary shield used to protect portions of a garment during work or during periods of activity which may damage garments.  
         [0003]     2. Background  
         [0004]     Protection of garments is a concern for many individuals. A variety of conditions effect the durability and attractiveness of garments. Physical factors such as ordinary wear and tear, more severe wear for garments used in a work environment, staining caused by perspiration or other contaminants, etc., all impact the durability and appearance of garments.  
         [0005]     A variety of attempts have been made to address these problems. For example, perspiration shields have been developed to protect garments from the wearer&#39; perspiration. These shields can be used on the underarm of the wearer, on the wwearer&#39;s collar, etc. By preventing staining of the garment, these devices increase the attractiveness of the garment, and increase its longevity. This type of device is useful for protecting the garment from the wwearer&#39;s body.  
         [0006]     Another problem associated with many types of occupations is the damage to wworker&#39;s clothing that occurs during the course of the workday. This increases the cost of the work being done and interferes with the productivity of the workers. One particularly frequent problem is related to damage to the knee portions of pants. The reason for this is the large number of occupations, such as carpet installers, floor tile installers, etc., which require the worker to rest on their knees during the installation process. Since the knee portion of the garment receives the highest amount of wear, the knees of the pants frequently wear out while the remainder of the garment remains in a relatively good condition. If the knee portion of the pants were better protected, then the entire garment would last longer.  
         [0007]     The prior art has attempted to address this problem in a variety of ways. In particular, specialized devices to protect the knees of the pants legs have been developed to extend the useful life of the pants by preventing premature wear in the knee.  
         [0008]     One such device has been the development of removable knee pads. Of course, the primary function of removable knee pads is to protect the knees of the worker, not to protect the garment. However, these devices do provide an additional benefit in that they also provide a measure of protection for the knee portion of the wworker&#39;s pants, and as a result, the useful life of the wworker&#39;s pants is extended.  
         [0009]     In addition to the fortuitous benefit provided by knee pads when they protect the ppants&#39; nee in addition to the wworker&#39;s knee, the prior art has also provided devices that are primarily intended to extend the useful life of the knee portion of a wworker&#39;s pants. In particular, knee patches are commonly available devices which can be secured to the knee portion of a pair of pants. These devices can be used after the knee portion of the pants has been damaged, or before any damage has occurred. They merely provide an additional layer of material which will be subjected to the same type of wear as the original material in the pants. Unfortunately, while knee patches address the problem of damage to the knees, they are often unsightly, and give the impression that the wearer is using old, worn out, or repaired clothing.  
         [0010]     Those skilled in the art will recognize that while knee pads and knee patches are very useful for workmen, they may also be very useful for other individuals, such as children, who tend to place high levels of wear on their garments, or individuals who are engaging in activities such as sports.  
         [0011]     The problems and solutions related to the knee portion of pants have received substantial attention by the prior art because problems related to the knee portion are conspicuous, and because the presence of physical damage to the garment focuses attention on the problem. However, other sections of the wworker&#39;s pants have different problems which also detract from the appearance and useful life of the garment. In particular, in many work environments workers do not inflict excessive wear on the knees of the pants. For example, painters, plasterers, electricians, etc., may spend the majority of their time in a standing position. As a result, they may have little if any wear problems associated with the knee portions of their work pants.  
         [0012]     Unfortunately, while the knee portion of the wworker&#39;s pants may remain in relatively good condition, other portions of the wworker&#39;s garments may receive substantial amounts of wear based upon the position required by their occupation. For example, when the painter or plaster is in a standing position, they may frequently wipe their hands on the thigh portion other pants the course of a dday&#39;s work. As a result, while the garment has received no impact or abrasion damage that would cause wear, the thigh portion of the wworker&#39;s pants may be severely stained or soiled. This shortens the useful life of the garment, because eventually the garment will have to be disposed of even though it is structurally sound.  
         [0013]     In addition to shortening garment life, it also inconveniences the wearer because the wearer may feel uncomfortable when work is interrupted for activities such as lunch, etc. In particular, the individual may feel uncomfortable because of their appearance, and may therefore, avoid frequenting desirable establishments. It would be desirable to have a method of protecting selected portions of a garment, such as the thigh portion of pants, or other garments or portions of garments. Further, it would also be desirable to have a method of protecting selected portions of a garment on a temporary basis.  
         [0014]     While the prior art has provided solutions to several problems related to the protection of garments, it has failed to provide a method of shielding particular areas of a garment, such as the thigh portion of a pants leg, in such a manner that the shield can be easily attached, or easily removed.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0015]     The present invention provides a removable garment patch which is designed to protect the thigh portion of a pants leg. The removable garment patch has an inner surface which is secured to the thigh portion of pants, and an outer surface which provides a location that the wearer can wipe with the wwearer&#39;s hands. The wearer can remove the garment patch prior to leaving the work site. The garment patch can be a single patch, or alternatively, it can be distributed in bulk quantities, such as multiple patches attached together on a roll of patches. The garment patch can be secured to the thigh portion of the pants prior to the initiation of work. The garment patch should be secured to the thigh portion of the pants prior to beginning work activities. At the end of work activities, or at the wwearer&#39;selection, the patch can be removed. Alternative embodiments provide discrete patches or rolls of patches which can be dispensed as needed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is a prior art illustration in which a conventional pair of pants has soiled thigh portions.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a conventional pair of pants has removable patches sized to suitably cover the thigh portions of an iindividual&#39;s leg.  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a patch has a layer of material which acts as a shield, a layer of adhesive, and a peelable layer which is removed prior to use.  
         [0019]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a plurality of patches are available for use, and are packaged such that individual patches can be obtained as needed.  
         [0020]      FIG. 4B  illustrates a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a plurality of patches are available for use, and are packaged such that individual patches can be obtained as needed.  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  illustrates a side view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the invention in which the patch has a layer of absorbent material which retains fluids in messy environments, a nonporous barrier layer, and a peel-off layer which exposes adhesive when removed.  
         [0022]      FIG. 6A  illustrates an alternative preferred embodiment of the invention in which the patch is enlarged and used as a disposable stick-on apron.  
         [0023]      FIG. 6B  illustrates a side cutaway view of the alternative preferred embodiment of  FIG. 6A .  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  illustrates another alternative embodiment in which the patch is enlarged and used as a bib.  
         [0025]      FIG. 8  illustrates another alternative embodiment in which the patch is enlarged and used as a protective cover for a mattress.  
         [0026]      FIG. 9  illustrates yet another alternative embodiment in which the patch is enlarged to cover a substantial portion of the thigh portion of trouser legs for outdoors activities. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0027]     Prior to a detailed discussion of the figures, a general overview of the system will be presented. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a removable patch which used to protect the thigh portions of an iindividual&#39;s pants. The patch uses an adhesive which will temporarily secure the patch to the thigh portion of an iindividual&#39;s pants. At the start of the work day, the individual removes the backing from the patch to expose the adhesive. Then the patch is installed onto the thigh portion of the iindividual&#39;s pants.  
         [0028]     The patch is constructed such that while the adhesive secures the patch to the thigh portion of the wwearer&#39;s pants, the selected adhesive is not strong enough to prevent the patch from being removed when desired. The patch is intended to be fabricated from an inexpensive material which will allow it to be removed as often as desired. For example, a painter may remove the patch prior to going to lunch. After lunch, an individual such as painter would merely attach a new patch to protect garment prior to going home from work. Because of the nature of use associated with the invention, a typical work site would maintain a supply of patches.  
         [0029]     One preferred embodiment envisions discrete patches that are separately packaged. Alternatively, multiple patches can be stored together such that they can be easily dispensed to a group of individuals.  
         [0030]     As a result of using the patch, an individual can look more presentable while simultaneously protecting the condition of the garment.  
         [0031]     Having discussed the features and advantages of the invention in general, we turn now to a more detailed discussion of the figures.  
         [0032]     In  FIG. 1 , a prior art pair of pants  1  is shown. In this figure, the thigh portion  2  of the pant legs shows some dirt  3 . Presence of the dirt  3 , which appears on the thigh portion  2  is unsightly and may cause the individual to prematurely replace the pants  1 .  
         [0033]     In  FIG. 2 , a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. In this embodiment, the pants  1  have removable patches  4  that provide an area that a workman can use to wipe his hands on during the course of the dday&#39;s activities. Once the workman leaves the job site, patches  4  can be removed and discarded. As can be seen, by properly positioning the patches  4 , the patches  4  will protect the parts of the garment  1  which the worker may wipe their hands. This protects the garment  1  from un-necessary damage or soiling during work. When the worker returns and resumes work, a new set of patches  4  can be attached to the garment  1 . The use of these patches  4  allows the wearer to maintain their wardrobe in much better condition.  
         [0034]     Another advantage of the invention is that it allows the user to select patches having a variety of patterns or ornamental designs for use in conjunction with their garments.  
         [0035]      FIG. 3  illustrates a side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a patch  4  has a layer of material which acts as a shield  5 , a layer of adhesive  6 , and a peelable cover layer  7  which is removed prior to use.  
         [0036]     The material used to make the patch  4  can be any suitable material. The shield  5  can resemble the garment to which it is being applied, or alternatively, the appearance of the shield  5  can vary dramatically from the garment it is being attached to. Likewise, any suitable adhesive  6  can be used. The only requirement is that it must be suitable for its intended purpose. The peelable cover layer  7  protects the layer of adhesive  6  prior to use.  
         [0037]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a plurality of patches  4  are available for use, and are packaged in kit form such that individual patches  4  can be obtained as needed.  
         [0038]      FIG. 4B  illustrates a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a plurality of patches  4  are available for use, and are packaged in the form of a roll  8  such that individual patches  4  can be obtained as needed.  
         [0039]      FIG. 5  illustrates a side edge view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the invention in which the patch  4  has a layer of absorbent material  9  which retains fluids in messy environments, a nonporous barrier layer  10 , and a peel-off layer  11  which exposes adhesive when removed. This embodiment is especially useful in messy environments.  
         [0040]     In addition to the use of the patch  5  as described in the foregoing embodiments, it can also be used for other applications. For example, it can be fabricated in a large size that would allow it to be used as a drop cloth.  
         [0041]      FIG. 6A  illustrates an alternative preferred embodiment of the invention in which a patch, such as that discussed above in regard to  FIG. 5 , is enlarged and used as a disposable stick-on apron  12 . In addition, a pocket  13  is formed at the bottom of the apron  12  to catch any fluids. This type of apron is very useful for activities such as art classes, etc., in which there may be a messy environment with some spillage.  
         [0042]      FIG. 6B  illustrates a side cutaway view of the alternative preferred embodiment of  FIG. 6A . As can be more clearly seen in this figure, pocket  13  catches any excess spillage. Further, the pocket  13  is lined with absorbent material  9 .  
         [0043]      FIG. 7  illustrates another alternative embodiment in which the patch  14  is enlarged and used as a bib. The same bib structure can be used for infants or for adults in restaurants. The only thing which would have to be changed is the size to accommodate a particular individual.  
         [0044]     Those skilled in the art will recognize that any type of suitable ornamental design can be imprinted on these devices.  
         [0045]      FIG. 8  illustrates another alternative embodiment of the invention which is used to protect a work surface, in this case a mattress. In this embodiment, the patch  16  is enlarged and used as a protective cover for a mattress  15 . Preferably, the structure shown in  FIG. 5  will be used for this embodiment. When used as a mattress cover, the patch  16  can be used in institutional applications (i.e., hospitals), residential applications, or in commercial applications. Likewise, the patch  16  can be decorated to suit a particular audience. For example, children might prefer cartoon characters, etc.  
         [0046]     Those skilled in the art will recognize that the garment shield disclosed herein can be fabricated in a variety of ways. For example, it can be made from cloth, plastic, paper, etc. It can be biodegradable, it can be absorbent, and/or it can have padding. Likewise, it can also be reusable.  
         [0047]     In  FIG. 9 , a further alternative embodiment of the garment shield is illustrated. In this embodiment, the patch  4  is enlarged to cover a substantial portion of the thigh portion  2  of the garment  1  when the garment  1  is used for outdoors activities. There are a variety of activities which will result in a fair amount of garment soiling if the garment  1  is not properly protected. For example, one such activity is fishing. When a fisherman catches a fish, they often clean the fish before taking it home. Of course, when the fish is cleaned, a substantial amount of mess occurs. In fact, due to the blood and other fluids which typically stain the garment  1  during the cleaning process, the garment  1  may be permanently stained and no longer usable in most situations.  
         [0048]     This embodiment of the invention is intended to avoid the situation where a garment  1  is exposed to a high degree of soiling, such as fishing, hunting, etc. For example, when a sportsman cleans a fish, he will often lay the fish on his thighs during the cleaning process. Further, the fisherman will often wipe his hands off on his pants after cleaning a fish or baiting a hook. As a result, the material in the thigh  2  portion of the garment  1  may be soaked with body fluids from the fish.  
         [0049]     In addition to providing benefits to fisherman, the patch  4  also provides significant benefits to hunters. Of course, the patch  4  will help keep the hhunter&#39;s garments clean in the same manner as it does for fisherman. However, it can simultaneously provide additional benefits. In particular, it can be fabricated from camouflage fabrics to assist during the hunting process. Alternatively, it can be fabricated from highly visible or reflective material as a safety measure (to protect the hunter from other hunters.) The highly visible or reflective embodiment can also be used in any situation where someone may be exposed to danger. For example, workers engaged in roadside construction, children at play, joggers, bicyclists, skaters, etc.  
         [0050]     Many occupations, in addition to those already discussed, can benefit from the patch  4 . For example, chefs and other kitchen workers (and sometimes diners) frequently wipe their hands on their trousers. In addition to restaurant workers, restaurant patrons can also benefit from the patch  4 . For example, it can be structured as a lobster bib, as a cover for the ddiner&#39;s lap, etc. Artists are another occupation that can benefit from the patch  4 . Artists, such as sculptors, may often wipe their hands on their pants legs during the process of creating a new art work.  
         [0051]     Those skilled in the art will recognize that in addition to providing practical benefits, the patch  4  can be fabricated solely for aesthetic or social purposes. This may take the form of colors, designs, written messages, political statements, religious statements, etc.  
         [0052]     In addition to protecting garments  1 , the invention can be used for other applications that require a work surface which should be protected. For example, it can be used for medical examination tables. Currently, medical examination table are covered with paper strips that tend to slide, and as a result, are often inconvenient for a patient. The patch  4  can be sized to fit the surface of a medical examination table and removably attached such that it is secured in place until it is intentionally removed. In a similar manner, the patch  4  can also be used for massage tables.  
         [0053]     Since the patch  4  is envisioned as a disposable device, the preferred embodiment fabricates the patch  4  from biodegradable material. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the patch  4  can also be fabricated from washable and renewable material.  
         [0054]     While the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit, scope, and teaching of the invention. For example, the material used to construct the patches may be anything suitable for its purpose, the size and shape of the patch can vary, the type of adhesive can vary, etc. Accordingly, the invention herein disclosed is to be limited only as specified in the following claims.