Abstract:
A garment having expandable legs or sleeves. Various sized openings are provided in the legs or sleeves and are adjustably closable by a variety of means including elastic bands, lacing, and buttons.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to the field of garments and more specifically pants and shirts or blouses having respectively expandable legs and sleeves.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     It is known to provide elastic bands, lacing, and buttons to control the size of pants and shirts thereby achieving a close fitting garment. It is further known to provide various openings in pants and shirts to allow air to circulate within the garment and also allow the person&#39;s legs or arms to be seen through the openings.  
         [0005]     Garments must be attractively designed while providing a reasonably tailored fit. I have combined the prior fastening methods with various techniques of openings provided in pant legs and shirt sleeves while providing an attractive appearance. Disclosed herein are various combinations to accomplish such a tailored fit and attractive appearance.  
         [0006]     My garment is designed to automatically adjust to the size of the arm or leg extending through the sleeve or pant leg. For example, even though an arm may be thin or thick the sleeve incorporating my invention will conformingly fit while allowing for an attractive opening.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     One embodiment of the present invention is a garment that expands to snugly receive the limbs of a human. A pair of tubular shaped appendages are attached to the main body of the garment. The appendages include longitudinal axes and first openings extending along the axes. The openings have widths to allow the limbs within the appendages to be seen. A plurality of elastic members with opposite ends are attached to the appendages and span the openings. The elastic members are normally biased to reduce the widths of the openings but yieldable under pressure of the limbs to allow the widths to increase while fittingly holding the appendages around the limbs.  
         [0008]     Another embodiment of the present invention is a garment that expands to snugly receive the limbs of a human. A pair of tubular shaped appendages are attached to the main body of the garment. The appendages include longitudinal axes and first and second openings extending along the axes. The openings have widths to allow the limbs within the appendages to be seen. Strings are laced through the appendages adjacent the first openings to control the widths of the openings to fittingly hold the appendages around the limbs. Fasteners are mounted to the appendages adjacent the second openings to control the size of the second openings to fittingly hold the appendages around the limbs.  
         [0009]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a form-fitting garment that has attractively designed openings extending along the length of the garment leg or sleeve.  
         [0010]     A further object of the present invention is to provide a garment having a leg or sleeve with a longitudinally extending opening closable by elastic strips.  
         [0011]     In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a garment with a leg or sleeve having a longitudinally extending slit closable by lacing.  
         [0012]     Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a garment having legs or sleeves with longitudinally extending openings closable by fastening devices, such as buttons.  
         [0013]     Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a side view of pants incorporating the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a side view of pants incorporating a first alternate embodiment.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a side view of pants incorporating a second alternate embodiment.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a side view of pants incorporating a third alternate embodiment.  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view taken along a line and viewed in the direction of arrows  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a view taken along a line and viewed in the direction of arrow  6 - 6  of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is a front view of a shirt incorporating the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged fragmentary view of the one of the sleeves of the shirt of  FIG. 7  illustrating the first alternate embodiment of the invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged fragmentary view of one of the sleeves of the shirt of  FIG. 7  illustrating the second alternate embodiment.  
         [0023]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged fragmentary view of one of the sleeves of the shirt of  FIG. 7  illustrating a fourth alternate embodiment.  
         [0024]      FIG. 11  is the same view as  FIG. 8  only showing the elastic member extending the length and width of the slit.  
         [0025]      FIG. 12  is the same view as  FIG. 1  only showing the elastic member extending the length and width of the slit.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0026]     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.  
         [0027]     Referring now more particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a side view of a pair of pants  20  having an upper portion  21  to fit around the waist of the person and pants leg  22  extending downwardly therefrom. A opening or slit  23  extends along the length of leg  22  in the direction of the longitudinal axis  29  extending centrally through the leg. Slit  23  has multiple curved portions extending generally in a serpentine path between its top end  24  and bottom end  25 . The opposing edges of slit  23  are generally spaced apart allowing the person&#39;s leg to be viewed through the slit. Further, depending upon the size of the person&#39;s leg relative to the pants, air may be allowed to pass through the slit to circulate within the pants leg. A plurality of elastic bands or members  26 ,  27  and  28  each have opposite ends fixedly fastened, by stitching, to the opposing edge portions of slit  23 . The elastic bands span the width of the slit and are sized to normally allow the opposing slit edges to be spaced apart. The elastic bands  26 - 28  are each of a one-piece construction. Once a person puts on pants  20 , the elastic members  26 - 28  are yieldable under pressure of the limbs within the pant legs to allow the widths of the slits to increase while fittingly holding the pants legs around the limbs of the person. Once the person takes off pants  20 , elastic members  26 - 28  are normally biased to reduce the widths of the slits to the original positions. Only one pants leg is depicted in  FIG. 1 , although it is to be understood the second pants leg also is provided with a slit and elastic members identical to slit  23  and members  26 - 28 .  
         [0028]     The preferred embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 1  is also incorporated into shirt  101  depicted in  FIG. 7 . Shirt  101  is conventional in design having a pair of front portions  102  and  103  securable together by conventional buttons  104 . The shirt has a pair of sleeves  105  and  106  each of which has the novel slit and elastic member combination identical to slit  23  and elastic members  26 - 28  described for leg  21 . Thus, the elastic members secured to the opposing edge portions of the slits provided on sleeves  105  and  106  are normally biased to reduce the widths of the slits but are yieldable under pressure of the arms extending through the sleeves to allow the widths of the slits to increase while fittingly holding the sleeves around the arms. When arms are not positioned within sleeve  105  and  106 , the slits are not closed. Both pant legs  21  and sleeves  105  and  106  are tubular shaped appendages that are attached by conventional means, such as, by sewing, to the main body of respectively the pants and shirt.  
         [0029]     A first alternate embodiment is depicted for the pants legs and sleeves in  FIGS. 2 and 8 . Pants  30  has a pants leg  31  with a longitudinal axis  32  extending centrally through the leg. Opening or slit  33  extends the length of the leg along axis  32  and has a top end  34  and bottom end  35 . Slit  33  does not follow the serpentine path, as is the case for slit  23 , and instead has a plurality of enlarged rounded apertures  36 ,  37 ,  38 , and  39  separated apart by a plurality of narrow slits or channels  61 ,  62 ,  63 , and  64  with the channels inter-spaced between the round apertures. Elastic members  40 ,  41 ,  42 , and  43  identical to elastic members  26 - 28  are located within channels  61 - 64  and have opposite ends attached to the mutually opposed edge portions of slit  33 . Elastic members  40 - 43  span channels  61 - 64  and are normally biased to allow the mutually opposed edge portions of each channel to be separated apart allowing air to enter the pants leg and allow the limb to be visible therefrom. The elastic members operate in the same manner as elastic members  26 - 28 .  
         [0030]     Shirt  101  may include the first alternate embodiment as depicted for sleeve  120  that has a slit  121  identical to slit  33  extending along the longitudinal axis  122  of the sleeve. Slit  121  includes a plurality of rounded apertures  123  identical to the rounded apertures for the pants leg of  FIG. 2  with the rounded apertures separated apart by the narrow channels  124  identical to channels  61 - 64 . Further, elastic bands  125  span the channels and are operable in the same manner as bands  40 - 43  to normally allow the mutually opposed edge portions of the slit to remain apart with the elastic members stretching or expanding once the limb is extended through the tubular sleeve to conformingly fit the sleeve to the limb. The elastic members are operable to urge the mutually opposed edges of the slit towards each other thereby reducing the width of the slit once the limb is withdrawn from the sleeve.  
         [0031]     Second and third alternate embodiments of the pants leg are depicted respectively in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . Each pants  50  and  70  include respectively openings  53  and  73  located at the respective top portions  51  and  71  of the pants. Eyelets  55  and  75  are provided respectively on the adjacent edge portions of openings  53  and  73 . Lacing such as shoe lacing  56  and  76  are extended through respectively eyelets  55  and  75  to allow the mutually opposed edge portions of each opening  53  and  73  to be drawn together thereby reducing the width of the opening and allowing the top portion of the pants to fittingly receive the upper portion of the person&#39;s leg. Openings  53  and  73  allow a portion of the person&#39;s leg to be viewed unless the lacing is tightened to such an extent that the mutually opposed edges of openings  53  and  73  are in abuttingly relationship. Both openings  53  and  73  extend in the direction respectively along the longitudinal axis  65  of pants  50  and longitudinal axis  66  of pants  70 . The lacing or string allows the person to control the size of opening  53  and  73 .  
         [0032]     The bottom portion of each pants  50  and  70  includes an additional opening that may be opened or closed depending upon whether buttons on the pants leg are extended through adjacent buttonholes. In the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the bottom portion of pants leg  52  includes a pair of flanges  57  and  58  that extend outwardly in a perpendicular direction from the pants leg. Flanges  57  and  58  are produced from the same material as the main body of the pants leg and may be attached thereto by sewing or other suitable means. A slot or opening  54  extends in the direction of axis  65  between flanges  57  and  58 . A plurality of buttons  59  are mounted to flange  57  on the surface of the flange facing flange  58 . Further, a plurality of buttonholes  60  are provided on flange  58  to receive buttons  59  thereby effectively reducing the width of opening  54  and even closing the opening. With the buttons not extending through the buttonholes, flanges  57  and  58  are not in contact with each other thereby allowing the width of slot or opening  54  to be increased to its maximum width as the leg applies pressure to the pants leg. A portion of the leg may be viewed through slot  54  when the buttons are not engaged by the buttonholes whereas the bottom portion  52  of the pants leg fittingly conforms to the leg when the buttons are extended through the buttonholes.  
         [0033]     In the third alternate embodiment, the bottom portion of pants leg  71  ( FIG. 4 ) has a pair of flanges  77  and  78  normally positioned in the plane of the pants leg. That is, flanges  77  and  78  do not extend perpendicular therefrom and are located on the opposite sides of slot  74 . Flanges  77  and  78  may be integral with the pants leg or may be attached thereto by sewing or other suitable means. Flange  77  is provided with buttons  79  mounted to the outwardly facing surface thereof whereas flange  78  is provided with a plurality of buttonholes. By extending flange  78  outwardly and over flange  77 , buttons  79  may be extended through buttonholes  80  thereby reducing the width of the slot and effectively closing the slot so that the leg can no longer be viewed and at the same time conformingly fitting the bottom portion of the pants leg to the leg.  
         [0034]     While the various openings and means for closing the openings depicted in the embodiments of  FIGS. 3 and 4  have been shown as located only in a single leg of the pants, it is to be understood that the remaining leg of each pants includes similar or identical openings and means for securing the opening in a closed or opened position. Shirt  101  may also be provided with the openings and means for closing the openings depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . For example, sleeve  140  ( FIG. 9 ) of shirt  101  may be provided with an opening  141  that extends in the direction of axis  142  extending centrally through the sleeve. Lacing  143  is provided to open or close opening  141  in a manner identical to lacing  56  and opening  53 . Likewise, sleeve  140  is provided with a slot  144  at the outer end of the sleeve identical to either slot  54  or  74  with slots  54 ,  74 , and  144  extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the leg or sleeve. Flanges are provided on each side of slot  144  identical to flanges  57 / 58  or  77 / 78  with button and buttonholes provided to close slot  144  in a manner identical to that described for the pants leg.  
         [0035]     A fourth embodiment of the invention includes a pants leg or sleeve having all three of the previously described openings and means for closing the openings. For example, sleeve  160  attached to shirt  101  includes three openings  161 ,  162 , and  163  extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis  164  that extends centrally through the sleeve. Lacing  165 , elastic bands  166  and buttons  167  along with associated buttonholes are provided to close and open respectively openings  161 ,  162 , and  163  in a manner identical to that described for opening  53 ,  33 ,  54 , or  74 . Further, opening  162  may be designed along a serpentine path such as opening  23 . In other words, sleeve  160  may be fitted with any or all of the openings and means for closing the openings described for any of the embodiments disclosed herein.  
         [0036]     Many variations are contemplated and included in the present invention. For example, elastic bands  26 - 28  and  40 - 43  are shown as elastic strips; however, the strips may take the form of elastic net that may extend the entire length of the slit such as depicted in  FIG. 11  wherein sleeve  170  includes a slit  171  that extends the entire length of the leg or sleeve with the elastic net  172  extending across the entire width and length of the slit. A similar or identical approach may be provided for pants leg  22  shown in  FIG. 12  having a slit  180  identical to slit  23  ( FIG. 1 ) with slit  180  including elastic net  182  extending the width and length of slit  180  from the top  181  to the bottom  25  of the slit. The elastic net  172  and  182  functions in the same way as elastic bands  26 - 28 .  
         [0037]     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.