Apparel – Garment supporters and retainers – Elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2002-01-22
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Garment supporters and retainers
Elements
Reexamination Certificate
active
06339848
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND—FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to belts used as clothing accessories, specifically to a readily installed and rapidly detachable flexible sleeve system for belts, as well as a method for its manufacture, into which a belt having a buckle with a tongue can be at least partially inserted and secured by the tongue to cover the entire front surface of the belt with a variety of materials having different colors, textures, and designs, and thereby make each belt used with the system more versatile as a fashion accessory. Each sleeve of the present invention has a reinforced aperture near to one of its ends for anchoring a belt buckle's tongue, and a two-part quick-release fastener with each fastener part located at an independent spaced-apart distance on opposite sides of the reinforced aperture, a first fastener part being located on the back surface of the sleeve close to the end of the sleeve adjacent to the reinforced aperture, and the second fastener part either being attached to the rear surface of the belt or to the back surface of the sleeve. Each sleeve also has a transverse opening through which the non-buckle end of the belt is secured and at least one aperture in the distal end of the sleeve adapted for facilitating alignment of the tongue with the holes in the non-buckle end of the belt. Each sleeve of the present invention is further configured so that when it is in its usable position upon a belt, it will not interfere with the routine fastening and use of the belt during its garment support function. Applications of the present invention can include, but are not limited to, decorating a single belt on successive occasions with different materials relating to the same or different holiday celebrations, use at sporting events to show support of a specific school or professional sports team, and to alternatively change the look of a single belt from a casual appearance to one that is suitable for more formal occasions so as to make the belt more versatile as a fashion accessory.
BACKGROUND—Description of Prior Art
Although primarily serving a functional purpose, belts worn with apparel are also used to accessorize a garment and make a fashion statement. Many people own a variety of belts to have a diversity of color, material, and design for casual as well as more formal occasions. Additional belts are often purchased to accessorize a specific outfit, and for special occasion use, such as belts with color combinations, designs, or attached hardware relating to a favorite sport, sports team, hobby, pet, or special interest. Although belts range widely in price according to the quality of the materials from which they are made and their design, the cost of creatively accessorizing a business or social wardrobe with a diverse selection of belts would be significant. Also, since belts can be bulky and their buckles sometimes make them difficult to store, a disadvantage to owning a large number of belts is the storage space needed to contain those not in use. The present invention offers a convenient, low in cost, and rapid means of changing the outer appearance of a belt so that a single belt could be used to accessorize an entire wardrobe. The belt sleeves of the present invention are also easy-to-use and more compactly stored than an identical number of belts, and since they can be produced in a nearly infinite variety of colors, textures, and patterns, they can cover a favorite belt to make its use suitable for every day as well as special occasion use.
The prior art believed to be most closely related to the present invention are the inventions disclosed in U.S. Pat No. 4,753,086 to Schmidt (1988), U.S. Pat. No. 2,087,620 to Lipton (1937), and U.S. Pat. No. 2,885,684 to Dye (1959). The Schmidt invention discloses a costume jewelry circlet having a variety of interchangeable tubular sleeves positioned over a string-like core that can be used as a bracelet, necklace, or belt. The Schmidt sleeve can be removed from the core by disengaging the ends of the core and simply pulling the sleeve off of the core. Both of the ends of the core in the Schmidt invention remain outside of its sleeve. In contrast, the non-buckle end of an underlying belt is positioned within the sleeve of the present invention during use. Also, the present invention has a transverse opening on the hidden surface of the sleeve and one or more openings through both the hidden and exposed surfaces of the sleeve on its distal end. Further, to maintain an optimum position relative to the underlying belt, the present invention is secured with a two-part quick-release fastener either to itself near the buckle or to the rear surface of the portion of the belt not covered by the sleeve. In contrast, the Schmidt invention discloses no fastener for securing its sleeve to its core. The present invention is also distinguishable from the Lipton invention which discloses a garter composed of elastic surrounded by a fabric sheath. The sheath of the Lipton invention has a cover flap for concealing an adjusting slide while also giving easy access to the slide when so needed for varying the length of the garter for the comfort of the wearer. Also, while the sheath of the Lipton invention does contain a transversely positioned buttonhole, it does not contain longitudinally positioned openings on the opposite end of the sheath. The present invention is also distinguishable from the Dye invention which discloses sheathes each configured for covering a belt to change the surface appearance thereof. Each Dye sleeve preferably has cross-stitching on each seam edge to eliminate bulging material and to facilitate turning the sheath inside out. The Dye sheath is also connected to a belt buckle via a clamping device rather than depending from its tongue. Further, the sheath of the Dye invention has no transverse opening, nor does the Dye invention have any longitudinal positioned openings on the opposite end of the sheath. It is not known to have a sleeve for changing the surface appearance of a belt with a tongue having the construction of the sleeve disclosed in the present invention, nor one with all of its advantages.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION—Objects and Advantages
The primary object of this invention is to provide simple, easy-to-use, rapidly installed and removed sleeves in a variety of colors, textures, and designs that can be used to vary the outward appearance of a belt with a tongue so that it is possible for a single belt to be decorated and used for a multitude of festive occasions, at various sporting events to show support of a specific school or professional sports team, and at events requiring either casual or formal attire. A further object of this invention is to provide belt sleeves from a widely diverse selection of materials and at a cost that is generally lower than belt replacement. It is a further object of this invention to provide belt sleeves in materials not routinely used to make the main body of a belt so as to offer more diverse fashion choices beyond those currently available to the public. It is also an object of this invention to provide belt sleeves that do not require the handling of small, easily lost parts, or special tools. A further object of this invention is to provide belt sleeves that can be retrofitted for use with existing belts as well as constructed for use with a belt having a fastener attached thereto for specific use with such sleeves. It is also an object of this invention to provide belt sleeves having a configuration that does not interfere with the garment support function of the underlying belt.
As described herein, properly manufactured and used, the present invention would provide sleeves that could be used with a favorite belt having a tongue to change its appearance to suit a variety of special occasions. In the alternative, a belt designed and manufactured for specific use with such sleeves could be used. The sleeves would be made from a variety of flexible materials, with opposite sides of the sleeve being made from the same or different material
Huffman Whitney C.
Mayhood Malinda L.
Calvert John J.
Morse Dorothy S.
Patel Tejash
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