Apparel – Nether garments – Stockings
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-04
2002-03-12
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Nether garments
Stockings
C002S061000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06353939
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disposable legging. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disposable one-time use legging for covering, and protecting, a lower leg of a wearer from, and capturing, ticks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gardening is America's number one leisure activity. Each year record numbers of recreational gardeners venture out into the out of doors. Along with hikers, and all nature lovers, the threat of Lyme disease is ever present. This infectious disease is the result of a bite of a tick carrying Lyme disease. Once in the body's system, this disease debilitates the infected person for years. Any gardener, hiker, or nature lover who enjoys the wilderness knows the danger, as well as the inconvenience, of time lost in health from a tick bite.
Ticks are parasitic mites or acaroids of genus Ixodes that bury their head into the skin of the host to suck blood. Ticks live and breed in tall grass and wooded areas.
A single tick bite from a tick infested with Lyme disease can virtually paralyze one's immune system for over a year. A recent New York Times article, dated in the summer of 2000, reported that although millions of dollars of research have been appropriated to develop a cure for this debilitating disease, no cure is in site.
A test drug that does not cure the disease, but lessens the symptoms of Lyme disease is now being tested. Any drug, before it is FDA approved, must be clinically tested for a ten year period. Therefore, it is not likely that any drug would be available for the Lyme disease sufferer in this decade.
Symptoms of Lyme disease include rashes, dizziness, lack of appetite, loss of hair, and the most detrimental of all, loss of physical energy. With the effects of Lyme disease paralyzing ones body, the infected is left without any physical energy for up to one year or more. Jobs are lost due to this illness, and for the young, it is impossible to attend school for the entire year. For the elderly, the illness is a life threatening breaking down of the immune system, leaving the infected more susceptible to other infections.
How wonderful it would be if all nature lovers could enjoy being out of doors without the fear of contacting a debilitating disease.
Numerous innovations for leg coverings have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention in that they do not teach a disposable one-time use legging for covering, and protecting, a lower leg of a wearer from, and capturing, ticks so as to allow the joy of exploring in the woods and the joy of gardening at home to be restored without the fear of the disease bite of a tick.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,232 to Shnuriwsky teaches a boot having a relatively stiff upper terminating in a foot receiving mouth opening and a flexible tubular sleeve having one end secured about the mouth opening and movable from a retracted position embracing the boot to an extended position above the boot and a closure preferably in the form of a drawstring on the other end of the sleeve.
Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,963 to Knight teaches a snake bite preventing device comprising thigh protecting material adapted to be removably affixed to the thigh of a wearer. Leg protecting material is adapted to be removably affixed to the leg of the wearer. Foot protecting material is adapted to be removably affixed to the foot of the wearer. Flexible material is affixed to, and extends between, the thigh protecting material and the leg protecting material.
Still another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,070 to Cho teaches a unitary leg and foot protective device of soft energy absorbing material which may be worn by a human comprising a lower portion for covering the top and sides of the foot of the wearer, a middle portion for covering the front and sides of the ankle of the wearer and an upper portion covering the shin of the wearer.
Yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,215 to McIlquham teaches an article of clothing that is designed to protect a user from ticks, other arachnids, and crawling insects. The article of clothing can be in the form of a chap that encircles the leg of the user. Ties near the top of the chap support the chap on the user's belt. The chap material is sewn to create a circumferential flap, preferably near the top of the chap. An impervious strip encircles the chap, just below the flap. A narrower absorbent strip is sewn onto the impervious strip. Tick repellent may be applied to the absorption strip, and the impervious strip prevents the repellent from soaking through to the chap material and the user's clothing. The flap tends to hang downward to shield the absorbent strip. A hem at the bottom draws the chap material around the leg of the user.
Still yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,557 to Luria et al. teaches a device serving as a barrier and trap for ticks, other arachnids, insects, and other small crawling creatures, which is to be worn around the limb of a user, i.e., the leg(s) and/or arm(s), depending on the area(s) of potential exposure. It comprises a band fitted about the limb and an adhesive surface on the band for trapping the crawling creatures, thus preventing them from gaining access to the parts of the body that are past the point on the limb where the device is fitted. The device also comprises a shield structure to protect the adhesive surface in the form of a lip member extending from one end of the band and having an integral shielding surface opposite the adhesive surface with spacing means to prevent the lip member from sticking to the adhesive surface while spacing it therefrom to permit free access of crawling creatures.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for leg coverings have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a disposable one-time use legging for covering, and protecting, a lower leg of a wearer from, and capturing, ticks that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disposable one-time use legging for covering, and protecting, a lower leg of a wearer from, and capturing, ticks that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a disposable one-time use legging for covering, and protecting, a lower leg of a wearer from, and capturing, ticks that is simple to use.
Briefly stated, yet another object of the present invention is to provide a disposable one-time use legging for covering, and protecting, a lower leg of a wearer from, and capturing, ticks. The legging includes a sleeve, first bands, and a second band. The uppermost terminal end of the sleeve is formed into an upper circumferential tunnel, and the lowermost terminal end of the sleeve is formed into a lower circumferential tunnel. The first bands include an uppermost first band that is elastic and encased in the uppermost circumferential tunnel of the sleeve for maintaining the uppermost terminal end of the sleeve in position tightly and securely around, and in direct snug contact with, the lower leg of the wearer, just below the knee of the wearer so as to prevent the ticks from getting therebetween, an intermediate first band that is elastic and encased in the lowermost circumferential tunnel of the sleeve for maintaining the lowermost terminal end of the sleeve in position tightly and securely around, and in direct snug contact with, the ankle of the wearer so as to prevent the ticks from getting therebetween, and a lowermost first band that is elastic and depends from the lowermost termina
Calvert John J.
Hoey Alissa L.
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