Fly closure for garment

Apparel – Nether garments – Bifurcated

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C002S405000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06199215

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to garments and, more particularly, to a garment fly that maintains a neat, flat appearance through the fly when closed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is generally desirable for pants or shorts to lie flat and neatly in the fly area Some fasteners and closure systems are more effective than others in accomplishing a flat, neat look when closing garment flies.
Garment flies are often held closed by a zipper, buttons, or hook and loop fasteners, such as Velcro®. The hook and loop fastener or zipper usually extends the full length of the fly. This construction provides secure closure of the fly for activities such as walking, running, or even swimming; however, such a closure creates other problems. For example, both hook and loop fasteners and zippers require attachment to the fly by way of a seam. This extra seam adds to the bulk of the garment and may cause the fly to bulge. The extra bulk in the fly of the garment tends to look thick and unsightly, lessening the garment's aesthetic appeal.
Zippers and hook and loop fasteners each have a fairly stiff base strip. When the hook and loop fasteners are used in a garment fly, the corners of this strip may tend to extend beyond the area of fly closure and poke at the wearer. Also, over time, these corners may bunch up, thereby causing unsightly bulging.
The closure operation of hook and loop fasteners creates additional problems. For instance, a garment having a fly closure made of hook and loop fasteners will likely be combined with other garments in laundry loads. If the hook and loop fastener has not been completely and fully closed before being thrown in the laundry, it will have a tendency to snag other garments. Such snagging may ruin the other garments.
Similar problems may arise in the use of zippers. For example, as the zipper is being drawn up for closure, it can snag or pinch the wearer's underclothing, thereby causing damage. Also, the added bulk of the zipper itself and the stitching to hold it in place increase bulging in the fly area.
A number of other types of fasteners may be used to close garment flies. These may include buttons, snaps, clips, or lace ties that extend the entire length of the fly. Buttons, snaps, and clips, however, have a tendency to create bulges or tugs that may be unsightly, especially because they extend the entire length of the fly. A similar aesthetic problem arises when lace ties extend the entire length of the fly.
The fly may be closed by locating buttons, snaps, clips, or ties only in the upper waistband of the fly. However, such a method of closure does not seal the middle section of the fly. This presents a pivacy problem, as the fly will tend to open with motion of the wearer.
A more particular set of problems is found in the area of garment flies used in swimsuits and board shorts. It is common for men and women to wear board shorts when engaging in surfing, swimming, or similar activities. Women tend to prefer to wear such board shorts pulled over a more conventional women's swimsuit when engaging in such activities. Wearing the more durable board short gives the wearer a more secure feeling as well as a preferred aesthetic look for the activity.
The fly of such board shorts is usually closed along its full length by strips of hook and loop fasteners or a zipper. This construction provides a secure closure of the fly for activities such as surfing and swing. However, such a closure creates the snagging problems discussed above. For example, to pull the shorts on, the hook and loop fastener strips must first be disconnected from each other in an “open” fashion. When the board shorts are pulled over a woman's swimsuit, the open hook and loop fastener strips have a tendency to catch and stick to the swimsuit material. This snagging of the woman's swimsuit can create runs in the swimsuit or break the stitching, thus ruining the swimsuit and causing the owner/wearer considerable expense. Similar problems may arise with the use of zippers because of their pinching tendency. Also, the tendency of hook and loop fasteners or zippers to make the fly look thick and unsightly is especially undesirable in swimwear.
Other types of fasteners, such as buttons, snaps, clips, or lace ties, may be used to close the fly of such a swimming short. The problem with these methods are that the buttons, snaps, and clips have a tendency to be uncomfortable for a person laying on a hard surfboard because of the hard bulges that they cause. This drawback is exacerbated when such fasteners extend the entire length of the fly. Also, the unsightly effect of these bulges is considerable. As already discussed, an aesthetic problem arises when ties extend the entire length of the fly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention recognizes and addresses the need for an improved fly closure system which is comfortable to the wearer, avoids the snagging problems of hook and loop fasteners and zippers, and prevents unsightly bulges while still protecting the wearer's privacy in the fly area.
The present invention addresses the need in the art by achieving closure of the fly and avoiding the use of hook and loop fasteners or zippers. Aesthetically pleasing closures, such as lace ties or hook fasteners are located in the waistband and pull the fly together. A shield in the fly area provides privacy to the wearer. This shield opens wide enough to allow the wearer to pull on the garment. When the ties pull the garment closed, the shield folds over itself and lies flat on the inside of the fly. The shield also allows water and sand to flow through and not collect in the bottom of the shield, as accumulation of water or sand would cause the shield to balloon and sag, thus causing discomfort to the wearer.
The present fly closure system uses laces or another aesthetically pleasing closure device at the top of the garment's fly in the waistline area. Right and left front panels are positioned below the waistline and on opposite sides of the fly. The right and left front panels are sewn together below the fly. A shield is positioned behind the panels in the fly. The shield includes a back flap and a front flap. The back flap extends from the right front panel and the front flap extends from the left front panel. The back and front flaps are attached to each other along a seam. When the fly is open, and the left and right front panels are pulled away from each other, the shield is also pulled open. When the fly is closed, the flaps of the shield overlap each other and lie flat behind the front panels. In this position, as the wearer moves about while walking, running, surfing, swimming, or doing other activities, the shield provides closure and privacy in the wearer's fly area.
The bottom of the shield is not sewn closed. This open bottom comprises a flow-through and provides a number of advantages, especially for swimsuits such as board shorts. Water and sand flow through the open-bottomed flow-through and do not accumulate in the shield. Accumulation of water and sand in the shield could cause discomfort to the wearer and also could cause drag on the shield itself by the shield expanding like a balloon when it accumulates water. Such drag could cause the shield to bunch up, causing discomfort to the wearer and creating unsightly bulges. By allowing the water and sand, etc. to flow uninhibited through the bottom of the shield, the flow-through provides the advantage of extra comfort to the wearer and enables the shield to lie flat.
The points at which the back flap and front flap of the shield each connect to the main seam of the fly are slightly offset from each other. This offset positioning is advantageous because the two flaps do not meet the main fly seam at the same point. Thus, a bulky seam which would be created by the two flaps meeting directly on top of each other is avoided. As discussed above, elimination of bulges provides increased comfort to the wearer and an aesthetically pleasing look. Elimination of bulges is especi

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