Apparel – Garment supporters and retainers – Strip connected spaced holders
Utility Patent
1999-09-27
2001-01-02
Hale, Gloria M. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Garment supporters and retainers
Strip connected spaced holders
C002S327000, C002S326000
Utility Patent
active
06167573
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FILED OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to improvements in a pair of suspenders, particularly but not exclusively in a pair of suspenders designed for heavy duty use, as by a firefighter, by a farmer, by a worker on an oil rig or on a building site, or by a person engaged in hunting or fishing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally, as known heretofore, a pair of suspenders designed for heavy duty use comprises two elongate straps made from a substantially inelastic material, such as leather or webbing made from natural, synthetic, or blended fibers. Each of the elongate straps has a front portion terminating at a front end and a back portion terminating at a back end.
Generally, as known heretofore, the front and back ends are adapted for fastening to a pair of pants, as via shorter elastic or inelastic straps having buttonholes adapted to coact with buttons on the pair of pants or mounting fasteners, such as wire loops adapted to coact with buttons on the pair of pants or clips adapted to clip onto the pair of pants.
Generally, as known heretofore, the back portions of the elongate straps cross each other and are attached to each other by stitching or otherwise where they cross each other. U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,057, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses an arrangement wherein the back portions of the elongate straps can be pivotally attached to each other, at any selected one of multiple pivot points.
An alternative arrangement comprising one elongate, substantially inelastic strap and two shorter, elastic straps, rather than two elongate, substantially inelastic straps and shorter elastic or inelastic straps, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 34,094, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,057 and in U.S. Pat. No. 34,094, a pair of suspenders designed for heavy duty use, as by a firefighter, should fit its wearer comfortably and should not unduly hamper the mobility of the wearer, notwithstanding the size, shape, and weight of the wearer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides improvements in a pair of suspenders, particularly but not exclusively in a pair of suspenders designed for heavy duty use, as by a firefighter, by a farmer, or by a worker on an oil rig or on a building site. As improved by this invention, the pair of suspenders can be comfortably worn to hold up a pair of pants, by a wearer having a shoulder-to-shoulder spacing within a wide range of possible spacings, without unduly limiting the mobility of the wearer.
Generally, the pair of suspenders comprises two comparatively long straps, each of which has a given width. Each of the comparatively long straps has a front portion terminating at a front end and a back portion terminating at a back end.
In a preferred embodiment, as considered in a first way, a comparatively short strap having two opposite ends is affixed at each of its opposite ends to the back portion of each of the comparatively long straps so as to define a loop, which has an overall length that is greater than the given width of the comparatively long straps, and one of the comparatively long and comparatively short straps defining each of the loops passes through the other loop.
In the preferred embodiment, as considered in a second way, each of the elongate straps has two layers at least at the back portion. Moreover, the two layers at the back portion of each of the elongate straps are separated from each other so as to define a loop, which has an overall length that is greater than the given width of the elongate straps, and one of the separated layers defining each of the loops passes through the other loop.
In an alternative embodiment, as considered in a first way, a comparatively short strap having two opposite ends is affixed at each of its opposite ends to the back portion of a given one of the comparatively long straps so as to define a loop, which has an overall length that is greater than the given width of the comparatively long straps, and the other one of the straps passes through the loop.
In the alternative embodiment, as considered in a second way, each of the elongate straps has two layers at least at the back portion. Moreover, the two layers at the back portion of at least one of the elongate straps are separated from each other so as to define a loop, which has an overall length that is greater than the given width of the elongate straps, and at least one of the layers of the other one of the elongate straps passes through the loop.
Preferably, in each of the preferred and alternative embodiments, the straps mentioned above are substantially inelastic. Preferably, moreover, an elastic strap having an upper end and a lower end is attached at the upper end to each of the front and back portions of the first-mentioned straps. A fastener, which is attached to the lower end of each of the elastic straps, the fastener being adapted for fastening to a pair of pants.
Herein, directional terms including “front”, “back”, “upper”, and “lower” are taken from a vantage of a person wearing a pair of suspenders to hold up a pair of pants.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 34094 (1992-10-01), Grilliot et al.
patent: 468561 (1892-02-01), Dunham
patent: 638428 (1899-12-01), Specht
patent: 713659 (1902-11-01), Macwilliam
patent: 2030791 (1936-02-01), Hickok
patent: 2185400 (1940-01-01), Cohen
patent: 4481682 (1984-11-01), Hall
patent: 4850057 (1989-07-01), Schierenbeck
patent: 5177814 (1993-01-01), Courtney
patent: 5497923 (1996-03-01), Pearson et al.
patent: 660786 (1929-07-01), None
Hale Gloria M.
Morning Pride Manufacturing, L.L.C.
Patel Tejash
Rockey Milnamow & Katz Ltd.
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