PLASTIC ADHESIVE CUFF
Disclosed is a plastic adhesive cuff that is used to prevent the base of a pant leg from being caught between the heel and the shoe of a user. The plastic adhesive cuff uses a thin, flexible plastic that has an adhesive layer such as a pressure sensitive adhesive that allows the user to apply plastic adhesive cuff to the back of the bottom of the pant leg. The plastic adhesive cuff provides a structural rigidity so that the pant leg does not fold and catch under the heel of the user while walking. The plastic adhesive cuff may extend to an elevation above the heel of the user to ensure that the bottom of the pant leg does not get caught under the user's heel.
Various devices have existed for controlling the cuffs and hems of pant legs for various purposes. These devices have generally been ineffective and/or awkward to use and, as such, have not generally gained acceptance or widespread use.
SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTSAn embodiment may comprise of a pant system for preventing a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer of the pant system comprising: a lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg that extends below the heel and the shoe of the wearer; a plastic adhesive cuff releaseably attached to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg comprising: a plastic layer made from a plastic that is sufficiently flexible to conform to a curved shape of a pant leg and that is sufficiently resilient to provide structural rigidity when releasably attached to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg to prevent the pant leg from becoming lodged between the heel and the shoe of the wearer, the plastic layer having a size that extends from the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg to beyond the heel and the shoe of the wearer; and an adhesive layer disposed on the plastic layer that removeably attaches the plastic layer to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg.
Another embodiment may comprise of a plastic adhesive cuff that impedes a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer comprising: a plastic layer made from a resilient, flexible plastic that provides structural rigidity to a lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg while conforming to a curved shape of the pant leg, the plastic layer having a size that extends laterally around the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg and longitudinally beyond the heel and the shoe of the wearer; and an adhesive layer disposed on the plastic layer that removeably attaches the plastic layer to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg.
Another embodiment may comprise of a plastic adhesive cuff that impedes a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer of the pant leg comprising: a plastic layer made from a resilient, flexible plastic that provides structural rigidity to a lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg while conforming to a curved shape of the pant leg, the plastic layer having a size that extends laterally around the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg and has an extension that is centered on the plastic layer that longitudinally extends beyond the heel and the shoe of the wearer; and an adhesive layer disposed on the plastic layer that removeably attaches the plastic layer to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg.
Another embodiment may comprise of a method of impeding a lower, rear bottom portion of a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer comprising: providing a plastic layer made from a plastic that is sufficiently flexible to conform to a curved shape of a pant leg and that is sufficiently resilient to provide structural rigidity when releasably attached to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg to prevent the pant leg from becoming lodged between the heel and the shoe of the wearer, the plastic layer having a size that extends from the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg to beyond the heel and the shoe of the wearer; applying an adhesive layer to the plastic layer that allows the plastic layer to be removeably attached to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg; attaching the plastic layer to the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg using the adhesive layer by pressing the plastic layer onto the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg; and detaching the plastic layer by peeling the plastic layer from the lower, rear bottom portion of the pant leg, the adhesive layer allowing the plastic layer to be peeled from the pant leg without causing any damage to the pant leg.
Since the weight of the pants tends to hold the pants in a downward direction, the adhesive plastic cuff 100 can be very thin and flexible, and as such, nearly undetectable, while still providing sufficient structural rigidity to the pant leg so that the base of the pant leg 106 does not rise and fold under the heel 116 of the user while walking. The height 114 of the plastic adhesive cuff 100 is shown in
The plastic adhesive cuff 100 is made from a resilient, flexible plastic that can flex to conform to the curved shape of a pant leg, while providing sufficient rigidity to stabilize the shape of the pant leg in a naturally curved configuration. The thickness of the plastic may vary with the different types of plastics used. Various types of plastic films can be used including monolayer or multilayer films made from different types of plastics including polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene and various polymers and copolymers. The Dow Chemical Company offers many different types of films that are suitable for use as a plastic adhesive cuff strip. These films are available at http://plastics.dow.com. The plastic adhesive cuff 100 can also be formed in a curved shape that provides a rounded curved shape to the bottom of the pant leg 102 when the plastic adhesive cuff 100 is placed in position at the bottom of the pant leg 102. The plastic adhesive cuff 100 has a height 114 (
As also shown in
The disclosed embodiments therefore provide a convenient and inexpensive manner of preventing the bottom of a pant leg from being caught between the heel and the shoe of a user. This is accomplished by using a flexible, resilient plastic layer that has an adhesive layer that accommodates the application of the flexible plastic layer to the bottom of the back of the pant leg. The flexible, resilient plastic provides structural rigidity to prevent folding and catching of the bottom of the pant leg under the heel of the user. The plastic layer can include an extension that extends above the heel of the user to further assist in preventing the pant leg from being caught under the heel of the user. Alternatively, a base portion can be made sufficiently high to extend above the heel of the user to prevent folding and catching of the pant leg under the heel of the user so that a structural extension is not necessary. The plastic can be transparent so that the cuff is not noticeable.
The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and other modifications and variations may be possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments of the invention except insofar as limited by the prior art.
Claims
1. A pant system for preventing a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer of said pant system comprising:
- a lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg that extends below said heel and said shoe of said wearer; a plastic adhesive cuff releaseably attached to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg comprising: a plastic layer made from a plastic that is sufficiently flexible to conform to a curved shape of a pant leg and that is sufficiently resilient to provide structural rigidity when releasably attached to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg to prevent said pant leg from becoming lodged between said heel and said shoe of said wearer, said plastic layer having a size that extends from said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg to beyond said heel and said shoe of said wearer; an adhesive layer disposed on said plastic layer that removeably attaches said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg.
2. The pant system of claim 1 further comprising:
- a peel-off layer disposed on said adhesive layer that is removed prior to attaching said plastic adhesive cuff to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg.
3. The pant system of claim 2 further comprising:
- an additional adhesive layer disposed on an additional side of said plastic layer that removeably attaches said additional side of said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg;
- an additional peel-off layer disposed on said additional adhesive layer.
4. A plastic adhesive cuff that impedes a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer comprising:
- a plastic layer made from a resilient, flexible plastic that provides structural rigidity to a lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg while conforming to a curved shape of said pant leg, said plastic layer having a size that extends laterally around said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg and longitudinally beyond said heel and said shoe of said wearer;
- an adhesive layer disposed on said plastic layer that removeably attaches said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg.
5. The plastic adhesive cuff of claim 4 further comprising:
- a peel-off layer disposed on said adhesive layer that is removed prior to attaching said plastic adhesive cuff to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg.
6. The plastic adhesive cuff of claim 5 further comprising:
- an additional adhesive layer disposed on an additional side of said plastic layer that removeably attaches said additional side of said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg;
- an additional peel-off layer disposed on said additional adhesive layer.
7. A plastic adhesive cuff that impedes a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer of said pant leg comprising:
- a plastic layer made from a resilient, flexible plastic that provides structural rigidity to a lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg while conforming to a curved shape of said pant leg, said plastic layer having a size that extends laterally around said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg and has an extension that is centered on said plastic layer that longitudinally extends beyond said heel and said shoe of said wearer;
- an adhesive layer disposed on said plastic layer that removeably attaches said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg.
8. A method of impeding a lower, rear bottom portion of a pant leg from lodging between a heel and a shoe of a wearer comprising:
- providing a plastic layer made from a plastic that is sufficiently flexible to conform to a curved shape of a pant leg and that is sufficiently resilient to provide structural rigidity when releasably attached to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg to prevent said pant leg from becoming lodged between said heel and said shoe of said wearer, said plastic layer having a size that extends from said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg to beyond said heel and said shoe of said wearer;
- applying an adhesive layer to said plastic layer that allows said plastic layer to be removeably attached to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg;
- attaching said plastic layer to said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg using said adhesive layer by pressing said plastic layer onto said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg;
- detaching said plastic layer by peeling said plastic layer from said lower, rear bottom portion of said pant leg, said adhesive layer allowing said plastic layer to be peeled from said pant leg without causing any damage to said pant leg.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 23, 2006
Publication Date: Dec 27, 2007
Inventor: Daryn Pinelli (Jackson, CA)
Application Number: 11/426,245