Garment having a foam cushion

Abstract

A garment, for example a headpiece such as a “doo-rag”, which includes a pressure-imparting portion which secures the garment to a wearer's body. The garment has a foam cushion sewn into a seam thereof at the pressure-imparting portion, between the part of the garment which directly imparts pressure to the wearer's body and the wearer's body itself. The foam cushion prevents or lessens the formation of a line on the wearer's body, such as on the forehead in the case of a “doo-rag”, when the garment is held in place by the pressure-imparting portion.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

Applicant hereby claims domestic priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/602,508, filed Aug. 19, 2004 entitled “Invisiline doo-rag”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This application is directed to the field of garments, and, more particularly, to garments, such as “doo rags”, which are held in place by means of tying the garment in place on the wearer's body.

2. Description of the Related Art

There are many types of garments that are held on a person's body by means of pressure-imparting securing means, such as a pair of pants held up by a belt or an apron held up by apron strings. Such garments have a problem, namely the securing means must be tight to hold the garment in place, and this usually means that the securing means must be tied securely to prevent the possibility of movement of the garment.

Where the garment is held in place by a tight tying arrangement, such as apron strings or a tight belt, there is a tendency of the pressure-imparting securing means to form a mark, albeit temporary, on the wearer's body. This mark results from the application of a pressure, or force, on the soft tissue of a wearer's body. The mark in many instances may be of little concern, as it is usually covered by the garment, such as a mark which may form around the mid-section of a wearer from wearing a belt all day. When the garment is removed, the belt mark becomes visible, but this usually takes place in private, and so may not be a problem which causes most people any concern.

Where the garment is only worn temporarily, however, such as a doo-rag (as used herein, the term “doo-rag” refers to a headpiece used to cover a wearer's head and usually is held in place by a pair of extensions which are tied in place on the back of the wearer's head) there is a further problem. Such garments may be removed shortly before the wearer goes out into public. For example, some persons use a doo-rag to maintain a hairdo in place overnight while sleeping, to prevent a phenomenon known as “bed head”, and remove the doo-rag in the morning, leaving an unsightly line on the wearer's forehead for some time after removal and after the wearer starts his or her day. In other instances, a doo-rag may be worn as a “fashion statement”, as is the case with many persons who prefer “hip-hop” or other “urban” fashions. Such persons may wear the doo-rag in public, and then remove it when still in a public forum, and leave a line on their forehead when they do so.

There is thus a problem which exists for persons who wear garments which are held in place by pressure-imparting portion, namely the causation of unsightly pressure-induced lines on their body. While these lines fade over time, it would be preferred if they could be avoided entirely.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly speaking, the invention is directed to a garment, such as a doo-rag, which is held in place on a wearer's body by some pressure-imparting mechanism, such as a belt or a tie. The inventive garment includes a cushion which is located in the garment, preferably permanently, and positioned so that it rests between the pressure-imparting mechanism and the wearer's body, preventing the formation of unsightly marks on the wearer's body as a result of the pressure which holds the garment in place.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the garment is a doo-rag, and the cushion is located in a seam at one end thereof, near a pair of oppositely extending extensions which tie in the back of a wearer's head to secure the doo-rag in place.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated, they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an inventive garment, in this case a doo-rag, in accordance with the invention, shown partly in breakaway;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the garment of FIG. 1 in use, shown partly in breakaway, with a wearer's head shown in phantom, to place the invention in context; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a secondary embodiment of the invention, shown partly in breakaway, in which the garment is a pair of pants with a removable belt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows, generally at 10, an inventive garment in accordance with the invention. In FIGS. 1 and 2, garment 10 is a doo-rag.

Doo-rag 10 includes a head-covering portion 12 configured to conform to the general shape of a wearer's head and usually made of a suitable fabric. Two extensions, or ties, 14 extend from head-covering portion 12 from one side thereof. At the other side of head-covering portion 12 is a seam 16, inside which is disposed a cushion 18. Cushion 18 is preferably made of foam, and, at this time, the preferred foam is sold by Darice, Inc. of Strongville, Ohio, under the trade name “FOAMIES”. Cushion 18 may be of any suitable size, to fit around the portion of the body being contacted by the part of garment 10 which holds it in place, and for which there is concern about leaving a mark. In the case of a doo-rag, it is not generally necessary to place cushion 18 completely around the wearer's head, since the wearer is not as concerned about leaving a mark on the rear of the head. It is the forehead which is of concern. Cushion 18, therefore, should be of sufficient length to extend completely about that portion of the wearer over which the development of a mark is to be avoided or lessened.

This is a matter of design choice, however, depending upon the nature of the garment in which the invention is to be used. For example, in an apron, if desired, the cushion could extend completely around the body, even into the extension (apron strings), to ensure complete coverage, if it was desired to avoid marking over the entire body. One of ordinary skill in the art, without undue experimentation, would be well able to determine the proper length of cushion for any particular application.

In FIG. 2, doo-rag 10 is shown in use on a wearers head 20 (shown in phantom). In use, extensions 14 are tied in a knot or bow 22 at the rear or the wearer's head 20, securing doo-rag 10 in place by exerting a pressure or force over the front of the wearer's forehead. Cushion 18, by virtue of being placed within seam 16, is positioned at that place on the wearer where the force is most likely to produce a mark, the (relatively) softer forehead. The cushioning effect of cushion 18 prevents the formation of a deep mark, so that either no mark is left or, if the user tightens knot 22 very tightly, any resulting mark disappears more quickly than would otherwise be the case.

It is preferred that cushion 18 extend as a single piece throughout the region in which the pressure is expected to be exerted, to avoid any potential for a mark being generated at the border of a single, too short, cushion or between multiple adjacent cushions.

It is also preferred that the inner portion of seam 16 (not shown) be flat, and not have any raised surfaces (such as a bump or raised stitching), since the exertion of the pressure on the user's forehead, even with a cushion, could leave a mark where the raised surface contacts the forehead.

In this fashion, the inventive doo-rag 10 may lessen, or even eliminate entirely, the marking of a user's forehead.

In another embodiment, such as shown in FIG. 3, the invention may be applied to a garment which has a removable securing mechanism, such as a pair of pants 24 intended for use with a belt 26. As is conventional, pants 24 include belt loops 28 through which belt 26 is passed, and belt 26 may be tightened about the user's (not shown) waist, thereby securing pants 24 in place. A cushion 30 may be disposed in a seam 32 which extends substantially completely about pants 24, thereby cushioning the wearer against the application of pressure from belt 26. Thus, the invention may be deployed in an environment in which it is to be used in which the mechanism for securing the garment in place is removable.

Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A garment comprising:

means for covering a portion of a wearer's body;

means for securing said means for covering in place on said wearer's body;

said means for securing including a pressure-imparting portion for imparting pressure on a portion of said wearer's body, so as to assist in securing said means for covering to said wearer's body; and

a cushion disposed between said pressure-imparting portion and said wearer's body, to lessen the severity of any pressure-imparted line on said wearer's body from said pressure-imparting portion.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein said cushion comprises a resilient foam material.

3. The garment of claim 1, wherein said means for covering includes a seam at one end thereof, and said cushion is disposed within said seam.

4. The garment of claim 3, wherein said means for securing is disposed proximate said one end.

5. The garment of claim 1, wherein said cushion comprises a substantially integral piece extending along substantially the entire length of said pressure-imparting portion over which said pressure-imparting portion imparts pressure to said wearer's body.

6. A headpiece comprising:

means for covering a portion of a wearer's head;

means for securing said means for covering in place on said wearer's head;

said means for securing including a pressure-imparting portion for imparting pressure on a portion of said wearer's head, so as to assist in securing said means for covering to said wearer's head; and

a cushion disposed between said pressure-imparting portion and said wearer's head, to lessen the severity of a pressure-imparted line on said wearer's head from said pressure-imparting portion.

7. The headpiece of claim 6, wherein said cushion comprises a resilient foam material.

8. The headpiece of claim 6, wherein said means for covering includes a seam at one end thereof, and said cushion is disposed within said seam.

9. The headpiece of claim 8, wherein said means for securing is disposed proximate said one end.

10. The headpiece of claim 6, wherein said cushion comprises a substantially integral piece extending along substantially the entire length of said pressure-imparting portion over which said pressure-imparting portion imparts pressure to said wearer's head.

11. The headpiece of claim 6, wherein said headpiece is a “doo-rag”.

12. The headpiece of claim 6, further comprising a neck cover extending from an end of said means for covering opposite said means for securing.

13. The headpiece of claim 6, wherein said means for securing includes at least one extension extending from said means for securing, said extension being configured to wrap about said wearer's head, and thereby permit said wearer to secure said headpiece in a desired location on said wearer's head.

14. The headpiece of claim 13, wherein said means for securing includes two extensions, said two extensions being configured to permit said wearer to tie said extensions together, and thereby secure said headpiece to said wearer's head.

15. A garment comprising:

means for covering a portion of a wearer's body;

means for receiving a means for securing said means for covering in place on said wearer's body;

said means for securing including a pressure-imparting portion for imparting pressure on a portion of said wearer's body, so as to assist in securing said means for covering to said wearer's body; and

a cushion disposed proximate said means for receiving, between said pressure-imparting portion and said wearer's body, to lessen the severity of a pressure-imparted line on said wearer's body from said pressure-imparting portion.

16. The garment of claim 15, wherein said cushion comprises a resilient foam material.

17. The garment of claim 15, wherein said means for covering includes a seam at one end thereof, and said cushion is disposed within said seam.

18. The garment of claim 17, wherein said means for receiving said means for securing is disposed proximate said one end.

19. The garment of claim 15, wherein said cushion comprises a substantially integral piece extending along substantially the entire length of said pressure-imparting portion over which said pressure-imparting portion imparts pressure to said wearer's body.