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Abstract

The present invention related to a device for maintaining one's pant leg in the proper position in relation to one's shoes, to conceal the shoe, and retaining the trouser legs away from the ground. This invention includes a shoe with integrated fastener such as a hook, and a trouser leg with integrated fastener such as a loop. The shoe fastener integrated into the rear of the shoe just above the ground (e.g. the shoe hill) and the pants fastener integrated into the interior portion of the trouser leg cuff. Accordingly, the lower portion of the trousers legs may manually or automatically be attached to the shoe hill securing the trousers leg to the shoe and away from the ground.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of pending and commonly assigned provisional patent applications, as follows: U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/650,089, filed Feb. 7, 2004 and entitled “Dancing Pant Leg Retaining Method” The entire contents of the foregoing provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a trouser leg retaining device for use in connection with keeping one's trousers positioned away from the ground. Trousers with overlong legs are desirable; however, they typically can slip beneath the shoes, a condition which is unsafe and undesirable. Likewise, the trousers legs may be pulled up when sitting and caught above the boots when getting up. The trouser leg retaining device ensures that the trouser leg does not get dragged on the ground, caught on the shoe's top, beneath it, or beneath the other shoe.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Trouser leg retaining devices are desirable for keeping trouser legs in place and ensuring that the trouser leg does not pulled up, or get caught within or above the shoes when walking, running, dancing, and alike activity. Various boot attachments exist in the prior art, most of which are designed to achieve these desires. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,591 to Leslie discloses a firefighter's boot to trouser strap device for keeping a firefighter's uniform together.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,213 issued to Grilliot et al relates to a firefighter's boot and trouser attachment. The attachment device relates to a band having a strap extending therefrom. The strap contains fastener elements which attach to portions of the firefighter's trousers.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,522 issued to Calabrese relates to an ankle garter with foot stirrups. The device includes an open ended garter band with a U-shaped stirrup depending therefrom.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,615 issued to Jaffee relates to a ski cuff insertable inside each leg portion of a pair of stretch pants having a pair of elastic bands designed to firmly hold the cuff piece onto a ski boot.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,375 issued to Troy relates to a boot having a pant leg retaining means comprising a hook and buckle attached to the top edge of the boot upper portion.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,498 issued to Sadowski relates to stays for trousers including a strap extending beneath the wearer's foot and upwardly into opposing sides of a trouser leg.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,906 to Lavine et al discloses a clippable trouser retaining strap that maintains the cuff of a leg of a pair of trousers in a downward position. However, the Lavine et al '906 patent does not have a mechanism to secure the pant to the back of the shoe, and additionally does not have a design snap onto which a logo may be displayed.

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,213 to Grilliot et al discloses a firefighter's boot and trouser attachment that keeps a firefighter's boot attached to his trouser leg. However, the Grilliot et al '213 patent cannot be used with any footwear other than boots. It has the additional deficiency of wrapping around the firefighters boot as opposed to attaching to the top of the boot.

Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,156 to Oglesby discloses a trouser leg retaining device that keeps trouser legs attached to shoes to keep pant legs from riding up. However, the Oglesby '156 patent does not attach to the top of a shoe, and has the additional deficiency of attaching to the bottom of a shoe thus enabling the elastic strap to wear out quicker due to friction from walking on pavement.

As indicated above, various boot attachments and similar structures exist in the prior art. However, each of these devices relates to a means for securing a trouser leg about or within a boot or for compressing a boot to assist a user in placing a pant leg thereover and to conceal the boot therewithin. While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a trouser leg retaining device that preventing an overlong trouser legs from being dragged on the ground. Furthermore none of these prior art describe a trouser leg retaining device that may automatically secure the trousers leg to the respective shoes and the ground. Finally, in the present invention, the trouser leg retainer is also attached to the hill of the shoe as opposed to wrapping around the bottom of the shoe or the top of the shoe thus maximizing the concealing of the shoe.

Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved trouser leg retaining device that can be used for automatically or manually keeping pants away from the ground. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the trouser leg retaining device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of keeping pants legs above the ground. The present patent also can be used with any sort of footwear, not just boots as seen in some of the above-mentioned patents. Furthermore, the present patent utilizes any fastening device, such as Velcro, magnetic strip, snaps, and more.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of footwear securing device now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved trouser leg retaining device, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved trouser leg retaining device and method which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a trouser leg retaining device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof. Also, this invention particularly allows a user to wear a pant with longer then usual legs and yet keep these pant's legs a way from the ground.

To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a fastener device, such as a hook, that integrated to the pant leg and another fastener device, such as a loop, that integrated to the shoe hill. A first section of the fastener integrated to the rear section of the shoe hill. The second section of the fastener is integrated to the back inner edge of the pants leg to connect the trouser leg to the shoe hill just above the ground. The fasteners may be made a standard or optional feature of the shoes (permanently glued, screwed, or built into the hill of the shoe at the time the boots are manufactured; and the same holds true for attachment on pants at the time the pants are manufactured. However, the fasteners may be retrofitted to the boots and pants through methods known in the art.

Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved trouser leg retaining device that has all of the advantages of the prior art shoe to trouser strap device and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved trouser leg retaining device that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new trouser leg retaining device that provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for keeping overly long trouser legs away from the ground.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device that allows the shoe or boot to be conveniently concealed beneath a wearer's trousers.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device that is easy to use and automatically or manually retains the trousers legs to the shoe.

Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a trouser leg retaining device for keeping pant legs in place. This keeps pants from falling behind shoes and further discourages upward movement of pant legs during user's activity. The trouser leg retaining device can be used with any type of footwear.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device that allows the pant leg to unfasten and disengaged from the shoe manually and or automatically when the pants leg is considerably pulled upward such as when user is sitting.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and the appended claims.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a left side view of the first embodiment of a shoe with Velcro retaining device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a right side view of the second embodiment of a shoe with Velcro retaining device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the third embodiment of the trouser leg of the present invention where is the Velcro retaining device affixed interiorly to the cuff of the pants.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view (see-through) of the forth embodiment of the trouser leg of the present invention where is the retaining device affixed interiorly to the cuff of the pants.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing both the pants and a boot with the pant's leg attached to the shoe hill just above the ground.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view (see-through) of Applicant's present invention showing both the pants and a boot with the pant's leg attached to the shoe hill just above the ground.

FIG. 7 is a left side view of the second embodiment of a shoe with a socket fastener, which is part of snap fastens fastener, device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a retaining device which constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a left side view of the third embodiment of a shoe with a retaining device, which is mounted around the hill in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-2, a preferred embodiment of shoe with a retaining device of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The retaining device (11) e.g. hook is integrated to the rear of the shoe hill (12)

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 3-4, a preferred embodiment of pant leg with a retaining device of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral 20. The retaining device (21) e.g. lop is integrated interiorly to the rear of the pant cuff (22)

With reference to FIGS. 5-6, it is seen that the overly long pant leg (30) problem is corrected, and actually prevented, by the use of a fastener device. The hook (31) that is integrated to the rear portion of the shoe hill (33) is engaged to the loop (32) that is integrated interiorly inside the cuff or bottom portion of the pants (34). The hook (31) and loop (32) restricts the pants to a desired position in relation to the floor preventing the pant leg from falling behind the shoe and being dragged on the ground. As seen in FIG. 5-6 the front portion of the overly long leg cuff (35) is supported by the front portion of the shoe (36).

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 7, a preferred embodiment of shoe with a retaining device of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral 40. This embodiment shows a snap fastener (41) integrated to the rear of the shoe hill (42). Not shown here an equivalent snap fastener is attached to the pant leg for engaging the pant to the shoe hill and a way from the ground.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 8, a preferred embodiment of shoe with a retaining device of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral 50. This embodiment shows a fastener (51) with retainer band (52) which comprised of an elastic material, such as a rubber, or any other suitable material. The retainer band allows to keep the retainer deice in place and around the hill rather than attached it permanently to the shoe. This elastic band-allows the removal of the retainer device when not in use.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 9, a preferred embodiment of shoe with a retaining device of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral 60. This embodiment shows a fastener (61) with retainer band (not shown here) mounted on a shoe hill just above the ground.

Fasteners (11), (21), (31), (32), (41) (50), and (61) maintains the pants at a desired level in relation to the shoes and the ground and never lets the overlong pants legs slide under the shoe or dragged on the floor when walking or dancing. The retaining device also conceals the shoes when sitting as it keeps the legs attaches to the shoe heals preventing the legs from pulling up. Yet, when necessary such as with large range of legs movement or knee bending such as when crouching the hook and loop of the retaining device may disengaged allowing upward movement of the pants. One of the reason that set this invention apart is that it is so practical and user friendly. In addition this invention allows a user to wear an overlong legs pant without the risk of dragging the pants legs on the ground or stepping on them. This function is provided for in fasteners (11), (21), (31), (32), and (41) which can be a magnetic strip hidden inside the pants cuff (22) and attached to the hill of the shoe (12), or other suitable type that can be automatically Engaged and disengages the pant leg to the shoe.

Claims

1. A retaining device for keeping a pants leg a way from the ground, retaining device comprising:

A first fastener device attached to the interior rear portion of the trouser leg cuff

A second fastener device attached to the lower rear section of a shoe

Wherein when the first fastener device attached to the second fastener device prevent the pant leg from slipping past the heel of the boot and touching the ground.

2. The system of claim 1 where the first fastener device includes a means to permanently attach it to the pant cuff.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second fastener device include a means to permanently attach it to the shoe hill.