Hidden Sleeve Zipper for Tailored Clothing

Abstract

The invention comprises a non-outerwear garment having at least one sewn seam on a sleeve of the garment and at least one said sleeve has an upper arm portion, a lower arm portion, and a cuff portion. A zipper extends from at least the upper arm portion through the lower arm portion and comprises a plurality of teeth. The plurality of teeth/coils has an open and a closed configuration, and in an at least partially closed configuration, a respective closed portion of the zipper or a fully closed zipper is substantially indistinguishable from the at least one seam.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Garments which have sleeves to cover the arms of a wearer have, of course, been known and used for thousands of years. However, the sleeves of such garments, while providing dignity to the wearer and protection from the elements, are often difficult to move away from the arm when desired. It is often not practical, socially acceptable, or desirable for a wearer to switch to a short-sleeved or other garment when the wearer wants to remove the garment from covering his arm.

Prior art garments, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,999 to Lurry disclose modular clothes, whereby attachment means which are transverse to the length of an arm are provided to disconnect sleeve fabric from the rest of the garment. Other garments, such as are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,089 to Nesse, and sweaters known in the art are designed as bulky and heavy outerwear garments. The Nesse device, for example, is designed to change from a long sleeve to a no sleeve garment and has visibly different connections between the detachable or rollable sections of the jacket garment compared to a common jacket.

Many of these prior art garments further have visible zippers which are not suited or acceptable for wear in a professional setting. However, for those who wear tefillin (phylacteries), access to both the upper and lower arm is needed, typically, while wearing common articles of clothing such as long sleeve shirts.

FIG. 1A shows a prior art garment with zipper sleeve in a closed configuration. FIG. 1B shows a prior art garment with zipper sleeve in an open configuration. Sleeve 10 comprises a closed zipper 20, cuff 12, and tab 22. By pulling the tab 22 along the closed zipper 20, the open zipper 24 emerges, allowing access to the arm. However, both the zipper 20 and tab 22 are visible at all times. Such a garment is not practical for professional use or many social settings. Outerwear garments, such as this sweater, provide little gain to a user needing quick access to the arm while being able to quickly reconfigure or assemble their garment, because such garments are designed to be worn over other garments which do not have such removable features.

Therefore, a garment is needed which is substantially indistinguishable from garments which are already worn by individuals so as to be socially acceptable, while providing the benefit of being able to remove a portion of a garment covering a wearer's arm when desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a non-outerwear garment, such as a shirt, which is as similar as possible, at least in outward appearance, to long sleeve garments commonly worn, while having the ability to easily access the naked flesh of the arm of the wearer.

An embodiment of the invention is a non-outerwear garment. The garment has at least one sewn seam on a sleeve of the garment, and at least one said sleeve has an upper arm portion, a lower arm portion, and a cuff portion. A zipper extends from at least the upper arm portion through the lower arm portion and comprises a plurality of teeth. The plurality of teeth/coils has an open and a closed configuration, and in an at least partially closed configuration, a respective closed portion of the zipper or a fully closed zipper is substantially indistinguishable from the at least one seam.

The at least one sewn seam may be a seam sewn on a cuff, on either sleeve, and/or may be at least a portion of a seam connecting a sleeve to the body of the garment. Substantially indistinguishable is defined as having an appearance such that at least a casual observer viewing a closed zipper in an embodiment of the invention would believe that he or she was looking at a sewn seam and/or that the garment is a regular garment such as a button down shirt or dress shirt (i.e., a tailored shirt).

In embodiments of the invention, the zipper extends to the cuff. The cuff may further comprise a button and buttonhole adapted to receive the button. The zipper may terminate at the cuff. The garment has two sleeves, and only one or both sleeves may comprise the zipper.

A method of manufacturing a dress shirt proceeds by fixedly attaching a proximal end of a sleeve to a body of a shirt via a first sewn seam extending around a proximal end of the sleeve. A cuff is fixedly attached to a distal end of the sleeve and has a button and buttonhole. A zipper extends at least partially between the first sewn seam and the cuff.

The zipper may extend at least from the first sewn seam to the cuff, or a second sewn seam may extend from the body of the shirt towards the cuff, and the zipper extends from the second sewn seam to the cuff. The zipper may be invisible (not perceived by) to an ordinary observer of the shirt. The second sewn seam and an outer portion of the zipper may be substantially indistinguishable, meaning that an ordinary observer would think that he or she is looking at one consistently sewn seam.

A garment of an embodiment of the invention may be a non-outerwear garment and may be a dress shirt.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a prior art garment with zipper sleeve in a closed configuration.

FIG. 1B shows a prior art garment with zipper sleeve in an open configuration.

FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of a garment of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a blown up view of a portion of the sleeve shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a blown up view of the cuff area of the garment shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows a garment of an embodiment of the invention comprising a sleeve in an open configuration.

FIG. 6 shows the garment of the invention being closed in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 shows an underarm view of a garment of the invention in an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 shows a blown up version of a shoulder area of a garment of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows an example of an embodiment of the invention used in conjunction with tefillin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention comprise a non-outerwear garment, such as a shirt, which is indistinguishable or substantially indistinguishable from common garments worn in the workforce or marketplace, the garment comprising a sleeve terminating in a cuff with buttons and buttonholes and a longitudinal zipper extending therefrom, allowing for access to the arm while the shirt and sleeve are worn by a person. The zipper is substantially invisible to others in a closed configuration thereof.

FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of a garment of an embodiment of the invention. The drawing shown in FIG. 2 is a common shirt 100, save for the novel features of the invention. Shirt 100 may be a dress shirt. Dress shirts are generally tailor fitted (made according to the specifications of an individual), designed to be worn indoors and outdoors, may be worn as the only or a primary upper body garment, and comprise one or more elements such as a collar 102, button down front 106, sleeve 110, cuff 112, and button (and buttonhole) 114 on the cuff. Dress shirts and others generally further comprise a plurality of sewn seams (stitching in the fabric attaching two pieces of previously unattached fabric to each other), such as seam 104 which attaches the sleeve of the shirt to the body of the shirt. Other sewn seams are generally found down the length of the arms, around a front pocket, if any, around either side of a cuff, down the side of the shirt, along the top and lower parts of the shoulder, near the periphery of the collar or ends of the shirt, and so forth.

FIG. 3 shows a blown up view of a portion of the sleeve shown in FIG. 2. The sleeve 110 comprises a seam 120. The seam is substantially or wholly indistinguishable from at least one other seam of the shirt, such as those described above; however, part or all of the fabric of the sleeve 110 is held together by a zipper. The seam 120 extends longitudinally down the length of the sleeve from the shoulder portion (at or near seam 104) towards or to the cuff 112 and is attached with a hidden zipper, that is, a zipper whereby at least some or all of the closed parts thereof are not ordinarily seen by the naked eye or casual observer of the shirt 100 when the zipper or part thereof is in a closed configuration. The seam 120 substantially resembles or appears identical to at least one other seam on the shirt 100, such as the corresponding seam on the other sleeve. The seam 120 may also comprise a sewn portion (such as is common on seams of shirts in the prior art) and a zipper portion, which are substantially or fully indistinguishable from each other in the closed configuration.

In order to achieve the low or non-existent visibility of the zipper from the outside of the garment, a bottom stop (end of the zipper) may not be used or may be sewn underneath the fabric of the shirt 100 itself, so as not to cause a noticeable protrusion. Further, the zipper teeth may be coils (a continuous wrap of nylon filaments, for example) to avoid bulk or visibility. A concealed coil or invisible type zipper may be used. For purposes of this disclosure, the “teeth” or “coils” of a zipper are used interchangeably. The tape of the zipper, that is, the fabric on either side of the teeth or coils of a zipper, is fabric of the shirt 100 itself or is sewn underneath the fabric of the clothes with stitching which is not visible from the outside of the shirt or stitching that matches a seam of the shirt.

Further (non-functional) stitching may be desired and used in embodiments of the invention, so as to allow the seam 120 or area around the seam to match another seam on the garment or match another stitched pattern on the garment, resulting in the seam 120 being even more indistinguishable from that of other seams on the garment. Substantially any type of concealed zipper device known in the art, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0214614 to Okot, and any type of stitching known in the art may be used to carry out embodiments of the invention to make a zipper invisible and/or the seam 120 or a part thereof substantially indistinguishable from other seams of the shirt 100 or other garment.

FIG. 4 shows a blown up view of the cuff area of the garment shown in FIG. 2. The seam 120 extends to the cuff where the tab (the handle which is pulled by a user to open and close the zipper) is tucked under the cuff 112 to further ensure that the seam 120 is indistinguishable from at least one other seam or sewn portion of seam 120. In this manner, the use and functionality of the cuff is retained, the overall look and character of the shirt are unchanged from that of other shirts, such as dress shirts, known in the art, and the increased functionality of having the ability to access at least a portion of the arm in the manner shown and described in this disclosure is gained.

FIG. 5 shows a garment of an embodiment of the invention comprising a sleeve in an open configuration. The open zipper 122 has been emboldened for purposes of viewing clarity; however, it should be understood that in embodiments of the invention, the open zipper 122 appears merely as a length of teeth (or coils) matching the color or overall appearance of the shirt itself, and that the size thereof may be smaller than that shown, such as 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, and so forth. The teeth (or coils) are imperceptible when closed and may be hidden beneath sewn stitching, the stitching being sewn for decorative purposes only or lacking the formation of a seam.

The zipper 122 extends from a lower arm portion through at least part of the upper arm portion. The lower arm portion is the portion of the sleeve 110 which covers from the elbow to the wrist. The upper arm portion is the portion of the sleeve 110 which covers from the elbow to the shoulder. The zipper extends through the lower arm portion and at least partially into the upper arm portion thereof, or may extend through the upper arm portion and terminate adjacent to, or at a seam connecting, the sleeve 110 to the body of the shirt. In this manner, in different embodiments of the invention, the zipper extends to various lengths over the upper arm portion of an arm and is designed such that, in a fully unzipped configuration, the sleeve 110 will continue to cover a desired portion of the upper arm. Still further, the unzipped portion of the sleeve, by way of gravity, falls over the upper and, in some cases, portions or all of the lower, arm (such as when the cuff button is placed into the button hole 114 or is otherwise engaged or closed), and allows access to a portion of the upper and lower arm, while covering other portions of the upper and lower arm for purposes of warmth or another need or desire of the user to continue to cover as much of the body as possible (such as a religious need).

FIG. 6 shows the garment of the invention being closed in an embodiment of the invention. A pull or tab (not shown) is held between fingers of the user and the zipper is pulled towards the cuff and may be pulled to the cuff, where the pull or tab of the zipper may be hidden beneath the fabric of the cuff 112. The button and button hole 114 may also be engaged. In this manner, the sleeve 110 may substantially cover the skin of the arm (i.e., more than half) in the zipped or unzipped configuration, and still further, may be fully zipped or unzipped when the shirt is worn, while both separately allowing the cuff to be opened and closed and the user to have a regular day-to-day garment, in that such a garment may be worn to school or work and is indistinguishable, at least in a closed configuration, from prior art garments such as shirts.

FIG. 7 shows an underarm view of a garment of the invention in an embodiment of the invention. The zipper 120 (drawn for illustration purposes, though less visible or not visible in embodiments of the invention) extends from the cuff to the upper arm portion of the sleeve 110. In this embodiment, a portion of the upper arm area of the sleeve is attached to itself by way of a sewn seam, and the zipper 120 abuts, adjoins, or is connected to the sewn seam. In this manner, when viewing from the outside of the shirt, such as when the shirt is being worn, the sewn seam and zipper portion of the seam appear to be unitary fastening mechanisms and are substantially indistinguishable from each other and/or from a sewn seam on a second sleeve.

FIG. 8 shows a blown up version of a shoulder area of a garment of an embodiment of the invention. Connecting seam 104 is a sewn seam attaching the sleeve 110 to the body of the shirt 100. Seam 120 connects the fabric of the sleeve to itself and is comprised of either, a) a sewn seam and a zipper seam, b) a completely sewn seam, or c) a completely zipper seam. One sleeve of the garment may be one of the above and the other seam may be another of the above in any combination. The connecting seam 104 may be used as a stop of the zipper.

FIG. 9 shows an example of an embodiment of the invention used in conjunction with tefillin. Tefillin, also called phylacteries, are two black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with biblical verses. The arm-tefillin, or shel yad, is worn on the upper arm, while the head-tefillin, or shel rosh, is placed above the forehead. Embodiments of the invention allow a wearer to put the tefillin on the upper arm while having a sleeve 110 drape down over the arm. With common shirts known in the art (those having a sewn seam extending from the shoulder or proximal area of the sleeve through to the cuff or distal area of the sleeve), the sleeve cannot be effectively placed over both the tefillin and the arm. However, it is desired, such as in cold weather or for religious purposes, to have as much of the skin of the arm covered as possible. As a person only wears tefillin on one arm, in embodiments of the invention, the zipper is only on a single sleeve.

While the invention has been taught with specific reference to the above embodiments, a person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. Combinations of any of the methods, systems, and devices described hereinabove are also contemplated and within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A non-outerwear garment comprising:

at least one sewn seam on a sleeve of said garment;

at least one said sleeve comprising an upper arm portion, a lower arm portion, and a cuff portion;

a zipper extending from at least said upper arm portion through said lower arm portion comprising a plurality of coils;

said plurality of coils having an opened and a closed configuration; and

in an at least partially closed configuration, a respective closed portion of said zipper is substantially indistinguishable from said at least one seam.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein in a fully closed configuration said zipper is indistinguishable from said seam.

3. The garment of claim 1, wherein said garment is a button-down shirt.

4. The garment of claim 1, wherein said zipper extends to said cuff.

5. The garment of claim 4, wherein said cuff further comprises a button and buttonhole adapted to receive said button.

6. The garment of claim 5, wherein said zipper terminates at said cuff.

7. The garment of claim 1, wherein said at least one sleeve is two sleeves and one sleeve comprises said zipper.

8. The garment of claim 1, wherein said zipper terminates at a seam of said shirt and said seam of said shirt is a stop.

9. A method of manufacturing a dress shirt comprising the steps of:

fixedly attaching a proximal end of a sleeve to a body of a shirt via a first sewn seam extending around a proximal end of said sleeve;

fixedly attaching a cuff comprising a button and buttonhole to a distal end of said sleeve;

providing a zipper extending at least partially between said first sewn seam and said cuff.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said zipper extends at least from said first sewn seam to said cuff.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a second sewn seam extends from said body of said shirt towards said cuff, and said zipper extends from said second sewn seam to said cuff.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least when said zipper is in a closed configuration, said second sewn seam and an outer portion of said zipper are substantially indistinguishable.

13. The method of claim 9 where said zipper in a closed configuration is invisible to an ordinary observer of said shirt.

14. A tailored garment comprising:

a sleeve comprising a proximal end, said proximal end comprising a seam fixedly attaching said end to a body of said garment;

said sleeve further comprising a second seam extending from said proximal end generally towards a distal end of said sleeve; and

a zipper distally extending from a distal end of said second seam.

15. The garment of claim 14, wherein said zipper terminates substantially at a cuff.

16. The garment of claim 14, wherein, at least when viewed from the outside, closed portions of said zipper are substantially indistinguishable from said second seam.

17. The garment of claim 14, wherein said garment comprises two sleeves comprising said first seam, said second seam, and said zipper.

18. The garment of claim 14, wherein said garment comprises two sleeves and only one sleeve comprises said zipper.

19. The garment of claim 14, wherein said garment is a non-outerwear garment.

20. The garment of claim 19, wherein said garment is a dress shirt.