HIPBAND POUCH

Abstract

A pouch for holding items is disclosed which has the appearance of a waistband. The pouch is formed as a tube of a stretchable material with a plurality of openings therein. Items may be inserted through the openings and positioned within the pouch. The pouch may be manipulated to position the openings at various positions around the body. The openings may also be positioned on the outside, inside, top or other part of the pouch. The pouch has a substantially constant width to better camouflage items placed therein. The openings may include closures to prevent items from falling out. The pouch may be formed of a single circle or include closures for placing it around the body.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to wearable accessories for carrying one or more items during physical activity. More particularly, it relates to a wearable pouch formed to create a smooth band worn about a portion of the body.

2. Discussion of Related Art

It is a common practice for individuals engaged in exercise activity and other sports to wear device/items holders in the form of arm bands or wristbands or athletic utility belts such as fanny packs. The packs allow the user to carry phones, music devices and/or other misc items during the physical activity. However, many of these packs are often too conspicuous or bulky, not stable against the body, not easy to access items, nor offer flexibility of item placement and access. Many women in the gym do not like to wear anything that looks like a utility belt or fanny pack to hold only a few items even with the smallest versions of today's packs. Many will carry a few items to work out such as phone/music devices, locker key/cards by hand rather than wear the typical waist pouch that looks like a fanny pack with separate pouch, belt and buckle. This invention is a waistband pouch belt that looks like a waistband over your typical leotard or shorts. Previous designs/inventions even in the smallest form are a belt with a pouch in some form attached to it and are not the easiest or flexible method to access your items during activity. Various closures such zippers are difficult to zip/unzip during activity. The present invention's one pouch construction throughout the belt also allows for your item to slide as desired horizontally to any placement around your waist for access. The typical pouches do not allow the convenience of many access openings throughout the waist. This invention uses slits throughout the band that allow sliding your items in and out easily during activity and finding a slit is easy with many located throughout the band. Previously there is nothing that offers the ability to turn your belt around your body allowing you to place the openings in any position that suits your needs without changing the placement of a bulging pouch or buckle or to be able to turn the pocket openings vertically on the belt by rotating the openings for a more secure hold when turning them to the belt backside. Previously the hold is less stable because of the inconsistent material or construction throughout the waistband, loose or bulging pouches and varying widths of the belt and pouch created with or without the items in the pouch. This invention offers more stability in hold because the whole band is the pocket and the wide width is close to the width of the phone/devices and small items. This keeps the items from twisting or flipping while the stretch material consistent throughout the band offers a tight hold.

Consequently, a need still exists for an innovation which will provide an effective solution to the aforementioned problem in the prior art without introducing any new problems in place thereof.

U.S. Pat. No. US 2008/0190980 A1 to Overton shows a compact waist pouch practical for activity and exercise. This pouch, however, is not the best for gym use in that it is still a visible fanny pack with buckles and expands into a pouch when items are placed in it. The hold is not as secure with the inconsistent design of a pouch sewn to a belt and accessibility to your items during activity still requires unzipping the bag placed in one location.

U.S. Pat. No. D334,471 to Yerby, et al. shows a waist pouch practical for day-to-day use, and carrying multiple items. This pouch, however, is not practical for the gym goer needing to hide his or her phone, one key or credit card. It is also not practical for the exercise involved in rigorous activity, in that the pouch will jump around.

There are several waist pouch type designs on the market, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,824 to Alvarez, et al. (Sep. 29,1992), but similar to U.S. Pat. No. D334,471, such packs/ pouches/bags are impractical for individuals who are in need of a holder for just their key, or phone, or money, and for those who are involved in rigorous activity such as jogging or exercising. The excess material for various compartments also increases the cost and time of production.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,835 to Payne (Oct. 29, 1991) discloses a belt type personal carrier apparatus for conveniently supporting a beverage container and other belongings of a person about the person's waist. Though this belt provides the user with a carrying space attached to the pocket, it is designed to fit atop of the belt; therefore it will bounce when the user participates in vigorous activities such as jogging. Additionally if or when the water carrying devise is not used it will interfere with the comfort of the user.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,975 to Libertucci (Oct. 11, 1994) is specifically designed as a Carrier For A Portable Stereo Unit. It has the capability to hold items such as an MP3 player and Internet access mobile phone, but as with U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,835 and U.S. Pat. No. D334,471 it is impractical for individuals who are in need of a holder for just their key, or phone, or money, and for those who are involved in rigorous activities such as jogging or exercising.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,205 to Kennedy (Jul. 8, 1997) shows a pouch, consisting of an enclosure, a re-sealable inner waterproof pouch, and a detachable strap to be fastened around the waist of the user. Users may find this useful when swimming where there is not such a need for a belt to stay snug to the body, but during out of the water rigorous activities this belt is not practical. This pouch is not designed to remain taut against the body and will not withstand rigorous activities such as jogging or exercising out of the water.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,636 to Angus et al. (Mar. 2, 2004) waist pouch. This is an example of a multi-pocket belt. This pouch is made with elastic that expands on the user's body, however the multi-pocket belt also comes with a thick band and bulky buckles. A thicker belt promotes sweat, and is not preferred by the runner or exercise enthusiasts who prefer to keep their apparel to a minimum.

Other waist pack/pouches multi-compartment styles on the market can make it difficult to access a single item while engaging in a rigorous activity such as jogging or exercising. Multi-compartment belt pouches do not allow for quick access to items, and are confusing to the user when searching for a single item during an activity such as running.

Therefore, a need exists for a pouch which can accommodate different items during exercise, which allows easy access to the items, which prevents items from interfering with exercise, and which does not distract from the appearance and clothing of the wearer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes many of the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a pouch for holding items formed as a single structure. According to one aspect of the invention, the pouch is formed of a stretchable material which can be worn around a portion of the body, such as the waist, hips, arm, wrist, torso, leg or ankle. The stretchable nature of the material holds the pouch in place. According to another aspect of the invention, the pouch is formed as a single circle of material. According to another aspect of the invention, the pouch includes a closure at the ends thereof for creating a circle.

According to another aspect of the invention, the pouch is formed as a tube of material having openings therein. Items may be inserted through the openings and held in place within the tube of material. According to another aspect of the invention, the openings are separated by closed portions of the tube. The closed portions hold items in place. Since the pouch is formed of stretchable material, items of various sizes may be inserted through the openings. The stretchable material holds items securely within the tube of material. According to another aspect of the invention, closures may be used to partially seal the openings.

According to another aspect of the invention, the pouch is of substantially constant width throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a hipband pouch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the hipband pouch according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates portion of the hipband pouch of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates the hipband pouch according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 retaining objects therein.

FIG. 5 is a view of a hipband pouch according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a stretchable pouch which can be worn for carrying items. The pouch is formed as a circle to be worn about a part of the body. It is stretchable so that it will form tightly about the body, remain in place and hold the items without movement. Preferably, the pouch is sized to fit around the wearer's hip or waist. The pouch is preferably of substantially consistent width. In this manner, it may appear as a part of the clothing, such as a waistband, worn by the wearer. Preferably, the pouch is worn about the hips and is, therefore, referred to as a hipband herein. Of course, the hipband may be worn about the waist or any other part of the body. The invention is not limited by the size of the hipband pouch nor where it is worn or designed to be worn.

In a preferred embodiment, the hipband pouch is constructed to wrap around the wearer's waist or hips as an ordinary waistband. The entire hipband functions as a carrying pouch for flexible placement of items. The hipband pouch is formed of a stretchable material so that items are held in place by the elastic tension of the material. The hipband pouch includes several openings or slits around the entire band. The multiple openings allows easy and flexible access of items while securely retaining the items contained therein.

Many prior art waist pouches show pouches as separate entities and/or material from the belt which holds the pouch in place. The pouches have a pouch or pouches sewn to a belt. This results in pouches that have bulges at different locations along the belt and look like fanny packs. The present invention allows the tension of the waistband stretch material to hold items in the pouch snuggly without creating an obvious bulge in an obvious pouch. When small objects are placed into the band they are neatly hidden in the thickness and width of the band. The consistent width all around is preferably the same width or wider as a cell phone in horizontal placement. Other embodiments can be adapted such as varying width to fit other wider or narrower objects.

An embodiment of the hipband pouch 1 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 which illustrate front and rear views of thereof. The hipband pouch is preferably formed from a one piece, seamless, elastic/stretchable/expandable fabric or other material 10. The material 10 is shaped to form a tube having an inner side 11 and outer side 12. The material 10 is preferably shaped as a rectangle so that the hipband 10 has substantially constant width. A plurality of openings or slits 31, 32, 33, 34 are formed around the outer side 12 of the hipband 1. Between the openings 31, 32, 33, 34 are a plurality of sealed portions 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. The openings 31, 32, 33, 34 allow items to be inserted therethrough into the interior of the tube of material. The sealed portions 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 help the hipband 1 to retain its shape and provide elastic tension of the material 10 about the items to hold them in place.

FIG. 4 illustrates the placement of items 50, 51, 52 within the hipband pouch 1. Any item may be placed in the hipband pouch 1. Items may included locker or other keys, phone/music devices, credit cards, tissues, gum, etc. The hipband pouch is even and consistent in design all around allowing for flexible placement of the hipband on the body because the appearance is consistent. It has the same width all around and is preferably the same width or wider as a cell phone in horizontal placement. Of course, because the material is stretchable, the hipband pouch 1 can accommodate items which may be somewhat larger than the width of the hipband pouch 1. The material flexes to allow placement of the larger items. The construction and design described herein allow the hipband pouch to hold multiple items throughout the belt while maintaining a look that blends with the wearer's other garments.

The hipband pouch 1 is formed as a circle sized to be worn on a part of the body of the wearer. The circle may be formed by a seam 40 at the ends of the tube of material. Alternatively, the ends of the tube of material may be releasably attached together using any known methods. Such methods may includes connectors, clips, latches, buttons, hooks, hook and loop fasteners, zipper, etc. Alternatively, the material may be formed as a single circle of material without any seam. The hipband pouch 1 of the present invention provides a pouch for holding items which extends entirely around the waist, hip or other body part. The hipband pouch 1 offers flexibility as to placement of items within the pouch. The multiple openings 31, 32, 33, 34 allow items to be inserted anywhere around the hipband pouch 1. Any number of openings 31, 32, 33, 34 may be used. A single opening may be sufficient, but multiple openings allow improved placement of materials. The tubular nature of the hipband pouch 1 allows items to be stored throughout the band even in the backside and items can be moved horizontally within the belt to the desired placement of the wearer. For example, a phone could be inserted in the front and slid from to the front or side.

The hipband pouch 1 may be formed of a stretchable material 10 in any desired manner. It may be formed of a single piece of material or multiple pieces of material which are attached together. An embodiment for forming a hipband pouch is illustrated in FIG. 3. The material 10 is stitched in a cylindrical or tubular manner leaving openings/slits 31, 32 between sewn portions 21, 22 of the waist seam. The pouch 10 may be lined 15 with another fabric to create two plies. The material 10 is preferably a flexible fabric material that will stretch around the waist and hips of the user for a snug fit. That is, with no items in the pouch, the pouch will fold like a headband. The material is preferably soft and stretchy elastic/expandable fabric or other material that also has some surface friction so that the band does not slip from the hip placement. The material can be a performance fabric or cotton Lycra, spandex, or other outdoor recreational fabric with stretch so as to blend with clothing articles.

The entire waistband pouch is preferably made from one piece of generally rectangular fabric of med weight for structure with some friction to hold the band in place as the outer shell. A good fabric weight and elasticity will allow for a balance of holding the waistband structure yet be pliable enough to fit nicely around the hips and waist without being too bulky. A lining may be used to give a smooth interior finish for ease of pulling the items in and out of the pouch.

A generally rectangular piece of fabric 10 can be stitched to the lining 15 on the long edges then turned inside out. This single 2 ply rectangle can then be folded over (so that the top edge is brought to the bottom edges) to enclose an internal volume. The sewing will leave openings along the brought together edges so they can act as the pouch openings. This tube is then wrapped where the ends are stitched together to finish the circle hipband.

A hipband pouch design used in some preferred embodiments makes it easier to provide/manufacture bands in various colors and patterns as in simple clothing accessories. This allows production to more easily incorporate a variety of colors at lower cost to produce. A belt that is the single pouch offers individuals with a variety of waistband appearances (colors, designs, fabric types, etc.) at a relatively lower production cost where prior-art pouches do not. The hipband can become as variable and the headband. The different colors and patterns can make the user with the basic black legging appear to change outfit with different waistband pouch changes.

In some embodiments, the lining or shell will be of water resistant material for water activity such as boating or beach goers or activity in the rain.

A preferred embodiment will have a width of approximately 3″ to comfortably enclose a cell phone placed horizontally in the belt. In some embodiments, the waistband pouch will also have wider widths and elasticity, that is, the pouch will be able to be a tighter support to also accentuate the waistline or control the extra belly appearance. The hipband can act as a ‘control top’ as well as a pouch for small items.

In some embodiments, the fabric or other material used to form the band will be a grip fabric or have custom printed grip for non-slip stay on smooth performance type fabric bottoms.

Embodiments of the present invention solve problems of inconsistent support tension and uneven weight of the belt in many prior art waist pouches. The hipband pouch 1 formed of a single material 10 offers consistent support throughout where the ‘pouch’ portion will not behave differently from the belt such as flip/twist or difference in support and tightness of hold. The use of one consistent material throughout the belt allows the pouch to stretch which allows the pouch to remain snug against the wearer's body during use. The elasticity/material of the waistband pouch and size/width of the pouch can be varied depending on the intended use, such as the size of the items that are to be contained within the pouch and the intended activity of the wearer such as in the gym or casual day wear.

Several objects and advantages provided by various embodiments of the invention include: to provide a utility belt that is created from a single pocket pouch which can be economically and easily produced; to provide a carrying belt apparatus that is inconspicuous and is not a pouch attached to a belt so it does not look like or flop around like a fanny pack; to provide a simple waistband belt that items are easily assessable during working out by having many openings to the one pouch and items can be placed anywhere along the band and the openings can be placed anywhere that is comfortable to the user to access items or secure items, to provide a belt that is water-friendly and washable as a fashion accessory; and to provide a comfortable and secure alternative to holding items in a pocket or purse when workout at the gym or for daily use that looks like a waistband and hides items neatly inside.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the openings 31, 32, 33, 34 extend along the length of the hipband 1. Alternatively, openings could be formed which are vertical and extend perpendicular to the hipband 1. With vertical openings added opening restrictions, such as hook and loop fasteners, snaps, buttons, or zippers may be used to retain items within the pouch. Alternatively, a simple smaller opening than the width of the hipband 1 with notch stitch on either end of the slit will keep items in the hipband during horizontal position activities

Preferably, the openings have a clean finished face side of a seam (where the shell and lining where stitched together and turned inside out creating a tube with the seam allowance hidden). The stitch preferred is an over-lock stitch that allows the fabric to stretch around the opening. The opening measurements are approximately 3″ to comfortably slip a phone/device through or stretch for a bigger object. The stitched portion from opening to opening is approximately 2″-5″ with the longer stitched closure wide enough to cover the entire phone/device under the closure/seam. The placements of the openings and length of the closures are preferably evenly distributed with 2 openings in the front and 2 in the back. However, these can change depending on intended objects and use such as phone, tissue, key, gum for the gym or small wallet, granola/power bar, suntan lotion for a hike or walk.

In some embodiments, the openings 31, 32, 33, 34 of the hipband 1 may have a fastener such as a snap, button, hook and loop fastener, zipper, fabric roll or other closure to enclose the openings for added security and fashion.

The hipband is preferably worn on the waist or hips with non-smooth stretch material. The stretch will be equivalent to waistbands found in women's activewear hence a need for sizes will be necessary. The sizes will be similar to the activewear bottoms, such as S, M, L. Each size will be cut in similar grading lengths as activewear bottoms waistband sizes.

Alternatively, the pouch may be sized to fit on different body part, such as the arm, torso, wrist, ankle, or leg. A variety of pouch sizes may be used for different purposes.

In the previous embodiments, the hipband 1 is formed with openings on the outer side 12. Because the hipband 1 is formed as a tube, the openings can be placed in different positions to allow for different looks, uses, and security. FIG. 5 shows turning the hipband 1 inside out, so that the openings 31, 32 face the wearer's body. When worn against the body the items are secure as the openings are fully sealed by the wearer's body. The openings can also be turned upward for easy access of items.

In disclosed embodiments, the hipband 1 functions as a visible garment worn outside other clothing. The hipband 1 has a smooth look adding to the fashion and appearance of garments. Alternatively, the hipband 1 may be worn under other clothing. Since the hipband 1 holds items tightly and provides a smooth look, the hipband 1 may be used under other clothing without creating visible bulges. The hipband 1 may be used to as a security belt.

The scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

Claims

1. A wearable apparatus for storing items, comprising:

a tubular body of a stretchable material, having an interior and an exterior, the tubular body being formable into a circle;

a plurality of spaced apart openings in the tubular body extending along a single circumferential line thereof to allow access to the interior of the tubular body; and

a plurality of spaced apart sealed portions in the tubular body positioned between two of the plurality of spaced apart openings.

2. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body is formed as a single circle.

3. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body includes a first end and a second end, and

the wearable apparatus further comprising:

at least one closure positioned at least one of the first end and the second end of the tubular body, the at least one closure connecting the first end and the second end of the tubular body to form a circle.

4. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 3, wherein the at least one closure includes at least one of a snap, a hook and loop closure, a zipper and a button.

5. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 3, wherein the at least one closure includes a first clip attached to the first end of the wearable body and a clip attached to the second end of the wearable body, the first clip and second clip being connectible to form the tubular body into a circle.

6. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings are extending along a circumferential line on an outside of the circle formed by the tubular body.

7. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings are extending along a circumferential line on an inside of the circle formed by the tubular body.

8. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings are extending along a circumferential line on an edge of the circle formed by the tubular body.

9. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of openings includes:

a closure for retaining opposing sides of the at least one of the plurality of openings.

10. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 9, wherein the closure includes at least one of a snap, a button, a zipper, and a hook and loop a hook and loop closure.

11. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 1, wherein the circle formable by the tubular body is of a dimension to resiliently fit around a portion of a wearer's body.

12. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 11, wherein the portion of the wearer's body includes one of a waist, hips, arm, and leg.

13. The wearable apparatus for storing items according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body has a substantially constant width.