DRESS LIFT

Abstract

Implementations of a dress lift are provided. In some implementations, the dress lift comprises a body portion having a first clothing receiving opening and a second clothing receiving opening. In some implementations, the dress lift may be secured to an article of clothing by gathering material of the clothing together and inserting the gathered material through the first clothing receiving opening from a back side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the first clothing receiving opening and then inserting the pulled portion of the gathered material through the second clothing receiving opening from a front side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the second clothing receiving opening.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/912,077, which was filed on Dec. 5, 2013, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to implementations of a dress lift.

BACKGROUND

Dresses or skirt come in a variety of lengths. Long dresses, particularly maxi dresses, or skirts when worn may be longer than the wearer desires. For example, the dress or skirt may extend to or near the ground thereby making walking more difficult. Furthermore, if the bottom of the dress or skirt touches the ground, the bottom of the apparel may become damaged from dragging on the ground or snagging on foreign objects. Typically, to avoid the above problems, the wearer, may lift a portion of the dress or skirt to walk more easily or to avoid damages the apparel.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,232 (“'232 patent”) discloses a bustling hoop constructed to support the train of a bridal gown. The '232 patent discloses a hoop member with an interior area having a bar extending thereacross so as to define a first train receiving area and a second train receiving area. To use the bustling hoop, the end of the train is lifted and then threaded through the first train receiving area of the device. In particular, the end is inserted through the back of the hoop member and then pulled from the back of the hoop member through the first train receiving area to a front of the hoop member. This pulled end is then inserted through the front of the second train receiving area and pulled toward the back of the hoop member.

The '232 patent discloses an alternate embodiment wherein the device has a hoop member 52 having a first bar 54 and a second bar 56 extending horizontally thereacross. The inner edge 58 of the hoop member 52 and the edge 60 thereby defining a an upper train receiving area 62, a lower train receiving area 66, and a central train receiving area 72.

In use, the train is initially inserted from the back of the central train receiving area and pulled outwardly and inserted into the front of the lower train receiving area. The train is then pulled backwardly and upwardly such that the end of the train will enter the upper train receiving area. The end of the train can then be pulled through the upper train receiving area so as to extend outwardly over the first bar and the second bar so as to effectively conceal the device.

However, the bustling hook disclosed in the '232 patent has several disadvantages. First, it is very large and intended to be large enough to receive the end of the train of a bridal gown. Therefore, because of its size and method of use taught, it cannot be used with dresses and skirts or any other apparel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A and 1B illustrate an example dress lift according to the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate a method of using the dress lift of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIG. 2C illustrates another method of using the dress lift of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate another method of using the dress lift of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a second example embodiment of a dress lift according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method of using the dress lift of FIGS. 4A and 4B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Implementations of a dress lift are provided. In some implementations, the dress lift comprises a body portion having at least three openings wherein the openings define a first clothing receiving area, a second clothing receiving area, and a third clothing receiving area. In some implementations, the body portion of the dress lift may have the form of two overlapping hoops to produce the receiving areas. In some implementations, the body portion is manufactured as a single unitary piece. In some implementations, the body portion may be constructed as two separate pieces.

In another implementation, the dress lift may comprise a body portion having a first side, a second side, and a curved member extending from and raised above a portion of the first side of the body portion thereby forming a thru bore having a first opening and a second opening on opposing ends.

In some implementations, the dress lift may be secured to a dress or skirt and used to lift the bottom of the apparel off of the ground or floor. This may prevent the bottom of the apparel from dragging on the ground and being damaged.

In some implementations, the dress lift may be secured to an article of clothing for decorative purposes. In some implementations, the dress lift may be secured to a dress, blouse, shirt, skirt, scarf, or belt. In some implementations, the dress lift may be secured to any suitable article of clothing.

In some implementations, the dress lift may be used in conjunction with a belt. In some implementations, the dress lift may be secured about a belt for decorative wear.

FIG. 1A illustrates an example dress lift 100 according to the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 1A, in some implementations, the dress lift 100 comprises a body portion 105 having at least three openings wherein the openings define a first clothing receiving area 110, a second clothing receiving area 115, and a third clothing receiving area 120. In some implementations, the openings 110, 115, and 120 may be arranged successively in a linear fashion such that for each opening a portion of the opening is positioned on an imaginary line y as shown in FIG. 1B. In some implementations, the openings 110, 115, and 120 may be the same shape and/or size. In some implementations, the openings 110, 115, and 120 may be different shapes and/or sizes. In some implementations, the dress lift may comprise a body portion having two openings wherein the openings define a first clothing receiving area and a second clothing receiving area.

In some implementations, as shown in FIG. 1A, the body portion 105 of the dress lift 100 may have the form of two overlapping hoops to produce the receiving areas 110, 115, and 120. In some implementations, the body portion 105 may be any suitable shape to produce the receiving areas 110, 115, and 120.

In some implementations, the body portion 105 may have a centrally located first clothing receiving area 110. In some implementations, the first clothing receiving area 110 may have the general shape of an oval or ellipse (see, e.g., FIG. 1A). In some implementations, the first clothing receiving area 110 may be any suitable shape.

In some implementations, the second and/or third clothing receiving areas 115,120 may have the general shape of a crescent (see, e.g., FIG. 1A). In some implementations, the second and/or third clothing receiving areas 115,120 may be any suitable shape.

In some implementations, the body portion 105 may be manufactured as a single unitary piece as shown in FIG. 1A. In some implementations, the body portion 105 may be constructed as two separate pieces. In some implementations, the body portion 105 may be manufactured from metal. In some implementations, the body portion 105 may be manufactured from any suitable material.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an example method of securing the dress lift 100 to an article of clothing. As shown in FIG. 2A, in some implementations, to secure the dress lift 100 to an article of clothing, a portion 150 of the clothing may be grasped and pulled through the first clothing receiving area 110. In particular, a portion 150 of the clothing may be inserted through the back side of the first clothing receiving area 110 of the dress lift 100 and then pulled from the back side of the dress lift 100 through the first clothing receiving area 110. Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, the pulled portion 150 of the clothing may be inserted through the front side of the second clothing receiving area 115 and pulled towards the back side of the dress lift 100.

Alternatively, after the portion 150 of the clothing has been inserted through the back side of the first clothing receiving area 110 of the dress lift 100 and pulled from the back side of the dress lift 100 through the first clothing receiving area 110, in some implementations, the pulled portion 150 of the clothing may be inserted through the front side of the third clothing receiving area 120 and pulled towards the back side of the dress lift 100.

FIG. 2C illustrates another example method of securing the dress lift 100 to an article of clothing. As shown in FIG. 2C, to secure the dress lift 100 to an article of clothing, a portion 150 of the clothing may be grasped and pulled through the third clothing receiving area 120. In particular, the portion 150 of the clothing is inserted through the back side of the third clothing receiving area 120 of the dress lift 100 and then pulled from the back side of the dress lift 100 through the third clothing receiving area 120. Next, as shown in FIG. 2C, the pulled portion 150 of the clothing is inserted through the front side of the second clothing receiving area 115 and pulled towards the back side of the dress lift 100.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate another example method of securing the dress lift 100 to an article of clothing. As shown in FIG. 3A, to secure the dress lift 100 to an article of clothing, a portion 150 of the clothing may be grasped and pulled through the third clothing receiving area 120. In particular, the portion 150 of the clothing is inserted through the back side of the third clothing receiving area 120 of the dress lift 100 and then pulled from the back side of the dress lift 100 through the third clothing receiving areas 120. Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the pulled portion 150 of the clothing is inserted through the front side of the first clothing receiving area 110 and pulled towards the back side of the dress lift 100.

Alternatively, to secure the dress lift 100 to an article of clothing, a portion 150 of the clothing may be grasped and pulled through the second clothing receiving area 115. In particular, the portion 150 of the clothing is inserted through the back side of the second clothing receiving area 115 of the dress lift 100 and then pulled from the back side of the dress lift 100 through the second clothing receiving areas 115. Next, the pulled portion 150 of the clothing is inserted through the front side of the first clothing receiving area 110 and pulled towards the back side of the dress lift 100.

In some implementations, the dress lift 100 may be oriented horizontally (see, e.g., FIG. 2A). In some implementations, the dress lift 100 may be oriented vertically (see, e.g., FIG. 3A). In some implementations, the dress lift 100 may be oriented in any suitable orientation.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate another example dress lift 200 according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, in some implementations, the dress lift 200 comprises a body portion 205 having a first side 206, a second side 207, and a curved member 210 extending from and raised above a portion of the first side of the body portion 205 thereby forming a thru bore 215 having a first opening 215a and a second opening 215b on opposing ends.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, in some implementations, the body portion 205 of the dress lift 200 may be generally circular. In some implementations, the body portion 205 may be any suitable shape.

In some implementations, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the curved member 210 may be configured such that the thru bore 215 is a half cylinder. In some implementations, the curved member 210 may have the general form of an arch. In some implementations, the curved member 210 may be any suitable shape capable of receiving a portion of an article of clothing.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example method of securing the dress lift 200 to an article of clothing. To secure the dress lift 200 to an article of clothing, a portion 250 of the clothing may be grasped and pulled through the thru bore 215. In particular, a portion 250 of the clothing is grasped and inserted through a first opening 215a of the thru bore 215 and then pulled from the first opening 215a of the thru bore 215 through the second opening 215b of the thru bore 215. As shown in FIG. 5, the second side 207 of the dress lift 200 may be facing outwardly. In some implementations, the first side 206 of the dress lift 200 may be facing outwardly.

In some implementations, as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, and 5, the dress lift 100, 200 may be secured to a dress to lift the dress. In some implementations, as shown in the figures, the portion 150, 250 of the clothing grasped and pulled through the dress lift 100, 200 can be any portion of the dress, and not just the end or edge or hem of the dress or clothing. In some implementations, the portion 150 of the clothing grasped and pulled through the dress lift 100, 200 may be any gathered material of the clothing. In this way, the gathered material pulled through the dress lift 100, 200 may cause the dress to be lifted, for example, away from the ground. In some implementations, the dress lift 100, 200 can be secured to a scarf, t-shirt, belt, skirt, and/or any other article of clothing.

Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment” or “implementation” or words of similar import means that a particular described feature, structure, or characteristic is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the phrase “in some implementations” or a phrase of similar import in various places throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.

The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the above description, numerous specific details are provided for a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that embodiments of the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations may not be shown or described in detail.

While operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results.

Claims

1. A method of securing an apparatus to an article of clothing wherein the apparatus comprises a body portion having a first clothing receiving opening and a second clothing receiving opening, the method comprising:

gathering material of the clothing together and inserting the gathered material through the first clothing receiving opening from a back side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the first clothing receiving opening; and

inserting the pulled portion of the gathered material through the second clothing receiving opening from a front side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the second clothing receiving opening.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein gathering material of the clothing together comprising gathering enough material to lift the article of clothing from the floor or ground.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises orienting the apparatus in a horizontal position.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises orienting the apparatus in a vertical position.

5. A method of securing an apparatus to an article of clothing wherein the apparatus comprises a body portion having a first side, a second side, and a curved member extending from and raised above a portion of the first side of the body portion thereby forming a thru bore having a first opening and a second opening on opposing ends, the method comprising:

gathering material of the clothing together and inserting the gathered material through a first opening of the thru bore; and

pulling gathering material through the thru bore and thru the second opening of the thru bore.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein gathering material of the clothing together comprising gathering enough material to lift the article of clothing from the floor or ground.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprises orienting the apparatus in a horizontal position.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprises orienting the apparatus in a vertical position.

9. A method of securing an apparatus to an article of clothing wherein the apparatus comprises a body portion having a first clothing receiving opening, a second clothing receiving opening, and a third clothing receiving opening, the method comprising:

securing the apparatus to the article of clothing in a first method, the first method comprising:

gathering material of the clothing together and inserting the gathered material through the first clothing receiving opening from a back side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the first clothing receiving opening; and

inserting the pulled portion of the gathered material through the second clothing receiving opening from a front side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the second clothing receiving opening.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising securing the apparatus to the article of clothing in a second method, the second method comprising:

gathering material of the clothing together and inserting the gathered material through the third clothing receiving opening from a back side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the third clothing receiving opening; and

inserting the pulled portion of the gathered material through the second clothing receiving opening from a front side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the second clothing receiving opening.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein gathering material of the clothing together comprising gathering enough material to lift the article of clothing from the floor or ground.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprises orienting the apparatus in a horizontal position.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprises orienting the apparatus in a vertical position.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising securing the apparatus to the article of clothing in a second method, the second method comprising:

gathering material of the clothing together and inserting the gathered material through the third clothing receiving opening from a back side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the third clothing receiving opening; and

inserting the pulled portion of the gathered material through the first clothing receiving opening from a front side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the first clothing receiving opening.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein gathering material of the clothing together comprising gathering enough material to lift the article of clothing from the floor or ground.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprises orienting the apparatus in a horizontal position.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising securing the apparatus to the article of clothing in a third method, the third method comprising:

gathering material of the clothing together and inserting the gathered material through the third clothing receiving opening from a back side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the third clothing receiving opening; and

inserting the pulled portion of the gathered material through the first clothing receiving opening from a front side thereof and pulling the gathered material through the first clothing receiving opening.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein gathering material of the clothing together comprising gathering enough material to lift the article of clothing from the floor or ground.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprises orienting the apparatus in a horizontal position.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprises orienting the apparatus in a vertical position.