Wholly and partially removable garment

• US 6,035,439 A
• Filed: 06/27/1997
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: May Ying Chin
• Original Assignee: May Ying Chin
• Inventors: Chin, May Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, SHIRRA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US08/884,456
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 2/67, 2/78.2, 2/80, 2/408, 2/401, 450/95, 450/115, 450/132, 450/133, 450/155
• US Class Current: 2/67
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 2400/34 antimicrobial or antibacterial
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 9/08 Combined undergarments panti-hose, body-stockings A41B11/14
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 7/00 Bathing gowns; Swim-suits, drawers, or trunks; Beach suits

Abstract

A unitary garment for full or partial coverage of a torso that may be fully put on or removed, at the choice of the wearer, as an assembled or a disassembled garment, and subsequently may be partially removed and put on, again at the choice of the wearer, has a torso portion for providing at least some coverage of the front and back of a wearer, a pants portion having a front portion, a crotch portion for passing between the legs and connected to the front portion, and a seat portion connected to the crotch portion. One of the seat portion and front portion is connected to the torso portion, and the other of the front portion and seat portion has at its edges first fastening elements to selectively attach and release to assemble and disassemble the garment. In another aspect of the invention, a unitary garment for full or partial coverage of a torso has a pants portion, for providing at least some coverage of the bottom half of a wearer, and a torso portion, for providing at least some coverage of the front and back of the top half of a wearer. One of the pants and the torso portions has an over band forming an inwardly facing ridge, the other of the portions has an under band forming an outwardly facing ridge, so that, when the one portion is disposed over the other portion, the bands interlock. Thus, the outwardly facing ridge is disposed between the inwardly facing ridge and the one portion, and the inwardly facing ridge is disposed between the outwardly facing ridge and the other piece to releasably attach the pants portion to the torso portion.

Claims

1. A unitary garment for full or partial coverage of a torso, comprising:

a torso portion for providing at least some coverage of the front and back of a wearer,

a pants portion having a front portion, a crotch portion for passing between the legs and connected to said front portion, a seat portion connected to said crotch portion,

one of said seat portion and front portion functioning as a connecting portion connected to said torso portion,

the other of said front portion and seat portion functioning as a selective attachment portion, said selective attachment portion having a crotch edge connected to said crotch portion, two sides extending therefrom, and an forward edge opposite said crotch and having left and right ends at the junction of said forward edge and said two sides, said pants portion also having at selected discrete locations visible to said wearer a single set of fastening elements that may be selectively attached to form discrete attachments on the exterior of said garment, a first of said elements in said set located at said left and right ends, a second of said elements in said set located near said connection of said torso portion and pants portion, so that said first and second fastening elements may be selectively attached and released from each other to cause said seat portion to be releasably and completely attached to said front portion,

said attachments operable to selectively and completely assemble and disassemble said garment.

2. The unitary garment of claim 1, wherein said fastening elements are located at about the hips of said unitary garment.

3. The unitary garment of claim 1, wherein said fastening elements are positioned to attach said pants portion at about the waist of said wearer.

4. The unitary garment of claim 1, wherein said seat portion is connected to said torso portion.

5. The unitary garment of claim 1, wherein said front portion is connected to said torso portion.

6. The unitary garment of claim 1, wherein said torso portion has sufficient material at its bottom edge for disposition underneath said pants portion when said garment is assembled.

7. The unitary garment of claim 6, wherein said sufficient material comprises a shirt-tail.

8. The unitary garment of claim 1, wherein said torso portion is provided with a releasably attachable top torso portion, so that said unitary garment may be put on and removed under a wearer'"'"'s clothing.

9. A unitary garment for full or partial coverage of a torso, comprising:

a torso portion for providing at least some coverage of the front and back of a wearer, and

a pants portion having a front portion, a crotch portion for passing between the legs and connected to said front portion, a seat portion connected to said crotch portion, one of said seat portion and front portion functioning as a connecting portion connected to said torso portion, the other of said front portion and seat portion functioning as a selective attachment portion having at selected discrete locations a fastening system with a geometry that is essentially coplanar to said selective attachment portion and with first fastening elements that may be selectively attached to form discrete attachments on the exterior of said garment that, when operated, are essentially flat, said attachments operable to selectively assemble and disassemble said garment so that said garment may be fully put on or removed as an assembled or a disassembled garment, and further may be partially removed and put on, wherein said selective attachment portion is wrappable between the legs and disposed over said connecting portion, and wherein said fastening elements connect to themselves so that said selective attachment portion may be selectively attached to and released from itself over said connecting portion.

10. A unitary garment for full or partial coverage of a torso, comprising:

a torso portion for providing at least some coverage of the front and back of a wearer, and

a pants portion having a front portion, a crotch portion for passing between the legs and connected to said front portion, a seat portion connected to said crotch portion, one of said seat portion and front portion functioning as a connecting portion connected to said torso portion, the other of said front portion and seat portion functioning as a selective attachment portion, said selective attachment portion having A crotch edge connected to said crotch portion, two sides extending therefrom, and an attachment edge extending across said sides opposite said crotch, to form two corners at the junctions of said attachment edge and said sides, said pants portion also having at each of said corners of said selective attachment portion at selected discrete locations visible to said wearer a single set of fastening elements with a geometry that is essentially coplanar to said selective attachment portion and with a first fastening element of said set that may be selectively attached to form discrete attachments on the exterior of said garment that, when operated, are essentially flat, said attachments operable to selectively and complete assemble and disassemble said garment.

11. The unitary garment of claim 10, wherein said connecting portion has a second fastening element of said set near said connection of said torso portion and pants portion, so that said first and second fastening elements may be selectively attached and released from each other to cause said seat portion to be releasably and completely attached to said front portion.

12. The unitary garment of claim 11, wherein said fastening elements are located at about the hips of said unitary garment.

13. The unitary garment of claim 11, further comprising a connection element attached to said pants portion and to which said set of fastening elements is attached when said garment is assembled.

14. The unitary garment of claim 13, wherein said connection element comprises an elasticized strip of material.

15. The unitary garment of claim 14, wherein said front portion functions as said connecting portion, and said seat portion functions as said selective attachment portion, said elasticized strip of material extending across said front portion, and said second fastening elements comprise loops at each end of said strip.

16. The unitary garment of claim 13, wherein said connection element comprises a panel.

17. The unitary garment of claim 16, wherein said panel comprises an elasticized stomach muscle control panel.

18. The unitary garment of claim 16, wherein said panel comprises a reinforcing panel.

19. The unitary garment of claim 10, wherein said fastening elements are positioned to attach said pants portion at about the waist of said wearer.

20. The unitary garment of claim 10, wherein said seat portion is connected to said torso portion.

21. The unitary garment of claim 10, wherein said front portion is connected to said torso portion.

22. The unitary garment of claim 10, wherein said torso portion has sufficient material at its bottom edge for disposition underneath said pants portion when said garment is assembled.

23. The unitary garment of claim 22, wherein said sufficient material comprises a shirt-tail.

24. The unitary garment of claim 10, wherein said torso portion is provided with a releasably attachable top torso portion, so that said unitary garment may be put on and removed under a wearer'"'"'s clothing.

25. An attachment system for a unitary garment having a torso portion and a pants portion that passes between the legs and connects to form said garment, said pants portion with a seat portion and a front portion, said attachment system comprising

pants fasteners that cause said seat portion to be releasably and completely attached to said front portion, said pants fasteners having seat fasteners connected to said seat portion and front fasteners connected to said front portion, so that said seat and front fasteners may be first selectively attached to form said pants fasteners, and then released to detach said pants portion, and

means to provide longitudinal tension between said pants fasteners and toward each other when said seat fasteners are attached to said front fasteners.

26. An attachment system for a unitary garment having a torso portion, a pants portion that passes between the legs and connects to form said garment, said pants portion with a seat portion and a front portion, said attachment system comprising

pants fasteners that cause said seat portion to be releasably and completely attached to said front portion, said pants fasteners having seat fasteners connected to said seat portion and front fasteners connected to said front portion, so that said seats and front fasteners may be first selectively attached to form said pants fasteners, and then released to detach said pants portion, and

means to reduce the circumference of said garment, when said pants fasteners are attached, to be slightly smaller than the circumference of the wearer.

27. A unitary garment for full or partial coverage of a torso, comprising:

a torso portion for providing at least some coverage of the front and back of a wearer, and

a pants portion having a front portion, a crotch portion for passing between the legs and connected to said front portion, a seat portion connected to said crotch portion,

one of said seat portion and front portion functioning as a connecting portion connected to said torso portion,

the other of said front portion and seat portion functioning as a selective attachment portion having a fastening system with a geometry that is essentially coplanar to said selective attachment portion and with first fastening elements that may be selectively attached to form attachments on the exterior of said garment that, when operated, are essentially flat, said attachments operable to selectively assemble and disassemble said garment,

wherein said selective attachment portion is wrappable between the legs and disposed over said connecting portion, and wherein said fastening elements connect to themselves so that said selective attachment portion may be selectively attached to and released from itself over said connecting portion.

28. The unitary garment of claim 27, wherein said front portion comprises said connecting portion, and said seat portion comprises said selective attachment portion , said seat portion having a crotch edge connected to said crotch portion and two sides extending therefrom, said fastening elements located along at least a portion of said sides so that when said elements are attached, said sides form a panel.

29. The unitary garment of claim 28, wherein said panel comprises an elasticized stomach muscle control panel.

30. The unitary garment of claim 28, wherein said fastening system comprises a zipper.

31. The unitary garment of claim 28, wherein said panel comprises a reinforcing panel.

32. A unitary garment for full or partial coverage of a torso, comprising:

a torso portion for providing at least some coverage of the front and back of a wearer,

a pants portion having a front portion, a crotch portion for passing between the legs and connected to said front portion, a seat portion connected to said crotch portion,

one of said seat portion and front portion functioning as a connecting portion connected to said torso portion,

the other of said front portion and seat portion functioning as a selective attachment portion, said selective attachment portion having a crotch edge connected to said crotch portion, two sides extending therefrom, and a forward edge opposite said crotch and having left and right corners at the junction of said forward edge and said two sides,

said pants portion having a single set of fastening elements that may be selectively attached to form discrete attachments on said garment, said set located at selected discrete locations capable of being visible to said wearer during said attachment, said set having

a first of said elements in said set located at said left and right corners,

a second of said elements in said set located near said connection of said torso portion and pants portion, so that said first and second fastening elements may be selectively attached and released from each other to cause said seat portion to be releasably and completely attached to said front portion,

fastening element hiding means for hiding said set of fastening elements and a portion of said garment when said set is attached, but for moving away from said elements of said set to render said elements capable of being visible during attachment and detachment.

33. The unitary garment of claim 32, wherein said fastening element hiding means comprises at least part of a waist band portion extending at least part of the way around the exterior of said garment.

34. The unitary garment of claim 32, wherein said fastening element hiding means comprises a skirt portion extending from said torso portion and disposed at least part of the way around the exterior of said garment.

35. The unitary garment of claim 34, wherein said skirt portion has sufficient length to constitute a minidress, said garment having said pants portion sewn onto the inside of said skirt portion, said skirt portion hiding the exterior of said pants portion, so that said pants portion is wrappable between the legs of a wearer and hidden under said a skirt portion.