Garment cuff with a thumb opening

• US 6,035,441 A
• Filed: 07/24/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marshall Gobuty International USA Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Charles B. Mellon
• Inventors: Mellon, Charles B., Mellon, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, SHIRRA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/122,238
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 2/123, 2/59, 2/60, 2/125, 2/162, 2/170, 2/158, 2/159, 2/161.1, 2/161.6, 2/163, 2/270, D 2/610, D 2/614, D 2/615, D 2/616, D 2/617, D 2/858
• US Class Current: 2/125
• CPC Class Codes: A41B 7/00 Cuffs A41B1/00, A41B3/00 take precedence; cuff links A44B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/0041 for connecting the glove to the garment or the arm of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 27/10 Sleeves; Armholes

Abstract

A garment having a cuff construction with an opening for permitting the thumb of the wearer and the fingers to extend outside the sleeve. The cuff is generally integrally attached to an article of clothing, and folds in on itself for storing the cuff permitting the use or non use of the cuff at the user'"'"'s direction. The cuff is formed at an opening of a sleeve in a garment, and includes a tubular member which is switchable between a first rolled position allowing the hand to pass through and a second unrolled position forming a covering around at least a portion of the hand and/or thumb while leaving the ends of the fingers and thumb exposed.

Claims

1. A garment comprising at least one sleeve having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and an end proximate the hand of the wearer, said end comprising a foldable cuff for surrounding at least a portion of the wearer'"'"'s wrist, said cuff having a finger opening for permitting the fingers of the wearer to extend from said interior surface to said exterior surface of said sleeve and a thumb opening for permitting the thumb of the wearer to extend from said interior surface to said exterior surface of said sleeve, at least a portion of said cuff covering said thumb opening when folded and at least a portion of said cuff covering the back of the wearer'"'"'s hand when unfolded to form a partial hand covering.

2. The garment of claim 1, wherein said thumb opening has an extended tubular portion open at its opposite end.

3. The garment of claim 1, further comprising a tubular sheath surrounding said thumb opening, said tubular sheath covering at least a portion of the thumb of the wearer.

4. The garment of claim 3, wherein said tubular sheath extends away from said interior surface of the sleeve.

5. The garment of claim 1, wherein said cuff is folded to give the end of said sleeve a conventional appearance.

6. The garment of claim 2, wherein said extended tubular portion is stored within a portion of said folded cuff to give the end of said sleeve a conventional appearance.

7. The garment of claim 3, wherein said tubular sheath is stored within a portion of said folded cuff to give the end of said sleeve a conventional appearance.

8. A garment comprising at least one sleeve having a longitudinal axis, an interior surface, an exterior surface, and an end proximate the hand of the wearer comprising a convertible cuff, said cuff having a finger opening coaxial to the longitudinal axis of said sleeve for permitting the fingers of the wearer to extend from said interior surface to said exterior surface, said cuff having a first position wherein said cuff is folded over a portion of said sleeve appearing as a conventional cuff on said sleeve and a second position wherein said cuff is fully unfolded to cover a portion of the user'"'"'s hand, a portion of said cuff in said second position covering at least a portion of the back of the wearer'"'"'s hand to form a partial hand covering, said cuff having a thumb opening radial to the longitudinal axis of said sleeve for permitting the thumb of the wearer to extend from said interior surface to said exterior surface of said sleeve.

9. The garment of claim 8, further comprising a tubular portion in communication with said thumb opening and extending away from said interior surface of said sleeve.

10. The garment of claim 8, wherein said thumb opening is covered when said cuff is in said first position to give the end of said sleeve a conventional appearance.

11. The garment of claim 9, wherein said thumb opening is covered when said cuff is in said first position and said tubular portion is stored within a portion of the folded cuff to give the end of said sleeve a conventional appearance.

12. A garment comprising a sleeve having a hand covering located at one end and a longitudinal axis, said hand covering having a first fully extended position wherein said hand covering extends from the end of said sleeve, and a second retracted position wherein said hand covering is at least partially retracted from the end of said sleeve, said hand covering having a finger opening coaxial to the longitudinal axis of said sleeve for permitting the fingers of the wearer to extend from within said sleeve to an exterior of said hand covering, said hand covering when in said first position covers a portion of the wearer'"'"'s hand such that the wearer'"'"'s dexterity and sense of touch are unimpeded by said hand covering, said hand covering when in said second position providing a conventional appearance to said sleeve, and said hand covering having a thumb opening radial to the longitudinal axis of said sleeve for permitting the thumb of the wearer to extend from within said sleeve to said exterior of said hand covering.

13. The garment of claim 12, wherein said thumb opening is covered by said hand covering when said hand covering is in said second retracted position.

14. The garment of claim 12, farther comprising a tubular portion in communication with said thumb opening.

15. The garment of claim 12, wherein said garment is selected from one of a sweatshirt, sweater, jacket, and coat.

16. A garment comprising at least one sleeve having an interior surface, an exterior surface, and an end proximate the hand of the wearer comprising a convertible cuff said cuff having a finger opening for permitting the fingers of the wearer to extend from said interior surface to said exterior surface, said cuff having a first position wherein said cuff is folded over a portion of said sleeve appearing as a conventional cuff on said sleeve and a second position wherein said cuff is fully unfolded to cover a portion of the user'"'"'s hand, a portion of said cuff in said second position covering at least a portion of the back of the wearer'"'"'s hand to form a partial band covering, said cuff having a thumb opening for permitting the thumb of the wearer to extend from said interior surface to said exterior surface of said sleeve, and a tubular portion in communication with said thumb opening and extending away from said interior surface of said sleeve.

17. A garment comprising a sleeve having a hand covering located at one end, said hand covering having a first fully extended position wherein said hand covering extends from the end of said sleeve, and a second retracted position wherein said hand covering is at least partially retracted from the end of said sleeve, said hand covering having a finger opening for permitting the fingers of the wearer to extend from within said sleeve to an exterior of said hand covering, said hand covering when in said first position covers a portion of the wearer'"'"'s hand such that the wearer'"'"'s dexterity and sense of touch are unimpeded by said hand covering, said hand covering when in said second position providing a conventional appearance to said sleeve, and said hand covering having a thumb opening for permitting the thumb of the wearer to extend from within said sleeve to said exterior of said hand covering, said thumb opening being covered by said hand covering when said hand covering is in said second retracted position.

18. The garment of claim 17, further comprising a tubular portion in communication with said thumb opening.