T-Shirt Garment Having an Integrated Zipper

Abstract

The present invention relates to a t-shirt garment or other apparel item having an integrated zipper positioned on one of the front or the rear portions. The t-shirt is configured to be easily worn by pulling it over the head of a user without stretching the collar and without rubbing the t-shirt against the face or head of the user. The integrated zipper has a length that extends vertically from the collar to a portion of the front or rear portion, and can be unzipped by pulling the zipper down to the end position. In an unzipped position, the collar and a part of the torso portion are extended, thereby allowing a user to easily pull the t-shirt over his or her head. A protective flap hides the zipper when in the zipped condition.

Claims

1. An article of clothing comprising: a front portion covering a torso of an individual and a rear portion covering a back portion of the torso; a pair of openings to accommodate a pair of arms of the individual; a collar; a waist portion disposed opposite the collar; a straight and elongated zipper portion forming a closure provided in the rear portion that vertically extends a length of the rear portion from the collar; and a zipper having a zipper pull that is repositionable along the closure to create an opening in the article of clothing.

2. The article of clothing as recited in claim 1 further comprising a flap covering the zipper.

3. The article of clothing as recited in claim 2, wherein the flap is made from a hypoallergenic material.

4. The article of clothing as recited in claim 2, wherein the hypoallergenic material is a select one of a silk, a bamboo, a Tencel, a microfiber synthetic and a cotton.

5. The article of clothing as recited in claim 1, wherein the closure is a select one of a plurality of inter-engaging teeth or a rib and channel closure.

6. The article of clothing as recited in claim 5, wherein the zipper is made from a hypoallergenic material.

7. The article of clothing as recited in claim 6, wherein the hypoallergenic material is made from a select one of a gold, a sterling silver, a copper, a titanium and a stainless steel.

8. The article of clothing as recited in claim 1, wherein the article of closing has a thread count ranging from between 40 threads per inch up to 400 threads per inch.

9. The article of clothing as recited in claim 1, wherein the length is a select one of a one third, a one half, a two thirds, a half and a three quarters of the length of the rear portion.

10. The article of clothing as recited in claim 1, wherein the zipper is provided with a number of stops disposed along the closure.

11. The article of clothing as recited in claim 8, wherein the thread count is between 40 and 50 threads per inch.

12. An undergarment comprising: a front portion; a rear portion; a collar portion; a pair of arm openings; a waist portion positioned at an opposite end of the undergarment from the collar portion; a closure provided in at least one of the front or rear portions, wherein the closure extends a length from the collar portion; a pull connected to an end of the closure for opening and closing the closure; and a flap positioned adjacent the closure, wherein each of the flap and the closure are comprised of a hypoallergenic material.

13. The undergarment as provided in claim 12, wherein the closure is a zipper and is provided in the rear portion of the undergarment.

14. The undergarment as provided in claim 12, wherein the flap is comprised of a silk, a bamboo, a Tencel, a microfiber synthetic or a cotton.

15. The undergarment as provided in claim 13, wherein the closure is comprised of a gold, a sterling silver, a copper, a titanium or a stainless steel.

16. The undergarment as provided in claim 12, wherein the flap is a rubber tubing positioned over the closure.

17. The undergarment as provided in claim 12 further comprising a thread count of between 40 and 400 threads per inch.

18. The undergarment as provided in claim 17, wherein the thread count is between 40 and 60 threads per inch and the undergarment is comprised of a first ply and a second ply.

19. The undergarment as provided in claim 12, wherein an opening created by the closure is equal to an opening area of the waist portion.

20. A t-shirt comprising: a zipper having a flap and a pull; a collar; a front portion; a rear portion; a waist portion; and a pair of arm openings; wherein the zipper has a length running from the collar and is located on a select one of the front and rear portions; wherein the zipper creates an enlarged opening in the collar portion and at least one of the front and rear portions; and further wherein the zipper and the flap are comprised of a hypoallergenic material and the t-shirt has a thread count ranging from 40-60 threads per inch.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:

[0023] FIG. 1 illustrates a rear perspective view of one potential embodiment of the article of clothing of the present invention in a zipped position in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of one potential embodiment of the article of clothing of the present invention in an unzipped position in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a user wearing a conventional t-shirt of the prior art by pulling it over the head of the user;

[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a user wearing one potential embodiment of the t-shirt garment of the present invention by pulling it over the head of the user in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates a rear perspective view of the user wearing one potential embodiment of the t-shirt clothing of the present invention with the zipper undone and being worn underneath clothing in accordance with the disclosed architecture;

[0028] FIG. 6 illustrates a rear perspective view of the user wearing one potential embodiment of the zipped-up t-shirt clothing of the present invention worn underneath clothing in accordance with the disclosed architecture; and

[0029] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of a rail and channel type closure and a stylized zipper pull of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0030] The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.

[0031] As noted above, there is a long-felt need in the art for an improved t-shirt or other article of clothing that can be easily worn while wearing makeup or after having had surgery or other procedures around the head and neck areas. There is also a long-felt need in the art for a t-shirt or other article of clothing that does not mess up a hairstyle when the t-shirt is put on over the head of the individual. Additionally, there is a long-felt need in the art for an article of clothing having a collar that does not become stained when the clothing is worn by putting the item on over the head of the wearer. Moreover, there is a long-felt need in the art for a t-shirt or other article of clothing that eliminates the need to stretch the collar in order to wear the t-shirt. Further, there is a long-felt need in the art for a t-shirt that can be worn underneath any garment. Furthermore, there is a long-felt need in the art for a modified t-shirt or other article of clothing that allows people to have a professional look and can be worn easily by anyone. Finally, there is a long-felt need in the art for an improved t-shirt or other article of clothing which can be worn and avoids the collar from becoming stained while putting the t-shirt on and also, a desired hairstyle of the wearer is maintained.

[0032] The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a novel t-shirt garment having an integrated zipper. The t-shirt is made from a breathable fabric and is configured to wear as a t-shirt as outerwear or underneath any other garment. The t-shirt has prints or designs disposed thereon. The t-shirt has an integrated zipper on the rear portion of the garment for putting on the t-shirt without stretching the collar and without rubbing against the face and head of the wearer of the t-shirt. The zipper has an associated rubber tubing that hides the zipper when the zipper is in a zipped position. The zipper is zipped up by pulling a zipper pull tab to the collar of the t-shirt.

[0033] Referring initially to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a rear perspective view of one potential embodiment of the article of clothing 100 of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed specification. The article of clothing 100 is in the form of a t-shirt preferably having a round neck or a V-shaped collar that is worn by inserting the head of the individual through the neck opening and the t-shirt does not have any fastener or closure in the front portion for fastening the t-shirt 100. More specifically, the t-shirt 100 has a front portion 102 for covering the front of a user wearing the t-shirt 100. A rear portion 104 covers the rear of the wearer. The t-shirt 100 has a collar 106 forming a neck opening 108 and can have a pair of sleeves or arm openings 110, 112. The sleeves or openings 110, 112 can be full sleeves, half sleeves, or any other length of sleeves or no sleeves at all and just openings for the arms. The garment or t-shirt culminates in a waist portion 109 disposed at the lower edge of the garment. The garment of the present invention may be woven or manufactured from any traditional fabrics and may have a thread count ranging from between 40 to 50 per inch, up to 100 threads per inch to 400 threads per inch with about 100 to 200 threads per inch being preferred. The garment of the present invention may be single ply, double ply or triple ply. The t-shirts can include a combination of fiber blends such as 10-25% rayon, 10 to 25% polyester and 50% to 75% cotton.

[0034] The rear portion 104 has an integrated fastener 114 preferably in the form of zipper. The zipper may be a conventional closure, one having a series of inter-engaging teeth with a base end where the teeth are locked together and an upper end where the teeth are unlocked from one another by a zipper pull. In an alternate configuration, a rail and channel assembly (see FIG. 7) may be used where a rail is sealed and unsealed from a channel to form a closure. The sealing and unsealing are done by a zipper pull or other handle or slider. The zipper 114 has a zipper length extending vertically from the collar 106 to about a center point 116 of one of the rear portion 104 or front portion 111 (see FIG. 2) depending on the preferences of the user. The length of the zipper or closure may be about 50% of the length of the shirt. Other configurations are also possible, such as the zipper extending a length of about one-third the length, two-thirds the length and three-quarters the length of the garment. The zipper 114 has a zipper pull tab 118 for fastening and unfastening the zipper 114. The zipper 114 may be provided with a number of stops 103, 105, 107 disposed at varying or equal increments along the length of the zipper. Each of the stops 103, 105, and 107 may be slidable over at least one side of the zipper 114 to prevent the zipper pull 118 from moving beyond the stop. In this way, if the t-shirt is used as an outerwear garment, the wearer does not have to be concerned about the zipper opening beyond the particular stop. Each of the stops 103, 105 and 107 may be of different colors, have logos or other indica or shapes to aid in accessorizing the t-shirt. Alternatively, the zipper stops may also prevent the pull tab from being pulled up to high.

[0035] When the zipper pull tab 118 is in top position (at the collar 106 as depicted in FIG. 1), the rear portion 104 is in a closed orientation and the t-shirt 100 is configured to be worn by a user. When the zipper pull tab 118 is in a lower position as depicted in FIG. 2, the rear portion 104 is in an open orientation with the open collar and the t-shirt 100 can be easily worn by pulling the garment over the head without the collar 106 rubbing against the face and/or hair of the user. The zipper 114 in an unfastened position, allows the garment 100 to be put on or taken off much easier than conventional t-shirts or other garments without closures for individuals that have injuries, are healing from medical issues or have mobility issues, either by themselves or by a caregiver. The zipper 114 can be, for example, nylon zippers with rubberized taping or flap 120 both inside and out. The rubberized taping or flap 120 is of the same color and texture as of the fabric of the t-shirt 100 and hides the zipper 114 to make the zipper 114 invisible when the t-shirt 100 is worn and is in a fastened position. This allows the t-shirt 100 to be worn easily and also underneath any other garment. The rubberized taping 120 functions as flaps for hiding and protecting the zipper 114 and further does not irritate the skin of the wearer due to rubbing of the zipper components on the skin of the individual. The flaps may be made from hypoallergenic material to reduce reaction or irritation of the skin, such as silk, bamboo, Tencel, microfiber synthetics, and cotton. Pure metals for the zipper may also be used to provide hypoallergenic characteristics such as gold, sterling silver, copper, titanium and stainless steel.

[0036] The t-shirt 100 comes in different colors, prints, sizes, and designs. Material used to construct the t-shirt garment 100 is breathable and can vary such as cotton, cotton/synthetic mixes, wool, and other natural fabrics and materials as are known to those skilled in the art. The back portion 104 may be formed from the same material as the front panel 102 such that the back portion 104 and front portion 102 are different sections of the same layer. The designs and prints can be weaved or embroidered or otherwise placed on the t-shirt 100.

[0037] The t-shirt 100 has an exterior surface that is visible on the outside and faces away from the person wearing the t-shirt 100 while the interior surface faces towards the person wearing the t-shirt 100.

[0038] FIG. 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of the article of clothing 100 of the present invention in an unzipped position in accordance with the disclosed specification. In the unzipped orientation of the t-shirt 100, the zipper 114 is in an open position where the zipper pull tab 118 is pulled down to position at the center point 116 of the rear portion 104. The unzipped zipper 114 opens the collar 106 and upper portion of the rear portion 104 allowing the neck opening 108 to become a large enough opening such that the t-shirt 100 can be easily put on over one's head without requiring the user to stretch the collar 106 of the t-shirt 100 in order to allow the t-shirt to be worn. The area of the opening 113 created by the closure 114, when the zipper 114 length is half of the length of the garment is fully open, is approximately equal to the area of the opening of the waist 109.

[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a user wearing a conventional t-shirt by pulling the t-shirt over their head. A problem with conventional t-shirts 300 is that they rub against the face 304 and hair 306 of a user 302 when the t-shirt 300 is being pulled over the head and therefore stains the collar with makeup, messes up one's hair and can cause irritation to sensitive areas of the user 302. Further, it is difficult for a user having physical injuries or mobility issues to put on a conventional t-shirt due to the tight confines of a t-shirt.

[0040] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a user wearing the t-shirt garment 100 of the present invention by pulling the t-shirt over their head in accordance with the disclosed specification. As illustrated, a user 302 puts on the t-shirt 100 in an unzipped position allowing easy wearing of the t-shirt 100. The zipper 114 remains in an unfastened position with the zipper pull tab 118 positioned near the center 116 of the rear portion 104 while the t-shirt 100 is pulled over the head 308 by the user 302. It should be appreciated that the t-shirt 100 is worn without the need to stretch the collar 106 and without rubbing against the face 304 and hair 306 and therefore, overcomes the problems of the prior art. Further, individuals that have injuries or mobility issues can easily use the t-shirt 100, either by themselves or by a caregiver, as the t-shirt 100 has a large neck opening in the unzipped position.

[0041] FIG. 5 illustrates a rear perspective view of the user wearing the t-shirt clothing 100 of the present invention with the zipper undone and worn underneath clothing in accordance with the disclosed specification. As illustrated, the user 302 is wearing the t-shirt 100 in an unzipped orientation underneath the clothing 502. The zipper 114 can be zipped as per the preferences of the user 302. It should be appreciated that the user 302 can easily zip the zipper on their own or, alternatively can be done by a caregiver. The t-shirt 100 in an unzipped condition can provide improved air flow even when worn underneath clothing.

[0042] FIG. 6 illustrates a rear perspective view of the user wearing the zipped-up t-shirt clothing 100 of the present invention worn underneath clothing in accordance with the disclosed description. As illustrated, the user 302 is wearing the t-shirt 100 in a zipped-up orientation underneath the clothing 502. The zipper 114 is zipped up by pulling up the zipper pull tab 118 to the collar 106. It should be appreciated that the user 302 can easily zip the zipper on their own or, alternatively can be done by a caregiver. The t-shirt 100 remains hidden underneath the clothing 502 allowing a user to wear the t-shirt easily and comfortably 100.

[0043] FIG. 7 provides a rail and channel closure for a garment. The rail or rib 705 is provided generally centrally of a rail 703 and the pull 701 is used to place the rail or rib directly and engagingly in the rail to create a seal. As seen in FIG. 7 the pull 701 may be a stylized pull so that a user may accessorize the t-shirt or other garment.

[0044] Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “article of clothing”, “t-shirt garment”, “t-shirt”, and “article of clothing with integrated rear zipper” are interchangeable and refer to the t-shirt garment with integrated rear zipper 100 of the present invention.

[0045] Notwithstanding the foregoing, the t-shirt garment with integrated rear zipper 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the t-shirt garment with integrated rear zipper 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the t-shirt garment with integrated rear zipper 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the t-shirt garment with integrated rear zipper 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the t-shirt garment with integrated rear zipper 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.

[0046] Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.

[0047] What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.