Abrasive resistant garment

Abstract

A protective undergarment having reinforced areas in particular locations, such as the knees and seat. The garment is made of an abrasive resistant fabric, such as aramid fibers, in particular, Kevlar, and is preferably made in a woven or knitted pattern so as to be soft to the touch and breathable so that the garment is comfortable to wear under clothing. The undergarment may include stirrups attached at the bottom of each leg to prevent movement of the reinforced areas in the event of a fall.

Claims

1. A protective long underwear undergarment comprising: a pant having an inseam, a waistband, a seat and a pair of legs, the pant being made of at least one layer of abrasive resistant fabric; the pant further comprising a layer of abrasive resistant fabric forming a reinforced knee area, the reinforced knee area having a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge disposed at a predetermined distance below the inseam; the pant further comprising a layer of abrasive resistant fabric forming a reinforced seat area, the reinforced seat area extending from the waistband and past the inseam; and the reinforced knee area and the reinforced seat area and the pant consisting of the abrasive resistant fabric, wherein the abrasive resistant fabric consists of aramid fibers.

2. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 1 wherein the reinforced knee area is located approximately midway along the length of each leg.

3. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 2 wherein the top of the reinforced knee area is located along each leg front between about 8 and about 12 inches from the start of the inseam for a garment sized to fit a standard adult having a waist of between 28 and 42 inches.

4. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 3 wherein the reinforced knee area measures between about 10 and about 13 inches in length.

5. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 4 wherein the reinforced knee area extends beyond the outer side of each leg by between 1 and 5 inches.

6. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 1 wherein the reinforced seat area is located in the seat of the pants.

7. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 6 wherein the reinforced seat area extends from the start of the inseam down the back of each pant leg for between about 1 to 6 inches for an undergarment sized to fit a standard adult having a waist of between 28 and 42 inches.

8. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 7 wherein the reinforced seat area has a top that is located at the top of a waistband of the undergarment.

9. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 8 wherein the reinforced seat area has a side seam and the length of the side seam of the reinforced seat area is between about 12 and about 17 inches.

10. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 1 wherein the undergarment further includes stirrups attached to the bottom of each leg of the pant.

11. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 10 wherein the stirrups are made of an elasticized material.

12. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 1 wherein the aramid fibers are Kevlar.

13. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 1 wherein the fabric is woven or knitted.

14. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 1, further comprising a cuff connected to the bottom of each of the pair of legs of the undergarment.

15. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 1, wherein each of the pair of legs is made of at least two layers of abrasion-resistant fabric.

16. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 1, wherein the at least one reinforcement area comprises a plurality of layers of reinforcement fabric.

17. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 1, further comprising means for connecting the undergarment to a shirt.

18. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 17, wherein the means comprise buttons, zippers or pins for connecting the undergarment to a shirt.

19. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 1, wherein the reinforced knee area comprises an extension that extends beyond the outer side of each leg and is wider than the width of the leg.

20. The protective long underwear undergarment of claim 1, wherein the reinforced seat area extends beyond the outer side of each leg to a front of each of the pair of pant legs.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention showing the reinforced areas.

(2) FIG. 2 is a rear view of the present invention of FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 is a right side view of the present invention of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION

(4) An embodiment of the present invention for a protective garment is shown in FIG. 1. The embodiment is a pair of undergarment pants shown generally as 10. The pants 10 include a waistband 12 and two legs 14. The waistband 12 may be elasticized to provide further comfort to the user. Alternatively, the waist may be adjustable with a drawstring, buttons, or the like. The undergarment 10 is made of a single material and reinforced along the garment at certain locations. The reinforced areas have a double layer of material. The garment material is preferably made of 100% aramid fibers, preferably Kevlar. The aramid fiber threads are woven or knitted. The aramid fiber material provides significant resistance to abrasion and the weave or knit, as previously disclosed, provides a strong material in a light weight, breathable textile that is comfortable to wear.

(5) It is contemplated that the garment may be made of multiple layers where the reinforced areas have a great number of layers than the remaining areas of the garment. Further it is contemplated that while a single layer garment may be light weight and breathable, a double or multi-layered garment may provide additional thermal insulation for wear in colder climates or in winter months.

(6) Each leg 14 of the pant 10 is reinforced in the knee area 18. The reinforced knee area has a top edge 20 and a bottom edge 22. The reinforced knee area 18 begins at a distance from the start of the inseam 24 and extends down the leg to the bottom edge 22 of the reinforced knee area. The measurement between the start of the inseam 24 and the top of the reinforced knee area 18 is designated as 25. The length of the reinforced knee area 18 is designated as 26. In a preferred embodiment, the length 26 of the reinforced knee area 18 is twelve (12) inches for a standard unisex undergarment pant having a waist size of between 32 and 34 inches. Further, for this same size range, it is preferred that the measurement from the start of the inseam 24 to the top edge 20 of the reinforced knee area 18, designated as 25, is ten (10) inches. In addition, the reinforced knee area 18 has a width greater than the width of the leg 14. As seen in FIG. 2, the reinforced knee area 18 extends beyond the front of each leg and extends beyond the side seam. The width of the extension is designated by 27. In a preferred embodiment for a standard unisex undergarment pant having a waist size of between 32 and 34 inches, the width 27 of the reinforced knee area 18 should extend to the back of the leg by about two inches.

(7) At the bottom of each leg 14 is an elasticized leg cuff 15. The cuff 15 serves to hold the bottom of the leg 14 of the garment 10 close to the body of the wearer. In addition, the garment 10 has a pair of stirrups 32. The stirrups 32 are located at the bottom of each leg cuff 15 and attached adjacent to the inseam 24 and on the opposing side of the lower leg. In use, the stirrups 32 are designed to sit on the bottom of the wearer's feet and hold the leg 14, including the reinforced knee area 18 and seat area 28 of the garment taught when it is being worn. In particular, the stirrups 32 help to secure the leg 14 and the reinforce knee area 18 and seat area 28 in place while the garment 10 is worn and in the event of a fall or accident. The stirrups 32 are preferably made of an elasticized material that stretch to accommodate different sizes and allows some movement of the garment during use while ensuring that the reinforced areas remain in place. Because most wearers would also wear leather boots, it is not necessary to make the elasticized stirrup 32 out of an abrasive resistant material. The stirrup would likely rest inside of the wearer's boot and would be safe from any potential abrasion in the event of an accident or fall.

(8) FIG. 2 is a rear view of the embodiment of the present invention. The undergarment of the present embodiment is reinforced in the seat area 28. The reinforced seat area 28 includes a second layer of fabric. The reinforced seat area 28 begins at the top of the waistband 12 and extends down the pant leg to a location below the start of the inseam 24. The length of the seat reinforced area 28 is indicated by 30. For a size of a unisex undergarment pant that fits someone having a waist of about 32 to 34 inches, it is preferred that the length 30 be about 15.5 inches. In addition, for the same size, it is preferred that the length 30 of the reinforced seat area 28 continue past the start of the inseam by about three (3) inches. In addition, the reinforced seat area 28 extends beyond the outer side seam. The width of the reinforced seat area 28 that extends beyond the side seam is indicated generally at 34. For a size of a unisex undergarment pant that fits a person having a waist of about 32 to 34 inches, the width 34 of the reinforced seat area 28 that extends beyond the side seam is preferably about 3.25 inches.

(9) FIG. 3 is a right side view of the embodiment of the present invention. The reinforced seat area 28 can be seen in FIG. 3 as well as the reinforced knee area 18.

(10) It should be further understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing modifications as well as various other changes, omissions and additions may be made without parting from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, while some dimensions have been provided, it is understood that those dimensions are given as those for a particular sized person. Other garments may be differently dimensioned so as to fit different sized wearers of the garments. For example, a unisex undergarment pant that is sized to fit a standard person having a waist of about 40 to 42 inches, would likely have some dimensions that are larger than those described above for a person's undergarment pant that fits a standard person having a waist of about 32 to 34 inches. Similarly, a person's undergarment pant that is sized to fit a standard person having a waist of about 28 to 30 inches, would likely have some dimensions that are smaller than those described above for a person's undergarment pant that fits a standard person having a waist of about 32 to 34 inches. It is appreciated by those skilled in the art that the proportional dimensions of different adult sizes would vary in proportion to the dimensions provided therein. For example, a person's extra large size would be proportionately larger than a person's large size (having a waist size of 40 to 42 inches) provided herein Thus, while applicant has provided a variety of dimensions according to different adult sizes, it is understood that those skilled in the art would know that the dimensions of a larger adult would be proportionately larger. Similarly, the dimensions of a smaller person would be proportionately smaller than those provided herein.

(11) Furthermore, it is anticipated that a person of skill in this art would appreciate that the dimensions provided herein may be altered to accommodate a garment designed to fit a child. The dimensions provided may be scaled down to fit a child. Moreover, children's sizes would vary similarly as the adult sizes described herein would vary depending upon the standard sizes of the industry.

(12) It is further envisioned in the present invention that while children's sized garments may be used as abrasive resistant clothing for use in riding as passengers on motorcyclists, it is also envisioned that the present invention may be used by children and adults for preventing abrasion related injuries that commonly occur in cycling, skate boarding and other sports.

(13) Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the invention. For example, words such as top, bottom, upper, lower, horizontal, vertical, inner, outer, upward, and downward merely describe the configuration shown in the figures. It is understood that the reference items may be oriented in any direction and the terminology, therefore, should be understood as encompassing such variations unless specified otherwise.