US20070209096A1

US20070209096A1 - Garment with integrated measuring apparatus

Info

Publication number: US20070209096A1
Application number: US11/373,704
Authority: US
Inventors: Keith Davis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-03-10
Filing date: 2006-03-10
Publication date: 2007-09-13

Abstract

A garment with an integrated measuring device. For example, a pair of boxer shorts may have a cloth ruler stitched into the fly area of the boxer shorts. Any object which may be near the fly area of the boxer shorts may be sized up by opening the fly and inserting or extending an object through the fly or placing an object along the axis of the measuring device. The demarcations of measurement may be in inches, centimeters or any other unit of measure and may or may not be numbered. In addition, the actual demarcations may be smaller than an inch for example to make any object next to the measure device appear to be larger than it actually is. The garment may be shorts, boxer shorts, pants, pajamas, a bra, a sports bra, a shirt, a sock or any other garment.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention described herein pertain to the field of garments. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention are implemented as garments with integrated measuring devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are no known garments that integrate with measuring devices. For example, there are no known boxer shorts that have a measuring device built into the fly of the boxer shorts. There are no known garment based measuring devices that have demarcations that are actually not to scale so that objects measured with the measuring device appear larger than they actually are.
For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a garment with an integrated measuring device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One or more embodiments of the invention are implemented as garments with integrated measuring devices. A garment with an integrated measuring device is made from a piece of cloth and has a measuring device integrated into the garment. For example, a pair of boxer shorts may have a cloth ruler stitched into the fly area of the boxer shorts. Any object which may be near the fly area of the boxer shorts may be sized up by opening the fly and inserting or extending an object through said fly. The demarcations of measurement may be in inches, centimeters or any other unit of measure and may or may not be numbered. In addition, the actual demarcations may be smaller than an inch for example to make any object next to the measure device appear to be larger than it actually is.
Conversely, if the garment is a sock and a wearer of the sock does not want to appear to have large toes, then the demarcations on the sock may be larger than the implied unit of measure to make the toes actually appear smaller than they are in terms of the number of inches that they actually are. Alternatively, the demarcations of measurement on the measuring device may be equal to actual implied unit of measure in order to provide accurate measurements and make an object measured with said measuring device have the correct measurement.
The measurement device can be any visual apparatus with demarcations that denote that a measurement can take place. For example, a ruler based measuring device may have large demarcations every inch (more or less if the desired measurement is to be larger or smaller respectively than actual size of a measured object) and smaller demarcations every quarter inch. The demarcations in the ruler embodiment are generally orthogonal to the direction than an object is measured against so that the demarcations form a scale from which to count up the demarcations and determine a size.
A calibrated ruler for example may be used to gauge whether the integrated measuring device has demarcations that are further apart, equal to or closer together than a standardized measurement unit. The measuring device may have numbers that begin at zero or a higher number and increase in one direction along the axis of the measuring device. Alternatively, the measuring device may not utilize numbers.
The garment may be shorts, boxer shorts, pants, pajamas, a bra, a sports bra, a shirt, a sock or any other garment. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the garment may comprise snaps so that the garment may be removed in rapid fashion if desired. For example, a boxer shorts embodiment may have snaps along each side of the shorts that allow for the boxer shorts to be ripped off rapidly when desired. In addition, snaps may be coupled with the side of the boxer shorts so that the boxer shorts may be rolled down and secured. This scenario often occurs when a female wears a mans boxer shorts. In this scenario, the measuring device may be a small device attached to the waistband of the boxer shorts. In a bra embodiment, the measuring device may be exposed when the cups of the bar are pulled away from one another.
In other embodiments of the invention, functionality is provided for altering the appearance of another item of clothing. For example, a sock embodiment may have a top that overlaps a boot and displays a desired pattern and desired color. The sock embodiment may or may not comprise measuring device or the measuring device may be covered when the top of the sock of pulled up and over the top of the boot. This embodiment allows for one type of boot to appear as many different boots by changing out the sock with another sock that has a different pattern and/or color. Although the sock embodiment looks like part of the boot, it is a separate garment that allows for the alteration of the appearance of the boot.
Selling items of clothing with integrated measuring devices may provide for increased sales as the novelty of the invention spreads. A garment integrated with a measuring device may be constructed with the measuring device sewn for example into the garment. In this embodiment the measuring device may be constructed from cloth and have printed or stitches demarcation lines, symbols or icons.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a front and back view of an embodiment of the invention configured as boxer shorts with a measuring device integrated into the fly of the boxer shorts.
FIG. 2 is a front and back view of an embodiment of the invention configured as boxer shorts with a measuring device integrated into the fly of the boxer shorts and snaps along the side of the boxer shorts for rapid removal.
FIG. 3 is a front and back view of an embodiment of the invention configured as a bar or sports bra with a measuring device integrated into the area between the cups of the bra.
FIG. 4 is a front and back view of an embodiment of the invention configured as boxer shorts with a draw cord and measuring device integrated into the waistband of the boxer shorts and snaps along the side of the boxer shorts for securing the waistband when rolled down.
FIG. 5 is a front and back view of an embodiment of the invention configured as pants or pajamas with a measuring device integrated into the waistband of the pants.
FIG. 6 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention configured as a sock that may be rolled over a boot in order to provide desired colors and desired patterns that appear to be part of the top of the boot, which allows for one boot to appear as many.
FIG. 7 is a front view of an embodiment of the invention configured as a shirt with a measuring device integrated into a slit extending down from the collar of the shirt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A garment with integrated measuring device will now be described. In the following exemplary description numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to an artisan of ordinary skill that the present invention may be practiced without incorporating all aspects of the specific details described herein. In other instances, specific features, quantities, or measurements well known to those of ordinary skill in the art have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention. Readers should note that although examples of the invention are set forth herein, the claims, and the full scope of any equivalents, are what define the metes and bounds of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a front and back view of an embodiment of the invention configured as boxer shorts with a measuring device integrated into the fly of the boxer shorts. A garment with an integrated measuring device is made from a piece of cloth and has a measuring device integrated into the garment. For example, pair of boxer shorts 100 is coupled with measuring device 101, here a cloth ruler stitched into the fly area of the boxer shorts. Any object which may be near the fly area of the boxer shorts may be sized up by opening the fly and inserting or extending an object through said fly. The demarcations of measurement may be in inches, centimeters or any other unit of measure and may or may not be numbered. In addition, the actual demarcations may be smaller than an inch for example to make any object next to the measure device appear to be larger than it actually is.
FIG. 2 is a front and back view of an embodiment of the invention configured as boxer shorts with a measuring device integrated into the fly of the boxer shorts and snaps along the side of the boxer shorts for rapid removal. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the garment may comprise snaps 200 so that boxer shorts 100 may be removed in rapid fashion if desired. For example, a boxer shorts embodiment may have snaps along each side of the shorts that allow for the boxer shorts to be ripped off rapidly when desired. By pulling or yanking the shorts away from the body, the snaps release allowing for the shorts to be rapidly removed. In this embodiment the measuring device is optional. In addition, snaps may be coupled with the side of the boxer shorts so that the boxer shorts may be rolled down and secured. FIG. 4 is a front and back view of an embodiment of the invention configured as boxer shorts with a draw cord and measuring device integrated into the waistband of the boxer shorts and snaps along the side of the boxer shorts for securing the waistband when rolled down. This scenario often occurs when a female wears a man's boxer shorts. In this scenario, measuring device 401 may be a small device attached to the waistband of boxer shorts 400 at the front or rear of the waistband for example.
FIG. 3 is a front and back view of an embodiment of the invention configured as a bar or sports bra with a measuring device integrated into the area between the cups of the bra. In a bra embodiment, measuring device 101 may be exposed when the cups of bra 300 are pulled away from one another. Measuring device 101 may be exposed always or hidden in a slit as shown. Alternatively, the measuring device may reside inside bra 300.
The garment may be in the form of shorts, boxer shorts, pants, pajamas, a bra, a sports bra, a shirt, a sock or any other garment. FIG. 5 is a front and back view of an embodiment of the invention configured as pants or pajamas with a measuring device integrated into the waistband of the pants. Measuring device 501 may be coupled with the waistband of pants 500 for example. Measuring device 501 may also be placed inside the pants.
Conversely, if the garment is a sock and a wearer of the sock does not want to appear to have large toes, then the demarcations on the sock may be larger than the implied unit of measure to make the toes actually appear smaller than they are in terms of the number of inches that they actually are. Alternatively, the demarcations of measurement on the measuring device may be equal to actual implied unit of measure in order to provide accurate measurements and make an object measured with said measuring device have the correct measurement. FIG. 6 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention configured as a sock that may be rolled over a boot in order to provide desired colors and desired patterns that appear to be part of the top of the boot, which allows for one boot to appear as many. In this embodiment, sock 600 is integrated with measuring device 601 and sock 600 has fold over top 602 for folding over a boot. The measuring device in this embodiment is optional. FIG. 7 is a front view of an embodiment of the invention configured as a shirt with a measuring device integrated into a slit extending down from the collar of the shirt. Shirt 700 exposes measuring device 701 via the slit in the front of shirt 700.
The measurement device can be any visual apparatus with demarcations that denote that a measurement can take place. For example, a ruler based measuring device may have large demarcations every inch (more or less if the desired measurement is to be larger or smaller respectively than actual size of a measured object) and smaller demarcations every quarter inch. The demarcations in the ruler embodiment are generally orthogonal to the direction than an object is measured against so that the demarcations form a scale from which to count up the demarcations and determine a size. A calibrated ruler for example may be used to gauge whether the integrated measuring device has demarcations that are further apart, equal to or closer together than a standardized measurement unit. The measuring device may have numbers that begin at zero or a higher number and increase in one direction along the axis of the measuring device. Alternatively, the measuring device may not utilize numbers.
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A garment with an integrated measuring device comprising:

a piece of cloth formed into a garment that is wearable; and,

a measuring device integrated with said garment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said measuring device comprises demarcations of measurement that are smaller than an actual implied unit of measure in order to make an object measured with said measuring device look larger than said object actually is.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said measuring device comprises demarcations of measurement that are larger than an actual implied unit of measure in order to make an object measured with said measuring device look smaller than said object actually is.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said measuring device comprises demarcations of measurement that are equal to actual implied unit of measure in order to make an object measured with said measuring device appear to be equal a size that said object actually is.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said measuring device comprises a ruler and wherein said ruler demarcations are closer together than demarcations on a calibrated ruler.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said measuring device comprises a ruler and wherein said ruler demarcations are further apart than demarcations on a calibrated ruler.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said measuring device comprises a ruler and wherein said ruler demarcations are equal to demarcations on a calibrated ruler.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said measuring device comprises a ruler and wherein said ruler comprises numbers indicating measurement values.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said measuring device comprises a ruler and wherein said ruler does not comprise numbers indicating measurement values.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said garment comprises shorts.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said garment comprises shorts and wherein said measuring device is exposed when a fly area of said shorts is opened.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said garment comprises shorts and wherein said shorts comprise a series of snaps along each side of said shorts and wherein said shorts are configured to be removed rapidly by yanking said shorts away from a wearer's body thereby releasing said snaps.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said shorts comprise boxer shorts.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said garment comprises boxer shorts and wherein said measuring device is exposed on a waistband and wherein said boxer shorts are configured with a snap to secure said boxer shorts when said waistband is rolled down.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said garment comprises a bra or sports bra.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said garment comprises a sports bra and wherein said measuring device is exposed when each cup of said sports bar is pulled apart from one another.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said garment comprises pajamas or pants or a shirt or a sock.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein comprises a sock top having a desired pattern and desired color and wherein said sock top is configured to overlap a top of a boot when said sock top is rolled down over said top of said boot and wherein said sock top then displays said desired pattern and said desired color around said top of said boot.

19. A garment with an integrated measuring device comprising:

a piece of cloth formed into a garment that is wearable by a person; and,

said garment comprises shorts and wherein said shorts comprise a series of snaps along each side of said shorts and wherein said shorts are configured to be removed rapidly by yanking said shorts away from a wearer's body thereby releasing said snaps.

20. A garment with an integrated measuring device comprising:

a piece of cloth formed into a garment that is wearable by a person; and,

said garment comprises a sock with a sock top having a desired pattern and desired color and wherein said sock top is configured to overlap a top of a boot when said sock top is rolled down over said top of said boot and wherein said sock top then displays said desired pattern and said desired color around said top of said boot.