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EP-4272589-B1 - GARMENT WITH A NON-LINEAR WAISTBAND

EP4272589B1EP 4272589 B1EP4272589 B1EP 4272589B1EP-4272589-B1

Inventors

  • BIRTCH, ALFRED

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20230330

Claims (12)

  1. A device suitable (100) for incorporation into, or attachable to a garment having a non-linear waistband (210) such that a front section (211) is lower than a back section (214) and two side sections (212), (213), the incorporation or attachment for avoiding buttock cleavage when a wearer of the garment is bending forward, the device comprising: a body (120) having a perimeter defined by an upper side (112) and a lower side (111) with respect to the garment when incorporated thereto, the lower side (111) having a greater length than the upper side (112), the body (120) being shaped to define a middle portion (130) that bends upward to two distal ends (131), (132), wherein the two distal ends (131), (132) are configured to be arranged to hold the two side sections (212), (213), and the middle portion (130) is configured to be arranged to hold the front section (211), thereby a tension force is applied to the back section (214) by the two side sections (212), (213) to maintain the back section (214) in place at a vertical position equivalent to the two side sections (212), (213) when the wearer is bending forward, the device being characterized in that the body (120) : further comprises a connector (510) selected from the group consisting of a hook, a clip, a pin, a strap, one or more brazier hooks, and any combination thereof; and is detachable into two parts (501), (502) by loosening the connector (510) for enabling a front zipper fly and/or a front button on the garment to open for facilitating putting on the garment and/or sanitary functions.
  2. The device of claim 1, wherein the body (120) is in a crescent shape with a convex side and a concave side, wherein the convex side defines the lower side (111), the concave side defines the upper side (112), and the upper side (112) has a greater radius of curvature than the lower side (111).
  3. The device of claim 1, wherein the body (120) is in a V-shape, a parentheses shape, or a crescent shape, wherein the middle portion (130) tapers to the two distal ends (131), (132), and the middle portion (130) and the two distal ends (131), (132) are not formed along a straight line.
  4. The device of claim 1, wherein the body (120) is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of a biodegradable material, a carbon fiber, a plastic, a metal, an acrylic, a nylon, a resin, a composite material, and any combination thereof.
  5. A garment, comprising: a fabric portion covering at least a part of a lower body of a wearer; and a non-linear waistband (210) having a front section (211), a back section (214), and two side sections (212), (213), wherein the front section (211) is lower than the back section (214) and the two side sections (212), (213), such that the non-linear waistband (210) travels across the wearer's abdomen along a non-linear path; and a supporting device (100) incorporated into or attached to the front section (211) of the non-linear waistband (210) to apply a tension force to the back section (214) by holding the two side sections (212), (213) in place, wherein the supporting device (100) further comprises: a body (120) having a perimeter defined by an upper side (112) and a lower side (111) with respect to the garment; the lower side (111) has a greater length than the upper side (112); and the body (120) is shaped to define a middle portion (130) that bends upward to two distal ends (131), (132), the garment being characterized in that the body (120) : further comprises a connector (510) selected from the group consisting of a hook, a clip, a pin, a strap, one or more brazier hooks, and any combination thereof; and is detachable into two parts (501), (502) by loosening the connector (510) for enabling a front zipper fly and/or a front button on the trousers to open for facilitating putting on the trousers and/or sanitary functions.
  6. The garment of claim 5, wherein the body (120) is in a crescent shape with a convex side and a concave side, wherein the convex side defines the lower side (111), the concave side defines the upper side (112), and the upper side (112) has a greater radius of curvature than the lower side (111).
  7. The garment of claim 5, wherein the body (120) is in a V-shape, a parentheses shape, or a crescent shape, wherein the middle portion (130) tapers to the two distal ends (131), (132), and the middle portion (130) and the two distal ends (131), (132) are not formed along a straight line.
  8. The garment of claim 5, wherein the body (120) is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of a biodegradable material, a carbon fiber, a plastic, a metal, an acrylic, a nylon, a resin, a composite material, and any combination thereof.
  9. A garment covering a lower body of a wearer, wherein an exposure of the buttock and the intergluteal cleft is avoided when the wearer bends forward, the garment comprising: leg pieces (220) covering at least a part of the lower body of the wearer; a non-linear waistband (210) having a front section (211), a back section (214), and two side sections (212), (213), wherein the front section (211) is lower than the back section (214) and the two side sections (212), (213); and a supporting device (100) incorporated into or attached to the front section (211) of the non-linear waistband (210) to apply a tension force to the back section (214) by holding the two side sections (212), (213) in place when the wearer is bending forward, wherein the supporting device (100) further comprises: a body (120) having a perimeter defined by an upper side (112) and a lower side (111) with respect to the garment; the lower side (111) has a greater length than the upper side (112); and the body (120) is shaped to define a middle portion (130) that bends upward to two distal ends (131), (132), the garment being characterized in that the body (120): further comprises a connector (510) selected from the group consisting of a hook, a clip, a pin, a strap, one or more brazier hooks, and any combination thereof; and is detachable into two parts (501), (502) by loosening the connector (510) for allowing a front zipper fly and/or a front button on the garment to open for facilitating putting on the garment and/or sanitary functions.
  10. The garment of claim 9, wherein the body (120) is in a crescent shape with a convex side and a concave side, wherein the convex side defines the lower side (111), the concave side defines the upper side (112), and the upper side (112) has a greater radius of curvature than the lower side (111).
  11. The garment of claim 9, wherein the body (120) is in a V-shape, a parentheses shape, or a crescent shape, wherein the middle portion (130) tapers to the two distal ends (131), (132), and the middle portion (130) and the two distal ends (131), (132) are not formed along a straight line.
  12. The garment of claim 9, wherein the body (120) is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of a biodegradable material, a carbon fiber, a plastic, a metal, an acrylic, a nylon, a resin, a composite material, and any combination thereof.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of the Hong Kong Short-term Patent Application No. 32022052866.7, filed on May 3, 2022. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure generally relates to a device for avoiding exposure of the buttock and the intergluteal cleft, and particularly relates to a device for holding the trousers in place on the wearer to avoid exposure of the buttock and the intergluteal cleft, especially when the upper body of the wearer is bent forward about the waist. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The terms "plumber butt" or "plumber's crack" (American English) and "builder's bum" (British English) refer to the exposure of the buttock and the intergluteal cleft (or generally referred to as the "buttock cleavage"), particularly on occasions of bending over. The expression of "builder's bum" was first recorded in 1988, and the similar expression of "plumber's crack" was first used as early as 1992. The terms are based on the impression that work in these professions frequently involves bending over, in which it is possible to expose at least part of the buttock and the intergluteal cleft from behind. Buttock cleavage may not necessarily be linked to the plumbers or builders, but may instead be a fashion trend. Wearing blue jeans, particularly those tight-fitting or low-rise jeans, may easily expose the buttock and the intergluteal cleft when crouching, sitting, bending over, or kneeling. This may be a fashion trend, particularly among teenagers. However, this may also be an accidental reveal. Trousers, particularly blue jeans, are held in place on the wearer via the tension around the hips of the wearer. The tension is provided via the garment waistband. If the tension of the waistband is insufficient, the wearer can insert an adjustable belt through the belt loops and/or suspenders of the trousers to tighten and hold the trousers in place. Such tension travels a linear path around the wearer's body, and the height of the waistband on the front is the same as the height at the back. As low-rise jeans have a lower waistband that sits at or even below the hip bones, wearing low-rise jeans may have buttock cleavage easily when the upper body of the wearer is bent forward about the waist. Apart from the above situation for wearing blue jeans, a similar issue is also observed in overweight and obese individuals. Traditionally, overweight individuals must rely on suspenders to hold the front of their blue jeans up high enough to avoid the back from being embarrassingly low. In particular, the abdomens of the overweight individuals push the currently linear-flow waistband downward. Therefore, the buttock and the intergluteal cleft may be exposed easily when bending over. Document KR 102 103 111 B1 discloses seamless leggings in which a compression portion is integrally thermoformed and attached to a waist band portion surrounding a waist portion, and a hip-up portion is integrally thermoformed and attached to a portion connecting a hip portion from both pelvises to support the hip portion upward while pressurizing an abdomen portion. A reinforcing band is added to the inside of the edge of a leg insertion portion to integrally heat-seal to prevent the edges of the leg insertion portion from being twined or curled. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a device that can be incorporated into or attached to the trousers for holding the trousers in place for avoiding the above problem of buttock cleavage. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the disclosure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Provided herein is a device capable of incorporating into or attachable to trousers for avoiding buttock cleavage when a wearer of the trousers is bending forward. This can be used in low-rise jeans or used by overweight individuals for holding the jeans from being too low. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a device capable of incorporating into or attachable to trousers for avoiding buttock cleavage when a wearer of the trousers is bending forward. The device includes a body having a perimeter defined by an upper side and a lower side with respect to the trousers when incorporated thereto, the lower side having a greater length than the upper side, the body being shaped to define a middle portion that bends upward to two distal ends. The trousers have a non-linear waistband such that a front section is lower than a back section and two side sections. The two distal ends are arranged to hold the two side sections of the trousers, and the middle portion is arranged to hold the front section of the trousers. A tension force is applied to the back section by the two side sections to hold the back section in place at a vertical position equivalent to the two side sections when the wea