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  Removable garment shieldUSPTO Application #: 20060010576Title: Removable garment shield Abstract: A removable garment patch which protects the thigh portion of a pants leg. The patch has an inner surface which is secured to the thigh portion of pants, and an outer surface which provides a location that the wearer can wipe with the wwearer's hands. The wearer can remove the garment patch prior to leaving the work site. The garment patch can be a single patch, or alternatively, it can be distributed in bulk quantities, such as multiple patches attached together on a roll of patches. The garment patch can be secured to the thigh portion of the pants prior to the initiation of work. The garment patch should be secured to the thigh portion of the pants prior to beginning work activities. At the end of work activities, or at the wwearer'selection, the patch can be removed. Alternative embodiments provide discrete patches or rolls of patches which can be dispensed as needed. (end of abstract) Agent: John C. Smith, Esq. - Boca Raton, FL, US Inventors: Michael Tse, Chris Spirou USPTO Applicaton #: 20060010576 - Class: 002244000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, General Structure, Trimmings The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060010576. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION [0001] 1. Technical Field [0002] The present invention relates to devices for protecting clothing from stains, soiling, and excessive wear. In particular, it relates to a disposable and removable temporary shield used to protect portions of a garment during work or during periods of activity which may damage garments. [0003] 2. Background [0004] Protection of garments is a concern for many individuals. A variety of conditions effect the durability and attractiveness of garments. Physical factors such as ordinary wear and tear, more severe wear for garments used in a work environment, staining caused by perspiration or other contaminants, etc., all impact the durability and appearance of garments. [0005] A variety of attempts have been made to address these problems. For example, perspiration shields have been developed to protect garments from the wearer' perspiration. These shields can be used on the underarm of the wearer, on the wwearer's collar, etc. By preventing staining of the garment, these devices increase the attractiveness of the garment, and increase its longevity. This type of device is useful for protecting the garment from the wwearer's body. [0006] Another problem associated with many types of occupations is the damage to wworker's clothing that occurs during the course of the workday. This increases the cost of the work being done and interferes with the productivity of the workers. One particularly frequent problem is related to damage to the knee portions of pants. The reason for this is the large number of occupations, such as carpet installers, floor tile installers, etc., which require the worker to rest on their knees during the installation process. Since the knee portion of the garment receives the highest amount of wear, the knees of the pants frequently wear out while the remainder of the garment remains in a relatively good condition. If the knee portion of the pants were better protected, then the entire garment would last longer. [0007] The prior art has attempted to address this problem in a variety of ways. In particular, specialized devices to protect the knees of the pants legs have been developed to extend the useful life of the pants by preventing premature wear in the knee. [0008] One such device has been the development of removable knee pads. Of course, the primary function of removable knee pads is to protect the knees of the worker, not to protect the garment. However, these devices do provide an additional benefit in that they also provide a measure of protection for the knee portion of the wworker's pants, and as a result, the useful life of the wworker's pants is extended. [0009] In addition to the fortuitous benefit provided by knee pads when they protect the ppants' nee in addition to the wworker's knee, the prior art has also provided devices that are primarily intended to extend the useful life of the knee portion of a wworker's pants. In particular, knee patches are commonly available devices which can be secured to the knee portion of a pair of pants. These devices can be used after the knee portion of the pants has been damaged, or before any damage has occurred. They merely provide an additional layer of material which will be subjected to the same type of wear as the original material in the pants. Unfortunately, while knee patches address the problem of damage to the knees, they are often unsightly, and give the impression that the wearer is using old, worn out, or repaired clothing. [0010] Those skilled in the art will recognize that while knee pads and knee patches are very useful for workmen, they may also be very useful for other individuals, such as children, who tend to place high levels of wear on their garments, or individuals who are engaging in activities such as sports. [0011] The problems and solutions related to the knee portion of pants have received substantial attention by the prior art because problems related to the knee portion are conspicuous, and because the presence of physical damage to the garment focuses attention on the problem. However, other sections of the wworker's pants have different problems which also detract from the appearance and useful life of the garment. In particular, in many work environments workers do not inflict excessive wear on the knees of the pants. For example, painters, plasterers, electricians, etc., may spend the majority of their time in a standing position. As a result, they may have little if any wear problems associated with the knee portions of their work pants. [0012] Unfortunately, while the knee portion of the wworker's pants may remain in relatively good condition, other portions of the wworker's garments may receive substantial amounts of wear based upon the position required by their occupation. For example, when the painter or plaster is in a standing position, they may frequently wipe their hands on the thigh portion other pants the course of a dday's work. As a result, while the garment has received no impact or abrasion damage that would cause wear, the thigh portion of the wworker's pants may be severely stained or soiled. This shortens the useful life of the garment, because eventually the garment will have to be disposed of even though it is structurally sound. [0013] In addition to shortening garment life, it also inconveniences the wearer because the wearer may feel uncomfortable when work is interrupted for activities such as lunch, etc. In particular, the individual may feel uncomfortable because of their appearance, and may therefore, avoid frequenting desirable establishments. It would be desirable to have a method of protecting selected portions of a garment, such as the thigh portion of pants, or other garments or portions of garments. Further, it would also be desirable to have a method of protecting selected portions of a garment on a temporary basis. [0014] While the prior art has provided solutions to several problems related to the protection of garments, it has failed to provide a method of shielding particular areas of a garment, such as the thigh portion of a pants leg, in such a manner that the shield can be easily attached, or easily removed. SUMMARY OF INVENTION [0015] The present invention provides a removable garment patch which is designed to protect the thigh portion of a pants leg. The removable garment patch has an inner surface which is secured to the thigh portion of pants, and an outer surface which provides a location that the wearer can wipe with the wwearer's hands. The wearer can remove the garment patch prior to leaving the work site. The garment patch can be a single patch, or alternatively, it can be distributed in bulk quantities, such as multiple patches attached together on a roll of patches. The garment patch can be secured to the thigh portion of the pants prior to the initiation of work. The garment patch should be secured to the thigh portion of the pants prior to beginning work activities. At the end of work activities, or at the wwearer'selection, the patch can be removed. Alternative embodiments provide discrete patches or rolls of patches which can be dispensed as needed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0016] FIG. 1 is a prior art illustration in which a conventional pair of pants has soiled thigh portions. [0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a conventional pair of pants has removable patches sized to suitably cover the thigh portions of an iindividual's leg. [0018] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a patch has a layer of material which acts as a shield, a layer of adhesive, and a peelable layer which is removed prior to use. [0019] FIG. 4A illustrates a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a plurality of patches are available for use, and are packaged such that individual patches can be obtained as needed. [0020] FIG. 4B illustrates a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a plurality of patches are available for use, and are packaged such that individual patches can be obtained as needed. [0021] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the invention in which the patch has a layer of absorbent material which retains fluids in messy environments, a nonporous barrier layer, and a peel-off layer which exposes adhesive when removed. Continue reading... Full patent description for Removable garment shield Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Removable garment shield patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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