Garment with Waistband Pocket

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/299,688, filed Apr. 12, 2023, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,342,883, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/785,017, filed Feb. 7, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,779,070, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/229,224, filed Aug. 5, 2016; this application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/545,307, filed Dec. 8, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,925,223, which is a continuation of U.S. patent Ser. No. 16/527,831, filed Jul. 31, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,224,258, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/439,006, filed Feb. 22, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,398,183, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/298,102 filed on Feb. 22, 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

The present disclosure relates to an article of clothing or garment. More specifically, the present invention relates to pants, shorts, and other types of bottoms that contain a pocket with a tension closure, the pocket being configured to receive objects therein.

Garments typically are equipped with pockets that enable the wearer of the garment to store items within the pockets. Garments equipped with conventional pockets allow items to fall out of the pocket, especially when the wearer of the garment is performing athletic activity. Thus, garments equipped with conventional pockets are often equipped with fasteners that enable the conventional pockets to securely store any items placed within the pockets. In addition, athletic garments equipped with conventional pockets may cause the garment to be uncomfortable and/or create unwanted and unflattering lines or bulges in the surface of the garment. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an article of clothing, or garment, that is equipped with a pocket that securely stores personal items without the need for fastener. It would also be desirable to provide a garment that retains personal items in a pocket while athletic activities and movements are performed by the wearer of the garment.

A garment is disclosed herein including a waistband and a lower portion. The waistband includes a top perimeter and a bottom perimeter, and the lower portion is coupled to the bottom perimeter of the waistband. The garment further includes a dynamic pocket comprising a pleated resilient sheet disposed on the waistband. The resilient sheet includes a left side, a right side, a laterally extending first end, and a laterally extending second end opposite the first end. The left side and the right side of the resilient sheet define sides of a pocket cavity of the dynamic pocket. An opening to the pocket cavity is defined between the waistband and the resilient sheet. The resilient sheet includes a plurality of pleats defined by a plurality of fold lines. The plurality of pleats are configured to unfold along the plurality of fold lines to increase a height of the pocket cavity.

In at least one embodiment, the garment includes a waistband and a dynamic pocket disposed on the waistband, the waistband including a top perimeter and a bottom perimeter. The dynamic pocket includes a backing sheet comprising a plurality of exposed panels and a plurality of unexposed panels with a plurality of folds formed along fold lines between the exposed panels and the unexposed panels. An opening to a pocket cavity is defined between the waistband and the dynamic pocket. The plurality of folds are configured to unfold along the plurality of fold lines to increase a height of the pocket cavity when an object is inserted into the pocket cavity.

In at least one embodiment a method of storing an object in a garment including a waistband pocket is disclosed. The method comprises obtaining a garment including a waistband defining a user-facing interior surface, an exterior surface opposite the interior surface, a top edge, and a bottom edge. The garment further includes a lower portion coupled to the bottom edge of the waistband. The garment also includes a dynamic provided by a pleated resilient sheet coupled to the waistband. The pleated resilient sheet includes a left side, a right side, a laterally extending first end, and a laterally extending second end. The pleated resilient sheet further including a plurality pleats defined by a plurality of fold lines. An opening to a pocket cavity is defined between the waistband and the laterally extending first end of the resilient sheet. The plurality of pleats are configured to unfold along the plurality of fold lines to increase a height of the pocket cavity. The method further includes opening the pocket cavity and inserting an object into the pocket cavity such that the pleats unfold and increase the height of the resilient sheet.

The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. While it would be desirable to provide a garment with a waistband pocket and associated method for using a waistband pocket that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features as may be apparent to those reviewing this disclosure, the teachings disclosed herein extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they include or accomplish one or more of the advantages or features mentioned herein.

Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements throughout this disclosure.

All Figures © Under Armour, Inc. 2025. All rights reserved.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying figures which form a part hereof wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Aspects of the disclosure are disclosed in the accompanying description. Alternate embodiments of the present disclosure and their equivalents may be devised without parting from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. It should be noted that any discussion herein regarding “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an exemplary embodiment”, and the like indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, and that such particular feature, structure, or characteristic may not necessarily be included in every embodiment. In addition, references to the foregoing do not necessarily comprise a reference to the same embodiment. Finally, irrespective of whether it is explicitly described, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily appreciate that each of the particular features, structures, or characteristics of the given embodiments may be utilized in connection or combination with those of any other embodiment discussed herein.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete actions or operations in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations may not be performed in the order of presentation. Operations described may be performed in a different order than the described embodiment. Various additional operations may be performed and/or described operations may be omitted in additional embodiments.

For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A and/or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C).

The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as used with respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous.

As used herein, a “garment” refers to an article of apparel designed and configured to be worn on a user's body. Examples of garments include, but are not limited to: shirts, pants, dresses, bodysuits, packs, and/or any of various other garments referred to herein. The illustrated embodiments depict pants in the form of shorts, though the reader should appreciate that the embodiments described herein may be used with any desired garment, including other types and forms of pants.

It will be recognized that although the garment may be placed in any number of orientations during times of use and non-use by a wearer, terms of position used herein in association with the garment are defined with reference to the garment being worn by a user standing in an upright position. Accordingly, “vertical” references a direction that is generally perpendicular to the ground and is defined from a user's feet to the user's head (or vice-versa). Similarly, “horizontal” and/or “lateral” references a direction that is generally parallel to the ground and is defined from the user's left to right side (or vice-versa). Likewise, the terms “above” and “upper” references a relative position where one component is vertically higher than another component, and “below” or “lower” references a relative position where one component is vertically lower than another component.

A garment is disclosed herein that includes a waistband pocket. The pocket is provided by a pocket panel disposed on the waistband. In various embodiments, the pocket panel may be expandable such that the height of the pocket panel increases when an object of a particular size is inserted into the pocket. The pocket panel may be accessed via two flaps coupled to the waistband. In at least some embodiments, the two flaps are overlapping and assist in securing an object in the pocket.

Garment with Exterior Waist Pocket

Referring to, illustrated is a first embodiment of a garment that can be worn by a person, where the garment includes a pocket in the waistband of the garment. The embodiment of the garment illustrated is a pair of pants. The term pants may refer to any type of bottom typically worn by people, including, but not limited to, pants, knickers, capris, shorts, trousers, skirts, kilts, etc. The pantscontain a front side, and a rear side, the rear sideoriented opposite of the front side. The pantsfurther include a first (e.g., right) sideconnecting the front sideto the rear side. The pantsalso include a second (e.g., left) sidethat is oriented opposite of the first sideand that also connects the front sideto the rear side. The pants further include a top side(which may also be referred to herein as an “upper portion”) and a bottom side(which may also be referred to herein as a “bottom portion”) oriented opposite of the top side.

The embodiment of the pantsillustrated inmay contain a waist portion(which may also be referred to herein as a “waistband”) on the top side, and a first leg portionand a second leg portionon the bottom side. As illustrated, the waist portion, or waistband,is disposed proximate to the topof the pantsand includes a top edgeand a bottom edge. The waist portionextends around each of the sides,,,of the pantsand defines openingproximate to the top sideof the pants. Openingis configured to receive portions of the body of the user wearing the pants. When worn by a user, the waist portionof the pantsis configured to encircle or surround the user proximate to the user's waist. The waist portionfurther includes an exterior surfaceand an interior surface. When worn by a user, the interior surfaceof the waist portioncontacts the portion of the body in which the waist portion encircles, while the exterior surfaceremains exposed.

As described herein, the waist portionof the pantscan be constructed of any suitable elastomeric fabric materials, including elastomeric fabrics that provide two-way stretch or four-way stretch characteristics so as to provide a form-fitting or compression fit against the user's body. Elastomeric fabrics can be formed from yarns, fibers and/or filaments using any suitable types of elastomeric and/or non-elastomeric components. An example of an elastomeric materials for use in forming the fabric materials for the pants are polyester-polyurethane copolymers used to form synthetic yarns, fibers or filaments and commonly referred to as spandex or elastane. Fabrics formed from yarns or fibers comprising spandex or elastane provide significant elasticity to the fabric so as to achieve a desired form or compression fit to the user's body. In one embodiment, the waist portionmay be constructed from a woven polyester/stretch blended fabric that contains 86% polyester and 14% elastane.

In addition, the first leg portionis disposed proximate to the front side, rear side, and first sideof the pants. As illustrated in, the first leg portionincludes a top edge, a bottom edge, and a front edge. As illustrated in, the first leg portionalso includes a rear edge. The first leg portionextends downwardly from the waist portiontowards the bottom sideof the pants, where the top edgeof the first leg portionis coupled to a portion of the bottom edgeof the waist portion. The bottom edgeof the first leg portiondefines a first leg openingthat is configured to receive the first (e.g., right) leg of the user wearing the pants. The first leg openingis disposed proximate to the bottomand first sideof the pantsand surrounds or encircles at least a portion of the first leg (e.g., thigh, knee, calf, ankle, etc.) of the user wearing the pants.

Similar to the first leg portion, the second leg portionis disposed proximate to the front side, rear side, and second sideof the pants. As illustrated in, the second leg portionincludes a top edge, a bottom edge, and a front edge. As illustrated in, the second leg portionalso includes a rear edge. The second leg portionextends downwardly from the waist portiontowards the bottom sideof the pants, where the top edgeof the second leg portionis coupled to a portion of the bottom edgeof the waist portion. The bottom edgeof the second leg portiondefines a second leg openingthat is configured to receive the second (e.g., left) leg of the user wearing the pants. The second leg openingis disposed proximate to the bottomand second sideof the pantsand surrounds or encircles at least a portion of the second leg (e.g., thigh, knee, calf, ankle, etc.) of the user wearing the pants. While two leg portions are disclosed in association with the pants of, it will be recognized that only a single leg portion may be included in some embodiments of the pants (e.g., in association with a skirt).

As illustrated in, the first leg portionis coupled to the second leg portionat a central location on the frontof the pants. More specifically, the front edgeof the first leg portion, which is vertically oriented, is coupled to the front edgeof the second leg portion, which is also vertically oriented. Similarly, as best illustrated in, the first leg portionis coupled to the second leg portionby the rear edgeof the first leg portionbeing coupled to the rear edgeof the second leg portion. Similar to the front edges,, the rear edges,of the first and second leg portion,are vertically oriented.

The waist portion, first leg portion, and second leg portionmay be coupled to one another via stitching, such as, but not limited to, flatlock stitching, overlock stitching, blind stitching, etc. In addition, the waist portion, first leg portion, and second leg portionmay be coupled to one another by means other than stitching, such as, but not limited to, bonding, adhesives, etc. In some embodiments, the first leg portionand the second leg portionmay be constructed from a woven polyester/stretch blended fabric that contains 86% polyester and 14% elastane, similar to that of the waist portion. Thus, the waist portion, first leg portion, and the second leg portionare at least partially resilient/elastomeric and may be configured to stretch, deform, and take the shape of a portion of the body (e.g., the waist) of the user of the pantswhen the user is wearing the pants.

As further illustrated in, a waist pocketis disposed in or within the waist portionof the pantsproximate to the frontof the pants. The waist pocketmay be centrally disposed in the waist portionon the frontof the pants so that the waist pocketis disposed equidistant from the first sideand the second side. The waist pocketis further disposed on the exterior surfaceof the waist portionsuch that the waist pocketis exposed and viewable. The waist pockethas a top edge, a bottom edge, and a front surface. The top edgeof the waist pocketis aligned with the top edgeof the waist portion, while the bottom edgeof the waist pocketis aligned with the bottom edgeof the waist portion.

illustrate the waist pocketof the embodiment of the pantsof. As illustrated in a front view of the waist pocket(e.g., viewing the side or surface of the waist pocketthat is on the exterior of the pants) in, the waist pocketincludes a first, or outer, flapand a second, or inner, flap. The first flapmay include a top edgeand bottom edge. The top edgemay be disposed proximate to the top edgeof the waist portionof the pantssuch that the top edgeof the waist pocketaligns with and/or is fixedly coupled to the top edgeof the waist portionof the pants. In other words, the top edgeof the first flapof the waist pocketmay form the portion of the top edgeof the waist portionat the location where the waist pocketis disposed on the waist portion. The bottom edgemay be disposed opposite of the top edgesuch that the bottom edgeis disposed more proximate to the bottom edgeof the waist portionthan to the top edgeof the waist portionof the pants. In addition, the sides,of the first flapmay be fixedly coupled to the waist portion. As illustrated, the bottom edgeof the first flapmay be arcuate, or, in other words, contains a curvature. In other embodiments, the bottom edgeof the first flapmay include a quarter inch encased elastic with a gathering that is undercut so that, when manipulated, the bottom edgeof the first flapreturns to its position proximate to the bottom edgeof the waist pocket.

As best illustrated in, the second flapincludes a top edgeand a bottom edge. The top edgeof the second flap, shown in phantom in, may be disposed proximate to the top edgeof the waist portionof the pantsand the top edgeof the first flap. As illustrated, the top edgeof the second flapmay be disposed underneath the first flap. Thus, the first flapat least partially lies overtop the second flapsuch that the top edgeof the second flapis covered by the first flap. The second flapfurther includes a bottom edgeopposite of the top edge, where the bottom edgemay be exposed and fixedly coupled to the bottom edgeof the waist portion, such that the bottom edgeappears to be aligned with the bottom edgeof the waist portion. In other words, the bottom edgeof the second flapof the waist pocketmay form the portion of the bottom edgeof the waist portionat the location where the waist pocketis disposed on the waist portion. Thus, by the positioning of the waist pocketillustrated in, the second flapmay also be fixedly coupled to the top edgeof the first leg portionand the top edgeof the second leg portion. Similar to the first flap, the second flapmay also include sides,that may be fixedly coupled to the waist portion. In addition, the sides,of the second flapmay be fixedly coupled to the sides,of the first flap. While the schematic drawing ofillustrates that the waist pocketis substantially rectangular, in other embodiments of the waist pocket, the sides of the waist pocket formed by sides,of the first flapand sides,of the second flapmay be angled to form a substantially trapezoidal waist pocket.

The first flapand the second flapmay be constructed from a 100% polyester fabric, or, because the first flapand the second flapfrom a portion of the waist pocket, which is inline with the waist portion, the first flapand the second flap may be constructed from a blended fabric of polyester and elastane (e.g., 86% polyester and 14% elastane). Thus, the flaps,may be either non-resilient, where the flaps,are not configured to stretch, or the flaps,may be constructed to be resilient/elastomeric, where the flaps,are configured to stretch and deform. In the embodiment of the pantswhere the flaps,are not resilient, at least the bottom edgeof the first flap may contain an elastomeric member with an undercut length, as explained previously, to return the bottom edgeof the first flapto its position proximate to the bottom edgeof the waist pocketafter manipulation. In the embodiment of the pants, where the flaps,are configured to be resilient, the flaps,are configured to stretch and deform with the waist portion.

illustrate that a rear view of the waist pocket(e.g., viewing the side or surface of the waist pocketthat faces the interior of the pants) shows the various fold lines of the waist pocket. As illustrated, the rear sideof the waist pocketincludes a first sideand a second sideopposite the first side. The first and second sides,are coupled to the waist portionof the pants. Both the first sideand the second sideare coupled to the waist portionof the pantsvia stitching. The first and second sides,may be coupled to the waist portionvia other means, such as, but not limited to, adhesives, tape, bonding, etc.

The waist pocketillustrated inis in a first or empty configuration A, while the waist portionillustrated inis in a second or expanded configuration B. As best illustrated in, when in the empty configuration A, the rear sideof the waist pocketcontains four sections facing a first, or interior, direction (these sections face towards the interior of the pants): first section, second section, third section, and fourth section. The rear sideof the waist pocketalso contains three sections facing a second, or exterior direction (these sections face towards the exterior of the pants): fifth section, sixth section, and seventh section. Each of the sections,,,,,,are separated by a plurality of fold lines,,,,,. As illustrated, the first sectionis defined by the top edgeof the waist pocketand the second fold line. The fifth sectionis defined by the second fold lineand the first fold line. The second sectionis defined by the first fold lineand the fifth fold line. The sixth sectionis defined by the fifth fold lineand the third fold line. The third sectionis defined by the third fold lineand the sixth fold line. The seventh sectionis defined by the sixth fold lineand the fourth fold line. Finally, the fourth sectionis defined by the fourth fold lineand the bottom edgeof the waist portion.

As further illustrated in, when the waist portionis in the empty configuration A, the fifth, sixth, and seventh sections,,are not exposed. Furthermore, the second sectionis fully exposed, while the first and third sections,are at least partially exposed. The fourth sectionmay be at least partially exposed (as shown by the small exposed portion illustrated inproximate to the bottom edgeof the waist pocket), or may not be exposed. As further illustrated, the fifth sectionfaces the first section, the sixth sectionfaces the third section, and the seventh sectionfaces the fourth section. The fifth sectionand at least a portion of the second sectioncover at least a portion of the first section, and leaves a portion of the first sectionexposed. Similarly, the sixth sectionand at least a portion of the second sectioncover at least a portion of the third section, and leaves a portion of the third sectionexposed.

Furthermore, as best illustrated in, the total length of the waist pocket, or the distance between the first sideand the second side, is represented by L. The sections,,,,,,and the fold lines,,,,,span the distance Lacross the waist pocket. The sections,,,,,,and the fold lines,,,,,, moreover, are also bound or coupled to the waist portionvia stitching. Because the sections,,,,,,and the fold lines,,,,,are bound by stitching, when the waist pocketreturns to the empty configuration A from the expanded configuration B, the sections,,,,,,and the fold lines,,,,,are reformed and take shape.

As best illustrated in, the first sectionhas a height of the combination of Xand X, where Xis the height of the fifth sectionand Xis the height of the exposed portion of the first section. In some embodiments, Xand Xmay be equal to one another, while in other embodiments Xmay be larger than X, or Xmay be larger than X. Furthermore, the sixth sectionmay have a height of X, where Xmay be equal to X, or may be smaller or larger than X. The second sectionmay have a height of the combination of heights Xand X. Additionally, the third section has a height of the combination of heights Xand X, where Xis the height of the exposed portion of the third section. The fourth sectionand the seventh sectionhave a height of X. As further illustrated, the total height of the waist pocketis X, which is the combination of heights X, X, X, and X. Because, as previously explained and as illustrated in, the top edgeof the waist pocketis aligned with the top edgeof the waist portion, and the bottom edgeof the waist pocketis aligned with the bottom edgeof the waist portion, the height of the waist portionmay also be equal to the height of waist pocket, which is represented by X.

In one embodiment, Xmay be equal to 0.25 inches, and Xmay be equal to 0.5 inches. Similarly, Xmay be equal to 0.5 inches and Xmay be equal to 0.25 inches. Thus, because the second sectionhas a height equal to the combination of heights Xand X, the height of the second sectionmay be approximately 1 inch. As further illustrated, Xmay be equal to 0.5 inches, and the total height Xof the waist pocketmay be approximately 4.5 inches. The length Lbetween the first sideand the second sidemay be equal to 7.25 inches.

As previously explained, the waist pocketin the expanded configuration B is illustrated in. The waist pocketis reconfigured from the empty configuration A to the expanded configuration B when an item or items (e.g., mobile phone, wallet, credit card, keys, etc.) are placed within the waist pocket. As illustrated, when items are placed within the waist pocket, the pocketis expanded in the vertical direction such that the distance between the top edgeand the bottom edgeincreases from the height of Xillustrated into the height of Xillustrated inwhile the height of the waist portionremains the same at a height of X. Thus, the height Xis greater than the height X. With the height Xbeing larger in the expanded configuration B than the height Xin the empty configuration A, the top edgeof the waist pocketno longer aligns with the top edgeof the waist portion. Furthermore, the bottom edgeof the waist pocketno longer aligns with the bottom edgeof the waist portionwhen the pocketis in the expanded configuration B. As illustrated, the top edgeof the waist pocketis disposed above the top edgeof the waist portion, while the bottom edgeof the waist pocketis disposed lower than the bottom edgeof the waist portion. Additionally, when the waist pocketis in the expanded configuration B, the rear sidemay no longer contain the plurality of sections,,,,,,and the plurality of fold lines,,,,,. The size of the object placed within the pocketdictates the height Xof the pocketin the expanded configuration, and also dictates how many of the plurality of sections,,,,,,and plurality of fold lines,,,,,that are no longer present.

In one embodiment, the rear sideof the waist pocketmay be constructed from a polyester blended fabric. Thus, the rear side, with the plurality of sections,,,,,,and the plurality of fold lines,,,,,, may be constructed from a fabric that is 90% polyester and 10% elastane. This embodiment of the rear sideof the waist pocketmay have a slightly less resilient structure than that of the waist portionand front flaps,of the pocket. This construction, however, provides the rear sidewith a degree of resiliency that enables the rear sideto stretch into the expanded configuration B when an object is placed within the interior of the waist pocket, and return to the empty configuration A, where the rear sidereforms the plurality of sections,,,,,,and the plurality of fold lines,,,,,. In addition, because the rear sideof the waist pocketis facing the interior of the pants, when the pantsare worn by a user, the rear sidemay abut or contact the user. Thus, the rear sidemay include anti-microbial/moisture wicking properties to prevent sweat from the user's body coming in contact with the objects placed within the waist pocket.

In order to place an object within the waist pocketof the embodiment of the pantsillustrated in, the user must separate the first flapfrom the second flapto gain access to the interior of the waist pocket. In the closed position, illustrated in, the first flaplies at least partially over the second flap, such that the interior surface of the first flapabuts against, contacts, or is adjacent to the exterior surface of the second flap. Additionally, when in the closed position, the bottom edgeof the first flapis oriented lower than the top edgeof the second flap, such that the first flapcovers the top edgeof the second flap. In other words, in the closed position, the top edgeof the second flapis oriented closer to the top edgeof the waist pocketthan the bottom edgeof the first flap, which overlies the second flap. When a user manipulates the waist pocketto place objects within the waist pocket, the first flapis at least partially pulled away from the second flap, such that at least a portion of the interior surface of the first flapis disposed or spaced away from the exterior surface of the second flap. Thus, when opening the waist pocket, at least a portion of the interior surface of the first flapis oriented farther away from the exterior surface of the second flapthan when in the waist pocketis in the closed position.

Once the first flapis oriented away from the second flap, an opening may be created by the first flapand the second flap. This opening provides access to the top edgeof the second flap, which can be pulled downward to access the interior of the waist pocket. The bottom edgeof the first flapmay be pulled closer to the top edgeof the waist pocket, while the top edgeof the second flapmay be pulled downward, away from the top edgeof the waist pocket. Thus, the top edgeof the second flapmay be at least partially exposed, such that the first flapdoes not cover or overlie the entire top edgeof the second flap. By pulling the top edgeof the second flapdownward and the bottom edgeof the first flapupward, access is provided to the interior of the waist pocket.

An object or item (i.e., mobile phone) may then be slipped or forced between the interior surface of the first flapand the exterior surface of the second flapsuch that the object moves past the bottom edgeof the first flapand the top edgeof the second flap, and into the interior of the waist pocket. When an object is positioned within the interior of the waist pocket, the waist pocketis reconfigured from the empty configuration A, illustrated in, to the expanded configuration B, illustrated in. The waist pocketexpands to the expanded configuration B to accommodate object(s) that may be larger in width and/or depth than the waist pocketin the empty configuration A. After the object has been secured within the waist pocket, the first flapand the second flapreturn to their closed position, where the first flaplies at least partially over the second flap, such that the interior surface of the first flapabuts against the exterior surface of the second flap. Furthermore, the bottom edgeof the first flapis oriented lower than the top edgeof the second flap, such that the first flapcovers the top edgeof the second flap.

As best illustrated in, the waist pocketis substantially equivalent to the size and shape of the second flap. The waist pocketis defined by and disposed between the first and second flaps,, the rear sideof the waist pocket, and the sides,of the waist portion. The sides,of the waist pocketare substantially vertical, making the waist pocketsubstantially rectangular. In other embodiments of the waist pocket, however, these sides,may be angled or curved to give the waist pocketanother shape.

Garment with Interior Waist Pocket

illustrate a second embodiment of a garment or pants that can be worn by a person, where the garment includes a pocket in the waistband of the garment. Similar to the first embodiment of the pants, the second embodiment of the pantsinclude a front side, and a rear side oriented opposite of the front side, a first (e.g., right) sideconnecting the front sideto the rear side, and a second (e.g., left) sidethat is oriented opposite of the first sideand also connects the front sideto the rear side. The second embodiment of the pantsfurther include a top sideand a bottom sideoriented opposite of the top side. Also similar to the first embodiment of the pants, the second embodiment of the pantsmay contain a waist portion, a first leg portionextending downwardly from the waist portionproximate the first side, and a second leg portionextending downwardly from the waist portionproximate the second side. As illustrated in, the waist portion or waistbandis disposed proximate to the topof the pantsand includes a top edgeand a bottom edge. The waist portiondefines openingproximate to the top sideof the pants. Opening, similar to openingof the first embodiment of the pants, is configured to receive portions of the body of the user wearing the pants. The waist portionfurther includes an exterior surfaceand an interior surface, where the interior surfaceof the waist portioncontacts the portion of the body that the waist portion encircles. As best illustrated in, the second embodiment of the pantsdiffers from the first embodiment of the pantsin that the pocketof the first embodiment of the pantsis disposed at least partially on the exterior surfaceof the waist portionsuch that the waist pocketis visible, while the waist pocket of the second embodiment of the pantsis not visible when viewing the exterior surfaceof the waist portion.

Instead, as best illustrated in, the waist pocketof the second embodiment of the pantsis disposed on the interior surfaceof the waist portion. The waist pocketmay be disposed centrally on the interior surfaceof the front sideof the waist portionof the pants. The waist pocketillustrated inis in the first or empty configuration C. The waist pocketincludes a top edge, a bottom edgeopposite the top edge, a first sideproximate the first sideof the pants, and a second sideproximate the second sideof the pants. The total length of the waist pocket, or the distance between the first sideand the second side, is represented by L. As illustrated in, the top edgeof the waist pocketis disposed proximately to, and aligned with, the top edgeof the waist portion. Similarly, the bottom edgeof the waist pocketis disposed proximate to, and aligned with, the bottom edgeof the waist portion. The first sideand the second sideare coupled to the waist portionof the pantsvia stitchingand/or bar tacks. The stitchingand the bar tacksmay not be visible from the exterior surfaceof the waist portion. In other embodiments, the first and second sides,may be coupled to the waist portionvia other means, such as, but not limited to, adhesives, tape, bonding, etc.

As further illustrated in, proximate to the first sideof the pocket, the interior surfaceof the waist portionincludes a set of bar tacksthat define openings through which a drawstring may be threaded. Typical athletic shorts contain a drawstring that extends centrally from the interior surface of the waist portion, where the drawstrings are operable to tighten the waist portion. However, when the pocketis centrally disposed on the interior surfaceof the waist portionof the pants, the drawstrings extending from the interior surfaceof the waist portionmay be shifted towards the first sideor the second side. Thus, asillustrates, the set of bar tacksproximate to the first sideof the pocketdefine openings that enable a drawstring to be threaded through the openings, where a drawstring extending from the bar tacksmay be used to tighten the waist portionof the pants.

The embodiment of the pocketillustrated inincludes a backing sheetthat contains three exposed panels,, andwhen in the empty configuration C. First exposed panelincludes a top edgeand a bottom edge. Second exposed panelalso includes a top edgeand a bottom edge. As illustrated, the bottom edgeof the first exposed panelmay be disposed proximate to, and aligned with, the top edgeof the second exposed panel. However,illustrates the bottom edgeof the first exposed panelslightly separated from the top edgeof the second exposed panel, revealing other panels of the pocket. As further illustrated, the top edgeof the first exposed panelmay be aligned with the top edgeof the pocket, and thus the top edgeof the waist portion, because the top edgeof the first exposed panelmay also form, as further explained below, the top edgeof the pocketwhen the pocket is in the empty configuration C. In addition, as best illustrated in the schematic illustration of, the bottom edgeof the second exposed portionmay be disposed proximate to the bottom edgeof the pocket, but is disposed far enough away from the bottom edgeof the pocketto at least partially expose third exposed panel.

As illustrated in, the backing sheetof the pocketincludes a plurality of exposed or partially exposed panels,,, and a plurality of unexposed panels,,,,. The exposed panels,,are exposed when viewing the interior surfaceof the waist portion. As previously explained, the first exposed surfaceincludes a top edge, or top fold line,, and a bottom edge, or bottom fold line,. Thus, first exposed surfaceis defined by the top edgeand the bottom edge. The first unexposed panelis defined by bottom edgeand top edge, and is covered by, or layered behind, the first exposed panel. Thus, when the pocketis in the empty configuration C, the first unexposed panelis disposed within the interior of the pocket. The bottom edgeof the first unexposed panelmay include a bindingthat may encase elastic is undercut so that, when manipulated, the bindingand bottom edgeof the unexposed panelmay return to its position within the interior of the waist pocket. The top edgemay form the top edgeof the pocket, where the first exposed panelon one side of the top edgeis disposed on the exterior surface of the pocketand the first unexposed panelon the opposite side of the top edgeis disposed within the interior of the pocketbetween the waist portionand the first exposed panel.

As further illustrated in, the second unexposed panelmay be defined by a first interior fold lineand bottom edgeof the first exposed panel. Thus, as illustrated, the second unexposed panelis covered by, or layered behind, the first exposed panel. The third unexposed panelmay be defined by the first interior fold lineand the second interior fold line. In addition, the fourth unexposed panelmay be defined by the second interior fold lineand the top edgeof the second expose panel, while, as previously explained, the second exposed panelmay be defined by the top edgeand the bottom edge. Thus, as illustrated, the fourth unexposed panelis covered by, or layered behind, the second exposed panel. The third unexposed panelmay be located, or layered, behind both the second and fourth unexposed panels,and the first and second exposed panels,. If the bottom edgeof the first exposed panelseparates from the top edgeof the second exposed panel, the third unexposed panelmay be at least partially exposed, as illustrated in.

The fifth unexposed panelmay be defined by the bottom edgeof the second exposed paneland the third interior fold line. As illustrated, the fifth unexposed panelmay be layered behind, and covered by, the second exposed panel, and may be at least partially layered behind the fourth unexposed panel. Finally, the third exposed panelmay be defined by the third interior fold lineand the bottom edge. As illustrated in, the third exposed panelmay be partially exposed with a portion of the third exposed panelbeing layered behind the second exposed panel.

The backing sheetof the pocketbeing completely unfolded is illustrated in. Thus,illustrates each of the panels,,,,,,,and each of the fold lines,,,,,,. As illustrated, the shaded panels,are the panels that are exposed to the interior of the pantswhen the pocketis in the empty configuration C. The unshaded panels,,,,are the panels that are not exposed when the pocketis in the empty configuration C. As further illustrated in, panelis partially shaded, which indicates the portion of the panelthat is exposed and the portion of the panelthat is not exposed when the pocketis in the empty configuration C.