Apparatus And Method For Removably Locking A Fabric Panel Onto A Garment

Abstract

The invention comprises a pair of locking devices where each locking device consists of two separate pieces. One piece of the locking device slides inside the other which prevents them from being pulled apart. Each piece can be attached to both the panel and the garment by sewing or by bonded with an adhesive. The panel, which can also be “snapped on” a garment, appears as a permanent part of the garment, not as an add on to the garment. The locking devices are made of yieldable, flexible material which bends easily for comfort of the user, and slide together very easily. In addition, as the pieces of the locking devices can not be pulled apart, the panel of material can not separate from the garment when the user's knees and/or elbows bend. The locking devices can be made of plastic which can be covered with fabric which can be washed and dried.

1 . Apparatus for removably attaching a panel of material to a garment comprising;
 a first channel member attached to a garment;   a second channel member attached to the garment where the second channel member is located parallel to and spaced apart from the first channel member;   a third channel member attached to a first edge of a panel of material;   a fourth channel member attached to a second edge of the panel of material;   wherein the first channel member on the garment is adapted to slidably engage the third channel member on the panel of material, and the second channel member on the garment is adapted to slidably engage the fourth channel member on the panel of material to removably attach the panel of material to the garment.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the garment is a jacket or pants. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  therein the width of the panel of material is greater than, equal to or less than the spacing between the first and second channel members. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the first and second channel members are male channel members and the third and fourth channel members are female channel members. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein each male channel member is a welt edge of fabric, a rod of flexible plastic, or a cord attached to an edge of a strip of material, the other edge of the strip of material being attached to the garment. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the edge of the strip of material is attached to the garment by sewing or with an adhesive. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the rod of flexible plastic has a cross sectional shape of a diamond, a square, an oval or is round. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein each female channel member is a hollow cylinder with a slot that extends from one end of the cylinder to the other end. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the cross section dimension of the male channel member is greater than the width of the slot in the hollow cylinder. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the channel members on the panel of material can only move along the channel members on the garment in one direction. 
     
     
         11 . A method for removably attaching a panel of material to a garment comprising;
 attaching a first channel member to a garment;   attaching a second channel member to the garment where the second channel member is located parallel to and spaced apart from the first channel member;   attaching a third channel member to a first edge of a panel of material;   attaching a fourth channel member to a second edge of the panel of material;   wherein the first channel member on the garment is adapted to slidably engage the third channel member on the panel of material, and the second channel member on the garment is adapted to slidably engage the fourth channel member on the panel of material to removably attach the panel of material to the garment.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the garment is a jacket or pants. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  therein the width of the panel of material is greater than, equal to or less than the spacing between the first and second channel members. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the first and second channel members are male channel members and the third and fourth channel members are female channel members. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein each male channel member is a welt edge of fabric, a rod of flexible plastic, or a cord attached to an edge of a strip of material, the other edge of the strip of material being attached to the garment. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the edge of the strip of material is attached to the garment by sewing or with an adhesive. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the rod of flexible plastic has a cross sectional shape of a diamond, a square, an oval or is round. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein each female channel member is a hollow cylinder with a slot that extends from one end of the cylinder to the other end. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the cross section dimension of the male channel member is greater than the width of the slot in the hollow cylinder. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the channel members on the panel of material can only move along the channel members on the garment in one direction.