EP1074191A2

EP1074191A2 - Anatomically curved belt

Info

Publication number: EP1074191A2
Application number: EP00830533A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francescantonio Zaccone
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-07-30
Filing date: 2000-07-27
Publication date: 2001-02-07
Also published as: ITFI990100U1; EP1074191A3; IT248303Y1; ITFI990100V0

Abstract

A belt comprising a band (1) made of leather or of another material having substantially the same stiffness, and a buckle (2) for mutually engaging the ends of said band (1), is characterised in that the band (1), when open and stretched over a plane, has a curved shaped, i.e. outlined by two generally curved longitudinal edges (1a, 1b). When the belt is worn, it takes up a substantially frustoconical shape, the shorter longitudinal edge (1b) being placed on the upper side.

Description

The present invention relates to the field of clothing accessories, and namely it refers to a new type of belt.
A certain discomfort can be brought about by the compression action that a belt exerts on the abdomen at a height between the hips and the waist of the user, especially if the belt is made up of a relatively wide band. Nonetheless, said compression is necessary in order to accomplish the function of the belt, i.e. the support of the trousers.
It is namely the belts made of leather that cause troubles in this respect, because the relative stiffness of said material hinders a free flexion of the band in a transverse direction. Once worn, the belt takes on a generally cylindrical shape in which the longitudinal edges of the band annoyingly press against the user's body, in particular when the user is sitting or walking.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned drawback, providing an originally shaped leather belt which, once worn, is remarkably more comfortable than conventional belts.
Such an object is accomplished with the belt according to the present invention, comprising a band made of leather or of another material having substantially the same stiffness, and a buckle for mutually engaging the ends of said band. The belt is characterised by the fact that the band, when open and stretched over a plane, has a curved shaped, i.e. outlined by two generally curved longitudinal edges.
When the belt is worn, by mutually engaging the two ends of the band via the buckle, it takes up a substantially frustoconical shape, the shorter longitudinal edge being placed on the upper side.
Such configuration, and namely the slant with which the band accomplishes its compression action, allows a better fitting thereof to the anatomy of the user, in comparison with what occurs in conventional belts. In fact, the region between the hips, which are substantially shape-retaining due to the iliac bones, and the waist, relatively soft, is prone to react to the compression exerted by the band with a radial deformation which increases from the lower to the upper side.
The features and advantages of the anatomically curved belt according to the present invention will be made clearer with the following description of an embodiment thereof, made purely by way of example and not limitative, with reference to the attached drawings in which:

figure 1 is a top plan view of the belt according to the invention when open and stretched over a plane;
figure 2 is a perspective view of the belt of figure 1, in a closed condition which substantially corresponds to that which is taken up when worn.

With reference to the above figures, the belt according to the invention is made up of a leather band 1, an end of which is conventionally provided with a buckle 2 engageable in an adjustable way with the other end. In the depicted embodiment the engagement is carried out via a plurality of holes 3 for the insertion of a tongue 2a pivotally extending in a longitudinal direction within buckle 2, according to a system which is very common in the prior art and therefore not described in further detail.
As much conventionally, a transversal strap 4 located near buckle 2 is used in order to house the end portion of band 1 which, after the closure, exceeds in length and then externally overlaps the end portion supporting buckle 2.
According to the invention, with reference to the open and plane-stretched condition of figure 1, band 1 has a curved shape, outlined by two curved longitudinal edges, 1a and 1b. Namely, said edges have the shape of circular arcs, substantially concentrical and with different radiuses, respectively longer and shorter, the difference between said radiuses corresponding to the width of band 1.
In use, when the belt is worn the two ends of band 1 are mutually engaged by means of buckle 2, the shorter longitudinal edge 1b being placed on the upper side. In this way band 1 takes up the substantially frustoconical shape shown in figure 2, thanks to which, wrapping around the abdominal region of the user, it fits his anatomy in the best way.
In particular, the shorter, upper side longitudinal edge 1b matches and assists the greater deformation of the abdomen at the height of the waist, which is relatively soft, while the longer, lower edge la is placed in correspondence to the hips, which are substantially shape-retaining.
Therefore, band 1 presses against the user's abdomen with a slant which assists an anatomic adhesion thereon, this resulting in a remarkably increased comfort in comparison with common belts. In particular, the user does not perceive any bother due to cutting actions exerted by longitudinal edges 1a and 1b.
The belt according to the invention provides then a very good support at the lumbar height without bringing about any nuisances in correspondence to the iliac crest. The bending and rotation movements of the trunk are assisted by the slant taken up by the belt. The benefits caused by the use of the belt are particularly appreciated by a user in a sitting condition, in which he perceives a pleasant lumbar support and does not feel the typical constriction in the abdomen region.
Even though in the present description reference has been made to a leather belt, it is clear that the present invention can be applied to belts made of materials having analogous stiffness properties, in particular plastic materials.
Variations and/or modifications can be brought to the anatomically curved belt according to the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention itself as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

A belt comprising a band (1) made of leather or of another material having substantially the same stiffness, and a buckle (2) for mutually engaging the ends of said band (1), characterised in that said band (1), when open and stretched overa plane, has a curved shaped, i.e. outlined by two generally curved longitudinal edges (la, 1b), whereby when the belt is worn, by mutually engaging the two ends of said band (1) via said buckle (2), it takes up a substantially frustoconical shape, the shorter longitudinal edge (1b) being placed on the upper side.
The belt according to claim 1, wherein said longitudinal edges (1a, 1b) have the shape of circular arcs, substantially concentrical and with different radiuses, the difference between said radiuses corresponding to the width of said band (1).