WO2008128297A1

WO2008128297A1 - Belt improvements

Info

Publication number: WO2008128297A1
Application number: PCT/AU2008/000566
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael William Higgs
Original assignee: Uni-Fit Headwear Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2007-04-24
Filing date: 2008-04-24
Publication date: 2008-10-30

Abstract

A belt for clothing is disclosed. The belt has first and second ends, the first end including means adapted to fasten said first end to a further portion of the belt, and a rigid portion at or toward the second end thereof, this being the free end of the belt when it is being worn. This rigid portion is adapted to remove a crown cap style closure from a bottle. A related method for using the belt is also disclosed.

Description

BELT IMPROVEMENTS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a belt of the type used in conjunction with articles of clothing.

BACKGROUND ART

In this specification unless the contrary is expressly stated, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not to be construed as an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge; or known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.

Some bottles are closed and sealed using a metallic bottle cap sometimes referred to as a 'Crown cap' or a 'Crown'. Accordingly, metallic bottle caps of this type will herein after be referred to as a 'crown cap style closure'.

Whist some of these bottle caps are adapted to be removed from the bottle via a twisting action, others still must be prized from the bottle, and to this end special bottle openers have been created for this purpose; these in turn are sometimes referred to as 'Crown Cap openers'- Bottles closed and sealed with a Crown cap that is not intended to be removed by twisting, are difficult to open without an opener adapted for the purpose, and it is not practicable to carry one of these about oneself at all times. In any event, many people find it uncomfortable to open a Crown cap that is adapted to be opened by twisting, and so would prefer to use a bottle opener so as to avoid injury to the webbing between the thumb and forefinger. What is more, when retrieved from ice or a refrigerator, a bottle may be covered in moisture, adding to the difficulties experienced with Crown caps adapted to be opened by twisting.

The applicant is aware of the existence of belts having a buckle incorporating a Crown Cap opener. A problem with these belts however is that the belt must be undone and partially removed from the article of clothing being supported in order for the Crown Cap opener to be usable. This has the potential to result in the embarrassing scenario of the article of clothing (usually pants or shorts) falling down. What is more, if the user attempts to use the opener in the buckle without substantially removing the belt from the article of clothing, they will be forced to open the bottle close to their groin region, and in the event that the bottle flows over once opened, they may be splashed.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention therefore to substantially ameliorate the abovementioned difficulties, or at the least, provide a useful alternative to known belts.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taking in connection with. the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

For the purpose of this specification the word "comprising" means "including but not limited to", and the word 'comprises' has a corresponding meaning.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of this disclosure there is proposed a belt for clothing, the belt having first and second ends, the second end being the free end of the belt when it is being worn, the belt including a rigid portion at or toward the second end thereof, said rigid portion being adapted to remove a crown cap style closure from a bottle.

Preferably, there are means adapted to fasten said first end of the belt to a further portion of the belt, $aid fastening means being at or toward the first end of the belt.

In a further aspect, the disclosure includes a belt having first and second ends, the first end including means adapted to fasten said first end to a further portion of the belt, and a rigid portion at or toward the second end thereof, which is adapted to remove a, crown cap style closure from a bottle.

Preferably, the means adapted to fasten said first end to a further portion of the belt is a belt buckle or the like-

Preferably, the rigid portion at the second end of the belt is adapted to pass through the buckle so that the belt may be done up.

Preferably, the rigid portion is a member.

Preferably, the member i$ a metal plate secured to the end of the belt.

Preferably, the metal plate is riveted to the end of the belt.

Preferably, the metal plate has an opening therein, said opening being shaped so as to accept at least a portion of the crown cap style closure.

Preferably, in an alternate form, the rigid portion is a member having first and second sides, the first side being the outwardly facing side when the belt is worn, and the second side being the inwardly facing side, the second side being adapted to remove a crown cap style closure from a bottle.

Preferably, the surface of first side is smooth and substantially uninterrupted. In a further aspect, the disclosure includes an item of clothing being a belt, having at or toward one end an interengaging arrangement to enable the belt to be adjustably tightened with relation to a portion of the belt at or toward its opposite end, and at this opposite end, but arranged to be positioned beyond the interengaging unit, a member secured to the said end of the belt and having included in its shape a crown seal bottle top opener.

In a further aspect, the disclosure includes a method of using the above- described belt, the method including the steps of using the rigid potion at the free end of the belt to engage, and then remove a crown cap style closure from a bottle.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawing. The invention is capable of embodiments in addition to those described and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, to recognise that the claims should be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of this disclosure it will now be described with respect to one or more exemplary embodiments, which shall be described herein with the assistance of drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary belt according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are detailed views of the rigid portion at the end of the exemplary belt illustrated in Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is a view illustrating the rigid portion of the belt illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 in use opening a bottle;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view through a rigid portion according to a further exemplary form of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a view of the inner side of the rigid portion in Figure 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the illustrations, and in particular to Figure 1 , where there is illustrated a belt 1 which may be worn about ones waist in conjunction with articles of clothing, such as pants, shorts, skits and dresses.

The belt 1 has first 2 and second 4 ends, the second end 4 being the free end of the belt when it is being worn. The belt 1 includes a rigid portion 6 at the second end 4 thereof, said rigid portion 6 being adapted to remove a crown cap style closure 50 from a bottle 60.

The belt 1 includes a buckle 8 at the first end thereof, which is adapted to fasten said first end 2 to a further portion of the belt, as shown. in the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the belt 1 Is made from a woven material of the type commonly referred to as a 'webbing', and the buckle 8 is of the kind which is adapted to frictϊonally engage a further portion of the belt.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the rigid portion is a metal plate 6, which is secured to the second end 4 of the belt 1 by rivets 10. The metal plate 6 has approximately the same thickness as the webbing material comprising the flexible portion of the belt 1 , as such, it is able to be passed through the buckle so that the belt may be done up.

The metal plate 6 has an opening 12 therein, said opening being sized and shaped so as to accept at least a portion of the crown cap style closure 50 therein.

A portion 14 of the metal plate 6 is shaped so as to project into the opening 12, thereby creating an opening of a dimension A that is less than the diameter of the crown cap style closure 50.

Referring now to Figure 4, where it can be seen that in use, the metal plate 6 is fitted to the crown cap style closure 50 on a bottle 60, so that the projecting portion 14 of the metal plate engages an underside edge of the crown cap style closure 50, and the opposing edge (i.e. the edge opposing the projecting portion 14) of the opening 12 rests upon a portion of the top surface of the crown cap style closure 50. The metal plate can then be used to lever the crown cap style closure 50 off of the bottle, using the point at which the opposing edge of the opening 12 rests upon a portion of the top surface of the crown cap style closure 50 as a fulcrum.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, where the rigid portion 20 of the belt 10O is a member cast from a metallic material, having first 20a and second 20b sides, the first side 20a being the outwardly facing side when the belt 100 is worn, and the second side 20b being the inwardly facing side, this second side being adapted to remove a crown cap style closure 50 from a bottle 60.

The second side 20b is so adapted by virtue of there being a concave recess 22 formed therein, the recess having upper 22a and lower edges 22b,

!n use, the rigid portion 20 is fitted to the crown cap style closure 50 on a^* bottle βO, so that the lower edge 22b of the concave recess 22 engages an underside edge of the crown cap style closure 50, and the upper edge of the opening 12 rests upon a portion of the top surface of the crown cap style closure 50. The rigid portion 20 can then be used to lever the crown cap style closure 50 off of the bottle, using the point at which the upper edge 22a of the concave recess 22 rests upon the portion of the top surface of the crown cap style closure 50 as a fulcrum.

An advantage of this embodiment 100 of the invention when compared with the abovernentioned embodiment 1 is that the surface of first side 20a of the rigid portion 20 can be smooth and substantially uninterrupted, and so, it will therefore be considered by some to have improved aesthetics. A disadvantage is that it is thicker and therefore heavier.

A significant advantage of the belt according to the present invention, is that the bottle opener can be used without having to undo the belt, and by virtue of the opener being in the free end of the belt, the user can hold the bottle away from themselves during opening.

Although the disclosure has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures can be made within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details described herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the appended claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Claims

1. A belt for clothing, the belt having first and second ends, where the second end is the free end of the belt when it is being worn, the belt including a rigid portion at or toward the second end thereof, sard rigid portion being adapted to remove a crown cap style closure from a bottle,

2. The belt of claim 1 , wherein there are means adapted to fasten said first end of the belt to a further portion of the belt, said fastening means being at or toward the first end of the belt.

3. A belt for clothing, the belt having first and second ends, wherein there are means adapted to fasten said first end of the belt to a further portion of the belt, said fastening means being at or toward the first end of the belt, the belt further including a rigid portion at or toward the second end thereof, said rigid portion being adapted to remove a crown cap style closure from a bottle.

4. The belt as in either of claims 2 or 3, wherein the means adapted to fasten said first end of the belt to a further portion of the belt is a belt buckle or the like.

5. The belt of claim 4, wherein the rigid portion is adapted to pass through the buckle so that the belt may be done up.

6. The belt of claim 5, wherein the rigid portion is a member secured to the end of the belt.

7. The belt of claim 6, wherein the member is a metal plate.

B. The belt of claim 7, wherein the metal plate is riveted to the end of the belt

9. The belt as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rigid portion has an opening therein, said opening being shaped so as to accept at least a portion of the crown cap style closure.

10. The belt as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rigid portion is adapted to be used to prize the crown cap style closure from the bottle.

11. The belt as in any one of claims 1 through 9, wherein the rigid portion is adapted to be used to twist the crown cap style closure from the bottle.

12. The belt as in any one of claims 1 through 8, wherein the rigid portion is a member having first and second sides, the first side being the outwardly facing side when the belt is worn, and the second side being the inwardly facing side, the second side being adapted to remove a crown cap style closure from a bottle.

13. The belt of claim 10, wherein the surface of first side is smooth and substantially uninterrupted.

14. A belt for clothing, having at or toward one end an interengaging arrangement to enable the belt to be adjustably tightened with relation to a portion of the belt, and at this opposite end, but arranged to be positioned beyond the interengaging unit, a member secured to the said end of the belt and having included in its shape a crown seal bottle top opener.

15. A method of using the belt as in any one of the preceding claims, the method including the steps of using the rigid potion at the free end of the belt to engage, and then remove a crown cap style closure from a bottle. ■

16. The method of claim 15, including the further step of engaging the crown cap style closure by inserting a portion of this In the aperture in the rigid portion.

17. The method of claim 16, including the further step of either prizing or twisting the crown cap style closure so as to remove this from the bottle.

18. A belt as described in the specification, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying representations.

19. A method of using the belt as described in the specification, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying representations.