Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. An upper garment (100) comprising:
at least two panels including a first panel (10a) and a second panel (10b) for covering a front torso portion of a user, the first panel (10a) and the second panel (10b) including a first free edge (10a1/10b1) and a second free edge (10a2/10b2) respectively;
an extension (20) attached to at least one of the first free edge (10a1) or the first free edge (10b1), the extension (20) having a third side (20c), wherein the third side (20c) is inclined at a pre-defined angle with respect to the second free edge (10a2) or the second free edge (10b2) for covering a paunch of the user; and
a plurality of engaging means (40) provided with at least one of the first panel (10a), the second panel (10b) or the third side (20c), the plurality of engaging means (40) being equipped to temporarily attach/detach the first panel (10a) and the second panel (10b).
2. The upper garment (100) as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least two panels are made of a pre-defined material selected from one or more of, cotton, polyester, nylon, linen, cotton linen, bamboo poly spandex, cotton nylon spandex etc.
3. The upper garment (100) as claimed in claim 1 wherein the extension (20) is made of one or more layers of a pre-defined material selected from one or more of without limitation cotton, polyester, nylon, linen, cotton linen, bamboo poly spandex, cotton nylon spandex etc.
4. The upper garment (100) as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pre-defined angle (A) ranges between 0-90 degrees.
5. The upper garment (100) as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upper garment (100) includes at least two plackets (30) for holding the plurality of engaging means (40).
6. The upper garment (100) as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of engaging means (40) includes one of buttons-button holes, press studs, toggles or hooks. , Description:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(Section 10 and Rule 13)

1. TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
GARMENT WITH COMFORTABLE CUT

2. APPLICANTS:
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Limited, an Indian company of the address ¬ Divyasree Technopolis, Yemalur Post, Off HAL Airport Road, Bengaluru 560037, Karnataka, India

3. The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:
FIELD OF INVENTION
[001] The present invention relates to a garment. More particularly, this invention relates to an upper garment catering to the problem of ill-fit for users with paunch.
BACKGROUND
[002] Central obesity may be defined as excess accumulation of fat in the belly area. While genetics may be responsible for developing a tendency of central obesity; lack of physical activity, stress, improper dietary habits are some of the other leading causes of accumulation of fat around the belly area. Apart from underlying health problems, people with paunch may also find it difficult to procure garments which perfectly fit their body and are comfortable at the same time. Due to the paunch, the fabric of the garment distends or out-stretches around the mid-section, sometimes even exposing the inner garment or the skin of a user, making it look unappealing and uncomfortable. Further, if the user goes for bigger sizes, the garments tend to look loose and ill-fitted.
[003] Efforts have been made earlier in the garment industry to address this problem. However, most of the solutions require customizations at every step and hence, have narrow applicability. For example, custom tailoring sounds like a solution however, at today’s day and age, it is practically impossible to invest so much time to procure a garment which takes around minimum a week to be ready to wear. Further, the use of different types of padding and also compression belts underneath clothing have also been devised to address the present problem. However, such padding/layering causes discomfort to the user.
[004] Other solutions include, use of stretchable fabric. As discussed in patent publication no. WO2020044318A1, expandable and flexible plackets are used that expand along the width of the mid-section of the garment, as needed. However, use of such plackets mostly requires elastic fabrics which may cause allergies in certain people and hence, are uncomfortable. Similarly, use of zippers to solve the said problem may also lead to discomfort for the wearer.
[005] Hence, a cost effective and user friendly solution to the said problem with a wider applicability is required to be devised.
SUMMARY
[006] The present invention relates to an upper garment. The upper garment includes at least two panels having a first panel and a second panel for covering a front torso portion of a user. The first panel and the second panel include a first free edge and a second free edge respectively. An extension is attached to at least one of the first free edge of the first panel or the second panel. The extension includes a third side. The third side is inclined at a pre-defined angle with respect to the second free edge of the first panel or the second panel for covering a paunch of the user. A plurality of engaging means provided with at least one of the first panel. The second panel or the third side, the plurality of engaging means are equipped to temporarily attach/detach the first panel and the second panel.
[007] The foregoing features and other features as well as the advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[008] The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the apportioned drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale.
[009] FIG. 1 depicts a front view of the upper garment 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 1a depicts a back view of the upper garment 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates the panel 10a/10b provided with an extension 20 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0012] Prior to describing the invention in detail, definitions of certain words or phrases used throughout this patent document will be defined: the terms "include" and "comprise", as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term "or" is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases "coupled with" and "associated therewith", as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have a property of, or the like; Definitions of certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, and those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that such definitions apply in many, if not most, instances to prior as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.
[0013] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment, but mean “one or more but not all embodiments” unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “including,” “comprising,” “having,” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to” unless expressly specified otherwise. An enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive and/or mutually inclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” also refer to “one or more” unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0014] Further, descriptions and disclosures provided in association with one particular embodiment are not limited to that embodiment, and may be applied to any embodiment disclosed herein. Moreover, for the sake of simplicity, the attached figures may not show the various ways in which the disclosed system and apparatus can be used in combination with other systems, and apparatuses.
[0015] Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the embodiments may be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments. These features and advantages of the embodiments will become more fully apparent from the following description and apportioned claims, or may be learned by the practice of embodiments as set forth hereinafter.
[0016] The present invention discloses an upper garment which is employed to be worn by a user with a paunch. The upper garment includes an extended panel which helps to sustain the pressure exerted by the paunch of the user thereby adapting to the body type of the user. Such structuring of the upper garment further prevents distending or out-stretching of the garment at or near the paunch area. The upper garment of the present invention helps the user to have a good fit around the paunch area and allows the user to feel comfortable in wearing the garment without making it unappealing.
[0017] For the purpose of explanation, the exemplary upper garment referred in the description corresponds to a shirt. However, it should be noted that the scope of the invention described herein is not in any way limited by the type of upper garment as the present invention provides a common solution which is applicable to any type of garment having a provision of temporary attachment and/or detachment at/near a belly/abdominal region of the user. Such garments may include, without limitation, jackets, cardigans, blouses, coats, etc.
[0018] Now referring to figures, FIGs. 1& 1a illustrate an upper garment 100. As per the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIGs. 1& 1a, the upper garment 100 is a shirt. The upper garment 100 may be provided with or without sleeves. The upper garment 100 may include a collar or may be without any collar. The upper garment 100 may include pre-defined dimensions which may conform to the standard dimensions of respective garment.
[0019] The upper garment 100 may be made of any conventional fabric material such as without limitation cotton, polyester, nylon, linen, cotton linen, bamboo poly spandex, cotton nylon spandex, etc. In an embodiment, the fabric material is cotton. The upper garment 100 may include one or more layers of fabric. In an embodiment, the upper garment 100 is made of a single layer of fabric.
[0020] FIG. 1 depicts the front view of the upper garment 100. The upper garment 100 includes a plurality of components which correspond to, one or more of, without limitation, a plurality of panels i.e. a first panel 10a and a second panel 10b, an extension 20, a placket 30 and an engaging means 40. In addition to the above components, the present invention may also be provided with an upstanding collar 50, a carrier 60 (FIG. 1) and a pair of sleeves 70 as shown in FIGs. 1& 1a. The components discussed above may be sewed, stuck or attached together by any technique known to a person of ordinary skill in the art such as without limitation, suturing, fabric glues, etc.
[0021] The panels of the upper garment 100 may cover a front torso portion of the user. In an embodiment, the first panel 10a of the upper garment 100 may cover the right side of the user while the second panel 10b covers the left side of the user. The first panel 10a and the second panel 10b may be made of a same or different fabric. In an embodiment, the first panel 10a and the second panel 10b are made of same fabric.
[0022] Each of the first panel 10a and the second panel 10b includes a pair of free edges i.e a first free edge 10a1/10b1 and a second free edge 10a2/10b2. The first free edge 10a1 of the first panel 10a and the first free edge 10b1 of the second panel 10b may be positioned in a manner that the said edges face each other. The second free edge 10a2 and the second free edge 10b2 of the first panel 10a and the second panel 10b may be aligned in such a manner that they form the bottom edge of the upper garment 100.
[0023] The first free edge 10a1 and/or the first free edge 10b1 may be provided with an extension 20. In an embodiment, the first free edge 10a1 includes the extension 20 as shown in FIG. 2. The extension 20 is provided with the upper garment 100 for sustaining pressure exerted by the paunch of the user. The presence of the extension 20 helps to structure the upper garment 100 in such a way that the upper garment 100 conveniently adapts to the body structure of the user having paunch and eliminates the problems associated with ill-fitting prevalent in the conventional garments.
[0024] The extension 20 may be a separate piece of fabric which may be attached to the first free edge 10a1 of the first panel 10. Alternately, the extension 20 may be integral to the first panel 10a (referred as ‘extended first panel 10a’). In an embodiment, the extension 20 is integral to the first panel 10a.
[0025] The extension 20 may be made of any conventional material known in the art. The material used for the extension 20 may be same or different from the material of fabric used for the first panel 10a and/or the second panel 10b. The extension 20 may include a single layer or may be made of multiple layers. The extension 20 may be reinforced with a fusible/non-fusible interlining especially for lightweight fabrics to sustain the pressure of the paunch.
[0026] The extension 20 may include any pre-defined shape and dimensions. In an embodiment, the extension 20 includes a shape owing to which the extension 20 tapers from the lower edge of the upper garment 100 towards an upper edge of the upper garment 100. Such a tapered configuration of the extension 20 helps to accommodate the paunch of the user. The length and the width of the extension 20 may be dependent upon the first panel 10a and/or the second panel 10b. In an embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the length of the extension 20 is equivalent to the length of the first panel 10a. Alternately, the length of the extension 20 may be less than the length of the first panel 10a and/or the second panel 10b.
[0027] The extension 20 may include a plurality of sides. As shown in FIG. 2, the extension 20 includes a first side 20a, a second side 20b, a third side 20c and a fourth side 20d. The first side 20a may be attached to the first panel 10a or the second panel 10b. In cases wherein the extension 20 is an integral part of the panel, the first side 20a may not be present. The second side 20b may be adjacently disposed with respect to the second free edge 10a2/10b2. The third side 20c may be inclined at a pre-defined angle ‘A’ with respect to the second side 20b (or the second free edge). The pre-defined angle ‘A’ may range between 0-90 degrees. In an embodiment, the pre-defined angle ‘A’ is 85-90 degrees. The angled structure of the extension 20 helps to prevents exposing of skin near paunch area.
[0028] The third side 20c of the extension 20 may be provided with a placket 30. Additionally, the placket 30 may also be provided with the first free edge 10a1/10b1 (panel which does not include the extension 20). The plackets 30 may be sewed, stuck or attached by any means known to a person of ordinary skill in the art such as fabric glue, suturing, etc.
[0029] The plackets 30 may be made of the same material as that of the panels 10a, 10b or the extension 20. The plackets 30 may be formed by folding a fabric material multiple times.
[0030] The plackets 30 may be structured to hold one or more engaging means 40. The engaging means 40 in the present invention are utilized to temporarily attach/detach the panels 10a, 10b so that the user may easily wear or shed off the upper garment 100 as and when required.
[0031] The engaging means 40 may be any structure known in the art such as without limitation, buttons-button holes, press studs, toggles, hooks etc. to hold the two panels together 10a, 10b. A combination of different types of engaging elements 40, for example, hooks along with toggles, may also be utilized to engage the panels. In an embodiment, the engaging means 40 are buttons-button holes. In an exemplary embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the placket 30 provided with the extension 20 includes a plurality of buttons 40a and the placket 30 of the first panel/second panel 10a, 10b includes a plurality of button holes 40b.The number of buttons 40a and the number of button holes 40b may be same. The buttons 40a and the button holes 40b are aligned so that the buttons 40a may easily mate with their corresponding button holes 40b. It should be understood that the scope of the invention disclosed herein is not limited by the side(s) on which the engaging means 40 such as the button and the button holes 40b are disposed. The disposition of the engaging means 40 may be altered as per requirement.
[0032] The back view of the upper garment 100 is depicted in FIG. 1a. The back side of the upper garment 100 may be made of one or more fabrics that are permanently secured with each other using any means known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Alternately, like the front side of the upper garment 100 elaborated above, the back side of the upper garment 100 may include at least two panels that are temporarily connected with each other using engaging means.
[0033] The above disclosed upper garment 100 provides a simple and cost effective solution for users having paunch over the existing solutions. The present invention is widely applicable and also provides utmost comfort to the user.
[0034] The scope of the invention is only limited by the appended patent claims. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present invention is/are used.