Field of the invention

The present invention relates to pocket liners for clothing, especially pocket liners that may be selectively added or removed from their corresponding clothing pocket. Background of the invention

A particular challenge in designing durable workwear is that some tradespeople put objects, such as tools, nails and other sharp utensils, in their pockets. Such objects can puncture the workwear, even workwear of high quality. Puncture of the workwear may occur, for example, when the tradesperson presses their body against a surface, or sits in an adverse manner, causing a pointy end of the object to be pushed into the pocket material.

International patent publication WO 96/22707 discloses a pocket lining that can be fitted within a pocket. The pocket lining is formed of a material, such as leather or nylon or a mixture thereof, which is flexible and resistant to abrasion and perforation. The pocket is formed, for example, by stitching a back half of the pocket to a front half of the pocket, around a common perimeter. The top portion of the perimeter, however, remains unstitched to allow the pocket to open. The back half of the pocket extends beyond the pocket opening, thereby providing a feed tray for ease of access to the pocket. However, objects within the pocket lining may readily fall out of the pocket during certain movements. Alternatively, if the pocket lining is not adequately secured in place, the pocket lining itself could move in the pocket or, perhaps, fall from the pocket.

Reference to any prior art in the specification is not an acknowledgment or suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any jurisdiction or that this prior art could reasonably be expected to be understood, regarded as relevant, and/or combined with other pieces of prior art by a skilled person in the art. Summary of the invention

It is a first aspect of the invention to provide a pocket liner for protecting a pocket of an item of clothing from perforation by an object, the pocket liner including: a puncture resistant pouch having a rear wall ending at a rear lip, a generally opposed front wall ending at a front lip and an elongate rim including the rear lip and the front lip, the elongate rim defining an upper opening for delivering an object into the pouch, between the front wall and the rear wall; and a tab for guiding the delivering of the object into the pouch, the tab projecting from the rear wall of the pouch to extend beyond the rear lip. Preferably, the tab is upstanding from the rear lip. Preferably, the tab is intermediate respective shoulder portions of the rear lip.

Preferably, the pocket liner is selectively removable from or insertable into a pocket.

Preferably, the tab is rigid or semi-rigid and includes a neck portion, and a head portion that flairs outwardly from the neck portion. Preferably the tab is flat, or at least generally flat. Preferably, the tab includes a logo or other branding identifier. Advantageously, the logo or identifier may be located on the head portion.

In an embodiment, the tab is comprised of a material suitable for screen printing thereon, preferably a plastic, eg. polypropylene, or a thermoplastic elastomer or rubber. In an embodiment, the tab is integrally formed with a sheet that backs the pocket liner. In an embodiment, the pouch is formed of a resilient material, preferably over moulded onto the rigid sheet.

In an embodiment, at least a portion of the front lip is recessed with respect to the rear lip, so that the upper opening, in addition to opening upwardly, opens forwardly, away from the rear lip. Preferably, the pouch includes a slit opening, near the base of the pouch, to assist cleaning of the pouch. Preferably, the slit is located on a front wall of the pouch and is sufficiently small so as not to negate the puncture resistance function of the pouch.

In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an item of workwear having: a first pocket having a pocket opening; a flap for covering the pocket opening; and a pocket liner shaped for sitting in the pocket to protect the pocket from perforation by an object held within the pocket liner and pocket, wherein the pocket liner is a pocket liner in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention; wherein the flap includes a slot for receiving the tab therethrough when the pocket liner sits in the pocket.

Preferably, the pocket liner is shaped for a snug fit in the pocket, for example by having a lateral length approximately equal to the lateral length of the pocket, the lateral lengths being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate rim. Additionally or alternatively the pocket liner may be shaped for a snug fit by having a width defined by the rear lip and the front lip that snugly fits a corresponding width of the pocket.

Preferably, the head of the tab has a length that is slightly larger than the parallel length of the slot.

Preferably, the tab is sufficiently flexible to allow the length of the head to be collapsed to allow the head to pass through the slot. Alternatively, or additionally, the pocket, at least at the slot, may be comprised of a flexible material so that the slot may expand for the head to pass through the slot. Further, the entire pocket may be comprised of a flexible material.

The item of clothing is preferably a pair of pants or overalls.

Preferably, when the pocket liner sits in the pocket and the tab is received by the slot in the flap, the logo or other identifier is visible. As used herein, except where the context requires otherwise, the term "comprise" and variations of the term, such as "comprising", "comprises" and "comprised", are not intended to exclude further additives, components, integers or steps.

Further aspects of the present invention and further embodiments of the aspects described in the preceding paragraphs will become apparent from the following description, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a pocket liner in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention; FIG. 2 illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the pocket liner similar to FIG. 1 and also in accordance with the first aspect of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a person wearing an item of clothing in accordance with the second aspect of the second invention; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of the item of clothing in FIG. 3, showing a pocket of the item having a pocket liner sitting in the pocket.

Detailed description of the embodiments

An embodiment of a pocket liner in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. Pocket liner 10 is formed from two principal components, a semi-rigid backing 12 and a semi-rigid but flexible pocket liner shell 14. The pocket liner shell 14 is moulded over a flap sheet portion 16 of the backing. The pocket liner shell 14 is formed from a material that has a very low specific gravity (ie is very light) and is flexible. The material is a flexible polymer material having strength for resistance against puncture by sharp objects. An example of such a material is a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), such as an EPDM (Ethylene propylene diene) rubber or a TPV (Thermoplastic vulcanizate) material. The pocket liner shell 14 is moulded into the shape of a pouch 17 that is closed on all sides other than an upper opening 18, defined by a top rim 20 of the pouch 17, and a small slit aperture 22 at the bottom of front wall 24 of the pouch 17, marginally above the bottom 26 of the pouch 17.

The outer surface of the pouch 17 includes ribs 28 with recesses 30 separating each of the ribs 28. This arrangement of ribs 28 and recesses 30 may assist the pouch 17 in gripping a pocket in which the pocket liner may have been inserted (as described below). The front wall 24 and rear wall 32 of the pouch 17 are generally parallel but curve towards each other at the lateral sides 34, 36 of the pouch 17 so as to provide the pouch 17 with a generally ovoidal cross section when viewed from above the upper opening 18, facing the bottom 26 of the pouch 17. The ovoidal shape generally maintains the pouch 17 in an open state, rather than a collapsed state, while also allowing the pouch 17 to flex and bend to accommodate movement and externally applied pressure, during use.

In another embodiment, the front wall 24, rear wall 32, and lateral sides 34, 36, are each flat such that the cross section viewed from above upper opening 18 is rectangular rather than ovoidal.

In either embodiment, the front wall 24 and rear wall 32 each have a length in the cross section that is greater than the lengths of the lateral portions 34 and 36, whereby the rim 20 is elongate. In such an arrangement, the rim consists of a rear lip 40 and a front lip 42 respectively formed by the rear wall 32 and front wall 24 of the pouch 17. The front and rear lips 42, 40 can be the same thickness as the front and rear walls 24, 32 of the pouch or can be thicker than their respective front and rear walls 24, 32, or flared toward or away from each other. The front and rear lips 42, 40 also include the front and back halves, respectively, of each of the side portions 34 and 36, such that the front and rear lips 42, 40 each meet each other, each spanning the entire length of the upper opening 18.

The front lip 42 also includes a recessed portion 44 such that the upper opening 18 also opens forwardly, away from rear wall 32. The sheet portion 16 of backing 12 is generally rectangular and extends from just beneath the rear lip 42 to just above the pocket base 46 at the bottom 26 of the pouch 17. The sheet portion 16 has top shoulders 48, 50, and a tab 52 projecting upwards from the sheet portion 16, intermediate the respective top shoulders 48, 50. The tab 52 includes a neck portion 54 which extends upwardly beyond the rear lip 40 so as to also be intermediate respective shoulder portions 56, 58 of the rear lip 40.

At the top of neck portion 54, the tab 52 flanges laterally, on both sides of the neck 54, to form a head portion 60. The tab 52 has a lateral length that is less than the longitudinal length of the elongate rim 20, and is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongate rim 20. As shown in FIG. 1 , the lateral length is less than half of the total longitudinal length, ie length between the lateral sides 34, 36 of the pouch at rim 20. The lateral length of the tab 52 is less than half the total longitudinal length of the rim, for both the neck portion 54 and the head portion 60 of the tab 52. The neck portion spans about one fifth and the total longitudinal length, while the head portion has a maximum span that is about twice that that of the neck, ie about two fifths of the total longitudinal length.

Pad printed on the front face of head portion 60 is a logo, or other marketing identifier 62. The tab 52 is comprised of a plastic material, such as polypropylene, or a natural or synthetic thermoplastic elastomer or rubber or other rigid or semi-rigid material that is suitable for screen printing thereon.

The upward projection of the tab 52 is such that the front face 59 of the tab 52 is parallel with the rear wall 32 of the pouch 17.

FIG. 1 shows the pocket liner shell 14 being molded over the backing 12, so that the shoulders 56, 58 of the rim are above the shoulders 48, 50 of the backing 12, and the neck portion 54 of the tab is marginally in front the respective shoulders 56, 58 of the rear lip 40. However, the pocket liner shell 14 and the backing 12 may be joined in other manners. FIG. 2, for example, illustrates a side cross sectional view of an embodiment in which the backing 12 is joined at its bottom end 70 to the shell 16. In this case the rear wall 32 of the pouch can be formed by the backing 16. In this case, the neck portion 54 is in the same plane as the rear lip of the opening 18, rather than being in front of it.

In another embodiment (not shown) the backing 12 and the pocket liner shell 14 are a single, integrally formed component. The entire pocket liner 10 is in this case a semi- rigid, semi-flexible component. The rigid qualities provide the pocket liner 10 with a stable shape, while the flexible qualities allow the pocket to elastically deform under pressure, making the pocket liner comfortable to wear.

FIG. 3 illustrates person 100 wearing an item of clothing 102, in the form of work pants. The work pants have lateral pockets 104, 106 facing outwardly in opposite directions, on respective legs of the work pants 102. Pocket 104 is shaped to fit a smart phone and has a rigid lining to protect the smart phone from damage.

An enlargement of pocket 106 is illustrated in FIG. 4. The pocket 106 is generally square shaped and includes a flap 108 that covers the opening of the pocket for neat presentation and to provide some protection against loss of objects held within the pocket 106. A hook-and-loop fastener (not shown), such as Velcro, is provided beneath the free end 110 of the flap 108 and on the top outer surface (not shown) of pocket 106. The hook-and-loop fastener thereby assists in keeping the flap closed. The flap 108 also includes a slot 1 2 toward the fixed end 114 of the flap 108 that is stitched to the fabric 116 of the pants 102. The slot is centrally located along the length of the flap 114 to be aligned with the head portion 60 of the tab 52, when the pocket liner 10 is inserted and sitting in the pocket 108. The slot 112 extends sufficiently along the length of flap 108 to allow the head portion 60 of tab 52 to pass therethrough so that the head portion 62 and logo 60, printed thereon, is visible from outside of the pants 102 when the flap 108 is closed over the opening of pocket 106. The pocket liner 10 fits snugly into pocket 106 so that the position of the tab 52 is controlled to be aligned with the slot 112.

When the person 100 wishes to insert or remove objects into or from the pocket, they may open flap 108 over the tab 52 so that they may access the pocket liner 10. The tab 52, due to its location on the rear side of the pocket liner 10, tends to guide the person's hand into the pocket liner 10, rather than between the rear wall 32 of the pocket liner and the fabric 116 at the rear of pocket 106, behind the pocket liner 10. The tab can also act as a visual reference to the person 100 by indicating that the pocket liner is present in the pocket.

When the flap is opened, the person 100 also has the ability to remove the pocket liner 10 from pocket 106, or insert one if there was no pocket liner 10 present previously. Upon removing the pocket liner, objects and any accumulated dirt can be tipped from the pocket liner. The cleaning process is assisted by the presence of the front slit 22 in the pouch 17, which allows dirt to escape from the bottom of the pocket liner 10. Such dirt would otherwise accumulate at the bottom 26 since the bottom 26 is a closed surface. The slit 22 is sufficiently small so that it does not add significant perforation risk from objects in the pocket liner, when in use. Risk of perforation via slit 22 is further mitigated since the slit does not pass though the base 46 of the pouch 17.

It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined in this specification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.