Alterable belt kit and method of altering the appearance of a belt

Abstract

The belt kit that comprises a belt body adapted and configured to extend at least substantially around a person's waist. The belt kit further comprises at least two interchangeable covers that are distinctive in appearance from each other and that are each configured and adapted to be attached to and supported by the belt body in a manner such that the cover at least partially conceals the belt body when the belt body is being worn around a person's waist. The kit provides a method for people to construct a plurality of visually distinguishable belt assemblies for aesthetically coordinating their apparel using only a single belt body.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A belt kit comprising: 
 a belt body, the belt body having a longitudinal length and lateral width, the longitudinal length of the belt body having opposite first and second end portions, the belt body being flexible to enable the belt body to be wrapped at least partially around a person's waist;    a connector, the connector being adapted and configured to releasably and selectively secure the first end portion of the belt body to the second end portion of the belt body in a manner such that the belt body can be worn around a person's waist; and    a plurality of interchangeable covers, each of the covers being adapted and configured to be selectively and releasably attached to and supported by the belt body in a manner such that the cover conceals at least a portion of the belt body when the belt body is being worn around a person's waist, at least two of the plurality of the covers being different from each other.    
     
     
         2 . The belt kit as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 at least one of the plurality of the covers comprises a flexible sleeve, the sleeve having an interior and longitudinally opposite first and second ends, the first end of the sleeve having an opening to the sleeve interior to allow the belt body to be longitudinally inserted into the sleeve interior through the opening.    
     
     
         3 . The belt kit as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the sleeve is formed of a resiliently stretchable material, the sleeve being dimensioned such that the sleeve will laterally resiliently stretch to conform circumferentially around the lateral width of the belt body when the belt body is inserted in the sleeve.    
     
     
         4 . The belt kit as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the sleeve is constructed from a single piece of resiliently flexible material having laterally opposite parallel longitudinal edges that are sewn to each other along a longitudinal seam to form the sleeve, the seam of the sleeve being positioned on the sleeve so that the seam can be concealed when the belt body is inserted in the sleeve and the belt body is being worn around a person's waist.    
     
     
         5 . The belt kit as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the connector comprises a buckle attached to the first end portion of the belt body and a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes that extend through the second end portion of the belt body, the buckle comprising at least one tine, the sleeve comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes that are positioned on the sleeve where the holes will be aligned with the holes of the belt body when the belt body is inserted in the sleeve, each of the holes of the sleeve thereby allowing the tine of the buckle to extend through one of the holes of the belt body when the belt body is inserted in the sleeve and the belt body is being worn around a person's waist.    
     
     
         6 . The belt kit as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the second end of the sleeve is closed in a manner such that the second end portion of the belt body will engage the second end of the sleeve in the sleeve interior and will thereby be prevented from passing through the second end of the sleeve when the belt body is inserted in the sleeve.    
     
     
         7 . The belt kit as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the sleeve is constructed from a single piece of resiliently flexible material having laterally opposite parallel longitudinal edges that are sewn to each other along a longitudinal seam to form the sleeve, the sleeve being dimensioned such that the sleeve is resiliently stretched to conform around the belt body when the belt body is inserted into the sleeve, the seam of the sleeve being positioned on the sleeve where the seam can be concealed when the belt body is inserted in the sleeve and the belt body is being worn around a person's waist.    
     
     
         8 . The belt kit as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein: 
 at least one cover further comprises a releasable securing mechanism attached to the first end of the sleeve, the securing mechanism being configured and adapted to selectively and releasably secure the first end of the sleeve to the first end portion of the belt body when the belt body is inserted in the sleeve.    
     
     
         9 . The belt as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 at least two of the plurality of the covers are different in color from each other.    
     
     
         10 . The belt kit as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the connector constitutes a first connector, the belt kit further comprising at least a second connector being adapted and configured to releasably and selectively secure the first end portion of the belt body to the second end portion of the belt body in a manner such that the belt body can be worn around a person's waist, the first and second connectors being different in appearance from each other.    
     
     
         11 . A method of altering the appearance of a belt comprising: 
 providing a belt body having a longitudinal length and lateral width, the longitudinal length of the belt body having longitudinally opposite first and second end portions of the belt body, the belt body being flexible to enable the belt body to be wrapped at least partially around a person's waist;    providing at least first and second interchangeable covers, the first and second covers being different in appearance from each other; and    attaching the first cover to the belt body in a manner such that the first cover conceals at least a portion of the belt body.    
     
     
         12 . The method of altering the appearance of a belt as set forth in  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 removing the first cover from the belt body; and then    attaching the second cover to the belt body in a manner such that the second cover conceals at least a portion of the belt body.    
     
     
         13 . The method of altering the appearance of a belt as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein: 
 the step of providing first and second interchangeable covers comprises providing each of the first and second interchangeable covers as a flexible sleeve, the sleeve having an interior and longitudinally opposite first and second ends, the first end of the sleeve having an opening to the sleeve interior to allow the second end portion of the belt body to be longitudinally inserted into the sleeve interior through the opening; and    the steps of attaching the first cover to the belt body and attaching the second cover to the belt body each comprise longitudinally inserting the second end portion of the belt body into the opening at the first end of the sleeve of the respective cover and passing the belt body through the interior of the sleeve until the first end portion of the belt body is positioned at least partially within the first end of the sleeve.    
     
     
         14 . The method of altering the appearance of a belt as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the step of providing first and second interchangeable covers comprises providing the sleeve of each of the first and second covers with a closed second end; and    the steps of attaching the first cover to the belt body and attaching the second cover to the belt body each comprise passing the second end portion of the belt body through the sleeve interior of the respective cover portion until the second end portion of the belt body engages the closed second end of the sleeve.    
     
     
         15 . The method of altering the appearance of a belt as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the step of providing first and second interchangeable covers comprises forming the sleeve of each of the first and second covers from a resiliently stretchable material; and    the steps of attaching the first cover to the belt body and attaching the second cover to the belt body each comprise stretching the sleeve of the respective cover to conform around the belt body when the belt body is inserted into the sleeve interior.    
     
     
         16 . The method of altering the appearance of a belt as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein: 
 the steps of attaching the first cover to the belt body and attaching the second cover to the belt body each comprise axially stretching the sleeve of the respective cover once the second end portion of the belt body engages the closed second end of the sleeve in a manner such that the first end portion of the belt body can be positioned at least partially within the first end of the sleeve.    
     
     
         17 . The method of altering the appearance of a belt as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the steps of attaching the first cover to the belt body and attaching the second cover to the belt body each comprise releasably securing the first end of the sleeve of the respective cover to the first end portion of the belt body once the first end portion of the belt body is positioned at least partially within the first end of the sleeve.    
     
     
         18 . The method of altering the appearance of a belt as set forth in  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 providing first and second connectors, each of the first and second connectors being different from each other and each being adapted and configured to releasably and selectively secure the first end portion of the belt body to the second end portion of the belt body in a manner such that the belt body can by worn around a person's waist; and    attaching the first connector to the belt body in a manner such that the first connector can releasably and selectively secure the first end portion of the belt body to the second end portion of the belt body.    
     
     
         19 . The method of altering the appearance of a belt as set forth in  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 removing the first connector from the belt body; and then    attaching the second connector to the belt body in a manner such that the second connector can releasably and selectively secure the first end portion of the belt body to the second end portion of the belt body.    
     
     
         20 . The method of altering the appearance of a belt as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein: 
 the step of providing first and second interchangeable covers comprises providing each of the first and second interchangeable covers as a flexible sleeve, the sleeve having an interior and longitudinally opposite first and second ends, the first end of the sleeve having an opening to the sleeve interior to allow the second end portion of the belt body to be longitudinally inserted into the sleeve interior through the opening; and    the steps of attaching the first cover to the belt body and attaching the second cover to the belt body each comprise longitudinally inserting the second end portion of the belt body into the opening at the first end of the sleeve of the respective cover and passing the belt body through the interior of the sleeve until the first end portion of the belt body is positioned at least partially within the first end of the sleeve.