Versatile and convertible legwear

Abstract

Legwear having a panel 40 that includes a top edge 44, a bottom edge 46 and side edges 48 and 50 that are located between the top edge and the bottom edge. The side edges 48 and 50 have a curvature such that the side edges are furthest apart adjacent the top edge and the bottom edge and are spaced closest together between the midpoints of the side edges, said curvature aiding in securely maintaining the legwear on the user. The legwear also includes a closure in a first part of the closure 52 is located on the panel adjacent one side edge and the second part of the closure is located on the panel adjacent the other side edge. When the first part of the closure is connected to the second part of the closure, the top edge of the panel 44 defines a first opening and the bottom edge of the panel defines a second opening to accommodate the user's limb. The closure of one legwear is mutually compatible with the closure of other legwear so that a plurality of legwear can be combined together to form more complex articles such as cushions, blankets, handwarmers and handbags.

I claim: 
     
         1 . Legwear that covers below the knee and above the foot, said legwear comprising:
 a panel that includes:
 a first sheet of material that has a first design; and 
 a second sheet of material that has a second design, said first and second sheets defining a top edge, and a bottom edge that are located between oppositely disposed side edges, each of said side edges defining a concave shape in said sheet with the spacing between the side edges being greatest at corresponding positions adjacent the top edge or the bottom edge and the spacing between the side edges being the smallest at corresponding positions between the midpoint between the top edge and the bottom edge of one side edge and the midpoint between the top edge and the bottom edge of the other side edge where a tangent to the curvature of one side edge is parallel to the tangent to the curvature of the other side edge; and 
   a closure having a first part and second part with said first part being connectable to said second part, said first part of said closure being connected to one of said side edges of said panel and said second part of said closure being connected to the other of said side edges of said panel, wherein at times when the first part of said closure is connected to the second part of said closure the top edge of said panel forms a top opening and the bottom edge of said panel forms a bottom opening.   
     
     
         2 . The legwear of  claim 1  wherein the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material are selected from the group comprising woven natural threads, woven synthetic threads, natural fibers, synthetic fibers, animal hides. 
     
     
         3 . The legwear of  claim 1  wherein said closure is located at the front of the user's leg at times when the legwear is worn. 
     
     
         4 . The legwear of  claim 1  wherein said closure is located at the rear of the user's leg at times when the legwear is worn. 
     
     
         5 . The legwear of  claim 1  wherein said closure is located at the side of the user's leg at times when the legwear is worn. 
     
     
         6 . The legwear of  claim 1  wherein the top edge of said panel is folded in the direction of said bottom edge to provide a cuff at the top of said legwear. 
     
     
         7 . The legwear of  claim 1  wherein said closure is selected from the group comprising laces and grommets, zippers, hook and loop material, buckles, bar slides or rings, buttons and loops, and elastic panels or strips. 
     
     
         8 . Legwear that covers a user's leg below the knee and above the foot, said legwear being made by the method comprising:
 a.) making a panel of material according to the steps of:
 i.) selecting a first sheet of material having an outer and an inner face; 
 ii.) forming a portion of said first sheet of material into a shape that is defined between a top edge and a bottom edge and that is also defined between oppositely located side edges that are between said top edge and said bottom edge, each of said side edges defining a concave shape for said material, the spacing between said side edges being greatest at the position of at least one of said top edge or said bottom edge, and the spacing between said side edges being the smallest at a position between the midpoint between said top edge and said bottom edge on one side edge and the midpoint between said top edge and said bottom edge on the other side edge where a tangent to the curvature of one side edge is parallel to a tangent to the curvature of the other side edge; 
 iii.) selecting a second sheet of material having an outer and an inner face; 
 iv.) forming a portion of said second sheet of material into a shape that is defined between a top edge and a bottom edge and that is also defined between oppositely located side edges that are between said top edge and said bottom edge, each of said side edges defining a concave shape for said material, the spacing between said side edges being greatest at the position of at least one of said top edge or said bottom edge, and the spacing between said side edges being the smallest at a position between the midpoint between said top edge and said bottom edge on one side edge and the midpoint between said top edge and said bottom edge on the other side edge where a tangent to the curvature of one side edge is parallel to a tangent to the curvature of the other side edge, said second sheet of material being sized such that the edges of the second sheet of material coincide with the respective edges of the first sheet of material; 
 v.) arranging the first and second shapes together with the outer face of the first sheet opposing the outer face of the second sheet; 
 vi.) fastening the two shapes of material together along each of said side edges and along one of said top side or said bottom side; 
 vii.) passing the fastened edge of said top side or said bottom side between the unfastened edges of the other of said top side or said bottom side such that the inner face of the first sheet opposes the inner face of said second sheet; and 
 viii.) securing the other of said top side or said bottom side together; and 
   b.) installing a first part of a closure along one of the side edges of said panel and a second part of said closure along the other of the said edges of said panel such that, at times when the parts of said closure are connected together, the panel defines an opening along the top edge of said panel and another opening along the bottom edge of said panel.   
     
     
         9 . A method for making legwear that covers below the knee and above the foot, said method comprising:
 a.) making a panel of material according to the steps of:
 i.) selecting a first sheet of material having an outer and an inner face; 
 ii.) forming the first sheet of material into a shape that is defined between a top edge and a bottom edge and between oppositely located side edges that are between said top edge and said bottom edge, each of said side edges defining a concave shape for said material, the spacing between said side edges being greatest at the position of at least one of said top edge or said bottom edge, and the spacing between said side edges being the smallest at a position between the midpoint between said top edge and said bottom edge on one side edge and the midpoint between said top edge and said bottom edge on the other side edge, where a tangent to the curvature of the one side edge is parallel to a tangent to the curvature of the opposite side edge; 
 iii.) selecting a second sheet of material having an outer and an inner face; 
 iv.) forming the second sheet of material into a shape that is defined between a top edge and a bottom edge and between oppositely located side edges that are between said top edge and said bottom edge, the spacing between said side edges being greatest at the position of at least one of said top edge or said bottom edge, and the spacing between said side edges being the smallest at a position between the midpoint between said top edge and said bottom edge on one side edge and the midpoint between said top edge and said bottom edge on the other side edge where a tangent to the curvature of the one side edge is parallel to a tangent to the curvature of the opposite side edge, said second shape being sized to be equivalent to said first shape such that the top and bottom edges of said first shape coincide with the top and bottom edges of said second shape and the side edges of said first shape coincide with the respective side edges of said second shape; 
 v.) arranging the first and second shapes together with the outer face of the first shape opposing the outer face of the second shape; 
 vi.) fastening the two shapes of material together along each of said side edges and along one of said top edge or said bottom edge; 
 vii.) passing the fastened edge of said top edge or said bottom edge between the unfastened edges of the other of said top edge or said bottom edge such that the inner face of the first sheet opposes the inner face of said second sheet; and 
 viii.) securing the other of said top edges or said bottom edges together; and 
   b.) installing part of a closure along one side edge of said panel and installing a second part of said closure along the other side edge of said panel such that, at times when the parts of said closure are connected together, the panel defines an opening along the top edge of said panel and another opening along the bottom edge of said panel.   
     
     
         10 . A set of legwear that is capable of being worn by a user to cover below the knee and above the foot, said set of legwear comprising:
 a first legwear having a first sheet material that defines a top edge and a bottom edge that is oppositely disposed on said sheet from said top edge, said first sheet of material also defining a first side edge and a second side edge that is oppositely disposed on said sheet from said first side edge, said first legwear including a first closure member along one of said side edges and a second closure member along the other of said side edges, said second closure member being complementary to said first closure member such that, at times when said first legwear is worn as legwear to cover below the knee and above the foot of the user, said first closure member cooperates with said second closure member to connect said one side of said first legwear to said other side of said first legwear; and   a second legwear that has a first sheet material that defines a top edge and a bottom edge that is oppositely disposed on said sheet from said top edge, said second sheet of material also defining a first side edge and a second side edge that is oppositely disposed on said sheet from said first side edge, said second legwear including a first closure member on one of said side edges and a second closure member on the other of said side edges, said second closure member being complementary to said first closure member such that, at times when said second legwear is worn as legwear to cover below the knee and above the foot of the user, said first closure member cooperates with said second closure member to connect said one side of said second legwear with said other side of said second legwear, the second closure member of said second legwear also being complementary to the first closure member of said first legwear such that said second legwear cooperates with said first legwear to selectively form a complex article.   
     
     
         11 . The set of legwear of  claim 10  wherein said complex article is selected from the group comprising a seat cushion, a blanket, and a handwarmer. 
     
     
         12 . The set of legwear of  claim 10  wherein the first closure member of said first legwear is complementary to the second closure member of said second legware such that said first closure member of said first legwear engages the second closure member of said second legwear to secure the one edge of said first legwear to the other edge of said second legwear. 
     
     
         13 . The set of legwear of  claim 12  wherein the second closure member of said first legwear is complementary to the first closure member of said second legware such that said second closure member of said first legwear engages the first closure member of said second legwear to secure the other edge of said first legware to the one edge of said second legwear. 
     
     
         14 . The set of legwear of  claim 13  wherein said first legware and said second legware cooperate to form a seat cushion. 
     
     
         15 . The set of legware of  claim 10  wherein the side edges of said first legwear and said second legware define respective concave shapes between said top edge and said bottom edge, the curvature of said concave shapes being gauged according to the elasticity of the sheet material so that at times when the one side of the second legwear is connected to the other side of the first legware, the one and other sides are in compression at locations adjacent the top and bottom edges and in tension at the midpoint of the concave shape. 
     
     
         16 . The set of legware of  claim 15  wherein the other side edge of said first legwear and the one side edge of said second legware are substantially straight. 
     
     
         17 . The set of legware of  claim 10  wherein each of said first and second legwear further include a respective loop that is secured to one of the top edge or the bottom edge of said first and second legwear, said set of legwear further comprising a belt with a fastener that is connected to one end of said belt and that receives and secures the opposite end of said belt. 
     
     
         18 . The set of legwear of  claim 17  wherein said belt can be secured around one of said first or second legwear at times when said legwear is worn below the knee and above the ankle of the user to support said legware on the user. 
     
     
         19 . The set of legwear of  claim 18  wherein said loop receives said belt at times when the opposite end of said belt is apart from said fastener so that said opposite end of said belt can be threaded through said loop. 
     
     
         20 . The set of legwear of  claim 19  wherein said opposite end of said belt is secured in said fastener so that the belt forms a carrying strap that passes through said loop.