Convertible pants

Abstract

A pair of convertible pants comprising an upper pants portion, a lower pants portion, an opening extending longitudinally from a hem end of the lower pants portion to a section that turns and continuously extending substantially circumferentially around the leg opening and ends at a terminus, and a closure being operable to extend along the entire length of the opening to selectively open and close the opening.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A pair of pants comprising first and second legs, each of the first and second legs extending from a lower hem to a crotch of the pants and comprising a linear slide fastener extending continuously along a path that includes a circumferential portion, a transition portion and a longitudinal portion, the circumferential portion extending circumferentially nearly completely around the leg in a plane located between the hem and the crotch, the plane being generally horizontal when the leg is oriented vertically, the longitudinal portion extending substantially longitudinally along an outer lateral side of the leg to the hem and the transition portion connecting the circumferential and longitudinal portions, the transition portion turning through an angle of approximately 90 degrees, the linear slide fastener comprising a slider operable to open and close the linear slide fastener and being oriented such that when the linear slide fastener is closed the slider is proximate the hem and when the linear slide fastener is open the slider is proximate the plane of the circumferential portion, wherein the leg may be converted from a first configuration to a second configuration by moving the slider along the path to open the linear slide fastener such that a lower pants portion comprising part of the leg below the plane remains attached to an upper pants portion comprising the parts of the pants above the plane by a strip of material extending across the plane. 
     
     
         3 . The pants according to  claim 2  wherein the legs each comprise two garment layers, an outer layer and an inner layer at least in lower parts of the legs, wherein, in each leg the linear slide fastener is in the outer layer of the leg. 
     
     
         4 . The pants according to  claim 3  wherein the outer layer is made of a waterproof material. 
     
     
         5 . The pants according to  claim 3  comprising a second linear slide fastener in the inner layer, the second linear slide fastener extending continuously along a second path in the inner layer that includes a second circumferential portion extending circumferentially nearly completely around the leg in a second plane located between the hem and the crotch, the second plane being generally horizontal when the leg is oriented vertically, a second longitudinal portion extending substantially longitudinally along an outer lateral side of the inner layer to a hem of the inner layer and a second transition portion connecting the second circumferential and second longitudinal portions, the second transition portion turning through an angle of approximately 90 degrees, the second linear slide fastener comprising a second slider operable to open and close the second linear slide fastener and being oriented such that when the second linear slide fastener is closed the second slider is proximate the hem of the inner layer. 
     
     
         6 . The pants according to  claim 2  comprising a stowage compartment attached to the upper pants portion and dimensioned to receive the lower pants portion. 
     
     
         7 . The pants according to  claim 6  wherein the stowage compartment overhangs the circumferential portion. 
     
     
         8 . The pants according to  claim 6  wherein the stowage compartment is circumferentially aligned with the strip of material. 
     
     
         9 . The pants according to  claim 2  wherein the strip of material has a width in the range of about ⅓ cm to 2½ cm. 
     
     
         10 . The pants according to  claim 2  wherein the transition portion follows an arc having a radius in the range of 1 cm to 12 cm. 
     
     
         11 . The pants according to  claim 2  wherein the lower pants portion and the upper pants portion are made from different materials. 
     
     
         12 . The pants according to  claim 2  wherein the linear slide fastener is closed ended and a terminus of the linear slide fastener is located at an end of the circumferential portion adjacent to the strip of material. 
     
     
         13 . The pants according to  claim 2  wherein the longitudinal section is straight. 
     
     
         14 . The pants according to  claim 13  wherein the longitudinal section is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the leg. 
     
     
         15 . The pants according to  claim 2  wherein the lower pants portion comprises a plurality of pre-defined intersecting fold lines arranged to facilitate folding the lower pants portion into a compact flattened package. 
     
     
         16 . The pants according to  claim 2  comprising a flap of fabric on the inside surface of the leg, the flap arranged to cover tracks of the linear slide fastener. 
     
     
         17 . The pants according to  claim 15  comprising flaps on outside surfaces of the legs, the flaps covering the linear slide fasteners. 
     
     
         18 . The pants according to  claim 2  wherein the lower pants portions of the first and second legs are mirror images of one another. 
     
     
         19 . A method for converting a pant leg from a shorter configuration to a longer configuration, the pant leg comprising a linear slide fastener extending continuously along a path that includes a circumferential portion extending circumferentially nearly completely around the leg in a plane located between a hem of the pant leg and a top end of the pant leg, the plane being generally horizontal when the leg is oriented vertically, a longitudinal portion extending from the circumferential portion to the hem substantially longitudinally along an outer lateral side of the leg and a transition portion connecting the circumferential and longitudinal portions, the transition portion turning through an angle of approximately 90 degrees, the linear slide fastener comprising a slider operable to open and close the linear slide fastener and being oriented such that when the linear slide fastener is closed the slider is proximate the hem and when the linear slide fastener is open the slider is proximate the plane of the circumferential portion,
 the method comprising, with a lower pants portion comprising part of the leg below the plane attached to an upper pants portion by a strip of material extending across the plane, moving the slider along the path from the circumferential portion through the transition portion and along the longitudinal portion to a position adjacent the hem to close the linear slide fastener.