Method and Apparatus for Maintaining Rolled Shirt Sleeves and Pant Legs

Abstract

An apparatus and method for rolling a portion of a clothing item, such as a sleeve, using a flexible band that is configurable in a substantially linear orientation and a substantially coiled orientation. The band is preferably a bistable metal spring substantially encased in a covering material. Different fabrics and slip-resistant materials may be used for the covering. An optional recessed area or hook at an end of the band engages with a button on the shirt cuff for positioning of the band for rolling. The band is aligned with an outermost edge of the sleeve cuff, the cuff and band are folded up a number of times until the desired sleeve length is reached. Inside the roll, the band is in a coiled orientation between the layers of fabric, exerting slight pressure to maintain the rolled position of the sleeve during normal arm movement.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of rolling a portion of a clothing item, the method comprising
 aligning a longitudinal side of a band with an outermost edge of the portion of the clothing item to be rolled such that the band does not extend substantially outwardly from the outermost edge;   folding the outermost edge of the portion of the clothing item and the band to place the band between a first and second layer of fabric of the clothing item and create a new outermost edge of the portion of the clothing item to be rolled;   repeating the folding step for each new outermost edge to place the band between successive numbers of layers of fabric, until the portion of the clothing item is rolled to the desired length; and   wherein the band comprises a first material that is flexible in a longitudinal direction, allowing it to be positioned in a substantially linear orientation or a substantially coiled orientation, and wherein the band optionally comprises a covering material substantially encasing the first material.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the portion of the clothing item comprises a button near the outermost edge, the method further comprising positioning the button in a recessed area disposed at an end of the band prior to the first folding step, or positioning a hook disposed at an end of the band around the button prior to the first folding step or both. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising connecting a first fastener disposed at a first end of the band to a second fastener disposed at the second end of the band prior to the first folding step; and
 wherein the first and second fasteners comprise mating parts of a snap, magnet, hook and eye closure, or hook and loop tape. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the aligning step is performed while the band is in a substantially linear orientation and the band changes to the substantially coiled orientation during one of the folding steps. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the band is curved across its width such that a top surface is concave and a bottom surface is convex and wherein the aligning step further comprises placing the bottom surface against the fabric. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the bottom surface comprises a visual indicator to differentiate it from the top surface, or one or more portions of slip-resistant material, or both. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the band is substantially rigid in a direction perpendicular to its length. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first material comprises one or more layers of (a) bistable spring bands made from metal or (b) a material that is substantially flexible in a longitudinal direction, and wherein the covering material comprises one or more of fabric, leather, plastic, paper, adhesive backed material, silicone, or rubber. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the covering material comprises a first end, a second end, and a middle portion, wherein the first and second ends are wider than the middle portion. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the first and second ends are thicker than the middle portion. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus to roll a portion of a clothing item, the apparatus comprising:
 a band comprising a first top surface, a first bottom surface, a first end portion, a first middle portion, and a second middle portion;   an optional covering substantially encasing the band, the covering comprising a third end portion, a fourth end portion, a second middle portion, a second top surface, and a second bottom surface;   wherein, if no covering is included, the first middle portion of the band is narrower in width than the first and second end portions of the band or, if a covering is included, the second middle portion of the covering is narrower in width than the third and forth end portions of the covering; and   wherein the band is flexible in a longitudinal direction, allowing the apparatus to be configurable between a substantially linear orientation and a substantially coiled orientation to wrap at least partially around an edge of a clothing item to be rolled.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the first top surface is concave and the first bottom surface of the band is convex when the apparatus is in a substantially linear orientation. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  further comprising:
 a recessed area in at least one of the end portions, the recessed area configured to receive a button on the clothing item; or 
 a hook extending outwardly from at least one of the end portions, the hook configured to engage a button on the clothing item; or 
 both. 
 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the recessed area comprises a first pair of side facets, each angled in a direction from the second top surface toward the second bottom surface of the covering and toward a central longitudinal axis of the covering. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising a second pair of side facets, disposed inwardly from the first pair of side facets, each of the second pair of side facets angled in a direction from the second top surface toward the second bottom surface of the covering and toward the central longitudinal axis of the covering;
 wherein the angle of the first pair of side facets is different than the angle of the second pair of side facets. 
 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the band comprises one or more layers of metal bistable spring strips and wherein the covering comprises one or more of fabric, leather, plastic, silicone, or rubber 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the second bottom surface comprises a visual indicator to differentiate it from the second top surface, or one or more portions of slip-resistant material, or both. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the band is substantially rigid in a direction perpendicular to its length. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the first end portion or third end portion comprises a first fastener and the second end portion or fourth end portion comprises one or more second fasteners, the first fastener configured to engage with the one or more second fasteners to connect the two end portions together;
 wherein the first and second fasteners comprise mating parts of a snap, magnet, hook and eye closure, or hook and loop tape; and 
 wherein when two or more second fasteners are provided, they are spaced apart longitudinally from an outer end of the second end portion to allow for adjustment of a circumference of the band when in a coiled orientation. 
 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein, if no covering is included, the width of the first middle portion of the band is around 1.4 to 5 cm, the width of each of the first and second end portions is around 1.4 to 5.4 cm, the length of the band is around 10 to 29 cm, and the thickness of the band is around 0.08 to 0.4 mm; and
 wherein, if a covering is included, the width of the second middle portion of the covering is around 1.5 to 5.1 cm, the width of each of the third and fourth end portions is around 1.5 to 5.5 cm, the length of the covering is around 11 to 30 cm, and the total thickness of the apparatus is around 1 to 6 mm.