Extender Belt for Pants with Hidden Waistband Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Women, men, and children face challenges with weight fluctuations, leading to issues with waistband openings in clothing, such as jeans and pants, which can be too small due to varying mid-section sizes, requiring frequent wardrobe changes or unsightly solutions.
Innovation Solution
The extender belt system, which includes a contiguous belt with an extender strip that can be adjusted to various sizes, hidden from view, using buttons, buttonholes, hooks, and bars to securely close the waistband without visible hardware, allowing for comfortable wear and concealment of open buttons or zippers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a belt is designed to extend to accommodate fluctuating waist sizes, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for extender mechanisms and additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The belt is divided into a main belt portion and a separate extender portion that can be attached or detached. This segmentation allows the belt to adapt to different waist sizes by adding or removing the extender portion, while keeping each component relatively simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The extender portion is designed to work with multiple belt styles and closure mechanisms (buttons, snaps, hooks). This multi-functionality allows a single extender design to accommodate various belt configurations, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining adaptability.
2Reliability
If extender mechanisms and hardware are added to close the waistband, then reliability is improved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates due to visible hardware and unsightly connections
Solution Approach 1:
The extender mechanism is extracted and positioned at the back of the belt, away from the visible front area. This allows the closure hardware to be hidden from view while still providing reliable waistband closure functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The extender portion acts as an intermediary element that connects the main belt to itself at the back. This intermediary structure provides the necessary mechanical connection for reliable closure while remaining hidden from view, thus mediating between functional requirements and aesthetic concerns.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional extender belts with separate components are used, then adaptability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to the need to connect and disconnect belt parts
Solution Approach 1:
The extender portion is integrated with the main belt through a seamless connection design that eliminates the need for separate assembly steps. The extender can be quickly attached or detached as a single unit, combining the functionality of multiple components into one easy-to-operate system.
Solution Approach 2:
The extender portion is pre-positioned and pre-configured on the belt during manufacturing, so that no assembly or connection steps are required by the user. The belt is ready to use immediately, with the extender already in its proper position and configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, an extender belt for clothing is disclosed including a belt strap, a belt buckle coupled to the belt strap, and an extender button coupled to the belt strap. The belt strap is configured to be wrapped around the waist of a user and form a loop. The belt strap has a series of a plurality of openings near a first end configured to receive a protrusion or prong of the belt buckle. The belt strap further has one or more buttonholes near a second end configured to receive a button of the pants or trousers. The belt buckle is pivotally coupled to the belt strap near the second end. The belt buckle has the pivotal protrusion or prong configured to extend into the plurality of openings near the first end. The extender button is coupled to an inner surface of the belt strap near the first end. The extender button is configured to extend into a pant hole of pants that typically receive the pant button. The belt strap can have a wide portion configured to cover over an open zipper and an open waist of the pants or trousers.