Waist Band Expander Views

General Goods

The present invention provides a waistband expander for engaging the button and button-hole on a garment to increase the fastened distance between the button and button-hole to provide comfort to the wearer. The waistband expander includes a central shaft having a first end and a second end, a button-engaging member connected to the first end for engaging a button on a garment, and a button-hole engaging member connected to the second end for engaging a button hole on the garment so as to increase the fastened distance between the button and button-hole to provide comfort to the wearer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a waistband expander 10, as represented in FIGS. 1 to 3, for use on the waistband 12a of a garment 12. The alternate embodiments of the present invention provide for waistband expanders 10' and 10 , as represented in FIG. 4 and 5, for use on garments 12'. FIG. 5 also shows an ornamental buckle 50 attached to the central shaft 20 of waistband expander 10 . THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

It should be understood that the term button as used herein is intended to include regular buttons, snap buttons, and any other type of fastening means for garments. Further, fastening distance 18 is defined to mean the expanded distance provided by the present invention between the button hole 16 and the button 14, which fastened distance is normally zero since the button overlaps the button hole. For example, a person with a 35 waist can use the expander 10 of the present invention and still comfortably wear a 34 waistband, since the expander 10 can increase the fastening distance 18 one inch. It should be understood that the waistband expander of the present invention can increase the fastening distance of the garment by 1/2 inch to 2 inches.

The waistband expander 10 may be manufactured from one piece of plastic, rubber, or metal wherein the central shaft 20 is formed of two co-linear sections 20a and 20b, as shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the central shaft 20 of waistband expander 10 may be formed having only a single section by means of die molding or metal stamping, as shown in FIG. 5. ADDITIONAL EMBODIMENTS