Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/557,571 , filed September 12, 2017, the content of the entirety of which is explicitly incorporated herein by reference and relied upon to define features for which protection may be sought hereby as it is believed that the entirety thereof contributes to solving the technical problem underlying the invention, some features that may be mentioned hereunder being of particular importance.

Copyright & Legal Notice

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The Applicant has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. Further, no references to third party patents or articles made herein is tu be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such material by virtue of prior invention.

Background of the Invention

This invention relates to collars using fasteners in a particular manner in order to place and hold the collar within a preferred position or within a preferred range of positions.

Such collars are known in the prior art, such as US Patent 9,015,865 to the instant inventor. This collar of the prior art has a lower collar tip and is folded at the connecting marginal edge or collar upper edge. The notch shown in FIG. 1 is unfastened and an edge portion or upper collar tip forming one side of the notch, lifted up, thereby exposing a portion of the central inner portion of the collar known as the collar band, so as to show snaps used in prior art.

What is needed however is an improved means of connecting the collar portions so as to facilitate configuring and to improve the aesthetic appeal of the shirt.

Summary of the Invention

In combination, a shirt and collar is provided. The collar has a display collar portion having uppci and a lower collar tips and a collar band essentially covered by the display collar portion when the shirt is worn. The collar band has a lower edge attached to the shirt and an upper edge attached to the display collar portion of the collar. The collar band and display collar portion each have at least two fastener pairs located thereon, therein, or thereunder to fasten the collar band to the display collar portion at a specified location on each side of a wearer's neck. The display collar portion has a notch on each side of the neck. The notches cut into the display collar portion such that a forward flap on each side of the neck is formed. The notches allowing the forward flap of the display collar portion to act essentially independently of the remaining rearwardly directed portion of the collar thereby allowing the forward flap of the display collar portions to lay nicely on a lapel when a jacket is worn. The at least two fastener pairs are selected from the group of fastener pairs consisting of a magnet and a ferrous metal, and a magnet and a magnet.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1A is a collar of the prior art.

FIG. IB is the same collar of FIG. 1A in a real life view.

FIG. 2 is another collar of the prior art showing the tips fastened down with snaps. FIG. 3A is still another collar of the prior art showing un unattractive "bulge" caused by the snaps.

FIG. 3B is an enlarged vie w of FIG. 3 A.

FIG. 4A is a collar according to the present invention.

FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A is a collar according to the present invention.

FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of FIG. 5 A.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view showing a soft shirt, an attached collar having long- pointed wings and, what is more significant, the pointed or peak ends of the wings provided with the improved concealed-fasteners.

FIG.7 is a view similar to FIG.6 showing the underneath surfaces of the pointed wings and disclosing precisely how the male-female self-attracting magnet pairs are constructed and mounted and also uncovering and showing the downwardly converging male magnets.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the Figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, dimensions may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of the invention and its embodiments. Furthermore, when the terms 'first', 'second', and the like are used herein, their use is intended for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. Moreover, relative terms like 'front', 'back', 'top' and 'bottom', and the like in the Description and/or in the claims are not necessarily used for describing exclusive relative position. Those skilled in the art will therefore understand that such terms may be interchangeable with other terms, and that the embodiments described herein are capable of operating in other orientations than those explicitly illustrated or otherwise described.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring now to FIG. 1 A and IB, a collar 1 of the prior art has a lower collar tip 2 and is folded at the connecting marginal edge or collar upper edge 6. The notch 3 in this view is unfastened and an edge portion or upper collar tip 5 forming one side of the notch, lifted up, thereby exposing a portion of the central inner portion of the collar known as the collar band, so as to show fastener members 8, 9 as used in prior art, namely, as in US Patent 9,015,865, incorporated herby by reference hereto and relied upon.

Referring now to FIGs. 4A, 4B, SA and SB, the collar (88, 416, 516) has a display collar portion (410, 510) having upper and a lower collar tips 2, 5 and a collar band essentially covered by the display collar portion when the shirt is worn. The collar band 88, 416, 516 has a lower edge attached to the shirt and an upper edge attached to the display collar portion 410, 510 of the collar 88, 416, and 516. The collar band 88, 416, 516 and display collar portion 410, 510 each have at least two fastener pairs located thereon, therein, or thereunder to fasten the collar band 88, 416, 516 to the display collar portion 410, 510 at a specified location on each side of a wearer's neck 450. The display collar portion 410, 510 has a notch 88, 404, 504 on each side of the neck 450. The notches 88, 404, 504 cut into the display collar portion 410, 510 such that a forward flap 452 on each side of the neck 450 is formed. The notches 88, 404, 504 allowing the forward flap 452 of the display collar portion 410, 510 to act essentially independently of the remaining rearwardly directed portion 454 of the collar 88, 416, 516 thereby allowing the forward flap 452 of the display collar portions 410, 510 to lay nicely on a lapel when a jacket is worn. The at least two fastener pairs are selected from the group of fastener pairs consisting of a magnet and a ferrous metal, and a magnet and a magnet

By replacing the snaps or fasteners 8, 9 of the prior art of US Patent 9,015,865 with magnets or a combination of magnets/ ferrous metals of the present invention, one is able to attach the upper collar tip formed by the notch (and having either a magnet or ferromagnetic material mounted therein, thereon, or thereunder) to the collar band by simply bringing the upper collar tip into close proximity to the collar band so as to cause the magnets or magnet/ferromagnetic fastener pairs to connect to each other. These magnets and/or combination of magnets/ ferrous metals can be incorporated into the upper collar tip and the collar band by means of "fusing" them or "sewing" the magnets and or combination of magnets/ ferrous metals in the tips of the collar as well as to the collar band. By "fusing" it is meant the joining of two or more pieces of fabric together through other means than sewing (which, for the sake of this patent application, includes gluing, pinning and even stapling). Where used herein, "sewing" refers to all possible means of connecting materials together, including fusing. The magnets and/or the ferrous metals can optionally be made of metallic threads, balls or cords, whereby the metallic thread, balls or cords can be an integral (sewn in or fused in) part of the collar band, the upper collar tip and/or the shirt. The magnets and/or ferrous metals used in the fastener pairs can be visible or invisible to the outside world. In the event a portion of a magnet or a ferrous metal fastener pair is visible to the outside world, the piece of magnet or ferrous metal can serve as a decorative design element or bear a decorative design.

Decorative studs 405 (shown in FIG. 4A in the form of a "P") having magnets or ferromagnetic elements may be attached to the collar via the magnetic or ferromagnetic elements integrated into, on, or under the collar band or display collar portion.

In an embodiment, a piece of ferrous metal or magnet, or a magnet and a magnet (both combination are named hereinafter a "magnet pair" or magnetic "fastener pair") is sewn into the upper collar tip on the one hand, and a magnet or ferrous metal of a fastener pair is installed/sewed into the collar band on the other hand, or vice versa. At least one magnet must be involved (in this case, together with a ferrous metal or another magnet) in order to create the attractive force that pulls the collar tip and the collar band towards one another. This positions the upper collar tip and the collar band in a tight-fitting manner relative to each other. Of course, a magnet pair can be added to each of the lower collar tips and to a corresponding portion of the shirt, as shown in FIGs. 6 and 7, thereby serving the purpose of a button-down collar without using buttons.

In an embodiment, a piece of ferrous metal or magnet in an oval, round, polygonal, donut, preferably the tip-matching triangular shape is installed (i.e., sewn/ fused/glued) into the upper collar tip on the one hand, and a complimentary, attractive pair such as a magnet or ferrous metal (except the combination of a ferrous metal and a ferrous metal) is installed in the collar band on the other hand, thus providing an attractive component to the couple or magnet pair. Said preferred triangular shaped ferrous metal or magnet preferably corresponds to the shape to the upper collar tip, thus strengthening the same while also preventing wrinkling thereof. The same applies to the element of a magnet pairs in the lower collar tip used to attach the lower collar tip to the shirt.

Referring now to FIG. 5B, in another embodiment, said ferrous metal or magnet installed into the collar is installed in a movable manner, installed in a pouch or pocket 513 of an intentionally larger size than the magnet 515, thereby allowing lateral movement or play (shown with arrows) for movement of the magnet or ferrous metal in the pocket in which it is enclosed. Besides reducing the accuracy with which the fastening pairs need be installed with respect to one another, this provides the advantage that mechanical shear forces, most notably parallel to the surface of the collar, are reduced/removed. This entails the further advantage that the tip can be positioned on the collar in a tight-fitting manner, having reduced/removed the mechanical tensions potentially causing a bending of the tip. In addition, magnets need not be in direct, axial or aligned contact to function, and so may indeed be fixed in place in their pocket, thereby allowing for modest sliding of the collar band and display collar portion when the neck of the wearer is turned from one side to the other side, thereby providing improved comfort.

In another aspect of the invention, the magnets or ferrous metals are coated and sealed, so as to prevent corrosion or rust that might cause discoloration upon repeated washing. Such coating can be a paint, a heat resistant plastic coating (by way of example, applied with a dipping process), a thin-walled snap shut sealed plastic container, or a heat-sealed/shrink- wrapped plastic bag about the size of the magnet. By way of example, this coating may be of synthetic or plastic material, a metal alloy coating, or a nano coating.

It is further explicitly emphasized that the magnets disclosed herein as part of the invention do include, but are not limited to, magnets out of the following materials: Neodymium, Alnico, Samarium Cobalt, Ceramic, flexible rubber or other synthetic/plastic material having magnetic properties. Nevertheless, many other magnetic materials may be used.

It is explicitly emphasized that the magnets or ferrous metals disclosed herein as part of the present invention do comprise magnets or ferrous metals are stiff, springy, flexible, soft, or of shape memory materials. For example, a sealed bag of small ferromagnetic balls is envisioned.

Referring now to FIG. 2, problems to be solved are illustrated. On collars, as e.g. described in US Patent 9,015,865, the snap will not allow a tie 202 to fill up the entire notch 204. The present invention solves this problem. With the snaps attached as in the prior art on the collar band as shown in FIG.2, these snaps prevent the tie 202 from being able to be shown through the entirety of the notch. Only a puiLiun 206 of the notch 204 is available to show the tie 202, as the snaps block the tie 202 from going down all the way to the edge 240 of the collar band 210. Snaps are also more difficult to snap together because they are relatively small, they need to be aligned positioned on top of each other and finally they need to be snapped in place by applying a considerable mechanical force. Snap fasteners of the prior art sewn to the tips 212, 312 and to the collar band 210 pose still another problem. The tip 212, 312 of the notch 204 does not reach a tight-fitting, flat position against the collar band due to the inherent thickness of the snaps 314 as shown in FIGs. 3A and 3B. Said snap fasteners 314 may be visible at certain angles which is not visibly appealing. FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of FIG. 3 A, showing in detail the notch 304 and the visible snap fasteners 314. This may create a disturbing look to some wearers. The present invention solves this problem as well. The magnets or ferrous metals may be underneath the tip's and the collar's material respectively. The present invention allows the tip and the collar to touch each other directly and therefore said problem is solved.

It should be mentioned that having magnets in the collar may also allow for retaining a decorative pin, without the need of a needle.

Referring now to FIG. 4A, an arrangement 400 of a tip 412, a collar band 416 (underneath the display collar portion 410, 510, the tip 412 and the tie 402), a notch 404 and a tie 412 according to the present invention is shown. FIG. 4B shows in detail said arrangement 400 of a tip 412, a collar band 416, a notch 404 and a tie 402. By using magnets or a combination of magnets/ ferrous metals to fasten the tip 412 to the collar band 416, the magnets will be strong enough to penetrate with its magnetic field the fabric of the tie 402 and allow the tip 412 to fasten to the collar band 416 through the tie and the tie 402 to be seen through the entirety of the notch 404. Allowing the tie 402 to be seen through the entire length of the notch 404 will give it a completely new, attractive look and still allow the tip 412 to fasten themselves to the collar band 416.

Referring now to FIGs. 5A and 5B, which illustrate the present invention, FIG. 5B is a close-up of the notch 504 shown in FIG. 5A. Comparing the present invention shown by FIG. 5A and 5B with the prior art as shown by FIG. 3A and 3B, reveals a major improvement the magnets provide. In FIGs. 3A and 3B, one will, on the one hand, notice where the snaps 314 are located and one will, on the other hand, see that it is impossible to place a tie where the snap fasteners 314 are. In FIG.5A and 5B, one will notice the tip 512 lies flat against the collar 516, giving it an improved look.

Referring now to FIGs. 6 to 7, in another embodiment similar to that described in US Patent 3,651 ,519, the content of which is incorporated herein, a "button-down" soft shirt variant is denoted by the numeral 66, the customary neckband or collar band by the numeral 88, the complemental turned down display collar portion by the numeral 10' and the notch by numeral 11. The gradually widened wings of the display collar portion are denoted at 12' and the sharp pointed peaks or lower collar tips are denoted at 14'. It will be evident that this collar and shirt combination has pointed wings that are extra-long and range in length from 3 inches to 5 inches (more or less) in keeping with present-day styles and trends.

The quick connectible and separable hold-down means is designed and adapted, as shown, to position and retain the peaks or tips 14' in the well-groomed manner illustrated in FIG. 6. This means includes a first set of magnet pairs 16', 30' (a magnet pair herein meaning either two magnets— a male and female— of opposite, attracting orientation, or one magnet and a ferrous metal) which may be similar in construction and are correspondingly mounted on the underneath surfaces or sides of the wings 12'. Each magnet is preferably of elongated rectangular form and is superimposed upon the cooperating surface and stitched, glued or otherwise mounted in place. In the views shown, each magnet is applied and stitched as denoted at 18'. Each magnet is designated as a "female" magnet. The magnet is so mounted that the outer marginal edge 22' (FIG. 7) is flush with the coordinating marginal edge of the wing 12': One transverse end is denoted at 24' and the other oblique-angled-end or edge is denoted at 26' and has its, tip portion 28' so arranged that it coincides with the pointed end or tip 14' of the corresponding wing. Each magnet is located in predetermined relationship and slope toward each other, that is, converge inwardly and downwardly. These magnets are preferably stitched around their marginal edges as at 34'. The surfaces of the magnet mate with the surface of female magnets 16'. It should be noted that the magnets 30' are shorter and narrower than the magnets 16' to compensate for shiftable adjustment of the pointed wings of the collar. Magnets, given that they can slide relative to one another, provide a surprisingly flexible fastening means in this context, where the wearer moves his head and neck frequently, causing sheer stresses that "VELCRO" hook and loop or other traditional snaps cannot compensate for. Some wearers will prefer to place the magnets directly atop each other in interconnecting relationship with the pointed wings residing as flat as possible atop the shirt front. Other persons may prefer to slightly dis-align or shiftably adjust the magnets 16 ^* relative to the magnets 30' (not detailed) to achieve a bowed effect or to adjust the collar wings closer together or farther apart depending on the degree of spread desired.

Reference to the views of the drawing, singly and collectively, will show that the female magnets 16" have the desired orientation and size to receive and separably interconnect the bill portions of the companion magnets 30 therewith.

It will be evident that this embodiment of the invention disclosed has to do with means that adequately functions to hold the tips or points of the soft collar in place. Many shirts worn by men today have long pointed wings and wherein the wings may range 3 to 5 inches, more or less, in length. There is a tendency for the points of the soft collar to curl and bend upwardly resulting in an unsightly appearance. Various types of fasteners have been devised and used with a view toward overcoming this objectionable result but, it is believed, do not match the end product and improved result attained with the herein disclosed invention. The fastening magnets achieve acceptable simplicity and adjustability and are snag-proof and jam-proof, light in weight, washable and dry-cleanable. In addition, these magnets are easily cut to size, have varied strength properties, can be adhered, heat sealed and stitched or stapled or otherwise attached for practical coordinating use.

The invention is summarized by the following feature sets:

1. In combination, a shirt and collar 88, 416, 516, the collar 88, 416, 516 comprising: a display collar portion 410, 510 having upper and a lower collar tips 2, 5 and a collar band essentially covered by the display collar portion when the shirt is worn, the collar band 88, 41 , 516 having a lower edge attached to the shirt and an upper edge attached to the display collar portion 410, 510 of the collar 88, 416, 516, the collar band 88, 416, 516 and display collar portion 410, 510 each having at least two fastener pairs located thereon, therein, or thereunder so as to fasten the collar band 88, 416, 516 to the display collar portion 410, 510 at a specified location on each side of a wearer's neck 450; wherein the display collar portion 410, 510 has a notch 88, 404, 504 on each side of the neck 450, the notches 88, 404, 504 cut into the display collar portion 410, 510 such that a forward flap 452 on each side of the neck 450 is formed, the notches 88, 404, 504 allowing the forward flap 452 of the display collar portion 410, 510 to act essentially independently of the remaining rearwardly directed portion 454 of the collar 88, 416, 516 thereby allowing the forward flap 452 of the display collar portions 410, 510 to lay nicely on a lapel when a jacket is worn, wherein the at least two fastener pairs are selected from the group of fastener pairs consisting of a magnet and a ferrous metal, and a magnet and a magnet.

2. The combination of feature set 1, wherein the magnet or ferromagnetic element is formed to match a shape of the collar tip or display collar portion.

3. The combination of feature set 1 , wherein the magnet or ferromagnetic element is made from an oxide resistant material.

4. The combination of feature set 1 , wherein the magnet is made from a material selected from one of the group of materials including Neodymium, AJnico, Samarium Cobalt, Ceramic, flexible rubber and other synthetic or plastic materials having magnetic properties. 5. The combination of feature set 1 , wherein the magnet and/or ferromagnetic element is protected by a protection means selected from one of the group of protection means consisting of coating, painting, plastic dipping, enclosing in a thin-walled container which abuts major surfaces thereof, shrink-wrapping or shrink sealing.

6. The combination of feature set 1, wherein the magnet and/or ferromagnetic element is coated with synthetic or plastic material, metal alloys, or nano coatings.

7. The combination of feature set 1, wherein at least one of the fastener members is not fully constrained so as Lo enable movement relative to a paired magnet or ferrous metal.

8. The combination of feature set 1 , wherein the fastener member installed at the upper or lower collar tip 2, 5 prevents wrinkling of the collar 88, 416, 516 in the area of the fastener.

9. The combination of feature set 1 , further combined with a decorative element attached to the collar in part by means of the magnet or ferromagnetic elements of the collar.

10. The combination of the above feature set, wherein the decorative element is a stud.

The specification and figures should be considered in an illustrative manner, rather than a restrictive one, and all modifications described herein are intended to be included within the scope of the invention claimed. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims (as they currently exist or as later amended or added, and their legal equivalents) rather than by merely the examples described above. Steps recited in any method or process claims, unless otherwise expressly stated, may be executed in any order and are not limited to the specific order presented in any claim. Further, the elements and/or components recited in apparatus claims may be assembled or otherwise functionally configured in a variety of permutations to produce substantially the same result as the present invention. Consequently, the invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the specific configuration recited in the claims.

Benefits, other advantages and solutions mentioned herein are not to be construed as critical, required or essential features or components of any or all the claims.

As used herein, the terms "comprises", "comprising", or variations thereof, are intended to refer to a non-exclusive listing of elements, such that any apparatus, process, method, article, or composition of the invention that comprises a list of elements, that does not include only those elements recited, but may also include other elements such as those described in the instant specification. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, the use of the term "consisting" or "consisting of or "consisting essentially of is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the enumerated elements named thereafter, unless otherwise indicated. Other combinations and/or modifications of the above-described elements, materials or structures used in the practice of the present invention may be varied or adapted by the skilled artisan to other designs without departing from the general principles of the invention.

The patents and articles mentioned above are hereby incorporated by reference herein, unless otherwise noted, to the extent that the same are not inconsistent with this disclosure.

Other characteristics and modes of execution of the invention are described in the appended claims.

Further, the invention should be considered as comprising all possible combinations of every feature described in the instant specification, appended claims, and/or drawing figures which may be considered new, inventive and industrially applicable.

Copyright may be owned by the Applicant(s) or their assignee and, with respect to express Licensees to third parties of the rights defined in one or more claims herein, no implied license is granted herein to use the invention as defined in the remaining claims. Further, vis-a-vis the public or third parties, no express or implied license is granted to prepare derivative works based on this patent specification, inclusive of the appendix hereto and any computer program comprised therein.

Additional features and functionality of the invention are described in the claims appended hereto and/or in the abstract. Such claims and or abstract are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto in this specification and should be considered as part of the application as filed.

Multiple variations and modifications are possible in the embodiments of the invention described here. Although certain illustrative embodiments of the invention have been shown and described here, a wide range of changes, modifications, and substitutions is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure. While the above description contains many specific details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather exemplify one or another preferred embodiment thereof. In some instances, some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the foregoing description be construed broadly and understood as being illustrative only, the spirit and scope of the invention being limited only by the claims that ultimately issue in this application.