Patent Application
20170280781
An increasing number of professions and employers are shifting away from traditional “business” wear to a “business casual” dress code. “Business casual” dress codes typically require employees to wear a dress shirt but does not require the dress shirt to be worn with a tie. When worn without a tie, the collar of a dress shirt is not maintained in an ideal position, but naturally splays lying at least partially flat against the body of the shirt, and in some cases substantially perpendicular to the neck portion of the shirt. Although “business casual” dress codes are becoming more common, professionals still desire a shirt that maintains a crisp and clean appearance in their dress.
The features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully disclosed in, or rendered obvious by the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which are to be considered together with the accompanying drawings wherein like numbers refer to like parts and further wherein:
The description of the preferred embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features of the invention may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. In this description, relative terms such as “horizontal,” “vertical,” “up,” “down,” “top,” “bottom,” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing figure under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and normally are not intended to require a particular orientation. Terms including “inwardly” versus “outwardly,” “longitudinal” versus “lateral” and the like are to be interpreted relative to one another or relative to an axis of elongation, or an axis or center of rotation, as appropriate. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both moveable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise, and includes terms such as “directly” coupled, secured, etc. The term “operatively coupled” is such an attachment, coupling, or connection that allows the pertinent structures to operate as intended by virtue of that relationship.
In various embodiments, a collar control system is disclosed. The collar control system includes a collar control device and a shirt configured to receive the collar control device.
The collar control device comprises an elongated strip having a first portion and a second portion. At least a portion of the elongated strip is bendable to allow the first portion to be positioned at a selected angle with respect to the second portion. The first end is sized and configured to be received within a pocket, sleeve, and/or button hole formed on an underside of a collar of the shirt. The second end is sized and configured to be received within a pocket, sleeve, and/or button hole formed on a neck portion of the shirt. The collar control device is sized and configured to maintain the collar of the shirt at a selected angle and/or spacing with respect to the neck portion of the shirt. In some embodiments, the collar control system is configured to maintain the collar in a position similar to that of the collar when the shirt is worn with a tie. As used herein, “bendable” is intended to have its common meaning and include a material that can be shaped (bent) by force exerted by the user's hands and then retain that shape until another external force is exerted. As will be understood, whether a particular element of the collar control device is bendable will depend on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the material it is made from and the thickness of the material or strip. For example, aluminum foil is bendable, but aluminum can also be used for form structural beams (e.g., an I-beam).
In some embodiments, the third pocket 14 can be adapted to receive the collar control device 4, and the second pocket 12 can be positioned accordingly. In other words, the third pocket 14 functions as the first pocket 10 in some embodiments. In other embodiments, for example as discussed herein with respect to
In some embodiments, a collar control device 4 is inserted into the first pocket 10 and the second pocket 12 to maintain the collar portion 6 in a fixed position and/or orientation with respect to the shirt 2 and/or neck portion 8. The collar control device 4 can include an elongated strip 16 having a first portion 24 and a second portion 26. The elongated strip 16 can be or include rigid, flexible, and/or semi-flexible strip(s) of material. In some embodiments, some or all of the elongated strip 16 is made of a metal material. For example, in some embodiments, the bendable portion can be made of a material selected from a metal, an alloy, and a plastic/polymer. Examples of metals that can be bendable and/or malleable include, but are not limited to, gold, silver, aluminum, copper, tin, lead, zinc, and iron. In some embodiments, a sub-portion of the first portion 24 and/or the second portion 26 includes a bendable material and the remainder of the first and second portions 24, 26 be formed of a rigid material.
In some embodiments, the elongated strip 16 has a bend point 22 which may be located at any point along the elongated strip 16, such as, for example, a mid-point (see
In some embodiments, the collar control device 4 includes a plurality of reinforcing strips 30a-32b coupled to a first portion 24 and/or a second portion 26. The reinforcing strips 30a-32b can be coupled to a first side of the elongated strip 16 (see
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, the first portion 24 is at least partially inserted into the first pocket 10 defined by the collar portion 6 and the second portion 26 is at least partially inserted into the second pocket 12 defined by the neck portion 8. The first portion 24 and the second portion 26 of the elongated strip 16 cooperate to maintain the collar portion 6 at a predetermined position and/or orientation with respect to the neck portion 8, as shown in
In some embodiments, the collar control device 4 can be configured for insertion into only one of the first pocket 10 and/or the second pocket 12. For example, in some embodiments a shirt 2 can include the first pocket 10 and omit a second pocket 12. The first portion 24 of the collar control device 4 is at least partially inserted into the first pocket 10. The second portion 26 of the collar control device 4 rests against the neck portion 8 of the shirt 2 and is maintained by a friction or force fit. As another example, in some embodiments the shirt 2 omits the first pocket 10. The second portion 26 of the collar control device 4 is at least partially inserted into the second pocket 12. The first portion 24 of the collar control system rests against the collar portion 6 of the shirt 2 and maintains the collar portion 6 in a predetermined position and/or orientation with respect to the shirt 2.
In some embodiments, the collar control device 4 is hidden by the collar portion 6 of the shirt 2 when coupled to one of the first pocket 10 and/or the second pocket 12. For example, in some embodiments, the collar control device 4 is configured to maintain the collar portion 6 in a position that mimics the position of the collar portion 6 when a tie is worn with the shirt 2. The collar control device 4 is coupled to an underside of the collar portion 6 and is hidden by the collar portion 6. In some embodiments, the collar control device 4 is inserted into a first pocket 10 and/or a second pocket 12. The first pocket 10 and/or the second pocket 12 further conceal at least a portion of the collar control device 4. For example, in some embodiments, the first pocket 10 and/or the second pocket 12 are sized and configured to receive the entirety of the first portion 24 and/or the second portion 26 therein to conceal the entirety of the collar control device 4.
In some embodiments, the collar portion 6a comprises a two-ply collar defining a second hole 40b therethrough. The second hole 40b is sized and configured to receive at least a portion of a collar control device 4 therein. In use, a portion of the collar control device 4d (e.g., the first portion 24) is inserted through the second hole 40b such that the first portion 24 is positioned between the first ply 44b and the second ply 46b of the collar portion 6a. The second hole 40b is hidden by the second, outer ply 46b of the collar portion 6a when the collar portion 6a is folded down.
As used herein, “pocket” is intended to encompass both closed pockets and sleeves with open bottoms. Unless specified as a closed pocket, the term pocket is intended to encompass closed pockets, sleeves, and equivalents.
Although the subject matter has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments, which may be made by those skilled in the art.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/318,509, filed Apr. 5, 2016, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62318509 | Apr 2016 | US |
