Patent Application
20130198923
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to clothing. Specifically, the invention relates to articles of clothing including collars, such as men's and boy's dress shirts.
2. The Relevant Technology
Collared shirts are an integral part of society. Business men and women wear them to work, church goers wear them to church, and many people wear them as part of everyday life. Collared shirts provide many advantages over shirts without collars. For example, collared shirts are considered a sign of professionalism. Additionally, collared shirts facilitate the wearing of various accessories, including scarves, bolo ties, and traditional men's neck ties.
Despite their many advantages, collared shirts suffer at least one significant drawback. Specifically, an individual wearing a collared shirt will find it difficult to completely secure his neck tie. Traditional collared shirts utilize a traditional collar that folds over, and partially secures, a tie. In many instances, despite the traditional collar, the force of gravity and/or insufficient placement by the individual results in the tie sliding out the bottom of the traditional collar. In addition, active young boys can cause even a well knotted tie to slip down and out of a collar. When this happens, the collared shirt looks unkempt and unprofessional because a portion of the neck tie shows below the bottom of the traditional collar. One example of this is depicted in
The present invention provides a collar (e.g., of a shirt, coat, etc.) for securing a neck accessory (e.g., a tie, scarf, bolo tie, etc.). One embodiment of the invention includes a collar band, first collar flap, and second collar flap. The bottom edge portion of the first collar flap attaches to the bottom edge portion of the collar band. The first collar flap can be folded up so that the neck accessory sits between the collar band and the first collar flap. The second collar flap (e.g., a traditional collar), can then be folded down over both the first collar flap and the neck accessory.
In another embodiment, the present invention includes a method for securing a neck accessory. According to the method, a user places a neck accessory around their neck and adjacent to the collar band. The first collar flap is then folded up so that the neck accessory sits between the collar band and the first collar flap. When the first collar flap is folded up it helps to secure the neck accessory in place and helps ensure that neither the force of gravity nor activity by the individual will cause the neck accessory to be exposed below the second collar flap. Subsequently, the user folds down the second collar flap (e.g., a traditional collar), over both the first collar flap and the neck accessory to make the entire ensemble more aesthetically pleasing.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the teachings herein. Features and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only illustrated embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
The present invention provides a collar (e.g., of a shirt, coat, etc.) for securing a neck accessory (e.g., a tie, scarf, bolo tie, etc.). One embodiment of the invention includes a collar band, first collar flap, and second collar flap. The bottom edge portion of the first collar flap attaches to the bottom edge portion of the collar band. The first collar flap can be folded up so that the neck accessory sits between the collar band and the first collar flap. The second collar flap (e.g., a traditional collar), can then be folded down over both the first collar flap and the neck accessory.
In another embodiment, the present invention includes a method for securing a neck accessory. According to the method, a user places a neck accessory around their neck and adjacent to the collar band. The first collar flap is then folded up so that the neck accessory sits between the collar band and the first collar flap. When the first collar flap is folded up it helps to secure the neck accessory in place and helps ensure that neither the force of gravity nor activity by the individual will cause the neck accessory to be exposed below the second collar flap. Subsequently, the user folds down the second collar flap (e.g., a traditional collar), over both the first collar flap and the neck accessory to make the entire ensemble more aesthetically pleasing.
The principles of the invention can be adapted to any article of clothing that includes a collar at the neck (e.g., men's dress shirts, women's dress shirts, children's dress shirts, men's coats, women's coats, children's coats, etc.) to secure any type of neck accessory (e.g., ties, scarves, bolo ties, etc.). Accordingly, reference to the collar as used on a men's dress shirt should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.
As depicted, collar band 102 includes a top edge portion 104 and a bottom edge portion 106. However, collar band 102 can be formed of any number of edge portions, in any number of orientations.
Likewise collar flap 108 can include top edge portion 110 and bottom edge portion 112. In some embodiments, bottom edge portion 112 is sewn to bottom edge portion 106. Any suitable fastener or connection can be used for connecting first collar flap 108 to bottom edge portion 106, such as, for example, Velcro, a snap, or any other suitable alternative.
Again turning to
The present invention has been described with reference to the collar as used on a men's dress shirt. However, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms (e.g., on a women's dress shirt, a coat, etc.) without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
