Patent Application
20170221389
Field of the Invention
Generally, the present disclosure relates to the organization of paired items, and, more specifically, to various methods and structures for identifying items that are to be utilized in pairs, such as socks.
Description of the Related Art
In the field of clothing, it is not unusual for certain items to be sold and maintained in pairs or sets, often matching, and intended to be used or worn together, such as socks or hosiery. During the process of cleaning and maintaining these items, it is commonplace that the pairing is often disturbed and at some point must be reestablished. Of course, the correct pairings may, in some circumstances, be difficult to ascertain. For example, finding precisely matching socks in the dim early morning light of a closet has been a challenge to the most fashion conscious. Many a natty dresser has arrived at the office only to discover that he/she is wearing unmatched hosiery, such as one black sock and one blue sock.
The present disclosure may address and/or at least reduce one or more of the problems identified above.
The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention, or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is discussed later.
Generally, the present disclosure is directed to a tag useful for being applied to a first item as an indication that the item is intended to be used with a second tagged item. The tag includes a first and second end portion, a flexible intermediate portion extending between the first and second end portions, and a latching mechanism. The first end portion has a label. The flexible intermediate portion is movable between first and second operative positions wherein the first and second end portions are spaced apart in the first operative position and are adjacent in the second operative position. The latching mechanism is coupled to the first and second portions and is adapted to maintain the first and second end portions in the second operative position.
The disclosure may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:
While the subject matter disclosed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Various illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will, of course be appreciated, that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would, nevertheless, be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
The present subject matter will now be described with reference to the attached figures. Various structures, systems and devices are schematically depicted in the drawings for purposes of explanation only and so as to not obscure the present disclosure with details that are well known to those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, the attached drawings are included to describe and explain illustrative examples of the present disclosure. The words and phrases used herein should be understood and interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the understanding of those words and phrases by those skilled in the relevant art. No special definition of a term or phrase, i.e., a definition that is different from the ordinary and customary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art, is intended to be implied by consistent usage of the term or phrase herein. To the extent that a term or phrase is intended to have a special meaning, i.e., a meaning other than that understood by skilled artisans, such a special definition will be expressly set forth in the specification in a definitional manner that directly and unequivocally provides the special definition for the term or phrase.
Embodiments herein are directed to devices (e.g., tags) that may be applied to various paired items to indicate that they belong together, or at least are intended to be used together. In general, a tag may be placed on each item in a set of items and may include a readily recognizable identifier that indicates a proper pairing. Thus, in the dim early morning light of a closet, a user need not recognize the subtle difference between dark blue and black socks, for example, but rather, can rely on the more easily recognized identifiers on the tags to establish the desired item/items. Additionally, the tags may be used to assist in the separating and sorting of clean laundry. Further, the tags may be particularly useful to individuals who have color blindness or color vision deficiency, as their acuity to color differences may be limited. Color blind individuals may use the tags the identify clothing items of a particular color. For example, color blind individuals may use the tags to identify any clothing item of a particular color. In some applications, the color blind individual may elect to place the same tag, such as a tag with an identifier 1 on it, on all black items, including for example socks, pants, shirts, coats, etc., and a different tag, such as a tag with an identifier 2 on it, on differently colored items, such as blue socks, pants, shirts, coats, etc.
The flexible intermediate portion 106 extends between the first and second end portions 102, 104, and is movable between first and second operative positions wherein the first and second end portions 102, 104 are spaced apart in the first operative position (as shown in
The latching mechanism 108a, 108b is coupled to the first and second portions 102, 104 and is adapted to maintain the first and second end portions 102, 104 in the second operative position. The latching mechanism 108a may take any of a variety of forms, and in one embodiment, includes a tubular portion 110 having a proximal end 112 attached to the second end portion 104 and a distal end 114 with an enlarged deformable head. In one embodiment, the latching mechanism 108a may be split longitudinally to facilitate the latching action of the latching mechanism 108a, 108b.
The latching mechanism 108b includes an opening 116 adapted to receive and retain the enlarged deformable head of the distal end 114 of the latching mechanism 108a to securely couple the end portions 102, 104 together. The tubular portion 110 of the latching mechanism 108a is designed to pass through the fabric of the sock 220, either through a preformed hole or through natural spaces in the woven material. In this way, the tag 100 is secured to the sock 220 and is not easily dislodged or lost, but rather, is securely retained to avoid loss or inadvertent removal of the tag 100 during normal use and laundering.
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The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. For example, the process steps set forth above may be performed in a different order. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is, therefore, evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62288688 | Jan 2016 | US |
