SHIRT WITH MASK

Abstract

A shirt construction having a shirt with a surface extending between a neck opening and a waist opening, at least a first attachment member disposed on the surface of the shirt, a mask having an elastic member for securing the mask about a person's head, and a second attachment member provided with the mask, the second attachment member being configured to cooperate with the first attachment member in order to secure the mask to the surface of the shirt.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides for shirt and mask and, in particular, a mask that can be removably attached to a shirt.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and B show a shirt with a mask removably attached thereto in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows exemplary shirt designs showing the mask in attached and removed conditions;

FIG. 3 shows several exemplary shirt designs with the masks attached; and

FIG. 4 shows mask designs that correspond to the shirts of FIG. 3 as well as additional masks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION CERTAIN OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1A and B, an embodiment is illustrated of a shirt 100 with a mask 102 removably attached thereto. The shirt includes at least one attachment member 104 that permits the mask 102 to be removably attached to the shirt 100. As shown in FIG. 1, two attachment members 104 are provided. However, more or less attachment members 104 can be provided in order to removably secure the mask 102 to the shirt 100 in any given embodiment.

The attachment member 104 can be a mushroom-shaped post 106 that is received through corresponding slit 108 in the mask. The slit 108 can be manipulated and deformed to insert and removed the mushroom-shaped post 106. The shape of the post 106 and slit 108 cooperate to removable secure the mask 102 to the shirt 100 once the head of the post is passed through the slit. As will be understood, the mushroom-shaped post has a neck region extending away from the shirt and an enlarged head which is sized to be securely received in the slit 108. A back side of the post portion can include structure for receiving a piercing element (not shown) which can be used to affix the post the shirt. In alternative embodiments, each post 106 in a given embodiment is affixed to the shirt in an intended position by sewing, glue or other conventional means.

Accordingly, using the attachment member 104 the mask 102 can be maintained attached to the shirt 100 in a first condition and detached from the shirt 100 in a second condition. The mushroom-shaped post 106 and slit 108 are just one example of a removable attachment member that can be used. Other types of attachment members can include hook and loop fasteners, buttons, snaps, magnets, clips, or other suitable devices that can allow the mask 102 to be removably attached to the shirt 100 while the post 106 or other removable attachment member 106 has structure which remains associated with the shirt 100 at all times for good alignment of the mask 104 with the shirt 100 when the mask is re-attached.

In the removed condition, the mask 102 can be worn by a user, for example, as shown in FIG. 2. As one example, the person wearing the shirt 100 can remove the mask 102 from the shirt and wear the mask about the user's face. The mask 102 can include a strap, such as an elastic strap, which allows the user to support the mask 102 about the user's face. The shirt can optionally include a pouch to support and conceal the strap when the mask 102 is attached to the shirt 100 in order to minimize the visibility of the strap when attached to the shirt, which could otherwise detract from the aesthetic design of the shirt. The strap can also be used to removably secure the mask 102 to the shirt 100, for example, via clips on the shirt that engage the strap in lieu of the aforementioned mushroom-shaped posts 106.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, for example, the shirt 100 can include a design 110 and the mask 102 can also include a design 112. The design 110 on the shirt and the design on the mask 112 can cooperate to provide a corresponding design. For example, the design 110 in FIG. 1 illustrates a robot face that includes eyes. The mask 102 includes cut eye holes and graphics that illustrate eye brows. The attachment members 104 position the mask 102 in relation to the design 110 on the shirt 100 so that they provide a cooperating design. For example, the eye holes on the mask 102 are positioned so that they overlay the eyes of the robot face of the graphic design 110 on the shirt. As another example, a cooperating design is one in which a first graphic image on the shirt 100 and a second graphic image on the mask 104 represent identifiable images when viewed in register with one another as when the mask is attached to the shirt and when viewed separately as when the mask is worn on the person's head while the person is also wearing the shirt. Accordingly, the mask and the shirt provide a cooperating design in some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 1A, the mask 102 is shown closely against the shirt 100 and FIG. 1B shows the mask 102 slightly pulled away from the shirt 100 to show the graphics 110 on the shirt that are normally covered when the mask 102 is attached to the shirt 100.

As another example of a cooperating design, the mask 102 can include a graphics features that appear to extend from the mask 102 and onto the shirt 100. As an example, the attachment members 104 can position the mask 102 in relation to the shirt 100 such that a graphic line on the mask can be aligned with a graphic line on the shirt such that the graphic line on the mask appears to extend onto the shirt, for example, as shown in region 114 of FIG. 2. This can provide a “seamless-type” design in which the design 112 of the mask 102 appears to be an integral and continuous part of the design 110 on the shirt 100. The shape of the mask 102 can also be structured so that the shape of the mask cooperates with the graphic design 110 of the shirt 100. As one example, as discussed above, the mask 102 can include eye holes that correspond to the graphic design 110 on the shirt 100 (e.g., eyes of a robotic face graphic). As another example, the mask can be cut to have the shape of ears that can correspond to the graphic design 110 on the shirt (e.g., when the mask 102 is attached to the shirt 100, the mask is attached such that the ears of the mask are positioned to correspond to the location of where ears would be appear on the graphic design 110 on the shirt 100). FIG. 4 illustrates several exemplary shapes of masks 102 before graphic designs are applied 102a and after graphic designs 112 are applied 102b.

FIG. 3 illustrates several exemplary designs in which a shirt 100 and mask 102 are attached and FIG. 4 illustrates the corresponding masks 102 without the shirts.

The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and changes can be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

Notably, the figures and examples above are not meant to limit the scope of the present application to a single implementation, as other implementations are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the present application can be partially or fully implemented using known components, only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the present application are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the application. In the present specification, an implementation showing a singular component should not necessarily be limited to other implementations including a plurality of the same component, and vice-versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. Moreover, applicants do not intend for any term in the specification or claims to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such. Further, the present application encompasses present and future known equivalents to the known components referred to herein by way of illustration.

The foregoing description of the specific implementations will so fully reveal the general nature of the application that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the relevant art(s) (including the contents of the documents cited and incorporated by reference herein), readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific implementations, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present application. Such adaptations and modifications are therefore intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed implementations, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance presented herein, in combination with the knowledge of one skilled in the relevant art(s). It is to be understood that dimensions discussed or shown are drawings are shown accordingly to one example and other dimensions can be used without departing from the invention.

While various implementations of the present application have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example, and not limitation. It would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail could be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. Thus, the present application should not be limited by any of the above-described example implementations.

Claims

1. A shirt construction, comprising: a shirt having a surface extending between a neck opening and a waist opening;at least a first attachment member disposed on the surface of the shirt;a mask having an elastic member for securing the mask about a person's head; anda second attachment member provided with the mask, the second attachment member being configured to cooperate with the first attachment member in order to secure the mask to the surface of the shirt.

2. The shirt construction of claim 1, wherein the surface is a front surface.

3. The shirt construction of claim 2, wherein the front surface includes a first graphic image, the mask includes a second graphic image, and wherein the first and second attachment members cooperate to align or coordinating the first and second graphic images while the mask is attached to the shirt.