Abstract:
A modular and customizable tie bar system comprises a tie bar base, one or more tie bar covers, and a fastener. The tie bar base cooperates with a user&#39;s tie and comprises at least a mounting surface. Each tie bar cover comprises a cover plate and optional side walls. Each tie bar cover is preferably sized to cover and cooperate with the mounting surface of the tie bar base, has a decorative outer surface, and has an inner surface for facilitating attachment to the base. To facilitate removable attachment of the covers to the base, one or more fasteners such as magnets attach to the inner surface of the cover or to mounting surface of the base or to both. Preferably, several covers with differing decorative outer surfaces cooperate with a single base to allow for interchangeability and customization depending on the user&#39;s aesthetic preferences.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to wearable accessories. More particularly, this invention relates to a modular and customizable tie bar clasp system for ties. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    A tie bar is a clothing accessory that is used to clip a tie to the underlying shirt front. Wearing a tie clip prevents it from swinging and ensures that the tie hangs straight, resulting in a neat, uniform appearance. Tie bars are also sometimes called tie clips or tie slides. In general, there are two popular types of tie bars: the pinch clasp type and the split pin slide type. 
         [0003]    Before tie bars, tie pins were popular to hold one&#39;s tie to his shirt. As ties made of delicate materials such as silk became more popular during the 1920s, however, an alternative was necessary to prevent damaging the delicate material. Accordingly, tie bars rose to prominence. Tie bars ideally are placed around the fourth highest button on one&#39;s shirt and, if a jacket is worn, adjusted either higher or lower depending on the style of jacket. Additionally, a tie bar should only extend about ¾ of the way across the tie, and is preferably never wider than the tie. 
         [0004]    Tie bars and tie clips are not only functional, but also decorative and informative. Tie bars come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes to accommodate a wide variety of tastes. Additionally, some tie bars have markings or a small badge indicating membership to a club or some other affiliation. Likewise, they may be engraved or include some other commemorative token. In the United States, the tie bar is one of the few items of jewelry allowed to be worn by servicemen and women. 
         [0005]    Because a person is likely to wear a variety of outfits, styles, and colors, it is often necessary to have many tie bars. For example, one person may have tie bars in gold, silver, one or more colors, one or more designs, and with one or more logos. To save space and to increase each tie bar&#39;s use, it would be desirable to provide a modular and customizable tie bar. Also, to allow for easy distribution and manufacturing of advertising or promotional materials, it would be desirable to provide a modular and customizable tie bar. It would be further desirable to have a modular and customizable tie bar that would allow users to have a variety of tie bar covers, some of which can be minimal in thickness, and a single tie bar to which they can be attached. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    A modular and customizable tie bar system comprises a tie bar base, one or more tie bar covers, and a fastener. Preferably, the tie bar system is a kit comprising one tie bar base and two or more tie bar covers where the tie bar covers are interchangeable and removably attach to the tie bar base with the fastener. More preferably, the kit comprises three or more tie bar covers and the covers vary in their external appearance such that no two tie bar covers are identical. 
         [0007]    The tie bar base can be a pinch clasp, jaw-type clasp, split pin, R-pin, or any other type of clasp or slide that cooperates with a user&#39;s tie and shirt. Preferably, the tie bar base comprises a jaw or pinch clasp. More preferably, the tie bar base comprises a gripping unit (clasp) pivotally attached to a first bar. The first bar comprises a mounting surface and a bar extension, and the gripping unit comprises one or more teeth and a finger grip extension. Additionally, the tie bar base further optionally comprises a spring that is biased to position the finger grip extension in an up position and the teeth in a down position. The spring is further positioned and attached such that when a user pushes the finger grip extension to a down position, the teeth shift to an up position. When the teeth are in an up position, the tie bar can be moved. When the teeth are in a down position, the tie bar substantially grasps or secures material positioned between the tie bar base first bar and the tie bar gripping unit. 
         [0008]    Each tie bar cover comprises a cover plate and one or more optional and preferable side walls. Each tie bar cover is preferably sized such that it substantially covers the tie bar base first bar when fastened to the plate. Each cover plate has an external surface and an internal surface. The external surface comprises decorative or additional functional elements while the internal surface cooperates with the fastener, which preferably comprises one or more magnets configured to magnetically cooperate with additional magnets disposed on the tie bar base or to magnetically cooperate with the tie bar base directly. The magnets are preferably attached to the tie bar cover and optionally to the tie bar base with adhesive. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the tie bar system of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the tie bar system of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment of the tie bar system of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the preferred embodiment of the tie bar system of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5A  is a cut-away view of the preferred embodiment of the tie bar system of the present invention as cut along the line --V-V--. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5B  is a cutaway view of an alternative embodiment of the tie bar system of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the tie bar system of the present invention comprising several tie bar covers to form a kit. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  illustrates the preferred dimensions of each of the components of the preferred embodiment of the tie bar system of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    The present invention comprises a modular and customizable tie bar system  10  that comprises one or more interchangeable tie bar covers and a tie bar base. As shown in  FIGS. 1-5B , a modular and customizable tie bar system  10  comprises a tie bar base  20 , one or more tie bar covers  30 , and a fastener  40 . Preferably, the tie bar system  10  is a kit  12  comprising one tie bar base  20  and two or more tie bar covers  30  where the tie bar covers are interchangeable and removably attach to the tie bar base with the fastener  40 . More preferably, the kit  12  comprises three or more tie bar covers  30  and the covers vary in their external appearance or in the material from which they are made such that no two tie bar covers are identical, as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0018]    The tie bar base  20  can be a pinch clasp, jaw-type clasp, split pin, R-pin, or any other type of clasp or slide that cooperates with a user&#39;s tie and shirt. Preferably, the tie bar base comprises a jaw or pinch clasp. More preferably, the tie bar base  20  comprises a gripping unit  22  pivotally attached to a first bar  24  with a pin  26 , hinge, or other fastener and an optional torsion spring  28  or other type of bias member. Alternatively, the first bar  24  is integral with gripping unit  22  and comprises of a resilient material that allows for some flexibility, such as a split pin or R-pin design. The first bar  24  comprises a mounting surface  24   a  and a bar extension  24   b,  and the gripping unit  22  comprises one or more teeth  22   a  and a finger grip extension  22   b.  Finger grip extension  22   b  may optionally include ridges or indentations  22   c  as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         [0019]    First bar  24  further preferably defines at least one opening  24   c  configured to cooperate with a pin  26  or other fastener. As shown in the Figures, opposing openings  24   c  are defined by bar extension  24   b.  Similarly, gripping unit  22  also defines one or more openings  22   d,  that align with openings  24   c  to cooperate with pin  26  or another fastener when pin  26  is inserted through the gripping unit openings  22   d  and the bar openings  24   c,  as shown in  FIG. 2 . Pin  26 , which is sized to cooperate with bar openings  24   c  and gripping unit openings comprises a simple pin or a spring pin and preferably includes a pin head at each end (not separately labelled) to prevent it from slipping out of the openings and is further preferably surrounded by a torsion spring  28  as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0020]    Optionally, the tie bar base  20  further comprises a torsion spring  28  or similar bias member or spring that is biased to position the finger grip extension  22   b  in an up position and the teeth  22   a  in a down or closed position. The spring  26  is further positioned and attached such that when a user pushes the finger grip extension  22   b  to a down position, the teeth  22   a  shift to an up or open position. When the teeth  22   a  are in an up or open position, the tie bar can be moved or repositioned. When the teeth  22   a  are in a down or closed position, the tie bar substantially grasps or secures material positioned between the tie bar base first bar  24  and the tie bar gripping unit  22 . 
         [0021]    Each tie bar cover  30  comprises a cover plate  32  and optionally one or more side walls  34 . Optional side walls can be integral with cover plate  32  or fixedly attached thereto. Each tie bar cover  30  is preferably sized such that it substantially covers the tie bar base first bar  24  when attached to, positioned next to, or fastened to the plate. Each cover plate  32  has an outer surface  32   a  and an inner surface  32   b.  The outer surface  32   a  comprises decorative or additional functional elements while the inner surface  32   b  cooperates with the fastener  40  and first bar  24 . 
         [0022]    Fastener  40  preferably comprises one or more magnets  42  configured to magnetically cooperate with additional magnets  42  disposed on the tie bar base or to magnetically cooperate with the tie bar base directly. The magnets  42  are preferably attached to the tie bar cover  30  and optionally to the tie bar base  20  with adhesive. Alternatively, they can be attached with snaps, hooks and loops, slots and inserts, wedges, or other fasteners, as is known in the art. Preferably, magnets  42  are permanently fixed to either the tie bar cover inner surface  32   b,  the tie bar first bar  24 , or both. Where the tie bar first bar  24  is magnetic and the cover plate  32  is not magnetic, magnet  42  only needs to be attached to cover plate inner surface  32   b.  Where the cover plate  32  is magnetic and the tie bar first bar  24  is not magnetic, magnet  42  only needs to be attached to tie bar first bar  24 . Where neither the cover plate  32  nor the tie bar first bar  24  are magnetic, cooperating magnets  42  should be attached to both the tie bar first bar  24  and the cover plate inner surface  32   b.    FIGS. 1-5A  illustrate an embodiment where only one magnet is needed.  FIG. 5B  illustrates an embodiment where cooperating magnets are needed. 
         [0023]    Cover  30  as shown in the Figures is substantially rectangular in shape with rounded edges. More particularly, cover  30  is shown with rounded edges where the outer surface of cover plate  32  transitions to walls  34 , which is the preferable configuration for cover  30 . Alternatively, however, cover  30  may have sharp edges, may have less than four walls, may have no walls, may have an irregular perimeter, or may have an oval, circular, or other shape perimeter. For example, cover  30  may be rectangular, may be elliptical, or may have an overall shape that looks like an airplane or a race car. Additionally, cover  30  may have a convex outer surface, a concave outer surface, or an irregular outer surface. Cover  30  may also have additional components permanently affixed to it, integral with it, or removably attached to it. Cover  30  may be a solid color, may have multiple colors, may have a smooth texture, may have a rough, soft, or other textures, and may include text, images, patterns, or other designs. 
         [0024]    Cover  30  may be made from a variety of materials. Additionally, it may be one element or may be several elements of varying materials or of like materials that are permanently attached or integrally formed. For example, cover  30  may be comprised of stainless steel, steel alloy, copper, environmental copper, other metals, wood, leather, suede, ceramic, plastic, semi-precious stone, silk-screen prints, enamel overlays, or any other similar material, coating, or combination of materials and coatings. For example, cover  30  may be comprised of stainless steel with a wood overlay, plastic with a suede overlay, plastic with wood embellishments, stainless steel with leather embellishments, environmental copper with a silk-screen print and enamel overlay or any other combination of materials. A kit  12 , for example, may include four covers where a first cover is a rectangular stainless steel cover, a second cover is a rectangular gold or gold-plated cover, a third cover is a rectangular metal cover with a leather overlay, and a fourth cover is a rectangular wood cover, as is generally shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0025]    The dimensions of the various components can vary depending on how small or large of a tie bar is desired.  FIG. 7  illustrates dimensions in inches for a preferred embodiment of tie bar system  10 , but is not intended to limit the scope of tie bar system  10  to these dimensions or to the specific dimensional relationships. For example, while tie bar system  10  is illustrated with a generally rectangular cover  30  that is 1.5 inches long and 0.25 inches wide, it can be further elongated or it can be shortened to more of a square shape. Additionally, it can be circular or irregularly shaped as well. Similar changes to the tie bar base  20 , fastener  40 , or other components are also within the scope of this invention.  FIG. 7  includes dimensions for the cover  30 , pin  26 , and gripping unit  22  as shown in section  100 , for the tie bar base  20  as shown in section  110 , and the magnet  42  as shown in section  120 . 
         [0026]    To use the tie bar system  10  individually or as a kit  12 , a user first selects a first cover that he wishes to use based on his selected outfit or his individual preferences. Then, if necessary, the user removes a second cover from the tie bar base. Once the tie bar base has no cover, the user then attaches the first cover to the base. After the cover has been attached, the user can then apply the tie bar to his tie and shirt as desired. If the tie bar system uses a clasp-type base as described in detail above, the user presses the finger extension to open the jaw or gripping unit, slides the tie bar base with cover attached into place on his outfit, and then releases the finger extension to close the jaw or gripping unit. To remove the tie bar base with cover attached from his outfit, the user again presses the finger extension to open the jaw or gripping unit, slides the tie bar base with cover attached off of his outfit, and then releases the finger extension to close the jaw or gripping unit. 
         [0027]    While there has been illustrated and described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true scope of the invention disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.