Zipper necktie

A pretied necktie comprising a semirigid knot support, a front tie member fixed to and wrapped around the knot support, and a rear tie member having a loop-shaped, neck-encircling upper end which can be enlarged or reduced in size by means of a zip fastener comprising two continuous strings of interlockable elements that are symmetrically secured onto opposite portions of the loop and pass through a slider connected to the knot support. The slider comprises a small elongated hooking member integrally projecting from one of its side. This hooking member acts as the male element of a snap fastener. The female element of this snap fastener is defined by a small slot provided in the front wall of the knot support. The use of such a snap fastener makes the pretied necktie very easy to assemble.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
(a) Field of the Invention 
The present invention is concerned with a pretied necktie of the type 
comprising a semirigid knot support, a front tie member fixed to and 
wrapped around the knot support and a rear tie member having a 
loop-shaped, neck encircling upper end which can be inserted and adjusted 
around the neck of a wearer by means of a zip fastener forming part of it. 
More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a pretied 
necktie of the above mentioned type, which is improved in that the 
semirigid knot support and the slider of the zip fasteners are provided 
with a set of cooperating snap fastening means that make them very easy to 
connect and thereby make the necktie very easy to manufacture and 
assemble. 
(b) Brief Description of the Prior Art 
Pretied neckties of the above mentioned type are already known and some of 
them even are commercially available. In this connection, reference can be 
made, by way of example, to U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,698 to BYRD et al. or to 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,453 to CHEN et al. Reference can also be made to 
copending patent application No. 801,694 filed on Nov. 1, 1985 to the name 
of the present inventor, Mr. Martin LANDE. 
If all the existing pretied neckties of the above mentined type have 
numerous advantages, they also have a common known drawback, namely the 
fact that they are difficult to assemble. Indeed, the structure of all 
these known pretied neckties makes it compulsory to connect together, in 
one single step, the front tie member, the knot support and the gripping 
tab of the slider of the zip fastener, such a connection being usually 
carried out by means of a rivet. In addition of requesting some skill, 
this method of connecting the various elements of the neckties requires 
the use of a riveting machine, thereby substantially increasing the cost 
of the neckties. 
Moreover, all the existing pretied neckties of the above mentioned ties 
have another common known drawback, namely the fact that they all tend to 
loosen during use, thereby requiring the wearer to readjust permanently 
the knot of the tie about his neck. Indeed, a problem with these known 
neckties is that the zip fastener used for varying the size of the neck 
encircling loop is never hard enough to prevent it from loosening during 
use. 
To overcome this well known drawback, different solutions have been 
proposed up to now. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,453, it is suggested to insert a M-shaped clamp as 
plug into the vertical hole of the knot support in order to lock the rear 
tie member in position. In copending Canadian patent application No. 
494,395, it is suggested to use a stopper made of compressible foam. This 
stopper is slidably engaged into the vertical hole of the knot support in 
such a manner to engage the strings and lock the same. It is also 
suggested as an alternative in this copending Canadian patent application, 
to use strips of VELCRO fastener fixed to suitable parts of the front and 
rear tie members to lock them together once the neck encircling loop has 
been adjusted. 
These proposed solutions are efficient in use. However, they require either 
clamps or stoppers that are not rigidly connected to the knot support and 
thus can be lost, or strips of VELCRO that must stitched and thus increase 
the amount of time and labour required in order to assemble the tie. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved pretied 
necktie of the above mentioned type, whose structural elements are 
designed to be assembled in a very simple yet efficient manner, without 
requiring particular skill from those in charge of this assembly, nor 
requiring the use of a riveting or similar machine. 
In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved by using snap 
fastening means for connecting the slider of the zip fastener with the 
rear side of the front wall of the knot support. The male element of these 
snap fastening means are connected to, or integral with,the slider whereas 
the female element is connected to, or integral with the rear side of the 
front wall of the knot support. Thus, it becomes very easy to connect the 
slider of the zip fastener to which the rear tie member is mounted , onto 
the knot support. It becomes also very easy to detach the rear tie member 
from the knot support whenever necessary. 
Another object of the present is to provide an improved pretied necktie of 
the above mentioned type, which is further provided with very efficient 
yet simple means for braking or even completely preventing the movement of 
the rear tie member relative to the knot support in such manner as to 
retain the knot of the tie in position after the neck encircling loop has 
been adjusted around the wearer's neck. 
The pretied necktie according to the invention has, as any conventional 
tie, a front tie portion, a knot portion, a neck encircling portion and a 
rear tie portion. It basically comprises a knot support having vertical 
front wall provided with front and rear sides. This knot support is made 
of a semirigid material, such as polyethylene plastic. The necktie also 
comprises a front tie member having an upper end fixed to the front side 
of the front wall of the knot support. This front tie member is wrapped 
around the knot support in such a manner as to form both the knot and 
front tie portions of the tie. In addition, the pretied necktie according 
to the invention comprises a rear tie member having an upper end formed as 
a loop. This rear tie member forms both the neck encircling and rear tie 
portions of the tie. 
A zip fastener is provided for enlarging or reducing of the size of the 
loop and thus allowing insertion and adjustment of the necktie around the 
neck of a wearer. The zip fastener comprises two continuous strings of 
interlockable elements symmetrically stitched onto opposite portions of 
the loop. The zip fastener also comprises a slider in which the 
interlockable elements of the two strings pass and are cammed in, or 
uncammed from interlocked position. The slider is fixed to the rear side 
of the front wall of the knot support, whereby relative movement of the 
upper end of the rear tie member with respect to the knot support to which 
the slider is connected, causes the loop of this rear tie member to be 
increased or reduced in size. 
In accordance with the invention, the structure of the above mentioned 
pretied necktie is improved in that it further comprises snap fastening 
means for connecting the slider of the zip fastener to the rear side of 
the front wall of the knot support. These snap fastening means comprise 
male and female elements that are detachably connectable to each other, 
the male element being rigidly connected to or integral with the slider, 
the female element being rigidly connected or integral with the front wall 
of the knot support. 
Provided that the slider of the zip fastener is of conventional structure 
and comprises a small elongated hooking member integrally projecting from 
one of its sides for pivotably holding a gripping tab, use can be made of 
this small elongated hooking member as male element after having removed 
the gripping tab therefrom. In such a case, the female element of the snap 
fastening means may consist of a small slot provided in the front wall of 
the knot support, this slot being shaped and sized to receive and snap on 
the small elongated hooking member of the slider. 
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the male element of 
the snap fastening means may consist of small hooking pin fixed to and 
projecting from one side of the slider. In such a case, the female element 
of the snap fastening means may consist of a standard snapping eye sized 
to receive the hooking pin. 
In both cases, the knot support is preferably a hollow body having a 
kidney-shaped, vertical through-hole and a downwardly extending tongue 
forming part of its vertical front wall. Then, the small slot or snapping 
eye defining the female element of the snap fastening means are provided 
onto this tongue. 
In both of these cases, the upper end of the front tie member can also be 
fixed in a very simple manner by a stample to the vertical front wall of 
the knot support just above the snap fastening means. This obviously makes 
the necktie according to the invention very easy to assemble, without any 
complicated machine. 
In order to brake or even stop the movement of the rear tie member relative 
to the knot support and thus to retain the knot portion of the tie in 
position after the encircling portion has been adjusted the around 
wearer's neck, the slider of the zip fastener with the strings passing 
there through, can be hammered down prior to being connected to the front 
wall of a knot support. Such a hammering increases the pitching action of 
the slider onto the interlockable elements of the strings and thus achieve 
the required braking, in a very simple and inexpensive manner. 
Alternatively, the rear side of the tongue of the knot support may be 
shaped so as to be in direct contact with, and to bear against the rear 
tie member on both sides of the slider when the same is snapped on, such a 
contact causing the tongue to act as a friction pad to retain the knot of 
the tie in position. 
To lock the knot portion, use can also be made of a slider of the type 
comprising a locking pin pressed by a spring to normally engage the 
interlockable elements and lock the strings inside the slider, such a pin 
being mechanically connected to an operating tab. In such a case, the 
operating tab is mounted on and extends from the other side of the slider 
which is opposite the male element of the snap fastening means. Moreover, 
the operating tab is positioned in such a manner as to extend inside the 
vertical through-hole of the knot support and to bear against the rear 
wall of this knot support, whereby a mere pressure excited onto the rear 
wall of the knot support causes the operating tab to withdraw the locking 
pin and release the strings, such a release in turn allowing the neck 
encircling portion to be increased or reduced in size. 
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the two 
continuous strings of interlockable elements consists of two different 
portions of a single zip fastener string of interlockable elements of 
symmetrical construction, stitched along the full lenght of the 
loop-formed upper end of the rear tie member. Once again, this feature 
makes the necktie according to the invention very easy to assemble.

DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The pretied necktie according to the invention as shown in the accompanying 
drawings, has, as any conventional tie, a front tie portion 1, a knot 
portion 3, a neck encircling portion 5 and a rear tie portion 7. 
As better shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 6, the pretied necktie basically 
comprises a knot support 9 made of semirigid material, such as plastic. 
The knot support 9 advantageously comprises a hollow body having a 
vertical front wall 10, a vertical rear wall 12, a kidney-shaped, vertical 
through-hole 11 in between the walls 10 and 12, and a downwardly extending 
tongue 13 forming part of the vertical front wall 10. 
The pretied necktie also comprises a front tie member 15 having an upper 
end 17 fixed onto the front side of the front wall 10 of the knot support 
9. This front tie member 15 is wrapped around the knot support 9 in such a 
manner as to form both the knot and front tie portions 3 and 1 of the 
necktie. 
The pretied necktie further comprises a rear tie member consisting of a 
band of fabric 21 having one edge along the full length of which a single 
zip fastener string 23 of interlockable elements of symmetrical 
construction is stitched. This band 21 of fabric with its edging string 23 
of interlockable elements is folded and manipulated in such a manner as to 
have both of its ends 25 and 25' passed simultaneously inside a zip 
fastener slider 27 which is itself connected to the rear wall of the 
tongue 13, just under the through-hole 11 of the knot support 9. In this 
slider 27, the opposite interlockable elements of symmetrical construction 
are cammed in interlocked position. The lower portion of the folded band 
21, whose ends 25, 25' are joined under the slider 27, defines the rear 
tie portion 7 of the tie whereas the upper portion of the band 21 which 
forms a large loop, defines the neck encircling portion 5 of the tie. 
Of course, relative movement of the upper end of the rear tie member with 
respect to the knot support 9 to which the slider 27 is connected, causes 
the neck encircling portion 5 defined by the loop formed by rear tie 
member to be increased or reduced in size. 
As explained in the preamble of the present specification, this basic 
structure is already known per se and disclosed, by way of example, in 
copending Canadian Pat. No. 494,395 filed on Nov. 1st, 1985. By way of 
mere reference, it can be indicated that use can be made of the string 
sold by Y.K.K. CANADA INC. under the trademark 25 CF ZIPLON, as zip 
fastener string 23. Indeed, the interlockable elements of this particular 
string have proved to have the symmetrical construction with is necessary 
to make the rear tie member operable as disclosed hereinabove. 
In accordance with the present invention, snap fastening means are provided 
for connecting the slider 27 of the zip fastener to the rear side of the 
front wall of the knot support 9. 
In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 
3, these snap fastening means comprise a male element 29 which is integral 
to the slider 27, and a female element 31 which is integral to the front 
wall of the knot support 9, these male and female elements 29 and 31 being 
detachably connectable to each other. 
In greater details, the male element 29 of the snap fastening means 
consists of a small elongated hooking member integrally projecting from 
one side of the slider 27. Such a hooking member 29 exists in most of the 
commercially available sliders, for use in pivotably mounting a gripping 
tab (not shown) for operating the zip fastener. Therefore, one can see 
that it is not necessary to modify in any way the slider 27 of the above 
mentioned type of zip fastener used in accordance with the present 
invention, to make this slider useful and operable. As a matter of fact, 
the only step to be taken to adapt a standard zipper to the present 
invention to remove the gripping tab from the hooking member 29. 
The female element 31 of the snap fastening means advantageously consists 
of a small slot provided in the front wall of the knot support 9. As 
clearly shown in the accompanying figures, the slot 31 is shaped and sized 
to receive, and snap on, the small elongated hooking member 29 of the 
slider 27. 
Usually, the elongated hooking member 29 of the slider 27 is provided with 
a transversal, slot-shaped through-hole 33 in which the gripping tab is 
pivotably mounted. In such a case, the small slot 31 provided in the front 
wall of the knot support 9 can be so shaped as defined a pair of opposite 
tongues 35 (see FIG. 2) sized to engage and snap in both sides of the 
through-hole 33 of the hooking member, when the same is inserted and 
pressed into the slot 31. Such an arrangement makes the connection of the 
male and female elements of the snap fastening means very reliable. 
As clearly shown in the drawings, the slot 31 acting as female element of 
the snap fastening means, is advantageously provided in the tongue 13 
which downwardly extends the vertical front wall 10 of the knot support 9. 
This particular positioning advantageously permits the upper end 17 of the 
front tie member 15 to be fixed onto the upper surface of vertical front 
wall 10 of the knot support 9, above the tongue 13. As shown in FIG. 1, 
such a fixation can be easily achieved by means of a stample 37. Once 
again, one can see that the various structural elements of the pretied 
necktie according to the invention are very easy to assemble even by an 
unskilled person, without any costly equipment. Indeed, the rear tie 
member 7 and the slider 27 can be merely snapped onto the rear side of the 
tongue 13 of a knot support 9. While the front tie member can be simply 
stampled onto the knot support 9, thereby making the whole necktie very 
easy to assemble. 
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention shown is FIGS. 4 and 
5, the male element of the snap fastening means consists of a small 
hooking pin 29' fixed to and protecting from one side of the slider 27. In 
such a case, the female element of the snap fastening means consists of a 
snapping eye 31' sized to receive the hooking pin 29'. The hooking pin 29' 
and snapping eye 31' can be made of metal or plastic and can have any 
shape such as round as shown in FIG. 4, or square (to make them 
non-rotatable with respect each other). These elements 29' and 31' can be 
welded fixed or punched in any standard way onto the slider 27 and knot 
support 9, respectively. However, these pin 29' and eye 31' can also be 
made integral to the slider 27 and knot support 9. By way of example, when 
both of the knot support 9 and slider 27 are made of plastic material, the 
pin 29' and snapping eye 31' can be integrally molded therein. 
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the snapping eye 31' is preferably positioned 
onto the tongue 13 of the knot support 9. Once again, the upper end 17 of 
the front tie member can be fixed by a stample to the front wall 10 of the 
knot support, just above the snapping eye 31'. 
To make the pretied necktie according to the invention very efficient in 
use, means can be provided for braking or even stopping the movement of 
the rear tie member relative to the knot support 9 in such a manner as to 
retain the knot support portion 3 of the tie in position after the 
neck-encircling portion 5 has been adjusted around the wearer's neck. 
In accordance with the invention, such a braking can be achieved by merely 
hammering down the slider 27 of the zip fastener after having passed the 
strings 23 therethrough. Such a hammering can be made prior to connecting 
the slider 27 to the knot support 9, in order to increase the pitching 
action of the slider onto the interlockable elements of the strings and 
thereby make the sliding motion of these strings inside the slider more 
difficult. This of course allows the knot of the tie to stay in position 
after the neck encircling portion has been adjusted around the wearer's 
neck. 
In accordance with the variant of the invention as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, 
braking of the rear tie member can also be achieved by shaping the rear 
side of the tongue 13 of the knot support 9 in such a manner that it is in 
direct contact and bears onto the rear tie member 7 on both sides of the 
slider 29 when the same is snapped on in the small hole 31 is the tongue 
13. To achieve such a contact and friction, the rear side of the tongue 13 
can be provided with a small recess 37 whose depth is substantially equal 
to the thickness of the corresponding side of the slider 27. The recess 37 
which extend all around the slot 31 can be sized to allow full insertion 
therein of the slider 27, as shown in the drawings. This in turn allows 
the rear side of the tongue 13 to come into contact with the band of 
fabric 21 forming the rear tie member 7 (see FIG. 8) and to act as a 
friction pad to retain the knot of a tie in position after the neck 
encircling portion 5 has been adjusted around the wearer's neck. 
According to another variant shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, use can also be made 
of a slider 27 which, on one side, comprises a small elongated hooking 
member 29 and, on the other side, a locking pin 41 pressed by a spring 43 
to normally engage the interlockable elements and thereby lock the strings 
inside the slider (see FIG. 9). The locking pin 41 and its spring 43 are 
both mounted inside another small elongated member 45 projecting from the 
other side of the slider 27. An operating tab 47 is pivotably mounted onto 
the member 45 and mechanically connected to the locking pin 41 either 
directly or via the spring 43 to raise the pin 41 and thereby release the 
strings whenever desired. 
It is worth noting that this particular combination of a locking pin with 
an operating tab to lock the strings of interlockable elements of a zip 
fastener is very standard and manufactured by most of the zip fastener 
manufacturers. It is also interesting to note that sliders provided with 
gripping or operating tabs on both sides are also very common and used, by 
way of example, in the manufacture of the garments known as "reversible". 
However, to the applicant's knowledge, there is no slider presently 
available, having a mere gripping tab on one side and a combined 
locking-pin-operating tab assembly on the other side as disclosed 
hereinabove in the reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 
10, the operating tab 47 in mechanical connection with the locking pin 41 
is mounted and positioned in such a manner as to extend vertically inside 
the vertical through-hole 11 of the knot support 9 and bear against the 
rear wall 12 of this knot support. As can be seen, mere pressure exerted 
by a finger onto the rear wall 12 of the knot support which, as aforesaid, 
is made of semirigid plastic material, causes the operating tab 47 to 
withdraw the locking pin 41 from the interlockable elements of the strings 
and thereby to release these strings, such a release in turn allowing the 
tie encircling loop to be increased or reduced in size. 
It is worth noting that the latter variant is particularly interesting 
since it is the only one which allows positive fixation and locking of the 
rear tie member with respect to the knot support.