Shoe with magnetic fastener

An article of clothing includes flexible clothing sheet material having first and second sheet material ends which separate to pass a portion of a wearer body into and out of the article of clothing; and first and second magnetic fasteners which are magnetically attracted to each other and are secured to respective first and second sheet material ends for releasibly securing the sheet material ends together and thus securing the article of clothing around a portion of the wearer body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to the field of wearing apparel, such as shirts, pants and shoes. More specifically the present invention relates to clothing having magnetic fasteners to releasibly secure the clothing around the body of a wearer. One embodiment of the invention is a shoe including a shoe outer surface and two opposing side regions and an inner flap having an inner flap magnetic panel and being secured to and extending from one of the side regions, and an outer flap having an outer flap magnetic panel and being secured to and extending from the opposing side region over the shoe so that the outer flap magnetic panel overlaps and magnetically engages the inner flap magnetic panel. The shoe alternatively has an upper, forward region, and the outer flap is secured to and extends from the upper, forward region. Other embodiments include belts and shirts having magnetic fasteners.

2. Description of the Prior Art

There have long been various fasteners for securing edges of clothing material together to fit and secure the article of clothing around a wearer body. Such prior fasteners have included buttons, zippers, shoe laces, snaps, ropes and hook and loop fasteners. A problem with these prior fasteners has been that many cannot be pulled apart quickly to free a person as may be required in certain circumstances in hazardous occupations and in emergencies. Another problem has been that most of these prior fasteners require a certain dexterity to operate which may be beyond the ability of persons infirm, aged or handicapped. Another problem is that the appearance of these fasteners cannot be changed without cutting fabric and re-sewing new fasteners to the clothing.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide articles of clothing such as shoes with magnetic fasteners which can be pulled apart and re-fastened with speed and ease.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such articles of clothing with magnetic fasteners which can be fastened and unfastened without significant or complex manipulation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide such articles of clothing with magnetic fasteners which radiate magnetic fields into the wearer body and thereby provide the health benefits of exposure to magnetic fields.

It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such articles of clothing with magnetic fasteners which are sturdy, aesthetically appealing and competitive in price to manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention accomplishes the above-stated objectives, as well as others, as may be determined by a fair reading and interpretation of the entire specification.

An article of clothing is provided, including flexible clothing sheet material having first and second sheet material ends which separate to pass a portion of a wearer body into and out of the article of clothing; and first and second magnetic fasteners which are magnetically attracted to each other and are secured to respective first and second sheet material ends for releasibly securing the sheet material ends together and thus securing the article of clothing around a portion of the wearer body.

The flexible clothing sheet material optionally is configured to define a shoe, including a shoe outer surface and a shoe upper section having two inner flaps pivoting toward each other and an outer flap pivotally secured to the shoe outer surface and pivotable over the inner flaps; and the magnetic fasteners include an inner flap magnetic panel on each of the inner flaps and an outer flap magnetic panel on the outer flap positioned to be adjacent to the inner flap magnetic panels when the outer flap is pivoted over the inner flaps.

The shoe alternatively includes two inner flaps pivoting toward each other, each having an inner magnetic flap magnetic panel, where the outer flap pivots over both of the two inner flaps so that the outer flap magnetic panel releasibly engages the inner flap magnetic panels. Still alternatively, the shoe has two opposing side regions and the inner flap is secured to and extends from one of the side regions and the outer flap is secured to and extends from the opposing side region over the shoe so that the outer flap magnetic panel overlaps and magnetically engages the inner flap magnetic panel. The shoe preferably has an upper, forward region, and the outer flap is secured to and extends from the upper, forward region.

Where the flexible clothing sheet material is configured to define a shoe, the article of clothing alternatively includes a shoe top region divided by a longitudinal slit defined by two opposing slit edges, each slit edge having a series of adjacent shoelace passing ports; at least one shoelace threaded through opposing the shoelace passing ports, and a shoelace, and the magnetic fasteners include shoelace magnetic tip elements; and a shoelace tip engaging magnetic structure secured to the shoe top region for releasibly receiving and magnetically engaging the magnetic tip elements.

For another embodiment, the flexible clothing sheet material is configured to define a shirt, having a neck opening, arm openings and a shirt forward section with a longitudinal slit extending from the neck opening downward to define an outward section end for overlapping an inward section end; and the magnetic fasteners include an outward magnetic strip connected to the outward section end and an inward magnetic strip connected to the inward section end, so that when the outward section end overlaps the inward section end the outward magnetic strip is adjacent the inward magnetic strip and the outward magnetic strip releasibly engages the inward magnetic strip to hold the shirt forward section closed and the shirt secure around a wearer body.

The outward and inward magnetic strips optionally are periodically broken into discrete segments to visually resemble buttons. These discrete segments are preferably substantially dish-shaped and have thread passing ports for securing the discrete segments to the forward shirt section.

For another embodiment the flexible clothing sheet material is configured to define a belt, having an inward belt end and an outward belt end for overlapping the inward belt end; and the magnetic fasteners include an outward magnetic panel secured to the outward belt end and an inward magnetic panel secured to the inward belt end; so that the outward magnetic panel releasibly engages the inward magnetic panel with the force of magnetic attraction to hold the belt around a wearer waist. One of the magnetic panels preferably includes a stud bore in the outward surface and the other magnetic panel includes an inwardly directed stud which is sized, shaped and located to slide into the stud bore when the magnetic panels are positioned overlappingly and face to face, for absorbing tensile force in the belt. The outward magnetic panel preferably is configured to visually resemble a belt buckle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to the drawings, wherein like characteristics and features of the present invention shown in the various FIGURES are designated by the same reference numerals.

First Preferred Embodiment

Referring toFIGS. 1-18, articles of clothing10are disclosed having magnetic fasteners20for releasibly securing the given article of clothing10around a wearer body. A first embodiment of the invention is a shoe10having a magnetic fastener20in place of shoelaces. SeeFIGS. 1-8. Shoe10includes two opposing first and second side regions80and90, respectively, and an inner flap84secured to the outward surface of, or itself constituting, the first side region80of the shoe10and having an inner flap magnetic panel84asecured at the first side region80, and an outer flap82secured to a pivot point on, or itself constituting, the second side region90of the shoe10and extending over the top of the shoe10so that its outer flap magnetic panel82aoverlaps and magnetically engages the inner flap magnetic panel84aon the first side region80. SeeFIGS. 1 and 2. This shoe construction, providing pivoting of outer flap82from the second side region90laterally over the top of the shoe10so that the outer flap magnetic panel82aengages the inner flap magnetic panel82aon the first side region80, is a critical and superior shoe10configuration. Interconnected magnetic panels82aand82bare less likely to become unintentionally separated because of their position on a side region80or90of the shoe10and as a result the user foot does not more toward and bear directly against magnetic panels82aand82bas the user foot repeatedly rises against the top of the shoe10with the movements of walking or running. Another advantage is that only two, rather than three or more, magnetic panels are required, lowering manufacturing costs. Yet another advantage is that only one magnetic panel-to-magnetic panel junction is provided, rather than two or more, so that any panel to panel lateral slippage occurs only at one location, rather than being multiplied by two or more.

Alternatively, the single inner flap84is replaced with two shoe inner flaps74meet at the centerline of the top of the shoe10, and each inner flap74has an inner flap magnetic panel74aon its upper surface. A shoe outer flap72having an outer flap magnetic panel72aon its inner surface is pivotally secured to the outer surface of the side region76of the shoe10and pivots to wrap over the two inner flaps74. SeeFIGS. 1 and 2. To close the shoe10around a wearer foot, the inner flaps74are pivoted and pulled toward each other, and then the outer flap72is pivoted on top of inner flaps74so that the outer flap magnetic panel72ameets and magnetically engages the inner flap magnetic panels74a.

Still alternatively, an outer flap92having an outer flap magnetic panel92apivots from a point forward of the inner flaps94which have inner flap magnetic panels94a, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, but otherwise operates analogously.FIG. 8shows shoe laces102with magnetic tips104fitted into a recess in a magnetic tip receptacle106.

Second Preferred Embodiment

Another embodiment is a belt10having a magnetic fastener20in place of a latching buckle. The magnetic fastener20includes an outward belt end62with an outward magnetic panel62aoverlapping an inward belt end64with an inward magnetic panel64a. See FIG.13. Once again, the outward magnetic panel62areleasibly engages the inward magnetic panel64awith the force of magnetic attraction to hold the belt10around a wearer waist. Outer magnetic panel62apreferably includes at least one and optionally two inwardly directed studs66which slide into correspondingly sized and located stud bores68in the outward surface of the inward magnetic panel64a, to counteract any tensile force in the belt which might exceed the magnitude of the fastening magnetic force and might otherwise cause magnetic panels62aand64ato separate. SeeFIGS. 14 and 15. Outward magnetic panel62ais preferably shaped and marked to resemble a conventional belt buckle.FIGS. 16-18, for example, show an oval perimeter outward magnetic panel62aalternatively having a geometric pattern and the words “Superman” and “Magna” printed on its outward surface.

Third Preferred Embodiment

Yet another embodiment is that of a shirt10having a magnetic fastener20in place of buttons. Magnetic fastener20includes arm openings12, a neck opening34and a forward section30with a conventional longitudinal slit32from neck opening34to the waist edge36defining an outward section end42secured to an outward magnetic strip42aoverlapping an inward section end44secured to a registering inward magnetic strip44a. See FIG.9. The outward magnetic strip42areleasibly engages the inward magnetic strip44ato hold the shirt forward section closed and the shirt10secure around the wearer upper torso. Alternatively the outward and inward magnetic strips42and44, respectively, may be replaced with a series of correspondingly placed outward and inward magnetic strip segments or buttons52and54, respectively, which are optionally circular, to have the general appearance of conventional buttons.FIGS. 10-12show magnetic buttons52and54which are dish-shaped and have thread ports56for securing the magnetic buttons52and54to the outward and inward ends42and44. Outward buttons54preferably have an ornamental cap58which releasibly snaps onto the dish-shaped portion54to be replaced with an ornamental cap58having a different appearance. See FIG.12.

For all of these embodiments, it is understood that each of the meeting magnetic panels may actually be a magnet, or just one of them may be a magnet an the other may be a nonmagnet which is attracted by a magnetic field. Thus the term “magnetic” as used herein is understood to mean either a material which is magnetized or one which is simply attracted to magnetic fields, but at least one of the meeting panels or plates is a magnet. The magnetic strips and panels of the several embodiments may be formed of traditional ferromagnetic or ceramic magnet materials, but are preferably formed of the newer plastic magnet materials.

While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms or certain embodiments or modifications which it has assumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.