Abstract:
A detachable collar is provided. The collar is useful in association with a garment including a permanent collar. The detachable collar includes a collar body which includes a front side, a back side, and an interfacing layer. The collar body may be substantially trapezoidal, and variable in length. The collar body also includes a left pocket and a right pocket, which engage the permanent collar. The pockets are located on the back side of the collar body. The detachable collar also includes at least one fastener coupled to the collar body. The fasteners may be located at the base and on the back side of the collar body. The fasteners may be configured to engage the permanent collar, or a collarless garment along the neckline. The fasteners may include a pin and a cap. The pin pierces the permanent collar, and the cap in turn engages the pin.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to apparel. More particularly, this invention relates to detachable style collars for addition to jackets, collars or other apparel tops, thereby improving the versatility of a wardrobe. Additionally, such a collar may provide additional comfort for the wearer, as well as additional warmth. 
   Modern shirt collars evolved from the whisk collar and falling band, which in turn evolved from the Elizabethan ruff. The Elizabethan ruff, in turn, was born from the ruffle created by the drawstring at the neck of the medieval chemise. 
   Collars have evolved into many distinct styles, including standing, turnover and flat collar categories. “Standing” or “stand-up” collars fit high up around the neck and do not lie on the shoulders. Likewise, “turnover” collars also stand high around the neck, but then folded or rolled over. Lastly, “flat” or “falling” collars lie flat on the shoulders of the wearer. 
   The shape of collars may also be controlled by the shape of the neckline to which they are attached. Most collars are fitted to a jewel neck, a neckline sitting at the base of the neck and extending all around the neck. In instances where the garment opens down the front, the top edges of the garment may be folded back to form lapels and a V-shaped opening, and the cut of the collar may be adjusted accordingly. 
   Collars may also be “stiffened”, traditionally with starch. Modern wash-and-wear shirt collars may be stiffened with interfacing. Shirt collars which are not stiffened are described as “soft”. 
   Separate collars have existed along side attached collars since the mid-16th century, usually to allow starching and other fine finishing. However, traditional separate collars typically require special fasteners to couple to a particular piece of clothing. As such, current separate collars are limited to which garments they may attach to. Additionally, for the modern active individual, previous separate collars fail to fasten to garments securely enough to be practical for most occasions. As such, these separate collars are typically substantially limited to formalwear garments. 
   It would be advantageous to have a separate collar that may seamlessly attach and detach from a wide range of garments, including garments that already have an attached collar. Moreover, it would be advantageous that such separate collar be capable of coupling to the garment securely even when the wearer engages in an active lifestyle. 
   It is therefore apparent that an urgent need exists for an improved separate and detachable collar. The envisioned detachable collar may couple to a wide range of garments, including garments that typically are unable to include a separate collar. Additionally, the envisioned detachable collar may securely couple to the garment even when the wearer engages in an active lifestyle. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   To achieve the foregoing and in accordance with the present invention, an improved detachable collar is provided. Such an improved detachable collar may be of particular use for enhanced comfort style and warmth, as well as expanding the use of wardrobes. 
   The detachable collar is useful in association with a garment, where the garment includes a permanent collar. The detachable collar includes a collar body. The collar body includes a front side and a back side. The collar body may also include an interfacing layer. The collar body may also be substantially trapezoidal, and variable in length. 
   The collar body also includes a left pocket and a right pocket. The left pocket and the right pocket may engage the permanent collar. The left pocket and the right pocket are located on the back side of the collar body. 
   The detachable collar also includes at least one fastener. The fasteners may be coupled to the collar body. The fasteners may be located at the base of the collar body, and on the back side of the collar body. The fasteners may be configured to engage the permanent collar, or a collarless garment along the neckline. The fasteners may include a pin and a cap. The pin pierces the permanent collar, and the cap in turn engages the pin. 
   Note that the various features of the present invention described above may be practiced alone or in combination. These and other features of the present invention will be described in more detail below in the detailed description of the invention and in conjunction with the following figures. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In order that the present invention may be more clearly ascertained, one or more embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1A  shows a perspective illustration of a garment worn by a wearer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 1B  shows a perspective illustration of a detachable collar coupled to a garment worn by a wearer in a flat orientation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 1C  shows a perspective illustration of a detachable collar coupled to a garment worn by a wearer in a standing orientation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  shows a detailed illustration of a detachable collar in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  shows a cut-away illustration of a detachable collar in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  shows a detailed illustration of a detachable collar coupled to a garment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5A  shows a detailed illustration of a detachable collar fastener in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5B  shows a cut-away illustration of a detachable collar fastener in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to several embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention. The features and advantages of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and discussions that follow. 
   To facilitate discussion,  FIG. 1A  shows a perspective illustration of a Garment  120  worn by a Wearer  110 , shown generally at  100 . In this exemplary illustration, the Garment  120  includes a Permanent Collar  112 . 
   Additionally, the Wearer  110  illustrated is a woman. The present invention is designed to be useful for any gender of Wearer  110 . Likewise the Wearer  110  may be any age. The styling and sizing of various embodiments of the disclosed invention may be different to achieve this aim. 
   Also, in the exemplary illustration the Garment  120  is shown as a jacket. It should be noted, however, that an array of garments are suitable for the Garment  120  in conjunction with the disclosed invention. Typical articles for the Garment  120  include jackets, sweaters, shirts, vests, dresses, blazers or any other garment that extends to the neck of the Wearer  110 . 
     FIG. 1B  shows a perspective illustration of a detachable collar coupled, in a flat orientation, to a Garment  120  worn by a Wearer  110 , shown generally at  101 . In this exemplary illustration, the Detachable Collar  130  is shown as a “flat” or “falling” collar. It should be understood, however, that dependent upon Detachable Collar  130  configuration, and method of coupling the Detachable Collar  130  to the Garment  120  may result in either a “standing” collar or a “falling” collar, as previously discussed. 
   The Permanent Collar  112  may be seen as fitting beneath, and coupling to the Detachable Collar  130 . Specific methods of coupling the Detachable Collar  130  to the Permanent Collar  112  will be further discussed below in  FIG. 4 . 
   Additionally, as previously stated, the Wearer  110  illustrated is a woman. The Detachable Collar  130  is designed to be useful for any gender of Wearer  110 . Likewise the Wearer  110  may be any age. The styling and sizing of various embodiments of the Detachable Collar  130  may be different to achieve this aim. Also, in some alternate embodiments, the sizing of the Detachable Collar  130  may be adjustable as to enable its usage with a wide range of Wearers  110 . 
     FIG. 1C  shows a perspective illustration of a Detachable Collar  130  coupled, in a standing orientation, to a Garment  120  worn by a Wearer  110 , shown generally at  102 . In this exemplary illustration, the Detachable Collar  130  is shown as a “standing” collar. As previously noted, dependent upon Detachable Collar  130  configuration, and method of coupling the Detachable Collar  130  to the Garment  120  may result in either a “standing” collar or a “falling” collar, as previously discussed. 
   The Permanent Collar  112  may be seen as fitting behind, and coupling to the Detachable Collar  130 . Specific methods of coupling the Detachable Collar  130  to the Permanent Collar  112  will be further discussed below in  FIG. 4 . 
     FIG. 2  shows a detailed illustration of the Detachable Collar  130 . The bulk of the Detachable Collar  130  includes the Collar Body  202 . The Collar Body  202  in this exemplary illustration is near trapezoidal shaped; however, a range of shapes may be utilized for the Detachable Collar  130 . Additionally, length and width of the Collar Body  202  may vary as is desired for apparel type, aesthetics and Wearer  110  size. In particular, the length of the Collar Body  202  may be increased for a Wearer  110  who has a thick neck, and reduced in length for a petite individual. In some embodiments, this length may be adjustable through pleating, buckles, loop and hook material, or any other suitable method. 
   The Detachable Collar  130  may additionally include more than one Fastener  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x . In the exemplary illustration, four Fasteners  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x  are illustrated; however, more or fewer Fasteners  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x  may be utilized as is desired for functionality, aesthetics and to accommodate varying lengths of the Collar Body  202 . The Fasteners  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x  may couple the Detachable Collar  130  to the Garment  120  at the collar of the Garment  120 . The Fasteners  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x  may, in some embodiments, include “pin and cap” style fasteners. Additionally, in some alternate embodiments, other fastener types may be utilized as desired for functionality. For example, hook style materials may be desired for some embodiments of the Fasteners  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x . Moreover, adhesives may be more useful for yet other embodiments of Fasteners  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x.    
   Lastly, a Left Pocket  206  and Right Pocket  208  may be seen on the sides of the Collar Body  202 . The Left Pocket  206  and Right Pocket  208 , are substantially triangular in shape, with two sides coupled to the Collar Body  202  and the third side remaining open as to enable the pockets to receive the tips of Garment&#39;s  120  collar. In this way the Detachable Collar  130  may be easily utilized on Garments  120  that already have permanent collars, thereby expanding the kind of garment types the Detachable Collar  130  is capable of being used with. The Left Pocket  206  and Right Pocket  208  also aid the comfort of the Wearer  110 . The depth and sizing of the Left Pocket  206  and Right Pocket  208  may vary dependent upon the collar size of the Garment  120 . 
     FIG. 3  shows a cut-away illustration of the Detachable Collar  130 . Again the Left Pocket  206  and some of the Fasteners  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x  may be seen. In some embodiments, as is illustrated in this exemplary figure, the Detachable Collar  130  may include three distinct layers: the Interfacing Layer  302 , Front Side Layer  304  and Back Side Layer  308 . Of course, more or fewer layers may be utilized. For example a thermal layer may be included for low temperature variants of the Detachable Collar  130 . Alternatively, the Interfacing Layer  302  may be omitted in the situation that a less stiff Detachable Collar  130  is desired. 
   The Interfacing Layer  302  is intended to provide the Detachable Collar  130  with additional stiffness and rigidity. This may be of particular importance for “standup” style collars. In some embodiments, the interfacing may include fusible or non-fusible interfacing. Additionally, boning, wire or additional fabric layers may replace the Interfacing Layer  302  to enhance rigidity in some embodiments. Moreover, in some embodiments, only portions of the Detachable Collar  130  include interfacing. For example, it may be desirable to have interfacing along the Fasteners  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x  but not along the remaining portions of the collar. 
   The Back Side Layer  308  may come in contact with the fabric of the Garment  120 , and in some embodiments, the skin of the Wearer  110 . As such, a soft, comfortable, and non-staining material may be used for the Back Side Layer  308 . Additionally, allergy, moisture susceptibility, the ability to breathe, the ability to be easily cleaned, and aesthetics of the material for the Back Side Layer  308  may be considered. Examples of such materials of the Back Side Layer  308  may include natural and synthetic fabrics, plastic, rubber, leather or any other suitable material. 
   The Front Side Layer  304  may also come in contact with the fabric of the Garment  120 , and in some embodiments, the skin of the Wearer  110 . As such, a soft, comfortable, and non-staining material may be used for the Front Side Layer  304 . Additionally, allergy, moisture susceptibility, the ability to breathe, the ability to be easily cleaned, and aesthetics of the material for the Front Side Layer  304  may be considered. Examples of such materials of the Front Side Layer  304  may include natural and synthetic fabrics, plastic, rubber, leather or any other suitable material. In some embodiments, the aesthetic properties of the Front Side Layer  304  may dominate the other considerations since the Front Side Layer  304  may be more readily visible once the Detachable Collar  130  is coupled to the Garment  120 . 
   Stitching  306  is shown holding the Back Side Layer  308 , Interfacing Layer  302  and Front Side Layer  304  together. The Stitching  306  may, in some embodiments, be hidden from exterior viewing of the Detachable Collar  130 . Although Stitching  306  is illustrated in the exemplary figure, other methods of joining the Back Side Layer  308 , Interfacing Layer  302  and Front Side Layer  304  together may be utilized. For example, glues, lamination techniques, rivets or any other suitable method may be utilized for annealing the Back Side Layer  308 , Interfacing Layer  302  and Front Side Layer  304 . 
     FIG. 4  shows a detailed illustration of the Detachable Collar  130  coupled to the Garment  120 , shown generally at  400 . In this exemplary illustration, the Permanent Collar  112  of the Garment  120  may be seen engaging the Detachable Collar  130 . The Fasteners  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x  couple to the Permanent Collar  112 . In some embodiments, the pin portion of the Fastener  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x  may pass through the Permanent Collar  112 . The cap portion of the Fastener  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x  may then cover the pin and securely fasten the Detachable Collar  130  to the Permanent Collar  112 . The Left Collar Tip  406  and Right Collar Tip  408  may slip into the pockets created by the Left Collar Tip  406  and Right Collar Tip  408 , respectively. This ensures that the Permanent Collar  112  remains closely positioned to the Collar Body  202  and enhances Wearer  110  comfort and proper fit. 
     FIG. 5A  shows a detailed illustration of the exemplary Fastener  204   b . The Fastener  204   b  includes a cap and pin portion. The pin portion may include a Pin Shaft  502  extending up from the Pin Base  506 . The Pin Base  506  may be embedded within the Collar Body  202 , thereby coupling the Fastener  204   b  to the Detachable Collar  130 . 
   The cap covers the pin portion. The cap may include a Cap Top  504  and Cap Grips  508 . The Cap Top  504  may engage the Pin Shaft  502 . The Cap Top  504  protects the Wearer  110  from being injured by the Pin Shaft  502 . The Pin Shaft  502  may pierce and pass through the Permanent Collar  112 . The Cap Top  504  additionally acts to flank the Permanent Collar  112 , thereby coupling the Detachable Collar  130  to the Garment  120 . 
   The Cap Grips  508  may be spring mounted as to pinch the Pin Shaft  502  when engaging the Cap Top  504 . The pinching of the Pin Shaft  502  by the Cap Grips  508  ensures the cap remains fastened to the pin. Thus by squeezing the Cap Grips  508 , the Wearer  110  may engage and disengage the Fasteners  204   a ,  204   b ,  204   c  to  204   x  at will. 
     FIG. 5B  shows a cut-away illustration of the Fastener  204   b . Here the Pin Base  506  is seen embedded within the Collar Body  202 . Back Side Layer  308  and Front Side Layer  304  surround the Pin Base  506 . The Pin Shaft  502  extends up from the Pin Base  506  and through the Back Side Layer  308 . The Cap Top  504  covers the Pin Shaft  502 . The top of the Cap Top  504  includes a Cap Enclosure  510 . The Cap Enclosure  510  ensures the Pin Shaft  502  does not injure the Wearer  110 . Likewise, the Cap Enclosure  510  holds the Cap Grips  508 . Here the Cap Grips  508  may be seen as pinching the Pin Shaft  502 . 
   While this invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, there are alterations, modifications, permutations, and substitute equivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. For example, wherein the disclosed detachable collar has been illustrated for human clothing, such a system may be just as easily extended for pet clothing purposes. 
   It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, modifications, permutations, and substitute equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.