Abstract:
A button placket fastener closure directed to garments, such as shirts or blouses. The fastener closure uses alternating and opposing buttons to fully secure each side of the button placket, such that the button placket does not gap to reveal the skin or undergarments of the garment wearer.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    THIS APPLICATION CLAIMS BENEFIT OF PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION No. 61/443,314 FILED ON FEB. 16, 2011. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The instant invention relates to garments such as blouses and shirts which are able to have an inner placket be affixed to an outer placket by a fastener. Such fasteners include, but are not limited to buttons, discs, clips, snaps or hook and eye fasteners. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The invention is directed to garments such as a shirt or blouse, including means to secure any gaps which may form between buttons. Such gaps may not be wanted by the wearer as it may expose undergarments or skin to casual observers. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Traditional button-down garments enploy buttons with corresponding proximal buttonholes to fasten together the outer placket and the inner placket of the garment. Usually, the shirt or blouse has a fixed vertical distance between each button and buttonhole. When the buttons are all inter-fitted with their corresponding buttonholes the outer placket and the inner placket are attached in a dis-continuous fashion. It is common for a gap to occur in the intermediate region between a first secured button and a second secured button. This gap may visually expose the wearer&#39;s undergarments or skin, which is undesirable. In the case of a women&#39;s blouse, one solution is to purchase a second undergarment such as a tank top which would place a physical obstruction in the gap opening. In the instant invention, a gap closing button and a gap closing hole are placed in the intermediate region defined by the gap. By securing the gap closing button to the gap closing buttonhole, the gap is closed and the wearer of the blouse will have her modesty when desired. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a blouse in an open position showing the arrangements of buttons and buttonholes located on the plackets of the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 1A  is a side view of a portion of a blouse, showing the gap present between an inner button placket and an outer button placket, the instant gap to be closed by use of the invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a blouse in a closed position showing the arrangement of buttons and buttonholes located on the plackets, further showing an additional button and buttonhole of the instant invention in dashed lines at two locations, as such the additional button and buttonhole are located beneath the top placket; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a side sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 2  showing the inner and outer plackets of the blouse in close proximity without any button being secured in a buttonhole; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a top sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 2  showing the inner and outer plackets of the blouse being secured together by a button being secured in an adjacent buttonhole. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The instant invention will be described in detail by referring the following discussion to the Figures provided in the application. This discussion will center on the structural elements of the invention as well as their function. The interrelationships between parts in both form and function will be clearly shown thus completely describing the invention. As used herein, the terms blouse and shirt can be interchanged. Further the invention can be for women&#39;s or men&#39;s or children&#39;s clothing where applicable. 
         [0011]    Referring now specifically to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of the instant blouse  10  is shown. 
         [0012]    Collar  15  is shown which includes a collar button  20  and a collar buttonhole  25 . By placing the collar button  20  through the collar buttonhole  25 , one would secure the collar  15  about the neck of the user (not shown). It has been contemplated that there may be blouses in general which do not have a collar and in such a case there would be no bearing whatsoever on the instant invention. An inner button placket  30  and an outer button placket  35  are provided. Both the inner button placket  30  and the outer button placket  35  have substantial substructure which will be described in much greater detail in the discussion of  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . 
         [0013]    The inner button placket  30  includes button  40  and button  45 . Button  40  and button  45  are secured to the inner button placket  30  by conventional means such as thread. One can imagine that a button may be affixed to a placket by any of a variety of means which are considered to be in the scope of the invention. Additionally, the number of buttons are not limited to those shown in these Figures, they are merely representative of one possible configuration. One should consider the number of buttons located on the inner button placket  30  as a design choice. Located to the right of the inner button placket  30  is a vertical distance designator D. This measures the vertical distance (D) from button  40  to button  45 . 
         [0014]    An outer button placket  35  includes buttonhole  55  and buttonhole  60 . As can be seen, button  40  is proximal to buttonhole  55 . Button  45  is shown affixed to buttonhole  60 . 
         [0015]    A hidden button  65  and a hidden buttonhole  70  are identified by dashed lines. A second hidden button  75  and second hidden buttonhole  80  are also shown as the last call outs on  FIG. 1 . This hidden structure is essential to the invention and will be discussed thoroughly and in detail in the discussion of  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . 
         [0016]    Referring specifically to  FIG. 1A , the gap G is shown between inner button placket  30  and outer button placket  35 . This gap G is formed when button  40  and button  45  are placed into and through their associated buttonholes ( 55 ,  60 ). Button  40  is connected to the inner button placket  30  by button connection means  32 . Button  45  is connected to the inner button placket  30  by button connection means  42 . Button connection means  32  and button connection means  42  are generally chosen to be thread or a thread-like material. The garment industry may have other materials which are employed to secure buttons on fabrics, such materials are considered to be included as possible material to secure a button here. Length D shows the distance between button  40  and button  45 . It is considered that gap G would not extend past length D between any two sets of buttons. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  includes substantially all the same elements as  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 2 , the buttons secured to the inner button placket  30  have been passed through the buttonholes located on the outer button placket  35 . Button  65  and button  75  are shown in dashed lines as they are not observable, i.e. they are covered by a portion of the outer button placket  35 . It will be more easily seen in subsequent Figures, but prior to the buttoning of hidden button  65 , a gap existed in the region defined by the vertical distance D, which is the area between button  40  and button  45 . When this gap is open, a casual observer would be able to see into the blouse  10 , seeing any undergarments being worn or skin, possibly embarrassing the wearer of blouse  10 . By buttoning hidden or gap closing button  65 , the problem is obviated as the gap is no longer present. 
         [0018]    Now turning specifically to  FIG. 3  shows a side sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 2  showing the inner and outer plackets of the blouse in close proximity without any button being secured in a buttonhole. The inner button placket  30  includes button  40  and button  45 . Button  45  is secured to inner button placket  30  by button securing means  42 . Button  40  is secured to inner button placket  30  by button securing means  32 . Button securing means  32  and button securing means  42  are generally made from thread or string or other fibrous elongates. When button  40  is secured in buttonhole  55  and button  45  is secured in buttonhole  60 , a gap is formed between the outer button placket  35  and the inner button placket  30  and associated fabrics between the two buttons which the instant invention desires to close. This is performed by button  65  which is secured to the outer button placket  35  by button securing means  62 . As seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , securing means  62  does not extend to the outer portion of button placket  35  so that securing means  62  is not visible when looking at button placket  35  from the front of the blouse. Button securing means  62  is generally made from thread or string or other fibrous elongates. Button  65  sits adjacent and proximal to buttonhole  70 . Button  65  is designed to be placed into buttonhole  70  which penetrates through the inner button placket  30 . Button  65  is designed to not be visible to an observer viewing the blouse  10  from a remote position away from the person wearing the blouse. Button  65  further closes the gap which permits such a garment to be worn modestly. 
         [0019]    Referring now specifically to  FIG. 4  the gap closing button  65  is shown affixed in buttonhole  70 . The gap closing button is secured through outer button placket  35  by button securing means  62 . Threading or other fibrous elongates  36  supports placket  35  and threading or other fibrous elongates  31  supports inner placket  30 . 
         [0020]    Though the present description includes a single gap closing button  65  between button  40  and button  45 , it is anticipated that a plurality of gap closing buttons  65  can be placed between the buttons  40  and  45  on the opposing plackets. 
         [0021]    While the invention has been described in its preferred form or embodiment with some degree of particularity, it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction, fabrication, and use, including the combination and arrangement of parts, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.