Abstract:
The present invention relates to a system for clipping a necktie to a dress shirt. The system includes a necktie and a clip that attaches to a loop on the rear portion of the necktie. The clip has a front prong that passes through an aperture in the necktie loop and a rear prong that is placed behind a panel of the dress shirt. The tie clip allows the necktie to lie vertically (not crooked) along the dress shirt and is hidden from view when in use.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a system for clipping a men&#39;s necktie to a dress shirt. 
     2. Background of the Invention 
     Although many U.S. companies have gone to a business casual dress code, suits and neckties are still worn by men in many industries. For those wearing neckties and suits, maintaining a professional appearance remains critically important. Thus, a disheveled look caused by, for example, wind blowing the necktie and causing it to lie crooked on the shirt is not desirable. In addition, neckties are prone to getting wet when wearers lean over a sink to wash their hands. 
     Various systems have been developed to secure neckties to dress shirts. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,723,429, 2,608,729, and 2,581,274 each describe a tie clip that secures a necktie to a dress shirt. However, the clips described in the aforementioned patents are visible when worn, which is disadvantageous because tie clips can go into and out of style quickly. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,019,782 (“the &#39;782 patent”) teaches a tie clip that attaches to the rear of the thick portion of the tie. The commercial embodiment of the &#39;782 patent is the Grayco END-LOCK clip. The END-LOCK clip, however, is relatively small in size and is prone to allowing the tie to lie crooked on the dress shirt, as it is not attached at the center of the width of the tie. 
     Thus, there is a need for tie clip systems that secure a necktie to dress shirts and allow the necktie to lie in a generally vertical manner along the shirt&#39;s length. It is especially desirable to develop tie clips that are hidden from view when worn. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides a tie clip system for attaching a necktie to a dress shirt. In some embodiments, the tie clip system includes a necktie, a tie clip and a dress shirt. The necktie has a front, a rear configured to face the dress shirt, a proximal end, a distal end, a tie length extending from the proximal end to the distal end, a variable tie width perpendicular to the tie length, a thick portion in which the necktie has a first width, a thin portion in which the necktie has a second width, the second width shorter than the first width, and at least one loop. The at least one loop has a first end attached to the rear of the thick portion, a second end also attached to the rear of the thick portion, a middle portion between the first and second ends and unattached to the rear of the thick portion, a front facing the rear of the thick portion, a rear configured to face the dress shirt, and a tie loop aperture located in the tie loop. The at least one loop is configured to allow the thin portion of the tie to pass between the front of the at least one tie loop and the rear of the thick portion and thereby secure the thin portion of the necktie to the thick portion of the necktie. The tie clip is removably attached to the tie loop and includes a front prong having a segment received in the tie loop aperture and another segment located between the tie loop front and the rear of the thick portion of the necktie, and a rear prong pivotally attached to the front prong. The dress shirt has a left panel and a right panel, each of which has a front and a rear, and the rear prong of the tie clip is placed behind one of the left and right panels (typically the left panel), preferably between adjacent buttonholes on the shirt, so that the tie clip secures the necktie to the dress shirt. Preferably, the tie clip is hidden from view when in use, from the perspective of a person standing in front of the person wearing the dress shirt. Preferably, the tie loop aperture is offset from the lengthwise center of the tie loop. Preferably, the neck tie has at least two loops and each loop has a first end attached to the rear of the thick portion and a second end also attached to the rear of the thick portion, a middle portion between the first and second ends and unattached to the thick portion, a front facing the rear of the thick portion and a rear configured to face the dress shirt. Preferably, when clipped to the shirt, the necktie extends generally vertically (i.e., not crooked) along the length of the dress shirt. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates a rear, elevation view of a men&#39;s necktie of one embodiment of the present invention; the necktie has one rear loop. 
         FIG. 1B  illustrates a rear, elevation view of a men&#39;s necktie of one embodiment of the present invention; the necktie has two rear loops. 
         FIG. 1C  illustrates a rear, perspective view of the thick portion of a men&#39;s necktie of one embodiment of the present invention; the necktie has one rear loop. 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates a side, perspective view of one embodiment of a tie clip for use in the tie clip system of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates a side, elevation view of one embodiment of a tie clip for use in the tie clip system of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a rear, perspective view of a tie clip removably attached to a loop of a men&#39;s necktie. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a rear, perspective view of a tie clip attaching a men&#39;s necktie to a men&#39;s dress shirt. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a front view of the tie clip system in use; the necktie is lying straight on the men&#39;s dress shirt and is hidden from view. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , the present disclosure provides a system for attaching a men&#39;s necktie  10  to a men&#39;s dress shirt  42  using a tie clip  22 . In the drawings, not all reference numbers are included in each drawing for the sake of clarity. 
     Referring further to  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  5 , the necktie  10  has a front  15 , a rear  16  configured to face the dress shirt  42 , a proximal end  11 , a distal end  17 , a tie length  21  extending from the proximal end  11  to the distal end  17 , a variable tie width  23  perpendicular to the tie length  21 , a thick portion  14  in which the necktie  10  has a first width, a thin portion  12  in which the necktie has a second width, wherein the second width is shorter than the first width, and at least one tie loop  18 . The tie loop  18  has a first end  25  attached to the rear  16  of the thick portion  14 , a second end  27  also attached to the rear  16  of the thick portion  14 , a middle portion  29  between the first and second ends  25  and  27  and unattached to the rear  16  of the thick portion  14 , a front  35  facing the rear  16  of the thick portion  14 , a rear  33  configured to face the dress shirt  42 , and a tie loop aperture  20 . Optionally, the first end  25  and second end  27  are attached to the rear  16  of the thick portion  14  by stitching  31 . Optionally, the first and second end  25  and  27  are attached to the rear  16  of the thick portion  14  by attachment to a second piece of material  37 , which is attached directly to the rear  16  of the thick portion  14 , as best seen in  FIG. 3 . The at least one tie loop  18  is configured to allow the thin portion  12  to pass between the loop  18  and the rear  16  of the thick portion  14  and thereby secure the thin portion  12  to the thick portion  14 . 
     The tie clip system further includes a tie clip  22 . As shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the tie clip  22  has a front prong  34  and a rear prong  26  pivotally attached to the rear prong  26 . Two exemplary clips  22  are shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . For example, the clip in  FIG. 2A  resembles a money clip and has a front prong  34 , a rear prong  26  and a pivot point  24 . Optionally, the clip  22  of  FIG. 2A  has a length extending from the pivot point  24  to the tip of the front prong  34  of from about 40 mm to about 50 mm and a width of from about 5 mm to about 15 mm. The clip in  FIG. 2B  has a front prong  34 , a rear prong  26 , a pivot pin  24 , and a plurality of teeth  32  located in the rear prong  26  that are used to secure the tie clip  22  to the dress shirt  42 . As shown in  FIG. 2B , the front and rear prongs  26  and  34  may meet on one side of the pivot pin  24  (i.e., the left side in the view shown in  FIG. 2B ) and the front and rear prongs  26  and  34  may be parallel on the other side of the pivot pin  24  (i.e., the right side in the view shown in  FIG. 2B ) so that the prongs  26  and  34  are separated by a gap  40  of, e.g., about 5 mm. It will be appreciated that the clips shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B  are only exemplary and other suitable clips may be used in the systems of the present invention. 
     The system further includes a dress shirt  42 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The dress shirt  42  has a neck opening  48  and a left panel  49  and a right panel  51 , each of which has a front  50  and a rear  52 . Optionally, the dress shirt  42  includes a plurality of buttons  44  attached to the right panel  51  that are spaced along the length of the dress shirt  42  and a plurality of buttonholes  53  located in the left panel  49 . 
     An exemplary method of operation of the system will now be described. It will be understood that the method of operation is only exemplary. 
     The necktie  10  and tie clip  22  are provided. The necktie  10  is tied in a knot (e.g., a Windsor knot) and the thin portion  12  of the necktie  10  is placed between the tie loop front  35  and the rear  16  of the thick portion  14  so that the thin portion  12  is secured to the thick portion  14 . 
     A segment of the front prong  34  is positioned through the tie loop aperture  20  so that a segment of the front prong  34  is located in the tie loop aperture  20  and another segment of the front prong is located between the tie loop front  35  and the rear  16  of the thick portion  14 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     The dress shirt  42  is placed on a person. The rear prong  26  is positioned behind the left panel  49  in a gap  46  between adjacent buttonholes  53  (and in front of the right panel  51 ), thereby securing the necktie  10  to the dress shirt  42 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The dress shirt  42  is buttoned, as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     Preferably, the tie clip  22  is hidden in view from a person standing about five feet directly in front of the person wearing the dress shirt  42  and the necktie  10  extends/hangs generally vertically along the length of the dress shirt  42 . 
     The tie loop  18  has a length  19  extending from the first end  25  to the second end  27  and a width perpendicular to the length  19 . Preferably, the tie loop aperture  20  is offset from the lengthwise center  54  of the tie loop  18 , as best seen in  FIGS. 1C and 3 . In some embodiments, the tie loop  18  has a length  19  of about 6 cm, a width of about 1.25 cm and the tie loop aperture  20  is offset from the lengthwise center  54  by about 1.5 cm. Optionally, the necktie  10  has two tie loops  18 A and  18 B, one above the other, as shown in  FIG. 1B . The advantage of having two tie loops  18 A and  18 B is that attaching the tie clip  22  to the lower loop  18 B may provide a different appearance than if the tie clip  22  is attached to the upper loop  18 A. In addition, having two loops  18 A and  18 B decreases the chance the rear prong  26  will align with a buttonhole  53 . Thus, preferably, if the necktie  10  has two loops  18 A and  18 B, the length of the gap  55  between the two loops  18 A and  18 B is different than the length of the gap  46  between adjacent buttonholes  53  found in a conventional dress shirt  42 . As known to those of ordinary skill, the length of the gap  46  between adjacent buttonholes  53  found in a conventional dress shirt  42  is about 3 to about 3.5 inches. 
     Having now described the invention in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes, those skilled in the art will understand how to make changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiments to meet their specific requirements or conditions. Changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as defined and limited solely by the following claims. In addition, the steps of any method described herein may be performed in any suitable order and steps may be performed simultaneously if needed.