Patent Publication Number: US-10757990-B2

Title: Clothing accessory

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/553,576, filed on Sep. 1, 2017, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Clothing garments are meant to provide utility to the wearer and provide the wearer an opportunity to make a fashion statement. Clothing accessories can be worn and used with clothing garments to change the look of the outfit. Such accessories can include scarves, hats, shawls, etc. However, most standalone accessories are designed to be worn in addition to the clothing garment. The wearer is still then left with the same clothing garment, no matter what accessory is paired with it. If the wearer would like to modify the actual clothing garment to achieve a different look, such modifying can be a time intensive job that requires a skilled hand. The same goes for modifying an accessory. Modifying clothing garments and accessories often requires permanent alterations to the item that are irreversible. 
     Therefore, improvements in attachable and removable clothing accessories application are desired. 
     SUMMARY 
     One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a removable clothing accessory. In one possible configuration, and by a non-limiting example, a foldable clothing accessory that has a plurality of attachment structures and is configured to be removably attached to an edge of a clothing garment is disclosed. 
     In one aspect of the present disclosure, a clothing accessory is disclosed. The clothing accessory includes a flat envelope formed from at least two pieces of fabric mated to form the envelope. The envelope defines a generally rectangular shape with a first long edge and an opposing second long edge. The envelope also defines a first short edge and an opposing second short edge. According to one example embodiment, the clothing accessory includes a plurality of attachment structures that are provided adjacent to each of the opposing first and second long edges within the envelope. 
     In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a method of attaching a clothing accessory is disclosed. The method includes providing a rectangular clothing accessory that includes a first long edge and an opposing second long edge. The clothing accessory also includes a first short edge and an opposing second short edge. The clothing accessory includes a plurality of attachment structures that are provided adjacent to each of the opposing first and second long edges within a rectangular envelope. The clothing accessory is foldable along a folding line that longitudinally bisects the rectangular envelope. The method includes positioning the first long edge of the clothing accessory adjacent to a first side of a clothing edge. The method includes folding the clothing accessory over the clothing edge about the folding line of the clothing accessory. The method includes positioning the second long edge of the clothing accessory adjacent to a second side of a clothing edge. The method also includes mating the attachment structures positioned at the first long edge with the attachment structures positioned at the second long edge through the clothing. 
     A variety of additional aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. The aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following drawings are illustrative of particular embodiments of the present disclosure and therefore do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The drawings are not to scale and are intended for use in conjunction with the explanations in the following detailed description. Embodiments of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like numerals denote like elements. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic front view of a clothing garment and a clothing accessory, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of the clothing garment and clothing accessory of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the clothing accessory of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an outer or top view of the clothing accessory of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an inner or bottom view of the clothing accessory of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is schematic view of the clothing accessory of  FIG. 1  schematically illustrating the attachment structures. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic exploded view of the clothing accessory of  FIG. 1  illustrating the components that make up the clothing accessory. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view illustrating a method of installing the clothing accessory of  FIG. 1  onto a clothing garment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the appended claims. 
     The clothing accessory disclosed herein has many advantages. The clothing accessory is configured to be removably attached to a clothing garment to change the look and/or function of the clothing garment. The clothing accessory  100  is provided as a stand-alone, self-attaching structure that does not need mating attachment mechanisms on the clothing garment. The clothing accessory is easy to store as a flat, rectangular envelope, defined by the clothing accessory of the present disclosure, it can simply be rolled up and tucked away when not in use. Further, the clothing accessory can conform to different curved or straight edges. 
       FIGS. 1-8  illustrate a clothing accessory  100  having features that are examples of inventive aspects in accordance with the present disclosure. In the illustrated example, the clothing accessory  100  is shown as a ruff that can be removably attached to a piece of outerwear such as a coat or a jacket. 
       FIG. 1  shows the clothing accessory  100  removably attached to a conventional clothing garment  102 . In some examples, the clothing accessory  100  can be positioned around an edge  104  defined by part of the clothing garment  102 . Specifically, the clothing accessory  100  can be positioned adjacent a first, inner side  106  of the edge  104  and a second, outer side  108  of the edge  104  and folded around the edge  104 . Once folded around the edge  104 , the clothing accessory  100  is configured to attach to the clothing garment  102  to allow a user to modify the appearance and/or utility of the clothing garment  102  without permanently altering the clothing garment  102 , as will be discussed in further detail below. 
     The clothing accessory  100  is configured to be positioned on a variety of different types of clothing and clothing accessories such as shirts, jackets, hoods, pants, hats, gloves, scarves, boots, etc. Further, the edge  104  shown and described herein is an example and is meant to be illustrative that the clothing accessory  100  can be attached to any edge of a variety of different types of clothing garments  102 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a side view of a clothing garment  102  with the clothing accessory  100  attached thereto. In the depicted example, the clothing garment  102  is a hood and the edge  104  is defined by the edge of the hood. 
       FIG. 3  shows a schematic view of the clothing accessory  100 . In the depicted example, when the clothing accessory  100  is not attached to a clothing garment  102 , the clothing accessory  100  is generally planar in shape defining a flat envelope  112  formed from at least two pieces of fabric  114 ,  116  mated to form the envelope  112 . In some examples, a first piece of fabric  114  forms an outer side  118  and a second piece of fabric  116  forms an inner side  120  of the clothing accessory  100 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-8 , the first piece  114  of the two planar pieces of fabric may be a textured fabric or include surface texturing, wherein the texturing may resemble fur (faux fur) or a similar material. In this manner, as will be described in further detail below, the clothing accessory  100  can be worn as a faux fur ruff on various parts of a piece of outerwear. 
     The second piece  116  of the two planar pieces of fabric can be a piece of fabric that is configured to interface with the clothing garment  102 . In some examples, the second piece of fabric  116  may include a decorative pattern. And, in other examples, the second piece  116  is different from the first piece  114 . In some examples, the second piece  116  is substantially similar to the first piece  114 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the outer side  118  of the clothing accessory  100 . In the depicted embodiment, the first piece of fabric  114  is sized so that the second piece of fabric  116  is not visible from the outer side  118  of the clothing accessory  100 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the inner side  120  of the clothing accessory  100 . In the depicted embodiment, the first piece of fabric  114  is sized as such that it completely surrounds the second piece of fabric  116 . In some examples, the inner side  120  can include decorative labels  122  and/or removable cleaning instructions  124 . 
       FIG. 6  schematically shows the envelope  112  defined by the clothing accessory. The envelope  112  formed by the clothing accessory  100  defines a generally rectangular shape with two opposing long edges  124   a ,  124   b  and two opposing shorter edges  126   a ,  126   b . Provided adjacent to each of the opposing long edges  124   a ,  124   b  (first  124   a  and second  124   b  long edges), within the envelope  112 , are a plurality of attachment structures  128 . According to one example embodiment, the attachment structures  128  are magnets and/or structures including magnetic properties. Thus, along the first long edge  124   a  of the clothing accessory  100  are provided a first plurality of attachment structures  128   a  and along the second long edge  124   b  of the clothing accessory  100  are provided a second plurality of attachment structures  128   b.    
     In some examples, the attachment structures  128  are neodymium magnets. In some examples, the attachment structures  128  are neodymium magnets having a grade N38 and nickel coated. In other examples, each attachment structure  128  is contained within a pouch  130 , such as a plastic pouch. In some examples, the attachment structures  128  each have a pull force between about 5 pounds and 10 pounds. In other examples, the attachment structures  128  each have a pull force of about 7 pounds. In some examples, the attachment structures  128  each have an operating temperature between about 160 degrees Fahrenheit and 190 degrees Fahrenheit. In some examples, the attachment structures  128  each have an operating temperature of about 176 degrees Fahrenheit. In some examples, each attachment structure  128  has a Brmax (i.e., residual induction) of about 12,600 Gauss and a BHmax (i.e., maximum energy product) of about 38 MGOe. 
     The attachment structures  128  of the clothing accessory  100  are configured such that the first plurality of attachment structures  128   a  along the first long edge  124   a  are attracted (e.g., magnetically attracted) to the second plurality of attachment structures  128   b  along the second edge  124   b . In this manner, when the clothing accessory  100  is folded along a line L that longitudinally bisects the rectangular envelope  112  and the first long edge  124   a  is brought toward the second long edge  124   b , the first plurality of attachment structures  128   a  are coupled (e.g., via a magnetic force) with the second plurality of attachment structures  128   b . As such, the attachment structures  128  can capture an edge (e.g., the edge  104 ) of the clothing garment  102  thereinbetween and provide a mechanism for removably mounting the clothing accessory  100  to that clothing garment  102 . Different types, shapes, and sizes of attachment structures  128  can be used as long as the attachment structures  128  used within the envelope  112  are strong enough to provide a clamping effect with the edge  104  of the clothing garment  102  captured thereinbetween. 
     In some examples, the attachment structures  128  are attached to at least one piece of fabric  114 ,  116  of the envelope  112 . In some examples, the attachment structures  128  are positioned within the envelope  112 . It is also contemplated that the attachment structures  128  can be attached to an exterior of the fabric  114 ,  116 . In some examples, the attachment structures  128  are attached to an interlining piece of fabric (shown in  FIG. 7 ) captured between the first and second pieces of fabric  114 ,  116 . The attachment structures  128  can be attached to the envelope  112  in a variety of different ways such as by sewing or adhering. In some examples, each pouch  130  of each attachment structure  128  is attached to the envelope  112 . In some examples, the attachment structures  128  are not normally visible when the clothing accessory  100  is in use. However, an envelope design with hidden attachment structures  128  provides a sleeker look to the clothing accessory  100  and also limits the risk of damaging or losing one or more attachment structures  128  during everyday use. 
     The two opposing long edges  124   a ,  124   b  and the two opposing shorter edges  126   a ,  126   b  can have a variety of different profiles. In the depicted example, the shorter edges  126   a ,  126   b  have a rounded profile so that when the clothing accessory  100  is folded in half along line L, the shorter edges  126   a ,  126   b  come together to form a half circle. 
     Although the clothing accessory  100  has been depicted and described as having a generally rectangular profile, it should be noted that other shapes can be used. As long as the provided shape defines two opposing edges with a sufficient number of attachment structures  128  provided along each edge for the clamping function, shapes other than a rectangular profile are possible. 
     According to certain embodiments, the clothing accessory  100  can be folded along line L and attached to an edge  104  defined by the edge of a hood of a coat or a jacket via the attachment structures  128 . According to other embodiments still, the clothing accessory  100  can be folded and attached around the top portion of a boot. It is also contemplated that the clothing accessory  100  may be attached to other portions of a piece of outerwear. For example, the clothing accessory  100  may be attached to the edges defined by the ends of the sleeves of a coat or a jacket. The envelope  112  gives the clothing accessory  100  the flexibility to conform to different edges provided on the clothing garment  102 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a perspective exploded view of the clothing accessory  100 , according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the clothing accessory includes the first piece of fabric  114 , the second piece of fabric  116 , and an interlining  115  positioned between the first and second pieces of fabric  114 ,  116 . 
     The interlining  115  can be attached to the plurality of attachment structures  128  and positioned between the first and second pieces  114 ,  116 . In some examples, the interlining  115  has less surface area than at least one of the first and second pieces  114 ,  116  of fabric. In some examples, the interlining  115  is formed from a different material than the material used to form the first and second pieces  114 ,  116 . 
     In some examples, each pouch  130  of each attachment structure  128  is attached to the interlining  115  first during the manufacturing process. The first and second pieces  114 ,  116  are then positioned around the interlining  115  and attached to one another such that the interlining is captured therebetween. In some examples, the interlining  115  is attached to both the first and second pieces  114 ,  116 . 
       FIG. 8  shows a method of installing the clothing accessory  100  to a clothing garment  102 . To install the clothing accessory  100 , the first long edge  124   a  is positioned adjacent a first side (either the inner side  106  or outer side  108 ) defining the clothing edge  104 . In the depicted example, the edge  104  is a hood edge. The clothing accessory  100  is then folded along line L over the edge  104 . The second long edge  124   b  is then positioned adjacent a second side (either the inner side  106  or outer side  108 ), opposite the first side, defining the clothing edge  104 . The attachment structures  128   a ,  128   b  of the first and second sides  124   a ,  124   b  are then mated to clamp the edge  104  of the clothing garment  102  therebetween. The same method can be repeated when using a variety of different clothing garments  102  such as, but not limited to, shirts, jackets, hoods, pants, hats, gloves, scarves, boots, etc. 
     The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the inventive aspects of the disclosure. Since many embodiments of the inventive aspects can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, the inventive concepts reside in the claims hereinafter appended.