Patent Publication Number: US-9839262-B1

Title: Cuff link accessory

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates in general to a cuff link accessory. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cuff link accessory that is useful in applying a cuff link to a shirt having a button cuff. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     At the present time there are basically two ways of connecting a cuff on a shirt. One way is to use the conventional button and button hole and multiple buttons and multiple button holes. The other way to connect the cuff is with the use of a cuff link that typically passes through opposed holes at ends of the cuff. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an accessory whereby a buttoned cuff shirt can be converted for use with a cuff link. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a cuff link accessory for coupling a one piece cuff link with a shirt cuff button, particularly the button hole. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cuff link accessory that is relatively simple in construction, that can be manufactured relatively inexpensively and that can be readily installed. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a cuff link accessory for coupling a cuff link with a buttoned cuff shirt thus essentially converting the buttoned cuff to allow a wide variety of cuff link configurations to be used. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To accomplish the foregoing and other objects of the present invention there is provided a cuff link accessory for coupling a one piece cuff link with a shirt cuff button and including a base member having opposed ends, a first hole section disposed at one end of the base member and a second hole section disposed at the opposed end of the base member. The first hole section is for engagement with a post of the cuff link, and the second hole section is for engagement with the shirt cuff button. 
     In accordance with other aspects of the present invention the base member comprises a planar substrate constructed of a pliable material; the first and second hole sections are each comprised of a single hole; the single hole is in the form of an elongated slit; at least one of the single holes is in the form of a substantially circular hole; the base member comprises a planar substrate constructed of a pliable material and the diameter of the circular hole is less than a diameter of the shirt cuff button so that the shirt cuff button is engageable with the substantially circular hole and retained thereby; in an alternate embodiment the base member comprises a center member and the hole sections are comprised of respective end loops supported from opposite ends of the center member; wherein the shirt cuff is folded back and the base member is arranged under the folded back shirt cuff; wherein, upon the shirt cuff being folded back, the shirt cuff button is disposed under the folded back shirt cuff and between the folded back shirt cuff and a shirt sleeve from which the shirt cuff extends; wherein the cuff link is comprised of an ornamental face piece attached to the post at one end thereof and a toggle hinged from the post at an opposite end thereof; wherein, when the post is engaged with the first hole section, the toggle is in line with the post, and thereafter the toggle is pivoted in order to secure the cuff link with the first hole section; wherein the cuff link is comprised of an ornamental face piece attached to the post at one end thereof and a toggle hinged from the post at an opposite end thereof; and wherein, when the post is engaged with the first hole section, the toggle is in line with the post, and thereafter the toggle is pivoted in order to secure the cuff link with the first hole section. In another version of the present invention there is provided a method of applying a cuff link, that has an ornamental face piece, a post and a toggle, to a shirt having a cuff with a button on one side and a hole on an opposed side by means of a cuff link accessory that includes a base member having opposed ends, a first hole section disposed at one end of the base member and a second hole section disposed at the opposed end of the base member. The method includes folding back the shirt cuff, engaging the cuff link post through the button hole and the first hole section of the base member, and engaging the shirt cuff button with the second hole section. 
     In accordance with other aspects of the method of the present invention, when the post is engaged with the first hole section, the toggle is in line with the post; wherein thereafter the toggle is pivoted in order to secure the cuff link with the first hole section and the button hole; wherein, upon the shirt cuff being folded back, the shirt cuff button is disposed under the folded back shirt cuff; wherein, upon the shirt cuff being folded back, the shirt cuff button is disposed between the folded back shirt cuff and a shirt sleeve from which the shirt cuff extends; including providing the base member as a planar substrate constructed of a pliable material; or alternatively including providing the base member as a center member and the hole sections as respective end loops supported from opposite ends of the center member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       It should be understood that the drawings are provided for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to define the limits of the disclosure. The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the embodiments described herein will become apparent with reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the cuff link accessory of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the Cuff link accessory of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross section view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2   
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary view showing a typical buttoned cuff folded back; 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a next step in the method of installation of the accessory whereby one side of the accessory is connected with the button; 
         FIG. 6  is a further perspective view illustrating a next step in the method illustrating the other end of the accessory being grasped; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a further step in the method wherein the post of the cuff link is inserted through the opposed slit of the accessory; 
         FIG. 8  is an illustration of the accessory as installed with a buttoned cuff; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the cuff link accessory, 
         FIG. 10  is a cross section view taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a plan view of a second embodiment of the cuff link accessory; 
         FIG. 12  is a plan view of a third embodiment of a cuff link accessory; 
         FIG. 13  is a plan view of a fourth embodiment of the cuff link accessory, 
         FIG. 14  is a plan view of a fifth embodiment of the cuff link accessory, 
         FIG. 15  is a front view of the cuff link accessory of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a rear view of the cuff link accessory of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 17  is a left side view of the cuff link accessory of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 18  is a right side view of the cuff link accessory of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1-3  of the present invention showing a first embodiment of the cuff link accessory  10 . In this embodiment, as well as in other embodiments, such as described in  FIGS. 11-14 , the accessory may be constructed of a number of different types of material. The accessory  10  is constructed of a pliable material so that it can be readily bent into different shapes. As an example, the accessory may be constructed of leather, suede, alligator, neoprene, a fabric material, rubber or silicone. The length of the accessory may be on the order of 2 inches or in a range of 1.5-2.5 inches. The width of the accessory may be around ¾ of an inch or in a range of 0.5 to 1.0 inch. The length of the slits shown in  FIG. 1  in the accessory may have a length that is substantially the same as the distance between the split. 
     The cuff link accessory  10  shown in  FIGS. 1-3  is comprised of a base member  12  having opposed ends, a first hole section  14  disposed at one end of the base member and a second hole section  16  disposed at the opposed end of the base member. The first hole section is for engagement with a post of the cuff link such as shown in  FIG. 7 . The second hole section is for engagement with the shirt cuff button such as illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In order to perform this installation of the accessory, the shirt cuff is folded back as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
     As further illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 , the base member is a planar substrate material constructed of a pliable material. The first and second hole sections are each comprised of a single hole or slit.  FIGS. 1-3  show the use of opposed slits. However, a hole may also be employed such as illustrated in  FIG. 13 . With respect to the embodiment in  FIG. 13 , both of the holes may be circular. As a matter of fact, a number of different variations of configuration of the holes can be provided including slits, circular holes, oval holes and other hole configurations. In  FIGS. 1-3  there are provided elongated slits  15  and  17 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the shirt  20  is shown as having a sleeve  22  and a cuff  24  that is folded back so that the button  26  is facing inwardly toward the shirt sleeve.  FIG. 4  also shows the cuff  24  relative to the user&#39;s arm  25  and furthermore illustrates the cuff button hole at  28 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the accessory  10  at a first installation step wherein the slit  17  engages the button  26 . The button  26  may be initially pushed through the slit  17  and then positioned as shown in  FIG. 5 . This will secure the accessory in the position shown in  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 5  also illustrates the cuff link  30  with the post  32  passing through the button hole  28 . The cuff link  30  also includes a toggle  34  supported at the free end of the post  32 . The post  32  is secured to the ornamental head  36  of the cuff link  30 .  FIG. 5  illustrates the head  36  of the cuff link on the outside and the post  32  on the inside. The accessory  10  is folded over so that the post  32  can engage with the slit  15  in the accessory  10 . For this purpose the toggle  34  is maintained in an inline position with the post  32  such as illustrated in  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 7  illustrates the cuff link  30  having been passed through the button hole  28  and also engaged with the slit  15  in the base member  12 .  FIG. 8  illustrates the final position of the cuff link with the ornamental head  30  facing outwardly thus providing an appearance as though a cuff link is applied to a buttoned cuff shirt. 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 9 and 10  for an alternate embodiment of the present invention. This is in the form of an accessory  40  that includes a base member  42  and opposite hole sections  44  and  46  having respective slits  45  and  47 . The embodiment shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10  similar to that shown in  FIGS. 1-3  but further includes a substrate  50  that may be constructed of a soft pliable material such as a foam material. As this material will be pressed against the user&#39;s skin, it may be advantageous to have a soft material at that location. 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 11-14  for alternate embodiments of the present invention.  FIG. 11  illustrates a base member  60  having hole sections  61  and  62  with respective slits  63  and  64 . In this embodiment the hole section  61  is rectangular while the hole section  62  is circular. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 12 , there is shown a base member  70  having opposed hole sections  71  and  72  with respective slits  73  and  74 . In  FIG. 12  both of the hole sections are square off so as to form a substantially rectangular base member. 
     In  FIG. 13 , the construction of the base member is substantially the same as illustrated in  FIG. 11 . Thus, in  FIG. 13 , there is provided a base member  80  having opposed hole sections  81  and  82 . In the section  81  there is provided a slit  83  while in the section  82  there is provided a circular hole  84 . In accordance with the present invention, there can be a variety of shapes of the base member and there can also be a variety of shapes of the particular holes. 
       FIG. 14  shows still another embodiment of the present invention including a center section  92 . From the center section  92 , there are disposed opposed loops  94  and  96 . These loops  94  and  96  form essential first and second hole sections that can engage respectively with the cuff link and cuff button. 
     Finally,  FIG. 15  is a front view of the cuff link accessory of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 16  is a rear view of the cuff link accessory of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 17  is a left side view of the cuff link accessory of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 18  is a right side view of the cuff link accessory of  FIG. 1 . 
     Having now described a limited number of embodiments of the present invention, it should now be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous other embodiments and modifications thereof are contemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.