Patent Publication Number: US-10772369-B2

Title: Article of clothing having magnetic fastening assemblies

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/277,554 filed Sep. 27, 2016, a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/066,787 filed Oct. 30, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,549,580, a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/961,363 filed Aug. 7, 2013, a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/674,542 filed Nov. 12, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,210,953, each application being fully incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to apparel and, more particularly, to a dress shirt, blouse, coat, jacket, vest, or medical gown having a single or multiple magnetic fastening assemblies. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Typical dress shirts, blouses, coats, jackets, and/or vests are closed around a person&#39;s body by a zipper, snaps or a series of buttons that are secured in corresponding button holes. The cuffs of dress shirts, blouses, and jackets may also have closures with one or more buttons and button holes. To put on one of these articles of clothing, the buttons must be pushed through the button holes. And to take off the article of clothing, the buttons must be pushed back out of (or pulled through) the button holes. Pushing the buttons through the relatively small button holes requires dexterity and, thus, those who have limited control of their hands or fingers due to illness may experience difficulty closing and/or unfastening dress shirts or blouses. Young children having limited experience putting on clothing, or elderly individuals lacking full control of their hands, may also have difficulty putting on or taking off an article of clothing having buttons. 
     It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide an article of clothing, such as a dress shirt, blouse, coat, jacket, or vest, which may be quickly and easily put on and taken off by individuals, particularly those individuals having limited dexterity in their hands and/or fingers and young children who have not mastered using buttons. 
     It is another objective of this invention to provide an article of clothing, such as a dress shirt, blouse, coat, jacket, or vest, which may be quickly and easily put on or taken off, without passing buttons through holes. 
     It is another objective of this invention to provide an article of clothing, such as a dress shirt, blouse, coat, jacket, or vest, which uses multiple magnetic fastening assemblies to enable a person to quickly and easily put on or take off the article of clothing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention of this application which accomplishes these objectives comprises an article of clothing, such as a dress shirt, blouse, coat, jacket, or vest having multiple magnetic fastening assemblies. The article of clothing includes a sheet of material or fabric that forms a body portion of the article. The sheet of material has first and second end portions. First and second plackets are formed along the first and second end portions, respectively. The first placket is formed by folding the sheet along the first end portion and securing the sheet to itself so as to form a first pocket. The second placket is formed by twice folding the sheet along the second end portion and securing the sheet to itself so as to form a second pocket. Alternatively, the second placket may be formed by coupling a strip of material to the second end portion of the sheet. The article of clothing further includes a plurality of spaced magnetic fastening assemblies, which include a plurality of first magnetic elements secured inside the first pocket and a plurality of second magnetic elements secured inside the second pocket. The first and second magnetic elements may be secured in the pockets by stitching together the surrounding layers. Thus, the first and second magnetic elements may be solid pieces. Positions of the plurality of second magnetic elements correspond to positions of the plurality of first magnetic elements. The first and second magnetic elements magnetically couple together in an engaged configuration. As a result of the positioning of the first and second magnetic elements within the respective first and second pockets, at least two layers of material lie between the first and second magnetic elements in the secured configuration. In any embodiment, the first and second magnetic elements may be encased in encasements. 
     Another embodiment of the invention that accomplishes these objectives comprises an article of clothing, such as a coat, jacket, vest, dress shirt, or blouse having a plurality of magnetic assemblies. The article of clothing includes a sheet of material forming a body portion, the sheet of material having first and second end portions. An inner sheet of material is coupled to an inside of the sheet of material, the inner sheet of material also having first and second end portions. First and second plackets are formed along respective first and second end portions of the sheet of material. The first placket is formed by folding the sheet of material along the first end portion so as to form first and second layers and securing together the first and second layers with the first end of the inner sheet of material therebetween. The second placket is formed by folding the sheet of material along the second end portion so as to form third and fourth layers and securing together the third and fourth layers with the second end of the inner sheet of material therebetween. A plurality of spaced magnetic fastening assemblies includes a plurality of first magnetic elements encased by encasements, and the encased magnetic assemblies are secured between the first layer and the inner sheet of material. The plurality of spaced magnetic fastening assemblies also includes a plurality of second magnetic elements encased by encasements, and the encased magnetic assemblies are secured between the third layer and the inner sheet of material, such that positions of the plurality of second magnetic elements correspond to positions of the plurality of first magnetic elements. The first layer and the inner sheet of material are sewn together so as to create a first line of stitching outside at least a portion of a perimeter of each encasement of each first magnetic assembly forming a first pocket that contains the first encased magnetic element therein. The third layers and the inner sheet of material are sewn together so as to create a second line of stitching outside at least a portion of a perimeter of each encasement of each second magnetic element forming a second pocket that contains the second encased magnetic element therein. 
     The article of clothing may also use a similar fastening assembly at a cuff of the article. The cuff may include a band of material having first and second end portions and inner and outer layers. The inner and outer layers are secured together so as to form a pocket between the layers. Alternatively, a piece of material may be coupled to the inner layer at each end portion so as to form a pocket at each end portion. The cuff also includes a magnetic fastening assembly having first and second magnetic elements. The first magnetic element is secured in the pocket at the first end portion of the band, and the second magnetic element is secured in the pocket at the second end portion of the band. In any embodiment, the first and second magnetic elements may be encased in encasements. 
     The magnetic fastening assemblies may also include a plurality of buttons coupled to the second placket on the main body portion of the article of clothing and/or on the cuff band. However, as the magnetic fastening assembly has a magnetic engagement, the purpose of the buttons is aesthetic; to provide the appearance of a regular shirt, blouse, coat or jacket, including faux button hole stitches. 
     In order to fasten the main body and/or the cuff of the article of clothing, one positions his/her arms in the sleeves of the article. He/she then aligns a first magnetic element with a corresponding second magnetic element and brings these first and second magnetic elements in close proximity so that they couple together. With respect to the fastening assembly of the main body portion, when an uppermost first element is magnetically coupled to an uppermost second element, first and second elements of the magnetic assemblies positioned below the uppermost first and second elements are configured to self-align and couple together. Thus, a person with limited dexterity may quickly and easily put on an article of clothing, such as a dress shirt, blouse, coat or jacket quickly and easily without assistance. 
     These and other advantages of the present invention will more readily become apparent from the description of the drawings herein, in which: 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an article of clothing, such as a men&#39;s dress shirt according to aspects of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1A  is a front view of the men&#39;s dress shirt of  FIG. 1  in which a plurality of magnetic fastening assemblies along a midline of the shirt are disengaged; 
         FIG. 2  is a magnified view of a portion of one of the magnetic fastening assemblies at encircled area  2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2A  is a magnified view of the portion of the magnetic fastening assembly of  FIG. 2  in a disengaged configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 3A  is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the magnetic fastening assembly of  FIG. 2A  just prior to engagement; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of a cuff of an article of clothing, such as a dress shirt having a magnetic fastening assembly; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of the fastening assembly of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic cross sectional view of a full cuff similar to that shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of the fastening assembly of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of an article of clothing, such as a women&#39;s blouse according to aspects of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view like  FIG. 3  of the blouse of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of an article of clothing, such as a jacket, according to aspects of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of an article of clothing, such as a coat, according to aspects of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a magnified view of a portion of a magnetic fastening assembly at encircled area  12  of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  13 - 13  of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a magnified view of a portion of the article of clothing of  FIG. 10 , showing one of the magnetic fastening assemblies in a disengaged configuration; 
         FIG. 15  is a magnified view of a portion of a magnetic assembly at encircled area  15  of  FIG. 14 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  16 - 16  of  FIG. 15 ; 
         FIG. 17  is a front view of an article of clothing, such as a men&#39;s dress shirt according to aspects of the present invention; 
         FIG. 17A  is a front view of the men&#39;s dress shirt of  FIG. 17  in which a plurality of magnetic fastening assemblies along a midline of the shirt are disengaged; 
         FIG. 18  is a magnified view of a portion of one of the magnetic fastening assemblies at encircled area  18  of  FIG. 17 ; 
         FIG. 18A  is a magnified view of the portion of the magnetic fastening assembly of  FIG. 18  in a disengaged configuration; 
         FIG. 19  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  19 - 19  of  FIG. 18 ; 
         FIG. 19A  is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the magnetic fastening assembly of  FIG. 18A  just prior to engagement; 
         FIG. 20  is a front view of a cuff of an article of clothing, such as a dress shirt having a magnetic fastening assembly; 
         FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  21 - 21  of the fastening assembly of  FIG. 20 ; 
         FIG. 22  is a schematic cross sectional view of a full cuff similar to that shown in  FIG. 20 ; 
         FIG. 23  is a cross sectional view taken along line  23 - 23  of the fastening assembly of  FIG. 22 ; 
         FIG. 24  is a front view of an article of clothing, such as a woman&#39;s blouse according to aspects of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 25  is a cross-sectional view like  FIG. 19  of the blouse of  FIG. 24 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an article of clothing  10  has a body portion  12  and two sleeves: a left sleeve  14   a  and a right sleeve  14   b . The article of clothing  10  is illustrated as being a men&#39;s dress shirt, but may be a coat or jacket or similar article of clothing. On the body portion  12 , a fastening assembly  16  has a plurality of magnetic fastening assemblies  18  positioned along plackets  20 ,  22  that run down a midline  24  of the article of clothing  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1A , the left side of the shirt has placket  20  and the right side of the shirt has placket  22 . Although the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 1A  includes eight magnetic fastening assemblies  18  along the midline  24  of the article  10 , the number of magnetic fastening assemblies  18  may vary depending on the size and style of the article  10 , for example. In  FIG. 1 , all of the magnetic fastening assemblies  18  are engaged so as to close the article  10  around a person&#39;s body, the placket  20  overlying placket  22  so that the left placket  20  is outside the right placket  22 . In  FIG. 1A , the magnetic fastening assemblies  18  are disengaged, so that the article  10  is in an open position. 
     The article  10  may have a cuff  26  at the distal end of each sleeve  14   a ,  14   b . Each cuff  26  may include at least one magnetic fastening assembly  28 . Similar to the fastening assembly  16  along the midline  24  of the article  10 , the number of magnetic fastening assemblies  28  on each cuff  26  may vary according to the size and style of the cuffs  26 . 
     With further reference to  FIGS. 1 and 1A , the main body portion  12  of the article  10  may be formed of a sheet of material or fabric  32  that is sized to fit around a person&#39;s body. As shown in  FIG. 1A , the sheet of material  32  has end portions  34 ,  36  that form an opening  25  down the ventral portion of the article  10  when the article is open. The fastening assembly  16  includes plackets  20 ,  22  on the end portions  34 ,  36 , respectively, of the sheet of material  32 . The end portion  34  of the material  32  is on the left side of the shirt or article  10  proximate left sleeve  14   a , and the end portion  36  of the material  32  is on the right side of the shirt or article  10  proximate right sleeve  14   b.    
     As shown in  FIGS. 2, 3 and 3A , each placket  20 ,  22  has an exterior surface  38 , which faces away from the person&#39;s body, and an interior surface  40 , which faces the person&#39;s body. The plackets  20 ,  22  may be integrally formed on the main body portion  12  of the article  10  by folding over end portions  34 ,  36  of the sheet of material  32 , so as to form French plackets. Alternatively, the plackets  20 ,  22  may comprise separate strips of material that are sewn onto or otherwise coupled to the sheet of material  32 . Each placket  20 ,  22  may comprise two or more layers of material that are sewn or otherwise coupled together. By having two or more layers, the plackets  20 ,  22  are reinforced and may have increased durability. On article  10 , the left placket  20  is designed to be positioned on top of the right placket  22  in the closed position. In this way, when in a closed position, the interior surface  40  of the left placket  20  faces and is positioned substantially adjacent to the exterior surface  38  of the right placket  22 . Due to the magnetic function of the fastening assembly  16 , the plackets  20 ,  22  may be solid pieces of material, without button holes therethrough. 
     With respect to  FIGS. 2-3A , a magnified view of a portion of the fastening assembly  16  at the midline  20  of the article  10  is shown.  FIGS. 2 and 2A  show the portion of the fastening assembly  16  in engaged and disengaged configurations, respectively. The fastening assembly  16  includes at least one magnetic fastening assembly  18  having two solid magnetic elements  42 ,  44  without openings therethrough. One magnetic element  42  is associated with the left placket of the article  10 , and another magnetic element  44  is associated with the right placket  22  of the article  10 . 
     At least one of the magnetic elements  42 ,  44  is a magnet. The magnet may be an axially magnetized neodymium magnet, for example. One suitable magnet is an N52 magnet sold by K&amp;J Magnetics, Inc., for example. The magnet may have a maximum energy product (BHmax) of at least 49.5-52 megagauss-oersteds (MGOe). The magnet should be strong enough so that the fastening assembly  16  remains closed during normal wear of the article of clothing  10 . However, the magnet should not be so strong as to prevent disengagement or cause undue exertion when the wearer wishes to disengage the fastening assembly to take off the article  10 . It should be noted that due to the magnetic properties of the magnetic assembly  18 , the fastening assembly  16  may not be safe for use on dress shirts or articles worn by people with pacemakers. 
     The magnet may be plated so as to help prevent corrosion and/or to help strengthen the magnet material. In one embodiment, a neodymium magnet is coated with nickel or plastic, yet other options for coatings include zinc, tin, copper, epoxy, silver, and gold, for example. Moreover, one or both of the magnetic elements  42 ,  44  may be encased in plastic, as described below with respect to  FIGS. 11-16 . Finally, although a standard temperature magnet is likely sufficient for use in the magnetic fastening assembly  18  for the article  10 , a magnet having a temperature rating that enables the magnet to be employed at an increased operating temperature may also be used. 
     The other magnetic element  42 ,  44  may be another magnet having an opposite polarity than the first magnetic element  42 ,  44  or a metallic article that is magnetically attracted to the first magnetic element  42 ,  44 . The two magnetic elements  40 ,  42  may have the same size and shape. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2-3A , the magnetic elements  40 ,  42  are disc-shaped. For example, the magnet may have a diameter of approximately 7/16″ and a thickness of approximately 1/16″. However, one of ordinary skill will recognize that a variety of sizes and/or shapes may be used for the magnetic elements  40 ,  42  and that the sizes and/or shapes of the two magnetic elements  40 ,  42  need not be identical. 
     In the embodiment of the fastening assembly  16  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 3A , the right placket  22  is formed from the sheet of material  32  that forms the main body portion  12  of the article  10 . An end portion  36  of the sheet of material  32  is folded at point  52  toward the interior and distal from the midline  24  so as to form a placket  22  with two layers  54 ,  56 . The two layers  54 ,  56  are coupled together so as to form a pocket  58  between the two layers  54 ,  56 . In the embodiment shown, a line of stitching  60  couples the folded end portion  36  to the sheet of material  32  proximate an end  50  of the sheet of material  32 . Alternatively, the right placket  22  may comprise a strip of material that is folded to create the two layers  54 ,  56 , which is then coupled to the sheet of material  32 . Or the right placket  22  may comprise two strips of material that are coupled together to create the two layers  54 ,  56 , which are then coupled to the sheet of material  32 . One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the layers  54 ,  56  may be coupled to each other and/or to the sheet of material  32  by stitching or by any other satisfactory method. 
     A plurality of magnetic elements  44  of the magnetic assembly  18  may be positioned at predetermined locations in the pocket  58  between the two layers  54 ,  56  of material in the right placket  22 . The magnetic elements  44  may be evenly spaced or spaced at varying intervals. Each magnetic element  44  may be secured in the proper position by sewing together the two layers  54 ,  56  outside at least a portion of the perimeter of the magnetic element  44 . A resulting line of stitching  62  may form a rectangle around the magnetic element  44 , may have the same shape as the magnetic element  44 , or it may have any other shape suitable for restricting movement of the magnetic element  44  within the pocket  58 . The line of stitching  62  around the magnetic element  44  indirectly couples the magnetic element  44  to the placket  22 . In this way, it is not necessary to sew through the magnetic element  44  itself and, thus, the magnetic element  44  may be solid piece without holes therethrough. 
     With further reference to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3 and 3A , the left placket  20  is also formed from the same sheet of material  32 , at a left end portion  34  thereof. The end portion  34  is folded once at point  72  toward the exterior and distal from the midline  24  and then folded again at point  74  toward the exterior and proximal to the midline  24 . As a result of the double fold, a three-layer placket is formed. These layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  may be described as an inside layer  76 , which is closest to the body when worn; an outside layer  80 , which is furthest from the body when worn; and a middle layer  78 , which lies between the inside and outer layers  76 ,  80 . The three layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  may be coupled together so as to create at least one pocket  82  between two adjacent layers. Finally, an edge  70  of the sheet of material  32  may also be folded toward the interior at point  84 , such that the edge  70  lies within a pocket between the layers  78 ,  80  and, thus, is not exposed at an exterior surface  38  of the placket  20 . Folding edge  70  toward the interior at point  84  may help prevent the edge  70  from fraying. In the embodiment shown, a line of stitching  86  may couple the layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  and the edge  70  proximate the fold points  72 ,  84  and couple the layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  to the sheet of material  32  proximate the fold point  74 . Similar to the right placket  22 , the left placket  20  may alternatively comprise a strip of material that is folded to create three layers  76 ,  78 ,  80 , the strip then being coupled to the sheet of material  32 . Or the right placket  20  may comprise two or three strips of material that are coupled together to create three layers  76 ,  78 ,  80 , which are then coupled to the dress shirt  10 . One of ordinary skill will recognize that the layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  may be coupled to each other and/or to the sheet of material  32  by stitching or by any other satisfactory method. 
     A plurality of magnetic elements  42  of the magnetic assembly  18  may be positioned at predetermined locations in the pocket  82  between the layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  of material in the left placket  20 . The locations of the magnetic elements  42  should correspond to the locations of the magnetic elements  44 , and like the magnetic elements  44 , the magnetic elements  42  may be evenly spaced or spaced at varying intervals. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3 and 3A , the magnetic element  42  is positioned between the inside layer  76  and the middle layer  78 . However, the magnetic element  42  may alternatively be positioned between the middle layer  78  and the outside layer  80 , so long as the magnetic attraction is strong enough to pass through an additional layer of material (i.e., both the inside and middle layers  76 ,  78 ). The magnetic element  42  may be secured in the proper position by stitching together the two surrounding layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  to form a line of stitching  88  outside at least a portion of the perimeter of the magnetic element  42  in the same manner as described above with respect to the right placket  22 . 
     With further reference to  FIGS. 2-3A , a button  90  may be coupled to the exterior surface  38  of the outside layer  80 . The button  90  may be positioned immediately on top of the magnetic element  42 , or the button  90  may be positioned at a distance from the magnetic element  42 . The button  90  may be sewn onto the outside layer  80  or coupled thereto in any other way known to one of ordinary skill. The button  90  may be considered a “faux button” because it does not have a fastening or securing function for the article  10 . The button  90  is provided for aesthetic purposes and to give the appearance of a functional button. Although a four-hole button  90  is shown in the illustrated embodiment, one of ordinary skill will recognize that any type of button  90  may be used. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4-7 , a similar fastening assembly as that described above with respect to the main body portion  12  of the article  10  may also be used on the cuffs  26 . A cuff  26  may comprise a band  100  of material that is coupled to a distal portion of a sleeve  14 . The band  100  has an exterior surface  102 , which faces away from the person&#39;s body, and an interior surface  104 , which faces the person&#39;s body. The band  100  may be considered to have two end portions  106 ,  108  adjacent an opening of the cuff  26 . The band  100  may be formed from two layers  110 ,  112  of material of substantially the same size that are sewn or otherwise coupled together. For example, the two layers  110 ,  112  may be coupled by a seam  114  proximate the perimeters of the layers  110 ,  112 . Alternatively, the band  100  may be formed from a single piece of material that is folded lengthwise so as to create two layers  110 ,  112 , which are then coupled together. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the material at the distal portion of the sleeve  14  is sewn in between the two layers  110 ,  112  of the band  100 , so as to secure the band  100  to the sleeve  14 . One of ordinary skill will recognize that the band  100  may be secured to the sleeve  14  in a variety of ways. Regardless of how the two layers  110 ,  112  are formed and secured to the sleeve  14 , at least one pocket  116  is formed between the two layers  110 ,  112 . Moreover, as shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 5 , one or more edges  118  of the layers  110 ,  112  of material may be folded toward the pocket  116  of the band  100  so that the edges  118  are not exposed at the exterior or interior surfaces  102 ,  104  of the band  100 . Such folding may help prevent fraying of the edges  118 . 
     Similar to the magnetic assembly  18  described above, the fastening assembly  28  for the cuff  26  may also include a magnetic assembly  30  having two magnetic elements  120 ,  122 . One magnetic element  120  of the magnetic assembly  30  may be coupled to one end portion  106  of the band  100 , and another magnetic element  122  of the magnetic assembly  30  may be coupled to the other end portion  108  of the band  100 . The magnetic elements  120 ,  122  may be positioned in the pocket  116  between the two layers  100 ,  112  of material, and sewing together the two layers  110 ,  112  in a line of stitching  124  around the magnetic elements  120 ,  122  may secure the magnetic elements  120 ,  122  in substantially stationary positions. As described above with respect to the plackets  20 ,  22 , the line of stitching  124  may have a variety of different shapes around at least a portion of the perimeter of the magnetic element  120 ,  122 . A button  126  may be coupled to an exterior surface  102  of the band  100  at the end portion  106  thereof. The button  126  may be secured on the cuff  26  in the manner described above with respect to button  90 . 
     In the embodiment of the cuff  26  shown in  FIG. 4 , when the magnetic elements  120 ,  122  of the magnetic assembly  30  are coupled together, one end portion  106  of the band  100  overlaps the other end portion  108  of the band  100 , as is common with traditional button cuffs. With the magnetic fastening assembly  28 , the band  100  may be a solid piece, without button holes. However, one may use the fastening assembly  28  of the present invention for link cuffs, including single cuffs, French cuffs, or convertible cuffs, as well. 
     An article  10  may include a fastening assembly  16  on a body portion  12  and/or a fastening assembly  28  on each of the cuffs  26 . In use, after one positions his/her arms in the sleeves  14 , he/she aligns an uppermost magnetic element  42  on the left placket  20  with the corresponding magnetic element  44  on the right placket  22 . By bringing the uppermost magnetic elements  42 ,  44  in close proximity to one another, they become magnetically coupled together. Moreover, once the magnetic elements  42 ,  44  of the uppermost magnetic assembly  18  are aligned, the magnetic elements  42 ,  44  of the remaining magnetic assemblies  18  may fall into place, self-align, and automatically magnetically couple together. Accordingly, little dexterity is required to secure the fastening assembly  16  of the article  10 . 
     To close the cuffs  26  of the article  10 , the person aligns the magnetic element  120  on one end portion  106  of the cuff band  100  with the magnetic element  122  on the other end portion  108  of the cuff band  100  so that the magnetic elements  120 ,  122  magnetically couple together when they are brought in close proximity to one another. If there is more than one magnetic assembly  30  on each cuff  26 , once the magnetic elements  120 ,  122  of the first magnetic assembly  30  are aligned, any subsequent magnetic assemblies  30  may self-align and magnetically couple together as well. In the embodiment in which buttons  90 ,  126  are coupled to exterior surfaces  38 ,  102  of the left placket  20  and/or cuffs  26 , the article  10  will have an appearance of a regular dress shirt, coat, jacket, etc. 
     In the engaged configuration, at least two layers of material are positioned between the two magnetic elements of the magnetic assembly. Accordingly, the magnetic elements  42 ,  44  or  120 ,  122  are not in direct contact with each other. Although the magnetic assemblies  18 ,  30  have strong enough magnetic properties to maintain the fastening assemblies  16 ,  28  in engaged configurations while the article  10  is worn, the magnetic assemblies  18 ,  30  may be disengaged with a reasonable amount of force. Therefore, to remove the dress shirt  10 , the person simply pulls apart the magnetic elements  42 ,  44  or  120 ,  122  of the magnetic assembly  18 ,  30 . With respect to the magnetic assemblies  18  on the plackets  20 ,  22  of the article  10 , one may separate the magnetic elements  42 ,  44 , for example, by pulling the left placket  20  away from the body or away from the midline  24 . The buttons  90 ,  126  may also be gripped to separate the elements  42 ,  44  or  120 ,  122 . Accordingly, little dexterity is required to disengage the fastening assembly  16  of the article  10 . 
       FIG. 8  shows a fastening assembly  16  on an article of clothing shown as a women&#39;s blouse  150 . The fastening assembly  16  functions the same way on a women&#39;s blouse  150  as on a men&#39;s dress shirt  10 , but fewer magnetic assemblies  18  may be used and/or the magnetic assemblies  18  may be positioned closer together on the women&#39;s blouse  150  than on the men&#39;s dress shirt  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the main difference between the women&#39;s blouse  150  and the men&#39;s dress shirt  10  is that the right placket  22  is designed to be positioned on top of the left placket  20  in the engaged configuration for a women&#39;s blouse  150 . In this way, the interior surface  40  of the right placket  22  faces and is positioned substantially adjacent the exterior surface  38  of the left placket  20 . On article  150 , the right placket  22  is designed to be positioned on top of the left placket  20  in the closed position. Due to the magnetic function of the fastening assembly  16 , the plackets  20 ,  22  may be solid pieces of material, without button holes therethrough. 
     In the embodiment of the fastening assembly  16  shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the left placket  20  is formed from the sheet of material  32  that forms the main body portion  12  of the article  150 . An end portion  34  of the sheet of material  32  is folded at point  52  toward the interior and distal from the midline  24  so as to form a placket  20  with two layers  54 ,  56 . The two layers  54 ,  56  are coupled together so as to form a pocket  58  between the two layers  54 ,  56 . In the embodiment shown, a line of stitching  60  couples the folded end portion  36  to the sheet of material  32  proximate an end  50  of the sheet of material  32 . Alternatively, the left placket  20  may comprise a strip of material that is folded to create the two layers  54 ,  56 , which is then coupled to the sheet of material  32 . Or the left placket  20  may comprise two strips of material that are coupled together to create the two layers  54 ,  56 , which are then coupled to the sheet of material  32 . One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the layers  54 ,  56  may be coupled to each other and/or to the sheet of material  32  by stitching or by any other satisfactory method. 
     A plurality of magnetic elements  44  of the magnetic assembly  18  may be positioned at predetermined locations in the pocket  58  between the two layers  54 ,  56  of material in the left placket  20 . The magnetic elements  44  may be evenly spaced or spaced at varying intervals. Each magnetic element  44  may be secured in the proper position by sewing together the two layers  54 ,  56  outside at least a portion of the perimeter of the magnetic element  44 . A resulting line of stitching  62  may form a rectangle around the magnetic element  44 , may have the same shape as the magnetic element  44 , or it may have any other shape suitable for restricting movement of the magnetic element  44  within the pocket  58 . The line of stitching  62  around the magnetic element  44  indirectly couples the magnetic element  44  to the placket  22 . In this way, it is not necessary to sew through the magnetic element  44  itself and, thus, the magnetic element  44  may be a solid piece without holes therethrough. 
     With further reference to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the right placket  22  is also formed from the same sheet of material  32 , at a right end portion  36  thereof. The end portion  36  is folded once at point  72  toward the exterior and distal from the midline  24  and then folded again at point  74  toward the exterior and proximal to the midline  24 . As a result of the double fold, a three-layer placket is formed. These layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  may be described as an inside layer  76 , which is closest to the body when worn; an outside layer  80 , which is furthest from the body when worn; and a middle layer  78 , which lies between the inside and outer layers  76 ,  80 . The three layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  may be coupled together so as to create at least one pocket  82  between two adjacent layers. Finally, an edge  70  of the sheet of material  32  may also be folded toward the interior at point  84 , such that the edge  70  lies within a pocket between the layers  78 ,  80  and, thus, is not exposed at an exterior surface  38  of the placket  22 . Folding edge  70  toward the interior at point  84  may help prevent the edge  70  from fraying. In the embodiment shown, a line of stitching  86  may couple the layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  and the edge  70  proximate the fold points  72 ,  84  and couple the layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  to the sheet of material  32  proximate the fold point  74 . Similar to the left placket  20 , the right placket  22  may alternatively comprise a strip of material that is folded to create three layers  76 ,  78 ,  80 , the strip then being coupled to the sheet of material  32 . Or the left placket  22  may comprise two or three strips of material that are coupled together to create three layers  76 ,  78 ,  80 , which are then coupled to the dress shirt  10 . One of ordinary skill will recognize that the layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  may be coupled to each other and/or to the sheet of material  32  by stitching or by any other satisfactory method. 
     A plurality of magnetic elements  42  of the magnetic assembly  18  may be positioned at predetermined locations in the pocket  82  between the layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  of material in the right placket  22 . The locations of the magnetic elements  42  should correspond to the locations of the magnetic elements  44 , and like the magnetic elements  44 , the magnetic elements  42  may be evenly spaced or spaced at varying intervals. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the magnetic element  42  is positioned between the inside layer  76  and the middle layer  78 . However, the magnetic element  42  may alternatively be positioned between the middle layer  78  and the outside layer  80 , so long as the magnetic attraction is strong enough to pass through an additional layer of material (i.e., both the inside and middle layers  76 ,  78 ). The magnetic element  42  may be secured in the proper position by stitching together the two surrounding layers  76 ,  78 ,  80  to form a line of stitching  88  outside at least a portion of the perimeter of the magnetic element  42  in the same manner as described above with respect to the left placket  20 . 
     The blouse  150  (or the dress shirt  10 , for that matter) may not include buttons  90  at all, or the buttons  90  may be concealed by an additional placket of material that is positioned over the buttons  90 . The same may be true on a coat or jacket like the jacket shown in  FIG. 10 . 
       FIG. 10  shows a fastening assembly  16  on an article of clothing shown as a jacket  160 . The fastening assembly  16  functions the same way on a jacket  160  as on the women&#39;s blouse  150 , but more magnetic assemblies  18  may be used and/or the magnetic assemblies  18  may be positioned closer together on the jacket  160  than on the women&#39;s blouse  150 . The main difference between the jacket  160  and the men&#39;s dress shirt  10  is that the right placket  22  is designed to be positioned on top of the left placket  20  in the engaged configuration for a jacket  160 , like for the women&#39;s blouse  150 . In this way, the interior surface  40  of the right placket  22  faces and is positioned substantially adjacent the exterior surface  38  of the left placket  20 . As shown in  FIG. 10 , the jacket  160  may lack cuffs on the left and right sleeves,  14   a ,  14   b , respectively. 
     With reference now to  FIGS. 11-16 , another embodiment of the fastening assembly  16  is shown. While a coat  200  is illustrated in  FIG. 11 , a person of ordinary skill will recognize that the fastening assembly  16  described below may be used in any article of clothing including a vest. The fastening assembly  16  functions similarly to the men&#39;s dress shirt  10  or other articles of clothing described above, but a different embodiment of the magnetic assemblies  18  is used. The body portion  12  of the coat  200  includes the same features, which are referred to by the same reference numerals, as the men&#39;s dress shirt  10 , unless indicated otherwise. 
     With specific reference to  FIGS. 12 and 13 , each magnetic assembly  18  includes a plastic encasement  202  encasing or holding one of the magnetic elements  42 ,  44  therein. The encasement  202  is preferably made of polyvinylchloride but may be made of any other plastic material. The encasement  202  may be formed of two thin sheets of plastic that are fused, adhered, or otherwise coupled together around at least a portion of the periphery of one of the magnetic element  42 ,  44 , so as to hold the magnetic element  42 ,  44  therein. The plastic encasement  202  may be circular, rectangular, or have any other suitable shape. The plastic encasement  202  functions to protect the magnet inside the plastic encasement. The plastic encasement  202  enables the coat or vest to be machine washable without corroding the magnet inside the plastic encasement  202 . The plastic encasement  202  further enables the coat or vest to be dried in a household or commercial dryer without damaging the magnets. 
     Similar to the embodiment with the men&#39;s shirt  10  described above, the coat  200  has two plackets  20 ,  22 . One magnetic element  42  of the magnetic fastening assembly  18  is associated with the left placket  20 , and the other magnetic element  44  is associated with the right placket  22 . With specific reference now to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 13 , the right placket  22  is formed from the sheet of material  32  that forms the main body portion  12  of the coat  200 , as well as an inner sheet of material  204  that is coupled to an underside of the sheet of material  32  (i.e., forming an inside layer or a liner for the coat  200 ). An end portion  36  of the sheet of material  32  is folded at point  52  toward the interior and distal from the midline  24  so as to form a placket  22  with two layers  54 ,  56 . A line of stitching  206  couples the two layers  54 ,  56  proximate the folded edge  52 . An end  208  of the inner sheet of material  204  is positioned intermediate the layers  54 ,  56  and proximate the line of stitching  206 . The layer  56  and the sheet of material  204  are coupled together so as to form a pocket  58  therebetween. In the embodiment shown, a line of stitching  60  couples the folded end portion  36  to the inner sheet of material  204  and the sheet of material  36  proximate an end  50  of the sheet of material  32 . A person of ordinary skill will recognize that the right placket  22  may be formed in a variety of ways. For example, the line of stitching  206  may be excluded, such that the fold at point  52  defines one portion (i.e., one side) of the pocket  58 . 
     A plurality of magnetic elements  44  of the magnetic assembly  18  may be positioned at predetermined locations in the pocket  58  between the layer  56  and the sheet of material  204  in the right placket  22 . Each magnetic element  44  may be secured in the proper position by sewing together the layer  56  and the sheet of material  204  outside at least a portion of the perimeter of the magnetic element  44 . As shown in  FIG. 13 , a resulting line of stitching  62  (shown in cross-section) may form a circle, rectangle, or other shape around the magnetic element  44  so as to restrict movement of the magnetic element  44  within the pocket  58 . The line of stitching  62  indirectly couples the magnetic element  44  to the placket  22 . In this way, it is unnecessary to sew through either of the magnetic element  44  or the plastic encasement  202 . As such, both the magnetic element  44  and the plastic encasement  202  may be solid pieces without holes therethrough. 
     With further reference to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 13 , the left placket  20  is also formed from the same sheet of material  32  and in the same manner as the right placket  22 . An end portion  34  of the sheet of material  32  is folded at point  72  toward the interior and distal from the midline  24  so as to form a placket  20  with two layers  76 ,  80 . A line of stitching  86  couples the two layers  76 ,  80  proximate the point  72 . An end  210  of the inner sheet of material  204  is positioned intermediate the layers  76 ,  80  and proximate the line of stitching  86 . The layer  76  and the sheet of material  204  are coupled together so as to form a pocket  82  therebetween. In the embodiment shown, a line of stitching  86  couples the folded end portion  34  to the inner sheet of material  204  and the sheet of material  36  proximate an end  70  of the sheet of material  32 . A person of ordinary skill will recognize that the right placket  20  may be formed in a variety of ways. For example, the line of stitching  86  may be excluded, such that the fold at point  72  defines one portion (i.e., one side) of the pocket  82 . Moreover, it is not necessary that the left placket  20  be formed in an identical manner as the right placket  22 . 
     The plurality of magnetic elements  42  of the magnetic assembly  18  may be positioned at predetermined locations in the pocket  82  between the layer  76  and the inner sheet of material  204  in the left placket  20 . The locations of the magnetic elements  42  should correspond to the locations of the magnetic elements  44 . The magnetic elements  42  may be secured in between the layer  76  and the inner sheet of material  204  of the left placket  20  in the same manner described above with respect to the right placket  22 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 11-16 , the left placket  20  is designed to be positioned on top of the right placket  22  in the closed position. However, a person of ordinary skill will recognize that the configurations of the left and right plackets  20 ,  22  may be reversed, such that the right placket  22  is positioned on top of the left placket  20  in the closed position. Moreover, although the coat  200  shown in  FIG. 11  does not include buttons  90  coupled to an exterior surface  38  of the left placket  22 , such buttons  90  could be added, as described above with respect to the men&#39;s dress shirt  10 . 
     With reference now to  FIGS. 17-25 , the fastening assembly  16  described above with respect to  FIGS. 11-16  is used in a men&#39;s dress shirt  250  or a women&#39;s blouse  300  similar to the men&#39;s dress shirt  10  and the women&#39;s blouse  150 , respectively, shown in  FIGS. 1-9 . The men&#39;s dress shirt  250  and the women&#39;s blouse  300  include many of the same features described above, which are referred to by the same reference numerals, unless indicated otherwise. 
     With specific reference to  FIGS. 17-19A , similar to the men&#39;s dress shirt  10 , the men&#39;s dress shirt  250  includes sheet of material  32  having end portions  34 ,  36  and respective plackets  20 ,  22 . However, the plackets  20 ,  22  of the men&#39;s dress shirt  250  are formed differently than the plackets  20 ,  22  of the men&#39;s dress shirt  10 . The right placket  22  is formed by folding the end portion  36  of the sheet of material  32  at point  52  toward the interior and distal from the midline  24  so as to form placket  22  with two layers  54 ,  56 . The right edge  50  of the sheet of material  32  is further folded back toward the midline  24  such that the right edge  50  is positioned intermediate the layers  54 ,  56 . The two layers  54 ,  56  are coupled together so as to form pocket  58  between the two layers  54 ,  56 . Line of stitching  60  couples the folded end portion  36  to the sheet of material  32  proximate end  50  of the sheet of material  32 . 
     The plurality of magnetic elements  44  encased in plastic encasements  202  are positioned at predetermined locations in the pocket  58  between the two layers  54 ,  56  of material in the right placket  22 , as described above, where each magnetic element  44  may be secured in the proper position by sewing together the two layers  54 ,  56  outside at least a portion of the perimeter of the plastic encasement  202 . With specific reference to  FIG. 18A , lines of stitching  62  may run between the fold at point  52  and the line of stitching  60  on both sides of the magnetic element  44 . The magnet element  44  is encased in plastic encasement  202  so that the lines of stitching  62 , the fold at point  52 , and the line of stitching  60  together form a rectangular enclosure around the encased magnetic element  44 . In this way, it is not necessary to sew through the magnetic element  44  or the plastic encasement  202  and, thus, both the magnetic element  44  and the plastic encasement  202  may be solid pieces without holes therethrough. 
     With further reference to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 17-19A , the left placket  20  comprises a layer  76  formed from the left end portion  34  of the sheet of material  32  and a middle strip of material  252  and an outer strip of material  254  coupled to the layer  76 . The outer strip of material  254  forms an exterior of the placket  20 . The middle strip of material  252  is secured intermediate the layer  76  and the outer strip of material  254 . The outer strip of material  254  may be reinforced or thicker than the sheet of material  32  and/or the middle strip of material  252 . The left edge  70  of the sheet of material  32  is folded over the middle strip of material  252  at point  72 , such that the left edge  70  is positioned intermediate the middle strip of material  252  and the outer strip of material  254 . As shown in  FIGS. 19 and 19   a , edges  256 ,  258  of the outer strip of material  254  are also folded under toward an interior of the placket  20 . Folding the edges  70 ,  256 ,  258  toward the interior of the placket  20  helps to reinforce the placket  20  and prevent fraying. A line of stitching  86  couples the layer  76  to the middle strip of material  252  and the outer strip of material  254  proximate the fold points  72 ,  256 . Another layer of stitching  86  couples the layer  76  to the middle strip of material  252  and the outer strip of material  254  proximate the fold point  258 . This coupling of the layer  76  to the middle strip of material  252  creates pocket  82  between the layer  76  and the middle strip of material  252 . In addition, the layer  76  may be coupled to the middle strip of material  252  at a line of stitching  260  that runs generally parallel to the line of stitching  86  proximate edge  258  of the outer strip of material  254  (without sewing through the outer strip of material  254 ). In this way, during manufacturing, the line of the stitching  260  may help hold the encased magnetic element  42  in the pocket  82  (described in further detail below) before the outer strip of material  254  is coupled to the layer  76  and the middle strip of material  252 . 
     Magnetic elements  42  encased in plastic encasements  202  are positioned at predetermined locations in the pocket  82  in the left placket  20 , as described above, where each magnetic element  42  may be secured in the proper position by sewing together the layer  76  and the middle strip of material  252  outside at least a portion of the perimeter of the plastic encasement  202 . With specific reference to  FIGS. 18 and 18A , lines of stitching  88  may run between the line of stitching  86  adjacent point  72  and the line of stitching  260  on both sides of the magnetic element  42  encased in plastic encasement  202  so that the lines of stitching  86 ,  88 ,  260  together form a rectangular enclosure around the magnetic element  42 . In this way, it is not necessary to sew through the magnetic element  42  or the plastic encasement  202  and, thus, both the magnetic element  42  and the plastic encasement  202  may be solid pieces without holes therethrough. 
     As described above with respect to the men&#39;s dress shirt  10 , button  90  may be coupled to the exterior surface  38  of the outer strip of material  254 . In addition, the exterior surface  38  of the outer strip of material  254  may have stitching thereon to create a “faux buttonhole”  265 . The faux buttonhole  265  does not actually comprise a hole or slit in the outer strip of material  254 , but rather, is provided for aesthetic purposes and to give the appearance that the buttons  90  are functional. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 20-23 , a similar fastening assembly as that described above with respect to the main body portion of the  12  of the men&#39;s dress shirt  250  may also be used on the cuffs  26 . Similar to the cuff  26  described above with respect to the men&#39;s dress shirt  10 , the cuff  26  comprises a band  100  including layers  110 ,  112  of material coupled together. The layer  112  may be reinforced or thicker than the layer  110 . The cuff  26  further includes a middle piece of material  270  coupled to the layer  110  intermediate the layers  110 ,  112  at each of the end portions  106 ,  108  of the band  100 . The middle piece of material  270  coupled to the layer  110  forms pocket  116 . 
     The fastening assembly  28  for the cuff  26  may also include magnetic assembly  30  having magnetic elements  120 ,  122 , each being encased in a plastic encasement  202 . Encased magnetic element  120  may be coupled to end portion  106  of the band  100 , and the other encased magnetic element  122  may be coupled to the other end portion  108  of the band  100 . The encased magnetic elements  120 ,  122  may be positioned in the pockets  116  between the layer  110  and the middle pieces of material  270 . At each pocket  116 , the layer  110  and the middle piece of material  270  may be coupled together in line of stitching  124  around at least a portion of the perimeter of the encasement  202  of the magnetic element  122 . The line of stitching  124  may be rectangular or circular, for example. In this way, it is not necessary to sew through the magnetic elements  120 ,  122  or the plastic encasements  202  and, thus, both the magnetic elements  120 ,  122  and the plastic encasements  202  may be solid pieces without holes therethrough. 
       FIGS. 24 and 25  show fastening assembly  16  on an article of clothing shown as a women&#39;s blouse  300 . The fastening assembly  16  on the women&#39;s blouse  300  has generally the same structure and generally functions in the same way as the fastening assembly  16  on the men&#39;s dress shirt  250 . The main difference between the women&#39;s blouse  300  and the men&#39;s dress shirt  250  is that the right placket  22  is designed to be positioned on top of the left placket  20  in the engaged configuration for the women&#39;s blouse  300 . In this way, the interior surface  40  of the right placket  22  faces and is positioned substantially adjacent the exterior surface  38  of the left placket  20 . The women&#39;s blouse  300  is similar to the women&#39;s blouse  150 , except that the plackets  20 ,  22  are formed like the plackets  20 ,  22  of the men&#39;s dress shirt  250 , as described above, and the magnetic elements  40 ,  42  used in the women&#39;s blouse  300  are encased in plastic encasements  202 . 
     The principles of the present invention, as well as any combination of the features described herein, may be used with dress shirts, blouses, coats, jackets, vests, medical gowns, or other articles of clothing. In particular, any embodiment of a magnetic fastening assembly  18  may include encasements  202  encasing at least one of the magnetic elements  42 ,  44  therein. The plastic encasement  202  functions to protect the magnet and enables the article of clothing to be machine washable without corroding the magnet inside the plastic encasement  202 . The plastic encasement further enables the article of clothing to be dried in a household or commercial dryer without damaging the magnets. Moreover, any embodiment of the magnetic elements  42 ,  44 ,  120 ,  122  may be used with any embodiment of the plackets  20 ,  22  or the band  100  of the cuff  26 . 
     Moreover, the article of clothing may be adjusted for children. For example, children&#39;s articles of clothing may have fewer magnetic assemblies  18  and/or less distance between the magnetic assemblies  18 . The drawings are not intended to limit the present invention to clothing of any particular size. The drawings merely illustrate examples. The articles of clothing shown may be any desired sizes, including men&#39;s, women&#39;s, and children&#39;s sizes. 
     While I have described several preferred embodiments of the present invention, persons skilled in the art will appreciate changes and modifications which may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, I intend to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereof: