Abstract:
An adaptable magnetic cufflink assembly to convert conventional button sleeve button cuffs to a decorative French cuff cufflink. A cuff button attachment clip is magnetically secured through a shirt sleeve cuff portion to a magnet retainment stud having a selective fastener assembly registerable with a decorative cufflink overlay.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates generally to magnetic fasteners and the like, but more specifically to cufflinks that are used to retain a shirt sleeve&#39;s cuff together at its terminus. Such cuff retainment devices are typically of a button cuff configuration or a true decorative cufflink that is inserted through a pair of button holes in the sleeve to secure the cuff together, known as a French cuff. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this nature have been directed to a variety of cuff closure devices; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,483,031, 3,535,747, 5,974,634, 7,992,264 and U.S. Publications 2003/0154576 and 2006/0236509. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,483,031 is directed to a magnetic cufflink having a two-part construction. A first half has armatures connected by a linkage. A magnetic second half connected by a linkage as is magnetically attached to the first half. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,747 claims an interchangeable cufflink configuration having a stem portion and a detachable decorative top portion. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,634 illustrates a decorative multiple use magnetic button configuration in which a shell encapsulates a first magnet and a second magnet is provided on the opposite side of the cloth layer of a garment thereby attracting same to the shell through the fabric and securing it thereto. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,992,264 shows a magnetic closure with a clasp having a first outer magnet and a second inner magnet attached to a chain and button hole engagement T configuration. A second embodiment illustrates a false cufflink with a first magnet in a decorative housing and a second magnet placed over the button hole. Accordingly, the two magnets sandwich the button therebetween securing the cuff together. 
     In U.S. Patent Publication 2003/0154576 a two-piece magnetic button that secures the cuff together is disclosed. 
     U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0236509 illustrates a magnetically encapsulating clothing fastener with interchangeable male and female fittings. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the magnetic cufflink of the invention positioned on a portion of a button cuff sleeve. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged sectional view on lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged sectional view on lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged end view on lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to converting button styled shirt sleeve cuffs into emulating independent detachable cufflinks used on French cuff type shirts. The cuff button enclosure of the invention is engaged over and around a cuff button providing a magnetic attachment for the decorative cufflink configuration. A magnet button hole decorative stud portion is passed through the existing cuff button hole and then magnetically attaches to the cuff button enclosure through the cuff material fastening the shirt cuffs together as a traditional cufflink would do displaying an outwardly facing decorative cufflink portion. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  of the drawings, a magnetic cufflink button assembly  10  of the invention can be seen having a cuff attachment stud and display  11  and a button cuff engagement fitting  12 . The stud display  11  has an annular magnetic plate  13  with an upstanding lug portion  14  centrally positioned therefrom. The lug portion  14  has a retainment mount  15  thereon of a diameter greater than that of the lug portion  14  and less than that of the magnetic plate  13 . The magnetic plate  13  is secured to a lug base  14 A and is preferably of a monolithic strong magnetic material such as a neodymium magnet which has a high magnetism to mass weight ratio assuring applicable performance use criteria configurations as will be described in detail hereinafter. 
     As seen in  FIG. 1  of the drawings, the attachment stud display  11  is of a dimensional configuration that will allow the magnetic plate  13  to selectively pass through a button hole opening at  16  in a shirt sleeve cuff portion so  16 A and be retained therein. The retainment mount  15  has a mail snap fastener fitting  17  thereon for selective registration with a female snap fastener fitting  18  on an ornamental cufflink fixture  19  shown in broken lines in  FIG. 1  of the drawings which is interchangeable therewith. 
     The button cuff engagement fitting  12  has a spring clip body configuration  20  with oppositely disposed upper surface  20 A and a lower surface  20 B. 
     A mounting access slot at  21  is formed in the lower surface  20 B and extends inwardly from a clip edge  22 . The clip body  20  is of a one-piece construction and therefore imparts a resilient action between the corresponding upper and lower surfaces  20 A and  20 B. The so defined mounting access slot at  21  is of a dimension to accommodate attachment threads  23  of a cuff button  24  on a shirt sleeve opposing cuff portion  16 B as best seen, as noted, in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. 
     The cuff button  24  is retained within the clip  20  by the clips resilient nature as will be understood by those skilled in the art. 
     The interchangeable ornamental cufflink fixture  19  is so formed to simulate a traditional independent one-piece cufflink (not shown) that is used in so-called “French cuff” shirts that are without cuff buttons. 
     In use, once the magnetic attachment stud display  11  is inserted into the existing cuff button hole opening at  16  and the button cuff engagement fitting  12  is “clipped” onto the existing cuff button  24  and retained as hereinbefore described, the respective thus engaged shirt sleeve cuff portions  16 A and  16 B can be brought together “magnetically” as seen in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. Accordingly, the strong magnetic based magnetic plate  13  will attract and secure through the cuff material portion  16 B to the correspondingly aligned ferrous metal low surface  20 B of the button cuff clip body  20  positioned, as noted, on the cuff button  24  retaining same together in a traditional appearing manner of a formal cuff link (not shown). 
     It will be seen therefore that the magnetic cufflink button assembly  10  of the invention will emulate the traditional independent cufflink (not shown) used on so-call French cuff shirts. 
     It will be noted that there hereinbefore disclosed and described magnetic cufflink button assembly  10  may have alternate dimensional forms and that the described resilient clip body  20  can be of any alternate configuration adapted to frictionally engage around the button  24  and retain the button cuff engagement fitting  12  of the magnetic cufflink button assembly  10  thereon and is therefore not limited to the so described examples thereof. Additionally, the male and female snap fasteners  17  and  18  may be of any so configured interengaging fastener configuration and therefore not limited to the hereinbefore described examples chosen for illustration. 
     Having thus described my invention, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.