Decorative Multifunctional Apparel Coupler
A decorative multifunctional apparel coupler that functions as an aesthetic accessory with the functional means to easily and quickly modify an article of clothing, in order to make said article of clothing more fashionable. The present invention accomplishes this through the use of a decorative piece that is operatively engaged to a fastener assembly. The decorative piece is provided as an aesthetically pleasing surface that contributes to the aesthetic benefits of the fastener assembly by providing a mounting that additionally obscures the fastener assembly while in use. The fastener assembly is the functional component of the present invention that is capable of receiving and retaining clothing straps or material in a manner which alters the appearance of the article of clothing. The relationship between the fastener assembly and the decorative piece change the immediately recognizable fashion aspect of an outfit's neckline while additionally enabling adjustability of clothing straps.
The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Se. No. 61/672,155 filed on Jul. 16, 2012.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention generally relates to an apparel accessory, more specifically to a decorative multifunctional coupler that is utilized to gather clothing material together for the purposes of altering the appearance of a piece of apparel. Additionally the present invention is utilized to gather clothing material together for the purposes of modifying the effective length of the straps for the piece of apparel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn order to compensate for the expenses and practical inconvenience associated with purchasing and regularly wearing a wardrobe of fashionable apparel, many consumers utilize aesthetic accents such as shells, pendants, or other wearable jewelry. Many simple articles of jewelry are both less expensive to maintain than fashion clothing, and can be worn with a number of outfits, providing a widely applicable fashionable item. Jewelry pieces of various size and specie have thus become popular as accents to clothing.
While jewelry provides one source of fashion, there are still occasions when it is more desirable to wear fashionable apparel rather than jewelry, which continues to pose an as yet unsolved difficulty, as the expense of fashion clothing is also compounded by the difficulty in quickly changing from everyday wear to fashion clothing. Especially when not near a wardrobe or clothing supply, it may be impossible or impractical to change clothing, even if such a change is highly desirable for social reasons. The expense of purchasing a large collection of fashionable clothing is additionally made less convenient by the large amount of space and time required for the maintenance and storage of a large number of fashion clothing articles, as well as maintenance costs associated with proper cleaning and caring for a large number of high-quality articles. Many individuals find the effort and expense associated with fashionable articles of clothing to be prohibitive to everyday use of aesthetically appealing clothing.
One of the main aesthetic elements of clothing fashion is the neckline of an article of clothing. While the necklines of most everyday clothing articles are focused primarily on functionality, those persons interested in fashion must frequently purchase specialty garments, typically much more expensive than more common articles, in order to achieve the aesthetic appearance associated with fashionable articles. As the neckline is an immediately recognizable element of fashion, changes to the neckline of an article of clothing provide a strong aesthetic appeal, and can serve to vastly change the perceived beauty of clothing. Another important aspect of fashion is establishing a suitable fit for any clothing being worn, as oversized and ill-fitting clothing is frequently seen as an indicator of disregard for beauty or a lack of aesthetic appreciation.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a decorative multifunctional apparel coupler that functions as an aesthetic accessory with the functional means to easily and quickly modify an article of clothing, in order to make said article of clothing more fashionable. The present invention accomplishes this through the use of a decorative piece that is operatively engaged to a fastener assembly. the decorative piece functions as a pleasing aesthetic surface that contribute to the aesthetic benefits of the fastener assembly. The fastener assembly is the functional component of the present invention that is capable of receiving and retaining clothing straps or material in a manner which alters the appearance of the article of clothing. The relationship between the fastener assembly and the decorative piece change the immediately recognizable fashion aspect of an outfit's neckline while additionally enabling adjustability of clothing straps.
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
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In the current embodiment of the present invention, the second apparel attachment region 15 and the second coupler assembly 11 are provided with a positional and operative relationship that allows portions of gathered apparel to be retained within the second apparel attachment region 15 by way of the second retainer mechanism 12 and the second coupler arm 13. While the operative relationship between the second coupler assembly 11 and the second apparel attachment region 15 is not explicitly described in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, an additional embodiment describes the second coupler arm 13 being elastically retained proximal to the second end 7 by way of the second retainer mechanism 12. The aforementioned relationship provided between the second coupler arm 13 and the second end 7 by the second retainer mechanism 12 is explicitly described as elastic, wherein the second coupler arm 13 is able to pivot about the second retainer mechanism 12 allowing a secure but elastically retainable means to hold gathered portions of apparel within the second apparel attachment region 15. It should be noted that in all embodiments of the present invention the relationship between the second retainer mechanism 12 and the second coupler arm 13 provides a detachable means to hold the gather portions of apparel within the second apparel attachment region 15.
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In the current embodiment of the present invention, the fastener assembly 4 is provided in a manner that permits the use a can be constructed utilizing a plurality of construction material. The materials utilized to construct the fastener assembly 4 should be sufficiently capable of resisting the efforts of the held portions of gathered apparel to return to a resting state, and as such, must be of sufficiently rigid or of a sufficiently elastic material, dependent on the manner and nature used by both the first coupler assembly 8 and the second coupler assembly, to restrict movement of the gathered portions of apparel.
In the current embodiment of the present invention the decorative piece 1 can be fabricated from a plurality of materials as well as combinations of materials. The materials utilized in the construction of the decorative piece 1 should be able to provide a manner in which to integrate the fastener mount 3 and the embellishment 2 while providing adequate structural stability for the operative coupling between the decorative piece 1 and the fastener assembly. The material construction of the decorative piece 1 should additionally fulfill the aesthetic function of the present invention.
In an additional embodiment of the present invention, the fastener assembly 4 can be affixed to any singular piece of clothing material, such as a clothing strap, that allows for the attachment of the fastener assembly. When applied in this manner, the present invention can serve to modify the shape, width, or appearance of the singular piece of clothing material as desired by the user. The present invention can also be used purely for the aesthetic properties of the decorative piece 1, thus serving as ornamental jewelry capable of being fastened to any piece of clothing material. In either of these uses, the aesthetic appearance of the article of clothing to which the present invention is affixed to is modified as desired by the user to increase the aesthetic appeal.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
1. A decorative multifunctional apparel coupler comprises,
- a decorative piece;
- a fastener assembly;
- the decorative piece comprises an embellishment and a fastener mount;
- the fastener assembly comprises a decorative piece mount, a first coupler assembly, a second coupler assembly, a first apparel attachment region, and a second apparel attachment region;
- the decorative piece mount comprises a first end and a second end;
- the first coupler assembly comprises a first retainer mechanism and a first coupler arm;
- the second coupler assembly comprises a second retainer mechanism and a second coupler arm; and
- the decorative piece being operatively coupled to the fastener assembly.
2. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 1 comprises,
- the embellishment being positioned coincident to the fastener mount;
- the first coupler assembly being coupled adjacent to the decorative piece mount;
- the second coupler assembly being coupled adjacent to the decorative piece mount, opposite the first coupler assembly;
- the first apparel attachment region being positioned between the first coupler assembly and the decorative piece mount; and
- the second apparel attachment region being positioned between the second coupler assembly and the decorative piece mount.
3. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 1 comprises, the fastener mount being positioned between the decorative piece mount and the embellishment;
- the decorative piece mount being engaged to the fastener mount;
- the decorative piece mount being positioned between the first apparel attachment region and the fastener mount; and
- the decorative piece mount being positioned between the second apparel attachment region and the fastener mount.
4. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 3 comprises,
- the decorative piece mount being detachably engaged to the fastener mount.
5. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 1 comprises,
- the decorative piece mount being longitudinally bisected into the first end and the second end;
- the first end being coupled to the first retainer mechanism;
- the first coupler arm being attached to the first retainer mechanism, opposite the first end;
- the second end being coupled to the second retainer mechanism;
- the second coupler arm being attached to the second retainer mechanism, opposite the second end;
- the first apparel attachment region being bordered by the second apparel attachment region, the first retainer mechanism, the first coupler arm, and the first end; and
- the second apparel attachment region being bordered by the first apparel attachment region, the second retainer mechanism, the second coupler arm, and the second end.
6. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 5 comprise,
- the first coupler arm being elastically retained proximal to the first end by way of the first retainer mechanism; and
- the second retainer mechanism being elastically retained proximal to the second end by way of the second coupler arm.
7. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 5 comprise,
- the first coupler arm being adjustably coupled to the first end by way of the first retainer mechanism, wherein the area of the first apparel attachment region proportionally increased or decreased relative to the adjustability of said coupling; and
- the second retainer mechanism being adjustably coupled to the second end by way of the second coupler arm, wherein the area of the second apparel attachment region being proportionally increased or decreased relative to the adjustability of said coupling.
8. A decorative multifunctional apparel coupler comprises,
- a decorative piece;
- a fastener assembly;
- the decorative piece comprises an embellishment and a fastener mount;
- the fastener assembly comprises a decorative piece mount, a first coupler assembly, a second coupler assembly, a first apparel attachment region, and a second apparel attachment region;
- the decorative piece mount comprises a first end and a second end;
- the first coupler assembly comprises a first retainer mechanism and a first coupler arm;
- the second coupler assembly comprises a second retainer mechanism and a second coupler arm;
- the decorative piece being operatively coupled to the fastener assembly;
- the embellishment being positioned coincident to the fastener mount;
- the first coupler assembly being coupled adjacent to the decorative piece mount;
- the second coupler assembly being coupled adjacent to the decorative piece mount, opposite the first coupler assembly;
- the first apparel attachment region being positioned between the first coupler assembly and the decorative piece mount; and
- the second apparel attachment region being positioned between the second coupler assembly and the decorative piece mount.
9. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 8 comprises,
- the fastener mount being positioned between the decorative piece mount and the embellishment;
- the decorative piece mount being engaged to the fastener mount;
- the decorative piece mount being positioned between the first apparel attachment region and the fastener mount; and
- the decorative piece mount being positioned between the second apparel attachment region and the fastener mount.
10. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 9 comprises,
- the decorative piece mount being detachably engaged to the fastener mount.
11. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 8 comprises,
- the decorative piece mount being longitudinally bisected into the first end and the second end;
- the first end being coupled to the first retainer mechanism;
- the first coupler arm being attached to the first retainer mechanism, opposite the first end;
- the second end being coupled to the second retainer mechanism;
- the second coupler arm being attached to the second retainer mechanism, opposite the second end;
- the first apparel attachment region being bordered by the second apparel attachment region, the first retainer mechanism, the first coupler arm, and the first end; and
- the second apparel attachment region being bordered by the first apparel attachment region, the second retainer mechanism, the second coupler arm, and the second end.
12. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 11 comprise,
- the first coupler arm being elastically retained proximal to the first end by way of the first retainer mechanism; and
- the second retainer mechanism being elastically retained proximal to the second end by way of the second coupler arm.
13. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 11 comprise,
- the first coupler arm being adjustably coupled to the first end by way of the first retainer mechanism, wherein the area of the first apparel attachment region proportionally increased or decreased relative to the adjustability of said coupling; and
- the second retainer mechanism being adjustably coupled to the second end by way of the second coupler arm, wherein the area of the second apparel attachment region being proportionally increased or decreased relative to the adjustability of said coupling.
14. A decorative multifunctional apparel coupler comprises,
- a decorative piece;
- a fastener assembly;
- the decorative piece comprises an embellishment and a fastener mount;
- the fastener assembly comprises a decorative piece mount, a first coupler assembly, a second coupler assembly, a first apparel attachment region, and a second apparel attachment region;
- the decorative piece mount comprises a first end and a second end;
- the first coupler assembly comprises a first retainer mechanism and a first coupler arm;
- the second coupler assembly comprises a second retainer mechanism and a second coupler arm;
- the decorative piece being operatively coupled to the fastener assembly;
- the embellishment being positioned coincident to the fastener mount;
- the first coupler assembly being coupled adjacent to the decorative piece mount;
- the second coupler assembly being coupled adjacent to the decorative piece mount, opposite the first coupler assembly;
- the first apparel attachment region being positioned between the first coupler assembly and the decorative piece mount;
- the second apparel attachment region being positioned between the second coupler assembly and the decorative piece mount;
- the fastener mount being positioned between the decorative piece mount and the embellishment;
- the decorative piece mount being engaged to the fastener mount;
- the decorative piece mount being positioned between the first apparel attachment region and the fastener mount;
- the decorative piece mount being positioned between the second apparel attachment region and the fastener mount; and
- the decorative piece mount being detachably engaged to the fastener mount.
15. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 14 comprises,
- the decorative piece mount being longitudinally bisected into the first end and the second end;
- the first end being coupled to the first retainer mechanism;
- the first coupler arm being attached to the first retainer mechanism, opposite the first end;
- the second end being coupled to the second retainer mechanism;
- the second coupler arm being attached to the second retainer mechanism, opposite the second end;
- the first apparel attachment region being bordered by the second apparel attachment region, the first retainer mechanism, the first coupler arm, and the first end; and
- the second apparel attachment region being bordered by the first apparel attachment region, the second retainer mechanism, the second coupler arm, and the second end.
16. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 14 comprise,
- the first coupler arm being elastically retained proximal to the first end by way of the first retainer mechanism; and
- the second retainer mechanism being elastically retained proximal to the second end by way of the second coupler arm.
17. The decorative multifunctional apparel coupler as claimed in claim 14 comprise,
- the first coupler arm being adjustably coupled to the first end by way of the first retainer mechanism, wherein the area of the first apparel attachment region proportionally increased or decreased relative to the adjustability of said coupling; and
- the second retainer mechanism being adjustably coupled to the second end by way of the second coupler arm, wherein the area of the second apparel attachment region being proportionally increased or decreased relative to the adjustability of said coupling.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 25, 2013
Publication Date: Jan 16, 2014
Inventor: Noel Mary MATHUR (Waltham, MA)
Application Number: 13/750,358