Decorative Collar Bar Apparatus for Shirt Collar

Abstract

A decorative collar bar apparatus for shirt collar includes an ornamental head, an attachment bar, a collar stiffener, a locking encasement. The ornamental head is terminally connected to the attachment bar, and the attachment bar engages with the locking encasement through the collar stiffener. The ornamental head provides an improved esthetic appearance and is visible from outside as the ornamental head covers a collar hole of the shirt collar. The attachment bar, the collar stiffener, and the locking encasement are hidden within the shirt collar, completing an assembly. The collar stiffener is positioned in between the shirt collar and engages in between the attachment bar and the locking encasement in order to stabilize the shirt collar.

Description

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62/315,309 filed on Mar. 30, 2016.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for a collar bar and cufflinks. More specifically, the present invention is an apparatus that is inserted through the collar of a shirt to keep the collar in place or inserted through the sleeve cuffs of the shirt to keep the sleeve cuffs in place.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many individuals wear shirts with collars. These kinds of shirts are particularly appropriate for formal situations, in which an individual's appearance may be very important to make a positive impression on others. Unfortunately, there are no currently existing fashionable elements to be applied to the shirt collar to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the collar. In addition, individuals often have trouble keeping the collar in its proper place on the shirt, resulting in shirt collars that are rumpled, creased, flimsy, or “popped.”

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a collar bar that keeps the shirt collar in place and provides the desired fold and positioning of the collar. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a collar bar that also adds an ornamental stud to the collar, increasing the aesthetic appeal of the shirt. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a collar bar that can be locked in place easily and then easily removed from the collar. Functionality of the desired fold of the collar and the ornamental stud to the collar can be implemented independent from each other jointly upon the user's preference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the present invention, showing the plane upon which a cross sectional view is taken shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the present invention taken along line A-A of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front exploded view of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a back exploded view of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a front-side illustration of the present invention in use on the shirt collar.

FIG. 9 is a front illustration of the present invention in use on the shirt collar.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the locking encasement and a plurality of loops of the present invention being attached to the shirt collar.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the present invention being attached to the shirt collar, wherein the broken lines illustrate hidden components.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

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.

The present invention is a decorative collar bar apparatus for a shirt collar 25, which enables a user to stabilize a collar point of the shirt collar 25 while providing an improved esthetic appearance for the shirt collar 25. The present invention comprises an ornamental head 1, an attachment bar 2, a collar stiffener 5, a locking encasement 10, and a plurality of loops 21 as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 10. In reference to the general configuration of the present invention, the ornamental head 1 is terminally connected to the attachment bar 2, wherein a perimeter of the ornamental head 1 is bigger than a perimeter of the attachment bar 2. The attachment bar 2 traverses into the locking encasement 10 through the collar stiffener 5 and engaged to the locking encasement 10, opposite from the ornamental head 1. The plurality of loops 21 is connected to the inside of the shirt collar 25 and holds the assembly of the ornamental head 1, the attachment bar 2, the collar stiffener 5, and the locking encasement 10 within the shirt collar 25.

The ornamental provides the improved esthetic appearance for the shirt collar 25. In reference to FIG. 1-2, the shapes of the ornamental head 1 include, but are not limited, many different geometric shapes, many different organic shapes, or many different symbolic shapes, and any other desired personalized shaped. The ornamental head 1 can be made from, but not limited to, plastic, glass, metal or any other lightweight and high strength materials. Since the ornamental head 1 is the only component that is visible to others, and the rest of the components of the present invention are hidden away within the shirt collar 25, the ornamental head 1 provides the decorative aspect within the present invention.

In reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4, the attachment bar 2 comprises a central shaft 3 and a tail portion 4. More specifically, the ornamental head 1 is terminally connected to the central shaft 3 as the tail portion 4 is terminally and concentrically connected to the central shaft 3, opposite of the ornamental head 1. As a result, the central shaft 3 is positioned in between the ornamental head 1 and the tail portion 4. In order words, the ornamental head 1 is connected with the central shaft 3 at a front end of the central shaft 3. The tail portion 4 is concentrically connected with the central shaft 3 at a back end of the central shaft 3, where the tail portion 4 is positioned opposite from the ornamental head 1 along the central shaft 3. The tail portion 4 comprises a spherical shaped extremity, where the spherical shaped extremity is oppositely positioned to the ornamental head 1. As a result, the spherical shaped extremity delineates an end of the attachment bar 2. The central shaft 3 preferably comprises a cylindrical shape, although any other desired geometric shapes can be used. However, a diameter of the central shaft 3 is smaller than a diameter of the tail portion 4 so that the attachment bar 2 is able to engage with the locking encasement 10. The attachment bar 2 can be made from, but are not limited to, plastic, metal, or any other lightweight and high strength materials. The attachment bar 2 functions as the bridge between the ornamental head 1 and the locking encasement 10 while keeping the shirt collar 25 in their proper place on the shirt. The attachment bar 2 is also able to prevent the shirt collar 25 from becoming rumple, crease, flimsy, and pooped.

The locking encasement 10 that secures the attachment bar 2 and the collar stiffener 5 comprises a first sleeve 11, a second sleeve 14, a support 17, at least one encasement attachment 18, a cap 19, and an elastic locking clip 20. In reference to FIG. 5, the first sleeve 11 is laterally connected to the support 17, and the second sleeve 14 is laterally connected to the support 17 as the first sleeve 11 and the second sleeve 14 provide a linear path for the attachment bar 2 to traverse into the locking encasement 10. As a result, the first sleeve 11 and the second sleeve 14 are concentrically positioned of each other and are terminally positioned of each other along the support 17.

The encasement attachment 18 can be, but not limited to, hooks and loops attachments, adhesive strip attachments, snap button attachments, and attachment holes. The encasement attachment 18 of the preferred embodiment is an elongated hole that connects the locking encasement 10 to the shirt collar 25. More specifically, the encasement attachment 18 of the preferred embodiment traverses through the support 17 and allows the present invention to be attached onto the inside of the shirt collar 25 by a fabric fastener or stitching. In other words, the fabric fastener or stitching is traversed through the encasement attachment 18 and connected to a bottom collar section 27 of the shirt collar 25 so that the fabric fastener or stitching is able to secure the locking encasement 10 to the shirt collar 25. The present invention preferably utilizes a single encasement attachment 18 as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5; however, the present invention is not limited the single encasement attachment 18 and can comprise a plurality of encasement attachments 18. In reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 6, the elastic locking clip 20 is integrated into the cap 19. The cap 19 is adjacently connected to the second sleeve 14 and the support 17, opposite of the first sleeve 11, wherein the elastic locking clip 20 is concentrically positioned to the second sleeve 14. The elastic locking clip 20 is preferably made of spring steel in order to receive and release the tail portion 4. For example, when the attachment bar 2 is inserted into the locking encasement 10, the spherical shaped extremity engages with the elastic locking clip 20 thus securing the attachment bar 2 and the ornamental head 1 assembly to the locking encasement 10. When the attachment bar 2 is pulled away from the locking encasement 10, the spherical shaped extremity disengages from the elastic locking clip 20 thus separating the attachment bar 2 and the ornamental head 1 assembly from the locking encasement 10.

In reference to FIG. 6-7, a front base surface 12 of the first sleeve 11 and a rear base surface 13 of the second sleeve 14 are parallel to each other. Resultantly, the front base surface 12 of the first sleeve 11 is able to position flat against the ornamental head 1 when necessary, and the rear base surface 13 of the second sleeve 14 is able to position flat against the cap 19. A rear base surface 13 of the first sleeve 11 and a front base surface 12 of the second sleeve 14 are collectively tapered towards the support 17, forming an acute angle between the respective two surfaces. As a result, the first sleeve 11 and the second sleeve 14 are able to firmly secure the collar stiffener 5 within the present invention.

In reference to FIG. 6-7, the collar stiffener 5 comprises a sleeve body 6 and a stiffener body 9. The stiffener body 9 is design to place about a collar point of the shirt collar 25 and is laterally connected to the sleeve body 6 that secures the collar stiffener 5 to the locking encasement 10. Additionally, a first base surface 7 and a second base surface 8 of the sleeve body 6 are tapered away from the stiffener body 9. When the sleeve body 6 is concentrically positioned in between the first sleeve 11 and the second sleeve 14, the first base surface 7 of the sleeve body 6 is adjacently positioned with the rear base surface 13 of the first sleeve 11, and the second base surface 8 of the sleeve body 6 is adjacently positioned with the front base surface 12 of the second sleeve 14.

In reference to FIG. 8-9, in order for the present invention to display with the shirt collar 25, the attachment bar 2 is inserted through a collar hole 26 that is positioned on an upper collar section 28 of the shirt collar 25. When the attachment bar 2 inserted through the collar hole 26, the ornamental head 1 is positioned outside the collar hole 26, and the central shaft 3 is inserted through the plurality of loops 21 that comprises a top collar loop 22, a first bottom collar loop 23, and a second bottom collar loop 24. In reference to FIG. 10-11, the top collar loop 22 is positioned in between the first bottom collar loop 23 and the second bottom collar loop 24, where the top collar loop 22 is connected with the upper collar section 28. The first bottom collar loop 23 and the second bottom collar loop 24 are connected to the bottom collar section 27 by stitching or any other desired method of connections, as the upper collar section 28 and the bottom collar section 27 are connected to each other in order to complete the shirt collar 25. Since the locking encasement 10 is secured to the shirt collar 25, the locking encasement 10 is hidden within a bottom collar section 27 and an upper collar section 28 of the shirt collar 25. When the tail portion 4 inserted through a collar hole 26 of the shirt collar 25, the ornamental head 1 is adjacently and externally positioned with the collar hole 26. Then, the central shaft 3 traverses through the top collar loop 22, the first bottom collar loop 23, the second bottom collar loop 24, the first sleeve 11, a sleeve body 6 of the collar stiffener 5, and the second sleeve 14 as the tail portion 4 traverses into the cap 19 and the elastic locking clip 20. The tail portion 4 is then engaged with the elastic locking clip 20, wherein the elastic locking clip 20 secures the attachment bar 2 within the locking encasement 10 as the elastic locking clip 20 captures the insertion of the tail portion 4. The plurality of loops 21 provides a smooth and clean surface for the upper collar section 28, eliminating rumpled, creased, flimsy, and popped properties from the shirt collar 25. The plurality of loops 21 also eliminates space between the shirt and the shirt collar 25 and presents a crisp appearance. Additionally, the stiffener body 9 positioned in between the bottom collar section 27 and the upper collar section 28 of the shirt collar 25, wherein the stiffener body 9 stabilize the shirt collar 25. Since the perimeter of the ornamental head 1 is bigger than the perimeter of the attachment bar 2 and the collar hole 26, the ornamental head 1 does not go through the collar hole 26, but covers the collar hole 26 while providing the decorative appearance.

The present invention optionally utilizes a plurality of ornamental head placement templets and a plurality of encasement placement templets to accommodate different collar shapes and collar designs. Resultantly, each of the plurality of ornamental head placement templets allows the manufactures to properly manufacture the collar hole 26 of the shirt collar 25 and position the top collar loop 22. Similarly, each of the plurality of encasement placement templets allows the manufactures to properly place the first bottom collar loop 23 and the second bottom collar loop 24 within the shirt collar 25. Then, the plurality of ornamental head placement templets and the plurality of encasement placement templets allow the manufactures to accomplish proper alignment of the present invention with respect to different shirt collars 22.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the ornamental head 1 is removably mounted to the attachment bar 2 so that the user is able to switch between multiple ornamental heads 1 that comprises different design elements. As a result, the alternative embodiment can individually provide the functionality of the ornamental head 1 and the collar stiffener 5 or collectively provide the functionality of both the ornamental head 1 and the collar stiffener 5.

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 collar bar apparatus for shirt collar comprises:

an ornamental head;

an attachment bar;

a collar stiffener;

a locking encasement;

a plurality of loops;

the locking encasement comprises a first sleeve, a second sleeve, a support, at least one encasement attachment, a cap, and an elastic locking clip;

the plurality of loops comprises a top collar loop, a first bottom collar loop, and a second bottom collar loop, wherein the plurality of loops is connected to a shirt collar;

the ornamental head being terminally connected to the attachment bar, wherein a perimeter of the ornamental head is bigger than a perimeter of the attachment bar;

the attachment bar traversing into the locking encasement through the collar stiffener; and

the attachment bar being engaged to the locking encasement opposite from the ornamental head.

2. The decorative collar bar apparatus for shirt collar as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the attachment bar comprises a central shaft and a tail portion;

the ornamental head being terminally connected to the central shaft;

the tail portion being terminally and concentrically connected to the central shaft; and

the central shaft being positioned in between the ornamental head and the tail portion.

3. The decorative collar bar apparatus for shirt collar as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the collar stiffener comprises a sleeve body and a stiffener body; and

the stiffener body being laterally connected to the sleeve body.

4. The decorative attaching apparatus for the shirt collar and the sleeve cuffs as claimed in claim 3, wherein a first base surface and a second base surface of the sleeve body are tapered away from the stiffener body.

5. The decorative collar bar apparatus for shirt collar as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the first sleeve being laterally connected to the support;

the second sleeve being laterally connected to the support;

the first sleeve and the second sleeve being concentrically positioned of each other;

the first sleeve and the second sleeve being terminally positioned of each other along the support;

the encasement attachment traversing through the support;

the elastic locking clip being integrated into the cap;

the cap being adjacently connected to the second sleeve and the support, opposite of the first sleeve; and

the elastic locking clip being concentrically positioned to the second sleeve.

6. The decorative collar bar apparatus for shirt collar as claimed in claim 5, wherein a front base surface of the first sleeve and a rear base surface of the second sleeve are parallel to each other.

7. The decorative collar bar apparatus for shirt collar as claimed in claim 5, wherein a rear base surface of the first sleeve and a front base surface of the second sleeve are collectively tapered towards the support.

8. The decorative collar bar apparatus for shirt collar as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sleeve body of the collar stiffener being concentrically positioned in between the first sleeve and the second sleeve.

9. The decorative collar bar apparatus for shirt collar as claimed in claim 8 comprises:

a first base surface of the sleeve body being adjacently positioned with a rear base surface of the first sleeve; and

a second base surface of the sleeve body being adjacently positioned with a front base surface of the second sleeve.

10. The decorative collar bar apparatus for shirt collar as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the top collar loop being connected to an upper collar section of the shirt collar;

the first bottom collar loop being connected to a bottom collar section of the shirt collar, wherein the upper collar section and the bottom collar section are connected to each other;

the second bottom collar loop being connected to the bottom collar section; and

the top collar loop being positioned in between the first bottom collar loop and the second bottom collar loop.

11. The decorative collar bar apparatus for shirt collar as claimed in claim 1 comprises:

the ornamental head being adjacently positioned with a collar hole of the shirt collar;

a central shaft of the attachment bar traversing through the first bottom collar loop, the top collar loop, and the second bottom collar loop, the first sleeve, a sleeve body of the collar stiffener, and the second sleeve;

a tail portion of the attachment bar traversing into the cap and the elastic locking clip;

the tail portion being engaged with the elastic locking clip, wherein the elastic locking clip secures the attachment bar within the locking encasement as the elastic locking clip captures the insertion of the tail portion; and

a stiffener body of the collar stiffener being positioned in between a bottom collar section and an upper collar section of the shirt collar, wherein the stiffener body stabilizes the shirt collar.