FASHION SCRUNCH CLIP APPARATUS AND METHOD
An apparatus including at least a first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism connected together by at least one flexible member, wherein the first half of the mating attachment mechanism is configured to go underneath a portion of a garment and the flexible member is configured to constrain a portion of a garment scrunched within a closed loop when the second half of the mating attachment is mated with the first half of the mating attachment through the garment and to maintain the scrunching during normal daily wear of the garment, until unmated by an end user. Methods of using the apparatus comprise: placing the first half of the mating attachment mechanism underneath a portion of a garment, extending the second half of the mating attachment mechanism outside the garment, constraining a portion of the garment within the closed loop, and removably mating the second half of the mating attachment with the first half of the mating attachment through the garment.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/423,229.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to fashion accessories.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONFashion designers often include the scrunching/gathering of fabric at strategic locations to create an exciting look that are permanently included in the garment (item of clothing). However, what is missing is the garment purchaser's ability to rapidly temporarily transform a non-scrunched garment into a scrunched garment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn order to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art, apparatus and methods are described herein.
One aspect of the claimed invention involves an apparatus comprising: at least a first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism connected together by at least one flexible member, wherein the flexible member is configured to allow the first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism to form a closed loop when mated together; wherein the first half of the mating attachment mechanism is configured to go underneath a portion of a garment and the flexible member is configured to allow the second half of the mating attachment mechanism to extend outside the garment and the flexible member is further configured to constrain a portion of a garment scrunched within the closed loop when the second half of the mating attachment is mated with the first half of the mating attachment through the garment; and wherein the first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism are configured to be temporarily mated through a garment and, during such mating, to allow a portion of a garment scrunched within the closed loop to be maintained during normal daily wear of the garment until unmated by an end user.
Another aspect involves a method of temporarily transforming a garment into a scrunched garment comprising removably attaching an apparatus, just summarized onto the garment, wherein the attaching comprises: placing the first half of the mating attachment mechanism underneath a portion of a garment, extending the second half of the mating attachment mechanism outside the garment, constraining a portion of the garment within the closed loop, and removably mating the second half of the mating attachment with the first half of the mating attachment through the garment.
Further, in at least one embodiment an apparatus is provided comprising: a pin; an attachment device configured to allow the pin to be inserted and held by the attachment device; a strip of material having a first end and an opposing second end; wherein the pin is fixed to the strip of material nearer the first end than the second end; wherein the attachment device is fixed to the strip of material nearer the second end than the first end; and wherein the pin is configured to attach to the attachment device to cause the strip of material to be in a substantially closed loop.
The strip of material may have a length and a width, wherein the length is substantially longer than the width. The length of the strip of material may be between two and six inches. The pin may project out substantially perpendicular from the strip of material. The pin may have a height, projecting outwards substantially perpendicularly from the strip of material, such that the pin can be inserted into the attachment device to cause the apparatus to be substantially in a closed loop, without the pin projecting out of the attachment device.
Further, in at least one embodiment a method is provided which comprises attaching an apparatus to clothing in a manner which causes one portion of the clothing to be brought closer together to another portion of the clothing for aesthetic purposes. The apparatus may constructed as previously described.
The instant devices/apparatus and methods provide a way to rapidly temporarily transform a non-scrunched garment into a scrunched garment (where a portion of a garment is brought closer together to another portion the garment). The devices are elegant in their simplicity but masterful in their functionality. The devices comprise at least a first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism connected together by at least one flexible member, wherein the flexible member is configured to allow the first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism to form a closed loop when the first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism are mated together (a closed state); wherein the first half of the mating attachment mechanism is configured to go underneath a portion of a garment and the flexible member is configured to allow the second half of the mating attachment mechanism to extend outside the garment and the flexible member is further configured to constrain a portion of a garment scrunched within the closed loop when the second half of the mating attachment is mated with the first half of the mating attachment through the garment ; and wherein the first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism are configured to be temporarily/removably mated through a garment and, during such mating, to allow a portion of a garment scrunched within the closed loop to be maintained during normal daily wear of the garment until unmated by an end user.
Exemplary first half of mating attachment mechanism comprises a piece of magnetic material with the second half of the mating attachment mechanism comprises a magnet. In this case, the at least one flexible member could be a non-magnetic material such as a gold or silver chain (or a strip of fabric or even a string), with the importance being that it allows the closed loop to be formed).
Alternatively, (or if more holding power is need) both the first and second half of the mating mechanism could both be magnets or the first of mating mechanism could have been the magnet and the second half could have been the magnetics material.
Note: in practice we have found that it is preferable for at least the second half of the mating mechanism to be magnetic, as this allows charms and medallions to also be removably attached externally to the second half of the mating mechanism in order to enhance the aesthetics. Further, by making the charms and medallions magnetically attachable, rather than permanently attachable, one device can easily be adjusted, through changing the charms and medallions to create many different fashion aesthetics.
Magnets are chains interconnecting them are only one example of mating attachment mechanisms. We will now turn our attention to a pin and clasp attachment mechanism, which will be described in greater detail.
The first apparatus 1 may include a ring 2, an attachment device 4, a strip 6, a ring 10, a ring 12, a pin 14, and a ring 16. The strip 6 may be sandwiched between the ring 2 and the attachment device 4, wherein the ring 2 and the attachment device 4 are fixed to a portion 6a of the strip 6. The strip 6 may be sandwiched between the ring 12 and the ring 10 wherein the ring 12 and the ring 10 are fixed to a portion 6b of the strip 6. The strip 6 may be made of a cloth material. Each of the ring 2, the attachment device 4, the ring 10, the ring 12, the pin 14, and the ring 16 may be made of metal, such as a hard metal.
The attachment device 4 may include members 4a and 4b, which can be squeezed together in the direction D1 and D2, respectively, shown in
The second apparatus 100 may include a ring 102, an attachment device 104, a strip 106, a ring 110, a ring 112, a pin 114, and a ring 116. The strip 106 may be sandwiched between the ring 102 and the attachment device 104, wherein the ring 102 and the attachment device 104 are fixed to the strip 106. The strip 106 may be sandwiched between the ring 112 and the ring 110 wherein the ring 112 and the ring 110 are fixed to the strip 106. The strip 106 may be made of a cloth material. Each of the ring 102, the attachment device 104, the ring 110, the ring 112, the pin 114, and the ring 116 may be made of metal, such as a hard metal.
The attachment device 104 may include protrusions 104a and 104b, which can be squeezed together in the direction D3 and D4, respectively, shown in
The members 4a, 4b, and 104a and 104b, may be spring biased, by springs within the body 4c or 104c in a closed state wherein ends of the members, within the body 4c or 104c, are in contact.
The strip 106 may have a length L1, shown in
In at least one embodiment, as shown in
Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention's contribution to the art.
Claims
1. An apparatus comprising:
- at least a first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism connected together by at least one flexible member, wherein the flexible member is configured to allow the first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism to form a closed loop when the first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism are mated together;
- wherein the first half of the mating attachment mechanism is configured to go underneath a portion of a garment and the flexible member is configured to allow the second half of the mating attachment mechanism to extend outside the garment and the flexible member is further configured to constrain a portion of a garment scrunched within the closed loop when the second half of the mating attachment is mated with the first half of the mating attachment through the garment; and
- wherein the first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism are configured to be temporarily mated through a garment and, during such mating, to allow a portion of a garment scrunched within the closed loop to be maintained during normal daily wear of the garment until unmated by an end user.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the length of the flexible member is between two and six inches.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
- the second half of a mating attachment mechanism is a pin;
- the first half of a mating attachment mechanism is configured to allow the pin to be inserted and held by the first half of a mating attachment mechanism;
- the flexible member is a strip of material having a first end and an opposing second end;
- wherein the pin is fixed to the strip of material nearer the first end than the second end; and
- wherein the first half of a mating attachment mechanism is fixed to the strip of material nearer the second end than the first end.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the strip of material has a length and a width, wherein the length is substantially longer than the width.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the pin projects out substantially perpendicular from the strip of material.
6. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising the pin has a height, projecting outwards substantially perpendicularly from the strip of material, such that the pin can be inserted into the attachment device to cause the apparatus to be substantially in a closed loop, without the pin projecting out of the attachment device.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
- the first half of a mating attachment mechanism comprises a piece of magnetic material; and
- the second half of a mating attachment mechanism comprises a magnet.
8. A method of temporarily transforming a garment into a scrunched garment comprising removably attaching an apparatus to the garment;
- wherein the apparatus comprises:
- at least a first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism connected together by at least one flexible member, wherein the flexible member is configured to allow the first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism to form a closed loop when the first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism are mated together;
- wherein the first half of the mating attachment mechanism is configured to go underneath a portion of the garment and the flexible member is configured to allow the second half of the mating attachment mechanism to extend outside the garment and the flexible member is further configured to constrain a portion of the garment within the closed loop when the second half of the mating attachment is mated with the first half of the mating attachment;
- wherein the first and second half of a mating attachment mechanism are configured to be temporarily mated through a garment and, during such mating, to allow a portion of a garment scrunched within the closed loop to be maintained during normal daily wear of the garment until unmated by an end user; and
- wherein the attaching comprises:
- placing the first half of the mating attachment mechanism underneath a portion of a garment, extending the second half of the mating attachment mechanism outside the garment, constraining a portion of the garment within the closed loop, and removably mating the second half of the mating attachment with the first half of the mating attachment through the garment.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the length of the flexible member is between two and six inches.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein:
- the second half of a mating attachment mechanism is a pin;
- the first half of a mating attachment mechanism is configured to allow the pin to be inserted and held by the first half of a mating attachment mechanism;
- the flexible member is a strip of material having a first end and an opposing second end;
- wherein the pin is fixed to the strip of material nearer the first end than the second end; and
- wherein the first half of a mating attachment mechanism is fixed to the strip of material nearer the second end than the first end.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the strip of material has a length and a width, wherein the length is substantially longer than the width.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the pin projects out substantially perpendicular from the strip of material.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising
- the pin has a height, projecting outwards substantially perpendicularly from the strip of material, such that the pin can be inserted into the attachment device to cause the apparatus to be substantially in a closed loop, without the pin projecting out of the attachment device.
14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:
- the first half of a mating attachment mechanism comprises a piece of magnetic material; and
- the second half of a mating attachment mechanism comprises a magnet.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 15, 2020
Publication Date: Dec 3, 2020
Inventor: Steffanie Guillen (Elizabeth, NJ)
Application Number: 16/792,200