Abstract
A motorcycle shirt or a speed boat shirt with anti-flap placket closure device to reduce flapping of the shirt plackets and shirt collar while the wearer is moving in the open at high speed, such as when piloting a motorcycle, a speed boat, and the like. The device reduces wearer annoyance and distraction and improves driver and rider comfort and safety.
Claims
1. A shirt comprising: (a) a back panel; (b) at least two sleeve panels; (c) one or two front panels having at least an inner placket and an outer placket, wherein the outer placket comprises at least three placket closures, and the inner placket comprises a corresponding number of mating placket closures; (d) a collar with a corresponding collar closure; and (e) at least one anti-flap placket closure attached to, disposed on, or defined in the inner and outer plackets at a point between the collar closure and the placket closure nearest the collar closure.
2. The shirt of claim 1, further comprising: (f) indicia on the shirt that is visible to an observer or purchaser when the shirt is worn indicating that the shirt is to be worn while piloting or being transported by a motorcycle or speed boat.
3. The shirt of claim 1, wherein the anti-flap placket closure is selected from the group consisting of a male/female button-snap closure, a snap-button closure, a single hook and loop closure, a Velcro®-type hook-and-loop closure, a magnetic closure, and a button-and-buttonhole closure.
4. The shirt of claim 1, wherein the anti-flap placket closure is dimensioned and configured to be hidden from frontal-view when the anti-flap placket closure is in a closed position.
5. The shirt of claim 1, wherein the anti-flap placket closure is of a different type than the at least three placket closures.
6. The shirt of claim 1, wherein the anti-flap placket closure is attached to the inner and outer plackets via sewing thread or adhesive.
7. A kit to retrofit shirt, the kit comprising: an anti-flap placket closure selected from the group consisting of a male/female button-snap closure, a snap-button closure, a single hook and loop closure, a Velcro®-type hook-and-loop closure, a magnetic closure; means to attach the anti-flap placket close to plackets of a shirt; and instructions for attaching the anti-flap placket closure to a shirt.
8. The kit of claim 7, further comprising at least two placket stays dimensioned and configured to reinforce plackets of a shirt and to support the anti-flap placket closure when it is installed on the plackets of the shirt.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 depicts a front view of a conventional unisex button-down or button-up collared shirt having two front panels with plackets in the closed or buttoned position (prior art).
[0021] FIG. 2 depicts a front view of a conventional unisex button-down or button-up collared shirt having two front panel with plackets in the opened or unbuttoned position (prior art).
[0022] FIG. 3 depicts a rear view of the shirt shown in FIG. 1 (prior art).
[0023] FIG. 4 depicts a close-up front view of the shirt shown in FIG. 1. with the shirt partially buttoned and with one collar flap turned up showing the collar button-snap components (prior-art).
[0024] FIG. 5 depicts a close-up front view of inventive motorcycle shirt with an anti-flap placket closure device (in the closed position) below the collar collar-band, but above the first placket button and an upper dashed-line representing the ¼ inch mark below the collar-band and a lower dashed-line representing the 2 inch mark below the collar-band, wherein the anti-flap placket closure must reside between the ¼ inch mark and the 2 inch mark according to the claims stated herein.
[0025] FIG. 6 depicts a close-up front view of inventive motorcycle shirt with an anti-flap placket closure device in the opened, or unsnapped, position showing the plackets in the unbuttoned position.
[0026] FIG. 7. depicts a close-up front view of the inventive shirt where the shirt does not have a collar-band, or a collar with button and buttonhole, where there are drawn dashed lines that represents the approximate 1 inch mark on the upper dashed line and 3 inch mark on the lower dashed line wherein the present invention calls for in the claims herein, where the anti-flap placket closure must be located and attached within this specified area.
[0027] FIG. 8 depicts the inventive shirt with a BS (BikerSnap) logo on the anti-flap closure device in the closed position.
[0028] FIG. 9 depicts the inventive shirt with the mating anti-flap placket closure unattached (or in open position) with outer placket having a fly-placket or a hidden secondary placket piece wherein the outer anti-flap placket closure component is attached and hidden from frontal view by the fly-placket or the hidden secondary placket piece that is attached to the back of the outer or front placket. Herein the anti-flap closure device is shown as a button-snap or a snap-button.
[0029] FIG. 10 depicts the inventive shirt with the mating anti-flap placket closure unattached (or in open position), which is in this example a positive and negative magnet component with outer placket or primary placket having a fly-placket or a hidden placket piece, or secondary placket piece, wherein the outer anti-flap placket closure component (magnet piece) is attached and hidden from frontal view by the fly-placket or the hidden secondary placket piece that is attached to the back of the outer or front placket. Herein the anti-flap closure device is shown as a button snap or a snap button as an example.
[0030] FIG. 11 depicts the inventive shirt with the plackets unbuttoned or in the open position showing the anti-flap closure device, in this example as a positive and negative magnet closure device with a BS (BikerSnap) logo and showing a placket stay in the outer placket and a placket stay in the inner placket to prevent the plackets from experiencing placket droop, especially due to the extra weight caused by the addition of the anti-flap closure device, being in this example, a magnet.
[0031] FIG. 12 depicts the inventive shirt with the plackets unbuttoned position showing a magnetic anti-flap closure device in the open position attached to a stiffener device that is attached to back side of the front placket and the other magnet component is attached to the inside of the back placket in this example.
[0032] FIGS. 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D, 13E, 13F and 13G depict exemplary closures that can be used in the present device, including snaps and buckles of various configurations (FIG. 13A), macro hook-and-loop closures (FIG. 13B), tab-and-slot closures (FIG. 13C), snaps (FIG. 13D), stick-on magnetic closures (FIG. 13E), micro hook-and-loop closures, such as Velcro®-brand closures (FIG. 13G), and conventional button/buttonhole closures (FIG. 13G).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0033] Shown in FIG. 1 is “off-the-shelf” mass-market type collared button-down shirt 1 with two front panels 2 and at least two sleeve panels 3 (understanding that the sleeve panels maybe short or long), with collar 4, having and inside collar 5, with two collar flaps 6, and a front, or outer, or outside placket 7 with a inner placket edge 8 (understanding that not all shirts of this type have an inner placket edge on the outside of the placket that is stitched), but do have a inner placket edge 8 on the inside of the shirt 1, and an outside placket edge 9, and a collar-band 10 that goes around the circumference of the collar 4, and is shown in the closed position by the collar-band button 11 being fastened, and buttons 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 are shown going vertically through the outer placket 7 buttonholes. The placket buttons 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 are considered herein to be separate from the collar-band button 10 and the industry standard in the shirt making business calls for the spacing between the collar-band button 11 and the first placket button 12 to be slightly less than the spacing between the first placket button 12 and the second placket button 13. The spacing on all lower buttons, by industry standard, is the same as between the spacing between the first placket button 12 and the second placket button 13. The shirt bottom terminates at the shirt hem 18.
[0034] Shown in FIG. 2 is shirt 1 where there is inner, or inside, or back placket 19 having an outer placket edge 20 and an inner placket edge 21, that may or may not be stitched, and the outer or front placket has buttonholes 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 with a collar-band buttonhole 28 and a with the collar-band lower edge 29. The plackets 7, 19 terminate at the upper end at the bottom of the collar-band 29. It is understood that collared buttoned shirt may vary in the number of buttons and buttonholes they have on the plackets when considering shirts are made in various sizes.
[0035] Shown in FIG. 3 is the back 30 of the shirt 1 where some shirts backs 30 are made with a yoke 31, and for this patent application said shirt back 30 can have a yoke 31 or not have a yoke 31 and said yoke herein is considered to be part of said back panel 30.
[0036] Shown in FIG. 4 is shirt 1 with the collar 4 that has two collar flaps 6 where one collar flap 6 is turn up showing the collar underneath 32 where collar button-snap component 33 and its mating collar band-snap component 34 when the collar 4 button-snap components 33, 34 are snapped together it forms closure (prior-art) that is considered herein as anti-flap closure device (prior-art).
[0037] Shown in FIG. 5 is shirt 1 showing outer placket 7 fasten to the inner placket 19 (not shown) with buttons 12, 13, 14 protruding through buttonholes 22, 23, 24, and where a upper dashed line 35 is shown only to represent the upper boundary where the center-point of anti-flap placket closure device can be located within the Claims of this patent application, which is ¼ inch below the bottom of the placket 29 and the lower dashed line 36 represents the lower boundary where the claimed center-point of the anti-flap placket closure device can be located or attached to said placket, which is 2 inches below the bottom of the collar-band 29. The centerline of the anti-flap placket closure device is to be positioned and attached between the dashed line area 35, 36. to be effective as an anti-flap placket closure device in the present invention. The dashed lines 35, 36 are shown herein only for purposes of illustration and are not on said shirt.
[0038] Shown in FIG. 6. is shirt 1 in the open position wherein both plackets 7, 19 are shown and where the back side of anti-flap placket closure device 37 (in this example a button-snap) is shown and the mating portion of said anti-flap placket closure 38 is shown on the inner placket 19.
[0039] Shown in FIG. 7 is shirt 1A which differs from shirt 1 in that shirt 1A does not have a collar-band and therefore plackets 7, 19 terminate at the neck-hole of the shirt or the upper end of plackets 7, 19. Accordingly, the Claim in the current patent application the anti-flap closure device must be attached to the plackets between 1 inch below the neck-hole, absent the collar-band, and above 3 inches below the neck-hole where these dimensions are measured from the centerline of said placket anti-flap closure device to the neck-hole of shirt 1A.
[0040] Shown in FIG. 8 is shirt 1 showing anti-flap placket closure device 37, (herein this example being metal or plastic button-snap) with a BS logo which stands for BikerShirt or BikerSnap and is well differentiate from the other placket closure devices.
[0041] Shown in FIG. 9 is shirt 1 showing plackets 7, 19 in the unbuttoned position with anti-flap placket closure device components 37, 38 (herein shown as metal or plastic button-snaps, understanding that this closure device can be instead a metal and or plastic hook and loop, a Velcro hook and loop, a male/female magnet, a positive/negative magnet, or a button and buttonhole) where the one-half of the anti-flap placket closure device 37 is attached to an addition placket piece 41 or fly-placket 41 that is attached to the back of the front placket and is therefore hidden from frontal view, and the mating closure half 38 is attached to the back or inner placket.
[0042] Shown in FIG. 10 is shirt 1 which is identical to shirt 1 shown in FIG. 9 with the exception that the anti-flap closure device is a male/female magnet 42, 43 or positive/negative magnet closure device 42, 43 wherein the outer or front placket 7 has hidden said magnet closure 43 by means of fly-placket 41 or a secondary placket layer 41 or pocket 41 where the magnet has been attached to or is within said fly-placket 41 or pocket 41 means of adhesive or insertion and stitching.
[0043] Shown in FIG. 11 is shirt 1 with a anti-flap placket closure device, herein as example a magnet 42, with pad-printed logo design 42A, with plastic placket stay 44 within front placket 7 and plastic placket stay 45 within back placket 19 which help overcome placket droop due to the additional weight of said magnet closure device 43, 44.
[0044] Shown in FIG. 12 is shirt 1 with a anti-flap placket closure device 42/46, 43/47 in the example a magnet closure that is adhered to a placket stiffener that can be inserted and attached to the inside of each placket 7, 19 or can be attached to the outside of said plackets 7, 19 by heat-activated thermoplastic adhesive. The length and width and design of components 46, 47 can vary.
[0045] FIGS. 13A through 13G show various types of placket closures that can be used in the shirt disclosed herein. FIG. 13A shows various types of “no sew” snap closures and adhesive snap-buckle closures. FIG. 13B shows hook-and-loop closures. FIG. 13C shows tab-and-slot closures. FIG. 13D shows a snap-cap closure. FIG. 13E shows magnetic closures. FIG. 13F shows a Velcro®-type hook and loop closure. FIG. 13G shows a button and corresponding buttonhole closure.
[0046] Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope intended and its various embodiments. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. This disclosure is thus meant to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what incorporates the essential ideas.
[0047] The definitions of the words or drawing elements described herein are meant to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structures, materials or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense, it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements described and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim.
[0048] The embodiments described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of the invention and to the achievement of the above-described objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification: structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus, if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word or words describing the element.
[0049] The scope of this description is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that the named inventor believes that the claimed subject matter is what is intended to be patented.
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