Necktie Accessory

Abstract

A tie accessory for enhancing the stability and appearance of a knot of a necktie, has a main portion and an attachment structure. The main portion has a front surface and a rear surface. The main portion is shaped and dimensioned to cover a section of exposed fabric of the knot of the necktie. The attachment structure is fixedly attached to an area of the rear surface of the main portion and is dimensioned and shaped to retain the tie accessory to the knot of the necktie.

Claims

1. A tie accessory for enhancing the stability and appearance of a knot of a necktie, comprising: a main portion having a front surface and a rear surface, the main portion being shaped and dimensioned to cover a section of exposed fabric of the knot of the necktie; and an attachment structure fixedly attached to an area of the rear surface of the main portion and being dimensioned and shaped to retain the tie accessory to the knot of the necktie.

2. The tie accessory according to claim 1, wherein the main portion is curved contour shaped to conform to curved contours of the section of exposed fabric of the knot of the necktie.

3. The tie accessory according to claim 1, wherein the attachment structure includes a connecting portion attached to the rear surface of the main portion and a clip portion that extends downward from the connecting portion, the clip portion being dimensioned and shaped to install between the section of exposed fabric and an inner layer of fabric of the knot of the necktie.

4. The tie accessory according to claim 3, wherein the rear surface of the main body includes a padding that contacts the section of exposed fabric of the knot with the tie accessory installed to the knot of the necktie thereby providing friction therebetween limiting movement of the tie accessory relative to the knot of the necktie.

5. The tie accessory according to claim 1, wherein the main portion is constructed from materials selected from the group consisting of precious metals, metals, alloys, wood, acrylic, carbon fiber, crystals, gemstones, stone, glass and plastic.

6. A tie accessory for enhancing the stability and appearance of a knot of a necktie, comprising: a main portion having a front surface and a rear surface, the main portion being shaped and dimensioned to cover a portion of the knot of the necktie, the front surface of the main portion having decorative shapes and contours thereon, the main portion having a curvature angle that is approximately equal to a corresponding curvature of the knot of the necktie that the main portion overlays; and an attachment structure that includes a connecting portion attached to the rear surface of the main portion adjacent to an upper end of the main portion and a clip portion that extends downward from the connecting portion, the clip portion being dimensioned to be between 20% and 100% of the overall height of the main portion of the tie accessory.

7. The tie accessory according to claim 6, wherein the clip portion is dimensioned and shaped to install between fabric layers of the knot of the necktie and straighten fabric of the knot of the necktie.

8. The tie accessory according to claim 6, wherein the front surface of the main portion includes decorative shapes that reflect light along the decorative shapes of the front surface.

9. The tie accessory according to claim 8, wherein the front surface of the main portion includes a jewel-like setting having one of the following set therein: integrated glass, gemstones, stones, or man-made gems having reflective surfaces for enhanced aesthetic appeal.

10. The tie accessory according to claim 7, wherein the front surface of the main portion includes one or more of the following: an engraved name, words, phrases, hyperlinks, TinyURL codes, QR Codes, company names, slogans and or logos in order to enhance the tie accessory's personalization and branding capabilities, allowing for customizable designs that serve both aesthetic and promotional purposes, and enabling the accessory to act as a tool for marketing, identification, and corporate representation.

11. A tie accessory for enhancing the stability and appearance of a knot of a necktie, comprising: a main portion having a decorative front surface covering visible imperfections of a knot of a necktie with the tie accessory installed to the knot, the decorative front surface of the main body having design features shaped to reflect light thereby improving visual appeal, and a rear surface of the main portion having an attachment structure and an adhesive padding attached thereto, the attachment structure being configured to attach the tie accessory to a knot of a necktie, with the adhesive padding being designed to add friction to the rear surface of the main portion in order to prevent slippage and movement of the main portion relative to the knot of the necktie and prevent damage to the fabric of the knot.

12. The tie accessory according to claim 11, wherein the decorative front surface of the main portion is shaped and decorated to reflect different light-reflective patterns therefrom.

13. The tie accessory according to claim 11, wherein the decorative front surface of the main portion can include embedded reflective materials, including one or more of a gemstone, a diamond, or man-made decorative elements.

14. The tie accessory according to claim 11, wherein the design features of the decorative front surface of the main portion extend along the inboard side and outboard side 36.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a front view of a necktie worn on a dress shirt tied with a knot with a pair of tie accessories attached to the knot in accordance with a first embodiment;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pair of tie accessories shown in FIG. 1 removed from the necktie in accordance with the first embodiment;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a front view of the pair of tie accessories shown in FIG. 2 in accordance with the first embodiment;

[0014] FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of one of the tie accessories taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3 showing an attachment structure of the tie accessory extending between fabric layers of the knot of the necktie (shown in phantom) in accordance with the first embodiment;

[0015] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rear surface of one of the tie accessories showing details of the attachment structure in accordance with the first embodiment;

[0016] FIG. 6 is a top view of one the tie accessories showing a curved contour of the tie accessory as defined by an angle and radius defined from a point spaced apart from the tie accessory in accordance with the first embodiment;

[0017] FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of a first of the pair of tie accessories showing the attachment structure and a friction material attached to the rear surface of a main portion of the first of the pair of tie accessories in accordance with the first embodiment;

[0018] FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of a second of the pair of tie accessories showing the attachment structure and a friction material attached to the rear surface of the main portion of the second of the pair of tie accessories in accordance with the first embodiment;

[0019] FIG. 9 is a front view of a necktie worn on a dress shirt tied with a knot with a pair of tie accessories attached to the knot in accordance with a second embodiment;

[0020] FIG. 10 is a front view of the pair of tie accessories shown in FIG. 9 in accordance with the second embodiment;

[0021] FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of the pair of tie accessories showing an attachment structure and a friction material attached to the rear surface of a main portion of each of the pair of tie accessories in accordance with the second embodiment;

[0022] FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of one of the pair of tie accessories showing the attachment structure attached to the rear surface of the main portion of the one of tie accessories in accordance with the second embodiment;

[0023] FIG. 13 is an outboard side view of one of the tie accessories showing decorative features of the tie accessory in accordance with the second embodiment;

[0024] FIG. 14 is a top view of one of the tie accessories showing details of the rear surface of a main portion of the tie accessory and showing a curved contour of the tie accessory as defined by an angle and radius defined from a point spaced apart from the tie accessory in accordance with the second embodiment; and

[0025] FIG. 15 is a front view of one the tie accessories showing decorative details of the tie accessory in accordance with the second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a necktie 10 with a knot 12. A pair of tie accessories 14a and 14b are attached to opposite sides of the knot 12 in accordance with a first embodiment. The tie accessories 14a and 14b are symmetrical opposites of one another relative to a vertical axis (not shown) that extends between the accessory 14a and the accessory 14b. In other words, they are identical to one another except that they are mirror images of one another, as shown in the drawings. Therefore, description of either one of the tie accessories 14a and 14b applies equally to the other tie accessory of the tie accessories 14a and 14b.

[0028] However, it should be understood from the drawings and description herein below that the tie accessories 14a and 14b are not limited to being identical mirror images of one another but can alternatively be made asymmetrical relative to one another, if desired.

[0029] Each of the tie accessories 14a and 14b has a main portion 20 with a front surface 22 and a rear surface 24, and an attachment structure 26 (FIGS. 4-8) with a connecting portion 28 and a clip portion 30.

[0030] The main portion 20 of each of the tie accessories 14a and 14b has an inboard side 34, an outboard side 36, an upper end 38 and a lower end 40, as shown in FIGS. 1-3. It should be understood that inboard and outboard sides are initially defined relative to orientation of the tie accessories on the knot, as established by the depiction in FIG. 1. However, throughout the description below, the inboard side 34 and the outboard side 36 are to remain unchanged regardless of any subsequent orientation of the tie accessories 14a and 14b installed or removed from the knot 12 of the necktie 10. For example, if only one tie accessory is used, the identified inboard and outboard sides remain as labelled.

[0031] The front surface 22 of the main portion 20 is preferably a decorative surface that can be provided with any of a variety of decorative patterns and/or images. Further, the main portion 20 of each of the tie accessories 14a and 14b is alternatively referred to herein below as a decorative plate 20. For example, in the first embodiment the front surface 22 includes a plurality of upright (vertically oriented) sections d.sub.1, d.sub.2, d.sub.3, d.sub.4, d.sub.5 and d.sub.6, as shown in FIG. 3. The sections d.sub.1, d.sub.2, d.sub.3, d.sub.4, d.sub.5 and d.sub.6 are offset from one another such that the front surface 22 is not a completely smooth surface. Rather, the front surface 22, as well as the surfaces of the inboard side 34 and the outboard side 36, can have a multi-faceted series of surface sections that are angularly offset from one another thereby providing an artistic, decorative appearance that can, for example, reflect light in a plurality of directions in a jewel-like fashion with multiple angles of direction of ambient light shining therefrom. In the first embodiment, there are 6 of the upright sections, however it should be understood from the drawings and the description herein, that any number of upright sections of the front surface 22 are possible. For example, the front surface 22 can have one, two, three or four such sections or 7 or more sections defined along the front surface 22.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the main portion 20 and the attachment portion 26 (the connecting portion 28 and the clip portion 30) can be formed, molded or forged as a single, monolithic, unitary member. Alternatively, the connecting portion 28 and the clip portion 30 can be made separately and attached to the rear surface 24 of the main portion 20 via mechanical fasteners, welding techniques or adhesive materials.

[0033] The connecting portion 28 can be rigidly and fixedly attached or formed with the rear surface 24 of the main portion 20 proximate to the upper end 38 of the main portion 20. The clip portion 30 can further be rigidly and fixedly attached or formed with the connecting portion 28.

[0034] The connecting portion 28 and the clip portion 30 are dimensioned and shaped such that they allow the clip portion 30 to flex slightly in order to move a lower end 30a of the clip portion 30 away from the rear surface 24 of the main portion 20. This movement of the clip portion 30 allow for easy installation to the knot 12 of the necktie 10.

[0035] Alternatively, the attachment structure 26 can be made of a thin sheet of material such as metal, plastic or another material that is capable of being bent slightly and attached to the main portion 20 via adhesive, welding techniques or mechanical fasteners. The connecting portion 28 (also referred to as a coupling base) and the clip portion 30 can preferably be dimensioned to define a gap G (see FIGS. 4 and 5) between the clip portion 30 and the rear surface 24 of the main portion 20. The gap G is preferably at least a few millimeters in depth to allow room for the thickness of a portion of the fabric of the necktie 10. The connecting portion 28 is dimensioned and attached to the main portion 20 and the clip portion 30 such that the tie accessory 14a and/or 14b fits snugly and stays secure enough to the knot 12 of the necktie 10 to ensure the stability of the knot 12 as well as maintain the position of the tie accessory 14a and/or 14b on the knot 12. The clip portion 30 is preferably between 20% and 100% of the overall height of the main portion 20. As used herein, height refers to a direction that extends between upper end 38 and lower end 40. In the depicted first embodiment, the clip portion 30 and connecting portion 28 are approximately 75% of the overall height of the main portion 20. The bottom end 30a of the clip portion 30 is preferably smoothly shaped such that contact with the fabric of the necktie 10 will not scrape, tear or damage the necktie accessory or the necktie's fabric during use, installation and removal of the tie accessories 14a and 14b to and from the knot 12. The bottom end 30a of the clip portion 30 can be rounded, square, flat, or blunt.

[0036] As shown in cross-section in FIG. 4, the knot 12 of the necktie 10 is formed by tying the necktie 10 such that sections of the fabric that makes up the necktie 10 overlay one another in a conventional manner. More specifically one fabric section 12a of the necktie 10 forms an exposed layer of the knot 12. The exposed fabric section 12a overlays an inner fabric section 12b, in a conventional manner. When one of the tie accessories 14a or 14b is installed to the knot 12 of the necktie 10, the clip portion 30 extends between the exposed fabric layer 12a of the knot 12 and the inner fabric layer 12b. As shown in FIG. 4, with the clip portion 30 installed between the exposed fabric section 12a and the inner fabric layer 12b, the exposed fabric layer 12a is located between the rear surface 24 of the main portion 20 and the clip portion 30 of the attachment structure 26. As well, an upper edge 12c of the exposed fabric layer 12a contacts a lower surface 28a of the connecting portion 28.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the rear surface 24 of the main portion 20 can include a layer of textile material 44 (also referred to as an adhesive padding 44 or a friction material 44) or other material (for instance, a rubber or resinous material) that can provide friction when in contact with the exposed fabric section 12a of the knot 12 of the necktie 10. Contact between the textile material 44 and the exposed fabric section 12a limits or restricts movement of the tie accessories 14a and 14b relative to the fabric section 12a of the knot 12. In other words, the friction between the textile material 44 or adhesive padding 44 and the knot 12 limits or restricts movement of the tie accessory 14a and/or 14b once installed to the knot 12.

[0038] The adhesive padding 44 can be made from a felt lining around 1 mm thick or less and has an adhesive backing that is used to attach the lining to the rear surface 24 of the main portion 20. The adhesive padding 44 provides friction to the back of the main portion 20 which assists the main portion 20 in staying in position on the knot 12. The adhesive padding 44 further eliminates or at least limits rotation of the main portion 20 relative to the necktie knot 12 once positioned by the wearer. The adhesive padding 44 also protects the accessories from damage when multiple tie accessories 14a and/or 14b are placed near or on top of each other in a wearer's customized arrangement on the knot 12.

[0039] The front surface 22 (and the main portion 20) can be wing shaped or have other decorative overall shapes dimensioned to enhance the appearance of the necktie 10 and more specifically, the knot 12 of the necktie 10.

[0040] The tie accessories 14a and 14b are considered to be part of a single element of jewelry that installed to opposite sides of the knot 12 of the necktie 10 in the first embodiment. Further, the tie accessories 14a and 14b can be considered to be two separate, individual decorative pieces of jewelry. Specifically, with some knots of a necktie, depending upon taste and fashion appearance, only one of the tie accessories 14a and 14b can be used on the knot 12 of the necktie 10.

[0041] There are many, many ways to tie the knot 12 of the tie 10. For example, the Four-In-Hand Knot is perfect for a normal workday, it's one of the easiest ties to form and its intentionally asymmetrical form is a fine aesthetic. Hence, in an alternative embodiment, use of only one of the accessories 14a and 14b can be appropriate. The Windsor Knot (shown in FIG. 1) typically is symmetrical, and use of both accessories 14a and 14b is more appropriate, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0042] For an individual who ties their necktie perfectly and heads out for the day, they may wind up adjusting that necktie several times a day. As they move, the necktie's fabric might be pushed and pulled, causing the knot to crease away the dimple, become uneven, create unsightly bulges or even become completely unpresentable. With one or both of the accessories 14a and 14b installed to the knot 12 of the necktie 10, the knot 12 can be more stable and can be useful in the reduction and/or elimination of repeated straightening or adjusting the knot 12 of the necktie 10.

[0043] The tie accessories 14a and 14b can be made from metals like steel, brass, aluminum, and copper, precious metals like silver, gold, platinum, bismuth and gold-plated items, wood, marble, stone, glass, carbon fiber, gemstones, plastic, acrylic, granite or a combination of two or more of the above-mentioned materials. The tie accessories 14a and 14b can further be made of an inexpensive metal that is plated with a more precious metal such as Gold or Silver. The tie accessories 14a and 14b can also have a fabric or leather lining covering another material. The accessories can be between 10 mm to 150 mm long, 5 mm to 75 mm wide, and 2.5 mm to 75 mm in depth.

[0044] The front surface 22 of the main portion 20 of each of the tie accessories 14a and 14b can define a decorative surface with, for example, the above described sections d.sub.1, d.sub.2, d.sub.3, d.sub.4, d.sub.5 and d.sub.6 defined thereon. The main portion 20 can be relatively thin or can have a thickness suitable to support one or more gemstones, diamonds or other shiny objects with a depth of a few millimeters along the front surface 22 of the main portion 20, as shown in the second embodiment. The front surface 22 of the main portion 20 can also have indentations for engravings where gemstones, letters, names, company names, company logos and slogans as well as personal or social media identifiers can be arranged for brand advertising and presentability.

[0045] The main portion 20 covers curves in the sides of the knot 12 of the necktie 10 where imperfections are most likely to appear in the knot after forming. The front surface 22 of the main portion 20 can also have indentations for engravings where gemstones, letters, names, company names, company logos and slogans, personal or social media identifiers can be stamped, etched or engraved.

[0046] The knot 12 of neckties are by their very nature typically curved (non-planar). Therefore, the main portion 20 preferably can be formed with a curvature that has a center point C (or center line that extends vertically behind the tie accessory) and a radius R that are used to define an angle , as shown in FIG. 6. The curvature angle and radius R can be determined or measured using simple geometric relationships defined by the main portion 20. The radius R can range from between 1 cm to 10 cm, while the angle can be any value between 25 degrees and 175 degrees. Any change to the radius R alters the curvature and angle of the main portion 20 in accordance with fashion considerations and the designer's tastes.

[0047] The tie accessories 14a and 14b are dimensioned and shaped to fit on the knot 12 of necktie 10 on left and right sides of the knot 12. However, alternative positions and orientations are possible, depending upon the wearer's preference and fashion sense.

[0048] One or both of the tie accessories 14a and 14b can also be shifted frontwards away from the wearer's chest or backwards towards the back of the necktie knot, closer to the wearer's chest. The tie accessories 14a and 14b, when inserted into a loop of the necktie knot 12, can be compressed for proper positioning by squeezing the tie accessories 14a and 14b onto the knot 12. This uses the formed knot's 12 density caused by the positioning of the fabric rolled, pulled, bent and stretched into its form to be used as a soft brace allowing the connecting portion 28 and the clip portion 30 to compress properly into a straighter position. This causes the main portion 20 to conform better to the shape of the necktie knot 12. The adhesive padding 44 on the rear surface 24 of the main portion 20 of the tie accessories 14a and 14b provides friction between the fabrics of the necktie 10 and the adhesive padding 44 properly securing the tie accessories 14a and 14b to the knot 12.

[0049] Multiple tie accessories 14a and 14b can be installed on the same side of the knot 12 of the necktie 10. In particular, if the tie accessories 14a and 14b are provided with differing customized shapes (not shown) other than the depicted shapes, these customized tie accessories can have different curvature angles. Such customized tie accessories can effectively cover more of the surface area of the knot 12 while also adding more fashion options for the wearer. This customization allows the wearer to use tie accessories (in combination with the tie accessories 14a and 14b) in many differing combinations and orientations on the knot 12 of the necktie 10. Further, combining differing tie accessories on a single necktie can include the tie accessories being made of differing materials. For example, one of the tie accessories can be silver colored (or silver plated) and another can be gold colored (or gold plated). The wearer can also adjust the positions of the tie accessories such that at least one of the tie accessories can be rotated or adjusted inboard or outboard relative to the visible edge of the knot 12 and relative to other tie accessories on the knot 12, thereby providing multiple fashion options.

[0050] The wearer can further control how far the tie accessory is slid down onto the knot 12, whether to position the top point of the main portion 20 closer to the wearer's chest or to the front of the necktie (left or right, aka inboard or outboard), as well as to either angle the tie accessory to point straight downward or rotate the plate so the device sits at more of an angle pointing closer to the center of the knot 12 of the necktie 10. If wearing multiple tie accessories, each tie accessories can have its position adjusted without hindering the positions of the other tie accessories as long as the knot 12 has space for the multiple tie accessories.

Manufacturing

[0051] Each of the pair of tie accessories 14a and 14b includes the main portion 20, the connecting portion 28 of the attachment structure 26 and the clip portion 30 of the attachment structure 26. The connecting portion 28 and the clip portion 30 are preferably formed of a bendable material, usually a thin sheet of metal, plastic or resin. The device can be created in many ways. A mold can be created to cast all or most of the design out of materials like metal, acrylic, resin or glass. For tie accessories 14a and 14b made from two or more materials, the connecting portion 28 can be specifically created to fit inside a specially created mold so it can be placed in the perfect position to be combined or partially molded into what will become the main portion 20. After which, the components of the main portion 20 can be assembled by gluing, molding, casting, welding, coupling, or with magnetism. The tie accessories 14a and 14b can each be mass produced by creating sample left and right sided tie accessories 14a and 14b, designing a mold around them in order to allow a machine to punch out, cast or otherwise create the same pieces many times. Pieces can also be finished after casting by setting stones, gemstones or shiny objects, closing the prongs that could house these items or setting them in place with adhesives as well as adding paint.

[0052] The connecting portion 28 can also be glued, attached or partially inserted inside an accompanying main portion 20. If, for example, the main portion 20 is made from wood, granite, marble or glass it may be best to create an insert where a part of the connecting portion 28 is combined with the main portion 20. Materials like metal, carbon fiber, glass and acrylic can be created by molding the main portion 20. Materials like marble, wood, as well as most of the previously mentioned could be created by finely carving, shaving, milling, or laser etching the design out of a larger piece of unrefined material.

Second Embodiment

[0053] Referring now to FIGS. 9-15, a pair of tie accessories 114a and 114b in accordance with a second embodiment will now be explained. In view of the similarity between the first and second embodiments, the parts of the second embodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals as the parts of the first embodiment. Moreover, the descriptions of the parts of the second embodiment that are identical to the parts of the first embodiment may be omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0054] FIG. 9 shows the necktie 10 with the knot 12. The pair of tie accessories 114a and 114b are attached to opposite sides of the knot 12 in accordance with a second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the tie accessories 114a and 114b are symmetrical opposites of one another relative to a vertical axis (not shown) that extends between the accessory 114a and the accessory 114b. In other words, they are identical to one another except that they are mirror images of one another. Therefore, description of either one of the tie accessories 114a and 114b applies equally to the other tie accessory of the tie accessories 114a and 114b.

[0055] However, it should be understood from the drawings and description herein below that the tie accessories 114a and 114b are not limited to being identical mirror images of one another but can alternatively be made asymmetrical relative to one another, if desired.

[0056] Each of the tie accessories 114a and 114b has a main portion 120 with a front surface 122. The main portion 120 also includes the rear surface 24, the attachment structure 26 (FIGS. 11, 12 and 14) with the connecting portion 28 and the clip portion 30 as described above with reference to the first embodiment.

[0057] The main portion 120 of each of the tie accessories 114a and 114b has an inboard side 34, an outboard side 36, an upper end 38 and a lower end 40, as shown in FIGS. 9-11, 13 and 15.

[0058] The front surface 122 includes decorative features 145 that have the appearance of textured branches, tree or vine-like elements, and/or leaves of a tree. Any of a combination of swirls, curved shapes can be formed on the front surface 122 resembling features from nature, classical aesthetic, Victorian, architectural, or contemporary art themes as well as more modernistic mechanical features. In other words, the front surface 122 can include any of a variety of decorative features or decorative patterns. Further, the decorative features 145 on the front surface 122 can be interpreted as stylized feathers as found on the wings of a bird.

[0059] In an alternative embodiment, the main portion 120 can be shaped like a wing of a bird and include the decorative features 145.

[0060] Optionally, the front surface 122 can include at least one jewel 150 or a plurality of jewels 150 mounted to the front surface 122 via jewelry settings or other jewel retaining structures (not shown).

[0061] The jewel 150 can be any of a variety of jewels, man made or natural. For example, the jewel 150 can be a ruby, diamond, sapphire or other precious stone, glass replicas or other man-made jewel like elements.

[0062] In the second embodiment, the jewel 150 is depicted as being set (attached) to the main portion 120 nearer to the outboard side 36 of the main portion 120 than the inboard side 34 of the main portion 120. However, in alternative embodiments, the jewel 150 can be more centrally located or can be attached nearer to the inboard side 34 than the outboard side 36. Further, in the second embodiment, the jewel 150 is shown as being set (attached) to the main portion 120 approximately mid-way between the upper end 38 and the lower end 40 of the main portion 20. Alternatively, the jewel 150 can be set closer to the upper end 38 than to the lower end 40 or can be set closer to the lower end 40 than the upper end 38.

[0063] The rear surface 24 of the main portion 120 can include the textile material or adhesive padding 44, as described above with respect to the first embodiment.

[0064] As stated above, all elements and features present in the first embodiment, except shape and decorative features of the front surface 122 of the main portion 120, are present in the second embodiment. Since these elements and features are basically the same in the second embodiment as in the first embodiment, further description is omitted for the sake of brevity.

General Interpretation of Terms

[0065] In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term comprising and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, including, having and their derivatives. Also, the terms part, section, portion, member or element when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. Also as used herein to describe the above embodiments, the following directional terms forward, rearward, above, downward, vertical, horizontal, below, inboard, outboard, and transverse as well as any other similar directional terms refer to those directions relative to the tie accessories. Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describe the present invention should be interpreted relative to a tie accessory.

[0066] The terms of degree such as substantially, about and approximately as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.

[0067] While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, location or orientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/or desired. Components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have intermediate structures disposed between them. The functions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such features. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Glossary

[0068] Necktie: A necktie is a long, narrow piece of fabric that is worn around the neck, typically tied in a knot, and drapes down the front of a shirt. It is a classic accessory in men's formal wear, often made from materials such as silk, polyester, or other fabrics, designed to add a touch of style and professionalism to attire.

[0069] Necktie Knot: A necktie knot is the arranged structure created by forming a necktie into a structured and decorative loop that secures the tie around the wearer's neck. The knot is typically positioned at the collar of a shirt and serves both functional and aesthetic purposes, ensuring the tie stays in place while also contributing to the overall appearance of the wearer's outfit. The necktie knot holds the tie in place and can vary in shape, size, and symmetry depending on the specific knot style used, such as the Windsor, Four-in-Hand, or Half-Windsor.

[0070] Forming: the Act of Tying a Necktie Into a Necktie Knot.

[0071] Four-In Hand Knot: Named after a 19th Century Gentleman's Club of the same name, the Four-in-Hand is the reigning champion of necktie knots. Its popularity stems from its simplicity and versatility. It is easy to tie, slender, tapered, mildly asymmetrical and self-releasing. If you only learn one knot, make it the Four-in-Hand.

[0072] Windsor Knot: The Windsor knot was invented by the public as a way to imitate the knot style preferred by the Duke of Windsor. There are several derivatives of the Windsor that are all referred to by the same name. The Windsor delivers a symmetrical and solid triangular knot that works best with a spread collar.

[0073] Horizontally Linear Finished Necktie: This term means the necktie is finished by spreading the necktie horizontally, pushing the necktie behind the forming knot, lifting over the top of the necktie knot design before finishing by pushing and pulling the blade of the necktie through a created opening. Examples being the Windsor, Half-Windsor, Four-In-Hand Knot.

[0074] Velvet Knot: A knot designed by a YouTube-influencer, Patrick Novotny. It's formed similarly to the Eldredge knot, providing a symmetrical form but with a more asymmetrical aesthetic. The Velvet Knot, like the Eldredge Knot, is formed by threading the tail, the thinnest end of a necktie, into a necktie knot rather than with the blade like most traditional necktie knots.