GB2503485A

GB2503485A - A collar accessory with a surface to display an image

Info

Publication number: GB2503485A
Application number: GB201211481A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wladimir Tissen; Siddharth Nagpal
Original assignee: Pulse Tech Singapore Pte Ltd
Current assignee: Pulse Tech Singapore Pte Ltd
Priority date: 2012-06-28
Filing date: 2012-06-28
Publication date: 2014-01-01
Also published as: GB201211481D0

Abstract

An article for accessorizing a collar comprising a pliable band 11 configured to be releasably attached to the collar and having a front surface for displaying an image. The article may have an adjustable length and may be formed of two parts which can be secured together. The band may have slots 30 provided on a back surface so that fasteners for holding the band to a collar can be concealed. The slots may be positioned at a forward edge and a bottom edge. The device may be a blank formed of card and the slots may be formed by folding a layer with channels over the back of the band to form the slots 30. Notches 31 may be formed adjacent to the channels.

Description

ARTICLE FOR ACCESSORIZING A COLLAR

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an article for accessorizing a collar.

Background

Collar accessories typically comprise articles such as collar pins, tips, studs and chains. These decorative articles are usually small metallic objects selected to suit an individual wearer's taste, and often valued for their intrinsic material worth or for sentimental reasons.

Summary of the Invention

An article for accessorizing a collar is provided comprising a band having a front surface for displaying an image thereon. Depending on the image displayed, the article may serve to denote a certain identity of the user such as his or her nationality, team, firm, corporation or other organization; to advertise a brand or product, to make a statement, or simply for decoration. The article is preferably inexpensively produced so as to be disposable, and configured to be readily attached to and detached from the collar. The article is therefore particularly suited for mass distribution and use at parades, rallies, games, sporting events and corporate events to display one or more representative images such as flags, emblems, symbols, logos and colours.

According to an exemplary aspect, there is provided an article for accessorizing a collar, the article comprising a pliable band configured to be releasably attachable to the collar for covering at least a portion of the collar, the band comprising a front surface for displaying an image thereon.

The band may be configured to be assembled with a length conforming with a size of the collar.

The band may comprise a first piece and a second piece, the first piece and the second piece being configured to adjustably engage each other to adjust a length of the band. The article may further comprise securing means for securing the first piece to the second piece.

Alternatively, the band may be configured to be foldable to adjust a length of the band.

The article may be configured to conceal fasteners used to attach the band to the collar.

The article may comprise a plurality of slots disposed on a back surface of the band for engaging the fasteners therein.

A first number of the plurality of slots may be configured to have slot openings adjacent a front edge of the band for attaching a front edge of the band to a front edge of the collar.

A second number of the plurality of slots may be configured to have slot openings adjacent a bottom edge of the band for attaching the band to a bottom edge of the collar.

The plurality of slots may be formed by a number of slot-forming layers attached to the back surface of the band, each slot-forming layer having at least one elongate channel formed therein such that one elongate channel and the back surface of the band define one slot.

The band and the number of slot-forming layers may be integrally formed of cardstock as a blank configured to be assembled to form the article.

A fold line may be provided on the blank wherever one of the number of slot-forming layers adjoins the band.

Through holes may be provided at the fold line to form slot openings when the article is assembled, each through hole being adjacent an elongate channel.

Notches may be provided at a free edge of a slot-forming layer in the blank to form slot openings when the article is assembled, each notch being adjacent an elongate channel.

Brief Descrirtion of the Drawings In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily put into practical effect there shall now be described by way of non-limitative example only exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the description being with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a front view of the article for accessorizing a collar; FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the article of FIG. 1 before assembly; FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a back surface of a first piece of the article of FIG. 2; and FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a back surface of the first piece of FIG. 3 before assembly; FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a front view of an exemplary collar for attaching the article of FIG. 1 thereto.

Detailed Description of the Exemplary' Embodiments

An exemplary article 10 for accessorizing a collar 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. ito 5 below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the article 10 comprises a pliable band 11 having a front surface 12 for displaying an image 14 thereon. The image i4 may be one or more images and is preferably ready provided on the front surface 12. The image 14 can be any desired image such as, but not limited to, a flag, an emblem, a logo, a slogan, or simply one or more colours. The image 14 may be ready provided on the front surface 12 by known means such as, but not limited to, printing, stamping, embroidery. Alternatively, the image 14 may be put on by a wearer by known means such as, but not limited to, drawing, writing, painting, applying a decorative adhesive sticker.

The band 11 is preferably made of cardstock, but can also be made of any other pliable sheet material, such as, but not limited to, plastic, fabric, metal foil.

The pliable band 11 is configured to be releasably attachable to a collar 50 shown in FIG. 5. The band 11 may have any shape that covers at least a portion of the collar 50 when attached to the collar 50. In a preferred embodiment, the band 11 has a shirt-collar shape configured to fully cover the collar 50.

Preferably, the band 11 is configured to be assembled with a length conforming with a size of the collar 50 that the band 11 is attached to. In one embodiment, the band 11 comprises a first piece 21 and a second piece 22 as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b respectively. The first piece 21 and the second piece 22 are configured to adjustably engage each other in order to assemble the band 11 with a length conforming with a size of the collar 50 that the band 11 is attached to. In this way, the article 10 may be attached to and aligned with collars of all sizes. Preferably, the first piece 21 and the second piece 22 each have a front edge 23 that generally aligns with the front edges 53 of the collar 50 when attached to the collar 50.

In one configuration, when the front edges 23 are aligned with the collar 50, engagement portions 24 of the first piece 21 and the second piece 22 engage each other with an overlap 25 as shown in FIG. 1. The overlap 25 is preferably located at the back 54 of the collar 50 when the article 10 is worn. Providing the band 11 in two pieces 21, 22 that overlap 25 allows the band 11 to be assembled with a length conforming with a size of the collar 50 that the band 11 is attached to. Securing means (not shown) are provided for securing the engagement portions 24 of the first piece 21 and the second piece 22 at the overlap 25. The securing means may comprise double-sided adhesive tape, or other known means such as, clips, staples or glue.

In other configurations, the first piece 21 and second piece 22 may adjustably engage each other by means such as, but not limited to, providing a plurality of slits provided on the first piece 21 for one of the plurality of slits to receive and engage a tabbed portion of the second piece 22, or a sleeve provided on the first piece 21 for slideably receiving part of the second piece 22 therein.

The article 10 is preferably configured to conceal fasteners used to attach the band 11 to the collar 50. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the article 10 comprises a plurality of slots 30 disposed on a back surface 42 of the band 11 for engaging the fasteners. In an exemplary embodiment, a first number 30-1 of the plurality of slots 30 are configured to have slot openings 31 adjacent the front edge 23 of the band 11 for attaching the front edge 23 of the band 11 to the front edge 53 of the collar 50.

A second number 30-2 of the plurality of slots 30 are configured to have slot openings 33 adjacent a bottom edge 26 of the band 11 to attach the bottom edge 26 of the band 11 to a bottom edge 56 of the collar 50. Preferably, the second number 30-2 of the plurality of slots 30 are disposed on the band 11 such that they are located at the back 54 of the collar 50 when the article 10 is worn.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the plurality of slots 30 are formed by having a number of slot-forming layers 32 attached to the back surface 42 of the band 11. Each slot-forming layer 32 is configured to have at least one elongate channel 34 formed therein such that one elongate channel 34 and the back surface 42 of the band 11 define one slot 30 when the slot-forming layer 32 is attached to the back surface 42. While FIGS. 3 and 4 show only the plurality of slots formed on the first piece 21 of the band 11, similarly, although not shown, another plurality of slots may also be formed on the second piece 21 of the band 11.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, the band 11 and the slot-forming layers 32-1, 32-2 are integrally formed from cardstock as a blank 60 configured to be assembled to form the article 10. The blank 50 is provided with a fold line 37 wherever one of the number of slot-forming layers 32-1, 32-2 adjoins the band 11. Assembly of the article 10 comprises folding the slot-forming layers 32-1, 32-2 onto the back surface 42 of the band 11 along the fold lines 37, followed by adhering the slot-forming layers 32-1, 32-2 to the back surface 42 of the band 11. It should be noted that the elongate channels 34 in the slot-forming layers 32 do not come into contact with the back surface 42 of the band 11 when the slot-forming layers 32 are attached to the back surface 42 of the band 11, thereby defining the slots 30 for engaging the fasteners. Each elongate channel 34 on a slot-forming layer 32 is preferably formed by embossing a groove on the slot-forming layer 32 in the cardstock blank 60.

As shown in FIG. 4, through holes 35 are provided at the fold line 37 of the blank 50 to form slot openings 31 adjacent the fold line 37 when the slot-forming layer 32-1 is attached to the back surface 42 of the band 11, as shown in FIG. 3. Each through hole is adjacent an elongate channel 34. Alternatively or in addition, as shown in FIG. 4, notches 36 are provided at a free edge 38 of a slot-forming layer 32-2 in the blank 60 to form slot openings 33 when the slot-forming layer 32-2 is attached to the back surface 42 of the band 11, as shown in FIG. 3. Each notch 36 is adjacent an elongate channel 34.

Where the fasteners comprise two-pronged bobby pins, each of the plurality of slots 30 is configured to receive a prong of a bobby pin therein such that, in use, one prong of a bobby pin is inserted into and engaged in one of the plurality of slots 30 while the other prong engages an underside of the collar 50, thereby attaching the article 10 to the collar 50.

Whilst there has been described in the foregoing description exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the technology concerned that many variations in details of design, construction and/or operation may be made without departing from the present invention. For example, although the slots 30 have been described as having openings 31, 33 adjacent the front edge 23 of the band 11 and the bottom edge 26 of the band 11 at the back of the collar 50. other slots and slot openings can be alternatively or additionally provided with slot openings adjacent the top edge 38 of the band 11 and/or the bottom edge 26 of the band 11 anywhere along the length of the band 11. This may be achieved by locating appropriately formed other slot-forming layers with elongate channels and through holes and/or notches where the other slots and slot openings are to be located.

Besides using bobby pins as fasteners, paper clips may alternatively be used to engage appropriately adapted slots provided in the article 10. The article 10 may also be adapted to be fastened to the collar 50 by other fastening means such as, but not limited to, magnets, spring clasps, adhesive tape, tacks, pins, hook-and-loop fasteners and so on. Although the band 11 has been described as being preferably assembled from two pieces 21, 22 that adjustably engage each other at the back 54 of the collar 50, the two pieces 21, 22 may engage each other at other locations along the length of the band 11 in order to adjust the length of the band 11. Alternatively, the band 11 may be in the form of a single piece, wherein bands 11 of different lengths may be made available to form articles 10 of different sizes to suit collars of different sizes. In another configuration, length of the band 11 may be made adjustable by appropriate folding of the band, for example along markings or fold lines provided on the band 11. While the image 14 is shown displayed at a front of the assembled article 10 as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image 14 or multiple images may be displayed anywhere along the entire length of the front surface 12 of the band 11. Also, although the band 11 has been depicted in the figures as being configured to be releasably attachable to an exemplary shirt collar as shown in FIG. 5, it is envisaged that the band 11 is configured to be releasably attachable to various other types of collars such as polo shirt collars, peter pan collars, round collars, jacket collars, mandarin collars and so on.

Claims

The Claims 1. An article for accessorizing a collar, the article comprising: a pliable band configured to be releasably attachable to the collar for covering at least a portion of the collar, the band comprising a front surface tor displaying an image thereon.
2. The article of claim 1, wherein the band is configured to be assembled with a length conforming with a size of the collar.
3. The article of claim 2, wherein the band comprises a first piece and a second piece, the first piece and the second piece being configured to adjustably engage each other to adjust a length of the band.
4. The article of claim 3, further comprising securing means for securing the first piece to the second piece.
5. The article of claim 2, wherein the band is configured to be foldable to adjust a length of the band.
6. The article of any preceding claim, wherein the article is configured to conceal fasteners used to attach the band to the collar.
7. The article of claim 6, wherein the article comprises a plurality of slots disposed on a back surface of the band for engaging the fasteners therein.
8. The article of claim 7, wherein a first number of the plurality of slots are configured to have slot openings adjacent a front edge of the band for attaching a front edge of the band to a front edge of the collar.
9. The article of claim 7 or 8, wherein a second number of the plurality of slots are configured to have slot openings adjacent a bottom edge of the band for attaching the band to a bottom edge of the collar.
10. The article of any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the plurality of slots are formed by a number of slot-forming layers attached to the back surface of the band, each slot-forming layer having at least one elongate channel formed therein such that one elongate channel and the back surface of the band define one slot.
11. The article of claim 10, wherein the band and the number of slot-forming layers are integrally formed of cardstock as a blank configured to be assembled to form the article.
12. The article of claim 11, wherein a fold line is provided on the blank wherever one of the number of slot-forming layers adjoins the band.
13. The article of claim 12, wherein through holes are provided at the fold line to form slot openings when the article is assembled, each through hole being adjacent an elongate channel.
14. The article of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein notches are provided at a free edge of a slot-forming layer in the blank to form slot openings when the article is assembled, each notch being adjacent an elongate channel.
15. An article for accessorizing a collar as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.