[0001] The present invention relates to a shirt with interchangeable elements.
[0002] As is known, a currently strongly felt problem in shirts and like garments is related
to the wear of the collar and cuffs.
[0003] As is known, the collars and cuffs of shirts are in fact the first to become worn,
especially due to the hair of men's beards and due to wristwatches, so that they must
be replaced even after relatively short periods of use.
[0004] The replacement of the collar and cuffs currently requires specialized personnel,
since the operation of removing the collar and of applying the new collar and the
new cuffs is not easy to perform, so that this replacement may even have relatively
high costs.
[0005] Due to the above, the entire shirt is generally discarded, though the body of the
shirt is still in good condition, both to avoid the trouble of said operation and
due to the related costs.
[0006] The aim proposed by the invention is indeed to eliminate the above described problems
by providing a shirt with interchangeable elements which allows to remove and reapply
the collar and cuffs in extremely short times, consequently allowing the user to perform
this modification directly.
[0007] Within the scope of the above described aim, a particular object of the invention
is to provide a shirt which allows to provide various matches of color and shade among
the shirt body, the collar and the cuffs, thus also offering, besides the advantage
related to the replacement of the worn collar and cuffs, the advantage of making color
matches which can be varied in each instance.
[0008] A further object of the present invention is to provide a shirt which, though it
allows to rapidly remove the collar and cuffs, appears outwardly as a conventional
shirt, since the means used to couple the collar and cuffs do not affect the aesthetic
line or the style of the shirt in the slightest way.
[0009] Not least object of the present invention is to provide a shirt obtainable with conventional
materials, offering at the same time the possibility of making said shirt more functional
and versatile.
[0010] The above described aim, as well as the objects mentioned and others which will become
apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a shirt with interchangeable elements, according
to the invention, characterized in that it comprises a shirt body and a collar which
are removably associable by means of removable connection means extending substantially
for the entire extension of the coupling line between said collar and said shirt body,
said connection means having first and second parts which are mutually associable
and are respectively fixed to said collar and to said shirt body.
[0011] Further characteristics and advantages will become apparent from the description
of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a shirt with interchangeable elements,
illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
figure 1 is a schematic view of the shirt according to the invention, with the collar
and cuffs in exploded view;
figure 2 is a detail view of the collar of the shirt in closed position;
figure 3 is a view of the cuff applied to the shirt's sleeve;
figure 4 is a view of a different embodiment of the collar, partially associated with
the shirt body.
[0012] With reference to the above described figures, the shirt with interchangeable elements,
according to the invention, generally indicated by the reference numeral 1, comprises
a shirt body 2 and a collar 3 which are removably associated, with the possibility
of removing the collar from the shirt in an extremely short time.
[0013] The collar 3 and the shirt body 2 are mutually connectable by virtue of connection
means which extend substantially along the entire extension of the coupling line.
[0014] Said connection means can be constituted by a zipper, as well as possibly by tear-open
strips of the type commercially known by the trade-name Velcro.
[0015] An important peculiarity is constituted by the fact that the connection means have
a first portion, generally indicated by 2a, connected to the shirt body 2 and a second
portion, indicated by 3a, rigidly associated with the collar 3.
[0016] With specific reference to the drawings, the two portions are mutually associable
by means of a slider 4 with a grip element 5 which can be of the type which stably
superimposes on the slider or of the type which rotates freely so as to not constitute
a hindrance.
[0017] As shown in figure 3, an inner border 10 is provided at the coupling line between
the portions 2a and 3a and has the function of avoiding the direct contact of the
user's neck with the zipper to prevent irritations and the like; an outer covering
border 11 is furthermore provided and has the function of hiding the zipper from view.
A tensioning rib 12, for example made of plastics known by the trade-name Mylar, can
be inserted inside the inner border 10 and has the function of keeping said border
in extended position.
[0018] This arrangement thus allows to remove the collar very quickly and replace it with
others, and simultaneously has the advantage that the connection means are not outwardly
visible, since they are directly covered by the collar, which is turned down.
[0019] A similar criterion is used for the cuffs 20 which are connected to the sleeves 21
by virtue of connection means which also extend substantially for the entire extension
of the connection line.
[0020] The connection means also have a first portion 20a rigidly associated with the cuffs
and a second portion 21a rigidly associated with the sleeve, and said portions are
mutually associable.
[0021] In order to prevent the switching of the cuffs of the two sleeves, the slider 22
can be associable with the sleeve for one sleeve and can be associated with the cuff
for the other sleeve.
[0022] The connection means may be constituted by zippers or by tear-open strips.
[0023] In order to conceal the cuff connecting means from view, an outer covering flap 25
and an inner flap 26 may be provided; said inner flap prevents the contact between
the user's skin and the zipper.
[0024] The slider is advantageously of the type in which the grip element can be secured
against the slider so that it does not protrude outward.
[0025] According to what is illustrated in figure 4, a tab 15 may be provided so as to superimpose
on the connection means at the collar's closure region.
[0026] By virtue of the described arrangement, the cuffs and the collar can be interchanged
in an extremely rapid and simplified manner without resorting to complicated or laborious
operations, and it is furthermore possible to have available a certain number of collars
and cuffs, possibly even of different colors, which allow to considerably extend the
period of use of the shirt, especially in view of the fact that the collar and the
cuffs are the shirt parts which are most subject to wear.
[0027] The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations,
all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.
[0028] All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
[0029] In practice, the materials employed, so long as compatible with the specific use,
as well as the dimensions and the contingent shapes, may be any according to the requirements.
[0030] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs,
those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility
of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect
on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.
1. Shirt with interchangeable elements, characterized in that it comprises a shirt
body (2) and a collar (3) which are removably associable by virtue of removable connection
means (2a,3a,4) extending substantially for the entire extension of the coupling line
between said collar and said shirt body, said connection means having a first part
(2a) and a second part (3a) which are mutually associable and are respectively fixed
to said collar and to said shirt body.
2. Shirt, according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises cuffs (20)
removably associable with the sleeves (21) by virtue of removable connection means
which extend substantially for the entire extension of the coupling line between the
cuffs and the sleeves, said connection means having a first portion (20a) and a second
portion (21a) which are mutually associable and are respectively fixed to said cuffs
(20) and to said sleeves (21).
3. Shirt, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that
said connection means are constituted by a zipper (4,5).
4. Shirt, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said connection
means are constituted by tear-open strips.
5. Shirt, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that
it comprises an inner border (10) arranged to cover said connection means on the side
directed towards the user.
6. Shirt, according to one or more of the preceding
flap (11) superimposable on said connection means on the outwardly directed side.
7. Shirt, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that
it comprises a tensioning rib (12) inside said inner flap.
8. Shirt, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that
it comprises a tab (15) arranged on the continuation of one of the opening flaps of
the shirt body, said tab being adapted to superimpose on the closure slider of said
zipper.
9. Shirt, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that
the connection means of one of said cuffs have the slider (22) associated with the
sleeve (21) and the connection means of the other of said cuffs have the slider associated
with the cuff.
10. Shirt, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that
it comprises an outer flap (25) superimposable on said connection means on the outwardly
directed side.
11. Shirt, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that
it comprises an inner flap (26) superimposable on said connection means on the side
directed towards the user.