Article of clothing having magnetic fastening assemblies

摘要

An article of clothing, such as a dress shirt, blouse, coat, jacket, or vest, includes a sheet of material forming a body portion. First and second plackets are formed along respective first and second end portions of the sheet of material. First and second magnetic elements, each being encased in an encasement, are secured inside first and second pockets, respectively, such that positions of the plurality of second magnetic elements correspond to positions of the plurality of first magnetic elements.

主权项

1. An article of clothing comprising:
a sheet of material having a body portion having first and second end portions; the first end portion of the sheet being folded once and secured to itself with a line of stitching proximate a first edge of the sheet to create a first placket having one fold, the first placket comprising an inside layer of the first placket adapted to be closest to the body when worn and an outside layer coupled together to form a first pocket between the inside and outside layers of the first placket, the first edge of the sheet being on the inside layer of the first placket and the outside layer of the first pocket being a first extension of the body portion of the sheet prior to the fold of the first placket; the second end portion of the sheet being folded three times and secured to itself by two parallel lines of stitching parallel a second edge of the sheet to create a second placket having three folds, at least one of the two parallel lines of stitching and the three folds of the second placket being equidistant from a midline of the second placket, the two parallel lines of stitching comprising a first and second line of stitching, the first line of stitching closest to the edge of the sheet passing through four layers and the second line of stitching of the second placket passing through three layers of the second placket, the second placket comprising an inside layer of the second placket adapted to be closest to the body when worn, the inside layer of the second placket being a second extension of the body portion of the sheet prior to one of the three folds of the second placket, an outside layer of the second placket adapted to be furthest from the body when worn and a middle layer between the inside and outside layers of the second placket, a second pocket being located between the inside and middle layers of the second placket and a third pocket being located between the middle and outside layers of the second placket, the second edge of the sheet being located in the third pocket; and a plurality of spaced magnetic fastening assemblies including a plurality of encased first magnetic elements secured inside the first pocket and a plurality of encased second magnetic elements secured inside the second pocket, each of the encased first magnetic elements being secured in position by stitching the inside and outside layers of the first placket around a perimeter of the encased first magnetic element between the line of stitching of the first placket and the fold of the first placket for restraining movement of the encased first magnetic element and each of the encased second magnetic elements being secured in position in the second pocket by stitching only the inside and middle layers of the second placket around a perimeter of the encased second magnetic element between the two parallel lines of the second placket for restraining movement of the encased second magnetic element; at least some of the encased first magnetic elements being adapted to engage with corresponding second magnetic elements to close the article of clothing around a person's body, the positions of the encased second magnetic elements corresponding to the positions of the encased first magnetic elements, the second placket overlaying the first placket such that the stitches securing the encased magnetic elements in place are not visible from an exterior of the article of clothing when the article is closed.