WO1993009689A1

WO1993009689A1 - Ornamental neck tie ring

Info

Publication number: WO1993009689A1
Application number: PCT/AU1992/000617
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ronald George Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-11-13
Filing date: 1992-11-13
Publication date: 1993-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 1994-05-13

Abstract

An ornamental neck tie ring (10) comprises a hollow structure (12) of elongate configuration in the form of a closed ring through which the respective ends of a neck tie can be passed at least once. The hollow structure (12) has an opening (14) at a top end and an opening (16) at a bottom end, and is tapered so that the top opening (14) is larger than the bottom opening (16). It further comprises a pair of apertures (18, 20) in a front face thereof through which, in use, the material of the neck tie is visible. The apertures (18, 20) are adapted to have the respective ends of the neck tie pass therethrough so that the material of the neck tie remains visible in the central region (21) of the front face of the hollow ring structure (12). In use, the distance of the tie ring (10) from the neck of the wearer can be varied without substantially altering the length of the tie. The ornamental tie ring (10) enables a neck tie to be worn tightly or loosely about the neck of the wearer whilst maintaining an appropriate dress standard.

Description

ORNAMENTAL NECK TIE RING

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an ornamental neck tie ring for holding a neck tie about the neck of a wearer.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Although from time to time styles have changed, the formal attire worn by men has remained basically unchanged. Businessmen in every country typically wear a two or three piece suit with a collared shirt and neck tie. However in some climates, particularly warmer climates, shirt collar and tie are often inappropriate, resulting in discomfort and irritation for the wearer. Unfortunately, a loosened tie and collar has an unkempt or unprofessional appearance, whereas a loose-neck shirt and the absence of a tie would be regarded by many as too casual or informal. There is thus a need for an improved neck tie or similar article of apparel which can be comfortably worn in any climate but which would still be an acceptable fashion accessory to professional attire.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention was accordingly developed with a view to providing a neck tie ring which enables a neck tie or similar article of apparel to be worn tightly or loosely about the neck of a wearer whilst maintaining an appropriate dress standard. According to the present invention there is provided an ornamental neck tie ring for holding a neck tie or similar article of apparel about the neck of a wearer, the tie ring comprising: a hollow structure being, in use, in the form of a substantially closed ring through which the respective ends of a neck tie can be passed at least once, the structure having a front face with an aperture provided therein through which, in use, the material of the neck tie is visible; and, wherein, in use, the distance of the tie ring from the neck of the wearer can be varied by adjusting the length of material of the neck tie suspended below the hollow ring structure. Preferably, said hollow ring structure is sufficiently large to permit the respective ends of the neck tie to be passed through twice whereby, in use, the neck tie can be looped about and/or through the ring structure.

Preferably said hollow ring structure is adapted to permit the loop of the neck tie to be manually loosened whereby, in use, the distance of the tie ring from the neck of the wearer can be varied without substantially altering the length of the tie.

Advantageously, said hollow ring structure is of elongate configuration having an opening at a top end and an opening at a bottom end, and is tapered so that the opening at the top end is larger than the opening at the bottom end. Preferably, said structure is similar in shape to a knot of a conventional neck tie. In a preferred embodiment said aperture is one of a pair of apertures in the front face of the structure, said apertures being adapted to have the respective ends of the neck tie passed therethrough whereby, in use, the material of the neck tie remains visible in a central region of the front face between the apertures. Advantageously, said apertures help to retain the tie ring in position on the tie.

Preferably said apertures are elongate in shape and extend substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the ring structure and across substantially the full width of the ring structure.

Preferably the tie ring is manufactured as a unitary piece and preferably is made from or plated with a precious metal.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a neck tie adapted to be worn using a tie ring as defined above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to facilitate a better understanding of the nature of the present invention, a preferred embodiment of the tie ring will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the tie ring;

Figure 2 is a back view of the tie ring illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates a neck tie tied using the tie ring of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a side view of the tie ring with neck tie of Figure 3;

Figure 5 illustrates a preferred method of tying a neck tie using the tie ring of Figures 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the ornamental neck tie ring 10 according to the invention is illustrated slightly larger than actual size. The tie ring 10 comprises a hollow structure 12 of elongate configuration in the form of a substantially closed ring through which the respective ends of a neck tie can be passed at least once. The hollow ring structure 12 has an opening 14 at a top end and an opening 16 at a bottom end, and is tapered so that the top opening 14 is larger than the bottom opening 16. The ring structure 12 is thus of similar shape to a knot of a conventional neck tie.

The ring structure 12 further comprises a pair of apertures 18, 20 in a front face thereof through which, in use, the material of the neck tie is visible, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the ring structure 12 is sufficiently large to permit the respective ends of a neck tie to be passed through twice so that the neck tie can be effectively looped about the ring structure 12. A preferred method of tying the neck tie using the illustrated embodiment of the tie ring 10 will be described in greater detail below. As can be seen most clearly in Figure 1, the apertures 18, 20 are elongate in shape and extend substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the ring structure and across substantially the full width of the structure. The apertures 18, 20 are adapted to have the respective ends of the neck tie pass therethrough so that in use, the material of the neck tie remains visible in the central region 21 of the front face of the ring structure between the apertures 18, 20, as illustrated in Figure 3. The apertures 18, 20 help to retain the tie ring in position on the tie, since the respective ends of the neck tie are preferably passed through both apertures, after being looped back behind the tie ring, and then drawn downwards to a suspended position through the bottom opening 16. Arrow A in Figure 5 illustrates the manner in which the two ends of the neck tie are first passed down through the top opening 14 and out through the bottom opening 16, and are then looped up behind the ring structure 12 before being passed down through the top opening 14 a second time to be inserted through the top aperture 18. The tie ring is then positioned at the desired distance from the neck of the wearer by adjusting the loop 22, and then the two ends of the neck tie are inserted through the bottom aperture 20 and pass out through the bottom opening 16 of the ring structure a second time and pulled down to a normal suspended position.

The neck tie 24 used with the tie ring 10 may be a conventional neck tie or may be a modified neck tie as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, made of suitable material, for example, silk or satin. A neck tie adapted to be worn using the tie ring described above must be of sufficient length to enable the material of the neck tie to be looped about the ring structure 12 of the tie ring, and is therefore typically longer than a conventional tie. Furthermore, the width of the respective ends of the neck tie must be suitably sized to readily pass through the apertures 18, 20 in the front face of the tie ring. Preferably the neck tie is of substantially constant width throughout its length. In order that the neck tie, when worn about the neck of the wearer, be of similar length to a conventional neck tie the full length of the neck tie typically lies in the range 150cm to 170cm.

The neck tie illustrated in Figure 6, when worn about the neck of the wearer, is of similar length to a conventional neck tie, whereas the neck tie illustrated in Figure 7 is of shortened length. A neck tie or cravat of shortened length, one embodiment of which is illustrated in Figure 7, may be particularly suitable for wearing with formal attire, for example, a dinner suit, since in appearance it is like a cross between a bow tie and a conventional tie. The respective ends of the shortened tie may be slightly flared or widened to enhance the formal appearance. A significant advantage of the neck tie ring according to the invention, is the ease with which it enables the neck tie to be loosened, by adjusting the distance of the tie ring from the neck of the wearer, without substantially altering the length of the tie. The position of the tie ring 10 can be adjusted by simply pulling the material of the tie which is visible on the front face of the tie ring between the apertures 18, 20, in order to loosen the loop 22 about the ring structure 12. Once the loop 22 is loosened, the tie ring 10 can be moved closer to the neck of the wearer by drawing more of the neck tie down through the top opening 14 and out through the bottom opening 16 of the ring structure 12, or the tie ring can be moved further away from the neck of the wearer by drawing more of the material of the neck tie upwards through the bottom opening 16 and out through the top opening 14. The position of the tie is secured by pulling on the free ends of the neck tie, which has the effect of tightening the loop 22 about the ring structure 12 and causing the material of the neck tie which is visible on the front face of the tie ring to lie flat.

Preferably, the ring structure 12 is manufactured from a precious metal, for example, gold, silver or platinum, or from a metal which is plated with such a precious metal, in order to enhance the ornamental appeal of the tie ring. In use, the two bands of metal which are visible above and below the apertures 18, 20 in the front face of the tie ring provide an attractive adornment about the neck of the wearer and enhance the appearance of the neck tie whether in a loosened or tightened position. The illustrated embodiment of the tie ring 10 can be worn with formal attire because it has a similar shape to a conventional tie knot and is therefore not too radical a departure from accepted convention for the typically conservative professional. Yet, the tie ring according to the invention can provide maximum comfort for the wearer since it enables the neck tie to be loosened without giving an unkempt or overly casual appearance. Clearly, the tie ring 10 can be worn with both formal and casual attire. Advantageously, the bands of the ring structure 12 which remain visible in use can carry a company or club insignia or logo, or may be ornamentally engraved or inlaid with precious stones or jewels, for example diamonds or sapphires. The tie ring can therefore serve as an advertising medium as well as a form of personal jewellery. Figure 6 illustrates one example of the manner in which a company logo 26 can be carried on the tie ring 10.

The ring structure 12 of the tie ring can be manufactured from any suitable material, for example, metal, plastics ^"or wood, using any suitable method of manufacture.

The illustrated embodiment is manufactured from a piece of flat sheet metal from which the appropriate shape was stamped out, including the apertures 18, 20. The stamped material was then folded into a substantially closed ring with the two ends of material being joined along a straight seam on the back face of the ring structure, (visible in Figure 2) by welding or other suitable means. The ring structure may be plated with a precious metal prior to or after the steps of folding and welding. The ring structure 12 may also be cast in the required shape or may be formed from two or more components which are hinged or clipped together and which can be closed to form a substantially closed ring through which the respective ends of the neck tie can be passed. The tie ring need not form an entirely closed ring, since the two ends of the stamped sheet metal need not be welded together but may be folded so as to leave a small gap therebetween. However, the structure 12 should be a substantially closed ring so that the material of the neck tie which is looped about the structure 12 can be held thereon tightly without slipping through any gap which may remain.

Now that a preferred embodiment of the neck tie ring 10 has been described in detail, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the appropriate arts that numerous modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiment without departing from the basic inventive concepts. For example, it is not essential that the tie ring 10 be formed in the shape of a conventional neck tie, although this is advantageous for the reasons discussed above. The tie ring 10 can be made in any desired shape or configuration limited only by the imagination of the designer. For example, the tie ring may have a cylindrical structure. Furthermore, it is not essential that the ring structure 12 be provided with two apertures 18, 20 in the front face thereof as the tie ring will also function satisfactorily with only a single aperture. With only a single aperture the material of the neck tie can still be looped about the rear face of the tie ring and then passed through the single aperture over the remainder of the front face of the tie ring to hang in a suspended condition therefrom. The provision of a second aperture is preferred since it allows the neck tie to lie flat against the chest of the wearer in a manner similar to a conventional neck tie and enables the neck tie to be looped more securely about the tie ring. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope of the present invention, the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS

1. An ornamental neck tie ring for holding a neck tie or similar article of apparel about the neck of a wearer, the tie ring comprising: a hollow structure being, in use, in the form of a substantially closed ring through which the respective ends of a neck tie can be passed at least once, the structure having a front face with an aperture provided therein through which, in use, the material of the neck tie is visible; and, wherein, in use, the distance of the tie ring from the neck of the wearer can be varied by adjusting the length of material of the neck tie suspended below the hollow ring structure.

2. An ornamental neck tie ring as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hollow ring structure is sufficiently large to permit the respective ends of the neck tie to be passed through twice whereby, in use, the neck tie can be looped about the ring structure.

3. An ornamental neck tie ring as claimed in claim 2, wherein said hollow ring structure is adapted to permit the loop of the neck tie to be manually loosened whereby, in use, the distance of the tie ring from the neck of the wearer can be varied without substantially altering the length of the tie.

4. An ornamental neck tie ring as claimed in claim 3, wherein said hollow ring structure is of elongate configuration having an opening at a top end and an opening at a bottom end, and is tapered so that the opening at the top end is larger than the opening at the bottom end.

5. An ornamental neck tie ring as claimed in claim 4, wherein said hollow ring structure is similar in shape to the knot of a conventional neck tie.

6. An ornamental neck tie ring as claimed in claim 5, wherein said aperture is one of a pair of apertures in the front face of the structure, said apertures being adapted to have the respective ends of the neck tie passed therethrough whereby, in use, the material of the neck tie remains visible in a central region of the front face between the apertures.

7. An ornamental neck tie ring as claimed in claim 6, wherein said apertures are elongate in shape and extend substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the ring structure and across substantially the full width of the ring structure.

8. An ornamental neck tie ring as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one band of the front face of the ring structure is visible when the tie ring is worn with a neck tie passing through said apertures.

9. A modified neck tie adapted to be worn using a tie ring as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A modified neck tie as claimed in claim 9, having a full length that is longer than that of a conventional neck tie, in order to enable the neck tie to be looped about the ring structure and still be of similar length to said conventional neck tie when worn about the neck of the wearer.