Magnetic Garment Fastener

Abstract

The magnetic garment fastener is a releasable closure for fur garments. The magnetic garment fastener includes first and second magnets, each magnet having first and second opposed magnetic poles. The first and second magnets are sealed within first and second pockets, respectively. Each of the pockets has opposed front and rear panels, with the first magnetic pole of each magnet being positioned adjacent the front panel of the respective pocket. The first and second pockets are attached to the garment adjacent a pair of free edges, preferably sealed within the pelt of the edges to hide the magnets from the exterior of the garment, such that positioning the rear panel of one of the pockets adjacent the front panel of the other pocket releasably fastens the pair of free edges of the garment together.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 006,448, filed Jan. 14, 2008.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to releasable fasteners for garments, and particularly to a magnetic garment fastener that forms a garment closure. The magnetic garment fastener is particularly used for releasably closing fur garments.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]Fur coats typically include closures for sealing the open front flaps or panels of the coat. Such closures may include mating hooks and eyes, or buttons and buttonholes, buttons and loops, or other conventional fasteners. In the exemplary prior art coat C illustrated in FIG. 2, the front panels are releasably closed via hooks H, formed adjacent the edge of one front panel, and loops L, formed adjacent the edge of the opposite front panel. Such closures are not only unreliable, in that they ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]Alternatively, the first and second pockets may be formed having laterally opposed free and fixed edges, with the first magnetic pole of the first magnet being positioned adjacent the free edge of the first pocket, and the second magnetic pole of the second magnet being positioned adjacent the free edge of the second pocket. The first and second magnets, within the first and second pockets, are attached adjacent a pair of free edges of the garment, with the free edges of the first and second pockets being positioned adjacent the free edges of the garment, so that positioning the pair of free edges of the first and second pockets adjacent to one another releasably fastens the pair of free edges of the garment together through magnetic attraction.

Problems solved by technology

Such closures are not only unreliable, in that they may become easily unfastened, but are also unwieldy and awkward to use.

Also, as seen in the exemplary prior art coat of FIG. 2, such bulky fasteners are highly visible, thus marring the aesthetic appearance of the coat, sometimes appearing to be flaws in the fur of the coat.

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