GB2387762A

GB2387762A - Detachable double cuff

Info

Publication number: GB2387762A
Application number: GB0209581A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Julie Smith
Original assignee: WAKEFIELD SHIRT Co Ltd
Current assignee: WAKEFIELD SHIRT Co Ltd
Priority date: 2002-04-26
Filing date: 2002-04-26
Publication date: 2003-10-29
Also published as: GB0209581D0

Abstract

A double cuff 1 is removable and has button holes 3-6 to allow it to be attached over a conventional single cuff which has two button holes, by means of a cuff link 20. The cuff comprises a sheet of material folded in half to provide the double cuff structure. The cuff may be rectangular and folded about its longitudinal centre line. A shirt and cuff set is described, and also a cuff and shirt with a removable collar.

Description

SHIRT CUFF

The invention relates to a shirt cuff, to be detachably attached to a shirt sleeve.

In particular, the invention relates to a shirt cuff of double or French style 5 adapted to be attached to a shirt already provided with a single, buttoned cuff of conventional design.

In its most traditional form, the cuff of a shirt is formed by folding back material making up an endmost portion of a shirt sleeve, and in particular 10 taking the form of a specially adapted cuff portion, and securing the two folded halves together and closing the cuff about a wearer's wrist through pairs of complimentary buttonholes by means of a cuff link. Such cuffs are frequently referred to as double or French cuffs.

15 Such cuffs remain popular in particular for formal and traditional business wear, but for less formal situations shirt cuffs are alternatively provided wherein the cuff portion comprises a single layer (i.e. is not folded back on itself to form the cuff), with the ends of the cuffs being secured by a button through a buttonhole. Buttoned cuffs have the advantage that the connectors 20 are integral with the shirt, so that separate cufflinks are not required, and can therefore offer advantages of convenience. Nevertheless, for aesthetic and other reasons, linked rather than buttoned cuffs are preferred by some wearers at least in some circumstances.

25 This has led to a compromise solution comprising a single cuff but wherein a buttonhole is provided in both free ends of the cuff, in addition to one or two buttons in association therewith. This is intended to give dual functionality in that the cuff may either be buttoned using the buttons provided or joined through the buttonholes provided using a cufflink. The compromise is

generally unsatisfactory, since in some respects it incorporates many of the drawbacks of both a simple single cuff and a traditional double cuff.

It is an object of the invention to provide a double or French style cuff for use 5 with a cufflink offering advantages, particularly in relation to convenience, over prior art arrangements.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a double or French style cuff for use with a cufflink which is releasably attachable to a single lo cuffed shirt of conventional design via the button or buttons already provided thereon. It is a further particular object of the present invention to provide a shirt and cuff set which includes such cuffs in a shirt having single cuffs of 15 conventional button design to provide dual functionality in an improved manner relative to supposed dual function prior art designs.

Thus in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a detachable cuff for attachment to a cuff receiving portion at the 20 distal end of a shirt sleeve which comprises an elongate sheet of material adapted to be folded generally in half to provide a double cuff structure, and wherein the free ends thereby created are all provided with buttonholes both to enable the free ends to be secured together in use by means of a cufflink or the like, and to enable a sheet surface thereby created adapted to lie adjacent to 25 such a cuff receiving surface when the cuff is positioned therearound in use to receivingly engage suitable engaging means on the said cuff receiving portion, for example complementary buttonholes through which a cufflink might be passed and/or a button on the said cuff receiving portion.

Thus, a double cuff in accordance with the invention is readily and rapidly attached onto a button provided at the distal part of the sleeve in use, and is then secured by a cufflink or the like. This gives the shirt a number of features. It would for example be possible to remove cuffs for replacement 5 when they become soiled, or to exchange cuffs to give a variety of different looks. The sheet making up the cuff is adapted to be folded generally in half to form the double layer, and therefore is preferably shaped to exhibit general mirror 10 symmetry about the fold line, and in particular to be generally rectangular and adapted to be folded about a longitudinal mid-line.

Such removable andlor interchangeable cuffs can be provided for use with a shirt specially adapted for the purpose. However, it is a particular advantage 15 of the present invention that it may be applicable for use with existing designs of shirts having single cuffs secured by buttons. The buttonhole thus provided on the sheet of material comprising the cuff in such a position as to lie on the inward side when the double cuff so formed may then be positioned around such a shirt in the cuff area of the shirt can thus engage the existing button and 20 convert a single cuffed shirt into a double cuffed shirt. The invention offers the potential for true dual functionality rather than for the partial compromise offered by single cuffed shirts with a cufflink facility.

In consequence, in a particular preferred embodiment of the present invention, 25 a pair of cuffs may be provided which are specifically adapted as an after market accessory feature for Ointment to a shirt having single buttoned cuffs.

For such an option to be effective it will usually be necessary for the single cuffed shirt to be of a design which includes both buttons and a cufflink 30 facility, with the buttonholes provided in the attachable double cuff being

suitably positioned relative to the buttonholes provided for the cufflink facility in the single cuff to be complimentarily engageable by the cufflink in use.

The cufflink thus passes through all six holes to close the cuff around a wearer's wrist. Conveniently, the double cuff is first retained in position by 5 attachment to the button and then secured by passing the cufflink through all six such holes.

The sheet comprising the detachable cuff may be fabricated from any suitable material, in particular from fabric materials such as woven fabric materials, 10 with any suitable pattern or design. In one embodiment, the material and pattern is identical to that used for the shirt in relation to which the cuff is intended to be used. In the alternative, other materials and/or other patterns can be used to give alternative looks. Each buttonhole is preferably reinforced in conventional manner.

In one preferred embodiment, the sheet of material comprising the cuff comprises a plurality of layers, for example including two surface layers stitched or otherwise fixed together about their common outer edges and optionally including internal layers, for example to give structure and stiffness 20 to the cuff.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention a shirt and cuff set is provided comprising at least one pair of detachable cuffs as hereinbefore described in combination with a shirt comprising cuff receiving portions at 25 distal ends of the sleeves thereof which are provided with at least one engaging button for releasable connection with an internally facing buttonhole upon its respective cuff when positioned therearound. Preferably, the cuff receiving portions comprise conventional single buttoned cuffs. Thereby, the set offers effective dual functionality allowing use as a single cuffed shirt or a

double cuffed shirt as desired, merely be respectively leaving the double cuffs unattached, or attaching them.

In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, a plurality of pairs 5 of cuffs are provided having a plurality of different designs, for example a plurality of different fabric patterns. This provides for a number of alternative looks. For example, a patterned shirt may be provided with a set of cuffs having a matching pattern, a set of cuffs having a single complementary colour, a set of white cuffs etc. In a preferred embodiment, the shirt is also adapted for attachment of a detachable collar, and in a particular preferred embodiment at least one detachable collar is provided in a shirt and cuff set to complement or match the design of the or each pair of detachable cuffs.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view of the sheet of material making up a detachable cuff in 20 accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a view of the cuff of Figure l in folded configuration ready for attachment; 25 Figure 3 illustrates a sleeve with cuff receiving portion for receipt of the Cuff of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows the cuff of Figure 2 in position on the sleeve of Figure 3.

Figure 1 illustrates a sheet of material unfolded to show the location of the buttonholes. The sheet (1) comprises a multi-layer material having woven fabric upper and lower layers stitched together around their common edges and incorporating a stiffening layer therebetween.

The sheet (1) is adapted to be folded generally along a longitudinal mid line (A-A). Four buttonholes (3, 4, 5, 6) passing through the thickness of the sheet, and with suitably reinforced edges, are disposed on the sheet symmetrically so as to lie in pairs opposite each other once the sheet is folded along the mid 1 0 line.

This folded configuration is illustrated in Figure 2. The fold line (A-A) now forms the folded edge (7) which will in use be the endmost part of the cup.

Pairs of buttonholes (respectively 3 and 6, and 4 and 5) lie opposite each other 15 ready for reception of a cufflink. The sheet is thereby formed into a double cuff (9) A suitable sleeve is shown in Figure 3. At the end of a sleeve portion (11) is a conventional single cuff (12) which constitutes in this embodiment the cuff 20 receiving portion. The single cuff (12) is adapted for use both by means of a button (13) engaging a first buttonhole (14a), and also, by provision of a second buttonhole (14b), for use instead with a cufflink. It is thus of the prior art compromise design which has been noted hereinbefore as unsatisfactory.

25 In Figure 4 the double cuff (9) of Figure 2 is shown attached over the cuff (12) of Figure 3 by means of a cufflink (20) which passes through all of the buttonholes (3, 4, 5, 6, 14a, 14b) to secure the cuff.

To achieve this, the double cuff (9) of Figure 2 comprising the sheet 1 is 30 wrapped around the existing single cuff (12). The double cuff (9) may

conveniently next be secured in position over the single cuff (12) by insertion of the button (13) into the buttonhole (5) in the cuff (9). This locates the double cuff (9) in position around the single cuff (12). The whole cuff arrangement is then secured and closed about the wrist of the wearer by 5 passing the cufflink (20) through all six buttonholes which now lie adjacent to each other.

The cuff attached in accordance with the present invention is thus a true double or French cuff, with all of the perceived benefits thereof, and thus 10 confers true dual functionality to the shirt in admirable manner. In particular, it can be noted that with the cuff in position in accordance with Figure 4 the button (13) is entirely invisible. The arrangement is thus a great improvement on the mere use of a cufflink with the single cuff compromise arrangement from the prior art which is in effect illustrated by the sleeve shown in Figure 3.

Claims

1. A detachable cuff for attachment to a cuff receiving portion at the distal end of a shirt sleeve which comprises an elongate sheet of material adapted to 5 be folded generally in half to provide a double cuff structure, and wherein the free ends thereby created are all provided with buttonholes both to enable the free ends to be secured together in use by means of a cufflink or the like, and to enable a sheet surface thereby created adapted to lie adjacent to such a cuff receiving portion when the cuff is positioned therearound in use to receivingly 10 engage suitable engaging means on the said cuff receiving portion.

2. A cuff in accordance with Claim 1 wherein the engaging means

comprise complementary buttonholes through which a cufflink might be passed and/or a button on the said cuff receiving portion.

3. A cuff in accordance with Claim 1 or Claim 2 exhibiting general mirror symmetry about the fold line.

4. A cuff in accordance with Claim 3 being generally rectangular and 20 adapted to be folded about a longitudinal mid line.

5. A pair of cuffs in accordance with any preceding claim provided as an after-market accessory feature for fitment to a shirt having singlebuttoned cuffs.

6. A shirt and cuff set comprising at least one pair of detachable cuffs in accordance with any preceding claim as hereinbefore described in combination with a shirt comprising cuff receiving portions at distal ends of the sleeves thereof which are provided with at least one engaging button for

releasable connection with an internally facing buttonhole upon its respective cuff when positioned therearound.

7. A shirt and cuff set in accordance with Claim 6 wherein the cuff S receiving portions comprise conventional single button cuffs.

8. A shirt and cuff set in accordance with Claim 6 or Claim 7 wherein a plurality of pairs of cuffs are provided having a plurality of different designs, for example a plurality of different fabric patterns.

9. A shirt and cuff set in accordance with one of Claims 6 to 8 wherein the shirt is also adapted for attachment of a detachable collar.

10. A shirt, cuff and collar set comprising a shirt and cuff set in accordance 15 with Claim 9 and at least one detachable collar additionally provided to compliment or match the design of the, some or each pair of detachable cuffs.

11. A detachable cuff, a shirt and cuff set, or a shirt, cuff and collar set substantially as hereinbefore described with particular reference to the 20 accompanying drawings.