US20120233741A1

US20120233741A1 - Wedding Veil Weights

Info

Publication number: US20120233741A1
Application number: US13/385,950
Authority: US
Inventors: Jill Watson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-03-19
Filing date: 2012-03-17
Publication date: 2012-09-20

Abstract

Weights adapted for attachment to a fabric article such as a wedding veil to hold the article from undesired movement as by wind, etc. wherein the weights are of two-part construction and those parts magnetically attracted to each other such that when the parts are positioned on opposite sides of the article such attachment thereto is accomplished.

Description

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/465,394 filed Mar. 19, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to the arranging and positioning of veils and particularly wedding or bridal veils. Many brides wear veils during their wedding ceremonies. Often, such weddings as well as the formal photographs, videos, etc. take place outdoors where moving air currents such as wind, fans, etc. can cause the veil to move or flutter. Such veil movement is distracting to the bride and perhaps other members of the wedding party or group members resulting in blurry photographs and/or other unintentional/undesirable visual effects to the photographs, videos, etc. taken during both the ceremony and afterwards. Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to provide a means by which the veil can be better held in place without using pins, clips and the like. It would further be desirable to be able to secure bridal veils in place in a manner that is both non-distracting while adding purposeful decorative elements to the veil.
A further desirable feature would be to enable such means to be easily movable such that the veil's position can be manipulated as desired to both hold the veil in place while the bride is moving but further enable staging or other positioning of the veil relative to the bride during photography sessions and the like.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by the provision of two-part weights magnetically attached to opposite sides of the veil fabric and positioned generally at spaced locations around and proximal to the bottom edge of the veil.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a stylized elevational view of a bride wearing a veil with the weights of the present invention positioned thereon in a normal attitude along the bottom edge thereof;

FIG. 2 is a composite view of the top, edge, bottom and cross-section of an oval-shaped, two-part weight of the present invention showing suggested ornamentation and magnet placement of both the front and back components or portions of the weight in assembled position to the left of the view and unassembled to the right thereof;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a two-part weight of the present invention about to be positioned on opposite sides of a veil portion;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view to FIG. 4 but with the weight parts in closed position on the veil portion;

FIG. 6 is a top and bottom plan view of the front and back components of a modified form of a two-part veil weight;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6 showing the weight parts separated;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7 with the weight parts closed on a veil portion; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing another form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Each weight 12 includes two parts or halves including a front portion 14 and a rear portion 18 magnetically attached to each other and disposed on opposite sides of the veil 16 having generally planar upper and lower opposed surfaces 13 a and 13 b respectively. Each weight front portion includes a front body 20 having an upper outer surface 22 that is preferably provided with ornamentation, e.g., a pearl-like element as shown in FIGS. 3-5 or a series of stone embellishments, e.g., simulated diamonds or crystals, as shown in FIG. 6. The front body 20 also includes a lower or back surface 26 including a peripheral edge 27 that further defines a shallow recess 28 in which a first magnet 30 having a face 32 is fixedly secured as by gluing. The face 32 is preferably flat and is level or flush with the peripheral edge 27 such that a continuous flat back surface is formed for a purpose which will hereinafter be more fully described.
The rear portion 18 of each weight 12 further includes a rear body 33 having lower outer surface 34 that can be provided with ornamentation or simply incorporate a flat or at least a snag resistant surface vis-à-vis the veil material keeping in mind that the rear portions 18 of the weights are disposed on the inner surface of the veil and thus ornamentation thereon is not visible or at least not as noticeable as the decorative ornamentation on the upper outer surface 22 of the front body 20. The lower or rear body 33 also includes an upper inner surface 36 that is similar to that of the lower surface 26 of the front body 20 and preferably also includes a recess 38 in which a second magnet 40 may be attached as by gluing. As with the front body 20, the outer surface of the magnet 40 is flat and is preferably flush with the peripheral edge 37 thereof to form a continuous flat upper inner surface.
The two sections or portions of each weight 12 are adapted to be positioned in back-to-back relationship to each other and thus magnetically attracted to each other such that when the two sections are disposed on opposite sides of the veil, the two magnet sections become engaged thereto such that the combined weight of the two weight sections or portions singly and in combination with several other weights place a sufficient downward force upon the veil to keep the veil in place assuming, of course, that the veil is worn or otherwise placed upon a supporting surface, e.g., the bride's head. In practice, it has been found that approximately six two-part weights having a combined weight of approximately two to six ounces and placed in spaced locations about the lower edge of the veil or veil layers provides adequate weight to evenly maintain a standard veil, e.g., mid length veil, in place. A longer veil, e.g., cathedral length, would require additional weights.
It should be pointed out that it is extremely desirable to be able to adjust the placement of the multiple weights on the veil to achieve the desired hold down effect such that the veil does not unmanageably lift up and flutter around in the wind but also for achieving special effects suitable for photography such as grouping the weights together to position the veil away from or towards the bride's face. To accommodate such movement of the weights vis-à-vis the fabric portion to which the weights are attached, the opposed facing surfaces of the two weight sections are flat and thus can be carefully moved or slid along the veil fabric for repositioning thereon with little risk of snagging or tearing that can happen in such fabric surfaces presented by unfilled recesses or projections, e.g. veils incorporating a lace edge. In addition, the type of magnet or magnets utilized as well as their attractive pull force may be used to control the ability to slide the weight halves along the veil as well as to ensure the magnets' secure positioning on the veil. Neodymium disc or rectangularly-shaped magnets having a pull force of approximately 1 to 10 pounds have been found suitable. Specifically, magnets made of the following alloy of neodymium, iron and boron (Nd₂Fe₁₄B) with N35 magnet strength are utilized.
Turning now to FIG. 9, a modified form of the invention is shown wherein one of the weight sections, e.g., the lower body 33A does not include a recess 38 but simply incorporates a flat surface 36A formed by the body 33A assuming the body 33A is formed of magnetically attracted material, e.g., steel or nickel. Also, the lower surface 36A could be covered with a thin plate or layer of magnetic material (not shown) that could be attached thereto as by adhesives to supply the magnetic base when the surface 36A is non-magnetic, e.g., plastic. In some cases, it may also be desirable to place a thin smooth sheet of material over the lower or back surface 26 in those cases where a magnet is housed therein to reduce the magnetic attraction of the two weight sections or halves and/or to provide a more snag resistant surface when the back surface 26 has been found to be unsuitably rough or includes unfilled or blank recesses, etc. Such sheet material may include plastic, metal foil, etc. and may be adhesively attached to the peripheral portions 37 surrounding the outer surface.
Specifically, it should also be pointed out that the subject weights of this invention could be appropriately utilized for attachment to other fabric articles, i.e., apparel or accessories, worn by humans or even displayed on mannequins. Examples of such utility that accomplish the overall weighted positioning objects of the invention include but are not limited to the following: to help keep short skirts positioned close to the wearer's upper legs especially when seated for modesty when the wearer shifts in seated positions; to help keep head scarves in place; to help neck scarves tucked neatly beneath a jacket or coat; to help keep trouser/slack/pant legs from creeping upwardly due to static electricity; and even for attachment to fabric-like hair strands in a human coiffure or wig.
While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying this invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A magnetic weight device adapted for releasable attachment to a fabric article worn by humans such as a wedding veil and having generally planar opposed upper and lower surfaces so as to maintain the position of the fabric article when subject to disruptive forces, said device comprising a two-part weight having a front portion and a rear portion, said front portion having a front body having an upper outer surface in turn provided with ornamentation, said front body further including a lower back surface having a first magnet disposed thereon wherein said first magnet and said lower back surface form an overall flat surface for contact with the upper surface of the fabric article, said weight rear portion further including an upper inner surface having a second magnet disposed thereon wherein said second magnet and said upper inner surface of said weight rear portion form an overall flat surface for contact with the lower surface of the fabric edge, said weight front and rear portions magnetically attached to each other so as to position said weight device on the opposed surfaces of the fabric article so as to, in effect, weigh down and position the fabric article in the position desired by the human wearer.

2. The magnetic weight device of claim 1, wherein said device is slideably adjustable with respect to the fabric article on which said weight is attached.

3. The magnetic weight device of claim 1, wherein said second magnet is a non-magnetic material magnetically attracted to said first magnet.

4. The magnetic weight device of claim 1, wherein said first magnet is a non-magnetic material magnetically attracted to said second magnet.

5. The magnetic weight device of claim 1, wherein said weight front body lower back surface includes a recess and wherein said first magnet is disposed in said recess.

6. The magnetic weight device of claim 5, wherein said weight rear portion inner surface includes a recess and wherein said second magnet is disposed in said recess.

7. In combination with a wedding veil formed of a lightweight fabric having opposed planar upper and lower surfaces, means for attaching the veil to a wearer's head and terminating in a bottom edge, a plurality of two-part weight devices magnetically slideably attached to said opposed surfaces of said veil and positioned generally at spaced locations proximal to the bottom edge of said veil, said weight devices each comprising a two-part weight having a front portion and a rear portion, said front portion having a front body having an upper outer surface in turn provided with ornamentation, said front body further including a lower back surface having a first magnet disposed thereon wherein said first magnet and said lower back surface form an overall flat surface for contact with the upper surface of said veil, said weight rear portion further including an upper inner surface having a second magnet disposed thereon wherein said second magnet and said upper inner surface of said weight rear portion form an overall flat surface for contact with the lower surface of said veil.