Article of clothing having magnetic fastening assemblies

Abstract

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 a plastic coating, 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.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An article of clothing comprising:
 a sheet of material forming a body portion, the sheet of material having first and second end portions;   an inner sheet of material coupled to an inside of the sheet of material, the inner sheet of material having first and second end portions;   first and second plackets being formed along respective first and second end portions of the sheet of material, the first placket being formed by folding the sheet of material along the first end portion so as to form first and second layers and securing together the first and second layers with the first end of the inner sheet of material therebetween, and the second placket being formed by folding the sheet of material along the second end portion so as to form third and fourth layers and securing together the third and fourth layers with the second end of the inner sheet of material therebetween; and   a plurality of spaced magnetic fastening assemblies including a plurality of first magnetic elements encased by encasements, the encased first magnetic elements being secured between the first layer and the inner sheet of material, and a plurality of second magnetic elements encased by encasements, the encased second magnetic elements being secured between the third layer and the inner sheet of material, such that positions of the plurality of second magnetic elements correspond to positions of the plurality of first magnetic elements,   wherein the first layer and the inner sheet of material are sewn together so as to create a first line of stitching outside at least a portion of a perimeter of each encasement of each first magnetic element forming a first pocket that contains the first encased magnetic element therein, and the third layer and the inner sheet of material are sewn together so as to create a second line of stitching outside at least a portion of a perimeter of each encasement of each second magnetic element forming a second pocket that contains the second encased magnetic element therein.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the encasements are composed of plastic. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the encasements are solid pieces. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second magnetic elements are solid pieces. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic elements is a magnet having a maximum energy product greater than or equal to 49.5 MGOe. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic elements is a neodymium magnet. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 9 , wherein the neodymium magnet is coated with nickel. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the fold between the first and second layers forms a portion of the first pocket. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the encasements are circular. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second lines of stitching are circular. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second lines of stitching are rectangular. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein when an uppermost first magnetic element is magnetically coupled to an uppermost second magnetic element, first and second magnetic elements of the magnetic assemblies positioned below the uppermost first and second magnetic elements are configured to self-align and couple together. 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the article of clothing comprises one of the following: a coat, a jacket, or a dress shirt.