Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
ADJUSTABLE STRAP FAST,SNSR FOR BRASSISRES AND TSS LIKS AND 1-tBTSOD
OF MAICING SAME
SPECIFICATION
My present invention relates to the strap fasteners of
brassieres, lingerie and corsetry and particularly with so-called
hook and eye strap fasteners of the type in which a fastener
member on one strap can be affixed to a coupling member on
another strap, usually adjustably, to secure the garment which
can be a brassiere. The invention also relates to an improved
method of.making the new strap fastener.
While brassiere-type fasteners for conveniently and
comfortably securing the two straps at the back of a brassiere
together, usually adjustably, have been provided in many
configurations heretofore, perhaps the most coarrs-on utilize a hook
and eyelet configuration. The male member of the strap fastener
can be formed by one or more hooks on one of the straps while the
female member is constituted by a plurality of eyelets spaced
apart in a longitudinal direction to engage with the hook
selectively for adjustable fastening of the brassiere. The
eyelets may be metal, or powder-coated metal. Problems have been
encountered in prior constructions of this type with respect to
the uniform dying of the product since the tape was frequently
provided with a lining or cover member by stitching and the
tapes, the lining, the threads used for attaching coupling
- 1 -
CA 02326215 2007-07-05
members or joining the lining to the tape, etc. all tended
to dye differently. This applies also to the coupling
members themselves. When the prior-art tape was fed to the
strap fabric and cut parallel to the longitudinal dimension
of the strap by ultrasonic means, a sharp edge was formed
which was uncomfortable or injurious.
It has thus been long sought in the brassiere,
corsetry and lingerie field to be able to provide a strap
fastener or brassiere-type closure which would not snag on
other garments, which would not be damaged in the wash,
which would be comfortable for the wearer, which could be
dyed uniformly and preferably with the same dying
characteristics as the garment and which would be simple to
fasten and unfasten, especially since the fastener is often
provided at the back of the wearer.
It is, therefore, the principal object of the
present invention to provide an improved strap fastener,
especially for brassieres but also suitable for garment
closures of other types, e.g. for lingerie and corsetry,
whereby these desiderata will be satisfied. Another object
is to provide a method of making the fastener.
These objects are attained by the methods and the
articles of the present invention. The fastener can be made
by fabricating a coupling half of the strap fastener with
an inner or first web or tape of a woven or tricot knit
fabric (or a woven fabric having a tricot knit facing
layer) composed of thermoplastic yarn and
- 2 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
bonding that tape or web to a second tape or web into which the
first tape or web is at least partly enfolded, by ultrasonic
seaming along the longitudinal edges of the tape and by providing
the inner tape with its coupling member by a~molding operation so
that, in the construction of this fastener half, no stitching is
required.
The application of the coupling members, which can be
eyelets lining holes formed in the first tape by ultrasonic
punching techniques, and the assembly of the two tapes together,
as well as the severing of a length forming the fastener half
form the continuous webs which are used to produce the successive
lengths can all be effected by ultrasonic means so that no
stitching is required, except, possibly, for attaching the
fastener strip to the garment.
When all of the webs used are woven tapes or tricot
knits (or layers of woven and knit tapes) of say a polyamide
(nylon) yarn and the molded coupling members are themselves
composed of polyamide (e.g. a nylon) all of the elements of the
fastener have substantially identical dying characteristics and
can be dyed with the garment without any significant difference
being visible between the garment and the fastener.
The second web or tape into which the first tape is
enfolded covers the eyelets from the back and thus provides a
cushion against the skin of the wearer and, if desired, a further
tape or strip, preferably also of a tricot knit fabric, can be
inserted between the second web and the first if desired.
- 3 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
According to a feature of the invention, the first and
second webs are longitudinally seamed at spaced apart locations
by the ultrasonic welding, leaving turned over flaps of the
fastener strip beneath which a portion of th- garment can be
inserted for attachment of the strip to the garment, e.g. also by
ultrasonic seaming or, as is less preferred, by stitching.
The first web can be ultrasonically or mechanically
pierced to form a succession of holes and the eyelets can be
molded onto the first web around the holes. Of course, coupling
members other than eyelets can be used although they are not
preferred. The studs are also molded to the tape. Such coupling
members can be hook and loop type fasteners, for example.
The webs can also be ultrasonically joined together
along an end of the length formed by ultrasonically severing the
15. lengths from the band.
The eyelets are preferably molded onto the first web in
a succession of spaced apart groups of at least three eyelets per
group.
The male fastener can comprise a hook molded onto a
tape composed of thermoplastic yarn, preferably a woven
polyamide. According to a feature of the invention, a succession
of the hooks is molded onto the tape of the male fastener and the
tape of the male fastener is severed ultrasonically between the
hooks into respective male fastener lengths which are secured to
the garment, the hooks, the eyelets and the webs and the tape
being all composed of polyamide.
- 4 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
According to another aspect of the invention, the
coupling members which are applied to the fabric tape are male
and female members forming a press button which can be joined by
pressing the male member into the female member.
According to another feature of this aspect of the
invention, the female member is open laterally through a
constriction and the male member can be slid transversely into
engagement with the female member to connect the members
together. Separation can be effected by pulling the male and
female members apart or by sliding the male member out of the
female member in a direction opposite to that in which the male
member was inserted.
When a row of male members on one strap end and a row
of female members on the other strap end form the back fastener
of the brassiere, a high degree of flexibility is ensured by
reason of the separation of the male and female members along the
respective row.
In an important aspect of the invention, the continuous
tape carrying the members may have rolled over edges which are
ultrasonically seamed except at locations at which the rolled
over edges are to be opened at least to a limited degree to
insert the respective straps which then can be ultrasonically
seamed to the tape.
The tape is cut transversely and runs in the direction
of the longitudinal edges so that, upon cutting, rounded corners
- 5 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
can be formed to protect the wearer against injury from sharp
corner edges.
The fasteners of the invention are substantially
thinner than metal hook and eyes or metal snyp_tapes.
The hook and eye fastener can comprise:
a male fastener half injection-moldable onto a first
tape and adapted to be secured to one part of a garment, the male
fastener half being formed with a generally flat circular body
having an outer body portion on one side of the first tape and an
inner body portion on another side of the first tape, a pin
projecting generally centrally from the inner body portion, and a
head formed on the pin; and
a female fastener half injection-moldable onto a second
tape and adapted to be secured to another part of the garment,
the female fastener half being formed with a generally flat
circular body having an outer body portion on one side of the
second tape and an inner body portion on another side of the
second tape, the inner body portion having an eyelet dimensioned
to receive and retain the head and an inlet slot leading to the
eyelet through which the pin is laterally insertable, the head
being withdrawable from the eyelet in a direction perpendicular
to the tapes.
According to the invention, the slot has an inwardly
convergent mouth and the head, which can be split for
flexibility, is tapered from a narrow portion to a thick position
in a direction of insertion of the pin into the eyelet through
- 6 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
1:9693 FOR
the slot. The inner portion of the female fastener half can have
inclined flanks engaging the head and guiding the head into the
eyelet.
As in our earlier fastener it is 4ghly advantageous to
provide the inner body portion of one of the fastener halves as a
convex element and the inner body portion of the other fastener
half as a concave element which receives the convex inner body
portion of the first fastener half in a nested relationship.
According to another aspect of the invention, each of
the tapes may have a plurality of the respective fastener halves
spaced apart thereon in a row transverse to the aforementioned
insertion direction and for adjustability of the back strap, at
least the tape provided with the female fastener members may have
a plurality of such rows longitudinally spaced thereon.
The tapes may each be covered at least on one side with
a brushed fabric strip ultrasonically welded to the tape along
the edges and the garment part can be stitched or otherwise
fastened between the respective tape and the brushed fabric
strips.
The tapes can be woven of a synthetic resin yarn and
the fastener halves can be composed of polyoxymethylene (POM) or
polyamide (PA). A brassiere according to the invention can have
a back strap, portions of which are interconnected by at least
one garment fastener comprising:
a male fastener half injection-moldable onto a first
tape and adapted to be secured to one portions of the back strap,
- 7 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
the male fastener half being formed with a generally flat
circular body having an outer body portion on one side of the
first tape and an inner body portion on another side of the first
tape, a pin projecting generally centrally from the inner body
portion, and a head formed on the pin;
a female fastener half injection-moldable onto a second
tape and adapted to be secured to another of the portions of the
back strap, the female fastener half being formed with a
generally flat circular body having an outer body portion on one
side of the second tape and an inner body portion on another side
of the second tape, the inner body portion having an eyelet
dimensioned to receive and retain the head and an inlet slot
leading to the eyelet through which the pin is laterally
insertable, the head being withdrawable from the eyelet in a
direction perpendicular to the tapes; and
a respective brushed fabric strip covering at
least one side of each tape and ultrasonically welded to the
respective tape along longitudinal weld seams, the respective
part or portion of the back strap being inserted between each
tape and the respective strip and being affixed thereto.
The method of the invention for making a garment
fastener or a brassiere in which such a garment fastener is used
can comprise:
(a) injection molding a multiplicity of a male fastener
halves onto a first woven synthetic-resin fabric band, the male
fastener halves each being formed with a generally flat circular
- 8 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
body having an outer body portion on one side of the first band
and an inner body portion on another side of the first band, a
pin projecting generally centrally from the inner body portion,
and a head formed on the pin; I
(b) injection molding a multiplicity of female fastener
halves onto a second woven synthetic-resin fabric band, each of
the female fastener halves being formed with a generally flat
circular body having an outer body portion on one side of the
second band and an inner body portion on another side of the
second band, the inner body portion having an eyelet dimensioned
to receive and retain the head and an inlet slot leading to the
eyelet through which the pin is laterally insertable;
(c) covering at least one side of each of the bands
with a strip of brushed knit fabric and ultrasonically welding
the respective strip to the respective band along opposite
longitudinal edges thereof to form respective weld seams having
gaps therein;
(d) transversely severing the first band at gaps in the
weld seams thereof to form first tapes each having at least one
of the male fastener halves thereon and transversely severing the
second band at gaps in the weld seams thereof to form second
tapes each having at least one of the female fastener halves
thereon, openings being provided between each tape and the
respective strip at an end of the respective tape; and
- 9 -
CA 02326215 2007-07-05
(e) inserting a respective garment portion into each of the
openings and securing the respective garment portion to the
respective tape and strip.
Another aspect of the present invention is a
method of making a metal-free strap fastener for articles
of clothing including brassieres, lingerie and corsetry,
comprising the steps of: (a) molding onto a first elongated
knit web of a thermoplastic yarn, a succession of eyelets
to form a female-fastener strip; (b) enfolding said female-
fastener strip in a second elongated web of a thermoplastic
yarn so that edge portions of said second web overlie one
face of said female-fastener strip alongside said
succession of eyelets and another portion of said second
web covers the other face of said female-fastener strip;
(c) ultrasonically joining said edge portions to said
female-fastener strip and said female-fastener strip to
said other portion of said second web at longitudinally
spaced-apart intervals along said female-fastener strip at
which said eyelets are located to form a fastener band; and
(d) ultrasonically severing successive lengths from said
band, each of said lengths including at least one of said
eyelets whereby said lengths can be affixed to a garment
for engagement of a male fastener in the respective eyelet
to secure the garment.
Another aspect of the present invention is a
strap fastener for articles of clothing including
brassieres, lingerie and corsetry, said fastener
comprising: (a) a first elongated fabric web of a
thermoplastic yarn having at least one coupling member
molded onto said first fabric web; (b) a second elongated
fabric web of a thermoplastic yarn into which said first
fabric web is enfolded and having a pair of edge portions
of said second web overlying one face of said first fabric
- 10 -
CA 02326215 2007-07-05
web at opposite sides of said coupling member, and another
portion of said second fabric web covering the other face
of said first fabric web; (c) a pair of ultrasonic welding
seams along opposite longitudinal edges of said webs
joining said edge portion of said second fabric web to said
first fabric web and said first fabric web to said other
portion to form one coupling tape; and (d) a third
elongated fabric web of a thermoplastic yarn having another
coupling member molded onto said third web and engageable
with said one coupling member said third web and said other
coupling member forming another coupling tape, said
coupling tapes being attachable to respective parts of a
garment to be held together by said engagement of the
coupling members of said tapes.
Another aspect of the present invention is a
method of making a strap fastener for articles of clothing
including brassieres, lingerie and corsetry, comprising the
steps of: (a) molding onto a first elongated knit web of a
thermoplastic yarn, a succession of synthetic resin
coupling members a fastener strip; (b) enfolding said
fastener strip in a second elongated knit web of a
thermoplastic yarn so that edge portions of said second web
overlie one face of said fastener strip alongside said
succession of coupling members and another portion of said
second web covers the other face of said fastener strip;
(c) ultrasonically joining said edge portions to said
fastener strip and said fastener strip to said other
portion of said second web at longitudinally spaced-apart
intervals along said fastener strip at which said coupling
members are located to form a fastener band; and (d)
ultrasonically severing successive lengths from said band,
each of said lengths including at least one of said
coupling members whereby said lengths can be affixed to a
- l0a -
CA 02326215 2007-07-05
garment for engagement of a complementary coupling member
in the respective coupling member of the fastener band to
secure the garment.
One of the advantages of the method of
the invention is that the free ends of the tape/strip
assembly to which the respective portions of the back strap
are connected can be separated from the respective hands by
cold cutting so that they remain relatively soft. Having
not been stiffened by a heated cutting tool there is less
likelihood of injury to the wearer from the fastener parts.
The halves, when they are joined together by hooking
motion, form a relatively thin flat closure without the
danger of pressing into the back of the wearer. The
thinness of the closure makes it less likely that the back
strap of the brassiere will show through the outer garment
of the wearer. The parts of the fastener can be connected
by the standard hook-and-eye motion to which brassiere
wearers are accustomed, although opening of the brassiere
can be facilitated because the parts of the closure can be
separated by simply pulling the strap parts apart.
- lOb -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
The above and other objects, features, and advantages
will become more readily apparent from the following description,
reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagramanatic plevational view of a
female fastener half for a strap fastener according to the
invention;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of the reverse side;
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line
III - III OF FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line
IV - IV of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line V
- V of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a portion of
the male half of the strap fastener;
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the line
VII - VII of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the complete
strap fastener as formed with a closure for the back of a
brassiere;
FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing the reverse
of the fastener, i.e. the portion of the fastener which contacts
the skin of the user;
FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view drawn to a larger
scale taken along line X - X of FIG. 1;
- 11 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
FIG. 11 is an elevational view showing the formation of
the successions of eyelets on the first web according to the
invention;
FIG. 12 illustrates the continuous,band after the
application of the second web thereto;
FIG. 13 is an elevational view illustrating the step of
severing the length of the fastener from the continuous band; and
FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the
insertion of an additional cushioning tape into the fastener.
FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view of a press button
which can be provided on a tape according to a feature of the
invention;
FIG. 16 is a plan view from the projection side of that
male member;
FIG. 17 is a side elevational view thereof;
FIG. 18 is a cross sectional view through the female
press bottom fastener;
FIG. 19 is a plan view thereof;
FIG. 20 is a side view of the female half of the press
button;
FIG. 21 is a cross sectional view showing the press
button parts fitted together and on respective tapes;
FIG. 22 is an elevational view showing a press button
with a slide interfitting capability;
FIG. 23 is a view similar to FIG. 22 showing another
embodiment;
- 12 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
FIG. 24 is a view similar to FIGS. 22 and 23 of an
elongated female fastener member;
FIG. 25 is a side view of the male member cooperating
with that female member;
FIG. 26 is a plan view of the male member of that
fastener;
FIG. 27 is a view similar to FIG. 22 of another
embodiment;
FIG. 28 is a diagram showing the taper of the thickness
of the latter female member;
FIG. 29 is a plan view showing a tape having rows of
the female member;
FIG. 30 shows the back fastener for a brassiere upon
separation;
FIG. 31 is a similar view showing the male and female
member connected together.
FIG. 32 is a plan view of a first tape covered with a
brushed knit fabric strip which can be connected to one part of
the back strap of a brassiere showing a plurality of female
fastener halves according to a feature of the invention;
FIG. 33 is a perspective view of one of the female
halves from its inner sides;
FIG. 34 is a plan view of the female fastener half;
FIG. 35 is a perspective view of the female fastener
half from its outer side;
- 13 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
FIG. 36 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the tape
portion with the male fastener half;
FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the male fastener
half;
FIG. 38 is a plan view of the outer portion of the male
fastener half;
FIG. 39 is a perspective view of the male fastener half
as seen from the side of its inner portion;
FIG. 40 is an elevational view of the fastener;
FIG. 41 is a cross sectional view taken along the line
XXXXI-XXXXI of FIG. 10;
FIG. 42 is a cross sectional view along the line RLII-
XLII of FIG. 40;
FIG. 43 is a side elevational view of the female
fastener half;
FIG. 44 is a bottom plan view thereof;
FIG. 45 is a top plan view thereof;
FIG. 46 is a rear view of the female member;
FIG. 47 is a cross sectional view thereof without the
engagement of the head of the male half in the eyelet;
FIG. 48 is a side elevational view of the male fastener
half;
FIG. 49 is a bottom view of the male fastener half;
FIG. 50 is a front view of the male fastener half;
FIG. 51 is a cross section through the male fastener
half;
- 14 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
1:9693 FOR
FIG. 52 is an elevational view of the back strap of a
brassiere showing the application of the fastener thereto;
FIG. 53 is a view of one tape of the brassiere;
FIG. 54 is a view of the other tapp;_
FIG. 55 is a cross section through the tape of the
male fastener half;
FIG. 56 is an elevational view of the back side of a
female fastener half having a different configuration;
FIG. 57 is an elevational view of the front side of
this latter fastener half;
FIG. 58 is a side view of the latter fastener half;
FIG. 59 is a diagrammnatic illustration of the coupling
of male and female fastener halves utilizing the wedge shaped
projection;
FIG. 60 is a similar view showing the positions of the
parts upon full coupling;
FIG. 61 is a cross sectional view drawn to an enlarged
scale of the tape showing the cushioning strip;
FIG. 62 is a plan view of the tape from the woven
fastener carrier side;
FIG. 63 is a plan view of this tape from the opposite
side; and
FIG. 64 shows the use of a thin soft flexible plastic
film on which the fastener half is injection molded.
As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the strap fastener
of the present invention comprises a female fastener half
- 15 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
generally represented at 10 and having a first web or strip 11 of
a tricot knit or woven polyamide (nylon) in which are
ultrasonically or mechanically pierced, elongated holes 12 shown
here to be three in number in a group and algng the margins of
each of which a frame or eyelet 13 is injection molded. The
eyelet 13 is composed of a the same polyamide as constitutes the
yarn from which the web 11 is fabricated. As can be seen from
FIG. 10, the eyelet 13 surrounds the edge 14 of the hole and
continues onto the flanks or faces 15 and 16 of the first web.
The first web 11 is, in turn, partly enfolded in a second web or
tape 17, also of a tricot knit of polyamide yarn which has a pair
of edge portions 18 and 19 bent over onto the face 15 of the
first web 11 and a further portion 20 covering the reverse face
16 of the web 11 (see FIGS. 3-5).
In the region of the group of eyelets 13, the bent over
portions 18 and 19 are ultrasonically welded to the face 15 of
the first web 11 and the first web 11 is welded to the web 17,
the ultrasonically welding being represented at 21 by the light
lines there shown and by the arrows 22 visible in FIG. 4, for
example, Beyond the ultrasonic weld seams 21, the inwardly bent
portions 18 and 19 form flaps as shown in FIG. 5 into which the
edges of the garment can be inserted so that, by a further
ultrasonic welding or by stitching, the strips shown at 10 in
FIG. 1 and 2 can be fixed to the garment. The end of the strip
10 is rounded at 23 and can be formed with a further ultrasonic
weld seam as represented at 24 to bond the two webs together.
- 16
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
As a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 2 will show, the portion
20 covers the eyelets 13 at the back of the strip to provide a
protective layer between these eyelets and the skin of the user.
The male strip 30 comprises a tric?t_knit web 31 onto
which the coupling member 32 is molded, the coupling member 32
(FIGS. 6 and 7) having a lip 33 which engages in the eyelet 13
beneath the bar 34 thereof while the shoulder 35 can snap against
the bar 36 to retain the hook in the eyelet.
All of the tapes or webs described can be composed of
the identical polyamide as can form the coupling members 13 and
32 so that the entire fastener has uniform dying characteristics.
As can be seen from FIG. 8, the two coupling strips 10
and 30 can be connected to parts 37 and 38 of the garment, e.g.
by stitching at 39 or by ultrasonic welding so that the two parts
of the garment can be held together in the position shown in FIG.
8. From the back, the fastener has only the smooth region 20 in
contact with the skin (compare FIGS. 8 and 9).
Further cushioning against the back of the user can be
afforded by a further strip 40 of tricot knit tape composed of
the same polyamide yarn and inserted between the first web 11 and
the portion 20 of the second web 17 as seen from FIG. 14.
The mode of fabrication can be seen from FIG. 11 in
which a band of the first web 11 is fed along a path continuously
and is ultrasonically punched to produce the holes 12 in groups
of three and the eyelets 13 injection molded onto the web 11
around the holes 12. Further downstream along the same path or
- 17 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
in a separate path, the second web 17 is partially enfolded
around the first web so that the portions 18 and 19 overlie the
web 11 and the ultrasonic weld seams 21 are formed at spaced
apart locations but in the regions of the grVups of eyelets the
resulting band of interconnected webs can be ultrasonically cut
at 41 to sever the length 42 from the remaining band 43 and form
the transverse welds 23, the lengths 42 constituting the strips
previously described. The step represented in FIG. 13 is
further downstream along the path represented by FIG. 12.
10 The male coupling strips are similarly fabricated in a
fabrication line and the lengths of the two strips are applied to
the garments as has previously been described.
FIGS. 15 - 21 show a press button connector which can
be provided on respective tapes carrying the male and female
members, the female member being formed as an eyelet in
accordance with the principles previously described.
As can be seen from FIGS. 15 - 17, the male member 50
of the press button has a head 51 formed with a slot 52 in which
the tape is received and a convex surface 53 which is formed with
a depression 54. On the opposite side of this head, a projection
55 is provided which is surrounded by a concave portion or recess
56 whose curvature matches the convex curvature of the female
member which is described in connection with FIGS. 18 - 20. As
can be seen from FIGS. 16 and 17, the projection 55 has a shank
57 which is split at 58 and is formed with bulges 59 at its ends
circular depressions or holes 60 angularly equipspaced around the
- 18 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
head permit molding of the fastener member on the tape with
greater security.
As can be seen from FIGS. 18 - 20, the female member 61
is disk shaped and is formed with a slot 62 3in-which the tape is
received and has a hole 63 provided with a constriction 64 past
which the projection 55 can be pressed so that the bulges 59 lie
on the opposite side of the constriction from that on which the
head of the male fastener is located (see FIG. 21).
To facilitate insertion and removal of the projection,
the hole 63 has conical convergent and divergent flanks 65 and 66
on opposite sides of the constriction 64.
The curvature of the concave portion 67 of the female
member 61 matches the curvature of the concavity 56 so that the
overall thickness of the assembled press button (FIG. 21) is
comparatively small and substantially less than 5mm.
The male member 50 is shown to be mounted on the tape
68 in FIG. 21 while the female member 61 is mounted on the tape
69 and the back of the fastener is additionally covered by a
brushed or plush fabric strip at 70 to cushion the fastener
toward the body of the user.
While the press button of FIGS. 15 - 21 is engaged by
pressing the male member into the female member and released by
pulling the members apart, the same principle can be used with a
lateral engagement of the male member in the female member. In
that case, the male member of the fastener may be that described
in connection with FIGS. 15 - 17 while the female member 71 as
- 19 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
1:9693 FOR
shown in FIG. 22 has a lateral mouth 72 connected to the hole 73
by a constriction 74 passed which the projection of the male
member can be pressed. The female member is formed on the tape
75 in this embodiment. Alternatively, the f-tmale member 76 can
be elongated and provided with the constriction 77 passed which
the projection can be forced, a funnel shaped guide 78 being
provided to guide the projection into the female member. As can
be seen from FIG. 28, the female member can be tapered so that
the projection can be guided into the bore by feel since the user
can readily discern the direction of insertion by the increased
thickness in that direction.
Another configuration of the female member has been
shown at 79 in FIG. 27 and operates with the same principle as
that of the female member 76 of FIGS. 23 and 28.
It will be noted that a number of such female members
will normally be provided in a row transversely to the tape
(FIGS. 29 - 31) in a brassiere fastener. However, it is possible
to provide a single fastener 80 on the tape 81 at each location
longitudinally of the tape and in that case, the fastener may be
elongated but otherwise operates in accordance with the
principles described, enabling the male member 82 (FIG. 25) with
its projections 83 to engage behind the constriction 84 by
laterally inserting the male member in the female member. The
male and female members can be pulled apart like the press button
in the manner already described.
- 20 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
From FIGS. 29 - 31 it will be apparent that rows 84 of
the female members 71 can be provided on the tape 75 which can
have rolled edges 85 provided with weld seams 86 holding those
rolled edges in place. The welding seams ar-f interrupted at 87
between groups of rows 84 and at which the tape is cut to secure
each tape segment with say three rows on a respective brassiere
back strap 88 (FIG> 30) for that purpose, after the tape 75 has
been cut through in a region between groups of rows, the unseamed
edge 87 is opened to receive a tongue of the strap 88 and then
closed over that strap, whereupon weld seams 89 are provided to
secure the tape to the brassiere strap. Simultaneously, a layer
similar to that shown at 70 can be applied to cushion the strap
where it contacts the back of the wearer.
Similarly, the row of male members 50 on the tape 68
can be attached to the brassiere strap 90 so that, by lateral
insertion, the male members 50 can be inserted into the female
members of one or the other row 84 (see FIG. 31).
When the tapes 75, 68 are severed transversely between
the rows of male or female members or groups of such rows, the
free corners can be rounded as has been shown at 91 and 92 in
FIG. 30 to prevent injury to the user by the sharp corners. Thus
not only are the tape edges rounded by reason of the rolled over
edges 85, but the corners are rounded to prevent injury or
snagging of garments.
As can be seen from FIG. 32, a plurality of female
fastener halves 110 can be injection molded on a woven tape 111
- 21 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
of thermoplastic synthetic resin threads which is covered on one
side by a knitted fabric strip as well be described in greater
detail with reference to FIGS. 52 - 55, this strip being folded
over onto the inner side of the tape at 1121and welded with a
pair of longitudinal weld seams thereto. Each of the female
fastener halves 110 (see FIG. 33) has an inner part 113 and an
outer part 114 visible on opposite sides of the tape (not seen in
FIGS. 33 - 35), the outer part or body 13 being formed with an
eyelet 115 into which a slot 116 opens from the periphery of the
inner part, this slot having an inwardly converging mouth 117.
Both the inner and outer parts can have throughgoing
holes 18 which facilitate fastening of the injection molded body
to the tape.
From the outer side, the eyelet appears as a hole 19 at
a center of the injection molded body which may be composed of
polyoxymethylene or polyamide.
The male fastener half 120 (FIG. 36) may be injection
molded on a woven tape 121 which likewise can be covered on its
outer side by a strip of knitted fabric, folded over at 122 and
ultrasonically welded to the tape. The male fastener half can
have an inner body portion 123 formed with a post or pin 124 and
a head 125 which is provided with a split 126. The outer body
portion is shown at 127 in FIG. 38 and can have a hole 128 at its
center aligned with the post. The head 125 tapers from a narrow
end 129 to a thick end 130 (FIG. 39) in an insertion direction
into the respective eyelet.
- 22 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
From FIG. 41 it will be apparent that the inner body
portion 113 of the female fastener half 110, shown in FIG. 41 to
be injection molded onto the tape 111, is convex and received in
the concave inner body portion 123 of the maie_fastener half 120
injection molded onto its tape 121.
From FIGS. 41 and 42 it will also be apparentthat the
thicker portion 130 of the head 125 of the pin 124 lies to the
rear of the eyelet and is guided into this position by inclined
surfaces 131 of the female fastener half 110 (FIG. 42). The
female fastener half is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 43 - 47
and has a rim 132 surrounding the eyelet and beneath which the
thin portion 129 of the head drops when the head is inserted into
the eyelet in the direction of A (FIG. 44). Because the head is
split and can be squeezed together, the male fastener half can be
pulled out of the female fastener half in a direction
perpendicular to the tapes.
In FIGS. 48 - 51, the split 126 of the male fastener
half 120 is shown in greater detail. From FIG. 51, moreover, the
concavity 132 of the inner body portion of the male fastener head
is shown in greater detail.
As will be apparent from FIGS. 52 - 55, the female
fastener halves 110 may be provided in a succession of rows on
the tape 111 which is covered by the brushed tricot strip 133
shown in FIG. 54 so that the folded over edges 112 can be
fastened to the tape 111 by ultrasonic weld seams 134 which can
have a stitch pattern. The free end of the resulting band can be
- 23 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
cold cut at 135 to leave a soft fluffy edge while the opposite
end may be open for insertion of the part 136 of the back strap
of the brassiere which can then be stitched in place along the
seam 137. Similarly, the back strap portioz~ 138 of the brassiere
can be inserted between the tape 131 of the male fastener halves
120 and the brushed tricot strip 139 and stitched in place by a
stitch seam 140.
In FIG. 55 the brushed tricot strip 139 and the woven
synthetic resin tape 121 have been shown in greater detail and in
section.
From FIGS. 56 - 58, it will be apparent that the
fastener halves and, for example, the female fastener half 150
can have annular configurations other than circular. For
example, in FIGS. 56 - 58 the fastener half is shown to be oval
and to be formed with body portions 151 and 152 injection molded
on opposite sides of the woven fastener carrier (FIGS. 61 - 63)
or on a thin soft flexible film 153 which may be transparent as
shown in FIG. 64. The converging mouth 153 here leads to the
central opening 154 which has a part 155 adapted to overhang the
head of the male member in the manner previously described. In
any of the embodiments, the female member 155, for example, can
be provided with a wedge shaped projection 156 opposite the mouth
153 and positioned to engage in the crevice 157 formed in the
head 158 when the male fastener half 159 is locked into the
female fastener half as shown in FIG. 60, thereby causing the
wedge 156 to cam the two parts of the head apart and increase the
- 24 -
CA 02326215 2000-11-17
19693 FOR
strength with which the male fastener half is returned in the
female fastener half.
FIGS. 61 - 63 show the cushioning of the tape and,
while illustrated with respect to a female fAstener half 160 are
applicable to both the male and the female fastener halves.
The tape 161 (FIG. 61) comprises the woven fastener
carrier 162 on which the fastener halves 160, etc. are injection
molded as previously described. The knitted outer strip 163 has
overhanging edges 164 which are ultrasonically welded to the
woven fastener carrier 162 and between these two strips is a
cushioning strip which has been represented at 165 and can be a
knitted tape, a nonwoven strip or even a foam material.
The edge of the tape can be cold cut transversely at
166 and the surface of the knitted cover strip turned toward the
body of the wearer may be brushed at 167 to provide a
particularly soft hand.
- 25 -
