NON-SLIP SHOULDER STRAP RETAINER

DISPOSITIF DE RETENUE ADHERENT POUR BRETELLES

English Abstract

A non-slip,or anti-slip retainer that is to be attached to the underside of the strap of slips,bathing suits,brassieres,and other types of similar apparel having shoulder straps, and/or articles of luggage having shoulder straps, so as to position the strap firmly upon the wearer's shoulder to prevent lateral movement while remaining concealed from view. The retainer consists of hook fastener material adhered to a slip resistant material. The hook fastener attaches to the underside of the shoulder strap at the shoulder area while the slip resistant material is held against the wearer's shoulder.

French Abstract

La présente concerne un dispositif de retenue adhérent ou antidérapant destiné à être attachée à la sous-face de la sangle des culottes, des maillots de bain, des soutiens-gorge et d'autres types de vêtements similaires comportant des bretelles, et/ou des articles de bagages avec bandoulières, afin de retenir fermement la sangle sur l'épaule du porteur et à empêcher le mouvement latéral tout étant hors de vue. Le dispositif de retenue consiste en un matériau de fixation à crochets adhérant à un matériau antidérapant. Le matériau de fixation à crochets se fixe à la sous-face de la bretelle tandis que le matériau antidérapant est maintenu contre l'épaule du porteur.

Claims

I hereby claim:
1. A non-slip shoulder strap retainer existing as a stand-alone device, no
greater in width than the width of the shoulder strap to which it is applied,
comprised of a flat strip of fabric bearing hooks protruding thereof, and
adhered or coated with a non-slip material, said retainer having tapered or
rounded ends; said retainer is positioned directly underneath the existing
shoulder strap so as to be totally concealed.

Description

CA 02468442 2004-06-O1
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention
This present invention relates to a non-slip retainer to be used in
conjunction with apparel or
luggage having shoulder straps, to prevent or minimize said shoulder straps
from sliding
down.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A problem often associated with the wearing of shoulder straps is the tendency
of
these straps to slip or fall down off the shoulder area onto the upper arm
region, causing
discomfort and/or embarrassment to the wearer.
Therein lies the need for a retainer that is capable of being adapted to
various
types of apparel or luggage containing shoulder straps, is easily concealed
beneath the
existing shoulder strap, able to withstand normal laundering methods, simple
to attach and
remove,inexpensive,yet able to hold the shoulder strap in its proper position.
Various devices and attempts have been made in the past for such purposes.
Pads have been designed that sit upon the wearer's shoulder, straps have been
made to
attach horizontally between the vertical straps located in the back of the
garment , and
devices proposed that wrap around the shoulder strap itself.
While these devices satisfy some of these requirements, none of the items
satisfy
all of these desired features. Most of these devices are cumbersome,
bulky,difficult to attach
or remove,and clearly visible.
Some types of apparel and/or luggage feature wider, padded shoulder straps,
and/or straps that contain non slip components.While these may assist to
alleviate the
problem, they do not address the issue of slipping shoulder straps on apparel
or luggage
without these features.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly the principal object of this invention to provide a non-slip
retainer

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for shoulder straps in garments,such as but not limited to, brassieres,bathing
suits, slips,
that will minimize or prevent slippage of these straps.
Another object of this invention is to provide a non-slip retainer for
shoulder straps
in luggage such as but not limited to,briefcases,carry-on bags,computer
cases,backpacks,handbags, that will minimize or prevent slippage of these
straps.
Another object of this invention is to enable the retainer to be used for any
type of
apparel utilizing shoulder straps.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a retainer that is
readily
switched from one set of shoulder straps to another.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a non-slip
retainer that is
comprised of a hook type of fastener adhered to a non slip fabric.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a non-slip retainer
that is
concealed from view when applied in the intended fashion.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a non-slip
retainer that
has all of the following properties: durable, re-usable, inexpensive,able to
withstand normal
laundering methods.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved
by
a retainer that is a stand alone device,which does not need to be permanently
attached to
the shoulder strap to perform its intended function.
This retainer is one single unit, comprised of a flat strip having its upper
surface
bearing hooks protruding thereof adhered to a material which resists slipping
on the human
shoulder. The retainer has tapered ends to prevent irritation or discomfort to
the wearer. The
non slip fabric extends slightly beyond the edges of the hook type of
material.
When used, the retainer is placed underneath the shoulder strap of the garment
or
luggage, in line with the shape of the existing shoulder strap, and in the
general shoulder
area.The hook type fabric is attached to the underside of the shoulder
strap,while the non-
slip material is placed on the wearer's shoulder.
The non-slip retainer is designed to be of a width no greater than the
shoulder
strap on which it is to be used, thus providing a non-obstructive, discreet
solution.
The retainer is held in place by the hook type fabric attached to the
underside of
the shoulder strap, by the non-slip material placed against the wearer's
shoulder, and by the
pressure created from the normal tension of tt~e shoulder strap against the
wearer's
shoulder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG.1 shows an upper angular view of the present invention.
FIG.2 shows the invention retaining a garment shoulder strap on the shoulder
of a
woman.
FIG.3 shows the invention retaining a shoulder strap of a luggage article.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring to the drawings, and in particular, FIG.1, there is provided an
upper

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angular view of the present invention having a hook type fabric portion,
generally
represented by reference numeral 10, and a non-slip material portion 20.
Portions 10 and 20
are joined together by an adhesive compound.
Portions 10 and 20 are joined together longitudinally so that the surface area
of
portion 20 is greater that the surface area of portion 10.
The invention,FIG.1 is a stand-alone device which does not need to be
permanently attached to the shoulder strap to perform its intended function.
It can be moved
easily from one garment or luggage item to another.
In the preferred embodiments, the non-slip retainer is easily concealed
beneath an
existing shoulder strap of a garment 30, and the existing shoulder strap of a
luggage article
40.

Representative Drawing