Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
- 2~89~
TITLE: FABRIC FASTENING KIT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to fabric fastening systems, and more
particularly, it relates to a kit comprised of a strip of netting material and
a pronged element, for removably fastening a piece of fabric to a rigid
structure.
5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A number of different systems have been developed in the past for
fastening a piece of fabric to a rigid structure. For examples, such systems
have been largely used for relai~ g wall covering fabrics against a wall
surface, for retaining curtains to a window frame, and for fastening
10 upholstery material to a rul~ ure base.
A first example of a wall covering support structure is disclosed in
U.S. Patent 4,878,531 issued on November 7, 1989 to Douglas F. Stover.
In this support structure, the wall fabric is attachable to a pronged strip
15 mounted along the upper edge of a wall. A similar pronged strip is
installed along the base of the wall for retaining the lower margin of the
fabric. Each pronged strip is subsequently covered by a decorative wooden
molding.
2~8~493
Additional similar systems for lelai~ g a wall fabric or a curtain to
a rigid structure, using pronged elements, are disclosed in the following
documents:
U.S. Patent 2,417,922 issued on Mar. 25, 1947 to J.E. Frazer;
U.S. Patent 3,166,117 issued on Jan. 19, 1965 to I.V. Abadjieff;
U.S. Patent 3,785,426 issued on Jan. 15, 1974 to P. Sperling; and
U.S. Patent 3,822,734 issued on July 9, 1974 to G. Tombu.
The systems of the prior art for supporting wall fabrics and curtains
have one feature in common. All systems have rigid prongs which are
intended to pierce through the fabric, to break the fibres of the material and
to form apertures having the size of each prong. For this reason, these
systems of the prior art are not a~plol)liate for temporarily fastening a
fabric to a wall, such as for social receptions and annual events for
examples. These system are not apl,lopliate either for stretching or
otherwise adjusting the position of a piece of material in relation to the
pronged elements, without effecting a series of perforations along the
margin of the piece, thereby ~m~ging the fabric.
A similar drawback exists with some fabric fastening systems
presently in use in the upholstery industry. In this regard, several
documents of the prior art disclose the advantages of using pronged
elements for lek~i~ g upholstery m~teri~l over the frame of a chair, a sofa,
interior panels of vehicles or similar structures of furniture. Examples of
documents disclosing the use of pronged elements to retain upholstery
material are the following:
2189493
'_
Belgium Patent 541,836 issued on Oct. 31, 1955 to P. Reggiani;
French Patent 1,186,436 issued on Feb. 23, 1959 to H. Steiner;
U.S. Patent 3,308,598 issued on Mar. 14, 1967 to E.Wilson.
Upholstery systems using pronged elements piercing through a
5 fabric is normally used for relainillg an original and permanent covering
material over a piece of rul~ ul~. When the covering material is removed,
it is generally discarded and replaced with a fresh permanent cover.
In the upholstery industry, slip covers are commonly used for
protecting the original covering m~t~ri~l of an article. These slip covers are
10 removable, washable, and easily reinstalled over standard pieces of
Çulllilule. The prong elements of the prior art can hardly be used with these
slip covers without m~ngling the margins of the cover beyond usefulness
after only a few reinstallations.
Slip covers for rll.,lil.. ie are typically installed with strings and tape
around the lower part of the cover, as illustrated in U.S. Patent 3,117,817,
issued on Jan. 14, 1964 to L. Mednick.
Another common method for relai~ g a slip cover over a piece of
rl-- .,;1~ is by using Velcro TM f~t~ners mounted on the frame of the piece
20 of furniture and along the lower edge of the cover. An example of a slip
cover using VelcroTM f~ct~ners is described in U.S. Patent 3,248,147 issued
on April 26, 1966 to A.J. Testa.
A slip cover for a sofa or a chair often has separate sections, for
covering the deck portion thereof or for lapping around the inside and
25 outside surfaces of an arm rest for example. These sections have separate
218g~g3
-
fringes which must be stretched and attached to ensure a proper fit of the
cover over the structure of the chair or sofa. An inconvenience with the
f~tçning systems of the prior art is that the fringes of the slip cover carmot
be superimposed over one-another and fastened to a common fastener.
5 Separate strings or separate Velcro T~ strips must be provided for relai~ g
each of these fringes separately.
For all these reasons, the fabric fastening systems of the prior art are
generally not appropriate for fastening a piece of fabric in a temporary
marmer or for fastening several layers of fabric over a single retainer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, however, there is provided a fabric
fastening kit which is comprised broadly of a strip of netting m~tçri~l
15 having a nominal width and a plurality of opened meshes, and a pronged
element. The pronged element is attachable to a rigid structure. The strip
of netting material is attachable to the pronged element, and is also
attachable to the margin of a piece of fabric to be fastened to the rigid
structure.
In accordance to one aspect of the present invention, the pronged
element is a longitudinal element having a surface and a plurality of
juxtaposed prongs defined within that surface. The pronged element has
a nominal thickness, and each of the prongs has a m ~x;~ ..ll base width.
Each mesh of ~e netting m~t~n~l has a perimeter which is at least twice as
25 long as a total of the m~xi~ base width plus the nominal thickness of
each prong, whereby the netting material is repeatedly attachable to and
removable from the pronged element without m~ngling the netting material.
218~4g~
-
A first advantage of the fabric fastening kit of the present invention
is that draperies and wall h~nging~ of the like may be temporary fastened
to a wall surface with such kit without piercing the edges of these fabrics.
The fabric fastening kit of the present invention is particularly useful for
5 temporary modifying the decorative scheme of an apartment and of the
matching ru~ e, with wall fabrics and slip covers which remain
removable and re-usable for installation at some later time.
In accordance to another aspect of the present invention, the strip of
netting material has a nominal width comprised of a number of opened
10 meshes. Therefore, when the strip of netting material is positioned in a
parallel orientation with the pronged element, the strip of netting material
is laterally adjustably attachable to the pronged element. The strip of
net~ng material is laterally adjustable for levelling the header of a curtain
for example, or for compen.~ling for an imperfect mounting of the pronged
1 5 element.
Other advantages of the fabric fastening kit of the present invention
are numerous and comprise the facts that the components of the kit are easy
to manufacture and easy to install on a many types of materials and
structures. Moreover, the fabric fastening kit of the present invention has
20 an applicability throughout the entire textile and flexible sheeting
industries. Accordingly, several other typical applications are described in
the following section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be further
understood from the following description, with reference to the drawings
in which:
P1894g3
- Figure 1 is a side and top perspective view of a roll of netting
material and a first type of pronged strip of the preferred
embodiment;
- Figure 2 is a plan view of a section of the netting material of the
preferred embodiment;
- Figure 3 is a plan view of a first type of pronged strip of the
preferred embodiment;
- Figure 4 is a plan view of a second type of pronged strip of the
preferred embodiment;
lo - Figure 5 is a cross-section view of the pronged strip of the second
type, through line 5-5 in Figure 4;
- Figure 6 is a plan view of a third type of pronged strip of the
preferred embodiment;
- Figure 7 is an end view of the pronged strip of the third type;
15 - Figure 8 is a plan view of a fourth type of pronged strip of the
preferred embodiment;
- Figure 9 is an end view of the pronged strip of the fourth type;
- Figure 10 is an end view of the pronged strip of the fifth type;
- Figure 11 is a side view of a drapery retained to a wall surface by
the netting material and a pronged strip of the preferred
embodiment;
_ 218~49~
- Figure 12 is a side and top perspective view of the drapery in
Figure 11;
- Figure 13 is a cross section view of a chair having a slip cover
thereon which is retainable to the chair by the netting material and
pronged strip of the preferred embodiment;
- Figure 14 is a front and side perspective view of the lower side
section of the chair in Figure 13;
- Figure 15 illustrates a canoe having a protective cover installed
thereon using the nethng material and the pronged strip of the
preferred embodiment;
- Figure 16 illustrates another protective cover having a strip of
net~ng m~t~n~l of the pler~lled embodiment, and being retained on
an utility trailer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The fabric faster~ing kit of the preferred embodiment is illustrated
broadly in Figure 1. The fabric fastening kit is comprised firstly of a strip
of large mesh network 20, having a nominal width, and which is preferably
marketed in a spool form. The strip of netting material 20 is intended to be
sewn to a piece of fabric to be fastened, in a manner that it overlaps a
margin of that piece. The preferred strip of netting material 20 has a
nominal content of plastic fibres and it is trimmed to size by a hot tool for
working plastic sheeting material for example, such that the threads along
the edges are slightly melted together for preventing fretting of these edges
after an extended use of the fabric fastening kit.
2~89~93
As it was mentioned above, the strip of netting material 20 is
trimmed to a nominal width as required by the intended application. For
example, a width of about between six to eight inches is recommended for
supporhng a drapery. Similarly a nominal width of about between four to
5 six inches is recommended for retaining a slip cover to a chair frame, and
a nominal width of about between two to four inches is appropriate to
retain a protective cover on a piece of outdoor equipment.
The fabric fastening kit is also comprised of a pronged element 22
which is also preferably marketed is coil form. The pronged element 22 is
lo preferably a thin strip of plastic material, having a thickness of between
about 0.030 inch to about 0.040 inch. The plastic material is preferably a
polyethylene material.
The plastic pronged element 22 is thereby easily manufactured with
tooling common in the art of plastic works. The plastic pronged element
15 22 is also easily severed at an a~propliate length, and readily attachable toa wood structure by staples. The polyethylene pronged element is flexible,
whereby it can be fitted to curved base frames. Furthermore, it has been
found that the polyethylene pronged element 22 springs backwardly for
releasing the netting material 20 when a sudden force is applied on the
20 fabric. This last feature has been found advantageous for preventing the
d~m~ging of a supported fabric when an inadvertent pull is suddenly
applied on it.
Refening now to Figures 2 and 3, one essential feature of the fabric
fastening kit of the preferred embodiment is that the netting material 20 is
25 stretchable to a certain extent, such that the width of one mesh 24, as
shown by label 'A' is similar to the maximum base width of one triangular-
like prong 26 of the pronged strip 22, as shown by label 'B'. Hence, the
2189493
perimeter of one mesh 24 is about twice as much as the width of one prong
26 at the base of the prong. The pronged strip 22 is thereby attachable at
any location across the area of the net~ng m~t~ l 20 without breaking any
tread in the material.
When the pronged element of the first type 22 is mounted on a rigid
structure which has a large surface area, the pronged element is preferably
attached to the rigid structure with a spacer strip between the backside
thereof and the surface of the rigid structure. The prongs 26 are thereby
spaced from the surface of the structure to facilitate the attaching of the
lo netting material 20 to the prongs 26. In this regard it has been found that
a strip of felt or thick fabric performs quite satisfactorily
Several configurations of pronged strips are usable in the fabric
fastening kit of the preferred embodiment. Examples of pronged strips of
different types are suggested herein and are illustrated in Figures 4 to 10.
Although only five pronged strips are illustrated and described herein, it
will be appreciated by the persons knowledgeable in the art, that numerous
other types of pronged strip may also be used in combination with the
netting material of the preferred embodiment, to obtain the advantages of
the present invention.
A pronged strip of the second type 30 has a crease 32 there-along
near the base of each prong and bulging through a rear surface of the strip.
Therefore, when the pronged strip 30 is attached to a wall surface 34 by
means of staples 36 or by other fasteners installed below the crease, the
protruding part of the crease causes the prongs to lean forwardly, such that
the tip of the prongs are spaced from the wall surface 34 as illustrated in
Figure 5, to facilitate the attaching of the netting material to the prongs.
2189493
A pronged strip of a third type 40 has a finite length and is
preferably packaged and marketed in bundle of several strips 40, the
quantity of which is sufficient for matching the length of a spool of netting
material 20. The pronged strip of the third type 40, has an adhesive tape
5 42 attached to the backside thereof, such that it can be readily mounted on
a painted smooth surface for example, without requiring any mechanical
fasteners. One type of pl~-led adhesive tape 42 is a double-sided tape
referred to in the trade as "carpet tape". Although many types of adhesive
tapes are acceptable for this application, it is recommended to use an
10 adhesive tape which has a nominal thickness being at least as much as the
thickness of the netting material, for the same reason as explained earlier.
The fourth type of pronged strip 50 usable with the netting material
20 of the preferred embodiment is mAmlf~ctured in finite lengths or in a
coiled form. The pronged strip of the fourth type 50 has straight edges and
15 spaced apart prongs 52 protruding through the central region thereof. The
pronged strip 50 preferably has an adhesive tape 54 mounted on the back
surface thereof.
Each prong 52 is oriented transversally relative to the strip 50, and
is preferably formed by partly cutting the strip with a V-shaped punch and
20 die installation. The cutting of each prong 50 is preferably effected by a
punch and die set having a relatively large clearance therebetween. This
dull cut leaves burrs along the edges of the cut, for refraining the prong 52
from springing back flush within the base mAteriAl
An end view of the pronged element 58 of the fifth type is illustrated
25 in Figure 10. The pronged element 58 of the fifth type has a concave
surface. The curvature of this concave surface has a nominal radius "R",
and an arc thereof is oriented transversely relative to the element 58.
2189493
Hence, when the pronged element 58 is attached to a flat mounting surface
34, the prongs are spaced from that mounting surface 34. The concave
surface of the pronged el~ment 58 is formable with forming tools common
in the art of metal and plastic works. On the other hand, it has been
5 observed that a concave surface is often inherent in thin strips of
polyethylene or other type of flexible plastic m~t~ri~l and additional
forming of those strips is generally not required.
Referring now to Figures 11 and 12, there is illustrated therein, a
first typical application for the fabric fastening kit of the preferred
10 embo~liment A stripanettingmaterial 20according tothe preferred
embodiment is sewn along the upper margin 60 of a drapery 62, in a
position such that it overlaps the margin 60 of the drapery. A pronged strip
40 is mounted on a wall surface 64 at a location where the upper edge of
the drapery is intended to hang. The drapery 62 is thereby readily
15 ~ h~kle to the pronged strip 40, and a height thereof is readily adjustable
over the full width of the netting material 20.
Moreover, the fabric fastening kit of the preferred embodiment is
also useful for forming pleats 66 in a drapery 62, by pulling the material on
itself at intervals before h~nging the netting strip 20 on the pronged element
20 40.
It will be appreciated that the fabric fastening kit of the preferred
embodiment is convenient for periodically suspending a drapery or a wall
covering fabric to a wall, for a special occasion, during holiday seasons for
examples, without ~ ging the upper margin thereof. The fabric
25 fastening kit of the preferred embodiment is also useful for suspending
banners, wall tapestry, trade show displays and artistic wall h~nging~ of all
sorts.
2189~9~
A second typical application for the fabric fastening kit of the
p~rell~d embodiment is illustrated in Figures 13 and 14. The netting strip
20 of the fabric fastening kit of the ~ieÇelled embodiment is attachable to
all the fringes 70,72,74 of a slip cover 76 for a sofa chair, and the pronged
strip 30 is attachable to the frame 78 of the chair. One of the advantages
of using the fabric fastening kit to retain a slip cover 76 on a chair, is that
several layers of netting material are attachable to the same pronged
element 30. For example, the netting 20' on a fringe 70 from a deck cover,
the netting 20" from the inside fringe 72 of an arm cover and the netting
20" ' from the outside fringe 74 of the arm cover are all attachable to the
pronged strip 30. In this typical installation, a skirting strip 80 is preferably
provided to conceal the netting strips and the pronged elements and to
advantageously provide this chair with a neat appearance.
A further advantage of this particular embodiment of the present
invention, is that the netting on each of fringes 20',20",20"' are stretchable
over their full width, for adjusting a slip cover 76 which has shrunken
during a recent laundry or which has slackened from extended use.
Other uses are possible for the fabric fastening kit of the preferred
embodiment. These other applications are numerous and include for
examples a first protective cover 82 for covering a canoe 84 as illustrated
in Figure 15, and a second protective cover 86 for covering an utility
trailer 88 as illustrated in Figure 16. The netting strips 20 of those
2s protective covers 82,86 are installed according to the aforesaid manner, that
is to overlap the underside margins of the covering material. The pronged
strips 50 are attached or glued on the rim member of the structure to be
covered. The protective covers 82,86 are repeatedly removed and
reinstalled without d~m~ging the outside margin thereof.
12
2189~9~
While the above description provides a full and complete disclosure
of the prefelled embodiment of this invention, various modifications,
~lt~ te constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing
from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Such changes might involve
5 ~lt~ te components, structural arrangements, construction features or the
like. Therefore, the above description and the illustrations should not be
construed as limiting the scope of the invention which is defined by the
appended claims.
