Lingerie abstract
A hook closure for lingerie has an arcuate base from which a hook
bar and an eye bar extend, the eye bar being provided with a slot
defined between a thin and thick limb. A thick sewing flange projects
away from the slot and enables the closure to be stitched to the
fabric of a strapping passing to the eye and thereby limits shifting
of the closure relative to the strap.
Lingerie claims
I claim:
1. A strap hook for connecting a strap to a fabric eye, comprising
a molded synthetic resin body formed with a base having an arcuate
convex side and another side, a hook bar extending from said other
side, an eye bar juxtaposed with said hook bar and extending from
said other side of said base, said eye bar having a slot adapted
to receive said strap and defined between a relatively thin limb
disposed opposite said hook bar and a relatively thick limb spaced
from said thin limb, and a relatively flat sewing flange on said
thick limb extending therefrom away from said slot whereby said
sewing flange can be stitched through to secure said strap to said
strap hook, said hook bar being insertable into said fabric eye
whereby fabric of said fabric eye is received between said thin
limb and said hook bar.
2. The strap hook defined in claim 1 wherein said hook bar is generally
parallel to said limbs and is formed at an end of said hook bar
remote from said base with a projection overhanging a space between
said hook bar and said eye bar and through which fabric of said
fabric eye passes.
3. The strap hook defined in claim 2 wherein said hook bar is formed
between said projection and said base with a protuberance bulging
in a direction of said thin limb and gripping said fabric of said
fabric eye between said protuberance and said thin limb.
4. The strap hook defined in claim 3 wherein said thin limb and
thick limb are interconnected at an end of said eye bar remote from
said base.
5. The strap hook defined in claim 4 wherein said sewing flange
extends only over part of the height of said thick limb.
6. The strap hook defined in claim 5 wherein said bars and said
base are unitarily formed from a synthetic resin.
7. The strap hook defined in claim 6 wherein said synthetic resin
is a polyamide.
8. The strap hook defined in claim 7 wherein said convex side has
a configuration of a circular segment.
9. The strap hook defined in claim 8 wherein said circular segment
is formed with a plurality of recesses.
10. The strap hook defined in claim 9 wherein said recesses have
generally triangular configurations.
11. The strap hook defined in claim 10 wherein said recesses are
cutouts extending through said base.
12. The strap hook defined in claim 11 wherein a slot is formed
between said protuberance and said eye bar guides said fabric of
said fabric eye into said space.
13. The strap hook defined in claim 11 wherein said slot is inclined
to said hook bar and said limbs.
Lingerie description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a strap hook which can be used
to connect straps at the rear of a brassiere, to connect shoulder
straps of lingerie to fabric eyes attached to the garment, to provide
a hook-type closure at the front of a brassiere between the cups
thereof, or for any other purpose, especially in lingerie, between
a fabric eye and a strap to which the hook is attached.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is not uncommon to provide a hook-type fastener between a strap
and another member, e.g. a fabric eye or another strap, which can
be molded from a synthetic resin and can be formed with an eye and
a hook engageable in a fabric eye of another strap or a fabric eye
formed directly as part of a garment.
Such systems are widely used for lingerie and can be made unitarily
from synthetic resin material in a relatively thin form so that
the hook-type fastener does not distress the wearer and can be easily
engaged in a fabric eye or the like.
There are, however, some problems with hook-type fasteners which
can have an elongated eye for receiving the strap, and a hook which
can engage the fabric between the hook and the elongated eye.
For example, the fastener may not have sufficient strength to resist
spreading of the hook member away from the eye portion, damage in
a spreading respect damaging the hook-type fastener or resulting
in undesired release of the parts of the garment connected thereby.
In addition, the hook-type fastener tends to move relative to the
strap on which it is mounted and frequently makes it difficult to
engage the fastener in a fabric eye or loop or to use the hook-type
fastener with the desired degree of facility.
Another drawback of the earlier hook-type fasteners or, in general,
strap fasteners having elongated eyes, is that the fabric of the
strap can gather at one corner, e.g. in the region of the hook,
if stress is not applied equally over the length of the elongated
opening through which the strap passes. The result is a twisting
of the fastener relative to the strap and an improper lie of the
strap.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention
to provide an improved hook-type fastener which can avoid the drawbacks
of earlier fasteners and yet can avoid the drawbacks of earlier
fasteners and yet can be easily fabricated, of an expensive construction
and which offers greater facility with respect to manipulation and
the like.
Another object of this invention is to provide a more reliable
hook-type fastener of the general kind described.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a hook-type fastener
which does not permit the strap fabric to gather at one end of an
elongated opening through which the strap can pass and thus does
not allow twisting of the fastener.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter
are attained, in accordance with the invention in a strap hook for
connecting a strap to a fabric eye which comprises: a molded synthetic
resin body formed with a base having an arcuate convex side and
another side, a hook bar extending from the other side, an eye bar
juxtaposed with the hook bar and extending from the other side of
the base, the eye bar having a slot adapted to receive the strap
and defined between a relatively thin limb disposed opposite the
hook bar and a relatively thick limb spaced from the thin limb,
and a relatively flat sewing flange on the thick limb extending
therefrom away from the slot whereby the sewing flange can be stitched
through to secure the strap to the strap hook, the hook bar being
insertable into the fabric eye whereby fabric of the fabric eye
is received between the thin limb and the hook bar.
More particularly, it has been found to be advantageous to provide
the hook with a projection which overhangs a space in which the
fabric of the fabric eye can be received, the hook having a bulging
protuberance which, when this fabric is inserted between the hook
and an eye bar, will press the fabric against a thin limb of the
eye bar and thereby prevent release of the fabric.
According to another feature of the invention, the rounded bases
of circularly segmented configuration and is provided with a plurality
of recesses which may extend through the arcuate portion of the
base. The recesses can be of triangular configuration.
According to an important feature of the invention, a sewing flange
is formed unitarily on the thick limb and extends away from the
slot between the thick and thin limbs and through which the fabric
strap can be passed.
The thin limb is deflectable in the plane of the hook so that it
presses against the fabric of the eye to increase the force with
which the straps or the parts thereof are retained relative to the
base.
A sewing flange on the thick member can be stitched through, as
has been noted to secure the strap to the strap hook and provide
some additional rigidity within the fabric strap immediately behind
the hook to facilitate manipulation of the hook and engagement of
the hook bar in the fabric eye.
The hook can be used, as has been noted, between the straps at
the back of a brassiere or a similar garment, between a shoulder
strap and a fabric eye of a brassiere or a slip or like garment,
or even as a front closure between the cups of a brassiere or between
fabric of the cup and a center panel of a brassiere in the case
of a maternity or nursing brassiere.
A further advantage of the new hook-type closure is that it will
not twist on the strap or permit the fabric of the strap to gather
in one corner as is the case with earlier hook-type closures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
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 an elevational view of a hook closure embodying the principles
of the invention;
FIG. 2 shows the application of the hook closure of FIG. 1 in a
diagrammatic elevational view of the back of a brassiere;
FIG. 3 is a view drawn to a larger scale of the closure seen in
the direction of the arrow III in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a similar view showing straps connected by the closure;
and
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the line V--V of FIG.
2.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
In FIG. 1 I have shown a hook type closure which is molded in one
piece from a polyamide synthetic resin and preferably a glass reinforced
polyamide.
The closure has a base 10 which has a circular arc convex side
11 formed with recesses or cutouts 12 of triangular configuration
to facilitate gripping. Instead of cutouts or recesses, entrainment
or gripping can be provided by embossing a triangle pattern on the
base similar to the recessed pattern in FIG. 1 from the side of
the base opposite the arcuate portion 11 a hook bar 13 extends.
This bar tapers away from the base and terminates in a projection
14 overhanging a space 15 between the hook bar 13 and an eye bar
generally represented at 16.
The eye bar 16 comprises a relatively thick limb 17 defining an
elongated slot 18 with a relatively thin limb 19 the latter being
deflectable when the fabric of a fabric eye passes into the space
15.
At their ends remote from the base 10 the limbs 17 and 19 are
interconnected at 20 and the connection 20 is formed with an inclined
surface 21 forming a guide slot with the projection 14 which guides
the fabric into the space 15.
The thick limb 17 over a portion of the height thereof, is provided
with a sewing flange 22 which is planar.
A typical thickness of the sewing flange, in the case of a polyamide
hook closure, is 0.7 mm. The base 10 can have a thickness of say
2.2 to 3 mm, preferably 2.5 mm to 2.8 mm. The thickness of the hook
bar 13 at its end remote from the base 10 may be between 1.4 and
2 mm, preferably between 1.5 mm and 1.7 mm. The hook type closure
can be utilized, for example, as the back closure for a brassiere
as shown at 25 in FIG. 2. The brassiere 25 can have a pair of back
straps 26 and 27. The strap 27 can pass through the slot 18 and
can be stitched to the flange 22 while a fabric eye 28 can be formed
on the other strap and engaged by the hook bar 13 which can be slipped
into this eye from below. In FIG. 4 the eye 28 is shown in greater
detail and it also will be apparent that the strap 27 is stitched
through at 30 in the region of the sewing flange 22.
Substantially midway along the height of the hook bar 13 a rounded
protuberance 31 is provided to grip the fabric 32 of the eye 28
between the hook bar 13 and the thin deflectable limb 19 (see FIG.
5). The arcuate configuration of the base facilitates gripping thereof
and imparts strength to the closure which has been found to be suitable
for relatively wide straps, i.e. straps of widths ranging from 3/4
of an inch to 2 inches or 20 to 50 mm.
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