Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-18
2001-10-30
Sells, James (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S073100, C156S201000, C156S251000, C156S290000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309489
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
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.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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 common 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 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.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
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 of this invention is to provide an improved metal-free strap fastener for the purposes described which will be free from drawbacks characterizing earlier strap fasteners.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method of making a strap fastener which can be less expensive and more efficient than earlier systems, requiring the use of simpler equipment and less skilled labor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, these objects are attained 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 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.
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 the 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 method of making a strap fastener for articles of clothing including brassieres, lingerie and corsetry, thus can comprise 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 the female-fastener strip in a second elongated knit web of a thermoplastic yarn so that edge portions of the second web overlie one face of the female-fastener strip alongside the succession of eyelets and another portion of the second web covers the other face of the female-fastener strip;
(c) ultrasonically joining the edge portions to the female-fastener strip and the female-fastener strip to the other portion of the second web at longitudinally spaced-apart intervals along the female-fastener strip at which the eyelets are located to form a fastener band; and
(d) ultrasonically severing successive lengths from the band, each of the lengths including at least one of the eyelets whereby the lengths can be affixed to a garment for engagement of a male fastener in the respective eyelet to secure the garment.
As noted, 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 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.
The strap fastener itself can comprise:
(a) a first elongated fabric web of a thermoplastic yarn having at least one coupling member molded onto the first fabric web;
(b) a second elongated fabric web of a thermoplastic yarn into which the first fabric web is enfolded and having a pair of edge portions of the second web overlying one face of the first fabric web at opposite sides of the coupling member, and another portion of the second fabric web covering the other face of the first fabric web;
(c) a pair of ultrasonic welding seams along opposite longitudinal edges of the webs joining the edge portion of the second fabric web to the first fabric web and the first fabric web to the other portion to form one coupling tape; and
(d) a third elongated fabric web of a thermoplastic yarn having another coupling member molded onto the third web and engageable with the one coupling member, the third web and the other coupling
Fildan Gerhard
Wanzenbock Karl
Dubno Herbert
Fildan Accessories Corporation
Sells James
LandOfFree
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