Apparel – Nether garments – Bifurcated
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-27
2002-08-20
Hale, Gloria M. (Department: 3765)
Apparel
Nether garments
Bifurcated
C002S235000, C002S236000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06434753
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hook assembly for a garment that joins a parted portions of a waist of a garment such as pants and a skirt, a decorative hook assembly that joins a portion of a decorative belt or a decorative cover, and a garment having a waist-adjusting mechanism composed of a fastener such as those hook assemblies attached thereto. Particularly, the invention relates to a garment having a waist-adjusting mechanism that can be adjusted to a waist size of a user such as pants having a waist-adjusting mechanism or a skirt having a waist-adjusting mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, the pants or skirt have a waist parted so as to be opened thereat. Commonly, the parted portions are joined by a hook assembly
200
shown in FIG.
75
.
FIG. 75
is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional hook assembly.
Referring to
FIG. 75
, the hook assembly
200
has a hook element
200
A and a socket
241
. The hook element
200
A has a hook shape that is attached to a rear side of a waist part of an outer cloth
310
of pants or a skirt. The socket element
241
is attached to a front side of a waist part of an inner cloth
320
. The hook element
200
A is engaged with the socket
241
to connect the waist of the pants or skirt so as to be opened.
The conventional hook assembly is described more specifically.
As shown in
FIG. 75
, the hook assembly
200
has the hook element
200
A and a socket element
200
B. The hook element
200
A is composed of a hook body
202
having a single hook
221
and a hook attachment plate
203
. The socket element
200
B is composed of a socket body
204
having a single socket
241
and a socket attachment plate
205
. The hook
221
can be caught on in the socket
241
. Two hook claws
202
b
are formed on an outer edge of the hook body
202
. The hook claws
202
b
are bent nearly perpendicularly to a rear side of the hook body
202
. These two hook claws
202
b
have a sharp pointed end so as to go through the cloth or the like. The hook attachment plate
203
has through holes
203
a
so as to have the hook claws
202
b
inserted therein, respectively.
Socket claws
204
c
are formed at opposite ends of the socket
241
. The socket claws
204
c
are bent nearly perpendicularly to a rear side of the socket
241
. The socket attachment plate
205
have through holes
205
a
so as to have these two socket claws
204
b
of the socket body
240
inserted therein, respectively.
The hook body
202
is fitted to the rear side of the outer cloth
310
of the pants or skirt so that the outer cloth
310
is held between the hook body
202
and the hook attachment plate
203
. At this time, the hook claws
202
b
are inserted into the corresponding through holes
203
a
of the hook attachment plate
203
and bent, so that the hook body
202
and the hook attachment plate
203
are joined.
The socket body
204
is fitted to the front side of the inner cloth
320
of the pants or skirt so that the inner cloth
320
is held between the socket body
204
and the socket attachment plate
205
. The socket claws
204
c
are inserted into the corresponding through holes
205
a
of the socket attachment plate
205
and bent, so that the socket body
204
and the socket attachment plate
205
are joined.
As described above, the hook element
200
A is fixed and attached to the one cloth of the parted portions of the waist of the pants or skirt by holding it between the hook body
202
and the hook attachment plate
203
. Moreover, the socket element
200
B is attached to the other cloth of the parted portions of the waist of the pants or skirt by holding it between the socket body
204
and the socket attachment plate
205
.
Some conventional pants can open a front center part via a zip fastener. Commonly, such pants has an upper end of the front center part joined not only by the zip fastener but also by a hook such as the hook assembly
200
in a separable way.
Specifically, when putting on the pants, a user uncouple the hook such as the hook assembly
200
and opens the zip fastener. Then, the user lets his or her legs pass through the pants. Next, the user couples the upper ends of the front center part via the hook. Thereafter, the user closes the zip fastener. At this time, some hooks can adjust their length to a small extent at the joined portion. For example, a socket member is fixed to the upper part of the inner cloth at the front center part. A hook member is secured to the upper part of the outer cloth at the front center part so that the hook member is urged by a spring so as to slide and move within a predetermined range in a waist size direction of the pants. Then, the hook member is engaged with the socket member so as to connect the upper end of the front center part of the pants. With such hook, if an external force is applied to the pants in such a direction as to enlarge the waist size of the pants, the hook member moves outwardly at the edge of the outer cloth. Thus, the waist of the pants can be enlarged. Therefore, the waist of the pants is adjusted to a body shape of the user when he or she puts on the pants.
However, in the conventional hook assembly
200
, the positions of the hook element
200
A and the socket element
200
B are uniquely decided depending on their fitted positions. Therefore, it is impossible to adjust the waist size of the pants or skirt.
The inventor of the present application also has several inventions about pants and the like with a waist-adjustable mechanism as disclosed in Japanese Patent Nos. 2518803, 2518804, 2518807 and 2518079.
However, these inventions have complicated mechanisms, so that the prices thereof cannot be low. The above-mentioned hook with the slide mechanism has the same problem. Thus, there has been desired pants and the like that are inexpensive and capable of adjusting the waist size.
Moreover, with the hook that can adjust the waist size of the pants and the like or the hook assembly that can adjust the hooking position, the waist size of the pants can be adjusted only at a waist belt. If the waist size of the user is larger, a size becomes larger not only at the waist but also at a portion around the waist accordingly. Therefore, even if the waist size of the belt is adjusted according to the waist size of the user, the other portion does not change the size. Thus, when the user puts on the pants, the pants will be still tight for the user. In addition, the dimension of the lower part of the waist belt may become short. In this case, the portion around the front center part is pulled, thereby deteriorating the appearance.
On the other hand, if the lower part of the waist belt is given a room, the lower part becomes excessive when the waist size of the user becomes smaller, thereby generating wrinkles on the pants and affecting the appearance.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a hook assembly that is capable of adjusting a hooking position.
It is another object of the invention to provide a garment with a waist-adjusting mechanism that does not affect a feeling of a user in wearing the garment and that an appearance thereof improves even if there is a change of not only a waist size but also a size around the waist of the user to a certain degree.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a hook assembly in which a hook of a hook element is caught and fitted on a socket of a socket element. The hook assembly comprises a hook element made of one of a metal and a synthetic resin and a socket element made of one of a metal and a synthetic resin. The hook element comprises a hook body having a plurality of hooks formed on a specific first side thereof at fixed intervals in the hooking direction, three or more bendable hook claws formed on a second side that is opposite to the first side, and a hook attachment plate of a sheet shape facing the second side, the hook attachment plate having through holes in which the hook claws are inserted, respectively.
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Hale Gloria M.
Hoey Alissa L.
LandOfFree
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