Fastener for brassieres

Abstract

A fastener for a brassiere is disclosed, and comprises a strap having first and second sides. Rungs spaced from one another along the strap are attached to the first side, and a hook is attached to the second side. The hook is engageable with each of the rungs, the sensitiveness of the fastener being determined by the selected rung to be engaged by the hook. The two sides of a brassiere strap are coupled by pulling the first and second sides towards each other such that the one hook slides over the upper surface of the rungs, selecting a desired rung for the hook, and engaging the hook with the selected corresponding rung along any region of the length of the selected rung. A method for assembling such a fastener is also disclosed.

1 . Fastener for brassieres, which comprises 
 a) a strap having first and second sides;    b) a plurality of rungs spaced from one another along said strap and attached to said first side wherein each of said plurality of rungs is transversely disposed and in an essentially mutually parallel and equally longitudinally spaced relation; and    c) at least one hook attached to said second side, said at least one hook being engageable with each of said rungs, the sensitiveness of the fastener being determined by the selected rung to be engaged by said at least hook,    characterized in that each rung is produced from a piece of molded plastic which is injected directly onto the first side,    wherein each of said pieces of plastic comprises a transversely disposed rung and two positioning members between which said rung is interposed having a considerably greater width and a considerably shorter transversal dimension than that of the corresponding rung, the bottom of said corresponding rung being spaced from the bottom of said two positioning members by a sufficient distance for facilitating the engagement of the at least one hook.    
   
   
       2 . Fastener according to  claim 1 , wherein each positioning member is adhered to the first side.  
   
   
       3 . Fastener according to  claim 2 , wherein the piece of plastic further comprises a post adjoining each positioning member and a rung extending between said two posts, the bottom of the rung being spaced from the bottom edge of said posts by a sufficient distance for facilitating the engagement of the hook.  
   
   
       4 . Fastener according to  claim 1 , wherein each piece of plastic further comprises a base which is adhered to the first side and is considerably wider than the corresponding rung or positioning members, the positioning members protruding from said base and the bottom of each rung being spaced from said base by a sufficient distance for facilitating the engagement of the hook.  
   
   
       5 . Fastener according to  claim 1 , wherein each piece of plastic is produced from single-sided molded plastic.  
   
   
       6 . Fastener according to  claim 1 , wherein each piece of plastic is produced from double-sided molded plastic, a plastic portion injected onto the bottom face of the first side being fusible with the corresponding positioning member formed on the upper face thereof.  
   
   
       7 . Fastener according to  claim 6 , wherein the first side is double width fabric, said double width fabric being foldable so as to cover the plastic portions formed on the bottom face of the first side.  
   
   
       8 . Fastener according to  claim 1 , which is a waist fastener for securing the brassiere to the waist of the wearer and wherein the rungs are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction.  
   
   
       9 . Fastener according to  claim 1 , which is a shoulder fastener for securing the brassiere to a shoulder of the wearer and wherein the rungs are spaced from one another in the vertical direction.  
   
   
       10 . Fastener according to  claim 1 , which comprises a single hook.  
   
   
       11 . Fastener according to  claim 1 , which comprises a plurality of hooks forming one or more rows on the second side of the brassiere strap, in each of which rows the hooks are aligned or substantially aligned along a transverse line.  
   
   
       12 . Brassiere, comprising a waist fastener according to  claim 8 .  
   
   
       13 . Brassiere, comprising two shoulder fasteners according to  claim 9 .  
   
   
       14 . Brassiere, comprising a waist fastener according to  claim 8  and two shoulder fasteners according to  claim 9 .  
   
   
       15 . Fastener for brassieres, which comprises—
 a) a strap having first and second sides;    b) a plurality of rungs spaced from one another along said strap and attached to said first side wherein each of said plurality of rungs is transversely disposed and in an essentially mutually parallel and equally longitudinally spaced relation;    c) at least one hook attached to said second side, said at least one hook being engageable with each of said rungs, the sensitiveness of the fastener being determined by the selected rung to be engaged by said at least hook;    d) a frame connected to said plurality of rungs and attached to said first side,    characterized in that said frame comprises—   e) at least two rows of support elements, a rung being frictionally engaged to a pair of opposed support elements; and    f) two end elements between which each row of support elements is interposed,    wherein at least one fabric layer is stitched in such a way so as to apply a tensile force onto the support elements and/or end elements, suitable areas of one of said fabric layers being punched so as to accommodate said plurality of rungs.    
   
   
       16 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , wherein upper and bottom fabric layers apply a tensile force onto the support elements and/or end elements.  
   
   
       17 . Fastener according to  claim 16 , wherein the bottom fabric layer is planar and the upper fabric layer is of a variable shape.  
   
   
       18 . Fastener according to  claim 17 , wherein the upper fabric layer is folded in such a way that each row of support elements is seated within a different folded portion thereof.  
   
   
       19 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , wherein each end element has a cross-section in the shape of a right trapezoid.  
   
   
       20 . Fastener according to  claim 19 , wherein the upper surface of said support elements and end elements are substantially coplanar, and the bottom surface of said support elements and end elements are substantially coplanar.  
   
   
       21 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , wherein each support element is formed with an aperture, a rung being frictionally engaged to the aperture formed in each of the opposed support elements.  
   
   
       22 . Fastener according to  claim 21 , wherein the rung is tubular and has two flattened end portions.  
   
   
       23 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , which is a waist fastener for securing the brassiere to the waist of the wearer and wherein the rungs are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction.  
   
   
       24 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , which is a shoulder fastener for securing the brassiere to a shoulder of the wearer and wherein the rungs are spaced from one another in the vertical direction.  
   
   
       25 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , which comprises a plurality of hooks forming one or more rows on the second side of the brassiere strap, in each of which rows the hooks are aligned or substantially aligned along a transverse line.  
   
   
       26 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , wherein the spacing between successive rungs ranges between 0.3 and 1.5 cm.  
   
   
       27 . Fastener according to  claim 26 , wherein the spacing between successive rungs ranges between 0.4 and 0.7 cm.  
   
   
       28 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , comprising at least five rungs.  
   
   
       29 . Fastener according to  claim 28 , comprising from seven to twelve rungs.  
   
   
       30 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , wherein the rungs are made of plastic or metal.  
   
   
       31 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , wherein the frame is attached to the first side by means chosen from the group consisting of insert, over molding, welding, sewing, riveting and adhesive connection.  
   
   
       32 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , wherein the frame is made of flexible material.  
   
   
       33 . Fastener according to  claim 15 , wherein the at least one hook is made of plastic or metal.  
   
   
       34 . Brassiere, comprising a waist fastener according to  claim 23 .  
   
   
       35 . Brassiere, comprising two shoulder fasteners according to  claim 24 .  
   
   
       36 . Brassiere, comprising a waist fastener according to  claim 23  and two shoulder fasteners according to  claim 24 .  
   
   
       37 . Fastener for brassieres, which comprises—
 a) a strap having first and second sides;    b) a plurality of rungs spaced from one another along said strap and attached to said first side wherein each of said plurality of rungs is transversely disposed and in an essentially mutually parallel and equally longitudinally spaced relation; and    c) at least one hook attached to said second side, said at least one hook being engageable with each of said rungs, the sensitiveness of the fastener being determined by the selected rung to be engaged by said at least hook,    characterized in that the rungs are attached to flaps folded along the transverse ends of the first side.    
   
   
       38 . Fastener according to  claim 37 , wherein the rungs are attached to the flaps by means chosen from the group consisting of welding, sewing, stitching and adhesive connection.  
   
   
       39 . Fastener according to  claim 37 , wherein each rung is a metallic pin.  
   
   
       40 . Method of assembling a fastener, comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a strap having first and second sides;    b) attaching a plurality of rungs to said first side such that each of said rungs is transversely disposed and in a mutually parallel and equally spaced relation; and    c) attaching at least one hook to said second side, said at least one hook being engageable with each of said rungs which are spaced from the first side by a sufficient distance for facilitating the engagement of said at least one hook, the sensitiveness of the fastener being determined by the selected rung to be engaged by said at least one hook,    characterized in that each rung is attached to the first side by forming a plastic piece having a rung and two positioning members between which said rung is interposed by injection molding which is applied directly to the first side, each of said two positioning members having a considerably greater width and a considerably shorter transversal dimension than that of the corresponding rung, the bottom of said corresponding rung being spaced from the bottom of said two positioning members by a sufficient distance for facilitating the engagement of the at least one hook.    
   
   
       41 . Method according to  claim 40 , wherein the positioning members adhere to the first side.  
   
   
       42 . Method according to  claim 41 , wherein each piece of plastic is formed with two posts each of which adjoins a corresponding positioning member, a rung extending between said two posts, the bottom of said rung being spaced from the bottom edge of said posts by a sufficient distance for facilitating the engagement of the hook.  
   
   
       43 . Method according to  claim 40 , wherein each piece of plastic is formed with a base which is adhered to the first side and is considerably wider than the corresponding rung or positioning members, the positioning members protruding from said base and the bottom of each rung being spaced from said base by a sufficient distance for facilitating the engagement of the hook.  
   
   
       44 . Method according to  claim 40 , wherein each piece of plastic is produced from single-sided molded plastic.  
   
   
       45 . Method according to  claim 40 , wherein each piece of plastic is produced from double-sided molded plastic, whereby a plastic portion is injected onto the bottom face of the first side and fuses with the corresponding positioning member formed on the upper face thereof.  
   
   
       46 . Method according to  claim 45 , wherein the first side is provided with double width fabric, whereby said double width fabric is folded and stitched so as to cover the plastic portions injected onto the bottom face of the first side.  
   
   
       47 . Method according to  claim 40 , wherein the positioning members of each plastic piece are aligned.  
   
   
       48 . Method of assembling a fastener, comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a strap having first and second sides;    b) attaching a plurality of rungs to said first side such that each of said rungs is transversely disposed and in a mutually parallel and equally spaced relation; and    c) attaching at least one hook to said second side, said at least one hook being engageable with each of said rungs which are spaced from the first side by a sufficient distance for facilitating the engagement of said at least one hook, the sensitiveness of the fastener being determined by the selected rung to be engaged by said at least one hook,    characterized in that the plurality of rungs are attached to a frame and said frame is attached to the first side, said frame being assembled by the following steps—   d) punching suitable areas of at least one fabric layer for accommodating a plurality of rungs;    e) placing first and second rows of support elements on said at least one fabric layer such that each pair of adjacent support elements from one of said rows is equidistantly spaced;    f) wrapping said at least one fabric layer around said first and second rows of support elements;    g) inserting each of a plurality of rungs through two corresponding holes punched in said fabric layer;    h) connecting each of a plurality of rungs to a support element from said first row and to a corresponding support element from said second row;    i) pushing each support element from said first row and the corresponding support element from said second row towards each other until the rung interposed therebetween is frictionally engaged to said pushed support elements; and    j) stitching said at least one fabric layer in such a way so as to apply a tensile force onto said first and second rows, a rung being secured by a pair of opposed support elements.    
   
   
       49 . Method according to  claim 48 , further comprising the steps of placing an end element at each end of said first and second rows; and stitching said at least one fabric layer in such a way so as to apply a tensile force additionally onto each of said end elements.  
   
   
       50 . Method according to  claim 48 , wherein a rung is connected to a support element by inserting a flattened end portion of a rung into an aperture formed in the support element.  
   
   
       51 . Method according to  claim 48 , wherein the at least one fabric layer is a one-piece fabric layer.  
   
   
       52 . Method according to  claim 50 , wherein the frame is assembled by means of a planar bottom fabric layer and an upper fabric layer of a variable shape.  
   
   
       53 . Method according to  claim 52 , wherein the upper fabric layer is folded in such a way that each row of support elements is seated within a different folded portion thereof.  
   
   
       54 . Method according to  claim 53 , wherein the upper fabric layer is made of a polyester mesh which. retains its shape after being folded.  
   
   
       55 . Method according to  claim 53 , wherein each folded portion is folded to form two sides and a base.  
   
   
       56 . Method according to  claim 55 , wherein the frame is assembled by the following additional steps: 
 a) forming substantially identical first and second folded portions;    b) punching holes in a second side of said first folded portion and in a first side of said second folded portion;    c) placing the first row of support elements on the base of said first folded portion such that each aperture of a support element is adjacent to a corresponding hole punched in the second side of said first folded portion;    d) passing an end portion of a rung through a corresponding hole punched in the first side of said second folded portion and through a corresponding hole punched in the second side of said first folded portion;    e) frictionally engaging said end portion with the aperture of the corresponding support element;    f) placing the second row of support elements on the base of said second folded portion such that each aperture of a support element is adjacent to a corresponding hole punched in the first side of said second folded portion;    g) frictionally engaging the other end portion of said rung with the corresponding support element placed on the base of said second folded portion; and    h) attaching the bottom fabric layer to the top fabric layer in such a way so as to apply a tensile force onto the support elements and end elements.    
   
   
       57 . Method according to  claim 56 , wherein the bottom fabric layer is attached to the top fabric layer by means chosen from the group consisting of one-sided stitching, ultrasonic welding, and adhesive connection.  
   
   
       58 . Method according to  claim 48 , wherein the frame is attached to the first side by means chosen from the group consisting of insert, over molding, welding, sewing, riveting and adhesive connection.  
   
   
       59 . Method of assembling a fastener, comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a strap having first and second sides;    b) attaching a plurality of rungs to said first side such that each of said rungs is transversely disposed and in a mutually parallel and equally spaced relation; and    c) attaching at least one hook to said second side, said at least one hook being engageable with each of said rungs which are spaced from the first side by a sufficient distance for facilitating the engagement of said at least one hook, the sensitiveness of the fastener being determined by the selected rung to be engaged by said at least one hook,    characterized in that each rung is a pin, the method further comprising the following steps—   d) placing the rungs on a central portion of the first side;    e) folding the transverse ends of the first side to form two flaps; and    f) attaching said rungs to said flaps.    
   
   
       60 . Method according to  claim 59 , wherein the rungs are attached to the flaps by from the group consisting of welding, sewing, stitching and adhesive connection.  
   
   
       61 . Method according to  claim 59 , wherein each rung is a metallic pin.