Wearer-Friendly Garment Hook And Eye Closure

Abstract

The present invention refers to a wearer-friendly hook and eye closure for garments such as brassieres. In order to provide comfort, the eye closure component of the hook and eye closure includes, as part of its structure, a laminated foam or rubber-type padding. This foam or rubber could also be used without lamination. The foam or rubber-type base provides a cushion shielding the wearer from the feeling of the metal hardware. The foam edges also provide soft edges on the eye tape for extra comfort to the wearer. In addition, the backing material of this laminated foam eye tape is printable, so that label instructions can be printed on to it, and the brassiere can be designed tag-free for additional comfort. This hook and eye tape is also dyeable, so it can be offered in any desired color.

1 . A wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure, comprising:
 (a) an eye closure component, including:   (i) at least one layer of padding material, having thickness value; and   (ii) at least one eye disposed on said padding material layer.   
   
   
       2 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 1 , wherein said padding material layer's thickness value is at least one millimeter. 
   
   
       3 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 1 , wherein said eye closure component further including:
 (iii) at least two eye columns, wherein each of said eye columns has at least two eyes.   
   
   
       4 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 2 , wherein said eye closure component further including:
 (iv) at least one fabric sheet, disposed on said padding material layer.   
   
   
       5 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 2 , wherein said eye closure component further including:
 (v) sewing thread, wherein said sewing thread connects said at least one eye to said padding material layer.   
   
   
       6 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 1 , wherein said padding material layer is selected from a group consisting of a polyester foam, plastic foam, and rubber-based material. 
   
   
       7 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 1 , wherein said padding material layer is laminated foam. 
   
   
       8 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 1  further comprising:
 (b) a hook closure component, including:   (i) at least one fabric sheet; and   (ii) at least one hook disposed on said fabric sheet.   
   
   
       9 . The hook and eye closure of  claim 8 , wherein said eye closure component and said hook closure component are attached to corresponding girth portions of a brassiere. 
   
   
       10 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 7 , wherein said laminated foam layer's thickness value is at least one millimeter, wherein said eye closure component further including:
 (iii) at least two eyes column, wherein each of said eye columns has at least two eyes.   
   
   
       11 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 (c) at least one fabric sheet, disposed on said laminated foam layer, wherein said sewing thread intimately connects each of said eyes to said laminated foam layer and to said fabric sheet, wherein said sewing thread creates a lateral stitch along, said eye closure component.   
   
   
       12 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 1 , wherein said padding material layer's thickness value is at least three millimeters. 
   
   
       13 . A wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure having edges, comprising:
 (a) an eye closure component, including:   (i) at least one layer of laminated foam, having thickness value;   (ii) at least one eye column disposed on said laminated foam, wherein each of said eye columns has at least two eyes;   (iii) at least one fabric sheet, disposed on said laminated foam layer;   (iv) a sewing thread, wherein said sewing thread intimately connects each of said eyes to said laminated foam layer and to said fabric sheet, wherein said sewing thread creates a lateral stitch along said eye closure component; and   (v) a printed label on the back of said eye closure component; wherein said laminated foam is intimately connected to said fabric sheet along at least one line close to one of the edges of said eye closure component, and wherein said eye closure component has soft edges;   (b) a hook closure component, including:   (i) at least one fabric sheet; and   (ii) at least one hook disposed on said fabric sheet.   
   
   
       14 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 13 , wherein said layer of laminated foam is made of non-yellowing foam, having sewable, and resilient characteristics. 
   
   
       15 . The wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure of  claim 13 , wherein said padding material layer's thickness value is at least three millimeters. 
   
   
       16 . A method for enabling a wearer to wear a garment including a wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure comfortably without any sensation of discomfort such as pain, chafing, pressure, etc. that could be caused as a result of the compression of hooks and eyes made of rigid materials, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure, said wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure including:   (i) a eye closure component, including:   (A) at least one layer of laminated foam, having thickness value; and   (B) at least one eye disposed on said laminated foam layer, wherein said laminated foam layer's thickness value is at least one millimeter;   (ii) a hook closure component, including:   (A) at least one fabric sheet;   (B) at least two hooks disposed on said fabric sheet; and   (C) a sewing thread, wherein said sewing thread intimately connects each of said eyes to said laminated foam layer and to said fabric sheet, wherein said sewing thread creates a lateral stitch along said eye closure component;   
     wherein said laminated foam is intimately connected to said fabric sheet along at least one line close to one of the edges of said eye closure component, and wherein said eye closure component has soft edges;
 (b) sewing said eye closure component to corresponding girth portions of a garment; 
 (c) sewing said hook closure component to corresponding girth portions of a garment; 
 (d) wearing said garment; and 
 (e) closing said wearer-friendly garment hook and eye closure. 
 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said garment is a brassiere. 
   
   
       18 . A process for producing a eye closure component comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a laminated foam;   (b) providing metal eyes;   (c) feeding said laminated foam into an eye sewing machine, that attaches said metal eyes onto said laminated foam with sewing thread and at the same time the tacking stitches are hidden with an additional in layer of fabric that covers the top;   (d) sealed the top layers of fabric to said laminated foam;   (e) printing label information on the back of said eye closure component; and   (f) cutting said laminated foam and said top layers of fabric by cold cut, exposing said laminated foam on the edge.