New forms of fasteners are disclosed. Some such fasteners include a new form of zipper with magnetic actuation, initiated by bringing one end of a linear array of magnets into closer proximity with another end of a linear array of magnets. Some such fasteners include structural locking, driven by magnetic force. Some such fasteners include elastic subunits incorporated in a common semi-flexible substrate. The techniques set forth are applicable to a wide variety of applications, incorporating many different materials. For example, in some contexts, some fastening techniques allow rapid closing of articles, such as gym bags or sports apparel, with minimum effort, leading to an extraordinary custom-fit to a user's preferences.

New forms of fasteners are disclosed. Some such fasteners include a new form of zipper with magnetic actuation, initiated by bringing one end of a linear array of magnets into closer proximity with another end of a linear array of magnets. Some such fasteners include structural locking, driven by magnetic force. Some such fasteners include elastic subunits incorporated in a common semi-flexible substrate. The techniques set forth are applicable to a wide variety of applications, incorporating many different materials. For example, in some contexts, some fastening techniques allow rapid closing of articles, such as gym bags or sports apparel, with minimum effort, leading to an extraordinary custom-fit to a user's preferences.

A securement for zippered luggage, including a housing to substantially cover a pair of sliders of a zipper of the luggage and to prevent movement of the sliders along a tape of the zipper, the housing being formed of a first part which receives the sliders and a second part which engages the first part to substantially encapsulate and prevent movement of the sliders, wherein the first and second parts are secured together in the inoperative securing condition by an element which requires breaking or permanent deformation to permit displacement of the second part to allow movement of the sliders.

A securement for zippered luggage, including a housing to substantially cover a pair of sliders of a zipper of the luggage and to prevent movement of the sliders along a tape of the zipper, the housing being formed of a first part which receives the sliders and a second part which engages the first part to substantially encapsulate and prevent movement of the sliders, wherein the first and second parts are secured together in the inoperative securing condition by an element which requires breaking or permanent deformation to permit displacement of the second part to allow movement of the sliders.

A luggage article includes a body that includes a zippered opening (15) that has at least one zipper arrangement having a zipper tape (14). The zipper arrangement includes one or more zipper sliders (16, 20) and one or more zipper pull-tabs (18, 22). Each of the one or more zipper sliders (16, 20) is joined to a respective one of the one or more zipper pull-tabs (18, 22). The luggage article includes a means (26) for holding the one or more pull-tabs in a substantially perpendicular arrangement to the zipper tape (14) of the zipper arrangement.

A luggage article includes a body that includes a zippered opening (15) that has at least one zipper arrangement having a zipper tape (14). The zipper arrangement includes one or more zipper sliders (16, 20) and one or more zipper pull-tabs (18, 22). Each of the one or more zipper sliders (16, 20) is joined to a respective one of the one or more zipper pull-tabs (18, 22). The luggage article includes a means (26) for holding the one or more pull-tabs in a substantially perpendicular arrangement to the zipper tape (14) of the zipper arrangement.

New forms of fasteners are disclosed. In some embodiments, some such fasteners include a new form of magnetic zipper or other track fastener, with two tracks of interlocking pieces moved together by magnetic force. In some embodiments, at least one of the interlocking pieces, of one of the zipper tracks, includes at least one exterior edge, interlocking with a complementary edge of another interlocking piece included in the other zipper track, when the interlocking pieces are moved into place by magnetic force. The techniques of the invention are applicable to a wide variety of applications, incorporating many different materials. For example, in some contexts, some embodiments allow rapid closing of articles, such as gym bags or sports apparel, with minimum effort, and leading to an extraordinary custom-fit to a user's preferences.

New forms of fasteners are disclosed. In some embodiments, some such fasteners include a new form of magnetic zipper or other track fastener, with two tracks of interlocking pieces moved together by magnetic force. In some embodiments, at least one of the interlocking pieces, of one of the zipper tracks, includes at least one exterior edge, interlocking with a complementary edge of another interlocking piece included in the other zipper track, when the interlocking pieces are moved into place by magnetic force. The techniques of the invention are applicable to a wide variety of applications, incorporating many different materials. For example, in some contexts, some embodiments allow rapid closing of articles, such as gym bags or sports apparel, with minimum effort, and leading to an extraordinary custom-fit to a user's preferences.

A fastener for securing together articles, such as pull-tabs of a zipper, includes a gate arranged to slide in a channel in a body between a closed position, in which the gate closes the mouth of a recess in the body, and an open position, in which the mouth is open. A fixture at one end of the gate is provided for connecting a tether. A latch member prevents the gate from sliding from the closed position when in the locked position and is resiliently urged to the locked position and configured so that, in use, the latch member is pressed and moved to the unlocked position when a user grasps the body and, in the unlocked position with a tether connected to the fixture, tension in the tether tends to slide the gate to the open position.

A baby onesie to be worn by a baby includes body covering material configured to cover a body of the body, the body covering material including an opening through which the baby's head can protrude out from, a neckline provided around a perimeter of the opening, the neckline including a neckline fastener configured to be fastened and unfastened to thereby close and open the neckline, respectively, a zipper configured to open and close the body covering material, and a zipper locking mechanism attached to the zipper, the zipper locking mechanism configured to selectively attach to the neckline fastener and thereby lock the zipper in place according to whether the neckline fastener is fastened or unfastened.