Resilient garment fastener

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved garment fastener, wherein in one aspect it secures a garment panel during windy conditions, the garment fastener including a garment anchor and a plurality of elongated straps, the garment anchor adapted for releasable receipt of the elongated straps, each of the elongated straps extendable laterally from the garment anchor towards the garment panel, a panel connector adapted for connection to the garment panel, the panel connector having a threadable aperture for receipt of at least a portion of the extendable strap and the garment anchor secures the garment panel along the axis of elasticity.

Claims

1. An improved garment fastener for securing a garment panel, said garment fastener comprising: a garment anchor releasably connected to a pair of elongated straps; a plurality of releasable fasteners spaced along said garment anchor, each releasable fastener releasably fastening one of said pair of said elongated straps to said garment anchor; each of said elongated straps being selectively removable from said garment anchor, wherein said elongated straps extends between one of said plurality of releasable fasteners and a panel connector; said pair of elongated straps presenting an axis of elasticity as the pair of elongated straps extends from opposite sides of said garment anchor to said garment panel in response to inward and outward movement of the garment panel; and said panel connector having an outer membrane for releasable connection to the garment panel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates from reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which a better understanding of the present invention is depicted, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a left side perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention connectably secured to a garment.

(3) FIG. 2 is an exploded side perspective of the exemplary embodiment of the invention with a pair of exemplary fasteners and a detachable band.

(4) FIG. 3 is a top plan view of one of the exemplary fasteners of FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 4 is a side elevation of one of the exemplary fasteners of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.

(7) Referring to the drawings in more detail, the reference numeral 10 generally refers to an embodiment of the present invention, an improved resilient garment fastener, at least partially securely maintains a garment panel 6 during wearable use, by example, in windy conditions. An embodiment of the improved resilient garment fastener 10 is depicted in FIG. 1 with a garment anchor 12 which includes at least one releasable fastener 14 adapted for securing an elongated strap 20. The releasable fastener 14 is illustrated in FIG. 2 as a snap fastener with complementary female and male fittings 14a, 14b. Fasteners, being generally known, may include a number of different complementary features for securing the resilient fasteners 20 to the compression band 12. The embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 is depicted with a pair of releasable fasteners 14 spaced along the garment anchor 12 on generally opposite sides of the garment anchor 12 and which are each generally adapted for removable receipt of the resilient elongated strap 20.

(8) The embodiment of the improved resilient garment fastener 10 depicted in FIG. 1 includes a garment anchor 12 and a plurality of extendable elongated straps 20 which are fastened to the garment anchor 12. Generally, the garment anchor 12 is designed to anchor the garment panel 6 while extending elastically around a structure, such as a users leg 8 or waist, which is generally stationary with respect to the garment panel 6. In the depicted embodiment of FIG. 1, the garment panel 6 is associated with a women's dress. The garment anchor 12 may be fabricated from a variety of materials including synthetic or natural materials which can exert an inwardly directed force as the elongated straps 20 are extended outwardly from the garment anchor 12. The garment anchor 12 is configured to exert a reciprocal movement as the garment panel 6 moves back and forth during movement by the wearer. Generally, the elongated straps 20 extend laterally along an axis of elasticity 32 which extends between the junction of the garment anchor 12 and one end of the elongated strap 20 associated with the garment anchor 12 and the panel connector 26 associated with the garment panel 6. The axis of elasticity 32 extends centrally from the structure through the junction of the garment anchor 12 and the elongated strap 20 towards the releasable fastener 14 and is generally aligned with the reciprocal movement of the elongated strap 20. Generally, the axis of elasticity 32 extends outwardly horizontally from the releasable fastener 14 associated with the garment anchor 12. Additionally, plural axis of elasticity 32 may extend outwardly from the garment anchor 12, each axis of elasticity 32 corresponding to each elongated strap 20 extending from a releasable fastener 14.

(9) Various embodiments for joining the elongated straps 20 to the garment anchor 12 may be utilized, including one or more fasteners or complementary fastening mechanisms which may be spaced along the compression band 12 as desired for fastening the elongated straps 20 to the garment anchor 12.

(10) One embodiment of the improved resilient garment fastener 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a pair of the garment anchors 12, adapted for placement on anchoring support structures depicted as legs 8, each elongated strap 20 being connectably secured to one or more garment panels 6 with one or more panel connectors 26.

(11) Generally, the garment anchor 12 includes an outer surface and an inner surface which in one embodiment includes a frictional membrane extending circumferentially along the inner surface. Other embodiments of the garment anchor 12 may remove the frictional membrane for rotation and alignment of elongated straps 20 along a central axis of elasticity 32 extending from the elongated strap 20 during attachment while the garment panel 6 is outwardly extended. The garment anchor 12 may be opaque or translucent and may include a moisture barrier to keep moisture from the garment panel or alternatively, a moisture wicking material to transport any moisture away from the anchor structure depicted as a wearer's leg 8, as desired. Generally, the garment anchor 12 has an elastic property continuously along its surface for anchoring the garment panel 6 while allowing for expandability during installation and removal from an anchoring structure such as a leg 8 while permitting further expansion during movement and wear as desired.

(12) In one embodiment, garment anchor 12 at least partially includes a resilient material like lycra which allows for expansion while getting dressed or undressed and compression during use. In one embodiment, the garment anchor 12 is also breathable and moisture wicking allowing moisture from the skin to pass to the outer surface of the garment anchor 12 to allow for evaporation which may help cool the wearer during use.

(13) Each elongated strap 20, also referred to herein as a resilient fastener, generally depicted in FIGS. 2-4 is illustrated as being adapted for outward extension from opposite sides of the garment anchor 12 and while securing the garment panel 6 during use. The elongated strap 20 generally includes an adjustable member 22 to help adjust the length of a strap 24 which in one embodiment is fabricated made from an elastic material and extends between the compression band 12 and the garment panel 6. The fastener 14 is generally located at one end of the elongated strap 20, opposite the panel connector 26 which is generally open-faced and substantially planar for securing the garment panel 6 in a generally fixed position with respect to the garment anchor 12.

(14) Example materials which may be used for the panel connector 26 include but are not limited to plastics and metals. In one embodiment, the panel connector 26 may comprise a single piece cut, stamped or molded for example using an injection molding process with for example a central aperture and a pair of elongated strap receivers. It may be rigid or flexible. It may also be fabricated as multiple pieces that can be selectively assembled and disassembled as desired. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the panel connector 26 may be layered with different materials, each having different properties and different shapes as desired.

(15) The embodiment of the panel connector 26 depicted in FIGS. 2-4 is generally circular with the strap 24 extending through the first elongated strap receiver 28a and back through the second elongated strap receiver 28b for securing the panel connector 26 in central alignment along the circular interior. For example, the panel connector 26 may include a central aperture (not shown) spanned by the first and second elongated strap receivers 28a, 28b which are illustrated as a pair of slotted grooves for threaded receipt of the strap 24 therethrough. The circular interior 27 may optionally include the central aperture (not shown) which may be adapted for a receipt of a fastener structure (not shown) like a button or snap. Alternatively, the panel connector 26 may include an outer membrane 30 which may adhesively or mechanically secure the panel connector 26 to the garment panel 6 with, for example, tape, hook and loop fasteners or it may include a magnetically responsive structure which corresponds to a complementary magnetic structure positioned, as desired, along or within the garment panel 6.

(16) Generally, the improved resilient garment fastener 10 secures the garment panel 6 to an anchoring structure such as the leg 8 and maintains the panel 6 in an inward, horizontal orientation, for example, towards the wearer's leg 8 during windy conditions while allowing for inward and outward movement along an axis of elasticity 32. For quick and easy release, the panel connector 26 may be removed from the panel 6 or the fasteners 14 can be unfastened, separating the elongated straps 20 from the garment anchor 12, to allow the garment panel 6 to be lowered or raised as desired. The illustrated panel connector 26 may also be flexible to allow it conform to the contours of the garment panel 6 and to be nearly imperceptible from the front of the garment panel 6.

(17) In operation, the improved resilient garment fastener 10 is adapted for anchoring the garment panel 6 to a support structure which is illustrated as leg 8. Each of the improved resilient garment fasteners 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 secure opposite sides of the garment panel 6 with first and second panel connectors 26 joined to the garment anchor 12 by a pair of elongated straps 20 releasably fastened. As the garment panel 6 moves as a result of movement of the anchoring structure or from ambient conditions such as wind, the elongated straps 20 anchored to the garment anchor 12 elastically extend inwardly and outwardly from the garment anchor 12 along the axis of elasticity 32. Optionally the garment anchor 12 may rotate as desired to align the elongated straps 20 in a generally aligned orientation during movement, the elongated straps 20 extending from the panel connectors 26 connectably secured to opposite garment panel 6 areas.

(18) The adjustment member 22 allows the resilient fasteners to be extended outwardly from the garment anchor 12 a desired distance for securing the garment panel 6. In one embodiment, the panel connectors 26 can be adjusted to extend from the garment anchor 12 a distance between 2 and 8 inches, the elongated strap 20 having sufficient elastic properties to extend up to another 50%. The adjustment member 22 may be fabricated from metal or plastic and includes receiving structure such as, but not limited to, a pair of elongated channels for adjustably receiving the elongated strap 20 and providing easy adjustment of the panel connector 26 for extension between the garment anchor 12 and the garment panel 6. Generally, the adjustment member 22 is located along the elongated strap 20 between the panel connector 26 and the fastener 14.

(19) It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts describer herein. Other arrangements or embodiments, changes and modifications not precisely set forth, which can be practiced under the teachings of the present invention are to be understood as being included within the scope of this invention as set forth in the claims below.