U.S. patent application number 10/295229 was filed with the patent office on 2003-06-26 for fastener for brassier or brassier-like garment, a manufacturing method thereof and a brassier or brassier-like garment using such a fastener.
This patent application is currently assigned to Morito Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Yokozeki, Kayoko, Yoneda, Kyoji.
Application Number | 20030115727 10/295229 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19165299 |
Filed Date | 2003-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030115727 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yokozeki, Kayoko ; et
al. |
June 26, 2003 |
Fastener for brassier or brassier-like garment, a manufacturing
method thereof and a brassier or brassier-like garment using such a
fastener
Abstract
Right and left fastener parts attached to the right and left
ends of a brassier strap. The male fastener part comprises a male
tape piece, which is cut out from a male cloth tape on which at
least one row of synthetic resin male snap buttons is formed and
fastened in such a way that there is at least one button per row.
The female fastener part comprises a female tape piece, which is
cut out from a female cloth tape on which at least two rows of
synthetic resin female snap buttons are formed and fastened in such
a way that there is at least one button per row. The male snap
button has an engagement protrusion that extends directly from the
cloth tape rather than from a base.
Inventors: |
Yokozeki, Kayoko; (Osaka,
JP) ; Yoneda, Kyoji; (Osaka, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MERCHANT & GOULD PC
P.O. BOX 2903
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402-0903
US
|
Assignee: |
Morito Co., Ltd.
Osaka-shi
JP
|
Family ID: |
19165299 |
Appl. No.: |
10/295229 |
Filed: |
November 14, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/591.1 ;
24/594.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 24/45225 20150115;
Y10T 24/45257 20150115; A41F 1/006 20130101; A44B 17/0058 20130101;
A44B 17/0035 20130101; A44B 17/0029 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
24/591.1 ;
24/594.11 |
International
Class: |
A44B 017/00; A43C
011/00; A44B 001/04; A41F 001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 19, 2001 |
JP |
2001-353250 |
Claims
1. A fastener for a brassier or brassier-like garment equipped with
a strap, comprising right and left fastener parts attached to the
right and left ends of the strap, in which: the male fastener part
comprises a male tape piece cut out from a male cloth tape on which
at least one row of synthetic resin male snap buttons is formed and
fastened in such a way that there is at least one button per row;
the female fastener part comprises a female tape piece cut out from
a female cloth tape on which at least one row of synthetic resin
female snap buttons is formed and fastened in such a way that there
is at least one button per row; and the male snap button has an
engagement protrusion that extends directly from the cloth tape
rather than from a base.
2. A fastener according to claim 1, in which the upper and lower
ends of the male tape piece and female tape piece, i.e., the parts
at which the tapes are cut, are ultrasonically welded, and free
ends of the respective tape pieces and sections adjacent to the
snap buttons are sewn up.
3. A fastener according to claim 1, in which reinforcement base
cloths are provided under the male tape piece and the female tape
piece respectively.
4. A fastener according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the
exteriors of the male snap button and the female snap button are
ring-shaped when viewed from either the face side or the back
side.
5. A fastener for a brassier or brassier-like garment equipped with
a strap, comprising right and left fastener parts attached to the
right and left ends of the strap, in which: the male fastener part
comprises a male cloth tape on which at least one row of synthetic
resin male snap buttons is formed and fastened in such a way that
there is at least one button per row; the female fastener part
comprises a female cloth tape on which at least one row of
synthetic resin female snap buttons is formed and fastened in such
a way that there is at least one button per row; and the male
fastener part and the female fastener part have directionality for
engagement and disengagement.
6. A fastener for a brassier or brassier-like garment according to
claim 5, in which: the male snap button has an engagement
protrusion provided with an engagement-protrusion-forming slant
surface, an engagement socket and a base, said engagement
protrusion extending diagonally upwards from the face side of the
base in the direction of the engagement socket, while a slant
surface, which is parallel with the protrusion-forming surface, is
formed on the face side of the engagement socket of the base; and
the female snap button has an engagement protrusion provided with
an engagement-protrusion-forming slant surface, an engagement
socket and a base, said engagement protrusion extending diagonally
downwards from the face side of the base in the direction of the
engagement socket, while a slant surface, which is parallel with
the protrusion-forming slant surface, is formed on the face side of
the engagement socket of the base, creating, together with the
engagement socket, a space for receiving the engagement protrusion
of the male snap button when the male and female snap buttons are
engaged.
7. A method for manufacturing a fastener for a brassier or
brassier-like garment equipped with a strap, said fastener
comprising right and left fastener parts attached to the right and
left ends of the strap, in which: from a male cloth tape, on which
a plurality of rows of synthetic resin male snap buttons are formed
and fastened in such a way that there is at least one button per
row, a tape piece having at least one row is cut out to make the
right fastener part; from a female cloth tape, on which a plurality
of rows of synthetic resin female snap buttons are formed and
fastened in such a way that there is at least one button per row, a
tape piece having at least two rows is cut out to make the left
fastener part; the male snap button has an engagement protrusion
that extends directly from the cloth tape rather than from a base;
and the left and right fastener parts are attached to the right and
left ends of the strap of the brassier or brassier-like
garment.
8. A method for manufacturing a fastener for a brassier or
brassier-like garment equipped with a strap, said fastener
comprising right and left fastener parts attached to the right and
left ends of the strap, in which: from a male cloth tape, on which
a plurality of rows of synthetic resin male snap buttons are formed
and fastened in such a way that there is at least one button per
row, a tape piece having at least one row is cut off to make the
right fastener part; from a female cloth tape, on which a plurality
of rows of synthetic resin female snap buttons are formed and
fastened in such a way that there is at least one button per row, a
tape piece having at least two rows is cut off to make the left
fastener part; and the male snap button and female snap button have
directionality for engagement and disengagement.
9. A method according to claim 7 in which the male snap button is
formed by inserting a cloth tape of a coarse texture that allows
the permeation of molten resin under a forming pressure between an
upper die and a lower die, which are provided with a space for
forming the fastener, then the part of the cloth tape that is in
the hollow inside the engagement protrusion of the male snap button
is clamped by the upper and lower dies, after which synthetic resin
is injected into the space for forming, thereby integrating the
front part and the back part of the male snap button formed on
either side of the cloth tape with the synthetic resin that
permeates through the cloth tape.
10. A method according to claim 7 in which the female snap button
is formed by inserting a cloth tape of a coarse texture that allows
the permeation of molten resin under a forming pressure between an
upper die and a lower die, which are provided with a space for
forming the fastener, then the part of the cloth tape that is in
the engagement socket of the female snap button is clamped by the
upper and lower dies, after which synthetic resin is injected into
the space for forming, thereby integrating the front part and the
back part of the female snap button formed on the cloth tape with
the synthetic resin that permeates through the cloth tape.
11. A brassier or brassier-like garment having snap buttons
according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a fastener for a brassier
or brassier-like garment, a manufacturing method thereof and a
brassier or brassier-like garment using such a fastener. Here,
"brassier-like garment" refers to any women's garment that has at
least cups and a strap having right and left ends, and includes a
brassier, a swimsuit, lingerie, and a corset, etc. In the following
explanation, a brassier is taken as an example.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The fastener parts of a brassier are provided on the right
and left strap ends either on the back side or the front side of
the wearer. These fastener parts are engaged with each other to
fasten the brassier on the wearer. The ends of the strap are
usually adjustable in several steps so as to fit the wearer's body
size.
[0003] The most common type of fastener is a hook-and-eye type.
This type of fastener is often made of metal and has the following
defects: (1) it easily causes a tear in other clothes; (2) it
easily gets damaged when the brassier is washed, and (3) it is
difficult to be dyed in the same color as the other part.
[0004] JP2001-178507A proposes using plastic snap buttons for
fastener parts and making such fastener parts from tape-mounted
snap fasteners.
[0005] Both the male and female snap buttons used in the
JP2001-178507A have bases. One problem with this composition is
that when the male and female parts are engaged, they make a thick
snap fastener. Another problem is that this snap fastener cannot
have directionality, which is a feature of the hook-and-eye type
fastener.
[0006] While the present invention inherits the idea of the
JP2001-178507A, it also aims at providing a brassier fastener
having all or part of the following characteristics.
[0007] (1) The overall thickness is thinner than that of the
conventional snap fastener even when the male and female buttons
are engaged.
[0008] (2) The male and female buttons have directionality for
engagement and disengagement.
[0009] (3) Strong and durable.
[0010] The present invention also relates to a method for
manufacturing such a fastener for a brassier or brassier-like
garment as well as a brassier or brassier-like garment using such a
fastener.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The fastener for a brassier or brassier-like garment
according to the first aspect of the present application comprises
right and left fastener parts that are attached to the right and
left ends of the strap of a brassier or brassier-like garment. The
male fastener part comprises a male tape piece cut out from a male
cloth tape on which at least one row of synthetic resin male snap
buttons is formed and fastened in such a way that there is at least
one per row. The female fastener part comprises a female tape piece
cut out from a female cloth tape on which at least one row of
synthetic resin female snap buttons is formed and fastened in such
a way that there is at least one button per row. The male snap
button has an engagement protrusion that extends directly from the
cloth tape rather than from a base.
[0012] The fastener for a brassier or brassier-like garment
according to the second aspect of the present application comprises
right and left fastener parts that are attached to the right and
left ends of the strap of a brassier or brassier-like garment. The
male fastener part comprises a male cloth tape on which at least
one row of synthetic resin male snap buttons is formed and fastened
in such a way that there is at least one button per row. The female
fastener part comprises a female cloth tape on which at least one
row of synthetic female snap buttons is formed and fastened in such
a way that there is at least one button per row. The male fastener
part and the female fastener part have directionality for
engagement and disengagement.
[0013] The third aspect of the present application is a method for
manufacturing a brassier or brassier-like garment of the first
invention, more specifically, the right and left fastener parts
attached to the right and left ends of the strap of a brassier or
brassier-like garment. From a male cloth tape, on which a plurality
of rows of synthetic resin male snap buttons are formed and
fastened in such a way that there is at least one button per row, a
tape piece having at least one row is cut out to make the male
fastener part. From a female cloth tape, on which a plurality of
rows of synthetic resin female snap buttons are formed and fastened
in such a way that there is at least one button per row, a tape
piece having at least two rows is cut out to make the female
fastener part. The male snap button has an engagement protrusion
that extends directly from the cloth tape rather than from a base,
and the female and male fastener parts are attached to the right
and left ends of the brassier strap.
[0014] The fourth aspect of the present application is a method for
manufacturing a brassier or brassier-like garment of the second
invention, more specifically, the right and left fastener parts
attached to the right and left ends of the strap of a brassier or
brassier-like garment. From a male cloth tape, on which a plurality
of rows of synthetic resin male snap buttons are formed and
fastened in such a way that there is at least one button per row, a
tape piece having at least one row is cut out to make the male
fastener part. From a female cloth tape, on which a plurality of
rows of synthetic resin female snap buttons are formed and fastened
in such a way that there is at least one button per row, a tape
piece having at least two rows is cut out to make the female
fastener part. The male snap button and the female snap button have
directionality for engagement and disengagement.
[0015] The fifth aspect of the present application is a brassier or
brassier-like garment having the fastener according to the first
and/or second aspect.
[0016] The upper and lower ends of the male and female tape pieces
(the cut ends of the tapes) may be ultrasonically welded to obtain
sufficient strength, but free ends and sections adjacent to the
snap buttons are preferably sewn up to increase the strength of
these parts.
[0017] For the same purpose, reinforcement cloths are preferably
provided under the male tape piece and the female tape piece.
[0018] For aesthetic reasons, the exteriors of the male snap button
and the female snap button are ring-shaped when viewed from either
the face side or the back side. Because the tape is not provided
with holes, the tape is exposed in the center of each ring.
[0019] To give directionality for engagement and disengagement to
the male snap button and to the female snap button, the following
composition is taken. With regard to the male snap button, an
engagement protrusion extends diagonally upwards from the face side
of the base. On the face side of the engagement socket of the base,
a slant surface, which is parallel with the slant surface that
forms the engagement protrusion, is formed. With regard to the
female snap button, an engagement protrusion extends diagonally
downwards from the face side of the base in the direction of the
engagement socket. On the face side of the engagement socket of the
base, a slant surface, which is parallel with the slant surface
that forms the engagement protrusion, is formed. Together with the
engagement socket, this slant surface forms a space for receiving
the protrusion of the male snap button when the male and female
snap buttons are engaged.
[0020] The male snap button is preferably formed in the following
process. A cloth tape of a coarse texture that allows the
permeation of molten resin under a forming pressure is inserted
between an upper die and a lower die, which are provided with a
space for forming the fastener. The part of the cloth tape that is
in the hollow inside the engagement protrusion of the male snap
button is clamped by the upper and lower dies, after which
synthetic resin is injected into the space for forming. In this
way, the front part and the back part of the male snap button
formed on either side of the cloth tape are integrated with the
synthetic resin that permeates through the cloth tape.
[0021] The female snap button is preferably formed in the following
process. A cloth tape of a coarse texture that allows the
permeation of molten resin under a forming pressure is inserted
between an upper die and a lower die, which are provided with a
space for forming the fastener. The part of the cloth tape that is
in the engagement socket of the female snap button is clamped by
the upper and lower dies, after which synthetic resin is injected
into the space for forming. In this way, the front part and the
back part of the female snap button formed on either side of the
cloth tape are integrated with the synthetic resin that permeates
through the cloth tape.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The present invention will now be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0023] FIG. 1 shows plan views of the right and left ends of a
brassier strap provided with the brassier fastener of the first
embodiment of the present invention. (a) shows the left end 1 and
(b) shows the right end 3;
[0024] FIG. 2(a) is a cross sectional view taken along 2(a)-2(a) of
FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(b) is a cross sectional view taken along
2(b)-2(b) of FIG. 1;
[0025] FIG. 3 shows plan views of the fastener tapes 2 of the
present invention as seen from the engagement side. (a) shows the
side of the female snap buttons 4, and (b) shows the side of the
male snap buttons 6;
[0026] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a male snap button 6 of the present
invention;
[0027] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the male snap button 6
of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a female snap button 4;
[0029] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the female snap button
4;
[0030] FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a male snap button 6 and
a female snap button 4 of the present invention as they are
engaged;
[0031] FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of a male snap button 60
and a female snap button 40 of the prior art as they are
engaged;
[0032] FIG. 10 shows plan views of the right and left ends of a
brassier strap provided with the brassier fastener of the second
embodiment of the present invention. (a) shows the left end 1A and
(b) shows the right end 3A;
[0033] FIG. 11(a) is a cross sectional view and FIG. 11(b) is a
plan view of the of a male snap button 6A of the present
invention;
[0034] FIG. 12(a) is a cross sectional view and FIG. 12(b) is a
plan view of a female snap button 4A of the present invention;
and
[0035] FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view of the male snap button 6A
and the female snap button 4A of the present invention as they are
engaged.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0036] Embodiment 1
[0037] FIG. 1 shows plan views illustrating the right and left ends
of a brassier strap provided with a brassier fastener according to
a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(a) shows the
left end 1 and FIG. 1(b) shows the right end 3. FIG. 2(a) is a
cross sectional view taken along line 2(a)-2(a) of FIG. 1, and FIG.
2(b) is a cross sectional view taken along line 2(b)-2(b) of FIG.
1.
[0038] The left end 1 shown in FIG. 1(a) is provided with a left
fastener part 5, on which two rows of two female snap buttons 4 are
arranged. The right end 3 shown in FIG. 1(b) is provided with a
right fastener part 7, on which two male snap buttons 6 are
arranged. The female and male snap buttons 4, 6 on the right and
left fastener parts are engaged to join the right and left ends 1,
3 of the brassier strap. The joint is usually on the back side, but
it can also be on the front side of the wearer.
[0039] The snap buttons 4, 6 used in the present invention and the
method for manufacturing them will now be explained based on the
examples shown in FIGS. 3 through 8. FIG. 3 shows plan views of
fastener tapes 2, from which the snap buttons of the present
invention are made. Both tapes are shown face-up, i.e., viewed from
the engagement side. FIG. 3(a) shows a tape 30 on which female snap
buttons 4 are arranged. FIG. 3(b) shows a tape 18 on which male
snap buttons 6 are arranged. The snap buttons 4, 6 are all
ring-shaped. The opposite sides of the snap buttons, which are not
shown, are also ring-shaped. The widths of the rings on the
opposite sides are slightly larger for reasons related to forming
as will be explained later.
[0040] The right and left ends of the female tape 30 are folded so
that the tape is double layered where there are snap buttons. The
right and left ends of the male tape 18 are also folded so that the
tape is double layered where there are snap buttons. Both tapes are
not provided with holes for holding the snap buttons because there
is no need for such holes as will be explained later.
[0041] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a male snap button 6. FIG. 5 is a
cross section of the same. Unlike the male snap button of the prior
art, the male snap button 6 does not have a base near the cloth
tape. In the drawing, the part of the male snap button 6 that joins
the cloth tape 18 looks slightly bulging, but this level of bulging
is not considered a base. Moreover, it is also possible to design a
male snap button that is completely free of such bulging.
[0042] The male snap button has an engagement protrusion 20 with a
hollow 28 inside. The periphery of the engagement protrusion 20 is
provided with a bulging edge 22 for engagement and a notch 24 to
allow for deformation by expansion and shrinkage that are caused by
the elasticity of the resin material.
[0043] The male snap button 6 is formed in the following process. A
cloth tape 18 of a coarse texture that allows the permeation of
molten resin under a forming pressure is inserted between an upper
die and a lower die, which are provided with a space for forming
the fastener. The part of the cloth tape that is in the hollow 28
of the engagement protrusion 20 is clamped by the upper and lower
dies, after which synthetic resin is injected into the space for
forming. In FIG. 5, the small dent indicated by numeral 26
corresponds to the injection port of the die. Because of the
injection port, the width of the ring viewed from the back side is
slightly larger than the width of the engagement protrusion 20
(i.e., the width of the ring viewed from the front side).
[0044] In this way, the front part and the back part of the male
snap button formed on either side of the cloth tape 18 are
integrated with the synthetic resin that permeates through the
cloth tape 18. Because the part of the cloth tape that is in the
hollow 28 of the engagement protrusion 20 is clamped by the upper
and lower dies, the area on the cloth tape that is subjected to the
high injection pressure is smaller than in the case of the prior
art. Therefore, the tape is seldom or never bent or undulated by
the injection pressure when the male snap button is formed. As a
result, it is possible to avoid the situation in which the tape
emerges from the surface of the synthetic resin, an occurrence that
tends to lessen the strength and spoil the appearance of the
fastener.
[0045] The tape cloth 18 needs to be such that it allows the
permeation of molten resin without being melted itself. Either a
woven or knitted cloth, such as a cotton or blended yarn cloth can
be used. For the synthetic resin, a thermoplastic resin, for
example, polyacetal molten resin can be used.
[0046] FIG. 6 is a plan view and FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view
of a female snap button 4. An engagement socket 32 is formed with
synthetic resin that permeates the cloth tape 30. An engagement
edge 34 is formed inside the opening of the engagement socket 32 in
such a way that it allows the male snap button to be pressed inside
and taken out of the engagement socket 32.
[0047] The method for forming the female snap button is basically
the same as that for the male snap button 6. Accordingly, a
detailed explanation therefor will be skipped. The small dent
indicated by numeral 36 of FIG. 7 is the injection port.
[0048] FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view showing a condition in
which the male snap button 6 and the female snap button 4 of the
present invention are engaged with each other. It is in effect an
enlarged view of the engaged condition of a male snap button and a
female snap button of a brassier fastener.
[0049] According to the present invention, the tape 30 for female
snap buttons (hereinafter referred to as "the female tape 30" for
convenience) and the tape 18 for male buttons (hereinafter referred
to as "the male tape 18" for convenience) are cut off from the
fastener tapes 2 of FIG. 3 at the alternate long and short dash
lines and used as brassier fasteners. Just sewing the tapes onto a
brassier strap, however, does not fix them firmly enough to be used
as a brassier fastener. In order to increase the strength of the
fastener, the following steps are taken.
[0050] As shown in FIG. 2(a), the left fastener part 5
incorporating female snap buttons 4 is provided with a base cloth 9
made of non-woven cloth on its lower side (i.e., the wearer's
side). The right and left ends of the base cloth are folded to make
double layered parts 9a, 9b. A female tape piece 30a having the
female snap buttons 4 is placed on the base cloth 9. The base cloth
9 is somewhat longer than the female tape piece 30a, so in order to
compensate for the difference, an intermediate cloth 11 is sewn
onto the female tape piece 30a.
[0051] In the above condition, the upper and lower ends 13, 15 (see
FIG. 1(a)) are ultrasonically welded. The free end 17 may also be
ultrasonically welded, but because this part requires extra
strength, it is preferably sewn up. In order to further increase
the strength of the fastener part 5, the intermediate section 19
between the two rows of snap buttons is also sewn up.
[0052] In order to join the left fastener part 5 and the left end 1
of the left brassier strap, the left end 1 of the left brassier
strap is inserted between the base cloth 9 of the fastener and the
intermediate cloth 11, and the right and left ends 21, 23 of the
intermediate cloth 11 are sewn up.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 2(b), the right fastener part 7
incorporating male snap buttons 6 is provided with a triple layered
base cloth 25 on its lower side (i.e., the wearer's side). The
right and left ends of the base cloth are folded to make double
layered parts 25a, 25b, and a core piece 25c is inserted between
them. A male tape piece 18a having male snap buttons 6 is placed on
the base cloth 25.
[0054] In the above condition, the upper and lower ends 27, 29 (see
FIG. 1(b)) are ultrasonically welded. The free end 31 may also be
ultrasonically welded, but because this part requires extra
strength, it is preferable to sew up this part. In order to further
increase the strength of the fastener part 7, the section 33 close
to the snap buttons is also sewn up.
[0055] In order to join the right fastener part 7 and the right end
3 of the right brassier strap, the right end 3 of the right
brassier strap is inserted between the base cloth 25 of the
fastener and the male tape piece 18a, and the section indicated by
numeral 35 in FIG. 1(b) is sewn up.
[0056] Embodiment 2
[0057] FIGS. 10 through 13 illustrate a second embodiment of the
present invention. FIG. 10 shows plan views of the right and left
ends of a brassier strap provided with a brassier fastener
according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
1(a) shows the left end 1A and FIG. 1(b) shows the right end
3A.
[0058] The difference between the second embodiment and the first
embodiment is that in the second embodiment, the female snap button
4A on the left fastener part and the male snap button on the right
fastener part 6A both have directionality.
[0059] A male snap button 6A is illustrated in FIG. 11, in which
(a) is a cross sectional view and (b) is an inverted plan view. The
base 41 of the male snap button 6A is generally elliptical, and is
firmly adhered by injection molding to a cloth tape 18A on which an
engagement hole 42 is provided. In order to avoid the tape 18A from
being twisted during the injection molding process, the upper and
lower dies for forming the periphery of the base 41 are provided
with several pins (not shown) for pressing down the tape 18A. To
accommodate the pins, holes 43 having a complementary shape are
formed on the base.
[0060] The base 41 has an engagement protrusion 44 and an
engagement socket 45. The engagement protrusion 44 extends
diagonally upwards from the face side of the base 42 in the
direction of the engagement socket 45. The head 44a of the
protrusion is parallel with the cloth tape 18A, and on slant
surface 44b that forms the protrusion a bulge 44c is formed on the
side of the engagement socket. The protrusion-forming slant surface
44b is slanted at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees, or preferably, 45
degrees. There is no protrusion-forming slant surface on the back
side of the base 41; instead, a perpendicular surface 44d is
formed.
[0061] On the face side of the engagement socket 45 of the base 41,
a slant surface 46a, which is parallel with the protrusion-forming
slant surface 44b, is formed. On the back side of the engagement
socket 45 of the base 41, a perpendicular surface 46b and a curved
surface 46c, which spreads out from the perpendicular surface 46b,
are formed. Code 47 is an indentation that serves as a mark
indicating the engagement direction. This indentation 47 is not an
essential element of the present invention.
[0062] A female snap button 4A is illustrated in FIG. 12, in which
(a) is a cross sectional view and (b) is a plan view. The base 50
of the female snap button 4A is also generally elliptical, and is
firmly adhered by injection molding to a cloth tape 30A on which an
engagement hole 51 is provided. In order to avoid the tape 30A from
being twisted during the injection molding process, the upper and
lower dies for forming the periphery of the base 50 are provided
with several pins (not shown) for pressing down the tape 30A. To
accommodate the pins, holes 52 having a complementary shape are
formed on the base 50.
[0063] The base 50 has an engagement protrusion 53 and an
engagement socket 54. The engagement protrusion 53 extends
diagonally downwards from the face side of the base 50 in the
direction of the engagement socket 54. The head 53a of the
protrusion is parallel to the cloth tape 30A, and on the
protrusion-forming slant surface 53b a step 53c is formed on the
engagement socket side. The protrusion-forming slant surface 53b is
slanted at an angle of 30 to 60, or preferably, 45 degrees. There
is no protrusion-forming slant surface on the back side of the base
50; instead, a perpendicular surface 53d is formed.
[0064] Unlike the engagement protrusion 44 of the male snap button
6A, the engagement protrusion 53 of the female snap button 4A has
walls 53e on its either side as shown in FIG. 12(b). Together with
the engagement socket 54, these walls 53e form a socket for housing
the male engagement protrusion 44 when the male and female snap
buttons are engaged.
[0065] On the face side of the engagement socket 54 of the base 50,
a slant surface 55a, which is parallel with the protrusion-forming
slant surface 53b, is formed. On the back side of the engagement
socket 54 of the base 50, a perpendicular surface 55b and a curved
surface 55c, which spreads out from the perpendicular surface 55b,
are formed. Code 56 is an indentation that serves as a mark
indicating the engagement direction. This indentation 56 is not an
essential element of the present invention.
[0066] FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view showing a condition in
which the male snap button 6A and the female snap button 4A are
engaged. As evident from FIG. 13, the male snap button 6A and the
female snap button 4A engage and disengage as they slide on the
protrusion-forming slant surfaces 44b, 53b. They cannot engage or
disengage from other directions. In other words, this snap fastener
has a directionality for both engagement and disengagement.
Moreover, when they are completely engaged, the bulge 44c of the
male snap button 6A sits on the step 23c of the female snap button
4A and stabilizes.
[0067] The method for manufacturing the fastener of the second
embodiment is basically the same as that for the first embodiment.
The only difference is that the shapes of the dies for forming the
buttons are different.
[0068] The fastener of the second embodiment has directionality.
When the left end of FIG. 10(b) is held and pulled to the right,
the fastener is disengaged, but when it is pulled in the opposite
direction, it is not disengaged.
[0069] Effects of the Invention
[0070] According to the first embodiment, the engagement protrusion
20 of the male snap button 6 used for the fastener part extends
directly from the cloth tape 30 rather than from a base. This makes
it possible to eliminate the thickness of such a base when the male
snap button 6 is engaged with the female snap button 4, thereby
reducing the overall thickness of the fastener. For example, in
FIG. 8, which shows an engagement condition of the present
invention, the distance between the upper and lower cloths is
t.sub.1. Whereas in FIG. 9, which shows an engagement condition
according to the prior art, the distance between the upper and
lower cloths is t.sub.2. It is evident that t.sub.1 is smaller than
t.sub.2.
[0071] As well as being provided with reinforcement cloths 9, 25,
the fastener of the present invention is reinforced at the sections
indicated by numerals 17, 19, 21, 23, 31 and 35, which are sewn
up.
[0072] According to the second embodiment of the present invention,
the male snap button 6A and the female snap button 4A have
directionality for engagement and disengagement. As an effect of
this directionality, these snap buttons do not get disengaged
inadvertently.
* * * * *