Abstract:
A closure made up of two closure parts for the detachable connection of a brassiere or similar article of clothing, namely, a closure which can be easily produced and which ensures improved handling during the hooking and unhooking of the hook-and-eye connection, especially also in the case of closure parts which are quite thin. To improve the ability to grip the article of clothing, the base tape of the closure part provided with hooks or eyes has an embossing introduced into the surface on one side.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority of EP 13 165 475.8, filed Apr. 26, 2013, the priority of this application is hereby claimed and this application is incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The object of the invention is a closure made up of two closure parts for connecting the two side parts of a brassiere or similar article of clothing. 
         [0003]    It is known that the side parts of a brassiere or similar article of clothing can be connected by a hook-and-eye closure. For this purpose, separate closure parts are usually produced, namely, a first closure part with hooks and a second closure part with eyes. These closure parts are attached to the side parts of the article of clothing, and in this way a detachable hook-and-eye closure for the article of clothing is obtained. So that closures of this type do not poke through the top layer of clothing, it is desirable for the closure parts to be as thin as possible. A closure which is very thin, however, makes it more difficult to insert the hooks and to remove them again, that is, to hook and unhook the hook-and-eye connection. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The goal of the present invention is to make available a closure for the detachable connection of a brassiere or similar article of clothing which can be produced easily and which ensures improved handling during the hooking and unhooking of the hook-and-eye connection, especially also in the case of closure parts which are quite thin. 
         [0005]    The closure according to the invention is a hook-and-eye type of closure, which consists of two closure parts, namely, a first closure part with hooks and a second closure part with eyes. One of the two closure parts is attached to each side part of a brassiere or similar article of clothing to achieve a detachable hook-and-eye closure for this article. The closure part provided with hooks consists of a single-layer or multi-layer base tape, which comprises on its rear side at least one hook; preferably, however, it has two hooks so as to distribute the forces as uniformly as possible for the hook-and-eye connection. The closure part provided with eyes consists of a single-layer or multi-layer base tape, which comprises on its front side at least one eye, but preferably two eyes, so as to distribute the forces as uniformly as possible for the hook-and-eye connection. Even more preferably it has several rows of two eyes each, so that the wearer of the article of clothing can adjust the width of the article. To improve the ability to grip the article of clothing when managing the hook-and-eye closure, that is, when engaging the hooks in the eyes or when disengaging the hooks of the first closure part from the eyes of the second closure part, it is advantageous for the front side of the closure part with the hooks to have an embossing introduced into the surface of the front side of this closure part. In the same way, an embossing can also be introduced into the surface of the rear side of the closure part with the eyes. This embossing or these several embossings on the front of the hook closure part and/or the rear of the eye closure part are impressed into at least one layer of the base tape. In one possible embodiment, the embossing is provided outside the area where the hooks are arranged on the rear side or outside the area where the eyes are arranged on the front side. 
         [0006]    An embossing of this type which improves the ability to grip can have various contour lines, so that different outline shapes can be obtained for the embossing, such as oval, round, triangular, rectangular, or polygonal outline shapes. In an advantageous embodiment, an approximately oval outline shape is selected, because this is adapted to the shape of the tip of the finger used to hook or unhook the hook-and-eye connection and can accept and hold the tip of the finger, which easily fits the oval shape. In addition, embossings with outline shapes whose contour lines show a free linear design are also conceivable. Such freely selected contour lines can lead to outline shapes of a graphic nature and represent, for example, the outlines of a star, a flower, a heart, or some other type of desired image. 
         [0007]    In addition, different patterns can be provided for the embossing inside the contour lines. For example, different reliefs can project from the base surface of the embossing. The base surface is the most deeply embossed area of the embossing. This base surface is located below the plane of the surface of the side of the base tape into which the embossing has been introduced. The base surface represents, so to speak, the “floor” of the embossing. From this base surface, structures rise in the form of a relief, which extend to the surface of the base tape or may also terminate below the plane of this surface. In particular, the design of the relief can also be selected so that the relief structure rises only slightly above the base surface in the center of the embossing, whereas the height of the relief increases progressively in the direction toward the contour lines of the embossing. A relief arranged in this way within the contour lines can represent different patterns, including uniform structures such as raised dimple patterns, groove patterns, grid patterns, checkerboard patterns, honeycomb patterns, waffle patterns, or even ornaments, images, or letters such as a logo, possibly a company logo. 
         [0008]    In the following, at least one method for producing an inventive closure part provided with hooks for a detachable hook-and-eye closure is described, as a result of which in particular a hook-type closure part with improved grip is obtained. A closure part provided with eyes can be obtained in comparable fashion. For this purpose, a textile layer, such as one in the form of a textile tape, is selected, at least a certain percentage of which contains synthetic fibers, which can be melted and/or permanently deformed by heat and/or pressure. This can be any desired textile material with inwoven meltable threads, such as threads of thermoplastic fibers. In the case of a preferred embodiment, a textile material is selected which consists completely or partially of a polyamide fiber material, preferably Nylon. One textile layer of this textile material containing heat-activatable fibers is sent to an embossing machine, and by means of the embossing machine the embossings are introduced into this textile layer. These embossings are provided at regular intervals. In the case of tape-like layers, the embossings are introduced in single file, and in the case of wider layers, they can be introduced into the layer in double or multiple file. The distance between the embossings is selected so that the closure part to be obtained has the desired number of embossings. Because, in the case of a brassiere closure, the individual closure parts are small in comparison to the size of the tips of the wearer&#39;s fingers which are placed onto the embossings during the hooking and unhooking processes, that is, when the hook-and-eye closure is being connected or disconnected, only one embossing is provided for each closure part. The method also makes it possible, of course, to introduce several embossings. To obtain exactly one embossing per closure part, the distance between successive embossings is adjusted during the embossing process in such a way that what is later to become the component piece or the individual base tape acquires exactly one embossing in the preferred manner. 
         [0009]    The textile material used for the base tape in this method contains heat-activatable fibers, which make it possible for the pattern to be embossed. For example, a hot-pressing machine or an ultrasound device which can deform or melt the synthetic fibers present in the textile material by heat or pressure can be used. So that the embossing in the textile layer acquires a relief-like structure, a pattern template is used during the embossing process, which transfers the pattern to the textile layer during the embossing. 
         [0010]    Pieces are removed from the embossed textile layer by means of a cutting device. During the cutting operation, the edges, for example, can also be trimmed; in particular, the corners can be rounded. 
         [0011]    Various known cutting devices can be used to cut off and trim the embossed textile pieces; an ultrasound device is preferred for this purpose. In an especially preferred embodiment, an ultrasound device is used simultaneously to emboss, to cut off, and to trim the pieces. 
         [0012]    At least one hook, preferably two hooks, are attached to the pieces thus obtained. By folding the pieces, the bases of the hooks can be covered over, or a second textile layer can be used to cover the bases of the hooks, as a result of which a two-layer base tape is obtained for the closure part. 
         [0013]    The two layers of the base tape are joined to each other, and as a result a closure part provided with hooks and an embossing is thus obtained. The two layers of the base tape are joined to each other in the known manner by means of an adhesive bond or by welding. 
         [0014]    The advantage of the inventive closure is that, because of the embossing on the front side of the closure part provided with the hooks and/or on the rear side of the closure part provided with the eyes, the handling of the closure part in question, especially during the hooking and unhooking of the hook-and-eye connection, is significantly improved, wherein the improved grip is achieved without the need to apply any additional layers or similar means and can be used for any type of hook closure part and any type of eye closure part, even and especially for closure parts which are quite thin. 
         [0015]    The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0016]    In the drawing: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  shows the front sides of the closure parts of the inventive closure; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  shows the rear sides of the closure parts of the inventive closure according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  shows a cross section through the hook closure part according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  shows the front side of another hook closure part; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  shows the front side of another hook closure part; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  shows the front side of another hook closure part. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0023]      FIGS. 1-3  show an inventive closure for connecting the side parts of an article of clothing. Additional modifications of a closure part  10  provided with hooks  11  are shown in  FIGS. 4-6 . Parts which are the same function have been given the same reference numbers. In these examples, the inventive embossings  16  are described only on the basis of the closure part  10  provided with hooks  11 . Similar embossings can be provided only on the closure part  20  provided with eyes  21 , or they can be provided on both parts. 
         [0024]    The inventive closure shown in  FIGS. 1-3  comprises two closure parts  10 ,  20 , namely, a first closure part  10  with hooks  11  on the rear side  14  and a second closure part  20  with eyes  21  on the front side  23 . 
         [0025]    The first closure part  10  consists of a two-layer base tape  12 , best seen in  FIG. 3 . On the front side  13 , an embossing  16  is present, which is pressed into the surface  15  of the front side  13 , best seen in  FIG. 3 . This embossing  16  is located a certain distance B away from the outer edge  17 , which faces the second closure part  20 . The distance B of the embossing  16  is selected so that this distance B is greater than the distance A, namely, the distance of the hooks  11  from this same outer edge  17 . As a result, the embossing  16  on the front side  13  of the closure part  10  is located next to the hooks  11  on the rear side  14  of the closure part  10 . An adjacent arrangement of this type for the hooks  11  and the embossing  16  is not a precondition for an advantageous application of the closure. Especially in the case of thicker closure parts  10 , that is, in the case of multi-layer base tapes  12 , the embossing  16  can be present at any desired point of the front side  13 . 
         [0026]    The first closure part  10  was produced in the following way. A textile layer in the form of a tape consisting of 100% Nylon was sent to an embossing machine, in this case an ultrasound device. In this ultrasound device, embossings  16  are introduced at regular intervals into the tape-like textile layer. Pieces with a length of 30 mm are cut off from this textile tape-like layer with the spaced-apart embossings  16 , and the corners are rounded by an appropriate trimming cut at one edge, i.e., the edge which is later to become edge  17 . On the opposite, narrow edge of the piece, which has a width of 28 mm, two hooks  11  are attached centrally with a distance of 10 mm between them; that is, each hook  11  is located 7 mm away from the long edge of the piece. 
         [0027]    The piece is now folded into a two-layer base tape  12 . As a result of this folding, what is obtained is a closed edge  18  opposite the edge  17  with the rounded corners. In this example, the piece is folded in such a way that the front side  13  has a length of 16 mm and the rear side  14  a length of 14 mm. Then the two layers of the base tape  12  are joined to each other along their edges, indicated by the welded seam  19  in  FIG. 2 . Thus a closure part  10  has been formed, in which the hooks  11  remain at a distance A of 4 mm from the edge  17 . The embossing  16  on the front side  13  is located at a distance B of 6 mm from the edge  17  and shows, according to  FIG. 1 , a raised dimple pattern as a relief  163 , which projects above the base surface  162 . The contour line  161  of the embossing  16  is adapted to the contour of a fingerprint; that is, the contour line  161  has a more-or-less oval shape. As can be seen more easily in  FIG. 3 , the embossing  16  is pressed into the surface  15  of the front side  13 ; that is, the base surface  162  is located below the plane of the surface  15 , whereas the dimples, which form the relief  163 , extent into the plane of the surface  15 . 
         [0028]    The second closure part  20  shown in this example consists of a base tape  22 , which is located on the front side  23 , and a soft backing  26  on the rear side  24 . This closure part  20  can be joined at the edge to the edge of a side part of an article of clothing such as a brassiere. The joining is accomplished at the edge opposite the outer edge  27 . At this edge, there is an opening  28  between the base tape  22  and the backing  26 , so that here it is possible to insert the edge of the side part so that it can be joined to the closure part  20 . The base tape  22  consists in this exemplary embodiment of several layers, namely, a stiffening layer (not visible), to which the bases of the eyes  21  are sewn, and four layers, which cover the bases of the eyes  21 , so that only the holes in the eyes  21  are visible on the front side  23  of the base tape  20 . These covering layers of the base tape  22  consist of 100% Nylon in the present example. The layers of the base tape  22  are joined to the backing  26  by the use of an adhesive. The backing  26 , which takes up the entire rear side  24  and forms a contact surface  25 , consists in this example of 86% Nylon and 14% microfiber Spandex. The contact surface  25  represents the surface which comes in contact with the skin of the wearer of the article of clothing and is therefore made of a soft material. In other embodiments, there is also the option of embossing this contact surface—as previously described. 
         [0029]      FIGS. 4-6  show additional outlines and reliefs  163  for an embossing  16 . In  FIG. 4 , the embossing  16  has a round contour line  161 . From the base surface  162 , a rib-like relief  163  projects upward, which extends to the plane of the surface  15  of the front side  13 .  FIG. 5  shows a more-or-less rectangular contour line  161  for the embossing  16 . A checkerboard-like relief  163  rises from the base surface  162 .  FIG. 6  shows another embodiment of an embossing  16 . The contour line  161  is more-or-less trapezoidal. A relief  163 , which represents a letter, rises from the base surfaces  162 . It is clear that an extremely wide variety of linear designs can be selected for the contour line  161  for an embossing  16 , and also the shape and structuring of the relief  163  which is elevated above the base surface  162  can also be freely selected. 
         [0030]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.