Patent Publication Number: US-2010107298-A1

Title: Fastener

Description:
The present invention relates to a fastener and particularly but not exclusively relates to a fastener for use with or comprising part of an item of clothing. The fastener may also be used to fasten other items, or parts of other items, together, or may be used to hang one item on another. 
     It has previously been proposed to provide a fastener comprising two fastener halves that can be releasably fastened together. An example is the fastener on a bra comprising a first hooked fastener half secured to one bra strap, and a second looped fastener half secured to the other bra strap. However, such fasteners can often be relatively difficult to fasten and unfasten. 
     According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a fastener comprising at least two fastener halves each of which comprises a main body and a finger depending therefrom, the finger being spaced apart from the main body so as to define a recess between the body and the finger to receive, in use, the finger of the other fastener half to fasten the fastener halves together, at least one of the recess of one fastener half and the finger of the other fastener half comprising a concave mating formation arranged to engage in use with a convex mating formation provided on the finger of the other fastener half or on the recess of the one fastener half respectively, the formations being arranged to resist, when so engaged and under tension in use, the fastener halves unfastening in a direction away from the longitudinal axes of the fastener halves. 
     Preferably the finger of each fastener half depends from the respective main body via a stem, one of the mating formations being provided on the stem. 
     Preferably the finger of each fastener half is substantially parallel with the respective main body. 
     Both fastener halves may be provided with concave and convex mating formations. Alternatively one fastener half may be formed with only a concave mating formation, the other fastener half being formed with only a convex mating formation. 
     Preferably the recess of at least one fastener half is formed with the concave mating formation. 
     The mating formations may be arcuate. Alternatively the mating formations may be angular, the convex formation defining a projecting point, and the concave formation defining a ‘V’ shape. 
     The convex mating formation may comprise multiple convex sub formations. The concave mating formation may comprise multiple concave sub formations. 
     Preferably the bodies of the fastener halves comprise a planar portion. The bodies of the fastener halves may comprise a stepped portion arranged such that when the fastener is in a fastened condition and viewed in plan, part of each fastener half occupies the same plane. 
     At least one fastener half may be provided with a plurality of fingers spaced along the longitudinal axis of the body so as to enable the other fastener half to be fastened to the first fastener body at various different longitudinal positions. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an item of clothing provided with a fastener comprising at least two fastener halves each of which comprises a main body attached to a respective part of the item of clothing, and a finger depending from the body so as to be spaced apart from the main body to define a recess between the body and the finger to receive, in use, the finger of the other fastener half to fasten the fastener halves together, at least one of the recess of one fastener half and the end of the finger of the other fastener half comprising a concave mating formation arranged to engage in use with a convex mating formation provided on the finger of the other fastener half or on the recess of the one fastener half respectively, the formations being arranged to resist, when so engaged and under tension in use, the fastener halves unfastening in a direction away from the longitudinal axes of the fastener halves. 
     Other aspects of the present invention may include any combination of the features or limitations referred to herein. 
    
    
     
       The present invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a fastener in accordance with the present invention in an unfastened condition; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the fastener of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the fastener of  FIGS. 1 and 2  in a fastened condition; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of another fastener in accordance with the present invention in an unfastened condition; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a further fastener in accordance with the present invention in an unfastened condition; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of another fastener in accordance with the present invention in an unfastened condition; 
         FIG. 7  is a side view of yet a further fastener in accordance with the present invention in an unfastened condition; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of another fastener in accordance with the present invention in an unfastened condition; and 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of yet another fastener in accordance with the present invention in an unfastened condition; 
     
    
    
     Referring initially to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a fastener  1  comprises two identical fastener halves  3 A,  3 B. 
     The first fastener half  3 A comprises a planar elongate body  7 A and a shorter, planar finger  9 A depending from one end of the body  7 A via a stem  11 A, the finger  9 A and the body  7 A being substantially parallel. The stem  11 A spaces the finger  9 A from the body  7 A so as to define a recess  13 A between the underside of the finger  9 A and the top side of the body  7 A. 
     The end of the finger  9 A distal from the stem  11 A is provided with a convex mating formation  15 A which in this example comprises a rounded, arcuate finger end. The part of the stem  11 A at the base of the recess  13 A comprises an arcuate concave mating formation which in this example is a curve of similar radius to that of the rounded finger end  15 A. 
     The second fastener half  3 B has identical features to that of the above described first fastener half  3 A. 
     In use, the finger  9 A of the first fastener half  3 A is inserted into the recess  13 B of the second fastener half  3 B until the rounded finger end  15 A abuts and engages the arcuate concave mating formation at the base of the recess  13 B. When so inserted, the finger  9 B of the other fastener half  3 B is in an identical position within the recess  13 A of the first fastener half  3 A. The fastener halves  3 A,  3 B can be so fastened together by moving the fastener halves  3 A,  3 B in towards one another in a direction generally aligned with the longitudinal axes of the fastener bodies  7 A,  7 B, or in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axes. 
     When so fastened any tensile forces applied in a direction generally aligned with the longitudinal axes of the fastener bodies  7 A,  7 B cause the convex mating formation  15 A,  15 B on the end of each finger  9 A  9 B to move into engagement with the corresponding concave mating formation at the base of the respective recess  13 A,  13 B. The concave and convex nature of the mating formations allows the end of each finger  9 A,  9 B to be partially received within the respective concave mating formation. This enables the fastener bodies  7 A,  7 B to rotate relative to one another without coming apart, and also resists the fastener bodies  7 A,  7 B being slid apart in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the bodies  7 A,  7 B when the fastener halves  3 A,  3 B are under tension. One fastener half  3 A,  3 B can simply be slid in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the bodies  7 A,  7 B to unfasten the two fastener halves  3 A,  3 B. 
     Thus a secure fastener  1  is provided which resists unfastening when under tension, even when the longitudinal axes of each body  7 A,  7 B are unaligned, but which can be simply slid apart in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of tension. 
     The fastener requires no resiliently deformable clipping parts, or indeed any moving parts of any kind, and no locking mechanism is required. No part of the fastener has to pass through any other part. 
     Each fastener half  3 A,  3 B of the fastener  1  could be made in one piece or in multiple pieces from any suitable material or combination of materials which may include a metal or plastics material. 
       FIGS. 4 to 10  show alternative embodiments of the above described fastener. 
     Each finger  49 A and  49 B of the fastener  41  of  FIG. 4  comprises a pointed convex mating formation  415 A,  415 B, a corresponding ‘V’ shaped concave mating formation being defined by the stem at the base of each recess. The bodies  47 A,  47 B are stepped so as to comprise two parallel planar portions linked by an inclined planar portion. 
     A first fastener half  53 A of the fastener  51  of  FIG. 5  comprises an arcuate concave mating formation at the stem at the base of the recess, a corresponding arcuate convex mating formation  515 B being defined at the end of the finger  59 B of other fastener half  53 B. The base of the other recess, and the end of the other finger  59 A, are square. 
     A first fastener half  63 A of the fastener  61  of  FIG. 6  comprises an arcuate concave mating formation  615 A at the end of the finger  69 A, a corresponding arcuate convex mating formation being defined at the stem at the base of the recess of the other fastener half  63 B. The base of the other recess, and the end of the other finger  69 , are square. 
     A first fastener half  73 A of the fastener  71  of  FIG. 7  comprises an arcuate convex mating formation  715 A at the end of the finger  79 A, and an arcuate convex mating formation at the stem of the base of the recess. The other fastener half  73 B comprises an arcuate concave mating formation defined at the stem at the base of the recess and an arcuate concave mating formation  715 B formed at the end of the finger  79 B. 
     The fastener  81  of  FIG. 8  is similar to that of  FIG. 7  except that the two fastener halves  83 A,  83 B are of different width, one narrow fastener half  83 A being approximately a third the width of the other wider fastener half  83 B. 
     Each fastener half  93 A,  93 B of the fastener  91  of  FIG. 9  comprises a respective V shaped concave mating formation  915 A,  915 B at the end of the fingers  99 A,  99 B, and a respective pointed convex mating formation at the stem of the base of the recess  913 A,  913 B. 
     The fastener halves may be attached or releasably attached to the item of clothing using any suitable means. Apertures may be provided in the body of each fastener half to enable the fastener halves to be sewed, or otherwise attached, on to the item of clothing. 
     The surfaces of the fastener may be textured, for example knurled, to facilitate separation of the fastener halves. 
     Each fastener could be used vertically with one fastener half hanging from the other so as to hang an item on a wall, rail or conveyor or the like. 
     It is envisaged that each concave and convex formation may comprise multiple concave and convex sub formations. For example the concave formation could be generally ‘W’ shaped, whilst the convex formations could be generally shaped. 
     The concave and convex formations may comprise any desired shaped including pentagonal, hexagonal or octagonal shapes for example. The arcuate formation may alternatively comprise ‘V’ shaped formations. 
     One or both fastener halves may be provided with a plurality of fingers and corresponding recesses, the fingers being transversely spaced apart but longitudinally aligned. The fingers are then parallel with one another and provide a stronger fastening of the two fastener halves. Preferably the space between each pair of fingers is wider than the fingers themselves.