Patent Publication Number: US-2007101554-A1

Title: Fastening device for scarves, headgear and the like

Description:
There are no related applications.  
      The patent application did not receive federal research and development funding.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a fastener comprising of a piece of material such as sturdy leather with specifically positioned openings, replete with an intertwining leather strip. This invention is intended to improve on common means of fastening scarves, thereby eliminating the discomfort commonly associated with such a task.  
      Fashion accessories, like scarves or bandanas, are often used to augment an individual&#39;s appearance. Beyond their aesthetic use, scarves are also utilized by adults and children plagued with cancer. Often these individuals rely on scarves to cover the hair loss caused by their chemotherapy treatments. To these individuals, scarves offer self-confidence in their appearance, but discomfort as well. Bikers also wear bandanas and skull caps under their helmets. The majority of scarves available in the general and specialty markets require the two ends to be tied together in the back. By securing the scarf in this way, the user may experience difficulty adjusting the knot. Moreover, when a helmet is worn over a head scarf, the knot may cause great discomfort. Additionally, tying the two ends into a knot can cause discomfort when the two tied ends get caught up in hair, or pinch the skin. In fact, because of the discomfort associated with tying a scarf on one&#39;s head, certain classes and Internet websites are devoted to explaining the least painful means of tying a scarf.  
      Despite the problems associated with creating the knot, there are also problems with maintaining and disassembling the knot. If the individual&#39;s scarf is made of silk or similar fabric, the material will not have enough friction to maintain the knot. Thus, the knot will slip out, making a good fit nearly impossible. In addition, disassembling the knot is a difficult and tedious task.  
      Finally, securing scarves by knotting the ends is damaging to the fabric itself. In the short term, knotting the scarf causes wrinkling requiring washing or ironing to restore the scarf to its usual appearance. And, over time tying the material into tight knots breaks the material down and negatively impacts its color and texture.  
      Looking to the prior art, it is clear that there is a need for a new and improved fastening method that causes the user less discomfort. The present invention presents the user this opportunity because it is comfortable and easy to use.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention is preferably comprised of a sturdy leather base with an array of holes, preferably six small holes, two holes to a column by three rows. A leather strip or lace is wound through these holes creating two loops and two ends to allow for adjustments. These loops are fashioned by passing the two ends of the lace through two holes on one end and the backside of the base. These ends are crisscrossed on a front side of the base and one end goes through a middle row hole to allow for adjustments to that loop. The other goes to the opposite end and loops through both of the holes on that row to create a second loop on the back side of the base. The end is finally pulled through the remaining middle row hole to allow for adjustment to the second loop. Thus, the fastener is adjusted by merely moving the strip though the holes, thereby tightening or loosening the loops. It is important to realize that the loop is preferably created by passing a single end from one hole to another hole where both holes are located on a single row of the array of holes. However, it is recognized that the second hole for creating a loop may be on a separate row of holes depending on the size of the array.  
      A second embodiment of the invention has only one loop. The base includes only four openings in a two column by two row pattern. The strip is first passed through two holes from the back side to create a loop. Next the ends are crisscrossed on a front side of the base and the ends are passed through the second pair of holes to allow for adjustments.  
      In a further embodiment, the base includes a ten hole array, two columns by five rows. The base is folded across the middle row of holes through which an ornamental lace passes such that the first and second rows of holes overlap the third and fourth rows of holes, respectively, to create a two by two matrix of holes. An adjustment lace is then passed through these holes in the same manner as the second embodiment. The ornamental lace comprises two long leather strips that hang down from the base to further embellish this embodiment. These strips are merely ornamental and can be further enhanced by stringing beads or other decorations onto the strip. This embodiment is designed for children and creative individuals. It presents a fun opportunity to decorate and individualize their fastener. Thus, they can decorate it using their favorite colors, beads spelling their name, or in a certain theme.  
      The present invention offers several other advantages over prior options. First, the fastener eliminates the discomfort caused by knotting. Since the user does not need to manipulate the two ends into a knot, they cannot get any hair caught in the knot. Also, if their knot is not tight or loose enough once it is put on, the user must undo the knot and tie it again. The fastener is easier to use because if it is not perfectly adjusted the user merely has to tighten or loosen the strips. This ease of use makes achieving a comfortable fit much easier.  
      Also, the fastener is easier to secure than a knot because it is a more secure hold. The fastener also maintains a secure hold better than knots. Some fabrics, like silk, will not even hold a knot. However, it is possible to secure a silk scarf with the fastener. Additionally, as the user moves, knots sometimes become undone. The fastener alleviates this problem because once it is adjusted it stays in place assuring the user a sturdy and comfortable fit.  
      The instant fastener is also an improvement on the prior art because it is easier to disassemble. It does not create a complicated mass of knots, thus it does not present the problem and difficulty of disassembling a knot. Instead, to disassemble the fastener, the user only has to pull on one of the leather strips and loosen the hold.  
      The above explanations are provided to illustrate the utility of the invention. And, by no means necessary were these explanations intended to limit the application of this invention to other purposes. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1A  shows a perspective view of a fastener base used in a first embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 1B  shows a front view of the fastener base and intertwined lace that comprise the fastener.  FIG. 1C  is a back view of the fastener base and intertwined lace shown in  FIG. 1B .  
       FIG. 2A  shows a perspective view of a fastener base used in a second embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 2B  is a front view of the fastener.  FIG. 2C  is a back view of the fastener shown in  FIG. 2B .  
       FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the fastener base.  FIG. 3B  is a front view of the third embodiment of the fastener.  FIG. 3C  is a side view of the third embodiment of the invention.  
       FIG. 4  shows the fastener in use.  
       FIG. 5  shows a prior art method for securing a scarf or skull cap. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Throughout this disclosure, a fastener base includes an array of holes. The holes are referenced with the column number first and the row number second. This should in no way be considered to be restrictive of the invention and is only for use as a reference tool in teaching the invention to a skilled artisan. It should be understood that various sized arrays of holes may be utilized in practicing the invention. Moreover, while the following embodiments disclose a loop being made between various holes it is to be understood that the lace may be passed through various other holes to create a loop for passing tails of bandannas, scarves or the like through to secure such headgear to the scalp and skull area of a wearer.  
       FIG. 1A  shows a fastener  1  that comprises a fastener base  2 . In this embodiment, a plurality of holes  11 ,  12 ,  21 ,  22 , are arranged in a 2 by 2 array. The fastener base includes a top  15  and a bottom  16 . In  FIG. 1B , a lace  3  is passed through the array of holes. On a front side of the fastener base  2 , a first length of the lace  3  passes between hole  11  and hole  22 ; whilst a second length of the lace  3  passes between hole  12  and hole  21 . On a back side of the fastener base  2 , a loop is formed between hole  11  and hole  22 . A first end  34  of lace  3  extends from hole  22 , as shown in  FIG. 1C . A second end  35  extends from hole  12 .  
       FIG. 2A  shows a second embodiment of the fastener  1 . In this embodiment, the fastener base  2  includes a third row of holes. These are referenced as hole  13  and hole  23 .  FIG. 2B  shows a first length of the lace  3  passing from hole  11  to hole  22 . A second length of the lace  3  passes from hole  12  to hole  23 . A third length of the lace  3  passes from hole  21  to hole  13 . As shown in  FIG. 2C , a first loop  36  is created between holes  11  and  21 . A second loop  37  is created between hole  13  and hole  23 . First end  34  extends from hole  22 . Second end  35  extends from hole  12 .  
       FIG. 3A  shows a third embodiment of the fastener  1 . In this embodiment, the fastener base includes a fourth and fifth row of holes. A broken line is shown passing through the middle of holes  13  and  23 . An ornamental lace  90  passed between these holes and the fastener is then folded along the broken line. Hole  11  overlaps hole  15 ; while hole  12  overlaps hole  14 . Hole  21  overlaps hole  25 ; while hole  22  overlaps hole  24 . A loop is created by hole  15  and hole  25 . The first and second ends  34 ,  35  extend from holes  14  and  24 .  
       FIG. 4  shows the fastener  1  of the second embodiment in use. Tails  105 ,  110  of bandana or scarf  100  are passed through first loop  36  and second loop  37 . The lace  3  may be loosened and the tightness of the bandanna may be adjusted. Moreover, the slim profile of the fastener will not cause discomfort if the bandanna is worn under a motorcycle helmet.  
       FIG. 5  is a view of the prior art method for securing a scarf or bandanna  100 . The ends  105  and  110  of the bandanna  100  are knotted together causing a bunched lump of material that may cause a pressure point on a region of the scalp when a helmet is worn.