Patent Abstract:
A fastener system mounts a pouch onto a shirt or other clothing article, wherein the pouch provides a receptacle aperture into which a fastener is placed with its flanges positioned on opposing sides of the aperture. The cloth to which the fastener is mounted is gripped between the fastener and the aperture and is locked into place by a U-shaped clip. The flanges are made oblong in shape so that the narrow orientation of the flanges easily pass through the aperture, but the longer orientation cannot. Flats may be applied to both aperture and the fastener so as to assure an orientation in use wherein the fastener cannot disengage from the pouch.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims priority of a prior filed Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 60/767,384 and official filing date of Mar. 23, 2006 and which discloses the same subject matter. 

   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable. 
   THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
   Not applicable. 
   INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
   Not applicable. 
   REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
   Not applicable. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Present Disclosure 
   This disclosure relates generally to a system for mounting a pouch to a garment at any selected location and more particularly to a fastener for enabling such a system. 
   2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
   Splane, Jr., U.S. 2003/0014844, discloses a removable storage device to enable storage of personal articles on the person of a user. The device includes a pair of snap fit elements. One element includes a recess for receiving a portion of the other element as a snap fit therein so as to permit a portion of an article of clothing worn by the user to be captured between the elements when the elements are snap fit together to thereby removably affix the elements to the article of clothing. One of the snap fit elements includes a support member or arrangement (e.g., a D-ring or a pocket) for supporting a personal article. 
   Butler, U.S. Pat. No. 1,682,771, discloses a separable button, a base, a shank formed on one face of the base and formed with front threads for its entire length, and over which a piece of fabric is adapted to be disposed, a split resilient ring encircling the fabric covered shank at the juncture of the shank with the base, a head provided with a threaded socket in the inner side thereof, and an internally threaded collar formed on the inner side of the head and extending outwardly therefrom around the socket, the fabric covered threaded shank being removable secured in the socket and collar. 
   Sperling, U.S. Pat. No. 3,865,290, discloses a tennis ball holder is comprised of a lightweight, vacuum-formed, concave plastic shell having a plurality of fingers which grip the ball to retain the ball within the shell. The rear wall of the shell is generally flat and contains a keyhole. In use, the holder is placed with its rear wall against the outside of the player&#39;s clothing at a convenient place. Then a flat plate is positioned underneath the clothing opposite the holder. The plate has a key arranged to project into the keyhole along with the fabric and lock there so as to securely anchor the holder and the ball contained therein to the player&#39;s clothing, freeing his hands for play. 
   Gillis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,647, discloses a clip is provided which is adapted for fastening onto a flexible web such as a sheet of fabric. The clip is particularly adapted for fastening the fabric of a tent to supporting poles or stakes or for fastening webs together. 
   Devenny, U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,675, discloses an invention that is a support for fastening a decorative object such as a flower or corsage to an article of clothing comprising a pair of elements having cooperative shapes such that one clamps into the other, from one side thereof. A decorative object is secured to one of the elements. Accordingly, one of the pair of elements can be clamped into the other from opposite sides of the article of clothing, clamping and catching the article of clothing therebetween and securing it thereto. 
   Hooper, U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,968, discloses a decorative body member that includes a safe and harmless separable, interlocking fastening device for engaging a portion of a garment therebetween. In one embodiment, an elongated ribbon is attached at one end to the body member and at the other to a pacifier, teething ring, or toy, to avoid loss. The fastener includes a circular pattern of fingers or prongs (female element) extending from the rear surface of the body member. The male element is a disk which is received within the fingers with the fabric therebetween. The disk is sufficiently large to prevent swallowing, and preferably includes an aperture through the center thereof to provide for passage of air if the disk should become lodged in the mouth or inadvertently swallowed. 
   Maxwell-Trumble et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,271, discloses a clothing accessory that includes a molded plastic plate and a molded plastic ring. The periphery of the plate is provided with a first engagement surface and the interior of the ring is provided with a second engagement surface. The relative dimensions of the plate and the ring are chosen such that the fabric of an article of clothing can be engaged between the first and second engagement surfaces. More specifically, when the ring is placed on one side of a fabric and the plate is placed on the other side of a fabric, the plate and ring may be pressed together so that the plate is frictionally engaged inside the ring by the fabric of the clothing. According to a presently preferred embodiment, the engagement surfaces are V-shaped. I.e. one of the surfaces is a concave V-shaped groove and the other is a convex V-shaped edge. Other preferred aspects of the invention include providing a peripheral lip on the plate which extends substantially orthogonal to one side surface of the plate to define an image receiving area. According to the invention, a photograph, hologram or other decorative indicia is attached to the plate by providing the indicia on a material which is attached to the plate with an adhesive. Preferably, the material is a self-adhesive, peel and stick material. A kit according to the invention, includes a plate, a ring, and a plurality of self-adhesive labels, each bearing different decorative indicia. 
   Denison, U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,920, discloses a snap-in adapter system that includes an interior piece having a circular interior face and a short cylindrical side wall forming a cylindrical recess, the recess having an interior diameter. The system also includes an exterior piece. The exterior piece has a circular exterior face with a diameter essentially equal to that of the diameter of the recess of the interior piece. The exterior piece also has a cylindrical projection. Also provided is an attachment means. 
   Fong, U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,942, discloses a fabric holder to secure a plurality of fabrics together. The apparatus comprises two pieces, a male bottom piece and a female top piece which interlock to secure the fabric. 
   Chen, U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,399, discloses an adornment clamping device which is able to secure the adornment to the base of an item. The device has an elongate bar securely connected with the base by means of a neck, an adornment having a through hole defined to allow the elongate bar to be inserted there through and having a press fit therewith and a slit defined to communicate with the through hole, such that when the elongate bar extends through the through hole of the adornment, the adornment is able to be secured by the press fit between the protrusion formed on the neck and the slit. 
   The related art described above discloses numerous two-part fastener for wedging a cloth garment therebetween for mounting an item on the garment. However, the prior art fails to disclose an integral fastener with two flanges that is mountable in an aperture of the item to be mounted and which secures the item on the garment. As well, the prior art fails to teach a locking element that is engaged with the fastener after it is mounted. Finally, the prior art fails to teach the use of an elongated flange that may be preferably biased in a position where it is impossible to disengage from the item being attached to the garment. For these reasons, the present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as further described in the following summary and detailed description and illustrated in the attached drawing sheets. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   This disclosure teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below. 
   A fastener system mounts a pouch onto a shirt or other clothing article, wherein the pouch provides a receptacle aperture into which a fastener is placed with its flanges positioned on opposing sides of the aperture. The cloth to which the fastener is mounted is gripped between the fastener and the aperture and is locked into place by a U-shaped clip. The flanges are made oblong in shape so that the narrow orientation of the flanges easily pass through the aperture, but the longer orientation cannot. Flats may be applied to both aperture and the fastener so as to assure an orientation in use wherein the fastener cannot disengage from the pouch. 
   A primary objective inherent in the above described apparatus and method of use is to provide advantages not taught by the prior art. 
   Another objective is to provide a means for mounting a pack or pouch onto a shirt or other article of clothing. 
   A further objective is to provide such a mounting means that may be placed at random. 
   A still further objective is to provide such a mounting means with a security locking device to assure that the mount cannot loose its hold. 
   Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the presently described apparatus and method of its use. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
     Illustrated in the accompanying drawing(s) is at least one of the best mode embodiments of the present invention In such drawing(s): 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the presently described apparatus in use on a person; 
       FIG. 2  is a partial close-up view thereof; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the several items thereof; and 
       FIG. 4  is a partial cross sectional view thereof taken along line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 2 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The above described drawing figures illustrate the described apparatus and its method of use in at least one of its preferred, best mode embodiment, which is further defined in detail in the following description. Those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications to what is described herein without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, it must be understood that what is illustrated is set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as a limitation in the scope of the present apparatus and method of use. 
   Described now in detail is a fastener system for randomly mounting a pouch  10  on a fabric article  20  such as a garment, where the fabric article  20  need have no means for receiving the pouch such as a button hole, a clip, a clasp or a pin. The pouch  10  has a sheet portion  12  extensive to and preferably integral with a portion for receiving at least one article so as to fulfill the purpose of the present apparatus; to carry articles on ones person at a selected body location without the need for additional attachment hardware other than a fastener  30  designed for the purpose. 
   The sheet portion  12  provides a receptacle aperture  14  as best shown in  FIG. 3  preferably an elongated slit as illustrated. The fastener  30  is constructed of plastic preferably, and has a pair of flanges  32  and  34  which are held in spaced apart positions by an integral connector  36 . The connector  36  has a connector diameter “D.” As shown in  FIG. 4 , the connector  36  is inserted into the receptacle aperture  14  from one side  22  of the fabric article  20  thereby positioning the pair of spaced apart flanges  32 ,  34  on opposing sides of the sheet portion  12  of the pouch  10  and engaging the fabric article  20  between the sheet portion  12  and the fastener  30 . The flanges  32 ,  34  are extensive relative to the receptacle aperture  14  for capturing the fastener  30  and the fabric article  20  within the sheet portion  12 . Clearly, with the sheet portion  12  of fabric article  20  engaged as shown in  FIG. 4 , the pouch  10  is not able to move relative to the fabric article  20 . 
   To insure a more positive lock between pouch  10  and fabric article  20 , a U-shaped clip  40  is engaged between the pair of flanges  32 ,  34  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Preferably, the U-shaped clip  40  is of a resilient material formed with opposing legs  42  separated by a first distance  45 ′, the legs  42  mutually joined at one end  44  of each of the legs  42 . Preferably, the opposing legs  42  provide mutually facing detent surfaces  46 , the detent surfaces separated by a second distance  45 ″, the second distance exceeding the first distance  45 ′ and is approximately equal to the connector diameter “D”. 
   Preferably, the flanges  32 ,  34  are oblong in shape having a smaller girth G 1  in a first orientation and a larger girth G 2  in a second orientation as shown in  FIG. 3 , the receptacle aperture  14  is preferably elongate in shape and sized for receiving the smaller girth G 1 , but not the larger girth G 2 . Preferably, the aperture  14  has a flat  16  at one end thereof and the connector  36  has a corresponding flat  38 , although in stead of a flat, the connector  36  may be formed with an oval shape. After insertion of the flange  34  into the aperture  14  and then rotating the fastener  30  so that the flats  16  and  38  abut, or a longer side of the overall shape abuts the flat  16 , the larger girth G 2  is aligned with the elongate shape of the aperture  14  so that the flanges  32  and  34  are not able to disengage with the elongate slot  14  and the weight of the pouch (pressing downward by its weight) prevents the from rotating away from the abutting relationship until manually and purposefully rotated after relieving the weight biasing. 
   The fabric article  20  clearly may be almost any article of clothing or similar articles such as shirts, a jackets and a pairs of pants, but can also be any relatively flexible fabric such as a curtain, a blanket, and so on, while the pouch  10  may be any item that one wishes to carry on their person or otherwise without the use of fasteners such as pins and clips. Typical articles include money holders, a firearm holsters, and utility bags. The item however, must have a sheet portion  12  that is able to be married with the fastener  30  using the aperture  14 . 
   The method of the present invention, i.e., the method of use includes the steps of abutting the first flange  32  of a fastener  30  against a portion of a fabric article  20  and then pressing the first flange  32  and the portion of the fabric article  20  through the aperture  14  in the sheet portion  12  of the pouch  10  so that the first flange  32  is positioned on one side of the sheet portion  12 , while the second flange  34  is positioned on the opposing side as shown in  FIG. 4  and so that a portion of the fabric article  20  extends through the aperture  14 . Next, the U-shaped clip  40  is slid between the first and second flanges  32  and  34  thereby positioning detent surfaces  46  against the connector  36 , so as to lock the fastener  30  within the aperture  14 , and in this way the pouch  10  is mounted onto the fabric article  20  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The flanges  32 ,  34  when formed as oblong in shape as described above, and when the flat  16  at one end of the aperture  16  and at the flat  38  at one position on the connector  36  abut, the larger girth G 2  is aligned with the length of the aperture  14  thereby preventing the fastener  30  from disengaging with the sheet portion  12  of pouch  10 . 
   The enablements described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of the apparatus and its method of use and to the achievement of the above described objectives. The words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification: structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word or words describing the element. 
   The definitions of the words or drawing elements described herein are meant to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements described and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. 
   Changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope intended and its various embodiments. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. This disclosure is thus meant to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted, and also what incorporates the essential ideas. 
   The scope of this description is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear, here, that each named inventor believes that the claimed subject matter is what is intended to be patented.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8