Abstract:
A flexible retainer for securing a web-like material, such as a table skirt, to a flat surface or table. The retainer has a frontwardly extending upper member, a substantially U-shaped lower member having a frontwardly extending first leg, and a primary member connecting the upper member to the lower member. The structure of the retainer and the configuration of its elements help to mask its appearance when used to retain a table skirt. In addition, extending into the lower end of the primary member are one or more vertical slots, which define one or more fingers. The configuration of the slots serve to improve the flexibility of the retainer, while maintaining the primary member&#39;s surface area for disposition of fasteners.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a retainer for detachably securing a web-like material, such as a table skirt to a flat surface or table. More particularly, the invention relates to a flexible retainer capable of being attached to table top edges, wherein a table skirt is secured to the retainer using hook and loop fasteners.  
           [0003]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/250,451 entitled “PLASTIC RETAINER,” filed on Dec. 1, 2000.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    Table skirts are commonly placed around the periphery of various types of tables in order to improve the appearance of the tables. The table skirts must be attached to the tables in such a manner that they resist falling or shifting when exposed to various conditions, such as wind or frequent contact by people. On the other hand, it often becomes necessary to remove a table skirt from a table for cleaning or pressing when the table skirt becomes soiled or wrinkled. As such, various fastening devices have been employed to hold the table skirts in place during use and also to allow easy removal of the table skirts from the tables.  
           [0006]    Conventionally, a table skirt is attached to a table top using snap buttons. The male components of the snap buttons are sewn to a strip of material that is secured to the table edge by, e.g., an adhesive. The female components of the snap buttons are sewn along an edge of the table skirt. The female components may then be snapped into the male components to retain the table skirt around the table edge. The table skirt may be detached from the table edge by simply unsnapping the buttons. Unfortunately, attachment of the table skirt to the table top using such buttons may be time consuming since each button must be snapped on individually.  
           [0007]    More recently, plastic retainers have been used to hold table skirts around the periphery of table tops. FIG. 1 depicts one prior art type of plastic retainer  110 , which includes a planar primary member  120 , an upper member  140  and a lower member  160 . Primary member  120  is typically square or rectangular in shape, and includes a hook portion  180 , of a hook and loop type fastener, on its back surface. This hook portion may be extruded as part of the manufacture of the retainer or may be attached, such as through adhesion.  
           [0008]    Still referring to FIG. 1, the prior art retainer is typically attached to the edge of a table top by engaging the upper surface of the table top with upper member  140 , and by engaging the lower surface of the table top with lower member  160 . A common flaw with this type of retainer is the manner in which it engages a flat surface, such as a table. As the lower member is biased against the edge of the flat surface, the leg deforms. In order to maintain the retainer in place upper member  140  exerts pressure against one side of the flat surface, while the lower member  160  exerts pressure to the opposite side of the flat surface. Due to the design of the prior art retainers, this pressure is not evenly distributed, and the retainers have a tendency to disengage, through slippage, from the flat surface. The lack of proper pressure distribution is due to the upper member  140  not having its flat surface engaging portion directly above the lower member&#39;s  160  flat surface engaging portion. The predetermined spacing d 10  of the prior art determines to which sized tables retainer  110  may be attached. The predetermined spacing is most commonly ¾ inch or ⅜ inch and pertains to the height of the edge of the table top. After the prior art retainer is secured to a table top in this manner, hook portion  180  remains exposed so that a loop portion (not shown) attached to a table skirt (also not shown) may engage hook portion  180 . Generally, a plurality of retainers are secured around one or more sides of the table top, and then the table skirt is attached to the plurality of retainers. The table skirt may be removed from the table top by separating the hooks and loops.  
           [0009]    Upper member  140  of the prior art retainer typically extends perpendicularly from primary member  120 . Lower member  160  extends from the lower end of the primary member. Still referring to FIG. 1, first leg  162  of the lower member is typically much shorter than second leg  164 , and typically slants away from the table, and toward the table skirt, when the retainer is engaged with a table. Thus, a skirt using the prior art retainer does not lay flat along a vertical plane. This can result in an undesired appearance of the table skirt and/or a “bunching up” of the table skirt due to the outward slant of the lower member. Finally, the conventional prior art plastic retainers are relatively rigid, while there is a need for flexibility to easily secure the retainer to, and remove the retainer from, the table top edge. In particular, primary member  120  typically consists of a unitary (fingerless and notchless) rectangular piece of plastic, and therefore, is relatively rigid. Moreover, leg  162 , being short relative to leg  164 , further contributes to the retainer&#39;s rigidity.  
           [0010]    Guebert et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,958, disclose a draper connector assembly. Guebert et al. show a retainer protruding backwardly (away from the plane of the primary member in a direction opposite the upper member). Furthermore, Guebert et al. disclose a primary member without any hook mountable flexibility-contributing fingers and, therefore, does not teach the invention as claimed.  
           [0011]    Ehrlich, U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,712, discloses a table skirt-attaching method. Ehrlich shows a notchless and fingerless (albeit perforated) rectangular, vertically-oriented primary member that is relatively rigid, and that would necessarily bow (or spring) outward upon engagement of the retainer with a table edge. Thus, Ehrlich does not teach the invention as claimed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a flexible retainer for detachably securing a web-like material, such as a table skirt to a flat surface or table, where the retainer substantially obviates one or more of the problems that are due to the limitations and disadvantages of the related art described above.  
           [0013]    The retainer comprises a primary member having an upper end, a lower end, a front surface and a back surface. The retainer further comprises an upper member that extends from the upper end of the front surface of the primary member. The retainer further comprises a lower member that extends from the lower end of the primary member. The lower member is substantially U-shaped having first and second legs. The first leg extends downward, and away from the major plane of the primary member in the same direction as the upper member—that is, frontwardly. The retainer is attachable to the edge of a table top by engaging an upper surface of the table top with the upper member and a lower surface of the table top with the lower member.  
           [0014]    Extending upward from the lower end of the primary member are a plurality of slots, which define outside fingers of the primary member. Preferably, there are two slots, and therefore two fingers. The distance between these slots define the width of the lower member. The purpose of these slots is to improve the flexibility of the retainer, while maintaining the primary member&#39;s surface area for disposition of the hook fasteners. Further contributing to the flexibility of the retainer, first and second legs of the lower member are substantially equal in length. In the preferred embodiment, there is a hook portion positioned on the back surface of the primary member that is capable of engaging a loop portion positioned on a table skirt. The hook portion comprises a plurality of hook patches, preferably integral with the primary member. The upper member may comprise a variety of shapes, including substantially triangular or substantially bell-shaped. The retainer is preferably made from a substantially transparent plastic, such as polyolefin, polycarbonate, nylon or the like.  
           [0015]    The first leg necessarily extends frontwardly (towards the table), in either a slant or in a serpentine, S-shaped bend—which serves as a convenient axis of rotation for the lower member as the retainer is biased into or out of engagement with a table edge, whereas the frontward extension eliminates any protrusion of the retainer through the vertical plane of the table skirt.  
           [0016]    The present invention is further directed towards a method of securing web-like materials, such as skirting, to a flat surface, such as the edge of a table top. The retainers comprise a primary member with an upper end, a lower end, a front surface facing frontwardly, a back surface opposite the front surface, and a hook portion of a hook and loop type fastener formed on the back surface. The retainer further includes a frontwardly extending upper member, a substantially U-shaped lower member having a first leg extending frontwardly from the lower end, and a second leg extending from the first leg. A plurality of the retainers are then attached to the edges of a flat surface, such as a table top, by engaging the upper surface of the flat surface with the upper member, and by engaging the lower surface of the flat surface with the lower member. The hook portion of the retainer is then engaged by the loop portion of the web-like material, thereby providing skirting to flat surfaces, such as tables.  
           [0017]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated as part of this specification. The drawings illustrate two embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a prior art retainer for securing a table skirt to a table top;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a retainer of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the retainer of FIG. 2;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the retainer of FIG. 2;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the retainer of FIG. 2;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 6 is a side view of the retainer of FIG. 2;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the retainer of FIG. 2;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the retainer of FIG. 2;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of a  2 nd embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of the retainer of FIG. 9;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 11 is a rear elevation view of the retainer of FIG. 9;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 12 is a front elevation view of the retainer of FIG. 9;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of the retainer of FIG. 9;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the retainer of FIG. 9; and  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 15 is a bottom plan view of the retainer of FIG. 9. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]    Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIGS. 2 through 8 illustrate one embodiment of a retainer of the present invention, while FIGS. 9 through 15 illustrate another embodiment of a retainer of the present invention. The different embodiments are directed to retainers for detachably securing web-like materials, such as table skirts, and having slightly different structural features serving slightly different purposes. In particular, FIGS. 2 through 8 are directed to a table top having an edge with a height of about ⅜ inch, while FIGS. 9 through 15 are directed to a table top having an edge with a height of about ¾ inch. The present invention, however, is not limited to these particular table sizes, and may comprise various dimensions to fit other size heights of table top edges.  
         [0036]    As shown in FIGS. 2 through 15, the retainer of the present invention is somewhat similar in shape to conventional retainers (see FIG. 1). However, the retainer of the present invention includes certain features to overcome the disadvantages and limitations of conventional retainers. As shown in FIGS. 2 through 8, retainer  10  of the present invention includes a primary planar member  20 , an upper member  40 , and a lower member  60 . The primary member  20  is substantially square or rectangular in shape, and has an upper end  22 , a lower end  24 , a front surface  26  and a back surface  28 . The terms “upper,” “lower,” “front,” and “back” are relative to the table top to which a retainer is secured. Thus, when retainer  10  is secured to the table top, upper end  22  is positioned above lower end  24 , front surface  26  faces toward the table top, and back surface  28  faces the direction opposite front surface  26 , i.e., towards the table skirt. Primary member  20  also includes two substantially identical slots  30 ,  32 , which extend upward from lower end  24 . Slots  30 ,  32  define a section  34  of primary member  20  from which lower member  60  extends downward.  
         [0037]    A hook portion  80  is positioned on back surface  28  of primary member  20 . Hook portion  80  preferably includes a plurality of hooks  82  of the hook and loop type fastener. Hooks  82  are generally positioned over a substantial portion of the area of back surface  28  of primary member  20 . In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, hooks  82  are positioned in three separate hook areas  84 ,  86 , and  88 , with two hook-free areas  90 ,  92 . In particular, hook-free area  90  is positioned between the hook areas  84  and  86 , while hook-free area  92  is positioned between hook areas  86  and  88 .  
         [0038]    Upper member  40  of retainer  10  extends perpendicularly from primary member  20  at or near upper end  22  of primary member  20 , and is substantially horizontal. Upper member  40  extends outward from front surface  26  of primary member  20 , in the direction toward the table top (not shown) when retainer  10  is secured to a table top. Upper member  40  may comprise a wide variety of shapes and sizes, including, but not limited to, circular, half-circular, triangular, substantially triangular, bell-shaped, and the like. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 through 8, upper member  40  is substantially triangular in shape, with a rounded front edge  42 .  
         [0039]    As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and  6 , lower member  60  is substantially U-shaped, beginning from section  34 , at the lower end of primary member  20 . The substantially U-shaped lower member  60  is comprised of a first leg  62  extending downward from section  34 , and a second leg  64  extending from leg  62  upward toward upper member  40 . First leg  62  slants downward from primary member  20 , and frontwardly, meaning in the same direction from the major plane of primary member  20  that upper member  40  extends, or more plainly, towards the table.  
         [0040]    Upper end  66  of leg  64  of lower member  60  is spaced a distance below upper member  40 . In use, the retainer  10  is attached to the edge of a table top (not shown) by engaging the upper surface of the table top with upper member  40  and the lower surface of the table top with lower member  60 . More particularly, the upper surface of the table top engages with the lower surface  44  of upper member  40 , and the lower surface of the table top engages with upper end  66  of leg  64  of the lower member.  
         [0041]    Upper end  66  of leg  64  preferably includes a chamfered portion  68  to help engage it with the lower surface of a table top. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and  6 , in one embodiment, portion  68  is curved or arc-shaped. Portion  68  is not limited to being curved, but may comprise any shape and size that aids in engaging the lower surface of a table top. As shown in FIG. 6, portion  68  is generally positioned directly beneath front edge  42  of upper member  40 . Preferably, portion  68  does not extend beyond front edge  42 . In addition, preferably, an engagement surface  43  on upper member  40  is positioned directly below an engagement surface  65  on lower member  60 . This arrangement allows for the even distribution of pressure to the engagement surfaces, thereby preventing disengagement through slippage.  
         [0042]    The distance d 1  between the upper surface of portion  68  and the lower surface of upper member  40  determines the particular table top to which a retainer may be secured. In particular, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 through 8, the distance d 1  is about ⅜ inch and, thus, as stated above, retainer  10  may be secured to those tables having a table top with an edge height of about ⅜ inch.  
         [0043]    As shown most clearly in FIGS. 2, 3 and  6 , legs  62  and  64  of lower member  60  are substantially the same length when measuring leg  62  from lower end  24  of primary member  20  to juncture  63  (bottom point) of legs  62  and  64 , and when measuring leg  64  from juncture  63  of legs  62  and  64  to curved portion  68 . In particular, legs  62 ,  64  may be about 13 mm to about 30 mm in length. Legs  62  and  64  may also be a length of about 25.5 mm.  
         [0044]    While legs  62  and  64  are preferably substantially the same length, leg  62  of the present invention is relatively long in comparison to conventional retainers. In addition, primary member  20  is preferably shorter in length (i.e., from lower end  24  to upper end  22 ) than conventional retainers. Because the length of leg  62  in the present invention is extended, the distance between lower end  24  of primary member  20  and the bottom of the U-shape of lower member  60  (i.e., juncture  63 ) is also greater. This greater distance results in greater flexibility for the retainer of the present invention. As stated above, the retainer must be sufficiently flexible in order to easily secure the retainer to a table top edge and to easily remove the retainer from the table top edge. Primary member  20 , as a square or rectangular member typically made of a plastic material, is otherwise rigid and relatively inflexible. Thus, the greater the relative length of leg  62 , the more flexible is retainer  10 .  
         [0045]    In addition, the flexibility of retainer  10  of the present invention is enhanced because of the presence of two, preferably continuous slots  30  and  32  formed through primary member  20 . However, there could just as easily be one continuous slot. In particular, slots  30  and  32  define finger  31  and finger  33  of primary member  20 . Slots  30  and  32  are continuous from the interior of primary member  20  to a lower edge of primary member  20  so as to define the side edges of leg  62 . Fingers  31  and  33  generally correspond to hook areas  88  and  84 , respectively. Fingers  31  and  33  are useful because they enable primary member  20  to have a larger surface area for attachment of hook areas  88  and  84 , while providing retainer  20  with the same flexibility that a retainer would have if fingers  31  and  33  were severed at their upper end and removed. Moreover, leg  62  angles downward from primary member  20  in the direction towards the table top, and not towards the table skirt. This angle or slant of leg  62  is such that a table skirt secured to retainer  10  may lay flat in the downward direction, and will not slant outward from the table, as may occur with the conventional retainers previously discussed. Note that even a perfectly vertical primary member will still slant outward when the retainer is biased when capturing the edge of a table top.  
         [0046]    The flexibility of lower member  60  is enhanced because of two radius portions present in lower member  60 . The first radius portion  77  is formed at the intersection of lower member  60  and primary member  40 . The second radius portion is at juncture  63 .  
         [0047]    [0047]FIGS. 9 through 15 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the retainer of the present invention. This retainer is for securing to those table tops having an edge with a height of about ¾ inch. The retainer  10 ′ shown in FIGS. 9 through 15 is similar to retainer  10  shown in FIGS. 2 through 8. In particular, retainer  10 ′ includes a primary member  20 ′, an upper member  40 ′, a lower member  60 &#39; and a hook portion  80 ′.  
         [0048]    Primary member  20 ′ includes an upper end  22 ′, a lower end  24 ′, a front surface  26 ′ and a back surface  28 ′, along with slots  30 ′,  32 ′ that extend upward from the lower end  24 ′. Slots  30 ′,  32 ′ define a section  34 ′ of primary member  20 ′ from which lower member  60 ′ extends. In addition, a hook portion  80 ′ is positioned over substantially the entire back surface  28 ′ of primary member  20 ′. Hook portion  80 ′ includes a plurality of hooks  82 ′ for engagement with loops of a hook and loop type fastener that are positioned on a table skirt. Preferably, hooks  82 ′ comprise three hook areas  84 ′,  86 ′ and  88 ′, with hook-free areas  90 ′,  92 ′ there between.  
         [0049]    Upper member  40 ′ extends frontwardly, as previously defined, from upper end  22 ′, and is preferably perpendicular to the major plane of primary member  20 ′ when retainer  10 ′ is secured to the table. In this embodiment, as shown most clearly in FIGS. 9, 10 and  14 , upper member  40 ′ is bell-shaped with a rounded front edge  42 ′. Again, however, upper member  40 ′ may comprise a wide variety of shapes, as discussed above.  
         [0050]    Lower member  60 ′ is substantially U-shaped, having two legs  62 ′ and  64 ′. The first leg  62 ′ extends in a serpentine pattern downward and frontwardly from primary member  20 ′, again, frontwardly meaning in the same direction from the major plane of primary member  20 ′ that upper member  40 ′ extends, or more plainly, towards the table about which the skirting is being secured.  
         [0051]    Leg  64 ′ is preferably a substantially vertical member extending upward toward upper member  40 ′. In this embodiment, leg  62 ′ preferably includes a first bend  76 . An upper end  66 ′ of leg  64 ′ of lower member  60 ′ is spaced a distance below upper member  40 ′. In use, retainer  10 ′ is attached to the edge of a table top (not shown) by engaging the upper surface of the table top with upper member  40 ′ and the lower surface of the table top with lower member  60 ′. More particularly, the upper surface of the table top engages the lower surface  44 ′ of upper member  40 ′, and the lower surface of the table top engages upper end  66 ′ of leg  64 ′.  
         [0052]    The lower surface of the table top engages portion  68 ′, as follows: Upper end  66 ′ of leg  64 ′ preferably includes a camming portion  68 ′ to more easily engage the lower surface of a table top. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and  13 , portion  68 ′ is a substantially planar portion  70  including a top surface  72  that may have an outward curve  74 . Again, portion  68 ′ is not limited to having a curved surface, but may comprise any shape and size that aids in engaging the lower surface of a table top. As shown in FIG. 13, portion  68 ′ of upper end  66 ′ is generally positioned directly beneath front edge  42 ′ of upper member  40 ′. Preferably, curve  74  is directly below the middle of the bottom surface  44 ′ of upper member  40 ′. This allows for engagement of a flat surface, such as a table top, by curve  74  and surface  44 ′. These two points on the retainer members are in a substantially vertical axis, and prevent disengagement of the retainer due to slippage. In addition, preferably, an engagement surface  43 ′ on upper member  40 ′ is positioned directly above an engagement surface  65 ′ on lower member  60 ′.  
         [0053]    Upper end  66 ′ of lower member  60 ′ is spaced a distance below upper member  40 ′, thereby defining a predetermined spacing d 1  between the upper and lower members  40 ′, and  60 ′, respectively. As with the previous embodiment, this distance d 1 &#39; determines the particular table top to which a retainer may be secured. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 through 15, the distance d 1  is preferably about ¾ inch and, thus, this retainer may be secured to those tables having a table top with a height of about ¾ inch.  
         [0054]    As shown most clearly in FIGS. 9, 10 and  13 , in this embodiment, legs  62 ′ and  64 ′ of lower member  60 ′ are substantially the same length when measuring leg  62 ′ from lower end  24 ′ of primary member  20 ′ to the juncture  63 ′ of legs  62 ′,  64 ′ and measuring leg  64 ′ from juncture  63 ′ of legs  62 ′,  64 ′ to the substantially planar portion  70 ′. In particular, legs  62 ′,  64 ′ may be about 13 mm to about 30 mm in length. In one embodiment, legs  62 ′,  64 ′ are about 22 mm in length.  
         [0055]    As with the previous embodiment, leg  62 ′ of retainer  10 ′ is relatively long in comparison to conventional retainers. Also, primary member  20 ′ is preferably shorter in height (i.e., from lower end  24 ′ to upper end  22 ′) than conventional retainers. In addition, the flexibility of retainer  10 ′ of the present invention is enhanced because of the presence of slots  30 ′ and  32 ′ in primary member  20 ′. In particular, slots  30 ′ and  32 ′ define finger  31 ′ and finger  33 ′ of primary member  20 . Slots  30 ′ and  32 ′ are continuous from the interior of primary member  20 ′ to the lower edge of primary member  20 ′ so as to define the side edges of leg  62 .′ Fingers  31 ′ and  33 ′ generally correspond to hook areas  88 ′ and  84 &#39;. Fingers  31 ′ and  33 ′ are useful because they enable primary member  20 ′ to have a larger surface area, due to the inclusion of hook areas  88 ′ and  84 ′, while providing retainer  20 ′ with the same flexibility that a retainer would have if fingers  31 ′ and  33 ′ were severed at their upper end and removed.  
         [0056]    Moreover, as shown most clearly in FIGS. 9, 10 and  13 , leg  62 ′ slants in the direction toward the table when engagement surface  65 ′ is biased, as retainer  10 ′ is secured to a table edge. The presence of bend  76  in leg  62 ′ is preferred to ensure the structural integrity of lower member  60 ′ and to allow retainer  10 ′ to flex more readily. As discussed above, because leg  62 ′ slants towards the table when retainer  10 ′ is secured to a table, a table skirt attached to a plurality of retainers  10 ′ may lay flat in the downward direction, and will generally not lay at a slant outward from the table, as may occur with conventional retainers, as discussed above.  
         [0057]    The flexibility of lower member  60 ′ is enhanced because of three radius portions present in S-shaped lower member  60 ′. The first, radius portion  77 ′ is formed at the juncture of lower member  60 ′ and primary member  20 ′. The second radius portion, bend  76 , essentially serves as a fulcrum point for retainer  10 ′. The third radius portion is at the bottom of the U-shaped lower member—i.e., at juncture  63 ′.  
         [0058]    It is preferred that the retainer of the second embodiment also be fabricated using an extrudable plastic material such as polyolefin, polycarbonate, nylon, or the like. In addition, in both of the embodiments described above, the parts of the retainers are preferably made from a transparent plastic so that they can be discerned only upon close inspection. Such retainers thus do not draw attention away from the table skirt held in place around the edge of a table top. Preferably, polyolefin is used because of its flexibility and its transparent-like qualities. The hooks are preferably extruded from the same material as the primary member and are integral with the primary member. This avoids the time and cost of attaching a separate strip of material containing hooks to the back surface of the primary member. In the alternative, however, separate strips of hook-containing material may be used with this invention by attaching the separate strips, e.g., by adhesive, to the back surface of the primary member.  
         [0059]    In both embodiments described above, the retainer may be attached to the edge of a table top by engaging the upper surface of the table top with the upper member and the lower surface of the table top with the lower member. Preferably, a plurality of retainers are first placed at intervals around the edge of one or more sides of the periphery of the table top such that the hook portion faces outward. For releasable engagement of the hook portion, the loop portion (not shown) is attached to the periphery of the table skirt (not shown) and includes a plurality of loops. To hang a table skirt from the table top, the table skirt is pressed against the individual retainers around one or more sides of the table. The table skirt is pressed against the individual retainers while aligning the loop portions of the table skirt to the hooking portions of the retainers. Pressing the loop portions of the table skirt against the hooking portions of the retainers allows the hooks and loops to engage and form mechanical bonds. Once it is desired to remove the table skirt, the mechanical bonds between the hooks on the retainers and the loops on the table skirt may be broken by peeling the loops from the hooks.  
         [0060]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the method of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided that they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.