Abstract: In one aspect, a functional garment is provided that includes a front panel having a left lateral end and a right lateral end opposite the left lateral end, the front panel comprising a first breast cup and a second breast cup between the left lateral and the right lateral end; a first side panel attached to the left lateral end at a left intersection; a second side panel attached to the right lateral end at a right intersection; and an elastic member attached at a first lateral end thereof to the front panel at the left intersection and at a second lateral end thereof to the front panel at the right intersection, the elastic member configured to apply mediolateral compressive forces to a wearer's breast when the garment is worn.

Abstract: A sports bra with flexible reinforcements that aid in reducing inertia caused by movement of the breast weight when a person engages in physical activities.

Abstract: A medical compression garment is provided including a midline opening cut in a medial segment of the elastic garment, dividing its front fabric portion into first and second sections. Fasteners, such as hook-and-loop fasteners, are attached to the first and second sections which connect together to close the opening. Pulls may be included. To don the garment, a wearer places their legs into the garment and pulls the garment along the legs until its top is aligned with the groin. The wearer then inverts and pulls the first and second sections of the garment together and fastens them to close the opening. Afterwards, the wearer pulls up the garment until it reaches the waist. When the wearer subsequently wants to take off the garment, the wearer unfastens the first and second sections and pull the garment down from the waist. The garment thus facilitates the donning and removal process.

Abstract: A swage fastening structure includes a first plate member including a plate main body and a T-shaped swaging piece, and a second plate members including a fastening hole through which the swaging piece passes. The swaging piece includes: a shaft portion; and a pair of holding pieces configured such that an end surface of each holding piece close to the plate main body is inclined in a direction of gradually getting away from the plate main body from one end close to the shaft portion to the other end thereof, and is formed such that a dimension between the plate main body and the one end close to the shaft portion is smaller than a plate thickness of the second plate member and a dimension between the plate main body and the other end is larger than the plate thickness of the second plate member.

Abstract: A buckle part (2) of a belt buckle (1), wherein the buckle part (2) comprises at least one connecting part (4) for releasably connecting the buckle part (2) to another buckle part (3) of the belt buckle (1) and at least one bar (5) for fastening a belt (26) on the bar (5) of the buckle part (2), wherein the buckle part (2) also comprises at least one clevis type eyelet (6) for hooking a karabiner into the clevis type eyelet (6).

Abstract: A buckle suitable for use with a child restrain harness comprises a first strap fastener having at least one resilient latching arm, a second strap fastener having a base provided with an opening, and a socket movably assembled through the opening, the socket being operable to rotate relative to the base, and the latching arm being operable to engage with the socket to securely hold the first strap fastener with the socket.

Abstract: A fastening element is provided for an end area of a first strap of an item of corsetry, particularly of women's undergarments. The fastening element is to be fastened to a second strap of the item of corsetry and has an number of strap plies of which at least one strap ply has a fastening part such as at least one hook, one eye or the like. Comfort of wear is improved for a fastening element of this type with a padding provided between two strap plies. This padding is attached to at least one of the strap plies by joining it near the lateral edges of the fastening element. When the fastening element is in use, the fastening is located, at least in part, between strap plies of the fastening element.

Abstract: An adjustable fastener includes a male part and a female part, both of which are preferably made of soft pliable, sewable plastic. The female fastener part preferably has two or more spaced apart openings. Each having a broad portion and a narrow portion. The male fastener part has a base with an upstanding riser with a flange at the end of the riser. The female fastener part is made of a single thin wall which is sewn to the fabric of the garment. The base of the male part is also made of a single thin wall which is sewn to the fabric of the garment. The single wall construction of the female fastener part makes it more flexible, less easily seen, and not felt so much by the wearer. The female fastener part is provided with a bend between the openings so that it lies flat against the back when the male and female parts are coupled to the tightest position. The center of the riser of the male part is offset from the center of the flange.

Abstract: A clothing connector having tensile components is formed in any of the conventional ways, and a soft roughness insulating covering layer is attached to one side and then moved to the other side in an inside-out process which provides a soft finish not only to the side to which it was moved, but also the peripheral edges and a narrow portion of the side of the clothing connector to which it was originally attached. This structure and process enables quick application of a softening, object insulating covering to any clothing connector expected to face the body.

Abstract: An improved connecting device for assembling two components is described. The device comprises at least one magnetic male component and at least one magnetic female component. A male component comprises a bull-nose or beveled end integral with a hook and a magnet. A female component comprises an aperture with a guiding curvature, a groove in the same side with the guiding curvature, and a magnet receptacle or magnetic portion to which the magnet of the male component can be attached. A magnetic force between the magnet and the magnetic element of the receptacle in combination with the curved shapes of the female and male components achieve safe and secure engagement of the two components. The components of the device are located in the backside, thereby creating an unalterable appearance from the front. The device is interchangeable in a countless number of combinations.

Abstract: A method of incorporating a fastener with a molded brassiere of a seamless construction and that includes an exterior panel of moldable material and an interior panel of moldable material that is contiguous with the exterior more panel and has been laminated therewith except at at least a non-laminated region where the fastener is to be located, and wherein the fastener includes a connector supported by a flexible mounting panel, the method comprising creating an opening through one of the exterior panel and the interior panel at the non-laminated region and at a location thereof through which at least part of the connector is to extend, locating the flexible mounting panel intermediate of the exterior panel and the interior panel at the non-laminated region in a manner to allow the at least part of the connector to extend through the opening, affixing at least one of the exterior panel and the interior panel to the flexible mounting panel.

Abstract: A hook and eye fastener is provided in which either, or both of, the hook fastener fabric tape or the eye fastener fabric tape is made of a stretchable material. Preferably, the fabric tape can stretch primarily in a horizontal direction. The fabric tape may be single or multi-ply. In an alternative embodiment, the eye fastener fabric tape is a one piece, open knit construction. This open knit construction provides a number of eyes for a variety of adjustment possibilities with the corresponding hooks.

Abstract: A connection element for end areas particularly of ladies' underwear which are to be connected to one another, especially the end areas of the wings of bras, having an eye tape provided with one or more eyes. The eye tape can be connected to a hook tape. The hook tape has two areas lying one on top of another, wherein one or more hooks are fastened at one area, and the edge zones of both areas extending in parallel to the hooks are connected to one another by means of a separating weld seam. The separating weld seams (10) are arranged within the hook tape (2) between the hook-free area (7) of the hook tape and the hook-carrying area (8).

Abstract: A male/female engaging device utilized with a pair of tapes constructed so that a gap between the pair of tapes is as small as possible and capable of providing a fashionable and beautiful appearance. Female engaging devices made of synthetic resin are attached to one side edge of one of the pair of tapes and male engaging devices are attached to one side edge of the other of the pair of tapes. Engagement or disengagement between a female engaging device and its corresponding male engaging device is carried out inside of the side edge of one of the tapes on which the female engaging device or the male engaging device is attached. In one embodiment, each female engaging device includes a vertical pair of engaging pieces protruded from a base portion for covering the side edge of one tape and each male engaging device includes a hooking portion for covering the side edge of the other tape so that the engaging pieces are capable of engaging the hooking portion.

Abstract: A closure for securement to an article of apparel and for use by a person having handicapped hands is described. The closure comprises a first fastener support member which has one or more fastener elements secured thereto. A second fastener support member is provided and has one or more fastener elements for interconnection with the fasteners of the first support member. The first and second fastener support members are adapted for securement to articles of apparel. The fasteners are removably interconnectable together with the support members overlapping. A first fabric loop is provided in a front face of one of the fastener support members and a second fabric loop is secured to a lower portion of the other fastener support member, and may depend therefrom or be concealed therebehind. The loops are of predetermined size and are disposed for engagement by a handicapped person for attaching and detaching the fasteners with one another with the support members overlapped with one another.

Abstract: A retaining member is secured to a cable at a distance from one end of the cable. The retaining member includes a plurality of fitting receivers spaced from the cable end by different distances. A fitting is provided at the cable end. By selectively engaging the fitting with the fitting retainers, the effective length of the cable can be changed over an adjustment range.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing fastener elements for fastening devices that are intended to be affixed to side-parts of an absorbent article of the kind which includes a central part and front and rear side-parts that project out from respective sides of the central part, so as to enable the front and rear side-parts on one and the same side of the central part of the article to be joined together. According to the invention, a central, longitudinally extending, wave-shaped slit is made in a material web which includes at least one continuous row of fastening devices or a continuous string of fastener devices or fastener-device blanks which extends in the longitudinal direction of the material web. Transverse slits are made on both sides of the material web up to the region of the wave-shaped slit, these transverse slits being mutually spaced in the longitudinal direction of the web at a continuously repeated spacing sequence.