HOOK-AND-LOOP FASTENING SYSTEM

Abstract

A wearable item, such as a shoe, is disclosed including a first item portion of the wearable item and a second item portion of the wearable item for securing to the first item portion. A hook patch having a plurality of hooks is secured to the first item portion and a receiver portion is secured to the second item portion and is configured to receive a selectively removable fastener. No portion of the wearable item, including the first and second item portions, includes a loop patch for engaging the hook patch. A strap having a first end portion and a second end portion is used with the wearable item. The first end portion includes a loop patch secured thereto and the second end portion has a selectively removable fastener secured thereto for engaging the receiver portion and the loop patch is selectively engaged with the hook patch.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This application relates to hook-and-loop fastening systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hook-and-loop fastening systems, often sold under the name VELCRO™, are ubiquitous. As known in the art, a hook-and-loop fastening system includes first portion that includes a large number of small hooks and a second portion that includes a mat of fiber loops. Hook-and-loop fastening systems are particularly common in sports equipment such as gloves, baseball gloves, shoes, and other items of sports equipment. For much of such equipment, there are many opportunities for debris to gather in the loop portion. The dense mat of fibers of the loop portion is particularly prone to collecting dirt, lint, or other debris. Ultimately, the ability of the loop portion to engage the hook potion can be impaired or lost entirely due to debris that is difficult or impossible to remove.

In view of the foregoing it would be an advancement in the art to provide means for extending the life of equipment and apparel incorporating hook-and-loop fasteners.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the invention, a wearable item includes a first item portion of the wearable item and a second item portion of the wearable item for securing to the first item portion. A hook patch having a plurality of hooks is secured to the first item portion and a receiver portion is secured to the second item portion and is configured to receive a selectively removable fastener. No portion of the wearable item, including the first and second item portions or receiver portion, includes a loop patch for engaging the hook patch.

A strap having a first end portion and a second end portion is used with the wearable item. The first end portion includes a loop patch secured thereto and the second end portion has a selectively removable fastener secured thereto. The selectively removable fastener engages the receiver portion and the loop patch is selectively engaged with the hook patch. Upon end of the useful life of the hook patch, the strap is removed by disengaging the selectively removable fastener from the receiver portion.

In another aspect of the invention, the wearable item is a shoe such that the first item portion is one side of the upper of a shoe and the second item portion is an opposite side of the upper of the shoe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are side elevation views of shoes with hook-and-loop fastening systems in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a strap in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are side elevation views of a shoe in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of a strap in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A through 5C are top views of a glove having a fastening system in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a sleeve having a cuff incorporating a fastening system in accordance with the alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of a shoe incorporating a fastening system in accordance with another alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a pouch incorporating a fastening system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a detachable top for a pouch in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10A is a rear elevation view of a pouch and detachable top in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10B is a front elevation view of a pouch and detachable top in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a shoe 10 having a hook-and-loop fastening system. The illustrated shoe 10 may be any type of shoe for use in any type of activity. For example, the shoe 10 may be a biking shoe for use with a clipless pedal. The illustrated shoe 10 is just one example of a wearable item, or other type of item, that may use a hook-and-loop fastening system to secure or tension one portion of the item relative to another portion of the item. The systems and methods disclosed herein may be used in other contexts where a hook-and-loop fastening system may be used such as gloves, backpacks, tents, or other items.

In the following disclosure, hook and loop patches are described as being secured to various components. Although the hook and loop patches may advantageously be secured to a particular component in some applications, for purposes of this application the hooks and loop patches may be interchanged and still achieve at least some of the benefits of the disclosed invention. Likewise, for the embodiments disclosed herein, patches of hooks and loops may be replaced with corresponding fastening patches of other removable fastening systems that rely on an array of small, closely spaced fastening elements to achieve adhesion on contact and removal by peeling one patch away from another in a non-destructive and reusable manner. As one example, the 3M™ Dual Lock™ technology may be used. In the Dual Lock™ system, patches including arrays of closely spaced mushroom shaped pins are able to secure to one another due to the interlocking of the mushroom shaped pins, with the enlarged heads of the pins hindering detachment.

For example, the illustrated shoe 10 has an upper portion 14a that is tensioned relative to an opposite side of the upper portion (not shown) in order to secure the shoe 10 to a wearer's foot. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a hook patch 12 or hook region 12 may be secured to the upper portion 14a, whereas a strap 16 secures to the upper portion of the shoe 10 opposite the upper portion 14a. A loop patch 18 is secured to the strap 16, such as by means of stitching or some other securement means. As shown in FIG. 1B, in use the strap 16 extends over the shoe 10 and the loop patch 18 is brought into engagement with the hook patch 12. The many hooks of the hook patch 12 engage the many loops of the loop patch 18 in order to selectively secure the strap 16 to the upper portion 14a at a desired portion. As known in the art, the loop patch 18 may be peeled away from the hook patch 12 in order to disengage the strap 16.

FIG. 2 illustrates a strap 20 in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The strap 20 may include a loop patch 22 secured thereto at a first end portion thereof, such as by means of stitching, plastic weld, glue, or some other means. A removable fastener 24 secures to the strap 20 at a second end portion, opposite the first end portion. The removable fastener 24 is something other than a hook patch or loop patch. For example, the removable fastener 24 may be the insertable portion of a side-release snap buckle or the receiver of a side-release snap buckle. The removable fastener 24 may include two latching arms 26 and a centering post 28 all extending from a buckle portion 30. The buckle portion 30 may be secured to the strap 20, such as by means of stitching.

In some embodiments, the loop patch 22 may extend substantially the entire extent of the strap 20. In other embodiments, the loop patch 22 may located on a portion of the strap 20 offset from the buckle 30 by a length 32 of the strap 20. In one advantageous use of the invention, the illustrated strap 20 may have various available configurations allowing a user to obtain a strap 20 suited to the user's needs. For example, a strap 20 may have any of various total lengths, lengths 32, lengths of the loop patch 22, widths, stifihesses, or any other attribute. A user may purchase a pair of shoes and then customize the shoes with straps 20 having desired attributes. This would also be the case for other types of wearable items or other products that may make use of a hook-and-loop fastening system.

Referring to FIG. 3A, in embodiments of the invention, a shoe 10 may include an upper portion 14a as shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 1A and 1B and an opposite upper portion 14b as shown in FIG. 3A. A receiver 34 for a removable fastener, such as the illustrated removable fastener 24, secures to the upper portion 14b opposite the hook portion 12. For example, the receiver 34 may be embodied as a sleeve 36 having notches 38 positioned to receive and engage the latching arms 26 of a side-release snap buckle.

Referring to FIG. 3B, the latching arms 26 are biased outwardly when engaged with the sleeve 36 into engagement with the notches 38 and hinder removal of the latching arms 26. In order to release the latching arms 26 a user presses inwardly on the arms 26 in order to disengage them from the notches 38 and enable removal of the removable fastener 24. With the removable fastener 24 engaged with the receiver 34, the strap 20 may be brought over to the upper portion 14a such that the loop patch 22 engages the hook patch 12 in the same manner as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

Various removable fasteners 24 and receivers 34 may be used, including any variation of side release buckle or other snap-on-type connector. In a like manner, a receiver 34 may secure to the strap 20 whereas a removable fastener for engagement with the receiver 34 is secured to the upper portion 14a of the shoe 10.

As is apparent in FIG. 3A, no loop patch is secured to the shoe 10 in a non-removable fashion and positionable in engagement with a hook patch 12 on an opposing side (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). In some embodiments, no loop is non-removably secured to the shoe 10 or to any structure non-removably secured to the shoe 10. For purpose of this disclosure, non-removable securement means securement with a fastening means that can only be unsecured by breaking or otherwise destroying the fastening means or a structure engaging the fastening means. For example, a non-removable securement means may include stitching, glue, plastic weld, or other like fastening means.

In another advantageous use of the invention, when a strap 20 has reached the end of its useful life or is otherwise found to be in need of replacement, the strap 20 may be removed by disengaging the removable fastener 24 from the receiver 34. The removable fastener 24 of a new strap 20 may then be placed in the receiver 34. The useful life of the shoe 10 may therefore be increased or the configuration of a shoe 10 modified all without requiring replacement of the shoe 10.

Referring to FIG. 4, various embodiments of removable fasteners 24 and receivers 34 may be used. For example, the insertable portion of a side-release snap buckle in the foregoing embodiments may be replaced with a removable fastener 24 as illustrated. The removable fastener 24 may include a stop 40, lip 40, protrusion 40, widened portion 40 or other structure that prevents sliding of the fastener 24 in at least one direction. The removable fastener 24 may also include a ridge 42, sear 42, detent 42, or other structure that likewise hinders sliding over the fastener 24 in at least one direction. The removable fastener 24 secures to a strap 44 having a loop patch 46 secured thereto, such as by means of stitching.

Referring to FIGS. 5A-5C, the illustrated removable fastener 24 may engage a receiver 34 embodied as a tube 52 or sleeve 52 permitting passage of the strap 44 and ridge 42 therethrough, such that the wall of the sleeve 52 is captured between the stop 40 and ridge 42. As shown in FIG. 5B, the stop 40 prevents movement of the stop 40 through the sleeve 52 in one direction. Likewise, the ridge 42 hinders removal of the removable fastener 24 in the opposite direction, but does not prevent such movement when sufficient force is applied to deform one or both the ridge 42 and the sleeve 52. As shown in FIG. 5C, the loop patch 46 of the strap 44 may be brought into engagement with a hook patch 50 secured to another area of the glove 48 in order to adjust tension of a cuff portion 56 around the wrist of the glove 48. The strap 44, removable fastener 24, and receiver 34 of FIGS. 4, 5A-5C may be used with shoes or any other item in which a hook-and-loop fastening system may be used.

As already noted above, the fastening system of FIGS. 1 through 5C may be used in various other items that are wearable by a person or used in some other way. For example, the fastening system of FIGS. 5A through 5C, including a strap 44 secured by means of a sleeve 52 and a stop 40 secured to the strap 44, along with the other elements shown in FIGS. 5a through 5C, may be used to implement an adjustable cuff portion 56 instead secured to an end of a sleeve 54 of a shirt, jacket, coat, or other wearable item. The illustrated configuration may also be used to provide an adjustable cuff portion 56 secured to the end of a pant leg or other item in which an adjustable opening is desirable.

Referring to FIG. 7 in an alternative embodiment, the strap 16 may be either non-removably or removably attached to the shoe 10. In order to replace the loop patch 22 in the illustrated embodiment, the loop patch 22 is secured to a sheet 58 having secured thereto on a side thereof opposite the loop patch 22 another fastening patch 60 that engages a fastening patch 62 secured to the strap 16. As shown in FIG. 7, the fastening patch 62 is located on an end portion of the strap 16 and is coextensive with the location of the loop patch 22 in the embodiments described above.

The adhesion strength between the fastening patch 60 and the fastening patch 62 is greater than that between the loop patch 22 and the hook patch 12. For example, the adhesive force per unit area between the fastening patches 60, 62 may be between 1.5 and two times the adhesive force per unit area between the loop patch 22 and the hook patch 12. In general, the difference in adhesive force per unit area is such that a force applied to peel the strap 16 away from the shoe 10 will remove the loop patch 22 from the hook patch 12 rather than remove the sheet 58 from the strap 16.

Notwithstanding the increased adhesive force of the fastening patches 60, 62, they are nonetheless removable from one another by hand without tools as for other hook-and-loop fastening patches. Accordingly, when the loop patch 22 becomes unusable or otherwise in need of replacement, the sheet 58 may be peeled away and replaced without the need to replace the entire strap 16 and structures secured thereto. As for the loop patch 22 and the hook patch 12, either of the fastening patches 60, 62 may be a loop patch and the other a hook patch.

Referring to FIG. 8, as noted above any of the fastening systems of the foregoing embodiments may be used in other contexts. For example, a pouch 64 or box may be formed of a rigid material, flexible sheet of material, or a woven material. A wall 66 or portion 66 of the pouch 64 may have a hook portion secured to a surface thereof and an opposing wall 68 or portion 68 of the pouch 64 may have a receiver 34 secured thereto. One or more of the surfaces of the pouch 64 may also bear straps 70 or other elements for securement of the pouch 64 to a belt, vest, or other structure.

Referring to FIG. 9, a top 72 or other closure element for the pouch 64 may have the loop patch 22 and the removable fastener 24 secured thereto. For example, the illustrates top 72 includes a closure flap 74 having the loop patch 22 secured to an underside thereof, a top panel 76 for covering an opening of the pouch 64, and a back portion 78 to which the removable fastener 24 is secured. Referring to FIGS. 10A and 10B, in use, the removable fastener 24 secures within the receiver 34 such that the top 76 can cover the opening to the pouch 64 and the loop patch 22 and be selectively engaged with the hook patch 12 on the front wall 66 of the pouch 64. As for the other embodiments disclosed herein, the places of the removable fastener 24 and receiver 34 may be interchanged and the illustrated removable fastener 24 and receiver 34 may be replaced with the sleeve 52 and stop 40, and other elements, of the fastening system of FIGS. 5A through 5C.

The fastening systems disclosed herein may be used in various contexts in addition to those illustrated. In general, the fastening systems disclosed herein are advantageously used where one component of the fastening system, e.g. the removable fastener 24 and a loop or hook patch, is secured to an inexpensive first portion of an item and the other component, e.g., the receiver 34 and the other of a hook or loop patch, is secured to a more expensive and possibly more durable second portion of the item that may outlast the first portion. Also, as a general principal, the portion of an item bearing a hook portion is generally selected to be the more exposed portion, when possible, inasmuch as the loop portion tends to snag.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.

Claims

1. A fastening system comprising:

an item including a first item portion; a second item portion for securing to the first item portion; a first fastening patch secured to the first item portion; and a receiver portion secured to the second item portion and configured to receive a selectively removable fastener, the receiver portion not including a corresponding fastening patch to the first fastening patch; and

a strap having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion including a second fastening patch interfaceable with the first fastening patch and removably securing to the first fastening patch on contact, the second end portion having a selectively removable fastener secured thereto, the selectively removable fastener being selectively insertable into the receiver portion.

2. The fastening system of claim 1, wherein the item is a shoe, the first item portion is a first side of an upper of the shoe and the second item portion is an opposite side of the upper of the shoe.

3. The fastening system of claim 1, wherein the receiver portion is a sleeve having at least one notch for receiving a portion of a compliant fastener.

4. The fastening system of claim 3, wherein the at least one notch comprises two opposing notches and the selectively removable fastener comprises compliant arms biased into engagement with the two opposing notches when the selectively removable fastener is positioned in the sleeve.

5. The fastening system of claim 1, wherein the receiver portion is non-removably secured to the second item portion.

6. The fastening system of claim 5, wherein the receiver portion is stitched to the second item portion.

7. The fastening system of claim 1, wherein no other fastening patch is non-removably secured to the wearable item or any structure non-removably secured to the item.

8. A wearable item comprising:

a first item portion of the wearable item;

a second item portion of the wearable item for securing to the first item portion;

a hook patch comprising a plurality of hooks secured to the first item portion; and

a receiver portion secured to the second item portion and configured to receive a selectively removable fastener, the receiver portion not including a loop patch;

wherein no portion of the wearable item, including the first and second item portions, includes a loop patch non-removably secured thereto and positionable in engagement with the hook patch.

9. The wearable item of claim 8, wherein the wearable item is a shoe, the first item portion is a first side of an upper portion of the shoe and the second item portion is an opposite side of the upper portion of the shoe.

10. The wearable item of claim 8, wherein the receiver portion is a plastic sleeve having at least one notch for receiving a portion of a compliant fastener.

11. The wearable item of claim 8, wherein the receiver portion is non-removably secured to the second item portion.

12. The wearable item of claim 11, wherein the receiver portion is stitched to the second item portion.

13. The wearable item of claim 8, wherein no loop patch is non-removably secured to the wearable item or any structure non-removably secured to the wearable item.

14. A method for fastening, the method comprising:

providing a wearable item having a first item portion and a second item portion, a first fastening patch secured to the first item portion and a receiver portion secured to the second item portion and configured to receive a selectively removable fastener, the receiver portion not including any fastening patch securable to the first fastening patch;

positioning a body member within the wearable item;

providing a strap having a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion including a second fastening patch secured thereto and the second end portion having a selectively removable fastener secured thereto;

securing the selectively removable fastener of the strap in the receiver portion;

extending the strap from the second item portion to the first item portion; and

interfacing the second fastening patch of the strap with the first fastening patch effective to removably secure the first fastening patch to the second fastening patch and effective to urge the first item portion toward the second item portion.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the wearable item is a shoe, the first item portion is a first side of an upper of the shoe and the second item portion is an opposite side of the upper of the shoe.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiver is a plastic sleeve having at least one notch for receiving a portion of a compliant fastener.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one notch comprises two opposing notches and the selectively removable fastener comprises compliant arms biased into engagement with the two opposing notches when the selectively removable fastener is positioned in the sleeve.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiver portion is non-removably secured to the second item portion.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the receiver portion is stitched to the second item portion.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein no other fastening patch is non-removably secured to the wearable item or any structure non-removably secured to the wearable item in a position engageable with the first fastening patch.