THREE-PART CLASP FOR PUMPING GARMENT
A three-part clasp for a pumping garment for hands-free pumping includes a male part, a first female part, and a second female part. The male part is attached to a shoulder strap of the pumping garment. The first female part is attached to an inner layer of the pumping garment, the inner layer including an aperture for insertion of a breast pump flange. The second female part is attached to an outer layer of the pumping garment. In a doubly fastened configuration, the first female part is connected to the male part, the second female part is connected to the male part, and the first female part and the second female part are arranged side-by-side or the second female part is configured to be stacked upon the first female part.
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/036,588, filed Jun. 9, 2020, entitled “Three-Part Clasp for Pumping Garment.” The entire contents of U.S. Provisional Application 63/036,588 is hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSUREThis disclosure relates generally to a closure for a multi-layer garment, and specifically to a three-part clasp for a pumping garment including a shoulder strap, an inner layer, and an outer layer.
BACKGROUNDA nursing woman is able to provide breastmilk to an infant in two ways. First, the nursing woman can breastfeed the infant directly. Second, the nursing woman can use a breast pump to extract milk that can be stored and fed to the infant at a later time. A two-layer pumping garment may be worn by a nursing woman to facilitate these two activities. During nursing, both layers of the pumping garment may be partially disconnected at or near a shoulder strap to fully expose a breast for breastfeeding. During pumping, the outer layer may be partially disconnected to expose the connected inner layer, which may be configured to support a breast pumping apparatus. When neither nursing or pumping is occurring, both layers may be secured in place in order for the pumping garment to provide a normal appearance under clothing.
The current clasps used in two-layer pumping garments are four-part clasps that are complicated and confusing for a wearer. The existing clasps have two males parts and two female parts, resulting in two male/female connections per shoulder strap. A wearer must, while wearing the garment, determine where all four parts are located and must ascertain which female part goes with which male part. In some variations, all four parts are separate. In other variations, one male part and one female part may both be provided on a single clasp component. To disconnect an outer layer, the wearer must determine which of the two male/female connections to disconnect. In some variations, the outer layer cannot be connected directly to the shoulder strap without an intermediate clasp component. In other variations, a female part associated with an inner layer can be joined with the wrong male part such that the correct male part is hidden underneath fabric of the inner layer, resulting in confusion and frustration for the wearer. Despite these drawbacks, a one-to-one relationship between a male part and a female part of a clasp has been considered necessary in order to adequately secure both layers of a two-part garment.
SUMMARYThe present disclosure is directed to a three-part clasp that improves a wearer's experience in selectively removing or replacing layers of a two-layer garment. The three-part clasp has only one male part upon which two female parts are selectively secured, eliminating any confusion about which male part should join with which female part and any possibility of connecting the wrong male and female parts. The male part may be connected to a shoulder strap with each of the two female parts secured to one of the two layers of fabric. By being secured to the shoulder strap, any force acting upon the layers of fabric (such as the downward force of gravity upon a pumping apparatus supported by the inner layer) are transmitted more directly and distributed more quickly on the shoulder strap than if an intermediate clasp component were in use. For at least these reasons, the three-part clasp makes the two-layer garment more intuitive and straightforward for the wearer than known four-part clasps while simultaneously improving the two-layer garment's ability to support the weight of a pumping apparatus.
In accordance with an example, a three-part clasp for a pumping garment for hands-free pumping includes a male part, a first female part, and a second female part. The male part is attached to a shoulder strap of the pumping garment. The first female part is attached to an inner layer of the pumping garment, the inner layer including an aperture for insertion of a breast pump flange. The second female part is attached to an outer layer of the pumping garment. In a doubly fastened configuration, the first female part is connected to the male part, the second female part is connected to the male part, and the first female part and the second female part are arranged side-by-side.
In some forms, the male part may include a vertical base, a horizontal extension protruding outwardly from the vertical base to an end, and a vertical extension projecting upwardly from the end of the horizontal extension. The first female part may include a first opening adapted to selectively hang on the horizontal extension of the male part. The second female part may include a second opening adapted to selectively hang on the horizontal extension of the male part. The first female part may have a first width, the second female part may have a second width, and a distance between the vertical base and the vertical extension along the horizontal extension of the male part may be equal to or greater than the sum of the first width and the second width. The horizontal extension may protrude upwardly from the vertical base at an angle between 95 and 105 degrees. The first female part may include a protrusion to secure the first female part on the male part.
In still further forms, the first female part may include an inner layer aperture, the second female part may include an outer layer aperture, and the inner layer aperture may be offset from the outer layer aperture in the doubly fastened configuration. The inner layer aperture may be located an offset distance below the outer layer aperture in the doubly fastened configuration. The offset distance may be greater than 7 millimeters.
In some forms, the first opening may have a first internal perimeter, the second opening may have a second internal perimeter, and the first internal perimeter may be identical to the second internal perimeter. The first female part may include a first external perimeter including a first upper portion partially surrounding the first opening, and the second female part may include a second external perimeter including a second upper portion partially surrounding the second opening. The first upper portion may be identical to the second upper portion. The first female part may include a first depressed surface partially surrounding the first opening and a first raised surface surrounding the first depressed surface. The second female part may include a second depressed surface partially surrounding the second opening and a second raised surface surrounding the second depressed surface. The first depressed surface and the first raised surface may be complementary in size and shape to the second depressed surface and the second raised surface.
In other forms, the first female part may include a first resilient tab adjacent the first opening, and the second female part may include a second resilient tab adjacent the second opening. The first resilient tab may be complementary in size and shape to the second resilient tab.
In accordance with an example, a three-part clasp for a pumping garment for hands-free pumping includes a male part, a first female part, and a second female part. The male part is attached to a shoulder strap of the pumping garment. The first female part is attached to an inner layer of the pumping garment, the inner layer including an aperture for insertion of a breast pump flange. The second female part is attached to an outer layer of the pumping garment. In a doubly fastened configuration, the first female part is connected to the male part, the second female part is connected to the male part, and the second female part is configured to be stacked upon the first female part.
In some forms, the male part may include a vertical base, a horizontal extension protruding outwardly from the vertical base to an end, and a vertical extension projecting upwardly from the end of the horizontal extension. The first female part may include a first opening adapted to selectively hang on the horizontal extension of the male part, and the second female part may include a second opening adapted to selectively engage the vertical extension of the male part. The first female part and the second female part may have a combined height when stacked in the doubly fastened configuration, and the vertical extension of the male part may have a height equal to or greater than the combined height.
In additional forms, the first female part may include an inner layer aperture, the second female part may include an outer layer aperture, and the inner layer aperture may be offset from the outer layer aperture in the doubly fastened configuration. The inner layer aperture may be located a distance below the outer layer aperture in the doubly fastened configuration. The first female part may include a first resilient tab adjacent the first opening, and the second female part may include a second resilient tab adjacent the second opening. The horizontal extension may protrude upwardly from the vertical base at an angle between 95 and 105 degrees.
The present disclosure is directed to a three-part clasp 100 for a pumping garment 102. As shown in
The three-part clasp 100 is shown as having two arrangements: a side-by-side arrangement (shown in
In the stacked arrangement, best shown in
The three-part clasp 100 may have a number of features to facilitate use. For example, the first female part 112 and the second female part 114 may be sized and shaped to be complementary to one another or may have divots, protrusions, or other features to engage with one another. Similarly, the horizontal extension 118 or the vertical extension 120 of the male part 110 may have curvatures, divots, protrusions, or other features to help secure the first female part 112 and the second female part 114 in their respective locations.
One issue addressed by the arrangements depicted in
Another issue addressed by the arrangements depicted in
As shown in
As shown by comparing
As also shown by comparing
Another feature of the first female part 112 and the second female part 114 are the first resilient tab 160 and the second resilient tab 162 shown in
Claims
1. A three-part clasp for a pumping garment for hands-free pumping, the three-part clasp comprising:
- a male part attached to a shoulder strap of the pumping garment;
- a first female part attached to an inner layer of the pumping garment, the inner layer including an aperture for insertion of a breast pump flange;
- a second female part attached to an outer layer of the pumping garment;
- in a doubly fastened configuration, the first female part connected to the male part, the second female part connected to the male part, and the first female part and the second female part arranged side-by-side.
2. The three-part clasp of claim 1,
- the male part including a vertical base, a horizontal extension protruding outwardly from the vertical base to an end, and a vertical extension projecting upwardly from the end of the horizontal extension,
- the first female part including a first opening adapted to selectively hang on the horizontal extension of the male part, and
- the second female part including a second opening adapted to selectively hang on the horizontal extension of the male part.
3. The three-part clasp of claim 2, the first female part having a first width, the second female part having a second width, and a distance between the vertical base and the vertical extension along the horizontal extension of the male part being equal to or greater than the sum of the first width and the second width.
4. The three-part clasp of claim 2, the horizontal extension protruding upwardly from the vertical base at an angle between 95 and 105 degrees.
5. The three-part clasp of claim 2, wherein the first female part includes a protrusion to secure the first female part on the male part.
6. The three-part clasp of claim 1, the first female part including an inner layer aperture, the second female part including an outer layer aperture, and the inner layer aperture offset from the outer layer aperture in the doubly fastened configuration.
7. The three-part clasp of claim 6, the inner layer aperture located an offset distance below the outer layer aperture in the doubly fastened configuration.
8. The three-part clasp of claim 7, the offset distance being greater than 7 millimeters.
9. The three-part clasp of claim 2, the first opening having a first internal perimeter, the second opening having a second internal perimeter, and the first internal perimeter being identical to the second internal perimeter.
10. The three-part clasp of claim 2, the first female part including a first external perimeter including a first upper portion partially surrounding the first opening, and the second female part including a second external perimeter including a second upper portion partially surrounding the second opening, the first upper portion being identical to the second upper portion.
11. The three-part clasp of claim 2, the first female part including a first depressed surface partially surrounding the first opening and a first raised surface surrounding the first depressed surface, and the second female part including a second depressed surface partially surrounding the second opening and a second raised surface surrounding the second depressed surface, the first depressed surface and the first raised surface being complementary in size and shape to the second depressed surface and the second raised surface.
12. The three-part clasp of claim 2, the first female part including a first resilient tab adjacent the first opening, and the second female part including a second resilient tab adjacent the second opening.
13. The three-part clasp of claim 12, the first resilient tab being complementary in size and shape to the second resilient tab.
14. A three-part clasp for a pumping garment for hands-free pumping, the three-part clasp comprising:
- a male part attached to a shoulder strap of the pumping garment;
- a first female part attached to an inner layer of the pumping garment, the inner layer including an aperture for insertion of a breast pump flange;
- a second female part attached to an outer layer of the pumping garment;
- in a doubly fastened configuration, the first female part connected to the male part, the second female part connected to the male part, and the second female part configured to be stacked upon the first female part.
15. The three-part clasp of claim 14,
- the male part including a vertical base, a horizontal extension protruding outwardly from the vertical base to an end, and a vertical extension projecting upwardly from the end of the horizontal extension,
- the first female part including a first opening adapted to selectively hang on the horizontal extension of the male part, and
- the second female part including a second opening adapted to selectively engage the vertical extension of the male part.
16. The three-part clasp of claim 15, the first female part and the second female part having a combined height when stacked in the doubly fastened configuration, and the vertical extension of the male part having a height equal to or greater than the combined height.
17. The three-part clasp of claim 14, the first female part including an inner layer aperture, the second female part including an outer layer aperture, and the inner layer aperture offset from the outer layer aperture in the doubly fastened configuration.
18. The three-part clasp of claim 17, the inner layer aperture located a distance below the outer layer aperture in the doubly fastened configuration.
19. The three-part clasp of claim 15, the first female part including a first resilient tab adjacent the first opening, and the second female part including a second resilient tab adjacent the second opening.
20. The three-part clasp of claim 15, the horizontal extension protruding upwardly from the vertical base at an angle between 95 and 105 degrees.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 9, 2021
Publication Date: Jul 20, 2023
Inventors: Tom Wolff (Toronto), Nicole Habis (Etobicoke)
Application Number: 18/007,922