The present invention relates generally to fasteners and more particularly to fasteners comprising two plates which fasten an event identification number to apparel without piercing the apparel.
Such apparel and event identification numbers may comprise many varied materials including Lycra®, cotton, nylon and, in the case of displaying numbers, a lightweight paper-based material. It is well-known that in this circumstance the traditional, typical fastening method is via a standard pin, or standard safety pin attached to the four corners of a number and pushed through to pierce the participant's apparel twice to secure in place.
With the development of more sophisticated and expensive sports apparel to meet the needs of the modern recreational and elite athlete, coupled with a rising popularity of mass participation sporting events, often highly competitive, the design of the connecting interface between the participant's mandatory identification event number and the participant's apparel has not advanced; safety pins are still the usual method of attaching numbers.
It is well known that there exists a belt for multi-sport which can have an identification number affixed to it such that when the number is facing rearwards it is suitable for the bike leg of the event and when the belt is swivelled 180 degrees around the waist to the front of an athlete's body it can then be suitable for the run leg of a duathlon or a triathlon for example. However, such belts are expensive and only facilitate the connection of a number along the top edge, not including the bottom edge, rendering inconsistent visibility and recognition of the aforesaid number during an event, especially in windy conditions with the tendency to flap about.
These commonplace connection systems have drawbacks as outlined above. 5 Furthermore, by resorting to safety pins the athlete needs to pierce an expensive skin suit, expensive all in one tri-suit, or charity running vest, or expensive outfit in a dance or game show scenario, for example, and contend with the possible damage to the apparel as a result of holes made with the pin and repetitive holes made overtime and the tearing which may take place during detachment. Indeed safety pins constitute a danger for the safety of the athlete, in case of their accidental opening, following, for example, an athlete's fall off the bike or a trip on the run.
The object of the present invention is to provide a fastener for securing an event identification number on an athlete's apparel which overcomes the drawbacks of known devices.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a fastener for securing a competition, or participation, event identification number on the apparel worn by an athlete without the need for stitching or other operations which may damage the material of the apparel. The present invention can be contrasted with a known device as described in
EP1634508, which purports to solve the problems described above.
The present invention provides a releasable interlocking device specifically adapted to fasten an event identification number to apparel, the device being according to claim 1.
Optional or non-essential features of the device are set out in claims 2 to 5.
In
EP1634508 makes no allowance for differences in material thicknesses of an athlete's apparel. Such allowance for material thickness, although small, is essential to provide a snap fit of the male and female plates and to provide a definite physical or audible indication of connection to the wearer. If this were not the case, as in EP1634508, there may be occasions when an athlete would assume a connection has been made only to be disappointed mid-way through a race, for example, when the event identification number comes adrift. In the present invention this allowance is provided for by the flexible lip or vane 6, which adjusts by flexing to make allowance for varying thicknesses, folds or creases of typical apparel and participation numbers worn for sporting activities and thus facilitates a positive snap-fit connection, indicating to the athlete audibly, or in a tactile manner, or both, that a secure connection has been made.
By contrast with EP1634508, the device of the present invention has a flexible lip or vane 6 opposing a non-flexible solid edge or lip 5a that define the elliptically shaped orifice 5b in the female plate 1, and a male plate 2 with a stud 3 and a stud head 4.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1310580.4 | Jun 2013 | GB | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14898453 | Dec 2015 | US |
Child | 16029890 | US |