# US 5,699,557 A · Embroidered applique fastening system clothing articles

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- Number: US 5,699,557 A
- Document ID: US5699557A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/494,676
- Filed: 1995-06-26
- Granted: 1997-12-23
- Earliest claimed: 1995-06-26
- Inventors: Marie M. Johnson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5699557A

## CPC

- A41B 11/002: {Pairing socks (devices for keeping articles together during laundering D06F95/008)}
- Y10S 2/912: Garment having a hook-loop type fastener
- Y10T 24/2725: with feature facilitating, enhancing, or causing attachment of filament mounting surface to support therefor
- Y10T 428/24017: Hook or barb
- A41B: SHIRTS; UNDERWEAR; BABY LINEN; HANDKERCHIEFS
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A pair of fastening hook-and-loop patches, consisting of a flexible and decorative hook patch and a flexible and decorative loop patch is permanently attached to a mated pair of complementary items by embroidery which provides enhanced attachment and resistance to curling and inadvertent disassociation with the article of clothing. The mated pairs of complementary items may include articles of clothing or other articles of manufacture. The decorative embroidered applique patches on a single pair of complementary items are unique and aid in mating assorted individual complementary items based on the shape and color of the fastening patch embroidered to the complementary item. The decorative nature of the patches is useful in attracting a child's attention to the fastening device, which results in the child's interest in participation in mating items, such as socks, which may be separated from their complementary mates.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for fastening a pair of clothing articles made of material comprising:
a. a first fastener patch having a front surface, a back surface and an edge positioned between and in communication with the front surface and the back surface of said first fastener patch;
b. said front surface of said first patch having hooks permanently affixed thereto;
c. embroidery stitching passing through the front and the back surface of said first fastener patch and through the material of a first clothing article to fasten the first fastener patch to the material;
wherein said embroidery stitching is contained solely within the from surface and the back surface of said first fastener patch and away from the edge to provide a secure attachment of said first fastener patch to the first clothing article;
d. a second fastener patch having a front surface and a rear surface and an edge positioned between and in communication with the front surface and the rear surface of said second fastener patch;
e. said front surface of said second fastener patch having loops permanently attached thereon, said loops being complementary and releasably attachable to said hooks of said first fastener patch; and
f. embroidery stitching passed through the front surface and the rear surface of said second fastener patch and through the material of a second clothing article to fasten the patch to the material;
wherein said embroidery stitching is contained solely within the front surface and the rear surface of said second fastener patch and away from the edge to provide a secure attachment of said second fastener patch to the second clothing article;
g. wherein the embroidery of each of said first fastener patch and the embroidery of said second fastener patch lies below a height associated with the hooks and the loops, respectively, to enable the embroidery of said first fastener patch and the embroidery of said second fastener patch to form a matched set of embroidery stitching with respect to the first and second articles of clothing allowing the matched set of embroidery stitching to have a collective thickness less than or equal to the thickness associated with the hook and loop portions of the first fastener patch and second fastener patch when they are pressed together in cooperating engaging contact.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system for fastening said pair of articles as in claim 1, wherein said first and second clothing articles comprise first and second socks.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system for fastening said pair of articles as in claim 1, said first fastener patch and said second fastener patch comprising complementary decorative shapes to enable a proper mating association between the first article of clothing and the second article of clothing to ensure consistent wear of both articles.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system for fastening said pair of articles an in claim 1, wherein the embroidery stitching of said fastener patch and the embroidery stitching of said second fastener patch are complementary.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system for fastening said pair of articles as in claim 1, wherein the embroidery stitching forms a decorative pattern on said front surface of said first fastener patch and on said front surface of said second fastener patch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system for fastening said pair of articles as in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second fastener patches is in the form of an object having a shape, and the embroidery stitching passing through the fastener patch is in the form of indicia with said object.

### Claim 7

A system for fastening a pair of clothing articles made of material comprising:
a. a first fastener patch having an edge interpositioned between a front surface and a back surface, and a second fastener patch having an edge interpositioned between a front surface and a back surface;
b. embroidery means for attaching the first fastener patch to the material of a first clothing article and the second fastener patch to the material of a second article of clothing;
wherein the embroidery means passes through the front and the back surfaces of the first and the second fastener patches away from their respective edges such that the embroidery stitching is contained solely within the front and the back surfaces of the first and the second fastener patches, respectively, to provide a secure attachment of the first and the second fastener patches to the first and the second clothing articles, respectively; and
c. hook and loop means permanently attached to the front surface of the first patch and the front surface of the second patch, respectively, for engaging the first patch and the second patch to hold the first and second articles of clothing together,
d. wherein the embroidery means of the first fastener patch and the second fastener patch each lies below a height associated with the hooks and loop means, respectively, to enable the embroidery means of the first fastener patch and the embroidery means of the second fastener patch to form a matched set with respect to the first and second articles of clothing allowing the embroidery means to have a collective thickness less than or equal to the thickness associated with the hook and loop portions of the first and the second fastener patches when they are pressed together in cooperating engaging contact.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system for fastening said pair of articles as in claim 7, wherein said first and second articles of clothing comprise first and second socks.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system for fastening said pair of articles as in claim 7, wherein said first fastener patch and said second fastener patch are cut in complementary decorative shapes to enable a proper mating association between the first article of clothing and the second article of clothing to ensure consistent wear both articles.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The system for fastening said pair of articles as in claim 7, wherein each of the first and second fastener patches is in the form of an object having a shape, and the embroidery means forms at least one feature associated with said object.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The system for fastening said pair of articles as in claim 7 wherein the indicia on the first fastener patch and the indicia on the second fastener patch are complementary.

### Claim 12

A pair of attachable clothing articles made of cloth, comprising:
a. a first member of said pair of articles;
b. a first fastener patch having an edge positioned between and in communication with a front surface and a back surface;
c. said front surface of said first patch having hooks permanently attached thereon;
d. said first patch is attached to said first member of said pair of articles by embroidery such that said embroidery is contained solely within the front surface and the back surface of said first fastener patch and away from the edge to provide a secure attachment of said first fastener patch to the first member of said pair of clothing articles;
e. a second fastener patch having an edge positioned between and in communication with a front surface and a back surface;
f. said front surface of said second fastener patch having loops permanently attached thereon which are complementary to said hooks on said first patch; and
g. said second fastener patch is attached to the second member of said pair of articles by embroidery such that said embroidery is contained solely within the front surface and the back surface of said second fastener patch and away from the edge to provide a secure attachment of said second fastener patch to the second member of said pair of clothing articles;
h. wherein the embroidery positioned on the first and the second fastener patches is complementary and each lies below a height associated with the hooks and the loops, respectively, such that the embroidery of said first fastener patch and the embroidery of said second fastener patch form a matched set of embroidery with respect to the first and the second members of said pair of articles enabling the matched set of embroidery to have a collective thickness less than or equal to the thickness associated with the hooks of the first fastener patch and the loops of the second fastener patch when said fastener patches are pressed together in cooperating engaging contact.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The pair of attachable articles as in claim 12, wherein
a. said front surface of said first fastener patch comprises a combination of hook material and loop material; and,
b. said front surface of said second fastener patch comprises a combination of loop material which is complementary to said hook material on said fastener patch and hook material which is complementary to said loop material on said first fastener patch.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The attachable pair of articles as in claim 12, wherein the first and second clothing articles are substantially similar.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The pair of attachable articles as in claim 12, wherein the embroidery on the front surface of the second fastener patch is a mirror image of the embroidery on the front surface of the first fastener patch.