Patent · US Expired

Method of maintaining an article of clothing in a folded condition and plastic fastener well-suited for use in said method

US6047823A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
5References
26Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 9, 1998
Grant dateApr 11, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 9, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T24/4691
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Method of maintaining an article of clothing, such as a dress shirt, in a folded condition and a plastic fastener well-suited for use in the method. According to one embodiment, the plastic fastener is a unitary structure made of polypropylene and comprises a flexible filament having a first cross-bar at a first end thereof and a second cross-bar at a second end thereof. The filament has a length of about 7 mm and has a tensile strength of about 4 pounds. Preferably, the fastener is molded as part of a clip, the clip comprising a plurality of identical such fasteners arranged side-by-side, with the respective first cross-bars parallel to one another and the respective second cross-bars parallel to one another, each of the first cross-bars being joined to a common, orthogonally-disposed runner bar by a severable connector. In use, the clip is loaded into a tagging gun of the type intended for use with runner bar-type clips, the dress shirt is folded in the desired manner, and the first cross-bar of a fastener is dispensed by the tagging gun into and completely through the folded shirt at an appropriate pair of locations, with the second cross-bar not being inserted into the dress sh…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.