CN107889451B

CN107889451B - Hook and eyelet fasteners

Info

Publication number: CN107889451B
Application number: CN201680039952.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: G.菲尔丹; K.旺泽恩贝克
Original assignee: Dubrosky and Tracy Patent Service Corp
Current assignee: Dubrosky and Tracy Patent Service Corp
Priority date: 2015-05-08
Filing date: 2016-05-09
Publication date: 2021-10-15
Anticipated expiration: 2036-05-09
Also published as: EP3294082A1; GB201507925D0; GB2538109A; US20180146730A1; EP3294082B1; CN107889451A; WO2016180790A1; GB2538109B

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hook and eye fastener (1, 101, 201) for securing together two straps (15, 27) of an article of clothing, such as a brassiere. The hook parts (3, 103, 203) are generally flat bodies (7) mounted on the face of one tether (15) and the grommet parts (5, 105, 205) are mounted on the face of the other tether (27) A generally flat frame (21). The clasp member includes arms (9) extending outwardly therefrom, and the frame defines an open mouth (23) sized to receive the arms of the clasp member. The hook member and the grommet member are configured to provide a fastener with an overall thickness of between 4mm and 5mm and with relatively simple engagement and positive disengagement.

Description

Clasp and grommet fastener

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a fastener for a garment, and more particularly to a fastener for an undergarment item such as a brassiere.

Background

While there are many types of fasteners for bras, the most common are clasp and eye fasteners, wherein one or more clasps engage in complementary eyes to secure the straps of the bra in a closed configuration around the torso of the wearer. However, since bras with such fasteners are typically fastened behind the back of the wearer, it may prove relatively difficult for the wearer to align the clasps and engage them with the corresponding grommets. It may also prove difficult to fasten for elderly or wearers suffering from conditions that affect the wearer's mobility or mobility, such as arthritis. In addition, multiple rows of grommets may be provided depending on the size of the garment, the amount of support required, or the size of the bra allowed to adjust to the wearer, and this makes it increasingly difficult for the wearer to properly engage the clasps with the corresponding grommets.

Another significant problem with known hook and eye fasteners is that they tend to protrude significantly from the wearer's body and be visible through the garment, resulting in an unsightly appearance, particularly when the hook and eye are not properly aligned. Generally, hook and eye fasteners are known to have a thickness when closed of approximately between 0.005m (5.0mm) and 0.0065m (6.5 mm), which makes them clearly visible under many garments. Additionally, the clasp and eye fasteners can make the bra straps rather stiff, causing irritation by rubbing against the skin and discomfort to the wearer.

Typically, hook and eye fasteners include metal hooks and eyes, however, a variety of alternative hook and eye fasteners are also known. One such alternative clasp and eye fastener is described in applicant's own U.S. patent No. 8,230,559. Advantageously, the clasp and grommet fasteners described in US8,230,559 are relatively easy to fasten and overcome many of the problems of known clasp and grommet fasteners in this regard, however, the fasteners are not substantially thinner than alternative arrangements of clasp and grommet fasteners and may be apparent under many garments.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fastener which overcomes at least some of the above problems and provides the consumer with a useful choice.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a clasp and eye-buckle for securing two pieces of a garment together, a clasp component being mounted on a face of one of the pieces and an eye-buckle component being mounted on a face of the other of the pieces, wherein:

the clasp part includes a generally planar body disposed flat on a face of the tablet and having an arm extending outwardly therefrom, the arm including an inner portion connected at one end to the body and extending outwardly generally perpendicular to the body, and an outer portion connected to the other end of the inner portion and extending generally parallel to the planar body, the side of the outer portion facing the planar body defining an abutment surface; and is

The grommet device includes a generally planar frame disposed flat on a face of the other of the tiles; the frame defines an open mouth sized to receive an outer portion of a clasp arm and has a complementary abutment surface on the underside of the frame for engaging an abutment surface of a clasp, and with the two faces closely juxtaposed, the frame is slidably engageable with the clasp in a direction parallel to the two faces to clasp two pieces of a garment together.

By having such a fastener, the fastener will have a thinner profile than previously known fasteners. Fasteners according to the invention will have a closed thickness of approximately between 4.0 mm and 5.0mm and will therefore be less noticeable under many garments. This is a significant improvement over many existing fasteners. Advantageously, the clasp will snap relatively simply because the outer portion and open mouth are dimensioned to promote engagement between the clasp and grommet into an intermediate locator (finder) position before the clasp and grommet are secured together.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a clasp and grommet fastener is provided in which a protrusion is provided on one of these abutment surfaces and a recess is provided on the other of the abutment surfaces. The protrusions and recesses will cooperate with each other to more securely snap the clasp and eye members together and prevent accidental release of the clasp. These components are relatively simple to manufacture and may be molded into a clasp and grommet assembly.

In one embodiment of the invention, a hook and eye fastener is provided in which a projection is mounted on an abutment surface of a hook component.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a clasp and eye fastener is provided wherein the outer portion is herringbone shaped. This is considered a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention because the chevron shape will help guide the clasp into a central position in the grommet, ensuring proper alignment and engagement of the clasp and grommet.

In one embodiment of the invention, a hook and eye fastener is provided in which the complementary abutment surfaces on the underside of the frame for engaging the abutment surfaces of the hook component are chevrons. Again, this will promote proper positioning of the clasp in the grommet and secure engagement therebetween.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a clasp and grommet fastener is provided wherein the open mouth is pentagonal. By having a pentagonal open mouth, the outer portion of the clasp will be able to be easily slotted into the open mouth.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a clasp and eye fastener is provided wherein the clasp part and the eye part each include a magnet for positioning of an outer portion of the clasp part in an open mouth of the eye part. This is considered advantageous because these magnets will further simplify the engagement of the clasp and grommet into the locator position, thereby simplifying closure of the clasp. Alternatively, one of the clasp part and the grommet part is provided with a magnet and the other of the clasp part and the grommet part is provided with a ferromagnetic member.

In one embodiment of the invention, a clasp and grommet fastener is provided in which magnets on the clasp part are positioned on the body behind the arms and magnets on the grommet part are positioned in the frame behind and away from the abutment surface. By placing magnets in these areas, the size of the clasp and grommet may be kept relatively narrow to ensure that the overall thickness of the fastener is not increased. Furthermore, a ferromagnetic member may be provided in place of one of the magnets for good effect.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a clasp and eye fastener is provided in which a plurality of eye features are provided mounted in a row along a piece of apparel.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a clasp and eye fastener is provided wherein a piece of apparel includes a pair of fabric sheets with an eye feature sandwiched between the pair of fabric sheets. Preferably, the fabric sheet positioned over the grommet device will avoid the open mouth, permitting insertion of a portion of the hook component therethrough.

In one embodiment of the invention, a clasp and grommet fastener is provided in which a cavity is formed between an abutment surface on the underside of the frame and the face of the tile on which it is mounted.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a hook and eye fastener is provided in which only one hook is provided. This is advantageous as it will facilitate closure of the fastener around the wearer. This is possible in part due to the structural integrity of the construction of the clasp.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a clasp and grommet fastener is provided wherein the grommet further includes an upstanding lip adjacent a complementary abutment surface. By having such an upstanding lip, the lip will further facilitate the positioning of the clasp portion in the grommet portion. Preferably, the upstanding lip will project upwardly from the surface of the generally planar frame by about 0.001 m (1 mm).

In one embodiment of the present invention, a clasp and grommet fastener is provided wherein at least one of the pieces has elasticity.

In one embodiment of the invention, a clasp and grommet fastener is provided wherein the fastener has a maximum thickness of less than 0.0055m (5.5 mm).

In one embodiment of the present invention, a snap hook and eye fastener is provided wherein the fastener has a maximum thickness of less than 0.005m (5.0 mm).

In one embodiment of the present invention, a snap hook and eye fastener is provided in which the inner portion of the hook component has at least one rib extending upwardly from the body to the outer portion along the rear of the inner portion. Preferably, there are a plurality of spaced ribs along the rear of the inner portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a hook and eye fastener is provided in which the maximum width of the open mouth of the eye member is no less than 1.5 times the maximum width of the outer portion of the hook member.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a snap hook and eye fastener is provided wherein the fastener has a maximum tensile strength of greater than or equal to 11.36 kgs.

Drawings

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments of the invention, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -

FIG. 1 is a rear view of one embodiment of a grommet device for a fastener according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a clasp part of the fastener according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the clasp part of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a hook component and an eye component of a fastener according to the invention in a set position prior to full engagement;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the clasp part with no tiles attached thereto;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the clasp part of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a left hand side view of the clasp part of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the clasp part of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a front view of a grommet device with no tiles attached thereto;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the grommet device of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the grommet device of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the grommet device of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the grommet device taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the grommet device of FIG. 9;

FIG. 15 is a rear view of an alternative configuration of the grommet device of the fastener according to the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a rear view of an alternative configuration of a hook component of a fastener according to the invention for engaging the eye component of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a front view of the clasp part of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the clasp part and the grommet part of FIGS. 15-17 in a seated position prior to full engagement;

fig. 19 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of a clasp part according to the invention without a tile attached thereto;

FIG. 20 is a rear view of the clasp part of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a left hand side view of the clasp part of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of a clasp part taken along line XXII-XXII of FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 is a rear view of an alternative configuration of the grommet device of the fastener according to the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a side view of the grommet device of FIG. 23; and

fig. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the grommet device along line XXV-XXV of fig. 11.

Detailed Description

Referring to the included figures 1-14, there is shown a hook and eye fastener, generally indicated by reference numeral 1, comprising a hook component 3 and an eye component 5. Typically, the grommet component will be mounted closest to the wearer's body and the clasp component will be mounted further away from the wearer's body. Further, the fastener will typically be positioned to one side of the wearer's torso or more typically to the back of the wearer's torso. Thus, throughout this specification, examples have been described in the context of a fastener positioned on the back of a wearer, where the grommet component is positioned adjacent the wearer's body and the hook component is behind the grommet component. It will be understood that front, rear, front and rear, and equivalent terms have been contemplated for use in this embodiment. However, this embodiment is not limiting and, in fact, the fastener may be on the side of the wearer or the front of his torso and, in fact, the clasp component may be mounted closest to the wearer's skin, in which case the terms front, rear, front and rear would change accordingly.

Referring specifically to fig. 2-8 included, clasp part 3 includes a generally flat planar body 7 having arms 9 extending outwardly therefrom. The arm comprises an inner portion 11 and an outer portion 13. The inner portion 11 is connected at one end to the planar body 7 and extends outwardly substantially perpendicular thereto, and the outer portion 13 is connected to the other end of the inner portion 11 and extends substantially perpendicular to the inner portion 11 and parallel to the remainder of the planar body 7. The side of the outer portion 13 facing towards the planar body 7 forms an abutment surface 14.

Referring specifically to fig. 2-4 included, clasp part 3 is mounted flat on one 15 of a pair of pieces (pieces) of a garment (not shown) to be secured together. The clasp part 3 is arranged flat on the face of the patch 15 and this patch overlaps the clasp along the entire length of the clasp part 3. The tile 15 in turn comprises a pair of

fabric sheets

17, 19 with the hook component 3 partially sandwiched therebetween. The hook component 3 is attached to the pair of fabric sheets by heat welding, pressing, bonding, a combination of the above methods, or other methods known in the art.

Referring now to fig. 9-14 inclusive, the grommet device 5 includes a generally flat, flat frame 21 defining an open mouth 23. In the illustrated embodiment, the open mouth 23 is pentagonal in shape and is sized to receive the outer portion 13 of the clasp part 3. The flat frame 21 has a complementary abutment surface 25 on the front of the flat frame 21 for engaging the abutment surface 14 of the clasp part 3. In addition to the foregoing, an upstanding lip 26 is provided adjacent the complementary abutment surface 25. The upstanding lip acts as an end stop for the clasp part when the clasp and grommet are brought into engagement with each other to aid in positioning of the clasp and grommet into the locating position. In the embodiment shown, the upstanding lip 26 rises up from the side towards the central peak.

Referring specifically to fig. 1 and 4, the grommet device 5 is mounted on another piece 27 of the garment. The grommet device 5 is arranged flat on the face of the tile 27 and the tile overlaps the grommet device 5 along the entire length of the grommet device 5. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, there are four grommet devices 5 mounted on another piece of the garment, however, in the embodiment shown in fig. 4, only two grommet devices 5 are shown for clarity. It will be appreciated that more or fewer grommet devices may be provided as desired. The other piece 27 comprises a pair of

sheets

29, 31, and the grommet device 5 is sandwiched between the pair of

sheets

29, 31. The fabric sheet 29 positioned over the grommet device will avoid the open mouth, permitting insertion of a portion of the clasp part therethrough. As described above, a plurality of grommet devices 5 are provided on the piece 27 shown in fig. 1. The grommet devices 5 are coupled to the pair of fabric sheets by heat welding, pressing, bonding, combinations thereof or other methods known in the art. As can be seen from fig. 4, the abutment surface 14 of the clasp part 3 has a projection 33 and the complementary abutment surface 25 on the front of the flat frame 21 of the grommet part 5 has a complementary recess 35 for receiving the projection therein.

In use, to engage a fastener component, the hook component 3 is juxtaposed with the eyelet component 5 by moving the hook and eyelet components towards each other in the direction of the nearest arrow a in fig. 4. When the clasp part and the eye part are brought into engagement, the outer part 13 of the clasp part 3 will pass through the open mouth of the eye part 5 until the outer part is received in the cavity 37 of the eye part. Once in the cavity 37, the clasp part slides in the direction of arrow B and the grommet part slides in the direction of arrow C (i.e. in a direction parallel to the faces of the panels) to clasp the two panels of the garment together. By sliding the clasp part and the eye part in this way, the protrusions 33 will form a friction fit in the complementary recesses 35, which will be sufficient to prevent accidental release of the clasp part 3 from the eye part 5. To release the clasp part 3 from the grommet part 5, the clasp part is slid in the direction opposite to arrow B and the grommet part 5 is slid in the direction opposite to arrow C so that the protrusions 33 are released from the complementary recesses 35 and the clasp part 3 and the grommet part 5 are then separated by moving them apart against the direction of the nearest arrow a. When the two

parts

3, 5 of the clip 1 are coupled together, the clip has a maximum thickness of about 0.0047m (4.7 mm).

Referring now to fig. 1 and 5, the outer portion of the clasp part 3 may be herringbone or indeed may be pentagonal, and the open mouth 23 of the grommet part 5 is pentagonal. This has the advantage that it is relatively simple to engage the outer portion of the clasp part 3 with the open mouth 23 of the grommet part 5. Furthermore, once the outer part 13 of the clasp part 3 has passed through the open mouth and slid in the direction of arrow B, its tip face will have a centering effect.

Referring now to fig. 15-18, included, there is shown an alternative embodiment of a fastener according to the present invention, generally indicated at 101, in which like parts have been given the same reference numerals as before. The clasp 101 is similar to the embodiment included in fig. 1-14, except that a magnet 43 is provided in the clasp part 103 and a magnet 45 is provided in the grommet part 105. The magnet 43 in the clasp part 103 is positioned behind the inner part 11 of the arm 9 and the magnet 45 on the grommet part 105 is positioned in the flat frame 21 behind and away from the complementary abutment surface 25. When the

magnets

43, 45 are brought close to each other, the

magnets

43, 45 are polarized to attract each other. In this manner, when the clasp part 103 and the grommet part 105 are juxtaposed to one another, the magnet 45 will attract the magnet 43 and will engage the clasp part and the grommet part with one another. The magnets will have an aligning effect as the magnets will center the clasp part and serve to draw the outer part of the clasp part 103 into the open mouth 23 of the frame.

When the components of the fastener 101 are engaged, the force of the magnet will be less than the tension on the bra strap and/or the friction of the male portion in the female portion. The fastener 101 shown in fig. 15-18 included will have a slightly thicker maximum thickness than the fastener shown in fig. 1-14 included due to the incorporation of the magnets. In the embodiment shown in fig. 15 to 18, when the two

parts

103, 105 of the clip 1 are coupled together, the clip will have a maximum thickness of about 0.0052m (5.2 mm).

It will be seen that the

magnets

43 and 45 are sealed in the cavities of their respective components (i.e. waterproof embedment) to prevent rust. Furthermore, by positioning the magnets in the identified space, the

magnets

43, 45 may be relatively thin and will not result in thicker fasteners.

Referring now to fig. 19-25, included, there is shown an alternative embodiment of a fastener 201 according to the present invention, a hook component 203 and grommet 205 assembly, wherein like components have been given the same reference numerals as before. As shown in fig. 19 to 22 inclusive, clasp part 203 is provided with a plurality of ribs 51 extending along the rear face of inner portion 11. The ribs may be triangular in cross-section. The ribs 51 provide additional rigidity to the clasp parts, thereby avoiding the possibility of the clasp deflecting under load and accidental release of the catch. Furthermore, as can be seen in particular from fig. 19, the outer portion 13 has a more rounded front edge 53 than in the previous embodiment. The outer portion 13 will preferably have a width from one side of the rounded edge to the other side of the rounded edge of between about 0.013m (13mm) to 0.016m (16mm), and in the embodiment shown, the outer portion has a width of about 0.01414m (14.14 mm). Referring specifically to fig. 22, the protrusion 33 is more pronounced than in the previous embodiment and protrudes upward from the abutment surface 14 by about 0.0005m (0.5 mm).

Referring specifically to fig. 23-25, various views of the grommet device 205 are shown to complement the clasp device of fig. 19-22. Grommet device 205 differs in that complementary recess 35 is more pronounced to facilitate receipt of larger projection 33. It is contemplated that the recesses will be approximately up to 0.0006m (0.6mm) deep. The upstanding lip 26 projects upwardly from the generally planar body by about 0.001 m (1 mm) and this is considered advantageous as it provides an effective means for the wearer to locate the clasp in the grommet. It is contemplated that the open mouth 23 of the grommet device 205 will have a maximum width of between about 0.0215m (21.5mm) and 0.0245m (24.5mm), and in the illustrated embodiment, the open mouth 23 of the grommet device has a maximum width of 0.02298m (22.98mm) from one end side of the open mouth 23 to the other end side of the open mouth 23. In this way, the maximum width of the open mouth 23 of the grommet device 205 is about 1.6 times the width of the outer portion 13 of the clasp device 203, and this will facilitate insertion of the clasp device 203 into the grommet device 205. Advantageously, the fastener of fig. 19-25 included has a maximum tensile strength of 13.6kg (about 30 lbs), which provides greater strength than a comparable thicker fastener and is reassuring to the wearer.

It will be seen from the foregoing example that the clasp and grommet fasteners according to the illustrated embodiment have only a single clasp, rather than multiple clasps as is common in known fasteners. This is considered a highly advantageous aspect of the invention. Generally, clasp and grommet fasteners known in the art include a row of two or more clasps and a series of two or more corresponding grommets depending on the width of the back of the garment. In some cases, five or more clips aligned in a vertical column may be provided. These clasps must be closed "one by one," which is difficult and cumbersome for the wearer, and it is often difficult to properly align the clasps with the corresponding grommet. Thus, the clasp and grommet are often misaligned, or the clasp and grommet must first be positioned into the outermost position, and then the clasp adjusted and inserted into the desired correct assembly position.

In this specification, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes" and "including" and the terms "comprising," "includes" and "including" are all to be construed as fully interchangeable and to give the broadest possible interpretation.

The invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described above but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A clasp and buttonhole fastener (1, 101, 201) for fixing two pieces of clothing together, the clasp part (3, 103, 203) being mounted on the face of the piece (15) , and the grommet parts (5, 105, 205) are mounted on the face of the piece (27), where:

Said clasp member (3, 103, 203) comprises a planar body (7) arranged flat on said face of said piece (15) and has arms (9) extending outwardly therefrom, so Said arm comprises an inner part (11) connected at one end to said planar body and an outer part (13) extending outwardly substantially perpendicular to said planar body, said outer part (13). 13) connected to the other end of the inner portion and extending generally parallel to the planar body, the side of the outer portion facing the planar body defining an abutment surface (14); and

The grommet member (5, 105, 205) includes a planar frame (21) disposed flat on the face of the sheet (27); the planar frame definition is sized to receive the grommet The open mouth (23) of the outer part (13) of the arm of the hook member and having a complementary abutment surface (25) on the underside of the planar frame for engaging the abutment of the hook member surface (14), and in the case where the two sides of the garment panel are closely juxtaposed, the grommet member is able to engage the hook in a direction parallel to the two faces of the garment panel components are slidably engaged to snap together the two panels of the garment; characterized by:

The outer portion (13) of the arm of the clasp member is herringbone-shaped, the open mouth of the flat frame of the grommet member is pentagon, and the grommet member (5, 105, 205) is further included in the flat frame. The upstanding lip (26) on the top side of the adjacent said complementary abutment surface (25), which acts as an end stop for the clasp member when the clasp member and the grommet member are brought into mutual engagement parts to aid in the positioning of the hook and grommet parts into the locating position;

and wherein protrusions (33) are provided on one of said abutment surface (14) and complementary abutment surface (25), and on the other of said abutment surface (14) and complementary abutment surface (25) Complementary recesses (35) are provided thereon;

and wherein said inner portion (11) of said clasp member (3) has at least one rib, said at least one rib extending upwards from said planar body (7) along the rear of said inner portion (11) extends to the outer part (13).

2. The clasp and grommet fastener (1, 101, 201) of claim 1, wherein the projection (33) is mounted on the abutment surface (14) of the clasp member.

3. A clasp and grommet fastener (1, 101, 201) according to any preceding claim, wherein the abutment on the underside of the planar frame for engaging the clasp member Said complementary abutment surface (25) of the surface (14) is chevron-shaped.

4. The clasp and grommet fastener (1, 101, 201) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the clasp part (103) and the grommet part (105) each comprise a magnet (43) for Positioning of the outer part (13) of the hook part in the open mouth (23) of the eyelet part (5).

5. The clasp and grommet fastener (1, 101, 201) of claim 4, wherein the magnet (43) on the clasp member (103) is positioned behind the arm (9) The magnet (43) on the planar body and on the grommet member (105) is positioned in the planar body behind and away from the complementary abutment surface (25) in the frame.

6. Hook and grommet fastener (1, 101, 201) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of grommet parts (5) are provided to be mounted in a line along the panel (27) of the garment ).

7. The clasp and grommet fastener (1, 101, 201) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the piece (27) of the garment to which the grommet member is mounted comprises a pair of fabric sheets (29, 31), and the buttonhole member (5) is sandwiched between the pair of fabric sheets.

8. Hook and grommet fastener (1, 101, 201) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a cavity is formed in said complementary abutment on said underside of said planar frame (21) between the surface (25) and the face of said piece (27) on which it is mounted.

9. The hook and eye fastener (1, 101, 201) of claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the two panels is elastic.

10. The clasp and grommet fastener (1, 101, 201) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein only one clasp (3) is provided.

11. The hook and eye fastener (1, 101, 201) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the upstanding lip has a height of about 0.001 m (1.0 mm).

12. The hook and eye fastener (1, 101, 201) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the hook and eye fastener has a maximum thickness of less than 0.0055 m (5.5 mm).

13. The hook and eye fastener (1, 101, 201) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the hook and eye fastener has a maximum thickness of less than 0.005 m (5.0 mm).

14. The clasp and grommet fastener (1, 101, 201) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the maximum width of the open mouth (23) of the grommet member (205) is not smaller than the 1.5 times the maximum width of said outer portion (13) of the clasp member (203).

15. The hook and eye fastener (1, 101, 201) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the hook and eye fastener has a maximum tensile strength greater than or equal to 11.36 kgs.