Connector assembly

Abstract

A portion of an article of clothing has a reinforced strip, such as an embroidered strip. A first connector member has a male or female connector on its front face and a rearwardly-projecting member on its rear face. The rearwardly-projecting member passes through the strip to the opposite side of the article of clothing and into an opening in a second connector member. It is secured therein by an elastic snap-fit, for example. A complementary article of clothing (such as the other sock of a pair of socks) has a similar construction but with the other of the male or female connectors on the first connector member. The male connector of the one article snap fits into the female connector of the other to releasably connect them together, such as for washing or storage. To separate the articles the strip of the one article is grasped in one of the user's hands and the strip of the other article in the user's other hand and they are pulled apart. The first and second connector members of both articles remain attached to their respective article.

1 . An assembly, comprising:
 an article of clothing;   a portion of the article of clothing includes a reinforced strip;   a first connector member having a front face having a female or male connector;   the first connector member having at a rear face thereof outwardly-projecting prongs extending through the strip from a front thereof to a back thereof; and   a second connector member positioned on a back side of the strip and into which the at least one prong extends and is secured.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the prong has an end hook, the second connector member has a through-hole with an inset ledge at the through-hole, and the end of the hook engages the ledge with the first and second connector members attached together. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 2  wherein with the first and second connector members attached together, a curved rounded portion of the hook is flush with or extends out from an outer back surface of the second connector member less than 1.0 cm. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the prongs are outwardly or inwardly slanted. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the strip is a strip of fabric or plastic material that is secured to the article of clothing by gluing, sewing, heat sealing or punching. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the strip is an embroidered strip. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the prongs bend outwardly into respective pockets in the second connector member and are thereby secured, and wherein the prongs before securement to the second connector member are vertically disposed and parallel to one another. 
     
     
         8 . An assembly, comprising:
 a first connector member having a front face with a female or male connector thereat and a rear face having a plurality of outwardly-projecting prongs; each of the prongs having an end lip; each of the prongs slanting outwardly or inwardly; and   a second connector member having a plurality of through-holes; each of the through-holes configured to receive therein a respective one of the prongs with a respective end lip engaging a respective outward ledge at each through-hole to affix the first and second connector members together.   
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 8  wherein the prongs are configured to snap outwardly into place with the respective lips engaging respective outward ledges as the prongs are inserted into through-holes to attach the connector members together. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 8  wherein each of the prongs slants outwardly at an angle of between 5 and 20 degrees. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 8  wherein a forward face of the second connector member has a raised portion surrounding the through-holes and spaced inwardly from a perimeter of the forward face. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 8  wherein the male or female connector is a female connector that includes two longitudinally aligned openings. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 8  wherein the male or female connector is a male connector that includes two longitudinally aligned mushroom-shaped posts. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 8  wherein the through-holes are configured to receive therein a respective one of the prongs with the prongs passing through a piece of material to affix the first and second connector members together on and to the piece of material; and wherein the first and second connector members when affixed on the piece of material have a total thickness of 3.5 +5/−3 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a third connector member having a front face with a female connector thereat and a rear face having outwardly-projecting prongs; each of the prongs having an end lip and each slanting outwardly; the prongs being symmetrically disposed about a central vertical axis through the third connector member; 
 a fourth connector member having through-holes, each configured to receive therein a respective one of the prongs of the third connector member with a respective lip engaging a respective ledge at each through-hole to affix the third and fourth connector members together; 
 the female or male connector of the first connector member being a male connector; and 
 the female connector of the third connector member being configured to receive and releasably hold the male connector of the first connector member. 
 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 15  wherein the through-holes of the second connector member are configured to receive therein a respective one of the prongs of the first connector member with the prongs passing through a first piece of material to affix the first and second connector members together on and to the first piece of material; and wherein the through-holes of the fourth connector member are configured to receive therein a respective one of the prongs of the third connector members with the prongs passing through a second piece of material to affix the third and fourth connector members together on and to the second piece of material; and wherein the connection of the first and second connector members and the connection of the third and fourth connector members are stronger than the connection of the male and female connectors so that the connection of the male and female connectors releases before that of the first and second connector members and the third and fourth connector members when the first and second strips are grasped and pulled apart. 
     
     
         17 . An assembly, comprising:
 an article of clothing;   a portion of the article of clothing including an embroidered strip; and   a first connector member having a front face with a male or female connector thereat and a rear face positioned on and held to the strip.   
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the embroidered strip includes a stabilizer layer on a backside of the material of the article of clothing. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the embroidered strip has a width of 5 to 30 mm and a length of 10 to 80 mm. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the embroidered strip has a density of 200 to 2000 stitches per square centimeter. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly of  claim 17  further comprising:
 a second connector member positioned on a back side of the strip and having a plurality of forwardly-disposed posts; and 
 the posts extending through the strip into respective openings in the rear face of the first connector member and secured therein to hold the first connector member to the strip. 
 
     
     
         22 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the first connector member is at and on an end of the strip. 
     
     
         23 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the male or female connector is a male connector that includes a male snap. 
     
     
         24 . The assembly of  claim 17  further comprising:
 the first connector member having at the rear face outwardly-projecting prongs penetrating through the strip from a front thereof to a back thereof; and 
 a second connector member positioned on a back side of the strip and into which the at least one prong extends and is affixed. 
 
     
     
         25 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the male connector is a metal or plastic snap and the female connector is a receiving ring or cavity for the snap. 
     
     
         26 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the first connector member has a male connector on the front face and a female connector at the front face.