Fastener with protective cover

Abstract

Disclosed are articles, brassieres, clothing items, and other implementations, including an article that includes an underlying structure, a fastener coupled to the underlying structure, with at least part of the fastener placed at a first location of the underlying structure, and a protective cover positioned at a location proximate the first location at which the at least part of the fastener is coupled to the underlying structure, the protective cover configured to be placed over the fastener so that the at least part of the fastener is substantially placed in an interior space defined by the protective cover placed over the fastener at the first location of the underlying structure when the article is not in use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An article comprising:
 an underlying structure;   a fastener coupled to the underlying structure, with at least part of the fastener placed at a first location of the underlying structure; and   a protective cover positioned at a location proximate the first location at which the at least part of the fastener is coupled to the underlying structure, the protective cover configured to be placed over the fastener so that the at least part of the fastener is substantially placed in an interior space defined by the protective cover placed over the fastener at the first location of the underlying structure when the article is not in use.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener comprises a hook-and-eye fastener. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 2 , wherein the hook-and-eye fastener comprises one or more hooks coupled to the underlying structure at the first location and substantially covered by the protective cover when the article is not in use. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 3 , wherein the hook-and-eye fastener further comprises one or more eye elements attachable to corresponding ones of the one or more hooks, the one or more eye elements coupled to another, second, location of the underlying structure. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the protective cover is coupled to the underlying structure via one or more of: thread, adhesive, or Velcro™. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the protective cover comprises an elastic-based overlay. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 6 , wherein the elastic-based overlay, when not covering the at least part of the fastener, defines, with the underlying structure to which it is coupled, a first pocket configuration, and wherein the elastic-based overlay is configured to be turned over the at least part of the fastener such the turned-over elastic-based overlay defines, with the underlying structure, a second pocket configuration with the at least part of the fastener being placed substantially inside an interior-space of the second pocket configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the protective cover comprises a pouch defining an interior pouch space, wherein the at least part of the fastener is coupled to an interior wall of the pouch within the interior pouch space, and wherein the pouch is configured to receive within the interior pouch space at least another part of the fastener. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 8 , wherein the at least the other portion of the fastener comprises an eye element of a hook-and-eye fastener mechanism. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the protective cover is defined by at least two layers of the underlying structure defining the interior space in which the at least part of the fastener is substantially placed when the article is not in use. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the underlying structure comprises a portion of a clothing article, and wherein the protective cover, when placed over the fastener, is configured to protect the article and a washing apparatus from damage during a washing cycle when the article is placed within the washing machine. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the clothing article comprises a brassiere. 
     
     
         13 . A brassiere comprising:
 an underlying strap comprising a first portion and a second portion connectable to the first portion by a fastener mechanism;   the fastener mechanism, comprising a first part coupled to the first portion of the underlying strap, and a second part coupled to the second portion of the underlying strap; and   an elastic-based overlay coupled to the second portion of the underlying strap at a location proximate a fastener location at which the second part of the fastener is coupled to the underlying structure, the elastic-based overlay, when not covering any part of the fastener mechanism, defines, with the second portion of the underlying strap to which it is coupled, a first pocket configuration, and wherein the elastic-based overlay is configured to be turned over the second part of the fastener mechanism such that the turned-over elastic-based overlay defines, with the second portion of the underlying strap, a second pocket configuration with the second part of the fastener mechanism being placed substantially inside an interior-space of the second pocket configuration.   
     
     
         14 . The brassiere of  claim 13 , wherein the fastener mechanism comprises a hook-and-eye fastener. 
     
     
         15 . The brassiere of  claim 14 , wherein the second part of the hook-and-eye fastener comprises one or more hooks coupled to the underlying strap at the fastener location proximate an end of the second portion of the underlying strap, the one or more hooks being substantially covered by the elastic-based overlay when the brassiere is not in use. 
     
     
         16 . The brassiere of  claim 15 , wherein the first part of the hook-and-eye fastener comprises one or more eye elements attachable to corresponding ones of the one or more hooks, the one or more eye elements coupled to an end of the first portion of the underlying strap.