Reversible garment closure

Abstract

A garment closure provides ease of operation for wearers with physical disabilities, high tensile strength, and is reversible, adding to functional and aesthetic versatility. The closure includes two parts each having two or more hooks spaced apart along a rear face. A recess is located forwardly of each hook and shaped to receive a hook of the engaging part. In embodiments, the two parts include magnets and the body of the parts provides a waterproof enclosure for the magnets, providing protection for the wearer from exposure to the magnets or related metals. Embodiments include a lip on each hook which resists inadvertent disengagement of the closure.

1 . A garment closure for securing two pieces of a garment together, the closure comprising:
 a first part configured to be mounted on one of the pieces and a second part configured to be mounted on the other of the pieces;   each of the first part and the second part comprising:   a body having a rear face;   two or more hooks spaced apart along the rear face and extending rearwardly therefrom, each of the hooks having a roof;   two or more recesses in the rear face, each recess located forward of one of the hooks and shaped to receive the roof of one of the hooks;   a magnet enclosed within the body, the magnet located between the rear face of the body and a cover connected to the body, the magnet of each part aligned to attract the magnet of the other part so that when the first part is positioned near the second part, the magnets aid in the engagement thereof;   magnet cavity in the body of each part, the magnet cavity surrounded by a cavity lip projecting toward the cover and ultrasonically welded thereto, and the cover including a cover lip adjacent a perimeter of the cover, projecting from an interior face of the cover toward the body, and ultrasonically welded to the body; and   wherein the hooks of the first part are engageable with the hooks of the second part with the roof of each hook of the first part at least partially located within one of the recesses of the second part and the roof of each hook of the second part at least partially located within one of the recesses of the first part, thereby securing the two pieces of the garment together.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the cover is connected to the body with a waterproof seal. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The closure according to  claim 1 , wherein each hook of the first part and the second part includes a lip on a front side of the hook, the lip extending perpendicular to a direction of engagement. 
     
     
         7 . The closure according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the hooks has an interior end that is tapered rearwardly. 
     
     
         8 . The closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the body of each of the first part and the second part are substantially identical. 
     
     
         9 . The closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the closure has a tensile strength of at least 50 pounds. 
     
     
         10 . The closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the body of each of the first part and the second part has an exterior side including a loop configured for securing one of the two pieces of the garment thereto. 
     
     
         11 . The closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the body of each of the first part and the second part has an exterior side including a flange configured for securing one of the two pieces of the garment thereto. 
     
     
         12 . The closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the rear face of each of the first part and the second part has a weld region including a plurality of protrusions distributed throughout the weld region. 
     
     
         13 . The closure according to  claim 12 , further including a fabric layer ultrasonically welded to the weld region. 
     
     
         14 . A garment including the garment closure of  claim 1 .