Backing members for garment fastening devices

Claim 1

A backing member for a pronged fastener component of a garment fastening device, said backing member comprising a substantially rectangular elongated plate body portion having bounding peripheral edges, opposite first and second faces, first and second end regions, a central region intermediate said end regions, a pair of separate elongated recesses re-entrant with respect to said second face of the body portion and longitudinally in alignment with one another, and generally planar portions fully surrounding said recesses and spacing said recesses inwards from the peripheral edges of said body portion, said recesses each being in the form of a discrete localised indentation of substantially arcuate cross section in the body portion extending from a respective said end region towards said centre region, said backing member further comprising, in foldedover relationship with said body portion, an integral tongue portion which confronts said second face in substantially abutting relationship and overlies said recesses to provide, in co-operation therewith, discrete longitudinally spaced-apart pockets each adapted to accommodate and closely confine a clenched-over single said attachment prong of the pronged fastener component, said tongue portion having a pair of apertures disposed one adjacent the outer end of each recess which is remote from the central region of the body portion for entry of the prongs into the pockets, the indentations forming said recesses providing, at said outer ends of the recesses, cam surface elements which engage and deflect the fastener component prongs into said pockets when the prongs are driven through said apertures during the operation of securing the fastener component by means of a clenching press and further providing, contiguous with the cam surface element of each recess, lateral first and second guide surface portions forming opposite sides of the recess which confine laterally the respective prong clenched into said recess, and a third guide surface portion, forming the base of the recess integrally connecting said lateral first and second guide surface portions, which defines the depth of said recess relative to said planar portions and guides the prong during clenching into substantially flat surface contact with the tongue portion overlying said recess whereby to securely clamp the backing member to the garment fabric material, said depth conforming substantially to the thickness of the plate body portion, and wherein the body portion and said tongue portion in substantiaLly abutting relationship therewith has, in transverse cross-section, a shallow curvature convex in relation to said first face of said body portion.