US3644965A

US3644965A - Snap fastener

Info

Publication number: US3644965A
Application number: US863060A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward Joel Kahn
Original assignee: TOGS Inc
Current assignee: TOGS Inc
Priority date: 1968-10-16
Filing date: 1969-10-02
Publication date: 1972-02-29
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-28

Abstract

The invention disclosed is for a two-part snap-on fastening device which includes a button member having a stud projecting therefrom, and a foundation member securable to a garment. The projecting stud mates with the foundation member in a semipermanent fashion so that disengagement does not result during normal wearing conditions. In a preferred embodiment, the button portion is made of relatively hard material having a stud integral therewith, the free end of which is bulbous and adapted to be inserted into the somewhat resilient foundation member and form a semipermanent connection therewith.

Description

United States Patent Kahn 1 Feb. 29, 1972 [54] SNAP FASTENER 2,843,903 7/1958 Chaves ..24/109 X 3,021,583 2/ 1962 Grannen ..24/109 [72] Edwa'd Kahn Bammm 3,466,714 9/1969 Nysten ..24/208 [73] Assignee: Togs, Inc., Baltimore, Md. FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS [22] (M01969 358,908 9/1922 Germany ..24/113 [21] Appl. No.: 863,060 327,059 2/1958 Switzerland ..24/113 Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 819,144, Apr. 25, 1969, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 781,296, Oct. 14, 1968, abandoned.

[52] U.S. Cl. ..24/90 R, 24/108, 24/109,

24/109, 213, 214, 208 A, 221,113 MP, 102 SL [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,538,396 1/1951 Sutin ..24/108 2,622,291 12/1952 Drell et al... .....24/109 2,838,820 6/1958 Hakanson ..24/216 Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Assistant Examiner-Wemer H. Schroeder Attorney-Kenneth E. Prince [5 7] ABSTRACT The invention disclosed is for a two-part snap-on fastening device which includes a button member having a stud projecting therefrom, and a foundation member securable to a garment. The projecting stud mates with the foundation member in a semipermanent fashion so that disengagement does not result during normal wearing conditions. In a preferred em bodiment, the button portion is made of relatively hard material having a stud integral therewith, the free end of which is bulbous and adapted to be inserted into the somewhat resilient foundation member and form a semipermanent eonnection therewith.

5 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Patented Feb. 29, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN'IOR EDWARD J. KAHN ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 29, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 5 mvzmon EDWARD J. KAHN BY 5 g ATTORNEY SNAP FASTENER This is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 819,144, filed Apr. 25, 1969, which in turn is a continuationin-part of my application Ser. No. 781,296, filed Oct. 14, 1968, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a multiple part garment fastener adapted for relatively permanent attachment to a garment and which provides means for easy attachment and replacement.

In my earlier applications, I have described the difficulties attendant upon the attachment of conventional buttons to garments and the problems encountered in wearing because of their ready detachment from garments and the difficulty of replacing them. The articles of my earlier applications are two-part fasteners comprising a flat, female member having an opening therein and being adapted for attachment to one fold of the garment and a separate male member including a shank having a button integrally formed therewith at one end and an enlargement at the opposite end integral therewith and adapted for operative association with the female member whereby the two are snapped together to form a relatively permanent attachment. However, the association of the male and female members is such that by deliberate effort they can be separated and other male members substituted therefor without detaching the female member from the garment.

The present invention is an extension and modification of the earlier devices whereby it is possible to achieve a swaged fit between the male and female members and avoid the use of the peripheral groove adjacent the mating enlargement of the male member as described in my earlier applications. In addition, in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to insert the face or platform of said male member into a cavity cut into the underside of any ordinary button. This insertion is accomplished by mechanically diminishing the size of the platform or base of said male part and allowing it to be deposited in the smaller cavity cut in the said ordinary button. After insertion is made the mechanical tension on the said male base or platform is released thereby allowing the base to expand into the cavity of the button achieving a permanent interference fit. This new application of the male stem allows us to utilize all present button molds and products by simply adapting them to our purpose by the simple procedure of cutting an undercut cavity in their bases. By adopting this procedure we can utilize all existing resources and offer the garment manufacture an immediate, wide selection of different styles of products.

Either the female member at least in the area of the opening or the male member at the mating end is formed of relatively rigid material and the other is formed of relatively resilient material. This permits the use of a button shank of slightly larger cross section than the opening in the female member and assures a tight fit. Further, by this means it is possible to eliminate the peripheral groove adjacent the shank enlargement without sacrificing the rigidity of the button assembly. Elimination of the peripheral groove also facilitates molding of the male part since any break in the surface of a molded part requires additional work in mold construction and perfect alignment of the parts at all times. By use of a rigid shank and a resilient opening, the larger shank can be inserted into the resilient opening by application of pressure and it is held there against ready withdrawal or rotation. It is possible to make the shank member of resilient material and the female member of rigid material and still accomplish the same desirable result of relatively fixed parts. The determination of which member is to be resilient is made on the basis of the materials to be used. For example, if the button portion had a male stem that was to be metal, the female portion should be resilient. While it is possible to have both members of relatively resilient material, it is preferable to have one rigid.

The selection of the materials of construction will depend largely upon availability and cost. Illustrative but nonlimiting examples of resilient plastic materials which may be used are polyethylene, nylon No. 6, polyolefins such as polypropylene and copolymers thereof. Rigid materials may be metal, wood,

nylon, polyacetals, polyesters, polyvinylchloride, ureaformaldehyde, etc. My invention is not limited to materials of construction but is applicable to any material having the desired property.

The present invention will be further understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view partly exploded and partly assembled of the article of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view, partly in cross section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 taken along line 6-6;

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment wherein a metal cap is crimped onto the button end; and

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment having a woven leather button end.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the device of the present invention comprises a male member 11 having a shank l3 and integrally formed therewith a first enlarged end port 12 adapted to be force fit and expanded into an undercut or cavity in the back of a button, and at the opposite end thereof a second enlarged locking portion 14 adapted to be inserted into the opening 16 of female member 17. The enlarged locking end of male member 11 in one embodiment is provided with a shoulder 18 and around a portion of circumference with lugs 19 on opposed sides of the periphery. When the male and female members are mated, lugs 19 slide into opening 16 at points where the walls 21 FIG. 3 are vertical. The walls of opening 16 throughout the other portions are sloping as at 22 FIG. 3 to accommodate the sloping sides 23 of male member 11 of hard material, the sidewalls 22 are deformed on insertion of the male member so that a tight fit is achieved. To prevent separation of the members, the male member 11 is rotated whereby the lugs 19 are positioned between knobs 26 and nest therebetween whereby withdrawal is prevented.

Female member 17 is adapted to be attached to the face of a garment by any convenient or conventional means as by sewing, for which holes 25 are provided.

In one specific embodiment male member 11 is provided with a rib 10 extending outwardly from shoulder 18. When the members are mated and rotated into locking position, rib l0 registers with groove 9 of female member 17 and locks the members in place. Bevelled edge 8 of opening 16 in female member 17 FIG. 2 facilitates mating of the parts but does not appreciably reduce the friction between members 11 and 17.

At 27 in FIG. 2 is shown the button with cavity 33 that is cut into the underside. Into this undercut is inserted the outer portion of the male portion 28, having vertical sidewalls which curve inwardly towards the garment end of the button as at slope 29. The outer portion 28 is larger than cavity 33 to insure a tight fit. To mate these members, portion 28 is mechanically compressed, inserted and allowed to expand into the undercut, or so called cavity 33, in the said button 27. The conical protrusion 31 in the center of said button is by no means necessary to the embodiments of my invention, but is an artifact sometimes left in the process of making the undercut 33 in the said button. This protrusion 31 extends into cavity 34 in platform 13. The undercut 33 in the said button has a rigid skirt portion 32 having inwardly sloping sidewalls against which the inserted male portion 28 will exert pressure after insertion thereby achieving a permanent force fit without the need of any adhesives such as cement or glue.

If desired, portion 12 can be made to maximum diameter and a decorative disc inserted into cavity 34, FIG. 2. If this is employed, a retaining circumferential ring 36 may be provided. Obviously, this is not needed if button 27 covcrs the end of member 11.

It is preferred that the base or platform of said male component 12 be of a somewhat resilient material such as nylon No. 6 so that it may be mechanically compressed for insertion into the cavity 33 of the button 27 FIG. 2, but this material nylon No. 6 is by no means the only material acceptable, and should be by no way construed as a limiting factor.

The embodiment represented in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 is functionally the same as that shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 but the lugs 19 are of slightly different configuration and smaller. Also, female member 17 is provided with a concavity on its underside whereby male member enlargement 14 can be inserted and rotated to wearing position without extending past the level of the inner surface of female member 17. To prevent easy separation of the members of the present invention, the shank 13 should be of slightly larger diameter than opening 16 in female member. By having one or the other of these members of resilient material and the other of rigid material, a tight fit between the two is achieved. It is necessary that some deformation of the resilient material occur so that the parts will not become easily separated during wear. For this purpose, l have provided a method of assembling them whereby the resilient material is squeezed or stretched depending on whether or not it is the male or female portion.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate further embodiments of my invention. In FIG. 7 a larger base or platform 37 of male component 11 approaches the size of a normal button. It serves as a base to which a metal cap 38 can be attached. The cap is crimped around the platform 37 thereby giving the desired metal button. A further extension of my invention can be seen in FIG. 8 where the platform is of such design as to allow leather strips to be woven around it thereby giving a leather covered button.

The foregoing represents a description of certain preferred embodiments of my invention but all equivalent embodiments are contemplated by the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the following claims.

Iclaim:

l. A garment button comprising in combination a female member adapted for attachment to one fold of a garment, and having a central opening therethrough; a plurality of longitudinal grooves formed in the wall defining said central opening,

a male member including a shank portion, a first terminal enlargement adapted for insertion into said central opening, a second terminal enlargement on the free end of said shank, and a plurality of ribs extending longitudinally along said shank from the inserted end and registering with said grooves on rotation of said male member to lock said members together.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the button end of said male member is of deformable material adapted for insertion into an undercut cavity in a button blank whereby the button end is further enlarged.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the shank of said male member is made of relatively hard material and said female member is of relatively resilient material whereby mating of said male and female parts is facilitated.

4. A garment button comprising in combination a female member adapted for attachment to one fold of a garment and having formed therein a central opening, plurality of radial slits extending outwardly from said opening in said female member, paired bosses on the underside of said female member between said slits, a male member having a shank and inner and outer terminal enlargements, said outer enlargement being adapted for insertion into a buttonhole in an overlying fold of the garment and said inner enlargement having a plurality of lugs extending radially from the periphery of said inner enlargement being adapted for insertion into said central opening, said lugs registering with and passing through said slits whereby on rotation of said members relative to each other, said lugs rest between said paired bosses to maintain said members in relatively fixed position.

5. A garment button comprising, in combination, a female member adapted for attachment to one fold of a garment, said female member havin a central opening defied by partial inwardly tapered sidewa ls, a male member having a base and a stud extending therefrom terminating in a bulbous portion adapted for insertion into the opening in said female member and being slightly larger than said opening, partial flanges extending radially from said bulbous portion for locking said flanges on rotation of said male member relative to locking means on said female member.

Claims

1. A garment button comprising in combination a female member adapted for attachment to one fold of a garment, and having a central opening therethrough; a plurality of longitudinal groOves formed in the wall defining said central opening, a male member including a shank portion, a first terminal enlargement adapted for insertion into said central opening, a second terminal enlargement on the free end of said shank, and a plurality of ribs extending longitudinally along said shank from the inserted end and registering with said grooves on rotation of said male member to lock said members together.

5. A garment button comprising, in combination, a female member adapted for attachment to one fold of a garment, said female member having a central opening defied by partial inwardly tapered sidewalls, a male member having a base and a stud extending therefrom terminating in a bulbous portion adapted for insertion into the opening in said female member and being slightly larger than said opening, partial flanges extending radially from said bulbous portion for locking said flanges on rotation of said male member relative to locking means on said female member.