This application relates generally to fastener devices, and more specifically to button assemblies.
A market driven need exists to provide decorative fasteners for clothing in order to obtain improved clothing sales. Clothing using button type fasteners may be limited in the size and shape of the button due to button hole constraints such as a maximum allowable size.
Button type fasteners may also be limited to certain shapes due to the requirement that the button be both easily attached and removed, while still being securely fastened. Such limited shapes, such as circular, spherical and elongated, further reduce the potential decorative and stylistic patterns available for decorative fasteners.
In the following detailed description of the disclosed attachment arrangements. The terms “inner” and “outer” as used in the description may include any structures having different distances from a fixed point of reference, such as a person. The term “attachment” is understood to include fabric attachment devices such as buttons, studs, toggles, snap fasteners, “press-fit”, and magnetic fasteners.
The term “horizontal” as used in this application is defined as a plane parallel to the conventional plane or surface of the earth, regardless of any temporary orientation of the device with respect to the earth. The term “vertical” refers to a direction perpendicular to the horizontal as defined above. Prepositions, such as “on”, “side”, “higher”, “lower”, “over” and “under” are defined with respect to the conventional plane or surface, regardless of any temporary orientation of the device. The detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
Button type closure 100 includes an illustrative person 102, partially surrounded by an inner fabric portion 104, which is partially overlapped by an outer fabric portion 106. The outer fabric portion 106, may be removably attached to the inner fabric portion 104, by an inwardly directed attachment device including a button 108, that is passed through a button hole (dashed line, 118) in the inner fabric 104. In the described embodiment the button is shown as having a either a circular shape or an elongated shape, but the invention is not so limited. The button is connected to a shaft or stud 110, shown in the disclosed embodiment as being an internally threaded hollow tube. The shaft 110 is not limited to the disclosed threaded hollow shaft, and may alternatively be a flexible or elastic structure, or a solid shaft, or other equivalent structures. The shaft 110 may be firming attached to the outer fabric portion 106 by various means including the illustrated threaded flange, and may be attached by stitching, riveting, adhesive or other equivalent means. A decorative button cap 114 may be externally attached to the shaft 110 by the illustrated threaded connection 112, but the invention is not be so limited and may include friction type attachments such as what may be known as “press-fit” connectors, or snaps, or hook and loop attachments such as the trademarked product Velcro, or equivalents. The orientation of the button cap 114 in the vertical plane of the normal position of the illustrative person 102, and may be adjusted by controlling the depth of the threaded fitting. The orientation of button cap 114 may be improved by including an elastic member 116 to provide orientation control without lose of orientation stability and frictional interaction between the button cap 114 and the shaft 110. The illustrated elastic member may be a rubber “O” ring, an elastic washer, a split ring or a star washer, a spring, or other complaint material.
The arrangement of
The use of the illustrated method of attaching two fabric pieces includes forming an attachment structure 208 in an inner fabric portion 204, such as a snap fastener or a button hole, attaching a fastener 210 to an outer fabric portion 206 including a solid portion 218 extending inwardly from the outer fabric portion 206 towards the inner fabric portion 204. Connecting two attachment structures 208 and 210, for example by passing a flange portion of the fastener through a hole in the inner fabric portion 204, or applying pressure to connect the male snap element 210 to the female snap element 208. The two attachment structures illustrated are adapted to provide removable attachment between the inner and outer fabric portions. The decorative button cover 214 is not limited to use with the illustrated buttons and snaps, but may be used with other attachment methods such as studs and toggles or other attachment methods such as a hook and loop arrangement.
The detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings that show, by way of illustration, specific aspects and embodiments in which the present disclosed embodiments may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice aspects of the present invention. Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement that is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. Other embodiments may be utilized, and structural, logical, and material changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments. The various embodiments are not necessarily mutually exclusive, as some embodiments can be combined with one or more other embodiments to form new embodiments. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of embodiments of the present invention.
It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive, and that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Combinations of the above embodiments and other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon studying the above description. The scope of the present disclosed embodiments includes any other applications in which embodiments of the above structures and fabrication methods are used. The scope of the embodiments should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.