TREA

Clasp device for sheet materials

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Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6199247
  • Patent Number
    6,199,247
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, July 7, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 13, 2001
    23 years ago
Information
Abstract
A clasp device includes a frame and a button for clasping a sheet material between the frame and the button by women and children without a great force. The button is engaged in an opening of the frame and includes an annular flange having a size greater than the opening of the frame for engaging with the frame and for preventing the button from being disengaged from the frame. The frame has one or more stops engaged with the annular flange of the button for securing the button to the frame and for preventing the button from being disengaged from the frame.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a clasp device, and more particularly to a clasp device for fabrics, films, and sheet materials.




2. Description of the Prior Art




A typical clasp device for clasping fabrics, films and sheet materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,222 to Byers et al. and comprise a body having a rounded opening formed therein and defined by a frame section for receiving a button member. The button member includes an annular groove defined between a pair of annular walls; in which one of the annular walls should be engaged through the frame section together with the sheet material by force. Children and women may not easily engage the button member into the frame second of the body.




The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional clasp devices for sheet materials.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a clasp device for allowing the fabrics, films and sheet materials to be easily clasped in place by children and women.




In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a clasp device for clasping a sheet material, the clasp device comprising a frame including an opening formed therein and including a notch formed therein and communicating with the opening for increasing a size of the opening, a button including a body having a size for engaging in the opening of the frame, the body including an annular flange extended radially outward therefrom and having a size greater than the opening of the frame for engaging with the frame and for preventing the button from being disengaged from the frame, and the frame including at least one stop extended therefrom and engaged with the annular flange of the button for securing the button to the frame and for preventing the but ton from being disengaged from the frame.




The frame includes an inner peripheral surface for defining the opening thereof, and includes at least one depression formed in the inner peripheral surface thereof for receiving the sheet material when the sheet material is engaged between the button and the frame.




The frame includes a peripheral shoulder formed therein and communicating with the opening of the frame for receiving the annular flange of the button. The frame includes a serrated peripheral surface formed therein for defining the annular shoulder of the frame and for engaging with the sheet material when the sheet material is engaged between the annular flange of the button and the frame.




The frame includes an upper surface and includes at least one bulge extended upward beyond the upper surface of the frame, the stop of the frame is extended from the bulge of the frame for engaging with the annular flange of the button.




Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is an exploded view of a clasp device in accordance with the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a perspective view of the clasp device;





FIGS. 3 and 4

are cross sectional views taken along lines


3


—


3


and


4


—


4


of

FIG. 2

respectively; and





FIG. 5

is a perspective view illustrating the engagement of a button member into a frame of the clasp device.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to the drawings, and initially to

FIGS. 1-4

, a clasp device in accordance with the present invention comprises a frame


1


including an opening


12


formed therein and defined by an inner peripheral surface


10


for receiving a button


2


. The frame


1


including a hole


11


or a hook formed therein for hanging purposes, and includes one or more depressions


121


formed in the inner peripheral surface


10


. The frame


1


includes a peripheral shoulder


14


formed in the upper portion thereof and preferably concentric with the opening


12


of the frame


1


, and includes a serrated peripheral surface


141


for defining the peripheral shoulder


14


. The frame


1


further includes a notch


13


formed therein and preferably formed between the hole


11


and the opening


12


and communicating with the opening


12


. The frame


1


includes one or more bulges


40


extended upward beyond the upper surface


17


of the frame


1


and includes one or more stops


41


extended from the bulges


40


respectively and extended inward of the peripheral shoulder


14


of the frame


1


, best shown in

FIG. 4

, for defining a gap


18


between the stops


41


and the frame


1


(FIG.


4


).




The button


2


includes a cylindrical body


22


for engaging into the opening


12


of the frame


1


and includes an annular flange


21


extended laterally or radially outward from the cylindrical body


22


for engaging with the peripheral shoulder


14


of the frame


1


and for securing the button


2


to the frame


1


. The stops


41


are engaged with the annular flange


21


of the button


2


(

FIGS. 2

,


4


) such that the button


2


may be secured to the frame


1


and will not be disengaged from the frame


1


. The annular flange


21


of the button


2


has a size greater than that of the opening


12


of the frame


1


for engaging with the frame


1


and for securing the button


2


to the frame


1


.




In operation, as shown in

FIG. 5

, the notch


13


of the frame


1


is provided for increasing the size of the opening


12


of the frame


1


such that the annular flange


21


of the button


2


that is engaged within a piece of fabric material or film material or sheet material


3


may be engaged through the notch


13


and the opening


12


of the frame


1


. One portion of the annular flange


21


of the button


2


may first be engaged into the gap


18


defined between the stops


41


and the frame


1


before the cylindrical body


22


of the button


2


is engaged into the opening


12


of the frame


1


. It is to be noted that the annular flange


21


of the button


2


is not required to be engaged through the opening


12


of the frame


1


by force as that required by the typical clasp devices. The engagement of the stops


41


with the annular flange


21


of the button


2


may prevent the button


2


from moving away from the frame


1


or from moving relative to the frame


1


in a direction perpendicular to the frame


1


.




It is further to be noted that the sheet material


3


engaged between the button


2


and the frame


1


may provide a force-fitted engagement between the button


2


and the frame


1


. A portion of the sheet material


3


and particularly the crease portions of the sheet material


3


may be received in the depressions


121


of the frame


1


such that the sheet material


3


may be flatly and snugly engaged between the button


2


and the frame


1


. The sheet material


3


and/or the annular flange


21


of the button


2


may further be solidly secured to the frame


1


by the engagement with the serrated peripheral surface


141


of the frame


1


. The annular flange


21


of the button


2


may also be directly engaged on the upper surface


17


of the frame


1


and may also include a portion engaged between the stops


41


and the frame


1


such that the button


2


may also be solidly secured to the frame


1


without forming the peripheral shoulder


14


in the frame


1


.




Accordingly, the clasp device in accordance with the present invention may be used to easily clasp the fabrics, films and sheet materials into the frame by children and women, without a great force.




Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.



Claims
  • 1. A clasp device for clasping a sheet material, said clasp device comprising:a frame including an opening formed therein and including a notch formed therein and communicating with said opening of said frame, said frame including an upper portion having a peripheral shoulder formed therein and communicating with said opening of said frame, said frame including at least one stop extended upward from said upper portion thereof and extended radially inward of said opening of said frame, and a button including a body received in said opening of said frame for clasping the sheet material between said body of said button and said frame, said body including an upper portion having an annular flange extended radially outward therefrom and having a size greater than that of said opening of said frame, said annular flange of said body being engaged in said peripheral shoulder of said frame and engaged with said frame for preventing said button from being disengaged from said frame and for further clasping the sheet material between said annular flange of said body and said frame, and said at least one stop of said frame being extended radially inward of said opening of said frame to engage with said annular flange of said button for securing the sheet material and said button to said frame and for preventing the sheet material and said button from being disengaged from said frame.
  • 2. The clasp device according to claim 1, wherein said frame includes a serrated peripheral surface formed therein for defining said annular shoulder of said frame and for stably securing the sheet material between said annular flange of said button and said serrated peripheral surface of said frame.
  • 3. The clasp device according to claim 1, wherein said frame includes an inner peripheral surface for defining said opening thereof, and includes at least one depression formed in said inner peripheral surface thereof for receiving the sheet material when the sheet material is engaged between said button and said frame.
  • 4. The clasp device according to claim 1, wherein said frame includes at least one bulge extended upward beyond said upper portion of said frame, said at least one stop of said frame is extended from said at least one bulge of said frame and extended radially inward of said opening of said frame for engaging with said annular flange of said button.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Number Name Date Kind
2435082 Huber Jan 1948
2454103 Swidersky Nov 1948
4175305 Gillis Nov 1979
4660240 Hutton et al. Apr 1987
4757662 Gasser Jul 1988
5046222 Byers et al. Sep 1991
5209029 Foerst May 1993
5655271 Maxwell-Trumble et al. Aug 1997