CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
Not Applicable.
SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM
Not Applicable.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to Buttons Attachment to Garment Cloths.
PRIOR ART
We have found several inventions of button assemblies that were configured for button attachment but all of them are dissimilar to our invention both in their structures and in their principles of operation. Most, if not all of these attachment assemblies rely on some sort of metallic pedestal crimping to attach it to the garment cloth. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,012 (Jul. 5, 1977) to Kramer et al. teaches a metallic button held by a metallic pedestal that is stapled to the garment cloth by a four legged metallic staple that is crimped to hold the pedestal. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,522,404 (Sep. 3, 2013) Matei teaches a button which can be tilted because it is attached to an elongated metallic shaft with ball attached at one end. The ball is housed in a ball bearing cavity included in the mounting base attached to the garment. In US 2005/0188510 (Sep. 1, 2005) Retamal teaches a button attached to an elongated serrated metal shaft which fits into a serrated metal nut attached to the garment. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,780 (Feb. 25, 1986) Fukuroi teaches a metal button which is attached to a mounting base by a crimped metal nail. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,063 (Apr. 23, 1985) Fukuroi teaches a metal button attachment to base by a metal rivet. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,043 (Nov. 19, 1996) Candotti also teaches a metal button attachment to base by a metal rivet. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,362 (May 29, 1990) Collas proposes to mount a metallic button on a metallic shank which is connected to a disk beneath the garment cloth. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,940 (Aug. 24, 1999) Tanikoshi teaches a button mounting by crimping a metal tubular rivet. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,398 (Nov. 2, 1999) Evans proposed attaching buttons to clothing by H shaped plastic studs which are inserted through the button holes into the clothing. In U.S. Pat. No. 9,820,520 (Nov. 21, 2017) Bolen teaches an attachment system with two parts one part attaches to the clothing side and the other part attaches to the button side and both parts are then coupled by a magnetic twist-lock mechanism. In U.S. Ser. No. 10/004,299 (Jun. 26, 2018) Maussen Teaches a tapered trapezoidal shape buttons which are connected to fabrics using sewing. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,013 (Jul. 1, 1975) Gould teaches a button attachment using a rivet with long serrated shaft that protrudes from the clothing and is attached to a button with fitting aperture. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,938,861 (Jan. 27, 2015) McLendon teaches a removably attachable button using a pair of U-shaped flexible pins with small hooks at their ends, which are inserted through the clothing and through the button holes.
All the above inventions are entirely dissimilar to our invention.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have several goals in inventing and developing the Button Assembly of which some feasible embodiments are illustrated in FIGS. 1-13. The goals are:
- 1. To develop a Button Assembly which facilitates fast button attachment on a garment cloth without any need for sewing.
- 2. To adapt suitable button assembly components for fast manual attachment without needing of additional tools or machines.
- 3. To configure a button structure which can be attached swiftly, firmly and permanently to garment cloths.
- 4. To design an attachment structure (i.e. a connective structure) for the button which can withstand without breaking strong pulling forces when applied to the button.
- 5. To develop a button assembly which could be manufactured very cheaply in mass production from common elastic materials such as plastics.
- 6. To design a button assembly approach which enables creation of a large variety of colors and shapes of button appearances.
- 7. To develop an attachment by trapping mechanism that exploits the resiliency of materials such as plastics to trap in the button one end of an attachment structure while the second end of the attachment structure is connected to the garment cloth. Whereby permanently tying the button to the garment cloth.
In order to achieve some of the objectives listed above, our mechanism for button attachment to garment cloth adopts the operational principle of mechanical trapping where the action of trapping is initiated by bending a set of resilient gating flaps (i.e. a multiplicity of flaps—as in the Claims) which reside inside the button and later activating the trapping mechanism by releasing the multiplicity of bent flaps. The resilient gating flaps are initially bent by an intrusion of a foreign element (i.e. a hemisphere or a cone on top of a pole) into the button's trapping inner space while pushing and bending inwards the resilient multiplicity of flaps system. Next, the trapping mechanism is triggered shut by releasing the multiplicity of flaps to unbend backwards when the hemisphere (or cone) is pushed further forwards beyond the multiplicity of flaps tips. After trapping, the trapped pole—hemisphere or cone structure serves as a connective structure between the button and the garment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a top view of an embodiment of the button in 3D isometric drawing.
FIG. 2 Depicts in 3D isometric drawing a bottom view of an embodiment of the button in 3D isometric drawing.
FIG. 3 Illustrates in 3D isometric drawing an embodiment of the attachment structure which includes the hemisphere connected to the pole at the pole's upper end and the retaining disk attached to the lower end of the pole. A piercing cone is attached to the top side of the dome.
FIG. 4 illustrates a cross section of the attachment structure with the piercing cone pointing downwards and situated above a cross section of a piece of garment cloth. A cross section of the button is depicted underneath the garment cloth and opposite to the piercing cone.
FIG. 5 illustrates a cross section of the attachment structure with the piercing cone pointing downwards while piercing a cross section of a piece of garment cloth. A cross section of the button is depicted underneath the garment cloth and opposite to the piercing cone.
FIG. 6 Depicts a cross section of the attachment structure with the piercing cone pointing downwards while the pole is piercing a cross section of a piece of garment cloth. A cross section of the button is depicted underneath the garment cloth and opposite to the piercing cone.
FIG. 7 Shows a cross section of the attachment structure with the piercing cone pointing downwards while the pole is piercing a cross section of a piece of garment cloth. A cross section of the button is depicted underneath the garment cloth while the hemisphere's dome is in the process of pushing and bending downwards the multiplicity of flaps.
FIG. 8 Shows a cross section of the attachment structure with the piercing cone pointing downwards while the pole is piercing a cross sectional depiction of a piece of garment cloth. A cross section of the button is depicted underneath the garment cloth while the hemisphere's dome already traveled beneath the tips of the multiplicity of flaps that are now released and are now diagonally resting on the pole above the hemisphere. At this position the multiplicity of flaps is preventing upside travel of the hemisphere thus trapping inside the button the hemisphere along with the rest of the attachment structure (i.e. the pole and the retaining disk). At this trapped state the attachment structure attaches the button to the garment cloth.
FIG. 9 Illustrates in 3D isometric drawing an embodiment of the conical attachment structure which includes the cone connected to the pole at the pole's upper end and the retaining disk attached to the lower end of the pole.
FIG. 10 Shows a cross section an embodiment of the conical attachment structure with the cone pointing downwards while the pole is piercing a cross sectional depiction of a piece of garment cloth. A cross section of the button is depicted underneath the garment cloth while the cone's dome already traveled beyond the tips of the multiplicity of flaps that are now released and are now diagonally resting on the pole above the cone and is preventing upside travel of the hemisphere thus trapping inside the button the hemisphere along with the rest of the attachment structure (i.e. the pole and the retaining disk).
At the trapped state the attachment structure attaches the button to the garment cloth.
FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the spacing ring.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a top view of an embodiment of the button 1 in 3D isometric drawing. The button is structured from a toroid 3 with toroid's upper and lower circular openings. The toroid's upper circular opening is covered by an attached planar disk which is divided by four radial slits 11 centered at the center of the planar disk. The planar disk is made of resilient material. The four slits 11 divide the planar disk into four flaps 2 (which correspond to the multiplicity of flaps in the Claims). The slits are centered at the circular opening 5 drilled at the center of the planar disk.
FIG. 2 Depicts in 3D isometric drawing a bottom view of an embodiment of the button 1 in 3D isometric drawing. The button 1 is structured from a toroid 3 with toroid's upper and lower circular openings. The toroid's upper circular opening is covered by an attached planar disk which is divided by four radial slits 11 into four flaps 2 (which correspond to the multiplicity of flaps mentioned in the Claims). The slits are centered at the circular opening 5 drilled at the center of the planar disk. The toroid lower circular opening 4 is also shown.
FIG. 3 Illustrates in 3D isometric drawing an embodiment of the hemispherical attachment structure which includes the hemisphere 7 connected to the pole 8 at the pole's upper end and the retaining disk 10 which is attached to the lower end of the pole 8. A piercing cone 9 is attached to the top side of the hemisphere's dome 7. The piercing cone 9 is configured to initialize piercing of garment cloths in advance in order to facilitate the garment cloth piercing by the following hemisphere 7. The retaining disk 10 which is placed at the inner side of the garment's cloth, is configured to attach the attachment structure to the garment cloth. The retaining disk 10 does not have to be a circular disk as in FIG. 3 and in fact any flat plate approximately with the same size, could perform the retaining task.
FIG. 4 illustrates a cross section of the hemispherical attachment structure: 7-8-9-10 with the piercing cone 9 pointing downwards and situated above a cross sectional depiction of a piece of garment cloth 6. A cross section of the button 1 is illustrated underneath the garment cloth 6 and opposite to the piercing cone 9.
FIG. 4 actually illustrates the situation of the attachment structure before piercing the garment cloth. A cross sectional view of the button 1 is also shown beneath the garment cloth 6. The Button 1 is structured from a toroid 3 with toroid's upper and lower circular openings. The toroid's upper circular opening is entirely covered by an attached planar disk which is divided by four radial slits 11 into four flaps 2. The slits are centered at the circular opening 5 drilled at the center of the planar disk. The toroid lower circular opening 4 is also shown.
FIG. 5 illustrates a cross section of the hemispherical attachment structure: 7-8-9-10 with the piercing cone 9 pointing downwards and situated at the position where the cone is in the process of piercing of a cross sectional depiction of a piece of garment cloth 6. A cross section of the button 1 is illustrated underneath the garment cloth 6 and opposite to the piercing cone 9. FIG. 5 actually illustrates the situation of the attachment structure while in the process of piercing the garment cloth 6 by the piercing cone 9. A cross sectional view of the button 1 is also shown beneath the garment cloth 6. The Button 1 is structured from a toroid 3 with toroid's upper and lower circular openings. The toroid's upper circular opening is covered by an attached planar disk which is divided by four radial slits 11 into four flaps 2 (which correspond to the multiplicity of flaps mentioned in the Claims). The slits are centered at the circular opening 5 drilled at the planar disk's center. The toroid lower circular opening 4 of the toroid is also shown.
FIG. 6 illustrates a cross section of the hemispherical attachment structure: 7-8-9-10 with the piercing cone 9 pointing downwards and situated at the position where the pole 8 is in the process of piercing of a cross sectional depiction of a piece of garment cloth 6. A cross section of the button 1 is illustrated underneath the garment cloth 6 and opposite to the piercing cone 9. FIG. 6 actually illustrates the situation of the attachment structure while in the process of piercing the garment cloth 6 by the pole 8. A cross sectional view of the button 1 is also shown beneath the garment cloth 6. The Button 1 is structured from a toroid 3 with toroid's upper and lower circular openings. The toroid's upper circular opening is covered by an attached planar disk which is divided by four radial slits 11 into four flaps 2. The slits 11 are centered at the circular opening 5 drilled at the center of the planar disk. The toroid lower circular opening 4 is also shown.
FIG. 7 illustrates a cross section of the hemispherical attachment structure: 7-8-9-10 with the piercing cone 9 pointing downwards and situated at the position where the hemispheric dome 7 is in the process of bending down the button multiplicity of flaps 2 while the pole 8 is in the process of piercing of a cross sectional depiction of a piece of garment cloth 6. A cross section of the button 1 is illustrated underneath the garment cloth 6 and opposite to the piercing cone 9. FIG. 7 actually illustrates the situation of the attachment structure when the hemispheric dome 7 is in the process of bending down the button's multiplicity of flaps 2 while the garment cloth 6 is pierced by the pole 8. A cross sectional view of the button 1 is shown beneath the garment cloth 6. The Button 1 is structured from a toroid 3 with toroid's upper and lower circular openings. The toroid's upper circular opening is covered by an attached planar disk which is divided by four radial slits 11 into four flaps 2. The slits 11 are centered at the circular opening 5 drilled at the center of the planar disk. The toroid lower circular opening 4 is also shown.
FIG. 8 illustrates a cross section of the hemispherical attachment structure: 7-8-9-10 with the piercing cone 9 pointing downwards and situated at the position where the hemispheric dome 7 is beyond the process of bending the button's multiplicity of flaps 2 while the pole 8 is in the process of piercing of a cross sectional depiction of a piece of garment cloth 6. At this situation the hemispheric dome 7 has already passed beyond and below the tips of the multiplicity of flaps 2 and the flaps now are un-bended, released and diagonally resting on the pole 8 above the hemisphere. At this position the multiplicity of flaps is preventing the hemisphere from moving upwards thus trapping the hemisphere 7 inside the button 1. A cross section of the button 1 is illustrated underneath the garment cloth 6 and opposite to the piercing cone 9. FIG. 8 actually illustrates the situation of the attachment structure when the hemispheric dome 7 is beyond the process of bending the button flaps 2 while the pole 8 is in the process of piercing of a cross sectional depiction of a piece of garment cloth 6. At this situation the hemispheric dome 7 has already passed beyond and below the tips of the multiplicity of flaps 2 and the multiplicity of flaps now are released, un-bended and diagonally resting on the pole 8 above the hemisphere 7 while trapping the hemisphere beneath them inside the button. At this trapped state the attachment structure completes the attachment of the button to the garment cloth.
A cross sectional view of the button 1 is shown beneath the garment cloth 6. The Button 1 is structured from a toroid 3 with toroid's upper and lower circular openings. The toroid's upper circular opening is covered by an attached planar disk which is divided by four radial slits 11 into four flaps 2. The slits are centered at the circular opening 5 drilled at the center of the planar disk. The toroid lower circular opening 4 is also shown.
FIG. 9 Illustrates in 3D isometric drawing an embodiment of the conical attachment structure which includes the cone 12 connected to the pole 13 at the pole's upper end and the retaining disk 14 attached to the lower end of the pole 13.
FIG. 10 illustrates a cross section of the conical attachment structure: 12-13-14 with the cone 12 pointing downwards and situated at the position where the conic dome 12 is beyond the process of bending and releasing the button's multiplicity of flaps 2 while the pole 13 is piercing a cross sectional depiction of a piece of garment cloth 6. At this situation the conic dome 7 has already passed beyond and below the tips of the multiplicity of flaps 2 and the flaps now are un-bended, released and diagonally resting on the pole 13 above the cone and preventing the cone from travelling upwards i.e. trapping the cone beneath the multiplicity of flaps. A cross section of the button 1 is illustrated underneath the garment cloth 6 and opposite to the cone 12. FIG. 10 actually illustrates the situation of the attachment structure when the conic dome 12 is beyond the process of bending and releasing the button's multiplicity of flaps 2 while the pole 13 is piercing a cross sectional depiction of a piece of garment cloth 6. At this situation the conic dome 12 has already passed beyond and below the tips of the multiplicity of the flaps 2 and the flaps now are un-bended and diagonally resting on the pole 13 above the cone and preventing the cone from travelling upwards, thus trapping the cone inside the button. At this trapped state the attachment structure completes the attachment of the button to the garment cloth.
A cross sectional view of the button 1 is shown beneath the garment cloth 6. The Button 1 is structured from a toroid 3 with toroid's upper and lower circular openings. The toroid's upper circular opening is covered by an attached planar disk which is divided by four radial slits 11 into four flaps 2. The slits are centered at the circular opening 5 drilled at the center of the planar disk. The lower circular opening 4 of the toroid is also shown.
FIG. 11 Illustrates the spacing ring 18 which is installed on the pole 8 between the garment cloth 6 and the button 1 after completion of the attachment. The spacing ring 18 is configured to facilitate buttoning.
Patent Grant
11219277
