AU690952B2 - A device for use in threading a cord along through a passageway - Google Patents

Description

P/00/00 I Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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A 0 Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for service in Australia: Jong-Bae Park As Above CARTER SMITH BEADLE Level 10 189 Kent Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia O.j Invention Title: A DEVICE FOR USE IN THREADING A CORD ALONG A PASSAGEWAY The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us I -2- A TlDDC DT DP .I@o Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for enabling a cord or the like to be readily drawn along through a passageway. The device finds application not only in the clothing and other industries but also use in the home.

Background of the Invention The use of a safety pin to draw a cord through a seam of an article of clothing such as pyjama pants or swimming trunks is well known. However, safety pins are difficult to grasp when being threaded through the seam and as a result, the threading operation is not efficient. It is also possible for the spike of the safety pin to be released as a result of the difficulty of handling the safety pin which can further impede insertion of the cord.

In the clothing industry, self-designed wire hooks provided with long handles have also been used for the purpose of drawing cords along through seams. However, the cord is typically tied to the hook and as a result, the thickness of the knot may impede the threading operation. It is also possible that the spike of the hook can again catch on the material from which the article of clothing is made which is undesirable.

Summary of the Invention It is an aim of the present invention to ameliorate one or more problems ::of the prior art.

In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a device suitable for use in threading a cord along through a passageway, the device having: 000.. a cover member for facilitating gripping of the device and having an 25 internal bore extending along the cover member; and an insert having opposite sides extending rearwardly from a leading end region of the insert and which is received within said bore; wherein a trailing region of the insert is adapted to be able to engage the cord and the cover member is able to be moved so as to be brought into contact DAA:JJK-273i31 Febnruay 16,1998 1 I with the insert such that further movement of the cover member toward the leading end region is inhibited and so that the trailing region of the insert is shielded by the cover member.

One or both of the opposite sides of the insert will usually be provided with an abutment surface for engagement with the cover member to thereby inhibit movement of the cover member toward the leading end region of the insert. Typically, each side of the insert will have an abutment surface arranged so as to be able to contact the cover member. The opposite sides of the insert may also be able to be squeezed toward each other to allow the cover member to be slid over the or each abutment surface toward said leading end region of the insert.

Generally, the trailing region of the insert will be able to be received within the bore and so thereby be shielded by the cover member when the cover member has been moved into engagement with the insert.

Usually, one of the sides of the insert will terminate in a hook for engaging the cord. The hook may be able to press against the interior wall of the cover member to thereby inhibit the dislocation of the cord from the hook.

The cover member may be an elongate tapered cylinder and the insert may be formed from a relatively stiff wire bent back on itself such that the 20 opposite sides of the insert are spaced apart from and extend alongside each other.

S" In use, the cover member facilitates the gripping of the device by the user and so enhances the threading of the cord along through the passageway. The passageway may for instance be a seam of an article of clothing. The possibility 25 of the device catching on the material from which the article of clothing is formed during the threading of the cord through the seam is inhibited by virtue of the trailing end region of the insert being shielded by the cover member.

5 o. In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a kit for forming the 5 o• device outlined immediately above wherein the kit contains the elongate cover member and the insert.

DAA:JIK--27331 Fbrury 16, 1998 -4- The features and advantages of the invention are described in further detail below with reference to a number of preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a side view of a device embodied by the present invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cover member of the device of fig. 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the insert of the device of fig. 1; Figure 4 is a side view illustrating assembly of the device of fig. 1; and Figures 5(a) and 5(b) illustrate the securing of a cord to the device of fig.

1 in use, Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention The device 10 shown in fig. 1 comprises a tapered cover 12 receiving an insert 14. The cover is formed from a substantially rigid moulded plastic material and the insert from stainless steel wire. As is more clearly shown in fig. 2, the cover is hollow with a bore 16 extending from leading end 18 to trailing end 20 of the cover. The opening 22 of the bore at the leading end of the cover has a diameter which is less than that of the bore 16 at the trailing end of the cover.

i The insert 14 shown in fig. 3 has a rounded head 24 from which opposite sides 26 and 28 extend rearwardly forming neck 30 and body 32 of the insert.

As can been seen, the width of head 24 of insert 14 is greater than the diameter of opening 22 of bore 16 at the leading end 18 of the cover. A hook 34 is defined on the end of side 26 which terminates in spike 36, and a gap 38 is 25 provided between spike 36 and the end of side 28 of the insert to allow the" insert to readily receive a cord in use as will be described further below.

The opposite sides 26 and 28 of insert 14 are biased such that they have in inherent tendency to return to their resting positions as shown in fig. 2 following being squeezed toward each other. It is also noted that the opposite DAA:JJK-#27331 February 16, 1998 side regions of the insert fornmiing body 32 are inclined with respect to each other at substantially the same angle as opposite interior sides 40 of cover 12.

Ii use, spike 36 of the insert is pierced through an end region 42 of cord 44, and the cord subsequently slid along hook 34 until it is located at the apex 46 of hook 34 of insert 14.

When assembling the threading device 10, the head 24 of the insert 14 is inserted into bore 16 at the trailing end 20 of the cover. The cover is then drawn along the insert causing head 20 to be compressed slightly alloving the head to protrude from the leading end 18 of the sheath where it can be gripped and further squeezed as illustrated in fig. 4 to facilitate the locating of the cover on the insert.

Once the insert 14 is positioned within cover 12 as shown in fig. hook 34 can be squeezed by the user so as to press spike 36 inwardly to thereby allow the cover 12 to be slid over the hook and such that leading end 18 of the cover is pressed against the abutment surfaces provided by ledges 48 defined on opposite sides 26 and 28 of the insert 14 between neck 30 and body 32 as shown in fig. In this position, the regions of opposite sides 26 and 28 defining the body 32 of the insert are slightly compressed relative to their normal resting position 20 and so press against the opposite interior sides 40 of cover 12 inhibiting "'4movement of the cover rearwardly along insert 14. Rearward movement of the cover 12 is also inhibited by pressure exerted against the interior of the cover by the hook as a result of its compressed state, which contact also inhibits cord 44 from being dislocated from spike 36. As will be appreciated, ledges 48 also 25 inhibit movement of cover 12 toward head 24 of insert 14.

In order to thread the cord along through a seam of an article of clothing the threading device is gripped around cover 12 and threaded through the seam *04o such that cord 44 is drawn along behind. Once the cord 44 has been located in the seam it is able to be removed from the device 10 by simply squeezing opposite sides 26 and 28 of insert 14 toward each other such that the cover is able to be drawn over ledges 48 to release hook 34 from the cover to thereby enable the cord 44 to be withdrawn from spike 36.

DAA!JJ,#2733! Fcbruuy 16. 1998 -6- Although the present invention has been described hereinbefore with reference to a preferred embodiment, the skilled addressee will appreciate that numerois variations and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, rather than having a rounded leading tip, head 24 of the insert may have a flat or gently pointed leading end.

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Claims (17)

1. A device suitable for use in threading a cord along through a passageway, the device having: a cover member for facilitating gripping of the device and having an internal bore extending along the cover member; and an insert having opposite sides extending rearwardly from a leading end region of the insert and which is received within said bore; wherein a trailing region of the insert is adapted to be able to engage the cord and the cover member is able to be moved so as to be brought into contact with the insert such that further movement of the cover member toward the leading end region is inhibited and so that the trailing region of the insert is shielded by the cover member.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the cover member is able to be moved so as to be brought into engagement with the insert so that movement of the cover member toward the leading end region is inhibited and such that the trailing region of the insert is received within the bore and so shielded by the V. cover member.

3. A device according to claim 2 or 3 wherein one or both of said sides of

4.4 20 the insert are provided with an abutment surface for engagement with the cover member to thereby inhibit the movement of the cover member toward the S leading end region of the insert. 4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the opposite sides of the insert are able to be squeezed toward each other to thereby enable the cover member to be 25 slid over the or each abutment surface toward the leading end region of the 4. S insert.

5. A device according to claim 3 or 4 wherein the trailing region of the insert is able to press against an interior surface of the cover member defining the bore to thereby inhibit dislocation of the cord from the device when the cover member is in contact with the or each abutment surface of the insert. DAA:JJK:#27331 Fcbruary 20, 1998 I -8-

6. A device according to claim 3 or 4 wherein one of the sides of the insert terminates in a hook for engaging the cord, the hook being said trailing region of the insert.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the hook is able to press against an interior surface of the cover member defining the bore to thereby inhibit dislocation of the cord from the device when the cover member is in contact with the or each abutment surface of the insert.

8. A device according to any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein a leading end of the cover member is able to be brought into contact with the or each abutment surface to thereby inhibit movement of the cover member along the insert toward said leading end region.

9. A device according to any one of claims 3 to 8 wherein each of the opposite sides of the insert have an abutment surface.

A device according to claim 9 wherein the abutment surfaces are provided by ledges defined on the opposite sides of the insert.

11. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the cover member is a hollow cylinder.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein the cylinder is tapered such that opposite sides of the cylinder converge toward the leading end region of the 060: 20 insert. o:

13. A device according to any one of claims I to i2 wherein the bore of the Q cover member is tapered such that the width of the bore decreases toward the leading end region of the insert.

14. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the insert is S 25 formed from a stiff wire bent back on itself such that said opposite sides are spaced apart from and extend alongside each other.

*15. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein the cover member is formed from metal or a plastics material and the insert is formed from stainless steel.

16. A kit of parts for forming a device as defined in any one of claims 1 to wherein the kit contains the cover member and the insert. DAA:JJK:#27331 Fcbruary 20, 1998 TI

17. A device subswqatially as hereinbefore described with reference to one or more of the accompanying drawings. Dated this 16th day of February 1998 Jong-Bae Park By his Patent Attorneys CARTER SMITH BEADLE 0 JOTO *A 3 19 Feray19 LI__ I ABSTRACT The invention provides a device suitable for use in threading a cord along through a passageway, the device having: a cover member for facilitating gripping of the device and having an internal bore extending along the cover member; and an insert having opposite sides extending rearwardly from a leading end region of the insert and which is received within said bore; wherein a trailing region of the insert is adapted to be able to engage the cord and the cover member is able to be moved so as to be brought into contact with the insert such that further movement of the cover member toward the leading end region is inhibited and so that the trailing region of the insert is shielded by the cover member. a. Ga a a a a 0 I