CA1210945A - Cufflink - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present invention provides a cufflink having two main parts, namely decorative member and a link member which are readily assembled and disassembled by a single finger push without any rotary movement thereof, so that even with a double cuff and/or single cuff shirt the cufflink hides and receives a button on the cuff of the single cuff shirt within a depression in the decorative member, and hides the button hole of the double cuff shirt.

Description

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The present invention relates to cufflinks.
The conventional one-piece cufflink includes a decora-tive element and a link member integral therewith, on which an engaging element displaceable through a right angle with the axial direction is attached. This engaging element is inserted into the button holes of the shirt's cuff, maintaining a straight line direction, and then it is rotated in a direction at a right angle with the axial direction of the link member, so as to securely attach the cufflink onto the cuff. In use such a cufflink has the drawback in that the insertion of the link into the button holes provided at a rear portion of the cuff, requires an incon-venient manipulation since the link is integral with the decora-tive member and further the link is readily ro-tated when in con-tact with the wearer's clothing and other articles. These dis advantages have caused the conventional cufflink to have an un-sightly appearance and to be prone to dropping out of the cuff and being lost. When the user has worn a convertible cuff~ shirt usually used for conventional cufflinks, a button has been loca-ted near one of the button holes on each cuff. The conventional cufflink as described above does not hide such buttons and thus there is an unsightly appearance.
The present applicant has proposed several developments in cufflinks to overcome such drawbacks and accordingly has obtained Japanese Utility Model Nos. 1253159, 1253166 and 1253167 issued on Oct. 31, 1978. The applicant has proposed a further improved cufflink (see Japanese Utility Model application Ser. No.
54-49013 filed on April 13, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,776 issued on Jan. 6, 1981 and Japanese Utility Model Application Ser. No.
56-72231 filed on May 19, 1981 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,936 issued 30 Dec. 7, 1982).
Further improvements in cufflinks are disclosed~in applicant's Japanese Utility Model Application Ser. No. 57-52487 filed on ~Z~ 5 April 10, 1982. The cufflink of the present invention is speeifi-cally favourable for young people.
Such cufflinks have the drawback that the wearer needs to relatively rotate the decorative member and the link through 90 when detaching and attaching the cufflink on -the cuff of the shirt.
According to the present invention there is provided a two-piece cufflink, comprising: a decorative member; and a link member including a flange secured to one end of a shan]c so as to project laterally, the shank having an opposite end provided with a head; the decorative member being externally oblong so as to have a height direction whieh is distinguishable from a width direction thereof; said decorative member comprising a rearwardly open shell elosed by wall means defining a rear eover plate having a relatively small eentral opening, thereby providing an internal eavity whieh is accessible through said opening; and cooperable means for releasably locking said head of said link member in said cavity of said decorative member, and for releasing the head of the link member from the deeorative member, both without any need for angularly rotating the deeorative member relative to the link member about the shank of the link member, said releasable loeking means eomprising: a slide member laterally slidably received within said eavity and ineluding a catch which normally projeets laterally into partially obstrueting relation with said opening in said rear eover plate from within said eavity; said deeorative member having means defining a slot laterally there--through, whieh slot eommunieates with said eavity; said slide means ineluding a tab whieh projeets laterally out of the deeora-tive member through said slot, said tab being so oriented on said slide means relative to said eateh, that when said tab is manu-ally pushed in, said slide means slides in one direetion eausing said eateh to be eorrespondingly pushed in and thus effeetively

2 --IJ9~5 ,, retracted from partially obstructing relation with said opening;
and a spring received in said cavity and bearing between said decorative member and said slide for normally urging said slide means in such a sense, opposite to said one direction, as to cause said catch to normally partially obstruct said opening and said tab to project laterally out of said decorative member, this spring being constructed and arranged so as to become resi-liently compressed as said tab is pushed in, thus storing spring force for tending to project said catch and tab; said head of said link member including laterally accessible recess means constructed and arranged -to receive said catch, for releasably locking said link member to said decorative member when said head is inserted into said cavity through said opening and said slide means is temporarily urged in said one direction sufficiently to let part of said head pass, and then to urge said catch into said notch in said head.
Thus the cufflink of the present invention comprises a decorative member, a link member detachably mounted on said decorative member, said decorative member having a shell with a hollow space with an opening end, and a cover plate with a guide on its back face to close said opening and a spring plate, so that a single finger push manipulation provides for removing and mounting of the cufflink without any rotary manipulation and provides a secure fitting.
The guide has steps and a projection having an opening and a notch to mate with a slide lever by a spring force provided by a spring. The link member has a decorative member and a shank which is at a given angle. The shank has a head slidably received in a throughbore through the guide and the head has a throughbore which receives a projection of the slide lever.
The present invention thus provides a cufflink having two parts which can be easily mounted and removed by a single

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finger push manipulation without the need for rotating the mem-bers and also to provide an aesthetic appearance of the cufflink both to the wearer and to others who see the cufflink on the wearer.
In one embodiment of the present invention the opening is of non-circular profile and said head is of corresponding non-circular shape, so that said decorative member must have a pre-determined angular orientation in order to receive said head; and said recess is of such a limited angular exten-t that said latch will only be accepted by said recess when said decorative member has said predetermined angular orientation. Suitably said slide means is slidably mounted to said rear cover plate within said cavity by having a laterally elongated opening formed therethrough having opposite edge means, said catch projecting laterally into said opening of said slide means from between said opposite edge means; said rear cover plate having an internal side provided with boss means providing two guides oppositely located beside said opening through said rear cover plate, this boss means hav-ing means defining a laterally open gap between said two guides;

the boss means being inserted into said opening of said slide means, said opposite edge means being disposed in sliding, guided relation with said two guides and said latch being disposed in said laterally open gap. Preferably the recess in said head in-cludes a slot formed laterally through said head, sai.d slot hav-ing a cross-sectional profile corresponding to that of said catch.
~gain the spring plate is suitably disposed across said opening through said rear cover plate, beyond said catch; means securing said spring plate, marginally thereof to said rear cover plate proximately of said opening through said rear cover plate; and said spring plate being provided with surface means thereon con-structed and arranged -to contact said head and thereby to cause said spring plate centrally to resiliently deflect between when ,, .
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said head is inserted through said opening in said rear cover plate and said catch is received in said recess in said head, whereby spring force is stored in said spring plate for expell-ing said head out through said opening in said rear cover plate when said tab is pushed in. Suitably said catch is provided with beveled surface means angled back towards a free end thereof so that mere pressing of said head against said catch, through said opening in said rear cover plate is sufficient to tempor-arily slide said slide means towards said one position so that said catch may be snapped into said recess in said head wi-thout need for pushing-in said tab. Preferably said surface means on said spring plate is generally semispherically convexly cur-ved and said head has a corresponding end provided with a cor-respondingly concavely curved depression means. Desirably said flange on said link member includes means providing a button hide recess. Preferably said shank of said link member is of flattened, non-circular transverse cross-sectional shape.
The present invention will be further illustrated by way of the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of the decorative member of one embodiment of the cufflink of the present inven-tion;
Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the decorative member;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line A-A of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rear cover plate of the decorative member;

Fig. 5 is a disassembled perspective view of the in-ternal elements of the decorative member;
Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view of the shell of the decorative member;

~ 21~9'~tj Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the link member of the cufflink;
Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the link member with a portion of its shank and head broken away and sectioned to show internal details;
Fig.s 9 and 10 are sectional views each similar to a combination of Figures 3 and ~, showing the decora-tive member in the states of being attached to and detached from the link member;
Fig.s 11 and 12 are a side elevation view and a partly sectioned top plan view respectively showing in views similar to Figures 7 and 8, the link member of another embodiment of -the cufflink of the present invention.
In the accompanying drawings, the decorative member 1 has a casing shell 3 which in this embodiment is a generally rec-tangular box-shaped element with an open back, into which a separate engaging link member shank element 2 is disengageably or disassemblably attached, so as to form a cufflink. In other words, the part shown in Figure 1 fits -together with the part shown in Figure 7 to provide a cufflink. The casing shell 3 of the decorative member is made of a precious metal or any equivalent material and has at its open, rear end an internal rim providing steps 3a about a whole periphery as shown in Fig. 6, except for the near side wall, which at i-ts center portion is provided with a notch 3b which is in flush with the inner one of said steps 3a.
A cover plate 4 is mated and soldered or in any other manner connected with the aid of said steps 3a to seal or close the opening of the rear shell 3. The cover plate 4 has the same out-line as the outer shape of the open rear end of the shell, and its inner side has its periphery provided with a ridge 4a, of which the outer rim is shaped with the same size as the inner size of the open, rear end of the case shell 3. The ridge 4a and the step 3a are held together'in face to face relation, as shown in , -Fig. 3. This ridye 4a has perimetricaly short missing portion, so as to provide a notch or cut 4b in opposition to said notch 3b.

The cover plate 4 has at the center of its internal face a guide 5 spacedly encircled by said ridge 4a. This guide 5 has a-t -two opposite flanks, steps 5a as shown in Fig. 4 and at its center a through opening 5b which is in this case oblong or semi-circular or ellipsoidal shape, of which longer axis faces toward a widthwise direction of the cover plate 4.
A notch 5c is provided on one stepped flank of the guide 5, in communication with said opening 5b, i.e. in opposite to I
said notch 4b of the ridge 4a and in flush relation to -the inter-nal face of the plate 4.
The outside face of the cover plate 4 has a raised por~
tion 4c encircling the through opening 5b as shown in Fig. 1.
A slide lever 6 which is provided as an internal ele-ment of the decorative member 1, is generally rec-tangular as shown in Fig. 5 and has at its central portion a through opening 6a which is also generally rectangular, and through which the guide 5 fixed on the internal face of the cover plate 4 is slidably inserted or mated. The opening 6a has a width which is the same as the dimension in the widthwise direction of the guide 5 and longer than the lengthwise direction of the guide 5. Furthermore, a projection 6b is provided so as to protrude laterally into the opening 6a. A tab 6d projects laterally outwards in the same~
sense from the opposite end of the slide lever 6. The projection 6b is longer than the distance from the outer end of the notch 5c to the end rim of the through opening 6a. A tapered face 6c is formed at the tip end of the outer face of the projection 6b.
The tab 6d slides into the notch 3b and is mated therewith to project its outer end outside the shell 3, as shown in Fig. l.
The slide lever 6 having said structure has its thick-ness generally identical with the thickness of the step 5a;of~

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of the guide 5.

A spring 7 with a generally U-shape is resiliently mounted between the ridge 4a and the side rim where the projec-tion 6b is formed. Hence, the slide lever 6 is always forced toward a direction tha-t the projection 6b passes through the notch 5c and then into the through opening 5b, and the projection 6d also protrudes always from the notch 3b of the shell 3.
A guide plate 8 is attached onto the guide 5, sand-wiching said slide lever 6 between the cover plate 4 and the plate 8. The guide plate 8 is smaller than the rectangular shape of the ridge ~a and has at its center a rectangular opening 8a through which the face of guide 5 which has step 5a is inserted and mated therein. The guide plate 8 has thickness which is sub-stantially identical with the thickness difference between the step 5a and the projection 5d and is secured to the step 5a by a plurality of rear screw bars 9 which fix the projection 5d with-in the opening 8a.
There are figured tapered faces 8b at both flanks of the guide plate 8 on the side of the slide lever 6.

The guide plate 8 is attached with a spring plate 10 which has a substantially identical size with the plate 8, and which is further formed with a semi-spherical projection lOa at the center which is convex in the direction of the opening 8a, and the spring plate 10 is provided at both of its flanks with curved bent-backs lOb which sandwich the guide plate 8 therebet-ween. This plate 10 is mounted ln and between the bent-backs lOb from either the top or bottom by mating the tapered faces 8b,8b, after the guide plate 8 has been attached on the cover plate 4.

The cover plate 4 is secured onto the shell 3 after the slide lever 6, the guide plate 8 and the spring plate 10 and other ele-ments have been mounted on the internal surface of the cover plate in the above manner'~

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The link member 2 has the structure shown in Fig.s 7 and 8 where it is shown having a bu-tton hide 11 having a circular (although not limited thereto) depression lla in which a button on the wearers' convertible shirt cuff is received, and a shank 12 integrally shaped at the end of the hide 11. The shank pro jects from the button hide flange at a convenient angle. There-fore, when viewed from a side, the shank has a structure that the flange of the button hide 11 and the shank 12 are arranged in a generally V-shape relation. The shank 12 has at its tip end a head element 13 which has an ellipsoidal cross section to be mated within the through opening 5b formed through the guide 5 of the decorative member 1. A longer diameter of this oblong head 13 coincides an axial direction of the button hide 11. The head 13 has a throughbore 13a having a rectangular cross-section pass-ing through a shorter diametrical direction so as to receive the projection 6b of the slide lever 6. The head 13 has at its tip end a shallow depression 13b shaped to mate with the projection lOa of the spring plate 10, and a curved portion 13c from both flanks of said depression 13b. Provided between the head 13 and the shank 12 is a reduced diameter neck portion 12a to matably receive the periphery of a button hole of the wearers' shirt cuff.
Now, the operation of manipulation of the cufflink of this embodi-ment as above will be hereinafter discussed.
First, for wearing, the shank 12 of the link member 2 is inserted into the botton hole of the wearers' shirt cuff from the rear to the front side to bring the head 13 to appear outside the outer botton hole of the wearers' shirt cuff. At this moment, the axial direction of the flange of the bu-tton hide 11 aligns with the axial direction of the button hole and if the shirt cuff has a button, it is received in the depression lla. Keeping this position of the link member and shirt cuff, the decorative member 11 is moved towards the head 13 in such a sense as to align the lZ~C~'~5 through opening 5b -Eormed through ~he cover plate 4 and the head 13. Then the user strongly presses the decorative member 1 onto the head element 13 of the link member 2. This press causes the projection 6b of the slide lever 6 taking its position in the through opening 5b to be pressed by the curved portions 13c at the flanks of the head 13 to take off its running passage thereby creating a horizontal component of force by the tapered faces 6c of the slide lever to flex -the spring 7 to cause the lever 7 to move to retract the tab 6d.
Then, the depression 13b formed on a tip end of the head 13 receives the projection lOa of the spring plate 10 therein, and when the head 13 further advances the spring plate 10 is deformed opposite from the guide plate 8, and the head 13 advances for the distance for said further advance. When the projection 6b comes opposite to the through opening 13a formed in the head 13, the slide lever 6 is given a force toward the direction that the projection 6d protrudes from the shell 3, and the projection 6b is is received in the throughbore 13a in the head 13 whereby the link 2 and the decorative member 1 are assembled together and engaged through and on the cuff of the shirt as a unitary cuff-link without any danger of unintentional disassembly. When the decorative member 1 is assembled, the wearer is advised to attach it on an opposite side where the projection 6d which protrude, i.e. keeping it facing the elbow of the wearer so that it is relatively hidden from others for an aesthetic appearance.
When removing the cufflink, one push of the projection 6d of the slide lever 6 toward its return direction will cause the projection 6b to move in a direction to come out the through-bore 13a to flex the spring 7. There is no element to bind the head 13 in this state, so that the plate spring 10 pushes out the head 13 from the throughbore 5b so as to separate the decorative member 1 and the link 2.~

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In the above manner, one touch finger work push pro-vides an instantaneous and easy mounting and removing of the decorative member 1 and the link 2 which constitute the cufflink, without any rotary operation of manipulation. To this end, as the depression lla in the button hide 11 of the decorative member 2 receives the wearers' shirt cuff button (not shown) therein and the link shank 12 is placed in a distance from the button, no rotation of the link 2 is caused when it is in mounted state whereby the decorative member 1 of the cufflink never rotates.
The above embodiment employs the depression lla to hide the button of the wearers' shirt cuff of the type of single cuff having such a botton but such depression lla may-be eliminated for use with a double-cuff shirt having no such button- When the link 2 has no depression lla for hiding the button, the modified structure as shown in Fig.s 11 and 12 may be provided to prevent rotary movement of the link.
In these Figures, the link 2 has a decorative member 14 and a flattened shank 15 is formed integrally therewith at a given angle, a tip end of the shank 15 being provided with said head 13.
In this modification, the shank 15 has intermediate its length a generally circular member which has at its center a throughbore 15a.
The structure as shown in Fig.s 11 and 12 with the flattened shank prevents rotary movement to keep the cufflink at a given state as the shank is képtinserted in the shirt cufflink receiving holes to overcome the drawback found in the circular cross-sectioned shank.
The manipulation of the cu~flink of Figures 11, 12 is the same as, and may use the same decorative head as the cufflink embodiment shown in Figures 1-10.
The present invention provides a cufflink which com-lZ~g~
prises two parts of the decorative member and the link which canbe mounted and removed by one push finger work without any rotary operation and also has fewer parts with low cost manufacture and easy assembly.

Claims (9)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A two-piece cufflink, comprising: a decorative member; and a link member including a flange secured to one end of a shank so as to project laterally, the shank having an oppo-site end provided with a head; the decorative member being ex-ternally oblong so as to have a height direction which is dis-tinguishable from a width direction thereof; said decorative mem-ber comprising a rearwardly open shell closed by wall means de-fining a rear cover plate having a relatively small central open-ing, thereby providing an internal cavity which is accessible through said opening; and cooperable means for releasably locking said head of said link member in said cavity of said decorative member, and for releasing the head of the link member from the decorative member, both without any need for angularly rotating the decorative member relative to the link member about the shank of the link member, said releasable locking means comprising: a slide means laterally slidably received within said cavity and including a catch which normally projects laterally into partially obstructing relation with said opening in said rear cover plate from within said cavity; said decorative member having means defining a slot laterally therethrough, which slot communicates with said cavity; said slide means including a tab which projects laterally out of the decorative member through said slot, said tab being so oriented on said slide means relative to said catch, that when said tab is manually pushed in, said slide means slides in one direction causing said catch to be correspondingly pushed in and thus effectively retracted from partially obstructing relation with said opening; and a spring received in said cavity and bearing between said decorative member and said slide for normally urging said slide means in such a sense, opposite to said one direction, as to cause said catch to normally partially obstruct said opening and said tab to project laterally out of decorative member, this spring being constructed and arranged so as to become resiliently compressed as said tab is pushed in, thus storing spring force for tending to project said catch and tab;
said head of said link member including laterally accessible recess means constructed and arranged to receive said catch, for releasably locking said link member to said decorative member when said head is inserted into said cavity through said opening and said slide means is temporarily urged in said one direction sufficiently to let part of said head pass, and then to urge said catch into said notch in said head.

2. The cufflink of claim 1, wherein: said opening is of non-circular profile and said head is of corresponding non-circular shape, so that said decorative member must have a predetermined angular orientation in order to receive said head;
and said recess is of such a limited angular extent that said latch will only be accepted by said recess when said decorative member has said predetermined angular orientation.

3. The cufflink of claim 2, wherein: said slide means is slidably mounted to said rear cover plate within said cavity by having a laterally enlogated opening formed therethrough having opposite edge means, said catch projecting laterally into said opening of said slide means from between said opposite edge means; said rear cover plate having an internal side provided with boss means providing two guides oppositely located beside said opening through said rear cover plate, this boss means having means defining a laterally open gap between said two guides; the boss means being inserted into said opening of said slide means, said opposite edge means being disposed in sliding, guided re-lation with said two guides and said latch being disposed in said laterally open gap.

4. The cufflink of claim 3, wherein: said recess in said head includes a slot formed laterally through said head, said slot having a cross-sectional profile corresponding to that of said catch.

5. The cufflink of claim 3, further including: a spring plate disposed within said cavity so as to have a central portion disposed across said opening through said rear cover plate, beyond said catch; means securing said spring plate, marginally thereof to said rear cover plate proximately of said opening through said rear cover plate; and said spring plate being provided with sur-face means thereon constructed and arranged to contact said head and thereby to cause said spring plate centrally to resiliently deflect between when said head is inserted through said opening in said rear cover plate and said catch is received in said recess in said head, whereby spring force is stored in said spring plate for expelling said head out through said opening in said rear cover plate when said tab is pushed in.

6. The cufflink of claim 5, wherein: said catch is provided with beveled surface means angled back towards a free end thereof so that mere pressing of said head against said catch, through said opening in said rear cover plate is sufficient to temporarily slide said slide means towards said one position so that said catch may be snapped into said recess in said head without need for pushing-in said tab.

7. The cufflink of claim 5, wherein: said surface means on said spring plate is generally semi-spherically convexly curved and said head has a corresponding end provided with a correspondingly concavely curved depression means.

8. The cufflink of claim 1, wherein: said flange on said link member includes means providing a button hide recess.

9. The cufflink of claim 1, wherein: said shank of said link member is of flattened, non-circular transverse cross-sectional shape.