Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
  • B29C65/56—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor using mechanical means or mechanical connections, e.g. form-fits
  • B29C65/60—Riveting or staking
  • B29C65/606—Riveting or staking the rivets being integral with one of the parts to be joined, i.e. staking
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
  • A44C—PERSONAL ADORNMENTS, e.g. JEWELLERY; COINS
  • A44C27/00—Making jewellery or other personal adornments
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
  • A44C—PERSONAL ADORNMENTS, e.g. JEWELLERY; COINS
  • A44C3/00—Medals; Badges
  • A44C3/001—Badges
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
  • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
  • B29C66/05—Particular design of joint configurations
  • B29C66/20—Particular design of joint configurations particular design of the joint lines, e.g. of the weld lines
  • B29C66/21—Particular design of joint configurations particular design of the joint lines, e.g. of the weld lines said joint lines being formed by a single dot or dash or by several dots or dashes, i.e. spot joining or spot welding
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
  • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
  • B29C66/81—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps
  • B29C66/814—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps
  • B29C66/8141—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined
  • B29C66/81431—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the design of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the surface geometry of the part of the pressing elements, e.g. welding jaws or clamps, coming into contact with the parts to be joined comprising a single cavity, e.g. a groove
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
  • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
  • B29C66/82—Pressure application arrangements, e.g. transmission or actuating mechanisms for joining tools or clamps
  • B29C66/822—Transmission mechanisms
  • B29C66/8221—Scissor or lever mechanisms, i.e. involving a pivot point
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
  • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
  • B29C66/83—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof characterised by the movement of the joining or pressing tools
  • B29C66/832—Reciprocating joining or pressing tools
  • B29C66/8322—Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
  • B29C66/40—General aspects of joining substantially flat articles, e.g. plates, sheets or web-like materials; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles; Joining single elements to substantially flat surfaces
  • B29C66/41—Joining substantially flat articles ; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
  • B29C66/40—General aspects of joining substantially flat articles, e.g. plates, sheets or web-like materials; Making flat seams in tubular or hollow articles; Joining single elements to substantially flat surfaces
  • B29C66/47—Joining single elements to sheets, plates or other substantially flat surfaces
  • B29C66/472—Joining single elements to sheets, plates or other substantially flat surfaces said single elements being substantially flat
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
  • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
  • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
  • B29C66/70—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material
  • B29C66/71—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to means for releasably securing badges such as identity cards or the like to items such as the clothing of a wearer, and it concerns particularly an attachment tag for such badges and fittings incorporating same.
• identity cards or badges are used increasingly in buildings having sensitive or limited access areas or where it is necessary to be able readily to classify personnel without delay.
• This ob.ject is achieved by identity cards and like badges having generally a display surface which can be colour coded and large enough to be read at a distance when worn on the clothing so that the identity of the wearer can be ascertained quickly and easily by supervisory staff without even necessarily approaching the individuals concerned.
• identity cards and like badges having generally a display surface which can be colour coded and large enough to be read at a distance when worn on the clothing so that the identity of the wearer can be ascertained quickly and easily by supervisory staff without even necessarily approaching the individuals concerned.
• supervisory staff without even necessarily approaching the individuals concerned.
• This system is also useful and is used at conferences or gatherings, for example, when conferences are held in hotels or other public buildings in order to be able to identify the delegates at the conference.
• other similar badges are in current use such as film badges for detecting exposure to ionising radiation for example.
• the identity cards cr badges are commonly attached to the clothing of the wearer by means of a suitable attachment clip (or pin) secured to the badge itself by means of a tag of flexible material. Since the badges are personal to the particular wearer, and since they have frequently only a limited life, it is desirable to be able to change the attachment clip, which constitutes the most expensive part of the badge, to provide different display portions at different times in order that the relatively expensive clip and attachment tag are not discarded when the original display of the badge itself is no longer required. For example for conferences such badges may be required for only a few hours.
• the badges must be able to withstand continual and repeated use over longer periods, often exceeding many months, without significant deterioration and for such use the clips and attachment tags must be sufficiently strong and durable to offer secure attachment of the badge to the wearer's clothing at all times.
• the present invention seeks to provide an attachment tag for joining a badge or identity card to an attachment clip, which will be of simply and economical construction in comparison with known such tags.
• Prior art tags for this purpose have generally comprised a flat uniform strip of flexible material, such as polyethylene, to which are attached two cooperating parts of a press stud, one attached at or adjacent one end of the tag and the other at a central position along the tag leaving a free end.
• the strap portion between the press stud fastener components is passed through an aperture in the identity card and is folded over into a loop in order to close the press stud fastener, whilst to the free end the attachment clip is usually rivetted in such a way that the tag itself can swivel about the attachment to the clip. This allows the clip to adopt any orientation for attachment to a wearer's clothing whilst leaving the badge or identity card freely suspended to hang down wardly in an orientation where it can be easily read.
• Each part of the press stud for attachment to such a plastics tag comprises two parts which are interengaged through the thickness of the tag as the press stud is assembled to the strap.
• tags for attachment to a clip thus comprises five parts, the strap itself and four components forming in pairs the two parts of the press studs.
• this type of prior art tag involves a relatively large number of parts, but it also requires a relatively large number of operations for its manufacture, including the operations of cutting out the strap itself, punching the holes to receive the press studs and the rivet for attachment of the attachment clip, and also the operations of positioning the components of each of the two parts of the press studs, joining them together through the strap and removal of the finished tag from the machine.
• tags are made up from such a relatively large number of separate parts their manufacture requires complex machinery and a number of time-consuming operations. For example to obtain the required swivel action between the tag and an attachment clip care must; be taken that the rivetting operation does not clamp the strap tightly to the attachment clip. In some prior art devices, in fact, an additional washer is provided in order to ensure this swivelling.
• the known press studs used in such tags are made from metal and each component thereof itself requires several working operations for its production, so for this reason metal press studs are relatively expensive, notwithstanding the above disadvantages, no suitable alternative means of forming such an attachment tag and securing it in a sufficiently strong manner to meet the security requirements of the various users has yet been found.
• this kind of attachment must, as well as providing a secure connection when the tag is folded over, be able to be separated and remade as a connection many times over without losing its attachment strength.
• a tag strap composed of cotton reinforced polyethylene has also been proposed in order to overcome one of the problems inherent in using polyethylene strap for manufacturing the tag, namely, that the polyethylene itself tends to deteriorate with use and repeatedly folding so that although the attachment clip and press studs may be securely attached, the strap may part at a point between these allowing the identity card or badge to become free from the wearer.
• Attempts have in fact been made to avoid the requirement for metal components, and one prior art tag in which, this attempt has been made includes a polyethylene strap in which a plastic press stud arrangement is attached.
• each of the two cooperating parts of the press stud which are spaced along the s ⁇ rap, is formed of two separare components in a manner very similar to that of metal press studs, with the exception..that the attachments of the two components together to form the press stud part is different because plastics material is used in place of metal.
• Such a tag still requires five basic components, ⁇ hat is the strap and four press stud parts.
• an attachment tag for identify cards or like badge elements which comprises a strip made of mouldable plastics material and snap-engagement coupling means integrally formed with the strip, whereby the tag can be manufactured as a single part moulding far more economically than attachment tags comprising an assembly of plastics and/or metal parts can be made.
• the strip of plastics material has a shaped portion between the said integrally moulded snap-engagement means, to encourage folding of the strip in such a way as to bring the said snap-engagement means into register with one another. More specifically, the shaped portion is of reduced thickness and forms a ligament hinge portion at which the tag is foldable in order to bring the integrally moulded snap-engagement coupling means into register with one another for coupling engagement.
• the integrally moulded snap-engagement coupling means comprise a generally cylindrical male member projecting from the tag end having a portion of reduced diameter spaced from the free end thereof, and a boss having a generally cylindrical aperture therein with a mouth or rim portion of reduced diameter which surrounds the reduced diameter portion of the male member when the coupling is formed.
• the male member is preferably formed as an upstanding stud on an integrally moulded reinforcement platform constituted by a thickened portion of the tag.
• the male member preferably has a conical free end portion, and in a preferred embodiment the conical free end portion is provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves.
• the main shank of the male member, from the portion, of reduced diameter to the maximum diameter portion adjacent the conical free end portion has an outwardly curved flare.
• the apertured boss preferably projects from a reinforcement platform, again formed as a thickened portion of the tag.
• the aperture in the boss may be conically tapered, although preferably this has a generally barrel shape in cross section, that is with a larger diameter middle portion and narrower ends.
• the mouth or inwardly directed rim of the aperture is preferably constituted by a circularly curving portion (as seen in section taken parallel to the axis of the aperture) and extends for approximately one quarter of the length of the aperture.
• the parts may have any suitable dimensions, but it is preferred that the boss projects up from the platform by a distance approximately equal to the axial length of the above mentioned circularly curving portion. Conveniently, the overall length of the aperture is approximately the same as the maximum diameter thereof.
• the hinge is preferably formed by a thin section defined by one face of the tag on one side, and by a scalloped or recessed face on the other, this scalloped or recessed face being intended to be the inside face when the tag is folded, and consequently facing in the same direction as the projecting stud constituting the male member of the snap-engagement coupling.
• the tag preferably also has means at a free end by which it is secured to an attachment device to enable the identity card or badge element to be attached to ⁇ he clothing of the user-
• the means for attaching the free end of the tag to an attachment device may, in the simplest case, comprise an integral cold rivettable projecting stud having parallel cylindrical sides.
• the tag has a reinforcing thickened part on the side thereof opposite that from which the stud projects. This latter reinforcing part may, conveniently, be formed as a projecting ring with axial teeth which can form part of the attachment device, such as a lever clip fitting, when such is coupled to the tag.
• Attachment tags for an identity card or like badge elements in accordance with the invention can also be defined as being formed of an elongate strip of . plastics material having an integrally moulded male connection member projecting from a major face thereof and a boss with a shaped aperture therein spaced along the tag, the aperture being so shaped that when the tag is folded to bring the male connection member into register with the apertured boss the latter retains the former upon insertion therein by firm locking engagement .
• the invention also includes an identity card or like badge element having an attachment tag as defined herein passing through a slot in the element, being folded and snap engaged into its folded position.
• Figure 1 is a side view of the attachment tag of this embodiment, partly in section;
• Figure 2 is a front elevation of the tag
• Figure 3 is a corresponding side view of the attachment tag shown in Figure 1 , but in the folded and snap engaged condition and showing also part of an identity card badge and a clip attachment device connected thereto as when ready for use;
• Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on a larger scale showing the method of securing the attachment tag to the clip attachment device.
• the attachment tag 10 shown comprises a basic strap 11 moulded in polypropylene material which, in the embodiment shown, is approximately 6.25 cm long and 1 cm wide.
• a free end 12 of the tag strap 11 there is a reinforced thickened integral portion 13 in the form of a serrated ring on the face of the strap 11 having a plurality of teeth 14 projecting axially of the ring.
• a parallel sided integrally moulded rivet stud 15 onto which an attachment clip, such as the lever type clip 40 shown on Figure 3. can be mounted for attaching the tag to the clothing of a wearer as hereinafter described.
• the strap 11 At the other end 16 of the strap 11 is another circular reinforcing thickened portion 17 having a central upstanding boss 18 projecting therefrom in the same direction as the reinforcing ring 13 at the end 12 of the strap 11.
• the boss 18 has an aperture 19 extending therethrough and through the thickness of the reinforcing ring 17 and strap 11, this aperture 19 having, as viewed in sec ⁇ ion shown in Figure 1, a wide central portion 20 and a narrower inwardly projecting ring or lip 21 extending for approximately the same length as the boss 13 projects upwardly from the reinforcing ring 17. which is between a quarter and a third of the length of the aperture 19.
• the other end/of the aperture 19 is also of reduced diameter so that the aperture as a whole has a generally barrel shape configuration.
• a further circular reinforcement 23 formed as a disc from the centre of which projects a stud 24 having a conical free end portion 25 separated from the main shank portion 26 by a pair of circumferential grooves 27, 28 spaced axially of the stud by a short section 29 having parallel sides.
• the main shank 26 tapers towards the root where it joins the reinforcing disc 23 and the sides have an outwardly curving flare to a point of maximum diameter constituted by a single ring separating the main shank 26 from the groove 28. It has been found that this shape, when inserted into the aperture 19, provides a very secure snap engagement with the undersurface of the curved rim portion 21 engaging tightly around the curved flared portion of the shank 25 immediately adjacent the part of maximum diameter.
• a recess 30 extending substantially along the length of the strap 11 to form a very ⁇ hin but wide section acting as a ligament hinge.
• the ligament hinge formed by the recess 30 is extremely strong and capable of flexing many times without weakening.
• This enlarged portion 31 is particularly convenient for receiving a portion of a card badge element 50 (which for this purpose has a short slot 52 slightly longer than the width of the strap 11 and extending parallel to and closely adjacent one edge) without any significant degree of chafing occurring at the corners of the fold.
• An attachment device in the form of a clip such as a lever type clip, crocodile clip or other releasable fastener of known type is attached to the free end 12 of the tap strip 11 as previously mentioned.
• the lever type clip 40 shown in Figure 3 is a known form of clip, such as described in British Patent Specification No. 837334 for example, modified by being secured to the attachment tag in such a way that the serrated ring 13 of the latter forms one of the co-operating pads of the clip utilizing a novel cold-forming rivetting method which is a further feature of this invention.
• the attachment operation for securing the tag 11 to the clip 40 is carried out by inserting the plastics rivet portion 15 through an aperture 42 in a jaw member 44 of the clip and by then cold- forming the rivet 15 by applying axial pressure thereto utilising a reciprocatable pressing tool 50 which has a shaiicw cup shaped recess 62 that fits over the end portion of the rivet and which is constrained to move axially of the rivet, for example by a cylindrical guide sleeve 64, as shown in Figure 4.
• the rivet has little resistance to bending, the constraint of the pressing tool forces it to compress axially along its length and, at the same time, to bulge outwardly to form a rivet head. So long as the pressing tool 60 is adequately guided and constrained to move axially of the rivet, it may even form part of a simple manually operated hand tool arrangement comprising co-operating die members carried by a pliers type handle.
• the natural resilience of the rivet 15, being of polypropylene, means that the cold forming operation can be performed in such a way as to leave the attachment clip device 40 loosely and pivotally attached to the tag. Since the serrated ring 13 effectively repla ⁇ es the usual gripping pad on the jaw 44 of the clip 40, it co-operates in the usual way with the gripping pad 46 on the opposite jaw member 48 so as to grip a portion of clothing when the device is in use.
• Embodiments of the present invention thus provide the twin advantages of considerable economy with simplicity in manufacture and production whilst at the same time providing a product which is easier to use because of the nature of the ligament hinge and more secure in use because of the nature of the integrally moulded press stud arrangement. Further, because the thickness of the polypropylene strap 11 is sufficient to make it quite rigid in itself, the previous difficulty encountered with long term use of polyeth ylene strap for forming the tag, where cracking or tearing could take place due to work hardening or exposure to ultra violet light,does not occur so that a further increase in security is obtained.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Slide Fasteners, Snap Fasteners, And Hook Fasteners (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26276017

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1981
  • 1981-06-26 WO PCT/GB1981/000113 patent/WO1982000215A1/en unknown
  • 1981-06-26 GB GB8205488A patent/GB2092989B/en not_active Expired
  • 1981-06-26 GB GB8119835A patent/GB2078666A/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1981-06-26 EP EP81901696A patent/EP0054559A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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