GB1582233A

GB1582233A - Turnbutton fasteners

Info

Publication number: GB1582233A
Application number: GB2959176A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1976-07-15
Filing date: 1976-07-15
Publication date: 1981-01-07
Also published as: DE7721691U1

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO TURNBUTTON FASTENERS (71) I, JOHN JOSEPH YOUNG, a British Subject, of 59 Hayles Street, Southwark, London SEt 1, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a Patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to turn-button fasteners and has a particularly useful but not exclusive application in the fasteners known as turnlocks used for example on women's handbags, where the fastener is mounted on the body of the bag and projects through an oval or other non-circular aperture in the flap of the bag; the flap is releasable from a locked position by rotating the turn-button through an angle, usually 900, which allos the flap to be disengaged from the catch.

According to this invention there is provided a turn-button fastener comprising a body moulded from a resilient plastics material, a turn-button element having a head which is disposed externally of the body and a shank located in the body for rotation about the lengthwise axis of the shank, said shank having in its length a cam section and the moulded body having at least one part which engages the cam section of the shank but which is resiliently deformable in a direction radially away from the cam section, said cam section co-operating with said part to bias the shank selectively into either of two stable positions of rofation angularly spaced from each other about said axis, and said body having laterally projecting portions with respective holes therein which extend substantially parallel to the shank of the element, and a back plate having studs mounted thereon which are respectively engageable in said holes and which have barblike projections thereon, the arrangement being such that the studs can be pressed into said holes, the holes being resiliently enlarged by the entry of the studs, but closing behind the barb-like projections to prevent withdrawal of the studs from the holes.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the said parts of the body which engage opposite sides of the shank are constituted by opposite side walls of a closed slot formed in the body, the cam section being disposed in the slot.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a turnbutton fastener according to the invention and Figure 2 is a sectional plan of the body portion of the fastener on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the turn-button fastener illustrated is intended as a turnlock for women's handbags. The fastener comprises a turn-button element 10 mounted for rotation with respect to a body portion 11. In use of the fastener the body portion 11 is attached to the body 12 of the handbag by means which will b described presently, in such a position that when the flap 14 of the bag is closed a decorative head or knob 15 of the turn-button element projects through an oblong, oval or other non-circular aperture in the flap. The aperture is usually bordered by an insert made from metal or other wear-resistant material and secured to the flap. The knob 15 of the element is generally oblong or other elongate shape viewed in plan and when the knob is rotated through 90" the flap 14 cannot be disengaged from the knob.

The body portion comprises a metal outer casing 19 and a moulded block 21 which is inserted into the casing 19 through the open bottom side of the latter and which is made from a resilient plastics material such as nylon.

The turn-button element has a shank, comprising parts 18a. 18b, 18c and 18d, extending through a hole in the metal casing and through a slot 20 in the block 21. The upper portions of the slots 20 are parallel sided and the part 1 8a of the shank engaged therein is of square cross-section. Thus when the knob is rotated through 90 , the corners of the square-section part 1 8a deform the block by forcing the side portions 22 apart for the first 45 of rotation, but during the second 45" of rotation the side portions move resiliently back into their original positions, so that each 90" of rotation brings the turn-button element into a stable position, alternate stable positions corresponding to locking and unlocking conditions of the fastener.

The block 21 is an interference fit in the casing 19 and has projections 23 which serve to space the side portions 22 from the casing wall so that the deflection of the side portions can take place.

Inward projections are formed on the block at the bottom part of the slot and provide a journal for part 18b of the shank, which is of circular section. The end part 1 sic of the shank is an enlargement which abuts the bottom face of the block and locates the turn-button element against upward disengagement from the block. The element is located relative to the casing by the journalling of the upper part 18d of the shank in a hole in the top surface of the casing.

The moulded block has integral end lugs 25, the outer end parts of which rest in rebate 26 in the underneath face of the casing 19. A downwardly divergent conical hole 27 is formed in each lug 25.

For attaching the turn-button fastener to the body of a handbag a back plate 28 is provided which has two studs 29 formed integrally with it. The studs 29 are of circular crosssection and have a succession of barb-like frusto-conical parts 30 similar in their angle of conicity to the holes 27, the axial length of each part 30 being at least slightly greater than the thickness of the lugs 25. The spacing apart of studs 29 is equal to that of the holes 27.

To assemble the fastener the block 21 is first placed in the casing 19 and the shank of the turn-button element is then inserted through the hole in the embossment 25 and is forced through the slot 20, the enlargement 1 sic being chamfered to assist the latter operation.

To enable the fastener to be mounted on the body of the handbag three holes 32, 33, 34 are punched in the bag at the required location, these holes being respectively aligned with the holes 27 in the lugs and the enlargement 18c.

The back plate is placed at the inner side of the bag with the studs projecting through the end holes in the bag. The body and casing are then secured on the studs by engaging the studs in the holes 27 and pressing the back plate and casing 19 firmly towards each other. The resilient nature of the material of the block enables the parts 30 to expand the holes 27 and pass through and then contracts the holes to prevent movement of the studs in the reverse direction.

The fastener can therefore be securely fastened to the body of the bag in a very simple operation.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A turn-button fastener comprising a body moulded from a resilient plastics material, a turn-button element baving a head which is disposed externally of the body and a shank located in the body for rotation about the lengthwise axis of the shank, said shank having in its length a cam section and the moulded body having at least one part which engages the cam section of the shank but which is resiliently deformable in a direction radially away from the cam section, said cam section cooperating with said part to bias the shank selectively into either if two stable positions of rotation angularly spaced from each other about said axis, and said body having laterally projecting portions with respective holes therein which extend substantially parallel to the shank of the element and a back plate having studs mounted thereon which are respectively engageable in said holes and which have barblike projections thereon, the arrangement being such that the studs can be pressed into said holes, the holes being resiliently enlarged by the entry of the studs, but closing behind the barblike projecting to prevent withdrawal of the studs from the holes.

2. A fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body provides a second part which engages the cam section at the diametrically opposite side thereof from the first said part and which is resiliently deformable in a direction radially away from the cam section, the cam section being symmetrical about a diametral plane thereof such that said second part operates in tandem with said first part to bias the shank selectively into either of said two stable positions of rotation.

3. A fastener as claimed in claim 2. wherein the said parts of the body which engage opposite sides of the shank are constituted by opposite side walls of a closed slot formed in the body, the cam section being disposed in the slot.

4. A fastener as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the cam section is of square crosssection.

5. A fastener as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a casing extends about the body except on the side thereof adjacent the back plate, the body being an interference fit in the casing.

6. A fastener as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of said studs comprises a plurality of frusto-conical parts disposed coaxially with each other and having their smaller diameter ends nearer the body, and wherein said holes have a conicity corresponding to that of said frusto-conical parts.

7. A turn-button fastener substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. at the bottom part of the slot and provide a journal for part 18b of the shank, which is of circular section. The end part 1 sic of the shank is an enlargement which abuts the bottom face of the block and locates the turn-button element against upward disengagement from the block. The element is located relative to the casing by the journalling of the upper part 18d of the shank in a hole in the top surface of the casing. The moulded block has integral end lugs 25, the outer end parts of which rest in rebate 26 in the underneath face of the casing 19. A downwardly divergent conical hole 27 is formed in each lug 25. For attaching the turn-button fastener to the body of a handbag a back plate 28 is provided which has two studs 29 formed integrally with it. The studs 29 are of circular crosssection and have a succession of barb-like frusto-conical parts 30 similar in their angle of conicity to the holes 27, the axial length of each part 30 being at least slightly greater than the thickness of the lugs 25. The spacing apart of studs 29 is equal to that of the holes 27. To assemble the fastener the block 21 is first placed in the casing 19 and the shank of the turn-button element is then inserted through the hole in the embossment 25 and is forced through the slot 20, the enlargement 1 sic being chamfered to assist the latter operation. To enable the fastener to be mounted on the body of the handbag three holes 32, 33, 34 are punched in the bag at the required location, these holes being respectively aligned with the holes 27 in the lugs and the enlargement 18c. The back plate is placed at the inner side of the bag with the studs projecting through the end holes in the bag. The body and casing are then secured on the studs by engaging the studs in the holes 27 and pressing the back plate and casing 19 firmly towards each other. The resilient nature of the material of the block enables the parts 30 to expand the holes 27 and pass through and then contracts the holes to prevent movement of the studs in the reverse direction. The fastener can therefore be securely fastened to the body of the bag in a very simple operation. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A turn-button fastener comprising a body moulded from a resilient plastics material, a turn-button element baving a head which is disposed externally of the body and a shank located in the body for rotation about the lengthwise axis of the shank, said shank having in its length a cam section and the moulded body having at least one part which engages the cam section of the shank but which is resiliently deformable in a direction radially away from the cam section, said cam section cooperating with said part to bias the shank selectively into either if two stable positions of rotation angularly spaced from each other about said axis, and said body having laterally projecting portions with respective holes therein which extend substantially parallel to the shank of the element and a back plate having studs mounted thereon which are respectively engageable in said holes and which have barblike projections thereon, the arrangement being such that the studs can be pressed into said holes, the holes being resiliently enlarged by the entry of the studs, but closing behind the barblike projecting to prevent withdrawal of the studs from the holes.