GB2035440A

GB2035440A - Draw-string fastener

Info

Publication number: GB2035440A
Application number: GB7936974A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-10-31
Filing date: 1979-10-25
Publication date: 1980-06-18
Also published as: GB2035440B

Abstract

A draw-string fastener comprising two sleeves (10, 12) having laterally extending protrusions (22, 24) which can be fitted into corresponding sockets (36, 34) in the walls of the sleeves. The length of the protrusions (22, 24) is such that the ends of the protrusions engage draw-strings threaded through the two sleeves when the two members have been firmly pushed together. In a second embodiment of the invention, the peg-like protrusions (22, 24) are replaced by hammer- head section protrusions (46, 48) which can be slid from opposite ends into the openings in the opposite ends of the two sleeve-like members threaded on the two draw-string ends. The isthmus of each hammerhead section protrusion is received in a slot which replaces the socket of the first embodiment and a firm grip on the string ends threaded through the two members is obtained by providing a ramp surface either on the end face of each hammerhead section protrusion or on the face of the string-receiving passage opposite to the slot and which is juxtaposed with the hammerhead protrusion when the latter has been introduced into the member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Draw-string fastener Field of the invention This invention concerns fasteners for drawstrings as employed in clothing typically anoraks rain-hoods.

Background to the invention A draw-string fastener has hitherto comprised a device having one or two passages therethrough which can be threaded onto the two draw-strings protruding from an article of clothing. After the latter has been put on by the wearer, the draw-strings are pulled until the required degree of tightness has been obtained (so as for example to tighten the opening in a rain-hood around the face of the wearer or the lower edge of an anorak or similar jacket around the wearer's waist or thighs) and thereafter pushing the fastener along the two ends of the cord until it is hard up against the garment. The fastener is retained in this position by ensuring that the latter is a friction fit on the cord.

When the wearer has wanted to undo the garment it has merely been necessary to slide the fastener along the two lengths of cord and allow the cord to slacken and in turn allow the garment to become untensioned.

Since all previous designs of fastener have required a friction fit between the cord and the fastener to allow the fastener to maintain a tension in the cord, it has not proved convenient to allow the fastener to be removed from the cord since the cord cannot normally be readily threaded through the passages in the fastener because of the requirement of the friction fit. To this end both ends of the cord have normally been knotted or otherwise formed with an enlargement to prevent the fastener from being removed entirely from the cords.

Whilst this represents only a minor problem when dealing with headgear such as rainhoods and the like, it does represent a deficiency if such a fastener were to be fitted to the two ends of the draw-string located around the lower edge of an anorak or like jacket.

Since both ends of the cord (for the reason given above) must be threaded through the fastener and retained therein, the cord becomes a continuous loop thereby dictating that the garment is put on and taken off over the wearer's head. Clearly this is much less convenient than if the garment could be put on and taken off in the more conventional manner associated with the putting on and taking off of a jacket.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved fastening for draw-strings of garments which may be used both for the rain-hood type of application and also around the lower edge of a garment such as an anorak, which does not suffer from this aforementioned problem.

The invention According to the present invention a drawstring fastener comprises a pair of members each having a passage therethrough by which it can be threaded onto a draw-string of a garment, each member being formed with a laterally extending protrusion and spaced therefrom a socket whereby a pair of such members can be fastened together by inserting the protrusion of each member into the socket in the other member, the length of each protrusion being sufficient to at least enter the passage through the other member to trap the draw-string threaded therethrough.

Typically one of each pair of members is fitted onto one end of a draw-string and the other member of the pair is fitted on the other end of the draw-string in an inverted manner relative to the first so that when brought side by side the socket in each member registers with the protrusion from the other member.

When the fastening is required, the two members are initially joined together so that the two protrusions are received in the respective sockets but do not interfere with the passage of the draw-string ends through the two members. The two ends of the draw-string are then pulled through the two members whilst the latter are gripped and held together in this initial condition until the required tension has been obtained in the draw-string. The latter is then maintained by firmly pressing together the two members so as to effect a complete fastening of the one member in the other in which condition the two ends of the drawstring are trapped by the inwardly protruding ends of the protrusions into the passages through which the ends of the cord extend through said members.

When the two ends of the draw-string are to be separated, the two members are simply pulled completely apart.

In order to prevent loss of the two members, the ends of the draw-string are knotted or otherwise formed with an enlargement so as to retain the two members thereon.

In one preferred embodiment, the protrusion from each member comprises a generally cylindrical peg and the socket in each member is a generally circular aperture adapted to receive a peg from an adjoining said member, the latter being an interference fit within the socket.

According to a preferred feature of this embodiment of the invention, the peg tapers from the junction thereof with the said member to the tip which is inserted into the socket of an adjoining member.

According to another feature of this preferred embodiment of the invention, the peg of each member is formed with two sections of different diameter, the first section nearer to the base at which it is joined to its supporting member being of greater diameter than the other section remote from the said base.

By providing a taper or two distinct different diameter regions, it can be guaranteed that a portion of each peg can be introduced easily into a corresponding socket in an adjoining member to allow for the said initial joining of the two members and the larger diameter section of the taper or larger diameter cylindrical portion of the peg can then be pushed into the socket to provide the interference fit required by this embodiment of the invention.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, each protrusion is in the form of a hammerhead when viewed in cross-section and each of the said sockets is in the form of a slot extending along a part of the length of the wall of the member with the axis of the slot aligned with the axis of the isthmus joining the hammerhead cross-section to the said member so that a first said member can be fitted to a second said member, the latter being inverted relative to the first member, by sliding the respective hammerhead cross-sections of the protrusions into the slots at opposite ends of the two said members, the hammerhead portion of each said protrusion entering the passage through which the end of the draw-string extends so as to engage the latter.

According to a preferred feature of this embodiment of the invention, either the string-receiving passage in each member reduces in section between the end having the socket slot therein and the opposite end of the said member for example by way of a taper or by way of a step having an inclined plane face which cooperates with the hammerhead portion of the protrusion introduced into that end of the passage through the said member.

Alternatively the external face of the hammerhead portion of each protrusion is in the form of an inclined face relative to the axis of the said member so that as the protrusion is pushed into and down the passage through which an end of a draw-string is received so the hammerhead section increasingly squeezes the string within the passage.

The fitting together and separation of two members constructed in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention is achieved by relative parallel movement of the two members as opposed to relative lateral movement as in the case of the first embodiment but it is to be understood that the principle of operation is otherwise exactly the same and both embodiments possess the common advantage that both members can be completely separated the one from the other to allow the two ends of the draw-string to be completely separated.

The exterior of each said member may be of a generally cylindrical or even spheroidal form or may be rectilinear in outline. Whatever the shape, indentations or additional protrusions may be provided to further facilitate the grip required between finger and thumb on each said member to achieve the joining together or separation of the two said members of the pair.

It is obviously a requirement that the size and spacing of the protrusion and socket on each member be substantially the same so that the two parts can be fitted into or receive respectively the corresponding parts of the other member making up the said pair. Conveniently the remainder of each said member is identical to the other in the said pair so that the members forming each pair are in fact identical in all respects and can thus be mass produced using a single tool for example by means of a plastic injection moulding process.

However it is not essential that the two members are identical in all respects provided that the interengagement of the protrusions and sockets can be achieved and the invention is not intended to be limited to arrangements in which the two said members are identical but encompasses an arrangement in which the two members of a pair in fact are different in external appearance so as to form for example two complementary members of a recognisable pair. Thus for example where the fastening is to be used in connection with an anorak for sporting purposes, one of the members of the pair may be moulded so as to correspond to an item of equipment associated with that sport and the other another item of equipment also associated with that sport. Thus for example one member may be predominately in the form of a tennis racquet and the other in the form of a tennis ball.In another version, the one member may be substantially in the form of a football boot and the other in the form of a football.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a cross-section through two members of a pair which together form a draw-string fastening constructed as one embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is an end view of one of the members shown in Fig. 1, Figure 3 is a perspective view of another pair of members which together form a drawstring fastening, constructed as another embodiment of the invention, and Figure 4 is a side view showing the two members of the fastening shown in Fig. 3 just after the two have been initially fitted together and before they have been firmly pressed together so as to grip the two ends of the draw-string threaded therethrough.

Detailed description of the drawings In Fig. 1 two generally cylindrical sleeves 10 and 1 2 are shown threaded on two ends 14 and 1 6 respectively of a draw-string the remainder of which is not shown but would normally extend around the edge of an opening in a garment such as a rain-hood or around the lower edge of a jacket or anorak (not shown).

The two ends 14 and 1 6 are knotted at 1 8 and 20 respectively so as to prevent the two sleeves 10 and 1 2 from sliding off the two draw-string ends.

The two sleeves 10 and 1 2 are identical in all respects but in order to allow the two members to be fitted together, the sleeves are threaded onto the draw-string ends 14 and 1 6 so that the one is inverted relative to the other.

Sleeve 10 includes a laterally extending circular section peg 22 and sleeve 1 2 a similar laterally extending cylindrical crosssection peg 24. Each of the pegs 22 and 24 includes an outer cylindrical section (26 in the case of peg 22 and 28 in the case of peg 24) whose diameter is less than the remainder of the peg (identified by reference numeral 30 in the case of peg 22 and 32 in the case of peg 24).

Spaced from each peg and with its axis parallel to the axis of the peg, is formed a socket 34 in the case of sleeve 10 and 36 in the case of sleeve 1 2. The diameter of each socket is such that the section 30 of the peg 22 is an interference fit in the socket 36 whilst the section 32 of peg 24 is an interference fit in the socket 34. Since the diameter of the outer sections 26 and 28 of the pegs 22 and 24 respectively is of less diameter, these two outer regions of each peg can be readily introduced into the sockets 34 and 36 and it is only when the interference fit has to be effected that pressure has to be brought to bear on the two members so as to firmly introduce the two sections 30 and 32 into the respective sockets 36 and 34.

The length of each peg 22 and 24 is selected so that when the two sleeves 10 and 1 2 have been firmly pushed together and an interference fit established between the pegs and the sockets, the reduced diameter ends 26 and 28 do in fact extend into the central passage through each sleeve (38 in the case of sleeve 10 and 40 in the case of sleeve 12) so that at least in that region the string ends 14 and 16 are engaged and gripped thereby.

Conveniently each of the sleeves 10 and 1 2 is formed from a plastics material by an injection moulding process.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the sleeve 10 and has been labelled accordingly. For clarity the end of the string 14 is not shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now to Fig. 3, an alternative embodiment is shown here comprising two rectilinear members 42 and 44 respectively each of which is similar to the other but as in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, are threaded onto two draw-string ends 14 and 1 6 (see Fig. 4) so that the one member is inverted relative to the other.

Each member includes a protrusion which is of hammerhead cross-section when viewed from one end or the other of the member. In the case of member 42, the hammerhead protrusion is denoted by reference numeral 46 and in the case of the member 44 by reference numeral 48.

Each member is formed with a rectangular section passage 50 and 52 respectively through which the ends of the draw-string (not shown in Fig. 3) can be threaded and a slot is formed in the end of the wall remote from the protrusion in the case of the member 42, the slot being denoted by reference numeral 54 and in the case of the member 44 by reference numeral 56.

Each of the slots 54 and 56 extends into the adjoining end face of the member 42 and 44 respectively and in this way the isthmus of each hammerhead section protrusion 46 and 48 can be fitted into its corresponding slot 56 and and 54 respectively by positioning the two members 42 and 44 side by side with the two protrusions 46 and 48 overlying an end face of the other member and after aligning the isthmus 58 with the slot 54 and the isthmus 60 (shown in hidden detail in Fig. 3) with the slot 56, the two members 42 and 44 can be slid together in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the wall of the passage 50 opposite the slot 54 (and likewise the wall of the passage 52 in the region opposite the slot 56) is ramped and denoted by reference numerals 62 and 64.

Continued relative movement of the two members 42 and 44 in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 4 will continue to narrow the gap between the end face of the hammerhead 46 and 48 and the opposite face of the passage (64 and 62 respectively) thereby trapping the string ends 1 4 and 1 6 more effectively.

In the case of the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the external cylindrical profile may be shaped either by forming depressions therein (not shown) or by way of axially extending ribs on diametrically opposed regions of the surface (denoted by reference numerals 66 and 68 respectively) so as to facilitate gripping the two members for pulling them apart. In the case of the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the two side faces of each of the members 42 and 44 which will normally be gripped by a finger or thumb may be ribbed as shown in Fig. 3 and denoted by reference numeral 70 to facilitate the grip between finger and thumb on the respective members to allow them to be more firmly pushed together and pulled apart.

Claims

1. A draw-string fastener comprising a pair of members each having a passage therethrough by which it can be threaded onto a draw-string of a garment, each member being formed with a laterally extending protrusion and spaced therefrom a socket whereby a pair of such members can be fastened together by inserting the protrusion of each member into the socket in the other member, the length of each protrusion being sufficient to at least enter the passage through the other member to trap the draw-string threaded therethrough.

2. A draw-string fastener as claimed in claim 1 in which each protrusion is a generally circular cross-section peg and each socket is a circular section hole of corresponding diameter so that each peg is an interference fit in each socket.

3. A draw-string fastener as claimed in claim 2 in which the outermost end of each peg is of reduced diameter so that only the region of each peg adjoining the member is an interference fit in the socket in the other member so that the fitting together of two said members is achieved in two stages, a first stage requiring very little effort to push the two protruding pegs into the respective sockets and the second stage only being achieved after overcoming the resistance of the interference fit.

4. A draw-string fastener as claimed in claim 1 in which the two members are generally rectilinear and the draw-string receiving passage is of rectangular cross-section and each protrusion is of hammerhead cross-section when viewed axially and each socket is in the form of a slot which opens into an end of the member remote from the end carrying the protrusion, each hammerhead section including an isthmus which is slideably receivable into the slot in the adjoining face of the other member of the pair, the hammerhead portion of the protrusion preventing the latter from being pulled out of the slot and also engaging against the string passing through the passage in the member into which it has been received.

5. A draw-string fastener as claimed in claim 4 wherein the internal cross-section of the draw-string receiving passage through each member reduces in size from one end to the other so that the introduction of the hammerhead section protrusion into the said passage produces a jamming effect between the string and the cooperating surfaces.

6. A draw-string fastener constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 or Figs. 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.