GB2240131A - Rotatable badge fastening - Google Patents

Abstract

A fastener (1) has a crocodile clip (3) attached to a plate (4) mounted on its "unseen" side by way of a rotating boss (5). The clip (3) is attached to the plate (4) through a slot in the boss 5. Because the boss 5 is able to rotate the plate (4), displaying a name or the like, it may be oriented so as to always point the correct way up. This arrangement overcomes the problem of existing fasteners and badges, to the extent that existing fasteners wore not capable of being used on both lapels, or they did not remain in the orientation intended. In a preferred embodiment locating means are provided to lock the boss (5) into one of several predetermined positions so that the plate (4) or badge is always displayed at the correct angle. <IMAGE>

Description

FASTENING MEANS This invention relates to fastening means and more specifically, but not exclusively, it relates to a fastening means for use with a badge.

Badges of the type which carry a wearer's name, typically those which are used at conferences, suffer from the disadvantage that they do not always lie in the correct position or orientation intended by the wearer.

Another problem with the aforementioned badge is that once the wearer's name or company name has been fixed to the badge, the wearer may only wear the badge on one lapel because the lapel gripper is so constructed that the name is displayed the correct way up.

This last problem is an inconvenience when the badge has been manufactured to be worn on the right lapel and it is desired to be worn on the left lapel. Such as in the case when a man wears his badge on his shirt; but a lady may desire to wear hers on her blouse. Because blouses button-up from the opposite side to mens clothing, it is quite inconvenient if a name has already been attached to a badge which permits the wearer to wear the badge with the lapel gripper pointing in only one direction.

To some extent this last problem has been aleviated by types of badges whose gripper may point either to the left or to the right, so as to allow the wearer of the badge to wear the badge on either lapel or shirt or blouse as desired. These types of badges have a lapel gripper which is attached by way of a swivel fitting to the badge.

The swivel fitting may be rivetted or glued.

Problems with badges having swivel fittings have been, firstly: that elaborate assembly equipment has been required to rivet together the lapel gripper and the badge, and secondly these badges have not remained in their correct orientation but have rotated on the swivel lapel gripper and have thus displayed the name badge at an angle. This has led to farsical situations at conferences when people have been introduced to other people wearing these types of badges and have had to cock their heads to one side in order to read a name or company badge which has been displayed skewly.

According to the present invention there is provided a fastener comprising a plate and a boss, the boss being adapted to pass through a hole in the plate so as to provide a protrubence, the protrubence having a hole therethrough which is adapted to locate a gripper such that the gripper may rotate with respect to the plate.

Preferably the boss and gripper when assembled are able to rotate, about the axis of the boss, with respect to the plate.

Preferably means are provided within the boss to engage a gripper. The gripper itself may be a crocodile clip.

Preferably the head of the boss lies within a recess of the plate.

Preferably studs or pips are provided within the boss which engage in an indentation in a limb of the gripper or clip.

Locating means may be provided on the surface of the plate across which the clip rotates to engage with the clip so as to hold the clip in one desired direction. Several such engaging means may be provided around the surface of the plate so that the clip may sit in one of a variety of positions and be held in these positions. The combination of the flexibility of the clip and the boss, and the resiliently deformable locating means serve to provide sufficient friction so that the clip is held in one position only.

The name badge may be affixed directly to the front of the plate or alternatively a stylised name badge with grooves for transparent covers may be glued to the plate. Such a name badge permits a card carrying the name to be slid between the grooves so that the name is displayed behind the transparent cover. This type of badge is reusable in that the card may be removed and a new card inserted.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of an example only and, with reference to the accompanying Figures in which: Figure 1 shows an overall view of a fastner mounted on the back of a badge; Figure 2 shows a sectional view of one embodiment of figure 1 having deep throat and being mounted on a wide badge; Figure 3 shows a second embodiment of figure 1 having a shallow throat and being mounted on a narrow badge; and Figure 4 shows a plan view of a fastener mounted to the back of a badge.

Referring to Figure 1, a fastener 1 is mounted on the hidden side of a badge 2. Fastener 1 comprises a crocodile clip 3 attached to a plate 4 by way of a rotating boss 5. The crocodile clip 3 is connected to the rotating boss 5 by passing one of the limbs 3a of the crocodile clip through a slot in the boss 5. A raised portion, known as a pip 6, engages with an aperture (not shown) in the limb 3a of crocodile clip 3. This raised portion is resiliently deformable so that once the aperture has engaged the pip 6 the crocodile clip is locked in position. Because the boss 5 is rotationally symmetrical it can rotate within the opening in the plate 4 thereby enabling the badge to be worn either on a left or on a right lapel.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, which show how the crocodile clip 3 may be positioned at different axial positions with respect its length, so as to provide either a deep or shallow throated clip. In wider or narrower badges respectively.

In Figure 2 the aperture is provided towards the tip of the crocodile clip 3 so that a deep throated clip is provided. In Figure 3 the aperture is provided closer to the bend in the crocodile clip, so that when inserted the crocodile clip has a relatively shallow throat.

The Figuress 2 and 3 also show how the boss 5 is provided with a head 5a which sits in a recessed portion of the plate so as to hold the boss in position within the plate. This may of course be achieved by tapering the boss 5 and fitting it within a countersunk hole in the plate 4. The boss 5 itself lies within the recess so that when the plate 4 is adhered to the badge 7 any adhesive which may spill over does not bond the boss 5 to the badge and in doing so prevent it from rotating. This slight recessing also allows for the use of double sided adhesive tape in the assembly of the badge and fastening plate.

Figure 4 which is a plan view of the plate as mounted on the badge, shows a sprung flap 9, on the other side of which is disposed the pip 6, crocodile clip 3 is not shown. Four protrusions 11 are shown on the back of the plate 4. These are resiliently deformable and are integrally formed at the moulding stage of the plate 4. These protrusions 11 serve to lock the crocodile clip in one direction or another once the wearer has decided if he is wearing the badge on the left or the right lapel.

The plate 4 may be moulded from a plastics material such as ABS (Acrylonitril Butadiene Styrene) or polystyrene. These materials may be fixed to a badge by a solvent such as dichloromethane. Because the boss 5 is formed from nylon it is unaffected by such solvents.

It will of course be appreciated that variations may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention; for example, the materials used may be different to those described above.

Claims (8)

1. A fastener comprising a plate and a boss, the boss being adapted to pass through a hole in the plate so as to provide a protrubence, the protrubence having a hole therethrough which is adapted to locate a gripper such that the gripper may rotate with respect to the plate.

2. A fastener according to claim 1 wherein the boss and gripper, when assembled, are able to rotate about the axis of the boss with respect to the plate.

3. A fastener according to claim 1 or 2 wherein means are provided within the boss to engage with the gripper.

4. A fastener according to any preceding claim wherein the gripper is a crocodile clip.

5. A fastener according to any preceding claim wherein the plate has a recessed surface in which the boss fits.

6. A fastener according to claim 3 wherein the means within the boss to engage the gripper are indentations on the surface of the plate.

7. A fastener substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4.

8. A fastener substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1, 3 and 4.