IE86907B1 - Magnetic button consisting of a button with a magnet inside its head, inserted into gloves or mittens employed as an anti-loss mechanism. - Google Patents

Abstract

A magnetic button, made up of an outer casing (1), inside of which lies a magnet (3). The face of the button (2) is flat and contains no holes, preventing corrosion of the magnet. It is visible on the outside of the gloves. The magnetic button is inserted into the gloves via a mechanism underneath the button (4) consisting of two long prongs or multiple smaller prongs or a rivet protrusion or post which is/are secured on the interior of the glove by either folding the two long prongs over, securing the small prongs, rivet protrusion or post with an eyelet, socket, rivet tack or cap. Each pair of magnetic buttons will contain a positive and negative charged magnet so as to attract each other on their face. Alternatively, only one button will contain a magnet and the other button will be made up of a material that attracts magnets. <Figure 1>

Description

PATENT SPECIFICATION Magnetic button, consisting of a button with a magnet inside its head, inserted into gloves or mittens employed as an anti-loss mechanism.

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an anti-loss mechanism used in gloves and mittens. In particular the invention relates to the use of magnets as an anti-loss mechanism, with the magnets inserted by employing buttons.

Background to the invention Gloves and mittens are predominantly sold in pairs and are available in a variety of designs, sizes and compositions. Generally gloves will be composed either of an exterior layer with one or more interior linings, for example a glove whose exterior is made of leather and lined with wool or composed of a single layer as can be seen for example in simple wool gloves or sheepskin gloves. The gloves, being two separate entities, when not worn risk being separated. This can arise as a result of inadvertence of the wearer when removing them or placing them down or as a result of a combination of external factors. Magnets can be used to address this problem. By inserting magnets into the gloves, the gloves can be secured together when not being worn by simply placing the magnets together.

The method employed to insert the magnets, to be used as an anti-loss mechanism, has been to sew magnets into gloves. Sewing the magnets into the gloves takes time and effort and usually requires a specialized needle to prevent a standard metal one being attracted to the magnets. The magnets when sewn in are usually incased in a protective plastic encasing to protect the magnet against corrosion. This protective encasing is usually transparent with the magnet inside clearly visible. Sewing this directly onto the glove can prove problematic as if sewn on the exterior of the glove it remains highly unsightly and if sewn onto the interior of the glove can cause an unpleasant sensation for the wearer against their skin. Therefore, the magnets when sewn in are usually covered with another layer of material requiring further material, time and effort. Sewing the magnets into gloves is more practicable to do when the glove has two layers as the magnet can be sewn in between them, however when the glove is made of only one layer, the magnet should ideally be covered up with another layer of material requiring further time and effort and waste of further material.

Furthermore, when sewn in magnets in gloves need to be removed, the lining of the glove needs to be opened or the material covering the magnet needs to be removed, resulting in the glove being irreparably damaged.

There exists therefore a need to employ magnets as an anti-loss mechanism in gloves which requires less time and effort, preferably with no sewing involved, which can be used on all types of glove, whether they have a lining or not, and which allows for the magnets to be inserted and removed with ease from the gloves.

Summary of the invention Accordingly, there is provided a magnetic button comprising of a magnet encased in a button head with said button head providing the magnet protection against corrosion. The button is inserted into the glove by using a rivet protrusion or prongs which are passed though the material of the glove and secured in place on the opposite side similar to the method used to insert snap buttons or magnetic clasps.

The magnet inside the button head may be incased in a plastic film to provide further protection in addition to the exterior button head.

The face of the button, which remains visible on the exterior of the glove, is where the magnetic button connects to other similar buttons.

The magnets used in the buttons can be all the same strength or can be divided into magnets and semi-magnets with one of each employed per glove in a pair so as to form a magnet contact between the two.

The advantage of the invention is that it allows for a simple method of employing magnets as an anti-loss mechanism in gloves that can be used on all gloves alike, whether they have one or multiple layers. The invention does not require any sewing to insert the magnets thereby saving time and obviating the problems associated with standard metal needles being attracted to the magnet. The invention allows for the insertion and removal of the magnetic buttons with ease without destroying the glove. The invention provides for a time efficient and practical method of employing magnets in gloves by inserting the magnets by way of buttons into the gloves with the aid of a manual punch machine or electric machine.

It also protects the magnet from corrosion as the button head casing acts as a protective barrier.

Brief description of the drawings: The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a transparent magnetic button with the outer casing and magnet inside the button head evident; Figure 2 shows a pair of gloves with the magnetic buttons inserted into/onto the gloves with the button heads exposed on the gloves’ exterior.

Description Referring now to the drawings and initially to Figure 1, there is illustrated a diagrammatical drawing of the magnetic button. The casing (1) makes up the button head of the magnetic button and can be made of plastic, enamel, polymer, stainless steel, nickel coated brass, metal, metal alloys, natural fibers or a combination of the above. The casing making up the button head protects the magnet from the external elements and corrosion. The button head in Figure 1 shows a flat face on the button head (2) however, this is for indication purposes and the face of the button head may be made to provide for grooves, elevations or cavities to provide for a more secure connection between button heads, similar to those found on magnetic clasps in bags which provide for a small elevated protrusion on one button head and a small cavity on the other button head in order to allow for a more secure adhesion. The magnet located inside the button head (3) is encased in the button head and is not visible, unless the casing is made from a transparent material. The magnet may have an additional plastic protective film inside the button head should additional protection against corrosion be sought, which might notably be the case in environments of extreme temperatures or humidity. The bottom or underneath of the button head (4) will have either two long prongs or multiple smaller prongs or a rivet protrusion or post emanating from it which is/are then passed through the material of the glove and then secured on the interior of the glove by either folding the two long prongs over, securing the small prongs with an eyelet or socket or by securing the rivet protrusion or post with an rivet tack, eyelet or socket Figure 2 shows a pair of gloves with the magnetic buttons (1) visible on the exterior of the glove. It is the button heads that are visible on the exterior of the gloves. The place of the magnetic buttons is for indication purposes only and the location of the magnetic buttons can be changed according to the design of the glove.

The present invention provides for a magnetic button to be placed externally on each glove of a pair so that when not being worn the gloves can be kept together by placing the two magnetic buttons together, the gloves being held in place by the force of attraction from the magnet or magnets.

Make up of the button: The magnet is housed in the head of the button which forms a protective casing for the magnet thereby preventing the magnet being exposed to the external elements and subject to corrosion. The magnet might be housed in an external film or plastic casing that wraps itself around the magnet, similar to the method used in pot magnets. The casing used to house the magnet and keep it protected from the external elements may be made of plastic, enamel, polymer, stainless steel, nickel coated brass, metal, metal alloys and natural fibers or an amalgamation of these substances. It is this external casing which forms the button head which remains visible on the gloves, the button head as can be seen on Figure 2.

The magnet is entirely housed in its casing consisting of the button head and is not directly exposed anywhere on the button head.

The face of the button head as seen on Figure 1 (2) is the top surface of the button head which remains visible on the exterior of the glove and is where the magnetic button connects to other similar buttons.

The bottom or underneath of the button head contains the snap button insertion mechanism which allows the button to be securely fixed into/onto the glove. This mechanism can be made up of a protrusion in the form of two or more long or short prongs or by a rivet protrusion/s or a post emanating from the bottom of the button head which are then passed through the fabric of the glove and are secured on the other side. This is done in the case of long prongs by either folding the prongs over themselves or in the case of short prongs by securing them with an eyelet or socket or in the case of a rivet protrusion/s or post by a rivet tack, eyelet or socket The button can then be inserted into the gloves with ease using manual tools, punch machines or electric machines such as those used to insert rivets, rivet snap buttons, flat press buttons/fasteners/studs/snaps, pronged snap fasteners, jeans buttons, jeans rivets and magnetic clasps.

The magnet used in the button can be made up of neodymium iron boron (NdFeB), samarium cobalt (SmCo), alnico, and ceramic or ferrite magnets or semi permanent magnets, temporary magnets and electromagnets. The strength of the magnet can be adjusted to the requirements of the glove by changing the grade of the magnet used. Each button head may contain a magnet so that each glove will have a magnet or alternatively, each pair of magnetic buttons used in each pair of gloves may coincide so that only one button head need contain a magnet, the other button head on the opposite glove being composed of material that attracts a magnet or contains a semi-magnet so as to form a magnet contact between the two.

When the gloves are not being worn, they simply need be placed together at the point where each magnetic button head is located and the attraction force will cause the gloves to be linked together. The location of the magnetic button on the glove can be changed according to the design and convenience for the glove.

This invention has the novelty of changing the method used to employ magnets in gloves by changing the way they are inserted into/onto the glove. Unlike previous methods where the magnets were sewn-in, the current invention provides for the magnets to be entirely enclosed in their button head casing and remain protected from the external elements on the button head which not only protects them from corrosion but allows for a much more practical and easier insertion of the magnets into the gloves using methods involving punch machines and electric machines similar to those used to install snap buttons and fashion rivets. This results in a far more practical and time-efficient way of employing magnets as an anti-loss tool for gloves and allows the magnetic buttons to be used on all type of gloves as opposed to the traditional method of sewing magnets into the lining of gloves, which obliged the gloves to have a lining in order to hide the magnet or to cover the magnet with further fabric in order to hide the unsightly magnet. Moreover, this invention is ideal for industrial application given its practical advantages and adaptability to all types of gloves.

Claims (3)

1. A magnetic button inserted into a glove or mitten and consisting of: a button whose head remains visible on the exterior of the glove or 5 mitten; and inside the button head therein lies a magnet entirely encased and protected from corrosion by the said button head; and the button head containing the magnet is inserted into the glove by way of two large prongs or multiple smaller prongs, a rivet protrusion or post 10 and secured on the inner side of the material of the glove by either folding the large prongs over or by securing the multiple small prongs or rivet or post by a socket or rivet tack or post.

2. Λ magnetic button as claimed in claim 1, 15 where the magnet inside the protective button head is entirely surrounded by a film of plastic in order to benefit the magnet from a more complete protection against corrosion most notably against external water exposure, with said plastic film ideally being very thin so as not to impact on the magnetic strength of the magnet.

3. A magnetic button as claimed in claim 1 and or 2, where the magnet inside the button head may be charged either positive or negative in order to facilitate it connecting with a magnet of opposite charge contained in a similar magnetic button thereby creating a magnet 25 attraction between the faces of the button heads, thereby keeping the gloves in pairs.