IE893004A1 - New detachable button - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a new detachable button in which the body, the fixing means and means for locking the fixing are combined together in a single article. According to an embodiment of the invention, the fixing means is thread-like and without any other asperity than its free end, the other end being fixed in the body of the button. The means of fixing may be one or several springs, for instance a coil spring or straight spring provided with a fold. The point of the threadlike spring is preferably sharpened in order to pierce more easily the support without damaging it. The spring is in a flange or collar of the body of the button or in a cavity of the same body which preferably has teeth in order to lock the fixing of the button.

Description

The technical field of the invention is the assembly of various articles and particularly the fixing of buttons onto any kind of clothes.

Traditionally, buttons are small pieces of wood or plastic, metal, horny or pearly matters. They are perforated by one or several holes through which passes a thread to be sewn onto a piece of fabric. The buttons are useful either to assemble the piece of fabric on which they are sewn with another piece of fabric provided with buttonholes, or merely as ornament.

On any kind of clothes, shirts, underpants, jackets, overcoats, raincoats, etc., buttons are prominent and they are often the assembling points of several parts of an article of clothing. Therefore, they are submitted to very varied and repetitive forces and tuggings and it is essential that the fixing should be strong and should not damage the support, generally made of fabric. Then to be strongly fixed, a button must fulfil three functions: Firstly, the functions of the body of the button which is assembling or ornament, secondly, the function of fixing the body onto its support and a third function which is locking the fixing. When sewing a button, the last function is generally achieved by winding the thread tightly several times around the thread already used to fix the body of the button onto the support and finally making a small knot. - laIE 893004 The thread is independent of the body of the button, but there are buttons that do not require independent fixing means, for instance if they are crimped or clinched onto the fabric piece.

Buttons are generally not detachable. It is however more convenient to be able to change them easily and rapidly. It is also easier to wash clothing without any buttons and fix them again when washing and ironing is finished.

According to up-to-date knowledge, detachable buttons are always in two or several parts, for instance press studs and snap fasteners. Therefore the fixing is more sophisticated, and maintenance and washing become at least a little more difficult. Problems may also arise if a part of the button is lost or damaged.

The present invention discloses a new and inexpensive detachable button in which the three functions are combined together to make up a single article It is an object of the invention that the person or machine intending fixing the button onto the support or pulling it off has only to handle the support and the button which is provided with its own means of fixing and locking which can be varied but which should in any case be securely assembled on the body of the button.

The invention is all the more surprising because buttons are cheap things and it was therefore useful to find a cheap solution, facilitating a strong fixing which does not damage the support.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the locking of the fixation is reversible i.e. it is sufficient to make inverse movements for the purpose of locking or unlocking, e.g. tightening and loosening. Once can for example tighten by turning and loosen by pulling.

According to another preferred embodiment, which may or may not be combined with the reversibility of locking of the fixation, the means of fixing the detachable button is a filiform (thread-shape, or wire-shape) solid of small cross section. It may suitably have a sharpened point in order to avoid or at least minimise damage to the support during penetration thereof.

It may suitably be rigid but may optionally be flexible. Preferably it possesses no asperity (sharpness or roughness) other than its free end, so that it cannot catch onto the support, the other end being secured in the body of the button. It may for example be a smooth metal wire, preferably a spring which is either straight or in the form of a coil spring.

The invention will be better understood when reading the following examples which are non limitative and may have many different forms within the scope of the invention.

The Examples are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1(a) is an underneath plan view of the first embodiment Figure 1(b) is a vertical cross section through the embodiment of Figure 1(a). Figure 2(a) and (b) are similar views of the second embodiment.

EXAMPLE 1: Detachable button with a coil spring.

As shown in figure 1, the body of the button has a hollow collar 2 wherein is set a coil spring 4 strongly secured in the base of the collar and extending beyond it by one or several turns at its other end.

According to the invention, the spring may be fixed solidly in the collar of the body of the button.

According to a preferred embodiment, the free end 5 of the spring extending beyond the collar 2 has a sharpened point in order to penetrate easily through the support.

According to another embodiment, in combination or not with the previous one, the free end 5 of the spring has been lightly forced (put under strain) so as to distance the point from the body of the button in order to facilitate the penetration of the spring into the support when they are brought together.

When the point of the spring has been transfixed through the support, the body of the button is turned in the direction that moves the sporing forward in the support, until it emerges again out of the face which is opposite to that where the body of the button is located. At the end of the first turn, the new detachable button is strongly fixed onto the support which is squeezed between the turns of the spring, one on each side of the support. As it is not useful to turn the button more than one turn to obtain a strong fixing, the point of the sporing has not to go beyond the collar more than one or two turns.

According to an embodiment of the invention, locking of the fixing is improved by fixing, cutting or hollowing teeth 3, for instance saw teeth, at the extremity of the collar in order that said teeth slightly penetrate the support and lock the fixing of the button better.

To remove the new detachable button from the support, the body is pulled away from the support in order to release the teeth of the collar if necessary and loosen the turns of the spring and the body is then turned in the opposite direction until it is out of the support.

It is thus possible to fix and remove the new button many times without damaging the support.

EXAMPLE 2 : Detachable button with straight springs.

As shown in figure 2, the body 1 of the button has also a collar 2, preferably with teeth 3 as in the previous example and for same reasons, but instead of being widely hollow, there is only a narrow cavity in order to receive one or several rectilinear springs 4 which are able to move in the cavity but unable to leave it.

As in the previous example, the point of a straight spring may be sharpened at 5 in order to penetrate easily through the support without damaging it.

According to the invention, the spring(s) are parallel or substantially parallel with the axis of the cavity when they are pushed towards the base, but if they are pulled towards the outside of the cavity, they unfold like ribs of an umbrella and press the support against the collar of the button. A segment of each spring is held in the cavity e.g. by a throat 7 at the outlet of the cavity which traps a doubled-over segment 8 of the spring.

To obtain the unfolding of the springs, each spring is provided with a fold or bend 6 which is outside the cavity when the spring is pulled outwardly of the collar (i.e. the extended and folded position of the spring 4 as shown in full lines in figure 2) and inside the cavity when the spring is pushed toward the base of the cavity (i.e. the retracted and erect position of the spring 4 as shown in dotted outline in Figure 2). When the fold is outside the cavity, the outer segment of each spring is free and takes the shape of an acute angle, whereas when the fold is inside the cavity the fold is trapped and held so that the spring is straight.

To fix the new button onto the support, the springs are firstly pushed towards the base of cavity until all the folds are inside the cavity so that the points 5 are erect. It is then easy to transfix them through the support until the flange buts against the support. Then the springs are pulled outwardly from the cavity until the folds 6 are disengaged from the cavity.

The folds, being no longer constrained within the cavity, tend to adopt their unforced shape of an acute angle but they meet the support which is therefore pressed against the collar of the button, thus fixing the button strongly onto the support.

To remove the button from the support, the springs are brought into an erect position by forcing the folds of the springs and it is then easy to pull the body of the button from the support. It is optional whether or not to push the springs towards the base of the cavity in order to bring the folds inside the cavity.

According to the invention, moving of the spring(s) in the cavity and their deployment may be made easier by known means such as springs, catches, grooves, in the cavity. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are helicoid grooves in the cavity in which the straight springs move.

To pull them, the button is turned in one direction and to push them, the body of the button is turned in the opposition direction.

According to the invention, the shape and the position of the collar is not characteristic, and may be replaced by a cavity in the body of the button in which a helicoid or rectilinear spring may be housed.

Claims (12)

1. ) A detachable button in which the body, the means of fixing and the means of locking the fixing are combined in a single article.

2. ) Button according to claim 1 wherein the fixing means is a filiform solid without any other asperity than its free end, the other end being secured in the body of the button.

3. ) Button according to any of claims 1 or 2 wherein the fixing means is one or several springs.

4. ) Button according to any of the claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the fixing means has a sharpened point.

5. ) Button according to any of the claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the locking means of the fixing is reversible.

6. ) Button according to any of the claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 where the fixing means is a coil sporing set in a flange or collar on the body of the button.

7. ) Button according to any of the claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the fixing means is one or several straight springs moving inside a cavity in a flange or collar on the body of the button and which are erected when pushed towards the base of their housing and unfolded when pulled outwardly of the cavity so that they press the support against the flange.

8. ) Button according to claims 7 wherein the straight springs are provided with a fold or elbow serving for deploying them.

9. ) Button according to any of claims 7 or 8 where the moving of the straight springs in their housing is made easier by helicoid grooves in the housing.

10. ). Button according to any of the claims 6, 7, 8 or 9 wherein the flange or collar on the body of the button is provided with teeth.

11. ). Button substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.

12.) Button substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 2 of the drawings.