Magnetic button for use with a preexisting button and a preexisting button hole associated with the preexisting button of an article of clothing

Abstract

A magnetic button used with a preexisting button and a preexisting button hole associated with the preexisting button of an article of clothing. The magnetic button includes a female portion and a male portion. The female portion attaches to the preexisting button of the article of clothing, and the male portion is inserted into the preexisting button hole of the article of clothing. The male portion is magnetic, while the female portion is magnetic attractive, and being so, a location position of the male portion and the female portion are selective for allowing a user to merely put the male portion and the female portion together in a comfortable location by virtue of the female portion being magnetically attractive to the male portion being magnetic.

Claims

1. A magnetic button for use with a preexisting button and a preexisting button hole associated with the preexisting button that is held on by thread and the preexisting button hole has a perimeter, comprising: a) female portion; and b) a male portion; wherein said female portion is for attaching to the preexisting button of an article of clothing; wherein said male portion is for inserting into the preexisting button hole of the article of clothing; wherein said male portion is magnetic, while said female portion is magnetic attractive, and being so, a location position of said male portion and said female portion are selective for allowing a user to merely put said male portion and said female portion together in a comfortable location by virtue of said female portion being magnetically attractive to said male portion being magnetic; wherein said male portion includes a magnet; wherein said magnet of said male portion has a perimeter with an annular groove; and wherein said annular groove of said perimeter of said magnet of said male portion is for receiving the perimeter of the preexisting button hole of the article of clothing for maintaining said magnet of said male portion in the preexisting button hole of the article of clothing.

2. The magnetic button of claim 1, wherein said female portion includes a base.

3. The magnetic button of claim 2, wherein said female portion includes a cover.

4. The magnetic button of claim 3, wherein said base of said female portion is disk-shaped; and wherein said base of said female portion has: a) a central through bore; and b) a perimeter.

5. The magnetic button of claim 4, wherein said base of said female portion has a generally triangular-shaped cutout.

6. The magnetic button of claim 5, wherein said base of said female portion has a pair of expansion through slots.

7. The magnetic button of claim 6, wherein said pair of expansion through slots of said base of said female portion extend slightly outwardly from, and open into, said central through bole of said base of said female portion, in a direction opposite to that of said generally triangular-shaped cutout of said base of said female portion.

8. The magnetic button of claim 5, wherein said generally triangular-shaped cutout of said base of said female portion extends divergingly from, and opens into, said central through bore of said base of said female portion to, and opens into, said perimeter of said base of said female portion; and wherein said generally triangular-shaped cutout of said base of said female portion is for receiving the thread holding on the preexisting button of the article of clothing for maintaining said base of said female portion on the preexisting button of the article of clothing.

9. The magnetic button of claim 3, wherein said cover of said female portion is disk-shaped to match that of said base of said female portion.

10. The magnetic button of claim 4, wherein said cover of said female portion has a perimeter.

11. The magnetic button of claim 10, wherein said perimeter of said cover of said female portion is attached to said perimeter of said base of said female portion by a living hinge.

12. The magnetic button of claim 3, wherein said cover of said female portion is made from a magnetically attractive material.

13. The magnetic button of claim 10, wherein said cover of said female portion has a blind recess that is circular.

14. The magnetic button of claim 13, wherein said blind recess of said cover of said female portion extends therein concentrically to said perimeter of said cover; and wherein said blind recess of said cover of said female portion is for receiving the preexisting button of the article of clothing when said cover of said female portion is closed over said base of said female portion.

15. The magnetic button of claim 1, wherein said said male portion includes a base.

16. The magnetic button of claim 15, wherein said base of said male portion is disk-shaped; and wherein said base of said male portion is for replicating a button by having four blind bores.

17. The magnetic button of claim 1, wherein said magnet of said male portion is disk-shaped; and wherein said magnet of said male portion is radially larger than said base of said male portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWING

(1) The figures of the drawing are briefly described as follows:

(2) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the magnetic button of the embodiments of the present invention used with a preexisting button and a preexisting button hole associated with the preexisting button of an article of clothing;

(3) FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the magnetic button of the embodiments of the present invention used with a preexisting button and a preexisting button hole associated with the preexisting button of an article of clothing;

(4) FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the magnetic button of the embodiments of the present invention used with a preexisting button and a preexisting button hole associated with the preexisting button of an article of clothing;

(5) FIG. 4 is an enlarged and exploded diagrammatic perspective view of the magnetic button of the embodiments of the present invention taken from the front thereof;

(6) FIG. 5 is an enlarged and exploded diagrammatic perspective view of the magnetic button of the embodiments of the present invention taken from the rear thereof;

(7) FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the initial step of being in the midst of applying the magnetic button of the embodiments of the present invention to the article of clothing;

(8) FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the next step of being in the midst of applying the magnetic button of the embodiments of the present invention to the article of clothing;

(9) FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic flowchart of the method of using the magnetic button of the embodiments of the present invention;

(10) FIGS. 9A-9C is a flow chart of the method of using the magnetic button with a preexisting button and a preexisting button hole associated with the preexisting button that is held onto the article of clothing by thread; and

(11) ADDENDUM a true and correct copy of the text of the provisional patent application sans the figures of the drawing because they replicate the figures of the drawing of the instant non-provisional patent application exactly, to thereby eliminate redundancy and add brevity.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWING

Introductory

(12) 10 magnetic button of embodiments of present invention for use with preexisting button 12 and preexisting button hole 14 associated with preexisting button 12 of article of clothing 16 12 preexisting button of article of clothing 16 13 thread of preexisting button 12 of article of clothing 16 14 preexisting button hole of article of clothing 16 15 perimeter of preexisting button hole 14 of article of clothing 16 16 article of clothing

Overall Configuration of Magnetic Button 10

(13) 18 female portion of magnetic button 10 for attaching to preexisting button 12 of article of clothing 16 20 male portion of magnetic button 10 for inserting into preexisting button hole 14 of article of clothing 16

Specific Configuration of Female Portion 18

(14) 22 base of female portion 18 24 cover of female portion 18 26 central through bore of base 22 of female portion 18 28 perimeter of base 22 of female portion 18 30 generally triangular-shaped cutout of base 22 of female portion 18 32 pair of expansion through slots 32 of base 22 of female portion 18 34 perimeter of cover 24 of female portion 18 36 living hinge of cover 24 of female portion 18 38 blind recess of cover 24 of female portion 18 for receiving preexisting button 12 of article of clothing 16

Specific Configuration of Male Portion 20

(15) 40 base of male portion 20 for replicating button by having four blind bores 41 41 four blind bores of base 40 of male portion 20 42 magnet of male portion 20 44 perimeter of magnet 42 of male portion 20 46 annular groove of perimeter 44 of magnet 42 of male portion 20 for receiving perimeter 15 of preexisting button hole 14 of article of clothing 16 for maintaining magnet 42 of male portion 20 in preexisting button hole 14 of article of clothing 16

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Introductory

(16) Referring now to the figures of the drawing, where like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to FIGS. 1-3, the magnetic button of the embodiments of the present invention is shown at 10 for use with a preexisting button 12 that is held on by thread 13 and a preexisting button hole 14 having a perimeter 15 and associated with the preexisting button 12 of an article of clothing 16.

Overall Configuration of the Magnetic Button 10

(17) The overall configuration of the magnetic button 10 can best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

(18) The magnetic brush 10 comprises a female portion 18 and a male portion 20. The female portion 18 is for attaching to the preexisting button 12 of the article of clothing 16, and the male portion 20 is for inserting into the preexisting button hole 14 of the article of clothing 16. The male portion 20 is magnetic, while the female portion 18 is magnetic attractive, and being so, a location position of the male portion 20 and the female portion 18 are selective for allowing a user to merely put the male portion 20 and the female portion 18 together in a comfortable location by virtue of the female portion 18 being magnetically attractive to the male portion 20 being magnetic.

Specific Configuration of the Female Portion 20

(19) The specific configuration of the male portion 20 can best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

(20) The female portion 20 includes a base 22 and a cover 24.

(21) The base 22 of the female portion 18 is disk-shaped, and has a central through bore 26, a perimeter 28, a generally triangular-shaped cutout 30, and a pair of expansion through slots 32 extending slightly radially outwardly from, and opening into, the central through bore 26 of the base 22 of the female portion 18, in a direction opposite to the generally triangular-shaped cutout 30 of the base 22 of the female portion 18.

(22) The generally triangular-shaped cutout 30 of the base 22 of the female portion 18 extends divergently from, and opens into, the central through bore 26 of the base 22 of the female portion 18 to, and opens into, the perimeter 28 of the base 22 of the female portion 18, and is for receiving the thread 13 holding the preexisting button 12 to the article of clothing 16 for maintaining the base 22 of the female portion 18 on the preexisting button 12 of the article of clothing 16.

(23) The cover 24 of the female portion 18 is disk-shaped to match that of the base 22 of the female portion 18, has a perimeter 34 that is attached to the perimeter 28 of the base 22 of the female portion 18 by a living hinge 36, and is made from a magnetically attractive material.

(24) The cover 24 of the female portion 18 further has a blind recess 38 that is circular, extends therein concentrically to the perimeter 34 of the cover 24, and is for receiving the preexisting button 12 of the article of clothing 16 when the cover 24 of the female portion 18 is closed over the base 22 of the female portion 18.

Specific Configuration of the Male Portion 20

(25) The specific configuration of the male portion 20 can best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

(26) The male portion 20 includes a base 40 and a magnet 42.

(27) The base 40 of the male portion 20 is disk-shaped, and is for replicating a button by having four blind bores 41.

(28) The magnet 42 of the male portion 20 is disk-shaped, radially larger than the base 40 of the male portion 20, and has a perimeter 44 with an annular groove 46 for receiving the perimeter 15 of the preexisting button hole 14 of the article of clothing 16 for maintaining the magnet 42 of the male portion 20 in the preexisting button hole 14 of the article of clothing 16.

Method for Using the Magnetic Button 10

(29) The method for using the magnetic button 10 with a preexisting button 12 and a preexisting button hole 14 associated with the preexisting button 14 that is held onto the article of clothing 16 by the thread 13 and the preexisting button hole 14 has the perimeter 15 can best be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, and 9A-9C, and as such, will be discussed with reference thereto.

(30) STEP 1: As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9A, slide the generally triangular-shaped cutout 30 of the base 22 of the female portion 18 over the thread 13 that is holding the preexisting button 12 onto the article of clothing 16;

(31) STEP 2: As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9B, capture the thread 13 in the through bore 26 of the base 22 of the female portion 18;

(32) STEP 3: As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9B, position the preexisting button 12 of the article of clothing 16 onto the base 22 of the female portion 18;

(33) STEP 4: As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9B close the cover 24 of the female portion 18 onto the base 22 of the female portion 18 capturing the preexisting button 12 of the article of clothing 16 therebetween;

(34) STEP 5: As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9C, insert the male portion 20 into the preexisting button hole 14 of the article of clothing 16 until the perimeter 15 of the preexisting button hole 14 of the article of clothing 16 sits in the annular groove 46 of the perimeter 44 of the magnet 42 of the male portion 20; and
STEP 6: As shown in FIGS. 2, 8, and 9C, attach the male portion 20 to the female portion 18 by positioning the magnet 42 of the male portion 20 onto the cover 24 of the female portion 18.

Impressions

(35) It will be understood that each of the elements described above or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

(36) While the embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described as embodied in a magnetic button for use with a preexisting button and a preexisting button hole associated with the preexisting button of an article of clothing, however, they are not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions, and changes in the forms and details of the embodiments of the present invention illustrated and their operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the embodiments of the present invention.

(37) Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the embodiments of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt them for various applications without omitting features from the standpoint of prior art fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of the embodiments of the present invention.