Cover For A Male Portion of a Snap Fastener and Method of Use

Abstract

A reusable protective cover for a male portion of a snap fastener may be configured with a symmetrical convexly-curved continuous upper surface extending from the surface to which the male portion of the snap fastener is attached, to above the male portion of the snap faster, the upper surface having an area that is large in size relative to the size of the male portion of the snap fastener and shaped so that the force of someone stepping on the cover would be spread out over a much larger area than the area presented by the male portion of the snap fastener, thus greatly reducing the pressure on the bare foot of someone stepping on the cover, while also protecting the male portion of the snap fastener. Structure is provided to prevent water entrapment under the cover.

Claims

1. A cover for a male snap fastener member installed on a mounting surface, wherein the male snap fastener member comprises a projection upstanding from the mounting surface with an outer profile defining a circular area of the male snap fastener member, the cover comprising: a female member having a resilient socket formed therein complimentarily sized and shaped to receive and removably retain the male snap fastener member when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member; an upper surface opposite the female member and having a surface area, the upper surface defining a three-dimensional convex curvature, the upper surface extending outward from a central portion to an outer edge portion, at least a first portion of which is configured to be located proximate to the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member; wherein the surface area of the upper surface of the cover is at least five times as large as the circular area of the male snap fastener member.

2. The cover of claim 1, wherein the surface area of the upper surface of the cover is at least ten times as large as the circular area of the male snap fastener member.

3. The cover of claim 1, wherein the surface area of the upper surface of the cover is at least fifteen times as large as the circular area of the male snap fastener member.

4. The cover of claim 1, wherein the surface area of the upper surface of the cover is at least twenty times as large as the circular area of the male snap fastener member.

5. The cover of claim 1, wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to receive a flat screwdriver blade between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member.

6. The cover of claim 5, comprising a plurality of reliefs according to claim 5 located around the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover.

7. The cover of claim 1, wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to allow water to flow out from between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member.

8. The cover of claim 1, wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to receive a flat screwdriver blade between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member, and the relief is further configured to create a space sized and shaped to allow water to flow out from between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member.

9. The cover of claim 8, comprising a plurality of reliefs according to claim 8 located around the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover.

10. A cover for a male snap fastener member installed on a mounting surface, wherein the male snap fastener member comprises a projection upstanding from the mounting surface with an outer profile defining a circular area of the male snap fastener member, the cover comprising: a female member having a resilient socket formed therein complimentarily sized and shaped to receive and removably retain the male snap fastener member when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member; an upper surface opposite the female member and having a surface area, the upper surface defining a three-dimensional convex curvature at least a portion of which is defined by a constant first radius, the upper surface extending outward from a central portion to an outer edge portion at least a portion of which is curved and has a second radius; wherein the constant first radius of the at least a portion of the upper surface of the cover is at least as large as the second radius of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover.

11. The cover of claim 10, wherein the constant first radius of the at least a portion of the upper surface of the cover is at least one-and-a-half-times as large as the second radius of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover.

12. The cover of claim 10, wherein the constant first radius of the at least a portion of the upper surface of the cover is at least twice as large as the second radius of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover.

13. The cover of claim 10, wherein the constant first radius of the at least a portion of the upper surface of the cover is at least two-and-a-half-times as large as the second radius of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover.

14. The cover of claim 10, wherein at least a first portion of the outer edge portion is configured to be located proximate to the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member.

15. The cover of claim 14, wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to receive a flat screwdriver blade between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member.

16. The cover of claim 15, comprising a plurality of reliefs according to claim 15 located around the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover.

17. The cover of claim 14, wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to allow water to flow out from between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member.

18. The cover of claim 14, wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to receive a flat screwdriver blade between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member, and the relief is further configured to create a space sized and shaped to allow water to flow out from between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member.

19. The cover of claim 18, comprising a plurality of reliefs according to claim 18 located around the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover.

20. A cover for a male snap fastener member installed on a mounting surface, wherein the male snap fastener member comprises a projection upstanding from the mounting surface with an outer profile defining a circular area of the male snap fastener member, the cover comprising: a female member having a resilient socket formed therein complimentarily sized and shaped to receive and removably retain the male snap fastener member when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member; an upper surface opposite the female member and having a surface area, the upper surface defining a three-dimensional convex curvature at least a portion of which is defined by a constant first radius, the upper surface extending outward from a central portion to an outer edge portion at least a portion of which is curved and has a second radius and is configured to be located proximate to the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member; wherein the surface area of the upper surface of the cover is at least five times as large as the circular area of the male snap fastener member; and wherein the constant first radius of the at least a portion of the upper surface of the cover is at least as large as the second radius of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying figures illustrate certain aspects of example embodiments, wherein:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an example cover according to various example embodiments.

[0028] FIG. 2 is side elevation view of the example cover of FIG. 1.

[0029] FIG. 2A is a section view of the side elevation view of FIG. 2, taken along section line A-A of FIG. 1.

[0030] FIG. 3A is a section view of the side elevation view of FIG. 2A, showing the example cover installed on the example male snap fastener member of FIG. 3C shown attached to an example mounting surface.

[0031] FIG. 3B is a section side elevation view of the example male snap fastener member of FIG. 3C, taken along section line B-B of FIG. 3C, shown attached to an example mounting surface.

[0032] FIG. 3C is a top plan view of an example male snap fastener member according to various example embodiments.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the example cover of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0034] Reference is made herein to some specific examples of the present invention, including any best modes contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention. Examples of these specific embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying figures. While the invention is described in conjunction with these specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the described or illustrated embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0035] With reference to FIGS. 1-4, provided in various example embodiments is a cover 100 for a male snap fastener member 300 that may be installed on a mounting surface 320, wherein the male snap fastener member 300 comprises a projection 310 upstanding from the mounting surface 320 with an outer profile 330 defining a circular area 340 of the male snap fastener member 300. The circular area 340 is depicted in FIG. 3C as the shaded region encompassed within the outer perimeter 330 of the upstanding projection 310, which is shown and understood to optionally comprise a hollow cylindrical projection 310 attached to the mounting surface 320 with a fastener 315, such as a rivet or screw or any other suitable fastening means, for example as shown in the examples in FIGS. 3A-3C. Male snap fastener member 300 may be formed from any material having suitable mechanical properties, such as, for example, metal. Mounting surface 320 can comprise any suitable structure and material, such as, for example, a fiberglass portion of the body or interior of a boat.

[0036] In various example embodiments a cover 100 may comprise a female member 200 having a resilient socket 210 formed therein complimentarily sized and shaped to receive and removably retain the male snap fastener member 300 when the cover 100 is installed on the male snap fastener member 300. For example, the resilient socket 210 may be formed from the elements as shown and described herein and in the '517 Application. In various example embodiments the female member 200 may comprise a generally cylindrical protrusion structure extending downward from a central portion 120 of a lower side of the continuous upper surface 110, the generally cylindrical protrusion structure having an inner diameter or resilient socket 210 configured to releaseably engage an outer profile 330 of the male portion 300 of the snap fastener. In various example embodiments the resilient socket 210, e.g., generally cylindrical protrusion structure, may comprise one or more slots through walls thereof (see FIGS. 2A, 4), to facilitate resilient radially-outward bending of the walls of the cylindrical protrusion structure to assist in releaseably engaging the outer profile 330 of the male snap fastener member 300. In various example embodiments the female member 200 may be sized, shaped, and positioned to not extend all the way to mounting surface 320 when the cover 100 is installed on the male snap fastener member 300. For instance as depicted in the example shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A, female member 200 may be sized, shaped, and positioned to provide a gap (for example, approximately the dimension of the wall thickness of the cover 100) between the female member 200 and the mounting surface 320 when the cover 100 is installed on the male snap fastener member 300.

[0037] In various example embodiments a cover 100 may comprise an upper surface 110 opposite the female member 200 and having a surface area, namely the actual surface area of upper surface 110. The upper surface 110 may define a three-dimensional convex curvature as depicted in the figures, the upper surface 110 extending outward from a central portion 120 (which may be a point or a larger area) to an outer edge portion 130. In various example embodiments the outer edge portion 130 may define a circle or segment(s) of a circle. In various example embodiments the upper surface 110 extends smoothly and continuously outward from a central portion 120 to an outer edge portion 130. In various example embodiments the upper surface 110 is symmetrical about a central portion 120, except for any branding or messaging or artwork that may appear on the upper surface 110. In various example embodiments at least a first portion 220 of the outer edge portion 130 is configured to be located proximate to the mounting surface 320 when the cover 100 is installed on the male snap fastener member 300, for instance as shown in the figures. In various example embodiments the first portion 220 of the outer edge portion 130 is flat. In various example embodiments the first portion 220 of the outer edge portion 130 is configured to be located adjacent to the mounting surface 320 when the cover 100 is installed on the male snap fastener member 300, for instance as shown in the figures. The word proximate herein means adjacent or close to adjacent.

[0038] In various example embodiments at least a second portion of the outer edge portion 130 of the upper surface of the cover may define a relief 140 configured to create a space 350 sized and shaped to receive a tool or other instrument that can be used to assist in detaching the cover 100 from the male snap fastener member 300, such as, for example, a conventional flat screwdriver blade (not shown) between the relief 140 and the mounting surface 320 when the cover 100 is installed on the male snap fastener member 300, for instance as shown in the example depicted in FIG. 3A. In various example embodiments at least a second portion of the outer edge portion 130 of the upper surface of the cover may define a relief 140 configured to create a space 350 sized and shaped to allow water or other liquids of debris to flow out from between the relief 140 and the mounting surface 320 when the cover 100 is installed on the male snap fastener member 300. A relief 140 may be configured to accomplish one or both of the above-described functionalities. In various example embodiments a plurality of such reliefs 140 (such as two, three, or four, for example) may be located around the outer edge portion 130 of the upper surface 110 of the cover 100. In various example embodiments a plurality of such reliefs 140 (such as two, three, or four, for example) may be equally-spaced around the outer edge portion 130 of the upper surface 110 of the cover 100, for instance as best shown in the example depicted in FIG. 4.

[0039] With continuing reference to the figures shown and incorporated herein, also provided in various example embodiments is a cover 100 for a male snap fastener member 300 installed on a mounting surface 320, wherein the male snap fastener member 300 comprises a projection 310 upstanding from the mounting surface 320 with an outer profile 330 defining a circular area 340 of the male snap fastener member 300, wherein the cover 100 comprises any or all of the following features. First, a female member 200 may be provided having a resilient socket 210 formed therein complimentarily sized and shaped to receive and removably retain the male snap fastener member 300 when the cover 100 is installed on the male snap fastener member 300. Second, an upper surface 110 may be provided opposite the female member 200 and having a surface area, the upper surface 110 defining a three-dimensional convex curvature at least a portion of which is defined by a constant first (upward-extending) radius R1 (see, e.g., FIG. 2, with upwards direction indicated generally by the arrows R1), the upper surface 110 extending outward from a central portion 120 (which may be a point or a larger area) to an outer edge portion 130. In various example embodiments the outer edge portion 130 may define a circle or segment(s) of a circle or other shape, at least a portion of which is curved and has a second (outward-extending) radius R2 (see, e.g., FIG. 1, with the outward direction meaning outward from the central portion 120, as indicated generally by arrow R2). In various example embodiments, the center of second outward-extending radius R2 intersects a vertical centerline of the cover 100 (with the vertical direction extending between the top and bottom sides of the page on which FIG. 2 appears, and with the horizontal direction extending between the left and right sides of the page on which FIG. 2 appears, wherein the page is oriented to read the text thereon from left to right).

[0040] In general, the larger the ratio of the first (upward-extending) radius R1 is to the second (outward-extending) radius R2, the flatter the cover 100, and thus the lower the pressure would be exhibited on a person or thing that steps on or otherwise contacts or impacts the cover 100 (compared to stepping on or otherwise contacting or impacting the male snap fastener member 300 without the cover 100 installed). However, if that ratio is too large, the cover 100 can become too short (vertically) to extend over the top of the male snap fastener member 300 while also curving smoothly downward to proximate the mounting surface 320 (compare FIG. 3A). Accordingly, certain ratios have been identified as being uniquely suited to the geometries of certain male snap fastener members 300. For example, in various different example embodiments the constant first radius R1 of the at least a portion of the upper surface 110 of the cover 100 is at least as large as, at least one-and-a-half-times as large as, at least twice as large as, or at least two-and-a-half-times as large as, the second radius R2 of the outer edge portion 130 of the upper surface 110 of the cover 100.

[0041] Also in general, the larger the ratio of the surface area of the upper surface 110 of the cover 100 is to the circular area 340 of the male snap fastener member 300, the lower the pressure would be exhibited on a person or thing that steps on or otherwise contacts or impacts the cover 100 (compared to stepping on or otherwise contacting or impacting the male snap fastener member 300 without the cover 100 installed). However, the larger that ratio is, the more unwieldy in size the cover 100 can become and the more likely it becomes that the cover 100 will not fit on a given male snap fastener member 300 due to lack of space in the vicinity of the male snap fastener member 300. Accordingly, certain ratios have been identified as being uniquely suited to various types of installations. For example, in various different example embodiments the surface area of the upper surface 110 of the cover 100 is at least five, ten, fifteen, or twenty times as large as the circular area 340 of the male snap fastener member 300.

[0042] Cover 100 may be formed from any material with mechanical properties suitable for this application, such as, for example, a polymer. In one example embodiment the cover 100 is formed from ABS plastic, and utilizes a design with uniform or substantially uniform wall thicknesses to facilitate manufacturability, as depicted in the figures.

[0043] In use, the cover 100 may be removably attached to a male snap fastener member 300 extending from a mounting surface 320 by removing any female portion (not shown) of the snap fastener from the male snap fastener member 300, positioning the resilient socket 210 of the female member 200 above and around the outer profile 330 of the projection 310 of the male snap fastener member 300, and pushing down on the central portion 120 of the upper surface 110 until at least a first portion 220 of the outer edge portion 130 is proximate or adjacent to the mounting surface 320. To remove the cover 100, an object is slid at least partially between the outer edge portion 130 and the mounting surface 320, and pulled or pushed away from the mounting surface 320. In embodiments with one or more indentations or other reliefs 140 formed in and distributed around an outer edge portion 130 of the upper surface 110, an object may be slid at least partially into the relief 140 into space 350, and pulled or pushed away from the mounting surface 320 to remove the cover 100. In various example embodiments the cover 100 may be reused by repeating the above steps any number of times.

[0044] Unlike a female portion of a snap button or other female snap fastener member (not shown), in the embodiments shown cover 100 does not hold or mount another material or object to the male snap fastener member 300. Instead, cover 100 elegantly and optimally provides an easy to install, remove, and replace very-low-profile snap cover with geometries and features specific for this purpose. For example, in certain example embodiments as shown in the figures, the cover 100 may be installed on a male snap fastener member 300 such that the outer edge portion 130 of the upper surface 110 of the cover 100 may meet (or come very close to meeting) the mounting surface 320 at a shallow angle and low height, to reduce the likelihood of someone tripping on or stubbing their toe on the installed cover 100. Any of the suitable technologies, materials, and designs set forth and incorporated herein may be used to implement various example aspects of the invention as would be apparent to one of skill in the art.

[0045] Although exemplary embodiments and applications of the invention have been described herein including as described above and shown in the included example Figures, there is no intention that the invention be limited to these exemplary embodiments and applications or to the manner in which the exemplary embodiments and applications operate or are described herein. Indeed, many variations and modifications to the exemplary embodiments are possible as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. The invention may include any device, structure, method, or functionality, as long as the resulting device, system or method falls within the scope of one of the claims that are allowed by the patent office based on this or any related patent application.