Sewing Thimble

Abstract

A thimble includes a flexible tapered sleeve and a crown. The sleeve has a frustoconical shape with a fluted sidewall. Multiple outwardly convex panels extend entirely around the sidewall. The sleeve has a mounting end opposite an opening for inserting a user's digit. The sleeve has a pitch of from 0.175 mm/mmL to 0.35 mm/mmL. The crown is formed of hard plastic material and is attached to the mounting end of the sleeve. The crown has a cap with an upper textured planar surface. A ridged sidewall extends entirely around the crown. Multiple longitudinal ridges extend from a lower edge of the sidewall to the cap. The thimble accommodates a variety of finger sizes and the crown prevents slippage of a sewing needle.

Claims

1. A thimble for sewing comprising: (a) a flexible tapered sleeve having a frustoconical shape and a pitch with a fluted sidewall comprising a plurality of outwardly convex panels extending entirely around the sidewall and having a mounting end opposite an opening for inserting a digit of a user; and (b) a crown formed of hard plastic material affixed to the mounting portion of the sleeve, said crown having a cap with an upper textured planar surface and a ridged sidewall extending entirely around the crown, the ridged sidewall having a plurality of longitudinal ridges extending from a lower edge of the ridged sidewall of the crown to the cap.

2. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the ridged sidewall of the crown has a tiered structure with a plurality of successively smaller diameter tiers as a distance from the lower edge of the sidewall increases towards the cap.

3. The thimble according to claim 2, wherein the ridged sidewall has three tiers, as well as an overall pitch higher than the pitch of the sidewall.

4. The thimble according to claim 2, wherein each tier has a frustoconical shape.

5. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the ridged sidewall of the crown has a plurality of circumferential ridges which cooperate with the longitudinal ridges to provide a textured surface on the sidewall of the crown in the form of a rectangular grid.

6. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal ridges extending entirely around the ridged sidewall of the crown and are spaced a distance of from 0.5 to 2.5 mm from each other.

7. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the upper textured planar surface of the cap is in the form of a rectangular grid.

8. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the crown has a unitary structure and is formed of a hard plastic.

9. The thimble according to claim 8, wherein the hard plastic is selected from polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resins.

10. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the cap has an upwardly projecting lip extending entirely around the textured planar surface of the cap.

11. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the ridged sidewall of the crown has a lower lip extending outwardly entirely around the ridged sidewall of the crown.

12. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the mounting end of the sleeve has a frustoconical shape.

13. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the outwardly convex panels of the fluted sidewall extend upwardly from the opening for inserting the digit of a user to the mounting portion.

14. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the flexible tapered sleeve is made of rubber having a Durometer (Shore A) value of from 15 to 50.

15. The thimble according to claim 14, wherein the rubber is a silicone rubber.

16. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the flexible tapered sleeve has a pitch of from 0. 175 mm/mmL to 0.35 mm/mmL.

17. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the opening for inserting a digit of the user is reinforced with a thickened ring extending outwardly around the opening.

18. The thimble according to claim 1, wherein the flexible tapered sleeve has a unitary structure.

19. A thimble for sewing consisting of: (a) a flexible tapered sleeve having a frustoconical shape and a pitch with a fluted sidewall comprising a plurality of outwardly convex panels extending entirely around the sidewall and having a mounting end opposite an opening for inserting a digit of a user, said sleeve also having a pitch of from 0.175 mm/mmL to 0.35 mm/mmL ; and (b) a crown formed of hard plastic material affixed to the mounting portion of the sleeve, said crown having a cap with an upper textured planar surface and a ridged sidewall extending entirely around the crown, the ridged sidewall having a plurality of longitudinal ridges extending from a lower edge of the ridged sidewall of the crown to the cap.

20. The thimble according to claim 19, wherein the sleeve is made of a silicone rubber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] The invention is described in detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate similar parts and wherein:

[0019] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a thimble of the invention characterized by a flexible tapered sleeve having a frustoconical shape and a pitch with a fluted sidewall comprising a plurality of outwardly convex panels, together with a hard plastic crown for mounting on the sleeve;

[0020] FIG. 2 is an assembled side view in elevation of a thimble of the invention wherein the flexible sleeve is affixed to the crown;

[0021] FIG. 3 is a side view in elevation of the crown of FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0022] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the crown of FIG. 3;

[0023] FIG. 5 is a side view in elevation of the flexible sleeve of FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0024] FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the flexible sleeve of FIG. 5; and

[0025] FIGS. 7A and 7B are enlarged schematic views of another embodiment of the invention showing use and construction of the thimble.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, there is illustrated a thimble 10 for sewing including: a flexible tapered sleeve 12 having a frustoconical shape and a pitch with a fluted sidewall 14 comprising a plurality (8) of outwardly convex panels 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 extending entirely around the sidewall and having a mounting end 32 opposite an opening 35 for inserting a digit of a user. Anywhere from 6 to 10 outwardly convex panels may be employed. Sleeve 12 is affixed to a crown 34 formed of hard plastic material affixed to the mounting end of the sleeve. The crown may be affixed to the sleeve with adhesive or the device may be produced by a two-shot molding process without adhesive if so desired.

[0027] Crown 34 has a cap 36 with an upper textured planar surface 38 and a ridged sidewall 40 extending entirely around the crown. The ridged sidewall has a plurality of longitudinal ridges 42 extending from a lower edge 42a of the ridged sidewall of the crown to the cap. Textured surface 38 may be in the form of a rectangular grid 44 to prevent needle slippage across the surface when the flat surface of the thimble is used to push a needle into a fabric. Ridges 42 prevent needle slippage in a circumferential direction when sidewall 40 of the crown is used to advance the needle. The tiered structure of the crown sidewall also inhibits slippage of the needle in a direction toward the flexible sleeve. Alternatively, the sidewall of the crown may have a texture in the form of a rectangular grid (much like the upper cap surface) as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.

[0028] Ridged sidewall 40 has a tiered structure with a plurality (3) of successively smaller diameter tiers 50, 52, 54 as a distance L along the axis of the crown, from the lower edge 42a of the sidewall, increases towards the cap. In a preferred embodiment, sidewall 40 of crown 34 has a pitch slightly higher than fluted sidewall 14 of sleeve 12. The overall pitch of sidewall 40 of the crown is the lower diameter of the crown less the upper diameter of the crown divided by the height H of the crown. Each of tiers 50, 52 and 54 has a frustoconical shape in a preferred embodiment, as shown. Longitudinal ridges 42 extend entirely around the ridged sidewall 40 of the crown and are spaced a distance of from 0.5 to 2.5 mm from each other (that is, perpendicular distance between adjacent longitudinal ridges at ½H). Upper textured planar surface 38 of the cap may be in the form of a rectangular grid as shown. Crown 34 preferably has a unitary structure and is formed of a hard plastic by injection molding, for example. The plastic from which crown 34 is formed may suitably be polycarbonate or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin.

[0029] In order to further prevent needle slippage, cap 36 has an upwardly projecting lip 56 extending entirely around the textured planar surface of the cap as well as a lower lip 58 extending outwardly entirely around the ridged sidewall of the crown.

[0030] Generally mounting end 32 of the sleeve has a frustoconical shape as does the sleeve itself.

[0031] Convex panels 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 of the sidewall extend upwardly from opening 35 for inserting the digit of a user to the mounting portion. Generally, the flexible sleeve is made of rubber having a Durometer (Shore A) value of from 15 to 50. Suitably, the rubber is a silicone rubber.

[0032] In preferred embodiments the flexible sleeve has a pitch of from 0.175 mm/mmL to 0.35 mm/mmL; suitably from 0.175 mm/mmL to 0.25 mm/mmL. The pitch is defined as a diameter of the sleeve D1 at opening 35 less the diameter of the sleeve D2 at mounting end 32 divided by the height H5 of the mounting portion from opening 35. Preferably, opening 35 has a thickened ring 35a extending outwardly around the opening to provide reinforcement and the flexible sleeve has a unitary structure made by molding of an elastomeric resin.

[0033] FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic views of an alternate construction of the inventive thimble wherein the sidewall of crown 34 has a textured surface in the form of a rectangular grid as shown, the other features are as described above. In FIGS. 7A and 7B crown 34 has a cap 36 with an upper textured planar surface 38 and a ridged sidewall 40a extending entirely around the crown. The ridged sidewall has a plurality of tapered longitudinal ridges 42b extending from a lower edge 42a of the ridged sidewall of the crown to the cap. Ridged sidewall 40a also has a plurality of circumferential ridges 42c which cooperate with longitudinal ridges 42b to provide a textured surface on the sidewall of the crown in the form of a rectangular grid.

[0034] Textured surface 38 is in the form of a rectangular grid 44 to engage butt-end of a needle 6 and prevent needle slippage across the surface when flat surface 38 of the thimble is used to push a needle 60 into a fabric as is shown schematically in FIG. 7A.

[0035] Ridges 42b prevent needle slippage in a circumferential direction when sidewall 40a of the crown is used to advance needle 60 as is shown in FIG. 7B. The rectangular texture of crown sidewall 40a also engages the butt-end of needle 60 to prevent slippage of needle 60 in a vertical direction with respect to the thimble by virtue of ridges 42c and lower edge 42a as is shown.

[0036] While the invention has been described in detail, modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. Such modifications are also to be considered as part of the present invention. In view of the foregoing discussion, relevant knowledge in the art and references discussed above in connection with the foregoing description including the Detailed Description and Background of the Invention, the disclosures of which are all incorporated herein by reference, further description is deemed unnecessary. In addition, it should be understood from the foregoing discussion that aspects of the invention and portions of various embodiments may be combined or interchanged either in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention.