Removable fastener for a loop shank button

Abstract

An improved one-piece fastener for retaining a loop shank button in the buttonhole of a garment. The fastener is in the form of a planar disk having a solid margin and a central portion within the margin that is notched to define a pair of mutually parallel deflectable legs sized and spaced to permit their partial insertion through the loop shank of the button. The legs of the fastener are contoured to define a detent position in which the loop shank seats to securely attach the fastener to the loop shank and thereby retain the loop shank button in the buttonhole of the garment. One longitudinal end of the fastener margin is provided with an extension or tab by which a user can conveniently grasp the fastener during its installation and removal.

Claims

1. A removable fastener for retaining a loop shank button in a buttonhole of a garment, the loop shank button including an ornamental body and a loop shank protruding from a back face thereof, the removable fastener comprising: a one piece planar disk having a margin and a central portion within said margin that is selectively cut out to define a pair of mutually parallel deflectable legs having free ends that are spaced from said margin and base ends that are joined to said margin, said margin including a region that bridges the bases of said legs and a user manipulated tab extending outward away from the region of said margin that bridges the bases of said legs, said deflectable legs being sized and spaced to permit their insertion through said loop shank, and notched substantially at mid-length to define a detent position in which the loop shank seats to securely attach said one piece planar disk to said loop shank and thereby retain said loop shank button in said buttonhole.

2. The removable fastener of claim 1, where: the margin of said one piece planar disk extends laterally and longitudinally outward from said deflectable legs in the form of a rounded disk to prevent said fastener from being inadvertently pulled through said buttonhole.

3. A removable fastener for retaining a loop shank button in a buttonhole of a garment, the loop shank button including an ornamental body and a loop shank protruding from a back face thereof, the removable fastener comprising: a one piece planar disk having a margin and a central portion within said margin that is selectively cut out to define a pair of mutually parallel deflectable legs having free ends that are spaced from said margin and base ends that are joined to said margin, said margin including a region that bridges the bases of said legs, and a circular opening in the region of said margin that bridges the bases of said legs that reduces a width dimension of each of said deflectable legs near their bases to render them more easily deflectable, said deflectable legs being sized and spaced to permit their insertion through said loop shank, and notched substantially at mid-length to define a detent position in which the loop shank seats to securely attach said one piece planar disk to said loop shank and thereby retain said loop shank button in said buttonhole.

4. The removable fastener of claim 3, further comprising: an opening in said margin longitudinally outboard of the free ends of said deflectable legs so as to expose the free ends of said legs.

5. The removable fastener of claim 3, where: said margin completely surrounds said deflectable legs, leaving an open space between said margin and a free end of each deflectable leg, said open space having length and width dimensions that exceed those of said loop shank.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a side view of a loop shank button retained in the buttonhole of a garment with a Prior Art fastener arrangement.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a removable fastener for a loop shank button according to a first embodiment of this invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a removable fastener for a loop shank button according to a second embodiment of this invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the removable fastener of FIG. 3 as installed on a loop shank button retained in the buttonhole of a garment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(5) Referring to FIGS. 2-4, first and second embodiments of the removable fastener of this invention are generally designated by the reference numerals 20′ and 20″, respectively. Both embodiments are in the form of a planar disk having a solid marginal portion 32 and a central portion 34 within the marginal portion 32, the central portion 34 being notched or cut out to define a pair of mutually parallel deflectable legs 36a, 36b sized and spaced to permit their insertion through the loop shank 14 of a loop shank button 10. The open space between the legs 36a, 36b terminates in an enlarged circular opening 37 near the point where the legs 36a, 36b join the marginal portion 32; this narrows the deflectable legs 36a, 36b at their root or base to render them more easily deflectable. Finally, the legs 36a, 36b are contoured or notched approximately at mid-length as indicated by the reference numeral 38 to define a detent position in which the button loop shank 14 seats to securely attach the fastener 20′, 20″ to the loop shank 14 and thereby retain the loop shank button 10 in the garment buttonhole 16.

(6) Also, it will be noted that the marginal portions 32 of the fasteners 20″ and 20″ extend both laterally and longitudinally outward from the deflectable legs 36a, 36b in the shape of a rounded disk. This effectively serves the function of the prior art slotted washer 22 in that it prevents the fastener 20′, 20″ from being inadvertently pulled through the buttonhole 16 of the garment 18. Furthermore, the end of the marginal portion 32 nearest the base of the deflectable legs 36a, 36b extends longitudinally outward away from the legs 36a 36b to form a tab 32a by which a user can conveniently grasp the fastener 20′, 20″ during its installation and removal.

(7) Referring particularly to FIG. 2, a fastener 20′ according to the first embodiment of the invention is characterized by a margin 32 that is open longitudinally outboard of the ends of the legs 36a, 36b. In other words, the margin 32 is open on one end to expose the ends of the legs 36a, 36b.

(8) Referring particularly to FIGS. 3-4, a fastener 20″ according to the second embodiment of the invention is characterized by a margin 32 that completely surrounds the legs 36a, 36b, leaving an open space 40 between the margin 32 and the free ends of the legs 36a, 36b sufficient in length and width to accommodate the loop shank 14 of the button 10. With either embodiment, the user grasps the tab 32a to install and remove the fastener 20′, 20″, but with the fastener 20″ of FIGS. 3-4, the user can additionally push against the end of the margin 32 opposite the tab 32a to assist in the removal of the fastener 20″.

(9) In practice, the user installs the fastener 20′, 20″ of this invention by grasping the tab 32a and positioning the fastener 20′, 20″ such that the ends of the legs 36a, 36b are centered in the opening of the loop shank 14, and then pushing the fastener 20′, 20″ toward the loop shank 14 so that the legs 36a, 36b deflect inwardly as they slide into the opening of the loop shank 14. When the loop shank 14 reaches the leg notches 38, the legs 36a, 36b deflect partially outward, and resist further movement of the fastener 20′, 20″ with respect to the loop shank 14. FIG. 4 depicts the fastener 20″ so installed. When it is desired to remove the fastener 20′, 20″ from the loop shank 14 to release the button 10, the user again grasps the tab 32a and pulls the fastener 20′, 20″ away from the loop shank 14; the legs 36a, 36b initially deflect inward as the loop shank 14 moves out of the detent position, and then deflect outward as the legs 36a, 36b are withdrawn from the loop shank 14. In the case of the fastener 20″ of FIG. 3, the user can additionally push against the end of the margin 32 opposite the tab 32a to assist in its removal from the loop shank 14.

(10) Apart from the tab 32a, the fastener 20′, 20″ has a generally circular and rounded shape sufficiently large so that it cannot be inadvertently pulled through the buttonhole 16 of the garment 18 to which the button 10 is fastened. In practice, this means that the margin 32 should have a width and length of at least 15 mm.

(11) Preferably, the fastener 20′, 20″ is constructed of a metal such as tempered spring steel, having a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm. But it is conceivable that it could be alternatively constructed of a suitable plastic, such as nylon.

(12) In summary, the fasteners 20′, 20″ of the present invention avoid the difficulty of the Prior Art fastener arrangement 20 illustrated in FIG. 1, providing an improved fastening apparatus that is more easily installed and removed by a user. While the apparatus of the present invention has been described with respect to the illustrated embodiments, it is recognized that numerous modifications and variations in addition to those mentioned herein will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but that it have the full scope permitted by the language of the following claims.