GB2188827A

GB2188827A - Attaching buttons

Info

Publication number: GB2188827A
Application number: GB08703302A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenji Hasegawa
Original assignee: Scovill Japan KK
Current assignee: Scovill Japan KK
Priority date: 1986-04-11
Filing date: 1987-02-13
Publication date: 1987-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2007-02-13
Also published as: DE3712161A1; GB2188827B; JPS62164806U; GB8703302D0; DE3712161C2

Description

1 GB 2 188 827 A 1

SPECIFICATION

Button-attaching member A 50 Description

Field of the invention

This invention relates to an attaching member fora button, and more specifically to an attaching member fora tack-type or swivel-head button.

Background to the invention

Tack-type and swivel-head buttons are in extensive use on jeans and the like. Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a button Aas an example of thetacktype. The button comprises a face (ornamental) cap 1, a strike 2fitted in the cap, and a hollow neck7 crimped atthe upper end with the periphery of the face cap. The neck extends downwardlyto form an outertubular portion 3, bends inwardly and extends upwardly, thereby a centre hole 4, and terminates with an upper rim 6. In the case of a swivel-head button, the outer tubular portion 3 and the face cap 1 are not directly joined in this way. Instead, they are connected through a sleeve slidablyfitted overthe outertubular portion and joined to the outer peripheral edge of the face cap 1. The two types of buttons are the same as their relation to the attaching member (often known as the "tack") by which either is secured to an article of clothing orthe like is concerned. Problems common to these buttons will now be discussed, therefore, in connection with thetack-type Figure 2 shows a typical attaching member B usually used with tack-typq buttons. It comprises a flange 8 and a shankg upright on the side of the flangewhich contactsthe article of clothing orthe like which the button isto be applied. Thetip 10 of the shank is pointed to easily piercethe article in question.

Such an attaching member is used to affix a 105 tack-type button to an article of clothing orthe like in thefollowing way. First, the shank9 of the attaching member B is inserted through the article and thence through the centre hole 4 of the button A, and is finally driven againstthe strike 2 atthetip 10.

Consequently, the tip 10 is clinched in a given direction againstthe upperend of the innertubular portion 5 of the neck7 of the button. The button has now been attached to the article.

An alternative to this is the use of an attaching member C, as shown in Figure 3, which has a hollow ratherthan solid shank. When the button is attached in the manner described above, the tip of the hollow shank is deformed sideways in the button as attached.

Conventional attaching members having either solid or hollow shanks have one problem oranother.

Neithertype can reliably affixthe button stably in place. In the case of the solid shank, thetip is clinched in one direction into engagementwith the rim 6 of the innertubular portion. Becausethe relatively slendertip is deformed in local contact with the rim,thetip can more or less loosen the hold of the rim atthetime of attaching the button orwhile the button is in use, leading to an unstable, insecure fastening. The tip is sometimes clinched into contact with the outer tubular portion. With the swivel-head button, this can bias the buttonhead in one direction only. With an attaching member having a hollow shank, the mode of tip deformation on clinching is variable. Thetip does not always bend in the same manner as the solid shank but can buckle sideways or in any direction. Buckling can also occur in the root or base of the shank; in such an event, attaching the button becomes impossible or incomplete.

Therefore, an object of the present invention isto provide a buttonattaching member having a hollow shankadapted to bulge or expand diametrallyto a predetermined degree and make possiblethe stable attachment of the button with high reliability.

Theinvention The button-attaching member according to the present invention includes a flange adapted to contact an article of clothing orthe like and a hollow shank adapted for impact insertion through a hole in the article to which the button is being applied and into a tubular neck portion of the button against a strike held inside the button, wherein the hollow shank is at least partly indented at symmetrical points in the vicinity of the pointed end of the shank. Preferably, the indented points take the form of a parallel pair of dents made on the shank diametrally opposite to each other.

Constructed as above, the button-attaching member of the invention reliably makes possible stable attachment of a button. When a button of the type incorporating a strike for impact insertion (e.g. a tack-type or swivel-head button) isto be attached to an article of clothing orthe like, the attaching member is driven by a press so thatthe tip of its hollow shank is pressed againstthe strike in the button. In the early stage of this impact insertion the dents are recessed further inwardlywhile the shank portion above the dents bulges horizontally. The bulging positively takes place immediately abovethe dents. Consequently, the hollow shank is more readily deformed by a weaker crimping force than when it is not indented. The deformed shank end portion bulgesto a larger size and secures the button more firmly in place with less possibility of loosening or disengagement.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a conventional tack-type button; Figure2 is a front view of a conventional attaching member; Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of another conventional attaching member; Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of an attaching member embodying the invention; Figure 5 is a transverse sectional viewtaken along the line A-A in Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a sectional view of the attaching member in use.

Description of thepreferred embodiment

Figures 4and 5 show a button-attaching member D embodying the invention. Figure 4 is a vertical 2 GB 2 188 827 A 2 sectional view of Figure 5 a transverse sectional view taken along the line A-A in Figure 4. The attaching member comprises a flange 12 adapted to contact an article of clothing or the like and a hollow shank 13 set upright on the flange. The shank 13 is made of metal, and the flange consists of the lower end portion of the shankflattened to a flange form and covered with a metal or plasticfacing. The flange 12 may not require the facing, depending on the point to which the button is to befixed.

The hollow shank 13 of the attaching member is pointed atthe upper end 14forthe convenience of insertion through the hole formed in the article of clothing orthe like to which the button is to be applied. The shank is indented at diametrally opposite points nearthe upper end 14, or at points constituting or immediately belowthe lower half of the shank portion, to bulge on clinching at the time of buttoning, to provide a pair of dents 15,15. These dents can be formed by a pair of blades of a die. The dented cross section is shown, for example, in Figure 5. Although this indented contour enables the smoothest bulging of the tip upon clinching, the pair of dents may be replaced by three or more symmetrical dents or by a single circular recess formed around the shank. Single localised denting may appearfeasible but is actually undesirable because ittakes hold of the button sideways, tending to fitthe button in the like direction.

With the construction described, the attaching member D is used in connection with a button A as shown in Figure 6. The shanktip 14 of the attaching member is driven by a press (not shown), through an article of clothing orthe like 16 and the hole 4 of the innertubular portion 5 of the button A and then againstthe strike 1. The clinching force thus applied acts on the surrounding wall of the upper end 14to bulge the bull nose 17 outwardly, while partly forcing the dents 15,15 further inwardly. In thisway the upper end portion of the shank 13 is uniformly expanded horizontally and is evenly crimped against the rim 6 of the innertubular portion 5. The provision of the dents 15,15 permits a reduction of the climping energy usually required to effectthe bulging.

As has been described above, the present invention provides a buttonattaching member capable of taking a firmer hold of the button with less clinching force than by conventional attaching means.

Various modifications of the embodiment of Figures 4to 6 are possible within the scope of the invention as defined bythe appended claims.

Claims

1. A button-attaching member including a flange to contact an article of clothing or the like and a hollow shank set upright on the flange and pointed at the end, wherein the hollow shank is at least partly indented at symmetrical points in the vicinity of the pointed end thereof.

2. A button-attaching member according to claim 1 wherein the dented points are in the form of straight, parallel dents made in the shank diametral ly opposite to each other.

3. A button-attaching member according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the pointed end constitutes an end portion to be clinched.

4. A button-attaching member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Croydon Printing Company (UK) Ltd,8187, D8991685. Published byThe Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, LondonffiC2A lAY, from which copies maybe obtained.