WO2010089527A1

WO2010089527A1 - Cuff link

Info

Publication number: WO2010089527A1
Application number: PCT/GB2010/000145
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jocelin Langford
Original assignee: ARCH INTERFACE Ltd
Current assignee: ARCH INTERFACE Ltd
Priority date: 2009-02-04
Filing date: 2010-01-29
Publication date: 2010-08-12
Anticipated expiration: 2011-08-04
Also published as: GB2467539A; GB2467539B; GB0901775D0

Abstract

A cuff link (20) for securing a garment cuff having a first cuff end (11) and a second cuff end (12) comprises a first retaining member in the form of a hook-shaped part (21) for fitting to the first cuff end (11). The hook-shaped part (21) has a channel (27) into which can be fitted part of the first cuff end (11). The cuff link (20) also has a second retaining member (22) for retaining, in use, against an outer face of the second cuff end (12). A connecting structure connects the first retaining member (21) to the second retaining member (22) such that, in use, the second cuff end (12) is retained in a position in which it extends beyond an edge of the first cuff end (11). The connecting structure (23) can comprise a shank which connects the hooked part (21) to the second retaining (member 22) such that the position of the second retaining member (22) is offset from the longitudinal axis (28) of the channel (27) and offset from an open end of the channel (27).

Description

Cuff link

This invention relates to a cuff link for securing the open ends of a cuff of a garment, such as a shirt, around the wrist of the wearer.

Cuff links provide both a functional and decorative purpose in allowing a wearer to comfortably wear a cuffed shirt while expressing a level of individuality.

Many of the cuff links available today have the structure shown in US 3,080,630. A decorative button is attached to a pair of legs which support a short pivotable bar. When fitting the cuff link, the bar is first aligned with the legs, and the cuff link is passed through the buttonholes in both cuff ends. Once fitted, the bar is then pivoted into a position in which it lies alongside the cuff. The bar and button press against the outer sides of opposing cuff ends. This holds the cuff ends together, with the cuffs aligned parallel with one another. This type of cuff link can only support a decoration on the button.

Single piece cuff links are shown in GB 148,162, GB 625,756 and GB 1,197,216. These are also designed to hold the cuffs in a parallel configuration, with the cuff ends pinched together.

Some cuff links are known which restrain the ends of the cuff in an angled, rather than parallel, manner. Examples are shown in GB 614,234, GB 29,358, GB 356,309 and GB191514409. DE 1955139 shows another cuff link which is designed to restrain the cuff ends in an angled manner. One side of the cuff link has a small slot to trap the seam of a buttonhole.

It is desirable that a cuff link should be easy to fit, securely hold the cuff ends, and be comfortable to wear. From a decorative perspective, it is important for the cuff link to allow the possibility of a large decorative area and hold the cuff of the shirt in a visually pleasing manner. In addition, it is advantageous for the cuff link to be constructed as simply and robustly as possible to facilitate ease of manufacture and durability in use.

An aspect of the present invention provides a cuff link according to claim 1 ,

The hook shaped-part allows the cuff link to be fitted easily, without the need to manipulate small components. It also provides a secure fitting once the hook shaped- part has been fitted to the first cuff end. The cuff link allows a more comfortable fitting compared to one where the cuff ends are pinched together. The extension of the second cuff end across the edge of the first cuff end ensures the smart visual appearance of the cuff, with no gap between the cuff ends.

Advantageously, the cuff link allows the angle between the cuff ends to be set at a range of angles, from an acute angle, through 90°, to an obtuse angle. This provides greater comfort in different circumstances e.g. when worn over a watch or under a jumper sleeve.

Advantageously, the channel has a longitudinal axis and the connecting structure is configured such that an inner face of the second retaining member lies in the range of 45°- 135° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the channel and, even more advantageously, in the range 60°- 120° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the channel.

As the cuff link is inserted through the buttonholes from only one side, the button end can have a decorative facing of nearly any size, shape or material. The decorative facing that runs along the outside of the hook feature to the forward end must be able to pass through a buttonhole, but can be extended in the direction of the forward end and can be of any shape or material within these constraints.

The cuff link can be manufactured as a single-piece construction by various manufacturing techniques, such as casting or moulding. Alternatively, the cuff link can be manufactured as two or more separate components which are assembled into the final product. A wide variety of materials can be used, including metal or plastic. The connecting structure which connects the first retaining member to the second retaining member can be rigid (e.g. metal) or can have some resilience (e.g. a resilient plastics material).

Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a cuff link securing a cuff, shown from a viewpoint of an end of the cuff;

Figure 2 shows the cuff link of Figure 1 in more detail, in cross-section; Figures 3 A-3F show a sequence of steps for fitting the cuff link of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the cufflink; Figure 5 shows some design considerations for the cuff link; Figures 6-8 show some alternative configurations of the cuff link; Figure 9 shows further alternative configurations of the cuff link; Figures 1OA and 1OB show an alternative embodiment of the cuff link; and

Figures 1 IA and HB show another alternative embodiment of the cuff link.

Figure 1 shows a cuff 10 of a garment and a first embodiment of a cuff link 20 securing the cuff ends 11, 12.

Figure 2 shows the cuff link 20 in more detail. Cuff link 20 comprises a hook-shaped part 21, a second retaining member 22 and a shank 23 which rigidly, or resiliently, connects the hook-shaped part 21 to the second retaining member 22. In this embodiment the second retaining member 22 is shaped as a button. The cuff is shown in cross-section with buttonholes 13, 14. For clarity, a single cuff is shown in the drawings, although the cuff link can be used with a double cuff (i.e. a cuff which is folded back on itself with two aligned buttonholes in each cuff end). The hooked part 21 comprises two parallel legs 24, 25 which define a channel 27 between them. The channel is dimensioned so that it can receive a part of the cuff 11 adjacent to the buttonhole 13. The forward end 26 of the hooked part 21 is a bridge which connects legs 24, 25 and has a bevelled or chamfered profile on the inner side which helps when fitting the hooked part 21 through the buttonhole 13. Shank 23 joins the rearward end of leg 25 to the inner face of button 22. Shank 23 is positioned at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis 28 of the hooked part 21. The shank 23 controls the position of the button 22 with respect to the hooked part 21. The shank 23 provides an offset of the button 22 from the longitudinal axis 28 of the hooked part, and an offset of the button 22 from the open end of the hooked part 21. The offset is described in more detail later. In Figure 2 the button 22 is shown with an inner face which lies at an angle of 90° to the longitudinal axis 28 of the hooked part 21. Other angles are possible, as described later.

Figures 3A-3D show a sequence of steps for fitting the cuff link. Starting at Figure 3A, the cuff ends 11, 12 are brought together in a conventional manner. Cuff ends 11, 12 are brought parallel to one another with the buttonholes 13, 14 aligned. Forward end 26 of the hooked part of the cuff link is pushed through the buttonholes 13, 14. Figure 3B shows the cuff link after it has been pushed through the buttonholes 13, 14. Button 22 now lies against the outer side of cuff end 12 and prevents the cuff link from being pushed any further upwards in Figure 3B. The cuff link is then brought into the position shown in Figure 3C. This is achieved by pulling the cuff end 11 away from cuff end 12. Moving between the positions shown in Figures 3B and 3C is eased by the shape of shank 23, which acts as a guide for part 1 IA of the cuff end adjacent to buttonhole 13. Also, end 24A of the hooked part serves to "catch" the outer end of cuff 11. In the position shown in Figure 3C, the part 1 IA of cuff end 11 is held in the channel 27 between legs 24, 25 of the hooked part. At this time, the cuff ends 11, 12 lie at substantially 90" to one another. Figure 3D shows one possible final fitting position of the cuff ends 11, 12. Cuff end 12 is pivoted outwardly and the interior angle 17 between the cuff ends 11, 12 is now greater than 90°. Shank 23 is sufficiently narrow, compared to the buttonhole 14, to allow movement of cuff 12. Also, the hooked part 21 secures cuff end 11 sufficiently far away from cuff end 12 to allow movement of the cuff end 12. Part 12A of cuff end 12 overlies the leading edge of part HA of cuff end 11. This hides any gap between the cuff ends 11, 12, giving a neat appearance. The position shown in Figure 3D is particularly advantageous for a wearer who does not like to have the cuff ends held parallel, and provides the cuff with a larger interior area which can be useful if the wearer is wearing a wristwatch or other bulky jewellery around the wrist. Figure 3E shows another possible final fitting position of the cuff ends 11, 12. Cuff end 11 has been moved in the direction of the arrow such that part 12A of cuff end 12 overlies the leading edge of part HA of cuff end 11 by a greater amount. Again, the shank 23 is sufficiently narrow compared to the buttonhole 14 to allow some movement. This reduces the interior area of the cuff and is advantageous if a jumper sleeve is being worn over the shirt sleeve. Figure 3F shows another possible final fitting position of the cuff ends 11, 12. Here, the interior angle 17 between the cuff ends 11, 12 is less than 90°. It can be seen that the design of the cuff link 20 allows a wide range of different wearing styles.

The cuff link 20 is removed by a sequence of steps which is the reverse of those described above.

It can be seen that the forces that will be exerted on the cuff ends during normal wearing will re-enforce the security of the link. While the wearer's wrist maintains the cuff in an approximately circular form only the deliberate force of aligning the cuff ends in a parallel configuration will release the cuff link. The first cuff end 11 is contained in the vertical plane by the top of the hook 26 and the second cuff open end 12A, and in the horizontal plane by the legs of the hook 24 & 25. The second cuff end 12 is contained in the vertical plane by the second retaining member 22 and the first cuff open end 1 IA, and in the horizontal plane by the shank 23.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the cuff link 20. Button 22 can have a decorative finish, which is either applied directly to the surface of button 22, e.g. by engraving, painting, transfer, or other treatment. An additional decorative part can be fixed to the outer face of button 22 or a jewel can be set into the button 22. Figure 4 shows an alternative form of the hooked part 21. A bar 29 is provided on the side of the hooked part that previously comprised the leg 24. Bar 29 has a tip 29A which extends beyond the bridge 26 of the hooked part 21. Part 29 can be provided in addition to leg 24, or leg 24 can be replaced with the longer bar 29. Bar 29 has several advantages. Firstly, the extended length of the bar increases the security of the fitting, by preventing the hooked part 21 from slipping back through the buttonhole after fitting. Secondly, it eases the initial fitting of the cuff link because the relatively narrow tip 29A can push more easily through a buttonhole. Although not shown in Figure 4, the tip can be rounded or chamfered to further improve ease of fitting. Referring back to the first fitting step shown in Figure 3A, tip 29A is first pushed through the buttonholes 13, 14. Then, in Figure 3, the bar 29A lies alongside the cuff 11 and helps to prevent the cuff link from sliding back through the buttonhole 13. A final advantage of bar 29 is that it is decorative. As with button 22, the outer surface of the bar 29 can be decorated, e.g. by engraving, painting, transfer or other treatment. A decorative facing can be fixed to the bar 29 or a jewel can be set into the bar 29.

Figure 5 shows some design considerations for the cuff link 20. Dimensions 3 IA, 3 IB are the widths of the parts which lie within a buttonhole when the cuff link is fitted. At the button 22 end, the relevant dimension is the width 3 IA of the shank nearest button 22. At the hooked part end, it is the height 3 IB of the part 26. These dimensions control the position of the cuff link with respect to the cuffs. Although buttonhole sizes are reasonably well controlled from shirt to shirt (typically 12- 15mm) the tolerance of the length of cuff from the end of the buttonhole to the edge of the cuff (typically 10-15mm) also needs to be accommodated. If dimensions 31A, 31B are large, this holds the shirt tightly but will not allow much variation between shirts having differently sized buttonholes. If dimensions 3 IA, 3 IB are too small, the cuff link can cope with a greater range of differently sized buttonholes but the cuff link can feel loose and the strength of the hooked part 21 is reduced.

The shank 23 gives an offset between the longitudinal axis 28 of the hooked part 21 and the centre of button 22. The offset distance 32 in this direction controls the nominal overlap distance between cuff parts 11A, 12A. The minimum and maximum overlap is also influenced by the size of the buttonhole insert on the shank and the dimensions of any particular shirt. The void, shown generally as area 34, allows the cuff end 11 space to pivot when moving from between its fitting position (Figure 3B) to its in-use position (Figure 3C). Area 34 also allows cuff end 12 space to move through a range of final fitting positions (Figures 3D-3F). Dimension 35 should be sufficient to accommodate the thickness of both cuff ends during fitting.

Dimension 36 is the width of the channel 27, which is the distance between legs 24, 25 (or leg 24 and part 29) of the hooked part 21. This dimension needs to be sufficient to accommodate the thickness of one double cuff during use. As this dimension increases, security of fastening in use reduces. An alternative version of the cuff link can have a reduced dimension 36 which is better matched to the thickness of a single cuff.

The dimension 37 is the extension of part 29 beyond the leg 24. This helps to "catch" the second cuff as it moves to the right angle position during fitting (Figure 3B to Figure 3C). The dimension 39 controls the security of the fastening and, advantageously, is greater than the length of the buttonhole 13. The dimension 38 is the extension of part 29 beyond the bridge 26. The security of the fastening is increased by increasing the length of this dimension so that it is greater than the length of the buttonhole 13. This has the effect of stopping the cuff end 13 from slipping over the free end of the hooked part 21.

Dimension 40 is the maximum width of the hooked part 21 and this should be less than the length of buttonhole 13 so that the hooked part 21 can pass easily through the buttonhole 13.

Figures 1-5 show a button 22 mounted at one end of shank 23. The button can have a square shape, as shown in Figure 4, or any other regular (e.g. circle, triangle, rectangle) or irregular shape providing that the button is large enough to prevent it from passing through the buttonhole. The button 22 can have a planar (flat) inner face, or a shaped inner face. Various alternative structures can be used in place of a button, such as a bar, a ball, a hemisphere etc.

In Figures 1-5 the longitudinal axis 28 of the hooked part 21 (and therefore the position at which the cuff end 11 will be held) is positioned at 90° to the inner face of button 22. Figures 6-8 show some alternative configurations. In Figure 6 the button 22 is positioned at an obtuse angle with respect to the longitudinal axis 28 of the hooked part 21. There is a practical limited of making the button angle obtuse as it reduces the space in region 34 needed to accommodate the cuff-ends during fitting of the cuff link. In Figure 7 the button 22 is positioned at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis 28 of the hooked part 21. As the angle becomes more acute, the security of the fastening is reduced. This could be compensated by reducing the length of leg 25, but this would also make fitting more difficult and increase the cuff overlap. The security of the fastening is increased by increasing the extension of part 29 A on the forward end so that the dimension from the inside edge of the top of the hooked part 21 to the tip of the forward end of part 29A is greater than the length of the buttonhole 13. This has the effect of stopping the cuff end 13 from slipping over the free end of the hooked part 21 and is effective at any angle of button.

Figure 9 shows some other possible modifications to the structure of Figure 5. Part 29 is shown with a curved outer surface and a curved tip 29A. The shank and leg 24 are shown with a non-circular cross-section. Any cross-section can be used, as long as the outer dimensions of the shank is sufficiently small to allow the cuff end 11 to slide along the shank 23 during fitting (Figure 3B to Figures 3C).

Figures 1OA, 1OB and 1 IA, 1 IB show some alternative embodiments of the cuff link. Figures 1OA and 1OB show a cuff link having a hooked part 121 and a button 122. Hooked part 121 has a first leg 124 and a second leg 125 which define a channel 127 for receiving a part of cuff end 11. A rigid, or resilient, structure 123 connects the hooked part 121 to a button 122. This embodiment provides an overlap between the cuff ends 11, 12 but does not permit the cuff ends to adopt a position in which they lie perpendicular, or at an obtuse angle, with respect to each other.

Figures 1 IA and 1 IB show a modified version of the embodiment shown in Figures 1OA, 1OB. The hooked part 221 comprises legs 224, 225 which define a space 227 which is much more open compared to Figures 1OA, 1OB. This allows some movement of the cuff end 11 so that it can adopt a position in which the cuff ends 11 , 12 lie perpendicular to each other. A rigid, or resilient, structure 223 connects the hooked part 221 to a button 222. A protrusion 229 extends inwardly from the inner face of button 222. When the cuff link is fitted to a cuff, protrusion 229 and structure 223 both locate in the buttonhole 14 of cuff 12 to increase security of the fitting and the part 1 IA of cuff end 11 is trapped within region 227. The embodiments shown in Figures 1OA, 1OB, HA and HB provide a large overlap on the cuff ends 11, 12 which may not be aesthetically pleasing as the other embodiments.

Claims

1. A cuff link for securing a garment cuff having a first cuff end and a second cuff end, the cufflink comprising: a first retaining member in the form of a hook-shaped part for fitting to the first cuff end, the hook-shaped part having a channel into which can be fitted part of the first cuff end; a second retaining member for retaining, in use, against an outer face of the second cuff end; a connecting structure which connects the first retaining member to the second retaining member such that, in use, the second cuff end is retained in a position in which it extends beyond an edge of the first cuff end.

2. A cuff link according to claim 1 wherein the channel has a longitudinal axis and wherein the connecting structure is configured such that an inner face of the second retaining member lies in the range of 45°- 135° with respect to a longitudinal axis of the channel.

3. A cuff link according to claim 2 wherein the connecting structure is configured such that an inner face of the second retaining member lies substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the channel.

4. A cuff link according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the connecting structure connects the hooked part to the second retaining member, such that the position of the second retaining member is offset from the longitudinal axis of the channel and offset from an open end of the channel.

5. A cuff link according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the connecting structure spaces apart the first retaining member and the second retaining member such that, in use, the angle between the cuff ends can be set any value in the range between an acute angle and an obtuse angle.

6. A cuff link according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the connecting structure is a shank.

7. A cuff link according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the hooked part comprises a pair of legs which define the channel and the connecting structure comprises a shank which connects a first leg of the hooked part to the second retaining member, the shank connecting to an end of the first leg nearest to the open end of the channel.

8. A cuff link according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the hook- shaped part comprises a pair of legs which define the channel and a bridge which connects the pair of legs, the cuff link further comprising a bar on an outer face of the hook-shaped part which extends beyond the bridge in an opposite direction to the channel.

9. A cuff link according to claim 8 wherein the bar extends beyond the bridge for a distance which is substantially equal to, or greater than, the length of a buttonhole in the first cuff end.

10. A cuff link according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the hook- shaped part comprises a pair of legs which define the channel and the pair of legs are substantially parallel to one another.

11. A cuff link according to claim 10 wherein the pair of legs are spaced part by a distance which is substantially equal to the width of a double cuff.

12. A cuff link according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first retaining member is dimensioned to pass through a buttonhole in the first cuff end.

13. A cuff link according to any one of the preceding claims which is constructed as a single piece.