Abstract:
A standardized attachment system for an object holding system or object displaying system which is easily assembled, comprising a base section made of one or more pieces that engages a cord and an attachment section that secures the object to be held or displayed, such as an identification badge, key ring, and so forth. The standardized attachment system has a structure for coupling attachment sections and base sections that rotatably couples the attachment sections to the base sections and accommodates different configurations for base sections and attachment sections, as well as different cords and objects for display. Since different configurations of base sections and attachment sections can be used with the same coupling structure, an attachment system can be provided which is both flexible for use in various situations and easy to assemble. The attachment system may be made from an elastically deformable material such as molded plastic in a lightweight, cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing manner.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to attachment systems for the holding and/or display of objects. More specifically, the present invention provides an easily assembled standardized attachment system for use in, for example, the holding and display of various objects, such as caps, identification tags, and similar objects. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     Systems are known for the holding and display of objects such as hats, badges, whistles, keys, and so forth. These systems generally comprise a cord or similar wire-type material that may be worn by a person, for example, around the neck or around the wrist. Attached to the cord is an attachment piece, such as an alligator clip or a hook, for holding various objects. For example, in the case of an alligator clip, a badge or other object to be displayed can be secured by the alligator clip. Also, in the case of a hook, a whistle or keys can be attached to the hook. 
     These holding/display systems are inflexible, limited to a single type of attachment piece per system. Thus, a manufacturer that would like to provide display systems for badges and also provide hat keepers or attach different types of cords or wire-type materials to the system would need to manufacture entirely separate systems for each purpose. The manufacturer will thus be unable to flexibly respond to demand for any specific type of display/holding system. 
     One solution to this problem is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,256 issued to Anscher (“Anscher &#39;256 patent”), expressly incorporated herein by reference. In the attachment system described in the Anscher &#39;256 patent, different attachment sections (such as a clip hook or gripper) can be used with a single base and cord combination. In this system, the base section is composed of two pieces which, when interlocked with each other, allow the cord to be secured at one end of the base section and mate the base section to the attachment section at the other end. 
     However, the process for assembling this system is complex for the manufacturer. The cord cannot be secured at one end of the base section between the top piece and bottom piece before or after the attachment section is mated to the base section at the other end, because interlocking the top piece and the bottom piece secures the cord and mates the attachment section to the base section at the same time. Therefore, in order to create a usable product, all of the components in the attachment system (top piece of base section, bottom piece of base section, attachment section, and cord) must be assembled at the same time. A retailer or consumer could not purchase a set quantity of assembled base sections separately from a set quantity of different types of attachment sections and cords and connect up the sections of the system to each other and to the cords after each section of the system has been fully assembled. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an easily assembled standardized attachment system with a structure for coupling attachment sections and base sections that accommodates different base sections and different attachment sections, as well as different cords and objects for display. The base section can be made of one or more pieces. The attachment section (for example, a snap hook or clip hook) for holding and displaying objects such as hats, badges, whistles or keys is coupled to the base section. A cord (for securing the attachment system to a holder or person) can be separately coupled to the base section before or after the attachment section is coupled to the base section. Since different base sections and different attachment sections can be used with the same coupling structure, an attachment system can be provided which is both flexible for use in various situations and easy to assemble. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the attachment system of the present invention comprises a base section rotatably coupled to an attachment section. The base section may be constructed of two pieces that interlock, allowing the cord to be secured to the base section once the two pieces have been secured together. The base section may also have a tab on the top piece, allowing the attachment section to be secured to the base section before or after the two pieces have been secured together. Exemplary means for securing the attachment section to the base section may involve snapping a post on the attachment section into the tab on the base section which has a predefined opening on the base section. The post may be a swivel post with an enlarged cap permitting the tab on the base section to engage the lower edge of the enlarged cap. This configuration gives the added benefit of rotational freedom for the object being held and displayed. The enlarged cap may have a spherical or conical shape. This configuration gives the added benefit of facilitating the snapping of the post into the tab. Exemplary means for coupling the cord to the base section are also provided, including, for example, a crimping arm, multiple forked members, and multi-toothed member. 
     The base section may be formed out of any suitable material which is elastically deformable to permit the tab to secure the attachment section to the base section once the post is snapped into the tab. Molded plastic is preferable for both the base section and the attachment section as being lightweight and aesthetically pleasing. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the base section may be comprised of only one piece and may have a similar shape to the shape of the attachment section (having a clip hook, a snap hook, or a gripper element), except that such a base section would have a female portion, such as a predefined opening, which, when mated with a male portion, such as a post, on the attachment section, would secure the attachment section to the base section. The male part on the attachment section may still be snapped into the female part on the base section. However, in this embodiment, the base section and attachment section can be interchangeably used: one section for securing the cord to the attachment system, and the other section for securing the object to be held and displayed (such as hats, badges, whistles or keys) to the attachment system. This configuration gives the added benefit of providing a more simplified mode of manufacture and assembly. The manufacturer could, in essence, manufacture the attachment systems by fabricating clip hooks, snap hooks or gripper elements, giving some of them male portions, such as posts (making them attachment sections), and giving the remainder female portions, such as predefined openings (making them base sections). The assembly would only require snapping an attachment section into a base section, and then securing the cord and object to each section. This configuration also presents an even greater flexibility for the consumer, since the consumer can interchangeably use different hooks or gripper elements for each section in the attachment system depending on their specific needs for the type of object to be held and displayed and the type of cord to be used to secure the object to a holder or person. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an attachment system according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an attachment system according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the attachment system according to the present invention along the line  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the attachment system according to the present invention along the line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a first exemplary base section in an open position, according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of each piece of the exemplary base section of FIG. 5 separated from one another. 
     FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an exemplary snap hook as an attachment section, according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a second exemplary base section according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a third exemplary base section according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of an exemplary clip hook as an attachment section, according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of an exemplary attachment system using a clip hook as the attachment section, according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of an exemplary attachment system using a clip hook as the attachment section and engaged with a cord and an object, according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of an exemplary attachment system using a snap hook as the attachment section, a clip hook as the base section, and engaged with a cord and an object, according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The attachment system according to the present invention can be illustrated by FIGS. 1-13, which depict an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. An attachment system  1  is connected to a cord  2  as part of an object holding system  100 , and is holding and displaying an object  3 . Attachment system  1  includes base section  4  and attachment section  6 . 
     FIG. 2 further details the exemplary embodiment. An exemplary base section  4  has a top piece  10  and a bottom piece  20 . As shown, top piece  10  and bottom piece  20  are interlocked in a closed position, forming the base section  4 . The base section  4  has an attachment section mating area  30 . As shown by FIG. 2, an exemplary attachment section mating area  30  comprises a tab  32  with a predefined opening  34  located on the top piece  10  of the base section  4 . The base section  4  also has a cord connection area  40  where the cord  2  is coupled to the base section  4 . Cord coupling may be achieved, for example, by a crimping caused by the interlocking of top piece  10  and bottom piece  20 . Other possibilities for attaching the cord  2  to the base section  4  may also be used, as will be described below, and as will be apparent to those with skill in the art. 
     An exemplary attachment section  6  has an object holding area  70  and a base section mating area  50 . As shown by FIGS. 2,  3 ,  5  and  6 , an exemplary base section mating area  50  has a post  52  which secures the attachment section  6  to the base section  4  when the post  52  is snapped into the predefined opening  34  on the tab  32 . An exemplary post  52  is a swivel post  60  with an enlarged cap  62  and narrower base  64 . The narrower base  64  can have a cylindrical surface  66 , which permits the attachment section  6  to rotate freely after being secured to the base section  4 , thus allowing the object (such as an identification tag  3 ) being held and displayed to swivel as needed. Other possible configurations for posts  52  which are compatible with the tab  32  and predefined opening  34  may also be used, as will be described below, and as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     An exemplary configuration of an object holding area  70 , detailed in FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3  and  7 , is a snap hook  80  (described below), although it will become apparent that other configurations for the object holding area  70  may be used in conjunction with base section  4 . In FIG. 1, the snap hook  80  on the attachment section  6  is shown closed and engaged with an identification tag  3 , such that the identification tag  3  is tightly secured to the attachment system  1 . 
     The base section  4  and attachment section  6  may be implemented in various configurations. As will be appreciated by those with skill in the art, the particular structures used to form the attachment section mating areas  30  on example base sections  4  and the base section mating areas  50  on example attachment sections  6  may generally be used with any configurations of cord connection areas  40  on example base sections  4  and any configurations of object holding areas  70  on example attachment sections  6 . The following examples thus provide illustration of some of the various implementations available. 
     For example, the base section  4  may be configured as detailed in FIGS. 5 and 6 (and shown in FIGS.  1 - 4 ), which includes a top piece  10  that is rotatably coupled to the bottom piece  20 . To effect the rotational function, pins  12  extrude laterally from each side of crimping arm  42 , and engage holes  22  formed in each side wall  24  of bottom piece  20 . The base section  4  is formed when the top piece  10  is interlocked with the bottom piece  20 . Interlocking is achieved via snap members  14  on the top piece  10  engaging interlock holes  26  and interlock tabs  28  on the bottom piece  20  when the two pieces are in a closed position (shown in FIGS.  1  and  2 ). 
     In an open position, detailed in FIG. 5, top piece  10  extends away from bottom piece  20 . A cord  2  can easily be inserted into the cord connection area  40  when the top piece  10  is moved to be approximately perpendicular to the bottom piece  20  such that a crimping arm  42  on the top piece  10  extends parallel to the bottom piece  20 . The cord  2  is coupled to the base section  4  and the cord connection area  40  is formed when the top piece  10  is moved into the closed position to be interlocked with the bottom piece  20 , as explained more fully below. 
     Without a cord, when the top piece  10  is rotated into the closed position, an edge  43  of a crimping arm  42  on the top piece  10  engages an edge  45  of a flexible panel  44  on the bottom piece  20 . Once a cord  2  is inserted into the cord connection area  40 , the cord  2  is impinged between the edge  43  of the crimping arm  42  and the edge  45  of the flexible panel  44 , as detailed in FIG. 3, thus creating a frictional connection between the base section  4  and the cord  2 . The engagement of the cord  2 , the edge  43  and the edge  45  allows the resistive force of the cord  2  to be realized as a downward force on the top piece  10  by virtue of the fulcrum effect of the pins  12 . Also, any pulling force applied to the cord  2  will also be translated by the engagement of the cord  2  and edges  43  and  45  into downward force on top piece  10  by virtue of the fulcrum effect of pins  12 . 
     As mentioned above and detailed in FIGS. 5 and 6, an exemplary attachment section mating area  30  on the base section  4  is formed from a tab  32  with a predefined opening  34  located on the top piece  10 , and is constructed using an elastically deformable material such as molded plastic. As detailed in FIG. 7, an exemplary base section mating area  50  on the attachment section  6  is formed from a swivel post  60  with an enlarged cap  62  and a narrower base  64 . The attachment section  6  is secured to the base section  4  by snapping the swivel post  60  into the predefined opening  34  with a force which temporarily causes the predefined opening  34  to elastically deform or stretch to accommodate the larger diameter  55  of the enlarged cap  62 . After the enlarged cap  62  has been fully inserted into the base section  4 , the predefined opening  34  returns to its original shape and size, thereby engaging the lower edge  63  of the enlarged cap  62  and securing the swivel post  60  within the tab  32 . Once secured, the force required to pull the swivel post  60  out of the tab  32  is greater than the force required to snap the post  60  into the tab  32 . Additionally, the narrower base  64  has a cylindrical outer surface  66 , making the swivel post  60  freely rotatable once it has been secured within the tab  32 , thus allowing the object being held and displayed to swivel as needed. 
     An exemplary object holding area  70  (shown in FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3  and  7 ) on the attachment section  6  is formed from a snap hook  80 , as detailed in FIG.  7 . The snap hook  80 , has a snap element  82  and an interlock hole  84 . An object, such as an identification tag  3 , can be placed on the snap hook  80  via a hole  5  on the tag  3 , and secured to the snap hook  80  when the snap hook  80  is closed. The snap hook  80  is closed when the snap element  82  is snapped into the interlock hole  84 , thereby engaging the interlock hole  84 . 
     There are many possible additional configurations for base sections  4  and attachment sections  6 . A second configuration of the base section  4  is shown by FIG. 8, which shows the top piece  10  as separate from bottom piece  20  in the open position. Similar to the configuration shown by FIGS. 5 and 6, attachment section mating area  30  comprises, for example, a tab  32  with a predefined opening  34 . The tab  32  in this second configuration is on the bottom piece  20 . The cord connection area  40  is formed as two forked members  46  extending from top piece  10  toward bottom piece  20  and partially as an opposing member  48  extending from bottom piece  20  toward top piece  10 . To achieve interlocking between top piece  10  and bottom piece  20 , snap members  47  are provided on top piece  10  and bottom piece  20 . These snap members  47  engage corresponding interlock holes  49  in top piece  10  and bottom piece  20 . 
     When top piece  10  and bottom piece  20  are engaged to interlock in a closed position, the two forked members  46  and the opposing member  48  act to crimp, for example, a cord  2  interposed in the cord connection area  40 , coupling the base section  4  to cord  2 . 
     A third configuration of the base section  4  is shown by FIG. 9, which shows the top piece  10  connected with bottom piece  20  via a hinge  27  formed, for example, from a thin layer of material common to both the top piece  10  and bottom piece  20 . Similar to the configuration shown by FIGS. 5,  6  and  8  attachment section mating area  30  comprises, for example, a tab  32  with a predefined opening  34 . The tab  32  in this third configuration is on the bottom piece  20 . A cord  2  is secured to the base section  4  by being inserted into a cord insertion opening  41  in the cord connection area  40 , and being engaged by a forked member  46  extending from top piece  10  toward bottom piece  20  and an opposing member  48  extending from bottom piece  20  toward top piece  10 . 
     To achieve interlocking between top piece  10  and bottom piece  20 , similar to the configuration shown by FIG. 8, snap members  47  are provided on bottom piece  20 . These snap members  47  engage corresponding interlock holes  49  in top piece  10 . When the top piece  10  and bottom piece  20  are engaged to interlock in a closed position, the forked member  46  and the opposing member  48  act to crimp, for example, a cord  2  interposed in the cord connection area  40 , and thereby couple the base section  4  to cord  2 . 
     A second configuration for an attachment section  6  may also be implemented as shown in FIGS. 10-12, for example, by a clip hook  90  for the object holding area  70  and a swivel post  60  that has a conical enlarged cap  68  for the base section mating area  50 . Clip hook  90  comprises a hook section  92 , a base section mating area  50 , and a clip section  94 . The attachment section  6  is still rotatably coupled to the base section  4  by snapping the swivel post  60  with a conical enlarged cap  68  into the predefined opening  34  on the tab, thereby forming the attachment system  1 . 
     Clip section  94  is implemented as a flexible member, extending from base section mating area  50  to contact hook section  92  at insertion point  96 . Thus, to engage clip hook  90  with an object, for example, a key ring, identification badge or whistle, the object need only be forced through insertion point  96 , causing clip section  94  to be deflected. Once the object has been fully inserted into hook section  92  such that it has cleared insertion point  96 , clip section  94  returns to its original position contacting hook section  92 , and thus securing the object within clip hook  90  (see FIG.  12 ). 
     An additional exemplary embodiment of the present invention is detailed in FIG. 13, showing a base section  4  being made of only one piece and having a cord connection area  40  with a configuration similar to a configuration of an object holding area  70  on an attachment section  6 , such as a clip hook  90 . The base section  4  would have an attachment section mating area  30  comprising a predefined opening  34  and being made of an elastically deformable material, and an attachment section  6  would still be secured to the base section  4  by snapping a swivel post  60  in the base section mating area  50  of the attachment section  6  into the predefined opening  34 . The cord connection area  40  would be formed from the clip hook  90 . A cord  2  would be secured to the base section  4  by pushing the cord  2  through insertion point  96 , causing clip section  94  to be deflected. Once the cord  2  has been fully inserted into clip hook  90  such that it has cleared insertion point  96 , clip section  94  returns to its original position contacting hook section  92 , and thus securing the cord  2  within clip hook  90 . 
     An advantage of this configuration is that, as mentioned above, it provides a more simplified mode of manufacture and assembly. Attachment systems could be manufactured by fabricating clip hooks  90 , snap hooks  80  or gripper elements (not shown), giving some of them base section mating areas  50 , such as swivel posts  60  (making them attachment sections), and giving the remainder attachment section mating areas  30 , such as predefined openings  34  (making them base sections). The assembly would only require snapping an attachment section  6  into a base section  4 , and then securing the cord  2  and object to each section. This configuration also presents an even greater flexibility for the consumer, since the consumer can interchangeably use different hooks or gripper elements for each section in the attachment system depending on their specific needs for the type of object to be held and displayed and the type of cord  2  to be used to secure the object to a holder or person. 
     In the preceding specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.