Abstract:
A two-piece button having a backing member and a front member, the front member and back member securable by a securing means extending through alignable apparel button holes to secure a piece of apparel, the front member of the two piece button capable of receiving a unique design and/or indicia on its front face.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Applicant claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 61/455,602, filed Oct. 25, 2010. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to clothing and apparel, and more particularly to a two piece button accessory which allows the individual to stylize and personalize the clothing and apparel with unique and decorative two-piece buttons, which would replace the standard buttons normally found on shirts, pants and jackets. 
         [0004]    2.Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    Buttons are a traditional means of closure with respect to clothing and apparel. Golf shirts typically have two or three buttons at the front of the neck; dress shirts normally have buttons from the neck to the waist. Pants normally have a waist button and in some fashionable denims, the fly is also buttoned as opposed to zippered. Typically the buttons supplied by the manufacturer are colored to match the fabric so as not to draw attention to themselves and to cause the coloring of the fabric or the design of the fabric to stand out. 
         [0006]    Many young people wish to make their own fashion statements with respect to the clothing that they wear and in the manner which they mix and match various designs. As yet, buttons have not been addressed with respect to making fashion statements in that the buttons on clothing and apparel are normally fixedly secured by the manufacturer and are accepted by the buyer and the wearer. 
         [0007]    Applicant&#39;s unique two-piece button is designed to replace the fixedly secured buttons that normally are affixed to clothing and apparel and allow the wearer to choose buttons having a unique design which appeal to the wearer. These buttons can be mixed and matched and used to replace the buttons on shirts and slacks to allow the individual to display buttons having a unique design or indicia. The buttons will also permit the wearer to apply his own design or indicia to the button. 
         [0008]    Applicant&#39;s unique two-piece button assembly would be utilized with a unique line of apparel in which the fixed buttons normally associated with apparel were absent and were replaced by a second alignable button hole. This would apply to the front of shirts, jackets, and the waist button on pants. Applicant&#39;s unique two-piece button would replace the fixedly secured buttons and allow the wearer to stylize the clothing to his or her taste. 
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel line of apparel in which the normally affixed buttons are removed and replaced by an alignable second button hole, the aligned button holes designed to receive a unique two-piece button having its own design or indicia. 
         [0010]    An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel two-piece button to replace standard fixed buttons on clothing and apparel, the unique two-piece button having its own design or indicia thereon. 
         [0011]    A still further object of the present invention to provide for a novel two-piece button to replace the standard fixed buttons on apparel and clothing which allows the wearer to apply his own design or indicia to the button. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    A two-piece button having a backing member and a front member, the front member and back member securable by a securing means extending through alignable apparel button holes to secure a piece of apparel, the front member of the two piece button capable of receiving a unique design and/or indicia on its front face. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent, particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of a first embodiment of the button of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of a second embodiment of the button of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a side secured view of the button of the first embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a button of the first embodiment securing a waistband of a pair of trousers; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a button assembly of the first embodiment securing a pair of trousers; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a partial front view of a shirt or jacket illustrating the removal of the fixed secured buttons, and the positioning of aligned button holes for use with the button assembly of the first or second embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]      FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of a first embodiment of the button assembly  10  of the present invention. The button assembly  10  in its simplest form is of two-piece construction having a backing member  12  in the form of a circular disk having a front face  14  and a rear face  16 . Front face  16  is formed with a unitary centralized cylindrical protrusion  18  having a threaded bore  20 . 
         [0021]    Front member  22  as illustrated in  FIG. 1  is disk-shaped having a front face  24  and a rear face  26 , rear face  26  being formed with a unitary centrally disposed perpendicular shaft  28  which is externally threaded to be received in the threaded bore  20  of backing member  12 . The front face  24  of front member  22  may be planar or formed with a peripheral lip  30 . Centrally disposed on the front face  24  of front member  22  would be a design, indicia, or logo. This design, indicia, or logo could be permanently affixed on front face  24  or could be removable such as a decal which would allow the wearer to choose the design or change the design as he/she desires. 
         [0022]    In actual use, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the left and right hand side button holes  40  and  42  of a pair of jeans  44  are aligned, and the backing member  12  is positioned on the interior of the jeans overlap with the threaded bore  20  in alignment with the aligned button holes  40  and  42 . The threaded shaft  28  of the front member  22  is then extended through the aligned button holes  40  and  42  and threadedly secured to the threaded bore  20  of the backing member  12 . The size of the backing member  12 , and in particular, its planar disk and the size of the planar disk of the front member  22  are sized such that they cover the button holes  40  and  42  and cannot pass there through. 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  illustrates  FIG. 4  in a closure orientation with the jeans, while  FIG. 3  illustrates the closure of the button assembly alone. 
         [0024]    It will be recognized that the location of the threaded bore  20  and the threaded shaft  28  can be reversed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. That is the threaded bore  20  may be formed on the rear face  26  of the front member  22  and the threaded shaft  28  may be unitarily formed on the front face  14  of the backing member  12  without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of a second embodiment of the button assembly  10 A of the present invention illustrating an alternative method of securing the backing member  12 A with the front member  22 A. In this embodiment, the front face  14  of the backing member  12 A has a unitarily formed centrally disposed shaft  50  which terminates in a bayonet mount type locking member  52 . The rear face  26 A of the front member  22 A is unitarily formed with a bayonet locking receptacle  54 . The backing member  12 A and the front member  22 A would be positioned in the manner previously described with respect to aligned button holes  40  and  42 . Bayonet mount locking member  52  would be inserted through the aligned button holes and engage the bayonet locking receptacle  54  on the rear face  26 A of the front member  22 A. The front member  22 A would then be given a twist to lock the bayonet members together securing the button in place. A reverse twist of the front member  22 A would disengage the bayonet locking members and allow them to be removed. 
         [0026]    Again, with respect to the second embodiment, the positioning of the bayonet receptacle and the bayonet locking member may be reversed with respect to the backing member and the front member. 
         [0027]    The present invention has been disclosed with respect to a backing member and a front member which are geometrically in the shape of a circular disk. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the shape of the backing member and the front member may vary and take on different geometric shapes, the only consideration being that the size of the backing member and the front member are such that they will not pass through the aligned button holes through which they are secured. It will also be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that while the invention has been disclosed with respect to two embodiments of securing the backing member and the front member in disengageable contact, other means of securing the front member and the backing member can be devised. 
         [0028]    The button assembly of the present invention is designed to be used with a unique design of apparel in which the fixed secured buttons normally associated therewith are removed. The position where the fixed secured button would normally be positioned is replaced with a second button hole  42  as illustrated in  FIG. 4  with respect to the pair of jeans  44 , and is illustrated in  FIG. 6  with respect to a shirt or jacket  45  having a buttoned opened front. The second button hole  42  would be alignable with the normal button hole  40  so that the apparel or garment was worn and fit normally. This allows the wearer to utilize the two piece button assembly of the present invention to make a fashion statement by mixing and matching buttons of various sizes, geometric shapes, and design or indicia. It should be noted that while the apparel illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 6  are illustrative of jeans and shirts or jackets, that other apparel which would normally utilize a fixed secured button, could be fabricated and cut to eliminate the fixed secured button, and provide the second button hole  42  as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 6  and multiple adjustable button holes  42  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0029]    Therefore, while the present invention has been disclosed with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore manifestly intended that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalence thereof.