Method and apparatus for attaching a boutonniere or corsage to a garment

A boutonniere attachment device comprises a backing member and a pin member. The pin member is attached to the backing member and extends from the backing member to a pointed terminal end. The backing member can be engaged with a non-exterior surface of a portion of a garment while a portion of the pin member that includes the pointed terminal end is positioned external to the garment, and while at least part of the portion of the pin member extends at least partially through the stem of a boutonniere in a manner such that a portion of the stem is biased against the exterior surface of the portion of the garment and such that the portion of the garment is biased between the portion of the stem and the backing member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed primarily to the floral industry. More particularly, this invention is directed to methods and apparatus for attaching boutonnieres and corsages to garments.

Many methods and devices have been developed and utilized to attach cut flowers to garments. Some of such devices are relatively costly to produce as compared to others. Additionally, some of such devices and methods are useful in only particular situations, such as when the garment is provided with a button hole or the like configured to receive the stem or stems of cut flowers. Furthermore, some of such devices fail to maintain the boutonnieres or corsages in a fixed position relative to the garments and therefore require frequent adjustments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes many of the disadvantages associated with prior art devices and methods of attaching boutonnieres and corsages to garments. For purposes of describing and claiming the invention, as used in this document, the term boutonniere should be understood as a meaning either a boutonniere or corsage. Similarly, the term garment is meant to generically refer any article of clothing including, but not limited to, a jacket, dress, pants, shirt, or blouse.

In one aspect of the invention, a method of attaching a boutonniere to a garment of a wearer comprises a step of providing a boutonniere attachment device. The boutonniere attachment device comprises a backing member and a pin member. The pin member has a pointed terminal end. Additionally, the pin member is attached to the backing member and extends from the backing member to the pointed terminal end. The method also comprises a step of positioning the boutonniere attachment device between the wearer and the portion of the garment and thereafter passing a portion of the pin member through the portion of the garment in a manner such that the portion of the pin member is external to the garment while the backing member remains positioned between the portion of the garment and the wearer. The portion of the pin member comprises the pointed terminal end. Still further, the method comprises a step of passing at least part of the portion of the pin member at least partially through the boutonniere in a manner such that a portion of the boutonniere presses against the garment in a manner securing the boutonniere to the garment.

In another aspect of the invention, a boutonniere attachment device is configured and adapted to secure a boutonniere to a garment and consists essential only of a backing member and a pin member. The backing member has opposite front and back faces, opposite side edges, opposite top and bottom edges, and upper and lower portions. Additionally, the backing member has a maximum width between the opposite side edges, a maximum height between the top and bottom edges, and a maximum thickness between the front and back faces. The maximum thickness is less than one fifth of the maximum width and less than one fifth of the maximum height. The maximum height is less than four times the maximum width. The maximum width is less than twice the maximum height. The pin member is attached to the backing member and has a pointed terminal end. The front of the backing member faces the pointed terminal end of the pin member. The pin member extends along a path from the lower portion of the backing member to the pointed terminal end. The path leads upward in a direction toward the upper edge and away from the front face of the backing member.

In yet another aspect of the invention, an assembly comprises a garment, a boutonniere, and a boutonniere attachment device. A portion of the garment has an exterior surface and an opposite surface. The boutonniere comprises a stem that is engaged with the exterior surface of the portion of the garment. The boutonniere attachment device comprises a backing member and a pin member. The pin member has a pointed terminal end. Additionally, the pin member is attached to the backing member and extends from the backing member to the pointed terminal end. The backing member is engaged with the opposite surface of the portion of the garment. A portion of the pin member that includes the pointed terminal end is positioned external to the garment. At least part of the portion of the pin member extends at least partially through the stem of the boutonniere in a manner such that a portion of the stem is biased against the exterior surface of the portion of the garment and such that the portion of the garment is biased between the portion of the stem and the backing member.

While the principal advantages and features of the invention have been described above, a more complete and thorough understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the drawing figures and the detailed description of the embodiments, which follow.

Reference numerals in the written specification and in the drawing figures indicate corresponding items.

A boutonniere attachment device in accordance with the invention is shown by itself inFIG. 1and is indicated by reference numeral10. The boutonniere attachment device10comprises a backing member12and a pin member14. The backing member12is preferably formed of a polymeric material, preferably via injection molding. The pin member14is preferably formed from metal wire and is preferably partially over-molded by the backing member12in a manner permanently securing the backing member and the pin member together.

The backing member12is preferably has a shape that takes the form of a thin rectangular sheet having opposite front16and back18faces. Each of the front16and back18faces is preferably planar and parallel to the other. The distance between the front16and back18faces of the backing member12defines a thickness of the backing member. The side edges20of the backing member12have a maximum distance therebetween that defines a width of the backing member. The top22and bottom24edges of the backing member12have a maximum distance therebetween that defines a height of the backing member. The height of the backing member12is preferably greater than its width. The width of the backing member12is preferably several times greater than its thickness. The side20, top22, and bottom24edges of the backing member12are shown as being generally straight, but need not be. Preferably, the corners26of the backing member22are rounded, as are most other portions of the backing member, so as not to be sharp. The lack of sharp edges on the backing member12helps limit the amount of wear the boutonniere attachment device10causes to garments when the device is in use.

The pin member14comprises a pointed terminal end28. Opposite the pointed terminal end28, the pin member14comprises another terminal end30around which the backing member14is molded. The pin member14is preferably formed in manner such that it extends from the lower portion32of the backing member12adjacent the backing member's bottom edge24. From there, the pin member14preferably extends upward in front of the front face16of the backing member12to the pointed terminal end28of the pin member. Preferably, the portion of the pin member14adjacent its pointed terminal end28is straight and is preferably oriented such that it diverges away from the front face16of the backing member12at an angle of between ten and thirty degrees as it approaches said pointed terminal end. This being said, the portion of the pin member14that extends from the pointed terminal end28to the backing member12is preferably symmetric about a vertical plane that is perpendicular to the front face16of the backing member. The pointed terminal end28of the pin member14is preferably positioned beneath the top edge22of the backing member12.

In use, the entire boutonniere attachment device10is preferably initially positioned between a portion of a garment34and a person wearing the garment. The pointed terminal end28of the pin member14is then forced through the portion of the garment34, and then at least partially through a stem38of a boutonniere40to into the position shown inFIG. 2. Preferably, the stem38of the boutonniere40is oriented such that substantially all of the portion of the pin member14that is external to the garment34, including the pointed terminal end28, lies within the stem and is thereby concealed. The boutonniere attachment device10and the boutonniere40can be removed from the garment34by simply reversing the steps discussed above.

In view of the converging nature between the pin member14and the backing member12as the pin member extends downward from its pointed terminal end28, the boutonniere attachment device12forces the stem38of the boutonniere40against the exterior surface42of the portion of the garment34and forces the front face16of the backing member against the opposite surface44of the portion of the garment. This biasing force and the resultant friction secures the boutonniere attachment device10and the boutonniere40to the portion of the garment34in a manner resisting undesirable relative movement between the boutonniere and the portion of the garment. Because the pointed terminal end28of the pin member14remains within the stem38of the boutonniere40, the chance of a person being pricked by the boutonniere device10when its in use is less that it would otherwise be. In the unlikely event that the boutonniere40is inadvertently dislodged from the boutonniere attachment device12, by configuring the pointed terminal end28to be below the top edge22of the backing member12, the torso of the wearer is protected by the fact that the backing member lies between the wearer's torso and the pointed terminal end of the device.

An alternative embodiment of a boutonniere attachment device50in accordance with the invention is shown inFIGS. 3 and 4. This boutonniere attachment device50is utilized in a manner identical to the previously described device. However, unlike the boutonniere attachment device10first described, the pin member52and the backing member54of this boutonniere attachment device50are assembled to each other after each member has been formed separately. Preferably, the portion of the pin member50opposite its pointed terminal end56is configured to resiliently stretch over a portion of the backing member54when the pin member is assembled to the backing member. The backing member54is preferably configured and shaped such that at some point during the assembly procedure, the portion of the pin member52resilient deflects back at least partially to its undeflected configuration and thereby becomes geometrically interlocked with the backing member. Although the backing member52shown inFIGS. 3 and 4comprises channels58for this purpose, it should be appreciated that a limitless number of alternative configurations could serve this purpose equally well.

While the present invention has been described in reference to specific embodiments, in light of the foregoing, it should be understood that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense and that various modifications and variations of the invention may be constructed without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the following claims. Thus, other possible variations and modifications should be appreciated.

Furthermore, it should be understood that when introducing elements of the present invention in the claims or in the above description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be open-ended and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, the term “portion” should be construed as meaning some or all of the item or element that it qualifies. Moreover, use of identifiers such as first, second, and third should not be construed in a manner imposing any relative position or time sequence between limitations. Still further, the order in which the steps of any method claim that follows are presented should not be construed in a manner limiting the order in which such steps must be performed.