Adjustable alteration tack assembly

An adjustable alteration tack assembly has (i) a tack with a hollow pin and (ii) a cap with a hole that receives the tack pin to assemble the cap onto the tack. The tack has a posted permanently mounted onto a head, where the post can be inserted into the hollow pin at different positions to achieve different distances between the tack head and the cap to secure pieces of fabric of different thicknesses. The assembly can be used to temporarily alter the size of an article of clothing, such as the waistband of a pair of pants.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to clothing accessories and, more specifically but not exclusively, to devices for temporarily altering the size of clothing, such as pant waist size.

Description of the Related Art

When a piece of clothing is too big for a user, it is often useful to temporarily alter the size of the clothing for the user. For example, if the waist size of a pair of pants is too big, then the waist size can be temporarily altered by pinching some of the fabric together such that the fabric overlaps with itself and then securing the folded fabric using a known device, such as a safety pin or a bobby pin or a clip.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides an adjustable device for temporarily altering the size of clothing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Detailed illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are disclosed herein. However, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments of the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG.1is a perspective view of an adjustable alteration tack assembly100according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure.FIG.2is an X-ray side view of the assembly100ofFIG.1in a disengaged (i.e., unassembled) configuration. Assembly100includes a short, cylindrical “female” part (aka cap)110that receives a “male” part (aka tack)120. The cap110has a cylindrical hole112having a circular opening114. The tack120includes a flat, circular head122, a solid, cylindrical post124, and a hollow, cylindrical pin126having a sharp pointed end128. The post124is permanently affixed to the center of the head122, and the hollow pin126slidably receives the solid post124with a friction fit between the two which keeps the pin126in place at a position along the post124. The pin126can be moved up and down on the post124with the application of appropriate force, e.g., about 5 pounds in some implementations, to change of position of the pin126along the post124. In the view ofFIG.2, the post124is only partially inserted into the pin126.

Although the cap110is cylindrical and the tack head122is circular, in other embodiments, other shapes are possible, such as rectilinear and/or other polygonal shapes for the cap and/or tack head. The hollow pin126may be similar to a hollow sewing machine needle or a hollow hospital needle.

The cap110and the tack120can be engaged by inserting the pointed end128of the pin126of the assembled tack120through the opening114and into the hole112in the cap110. The cylindrical hole112in the cap110and the pin126have features that enable the pin126to be removably secured within the hole112. In some implementations, these features may be similar to those on the posts and backs of conventional two-piece earrings.

FIG.3is an X-ray side view of the assembly100ofFIG.1(i) with the post124fully inserted into the pin126such that the lower end of the hollow pin126abuts the tack head122and (ii) with the pointed end128of the pin126fully inserted into the hole112of the cap110. With the post124fully inserted into the pin126, the assembly100is configured at the shortest available distance between the bottom of the cap110and the tack head122. In some embodiments, this distance is about 0.125 inches. Other embodiments may have larger or smaller distances. The position of the pin126with respect to the post124can be adjusted (for example, as shown inFIG.2) to achieve distances between the bottom of the cap110and the tack head122from the smallest distance up to about 0.5 inches.

FIG.4is an X-ray side view of the fully assembled assembly100ofFIG.1securing together a folded piece of relatively thin fabric402of an article of clothing. For example, the fabric402could be part of the waistband of a pair of pants. Because the fabric402is relatively thin, the assembly100is configured with the post124fully inserted into the pin126, thereby providing the smallest available distance between the bottom of the cap110and the tack head122.

In one scenario, the post124is initially fully inserted into the pin126. The pin126is then inserted through the folded fabric402such that the pointed end128of the pin126extends beyond the folded fabric402. The cap110is then placed onto the pointed end128of the pin126, thereby securing the folded fabric402in place and temporarily altering the size of the article of clothing.

In another scenario, the post124is initially only partially inserted into the pin126. The pin126is then inserted through the folded fabric402such that the pointed end128of the pin126extends beyond the folded fabric402. The cap110is then placed onto the pointed end128of the pin126and sufficient pressure is applied between the cap110and the tack head122, such that the post124slides fully into the pin126, thereby achieving the configuration ofFIG.3with the folded fabric402secured in place and the size of the article of clothing temporarily altered.

FIG.5is an X-ray side view of the fully assembled assembly100ofFIG.1securing together a folded piece of relatively thick fabric502of an article of clothing. Because the fabric502is relatively thick, the assembly100is configured with the post124only partially inserted into the pin126, thereby providing a larger distance between the bottom of the cap110and the tack head122than the distance inFIGS.3and4.

In one scenario for achieving the configuration ofFIG.5, the post124is only slightly inserted into the pin126. The pin126is then inserted through the folded fabric502such that the pointed end128of the pin126extends at least a little beyond the folded fabric502. The cap110is then placed onto the pointed end128of the pin126and, if necessary, pressure may be applied between the cap110and the tack head122, such that the post124may slide further into the pin126, thereby decreasing the distance between the bottom of the cap110and the tack head122, securing the folded fabric502in place, and temporarily altering the size of the article of clothing.

In some embodiments, (i) the cap110and (ii) the head122and the pin126of the tack120are made of suitable metal(s), while the post124of the tack120is made of a suitable rubber. Other suitable materials may also be possible. The post124may be permanently secured to the head122by transfer molding, where the metal and rubber are welded together using heat.

Although the disclosure has been described in the context of a hollow pin that slidably receives a post with a friction fit therebetween, other embodiments are also possible. For example, the opening in the hollow pin could be tapped and the post could be correspondingly threaded such that the pin can be adjustably mounted onto the post at different positions to achieve different distances between the tack head and the cap by screwing the pin ono the post.

Similarly, although the disclosure has been described in the context of a cap that slidably receives the pointed end of a pin, other embodiments are also possible. For example, the hole in the cap could be tapped and the pointed end of the pin could be correspondingly threaded such that the cap can be mounted onto the tack pin by screwing the cap onto the tack pin.

FIG.6is a cross-sectional side view of an adjustable alteration tack assembly100′ according to certain alternative embodiments of the present disclosure. In this alternative, the pointed end128′ of the pin126′ of the tack120′ has a hole130′ (similar to the hole in a sewing needle) that engages with a hook116′ near the top end of the hole112′ in the cap110′ to secure the cap110′ and the tack120′ together. The assembly100′ is assembled by inserting the pointed end128′ of the pin126′ into the hole112′ in the cap110′ up to the hook116′ and then rotating the cap110′ with respect to the tack120′ to insert the open end of the hook116′ into the hole130′.

FIG.7is a perspective, X-ray view of the cap110′ ofFIG.6having the hook116′ near the top end of the hole112′, andFIG.8is a side view of the tack120′ ofFIG.6showing the hole130′ at the pointed end128′ of the pin126′.

FIG.9is a zoomed-in view of the hook116′ mounted in the hole112′ of the cap110′ ofFIG.6. As shown inFIG.9, the hook116′ has a sphere of flexible material118′ that has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the hole130′ in the pin126′. When the hook116′ is rotated into the hole130′ in the pin126′, the flexible material118′ is forced through the hole130′ to secure the cap110′ onto the tack120′. In some implementations, the hook116′ is metal, the flexible material118′ is silicon, and it takes about 0.2 pounds of force to force the flexible material118′ through the hole130′.

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, an adjustable assembly comprising (i) a cap (e.g.,110) having a hole (e.g.,112) and (ii) a tack (e.g.,120) having a head (e.g.,122), a post (e.g.,124) permanently attached to the head, a hollow pin (e.g.,126) configured to receive the post at one end of the pin and to be inserted into the hole in the cap at another end of the pin to secure the tack onto the cap. The pin can be mounted onto the post at different positions to achieve different distances between the cap and the tack head.

In at least some of the above embodiments, the pin slidably receives the post with a friction fit between the pin and the post that secures the mounting of the pin onto the post at a given position.

In at least some of the above embodiments, the position of the post within the pin can be slidably adjusted by applying sufficient force between the pin and the post to overcome the friction fit.

In at least some of the above embodiments, the pin is made of metal and the post is made of rubber.

In at least some of the above embodiments, the pin can be fully mounted onto the post to achieve a relatively small distance between the cap and the tack head to secure relatively thin fabric, and the pin can be partially mounted onto the post to achieve a relatively large distance between the cap and the tack head to secure relatively thick fabric.

In at least some of the above embodiments, the cap has a hook within the hole, and the pin of the tack has a hole configured to engage with the hook to secure the cap onto the tack.

In at least some of the above embodiments, the hook has flexible material that is slightly larger than the hole in the pin and that is configured to secure the cap onto the tack when the flexible material is forced through the hole in the pin.

The assembly can be used to temporarily secure fabric by (i) adjusting the position of the pin mounted onto the post; (ii) inserting the pin through the fabric; and (iii) mounting the cap onto the pin to secure the fabric in place. Pressure can be applied between the cap and the head of the tack to slidably adjust the position of the pin mounted onto the post to decrease the distance between the cap and the tack head to secure the fabric in place.

Although the elements in the following method claims, if any, are recited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling, unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementing some or all of those elements, those elements are not necessarily intended to be limited to being implemented in that particular sequence. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined, in methods consistent with various embodiments of the disclosure.

Also for purposes of this description, the terms “couple,” “coupling,” “coupled,” “connect,” “connecting,” or “connected” refer to any manner known in the art or later developed in which energy is allowed to be transferred between two or more elements, and the interposition of one or more additional elements is contemplated, although not required. Conversely, the terms “directly coupled,” “directly connected,” etc., imply the absence of such additional elements. The same type of distinction applies to the use of terms “attached” and “directly attached,” as applied to a description of a physical structure. For example, a relatively thin layer of adhesive or other suitable binder can be used to implement such “direct attachment” of the two corresponding components in such physical structure.