Ornamental button

Abstract: A button device (10) has a head member (11) and a back member (12) joined therewith, the head member (11) having a central cavity (20) dimentioned to receive an insert member (25) with a press-fit. The insert member (25) is generally dome-shaped with its peripheral wall (27) upwardly tapered. The cavity (20) is defined by an inner wall (22) initially upwardly flared but deformed to taper when a peripheral ridge (23) is clamped against the insert member (25) by a punch (P) capable of producing a clamping pressure of a bidirectional vector.

Description: This invention generally relates to button devices such as snap buttons, tack buttons, eyelets, cuff buttons, neck-tie pins or other ornamental button-like articles to be attached to a garment. The present invention particularly relates to a button device comprising: a decorative head member having a cavity in its top surface and a ridge on said top surface, said ridge extending around said cavity and defining at least an upper part of said cavity; and an insert member retained in said cavity and having a generally dome-like shape including an arcuate upper surface contiguous to a peripheral wall by means of a discrete borderline. A button device of the type mentioned above is disclosed in GB-A-740 235. There have been proposed many button structures having an ornamental design piece to be inserted into an opening in a support head. Such a design piece or insert generally dome-shaped and made for example of a gem or a colored plastic article was retained in place by an annular flanged rim formed on the peripheral edge of the support head. This attachment was usually done by a punch pressure applied to force the rim against the peripheral wall of the insert, which would often sustain damage particularly if the insert was relatively thin. To avoid this problem, the insert was thickened to provide a cross-sectionally rectangular stem in one prior art as shown in Figure 7a of the accompanying drawings in which the rim 23 of the support head 11 was necessarily folded over the domed surface of the insert 25 by the use of a punch P shown in Figure 7b. This punch P being so shaped could apply a pressure directed predominantly vertically downwardly as shown by the arrow with the result that the head rim would fail to engage the insert with a tight fit which would otherwise be attained in the presence of a positive horizontally directed pressure. Another problem with this type of button device is that the punch would come in direct contact with the insert and would damage the latter if its pressure was too great or would fail to retain the same in place on the head if its pressure was too small, demanding a highly calibrated degree of punch pressure. CH-A-337 350 discloses an ornament article comprising a support member having a cavity in its top surface and a ridge on said top surface, said ridge extending around said cavity and defining an upper part of said cavity; and an insert member retained in said cavity and having a generally dome-like shape including an arcuate upper surface contiguous to a peripheral wall by means of a discrete borderline. The peripheral wall of said insert member is upwardly tapered and firmly embraced by said ridge which has a marginal edge lying in registry with the borderline between said upper surface and said peripheral wall of the insert member. In this specification nothing is said however about the way how the insert member is brought into engagement with the support member. The present invention seeks to provide a button device which has an insert member and a head member, both members being firmly joined together with a fine press fit and the insert being held harmless against a punch pressure. A button device satisfying these requirements is described in claim 1. This and other objects and features of the invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a button device embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a front elevational view of an insert member shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front elevational view of a modified form of insert member; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a head member shown prior to attachment with the insert; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a punch employed for clamping the insert member with the cap; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the button device of Figure 1 which is modified to be rockable or tiltable; Figure 7a is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a prior art button device; and Figure 7b is a cross-sectional view of a punch used for assembling the prior art button device. Referring now to the drawings and Figure 1 in particular, there is shown a button device generally designated at 10 which comprises an ornamental head member 11 of circular configuration and a back member 12 having a vertical hollow hub portion 13 and a horizontal peripheral flange portion 14. The head member 11 has in its underside a marginal annular groove 15 defined between an outer peripheral lip 16 and an inner peripheral lug 17, the groove 15 being slightly upwardly flared when having received a complimentarily flared tongue 18 extending from the horizontal flange 14 of the back member 12. The head member 11 includes a thick stem 19 extending centrally downwardly into the opening 13′ of the hub 13. A circular cavity 20 is formed in the upper surface of the head member 11 centrally above the stem 19, the cavity 20 being defined by a flat bottom wall 21 and an inner peripheral side wall 22 initially slightly upwardly flared as shown in Figure 4. Integral with the peripheral wall 22 is formed a circular ridge 23 extending slightly above the general upper surface of the head member 11. A circular groove 24 (Figure 4) is formed in contiguous relation to the ridge 23 so as to render the latter flexible and deformable under punch pressure. The back member 12 is assembled with the head member 11 by inserting the tongue 18 into the groove 15 defined between the lug 17 and the lip 16, the latter having initially vertically straight inner wall as shown in Figure 4. With the upwardly flared tongue 18 inserted into the groove 15, the lip 16 is clamped radially inwardly against the lug 17 to retain the tongue 18 firmly in place, at which time the lug 17 serves as a stopper to prevent excessive flexing of the lip 16 which would otherwise result in broken lip 16 particularly if the latter is made for instance of a zinc die-cast. An insert member 25 shown in Figures 1 and 2 generally in the form of a dome made for instance of a gem, a plastic material or other decorative piece has a rounded or cross-sectionally arcuate upper surface 26 and a slightly upwardly tapered peripheral wall 27 contiguous to the upper surface 26. The insert member 25 is placed in the cavity 20 having its peripheral wall 22 initially upwardly flared and its depth slightly greater than the height of the peripheral wall 27 so that the marginal edge of the ridge 23, when press-fitted with the insert member 25, lies in registry with the borderline between the arcuate surface 26 and the peripheral wall 27 thereby presenting an aesthetic appearance of the inset 25 as a whole. Figure 5 schematically illustrates a punch P having a clamping cavity P1 which is shallow enough to avoid direct contact with the insert member 25 and which is defined by an inner wall P2 which is upwardly tapered at an angle to produce a clamping force of a bidirectional vector; namely, vertical and horizontal as indicated by the arrows. This punch P is used in mounting the insert member 25 on the head member 11, when its clamping pressure urges the ridge 23 to bend around and press-fit with the peripheral wall 27 of the insert member 25 in the manner shown in Figure 1. The configuration of the insert member 25 may be varied somewhat as shown in Figure 3 which is provided with a stepped upper surface 26a. The upper surface 26a thus stepped forms a relatively flat saucer-like display disc which may carry a decorative design, character or the like. The head member 11 may also carry suitable decorative indicia on its exposed surface. Figure 6 shows the button device 10 of Figure 1 modified to rock or tilt around a cradle 30 in a manner well known in the art. The button device 10 may also be modified to function as a tack or a rivet having a thrusting shank and a retaining pin in place of the back member 12.

Claims: A button device (10) comprising: a decorative head member (11;33) having a cavity (20) in its top surface and a ridge (23) on said top surface, said ridge (23) extending around said cavity (20) and defining at least an upper part of said cavity (20); and an insert member (25) retained in said cavity (20) and having a generally dome-like shape including an arcuate upper surface (26;26a) contiguous to a peripheral wall (27) by means of a discrete borderline; characterized in that said cavity (20) having a peripheral wall (22) initially upwardly flared and its depth slightly greater than the height of the peripheral wall (27) of said insert member (25), that said peripheral wall (27) of said insert member (25) is upwardly tapered and firmly embraced by said ridge (23), said ridge (23) having a marginal edge lying in registry with the borderline between said upper surface (26;26a) and said peripheral wall (27) when press-fitted with said insert-member (25) and that said head member (11) further has a groove (24) in its top surface, said groove (24) extending around said ridge (23) and being partly defined by said ridge (23). A button device (10) according to claim 1, said upper surface (26a) of said insert member (25) being stepped. A button device (10) according to claim 1, further including a back member (12) disposed below and joined with said head member (11), said back member (12) having a vertical hollow hub (12), said head member (11) including a thick stem (19) on its underside extending into said hollow hub (13). A button device (10) according to claim 3, said cavity (20) being disposed above said stem (19). A button device (10) according to claim 3, said head member (11) having in its underside a marginal annular groove (15) defined between an outer peripheral lip (16) and an inner peripheral lug (17), said back member (12) having a horizontal flange (14) integral with said vertical hollow hub (13) and including an outer marginal tongue (18) received in said annular groove (15) and firmly gripped by and between said lip (16) and said lug (17). A button device (10) according to claim 1, further including a shank (31) extending integrally perpendicularly from the underside of said head member (33).

Inventors: SHINMI MASAMICHI, WATANABE HIROKAZU, SHINMI, MASAMICHI, WATANABE, HIROKAZU
Applicants: YOSHIDA KOGYO KK, YOSHIDA KOGYO K.K.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A44B1
IPC codes: A44B17, A44B9, A44B5, A44B1