Snap button

Abstract: A snap button (10) for attachment to a garment fabric (F) comprises a socket member (11), a plug member (12) snappingly engageable therewith and a spring member (17) accommodated in the socket (11). The socket member (11) includes a cylindrical hub (16) and a bottomless collet (13) having an annular flange (15) which has a plurality of ridges (15a, 15b) adapted to be folded radially inwardly over the spring (17) and over the hub (16), respectively.

Description: This invention relates to a snap button having a female component and a male component engageable snappingly therewith for fastening the button to a garment fabric such as of an apparel, sports wear, bags and the like. There are known a variety of buttons of the character mentioned. A typical prior art button in and relating to which the present invention contemplates improvements comprises a cylindrical hub 100 having its bottom peripheral edge 100a inwardly directed to receive thereon an annular spring 101 and an annular sleeve 102 adapted to receive therein the hub 100. The hub 100 upon engagement with the sleeve 102 is passed through a web of fabric 103 and secured thereto with its upper peripheral edge 100b folded outwardly over the sleeve 102 as shown in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawing. This prior art button disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 2-23811 has a drawback in that it requires two separate tools to mount the spring 101 and to insert the hub 100 into the sleeve 102 in respective different modes of operation and is therefore extremely time-consuming and tedious. The present invention seeks to provide improvements in and relating to a snap button whereby the foregoing difficulties of the prior art will be eliminated or alleviated. The present invention further seeks to provide a snap button which can be assembled easily and efficiently without having to move or displace its component parts relative to a garment fabric to which the button is attached. According to the invention, there is provided a snap button for attachment to a garment fabric which comprises: a socket member comprising a cylindrical collet having a central through opening, an annular flange extending radially outwardly from said collet, a cylindrical hub having its lower marginal edge flared to form an anchoring lug and an annular spring larger in diameter than said opening; and a plug member having an enlarged head portion, a reduced neck portion and a horizontally extending leg portion; CHARACTERIZED in that said annular flange is provided on its upper surface with a plurality of relatively long upwardly projecting first ridges spaced circumferentially adjacently around said opening and a plurality of relatively short upwardly projecting second ridges spaced circumferentially adjacently around an outer peripheral edge of said flange, said first ridges being adapted to be folded radially inwardly over said spring and said second ridges being adapted to be folded radially inwardly over said anchoring lug. The above objects and features of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a snap button embodying the invention and shown attached to a garment fabric; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the socket member shown being assembled; Figure 3 is a plan view on enlarged scale of a female or socket member of the button; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IV - IV of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art button. Referring now to the drawings and Figure 1 in particular, there is shown a snap button 10 which essentially comprises a female or socket member 11 and a male or plug member 12 engageable therewith across a web of garment fabric F. The socket member 11 may be made of a metallic or plastics material and is comprised of a cylindrical bottomless collet 13 of a relatively short profile having a central through opening 14 and an annular flange 15 extending radially outwardly integrally from the body of the collet 13, a cylindrical hub 16 having its lower marginal edge flared to form an anchoring lug 16a and an annular spring 17 having a slit 17a and larger in diameter than the opening 14. The collet 13 has its lower marginal edge bent radially inwardly to form a seat 13a for supporting the spring 17. As better shown in Figures 3 and 4, the annular flange 15 of the collet 13 in its original unassembled form is provided on its upper surface with a plurality of upwardly projecting, relatively long first ridges 15a equally spaced circumferentially adjacently around the opening 14 and a plurality of upwardly projecting, relatively short second ridges 15b equally spaced circumferentially adjacently around an outer peripheral edge 15c which is likewise projecting upwardly from the flange 15. The male or plug member 12, which may be also made of a metallic or plastics material, has a circular cross-section and is provided with an enlarged head portion 12a, a reduced neck portion 12b and a pair of horizontally extending leg portions 12c adapted to grip therebetween a lining strip of fabric F' as indicated by phantom line in Figure 1. The head portion 12a of the plug member 12 has an outer diameter substantially equal to an inner diameter of the cylindrical hub 16 to fit snugly therewith, but larger than an outer diameter of the spring 17 so as to expand the latter when inserting the plug 12 therethrough and allow the same to resiliently hold the neck portion 12b in place when the plug 12 is fully inserted as shown in Figure 1. When assembling the snap button 10 thus constructed, the socket member 11 is placed on a working table not shown, followed by mounting the spring 17 from above through the upper end of the opening 14 of the collet 13 which is at this stage larger than the spring 17. The first ridges 15a of the flange 15 are then folded radially inwardly over the spring 17 from the phantom-line position to the solid-line position as shown in Figure 2. Thereafter, the cylindrical hub 16 is mounted on the collet 13, followed by folding the second ridges 15b of the flange 15 radially inwardly over the anchoring lug 16a of the hub 16 from the phantom-line position to the solid-line position as shown in Figure 2, thereby clamping the hub 16 in place relative to the collet 13. The fabric F is placed over the socket member 11 on the working table and passed through the hub 16 from above, followed by mounting an annular washer 18 over the fabric F through the hub 16. Thereafter, the upper marginal edge 16b of the hub 16 is folded radially outwardly over the washer 18 to clamp the socket member 11 in place relative to the fabric F as shown in Figure 1. The washer 18 is circumferentially recessed to form a seat 18a against which the socket member 11 is folded and rested, when the folded edge thereof lies substantially flush with and not beyond the upper surface of the washer 18. With the socket member 11 thus assembled relative to the fabric F, the plug member 12 already attached to the lining strip F' is now inserted into the socket 11, in which instance the spring 17 initially expands on contact with the head portion 12a and then contracts after the head portion 12a is fully inserted in the hub 16, thereby resiliently holding the neck portion 12b in position against displacement as shown in Figure 1.

Claims: A snap button (10) for attachment to a garment fabric (F) which comprises: (a) a socket member (11) comprising: (i) a cylindrical collet (13) having a central through opening (14); (ii) an annular flange (15) extending radially outwardly from said collet (13); (iii) a cylindrical hub (16) having its lower marginal edge flared to form an anchoring lug (16a); and (iv) an annular spring (17) larger in diameter than said opening (14); and (b) a plug member (12) having an enlarged head portion (12a), a reduced neck portion (12b) and a horizontally extending leg portion (12c); CHARACTERIZED in that said annular flange (15) is provided on its upper surface with a plurality of relatively long upwardly projecting first ridges (15a) spaced circumferentially adjacently around said opening (14) and a plurality of relatively short upwardly projecting second ridges (15b) spaced circumferentially adjacently around an outer peripheral edge (15c) of said flange (15), said first ridges (15a) being adapted to be folded radially inwardly over said spring (17) and said second ridges (15b) being adapted to be folded radially inwardly over said anchoring lug (16a). A snap button (10) according to claim 1 characterized in that an annular washer (18) is provided having a recessed seat (18a) over which an upper marginal edge of said hub (16) is folded radially outwardly. A snap button (10) according to claim 1 characterized in that said first and second ridges (15a), (15b), respectively are spaced equally apart from one another circumferentially around said flange (15).

Inventors: WATANABE HIROKAZU, WATANABE, HIROKAZU
Applicants: YOSHIDA KOGYO KK, YOSHIDA KOGYO K.K.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A44B17
IPC codes: A44B17