PRESS-STUD

Abstract: A press-stud comprising a female part (11; 317) to which one end (14; 318) of a male part (15; 330) is anchored in the closed configuration by forcing with elastic deformation of a ring (12; 100; 200; 311; 411) that is accommodated in a circumferential groove (13; 316) formed inside the female part (11; 317), the ring being closed, being made of elastomeric material, and being accommodated in the groove (13; 316).

Description: PRESS-STUD Technical Field The present invention relates to a press-stud. Background Art Conventional press-studs constituted by a male part that detachably couples to a female part, the basic structure whereof is shown in the accompanying figures 1 and 2 for the sake of clarity, are currently widely used in the field of clothing and in other fields in which it is necessary to join fabrics made of the most disparate materials. In particular, the female part, generally designated by the reference letter A, comprises a hollow body B that has openings C and D respectively for the insertion of the male part, not shown, and of the means for anchoring to the fabric, which are also not shown. A circumferential groove E obtained by bending is formed in the hollow body B and loosely accommodates an elastic split ring F made of metallic material. The split ring F is the actual element for retaining the male part; said ring, by being split, can in fact expand so as to allow access of the anchoring end of the male part and then close at a circumferential slot formed in said male part proximate to the anchoring end. Although this solution achieves its intended task, it is not free from drawbacks. One of the main drawbacks is due to the fact that the clearance between the groove E formed in the metallic body B and the split ring F, which is also metallic, allows said ring to move and produce unpleasant noises (metallic jingling) when the press-stud is in the open configuration. These noises are moreover unacceptable in quality clothing and are in any case not welcome in clothing items in general. Diclosure of the Invention A principal aim of the present invention is to provide a press-stud that solves the drawbacks noted above in the conventional ones, particularly eliminating in a substantially definite way the problem of metallic jingling and in any case of any noise caused by the knocking of parts in any state of said press-stud. Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a press-stud the costs whereof are competitive with respect to the conventional ones. Another object of the present invention is to provide a press-stud that can be easily mass-produced. Another object of the present invention is to provide a press-stud which is simple in structure and does not require particular machining operations or the use of complex equipment. Another object of the present invention is to provide a press-stud that can be easily adapted to the various aesthetic requirements of the most disparate fields of application. Another object of the present invention is to provide a press-stud the functionality whereof is competitive with respect to the conventional ones, without requiring the user to perform particular physical efforts in closing and opening it. This aim, these objects, and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a press-stud comprising a female part to which one end of a male part is anchored in the closed configuration by forcing with elastic deformation of a ring that is accommodated in a circumferential groove formed inside said female part, said press-stud being characterized in that said ring is closed, is made of elastomeric material, and is accommodated in said groove. Brief description of the Drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of five embodiments thereof and from its comparison with the structure of conventional press-studs, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figures 1 and 2 are views of a basic structure of the female part in conventional press-studs; figure 3 is a sectional orthographic projection view of the female part, with the male part shown in dashed lines, of a press-stud according to a first embodiment of the present invention; figure 4 is a partially sectional perspective view of the female part of the press-stud of figure 3; figure 5 is a perspective view of a detail of the press-stud of figure 3; figure 6 is an elevational lateral view of the cross- section of a mold for forming the detail of figure 5; figure 7 is a perspective view of a detail of a press- stud according to a second embodiment of the present invention; figure 8 is a perspective view of a detail of a press- stud according to a third embodiment of the present invention; figure 9 is a plan view of a detail of a press-stud according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; figure 10 is a sectional view of a detail of a press- stud according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, taken along the plane X-X of figure 9; figure 11 is a sectional lateral view of the female part, with the male part in dashed lines, of a press-stud according to the fourth embodiment of the invention; figure 12 is a plan view of a detail of a press-stud according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; figure 13 is a sectional view, taken along the plane XIII-XIII of figure 12, of a detail of a press-stud according to the fifth embodiment of the invention; figure 14 is a side view of a detail of a press-stud according to the fifth embodiment of the invention. Ways of carrying out the Invention With particular reference to figures 3 to 5, a press- stud according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 in a first embodiment. The press-stud 10 comprises a female part 11, to which one end 14 of a male part 15, shown in dashed lines in figure 3, is anchored in the closed configuration by forcing and elastically deforming a ring 12 that is accommodated in a groove 13 lying circumferentially with respect to said female part 11. The ring 12 is closed and in this case is made, for example, of nylon. In this embodiment, the ring 12 has a D-shaped cross- section; moreover, the portion of its surface that relates to the curved part of its cross-section, which is directed inwards, interferes with the end 14 of the male part 15. In this case, the ring 12 is locked within the groove 13. More specifically, the groove 13 has a substantially semicircular transverse profile, except for an annular region 16 that is folded inward and forms, in the female part 11, an opening 17 for the access of the male part 15 and actually locks said ring 12. A through hole 18 is furthermore formed in the female part 11 and lies opposite to the opening 17; said hole is adapted for the insertion and anchoring of the means for fixing the female part 11 to the fabric, which are not shown in the figures. With particular reference to figure 6, a mold particularly adapted for forming the ring 12 with a D- shaped cross-section is shown and is generally designated by the reference numeral 19. The mold 19 comprises a fixed lower half mold 20, in which a circular impression 21 is formed; its surface contributes to form the corresponding surface of the element 12 that corresponds to the straight portion and to the lower half of the curved portion of the transverse cross-section. The mold 19 furthermore comprises a movable upper half mold 22, in which an impression 23 is provided that cooperates to form the remaining contour of the outer surface of the ring 12 that corresponds to the upper half of the curved portion of the transverse cross-section. An injection-molding passage 24 is also formed in the lower half mold 20. The particular configuration of the impressions of the mold 19 causes the formed ring 12 to always remain "attached" to the lower half mold 20, after injection has occurred, when the upper half mold 22 is opened; in this manner it is sufficient to provide extractors, not shown, only in said lower half mold 20. ith particular reference to figure 7, a press-stud according to the invention, in a second embodiment, has a structure that is generally similar to the one of the first embodiment, to which reference is made for a more detailed description, except for the ring that retains the male part during closure, which in this case is designated by the reference numeral 100. In this second embodiment, the portion of the circumferential surface of the ring 100 that is directed outwards is shaped so as to form protrusions 101 that protrude radially outwards and are equidistant. With particular reference to figure 8, a press-stud according to the invention, in a third embodiment, has a structure which is generally similar to the first embodiment, to which reference is made for a more detailed description, except for the ring that retains the male part during closure, which in this case is designated by the reference numeral 200. In this third embodiment, the portion of the circumferential surface of the ring 200 that is directed inwards is shaped so as to form protrusions 201 that protrude radially inwards and are equidistant. With particular reference to figures 9 to 11, a press- stud according to the invention, in a fourth embodiment, comprises an elastic element that is constituted by a closed ring 311 made of elastomeric material which has a polygonal and preferably hexagonal shape. Its cross-section is advantageously D-shaped, with an inner rounded part 312 and an outer flat part 313. Nylon or a similar material is preferred among elastomers. In figure 9, the circle 314 drawn in dashed lines has been traced to point out the regions of the corners 315 by means of which the ring 311 can rest against the groove 316 of the female part 317 in which it is accommodated. When the end 318 of the male part 330 is inserted, the sides 319 deform by flexing, allowing its passage; said flexural deformation is optionally combined with an elastic elongation of the ring 311. With reference to figures 12 to 14, a press-stud according to the invention, in a fifth embodiment, comprises an elastic element that is constituted by a closed elastomeric ring 411 having a substan ially polygonal shape. The surface portion of the ring 411 that is directed inwards is substantially hexagonal and forms internal corners 416. The surface portion of said ring 411 that is directed outwards is shaped so as to form node-like protrusions 415 that are equidistant and protrude outwards at the corners 416 of the hexagon of the internal surface. The cross-section is advantageously D-shaped, with the rounded part 412 on the inside and the flat part 413 on the outside. Said protrusions 415, as pointed out by the circle 414 traced in dashed lines, form the regions by means of which the ring 411 can rest against the groove of the female part in which it is accommodated. At the same time, the internal hexagon reduces the retention surface when the male part is in the closure step. Accordingly, when the male part is inserted, the sides 419 undergo a flexural deformation that allows said male part to pass; said deformation is optionally combined with an elastic elongation of the ring 411. Said sides 419 for connecting the node-like protrusions 415 have a variable cross-section, so that they are thinner in the central part and stronger at said protrusions 415. In practice it has been observed that the present invention has achieved the intended aim and objects. In particular, it should be noted that the various materials constituting said ring and the body of the female part fully eliminate the problem of unpleasant noises both when the press-stud is closed and when it is open. Furthermore, the structure of the press-stud according to the invention is very simple from the production viewpoint and does not entail particular complications in the operations required to produce it. Accordingly, the press-stud according to the invention achieves production costs and machining times that are highly competitive with respect to the conventional ones. Furthermore, the press-stud according to the invention, by using the intrinsic flexibility of elastomers (nylon or equivalent materials), allows the operations for closing and opening the female part and the male part to be easy and gentle, despite ensuring good retention and functionality in general. The present invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the same inventive concept; thus, for example, the cross-section of the ring may be circular and the protrusions can be formed simultaneously outward and inward. The details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. The materials and the dimensions may be any according to the requirements.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A press-stud comprising a female part to which one end of a male part is anchored in the closed configuration by forcing with elastic deformation of a ring that is accommodated in a circumferential groove formed inside said female part, characterized in that said ring is closed, is made of elastomeric material, and is accommodated in said groove. 2. A press-stud according to claim 1, characterized in that said ring has a D-shaped cross-section, the surface portion that relates to the curved part of the cross- section being directed inwards and interfering with said end of said male part. 3. A press-stud according to claim 1, characterized in that said ring has a circular cross-section. 4. A press-stud according to claim 1, characterized in that said ring is locked inside said groove. 5. A press-stud according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface of said groove has a substantially semicircular transverse profile, except for an annular region that is folded inwards and forms, in said female part, the access opening for said male part and locks said ring. 6. A press-stud according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface portion of said ring that is directed inwards is shaped so as to form protrusions that extend radially inwards. 7. A press-stud according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface portion of said ring that is directed outwards is shaped so as to form protrusions that extend radially outwards. 8. A press-stud according to claim 1, characterized in that in said ring both the surface portion that is directed outwards and the surface portion that is directed inwards are shaped so as to form protrusions extending radially and respectively outwards and inwards. 9. A press-stud according to claim 1, characterized in that said ring has a polygonal shape. 10. A press-stud according to claim 9, characterized in that said polygonal ring has a D-shaped cross-section in which the internal parts are curved and the external parts are flat. 11. A press-stud according to claim 1, characterized in that said ring is hexagonal. 12. A press-stud according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface portion of said ring that is directed inwards is polygonal and forms corners, and in that the surface portion that is directed outwards is shaped so as to form protrusions that extend radially at said corners. 13. A press-stud according to claim 12, characterized in that the surface portion of said ring that is directed inwards is hexagonal. 14. A press-stud according to claim 1, characterized in that said ring rests in the corresponding seat of the female part only with protruding regions defined along its perimeter.

Inventors: CANDOTTI RICCARDO, CANDOTTI, RICCARDO
Applicants: CANDOTTI RICCARDO, COBRA SRL, CANDOTTI, RICCARDO, COBRA S.R.L.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A44B17
IPC codes: A44B17