Abstract:
A button tool is adapted to assist a person fastening a button through a button hole. The tool includes a handle, a button hook, and a button hole spreader. In one configuration, the handle includes four longitudinally disposed ribs with one of the ribs functioning as a base rib while the other three ribs are spaced apart and disposed perpendicular to the base rib. The button hook defines a button opening and a hook opening with the button opening being larger than the hook opening. The button hole spreader is disposed between the button hook and the handle. The button hole spreader includes an abutment plate adapted to prevent the button tool from being readily pushed entirely through a button hole.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of and priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/731,589 filed 28 Oct. 2005; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Technical Field  
         [0003]     The present invention relates generally to hand tools and, more particularly, to hand tools designed to assist those who have trouble manipulating small objects such as the buttons and zippers on everyday clothing. Specifically, the present invention relates to a hand tool that is used to pull a button through a button hole.  
         [0004]     2. Background Information  
         [0005]     Shirt buttons are one of the daily frustrations for those who have difficulty manipulating small objects with one or both hands. The process of aligning a button with a button hole is difficult and time consuming for anyone who has difficulty grasping and manipulating fine objects between the thumb and finger or for those with limited eyesight. Various devices are known in the art for pulling a button through a button hole. Despite the existence of these devices, room for improvement remains in the art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The invention provides a button tool that assists a user in pulling a button through a button hole or aligning the button with the hole so that the button may be pushed through the button hole.  
         [0007]     In one configuration, the invention provides a button tool having a handle, a button hole spreader, and a button hook. The button hole spreader is disposed between the button hook and the handle to allow the user to spread open the button hole before pulling the button through the button hole with the button hook.  
         [0008]     In another configuration, the invention provides a button hole spreader configuration wherein tapered fins are disposed up against an abutment plate that prevents the handle from being pushed through the button hole.  
         [0009]     Another configuration provides dual button hooks for different-sized buttons.  
         [0010]     In another configuration, a zipper hook is connected to the handle and may be used to hook a zipper so that it may be pulled up or down with the tool. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of the tool of the invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a right side view of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the encircled portion of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a front elevation view of an alternative configuration of the tool of the invention.  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of an alternative configuration of the tool of the invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is a top plan view of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
       [0018]     The drawings are not to scale. Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the specification.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0019]     An exemplary configuration of the tool of the invention is indicated generally by the numeral  2  in the accompanying drawings and written description. Tool  2  generally includes a handle  4  adapted to be held and manipulated like a pen or pencil. Handle  4  has a first end and a second end. Tool  2  also includes a button hole spreader  6  and a button hook  8  disposed at the first end of handle  4 . In an optional configuration, tool  2  may include a zipper hook  10  disposed at the second end of handle  4 . Tool  2  may be used by a user to pull a button through a button hole by fishing button hook  8  through the button hole from the front of the button hole towards the back of the hole. The user pushes button hook  8  through the button hole until button hole spreader  6  engages the material surrounding and defining the button hole. The user may then elect to use tool  2  at this time to spread open the button hole by twisting, wiggling, or pushing button hole spreader  6  around in the button hole. The user then hooks the button to be pulled through the button hole with button hook  8 . The user also may wait until the button is hooked to spread open the button hole. One benefit of the configuration of tool  2  is that tool  2  automatically spreads the button hole during the process of hooking a button because of the tapered configuration and location of button hole spreader  6 . Once the button is hooked, the user pulls on tool  2  to pull the button through the button hole. This process is repeated for any other buttons needed to be fastened. In the optional configuration, the user may hook zipper pulls with hook  10  in order to pull them up or down.  
         [0020]     In one configuration, handle  4  includes four longitudinally disposed ribs  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26 . Rib  20  functions as a base rib with ribs  22 ,  24 , and  26  being spaced from one another and disposed perpendicular to base rib  20 . Rib  24  is centered with respect to rib  20  with ribs  22  and  26  disposed adjacent to, but spaced from, the ends of rib  20 . The tips of each rib (as seen in  FIG. 3 ) may be rounded or angled to create a generally rounded feel to handle  4 . The spacing between ribs  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26  provide handle  4  with desirable gripping characteristics.  
         [0021]     A pocket clip  30  may be connected to and cantilevered from one of ribs  20 ,  22 ,  24 , or  26 . Clip  30  extends parallel to the ribs. Handle  4  defines a recess  32  or through opening  32  under clip  30 .  
         [0022]     Handle  4  may define an optional finger recess  40  near the first end of handle  4 . Recess  40  may be formed with combined cooperating recesses in ribs  22 ,  24 , and  26 . Finger recess  40  may be used to help the user grip handle  4 .  
         [0023]     Button hole spreader  6  includes an abutment plate  50  disposed at the first end of handle  4 . Abutment plate  50  is wider than handle  4  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ) and is thus wider than ribs  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26  (although the first end of rib  24  may be flared outwardly to smoothly merge with plate  50 ). Abutment plate  50  has two opposite rounded ends  52  and two opposite flat sides  54  as shown in  FIG. 3 . This configuration has been found to be desirable for stopping tool  2  from being pushed through button holes while providing a comfortable configuration for holding tool  2  in a pocket. The distance between flat sides  54  is 0.45 inches.  
         [0024]     Button hole spreader  6  is generally tapered from its maximum dimension (for example—0.5 inches) at abutment plate  50  to a minimum dimension at its end distal to handle  4 . In the exemplary configuration, button hole spreader  6  includes a plurality of generally triangular fins disposed at right angles to form the tapering configuration. A base fin  60  is connected to abutment plate  50  and tapers down to a distal tip that is connected to button hook  8 . A pair of secondary spreader fins  62  are connected to opposite sides of base fin  60  and are disposed at right angles to base fin  60 . Each secondary spreader fin  62  has a length that is less than the length of base fin  60  but each may be between 75 percent and 95 percent of the base fin length.  
         [0025]     Button hook  8  defines a button opening  70  adapted to fit over most typical buttons and thus has a width of about 0.42 inches at its widest location. Button hook  8  also defines a hook opening  72  that merges into button opening  70 . Hook opening  72  is elongated and has a width of 0.064 inches and a length of 0.331 inches. These ranges have been found to be useful for allowing button hook  8  to slide behind a button after tool  2  has been placed over top of a button. Button hook  8  has a generally thin body  74  that defines both openings  70  and  72 . Body  74  may be continuous as shown in the drawings or may extend only partially around openings  70  and  72 . The continuous body  74  is desirable because it prevents snags when tool  2  is placed in a pocket.  
         [0026]     Zipper hook  10  extends from a zipper hook fin  80  connected to the second end of handle  4 . Zipper hook  10  has a straight shank disposed 70 degrees with respect to the longitudinal direction of handle  4 .  
         [0027]     An alternative configuration of tool  2  is depicted in  FIG. 5 . In this alternative configuration, a second button hole spreader  6  and button hook  8  are disposed at the second end of handle  4 . The second spreader  6  and hook  8  are configured for smaller buttons that are less than ⅔ the size of the buttons used with the first spreader  6  and hook  8 .  
         [0028]     Another alternative configuration of tool  2  is depicted in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . Elements that are similar to those described above are identified with the same reference numerals in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . In this configuration, the abutment plate is in the form of a pair of arms  50  extending outwardly from the sides of rib  20 . Each abutment arm  50  has the same thickness as rib  20 . In this configuration, base fin  60  of spreader  6  is a portion of rib  20  that tapers down toward hook  8  from a maximum width at arms  50 . In this configuration, secondary spreader fins  62  taper outwardly from a narrowest width at arms  50  to a widest width spaced from arms  50 . Fins  62  taper back to base fin  60  from their widest width adjacent hook opening  70 . Fins  62  are smoothly curved so that they will smoothly pass through the button hole. Spacing the widest location of fin  60  from the widest location of fins  62  allows the button hole to be spread open at two different times when tool  2  is used. Fins  62  will initially spread open the button hole when hook  8  is pushed through the hole. The user may then continue to push the tool into the hole to use fin  60  to open up the button hole. The user may rotate the tool if necessary. The user then hooks a button with hook  8  and pulls the tool back through the opening. The widest area of fins  62  thus spread open the button hole immediately before the hooked button is pulled through the hole.  
         [0029]     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.  
         [0030]     Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.