Patent Publication Number: US-8522403-B2

Title: Button as well as button body and fixture for such a button

Description:
The disclosure of European Patent Application No. 08021555.1 filed on Dec. 11, 2008 including specification, drawings and claims are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to a button comprising a button body and a fixture for fixing said button body to a support from the opposite side to the button body with the support therebetween, said button body having an insert hole defined by a wall, for the fixture to be inserted therein, and at least one protrusion for fixing on said support. 
     Buttons of the above-mentioned kind are known, e.g. from EP 1 541 050 A1. With conventional buttons, when the fixture is inserted into the insert hole the insert hole and thereby the wall defining said hole is urged to expand, since the part of the fixture to be inserted has a larger outer diameter as compared to the inner diameter of the insert hole. With the conventional button, however, there is strong resistance against such an expansion because said protrusion is positioned on said wall defining said insert hole. In other words, if said wall is to be expanded, said protrusion must be expanded (lengthened) as well. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an object of the present invention to enhance the button known from EP 1 541 050 A1 so that the resistance against expansion of the wall defining the insert hole is reduced. 
     According to the present invention, the above object is achieved by a gap between said protrusion and said wall defining said insert hole. 
     Resulting from said gap, the wall defining the insert hole can be expanded when the fixture is inserted into the insert hole, without simultaneously expanding the protrusion, resulting in that the overall resistance against said extension is reduced. Thereby, it is easier to mount the button by inserting the fixture into said insert hole. The shock given to the button body by inserting the fixture into the insert hole is reduced by said gap. The gap compensates for the size of the material that gets taken into the insert hole when the fixture is mounted. 
     Preferably, the outer diameter of said insert hole defining wall increases in at least one axial section in the direction from a lower side of the button body facing the support to an upper side of the button body. 
     Thereby, the resistance against expansion is lowered, while sufficient stability of the button body is simultaneously guaranteed. 
     While the button body may have any contour, it is preferred that the outer contour of the insert hole defining wall is conical in at least one axial section in the direction from a lower side of the button body facing the support to an upper side of the button body. 
     Preferably, said protrusion has a circular cross section. This results in advantages during production. 
     Moreover, said protrusion preferably has a conical head portion. Once again, this results in advantages during production. Furthermore, this contour has advantages regarding the attachment to the support. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cross section of the insert hole is increasing, particularly stepwise, from a lower side of the button body facing the support to an upper side of the button body. This makes the connection stronger. 
     To this end, it is preferable that the depth of the gap essentially corresponds to the axial length of the lowest (and smallest) part of the insert hole or is even larger, because in this part of the button body the expansion of the wall is expected to be largest. 
     According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the fixture has at least one protrusion for fixing on said support. 
     Said protrusion preferably has pyramid form. 
     According to an even more preferred embodiment, said protrusion of said fixture and said protrusion of said button body cooperate to clasp said support when mounted. It is clear that they need to have certain positions relative to one another. 
     More preferably, said protrusion of said fixture is positioned radially inside or radially outside said protrusion of said button body, when mounted. Thereby, radial or lateral movement is prevented, particularly with view to thin material supports. 
     Preferably, means for preventing the fixture from rotating relative to the button body is provided. Thereby, it is possible to make sure that the protrusion of the button body on the one hand and the protrusion of the fixture on the other hand are mounted in the correct relative position to guarantee the above functions. 
     To this end, said rotation-preventing means comprises at least one protrusion, particularly a rib or a tread. 
     The present invention does not refer to the above button only, but also to a button body and to a fixture of such a button. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following, the invention is explained referring to a preferred embodiment. To this end, reference is made to the drawings, of which 
         FIG. 1A  is a plan view of a button body according to a preferred embodiment, 
         FIG. 1B  is a sectional view of the button body shown in  FIG. 1A , 
         FIG. 2A  is a plain view of a fixture adapted to the button body of  FIG. 1A , 
         FIG. 2B  is a partially cut away side view of the fixture shown in  FIG. 2A , 
         FIG. 3A  is a partially cut-away side view of a button according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, before attaching, and 
         FIG. 3B  is a partially cut-away side view of a button according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, after attaching. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a button body  10  includes a collar  12 , a shaft  14  and an insert hole  16  for a fixture  18  to be inserted therein. Button body  10  is made of a material allowing to expand the external form of shaft  14  to be out of position when fixture  18  is inserted into insert hole  16 , such as synthetic resin as used in this embodiment. 
     Insert hole  16  has a step-like form, with the inner diameter becoming smaller step by step toward an end face facing fixture  18 . In this embodiment, insert hole  16  includes a first hole  16 A, a second hole  16 B with the inner diameter being smaller than first hole  16 A, and a third hole  16 C with the inner diameter being smaller than that of second hole  16 B arranged sequentially on the three steps as described above. In some embodiments, first hole  16 A is referred to as a first part, and second hole  16 B and third hole  16 C together are referred to as a second part. As shown in  FIG. 1B , the second part extends from a bottom edge of first part  16 A to the end face (also referred to as the lower portion) of the button body  10  and the diameter of the second part is smaller than the diameter of the first part. In some embodiments, the diameter of the second part decreases in step fashion as described above and as shown in  FIG. 1B . 
     Protrusions  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  are formed integrally with shaft  14 . They have circular cross sections and a conical head portion. Between said protrusions  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  and a wall  28  defining insert hole  16 , there is a gap  30 , allowing wall  28  to expand when fixture  18  is inserted into insert hole  16 . Wall  28  has a conical outer contour where it defines third insert hole  16 C and partly where it defines second insert hole  16 B. The depth of the gap  30  essentially corresponds to the axial length of the third hole  16 C or is even larger, because in this part of the button body  10  the expansion of the wall  28  is expected to be largest. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , in this embodiment, the wall  28  having a circular tube shape which defines the insert hole  16  therein and a second wall having a circular tube shape which surrounds the wall  28  with the circular-shaped gap  30  therebetween are provided at a lower side of the button body  10 . The protrusions  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  are formed on a circular end face of the second wall at a regular interval. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , fixture  18  includes an insert shaft  32  to be inserted into insert hole  16  of button body  10 , and a flange  34  integrally formed on a base end side of insert shaft  32 . In this embodiment, fixture  18  is made of metal. 
     Insert shaft  32  includes a guide part  36  having a conical tip and also having a round cross section perpendicular to a center line of insert shaft  32  and an engagement  38 . Insert shaft  32  has an outer diameter that is larger than an inner diameter of second hole  16 B of insert hole  16 . For instance, when an inner diameter of second hole  16 B is 15 mm and an outer diameter of insert shaft  32  is 21 mm, the inner diameter of hole  16 B expands by the difference, namely by 6 mm when fixture  18  is mounted to button body  10 . 
     On an inner surface of flange  34 , protrusions  40 ,  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50  are formed, each having a form like a quadrangular pyramid, and arranged to cooperate with protrusions  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 , respectively, in order to therebetween clasp a support (not shown in the drawings) to which the button is to be fixed. Furthermore, on said inner surface of flange  34  are ring-formed concave-convex portions  47  which are provided concentrically around insert shaft  32 , one of which being referred to as number  52 . With the configuration as described above, when button body  10  is to be fixed on a support, such as a fabric of a garment, fixture  18  is inserted into insert hole  16  through the fabric from the opposite side from button body  10  with the fabric therebetween. Then, wall  28  is expanded outwards to the outer side. 
     In this state, the fabric is held between the protruding end face of wall  28  and the inner surface of flange  34 . Furthermore, said protrusions  40 ,  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50  serve for holding said fabric and for preventing lateral or radial movement of fixture  18  relative to button body  10 . Said protrusions  40 ,  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50  of the fixture  18  may be positioned radially inside or radially outside said protrusions  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  of the button body  10  when the fixture  18  is mounted in the button body  10 . In this embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the protrusions  40 ,  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50  are disposed so as to be opposed to the gap  30 . That is, the protrusions  40 ,  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 ,  50  are positioned radially inside the protrusions  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  of the button body  10 . 
     The button includes a rotation-preventing means for preventing the fixture  18  from rotating relative to the button body  10 . The rotation-preventing means may include at least one protrusion. In this embodiment, for example, a plurality of projected treads  54  is provided on the outer peripheral surface of insert shaft  32  with a specified space therebetween along the radial direction of the shaft  32 . With this configuration, projected treads  54  crimp into insert hole  16  of button body  10 , preventing rotational movement of fixture  18  relative to button body  10 . The rotation-preventing means may be a rib. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , button body  10  can be provided with a cap  56  made of metal. However, this is optional. 
     The embodiment shown in the drawings and described above is a button for jeans. However, the present invention is not limited to buttons for jeans, but can be used for other supports, such as other types of garments or for other than garments. 
     It is apparent that many modifications and variations can be made to the button described and illustrated here, all of which come within the scope of the invention, as defined in the attached claims.