Patent ID: 8656561

Claim:
An apparatus for replacing a button of a shirt, comprising: a pin comprising a head configured to engage a button hole of the shirt, and a stem having a first end fixedly attached to the head and a second end longitudinally opposing the first end and configured to pass through a fabric of the shirt; and a base configured to receive the stem, the base comprising: a case comprising an open top and an open bottom, the case comprising a first opening and a second opening in a wall of the case, the first opening offset from a center of the case in a first direction, the second opening offset from the center of the case in a second direction, the first direction opposite the second direction; a top surface covering the open top of the case, the top surface having an opening through which the stem is received; a bottom surface covering the open bottom of the case; a first spring comprising a first plurality of flex segments, a first end, a second end, and an engagement portion extending from the second end of the first spring, wherein the first end of the first spring is anchored to the wall of the case in a first location opposite the first opening; a second spring comprising a second plurality of flex segments, a first end, a second end, and an engagement portion extending from the second end of the second spring, wherein the first end of the second spring is anchored to the wall of the case in a second location opposite the second opening; a first release button having clips engaging the second end of the first spring, the first release button inserted in the first opening; and a second release button having clips engaging the second end of the second spring, the second release button inserted in the second opening, wherein the engagement portion of the first spring is forced toward the engagement portion of the second spring by the first spring and the engagement portion of the second spring is forced toward the engagement portion of the first spring by the second spring, the engagement portion of the first spring and the engagement portion of the second spring configured to frictionally retain the pin, the first release button and the second release button each travelling along linear paths parallel to each other, in response to pinching by a user, based on the configuration of the first opening and the second opening, respectively, and being fixed to the first spring and the second spring, respectively.