Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Separable-fastener or required component thereof – Including member having distinct formations and mating...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-27
2001-05-08
Sakran, Victor N. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Separable-fastener or required component thereof
Including member having distinct formations and mating...
C024S322100, C024S666000, C024S678000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226845
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to spring clips. More particularly, the present invention relates to a resilient buckle clip for receiving and for engaging a fastener such as a button having a shank to define a fastening and strap supporting device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It was recognized by the present inventor that there is a need for an improved spring clip, particularly a garment buckle clip of the type used to support straps on overalls, jeans, trousers or suspenders.
One type of known clips are single piece retention clips. The one piece clips were forms made into a one piece loop of a welded wire or from stamped metal which had relatively little flexibility. These clips are urged over a button shank and retained a garment in place by gravity since there was no spring tension to hold a clip onto the shank of a button; however, these one piece clips were prone to separating from the garment. Furthermore, pieces which are welded together are subject to breakage due to fatigue after repeated use and after frequent laundering.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,561 to Kipperman shows an improved spring clip garment loop for engaging and disengaging a button. In a preferred embodiment, the loop is manufactured from a single piece of wire which provides for resilient movement of a button receiving portion by means of an interlocked sliding horizontal strap bar. The exposed interlocking ends of the sliding horizontal bar can snag and abrade the garment and can grasp and collect pieces of dirt and lint from the surrounding garment area which will become entrapped in the interlocking ends and thereby interfere with the operation of the spring clip.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 396,827 to Luk shows an ornamental design for a buckle having a loop and a pair of round portions of the loop exposed through apertures formed in a cylindrical housing.
Another known method of making a spring clip is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,269 to Hirsch which discloses a resilient spring clip shoulder strap loop with a U-shaped resilient wire loop that has a saddle-shaped exposed encasement attached to a non-circular button receiving and button securing portion. The encasement has a closed pocket and an open notch for the button shank. One disadvantage of the spring clip is that the rigid assembly of the saddle shaped encasement to the non-circular button portion of the loop may be cumbersome and highly susceptible to weak assembly due to poor mating of parts which could result in the unintentional formation of burrs or sharp edges on the encasement. Furthermore, the exposed encasement could become distorted during laundering or from repeated use which could severely impair operation. The encasement may be therefore subjected to premature and unwanted loss particularly when a child plays with it and pries it loose or sucks or bites on it thereby risking the possibility of swallowing it or risking the possibility of being cut by the external burrs or sharp edges. Still another problem of the spring clip is that the open notched section, due to its upward facing, gravity favorable, orientation, serves as a conduit through which dirt and lint could enter and collect in the pocket of the encasement which will eventually jam and interfere with operation.
Accordingly, it becomes clear that there is a great need for a buckle clip for receiving and for engaging a fastener such as a button having a shank to define a fastening and strap supporting device which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art clips. Such a buckle clip should be one that is easy to use, positively engages and disengages a button and is economically manufactured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a buckle clip for receiving and for engaging a fastener such as a button having a shank to define a fastening and strap supporting device which avoids the aforementioned problems of prior art devices.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved buckle clip which provides resilient lateral movement of a button receiving and of a button retaining portion for positively engaging and disengaging the button.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved buckle clip which may be manufactured from a single piece of continuously formed resilient wire.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a buckle clip with a loop that has a bight portion for suspension from a strap, a pair of arms for receiving a fastener such as a button having a shank and an open portion for receiving and removably retaining the button.
Another object of this invention to provide a buckle clip that has a bight portion having a first end and a second end and a pair of feet portions.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a buckle clip that has a pair of feet portions having a groove and a first pair of contact surfaces and a second pair of contact surfaces thereon disposed in close proximity to the first end and to the second end of the bight portion near the midpoint of the bight portion and the pair of feet portions of said bight portion being resiliently separable and normally spring biased toward each other to engage the shank of the button.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a buckle clip which has an encasement for completely enveloping the first end and the second end of the pair of feet portions which is slideably attachable to the bight portion of the loop.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a buckle clip which has an encasement having side passageways through which a part of the pair of feet portions extend, within the encasement, to engage and to release the fastener as they separate when the pair of feet portions resiliently move laterally.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a buckle clip that has an encasement having a pair of stop walls integrally formed within a front wall of the encasement by punching and by inwardly bending a portion of the front wall thereby resulting in the creation of a pair of apertures in the front wall and the stop walls being disposed interiorly of the encasement.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a buckle clip that has an encasement with the stop walls cooperating with the groove of the pair of feet portions and with the first pair of contact surfaces and with the second pair of contact surfaces for limiting the resilient lateral movement of the pair of feet portions to prevent over extension of the loop.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a buckle clip that has an encasement being developed from a C-shaped member formed from an elongated substantially planar sheet of rigid material.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a buckle clip that is simple in design, simple to manufacture, low in cost and easy to use.
This invention results from the realization that there is a great need for an improved spring clip, particularly a buckle clip of the type used to support straps on garments such as on overalls, jeans, trousers or suspenders. The resulting invention provides a user the capability of conveniently and securely engaging and disengaging a fastener such as a button to the garment.
The above and the other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention, which, according to a first aspect, provides a buckle clip comprising a loop. The loop may be continuously formed from a resilient wire, and the loop having a bight portion for suspension from a strap, a pair of arms for receiving a fastener such as a button having a shank and an open portion for receiving and for removably retaining the button. The bight portion has a first end and a second end and a pair of feet portions. The pair of feet portions have a groove thereon disposed in close proximity to the first end and to the second end of the bight portion near the midpoint of the bight portion. The pair of feet portions have a first pair of contact surfaces and a second pair of contact surfaces. The pair of feet portions of the bight port
Birkner Joseph R.
Sakran Victor N.
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