Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Having magnetic fastener
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-18
2001-02-06
Sakran, Victor N. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Having magnetic fastener
C024S066100, C292S251500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182336
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a magnetic fastener which includes manually separable male and female assemblies of a type which may be used with the closure flap of a handbag. The magnetic fastener serves to utilize attractive forces between a permanent magnet and one assembly in a ferromagnetic member and the other assembly so as to provide a magnetic, mechanically locked engagement therebetween. The locking engagement between the permanent magnet and the ferromagnetic member may then be manually released upon actuation of a lock release button.
2. Discussion of the Background
The fastener of the present invention comprises a variation of a general type of magnetic fastener such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,021,891; 4,453,294; and 5,274,889, and more particularly, is an improvement of the magnetic type slide fasteners shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,199,138; 5,253,394; 5,377,392; 5,515,581 and 5,572,772, the disclosure of each of the above-noted patents being incorporated herein by reference. The magnetic fasteners described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,021,891; 4,453,294 and 5,274,889 include cooperating female and male member assemblies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The magnetic fastener of the present invention provides for a manually operable lock release button which serves to quickly and efficiently permit release of locking engagement between a male and female assembly. The female assembly includes a movable lock member freely slidably positioned therein and a lock release button movably mounted to the female assembly. The male assembly includes a magnetic member, the male member being engageable with the lock release button. The movable lock member has an opening provided therein with which a portion of the male assembly is positionable such that, in a locked position, the movable member is shiftable to a position in proximity with the ferromagnetic member and, upon engagement of the release button with the male assembly, the movable member is shiftable to a position spaced from the magnetic member so as to release locking engagement. The position of the magnetic member and the lock member are capable of being exchangeable, if desired.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a lock release button and lock member each of which is provided with cam surfaces that are spaced apart in the unlocked position and are in contact with one another in the locked position.
An additional object of the present invention is to utilize a female assembly which includes a housing within which a lock release button is movable in a first direction while the lock member is movable in a second direction transverse to the direction of movement of the lock release button.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method fastening a fastener having the female assembly and male assembly and which includes the steps of positioning a lock member in the female assembly so as to be freely slidable therein, positioning the lock release button so as to be spaced from the lock member in the locked position of the fastener and to be in contact with the lock member in the unlocked position of the fastener and engaging the male assembly with the female assembly so as to slide the lock member from being in proximity with the magnetic member in the locked position of the fastener and to be spaced from the magnetic member in the unlocked position of the fastener. In the alternative, the position of the magnetic member and the lock member are exchangeable.
As a particularly advantageous aspect of the present invention, in addition to providing increased security of closure, a minimum number of easily manufactured and assembled parts is utilized, thereby resulting in a low cost magnetic fastener.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and drawings.
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Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Sakran Victor N.
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