GB1560897A

GB1560897A - Snap fastener assembly

Info

Publication number: GB1560897A
Application number: GB4549576A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Textron Inc
Current assignee: Textron Inc
Priority date: 1975-11-04
Filing date: 1976-11-02
Publication date: 1980-02-13
Also published as: FR2330349A1; BE847876A; LU76094A1; AU506123B2; CA1059295A; FR2330349B3; DE2649892A1; JPS5286837A; AU1926176A; NL7612136A

Description

(54) SNAP FASTENER ASSEMBLY (71) We, TEXTRON INC., a corporation organised and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America, of 40 Westminster Street, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following state ment:- This invenion relates to snap fasteners and more particularly to a snap fastener assembly suitable for attachment to garment materials.

Various types of snap fastener assemblies for garment-like materials are known, which are generally made from a suitable moulded plastics material. Such a snap fastener assembly normally comprises a stud plate, a socket plate and first and second backing plates which are used respectively to clamp the stud plate and the socket plate to material.

One of the problems associated with known forms of such snap fastener assemblies is that the material clamped between two plates is pierced by the parts joining the plates and, inasmuch as snap fasteners are often unsnapped by pullng on the materal, it is common for the material to tear around the snap fastener. Also, inasmuch as these fasteners are often incorporated in garments, it is a problem if the halves of the assembly cannot rotate relative to each other.

According to the present invention there is provided a snap fastener assembly comprising a pair of generally planar base plates of molded plastics material, each base plate having a front surface and a mating surface and locking means on the front surface adapted for snap locking engagement with co-operating locking means of the other base plate, and each of the base plates further having a plurality of bores extending through it from the mating surface to the front surface, and a pair of generally planar backing plates of molded plastics material, one to be associated with each base plate, each backing plate having a mating surface and a backing surface and a plurality of pins upstanding from its mating surface at positions corresponding to the bores in the associated base plate, the pins in use being inserted through a sheet of material into the bores and being deformed within those bores thereby to clamp the mating surfaces of the base plate and the associated backing plate together with the sheet of material held therebetween, and each backing plate further having on its mating surface an annular rib around at least one of its pins to cooperate with an annular groove around the respective bore of the associated base plate to firmly grasp the sheet of material between the base plate and the backing plate without tearing.

The snap fastener assembly thus has a backing plate positively secured to a base plate in such a way that there is a reduced tendency for material clamped between them to tear.

Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following decription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of one form of snap fastener of this invention.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is an enlarged cut-away view of the snap fastener assembly illustrating on either side of the centre line different cross sections of the snap fastener assembly.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the stud half of the snap fastener assembly of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the socket half of the snap fastener assembly of Fig. 1.

As is shown in Fig. 1, the present invention is embodied in a snap fastener assembly 10. The snap fastener assembly 10 includes a stud base plate 12 and a socket base plate 14 and first and second backing plates 16 and 18 connected to the stud base and the socket base plates 12 and 14 respectively. The plates 12, 14, 16 and 18 are preferably of molded plastics construction such as a suitable polymeric material, as for example, Valox. Plates 12, 14, 16 and 18 when assembled together form the snap fastener assembly 10 of relatively thin overall construction as is shown in Fig.

1. Fabric of garment parts or other sheets of woven or non-woven material of appropriate thickness are interposed between the stud base plate 12 and the backing plate 16 as indicated at 20 in Figs. 1 and 2 and between the socket base plate 14 and the backing plate 18 as indicated at 22 in Figs.

1 and 3. The manner in which the plates 12 and 16 and 14 and 18 are assembled and positively secured together with the respective material 20 and 22 clamped securely therebetween will be more fully set forth hereinafter. Each one of the plates 12, 14, 16 and 18 of the snap fastener assembly 10 may be of any similar shape but are preferably of square shaped configurations as depicted in Figs. 1 to 3.

The stud base plate 12 has a front surface 24 and a mating surface 26 with four bores 28 extending through the plate 12 connecting the surfaces 24 and 26. Each one of the bores 28 is disposed at one of the four corners of the stud base plate 12. A stud element 38 of a generally round horizontal cross section projects upward from a top annular surface 40 of the boss 36. The upper end of the stud element 38 has a frustro-conical portion that terminates at its lower end in an indentation 42 that merges with the inner radial edge d the annular surface 40. One or more arcuate shaped recesses 41 may be formed in the mating surface 26 of the stud base plate 12 as shown in Fig. 1.

Since some of the parts of the socket base plate 14 have similar structure and function to the corresponding parts of the stud base plate 12, the parts of the socket base plate that correspond to parts of the stud base plate have been given a similar numerals with 100 added. For example, the socket base plate 14 includes bores 128 extending between a front surface 124 and a mating surface 126. An upstanding socket element 43 projects above the front surface 124 of the socket base plate 14 centrally disposed between the four bores 124. An aperture 46 of frusto-conical shape extends from a top annular flat surface 44 of the socket element 42 through the socket base plate 14 to the mating surface 126.The aperture 46 is narrowest adjacent the top surface 44 of the socket element 43, while the aperture 46 has a diameter less than the maximum diameter of the stud element 38.

Each one of the generally square first and second backing plates 16 and 18 includes a backing surface 50 and a mating surface 52. Four pins 54 of similar shape project upward from the mating surface 52 of each of the backing plates 16 and 18 and are disposed at each of the four corners of each of the backing plates. Each of the pins 54 has a lower section of frustroconical shape terminating at the top in an upper pointed conical end 56. The lower end of each of the pins 54 has a diameter no greater than the diameter of the bores 28 and 128 in the base plates 12 and 14.

Furthermore, each of the pins 54 has a height greater than the overall combined depth of the bores 24 and 124 together with the counterbores 30 and 130. An annular rib 58 is formed on the mating surface 52 of each of the backing plates 16 and 18 around the lower end of each of the pins 54.

The four annular ribs 58 on each of the backing plates 16 and 18 are arranged so as to be in alignment with the four annular grooves 34 and 134 of the respective base plate 12 and 14. A circular recess 60 is formed in the mating surface 52 of each of the backing plates 16 and 18 and is centrally located between and spaced from the four pins 54 and the four annular ribs 58. The outer peripheral edge of each of the backing plates 16 and 18 may include a bevel 62.

Prior to the assembly of the backing plate 16 to the stud base plate 12 the sheet of material 20 is placed over the four pins 54 of the plate 16, spaced portions of the material 20 being pierced by the conical ends 56 of the four pins 54 and the material resting on the mating surface 52 of plate 16 as is depicted in Fig. 2. The stud base plate 12 is then placed over the pins 54 of the backing plate 16, the bores 28 of the stud base plate 12 aligned with the conical ends of the pins 54. The stud base plate 12 is then lowered so that the pins 54 are received in the bores 24 so as to loosely assemble plates 12 and 16 with the material 20 interposed between the respective mating surfaces 26 and 52. With the backing surface 50 of the backing plate 16 being supported in some fashion and the conical end 56 of each of the pins 54 projecting above the mating surface 24 of the stud base plate 12, a suitable deforming tool engages the upper end of each of the pins 54 and deforms the upper end of each of the pins 54 into an enlarged mushroomlike head 64 as shown in Fig. 1. The outer peripheral surface of each of the heads 64 abuts in tight fitting engagement with the sides of each of the counterbores 30 and the bottom of each of the heads 64 rests engaging against the respective shoulder 32 between each of the bores 28 and the counterbores 30. Hence, by reason of deforming the upper ends of each of the pins 54, the plates 12 and 16 are tightly assembled and positively secured together so as to form the stud half of the snap fastener assembly 10 of the present invention.The socket base plate 14 and the backing plate 18 are joined together in an exactly identical fashion with the pins 54 extending through the bores 128 and being deformed into mushroom-like heads 64, to form the socket half of the snap fastener.

The stud half and the socket half are joined to form the snap fastener assembly of Fig. 1. In each of the completed halves, the sheets of the material 20 and 22 are positively clamped between the assembled plates 12 and 16, and 14 and 18 whereby slipping and tearing of the material is, for all practical purposes, eliminated as the result of the material being clamped in between the cooperating annular grooves 34 and 134 and the respective annular ribs 58.

The conical tapered shape of the pins 54 is of particular advantage inasmuch as it has heretofore been a disadvantage in the art that the pins 54, which has previously been cylindrical, would bulge during clamping allowing material from the point of the pin to flow in the bulge thereby weakening the head 64. The conical shape of the pins 54 allows the major part of the rivetting operation to take place at tthe point 56 allowing more material to remain in the head 64. It is further believed that the conical shape of the pins 56 reduces the chance of the pins 54 to possibly crack the corners of the backing plate.

To assemble the snap fastener assembly 10 of the present invention, the user manually grasps the assembled plates 12 and 16 forming the stud half and 14 and 18 forming the socket half in appropriate fashion and manuevers them relative to each other until the stud element 38 and the socket element 43 are arrayed in opposed and aligned relation to each other. The user presses assembled halves together until the stud element 36 snaps into engagement with the sides of the aperture 46 of the socket element 43 while opposed annular surfaces 40 and 44 of the boss 36 and the socket element 43 are in bearing engagement with each other so as to form the snap fastener assembly 10 of the present invention as shown on the right hand side of Fig. 1.The height of the boss 36 and the socket element 43 above the front surfaces 24 and 124 of the plates 12 and 14 is designed relative to the height of each of the pins 54 above the surface of the plates 16 and 18 such that the enlarged heads 64 of the pins 54 will be held spaced apart from each other to allow a clearance between the respective surfaces 24 and 124 of the base plates 12 and 14 about the boss 36 and the socket element 43. Thus the clearance space is maintained between the opposed heads 64 and the respective surfaces 24 and 124 of the opposed plates 12 and 14 regardless of the thickness of the material 20 and 22.Because of the space between the opposed heads 64 of the pins 54 on each of the base plates 16 and 18, the engaging annular surfaces 40 and 44 of the base plates 12 and 14 will freely rotate relative to each other so that the sheets of material 20 and 22 of the assembly 10 wiil retain its natural shape through normal use of the assembly 10.

To disconnect the halves of the assembly 10, the user only need yank apart the two sheets of material 20 and 22 thereby separating the stud and socket halves of the assembly. It is because the assembly is usually disconnected in this way that the annular grooves 34 and 134 and the corresponding annular ribs 58 become so very important. These groove and rib combinations grasp the material firmly around each of the pins 54 and prevent further tearing or unraveling of the material.

This is advantageous as the strong forces in the material created by yanking apart the sheets of material 20 and 22 would otherwise tend to enlarge the holes in the fabric created by the pins 54 thereby creating large visible rips in the material and rendering the entire snap fastener assembly useless.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many modifications, variations and changes in detail, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A snap fastener assembly comprising a pair of generally planar base plates of molded plastics material, each base plate having a front surface and a mating surface and locking means on the front surface adapted for snap locking engagement with co-operating locking means of the other base plate, and each of the base plates further having a plurality of bores extending through it from the mating surface to the front surface, and a pair of generally planar backing plates of molded plastics material, one to be associated with each base plate, each backing plate having a mating surface and a backing surface and a plurality of pins upstanding from its mating surface at positions corresponding to the bores in the associated base plate, the pins in use being inserted through a

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

the bottom of each of the heads 64 rests engaging against the respective shoulder 32 between each of the bores 28 and the counterbores 30. Hence, by reason of deforming the upper ends of each of the pins 54, the plates 12 and 16 are tightly assembled and positively secured together so as to form the stud half of the snap fastener assembly 10 of the present invention. The socket base plate 14 and the backing plate 18 are joined together in an exactly identical fashion with the pins 54 extending through the bores 128 and being deformed into mushroom-like heads 64, to form the socket half of the snap fastener.

The stud half and the socket half are joined to form the snap fastener assembly of Fig. 1. In each of the completed halves, the sheets of the material 20 and 22 are positively clamped between the assembled plates 12 and 16, and 14 and 18 whereby slipping and tearing of the material is, for all practical purposes, eliminated as the result of the material being clamped in between the cooperating annular grooves 34 and 134 and the respective annular ribs 58.

The conical tapered shape of the pins 54 is of particular advantage inasmuch as it has heretofore been a disadvantage in the art that the pins 54, which has previously been cylindrical, would bulge during clamping allowing material from the point of the pin to flow in the bulge thereby weakening the head 64. The conical shape of the pins 54 allows the major part of the rivetting operation to take place at tthe point 56 allowing more material to remain in the head 64. It is further believed that the conical shape of the pins 56 reduces the chance of the pins 54 to possibly crack the corners of the backing plate.

To assemble the snap fastener assembly 10 of the present invention, the user manually grasps the assembled plates 12 and 16 forming the stud half and 14 and 18 forming the socket half in appropriate fashion and manuevers them relative to each other until the stud element 38 and the socket element 43 are arrayed in opposed and aligned relation to each other. The user presses assembled halves together until the stud element 36 snaps into engagement with the sides of the aperture 46 of the socket element 43 while opposed annular surfaces 40 and 44 of the boss 36 and the socket element 43 are in bearing engagement with each other so as to form the snap fastener assembly 10 of the present invention as shown on the right hand side of Fig. 1.The height of the boss 36 and the socket element 43 above the front surfaces 24 and 124 of the plates 12 and 14 is designed relative to the height of each of the pins 54 above the surface of the plates

16 and 18 such that the enlarged heads 64 of the pins 54 will be held spaced apart from each other to allow a clearance between the respective surfaces 24 and 124 of the base plates 12 and 14 about the boss 36 and the socket element 43. Thus the clearance space is maintained between the opposed heads 64 and the respective surfaces 24 and 124 of the opposed plates 12 and 14 regardless of the thickness of the material 20 and 22.Because of the space between the opposed heads 64 of the pins 54 on each of the base plates 16 and 18, the engaging annular surfaces 40 and 44 of the base plates 12 and 14 will freely rotate relative to each other so that the sheets of material 20 and 22 of the assembly 10 wiil retain its natural shape through normal use of the assembly 10.

To disconnect the halves of the assembly 10, the user only need yank apart the two sheets of material 20 and 22 thereby separating the stud and socket halves of the assembly. It is because the assembly is usually disconnected in this way that the annular grooves 34 and 134 and the corresponding annular ribs 58 become so very important. These groove and rib combinations grasp the material firmly around each of the pins 54 and prevent further tearing or unraveling of the material.

This is advantageous as the strong forces in the material created by yanking apart the sheets of material 20 and 22 would otherwise tend to enlarge the holes in the fabric created by the pins 54 thereby creating large visible rips in the material and rendering the entire snap fastener assembly useless.

Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many modifications, variations and changes in detail, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A snap fastener assembly comprising a pair of generally planar base plates of molded plastics material, each base plate having a front surface and a mating surface and locking means on the front surface adapted for snap locking engagement with co-operating locking means of the other base plate, and each of the base plates further having a plurality of bores extending through it from the mating surface to the front surface, and a pair of generally planar backing plates of molded plastics material, one to be associated with each base plate, each backing plate having a mating surface and a backing surface and a plurality of pins upstanding from its mating surface at positions corresponding to the bores in the associated base plate, the pins in use being inserted through a

sheet of material into the bores and being deformed within those bores, thereby to clamp the mating surfaces of the base plate and the associated backing plate together with the sheet of material held therebetween, and each backing plate further having on its mating surface an annular rib around at least one of its pins to cooperate with an annular groove around the respective bore of the associated base plate to firmly grasp the sheet of material between the base plate and the backing plate without tearing.
2. A snap fastener assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is an annular rib around each of the upstanding pins, and a corresponding annular groove around each of the bores.
3. A snap fastener assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2 further including a boss projecting from the front surface of a one of the base plates with a stud element projecting from the boss, and a socket projecting from the front surface of the other base plate, there being an aperture within the socket and extending to the mating surface, the boss and socket having opposing engageable annular surfaces permitting rotation of the socket about the boss when the stud is in the aperture.
4. A snap fastener substantially as herein described with reference to and as shbwn in Fig. 1 of the drawings.