WO2011055332A1

WO2011055332A1 - Device for protecting a button during washing or treatment of the item of clothing to which it belongs

Info

Publication number: WO2011055332A1
Application number: PCT/IB2010/055021
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leonardo Calzavara; Pietro Semenzato
Original assignee: Progetto 19.8 S.R.L.
Priority date: 2009-11-05
Filing date: 2010-11-05
Publication date: 2011-05-12
Also published as: ITPD20090063U1

Abstract

A device (10) for protecting a button during washing or treatment of the item of clothing to which it belongs, which comprises two complementary half-shells (11, 12) which are designed to be mated to each other so as to cover a button (13); the complementary half-shells (11, 12) define, in the closed configuration, - a central body (14), which provides inside it a main compartment (14a) for accommodating the head ( 15 ) of the button (13), - a collar (16) which is adapted to surround and protect the stem (17) of the button.

Description

DEVICE FOR PROTECTING A BUTTON DURING WASHING OR TREATMENT OF THE ITEM OF CLOTHING TO WHICH IT BELONGS

Technical field

The present invention relates to an improved device for protecting a button during washing or treatment of the item of clothing to which it belongs.

Background art

Protective devices for accessories of items of clothing are currently known which are constituted by two complementary half-shells, which are mutually coupled by virtue of hinge means and are designed to be mated to each other with quick engagement means, for example of the snap-acting type, around one or more accessories for items of clothing, such as buttons, sliders for zip fasteners, buckles and other similar elements, which are already fixed to an item of clothing or garment.

These half-shells generally have holes for the passage of the fluids for washing or for treating the item with which the button or other element, such as a zip fastener slider, is associated.

These known devices, however, are inadequate for use, for example, on items of clothing made of denim.

Denim is in fact nowadays subjected to many very severe processes and treatments, such as for example aggressive washes to obtain aging effects, mechanical actions to produce tears or worn regions.

Moreover, the dye for denim is often mixed with particular enzymes in order to give the fabric increasingly new and original appearances, which can be very aggressive for a button made of plastic or of metal that has been painted or had its surface treated.

The spin washing with pumice stone that the denim garment undergoes in order to obtain worn, stonewashed effects therefrom is also very severe and can be followed by sanding or sandpapering or buffing treatments. In this way, the buttons associated with the denim garment, which is first washed and bleached and then dyed again with enzymes and finally treated mechanically as described above, are subjected to stresses from which they must be suitably protected.

Currently known button covering protection devices have been shown to be ineffective first of all in protecting a button against such very harsh treatments as stone-washing, since the plastic material used has been shown to be insufficient in terms of mechanical properties to withstand the continual impacts and the stresses imposed by such treatment.

Moreover, the known types of device are not contoured in order to accommodate jeans-type buttons which are made of plastic or metal and have a head the dimensions of which vary greatly and often bears a stud or other distinctive element of the garment with which the buttons are associated, and a stem that extends between the head of the button and such garment for a few millimeters, differently from what occurs for buttons of the standard type, which are sewn, and unlike jeans buttons that are riveted or fixed by means of spikes or other snap-acting means.

Disclosure of the invention

The aim of the present invention is to provide a device for protecting buttons that is particularly suitable for buttons associated with items of clothing made of denim or the like.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a protection device for a button that is capable of fully containing a button of the jeans type or the like that is fixed to an item of clothing which is made of denim.

Another object of the invention is to provide a protection device for a button that is made of such a material as to withstand the most severe stresses that are typical of the treatments to which denim garments are subjected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for protecting a button during washing and treatment of the item of clothing to which it belongs that can be manufactured with systems and technologies of a known type.

This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a device for protecting a button during washing or treatment of the item of clothing to which it belongs, characterized in that it comprises two complementary half-shells which are designed to be mated to each other by virtue of closure means, so as to cover a button, said complementary half-shells defining, in the closed configuration, a central body which provides inside it a main compartment for accommodating the head of said button, and a collar that is adapted to surround and protect the stem of said button.

Advantageously, the device according to the invention also comprises a cambered portion that extends substantially in the direction defined by the main axis of symmetry of the button and is designed to define an auxiliary compartment, which is open onto said main compartment, for the containment and protection of said button head.

Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the detailed description that follows of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the protection device according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the protection device according to the invention in the closed and active configuration;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention in the open configuration;

Figure 3 is a side view of the device, shown open and during application to a button.

Ways of carrying out the invention

With reference to the figures, a device for protecting a button during washing or treatment of the item of clothing to which it belongs is generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

The protection device 10 comprises two complementary half-shells 1 1 and 12, which are designed to be mated, by virtue of closure means which are described in greater detail hereinafter, to each other so as to cover a button 13 which is fixed to an item of clothing.

The complementary half-shells 11 and 12 define, in the closed configuration,

- a central body 14, which provides inside it a main compartment 14a for accommodating the head 15 of the button 13,

- a collar 16 which is designed to surround and protect the stem 17 of such button, and

- a cambered portion 18, which extends outward substantially in the direction defined by the main axis of symmetry of the button and is designed to define an auxiliary compartment 19, which is open onto the main compartment 14a, for the containment and protection of the head 15 of the button 13.

The device 10 according to the invention is applied particularly but not exclusively to buttons for items of clothing made of denim, the type of which is exemplified by the button 13 of Figure 3, and has a head 15 that is particularly large and cannot be accommodated in known protection devices, and a stem 17 which is riveted or coupled to the denim fabric 30 by a spike.

The device 10 according to the invention, by virtue of its cambered portion 18 and the auxiliary compartment 19, which increase the volume of the internal compartment of the device, and by virtue of the collar 16, is in fact capable of optimally covering a button for denim the dimensions of which fall within those of the most widely used jeans buttons.

In the example of embodiment of the device according to the invention described herein, the closure means comprise on one side a bridge-like hinge 20, which stably joins the two complementary half-shells 1 1 and 12, and snap-acting engagement means on the opposite side.

Such snap-acting engagement means are constituted by a first tab 21, which extends predominantly tangentially, with a grip tooth 22, and which extends from a first edge 23 of a first half-shell 11, and a corresponding second tab 24, which extends predominantly radially and protrudes from a second edge 26 of the second half-shell 12; an opening 25 is formed on the second tab 24 for the passage and snap engagement of the first tab 21.

The half-shells 1 1 and 12 have through holes 28 for the passage of fluids for washing or treating the fabric 30.

The half-shells 1 1 and 12 with the respective first tab 21 and second tab 24 and with the bridge-like hinge 20 are provided monolithically and made of plastic material.

Such plastic material is preferably polypropylene.

In practice it has been found that the invention thus described achieves the intended aim and objects.

In particular, with the present invention a button protection device is provided that is particularly suitable for buttons associated with items of clothing made of denim.

Moreover, with the present invention a protection device for a button is provided that is capable of fully containing a jeans button that is fixed to an item of clothing made of denim, even a button that is particularly bulky due to the presence of a particularly thick head, for example provided with decorations or trims that it is convenient to protect against the friction that would occur by forcing such a button into a known type of protection device.

Moreover, with the invention a protection device for a button is provided that is made of such a material as to withstand the most severe stresses, which are typical of the treatments to which denim clothes are subjected. Moreover, with the invention a device is provided for protecting a button during washing and treatment of the item of clothing to which it belongs, which can be manufactured with known types of system and technology.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which have equal utility and are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements that are equally effective or convenient in application.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No. PD2009U000063, from which this application claims priority, are incorporated herein by reference.

Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A device (10) for protecting a button during washing or treatment of the item of clothing to which it belongs, characterized in that it comprises two complementary half-shells (1 1, 12) which are designed to be mated to each other by virtue of closure means, so as to cover a button (13), said complementary half-shells (1 1, 12) defining, in the closed configuration, a central body (14) which provides inside it a main compartment (14a) for accommodating the head (15) of said button (13), and a collar (16) which is adapted to surround and protect the stem (17) of said button.

2. The device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said half- shells, in the closed configuration, also define a cambered portion (18) that extends outward substantially in the direction defined by the main axis of symmetry of the button and is designed to define an auxiliary compartment (19), which is open onto said main compartment (14a), for containment and protection for said head (15) of the button.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said closure means comprise on one side a bridge-like hinge (20) that stably joins the two complementary half-shells (1 1, 12) and, on the opposite side, snap- acting engagement means.

4. The device according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said snap-acting engagement means are constituted by a first tab (21), which extends predominantly tangentially, with a grip tooth (22), and which extends from a first edge (23) of a first half-shell (1 1), and a corresponding second tab (24), which extends predominantly radially and protrudes from a second edge (26) of the second half-shell (12), on said second tab (24) there being an opening (25) for the passage and snap engagement of said first tab (21).

5. The device according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said complementary half-shells (11, 12) are provided with through holes (28) for the passage of washing or treatment fluids.

6. The device according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said complementary half-shells (11, 12) with the respective first tab (21) and second tab (24) and with said bridge-like hinge (20) are provided monolithically and made of plastic material.

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that said plastic material is polypropylene.