Snap buttons and snap buttons with tape

Abstract

It provides a snap button with a simple structure that can be opened with one hand. [Solution] In a snap button 10 consisting of a female snap button 20 and a male snap button 30, when the female snap button 20 and the male snap button 30 are engaged, a gap C1 is provided between the outer circumference of the engaging projection 32 of the female snap button 20 and the outer circumference of the engaging receiving portion 22 of the female snap button 20. When the outer circumference of the male snap button 30 is pressed, the male snap button 30 tilts at a predetermined angle relative to the female snap button 20, using the engaging portion between the fitting hole 23 and the engaging projection 32 as a fulcrum, thereby releasing the engagement between the female snap button 20 and the male snap button 30.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to snap buttons and snap buttons with tapes used for clothing, bags, and other articles having opening and closing parts, and particularly to those that can be opened with one hand.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a snap button composed of a female snap button having a concave fitting hole and a male snap button having a convex engaging projection that fits into the fitting hole is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a snap button that can be easily operated with one hand even by a person with a disability in the hand.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0007] According to the above configuration, while it is a simple design in which a gap is provided between the outer circumference of the female snap button and the outer circumference of the male snap button when the male and female snap buttons are engaged, the snap buttons can be easily opened with one hand. In detail, when the periphery of the male snap button is pressed down in the engaged state, the lever principle causes the male snap button to tilt relative to the female snap button, with the engagement point between the engaging projection of the male snap button and the fitting hole of the female snap button acting as a fulcrum, causing the engaging projection of the male snap button to disengage from the fitting hole of the female snap button. In this way, because there is a gap between the outer circumference of the male snap button and the outer circumference of the female snap button, the engagement of the male and female snap buttons can be easily released, and the snap buttons can be easily separated (opened). Moreover, unlike conventional designs, there is no need for an opening operation part or an expansion support part, so the structure of the male and female snap buttons can be simplified, and the size of the male and female snap buttons can be reduced.

[0008] In the above configuration, it is preferable that when the male snap button is tilted relative to the female snap button, the engaging projection of the male snap button and the portion surrounding the fitting hole of the female snap button are formed so as not to come into contact with each other. This prevents the opening operation of the snap button from being hindered by contact between the engaging projection of the male snap button and the portion surrounding the fitting hole of the female snap button, enabling smooth opening of the snap button.

[0009] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the portion of the female snap button surrounding the fitting hole is formed in a mortar shape. This allows the engaging projection of the male snap button to be guided along the mortar-shaped inclined surface toward the fitting hole of the female snap button, thereby enabling easy engagement of the male and female snap buttons. Furthermore, when the snap buttons are engaged, the engaging projection of the male snap button can be housed inside the mortar-shaped space, thereby enabling a thinner snap button.

[0010] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the engagement portions of the female snap button and the male snap button are made of metal, and the outer circumferences of the engagement portions are made of synthetic resin. This makes it possible to perform the one-handed opening operation using the lever principle described above by attaching the synthetic resin outer circumference to an existing metal snap button.

[0011] Furthermore, the snap button with tape of the present invention is characterized by having a snap button with the above configuration, and achieves the same effect as the snap button with the above configuration. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, despite the simple configuration of providing a gap between the outer circumference of the female snap button and the outer circumference of the male snap button, the snap button can be easily opened with one hand. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing the engaged state of a snap button according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the female snap button that makes up the snap button in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the female snap button that makes up the snap button in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a front view of the male snap button that makes up the snap button in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the male snap button that makes up the snap button in Figure 1. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male snap button is tilted relative to the female snap button when the snap buttons are separated. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male snap button is further inclined relative to the female snap button when the snap buttons in Figure 1 are separated. [Figure 8] Figure 1 is a front view of the female and male fabric tapes of a snap button with tape, viewed from the engagement surface side, in the separated state. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing the engaged state of a snap button according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 9 is a front view of the female snap button that makes up the snap button. [Figure 11] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the female snap button that makes up the snap button. [Figure 12] Figure 9 is a front view of the male snap button that makes up the snap button. [Figure 13] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the male snap button that makes up the snap button. [Figure 14] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male snap button is tilted relative to the female snap button when the snap buttons are separated. [Figure 15] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male snap button is further inclined relative to the female snap button when the snap buttons are separated. [Figure 16] A cross-sectional view showing the engaged state of the snap button according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] A front view of the female snap button constituting the snap button of FIG. 16. [Figure 18] A cross-sectional view of the female snap button constituting the snap button of FIG. 16. [Figure 19] A front view of the male snap button constituting the snap button of FIG. 16. [Figure 20] A cross-sectional view of the male snap button constituting the snap button of FIG. 16. [Figure 21] A cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male snap button is inclined with respect to the female snap button when separating the snap button of FIG. 16. [Figure 22] A cross-sectional view showing the female side outer peripheral member of the female snap button according to a modified example of the present invention. <000010​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Figures 1 to 7 show a snap button 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The snap button 10 is used for clothing, bags, and other articles having opening and closing parts. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the engaged state of the snap button 10. Figure 2 is a front view showing the engaging surface side of the female snap button 20, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the female snap button 20. Figure 4 is a front view showing the engaging surface side of the male snap button 30, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the male snap button 30. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male snap button 30 is inclined relative to the female snap button 20 when the engaged snap button 10 is separated (opened), and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male snap button 30 is further inclined relative to the female snap button 20. Note that the engaging surface side of the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 is referred to as the front side (surface side), and the side opposite the front side is referred to as the back side (back side). Also, the illustration of the female fabric 2 is omitted in Figure 2, and the illustration of the male fabric 3 is omitted in Figure 4.

[0016] As shown in Figure 3, the female snap button 20 is formed on the female fabric 2. Specifically, the female snap button 20 is formed by injection molding using a thermoplastic synthetic resin such as polyacetal or nylon 66, without drilling mounting holes in the female fabric 2. The female fabric 2 must be a fabric through which the molten resin can pass and permeate due to the molding pressure. Such a female fabric 2 can be any material that does not melt during the molding of the female snap button 20, and can be woven or knitted, or it can be cotton fabric, blended fabric, mesh fabric, etc.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the female snap button 20 consists of a female base portion 21 and an engagement receiving portion 22. The engagement receiving portion 22 is formed on the front side of the female fabric 2, and the female base portion 21 is formed on the back side. The female base portion 21 and the engagement receiving portion 22 are formed in a disc shape, for example, having substantially the same outer shape. The back side of the female base portion 21 is formed flat.

[0018] A recessed fitting hole 23 for engaging the male snap button 30 is formed approximately in the center of the engaging receiving portion 22. An engaging groove portion 24 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the fitting hole 23, which engages with the large diameter portion 35 of the projection 34 of the male snap button 30. The inner diameter of the engaging groove portion 24 is larger than the inner diameter of the other parts, for example, it is larger than the inner diameter on the open end side of the fitting hole 23. A recess 25 is formed on the outer circumference of the fitting hole 23, which is curved in a mortar shape.

[0019] Inside the fitting hole 23 of the engagement receiving portion 22, the female fabric 2 is exposed. An opening 26 is also formed in the center of the female base portion 21, where the female fabric 2 is also exposed. The female fabric 2 is positioned with the exposed portion curved toward the back side, and the rest of the fabric is positioned horizontally, and is fixed to the female snap button 20. The back side portion of the opening 26 extends outward from the center of the female base portion 21 and serves as a synthetic resin injection port 27. The injection port 27 is located offset from the center of the female base portion 21. Except for the injection port 27, the female snap button 20 has a substantially rotationally symmetrical shape.

[0020] The female snap button 20 is formed by placing the female fabric 2 between upper and lower molds (not shown), and then sandwiching and fixing the female fabric 2 located in the fitting hole 23 between the upper and lower molds. After that, synthetic resin is injected from the injection port 27 to integrally mold the female base portion 21 and the engagement receiving portion 22. At this time, since the injection port 27 is located offset from the center of the female base portion 21, the female fabric 2 can be firmly sandwiched and fixed by the upper and lower molds, preventing the female fabric 2 from being distorted or warped by the injection pressure during molding.

[0021] The male snap button 30 is formed on the male fabric 3, as shown in Figure 5. Specifically, the male snap button 30 is formed by injection molding using a thermoplastic synthetic resin such as polyacetal or nylon 66, without drilling mounting holes in the male fabric 3, similar to the female snap button 20 described above. The male fabric 3 must be a fabric through which the molten resin can pass and permeate due to the molding pressure. Such a male fabric 3 can be any material that does not melt during the molding of the male snap button 30, and can be woven or knitted fabric, or cotton fabric, blended fabric, mesh fabric, etc.

[0022] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the male snap button 30 consists of a male base portion 31 and an engaging projection 32. The engaging projection 32 is formed on the front side of the male fabric 3, and the male base portion 31 is formed on the back side. The male base portion 31 and the engaging projection 32 are formed in a disc shape, for example, having substantially the same outer shape. The back side of the male base portion 31 is formed flat. The outer diameters of the male base portion 31 and the engaging projection 32 are substantially the same as the outer diameters of the female base portion 21 and the engaging receiving portion 22.

[0023] The engaging projection 32 has a substantially frustoconical base portion 33 and a substantially cylindrical projection 34 formed on the surface side of the base portion 33. The projection 34 has a large-diameter portion 35 that engages with the engaging groove portion 24 of the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20. The outer diameter of the large-diameter portion 35 is larger than the outer diameter of the other parts, for example, it is larger than the outer diameter of the portion of the projection 34 that connects to the base portion 33. A recess 36 is formed in the approximate center of the engaging projection 32. The recess 36 is an insertion mark of the mold placed to prevent distortion of the male side material 3 during molding. The male snap button 30 has a substantially rotationally symmetric shape.

[0024] Unlike the female fabric 2 described above, the male fabric 3 is positioned horizontally without any curved sections and is fixed to the male snap button 30. The male base portion 31 is formed on a surface parallel to the male fabric 3. A synthetic resin injection port 37 is formed approximately in the center of the male base portion 31. The injection port 37 is located opposite the recess 36 of the engaging projection 32.

[0025] The male snap button 30 is formed using upper and lower molds in the same manner as the female snap button 20 described above. At that time, a part of the mold is inserted into the position of the recess 36 of the engaging projection 32 and injection molding is performed. This makes it possible to form the male side material 3 without distortion.

[0026] The male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 in the above configuration are engaged as shown in Figure 1. To engage the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30, the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 is pushed into the engaging receiving portion 22 of the female snap button 20. In the engaged state of the snap button 10 shown in Figure 1, the projection 34 of the male snap button 30 is inserted into the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20, and the large diameter portion 35 of the projection 34 fits into the engaging groove portion 24 of the fitting hole 23. As a result, the large diameter portion 35 of the projection 34 engages with the engaging groove portion 24 of the fitting hole 23. At this time, the projection 34 can be easily engaged with the fitting hole 23 by moving the projection 34 along the inclined surface of the mortar-shaped recess 25.

[0027] When the snap button 10 is engaged, the surface side of the base portion 33 of the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 is in contact with the surface side of the peripheral edge of the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20. On the other hand, the outer circumference of the base portion 33 of the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 and the outer circumference of the engaging receiving portion 22 of the female snap button 20 are not in contact, and a gap C1 is provided between them. The gap C1 is set to a range that allows the engagement of the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 to be released, as will be described later. The lower limit of the gap C1 is a value determined according to the radius and depth of the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20, the radius and height of the projection 34 of the male snap button 30, and the radii of the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30. For example, in this embodiment, the radius of the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20 is 2.47 mm and its depth is 1.35 mm, the radius of the projection 34 of the male snap button 30 is 2.5 mm and its height is 1.25 mm, and the radius of the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 is 7.5 mm. In this case, the gap C1 is 1.32 mm.

[0028] To release the snap button 10 from its engaged state as shown in Figure 1 by disengaging the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the peripheral edge on the back side of the male base portion 31 of the male snap button 30 should be pressed down with a finger in the direction of arrow Y1. Since a gap C1 is provided between the outer circumference of the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 and the outer circumference of the engaging receiving portion 22 of the female snap button 20, the male snap button 30 tilts relative to the female snap button 20. Specifically, when the peripheral edge of the male base portion 31 is pressed down, the lever principle causes the male snap button 30 to gradually tilt relative to the female snap button 20, with the engaging portion between the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 and the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20 as the fulcrum, and consequently the projection 34 of the male snap button 30 gradually disengages from the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20. Then, once a certain point is reached (for example, the state shown in Figure 6), the engagement between the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 is released, and the snap button 10 is separated (released).

[0029] Figure 6 shows a state where the inclination angle α1 of the male snap button 30 relative to the female snap button 20 is approximately 12°, and the gap C1 is ensured so that the male snap button 30 can be inclined relative to the female snap button 20 to this extent. Figure 7 shows a state where the inclination angle α1 of the male snap button 30 relative to the female snap button 20 is approximately 15°, in which state the projection 34 of the male snap button 30 disengages from the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20, and the engagement between the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 is released. Note that the above value of the inclination angle α1 is just an example and can be changed according to the radius and depth of the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20, the radius and height of the projection 34 of the male snap button 30, and the radii of the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30.

[0030] In this embodiment, as described above, when the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 are engaged, a gap C1 is provided between the outer circumference of the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 and the outer circumference of the engaging receiving portion 22 of the female snap button 20. When the outer circumference of the male snap button 30 is pressed, the male snap button 30 tilts to a predetermined angle relative to the female snap button 20, using the engaging portion between the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 and the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20 as a fulcrum, thereby releasing the engagement between the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30.

[0031] According to this embodiment, despite the simple configuration of providing a gap C1 between the outer circumference of the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 and the outer circumference of the engaging receiving portion 22 of the female snap button 20, the snap button 10 can be easily opened with one hand. In detail, when the snap button 10 is engaged, pushing down the peripheral edge on the back side of the male base portion 31 of the male snap button 30 in the direction of arrow Y1 causes the male snap button 30 to tilt relative to the female snap button 20, using the engaging portion between the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 and the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20 as a fulcrum, thereby disengaging the projection 34 of the male snap button 30 from the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20. In this way, because there is a gap C1 between the outer circumference of the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 and the outer circumference of the engaging receiving portion 22 of the female snap button 20, the engagement between the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 can be easily released, and the snap button 10 can be easily separated (opened). The snap button 10 can be easily opened with one hand, making it possible even for people with hand disabilities. Furthermore, the snap button 10 can be easily opened while wearing gloves. Moreover, unlike conventional designs, the opening operation part and expansion support part are unnecessary, allowing the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 to have a simpler structure and to be made smaller in size.

[0032] In this embodiment, when the male snap button 30 is tilted relative to the female snap button 20, the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 and the engaging receiving portion 22 around the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20 are formed so as not to come into contact with each other. As a result, the opening operation of the snap button 10 is not hindered by contact between the engaging projection 32 of the male snap button 30 and the engaging receiving portion 22 of the female snap button 20, enabling a smooth opening operation of the snap button 10.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the engagement receiving portion 22 around the fitting hole 23 of the female snap button 20 is formed in a mortar shape. As described above, by guiding the projection 34 of the male snap button 30 toward the fitting hole 23 along the inclined surface of the mortar-shaped recess 25, the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 can be easily engaged. In addition, when the snap button 10 is engaged, the engagement projection 32 of the male snap button 30 can be housed inside the space of the mortar-shaped recess 25, thereby making the snap button 10 thinner.

[0034] Figure 8 shows a snap button with tape 100 using the snap button 10 with the above configuration. Figure 8 shows a front view of the female fabric 2 and male fabric 3 of the snap button with tape 100 in a separated state, viewed from the engagement surface side (surface side). The female fabric 2 and male fabric 3 are formed in the shape of long tapes. Multiple female snap buttons 20 are arranged on the female fabric 2 at predetermined intervals. Multiple male snap buttons 30 are arranged on the male fabric 3 at the same intervals as the female snap buttons 20. The male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 are formed on the tape-shaped female fabric 2 and male fabric 3 by injection molding as described above.

[0035] The tape-attached snap button 100 is used in clothing, bags, and other articles with opening and closing parts by engaging and disengaging (releasing) the female snap button 20 on the female fabric 2 and the male snap button 30 on the male fabric 3. The tape-attached snap button 100, which is equipped with such a snap button 10, can obtain the same effects as the snap button 10 described above. In other words, it is possible to provide a tape-attached snap button 100 that has a simple structure and can be opened with one hand.

[0036] (Second Embodiment) Figures 9 to 15 show a snap button 10A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the engaged state of the snap button 10A. Figure 10 is a front view showing the engaged surface side of the female snap button 20A, and Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the female snap button 20A. Figure 12 is a front view showing the engaged surface side of the male snap button 30A, and Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the male snap button 30A. Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male snap button 30A is inclined relative to the female snap button 20A when the snap button 10A is separated, and Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male snap button 30A is further inclined relative to the female snap button 20A. Note that parts that are the same as in the first embodiment are denoted with "A" in the reference numerals of the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions are omitted. Also, the illustration of the female fabric 2A is omitted in Figure 10, and the illustration of the male fabric 3A is omitted in Figure 12.

[0037] In the second embodiment, the shape of the female snap button 20A differs from that of the female snap button 20 in the first embodiment, but the other configurations are substantially the same. Specifically, in the female snap button 20 of the first embodiment, a recess 25 formed in the shape of a mortar was provided in the engagement receiving portion 22 (see Figures 2 and 3), but as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the female snap button 20A does not have such a recess in the engagement receiving portion 22A. The surface side of the engagement receiving portion 22A of the female snap button 20A is formed flat, and a fitting hole 23A is formed approximately in the center of the engagement receiving portion 22A.

[0038] The male and female snap buttons 20A and 30A in the above configuration are engaged as shown in Figure 9. To engage the male and female snap buttons 20A and 30A, the engaging projection 32A of the male snap button 30A is pushed into the engaging receiving portion 22A of the female snap button 20A. In the engaged state of the snap button 10A shown in Figure 9, the projection 34A of the male snap button 30A is inserted into the fitting hole 23A of the female snap button 20A, and the large diameter portion 35A of the projection 34A fits into the engaging groove portion 24A of the fitting hole 23A. As a result, the large diameter portion 35A of the projection 34A engages with the engaging groove portion 24A of the fitting hole 23A. In this case, since the surface side of the engagement receiving portion 22A of the female snap button 20A is formed flat, when the snap button 10A is engaged, the gap C2 between the outer circumference of the engagement projection 32A of the male snap button 30A and the outer circumference of the engagement receiving portion 22A of the female snap button 20A is larger than in the first embodiment (C2 > C1). Similar to the gap C1 described above, the lower limit of the gap C2 that allows the engagement of the male and female snap buttons 20A and 30A to be released is a value determined according to the radius and depth of the fitting hole 23A of the female snap button 20A, the radius and height of the projection 34A of the male snap button 30A, and the radii of the male and female snap buttons 20A and 30A.

[0039] Figure 14 shows a state where the inclination angle α2 of the male snap button 30A relative to the female snap button 20A is approximately 12°, and the gap C2 is ensured so that the male snap button 30A can be inclined relative to the female snap button 20A to this state. Figure 15 shows a state where the inclination angle α2 of the male snap button 30A relative to the female snap button 20A is approximately 15°, and in this state, the projection 34A of the male snap button 30A disengages from the mating hole 23A of the female snap button 20A, and the engagement between the male and female snap buttons 20A and 30A is released. Note that the above value of the inclination angle α2 is just an example and can be changed according to the radius and depth of the mating hole 23A of the female snap button 20A, the radius and height of the projection 34A of the male snap button 30A, and the radii of the male and female snap buttons 20A and 30A.

[0040] In the snap button 10A of the second embodiment, the same effects and advantages as those of the snap button 10 of the first embodiment described above can be obtained. That is, despite the simple configuration of providing a gap C2 between the outer circumference of the engaging projection 32A of the male snap button 30A and the outer circumference of the engaging receiving portion 22A of the female snap button 20A, the snap button 10A can be easily opened with one hand.

[0041] (Third embodiment) Figures 16 to 21 show a snap button 10B according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the engaged state of the snap button 10B. Figure 17 is a front view showing the engaged surface side of the female snap button 20B, and Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the female snap button 20B. Figure 19 is a front view showing the engaged surface side of the male snap button 30B, and Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of the male snap button 30B. Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the male snap button 30B is inclined relative to the female snap button 20B when the snap button 10B is separated. Note that parts that are the same as in the first embodiment are denoted with "B" in addition to the reference numerals of the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions are omitted. Also, the illustration of the female fabric 2B is omitted in Figure 17, and the illustration of the male fabric 3B is omitted in Figure 19.

[0042] In the third embodiment, the shape of the male snap button 30B differs from that of the male snap button 30 in the first embodiment, but the other configurations are substantially the same. Specifically, in the male snap button 30 of the first embodiment, a substantially frustoconical base portion 33 was provided on the engaging projection 32B (see Figures 4 and 5), but as shown in Figures 19 and 20, the male snap button 20B does not have such a base portion on the engaging projection 32B. The engaging projection 32B of the male snap button 20B is provided only with a substantially cylindrical projection 34 formed on the surface side of the male fabric 3B. In Figure 19, the outer edge of the male base portion 31B provided on the back side of the male fabric 3B is shown by a dashed line.

[0043] The male and female snap buttons 20B and 30B in the above configuration are engaged as shown in Figure 16. To engage the male and female snap buttons 20B and 30B, the engaging projection 32B of the male snap button 30B is pushed into the engaging receiving portion 22B of the female snap button 20B. In the engaged state of the snap button 10B shown in Figure 16, the projection 34B of the male snap button 30B is inserted into the fitting hole 23B of the female snap button 20B, and the large diameter portion 35B of the projection 34B fits into the engaging groove portion 24B of the fitting hole 23B. As a result, the large diameter portion 35B of the projection 34B engages with the engaging groove portion 24B of the fitting hole 23B. In this case, since the engaging projection 32B of the male snap button 20B does not have a base, when the snap button 10B is engaged, the gap C3 between the outer peripheral male fabric 3B of the engaging projection 32B of the male snap button 30B and the outer peripheral of the engaging receiving portion 22B of the female snap button 20B is larger than in the first embodiment (C3 > C1). Similar to the gap C1 described above, the lower limit of the gap C3 that allows the engagement of the male and female snap buttons 20B and 30B to be released is a value determined according to the radius and depth of the fitting hole 23B of the female snap button 20B, the radius and height of the projection 34B of the male snap button 30B, and the radii of the male and female snap buttons 20B and 30B.

[0044] Figure 21 shows a state where the inclination angle α3 of the male snap button 30B relative to the female snap button 20B is approximately 5°, and the gap C3 described above is ensured so that the male snap button 30B can be inclined relative to the female snap button 20B to this extent. If the male snap button 30B is inclined further relative to the female snap button 20B than in the state shown in Figure 21, the projection 34B of the male snap button 30B will disengage from the mating hole 23B of the female snap button 20B, and the engagement between the male and female snap buttons 20B and 30B will be released. Note that the above value of the inclination angle α3 is just an example and can be changed according to the radius and depth of the mating hole 23B of the female snap button 20B, the radius and height of the projection 34B of the male snap button 30B, and the radii of the male and female snap buttons 20B and 30B.

[0045] In the snap button 10B of the third embodiment, the same effects and advantages as those of the snap button 10 of the first embodiment described above can be obtained. That is, despite the simple configuration of providing a gap C3 between the outer circumference of the male snap button 30B and the outer circumference of the engagement receiving portion 22B of the female snap button 20B, the snap button 10B can be easily opened with one hand.

[0046] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not intended to be restrictive. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not construed solely by the embodiments described above, but is defined by the claims. This includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the equivalents of the claims.

[0047] In the above, the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 are made of synthetic resin, but they may also be made of metal, for example. Also, although the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 are fixed to the fabric by injection molding, they may also be fixed to the fabric by other methods (for example, rivets, sewing, etc.). For example, the engaging portions (inner circumference portions) of the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 may be made of metal, and the outer circumference portions of the metal engaging portions may be made of synthetic resin. In this case, the metal portion on the inner circumference can be fixed to the fabric by rivets or the like. The synthetic resin portion on the outer circumference should be formed so that a gap is created between the outer circumference portion of the female snap button 20 and the outer circumference portion of the male snap button 30 when the male and female snap buttons 20 and 30 are engaged.

[0048] By using synthetic resin outer peripheral members 41 and 51 as shown in Figures 22 and 23, the present invention can also be applied to existing metal snap buttons. Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view showing the female outer peripheral member 41 of a female snap button 20C according to a modified example of the present invention, and Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view showing the male outer peripheral member 51 of a male snap button 30C according to a modified example of the present invention.

[0049] As shown in Figure 22, the female snap button 20C has a configuration in which a female outer peripheral member 41 is integrally assembled to the outer circumference of the female snap button component (spring) 40. The female outer peripheral member 41 has an opening 42 in the center that accommodates the female snap button component 40, and an inclined surface 43 is formed on the outer circumference of the front side (engaging surface side) of the opening 42. The outer circumference of the back side of the opening 42 is flat. A projection 44 that protrudes inward is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the back side of the opening 42, and this projection 44 is sandwiched and fixed (assembled) by the female snap button component 40 and the crimping component 45.

[0050] When assembling the female outer peripheral member 41 to the female snap button component 40, the female snap button component 40 is inserted into the opening 42 of the female outer peripheral member 41, and the female outer peripheral member 41 is positioned in a predetermined location on the female fabric 2. The crimping component (top part) 45 is inserted into the female snap button component 40 from the back side of the female fabric 2, and the crimping component 45 and the female snap button component 40 are joined by crimping. As a result, the female outer peripheral member 41 and the female fabric 2 are sandwiched between the female snap button component 40 and the crimping component 45, the female outer peripheral member 41 is fixed to the female fabric 2, and the female snap button component 40 and the female outer peripheral member 41 are assembled as a single unit. The inclined surface 43 is formed in a tapered shape, but it may also be curved in a mortar-like shape, for example.

[0051] As shown in Figure 23, the male snap button 30C has a configuration in which a male outer peripheral member 51 is integrally assembled to the outer circumference of the male snap button component (stud) 50. A hollow cylindrical projection 52 is formed on the surface side (engaging surface side) of the male outer peripheral member 51. The back side of the male outer peripheral member 51 is flat.

[0052] When assembling the male outer peripheral member 51 to the male snap button component 50, the male snap button component 50 is positioned on the upper end of the projection 52 of the male outer peripheral member 51, and the male outer peripheral member 51 is positioned at a predetermined location on the male fabric 3. A crimping component (fine) 53 is inserted into the projection 52 from the back side of the male fabric 3, and the crimping component 53 and the male snap button component 50 at the upper end of the projection 52 are joined by crimping. As a result, the male outer peripheral member 51 and the male fabric 3 are sandwiched between the male snap button component 50 and the crimping component 53, the male outer peripheral member 51 is fixed to the male fabric 3, and the male snap button component 50 and the male outer peripheral member 51 are assembled as a single unit.

[0053] When the female snap button 20C, to which the female outer peripheral member 41 of the above configuration is attached, is engaged with the male snap button 30C, to which the male outer peripheral member 51 is attached, a gap is formed between the outer peripheral portion of the female outer peripheral member 41 of the female snap button 20C and the outer peripheral portion of the male outer peripheral member 51 of the male snap button 30C. This provides the same effect as the snap button 10 of the first embodiment described above. That is, despite the simple configuration of providing a gap between the outer peripheral portion of the male outer peripheral member 51 of the male snap button 30C and the outer peripheral portion of the female outer peripheral member 41 of the female snap button 20C, the snap button can be easily opened with one hand. Furthermore, by attaching the synthetic resin male and female outer peripheral members 41 and 51 to existing metal male and female snap button parts 40 and 50, it becomes possible to perform the one-handed opening operation using the lever principle described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 2. Female side fabric 3 Male side fabric 10 snap buttons 20 Female snap buttons 22 Engagement receiving part 23 Fitting holes 30 Male snap buttons 32 Engagement protrusion 100 snap buttons with tape C1 Gap α1 Inclination angle

Claims

1. A snap button comprising a female snap button having a concave fitting hole in the center when viewed from above, and a male snap button having a convex engaging projection that fits into the fitting hole, When the female snap button and the male snap button are engaged, a gap is provided between the outer circumference of the female snap button and the outer circumference of the male snap button. A snap button characterized in that when the outer circumference of the male snap button is pressed, the male snap button tilts at a predetermined angle relative to the female snap button, with the engagement portion between the fitting hole and the engaging projection as a fulcrum, thereby releasing the engagement between the female snap button and the male snap button.

2. In the snap button according to claim 1, A snap button characterized in that, when the male snap button is tilted relative to the female snap button, the engaging projection of the male snap button and the portion around the fitting hole of the female snap button are formed so as not to come into contact with each other.

3. In the snap button according to claim 2, A snap button characterized in that the portion surrounding the fitting hole of the female snap button is formed in a mortar shape.

4. In the snap button according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A snap button characterized in that the mutual engagement portions of the female snap button and the male snap button are made of metal, and the outer circumferences of the engagement portions are made of synthetic resin.

5. A snap button with tape, characterized by comprising a snap button according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images