Fastener

Abstract

Provided is a fastener that is unlikely to get caught on clothes or the like, enhances resistance generated during actions of engagement and disengagement between a hook and an eye, and enables a user to easily recognize that the engagement has correctly been performed. The fastener according to the present invention comprises: a metal hook 10; and a metal eye 20 with which the hook 10 is engaged and disengaged. The hook 10 includes: a hook part 11 having a U-shaped cross section; a plate-like part 12 extending from the hook part 11; and a first projection part 13 seamlessly continuing from the hook 10 in the whole circumference thereof. The eye 20 includes a second projection part 23 seamlessly continuing from the eye 20 in the whole circumference thereof. The first projection part 13 and the second projection part 23 come into contact with each other during actions of engagement and disengagement of the hook 10 with and from the eye 20.

Description

fastener

[0001] The present invention relates to a metal fastener that is primarily attached to the waist of pants, skirts, etc.

[0002] Fasteners consisting of a metal hook and eye that can be attached to the waist of pants or skirts are known. Such fasteners are also called hook-and-eye fasteners or snap fasteners. These fasteners allow the waist seam of pants or skirts to be opened, closed, or adjusted by engaging and disengaging the hook with the receiving part of the eye.

[0003] An example of a conventional fastener is disclosed in Utility Model Registration No. 3095699 (Patent Document 1). In this fastener, a hook-side protrusion is provided on the hook by cutting and bending a metal plate, and an eye-side protrusion is also provided on the eye. When the hook is engaged with the eye, the hook-side protrusion comes into contact with the eye-side protrusion.

[0004] However, in the fastener of Patent Document 1, the hook-side protrusion is formed by cutting a metal plate, so there is a gap around the hook-side protrusion, which can catch clothing or the like. Furthermore, in the fastener of Patent Document 1, the hook-side protrusion bends from the gap when it comes into contact with the eye-side protrusion, and because this contact is pinpoint, the resistance generated during the engagement operation is weak, making it difficult for the user to tell whether the hook and eye have engaged properly.

[0005] Utility Model Registration No. 3095699

[0006] In view of the above problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a fastener that is less likely to get caught on clothing, etc., that increases the resistance generated when the hook and eye are engaged and disengaged, and that allows the user to easily know that the engagement has been performed normally.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, there is provided a fastener comprising a metal hook and a metal eye for engaging and disengaging the hook, wherein the hook includes a hook portion having a U-shaped cross section, a plate-shaped portion extending from the hook portion, and a first convex portion that continues seamlessly from the hook around its entire circumference, and the eye includes a second convex portion that continues seamlessly from the eye around its entire circumference, and the first convex portion and the second convex portion come into contact with each other when the hook is engaged with and disengaged from the eye.

[0008] In the fastener according to the present invention, the hook is attached to an object to which the hook is attached, and the eye is attached to an object to which the eye is attached. The object to which the hook is attached and the object to which the eye is attached are, for example, fabrics forming the waist seam of the same pair of trousers or a skirt. When the hook and the eye are engaged, the plate-shaped portion of the hook and a portion of the hook portion (outer portion) are inserted into a receiving portion formed between the eye and the object to which the eye is attached. During this engagement operation, the first protrusion of the hook and the second protrusion of the eye come into contact with each other, which acts as resistance. Note that when the engagement operation is completed and the hook and the eye are engaged, the first protrusion and the second protrusion do not substantially come into contact with each other.

[0009] In the present invention, the hook and eye are made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy. The first convex portion of the hook is convex and seamlessly connected to the hook around the entire circumference of the first convex portion. The second convex portion of the eye is also convex and seamlessly connected to the eye around the entire circumference of the second convex portion. Such first and second convex portions are formed by a metal processing method such as stamping or embossing. Because the first and second convex portions are seamlessly connected to the hook and eye, the hook and eye are less likely to get caught on fabric, such as clothing, to which the fastener is attached. Furthermore, because the first and second convex portions are seamlessly connected to the hook and eye, the first and second convex portions do not bend at the gap when they come into contact with each other, thereby increasing the resistance generated by the contact.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the hook portion includes an inner portion that faces the object to which the hook is attached, an outer portion that is parallel to the inner portion, and a connecting portion with a C-shaped cross section that connects the inner portion and the outer portion, the length of the outer portion from the connecting portion is the same as the length of the inner portion from the connecting portion, the plate-shaped portion extends from the outer portion of the hook portion to the opposite side of the connecting portion, the first convex portion is provided on the plate-shaped portion, and the height of the first convex portion from the plate-shaped portion gradually increases toward the connecting portion side.

[0011] In this embodiment, the length of the outer portion of the hook portion from the connecting portion is defined as the same as the length of the inner portion from the connecting portion. This clearly defines the boundary between the outer portion and the plate portion (see imaginary line L in Figure 3), and therefore the boundary between the hook portion and the plate portion. The first protrusion is provided on the plate portion. The height of the first protrusion from the plate portion gradually increases toward the connecting portion. Therefore, when engaging the hook with the eye, the resistance generated by the first protrusion contacting the second protrusion gradually increases. This also increases the resistance, allowing the user to smoothly perform the engagement operation without any discomfort. In another embodiment, the apex of the first protrusion, which is the highest point from the plate portion, is located on the plate portion. The apex of the first protrusion is the point where the resistance is substantially highest when it contacts the second protrusion. By providing this apex on the plate portion rather than the hook portion, the resistance during engagement can be effectively utilized.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the eye forms a receiving portion between itself and the object to which the eye is attached, and the plate-shaped portion and the outer portion are inserted into the receiving portion when the hook and the eye are engaged. The hook and the eye are engaged by inserting the plate-shaped portion of the hook and the outer portion of the hook into the receiving portion of the eye. At this time, the eye body is relatively accommodated in the space (S) within the hook portion of the hook.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the eye comprises an eye body on which the second protrusion is provided, and two legs extending from both ends in the left-right direction of the eye body, each of the legs including a pin portion that is passed through the object to which the eye is to be attached, and the fastener includes an eye back plate that tightens the pin portion when attaching the eye to the object to which the eye is to be attached, and the eye back plate curves from both ends in the left-right direction toward the center so as to narrow the spacing between the receiving portions.

[0014] In this embodiment, the fastener includes an eye back plate, which is a separate component from the eye used to attach the eye to the object. The eye back plate is a component that receives the pin portion of the leg of the eye when the pin portion penetrates the object and is tightened. The eye back plate is curved from both ends toward the center so that the spacing between the receiving portions narrows, i.e., so that it approaches the second protrusion of the eye attached to the object. This allows the first protrusion of the hook to reliably contact the second protrusion of the eye, regardless of the thickness of the object.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the end of the plate-shaped portion of the hook opposite the outer portion is curved away from the inner portion. By curving the end of the plate-shaped portion of the hook in this manner, it becomes easier to insert the plate-shaped portion of the hook into the receiving portion of the eye, and it also reduces the risk of the hook surface being damaged due to close contact between the hooks during manufacturing, storage, and transportation. In another embodiment of the present invention, the end of the inner portion of the hook opposite the connecting portion is curved away from the outer portion. By curving the end of the inner portion of the hook in this manner, it becomes easier to relatively receive the eye into the space within the hook portion during engagement, and it also increases resistance by allowing the second protrusion to abut against the first protrusion of the hook while receiving the eye with the end of the inner portion during engagement. Furthermore, as with the end of the plate-shaped portion, it also reduces the risk of the hook surface being damaged due to close contact between the hooks during manufacturing, storage, and transportation.

[0016] In the present invention, the first and second protrusions are seamlessly connected to the hook and eye around their entire circumference, making it difficult for the hook and eye to get caught on the fabric of the clothing to which the fastener is attached. Furthermore, because the first and second protrusions are seamlessly connected to the hook and eye, the first and second protrusions do not bend at the break when they come into contact with each other, increasing the resistance generated by the contact. Therefore, the user can easily tell when the hook and eye have engaged properly.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hook 10. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the hook 10 as seen from the arrow A in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the eye 20. FIG. 5 is a front view of the eye 20. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the state immediately before the hook 10 and the eye 20 engage. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the hook 10 and the eye 20 have engaged. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the hook back plate 30. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view in the front-to-back direction showing the eye 20 attached to the second fabric portion f2 together with the eye back plate 40.

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The fastener according to the present invention comprises a metal hook 10 and a metal eye 20. The hook 10 and the eye 20 are made of, for example, an aluminum alloy, a copper alloy, or the like, but are not limited thereto.

[0019] 1 is a perspective view of a hook 10. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the hook 10 as seen from the arrow A in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 2.

[0020] The hook 10 includes a hook portion 11 having a U-shaped cross section and a plate-like portion 12 extending from the hook portion 11. For ease of explanation, the right side of the page in Figure 3 will be referred to as the "front" and the left side as the "rear," and the top of the page will be referred to as the "upper," and the bottom will be referred to as the "lower." Furthermore, the directions perpendicular to the front-to-back direction and the up-and-down direction of the hook 10 (the front-to-back direction on the page) will be referred to as the left-to-right direction.

[0021] The hook portion 11 includes a lower inner portion 11a, an upper outer portion 11b, and a connecting portion 11c with a C-shaped cross section that connects the front end of the inner portion 11a to the front end of the outer portion 11b. The inner portion 11a and the outer portion 11b are substantially parallel to each other. The space S between the inner portion 11a and the outer portion 11b of the hook portion 11 is closed at the front by the connecting portion 11c and is open to the rear and to the left and right. The inner portion 11a has a linear rear edge 11aa that extends along the left-right direction. A rear end portion 11ab of the inner portion 11a, including the rear edge 11aa, is bent obliquely downward and rearward.

[0022] The plate-shaped portion 12 extends continuously rearward from the outer portion 11b of the hook portion 11, i.e., toward the opposite side from the connecting portion 11c. The plate-shaped portion 12 is a rearward extension of the outer portion 11b and is substantially parallel to the inner portion 11a. Referring to Figure 2, the plate-shaped portion 12 has left and right linear side edges 12a and an arc-shaped rear edge 12b connecting the left and right side edges 12a at the rear. A rear end portion 12c including the rear edge 12b of the plate-shaped portion 12 is bent obliquely upward and rearward.

[0023] In the hook 10 of the present invention, the length of the outer portion 11b from the connecting portion 11c is defined to be the same as the length of the inner portion 11a from the connecting portion 11c. In other words, the boundary between the outer portion 11b and the plate-like portion 12 is the point where an imaginary line L extending in the vertical direction and passing through the rear edge 11aa of the inner portion 11a intersects, as shown in Figure 3. The imaginary line L can also be said to be the boundary between the hook portion 11 and the plate-like portion 12. Hereinafter, the boundary between the outer portion 11b (hook portion 11) and the plate-like portion 12 will be referred to as the "boundary L." The rear opening end of the space S of the hook portion 11 is along the boundary L.

[0024] The plate-shaped portion 12 has a first protrusion 13 that protrudes downward. That is, the first protrusion 13 is provided rearward of the boundary L. The first protrusion 13 is formed by a metal processing method called stamping or embossing. As a result, the first protrusion 13 is a continuous, seamless protrusion from the plate-shaped portion 12 around the entire periphery of the first protrusion 13. In other words, there is no gap between the first protrusion 13 and the plate-shaped portion 12. The first protrusion 13 is preferably formed so that the first protrusion 13 itself does not elastically deform. A recess corresponding to the first protrusion 13 is formed on the upper surface of the plate-shaped portion 12.

[0025] The first convex portion 13 has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and the height at which it protrudes downward from the plate-like portion 12 gradually increases from the rear to the front. The apex 13a, which is the first convex portion 13 with the highest protrusion height, is located slightly rearward of the boundary L. The apex 13a is linear in the left-right direction. The protrusion height of the first convex portion 13 gradually increases toward the rear apex 13a, and then reaches zero in a stepped manner from the apex 13a.

[0026] The hook 10 includes two pins 14 extending downward from both the left and right ends of the inner portion 11a of the hook portion 11. The front-to-rear width of the pins 14 narrows downward, and the tips are sharp. The pins 14 are used to attach the hook 10 to an object to which the hook is attached. This will be described later.

[0027] Next, the eye 20 will be described. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the eye 20. Figure 5 is a front view of the eye 20. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Figure 5.

[0028] Hereinafter, the vertical and horizontal directions of the eye 20 are based on the plane of FIG. 5 . The directions perpendicular to the horizontal and vertical directions of the eye 20 are the front-rear directions. The eye 20 is a substantially symmetrical member in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The eye 20 includes an eye body 21 shaped like a rectangular plate elongated in the horizontal direction and two legs 22 extending downward from both the left and right ends of the eye body 21. The eye body 21 has a second protrusion 23 protruding downward. Like the first protrusion 13, the second protrusion 23 is formed by a metal processing method known as stamping or embossing. This allows the second protrusion 23 to be continuously convex from the eye body 21 around its entire circumference. In other words, there is no gap between the second protrusion 23 and the eye body 21. The second protrusion 23 is preferably formed so that the second protrusion 23 itself does not elastically deform. Furthermore, a recess corresponding to the second protrusion 23 is formed on the top surface of the eye body 21. The second protrusion 23 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view.

[0029] Each leg 22 includes an upper base 24 and a pin 25 extending downward from the base 24. The base 24 has a constant width in the front-to-rear direction. The pin 25 has a smaller width in the front-to-rear direction than the base 24, and this width narrows downward, resulting in a sharp lower end. A step 26 exists at the boundary between the base 24 and the pin 25 of each leg 22. The pin 25 is a portion for attaching the eye 20 to an object to which the eye is attached. This point will be described later.

[0030] Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the state immediately before the hook 10 and the eye 20 are engaged. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the hook 10 and the eye 20 are engaged. Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the hook 10 is attached to the first fabric part f1, which is the hook attachment object forming the seam at the waist of the garment, and the eye 20 is attached to the second fabric part f2, which is the eye attachment object forming the seam.

[0031] The fastener according to the present invention further comprises a metal hook back plate 30 and a metal eye back plate 40. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the hook back plate 30. The hook back plate 30 has two openings 31 through which the two pins 14 of the hook 10 passing through the first fabric portion f1 are passed, and a recess 32 extending in the left-right direction for crimping the pins 14 passing through the openings 31. The recess 32 protrudes relatively upward based on the plane of the paper in Fig. 7 and the like, and sandwiches the first fabric portion f1 between itself and the inner portion 11a of the hook 10.

[0032] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view in the front-to-rear direction showing the eye 20 attached to the second fabric portion f2 together with the eye back plate 40. The eye back plate 40 has two openings 41 through which the two pins 25 of the eye 20, which penetrate the second fabric portion f2, pass. When each pin 25 of the eye 20 penetrates the second fabric portion f2, the base 24 does not enter the second fabric portion f2 due to the step 26 (see FIG. 4, etc.). The pins 25 that penetrate the second fabric portion f2 pass through the openings 41 in the eye back plate 40 and are then crimped on the eye back plate 40. As a result, the eye main body 21 and the left and right bases 24 form a rectangular, annular receiving portion 20a between the second fabric portion f2. As can be seen from FIG. 10, the eye back plate 40 curves from both ends in the left-right direction toward the center, narrowing the spacing between the receiving portions 20a, i.e., approaching the second protrusion 23. Such a curvature of the eye back plate 40 can be formed in accordance with the thickness of the second fabric part f2 when attaching the eye 20 to the second fabric part f2, thereby ensuring that the first protrusion 13 of the hook 10 contacts the second protrusion 23 of the eye 20 reliably, regardless of the thickness of the second fabric part f2, and providing the required resistance.

[0033] Next, the engagement operation of the hook 10 and the eye 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 . In this description, the up-down direction and the front-rear direction are as shown in FIG. 7 . Referring to FIG. 7 , when engaging the hook 10 and the eye 20, the user first inserts the plate-shaped portion 12 of the hook 10 into the receiving portion 20a of the eye 20. At this time, the rear end 12c of the plate-shaped portion 12 of the hook 10 is bent obliquely forward and upward, making it easy to insert the plate-shaped portion 12 into the receiving portion 20a. Furthermore, when the plate-shaped portion 12 is inserted into the receiving portion 20a, the first protrusion 13 of the hook 10 moves forward while contacting the second protrusion 23 of the eye 20. At this time, the first protrusion 13 gradually rises rearward, gradually increasing the resistance to inserting the plate-shaped portion 12 into the receiving portion 20a. Next, at approximately the time shown in FIG. 7 , the apex 13a of the first protrusion 13 contacts the second protrusion 23, and the resistance becomes substantially the highest. At this point, the rear end 11ab of the inner portion 11a of the hook 10 enters under the eye body 21, lifting the rear end of the eye body 21 upward. This causes the eye body 21 to tilt from a substantially parallel state to the inner portion 11a and outer portion 11b of the hook portion 11, causing the second convex portion 23 to be pressed against the apex 13a of the first convex portion 13. This acts to provide a firm resistance. The resistance can be further increased by forming the first convex portion 13 and the second convex portion 23 so as not to be elastically deformed, and further by curving the eye back plate 40 as described above.

[0034] When the outer portion 11b of the hook portion 11 is inserted into the receiving portion 20a following the plate-like portion 12 of the hook 10, the first protrusion 13 passes the second protrusion 23, resistance becomes zero, and the hook 10 and the eye 20 enter an engaged state as shown in Figure 8. In this engaged state, the inner portion 11a of the hook portion 11 enters between the eye body 21 and the first fabric portion f1. The eye body 21 is also relatively accommodated in the space S of the hook 10 and is held substantially parallel to the inner portion 11a and outer portion 11b of the hook portion 11.

[0035] This allows the user to easily understand that the hook 10 and the eye 20 have been properly engaged.

[0036] In the fastener according to the present invention, the resistance generated by contact between the first protrusion 13 and the second protrusion 23 gradually increases during the engagement between the hook 10 and the eye 20, and reaches zero when the engagement is substantially complete. This allows the user to smoothly perform the engagement and easily recognize, through a clicking sensation or the like, that the hook 10 and the eye 20 have been successfully engaged. Furthermore, because the first protrusion 13 and the second protrusion 23 are seamlessly connected to the hook 10 and the eye 20, they are less likely to get caught on the first fabric portion f1 and the second fabric portion f2 to which the hook 10 and the eye 20 are attached. Furthermore, the first protrusion 13 and the second protrusion 23 do not bend from the gap when they come into contact with each other, which increases the resistance generated by the contact.

[0037] 10 Hook 11 Hook portion 11a Inner portion 11ab Rear end portion of inner portion 11b Outer portion 11c Connecting portion 12 Plate-shaped portion 12c Rear end portion of plate-shaped portion 13 First convex portion 13a Apex 14 Pin portion 20 Eye 21 Eye body 22 Leg portion 23 Second convex portion 24 Base 25 Pin portion 30 Hook back plate 40 Eye back plate f1 First fabric portion (object to which hook is attached) f2 Second fabric portion (object to which eye is attached) L Boundary between outer portion (hook portion) and plate-shaped portion S Space within hook portion

Claims

1. A fastener comprising a metal hook and a metal eye for engaging and disengaging said hook, wherein said hook comprises a hook portion having a U-shaped cross section, a plate-like portion extending from said hook portion, and a first convex portion continuing seamlessly from said hook around its entire circumference, and said eye comprises a second convex portion continuing seamlessly from said eye around its entire circumference, said first convex portion and said second convex portion coming into contact with each other when said hook is engaged with and disengaged from said eye.

2. A fastener as described in claim 1, wherein the hook portion includes an inner portion that faces the object to which the hook is attached, an outer portion that is parallel to the inner portion, and a connecting portion with a C-shaped cross section that connects the inner portion and outer portion, the length of the outer portion from the connecting portion is the same as the length of the inner portion from the connecting portion, the plate-like portion extends from the outer portion of the hook portion to the opposite side to the connecting portion, the first protrusion is provided on the plate-like portion, and the height of the first protrusion from the plate-like portion gradually increases toward the connecting portion.

3. A fastener as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein the apex of said first protrusion that is highest from said plate-like portion is located on said plate-like portion.

4. A fastener as claimed in claim 2, wherein the eye forms a receiving portion between itself and the object to which the eye is attached, and the plate-like portion and the outer portion are inserted into the receiving portion when the hook and eye are engaged.

5. The fastener according to claim 4, wherein the eye comprises an eye body on which the second protrusion is provided and two legs extending from both ends in the left-right direction of the eye body, each of the legs including a pin portion that is passed through the object to which the eye is to be attached, and the fastener comprises an eye back plate that tightens the pin portion when the eye is attached to the object to which the eye is to be attached, and the eye back plate is curved from both ends in the left-right direction toward the center so as to narrow the spacing between the receiving portions.

6. The fastener according to claim 2, wherein the end of the plate-shaped portion of the hook opposite the outer portion is curved in a direction opposite to the inner portion.

7. The fastener according to claim 2, wherein the end of the inner part of the hook opposite the connecting part is curved away from the outer part.

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