Apparatus for coupling and decoupling button and loop connections of a garment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Coupling and decoupling button and loop connections in wedding gowns is time-consuming and requires dexterity, typically needing assistance from a helper.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a longitudinally extending body member, handle, and prongs with hooks and expanded ends that cooperate to open and position loops relative to buttons, allowing for easy coupling and decoupling by rotating about an axis defined by the prongs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If button and loop connections are coupled manually without assistance, then the bride can dress independently, but the process requires significant time and dexterity that most brides lack
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized tool as an intermediary device between the user and the button-loop connection system. This tool includes a body with a loop receptacle that receives the garment loop, a button engagement feature that captures the button, and a lever mechanism that facilitates the coupling action. The intermediary tool transforms the difficult manual dexterity task into a simpler lever-based mechanical action that requires minimal skill and time.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling tool employs dynamic mechanical elements including a lever that pivots between engaged and disengaged positions, and a spring-loaded button engagement feature that automatically releases the button when the lever is actuated. This dynamic design allows the tool to perform the coupling and decoupling actions efficiently through simple lever movements rather than requiring precise manual manipulation throughout the entire process.
2Productivity
If traditional manual coupling method is used, then no additional tools are needed, but the operation becomes tricky and time-consuming requiring helper assistance
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling system is segmented into distinct functional components: a body member with a loop receptacle, a button engagement feature, and a lever mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently - the receptacle holds the loop, the engagement feature captures the button, and the lever provides mechanical advantage for the coupling action. The segmented design simplifies the overall operation while maintaining functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of manually threading the loop through the button hole from the front, the invention inverts the approach by using the lever to push the button from the back through the loop, or to pull the loop over the button from the rear. This inverted mechanism allows the bulk of the coupling work to be done by the mechanical lever action rather than by manual manipulation from the front, significantly reducing the skill and time required.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for coupling and decoupling button and loop connections of a garment. The apparatus includes a longitudinally extending body member having a handle member extending from a first end and a pair of prongs extending from an oppositely disposed second end. One prong has a hook on its distal end and the other prong has an expanded end member on its distal end. The prongs are generally parallel with one another forming a gap therebetween such that upon insertion of the prongs into a loop, the prongs cooperate to open the loop and position the loop relative to a button such that rotation of the apparatus about an axis of rotation defined through the prongs proximate the hook and the expanded end causes the loop to be moved relative to the button, thereby coupling or decoupling the loop and the button.