US20080222852A1

US20080222852A1 - Button hook

Info

Publication number: US20080222852A1
Application number: US11/724,470
Authority: US
Inventors: Gerard A. Stephan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-03-15
Filing date: 2007-03-15
Publication date: 2008-09-18

Abstract

A button hook fastener includes a longitudinally extending solid plate, sized to fit a clothing button hole of one half inch or less. The proximal end of the button fastener includes a three dimensional finger engaging stop portion, preferable spherical. This enables the user to hold the plate within two fingers, but the three dimensional stop prevents the plate from slipping through the two fingers of the user. In order to capture a button, an open hook at the distal end of the plate is wrapped around the threading holding the button to a shirt. To maintain stability, the forward end of the hook has a slight taper, so that it can be easily inserted within a typical shirt button hole of one half inch or less. Additionally, there is an angled guide leading from a recess to the longitudinally extending inner confines of the arcuate hook, to guide the thread holding the button to within the confines of the arcuate hook.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to button fasteners for clothing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An aging population with joint afflictions such as arthritis finds the mundane act of buttoning a garment difficult. This has been the case since antiquity, and prior art for button hooks to ease this task can be found. The pivoted button hook of O'Connor in U.S. Pat. No. 686,325 is designed with a long handle and wire loop to aid in buttoning shoes. Several patents relate to combination tools including a button hook. The button hook end on Papernik's U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,401 is an open wire design similar to a needle threader. Taylor et al. in their Design Patent Des. 401,389 use a wire loop for the button hook. Ricci in Design Patent D445,959 shows a small button hook on the distal end of a nail file. Low's combination implement of patent 419,268 shows a flat implement with a hook at its distal end. The US Patent documents of Ross (U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,688), Tempkins (Appl. Num. US 2005/0067846), Taylor (Des. 401,389) and Teaman (Des.384,186) are entirely formed of bent wire with button hooks at distal ends. The prior art does not teach the ergonomic features of the present invention.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to make the fastening of a button easier, especially for persons with arthritis and other limited manual dexterity afflictions.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an easily graspable button hook fastener.
Other objects which become apparent from the following description of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A typical shaft and head of the button fastener is a longitudinally extending solid plate, sized to fit a clothing button hole of one half inch or less.
To enable persons with limited gripping ability or limited dexterity, the proximal end of the button fastener includes a three dimensional finger engaging stop portion, preferable spherical. This enables the user to hold the plate within two fingers, but the three dimensional stop prevents the plate from slipping through the two fingers of the user.
The button hook includes an elongated member having a distal end cut at a bias having a narrowed tip and forming a ramp edge A hook shaped portion extends from the narrowed tip of the elongated member, wherein the hook shaped portion is “U-shaped”, with a free end facing and spaced apart from the oblique slanting ramp edge. An enlarged grasping portion, such as the spherical ball, is mounted on a proximate end of the elongated member and is sufficiently large and ergonomically shaped so as to permit grasping by arthritic fingers.
Preferably the elongated member of the button hook is flat, with first and second side edges extending from the proximate end to the distal end of the elongated member. The free end of the hook is shaped to be aligned with the first side edge and an opposite side of the hook shaped portion is aligned with the second side edge. The oblique, slanted ramp edge extends from the first side edge to the opposite side of the hook shaped portion at the distal end of the button hook.
The elongated member is of a size allowing it to move in a first direction to pass through a button hole, wherein the enlarged, preferably spherical, portion is sufficiently large as to not pass through the button hole. The hook portion, after passing through the button hole, is able to grab a thread or group of threads holding the button on the garment and is able to pull the button through the button hole, when the enlarged member is pulled in an opposite direction out of the button hole.
Therefore, the button is pulled by the button fastener through the button hole via the hooked end of the plate, until the button is secure within the hole.
Thereafter the button fastener is released from the threading, and the button fastener is withdrawn from the button hole, while the button is secure in place within the button hole.
The user pulls the button fastener from the enlarged, three dimensional proximal end, so that the user does not have to use manual dexterity by pushing the button fastener.
Movement of the enlarged member in a first direction away from the thread or threads causes the oblique, slanted ramp edge to release the hook shaped member from the thread, thereby leaving the button in the button hole.
Therefore, to reiterate in summary, in order to capture a button, an open hook at the distal end of the elongated plate member is wrapped around the threading holding the button to a shirt. To maintain stability, the forward end of the hook has a slight taper, so that it can be easily inserted within a typical shirt button hole of one half inch or less. Additionally, there is an angled guide leading from a recess to the longitudinally extending inner confines of the arcuate hook, to guide the thread holding the button to within the confines of the arcuate hook.
In use, the button fastener is inserted within the button hole to the region of the clothing where the button is attached by the threading. After the user reaches around the threading, the threading is guided into the hook confines by the angled guide portion of the distal end of the button fastener.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention can best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments show in drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side plan view of the button hook of this invention showing the distinct ergonomic features;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the button hook of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating the step of introducing the button hook through a button hole;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the button being pulled through a button hole by the button hook, and

FIG. 5 is a front view showing the disengagement of the button hook from a complete buttoning operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The button hook or puller 1 of this invention is shown in FIG. 1 with spherical grasping ball 5 at the proximal end and button engaging hook 3 at the distal end of flat extension 2. Angled ramp 4 acts as a guide to engage the thread bundle of a button as well as to quickly and easily disengage after the buttoning operation is complete. The angled ramp terminates in a straight linear portion 3 a, which is parallel to a shorter straight linear portion 3 b extending from the tip of the hook 3 towards the outer distal end of button hook 1. Parallel linear portions 3 a and 3 b terminate in distal arcuate section 3 c, thereby providing a longitudinally extending recess for engaging the threads of the button being inserted in the clothing button hole.
FIG. 2 is a top view showing the flat nature of the body portion 2 including hook 3.
The ergonomic features can be appreciated in FIGS. 3-5 which show details of actual use of button hook 1.
In FIG. 3 button hook 1 is pushed through a button hole in the “A” direction. At this point, a downward push in the “B” direction will engage the thread bundle attaching button 11 to shirt 10 in hook 3 by virtue of angled ramp 4 which acts as a guide. The flat surface of part 2 against shirt 10 also aids in the alignment, while ball 5 is comfortably grasped.
FIG. 4 shows button 11 being drawn through the button hole as button hook 1 is pulled in the “C” direction.
As shown in FIG. 5, after button 11 is completely through the button hole, a push in the “D” direction will automatically disengage hook 3 from button 11 by virtue of ramp 4 which causes an upward vector to the movement of the hook 3 end of button hook 1.
In the foregoing description, certain terms and visual depictions are used to illustrate the preferred embodiment. However, no unnecessary limitations are to be construed by the terms used or illustrations depicted, beyond what is shown in the prior art, since the terms and illustrations are exemplary only, and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.
It is further known that other modifications may be made to the present invention, without departing the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A button hook comprising:

an elongated member having a distal end cut at a bias having a narrowed tip and forming a ramp edge;

a hook shaped portion extending from said narrowed tip of said elongated member, said hook shaped portion being U-shaped with a free end facing and spaced from said ramp edge; and

an enlarged portion mounted on a proximate end of said elongated member sufficiently large and ergonomically shaped so as to permit grasping by arthritic fingers.

2. The button hook of claim 1 in which said elongated member is flat with first and second side edges extending from said proximate end to said distal end of said elongated member, the free end of said hook shaped being aligned with said first side edge and an opposite side of said hook shaped portion being aligned with said second side edge, said ramp edge extending from said first side edge to the opposite side of said hook shaped portion.

3. The button hook of claim 2 in which said enlarged portion is a ball.

4. In combination, a button hook for buttoning a button through a button hole of a garment, comprising:

said button hook comprising an elongated member having a distal end cut at a bias having a narrowed tip and forming a ramp edge;

said button hook having a hook shaped portion extending from said narrowed tip of said elongated member, said hook shaped portion being U-shaped with a free end thereof facing and spaced from said ramp edge;

an enlarged portion mounted on a proximate end of said elongated member sufficiently large and ergonomically shaped so as to permit grasping by arthritic fingers;

said elongated member being of a size allowing said elongated member to move in a first direction to pass through said button hole, said enlarged portion being sufficiently large as to not pass through said button hole whereby said hook portion after passing through said button hole is able to grab a thread holding said button on said garment and pull said button through said button hole when said enlarged member is pulled in an opposite direction out of said button hole; and

whereby movement of said enlarged member in said first direction will cause said ramp edge to release said hook shaped member from said thread leaving said button in said button hole.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which said elongated member is flat with first and second side edges extending from said proximate end to said distal end of said elongated member, the free end of said hook shaped being aligned with said first side edge and an opposite side of said hook shaped portion being aligned with said second side edge, said ramp edge extending from said first side edge to the opposite side of said hook shaped portion.

6. The combination of claim 5 in which said enlarged portion is a ball.