Stress-Relieving Button Cover
A slide-over button cover having a front portion to cover a button and a rear portion that slides under a placket of a top layer of a button-down shirt (or other clothing) thereby reducing the stress caused on the thread of a button. The slide-over button cover can have a one- or two-piece construction, or two-piece magnetic construction and can also have a recessed portion under the front portion to accommodate a button.
This application is a continuation of and claims benefit from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/455,641, filed Aug. 8, 2014, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/949,983, filed Mar. 7, 2014, entitled, “Stress-Relieving Button Cover,” each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This application also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/949,983, filed Mar. 7, 2014, entitled, “Stress-Relieving Button Cover.”
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a clothing accessory or ornamentation device, in particular, a slide-over button cover that uses tension and/or compression to keep the button cover securely in place. The clothing accessory/ornamentation device covers a button, for example, on a shirt placket. The button cover in accordance with the present invention is described herein to cover a shirt placket, but it is understood that the device can been used to cover a button found on other articles of clothing and accessories.
Previous button covers generally hang directly on the button, causing stress on the button itself and its threads, causing its threads to come loose. U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,494 to Duke et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,951 to Gould, U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,719 to Fang, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,285 to Jerjian are examples of such button covers, the disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated by reference. In contrast, the present invention uses tension and compression to clasp both the button and shirt placket (or other material), thereby distributing the stress caused by the weight of the button cover to both the button and the shirt placket, and causing less stress on the button threads as compared to previous button covers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a slide-over button cover comprises a front portion designed to cover a button; and a rear portion designed to slide underneath a shirt placket and surround a thread passing through the button; the front and rear portions are rigidly connected at first ends thereof to create a U-shaped portion; the front portion has an end section formed at a second end thereof to cover a button; the rear portion has a hook at a second end thereof, the hook surrounds the thread passing though the button; the front and rear portions have protruding elements formed on inner sides thereof; the front portion and rear portion use compression to hold the button cover in place; the rear portion has two prongs creating a U-shape at a second end thereof; and the U-shaped portion is sized to sandwich the shirt placket.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a button cover comprises a front portion designed to cover a button; and a rear portion designed to slide underneath a shirt placket or other garment; the front and rear portions are magnetically connected; the front portion and the rear portion have magnetic end portions; the front portion has a recessed portion to accommodate a button; and the magnetic end portions of the rear portion are rigidly connected by a U-shaped portion.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a slide-over button cover comprises a front portion designed to cover a button; a rear portion designed to slide underneath a shirt placket; the front portion flexes on a prong to allow the button and shirt placket to slide in between said front and rear portions; said rear portion has a hook portion designed to surround a thread passing through the button to keep the button cover in place; and the front portion and rear portion use compression to hold the button cover in place.
Turning now to the figures,
Rear portion 103 has a hook 107 formed at its distal end, which is designed to slide behind or underneath a button and a piece of clothing to which the button is attached. Hook 107 allows for easy attachment and removal of the button cover 101. The front end portion 102 and rear portion 103 have protruding elements 108 formed on inner sides thereof to aid in securing the button cover around the piece of clothing.
Button cover 101 in accordance with the present invention can be inserted while a shirt or other piece of clothing is buttoned. The shirt placket, for example, is able to slide in between the front portion 102 and rear portion 103 of the button cover 101 and is held in a receiving portion 109. When engaged, end section 105 rests directly over the button, while the hook 107 of the rear portion 103 secures around the thread passing through the button. The hook 107 of the button cover 101 serves a number of purposes. For example, hook 107 surrounds the thread passing though the button to secure button cover 101 and prevent button cover 101 from sliding off of and detaching from the shirt or other garment. Also, it secures the button and shirt sandwiching or clasping the button and the shirt between the front portion 102 and rear portion 103 of the button cover 101.
The button cover in accordance with the present invention can be a one-piece construction as shown in
The button cover in accordance with the present invention can be used over a variety of buttons found, for example, on a shirt pocket, shirt placket, shirt collar sweater, jacket, cardigan, pants, trousers, bag, or any article of clothing or accessory. The cover can be sized in accordance with the size of the button and also shaped as desired. The shape can match the shape of the button, but can also bear a different shape. The shape of the recessed portions can be a variety of shapes and sizes. The hook in accordance with the present invention can be either open-end hook or a closed end hook. The button cover can be made from a variety of materials, for example, silver, gold, white gold, platinum, titanium, palladium, steel/stainless steel, bronzed, brass, or other precious or non-precious metal. Non-metal materials can also be used, such as plastic, silicon, rubber, glass, wood, ivory, shell, clay, etc.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combination, and equivalents of the embodiments, methods, and examples provided herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the embodiments and examples disclosed here, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.
Claims
1. A slide-over button cover comprising:
- a front portion designed to cover a button, said front portion having a first end; and
- a rear portion designed to slide underneath a shirt placket and surround a thread passing through the button while said front portion is covering the button, said rear portion having a first end;
- wherein the front and rear portions are rigidly connected at said first ends thereof to create a U-shaped portion; and
- wherein when said front portion is covering the button, the button cover clasps both the button and the shirt placket.
2. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 1, wherein the front portion has an end section formed at a second end thereof to cover a button.
3. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rear portion has a hook at a second end thereof, wherein said hook surrounds the thread passing though the button.
4. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 1, wherein the front and rear portions have protruding elements formed on inner sides thereof, said protruding elements protruding towards each other.
5. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 1, wherein the front portion and rear portion use compression to hold the button cover in place.
6. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rear portion has two prongs creating a U-shape at a second end thereof.
7. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 1, wherein said U-shaped portion is sized to sandwich the shirt placket.
8. A slide-over button cover comprising:
- a front portion designed to cover a button; and
- a rear portion designed to slide underneath a shirt placket;
- wherein the front portion flexes on a prong to allow the button and shirt placket to slide in between said front and rear portions.
9. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 8, wherein said rear portion has a hook portion designed to surround a thread passing through the button to keep the button cover in place.
10. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 8, wherein the front portion and rear portion use compression to hold the button cover in place.
11. A slide-over button cover comprising:
- a front portion designed to cover a button, the front portion having a first end; and
- a rear portion designed to slide underneath a shirt placket and surround a thread passing through the button, the rear portion having a first end;
- wherein the front and rear portions are rigidly connected at said first ends thereof;
- wherein the rear portion has a hook at a second end thereof; and wherein said hook surrounds the thread passing though the button underneath the shirt placket when the slide-over button cover is placed over the button.
12. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rear portion has a hook at a second end thereof, wherein said hook surrounds the thread passing though the button underneath the shirt placket.
13. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 1, wherein said hook is unitary.
14. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 13, wherein said unitary hook is shaped as approximately three-quarters of a circle.
15. The slide-over button cover in accordance with claim 1, wherein one side of said front portion of the button cover that contacts the button is textured.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 19, 2014
Publication Date: Sep 10, 2015
Inventor: Danny Tang (Rowland Heights, CA)
Application Number: 14/491,138