Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FASTENER
FIELD O~ THE INVENTION
This invention relates to fasteners for
securing an article to an object, and particularly, to a
fastener for securing hang tags to an object such as a
person's qarment, a mechanical shut-off device,
electrical switching equipment and luggage.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The ski industry presently uses an industry
standard wire/label system for securing a lift pass,
purchased by the skier, to the latter's outer ski
~20 garment. The wire of such a system is so shaped,
typically in the form of a planar triangular frame with
a split opening along the bottom of the triangle, so as
to define an aperture which after being threaded through
a closed mechanical loop on the skier's outer ski
garment, such as a zipper eyelet or sewn in loop for such -
` ~ purpose, i8 covered by a self-adhesive label. When used
properly, the label is folded in half over the wire,
~ covering the opening along the bottom of the triangle and
;!'.'` ~ . adhering to itself, adhesive to adhesive, permanently
through and outside the wire aperture, thereby embracing
the wire. The top of the triangle remains free and
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allowed to swing through the closed loop on the skier's
garment. Removal of the pass should lead to complete
destruction of the pass; a feature which is preferred by
the ski areas to prevent transfer of the lift pass which
would result in a loss of revenue to the ski area. -
However, a common practice of skiers is to adhere one
label over another, or in some cases insert a piece of
the label peel off backing, thereby placing the self-
adhesive backings in contact with a plastic or coated
paper stock, to which it was not designed to adhere,
particulary in extreme cold or hot conditions. In such
cases the label has been known to fall off accidentally,
and in many more cases, removed by the skier and
transferred to a second non-paying skier. -
The wire/label system presents a number of - -
operational problems to the ski area operator, including
a significant litter problem when skiers discard the
label backing which becomes a third item to hang on to -~
and an inconvenient obstacle when adhering the now
detached label at sub-zero temperatures. Labels have ~ '
also been a problem with new high speed printers that run
at much higher heats, resulting in the label leaving the
backing to which it is applied and causing label roll-up -
in the printer, further resulting in significant repair
costs and down time of the printer. The wires, despite
extraordinary packaging efforts to prevent such mishap,
are difficult to present to the skier without tangling,
similar to the handling of wire coat hangers. It has
been estimated that as few as half of the wires purchased
by the ski area will actually be used for the purpose of
their purchase, with the balance left tangled in the snow
until picked up by ski area staff, or thrown out by ski
area staff after becoming entangled during the process of
presenting them for the ski areas skiers.
A further note of the wire is that because of
its rigidity, the wire when embraced by the label, may be
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cut in two below the surface of the label and still
provide the skier with sufficient confidence it will not
fall of, not be visibly noticeable by ski area security
policing for such unacceptable and illegal activity, and
have sufficient pull strength that when physically
challenged by security policing for such unacceptable and
illegal activity may go unnoticed. Such practice is used
by thie~es sharing the same single user pass.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present
invention to provide a more secure, litter free, and
easier to apply day pass system for ski areas, as well as
for such uses as a "tagable seal" in mechanical and
electrical safety lock out procedures, airline luggage
tags, or other applications that require a secure means
of fastening a specific hang tag to a specific object
such as a person or device. Further, the fastener of
this invention offers the ski area a lift pass system
that includes a new revenue generating promotional
opportunity when used with a perforated hang tag that
includes a detachable coupon offer. In industrial
practices, the detachable area of the hang tag may act as
a receipt for the proof of use of the specific hang tag - -
and would in most cases include a number that corresponds
with a number that would remain with the section attached
permanently to the fastener. -
These and other objects will become apparent
from a reading of this specification as a whole. ;;
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! I SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, in its broadest aspect, the
invention provides a fastener for fastening a first
article to a second article, said fastener comprising a
body having first retaining means to non-releasably ~ ;
retain said first article and second retaining means to
non-releasably retain said second article. ~ ~
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While the first and second retaining means are,
preferably, formed of resiliently flexible materials,
more preferably, the fastener is of a unitary
construction and fully formed of a resiliently flexible
material.
The fastener is of particular use for fastening
a hang tag such as a clothing hang tag, or ski pass hang
tag or safety information hang tag to a garment or device
per se or most preferably, through a rigid non-readily
breakable member such as a zipper eyelet or typical day
pass loop sewn into a ski garment. Thus, preferably, the
fastener has a body having a substantially first portion
having a first face to receive the ticket hang tag, and
a second body portion having a second face. When the
body i8 folded over to effect face to face opposing
relationship between the first and second body portions,
the ticket is non-releasably retained between the faces,
when the two body portions are non-releasably engaged,
one with other. Attempts to remove the hang tag will
result in sufficient damage to the hang tag to make it
unusable.
Examples of preferred first retaining means are ~-
constituted by the first body portion having an
upstanding, preferably integrally formed stud engageable
with an aperture formed in the second body portion.
The fastener according to the invention
preferably has a planer portion adapted to receive
advertising literature and the like for the display
! ~ ' ' thereof. This planar portion also provides for the
molding of a unique serial number into each unit that
could be cross referenced with a numbered hang tag, -~ `
providing an even superior level of security when used
for such measures.
By the term "foldable" is meant that the ~m
fastener according to the invention is so formed as to
allow the first body portion to face and substantially
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abut the second body portion in consequence of the
resilient flexibility of the article when integrally
formed of a resiliently flexible material, such as a
plastics material; or where the article has hinged
members permitting such foldability.
In one embodiment of the invention the second
retaining means comprises an elongated member operably
permanently attachable to a now secured hang tag and
fastener combination to a person's garment, preferably
through a rigid non-readily breakable member such as a
zipper eyelet or day pass loop sewn into a ski garment.
The diameter of such retaining means is limited to a size
which will pass through a zipper eyelet, and because of
its very small diameter is preferably made of a material
having sufficient tensile and abrasive strength to endure
the expected pulls and friction that can be expected
during a number of subsequent ski days or in an outdoor
industrial lock out situation. The small head area must
also have sufficient resiliency to maintain a permanent
catch when stressed. This second retaining means
includes the elongated member which is of sufficient
strength but not so strong that if cut, it will maintain ; ;
the fastener ~nd hang tag in place, and such that when
the fastener is pulled in stress from the object to which
it is fastened, it will stretch and eventually break
before sufficient stress can be put on the rather small
catch at its end. -
, ~ BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be better ; --
understood, preferred embodiments will now be described
by way of example only with reference to the accompanying
drawings wherein ~;
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Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a
fastener according to the invention prior to receiving a
hang tag and the hang tag;
Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of a
fastener according to the invention in a folded-over
position to retain a ski tag in association with a
clothing zipper in an open position;
Fig. 3 represents a perspective rear view,
partly cut away, of a fastener and tag of Figure 2 in -
association with a clothing zipper in a closed position;
Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of a ~ '
partly cut away retaining means of use in a fastener
according to the invention. -
Fig. 5 represents an alternative embodiment of
a fastener according to the invention;
Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of an
alternative fastener of the invention shown in an
unlocked, substantially co-planar form, with a hang tag;
Fig. 7 represents a diagrammatic sectional view
in part of a fastener means of use in the invention;
Fig. 8 represents a perspective view of the
fastener of Fig. 6 in a folded over hang tag locked
engagement position embracing the hang tag; and
Fig. 9 represents a diagrammatic sectional view
in part of an alternative fastener means of use in the
invention embracing a hang tag. ~
Like numerals in the drawings represent the ~ `
same or similar parts. -~
DETAILED DESCRIPT~ON OF T~E PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a ~-
fastener 10 of approximately 2.5 cm in width, 5 cm in
length and 1 cm in thickness, and formed of a plastics
material in association with a ski or clothing tag or
ticket 12 typically of about 8 cm in width and 10 cm in
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length Fastener 10 has a body portion 14 having a
planar front face 16 and a mushroom shaped stud 18,
having three head supports, and perpendicularly
upstanding therefrom. In the embodiment shown, stud 18
is integrally formed with body portion 14, but in
alternativs embodiments the stud may be received in
either loose or tight-fitted engagement in an aperture
defined by body portion 14. Stud 18 is so shaped as
hereinafter described.
Fastener 10 also has a body portion 20
integrally formed with body portion 14, and is shown in
Fig. 1 to be co-planer with portion 14. Body portion 20
has a front face 22 and a portion defining a stud
receiving aperture 24 and is of a desired thickness and
resilient flexibility as to allow folding thereof to
permit faces 16 and 22 to substantially abut and oppose
each other to define therebetween a tag receiving area or
aperture.
Tag 12 has a portion defining an aperture 25
which operably receives stud 18. Upon receipt of tag 12,
stud 18 engages aperture 24 in non-releasable engagement
so as to permanently retain tag 12 between faces 16 and
22 of body portion 14 and 20, respectively. The
resilient flexibility of the plastics material and the
shape of the head of stud 18 and/or body portion defining
the aperture allows of and provides a one time, one way ~ ~-
passage of stud 18 through aperture 24. Stud 18 and
aperture 24 are further so shaped as to prevent ready
! ~ cutting of stud 18 from fastener 10.
In alternative embodiments, body portion 14 may
define a stud receiving aperture while body portion 20
has a perpendicularly, upstanding cooperable stud `
receivable by this aperture to effect similar, non-
releasable retention of a tag ticket.
With reference also now to Fig. 2 and Fig. 3,
integrally formed with body portion 14 is an elongate
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member 26 having a plurality of arrow-head projections
28, longitudinally of member 26 at a terminal portion 30,
thereof. Elongate member 26 as shown in Fig. 2
substantially defines an open-ended loop 31 to operably
receive a closed zipper member 32 and subsequently
defines a closed aperture 34 when engaged as shown in
Fig. 3. Fig. 3 shows zipper member 32 and elongate
member 26 in interlocking relationship.
In more detail, and with reference to Fig. 4,
body portion 14 has a portion 34 defining a serrated,
substantially cylindrical aperture 36 complimentary to
terminal portion 30 to operably allow aperture 36 to
receive portion 30 in male-female interlocking non-
releasable engagement to effect retention of zipper
member 32 to fastener 10.
The fasteners may be formed, preferably, by
injection molding or casting of a thermoplastics
material, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, or a
nylon, most preferably nylon 6, in a suitably formed
mold. However, alternative methods of manufacture may be
employed. While a thermoplastic material is preferably
used as the material of construction of the fastener, as
either a unitary, integrally formed article or
combination of distinct members, other materials having
the desired resilient flexibility such as aluminum and
other metals may be used.
Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment 100
formed of a pair of rectangularly shaped planar members
110, 112 operably superimposable one above the other to
define a ticket receiving aperture 114. Members 110 and
112 are integrally formed of a resiliently flexible
plastics material, such as polyethylene, to allow of such
superimposition.
Alternatively, members 110 and 112 may be
hinged one to the other.
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Member 110 has a face 116 from which extends an
upstanding stud 118, so shaped as hereinafter described.
A portion of member 112 defines an aperture 120 which is
complimentary to and operably receives stud 118, in non-
releasable engagement. This stud 118 - aperture 120
retaining means may be shaped as described with reference
to Figures 1-3. ~i
Integrally formed with member llo is an
elongated member 122 having a terminal portion 124
defining an aperture 126 so shaped as to also receive in
non-releasable engagement stud 118. Superimposing
members 110, 112, one upon the other and sffecting
retention of stud 118 in aperture 126 effects retention
of portion 124 in a non-releasable manner.
Fig. 6 shows a fastener of a unitary
construction formed of Nylon 6. Fastener 200 has two
integrally formed disc-like members 210, 212, bridged one -
to the other by arms 214, 216. Arm 216 has an upstanding
open cylinder 218 adapted to receive a cone shaped
terminal portion 220 of elongated member 222 as is more
clearly shown in Fig. 7 in non-releasable interlocking
engagement, as hereinafter described.
Nember 210 has a perpendicularly upstanding
split-stud 224, consisting of a two-part unit of semi-
cylindrical open form, each of which parts 226, 228 are
separated by a first distance at an upper part which
decreases at a preferred rate to a narrower second
distance before sharply increasing to a greater distance
for the balance of the lower part to its point of
adjoinment with member 210. The flexible resilience of
stud 224 allows upper portion of 226 and 228 to be
temporarily deformed. Split stud 224 in the above
embodiment is conveniently guided and located and, once
engaged, be secured in the locked folded fastener in a
close tolerance fit by the presence of guides 230 on
member 212.
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Member 212 has a centrally deposited arrow-
headed member 232, which with member 212 defines two
semi-circular recesses 234, 236 adapted to receive split-
stud 224 in non-releasable engagement when fastener 200
is folded, substantially member 212 over member 210. The
arrow head of member 232 displaces parts 226 and 228
which in turn flex the arrow head of member 232, and in
so doing provides for the passage of arrow head 232
through the sloped narrower section of parts 226 and 228
to the lower part of a greater separating distance to
effect return of parts 226 and 228 to their original
separated distance, and arrow head 232 back to its formed
and preferred shape. This closed state is shown in Fig.
8 and more clearly in Fig. 9. This action effects non-
releasable engagement of members 210 and 212. As shown
in Fig. 8 such closure of members 210 and 212 effects
entrapment of hang tag 12 when split-stud 224 is received
by aperture 14 of hang tag 12 to provide proper location
and convenient holding means from hang-tag 12.
Elongated member 222 is threaded through a
zipper eyelet 238 of a ski jacket (not shown) and,
terminal portion 220 enters cylinder 218 and is retained
therein, entrapping zipper through its eyelet, 238.
Fastener 200 is of approximately 2.5 cm in
width 5 cm in length and 1.5 cm in thickness. Arms 214
and 216 are of sufficient dimensions as to allow folding
thereof to permit members 210 and 212 to substantially
align, abut and engage each other, while reorienting
cylinder 218 to be co-planar with combined members 210,
212 to facilitate proper positioning of it for receiving
terminal portion 220. Cylinder 218 has a series of inner
pliable tabs of a desired thickness as to provide a one
way passage of head of terminal 220 as shown in Fig. 7,
Grip area 240 of elongated member 222 is formed to a
greater width than the inside diameter of open cylinder
218, so as to prevent further passage of elongated member
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222 through the open cylinder 218, once pushed
sufficiently far enough to be permanently retained.
Elongated member 222 is formed of a desired
thickness profile as to be pliable that in the event of
being cut, it will cause fastener 200 to have
insufficient strength to hold itself and hang tag 12 from
such an object as zipper 238. Elongated member 222 is
also of such desired thickness, profile and plastics
material so as to stretch and eventually break before
10 terminal portion 220 would break away and be released
from cylinder 218. Further, elongated member 222 allows
for ready cutting by scissors when so desired. Elongated
member 222 may also be of such material and dimension
that when stretched it will reduce the stress on the
15 terminal portion 220 - cylinder lock 218 and, in fact,
break before such catch will release. Yet further,
elongated member 222 is formed of a pliable material that
wheD cut has insufficient strength to secure the hang tag
under normal use and presents evidence of such tempering
20 when so stretched.
Split stud 224 is so split into two to allow
for the passage of arrow headed member 232 and also to
allow flexing upon insertion of member 232 so as to more
easily align entry and to take some of the stress of the
25 interference phase of member 232 passing through barbs of
stud 224.
In alternative embodiments, split stud 224 may
be defined as a mushroom shape stud receivable by an
aperture defined by a resilient material that will allow
30 for a one way passage.
The fasteners of the invention are so designed
as to preferably provide little or no tolerance around
the hang tag when permanently engaged between the two
opposing faces of the two body portions embracing the
35 hang tag. This is to reduce the risk of tampering. In
this embodiment, each of the opposing faces also include
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a thin lip on the outermost diameter as seen in Fig. 9,
of a sufficiently pliable material that is so designed as
to give way when plied against with a mechanical device,
such as a screw driver, that is slipped between the first
and the second faces adjacent the hang tag.
While preferred embodiments of the invention
have been described above, it will be recognized and -
understood that various modification may be made therein
and the appended claims are intended to cover all such
modifications which fall within in the spirit and scope
of the invention.
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