U.S. patent application number 09/977134 was filed with the patent office on 2003-04-17 for needle holes.
Invention is credited to Shau, Albert Yen.
Application Number | 20030071094 09/977134 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25524858 |
Filed Date | 2003-04-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030071094 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shau, Albert Yen |
April 17, 2003 |
Needle holes
Abstract
The present invention was invented in order to ease the process
of threading a needle. It also gives people, who do not have the
coordination to thread a needle, the ability to sew and knit. The
present invention allows a wider range of people to use needles,
and improves the ease of which sewing is done. The design is simple
and easy to produce keeping the needles price at a low amount.
Inventors: |
Shau, Albert Yen; (Palo
Alto, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Albert Shau
991 Amarillo Ave.
Palo Alto
CA
94303
US
|
Family ID: |
25524858 |
Appl. No.: |
09/977134 |
Filed: |
October 15, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
223/102 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 75/28 20130101;
D05B 85/02 20130101; B65H 2701/31 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
223/102 |
International
Class: |
D05B 085/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A needle comprising of a thread holding cavity, said thread
holding cavity has an opening to allow thread to slide in from the
side, instead of inserted through the thread holding cavity.
2. The thread holding cavity in claim 1 comprises: a) a hole
similar to the hole in prior art needle, and b) a thin, diagonal
cut in one side of said hole in (a), allowing thread to easily
slide in and stay in the holding cavity.
3. The thread holding cavity in claim 1 comprises: a) a hole
similar to the hole in prior art needle, and b) two thin diagonal
cuts jutting in opposite directions creating a v shape, allowing
thread to easily slide in and stay in the holding cavity.
4. The thread holding cavity in claim 1 comprises: a) a hole
similar to the hole in prior art needle, and b) a flexible section
of the side of the needle head, allowing that section to bend
inwards, or outwards, allowing the thread to be placed in position,
while making it difficult for the thread to slide out when the
section is bent back in place.
5. The thread holding cavity in claim 1 comprises: a) a v shaped
cut located at the center of the needle head, b) a narrow opening,
leading to the hole, at the tip of the needle, and c) a thin
section of the v shaped cut that will catch the thread and hold it
in place.
6. The thread holding cavity in claim 1 comprises: a) a wide
opening, starting at the edge of the needle, that gradually becomes
narrower, leading to a small opening, and b) a thin slit connected
to the small opening of said opening in (a), slightly larger than
thread, located at the center of the needle head, that will catch
the thread and keep it in place.
7. A spool that supports the threading activity required in claim
1, comprises two small cuts located at opposite ends of the spool,
allowing the thread to be placed in each cut, causing the thread to
be taut, and easy to control.
8. A spool that supports the threading activity required in claim
1, comprises: a) a bar that reaches from one end of the spool to
the other, b) one or a plurality of thin cuts located on the bar,
that allow the thread to be inserted into the cut, causing the
thread to be taut, and easy to control.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the small holes located at
the end of an object, and more specifically, needle-holes.
[0002] Threading a needle has always been a difficult task. Thread
is flimsy, so a person has a hard time trying to place that thread
through the small needle hole. There are no current products that
ease the process of threading a needle. This is mainly because a
person practiced in dealing with needles can thread one quickly,
and easily.
[0003] Threading a needle can be frustrating and difficult to one
not used to threading needles. Therefore, it is desirable to have a
needle that is very easy to thread, cheap, and easy to
manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The primary objective of this invention is, therefore, to
make the threading of a needle easier and faster. The other
objective would be to allow a wider range of people to use needles.
This includes young children, seniors, or anybody else that did not
previously have the control needed to thread a needle. The design
of the needle must also be simple, cheap, and easy to produce
because a consumer would not be interested in buying an expensive
needle, even if it is easy to thread.
[0005] While the novel features of the invention are set forth with
particularly in the appended claims, the invention, both as to
organization and content, will be better understood and
appreciated, along with other objects and features thereof, from
the following detailed descriptions taken in conjunction with the
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 shows a prior art needle in its entirety
[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged view of one possible design
for the new needle hole
[0008] FIG. 3 illustrates another example of needle hole
design.
[0009] FIG. 4 illustrates another example of needle hole design,
using a movable part.
[0010] FIG. 5 illustrates a needle hole where the thread is
inserted at the head.
[0011] FIG. 6 illustrates a needle with a large opening at the
side, similar in design to that of a hook.
[0012] FIG. 7 illustrates a prior art spool, at one angle.
[0013] FIG. 8 illustrates a prior art spool, from another
angle.
[0014] FIG. 9 illustrates a spool that will keep the thread
taut.
[0015] FIG. 10 illustrates a spool that will keep the thread taut
and slanted at an angle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a prior art needle. The dotted lines enclose an
enlarged view of the needle hole (101). The needle hole is where
the thread is strung through. Since the hole is like a slit in the
needle, it can be hard to insert the thread through the little
hole. The hole is completely enclosed.
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a needle that has been changed in the
area around the needle hole (201). This modified needle hole is
exactly the same as a conventional one, except there is a thin cut
(203) at the side of the needle hole. This allows the user to
easily slide the thread in through the thin cut, instead of pushing
the thread through the hole. The thin cut is angled so that it is
hard for the thread, once inserted, to slide out the needle hole.
This is because when a needle is used, the thread is pulled toward
the head (202) of the needle. Since the thin cut is at the other
end of the needle hole, and because the thin cut is angled the
opposite direction that the thread is moving, it will not be likely
for the thread to slide back out the needle hole.
[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates another needle hole. The design is very
similar to that of the needle hole in FIG. 2. The only difference
is how the thin cut is angled. This v-cut (301) is shaped like the
letter v. It juts in diagonally one way, and then it juts
diagonally the opposite way. Therefore, once the thread has been
inserted the correct way, it will be very unlikely that the thread
will slide back out the needle hole. This is because the thread
must change direction exactly when it is at the vertex (303) of the
v-cut. As stated before, the thread is being pulled toward the
head, so it is already unlikely for the thread to slide back into
the v-cut. For the thread to change direction in the middle of the
v-cut is highly unlikely. Therefore, using the v-cut, a simple,
effective method is being used to keep the thread in, while at the
same time, making it easy to thread the needle.
[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates another design for a new needle hole.
This design uses a moving part. The is a diagonal cut (401) made in
the needle. This diagonal cut is just thinner than the thickness of
thread, to prevent the thread from being inserted there. There is
another section of the needle where a whole triangular section in
cut out. This is the triangle cut (403). The triangle cut is made
so that a the base of the triangle opens up into the needle hole.
This will allow the section of needle between the diagonal cut, and
the triangle cut, to move inwards. However, the triangle cut does
not cut the needle into parts. The needle is still intact as a thin
part of the needle connects the flexible region (402) to the region
to the right of the triangle cut. The flexible region is made of a
durable, yet flexible material like copper. This makes it so the
flexible region can move inwards, allowing a person to place the
thread inside the needle hole. However, the diagonal cut is placed
so that the shaded region can only move inwards just enough to let
the thread through. This is so that once the thread is inserted;
the shaded region can easily be bent back into place as it has not
been bent too far out of place.
[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates another unique design for the needle.
What used to be the head of the needle, is now a slanted opening
(501). The slanted opening slants inward to allow a person is
easily slide the thread into the needle hole. The slanted opening
is also just wide enough to allow the thread to go on through. This
is one reason why the thread will stay in the needle hole. There is
also a nook (503) that the thread will be pushed into once in the
needle hole. This nook can hold the thread because the thread is
wider than the nook. Therefore, if forced into the nook, the thread
will stay there and not move towards the tip of the needle, thus
making it almost impossible for the thread to escape out of the
needle hole.
[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates another version of the design seen in
FIGS. 2 and 3. Instead of a cut, this design uses a wide opening
(601) so that it is very easy to slide the thread in. The wide
opening is about two-thirds the size of the needle hole. This is so
that a person will have a very easy time inserting the thread in
the right place. Once the thread is inside the wide opening, it
must pass through the narrow opening (603). The narrow opening is
just wide enough to let the thread through. A little force will be
required to push the thread through. The narrow opening must be
this narrow to ensure that the thread cannot unintentionally escape
the needle hole. Again, there is a nook (503) that catches the
thread and prevents it from moving around.
[0022] FIG. 7 illustrates a prior art spool. Spools are the devices
used to carry thread.
[0023] FIG. 8 illustrates a spool from another angle.
[0024] FIG. 9 illustrates a spool with two small slits (901) on
opposite ends of the spool. This allows the thread (903) to be
tightly strung across the spool. This keeps the thread taut, which
is ideal for the threading of the new modified needle holes. This
way, the thread is kept taut and it will not move from its current
position, as it is being kept in place by the two slits. This
allows a person to easily place the thread into the correct
position inside the needle hole. Whereas two hands would normally
be required to keep the thread taut, and to control it at the same
time, now, only one hand would be required to hold the spool, while
the other can control the needle. This makes the modified needles
more practical as the threading of the needles can be easily done
with two hands. One hand controls the thread so the other hand only
needs to hook the thread into place.
[0025] FIG. 10 illustrates an alternate method of keeping the
thread taut on the spool. This involves a beam (1001) to be placed
reaching from one end of the spool to the other. On the beam is a
small slit (1003) that the thread can be inserted into. This slit
will hold the thread (903) tightly, resulting in a taut section of
thread being stretched from the beam to the main body of the spool.
This produces the desired effect, allowing the thread of the
modified needle to be quick and easy.
[0026] While specific embodiments of the invention have been
illustrated and described herein, it is realized that other
modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art.
For example, there will be a wide variety of methods to improve on
the modified needle hole. In our examples, the thread is inserted
through cuts in the side. It is also possible to use different
methods to hold the thread. It should be understood that the above
particular examples are for demonstration only and are not intended
as limitation on the present invention. It is therefore to be
understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all
modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope
of the invention.
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