U.S. patent application number 11/468405 was filed with the patent office on 2007-06-07 for zipper pull latch for hanging object.
Invention is credited to Terry J. Cyr, Theodore C. Sorom.
Application Number | 20070124901 11/468405 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38117262 |
Filed Date | 2007-06-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070124901 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cyr; Terry J. ; et
al. |
June 7, 2007 |
Zipper Pull Latch for Hanging Object
Abstract
An attachment system is integrated into a hanging ornament
(e.g., toy, audio player, aesthetic adornment, etc.) that readily
attaches to a specially shaped zipper pull that replaces or mounts
to a generally known zipper pull. The wearer then has ready access
to the item with reduced likelihood of dropping the item. This
allows the user to have very easy access to the toy which hangs
from the attachment piece on the exterior of the garment. The
system is designed to allow for the toy to be easily attached and
detached from the attachment point for ease of use. Furthermore, in
many situations it is possible to use the toy without needing to
detach it from the garment as the flexible corded attachment piece
allows the toy to be handled without removal.
Inventors: |
Cyr; Terry J.; (San
Francisco, CA) ; Sorom; Theodore C.; (San Francisco,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FROST BROWN TODD, LLC
2200 PNC CENTER
201 E. FIFTH STREET
CINCINNATI
OH
45202
US
|
Family ID: |
38117262 |
Appl. No.: |
11/468405 |
Filed: |
August 30, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60712560 |
Aug 30, 2005 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
24/429 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A44B 19/262 20130101;
Y10T 24/2586 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
024/429 |
International
Class: |
A44B 19/26 20060101
A44B019/26 |
Claims
1. A zipper attachment assembly, comprising: a zipper pull member
attachable to a slider of a zipper and comprising an engaging
member at one end connected via a narrow waist to a zipper mounting
portion; a housing; a receptacle shaped to receive the engaging
member of the zipper pull member and comprising opposing first and
second spring biased hooking members on respective sides of the
receptacle shaped for outward deflection during insertion of the
engaging member.
2. The zipper attachment assembly of claim 1, further comprising a
spring attached between the first hooking member and a selected one
of the housing and the second hooking member.
3. The zipper attachment assembly of claim 2, wherein the first and
second hooking members form an obtuse contacting angle with the
engaging member, the spring asserting a locking force sufficient to
hold a predetermined weight of an object attached to the housing
and insufficient to retain locking engagement when a higher tension
force is applied.
4. The zipper attachment assembly of claim 2, further comprising a
release button communicating externally through the housing to the
first hooking member postioned to overcome the spring bias moving
the hooking member away from the engaging member when
depressed.
5. The zipper attachment assembly of claim 1, wherein the engaging
member comprises a flat tab portion having left and right locking
notches.
6. The zipper attachment assembly of claim 1, wherein the engaging
member comprises a spherical ball tip.
7. The zipper attachment assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing
further comprises an external contact surface shaped for adhesive
mounting to an object.
8. The zipper attachment assembly of claim 1, wherein the zipper
mounting portion further comprises a cord.
9. The zipper attachment assembly of claim 1, wherein the zipper
mounting portion comprises a flat pull tab shaped for permanent
mounting to a slider of a zipper.
10. The zipper attachment assembly of claim 1, wherein the zipper
mounting portion comprises a flat surface having a contact surface
shaped for affixing to a zipper pull tab of a zipper.
11. The zipper attachment assembly of claim 1, wherein the zipper
mounting portion comprises a resilient enclosure having an opening
and internal cavity shaped for resilient capture of a zipper pull
tab of a zipper.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of the
co-pending and commonly-owned U.S. Pat. Appln. Ser. No. 60/712,560,
"ZIPPER PULL LATCH FOR HANGING OBJECT" to Terry J. Cyr and Theodore
C. Sorom, filed 30 Aug. 2005, the disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates in general to garment
attachments for novelty items, and more particularly to garment
zipper pulls with detachable objects.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Many small toys exist in the marketplace, but rarely is
there a suitable system for carrying such toys or other useful or
entertaining items without having to put them into a garment
pocket. Placing these toys in a pocket makes them less accessible
and thus less likely to be played with.
[0004] Consequently, a significant need exists for an easily used
way of attaching small objects to a person for carrying and
use.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention addresses these and other problems in
the prior art by providing an attachment system including a zipper
pull with a narrower portion above a lower portion that provides an
engagement system for spring biased locking members integrated into
a hanging object (e.g., toy, audio player, etc.).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a front view of a zipper pull attachment system
including a corded zipper pull engaging tab attached to a
generally-known, permanently attached zipper pull of a zipper with
a detached object cut away to expose a locking receptacle with
inwardly biased locking arms for selection for mounting onto the
zipper pull engaging tab.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a front view of the zipper pull attachment system
of FIG. 1 with the object engaged to the engaging member and cut
away to expose the locking receptacle having spring-biased locking
arms engaged to the corded zipper pull engaging tab.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a front view of the zipper pull attachment system
of FIG. 2 with an object oriented to present a spy glass assembly
in a folded state.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the corded zipper pull
engaging tab detached from the zipper pull of FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 5 is an alternate zipper pull engaging tab permanently
attached to a zipper for the zipper pull attachment assembly of
FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 6 is another alternate zipper pull engaging tab
slidably mounted onto or affixed to the generally-known,
permanently attached zipper pull of FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 7 is a front view of the further alternative corded
zipper pull engaging member having the ball tip shown engaged to an
alternate object having a spherical locking receptacle to form an
alternative swivelling zipper pull attachment assembly.
[0013] FIG. 8 is a detail front view of the further alternative
corded zipper pull engaging member having the ball tip of FIG.
7.
[0014] FIG. 9 is a front view of a further alternative corded
zipper pull engaging member engaged to an audio player object
incorporating a swiveling spherical locking receptacle.
[0015] FIG. 10 is a front view of the further alternative corded
zipper pull engaging member of FIG. 8 engaged to a stop watch
object incorporating a swiveling spherical locking receptacle.
[0016] FIG. 11 is a front view of the further alternative corded
zipper pull engaging member of FIG. 8 engaged to an ornamental
object incorporating a swiveling spherical locking receptacle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Turning to the Drawings, in FIGS. 1-3 a zipper pull
attachment assembly 10 includes a zipper pull member 12 having a
rounded engaging tab 14 larger in at least one transverse axis than
a narrow waist 16 immediately above that connects to a zipper
mounting portion 18. In the first illustrative version, the zipper
pull member 12 is generally flat and thus the narrow waist 16 is
formed by left and right hooking receiving notches 20, 22. In the
first illustrative version, a cord loop 24 is attached to the
zipper mounting portion 18 for looping through a hole 26 formed in
a generally-known, permanently mounted zipper pull 28 attached to a
slider 29 of a zipper 30.
[0018] A locking receptacle 32 having a thin prismatic recess 34
shaped to receive the engaging tab 14 is formed into an upper
surface of an object, depicted as a toy telescope 36 (FIG. 3). A
left locking arm 38 resides along a left side of the locking
receptacle 32 and has a central recessed pinned inward flange 40
extending rightward and pivotally attached to a housing 42 of the
toy telescope object 36 along a lower surface of the thin prismatic
recess 34. A right locking arm 44 resides along a right side of the
locking receptacle 32 and has a central recessed pinned inward
flange 46 extending leftward and pivotally attached to the housing
42 of the toy telescope object 36 along the lower surface of the
thin prismatic recess 34. Lower ends 48, 50 of the left and right
locking arms 38, 44 terminate in inward spring posts 52, 54,
respectively, that receive opposite ends of a biasing coil
compression spring 56 that urge the lower ends 48, 50 away from
each other, and biasing inward left and right hooks 58, 60 attached
to upper ends 62, 64, respectively of the left and right locking
arms 38, 44.
[0019] The hooks 58, 60 have an upper rounded contour that
interacts with the rounded engaging tab 14 during insertion of the
zipper pull member 12 by kicking out compressing spring 56 until
hooks 58, 60 lock into notches 20, 22, respectively. Left and right
release buttons 66, 68 extend laterally out of the housing 42 and
are respectively attached to the lower ends 48, 50 of the left and
right locking arms 38, 44 between the pinned inward flange 40, 46
and the spring posts 52, 54. Thus, user compression of the release
button 66, 68 causes the hooks 58, 60 to release the zipper pull
member 12.
[0020] In FIG. 4, the zipper pull member 12 is depicted detached
from the zipper 30 and from the object 36.
[0021] In FIG. 5, an alternative zipper pull member 12a replaces
the generally-known, zipper pull tab 28 by being installed by the
provider of the zipper 30 to the slider 29. Typically, the zipper
pull member 12a is formed from metal and incorporates left and
right hook receiving notches 20a, 22a or a similar inverted T-shape
for sliding engagement.
[0022] In FIG. 6, another alternative zipper pull member 12b
reduces the length that the object 36 hangs from the garment or
other item with a zipper by incorporating a zipper mounting portion
18b that is intended to overlap (e.g., affixed to or resiliently
encompassing) the generally known, permanently attached zipper pull
tab 28. The zipper pull member 12b may be made of molded resin,
plastic, ceramic or metal or other materials and incorporates left
and right hook receiving notches 20a, 22a or a similar inverted
T-shape for sliding engagement.
[0023] In FIGS. 7-8, an additional alternative zipper pull member
12c of a zipper attachment assembly 10c is identical to the corded
zipper pull member 12 of FIG. 4 but with the flat engaging tab 14
replaced with a spherical ball tip 14c attached by a rod-shaped
waist 16c that provides certain advantages, such as being inserted
from a larger angular orientation to an object 36c that includes a
spherical receptacle 32c and left and right locking collars 58c,
60c that are biased toward and shaped to encompass respective upper
half portions of the spherical ball tip 14c. The spherical
attachment also allows the device to be swiveled while still
attached for ease of use or to orient the hanging object 36c during
carrying.
[0024] It should be appreciated that the version depicted omits
manual release controls, relying upon the spring biasing to be
sufficient to maintain engagement until sharply pulled out by the
user. Alternatively, release controls may be incorporated that
separate the locking collars 58c, 60c. The obtuse angle provided by
the spherical ball tip 14c and rod-shaped waist 16c facilitates
non-destructive retraction. Similar beveling of engaging hooks (not
shown) could be used with more two dimensional locking receptacles
to achieve a similar interaction.
[0025] It should be appreciated that many types of novelty,
ornamental or utility items may be conveniently attached with a
version of the zipper pull assembly 10, 10c. In FIG. 9, an
alternative object, depicted as a personal video and/or audio
player 36d is engaged to the zipper pull member 12c. In FIG. 10, a
stop watch object 36e is attached to the zipper pull member 12c. In
FIG. 11, an ornamental object 36f is attached to the zipper pull
member 12c. An external spherical receptacle 32f indicates that in
some applications consistent with the present invention that a
zipper pull assembly kit 10f may be provided wherein the external
spherical receptacle 32f (or one for a tab) may be attached (e.g.,
an adhesive foam provided or applied adhesive) to an object not
originally manufactured for such attachment.
[0026] It should be appreciated that any patent, publication, or
other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be
incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the
extent that the incorporated material does not conflict with
existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set
forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the
disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any
conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any
material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by
reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions,
statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only
be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that
incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.
[0027] While the present invention has been illustrated by
description of several embodiments and while the illustrative
embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not
the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the
scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages
and modifications may readily appear to those skilled in the
art.
[0028] For example, instead of locking arms as depicted, a spring
biased plunger may be incorporated.
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