U.S. patent application number 13/881330 was filed with the patent office on 2013-11-28 for cufflink.
The applicant listed for this patent is Roland Iten. Invention is credited to Roland Iten.
Application Number | 20130312226 13/881330 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45614865 |
Filed Date | 2013-11-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130312226 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Iten; Roland |
November 28, 2013 |
CUFFLINK
Abstract
The cufflink comprises at least an end containing a movable
part, a shaft and a wing attached to said shaft, wherein the shaft
comprises releasing means cooperating with said moving part to
allow displacement of said moving part in a protruding position,
and the position of said wing being adjustable with respect to said
shaft to allow a variation of the length of said shaft.
Inventors: |
Iten; Roland; (Le
Mont-sur-Lausanne, CH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Iten; Roland |
Le Mont-sur-Lausanne |
|
CH |
|
|
Family ID: |
45614865 |
Appl. No.: |
13/881330 |
Filed: |
November 4, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
November 4, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB11/54935 |
371 Date: |
July 11, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/102R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A44B 5/005 20130101;
A44B 5/002 20130101; Y10T 24/3632 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
24/102.R |
International
Class: |
A44B 5/00 20060101
A44B005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 5, 2010 |
CH |
01853/10 |
Claims
1. A cufflink comprising at least an end part containing a movable
part, a shaft to be inserted into a cuffhole of a sleeve and a wing
attached to said shaft, wherein the shaft comprises releasing means
cooperating with said moving part to allow displacement of said
moving part in a protruding position.
2. The cufflink as defined in claim 1, wherein the release means
comprises a release button.
3. The cufflink of claim 2, wherein the release button extends in
said shaft.
4. The cufflink according to claim 1, wherein the moving part is
blocked into a non-protruding position when a ball is retained in
an inner hole of the shaft.
5. The cufflink according to claim 1, wherein the moving part takes
a protruding position by means of a compressed spring released by
actuation of the release means.
6. The cufflink according to claim 1, wherein the position of said
wing is adjustable with respect to said shaft to allow a variation
of the length of said shaft.
7. The cufflink according to claim 6, wherein a free length part of
the shaft can be modified to a shorter length by rotation of the
wing.
8. The cufflink according to claim 6, wherein the shaft part
comprises several holes for defining stable positions of the wing
as it rotates around its axis.
9. The cufflink according to claim 6, wherein the wing comprises a
spring and a ball, and wherein the stops rotating around the axis
when the spring pushes the ball to enter the holes in the shaft.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to Swiss patent
application No. 01853/10 filed on Nov. 5, 2010, the content of
which is incorporated by reference in its entirety in the present
application.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention concerns the field of cufflinks.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] Cufflinks have already been described in different
publications of the prior art. U.S. D479.488 discloses an
ornamental design for a cufflink which comprises an elongated part
rotatably connected to both ends of a central part. Said central
part is intended to be inserted in a cuff-hole while the elongated
parts are rotated 90 degrees to hold the cuff.
[0004] Another example of the prior art is disclosed in WO
206/111800. In this document, the cufflink comprises an elongated
central part, adapted for being inserted in a cuff-hole, a first
end part extending from a first extremity of said central part in a
direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of said central part,
a second end part extending from a second extremity of said central
part in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of said
central part. At least one of said first and second end parts
comprises a mobile locking element connected to it, and having an
extended locked position and a retracted unlocked position, said
locking element protruding or rotating from said end part beyond
the corresponding extremity of said central part in the locked
position.
[0005] A major drawback of the prior art devices resides in the
fact that the known cufflinks are difficult to put on and to
remove. They may also be difficult to attach without using both
hands and they do not adapt easily to the shirt being worn and in
particular to the thickness of the cuffs.
[0006] The aim of the present invention is to propose an improved
cufflink which overcomes the above mentioned defects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The cufflink according to the present invention is defined
in the appended claims and it comprises different moving parts
allowing fulfilling the intended aim.
[0008] The cufflink according to the invention comprises at least
an end part containing a movable part, a shaft to be inserted into
a cuff hole of a sleeve and a wing attached to said shaft, wherein
the shaft comprises releasing means cooperating with said moving
part to allow displacement of said moving part in a protruding
position.
[0009] In an embodiment, the release means comprises a release
button.
[0010] In an embodiment, the release button extends in the
shaft.
[0011] In an embodiment, the moving part is blocked into a
non-protruding position when a ball is retained in an inner hole of
the shaft.
[0012] In an embodiment, the moving part takes a protruding
position by means of a compressed spring released by actuation of
the release means.
[0013] In an embodiment, the position of the wing is adjustable
with respect to the shaft to allow a variation of the length of the
shaft.
[0014] In an embodiment, a free length part of the shaft is
modified to a shorter length by rotation of the wing.
[0015] In an embodiment, the shaft part comprises several holes for
defining stable positions of the wing as it rotates around its
axis.
[0016] In an embodiment, the wing comprises a spring and a ball,
and the wing stops rotating around the axis when the spring pushes
the ball to enter the holes in the shaft.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The present invention will be better understood from a
detailed description and from the annexed drawings in which
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the cufflink according to
the invention in a first state.
[0019] FIG. 1A illustrates a side cut view of the cufflink of FIG.
1;
[0020] FIG. 2A illustrates a side cut view of the cufflink in a
second state;
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the cufflink in a third
state;
[0022] FIG. 3A illustrates a side cut view of the cufflink of FIG.
1 in the third state;
[0023] FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C and 5A, 5B, 5C illustrate side and front
views (cut views for FIGS. 4C and 5C) of a specific feature of the
cufflink according to the invention;
[0024] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate different configurations of the
cufflink according to the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 7 illustrates the steps followed to use a cufflink
according to the present invention and
[0026] FIG. 8 illustrate a detail of functioning of the cufflink of
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] In the following description, identical parts will be
identified with the same reference numbers for the sake of
clarity.
[0028] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the cufflink according to the
invention comprises mainly a first end part 1, a shaft part 2
intended to be inserted in a cuff-hole and fixed to said first
part, a wing part 3 fixed in a mobile manner to the shaft 2, a
release button 4 in said shaft 2 and a moving part 5 in said first
end part.
[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates in more details the different parts of
the cufflink and their interactions. The end part 1 is hollow and
contains at least an inner shaft 1.1 supporting spring means 1.2.
It also comprises a screw 1.3 which is used as a stop to block the
movement of the moving part 5 (as will be explained and illustrated
later in the present specification).
[0030] The shaft 2 comprises an inner hole which guides the release
button 4 (its movements being illustrated by the arrows in FIG.
1A), said button 4 comprising a head 4.1 and an end 4.2. The shaft
is fixed on the part 1 which comprises a hole 1.4 allowing the end
4.2 of the button 4 to penetrate into the hollow of the end part 1.
More specifically, the moving part 5 also comprises a hollow 5.1
which covers the spring means 1.2 and a housing 5.2 containing a
spring 5.3 and a ball 5.4, said arrangement being such that the
ball 5.4 remains in the housing 5.2.
[0031] The wing 3 also comprises a housing 3.1 with a spring 3.2
and a ball 3.3 the use of which will be explained later in the
present specification.
[0032] As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 2A, the moving part 5 is
pushed inside the hollow of the end part 1 against the spring 1.2
and is blocked in this retracted position by the ball 5.4
cooperating with the hole 1.4 in the end part 1. The button 4, in
particular its end 4.2 being aligned with the hole 1.4, moving of
the button upwards in FIG. 1A pushes the ball 5.4 into the hole 1.4
and into the housing 5.2 against the spring 5.3 thus allowing the
moving part 5 to move in the hollow part of end part 1. The
beginning of movement (to the left) of the moving part 5
illustrated in FIG. 2A.
[0033] FIGS. 3 and 3A illustrate the cufflink when the moving part
5 is nearly fully deployed outside the end part 1, being pushed by
spring 1.2. The end of moving part 5 is being maintained inside the
hollow of the end part 1 by stop 1.3 cooperating with a groove 5.5
in the corresponding side of the moving part 5.
[0034] Since the hollow part 1 containing the moving part 5 only
has a single opening from the moving part protrudes, there is less
risk that dirt may enter the mechanism.
[0035] In FIGS. 4A to 4C and 5A to 5C, a specific feature of the
cufflink is illustrated and explained. All the parts of the
cufflink discussed with reference to the previous figures are
illustrated similarly in these FIGS. 4A to 4C and 5A to 5C and for
the sake of simplicity, they will not be discussed again here the
focus being put on the different possible positions of the wing 3
illustrated in these figures.
[0036] More specifically, FIGS. 4B and 4C correspond to the
configurations illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 3A and reference is made
to the corresponding description applies. Focussing now on FIG. 4A,
one has represented here a front view which shows the features
allowing a variation of the position of the wing 3. To this effect,
the shaft 2 comprises several holes 2.1 to 2.5 which are used to
define stable positions of the wing 3. The wing itself is mounted
on an axis 6.1, for example a screw 6.1 (see FIG. 5C) which allows
the rotation of the wing from position of FIG. 4A (approximately
horizontal or perpendicular to the shaft 2) to the position of FIG.
5A (approximately vertical, or parallel to the shaft 2). The holes
2.1 to 2.5 are used as stops along the rotation of the wing around
its axis 6.1 by cooperation with the ball 3.3 pushed by spring 3.2
(see FIGS. 1A to 3A and 4C), the end position of the rotation being
set by a stop 6.2 cooperating with the groove 2.6 of the shaft
2.
[0037] Accordingly, by rotating the wing 3, it is possible to vary
the free length of the shaft 3 from a length L (FIG. 4B) to a
length L' (FIG. 5B), this allowing to adjust to the thickness of
the materiel forming the cuff or to the size of the wearer or
his/her wishes. These configurations are illustrated in FIGS. 6A
and 6B, with the shorter length L' in FIG. 6A and the longer length
L in FIG. 6B.
[0038] In FIG. 7, the different steps followed to use the cufflink
according to the present invention are showed.
[0039] In steps 1 and 2, the wing 3 is inserted in the cuff-holes
7.1 and 7.2 respectively.
[0040] Then in steps 3 and 4, the cufflink is rotated so that the
shaft is then inserted in the cuff-holes 7.1, 7.2. In these steps
also, the button 4 and its head 4.1 are pressed by the introduction
in the cuff-holes (see horizontal arrow in step 3) which has the
result that the moving part 5 is freed and moves out from the end
part 1, thus helping the rotation of the cufflink as illustrated in
steps 3 and 4.
[0041] Finally, in step 5, the cufflink is in its final position
with the moving part 5 protruding this stabilizing the position of
the cufflink. The position of the wing may then be adjusted as
illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B described above.
[0042] FIG. 8 illustrates two steps used to free the moving part 5
and bring it in a protruding position. In step 1, the arrow
illustrates the action of pressing on the release button 4, this
action allowing the moving part 5 to protrude from the end part
1.
[0043] To remove the cufflink, the steps illustrated in FIGS. 7 and
8 are taken in the reverse order, as will a skilled man
understand.
[0044] Of course, the different elements and shapes are given above
as illustrative examples not to be construed in a limiting manner
and modifications are possible in the frame and scope of the
present invention. For example, equivalent means may be used.
[0045] Any suitable material may be used for the different parts of
the cufflink. Preferably, they are in metal or precious metal. The
relative sizes/proportions of the elements are also only given as
examples and they may vary.
* * * * *