GB2053337A - Attachment for material - Google Patents

Abstract

An attachment, for example an ornament fastenable to plush material comprises a stud 20 having a head 18 which may be fashioned as an eye for a plush toy animal. The ornament further includes a stem for extending through the plush material 40, 42, and further includes a recessed washer 22, positioned on the stem. At its upper side, the washer has a peripheral flange which defines a recess for receiving the head of the stud. The washer 22 is thrust forcibly over the stem against the underside of the plush material, deforming the latter sufficiently that a portion of the head rests below the lip in the recess. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Attachment for material This invention relates to an ornamental attachment for plush material.

The increasingly wide use of plush material from plush toys to upholstery for furniture has produced a search for a suitable means for attaching ornamental items, such as eyes for stuffed animals and buttons for upholstery. It is often particularly important to fix the ornament so that it does not extend any higher than necessary above the surface of the material, and it is important to fix it as securely as possible. This is especially desirable in the case of plush toys due to the propensity of small children to attempt to pull the eyes, noses, and other protuberant items out of their stuffed toys, with consequent risk of injury from swallowing or other undesirable activities.Existing devices are not ideally suited for providing the maximum ornamentation capability together with secure fixing and the desirable characteristics of deep embedment with the material, simplicity and economy. For example, in U.S. Patent No. 3,871,128 (to Grooms, for "Eye Construction for Soft Stuffed Toys"), the simulated eye requires a set of resilient teeth in an eye socket disposed within the plush material; this is a relatively complicated and expensive structure to manufacture. The device disclosed in U.S.

Patent No.2,763,031 (to Rekettye, for "Process for Making Hollow Articles with Inserts"), utilizes a relatively complex retainer which includes pair of oppositely facing spring tongues.

Therefore, there has been a demand for a relatively simple attachment which is economical, effective, and is easily fixed to plush material in a secure fashion embedded as deeply as possible into the material.

The present invention, therefore, consists in an attachment suitable for plush materials, which comprises a stud including a head and a stem which can pass through the material; and a washer for the stud having a peripheral flange which provides a recess within which the head can be partially received to pinch the material between the head and the washer. The washer may be bonded to the stem by a bonding agent, such as toluene. A sleeve may be disposed upon the stem and frictionally engaged therewith to hold the washer in place, as an addition to or as an alternative to the bonding agent.

The invention also consists in a method of affixing an attachment in plush material, which comprises: providing a stud having a head and a stem; inserting the stem through a hole in the material; providing a washer movably mountable upon the stem, the washer having a peripheral flange defining a recess; and thrusting the head and washer forcibly together, sandwiching the plus material therebetween so that a portion of the head is disposed within the recess of the washer together with the sandwiched plush material. The method may further comprise mounting upon the stem a sleeve frictionally engageable with the stem in order to hold the washer in place. Alternatively, or in addition, a bonding agent may be used to bond the washer to the stem.

The invention is further illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an attachment in the f6rm of a simulated eye in conjunction with a stuffed plush toy animal; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the attachment depicted in Figure 1 taken along the line 2-2; and Figure 3 is a sectional view of the ornament depicted in Figure 1, partially disassembled.

An attachment ornament 10 fastenable to plush material is fashioned to look like an eye 12 of a plus toy animal 14, as shown in Figure 1. The invention is discussed and depicted in the context of a plush toy animal for illustrative purposes only and has many applications where attachments are used in plush material or fabrics generally. An ornamental fastener may alternatively be used to simulate other parts of animals, for example, a nose or a mouth.

In Figures 2 and 3, the ornament 12 comprises a stud having a head 1 8 and a stem 20 integral with the head. In the drawings, the head simulates an eye and therefore has a convex curvature. The underside of the head 1 8 is preferably planar. The stud may be molded into its desired form or may be fabricated by adhering a preformed head 18 to a stem 20. Other forms of manufacture, such as cutting, may of course be used.

The ornamental fastener 12 further includes a washer 22 having an aperture 24 of suitable dimension which permits movable mounting of the washer 22 upon the stem 20.

Washer 22 has a generally planar surface 28 on one side, and on the other side it has a raised peripheral circular flange 30, defining a recess 32.

Figure 2 best illustrates the attachment assembled and fastened in accordance with the invention. A steel sleeve 34 is fastened on the stem 20 beneath the washer 22 to give added fastening capability, as is described more fully below. When in place and functioning as a fastener, the washer 22 may be affixed by a conventional adhesive (such as toluene) to the stem 20.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate how fastening is effected by inserting the stem through a hole 36 in plush material 38, which includes plush fibers 30 and a backing 42. The washer 22 is then mounted upon the stem 1 8 with the flange 32 oriented upwardly as drawn. The head 1 6 and the washer 22 are then forcibly thrust together to the maximum extent. As a result, portions of the head 1 6 will be disposed below the flange 32, together with the plush material 38 which is between the head 1 6 and the washer 22. In this manner, a portion of the head and of the plush material will be disposed within the recess 32. Adhesives or bonding agents, such as toluene, may then be applied to bond the washer to the stem.A sleeve 34 may be urged against the underside of washer 22 to hold the combination in place during drying and curing of the bonding agent, and to afford added permanent stability to the bond. The sleeve 34 may be used alone, as a substitute for an adhesive.

In general, the following six steps will be carried out to fix the attachment to a fabric: (a) provide a stud having a head; (b) insert the stem of the stud through a hole in the material; (c) mount a washer on the stem, on the side of the material remote from the head; (d) thrust the head and washer forcibly together, sandwiching the plush material or other fabric between them, such that a portion of the head becomes disposed within a recess in the washer; (e) mount frictionally engageable sleeve on stem to lock assembly together; and (f) apply a bonding agent to the stem and washer. The bonding agent can, of course, be applied at an earlier stage if desired.

Due to the relationship of the head and the washer which sandwich the plush material, the head becomes deeply embedded into the plush material such that the chance of undesired removal of the fastener is substantially minimized.

Claims (13)

1. An attachment for material, which comprises: a stud having a head, and a stem which can pass through the material; and washer for the stud having a peripheral flange which provides a recess within which the head can be partially received to pinch the material between the head and the washer.

2. An attachment according to claim 1, which additionally comprises a sleeve or clip which can slide over the stem to hold the washer in place by means of frictional engagement with the stem.

3. An attachment according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the head simulates an eye or a nose.

4. An attachment for material substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

5. A soft toy having affixed at its surface an attachment according to any one of claims 1 4.

6. An ornamental fastener for use with plush materials comprising: a stud including a head configured into a desired shape and a stem attached to said head; and a washer defining an aperture for movably mounting said washer upon said stem and including a washer surface and a flange peripherally disposed about said washer surface to form a recess for receiving a portion of said head.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein said washer is bonded to said stem by a toluene bonding agent.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 6 further including a sleeve disposed upon said stem and in contact with said washer, said sleeve being frictionally engaged with said stem to hold said washer in place.

9. The invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein the head of said stud is configured to simulate the eye in a plush toy animal.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 6 wherein said head is configured to simulate a nose in a plush toy animal.

11. A method for affixing a fastener in plush material comprising the steps of: providing a stud having a head and a stem attached thereto; inserting said stem through a hole in said material; providing a washer movably mountable upon said stem having an upper peripheral flange defining a recess with a surface of the washer; and thrusting said head and washer forcibly together sandwiching the plush material therebetween so that a portion of the head is disposed within said recess together with said sandwiched plush material.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of mounting upon said stem a sleeve frictionally engageable therewith and disposing said sleeve in contact with said washer to hold the latter in place.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11 further including the step of disposing a bonding agent in conjunction with said stem and washer to bond the latter together.