Object-containing button

• US 9,125,456 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chong Sun Chow
• Original Assignee: Chong Sun Chow
• Inventors: Chow, Chong Sun
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy, Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL S
• Application Number:
  US13/655,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20130247335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 24/37, 24/901, 241/03, 241/04, 241/05, 241/13.R, 241/13.MP, 241/147, 206/222, 224/182, 224/587, 224/163, 224/197, 224/199
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 1/04 Ornamental buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 1/06 Assembling of buttons covering by braiding D04D
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 1/08 Constructional characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1382 Receptacle type holder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/36 Button with fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3694 Ornamental type

Abstract

An object-containing button includes a housing and upper and lower floors mounted within the housing. Each floor has a plurality of thread-receiving holes and two pin holes formed at opposite side of the thread-receiving holes. A container rotatably and detachably coupled to the housing. An object is stored inside the container. A removable lid covers a bottom opening of the container facing the upper floor. A pin-carrying member having two pins inserted through the pin holes for piercing and tearing open the cover.

Claims

1. An object-containing button comprising:

(a) a housing having a central cylindrical bore extending therethrough and defining a central axis;

(b) upper and lower floors mounted across the bore and spaced apart from each other, each floor having a plurality of thread-receiving holes formed at a central portion thereof and two pin holes formed at opposite sides of the thread-receiving holes, the thread-receiving holes and the pin holes of the upper floor being in alignment with the thread-receiving holes and the pin holes of the lower floor respectively;

(c) a container detachably coupled to the housing and rotatable about the central axis, the container having a cavity and a bottom opening facing the upper floor;

(d) an object stored in the cavity of the container;

(e) a cover covering the bottom opening of the container; and

(f) a pin-carrying member having two pins inserted through the aligned pin holes of the upper and lower floors, the two pins having two upper pointing ends extending through the upper floor and two lower ends joined by a pin head disposed underneath the lower floor, the pin-carrying member being moveable axially from a first position where the two upper pointing ends are out of contact with the cover, and a second position where the two upper pointing ends are piercing through the cover;

whereby rotation of the container with the pin-carrying member remaining at the second position drives the two upper pointing ends around thereby tearing open the cover.

2. The button as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is provided with an annular skirt formed on a bottom surface thereof around the bottom opening and two opposite out-turned flanges projecting radially outwardly from a lower edge of the annular skirt, and the housing is provided with two opposite in-turned flanges projecting radially inwardly from an annular upper edge of the housing, and wherein the two opposite in-turned flanges have dimensions slightly less than those of two opposite slots extending between the two opposite out-turned flanges so that the two opposite in-turned flanges are adapted to pass axially through the two opposite slots and rotatable within an annular channel defined by the bottom surface of the container, the annular skirt and the two opposite out-turned flanges.

3. The button as claimed in claim 1, wherein the object is a perfume.

4. The button as claimed in claim 1, wherein the object is a medical pill.

5. The button as claimed in claim 1, wherein the object comprises smoke-producing material for producing a smoke signal.

6. An object-containing button comprising:

(a) a housing having a central cylindrical bore extending therethrough and defining a central axis;

(b) upper and lower floors mounted across the bore and spaced axially apart from each other, each floor having a plurality of thread-receiving holes formed at a central portion thereof, the thread-receiving holes of the upper floor being in alignment with the thread-receiving holes of the lower floor respectively;

(c) a container detachably coupled to the housing and rotatable about the central axis, the container having a cavity and a bottom opening facing the upper floor;

(d) an object stored in the cavity of the container; and

(e) a cover covering the bottom opening of the container.

7. The button as claimed in claim 6, wherein each floor has at least one pin hole formed at one side of the thread-receiving holes and the at least one pin hole of the upper floor is in alignment with the at least one pin hole of the lower floor;

wherein the housing comprises a pin-carrying member having at least one pin inserted through the at least one pin hole formed on the upper and lower floors, the at least one pin having at least one upper pointing end extending through the upper floor and at least one lower end connected to a pin head disposed underneath the lower floor, the pin-carrying member being moveable axially from a first position where the at least one upper pointing end is out of contact with the cover, and a second position where the at least one upper pointing end is piercing through the cover, whereby rotation of the container with the pin-carrying member remaining at the second position drives the at least one upper pointing end around thereby tearing open the cover.

8. The button as claimed in claim 7, further comprising at least one stop member provided transversely on the at least one pin of the pin-carrying member between the upper and lower floors for limiting the movement of the pin-carrying member between the first and second positions.

9. The button as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the upper and lower floors has two pin holes formed at two opposite sides of the thread-receiving holes, and the pin-carrying member has two pins.

10. The button as claimed in claim 9, wherein the pin head is in the form of a ring.

11. The button as claimed in claim 6, wherein the container is provided with an annular skirt formed on a bottom surface thereof around the bottom opening and two opposite out-turned flanges projecting radially outwardly from a lower edge of the annular skirt, and wherein the housing is provided with two opposite in-turned flanges projecting radially inwardly from an annular upper edge of the housing for rotatable engagement within an annular channel defined by the bottom surface of the container, the annular skirt and the two opposite out-turned flanges.

12. The button as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cover is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride tubing, polyolefin tubing, polyurethane, polypropylene, aluminum and polyester.

13. The button as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cover is secured to a bottom surface of the container by a method selected from the group consisting of adhering, melting, welding, heat-shrinking, non heat-shrinking, dry blending and coatings treatment.

14. The button as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cover is circular in shape.

15. The button as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cover is circular in shape with two opposite tabs.

16. The button as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the upper and lower floors is in the shape of a trumpet with a flaring end facing the container.

17. The button as claimed in claim 6, wherein the object is a perfume.

18. The button as claimed in claim 6, wherein the object is a medical pill.

19. The button as claimed in claim 6, wherein the object comprises smoke-producing material for producing a smoke signal.

20. The button as claimed in claim 6, wherein the housing and the container are cylindrical in shape.