Plastic fastener and plastic fastener assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016358518-A1
Application number	US-201514730403-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Jun 4, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Plastic fastener and plastic fastener assembly. The plastic fastener assembly may be a length of continuously connected fastener stock and may include a first flexible filament having a first end and a second end, a first cross-bar disposed at the first end of the first flexible filament, and a first paddle disposed at the second end of the first flexible filament. The plastic fastener assembly may further include a second flexible filament, the second flexible filament having a first end and a second end, a second cross-bar disposed at the first end of the second flexible filament, and a second paddle disposed at the second end of the second flexible filament. The plastic fastener assembly may further include a first severable connector interconnecting the first and second paddles. The first severable connector may include a pair of generally frusto-semi-circular members joined to one another at a generally planar break region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A plastic fastener comprising:
(a) a flexible filament, the flexible filament having a first end and a second end; (b) a cross-bar, the cross-bar being disposed at the first end of the flexible filament; (c) a paddle, the paddle being disposed at the second end of the flexible filament; and (d) a first connector remnant, the first connector remnant being disposed on the paddle and being shaped to include a generally frusto-semi-circular member.

2 . The plastic fastener as claimed in claim 1 wherein the paddle is shaped to include a front surface, a rear surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface, and a right surface and wherein the first connector remnant is disposed on one of the left surface and the right surface.

3 . The plastic fastener as claimed in claim 1 wherein the generally frusto-semi-circular member includes a front surface and a rear surface and wherein the front surface slopes towards the rear surface as the first connector remnant extends away from the paddle.

4 . The plastic fastener as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a second connector remnant, the second connector remnant being disposed on the paddle and being shaped to include a generally frusto-semi-circular member.

5 . The plastic fastener as claimed in claim 4 wherein the paddle is shaped to include a front surface, a rear surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface, and a right surface, wherein the first connector remnant is disposed on one of the left surface and the right surface and wherein the second connector remnant is disposed on the other of the left surface and the right surface.

6 . The plastic fastener as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the flexible filament, the cross-bar, the paddle, and the first connector remnant has a rear surface and wherein the rear surfaces of the flexible filament, the cross-bar, the paddle and the first connector remnant are coplanar.

7 . A plastic fastener assembly comprising:
(a) a first flexible filament, the first flexible filament having a first end and a second end; (b) a first cross-bar, the first cross-bar being disposed at the first end of the first flexible filament; (c) a first paddle, the first paddle being disposed at the second end of the first flexible filament; (d) a second flexible filament, the second flexible filament having a first end and a second end; (e) a second cross-bar, the second cross-bar being disposed at the first end of the second flexible filament; (f) a second paddle, the second paddle being disposed at the second end of the second flexible filament; and (g) a first severable connector, the first severable connector extending between and interconnecting the first paddle and the second paddle, wherein the first severable connector has a reduced cross-sectional area at an approximate midpoint between the first paddle and the second paddle.

8 . The plastic fastener assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the first severable connector comprises a first generally frusto-semi-circular member and a second generally frusto-semi-circular member, the first and second generally frusto-semi-circular members being joined to one another at a generally planar break region.

9 . The plastic fastener assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein each of the first paddle and the second paddle is shaped to include a front surface, a rear surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface, and a right surface and wherein the first severable connector extends between and interconnects the right surface of the first paddle and the left surface of the second paddle.

10 . The plastic fastener assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first and second generally frusto-semi-circular members are mirror-images of one another.

11 . The plastic fastener assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein at least one of the first and second generally frusto-semi-circular members includes a front surface and a rear surface and wherein the front surface slopes towards the rear surface as the generally frusto-semi-circular member extends away from its respective paddle.

12 . The plastic fastener assembly as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a second severable connector, the second severable connector extending between and interconnecting the first cross-bar and the second cross-bar.

13 . The plastic fastener assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the plastic fastener assembly is a length of continuously connected fastener stock.

14 . A plastic fastener assembly comprising:
(a) a first continuous side member; (b) a second continuous side member; and (c) a plurality of cross members interconnecting the first and second continuous side members, each of the cross members comprising
(i) a flexible filament, the flexible filament having a first end and a second end, the first end of the flexible filament joined to the second continuous side member;
(ii) a paddle disposed at the second end of the flexible filament, the paddle comprising a left surface and a right surface;
(iii) a first connector portion, the first connector portion disposed on the left surface of the paddle; and
(iv) a second connector portion, the second connector portion disposed on the right surface of the paddle;
(v) wherein the first connector portion of one cross member is joined to the second connector portion of another cross member at a break region of reduced cross-section.

15 . The plastic fastener assembly as claimed in claim 14 wherein the first connector portion and the second connector portion are mirror-images of one another.

16 . The plastic fastener assembly as claimed in claim 14 wherein each of the first connector portion and the second connector portion comprises a generally frusto-semi-circular member.

17 . The plastic fastener assembly as claimed in claim 14 wherein the generally frusto-semi-circular member includes a front surface and a rear surface and wherein the front surface slopes towards the rear surface as the generally frusto-semi-circular member extends away from its respective paddle.

18 . The plastic fastener assembly as claimed in claim 14 wherein the plastic fastener assembly is a length of continuously connected fastener stock.

Assignees

• Avery Dennison Retail Information Services Llc

Inventors

• Burout Charles J
• Schuttler David L
• Smith David S

Classifications

• G09F3/14 Primary

  by strings, straps, chains, or wires · CPC title

• B65C7/003

  using paddle-shaped plastic pins (using plastic pins for affixing buttons to garments A41H37/008) · CPC title

• G09F3/12 Primary

  by pins, staples, or the like · CPC title

• G09F3/08 Primary

  Fastening or securing by means not forming part of the material of the label itself · CPC title

• F16B2/26 Primary

  of pliable, non-resilient material, e.g. plant tie · CPC title