The present invention relates to an assembly for fastening plates to leather goods, fabrics and similar supports.
In the field of fashion, but also in other fields, members in relief, which reproduce alphanumeric characters, symbols, emblems or marks, are commonly fastened to items of clothing and to clothing accessories.
Those members, otherwise known as plates, are made of various materials, such as metal or plastics, and in various manners, which also affect their fastening.
In particular, when the plates consist of a plurality of components joined into a single part, they are mounted by riveting, punching or other equivalent known methods.
Although the above solution is practical and economical, it has the drawback that it locally hinders the flexibility of the support to which the plates have been fixed.
As an alternative, it is possible to use plates constituted by individual members that are fixed one by one to the support by means of reinforcement contrast plates arranged on the hidden side of the support.
By doing this, the flexibility of the material that supports the plates is preserved, but on the other hand the risk arises that lettering or strings of symbols might not be able to preserve their original geometry.
In an attempt to overcome the above cited drawbacks, methods have been refined which provide the various members by means of a single micro-casting, conceived so as to allow their simultaneous application.
In greater detail, in those systems the individual plates are joined in a single casting, which once it has hardened and cooled is joined to the support to be decorated by riveting each individual component, which is removed from the casting channels and from the feedhead only later.
However, as a consequence of the removal of the excess parts, some damaged surface portions remain visible on the plates and in addition to deteriorating their aesthetic appearance also risk ruining the support to which they are fixed.
The aim of the present invention is to solve the problems described above, by providing an assembly for fastening plates to leather goods, fabrics and similar supports that allows to preserve the correct configuration of the plates and simultaneously preserve the flexibility of the material to which they are fastened.
Within the scope of this aim, a particular object of the invention is to provide an assembly for fastening plates to leather goods, fabrics and similar supports that allows to fasten all the plates simultaneously.
Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly for fastening plates to leather goods, fabrics and similar supports that allows to use plates having an impeccable aesthetic appearance, i.e., totally free from flash and manufacturing residues.
Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly for fastening plates to leather goods, fabrics and similar supports that can be obtained easily from a suitable blank provided in ribbon form to be cut as needed.
Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly for fastening plates to leather goods, fabrics and similar supports that is advantageous also from a purely economic standpoint.
This aim, as well as these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an assembly for fastening plates to leather goods, fabrics and similar supports, as claimed in the appended claims.
Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the description of preferred but not exclusive embodiments of an assembly for fastening plates to leather goods, fabrics and similar supports, according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
With reference to the cited figures, the assembly for fastening plates to leather goods, fabrics and similar supports, according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a laminar body 2 made of flexible material.
The laminar body 2 has a plurality of holes 3 adapted to receive and lock pins 11 that protrude from the rear face, i.e., the hidden face, of each plate 10.
The plates 10 may be constituted by reproductions of alphanumeric characters or other members having a different shape, preferably made of metallic material.
In the case being considered by way of example, which refers to a preferred embodiment, the laminar body 2 is constituted by a single plate made of plastics.
In other embodiments of the invention, the laminar body 2 may be made of other materials having substantially equivalent mechanical properties.
As shown in the figures, the laminar body 2 has a set of flexion notches 4 designed so as to increase the flexibility of the material and render the movement of the various plates 10 more independent.
Advantageously, the number of the flexion notches 4 varies as a function of the number of plates 10 to be fixed.
Preferably, the shape of the flexion notches 4 schematically reproduces the profile of the plates 10, or at least their contour.
The shape of the flexion notches may also be affected by the position of the pins 11.
In the illustrated example, the flexion notches 4 have a substantially rectilinear shape.
Advantageously, at each hole 3 there is a concentric recess 5, i.e. a flared region, that receives the head of the corresponding pin 11, after it has been riveted.
This allows to render the face of the laminar body 2 that is not intended to rest on the support 20 substantially free from external protrusions.
In order to avoid the presence of unpleasant edges or sharp portions, the edges of the laminar body 2 also are rounded and gently radiused.
The use of the fastening assembly according to the present invention is simple and easy.
The fastening assembly 1 is preferably provided already ready for use, with a laminar body 2 having dimensions suitable for the number of plates 10 and for their shape.
As an alternative, the fastening surface 1 may be easily obtained from an adapted blank provided in the form of a continuous ribbon to be cut to the correct length in order to obtain the desired laminar body 2.
After correctly preparing the plates 10, by inserting the corresponding pins 11 in corresponding holes 21 provided in a support in sheet form 20, constituted for example by leather goods, fabric or other similar material, it is possible to mount the fastening assembly 1.
In greater detail, the corresponding pins 11 are first inserted into the holes 3 and then riveted or plastically deformed so as to form a locking head 12 that does not protrude from the laminar body 2.
As regards this last aspect, the use of pins 11 having a semi-tubular cross-section, which after riveting have locking heads with a substantially anticlastic shape that are fully accommodated within the corresponding recesses 5, has proved particularly advantageous. Such pins 11 are deformable with less effort, and this allows to use even smaller and more refined plates 10.
In practice it has been found that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects, providing an assembly for fastening plates to leather goods, fabrics and similar supports that allows to preserve the correct configuration of the plates and at the same time preserve the flexibility of the material to which they are fastened.
Also, the assembly allows to use plates that have an impeccable aesthetic appearance, i.e., fully devoid of flash or manufacturing residues, which can be all fastened simultaneously.
The same assembly may have the form of a finished part that is ready for use or, as an alternative, may be easily obtained from a suitable blank, provided in ribbon form and adaptable to any situation by virtue of simple cutting operations.
Another important advantage of the present invention is its low cost, which ensures a very high reception of the product.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.