SECURING A BUTTON TO A GARMENT

This invention relates to a method of securing a button to a garment and a garment having a button secured thereto.

Typically a button is fastened to a garment using a stitch formation to join the button and the garment to one another. However, one drawback with such an arrangement is that over time the stitch formation can work loose or become damaged which results in the button becoming separated from the garment. Often a separated button is misplaced which causes inconvenience to the user and can render the garment unwearable if a suitable replacement button cannot be found.

Therefore there is a need to improve the manner in which a button is fastened to a garment so as to reduce or eliminate the likelihood of the button becoming separated from the garment. According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of securing a button to a garment comprising the steps of:

(a) sewing a first fusible thread and a second thread into a stitch formation to join the button and the garment to one another, the first fusible thread including a fusible filament and one or more carrier filaments; and

(b) melting the fusible filament to bond portions of the stitch formation to one another.

The inclusion of a fusible filament permits portions of the stitch formation to be bonded to one another. This bonding allows the stitch formation to maintain a sufficient degree of integrity, over time and when elements thereof become damaged, to continue to join the button to the garment. As a result the button remains secured to the garment and so the likelihood of the button becoming separated from the garment is significantly reduced.

The inclusion of a fusible filament in the first fusible thread conveniently carries the fusible filament into the stitch formation to allow for subsequent bonding of portions of the stitch formation. In addition, the use of a fusible thread provides the option of matching the colour of the carrier filaments to, e.g., the colour of the garment so as to maintain a desirable overall appearance of the garment.

Meanwhile the sewing of a second thread into the stitch formation helps to increase the integrity of the stitch formation, and provides further options for matching the colour of the stitch formation to the colour of the garment.

In another preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, sewing a first fusible thread and a second thread into a stitch formation includes running the first fusible thread adjacent to a hidden face of the garment lying opposite the interface between the button and the garment, and running the second thread adjacent to a visible face of the button lying opposite the interface between the button and the garment. Adopting such steps means that the first fusible thread is substantially hidden from view while the garment is in normal use. This is desirable since the inclusion of a fusible filament in a fusible thread can impair the ability to match the colour of the fusible thread to the colour of a garment.

Conveniently, sewing a first fusible thread and a second thread into a stitch formation includes creating a lockstitch formation with the first fusible thread defining the bobbin thread and the second thread defining the needle thread. A lockstitch formation has an inherent integrity that is greater than, say, a chainstitch formation. In addition, a lockstitch formation is readily created by machine and so lends itself to automation of the securing process. Moreover, having the fusible thread define the bobbin thread means that the first fusible thread is substantially hidden from view while the garment is in normal use. In a further preferred embodiment of the method of the invention the second thread is a conventional, non-fusible thread. The inclusion of such a second thread helps to increase the integrity of the stitch formation and ensures that the stitch formation lying adjacent to the visible face of the button is free from bonded portions. This is advantageous because the fusible filament which forms the bonded portions can affect the colour accuracy of the stitch formation which, in some circumstances, would otherwise be undesirable if visible during normal use of the garment.

Optionally the second thread is a second fusible thread including a fusible filament and one or more carrier filaments. The inclusion of such a second fusible thread increases the number of portions of the stitch formation that are bonded to one another, and so increases further the integrity of the stitch formation making it extremely unlikely that the button becomes separated form the garment. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a garment having a button secured thereto by a stitch formation including a first fusible thread and a second thread, the first fusible thread including an activated fusible filament and one or more carrier filaments, the stitch formation including portions bonded to one another by the activated fusible filament.

The bonding of portions of the stitch formation to one another allows the stitch formation to maintain a sufficient degree of integrity, over time and when elements thereof become damaged, to continue to join the button to the garment. Accordingly, as mentioned above, the button remains secured to the garment and so the risk of the button becoming separated from the garment is essentially eliminated.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention the stitch formation includes bonded portions where the first fusible thread overlaps the second thread and where the first fusible thread overlaps itself.

The provision of such bonded portions controls the positioning of the bonded portions which can be important in terms of the overall appearance of a garment.

Preferably the first thread runs adjacent to a hidden face of the garment lying opposite the interface between the button and the garment and the second thread runs adjacent to a visible face of the button lying opposite the interface between the button and the garment.

The aforementioned arrangement allows the first thread to be substantially hidden from view while the garment is in normal use.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the stitch formation lying adjacent to the visible face of the button is free from bonded portions. This is advantageous because the fusible filament which forms the bonded portions can affect the colour accuracy of the stitch formation which, in some circumstances, would otherwise be undesirable if visible during normal use of the garment. Conveniently the first and second threads are arranged in a lockstitch formation, the first thread defining the bobbin thread and the second thread defining the needle thread. As mentioned above, a lockstitch formation has an inherent integrity that is greater than, say, a chainstitch formation. In addition, a lockstitch formation is readily created by machine and so lends itself to automation of the securing process. Moreover, having the fusible thread define the bobbin thread means that the first fusible thread is substantially hidden from view while the garment is in normal use.

There now follows a brief description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a garment with a button secured thereto according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a schematic, partially-sectioned view illustrating one step in a method of securing the button and garment shown in Figure 1 to one another; and

Figure 3 shows a view illustrating a further step in the method illustrated in

Figure 2. A garment according to a first embodiment of the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10.

The garment 10 includes a garment body 12 to which is secured a button 14 by a stitch formation 16.

The stitch formation 16 includes portions 18 that are bonded to one another by an activated fusible filament, i.e. a fusible filament that has been, e.g. melted and subsequently cooled. The stitch formation 16 includes a first thread 20 that runs adjacent to a hidden face 22 of the garment body 12 which lies opposite the interface 24 between the button 14 and the garment 10 and which, in normal use, is hidden from view.

The stitch formation 16 also includes a second thread 26 that runs adjacent to a visible face 28 of the button 14 which lies opposite the interface 24 between button 14 and garment 10 and which, in normal use, is visible.

The stitch formation 16 lying adjacent to the visible face 28 of the button 14 is free from bonded portions 18. The first and second threads 20, 26 are arranged in a lockstitch formation 30 with the first thread 20 defining the bobbin thread 32 and the second thread 26 defining the needle thread 34. The lockstitch formation 30 shown includes only first and second stitches 36, 38 for reasons of clarity. In reality the lockstitch formation 30 would include more stitches, and typically 8 or 16 lock stitches.

A method of securing a button to a garment according to a first embodiment of the invention is illustrated schematically in Figures 2 and 3.

The method includes the step of creating a stitch formation 16 to join the button 14 and the garment 10 to one another. The stitch formation 16 includes a fusible filament (not shown).

In the embodiment illustrated, the step of creating a stitch formation 16 includes sewing a first thread 20 into the stitch formation 16. The first thread 20 is a first fusible thread 40 and includes a fusible filament (not shown) and a plurality of carrier filaments 42. The first thread 40 may alternatively include a plurality of carrier fibres.

The fusible filament may be a thermoplastic filament formed from, e.g. copolyamide, or a thermosetting filament. In each case the fusible filament is preferably thermally-activated so as to undergo a molecular change when heated to melt and form a bonding agent. The carrier filaments 42 are braided around the fusible filament. In other embodiments of the invention (not shown) one or more carrier filaments 42 may be twisted with a fusible filament.

In other methods creating the stitch formation may include sewing a fusible filament directly into the stitch formation.

In the method of the invention, the step of creating a stitch formation 16 further includes sewing a second thread 26 into the stitch formation 16. The second thread 26 is a conventional, non-fusible thread 44. Such a thread may include a plurality of conventional filaments and/or fibres (not shown). In other embodiments of the method (not illustrated) the second thread 26 may be a second fusible thread which includes a fusible filament and one or more carrier filaments.

In the illustrated embodiment of the method, creating the stitch formation includes running the first fusible thread 40 adjacent to the hidden face 22 of the garment body 12 and running the second non-fusible thread 44 adjacent to the visible face 28 of the button 14.

Furthermore, creating the stitch formation includes creating a lockstitch formation 30 with the first fusible thread 40 defining the bobbin thread 32 and the second non-fusible thread 44 defining the needle thread 34.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the formation of only first and second stitches 36, 38 within the lockstitch formation 30 for reasons of clarity. Preferably creating the stitch formation 16 would include sewing a greater number of stitches into the lockstitch formation 30. An especially preferred method of the invention would include sewing 8 or 16 stitches into the lockstitch formation 30.

Following creation of a desired stitch formation 16 the fusible filament within the stitch formation 16 is melted.

Heat may be applied to the stitch formation 16 in, e.g. the form of steam, to melt the fusible filament. Alternatively the fusible filament may be melted by the application of ultrasonic heating.

Melting the fusible filament causes it to undergo the aforementioned molecular change to form a bonding agent (not shown).

The bonding agent passes between adjacent carrier filaments 42 in the first fusible thread 40 to engage with an adjacent portion of the fusible thread 40 and/or an adjacent portion of the non-fusible thread 44.

Where the bonding agent engages with an adjacent thread 40, 44 it acts to bond the thread portions to one another as it cools, and so forms bonded portions 18 between the threads 40, 44. These bonded portions 18 secure the threads 40, 44 relative to each other and so maintain the integrity of the stitch formation 16 even if some of the threads 40, 44 become damaged or work loose. As a consequence the likelihood of the button 14 becoming separated from the garment 10 is substantially reduced.