Button assembly with detachable button cover

Abstract

The use of decorative clothing fasteners may be limited by a maximum practical size of a button hole in the fabric of the clothing. Larger decorative buttons, or buttons with alternative shapes, may be used by forming a button hole on the inner piece of fabric to be attached, while the outer piece of fabric includes both an attachment to the inward facing button, and an attachment location for a decorative button cover, which may be of any shape or size. The use of other attachment methods other than buttons may benefit from the disclosed arrangement and may include snap fasteners, friction fasteners and hook and loop type fasteners.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A button assembly with a detachable button cover, the button assembly being adapted to button a first fabric portion to a second fabric portion, the button assembly comprising:
 a first button element attached to the first fabric portion, the first button element being adapted to button to a second button element;   a second button element attached to the second fabric portion, the second button element being adapted to button to the first button element; and   a button cover, the button cover being removably attachable to the first button element, the button cover being viewable when the first fabric portion is buttoned to the second fabric portion.   
     
     
         2 . The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second button element includes a linear slit in the second fabric portion. 
     
     
         3 . The button assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the second button element is adapted to removably fit over an anchoring portion of the first button element. 
     
     
         4 . The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second button element includes a male snap element permanently attached to the second fabric portion adapted to be removably attached to a female snap portion of the first button element. 
     
     
         5 . The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first button element includes a female threaded portion adapted to connect to a male threaded portion of the button cover. 
     
     
         6 . The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first button element includes a male snap portion adapted to connect to a female snap portion of the button cover. 
     
     
         7 . The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the second button element includes a male press-fit element permanently attached to the second fabric portion adapted to be removably attached to a female press-fit portion of the first button element. 
     
     
         8 . The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first button element includes a press-fit element adapted to connect to a mating press-fit element of the button cover. 
     
     
         9 . The button assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the button cover includes an elastic compressible element disposed between the button cover and the first button element, the elastic compressible element adapted to allow the orientation of the button cover to be adjusted. 
     
     
         10 . An inward facing button adapted to button an outer fabric layer to an inner fabric layer, comprising:
 a first button element fixedly attached to the outer fabric layer and extending inwardly through a button hole in the inner fabric layer; and   a button cover attachable to the first button element, the button cover being viewable when the first fabric portion is buttoned to the second fabric portion.   
     
     
         11 . The button of  claim 10 , wherein the button cover is removably attached to the first button element by one of a threaded attachment element, a snap fit attachment element, and a press-fit attachment element. 
     
     
         12 . The button of  claim 10 , wherein the button cover is attached to the first button element and includes an adjustable orientation. 
     
     
         13 . The button of  claim 12 , wherein the button cover includes an elastic compressible element adapted to maintain the button cover orientation. 
     
     
         14 . A method of attaching two portions of fabric, comprising:
 forming at least one hole in an inner fabric portion;   fixedly attaching a fastener to an outer fabric portion, the fastener including a solid portion extending inwardly from the outer fabric portion towards the inner fabric portion;   passing a flange portion of the fastener through the hole in the inner fabric portion, the flange portion adapted to be removably attached to the inner fabric portion; and   attaching a button cover to an outer portion of the fastener adjacent to the outer fabric portion.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further including removably attaching the button cover to the outer portion of the fastener with an internal female threaded portion disposed to connect to a male threaded portion of the button cover. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further including adjustably orienting the button cover including a compressible elastic washer disposed between the button cover and the fastener. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further including attaching the flange portion having a circular disk shape to the hole in the inner fabric portion, wherein the hole comprises a linear shaped button hole.