Button for receiving and securing a fabric covering therefor and fabric-covered button assembly formed therewith

A button for receiving and securely holding in place a fabric covering therefor comprising:

• a. a base element having a cylindrical body portion including a cylindrical wall surface, a resilient fabric-engaging conical flange portion extending from adjacent one axial end of said body portion taperingly outwardly in the direction of the other axial end thereof and a plurality of slots in said flange portion extending radially inwardly from its outward edge at circumferential spacings thereabout for flexure of said flange portion toward said body portion, and
• b. a relatively inflexible cap member having a concave-shaped interior surface portion including an annular wall portion, a cylindrical wall depending centrally from said interior surface portion, and an annular lip extending inwardly from said annular wall portion defining an interior area dimensioned between said annular wall portion slightly smaller than the corresponding dimensioning across said flange portion for receiving said base element in said interior area with its said one axial end disposed inwardmost thereof, with said annular wall portion in flexing engagement with said flange portion for engaging fabric therebetween, with one of said cylindrical wall and said cylindrical wall surface frictionally engaged within the other and with said annular lip disposed outwardly of said flange portion for retaining it in said interior area, said flange portion being resiliently deformable to varying degrees for accommodating selective engagement between said flange portion and said annular wall portion of said cap member of fabrics of varying thickness and said cap member being adapted for receiving said base element to varying depths inwardly within said interior area in inverse relation to the thickness of fabric engaged between said cap member and said base element.

A button assembly comprising:

• a. a fabric piece,
• b. a base element having a central body portion and resilient fabric-engaging flange means extending outwardly therefrom and annularly thereabout, and
• c. a relatively inflexible cap member having said fabric piece outwardly thereabout and having an interior surface portion including an annular wall portion and an annular lip extending inwardly from said annular wall portion defining an interior area receiving said base element, said annular wall portion deformingly engaging said flange means and engaging the edge of said fabric piece therebetween and said annular lip disposed outwardly of said flange means and retaining it in said interior area,
• said flange means being deformed by said annular wall portion to a degree accommodating the thickness of the edge of said fabric piece and said base element being received in said cap member at a depth inwardly within said interior area inversely related to the thickness of said fabric.