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IPC Subclass
A44B

BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE

Introduced: September 1968

Classification Context

Section:
HUMAN NECESSITIES
Class:
HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
Subclass:
BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE

Description

A44B covers fastening devices and closures primarily used in clothing and textiles. This subclass includes buttons (of various materials and designs), pins, buckles, hooks, eyelets, and slide fasteners (zippers). It encompasses both the mechanical devices themselves and their manufacturing or application methods, covering traditional and innovative fastening solutions for garments, footwear, and fabric articles. Adjacent classes A44C (haberdashery articles) and A44F (corset components) address related but distinct accessory categories.

Additional Content

Glossary

Button Buttons A hand manipulated fastener that includes a rigid or semirigid portion (i.e. button) which is attached (e.g. sewn) to the structure it is intended to fasten or secure (e.g. clothing) in a manner that allows its reorientation by either movement about its attachment or movement of the structure it secures. A button is intended to be used with a complementary opening having a flaccid portion (e.g. buttonholes, looped cords) that forms the second essential part of the fastener. Buckle Buckles A hand manipulated fastener including engaging or holding means and structure for guiding during fastening, which can selectively hold a cooperating strap or belt that is either the structure secured (e.g. end of a dress belt) or a second portion of the fastener (e.g. securing strap of a backpack flap). Pin Pins A hand manipulated fastener that includes both (1) a portion specifically shaped (e.g. pointed) to facilitate impaling of and penetration into the structure fastened or secured and (2) a remaining portion (e.g. head) intended to be manually pushed on that does not penetrate the structure fastened or secured. Slide fastener Slide fasteners A hand manipulated fastener that includes (1) two, opposed, elongated, configured surfaces that are each attached by mounting means to a secured structure and are intended to directly contact and interlock with each other when fastened and (2) a sliding device that is much shorter in length than the surfaces and which travels along their length to forcibly shift them into or out of interlocking engagement.

Limiting references

Fastening devices specially adapted for specific types of garments Buttonholes or eyelets for buttonholes Corset fasteners Glove fasteners Garter fasteners Belts, girdles, or waistbands for trousers or skirts Thumbtacks Devices for fastening or securing constructional elements or machine parts together Hand-manipulated hooks or eyes (e.g. swivel hook for dog leash) Places covering apparatus or methods for making, or for positioning on the structure being fastened, fasteners or components of fasteners appropriate for this subclass . Appliances or methods for marking-out, perforating, or making buttonholes Appliances or methods for setting fasteners on garments Processing sheet metal, tubes or profiles to make haberdashery Processing sheet metal, tubes or profiles to make buttons Processing sheet metal, tubes or profiles to make metal slide fasteners parts Wire-working to produce devices for fastening (e.g. slide fastener elements, buttons) Pressure or injection die casting of slide fasteners and slide fastener parts Producing slide fastener elements from plastic or other substances in a plastic state Producing buttons or semi-finished button parts from plastic or other substances in a plastic state

Related Keywords

fasteners for DRESSESFASTENINGS for dressescards for SLEEVE(S) linksZIPPERS

13 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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  • A44B 15/00 Key-rings
  • A44B 17/00 Press-button or snap fasteners
  • A44B 18/00 Fasteners of the touch-and-close type; Making such fasteners
  • A44B 6/00 Retainers or tethers for neckties, cravats, neckerchiefs, or the like, e.g. tie-clips, spring clips with attached tie-tethers, woggles, pins with associated sheathing members tetherable to clothing
  • A44B 7/00 Cards for buttons, collar-studs, or sleeve-links
  • A44B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class A44, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

  1. YOSHIDA KOGYO JP 1,597
  2. YOSHIDA KOGYO 1,058
  3. ZHEJIANG WEIXING INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY 596
  4. FUJIAN SBS ZIPPER SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COMPANY 471
  5. GOERTEK TECHNOLOGY COMPANY 462
  6. GUANGDONG XIAOTIANCAI TECHNOLOGY COMPANY 408
  7. THE SWATCH GROUP RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CH 278
  8. 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY (MINNESOTA MINING AND MANUFACTURING INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY) US 267
  9. OMEGA CH 194
  10. APPLE US 187