Safety fastener means

Claim 1

In a snap-type fastener assembly for interconnecting two flexible sheetlike elements, said fastener assembly including a female subassembly fixedly connected to one of said sheetlike elements and a male subassembly fixedly connected to the other sheetlike element, the male subassembly being releasably connectible to the female assembly, comprising the improvement wherein said female subassembly is connectible to said one sheetlike member without requiring that a preformed aperture be provided therein, said female subassembly including: cover means positionable adjacent one surface of said one sheetlike element, said cover means including a ringlike cover member having a central opening therethrough; said cover means including a ringlike member disposed between said cover member and said one surface of said one sheetlike member, said ringlike member having a central aperture therethrough in substantial alignment with the opening formed in said cover member; clamping means positionable adjacent the other surface of said one sheetlike element and releasably engageable with said male subassembly, said clamping means including a resilient cupshaped snap type clamping member and an annular casing surrounding said clamping member; said clamping member including an arched platelike base positioned directly adjacent said other surface of said one sheetlike member and capable of passing between a convex and a concave configuration, and a plurality of legs fixedly secured to the edge of said base and extending transversely outwardly therefrom in a direction away from said other surface, said legs having inwardly extending hooks on the free ends thereof which are adapted to extend into an annular groove formed on said male subassembly; said cover means also including a disc disposed between said cover member and said ringlike member and resting freely on the inner edge of said ringlike member, whereby said disc extends across said aperture and is disposed directly opposite the base of said clamping member with Said one sheetlike member being interposed therebetween; and holding means coacting between said cover means and said annular casing for engaging said one sheetlike member for fixedly connecting same to said female subassembly while permitting said one sheetlike member to be positioned between said cover member and said base of said clamping member, whereby it is unnecessary to provide a preformed aperture in said one sheetlike member for reception of said female subassembly; said holding means including a plurality of pointed teeth positioned for penetration of said one sheetlike member, said pointed teeth being disposed in a circular pattern surrounding said clamping member and extending between said annular casing and said ringlike member for fixedly connecting said casing and said ringlike member together while maintaining said casing and said ringlike member positioned on opposite sides of said one sheetlike member, said teeth being fixed to one of said casing and ringlike member, the free ends of said teeth being engaged with the other of said casing and ringlike member, one of said casing and cover means externally surrounding and covering the free ends of said teeth.