초록 ▼

A punch button (32) has a central disc (36) integral with and separable from an outer peripheral annular ring (38). The disc and ring are joined by a breakaway portion (40) of reduced thickness. A pair of peel points or pilot cuts (50 and 52) may be provided on distally opposite sides of the disc, a

A punch button (32) has a central disc (36) integral with and separable from an outer peripheral annular ring (38). The disc and ring are joined by a breakaway portion (40) of reduced thickness. A pair of peel points or pilot cuts (50 and 52) may be provided on distally opposite sides of the disc, and if so, the disc is initially separable from the ring at the peel points and then rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to an axis through the distally opposite pilot cuts. The punch button is formed by providing a strip of material of a first thickness, placing the strip in a die, performing an inner cut with the die and partially cutting through the strip to yield first and second subpieces joined to each other by material of a second reduced thickness, and performing an outer cut with the die and cutting all the way through the strip to yield a piece composed of the first and second subpieces providing the disc and ring. The pilot cuts are performed by the die during performance of the inner cut and to a deeper depth than the inner cut. All of the cuts are performed in a singular die step operation wherein an outer punch (58) is moved toward an inner punch (66) in one axial direction to perform the inner cut, the pilot cuts, and a portion of the outer cut, and continuing movement of the outer punch in the one direction and simultaneously moving the inner punch in the same direction in unison with the outer punch to complete the outer cut.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A method for forming a punch button comprising providing a strip of material of a first thickness from which said punch button is to be formed, performing an inner cut partially cutting through said strip to yield first and second subpieces joined to each other by said material of

[ We claim:] [1.] A method for forming a punch button comprising providing a strip of material of a first thickness from which said punch button is to be formed, performing an inner cut partially cutting through said strip to yield first and second subpieces joined to each other by said material of a second thickness less than said first thickness, performing an outer cut cutting all the way through said strip to yield a piece composed of said first and second subpieces, providing a die with an outer punch having a sidewall of given width between inner and outer dimensions, providing said die with an inner punch having an outer dimension less than said outer dimension of said outer punch and greater than said inner dimension of said outer punch, performing said inner cut at said outer dimension of said inner punch and said inner dimension of said outer punch, and performing said outer cut at said outer dimension of said outer punch.