ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 15 -- United States Patent no. 12,660,892, issued on June 23.
"Snap and lock" was invented by Richard P. Steinke II (Indio, Calif.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A button system containing two pieces that snap and lock together to fasten multiple articles of clothing. The top piece is made of three distinct parts: a detachable ridged color-coded cover, a fastener that attaches said cover to a rotatable hinged plate, and a fastener that secures all three pieces of the top piece. The bottom piece is also made up of three distinct parts: a plate to receive the hinges from the top piece, a curved structure that connects the hinge/cavity plates to the article of clothing, and...