Cover For A Male Portion of a Snap Fastener and Method of Use

Abstract

A reusable protective cover for a male portion of a snap fastener may be configured with a symmetrical convexly-curved continuous upper surface extending from the surface to which the male portion of the snap fastener is attached, to above the male portion of the snap faster, the upper surface having an area that is large in size relative to the size of the male portion of the snap fastener and shaped so that the force of someone stepping on the cover would be spread out over a much larger area than the area presented by the male portion of the snap fastener, thus greatly reducing the pressure on the bare foot of someone stepping on the cover, while also protecting the male portion of the snap fastener. Structure is provided to prevent water entrapment under the cover.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cover for a male snap fastener member installed on a mounting surface, wherein the male snap fastener member comprises a projection upstanding from the mounting surface with an outer profile defining a circular area of the male snap fastener member, the cover comprising:
 a female member having a resilient socket formed therein complimentarily sized and shaped to receive and removably retain the male snap fastener member when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member;   an upper surface opposite the female member and having a surface area, the upper surface defining a three-dimensional convex curvature, the upper surface extending outward from a central portion to an outer edge portion, at least a first portion of which is configured to be located proximate to the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member;   wherein the surface area of the upper surface of the cover is at least five times as large as the circular area of the male snap fastener member.   
     
     
         2 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the surface area of the upper surface of the cover is at least ten times as large as the circular area of the male snap fastener member. 
     
     
         3 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the surface area of the upper surface of the cover is at least fifteen times as large as the circular area of the male snap fastener member. 
     
     
         4 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein the surface area of the upper surface of the cover is at least twenty times as large as the circular area of the male snap fastener member. 
     
     
         5 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to receive a flat screwdriver blade between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member. 
     
     
         6 . The cover of  claim 5 , comprising a plurality of reliefs according to  claim 5  located around the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover. 
     
     
         7 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to allow water to flow out from between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member. 
     
     
         8 . The cover of  claim 1 , wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to receive a flat screwdriver blade between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member, and the relief is further configured to create a space sized and shaped to allow water to flow out from between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member. 
     
     
         9 . The cover of  claim 8 , comprising a plurality of reliefs according to  claim 8  located around the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover. 
     
     
         10 . A cover for a male snap fastener member installed on a mounting surface, wherein the male snap fastener member comprises a projection upstanding from the mounting surface with an outer profile defining a circular area of the male snap fastener member, the cover comprising:
 a female member having a resilient socket formed therein complimentarily sized and shaped to receive and removably retain the male snap fastener member when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member;   an upper surface opposite the female member and having a surface area, the upper surface defining a three-dimensional convex curvature at least a portion of which is defined by a constant first radius, the upper surface extending outward from a central portion to an outer edge portion at least a portion of which is curved and has a second radius;   wherein the constant first radius of the at least a portion of the upper surface of the cover is at least as large as the second radius of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover.   
     
     
         11 . The cover of  claim 10 , wherein the constant first radius of the at least a portion of the upper surface of the cover is at least one-and-a-half-times as large as the second radius of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover. 
     
     
         12 . The cover of  claim 10 , wherein the constant first radius of the at least a portion of the upper surface of the cover is at least twice as large as the second radius of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover. 
     
     
         13 . The cover of  claim 10 , wherein the constant first radius of the at least a portion of the upper surface of the cover is at least two-and-a-half-times as large as the second radius of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover. 
     
     
         14 . The cover of  claim 10 , wherein at least a first portion of the outer edge portion is configured to be located proximate to the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member. 
     
     
         15 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to receive a flat screwdriver blade between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member. 
     
     
         16 . The cover of  claim 15 , comprising a plurality of reliefs according to  claim 15  located around the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover. 
     
     
         17 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to allow water to flow out from between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member. 
     
     
         18 . The cover of  claim 14 , wherein at least a second portion of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover defines a relief configured to create a space sized and shaped to receive a flat screwdriver blade between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member, and the relief is further configured to create a space sized and shaped to allow water to flow out from between the relief and the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member. 
     
     
         19 . The cover of  claim 18 , comprising a plurality of reliefs according to  claim 18  located around the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover. 
     
     
         20 . A cover for a male snap fastener member installed on a mounting surface, wherein the male snap fastener member comprises a projection upstanding from the mounting surface with an outer profile defining a circular area of the male snap fastener member, the cover comprising:
 a female member having a resilient socket formed therein complimentarily sized and shaped to receive and removably retain the male snap fastener member when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member;   an upper surface opposite the female member and having a surface area, the upper surface defining a three-dimensional convex curvature at least a portion of which is defined by a constant first radius, the upper surface extending outward from a central portion to an outer edge portion at least a portion of which is curved and has a second radius and is configured to be located proximate to the mounting surface when the cover is installed on the male snap fastener member;   wherein the surface area of the upper surface of the cover is at least five times as large as the circular area of the male snap fastener member; and   wherein the constant first radius of the at least a portion of the upper surface of the cover is at least as large as the second radius of the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the cover.