Anti-slip pad for strap, belt or the like

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6220492
  • Patent Number
    6,220,492
  • Date Filed
    Monday, November 8, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, April 24, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Cronin; Stephen K.
    Agents
    • Baxley; Charles E.
Abstract
An anti-slip pad for a belt includes a number of members disposed together and parallel to each other and coupled together at live hinges, and/or having the end portions secured together at coupling bars. The pad includes two or more slots for threading the belt. The members disposed between every two adjacent members may each include a size smaller than that of the adjacent members for forming a space between the members and for receiving the belt. The members may include a hollow structure and may include a curved outer peripheral surface for engaging with a user.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a pad, and more particularly to an anti-slip pad for straps, belts or the like.




2. Description of the Prior Art




Typical suitcases, bags, luggage articles, schoolbags, or even trousers comprise a body and a shoulder belt or a sling strap secured thereto for carrying purposes, etc. The typical fastening seat belts for vehicles are directly engaged onto the users and may hurt the users. For preventing the users from being directly engaged with the belt or the strap, a protective pad is provided and engaged onto the belt or the strap for engaging with the users. One typical pad for attaching onto the belt or the strap is shown in FIG.


5


and comprises a longitudinal pad body


10


having two slits


11


,


12


formed therein for threading the belt or the strap


20


. Normally, the pad body


10


is entirely engaged with the user and is made of plastic material and includes a hardness that the user may not feel comfortable; i.e., the pad body


10


may not provide a suitable comfortableness to the users.




The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional pads for straps or belts.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an anti-slip pad for engaging onto the straps, the belts or the like, and for providing a comfortable cushioning structure to the users.




In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an anti-slip pad for a belt comprising two or more groups of body members, each of the groups including two first body members and a second body member disposed between and coupled to the first body members, the second body member including two sides adjacent to the first body members and each having a slot formed therein for threading the belt, the second body member including a size smaller than that of the first body members for forming and defining a space between the second body member and the first body members and for receiving the belt.




The second body member and the first body members include two ends secured together at coupling bars; and are disposed parallel to each other and secured together at live hinges.




The first and the second body members each includes a chamber formed therein for forming a hollow structure. The body members of the first body members each includes a curved outer peripheral surface for engaging with a user.




The groups of body members include two adjacent first body members secured together at a live hinge, and each having a recess formed therein for receiving and for positioning the belt, or each having two shoulders formed therein for positioning the belt.




Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of an anti-slip pad in accordance with the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a cross sectional view taken along lines


2





2


of

FIG. 1

;





FIGS. 3 and 4

are cross sectional views similar to

FIG. 2

, illustrating the operation of the anti-slip pad; and





FIG. 5

is a cross sectional view showing a typical pad for the belts or the straps.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to the drawings, and initially to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, an anti-slip pad in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated with the reference numeral “


30


” and comprises a number of body members


31


,


32


, such as the longitudinal body members


31


,


32


as shown in the drawings, disposed parallel to each other and pivotally secured together at live hinges


33


and/or having the end portions secured together at coupling members


37


, such as the coupling bars


37


. The body members


31


,


32


each includes a longitudinal rod shape having a curved or circular cross section. For example, as shown in

FIG. 2

, the bottom portions of the body members


31


,


32


each includes a curved surface


38


for defining the live hinges


33


between the body members


31


,


32


and for reducing the engaging areas with the users or the objects


41


(FIG.


4


), and for allowing the pad


30


to be easily bent according to the shape of the object


41


onto which the pad


30


is engaged.




As best shown in

FIG. 2

, one of the body members


32


is disposed between every two adjacent body members


31


for forming a group of three body members. The anti-slip pad


30


may include one or more groups of the body members. For example, five groups of body members are shown in the drawings. The pad


30


may also include only two body members


31


and one body member


32


disposed between the body members


31


. In addition, the body members


31


,


32


are not necessarily formed as the longitudinal shape, but may be formed into various shapes or sizes. Alternatively, the body members


31


,


32


may be arranged one by one and no two body members


32


are secured together or adjacent with each other. Or, the two adjacent body members


32


may be formed into one piece or taken as a single body member


32


.




Every two adjacent body members


31


,


32


have the live hinge


33


provided and formed therebetween. The live hinges


33


on the sides of each of the body members


32


each includes a slot


36


formed therein for threading a strap or a belt


40


or the like. Alternatively, no live hinges are formed and provided between the body members


32


and the body members


31


adjacent thereto. Only the slots


36


are formed and provided between the body members


32


and the adjacent body members


31


which may also he coupled together at the ends thereof with the coupling bars


37


. The body member


32


of each of the groups of body members includes a depth or thickness less than that of the adjacent body members


31


such that a space


39


is formed and defined between the body members


31


,


32


for receiving the belt


40


and for preventing the belt


40


from engaging with the users (

FIGS. 3

,


4


). It is preferable that the body members


31


each includes a recess


34


formed in the upper portion thereof and defined between two shoulders


35


for receiving the belt


40


and for stably retaining the belt


40


in place relative to the body members


31


.




The anti-slip pad


30


or the body members


31


,


32


are preferably made of spongy materials, foamable materials, rubber materials, gel materials, or the other synthetic materials, such as ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, etc. The body members


31


,


32


may each further include a chamber


300


formed therein (

FIG. 3

) for forming a hollow structure and for further increasing the resilience of the pad


30


.




Accordingly, the anti-slip pad in accordance with the present invention may be engaged onto the straps, the belts or the like for providing a comfortable cushioning structure to the users.




Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.



Claims
  • 1. An anti-slip pad for a belt, said pad comprising:at least two groups of body members, each of said at least two groups of body members including two first body members and a second body member disposed between and coupled to said first body members, said second body member including two sides adjacent to said first body members and each having a slot formed therein for threading the belt, said second body member including a size smaller than that of said first body members for forming and defining a space between said second body member and said first body members and for receiving the belt, wherein said at least two groups of body members include two adjacent first body members secured together at a live hinge.
  • 2. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein said second body member and said first body members include two ends secured together at coupling bars.
  • 3. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein said second body member and said first body members are disposed parallel to each other and secured together at live hinges.
  • 4. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein said second body member includes a chamber formed therein for forming a hollow structure.
  • 5. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein said body members of said first body members each includes a curved outer peripheral surface for engaging with a user.
  • 6. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein said body members of said first body members each includes a chamber formed therein for forming a hollow structure.
  • 7. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein said adjacent first body members of said at least two groups of body members that are secured together at said live hinge each includes a recess formed therein for receiving and for positioning the belt.
  • 8. The anti-slip pad according to claim 1, wherein said adjacent first body members of said at least two groups of body members that are secured together at said live hinge each includes two shoulders formed therein for positioning the belt.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
088200292 Jul 1999 TW
US Referenced Citations (8)
Number Name Date Kind
D. 408435 Gettings Apr 1999
D. 409648 Gettings May 1999
D. 415785 Gettings Oct 1999
1546067 Goldschmidt Jul 1925
1631694 Rick Jun 1927
3799413 McBain Mar 1974
5250345 Chu Oct 1993
5507422 Shields Apr 1996