Patent Application
20240108104
Attaching parts together in a releasable manner is a longstanding challenge for which many solutions have been proposed. Examples of such solutions include screws, buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, and the like.
Unfortunately, conventional solutions for providing releasable attachments are not always optimal. Screws and buttons require dexterity and/or space in which to maneuver and thus are poorly suited for blind-mate attachments. They can also be slow to apply and release. Hook-and-loop fasteners, such as VELCRO®, can be used in blind-mate situations but are sensitive to harsh environments. For instance, hook-and-loop fasteners work well in clean environments but can degrade in smokey or debris-filled environments, where loops can become blocked, and in very hot environments, where hooks can become weakened, causing them to lose their grip. Thus, there is a need for a releasable attachment scheme that is fast and convenient to apply and release, even in blind-mate situations, and is tolerant to extreme environments.
To address the above need at least in part, an improved technique for forming a releasable attachment provides first and second latch strips each having an alternating pattern of lobes and troughs. The lobes of the first latch strip are adapted to fit within the troughs of the second latch strip, and vice-versa, with the lobes retained within the troughs until sufficient force is applied between the first and second latch strips to separate them.
Certain embodiments are directed to a fastener for forming a releasable attachment. The fastener includes a first latch strip composed at least in part of deformable material and having a first plurality of lobes and a first plurality of troughs. The fastener further includes a second latch strip having a second plurality of lobes and a second plurality of troughs. At least some of the first plurality of lobes are disposed within at least some of the second plurality of troughs and at least some of the second plurality of lobes are disposed within at least some of the first plurality of troughs.
In some examples, the deformable material has a hardness in a range between 20 A and 90 A Durometer.
In some examples, each of the lobes of the first plurality of lobes and the second plurality of lobes has a head portion and a neck portion narrower than the head portion, and each of the troughs of the first plurality of troughs and the second plurality of troughs has a wider region arranged to receive a head portion and a narrower region arranged to receive a neck portion.
In some examples, the wider regions of the troughs are wider than the head portions of the lobes.
In some examples, the head portions of the lobes have a width in a range between 0.5 cm and 10 cm.
In some examples, at least one of the first latch strip and the second latch strip has a rigid base that resists deformation in a lengthwise dimension.
In some examples, at least one of the first latch strip and the second latch strip is flexible in a lengthwise dimension and deforms in response to manually applied forces.
In some examples, the first latch strip and the second latch strip are both flexible in the lengthwise dimension, and the first latch strip and the second latch strip can be separated by bending, along the lengthwise dimension, an end of the first latch strip away from an adjacent end of the second latch strip.
In some examples, at least one of the first latch strip and the second latch strip includes an anchoring feature for affixing the respective latch strip(s) to one or more flexible materials.
In some examples, the lobes have substantially rounded tops and the troughs have substantially rounded bottoms.
In some examples, the lobes have substantially flat tops and the troughs have substantially flat bottoms.
In some examples, the fastener further includes a ladder piece having an alternating arrangement of slots and rungs, the lobes of the first plurality of lobes extending through the slots, and the bottoms of the troughs of the first plurality of troughs abutting the rungs.
In some examples, the fastener further includes comprising a spacer piece having an outer frame disposed against the ladder piece and an inner opening into or through which a back of the first latch strip extends.
In some examples, the fastener further includes: a first ladder piece having an alternating arrangement of slots and rungs, the lobes of the first plurality of lobes extending through the slots, the bottoms of the troughs of the first plurality troughs abutting the rungs; a first spacer piece having an outer frame disposed against the first ladder piece and an inner opening into or through which a back of the first latch strip extends; a second ladder piece having an alternating arrangement of slots and rungs, the lobes of the second plurality of lobes extending through the slots of the second ladder piece, the bottoms of the troughs of the second plurality troughs abutting the rungs of the second ladder piece; and a second spacer piece having an outer frame disposed against the second ladder piece and an inner opening into or through which a back of the second latch strip extends.
In some examples, the rungs of the first ladder piece are disposed between the back of the first latch strip and the second plurality of lobes, and the rungs of the second ladder piece are disposed between the back of the second latch strip and the first plurality of lobes.
Other embodiments are directed to a vehicle that includes a surface, an accessory, and a fastener that forms a releasable attachment between the surface and the accessory. The fastener includes a first latch strip composed at least in part of deformable material and having a first plurality of lobes and a first plurality of troughs, and a second latch strip having a second plurality of lobes and a second plurality of troughs. At least some of the first plurality of lobes are disposed within at least some of the second plurality of troughs and at least some of the second plurality of lobes are disposed within at least some of the first plurality of troughs.
Still further embodiments are directed to a method of handling a releasable attachment between a first surface and a second surface. The method includes securing a first latch strip to the first surface, the first latch strip including a first plurality of lobes, securing a second latch strip to the second surface, the second latch strip including a second plurality of lobes, and attaching the first surface to the second surface by forming an interlocking engagement between at least some of the first plurality of lobes and at least some of the second plurality of lobes.
In some examples, the method further includes separating the first surface from the second surface by pulling apart the first latch strip and the second latch strip.
In some examples, attaching the first surface to the second surface includes pinching together, between first and second members, the first latch strip and the second latch strip at respective first ends thereof, and while continuing to pinch together the first latch strip and the second latch strip, sliding the first and second members toward respective second ends of the first latch strip and the second latch strip to progressively form the interlocking engagement between the first plurality of lobes and the second plurality of lobes.
In some examples, the method further includes separating the first latch strip from the second latch strip at least in part by bending the first latch strip away from the second latch strip at adjacent ends thereof and pulling apart the first latch strip from the second latch strip such that the lobes of the first plurality of lobes become progressively separated from the lobes of the second plurality of lobes and are no longer interlocking.
The foregoing summary is presented for illustrative purposes to assist the reader in readily grasping example features presented herein; however, this summary is not intended to set forth required elements or to limit embodiments hereof in any way. One should appreciate that the above-described features can be combined in any manner that makes technological sense, and that all such combinations are intended to be disclosed herein, regardless of whether such combinations are identified explicitly or not.
The foregoing and other features and advantages will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of various embodiments.
embodiment.
Embodiments of the improved technique will now be described. One should appreciate that such embodiments are provided by way of example to illustrate certain features and principles but are not intended to be limiting.
An improved technique for forming a releasable attachment provides first and second latch strips each having an alternating pattern of lobes and troughs. The lobes of the first latch strip are adapted to fit within the troughs of the second latch strip, and vice-versa, with the lobes retained within the troughs until sufficient force is applied between the first and second latch strips to separate them.
As shown in the sequence of
In some examples, the lobes 122 and troughs 124 have identical sizes and shapes, such that the lobes 122 fit precisely and completely within the opposing troughs 124. In other examples, the troughs 124 are larger than the lobes 122, and a degree of play is permitted in the engagement of lobes with troughs. Where watertight attachments are desired, any play between lobes and troughs is minimized or eliminated.
For at least one of the latch strips 110, the main body 120, including the lobes 122, is made of a compressible material, such as rubber, plastic, or the like, which is preferably stiff enough to provide the desired holding force, while also being compliant enough to deform when sufficient force is supplied. It has been found that 50 A Durometer hardness is a good choice for many applications, with a range between 20 A and 90 A Durometer being suitable for most uses. These are merely examples, however. Also, the Durometer of the first latch strip 110a may be greater than the Durometer of the second latch strip 110b, or vice versa. In some examples, one of the latch strips 110 is made of a deformable, compressible material, but the other is made of a substantially non-deformable, non-compressible material, such as hard plastic, steel, or some other hard material. In some examples, the compressible material is rated for high temperature, such that the latch strips 110 retain their strength and function, even in exceedingly hot environments (e.g., firefighting scenarios). In some examples, the lobes 122 are on the order of a centimeter at their widest points (e.g., in a range between 0.5 cm and 10 cm), and thus are too large to be hindered by dust or debris.
In some examples, the rigid base 130 is integral with the main body 120, e.g., by blending a harder material with the main body 120 during molding. Alternatively, the rigid base 130 may be a separate piece that is attached or affixed, e.g., by gluing, bonding, screwing, riveting, or the like. The rigid base 130 keeps the latch strips 110 substantially flat and straight. In an example, the rigid base 130 provides a site for attaching a latch strip 110 to an external surface, such as a panel, bracket, assembly, or the like. For example, the rigid base 130 may be screwed, glued, riveted, or otherwise affixed to the external surface. The bottoms of the troughs 124 provide good locations for receiving the heads of screws, rivets, or the like, which may extend through the rigid base 130 and into the external surface. Where troughs 124 are used for this purpose, the bottoms of the troughs 124 may have a countersunk or depressed region for receiving the head of a fastener, without disturbing the engagement of the lobes 122 into the troughs 124. In some examples, the rigid base 130 may be omitted, and the main bodies 120 of the latch strips 110 may be affixed directly to the respective surfaces to be joined.
In cases in which the latch strips 110 have rigid bases 130 or are affixed to flat, rigid surfaces, a force required to separate the latch strips 110 from each other is based at least in part on the hardness of the materials and the difference between the width 210 of the heads 202 at their widest points and the width 240 of the troughs 124 at their narrowest points. A smaller difference enables the latch strips 110 to be separated by a human operator pulling them straight apart, whereas a larger difference may require tools (e.g., a pry bar). In some examples, with a hardness of the main bodies 120 of both latch strips 110 in the range of 20 A to 90 A Durometer, making the width 210 5-10% larger than the width 240 provides good performance.
When using flexible latch strips 310, the difference in widths 210 and 240 (
As shown in
In some examples, the flexibility of the latch strips 310 along their lengths may be varied by varying the thickness of a bottom region 126 of the latch strips 310, i.e., the region between the bottoms of the troughs 124 and the bottoms of the main bodies 120. Making this region thinner increases flexibility, while making it thicker decreases flexibility. Optimal thickness may vary depending on intended use.
As shown in
As shown in
An improved technique has been described for forming a releasable attachment. The technique provides first and second latch strips (110, 310, or 510) each having an alternating pattern of lobes (122 or 522) and troughs (124 or 524). The lobes of the first latch strip are adapted to fit within the troughs of the second latch strip, and vice versa, with the lobes retained within the troughs until sufficient force is applied between the first and second latch strips to separate them.
The disclosed embodiments provide for the attachment of parts or assemblies without the use of tools or hardware, and/or in spaces with limited access. A series of lobes and troughs interconnect to form a mechanical attachment between latch strips, which can be separated by simply pulling the latch strips apart. The geometry of the lobes and troughs, as well as the rubber type and durometer, can be adjusted to alter the latching load and sealing effectiveness. Example uses of latch strips include:
Flexible latch pieces may be used for attaching flexible parts, such as canvas or tarps without the use of tools, hardware, ropes, or straps. In such cases, the geometry of the lobes and troughs, as well as the material type and durometer, can be adjusted to alter the latching load and sealing effectiveness of the mating strips. The strips can only be separated by “unzipping” them from either end, resisting separation in any other load case. Example uses of flexible latch strips include:
Having described certain embodiments, numerous alternative embodiments or variations can be made. For example, features of any of the above-described embodiments may be used in any of the other described embodiments. Latch strips with rigid bases 130, like the ones shown in
Also, embodiments of the disclosed fasteners have been described in connection with a vehicle, such as a firefighting vehicle. This is merely an example, though, as the disclosed embodiments may find a wide variety of applications and are not limited to any applications or fields of use.
As used throughout this document, the words “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” and “having” are intended to set forth certain items, steps, elements, or aspects of something in an open-ended fashion. Also, as used herein and unless a specific statement is made to the contrary, the word “set” means one or more of something. This is the case regardless of whether the phrase “set of” is followed by a singular or plural object and regardless of whether it is conjugated with a singular or plural verb. Also, a “set of” elements can describe fewer than all elements present. Thus, there may be additional elements of the same kind that are not part of the set. Further, ordinal expressions, such as “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on, may be used as adjectives herein for identification purposes. Unless specifically indicated, these ordinal expressions are not intended to imply any ordering or sequence. Thus, for example, a “second” event may take place before or after a “first event,” or even if no first event ever occurs. In addition, an identification herein of a particular element, feature, or act as being a “first” such element, feature, or act should not be construed as requiring that there must also be a “second” or other such element, feature or act. Rather, the “first” item may be the only one. Also, and unless specifically stated to the contrary, “based on” is intended to be nonexclusive. Thus, “based on” should be interpreted as meaning “based at least in part on” unless specifically indicated otherwise. Although certain embodiments are disclosed herein, it is understood that these are provided by way of example only and should not be construed as limiting.
Those skilled in the art will therefore understand that various changes in form and detail may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the scope of the following claims.
This application claims the benefit of prior-filed U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/411,956, filed Sep. 30, 2022, the contents and teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63411956 | Sep 2022 | US |
