Attachment assembly

Abstract

A snap assembly has a strap and a shank traversing the strap and provided with male and female snaps facing in opposite directions and engaging the strap therebetween.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates to an attachment assembly, and more particularly, to an attachment assembly including a plurality of spaced shanks, each of which is provided each with a respective set of snaps of opposite types for removably securing a variety of items to a watercraft.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] The use of the snap attachment assembly is universal, which is attributed to a simple structure that can be easily assembled and operated. In general, the snap attachment assembly includes a fastener having male and female snaps, which are attached to separate items to be secured to one another upon pressing the snaps against each other.

[0005] In use, a snap attachment can be particularly advantageous within a confounded area, such as an automobile or a watercraft, which is often provided with either a female or male snap fixedly mounted to a support structure. For example, a watercraft can be equipped with an array of boat snaps of either a male type or a female type utilized for a variety of purposes such as attaching a canvas, when it is desirable to cover the interior of the boat. Typically, once the canvas has been attached, the snaps cannot be used further for any additional attachment.

[0006] Furthermore, it may be desirable to use the boat snaps for fastening them to a variety of items so as to provide efficient use of a limited space associated with any relatively small vehicle. However, such items should be provided with respective snaps capable of mating with the boat snaps. Currently, even if an item, such as a bag, has a snap, it cannot mate to the boat snaps.

[0007] An illustrative example of inefficient use of the boat snaps can be experienced by a boat owner using boat fenders used to prevent damage to the boat upon docking. Once the canvas is attached to the boat snaps, the boat owner has to use additional means for mounting the boat fenders. Typically, the boat fenders have flanges projecting from each end with eyelids threaded by a rope to secure the boat fenders the boat, as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,850.

[0008] Other types of fenders employ rope loops at each end instead of eyes, which ropes double as hand holders, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,885,989. The typical rope-type securing arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,956,530.

[0009] Typically, boat fenders are secured to docks or mooring poles. This practice requires quite an effort from the crew because the fenders are not light, particularly old rubber tires often used both on boats and docks.

[0010] Thus, securing a boat fender with the known methods amounts to a cumbersome, complex process, which requires a fastening means in addition to the existing boat snaps. Applicant is not aware of a device utilizing the boat snaps to secure fenders to a boat.

[0011] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an attachment assembly used primarily in conjunction with watercrafts for securing a variety of items in a simple, efficient manner. Also, it is desirable to provide a variety of items, which, though not directly related to a nautical technology, are typically used by a crew, with an attachment assembly matable with the existing fastening boat means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] According to the invention, an attachment assembly is provided with a shank that has both male and female snaps integrated in a single unit providing a simple, reliable attachment of multiple items to boat snaps.

[0013] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the inventive attachment assembly has a strap provided with spaced shanks traversing the strap and each having male and female snaps which squeeze the strap therebetween. Such a construction allows the snaps of one type of the strap mate with existing boat snaps so as to support an object, for example a boat fender, suspended between the strap's opposite ends and still have available snaps of the opposite type capable of mating with snaps of such boat-related items as, for example, a canvas.

[0014] Typically, crew members and/or passengers bring hand and beach bags, accessory pouches and even clothing items on the board. While cruising, many of these items are arbitrarily piled on the boat's bottom creating, thus, unnecessary obstacles, which, in the worst possible scenario, can create a dangerous situation. Accordingly, still another aspect of the invention is concerned with the boat directly unrelated objects that can be provided with handles or simply with fasteners having both types of snaps capable of mating with existing boat snaps and with the boat related items, such as a canvas.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The above and other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the description of the preferred embodiments accompanied by the following drawings, in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a top view of a snap assembly of the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 2 is a side view of the snap assembly shown in FIG. 1;

[0018] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the inventive snap assembly utilized for attaching a boat fender to existing boat snaps;

[0019] FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the snap assembly illustrated in FIG. 3;

[0020] FIG. 5 is a view of the inventive snap assembly utilized for attaching a bag to the boat snaps;

[0021] FIG. 6 and is a view of an exemplary object manufactured in accordance with the inventive concept; and.

[0022] FIG. 7 illustrates another application of the inventive snap assembly.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a snap assembly manufactured in accordance with the present invention includes a strap 10 provided with a pair of shanks 12. The shanks 12 traverse the strap 10 and each provided with a respective set of snaps including female 14 and male 16 snaps.

[0024] The shanks 12 traverse the strap 10 in such a manner that the strap's opposite sides 11, 13 are squeezed between the female 14 and male 16 snaps. The inventive snap assembly can have a row of the female snaps 14 located along the side 11 of the strap, whereas the male snaps 16 extend from the opposite side 13 of the strap 10. Alternatively, each of the sides 11 and 13 of the strap 10 can be provided with the alternating female 14 and male 16 connections.

[0025] A particular arrangement of the male 16 and female 14 snaps can be selected in accordance with a particular need. Depending on the particular arrangement and connection type of the snaps provided on an existing structure, such as a boat that typically has only male snaps, the inventive snap assembly would be preferably provided with the same type of snaps arranged along the same side of the strap 10.

[0026] Although only two shanks 12 are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is foreseen to provide a number of sets of snaps varying from a single set to multiple sets. Again, a choice of the number of the sets of snaps is dictated by a concrete situation.

[0027] Thus, for example, referring to FIG. 3, each of the straps 10 is provided with two sets of the snaps to secure a boat fender 20 to a boat 21, which, as mentioned above, is customarily equipped with male snaps 18. The boat fender 20 is suspended on the strap 10 between its opposite ends, which are attached to the male snaps 18 by means of the female snaps 14 located on the strap 10. The male snaps 16 of the strap 10 facing away from the male snaps 18 of the boat 21 can be mated to the female-type snaps of the canvas 19 creating, thus, a compact fastening assembly capable of accommodating multiple items.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, the strap 10 is threaded through a hook portion 22 of the boat fender 20, which is shifted substantially midway between the opposite ends of the strap 10 after it has been attached to the boat male snaps 18. Instead of the hook portion 22, it is possible to manufacture the boat fender 20 with either male or female snaps which can mate to the snaps of the opposite type that can be provided on the strap substantially midway between its opposite ends.

[0029] Referring to FIG. 5, the inventive snap assembly can be used for securing a limitless variety of portable items that are not directly associated with a boat. For example, a beach bag 24 can be secured to the male snaps 18 of the boat 21, by simply extending the strap 10 through a handle portion 26. In fact any item having an eyelet structure traversed by the strap 10 can be secured to the boat 21 using the inventive snap assembly.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 6, instead of utilizing the strap 10 with a plurality of snap sets, any item can be provided with multiple, separate straps 34, each of which has one end attached to bag 32 and an opposite free end 38 provided with the inventive set of the male 16 and female 14 snaps. This structure allows each of the free ends 38 of the straps 34 to be secured to the snaps 18 of the boat 21 by mating the latter to the snaps of opposite type provided on the straps. When, however, the bag 32 is carried by the user, the free ends 38 of the straps 34 can be attached to one another to form a handle by mating the snaps of the opposite types. In accordance with the inventive concept, items like beach bags, purses, surf boards, accessory poaches storing a variety of items having small and large sizes, can be easily and reliably secured to the boat 21 or any other vehicle. Note that the above mentioned items, of course, are not limited by the disclosed items and van include other numerous portable and stationary objects.

[0031] Still another application of the inventive snap assembly is illustrated in FIG. 7 and provides for securing two boats 28 and 30 to one another. The straps 50 and 60 can be attached to one another to form an X type formation by having additional sets of snaps provided between opposite ends of each strap. In this case, the strap 50 has a flat side 40 provided two male snaps 16 on the opposite ends of the strap 10 and at least one female snap 14 positioned between the male snaps 16 and mating to the male snap 16 of the strap 60.

[0032] The present invention is not restricted to the specific embodiments of the specification and drawings, but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A snap assembly, comprising: a strap; and a shank extending transversely to the strap and provided with a male snap located on one end of the shank and a female snap located on the opposite end of the shank.

2. The snap assembly according to claim 1, wherein the shank is provided on one end of the strap, the snap assembly further comprising an additional shank provided on the opposite end of the strap and having respective male and female snaps.

3. The snap assembly according to claim 2, wherein the strap has opposite sides, the shanks traversing the strap in opposite directions so that the female snap of one of the shanks and the male snap of the other shank are located on one side of the strap, whereas the male connection of the one shank and the female connection of the other shank extend from the opposite side of the strap.

4. The snap assembly according to claim 2, wherein the shanks traverse the strap so that the female connections of the one and other shanks terminate on the same side of the strap and the male connections of the one and other shanks terminate on the opposite side of the strap.

5. The snap assembly according to claim 2, wherein the strap has a row of spaced shanks located so that one of the shanks is spaced substantially equidistantly from the opposite ends of the strap.

6. A snap assembly for securing a variety of items to a watercraft having a plurality of spaced watercraft snaps of one type, the snap assembly comprising: an elongated strap; and spaced shanks extending through the strap and provided each with one and opposite types of the strap snaps, which are spaced apart along the respective shank, the elongated strap being coupled to an item to be secured to the watercraft and being removably attached to the watercraft upon mating the watercraft snaps of the one type with the opposite type of the strap snaps, which, thus, have the strap snaps of the one type available for further attachment.

7. The snap assembly according to claim 6, wherein each of the strap snaps is attached to a respective one of the watercraft snaps so that a pair of adjacent strap shanks define a stretch of the strap supporting the item to be secured to the watercraft.

8. The snap assembly according to claim 6, wherein the shanks traverse the strap so that one side of the strap supports one type of the strap snaps and the reverse side of the strap supports an opposite type of the strap snaps.

9. The snap assembly according to claim 6, wherein the shanks traverse the strap so that each of the opposite sides of the strap is provided with alternating one and opposite types of the strap snaps.

10. An item securable to a vehicle, which has a plurality of vehicle snaps of one type, comprising: a body attachable to the vehicle; a plurality of body snaps provided on the body and being of either one type or an opposite type; a strap; and a plurality of spaced shanks extending through the strap and each having two strap snaps of the one and opposite types, respectively, attached together so that the strap snaps selectively mate to the body snaps and to the body snaps to temporary detachably the body to the vehicle.

11. The snap assembly according to claim 10, wherein the body is selected from the group consisting of boat fenders, pouches, bags, tubes, wave boards, bait buckets, and the like and a combination of these.