Patent Application
20180343982
The present disclosure generally relates to a device which connects bands, and more particularly to a band connector with a function of fixing a folded band.
Conventionally, two long bands (e.g., leather belts, waist belts, or backpack straps) or two ends of a band are connected by a buckle. However, a redundant segment would sometimes be produced at the junction between two bands or two ends of a band. Accordingly, how to neatly accommodate the redundant segment produced from the band is one of the issues currently.
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The redundant segment 5 may swing during the user is moving and thus hit someone else or the user itself, or even be hooked by or wrap around objects. For example, during a user is riding a motorcycle, the redundant segment 5 of the backpack 1 may swing by the wind and thus hit passing riders, or wrap around a driving mirror of another vehicle. Moreover, the redundant segment 5 may be winded or clamped by machinery, e.g., closing bus doors, which is dangerous. In addition, for the overall appearance, the redundant segment 5 may make the backpack 1 unsightly and untidy.
Therefore, how to effectively arrange and accommodate the band connected to the buckle is one of the problems to be solved for the inventor of the present application.
In view of the above, the primary objective of the present disclosure is to provide a band connector which is adapted to neatly accommodate a band.
The present disclosure provides a band connector which is adapted to fix a folded band, including a buckle and a cord. The buckle has a first connecting portion, a second connecting portion, and a junction, wherein the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are connected to two bands respectively. The cord is provided on the junction for fixing the folded band.
Whereby, the folded band can be fixed on the buckle by the cord which is provided on the junction. Therefore, the band connector can effectively neatly accommodate the band.
The present disclosure will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of some illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which
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The buckle 10 has a first connecting portion 12, a second connecting portion 14, and a junction 16. The first connecting portion 12 and the second connecting portion 14 are respectively connected to two bands 6 and 7. The band 6 can be connected to, without limitation, the shoulder strap 2 of the backpack 1, while the band 7 can be connected but not limited to, the adjusting strap 3 of the backpack 1.
In the first embodiment, the first connecting portion 12 has a hook portion 122 extending from a side of the buckle 10, a passing space 124 surrounded by the hook portion 122, and a groove 126 recessed into the side of the buckle 10, wherein the groove 126 communicates the passing space 124. The band 6 passes through the passing space 124 from the groove 126, and is thus hooked by the hook portion 122. The second connecting portion 14 has two parallel long holes 142 spaced apart, and a horizontal bar 144 between the two long holes 142. The band 7 passes through the two long holes 142, winds around the horizontal bar 144, and is thus movably provided on the second connecting portion 14. A user can adjust the length of the band 7 which stretches out the long holes 142 according to the demand for use, and the band 7 stretching out forms a redundant segment 8. The junction 16 is provided between the first connecting portion 12 and the second connecting portion 14, and has at least a notch. For example, the junction 16 has two notches 162 which are respectively recessed into two sides of the buckle 10 for fixing the cord 20.
Additionally, the buckle 10 further has a perforation 18 provided between the first connecting portion 12 and the second connecting portion 14 for being passed through by, without limitation, a cord, a hanging ring, another buckle, or a key ring. In the first embodiment, the perforation 18 is hexagonal such that the buckle 10 can be used as a mini hand tool, for example, to rotate a bolt or a nut.
The cord 20 is provided on the junction 16 to fix the folded band, precisely, to the redundant segment 8 of the folded band 7. In the first embodiment, the cord 20 is an elastic nylon ring which is put around the buckle 10 and fit within the two notches 162 on two sides of the buckle 10 for positioning. In addition, the cord 20 is detachably fit within the two notches. For example, the cord 20 can be elastically deformed by pulling to be disconnected from the buckle 10.
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However, the way to arrange the band 7 and the redundant segment 8 is not limited to folding as aforementioned, but includes rolling in one direction or reciprocating overlapping, which put the redundant segment 8 together on the surface of the buckle 10.
In the first embodiment, the buckle 10 is an integrally formed structure which is made of metal by punching, and has a better structural strength. However, practically, the material or the forming method of the buckle is not limited to that in the first embodiment. For example, the buckle 10 can be made of plastic or carbon fiber, and be formed by 3D printing. Moreover, the cord 20 can be an elastic rope that is made of rubber, latex, or other elastic materials, which has better usability and operability. However, the material of the cord 20 is not limited to the materials mentioned above, but can be other materials such as flexible plastic or fiber, or other metals.
In addition, the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are not limited to the structures mentioned above. Structures which a band can be movably or immovably connected to fall within the scope of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion of the present disclosure. For example, the first connecting portion 12 in other embodiments may not have the hook portion 122 and the groove 126, and only have a passing space 124 for the band 6 to pass through and be fixed. Additionally, the two notches 162 at two opposite positions provide a better positioning effect to the cord 20 at two sides of the cord 20, which prevents the cord 20 from falling off. However, in other embodiments, the number of the notch 162 is not limited to two, but can be only one at a side of the buckle 10 as long as the notch 162 is enough to effectively support the cord 20.
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In addition, the cord in any of the aforementioned embodiments is not limited to a ring, but can be one or more than one ropes. For example, the folded band can be bundled by two ropes in knots, and then be tied to the buckle by the ropes for fixing the folded band.
Moreover, the junction in any of the aforementioned embodiments is not limited to perforations or notches. In other embodiments, the junction can be a pillar around which the cord can wind and fix.
It must be pointed out that the embodiments described above are only some preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. The junction can be positioned at upper half of the buckle so that the first connecting portion is located between the junction and the second connecting portion. Moreover, the band adapted to be connected to the band connector is not limited to a strap of a backpack. For example, the band connector of the present disclosure can be applied to a waist belt, a leather belt, a strap of a lifting device, and a safety belt for arranging bands. All equivalent structures which employ the concepts disclosed in this specification and the appended claims should fall within the scope of the present disclosure.
