1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a buckle assembly having a female buckle portion that can be secured to a corresponding male buckle portion. The female buckle portion according to the invention can accommodate multiple male buckle portions at once, and has a release mechanism for releasing all of the attached male buckle portions with a single movement.
2. The Prior Art
In a standard two-piece buckle, a male portion is snapped into a female portion and is then released, either by pushing a central button, pulling a lever, or squeezing locking legs of the male portion together. In certain applications, it is desired to have male and female buckles engaged in one location, for example in the small of one's back, yet have the ability to release the buckles in a more accessible area, such as near the shoulder, while making the system with as low a profile as possible. This system would be of particular advantage with cut-away tactical vests worn by the military and law enforcement, where a cummerbund or hip belt needs to be disassembled from the back but the release mechanism can be placed in a more accessible area. It is important that all of the buckles be released simultaneously to free the wearer from the vest, but the system must be secure enough so that the buckles are not inadvertently released while the wearer is moving through obstacles.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a female buckle portion that allows at least one male buckle portion to be released simultaneously with a single movement from a remote location.
These and other objects are accomplished by a buckle assembly comprising a female buckle portion formed by a housing with a hollow interior and at least one opening, and at least one male buckle portion having at least one locking leg. There is an actuating device disposed within the housing and accessible through an aperture in the housing. The actuating device has latching mechanisms for cooperating with the locking legs for locking the male buckle portions within the female buckle portion when the locking legs of the male portions are inserted through the openings of the housing. Pulling the actuating device toward the aperture moves the latching mechanisms away from the male buckle portions and releases the male buckle portions from the housing. The actuating device can be connected to a cable having a handle on one end, so that the handle can be disposed in a remote location from the female buckle portion.
In a preferred embodiment, the actuating device has sliding surfaces that slide against the male buckle portions when the actuating device is pulled, to push the male buckle portions out of the female buckle portion. These sliding surfaces can be located on an opposite side of the male buckle portions from the at least one latching mechanism, so that while the latching mechanism is releasing the male buckle portion on one side, it is being pushed out via pressure on the other side as well.
In one embodiment, the locking legs on the male portion have a locking pawl on a free end, and the latching mechanism comprises a protrusion that interacts with the locking pawl to prevent the male buckle portion from exiting the female buckle portion. Pulling on the actuating device pulls the protrusion away from the locking pawl to release the male buckle portion.
To further secure the male buckle portions inside the female buckle portion, there can be two additional latching mechanisms disposed in the housing opposite the latching mechanisms on the actuating device, such that inserting the male buckle portions through the openings causes the latching mechanisms on the actuating device to engage one side of the male buckle portions, and the latching mechanism on the housing to engage an opposite side of the male buckle portions. This is particularly effective if the male buckle portions each have two locking legs. This way, the latching mechanism on the actuating device engages one locking leg, and the latching mechanism on the housing engages the other locking leg of each male portion. The sliding surfaces push the male buckle portions out of engagement with these additional latching mechanisms when the actuating device is pulled. In another embodiment, the latching mechanisms are located only on the housing, and not on the actuating device. Pulling upward on the actuating device causes sliding surfaces on the actuating device to free the male locking legs from the latching mechanisms on the housing, and release the male buckle portions.
To keep the actuating device in a pre-loaded position, there can be at least one spring disposed within the housing and which presses the actuating device away from the aperture, so that the male buckle portions snap into the actuating device when the male buckle portions are inserted through the openings. The upward pressure on the actuating device from pulling the actuating device must be sufficient to overcome the force of the springs in order to release the male buckle portions. This prevents inadvertent release of the male portions.
In one embodiment, there are two male buckle portions, two openings in the housing, and two latching mechanisms on the actuating device, such that pulling the actuating device releases all four male portions simultaneously. In another embodiment, there are four male buckle portions, four openings in the housing, and four latching mechanisms on the actuating device, such that pulling the actuating device releases all four male portions simultaneously.
The buckle assembly according to the invention is particularly suited for attaching to additional similar buckle assemblies, to create a “daisy chain”, where pulling on a single actuating mechanism pulls the actuating mechanisms of all attached buckle assemblies. This works by attaching a front end of one actuating device on one buckle assembly, to a rear end of an actuating device on an adjacent buckle assembly, so that pulling on one actuating device pulls the second actuating device also.
To keep the actuating device mounted securely within the female portion, the actuating device can be equipped with a central channel through which guidance pins on the housing extend. These guidance pins allow the actuating device to slide in a single axial direction to allow the actuating device to release the male buckle portions, but prevent any lateral movement within the female buckle portion.
In one embodiment, the actuating device is disposed entirely within the female portion, and is attached to a cable that extends through the aperture in the female portion. Pulling the cable pulls the actuating device.
In another embodiment, the actuating device acts on additional mechanisms within the female portion to release additional buckles. In this embodiment, there is at least one lever mounted within the housing. The lever has a fulcrum and two free ends; one free end is connected to a cable and the other free end is disposed so that the actuating device contacts this other free end and pivots the lever when the actuating device is pulled, thus pulling the cable. The cable is connected to a male buckle portion, so that pulling the actuating device pulls the male buckle portion connected to the cable and releases it from a corresponding female portion. Ideally, there are two of these levers, each lever being connected to a cable that is connected to a male buckle portion.
In another embodiment, there is at least one cable connected to the actuating device, and extending through the housing, and at least one cable guide connected to the housing, so that pulling the actuating device pulls the one cable and causes the one cable to slide along the one cable guide. There can be another male buckle portion connected to the cable, so that pulling the actuating device also pulls this other male buckle portion. Ideally, there are two cables, two cable guides, and a male buckle portion connected to each of the cables.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.
In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:
Referring now in detail to the drawings,
To release male buckle portions 20, the user pulls upward on handle 32 which is mounted on neck 31 of actuating device 30. This causes springs 36 to compress and causes arms 33 with catches 34 to move upward and out of engagement with locking pawls 25. At the same time, shoulder elements 35 on lower arms 34 and shoulder elements 38 on bottom section 37 move upward and slide against slanted sections 26 of locking legs 24. This sliding motion propels male buckle portions 20 outward to eject male buckle portions 20 from housing 11, as shown in
An alternative embodiment of the buckle assembly is shown in
One advantage of the embodiment shown in
Yet another embodiment of the buckle assembly is shown in
Actuating device 65 is retained in place inside housing 60 by a set of guide pins 63 that extend through a slot 82 in actuating device 65. Actuating device 65 can slide along guide pins 63, but is prevented from lateral movement.
Pulling cable 80 causes actuating device to move upward, thus freeing locking pawls 74 from latching mechanisms 67 and stops 62. At the same time, shoulders 68 slide along locking pawls 74 and push male buckle portions out of housing 60, as shown in
Another embodiment is shown in
In this embodiment, two additional male buckle portions 170 are also moved by pulling on handle 32. Here, male buckle portions 170 are connected to a cable 92 inside cable sheath 93. Cable 92 is connected to one end of a lever 90 mounted on a fulcrum 91 inside housing 60. Pulling handle 32 causes shoulders 95 of actuating mechanism 85 to press against levers 90 and cause levers 90 to rotate, thus forcing the distal ends of levers 90 downward, as shown in
Yet another embodiment of the invention is shown in
The embodiments shown in
Yet another embodiment is shown in
Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.