Buckle structure of swimming mask

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6691377
  • Patent Number
    6,691,377
  • Date Filed
    Monday, October 7, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, February 17, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A new buckle structure on the two sides of a diving mask, these buckles are used to connect to the strap; the structure includes a frame on each side of the mask frame, a setting hole on the frame, a holder fixed and a fixed cover of the setting hole, a button on fixed cover, the strap goes between holder and a roller, the stopper on the button allows the users to adjust the strap; the structures allows the users to lose the strap by pressing down the button, also the strap can rotate within a small angle due to the holder structures.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




This invention relates generally to buckle structure of swimming mask. More particularly, this invention relates to a push buckle for more efficient function and simple to assemble.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Diving masks generally have a buckle on each side of the frame in order to adjust the length of the strap that secures the mask to the diver's head. These buckles come in one of three types:




1. Simple buckles that require removing the mask (in order to re-weave the strap) for re-adjustment. The advantage is that the design is simple and low cost. The disadvantage is that strap adjustment is difficult and cumbersome.




2. Pull buckles that allow an automatic tightening of the strap by pulling on the strap (the buckle has a one-way feature), and a pulling motion in order to release (loosen) the strap. Many of these buckles have a swivel action that allows the strap to move into a position over the diver's ears that is comfortable and secure.




3. Push buckles that allow an automatic tightening of the strap by pulling on the strap (the buckle has a one-way feature), and a pushing motion in order to release (loosen) the strap.




The main purpose of a swivel mask buckle is to allow the strap to move at an angle such that the mask is securely positioned. Secondarily, another purpose of the swivel is to allow the strap to be positioned above the user's ear, which is more comfortable.




Simple buckles are relatively inexpensive to make, but lack the swivel and automatic tightening features. Pull buckles often have the swivel and automatic tightening features but are relatively difficult to use, especially if the user is a SCUBA diver wearing thick gloves. Push buckles usually have the automatic tightening feature and are relatively easy to use but lack the swivel feature.




The ideal buckle would have push button activation for release, automatic tightening (when the strap is pulled), and a swivel action, and be relatively easy to manufacture and assemble.




While scuba diving, the diver usually wears thicker gloves; therefore, it is harder to adjust the tightness and position of the mask that uses simple buckles or pull buckles.




Push buckles in these cases may be the best choice, also these buckles can do a certain angle of rotation, so the user with thick gloves can adjust the mask easily. On the other hand, these buckles are also easy to produce.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




One object of the present invention is to provide a type of push buckle that contains a structure that can losen the strap by pushing the buckle, and also to make a small angle of rotation.




The second goal of providing this buckle is the produce lesser and simpler components, which are easier to assemble.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a exploded view of the present invention.





FIG. 2

is a isometric view of the present invention.





FIG. 3

is a opposite view of the button





FIG. 4

is a sectional view (


1


) of the present invention.





FIG. 5

is a sectional view (


2


) of the present invention.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PERFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Referring to

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the buckel structure of the present invention mainly include the frame


10


, a holder


20


, a fixed cover


30


, a roller


40


, and a button


50


.




The frame


10


presents the main structure of the two sides of the mask, which also includes the two sides of the frame where the mask glass goes and the soft mask goes. A flat board


11


is located on the frame


10


, also a protrudent rim


12


is located on the flat board


11


. A setting hole


13


is located at the middle of the protrudent rim


12


, and inserting holes


14


are located at the two sides of the flat board


11


.




A flat board


21


is located on the holder


20


, and a hole


22


is located on the flat board


21


. The holder


20


contains frames


23


on the two sides, and each frame


23


has a hole


24


on their side. At each tail of the two frames


23


, a fixed stick


25


is attached, and a space


26


is created between the flat board


21


and the fixed stick


25


.




A flat board


31


is located above the fixed cover


30


, and a cylinder rod


32


is located below the flat board


31


where this cylinder rod's size decrease towards inside. A ring


33


is surround by the cylinder rod


32


, and the two sides of the outer part


34


of the flat board


31


each has a tenon


35


below.




A roller


40


is located at the holes


24


of the holder


20


.




Referring to

FIGS. 1 and 3

, the button


50


looks like a clip. The structure includes a pressing board


51


, a fixed board


52


, a stopper


53


, an inserting opening


54


formed by the pressing board


51


and the fixed board


52


, and finally a groove


56


below the fixed board


52


. The stopper


53


has one side slanted.




Referring to

FIGS. 1

,


4


and


5


, when the present invention is assembled, the roller


40


is located on the hole


24


; the inserting opening


54


of the button


50


is clicked on the flat board


31


; the tap opening


55


looks like an opening round hole has two slopping edge extending outwardly and is located on the cylinder rod


32


, and the button


50


is located on fixed cover


30


. The hole


22


of the holder


20


is located outside the protrudent rim


12


, so that the cylinder rod


32


and ring


33


of the fixed cover


30


are allowed to go through the hole


22


and hole


13


. The ring


33


is clicked below the hole


13


, which at the same time, the tenon


35


is clocked into the inserting hole


14


, just like what is shown on the FIG.


2


. After these parts are assembled, the holder


20


can rotate within a small degree due to the protrudent rim


12


. The fixed cover


30


is assembled with the frame


10


. The fixed board


52


of the button


50


is clicked between the flat board


21


and the flat board


31


, also they are limited between the holder


20


and the two side frame


23


, where their motions are due to the holder


20


. The strap


60


is located in the space


26


created by the roller


40


and the stopper


53


.




Referring to

FIGS. 4 and 5

, the strap


60


is located between the roller


40


and the button


50


. The strap


60


is made by soft and flexible material, where some teeth


61


are build on the strap


60


. (Previous technology) One side of the teeth


61


is slanted; therefore, while pulling the strap


60


, the teeth


61


are very easy to go through the area in front of the stopper


53


. When the pulling force disappears, the strap


60


can turn back in the opposite direction, and the teeth


61


can easily stock sightly on the stopper


53


.




If the user wants to losen the strap


60


described above, he/she just have to put force on the pressing board towards the direction of the arrow on FIG.


5


. Since the fixed board


52


is clicked, button


50


would change its shape a little at the location of the groove


56


, so the stopper


53


has its motion upward. At the same time, the soft flexible tooth


61


can go through the area in front of the stopper


53


, so the strap


60


can be losen.




Due to the above descriptions, the present invention provided a very useful buckle structure, not only it can allow the strap


60


to rotate within a certain degree, it also can losen the strap


60


by pressing a board. Moreover, the present invention has components very easy to produce and assemble; therefore, the present invention can become a very useful buckle structure.



Claims
  • 1. A buckle structure for a swimming mask comprising:a) a frame having: i) a flat frame surface; ii) a setting hole with a protruding rim formed in the flat frame surface; and iii) two inserting holes located on opposite sides of the frame; b) a holder having: i) a flat holder surface including a through hole, the protruding rim of the frame being inserted into the through hole; ii) two frames, each of the two frames connected at a first end thereof to a lateral side of the flat surface; and iii) a fixed bar connected at each of two opposing ends thereof to a second end of one of the two frames, the fixed bar being spaced apart from the flat holder surface; c) a fixed cover having: i) a flat cover surface including a cylindrical rod inserted through the setting hole in the frame; and ii) two tenons located on opposite sides of the fixed cover, each of the two tenons being inserted into one of the two inserting holes of the frame; d) a roller rotatably connected at opposing ends thereof to the two frames of the holder and located between the flat surface and the fixed bar of the holder; and e) a button having: i) a fixed board connected to the cylindrical rod of the fixed cover; ii) a pressing board; and iii) a stopper connected to the pressing board, the pressing board and the stopper being movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, such that in the engaged position the stopper is engaged with a tooth of a strap of the swimming mask thereby locking the strap in a fixed position between the roller and the stopper and in the disengaged position pressing board disengages the stopper from the tooth of the strap allowing the strap to move freely around the roller.
  • 2. The buckle structure according to claim 1, further comprising a flexible groove located on a bottom of the button.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
91209334 U Jun 2002 TW
US Referenced Citations (5)
Number Name Date Kind
4607398 Faulconer Aug 1986 A
6105177 Paulson et al. Aug 2000 A
6276794 Chiang Aug 2001 B1
6349420 Chiang Feb 2002 B1
6350030 Fujima Feb 2002 B2