Buckles are well known in the art and prevalent in a variety of applications. One application in which buckles are used is to connect straps in fall-arrest harnesses worn by persons who work at dangerous heights. It is imperative in this type of application that the buckles do not inadvertently disconnect.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for an improved and effective buckle with enhanced inadvertent disconnect protection.
The above-mentioned problems of current systems are addressed by embodiments of the present invention and will be understood by reading and studying the following specification. The following summary is made by way of example and not by way of limitation. It is merely provided to aid the reader in understanding some of the aspects of the invention.
In one embodiment, a buckle is provided. The buckle includes a catch, a buckle housing, at least one pawl and a biasing member. The catch has a manipulation end and a lead end opposite the manipulation end. The lead end has at least one shoulder that has at least one tooth. The at least one pawl is rotationally coupled to the buckle housing. The at least one pawl has a manipulation portion and an engaging portion. The manipulation portion is configured and arranged to allow a manipulation force to rotate the at least one pawl in relation to the buckle housing. The engaging portion of the at least one pawl includes an engaging edge configured and arranged to selectively engage the at least one shoulder of the catch. The engaging edge includes at least one notch. Moreover, the at least one tooth of the at least one shoulder of the catch is selectively received in the at least one notch of the engaging edge of the at least one pawl. The at least one biasing member is configured to exert a biasing force on the at least one pawl to engage the engaging edge of the at least one pawl with the at least one shoulder of the at least one catch.
The present invention can be more easily understood and further advantages and uses thereof more readily apparent, when considered in view of the detailed description and the following figures in which:
In accordance with common practice, the various described features are not drawn to scale but are drawn to emphasize specific features relevant to the present invention. Reference characters denote like elements throughout Figures and text.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the inventions may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims and equivalents thereof.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a buckle with enhanced inadvertent unlocking protection abilities to prevent an inadvertent releasing of a catch from a buckle housing of a buckle. An example buckle 100 of the prior art is illustrated in
The housing 101 in this embodiment includes first and second outer plates 111 and 112. In one embodiment the first and second outer plates 111 and 112 are made identical to one another for purposes of manufacturing efficiency. At least one intermediate plate 130 is sandwiched between the outer plates 111 and 112. The outer plates 111 and 112 are made of steel in one embodiment, and further in one embodiment, the at least one intermediate plate 130 is made of nylon plastic. Four registration pegs 137 project outward from each side of the intermediate plate(s) 130 and align with respective registration holes 117 in a respective outer plate 111 or 112. An elliptical boss 131 may also be provided on each side of the at least one intermediate plate 130 to align with similarly shaped openings 113 in respective outer plates 111 and 112. Rivets 123 extend through respective holes 103 in one outer plate 111, then through respective holes 133 in the intermediate plate(s) 130, and then through respective holes 103 in the other outer plate 112.
The housing 101 includes a buckle slide 140 that is preferably made of steel and has a cylindrical middle portion 144 and flat ends 141. As shown in
The at least one intermediate plate 130 also has opposing slots 136 that are sized and configured to accommodate respective springs 160 (or biasing members) between the outer plates 111 and 112. The springs 160 are helical coils that are compressed between respective end walls of respective slots 136, and respective bearing surfaces on respective pawls 158 and 159. Rivets 122 extend through respective holes 102 in one outer plate 111, then through respective holes 152 in respective pawls 158 and 159, and then through respective holes 102 in the other outer plate 112. The pawls 158 and 159 are preferably made of steel and sized to be thinner than the intermediate plate(s) 130. As a result, the pawls 158 and 159 are pivotally mounted between the outer plates 111 and 112.
The pawls 158 and 159 have respective latching portions (or engaging portions) that are biased toward one another by respective springs 160. This inward pivoting of the pawls 158 and 159 is limited by contact between the pawls 158 and 159 and respective portions of the intermediate plate(s) 130. The pawls 158 and 159 also have respective force receiving portions (or manipulation portions) that project away from one another and outward beyond the perimeter of the outer plates 111 and 112. These manipulation portions or “wings” define bearing surfaces that face away from the catch 170 and in divergent fashion relative to one another.
The housing 101 has a receiving end 107 that is sized and configured to receive the catch 170. A lead end 171 of the catch 170 is configured for insertion into the housing 101 and between the pawls 158 and 159. More specifically, this lead end 171 of the catch 170 may be described as generally T-shaped, with recessed edges or shoulders 175 on opposite sides thereof. As the end 171 is inserted into the housing 101, it pushes the latching portions of the pawls 158 and 159 away from one another. Upon continued insertion of the end 171, the pawls 158 and 159 encounter the recessed edges 175 of the catch 170 and snap back toward one another (and behind the forwardmost portion of the catch 170). As shown in
As a person uses his/her thumb and forefinger to urge respective manipulation portions of the pawls 158 and 159 away from the tab 132, the thumb and forefinger thereafter encounter the relatively wider portion (engaging end) of the catch 170 upon release of the catch 170 from the housing 101. This transitional arrangement facilitates both unlatching and removal of the catch 170 in one continuous motion. In embodiments, additional features are added to ensure the pawls 158 and 159 are not inadvertently rotated into their releasing orientations.
Yet another example buckle 600 of the prior art is illustrated in
In
The pawls 610A and 610B are pivotally coupled between the first plate 602 and the second plate 604 via rivets 606. Biasing members 504A and 504B bias the respective pawls 610A and 610B to a select pivot rotational position that engages catch 620 when the catch 620 is inserted in the opening 627 between the pawls 610A and 610B of the buckle housing 601. In the embodiment of
The partial buckle housing 700 includes two spaced pawls 710 and 720, the pawls 710 and 720 are rotationally coupled to buckle plate 704. In particular the first and second pawls 710 and 720 are coupled to buckle plate 704 by rivets 714. The first pawl 710 includes a manipulation portion 710a that allows for a manipulation force to rotate the first pawl 710 about a rivet connection 714a. The first pawl 710 further includes a mid-portion 710b about which rivet connection 714a is located. The first pawl 710 further includes an engaging portion 710c. Engaging portion 710c includes a first engaging edge 710g that is designed to engage the first shoulder 702g of the catch 702. Further, the first engaging edge 710g of the first pawl 710 includes a notch 710e that is designed to receive the tooth 702e of the catch 702. Pawl 710 further includes a biasing slot 710d that is designed to receive a first end of a biasing member 712a.
The second pawl includes a manipulation portion 720a that is designed to allow a manipulation force to rotate pawl 720 about rivet 714. The second pawl 720 further includes a mid-portion 720b. A rivet connection 714b is located about the mid-portion 720b. The second pawl 720 further includes an engaging portion 720c that has a second engaging edge 720g that is configured to engage the second shoulder 720h of the catch 720. The second engaging edge 720g of the second pawl 720 includes a second notch 720e that is configured to receive the second tooth 702f of the catch 702. The engaging portion 720c of the second pawl 720 further includes a second slot 720d configured to receive a first end of a biasing member 712b.
The first biasing member 712a includes a second end that abuts a portion of the buckle plate 704 to assert a biasing force on the engaging portion 710c of the first pawl 710. Likewise the second biasing member 712b has a second end that abuts a surface of buckle plate 704 to assert a biasing force on the engaging portion 720c of the second pawl such that the engaging portion 710c of the first pawl 710 and the engaging portion 720c of the second pawl 720 have biasing forces that push the engaging portions 710c and 720c towards each other to engage the lead end 702d of the catch 702. When the lead end 702d of the catch 702 is engaged with the engaging portion 710c of the first pawl and the engaging portion 720c of the second pawl 720, the respective first and second teeth 702e and 702f are received in the respective notches 710e and 720e of the first and second pawls 710 and 720. This arrangement helps prevent the inadvertent disengagement of the catch 702 from the buckle when only one manipulation portion 710a or 720a of one respective first or second pawl 710 or 720 is engaged. Hence if only one manipulation portion 710a or 720a of the respective first and second pawls has a manipulation force asserted on it, the catch 702 will not disengage from the buckle. Further in this embodiment, the catch must first be pushed inward into a buckle housing containing pawls 710 and 714 for the teeth 702e and 702f of the catch 702 to disengage from the respective grooves 710e and 720e of the pawls 710 and 720 before manipulation forces on the manipulation portions 710a and 720a of the pawls 710 and 720 can rotate to allow the catch 702 to be removed from the buckle housing. Also illustrated in
The partial buckle housing 700 illustrated in
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement, which is calculated to achieve the same purpose, may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.