Patent Application
20240298753
U.S. Pat. No. 10,104,943, by the present applicant, pertains to those latches that are quick release by pulling on a string and pulling on one of the two components to separate from one another. The latch is used to detachably connect straps together, in particular, straps used to assemble or disassemble a bulletproof vest from a person's body. It describes a pull and release latch including a releasable lock featuring stress preventers and a limit stop. The limit stop prevents the releasable lock from cantilevering too much to the point of breaking or stressing the releasable lock. A unique design allows a male component and a female component to be easily engaged while at the same time the pulling force to release the lock gives the same motion to separate the two components in a direction perpendicular to a cantilever axis.
While this design is effective, however, improvements are desirable at least in terms of load bearing, ease of use and ease of manufacture.
Therefore, the present invention, “KWIQ-2”, is a quick release buckle that can be used on straps used on body armor, load carrying harnesses or backpacks, or other similar use cases.
According to an aspect of the present invention disclosed herein, there is provided buckle, comprising: a male component and a female component, wherein: the male component comprises; a slot for a strap at an end of the male component opposite the side where the male component is configured to insert into the female component; an inclined insert; and one or more mating slots in the inclined insert; and the female component comprises: a top wall, a bottom wall, and sidewalls forming a receiving portion; a plurality of teeth; a slot for a strap; and a chord, wherein the chord is configured that when pulled the teeth disengage just enough for the male component to be released.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a buckle, comprising: a male component and a female component, wherein: the male component comprises: a plurality of teeth; a slot for a strap at an end of the male component opposite the side where the male component is configured to insert into the female component; an inclined insert; and one or more mating slots in the inclined insert; and the female component comprises: a top wall, a bottom wall, and sidewalls forming a receiving portion; a plurality of oval patterns; a slot for a strap; and a chord, wherein the chord is configured that when pulled the teeth disengage just enough for the male component to be released; and the teeth located on the male component achieve locking by latching onto the oval patterns on the female component.
The buckle of the present invention consists of one male and one female part, that mate to engage. This buckle is released though a chord and a pull tab that will cause the male and female parts to disengage.
Compared to prior art devices, the present invention provides an easier and simpler mating and release mechanism. It meets required load bearing requirements with a smaller size and secures both 1.5″ and 2″ straps, as opposed to only 1.5″ straps.
The present invention is thus an efficient way and safe way to secure straps on body armor and other load carrying harnesses. It allows for quick release or quick doff of armor in case of injury to the wearer, and has a relatively large load bearing capacity with a small form factor as well as being adaptable and able to secure straps of multiple widths.
Ideally the buckle has a relatively small form factor about 2.5 in in length and 1.7 in in width when fully engaged and its curved shape offers great load bearing capacity for its size. It also has a single 2 in slot for webbing.
The Buckle is self-guiding which allows for smooth mating. In addition, the buckle is self-cleaning.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the following drawings.
The following reference numerals are illustrated in the figures:
A protrusion forms the mating teeth which are present on the female component. The teeth mate with the slot on the male component.
In addition, the curved shape of the female component allows for greater mating strength as the curves will have a natural tendency to keep the teeth in place.
The area of the buckle where a chord/lanyard is attached to the female component allows for the release mechanism of the buckle. When the chord is pulled, the teeth disengage just enough for the male component to be released.
The buckle allows only for unidirectional mating. It is an inclined cut that allows for smoother mating and its face needs to be parallel to the teeth on the female component for correct mating.
Slots for webbing/straps on the female component and the male component are designed to for 2 in webbing.
Front and back patterns on the female component makes this buckle self-cleaning. The openings in the buckle make it so that dust and other foreign particles are removed naturally.
A self-guiding indicator protrusion on the buckle can be provided for smooth and efficient mating as a visual guide/indication for completion of mating with the female. There are 2 versions of the male component, one with the self-guiding feature and other without.
Several other embodiments are included within the scope of the present invention.
A second version includes a change to the male component and involves the addition of material around the webbing slot to improve the strength and load bearing capacity of the buckle. The front end of the male buckle is shorter compared to the previous version described above for improved self-guiding ability.
In a third version, the overall working mechanism is the same, but the mating regions on both parts of the buckles are rectangular. The trade-off is that the self-guiding is reduced for potential improved strength, and buckle would need to be aligned completely for mating although some guiding can be included with this design by angling the front end slightly.
A fourth version contributes ease of manufacturability. With all of the three versions described above the female component needs to be molded as two parts and then spot welded together. But for the fourth version, the female component can be molded as is without the need for welding. The difference is that the teeth are located on the male component and locking occurs by latching onto the oval patterns on the female component.
Features that can be varied or altered include:
The front and back patterns on the female component can be varied and will have limited to no effect on the resulting functionality.
The overall shape of the male component can be changed as long as guide angles remain the same. Additional designs and patterns can be included without any change to the end result.
The female component and male component can be made field-repairable or retrofit version can be created by an opening on the upper lip of the webbing slot. The position of the slot can vary.
The size of the webbing slots can be varied to accommodate webbing of various widths.
The overall design can be scaled up to make a bigger version of the proposed buckle.
The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments, and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use of the structures described herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed.
Figures are also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17892907 | Aug 2022 | US |
| Child | 18668201 | US |
