Patent Application
20060213037
The present invention relates to a cord lock with a cord passing therethrough to be attached to an attaching object, a cord lock holder for attaching a cord lock with a cord passing therethrough to an attaching object, and an article having the cord lock with a cord passing therethrough and a portion tightened by the cord in which the cord lock is operated properly.
A tightening cord W is used for tightening an opening of a bag and the like, and is often provided with a cord lock 200 at a drawing end thereof as shown in
However, in the example shown in
Namely, in the example shown in
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a cord lock capable of being attached to a desirable position easily and properly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cord lock holder for attaching a cord lock to a desirable position easily and properly. Accordingly, it is possible to use the cord lock properly.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a cord lock includes a female member with a cylindrical shape; a male member movable along an axial direction of the female member and receiving a part of the female member; and an urging device for urging the male member in a direction out of the female member. The female member and the male member have holes for passing a cord therethrough, respectively. An attaching portion made of an attachable material is disposed on the female member. The attaching portion may be provided with a thin portion, so that the cord lock is attached to an attaching object through the thin portion. Accordingly, it is easy to attach the cord lock to the attaching object. The attaching portion may be provided with a thin portion, so that the cord lock is easily attached to the attaching object through the thin portion.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a cord lock holder includes a storage portion for retaining a cord lock and an attaching portion made of an attachable material. The cord lock includes a female member, a male member movable along an axial direction of the female member and receiving a part of the female member, and an urging device for urging the male member in a direction out of the female member. The female member and the male member have holes for passing a cord therethrough, respectively. An attaching portion made of an attachable material is disposed on the cord lock holder. The attaching portion may be provided with a thin portion, so that the cord lock holder is attached to an attaching object through the thin portion.
In the second aspect, the cord lock is easily attached to the attaching object through the attaching portion. The cord lock is retained in the cord lock holder, and can be always situated at a specific position of the attaching object. With the cord lock holder, it is possible to retain a conventional cord lock in the cord lock holder, and to attach the conventional cord lock to the attaching object at a specific position. Further, the attaching portion may be provided with the thin portion, so that the cord lock holder is easily attached to the attaching object through the thin portion.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, an article has a portion to be tightened by a cord such as a tightening cord and a pulling cord. The article includes a pair of passing portions penetrating through a material of the article. After the cord passes to one side of the article through one of the passing portions, the cord is pulled out to the other side of the article through the other of the passing portions. Then, the cord is attached to the article at the other side thereof. A cord lock or a cord lock retained in a storage portion of the cord lock holder is attached to the cord between the passing portions. Further, the cord lock or the cord lock holder is attached to the article, so that the cord lock or the cord lock holder covers one of the passing portions.
In the third aspect, the cord lock or the cord lock holder attached to the one side of the article covers the one of the passing portions. When the cord lock is released from the cord, it is possible to adjust a length of the cord only between the cord lock and the other of the passing portions. Accordingly, it is possible to properly use the cord lock.
According to the present invention, it is possible to properly and easily attach the cord lock to the attaching object at a specific position. It is possible to properly and easily attach the cord lock to the attaching object with the cord lock holder. It is possible to properly use the cord lock for the article having a portion to be tightened by the cord.
Hereunder, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is easy to attach the cord lock 1 to an object. Further, with the cord lock holder 2, it is easy to attach the cord lock 200 with the cord passing therethrough to an object. Further, the article 3 has a portion to be tightened by the cord W such as a tightening cord and a pulling cord, and has a structure provided with the cord lock 1 or 200 with the cord W passing therethrough, so that the cord lock 1 or 200 works properly.
The cord lock 1 includes a female member 10 with a cylindrical shape, a male member 12 movable along an axial direction of the female member 10 and receiving a part of the female member 10, and an urging device 14 for urging the male member 12 in a direction out of the female member 10. The female member 10 and the male member 12 have holes 11 and 13 for passing the cord W therethrough, respectively. Attaching portions 15 made of an attachable material are disposed on the female member 10 of the cord lock 1.
The cord W includes a round cord and a plain cord, and may be formed of rubber or flexible plastic. The female member 10 is pushed into the male member 12, so that the hole 11 of the female member 10 is aligned with the hole 13 of the male member 12. Then, the cord W passes through the holes 11 and 13. Accordingly, the cord lock 1 is attached to the cord W with an urging force of the urging device 14. When the female member 10 is pushed into the male member 12 against the urging force of the urging device 14, the cord W is released. Accordingly, it is possible to move the cord lock 1 to a desired position relative to the cord W.
The attaching portions 15 made of an attachable material are disposed on the female member 10 of the cord lock 1. Accordingly, it is easy to attach the cord lock 1 to an attaching object 100 with the attaching portions 15. When the attaching portions 15 are made of flexible plastic, it is easy to attach the attaching portions 15 to the attaching object 100. The attaching portions 15 may be provided with thin portions 16, so that the attaching portions 15 are attached to the attaching object 100 through the thin portions 16.
The cord lock holder 2 includes a storage portion 20 for retaining a part or an entire portion of a cord lock 200, and attaching portions 22 made of an attachable material. The cord lock 200 includes a female member 210, a male member 220 movable along an axial direction of the female member 210 and receiving a part of the female member 210, and an urging device 230 for urging the male member 220 in a direction out of the female member 210. The female member 210 and the male member 220 have holes 211 and 221 for passing the cord W therethrough, respectively.
In the embodiment, it is easy to attach the cord holder 2 to the attaching object 100 with the attaching portions 22. In a state that the cord lock 200 is retained in the storage portion 20 of the cord lock holder 2, it is possible to attach the cord lock 200 at a specific position of the attaching object 100. The storage portion 20 of the cord lock holder 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom.
The attaching portions 22 of the cord lock holder 2 are disposed at both sides of the storage portion 20 in an axial direction, and are formed in a plate shape integrated with the sides and extending in a lateral direction. One of the attaching portions 22 at one of the sides has a back surface flash with that of the other of the attaching portions 22 at the other of the sides. The back surfaces of the attaching portions 22 are flash with a back surface of the storage portion 20. The back surfaces closely contact an outer surface of the attaching object 100, and the cord lock holder 2 is attached to the attaching object 100 through the attaching portions 22.
The cord lock holder 2 is preferably made of rubber or flexible plastic, thereby making it easy to attach the attaching portion 22. A front surface of the storage portion 20 is positioned forward relative to front surfaces of the attaching portions 22. The storage portion 20 has a recess portion curved toward an opening thereof and formed in an outer surface of the bottom. A finger may be put in the recess portion to push the female member 220 of the cord lock 20 projecting from the opening of the storage portion 20.
In the embodiment, the cord lock 200 is formed of the female member 210, the male member 220, and the urging device 230. The cord lock 200 is retained in the storage portion 20 of the cord lock holder 2. The female member 210 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the holes 211 are formed in opposing side portions of the female member 210. The male member 220 receives a part of the female member 210, and is movable along an axial direction of the female member 210. The hole 221 is formed in the male member 220 in a direction crossing a direction that the male member 220 moves. The urging device 230 urges the male member 220 in a direction out of the female member 210. The female member 210 is pushed into the male member 220 against an urging force of the urging device 230, so that the hole 211 of the female member 210 is aligned with the hole 221 of the male member 220. Accordingly, the cord W can pass through the holes 211 and 221.
In the embodiment, the female member 210 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and the male member 220 is formed in a shaft shape. The male member 220 is provided with a flexible band 231 with a wave shape at an end portion of the shaft shape inserted into the female member 210. One end of the flexible band 231 is integrated with the end portion of the male member 220, and the other end thereof is always pressed against the bottom of the female member 210, so that the flexible band 231 deforms into a compressed shape. In other words, the flexible band 231 functions as the urging device 230. The urging device 230 may be a coil spring separate from the male member 230.
In the cord lock 200, the female member 210 is pushed into the male member 220 against an urging force of the urging device 230 until the hole 211 of the female member 210 is aligned with the hole 221 of the male member 220, so that the cord W passes through the holes 211 and 221. The storage portion 20 has holes 21 in opposing sides thereof, i.e., a front side and a rear side thereof, respectively. When the cord lock 200 is inserted into the storage portion 20 such that the bottom of the female member 210 is inserted first, the holes 21 of the storage portion 20 are aligned with the holes 211 of the female member 210. Then, the cord W passes through the holes 21, 211, and 221, so that the cord lock holder 2 is attached to the cord W.
In the embodiment, after the cord lock 200 is completely inserted into the storage portion 20 of the cord holder 2, the female member 210 is pushed into the male member 220 against an urging force of the urging device 230 until the holes 211 of the female member 210 are aligned with the hole 221 of the male member 220.
In the embodiment, the storage portion 20 of the cord holder 2 has a length from the bottom to the opening thereof substantially equal to that of the female member 210 from the bottom to the opening thereof. Accordingly, when the cord lock 200 is completely inserted into the storage portion 20 of the cord holder 2, a head portion 222 of the male member 220 protrudes from the opening of the storage portion 20. The head portion 222 is used for pushing the male member 220 against the urging force of the urging device 230.
After the cord W such as a tightening cord provided in the attaching object 100 passes through the cord lock 200 and the cord lock holder 2, the cord lock holder 2 is attached to the attaching object 100 with the attaching portions 22, thereby positioning the cord lock 200 at a desired position of the attaching object 100. The cord lock 200 retained in the cord lock holder 2 is attached to the cord W with the urging force of the urging device 230. When the female member 210 is pushed into the male member 220 against the urging force of the urging device 230, the cord lock 200 is released from the cord W. Accordingly, it is possible to freely move the cord lock 200 along the cord W.
In the embodiment, the attaching portions 22 of the cord lock holder 2 are provided with thin portions 23, so that the attaching portions 23 are attached to the attaching object 100 through the thin portions 23. Each of the attaching portions 22 has a grove 24 with open ends extending along the axial direction of the storage portion 20 between a side connected to the storage portion 20 and an opposing side. The grooves 24 form the thin portions 23 of the attaching portions 22. The cord lock holder 2 is attached to the attaching object 100 by attaching the thin portions 23 along an extending direction. Accordingly, it is easy to attach the cord lock holder to the attaching object 100.
According to the embodiment of the present invention, the article 3 has a portion to be tightened by the cord W such as a tightening cord and a pulling cord. The article 3 includes a pair of passing portions 30 penetrating through a material of the article 3. After the cord W passes to one side of the article 3 through one of the passing portions 30, the cord W is pulled out to the other side of the article 3 through the other of the passing portions 30. Then, the cord W is attached to the article 3 at the other side. The cord lock 1 or the cord lock 200 retained in the storage portion 20 of the cord lock holder 2 is attached to the cord W between the passing portions 30. Further, the cord lock 1 or the cord lock holder 2 is attached to the article 3, so that the cord lock 1 or the cord lock holder 2 covers one of the passing portions 30.
The article 3 includes various cloths, handbags, bags, briefcases, and the like. The cord W such as a tightening cord and a pulling cord passes through a loop portion formed along an opening of the article 3 while end portions of the cord W are pulled out of the loop portion. A length of the cord W along the opening, i.e., a length of the end portions, is adjusted to tighten or loose the opening.
When the cord lock 200 is released from the cord W, it is possible to adjust a length of the cord W only between the cord lock 200 and the other of the passing portions 30. Accordingly, it is possible to properly adjust the cord W to tighten or loose the opening 102 of the hood 101.
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-294918, filed on Aug. 19, 2003, is incorporated in the application.
While the invention has been explained with reference to the specific embodiments of the invention, the explanation is illustrative and the invention is limited only by the appended claims.
