Patent Grant
11533959
This invention relates to belts; more particularly, to belts for carrying equipment.
Law enforcement personnel, military personnel, and the like must carry a plethora of gear while on duty. Such equipment may include, inter alia, a firearm, handcuffs, taser, flashlight, baton, key ring hook, radio, spare magazines, and pepper spray. Options available include load-bearing vests and duty belts. Both are capable of carrying the gear in a readily accessible manner while leaving the hands of a user free to interact.
Duty belts, also known as battle belts or tactical belts, generally comprise an inner duty belt and an outer duty belt configured to engage with the inner duty belt. The inner duty belt is weaved through the user's belt loops of their pants. The gear is placed on the outer duty belt and the outer duty belt then engages with the inner belt via a hook-and-loop system and/or belt keepers. Although the duty belt is a popular choice, problems still exist. For example, fitting the outer duty belt with the inner duty belt is typically done by trial-and-error with multiple attempts needed for readjustments. Precise engagement between the inner duty belt and outer duty belt is critical. If the outer duty belt is too loose, the gear will not line up as planned and will not be held as securely to the user's waist as necessary. If the outer duty belt is too tight, the user may lose valuable space needed for the duty gear and the user will become critically uncomfortable. Furthermore, to relieve the tightness of the duty belt while in a sitting position, the user must disengage both the outer and inner duty belts which can be time consuming and may cause the outer duty belt to at least partially disengage with the inner duty belt.
There remains a need for an improved duty belt.
The disclosure concerns an inner duty belt and related system. The inner duty belt having an inner side and an outer side, comprises a waist portion having a first touch fastener coupled to the outer side, an attachment portion having a connecting element configured to engage with the waist portion, and a flexible portion disposed between the waist portion and the attachment portion, wherein the flexible portion is configured to fold upon convergence of the waist and attachment portions. The flexible portion of the inner duty belt allows the inner duty belt to easily increase and decrease in circumference while engaged with an outer duty belt.
Other features, combinations, and embodiments will be appreciated by one having the ordinary level of skill in the art of belts and accessories upon a thorough review of the following details and descriptions, particularly when reviewed in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
For purposes of explanation and not limitation, details and descriptions of certain preferred embodiments are hereinafter provided such that one having ordinary skill in the art may be enabled to make and use the invention. These details and descriptions are representative only of certain preferred embodiments, however, and a myriad of other embodiments which will not be expressly described will be readily understood by one having skill in the art upon a thorough review of the instant disclosure. Accordingly, any reviewer of the instant disclosure should interpret the scope of the invention only by the claims, as such scope is not intended to be limited by the embodiments described and illustrated herein.
For purposes herein, the term “flexible” means having a lower relative stiffness, wherein stiffness is a measure to which an object resists deformation in response to an applied force. Flexibility, and conversely stiffness, of a planar object is determined by a thickness and/or material associated therewith. A planar object having a greater thickness and/or lower elastic modulus material with have a higher stiffness and consequently lower flexibility.
The term “touch fastener” means a hook fastener or a loop fastener.
The term “hook fastener” means a hook component of a hook-and-loop fastener system and is sewn or otherwise adhered to a linear fabric strip and is configured to engage with a loop fastener.
The term “loop fastener” means a loop component of a hook-and-loop fastener system and is sewn or otherwise adhered to a linear fabric strip and is configured to engage with a hook fastener.
The term “fold” means a material being relatively flexible and flat that can bend over itself so that one part of it covers another.
Unless explicitly defined herein, terms are to be construed in accordance with the plain and ordinary meaning as would be appreciated by one having skill in the art.
In a first embodiment, an inner duty belt is disclosed. The inner duty belt includes an inner side and an outer side opposite the inner side. The inner duty belt comprises a waist portion, an attachment portion, and a flexible portion. The waist portion has a waist portion thickness associated therewith. The waist portion further comprises a first loop fastener coupled to the outer side. The attachment portion has an attachment portion thickness associated therewith. The attachment portion comprises a first hook fastener coupled to the inner side and configured to engage with the first loop fastener. The flexible portion has a flexible thickness. The flexible portion is disposed between the waist portion and the attachment portion, wherein the flexible portion is configured to fold upon convergence of the waist and attachment portions. The waist portion thickness and attachment portion thickness are each greater than the flexible thickness.
In some embodiments, the flexible portion may further comprise a plurality of apertures.
In some embodiments, the waist portion may further comprise a second loop fastener coupled to the inner side, wherein the second loop fastener is configured to engage with the first hook fastener.
In some embodiments, the inner duty belt may further comprise a third loop fastener coupled to the attachment portion at the outer side.
In a second embodiment, an inner duty belt is disclosed. The inner duty belt comprises an inner side and an outer side opposite the inner side, a waist portion having a first touch fastener coupled to the outer side, an attachment portion having a connecting element configured to engage with the waist portion, and a flexible portion disposed between the waist portion and the attachment portion, wherein the flexible portion is configured to fold upon convergence of the waist and attachment portions.
In some embodiments, the first touch fastener may comprise a loop fastener being a first loop fastener. In other embodiments, the first touch fastener may comprise a hook fastener.
In some embodiments, the connecting element may be configured to engage with the waist portion at the outer side of the waist portion. In other embodiments, the connecting element may be configured to engage with the waist portion at the inner side of the waist portion.
In some embodiments, the connecting element may comprise a first hook fastener coupled to the attachment portion at the inner side, wherein the first hook fastener is configured to couple to the waist portion. In some embodiments, the first hook fastener may be configured to couple to the waist portion at the first loop fastener. In other embodiments, the first hook fastener may be configured to couple to the waist portion at the inner side.
In some embodiments, the waist portion may further comprise a second loop fastener coupled to the inner side, wherein the second loop fastener may be configured to engage with the first hook fastener.
In some embodiments, the inner duty belt may further comprise a waist portion thickness associated with the waist portion, an attachment portion thickness associated with the attachment portion, and a flexible thickness associated with the flexible portion, wherein the waist portion thickness and the attachment portion thickness are each greater than the flexible thickness.
In some embodiments, the flexible portion may further comprise a plurality of apertures.
In some embodiments, the inner duty belt may further comprise a third loop fastener coupled to the attachment portion at the outer side.
In a third embodiment, a duty belt system is disclosed. The duty belt system comprises an outer duty belt, and an inner duty belt. The outer duty belt comprises an interior side and an exterior side opposite the interior side, a second touch fastener coupled to the interior side, a plurality of engagement elements coupled to the exterior side, and a coupler attached to a first terminal end, the coupler being configured to attach to a second terminal of the outer duty belt. The inner duty belt comprises an inner side and an outer side opposite the inner side, a waist portion having a first touch fastener coupled to the outer side, an attachment portion having a connecting element configured to engage the waist portion, and
a flexible portion disposed between the waist portion and the attachment portion. The interior side of the outer duty belt is configured to engage with the outer side of the inner duty belt, such that upon the first terminal end being attached to the second terminal end, the flexible portion is configured to fold, thereby allowing convergence of the waist portion to the attachment portion of the inner duty belt.
In some embodiments, the first touch fastener may comprise a loop fastener being a first loop fastener, and the second touch fastener may comprise a hook fastener being a second hook fastener. In other embodiments, the first touch fastener may comprise a hook fastener and the second touch fastener may comprise a loop fastener.
In some embodiments, the connecting element may comprise a first hook fastener coupled to the attachment portion at the inner side, wherein the first hook fastener is configured to couple to the waist portion. In some embodiments, the first hook fastener may be configured to couple to the waist portion at the first loop fastener. In other embodiments, the first hook fastener may be configured to couple to the waist portion at the inner side.
In some embodiments, the waist portion may further comprise a second loop fastener coupled to the inner side, wherein the second loop fastener is configured to engage with the first hook fastener.
In some embodiments, the inner duty belt may further comprise a waist portion thickness associated with the waist portion, an attachment portion thickness associated with the attachment portion, and a flexible thickness associated with the flexible portion, wherein the waist portion thickness and the attachment portion thickness are each greater than the flexible thickness.
In some embodiments, the flexible portion may further comprise a plurality of apertures.
In some embodiments, the inner duty belt may further comprise a third loop fastener coupled to the attachment portion at the outer side.
In some embodiments, the second terminal end of the outer belt may comprise a wrapping element configured to increase durability.
Manufacturing
Generally, the inner duty belt and outer duty belt can be made of leather or a synthetic thermoplastic polymer such as nylon. More specifically, the inner and outer duty belt can be made of ballistic nylon. Otherwise, the inner duty belt and outer duty belt can be fabricated in accordance with the level and knowledge of one having skill in the art.
The flexible portion can be made of material similar to other portions of the belt, such as nylon, and generally comprises a thickness small enough to provide the flexibility shown and described herein. Other materials that can be appreciated by one having skill in the art may be used as well. In an exemplary embodiment, the flexible portion comprises a thickness of 1/16th inch. Other thickness may also be utilized to achieve similar results. The flexible portion may extend partially or fully within each of the attachment portion and waist portion.
The attachment portion may comprise a separate material attached to the flexible portion, or may comprise the flexible portion itself in addition to hook and/or loop fasteners disposed on either side of the attachment portion, thereby increasing the attachment portion thickness.
The hook fastener and loop fastener can each be obtained commercially, for example and without limitation Velcro® (https://www.velcro.com/business/products/textile-hook-and-loop/). Alternatively, the hook fastener and loop fastener cab be customized in accordance with the level and knowledge of one having skill in the art.
Each of the components of the inner duty belt and outer duty belt and related system described herein may be manufactured and/or assembled in accordance with the conventional knowledge and level of a person having skill in the art.
While various details, features, combinations are described in the illustrated embodiments, one having skill in the art will appreciate a myriad of possible alternative combinations and arrangements of the features disclosed herein. As such, the descriptions are intended to be enabling only, and non-limiting. Instead, the spirit and scope of the invention is set forth in the appended claims.
Now turning to the drawings,
In an alternative embodiment, the connecting element (142) comprises the third loop fastener (144,
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