Patent Application
20060080811
The present invention relates to two-part buckles for connecting straps and, more particularly to quick release, load-bearing buckles for shoulder straps or the like on backpacks and other equipment.
Buckles of various types are known for use in many different applications, including, for example, clothing, sporting gear, luggage, safety and other equipment, military gear and the like. Two-part buckle assemblies are known in a variety of different constructions. In a two-part buckle, cooperating first and second buckle parts are provided with structure having interlocking components, allowing releasable locking engagement of the components.
In a two-part buckle, it is known to provide a female buckle component attached to one part of an article and a male buckle component attached to another part of the article. For example, the female component may be anchored to one end of a strap and the male component connected to another end of the same strap or a different strap. The female buckle component defines a chamber or pocket into which the male component can be inserted, with various types of interlocking engagement provided within the pocket for elements of the female buckle component and of the male buckle component. It is known to disengage the male buckle component from the female buckle component by depressing one or more parts of the male buckle component from interlocking engagement with parts of the female buckle component.
Such known buckles have worked well in a variety of applications, both light duty and heavy duty. However, particularly for buckles designed to carry heavy loads, the procedure for disengaging the male buckle component from the female buck component can be difficult to perform, particularly if weight is still applied against the buckle. To disengage the buckle easily, it is sometimes necessary to independently support the weight of the article, to thereby remove force exerted against the buckle components. Even so, because of the resiliency of the buckle components, disengagement can be difficult. However, buckles that release more easily may have insufficient holding strength to support heavy loads.
In some applications and use of such buckles, it is necessary to release the buckle quickly in an emergency situation, with the user under personal duress. For example, military or police personnel often are required to carry heavy loads supported by straps and buckles around their shoulders. In a critical or emergency situation, it is desirable to release the load quickly so that the individual is unburdened from the load being carried. As one example, it is advantageous for a soldier to be able to release a backpack quickly if the soldier encounters the enemy. The heavy backpack is still supported by straps over the shoulders of the individual carrying it, and it is inconvenient and time consuming to attempt to separately support the backpack so that the buckle can be disengaged more easily.
Others, too, may experience emergency situations in which it is desirable to quickly release a buckle, even while still supporting a heavy load. Outdoor enthusiasts, such as mountain climbers, rock climbers, hikers and the like may encounter emergency situations in which it is desirable to release backpacks for personal safety reasons. Again, releasing known buckles while the buckle components are still under tension from supporting a load can be difficult, and independently supporting the load to make buckle release easier is time consuming and may not even be possible under the particular emergency situation.
What is needed in the art is a two-part buckle that has sufficient holding strength to support heavy loads, yet can be released quickly, easily and reliably while still supporting the load.
The present invention provides a quick release buckle having a male component insertable into a female component, with a toggling cover on the female component that can be moved to release and help eject the male component from the female component.
In one aspect thereof, the present invention provides a buckle with a female buckle component having a housing with a roof and a floor having an edge. A lid is pivotally connected to the housing and defines a pocket with the housing. The lid has a flange adjacent the floor; and a male buckle component has a forward end for insertion into the pocket. A portion of the forward end extends over and beyond the floor, confronting a portion of the flange. A lip of the forward end is engaged against the edge of the floor.
In another aspect thereof, the present invention provides a two-part buckle with a female buckle component and a male buckle component configured for insertion of the male buckle component into the female buckle component. Male buckle component surfaces and female buckle component surfaces are configured and arranged to engage one against another for securing the male buckle component in the female buckle component. A lever pivotally connected to the female buckle component confronts a portion of the male buckle component to deflect the male buckle component for repositioning the surfaces of the male buckle component away from the surfaces of the female buckle component to uncoupling the buckle.
In still another aspect thereof, the present invention provides a two-part buckle with first and second buckle components each having strap receiving ends for attaching the components to strap ends. The components each have surfaces thereof associated with each other for engagement one against another to couple the components to each other. One component has a lever connected thereto and underlying at least a part of the other component, for deflecting the other component to disengage the surfaces from each other and uncouple the components from each other.
An advantage of the present invention is providing a two-part buckle that is strong and secure and will support heavy loads.
Another advantage of the present invention is providing a two-part buckle that can be released quickly, easily and reliably with a simple motion, even under situations of duress or emergency.
Still another advantage of the present invention is providing a two-part buckle made of parts that are strong and that have multiple points of engagement to close securely for supporting heavy loads, yet can be released quickly and easily with a simple motion from the user.
A further advantage of the present invention is providing a buckle that can be secured to a web or strap easily, and that is of low profile to be unobtrusive and comfortable in use.
A still further advantage of the present invention is providing a two-part buckle that can be closed or latched quickly, easily and reliably.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is providing a buckle that is strong and secure and that will release non-catastrophically under high loads.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like features.
Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use herein of “including”, “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items and equivalents thereof.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings, and to
As illustrated more clearly in
Buckle 10 further includes a lanyard 20 which interconnects female buckle component 16 and male buckle component 18 as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. Lanyard 20 is a short strap or rope, and may be made of material similar to strap ends 12 and 14. Nylon is one suitable material.
Female buckle component 16 includes a housing 22 generally defining a pocket 24 for receiving male buckle component 18. Female buckle component 16 further includes a lid 26 which is pivotally connected to housing 22, and is pivoted for disconnecting and ejecting male buckle component 18 from female buckle component 16. Lid 26 forms an inner end of pocket 24, and is somewhat hollow for receiving a portion of male component 18, as will be described.
Housing 22 has a strap-receiving end 28 for receiving strap end 12. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, strap-receiving end 28 includes a slot 30 associated with other slots 32 and 34 spaced along housing 22, through which strap end 12 can be passed in a weaving-like manner. Alternatively, end 28 can be of a variety of configurations known to those skilled in the art, including, for example, a single bar around which strap end 12 is wrapped and secured in a non-adjustable fashion.
At strap-receiving end 28, housing 12 defines a chamber 36 having opposed walls 38 and 40 with apertures 42 and 44 therein, respectively. Lid 26 is positioned in chamber 36 and includes pins 46 and 48 that are received in apertures 42 and 44, respectively. Lid 26 is loosely received in chamber 36 and apertures 42 and 44, with pins 46 and 48 allowed to pivot within apertures 42 and 44 to provide a limited toggling motion of lid 26 relative to housing 22. Lid 26 defines a slot 50 through which lanyard 20 is passed. As shown in
Male buckle component 18 includes a strap-receiving end 52 for engaging strap end 14. The structure and arrangement of strap-receiving end 52 can differ from one application and use of buckle 10 to another, as required. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings, strap-receiving end 52 includes a bar 54 defining slots 56 and 58 through which strap end 14 is wrapped, as shown in
The manner in which male buckle component 18 is secured within pocket 24 of female buckle component 16 will be described with reference to the perspective views of individual buckle components in
Forward end 60 of male buckle component 18 includes a base 70 having a central portion 72 with a rearward facing lip 74 on a lower surface, near the distal end thereof. An angular face 76 leads to lip 74 from the distal end of central portion 72. Base 70 has a slight T-shaped configuration, with outwardly extending wings 78 and 80 from central portion 72. Wings 78 and 80 have sloped lower surface 82 and 84, respectively. Forward end 60 further includes forwardly projecting, upwardly oriented arms 86 and 88.
Pocket 24 of female buckle component 16 is defined by a floor 90 and a roof 92. Floor 90 terminates at an end 94. As illustrated in
Lid 26 defines a central channel 100, with flanges 102 and 104 on opposite sides thereof. With male buckle component 18 fully inserted in female buckle component 16, portions of flanges 102 and 104 are disposed generally beneath and are confronted by wings 78 and 80. Lifting lid 26 relative to housing 22 elevates flanges 102 and 104 against wings 78 and 80, causing deflection of base 70 in an upward direction away from floor 90. Lip 74 is thereby elevated above the upper edge of floor 90 at floor end 94, and wings 78, 80 are elevated away from enlargements 96, 98. With the points of engagement thus removed, male buckle component 18 can be withdrawn from female buckle component 16. Even if weight is supported by buckle 10, such that force is applied in opposite directions on strap ends 12 and 14, buckle 10 can still be released. The prying, lever action from the rotation of lid 26 about pivot points defined by pins 46, 48 facilitates deflection of base 70 to disengage male component 18 from female component 16. Oppositely directed forces applied against female buckle component 16 and male buckle component 18 facilitate disengagement of buckle 10 by pulling male buckle component 18 from female buckle component 16.
When buckle 10 is designed for supporting heavy loads, the parts thereof are necessarily rigid and strong. To assist locking male buckle component 18 within female buckle component 16, chamfered edges 110, 112 are provided on the forward distal ends of arms 82 and 84 so that sliding engagement is facilitated of arms 82, 84 against roof 92. The sloping lower surfaces 82, 84 of wings 78, 80 and angular face 76 further facilitate coupling of buckle 10 by directing forward end 60 into pocket 24 and providing smooth, angular sliding surfaces. During final insertion of component 18 in component 16, angular surfaces 82, 84 of wings 78 and 80 slide over sloping surfaces 114 and 116 of flanges 102 and 104, respectively. Flanges 102, 104 are thereby deflected downwardly, to hold lid 26 in the downward or closed position. During disengagement, sloping surfaces 114, 116 of flanges 102, 104 lifting against surfaces 82, 84 elevate base 70 smoothly, and urge male buckle component 18 rearward to facilitate ejection of forward end 60 from pocket 24. The desired release force requirements can be achieved in buckle 10 through selection of appropriate material stiffness and through the angular relationships of adjacent surfaces in female buckle component 16 and male buckle component 18, such as, for example lip 74 and floor end 94.
Buckle 10 incorporates various additional alignment features to aid coupling of female component 16 and male component 18. Such alignment features can include a rib 120 in pocket 24 on roof 92, as well as the shape and size of inlets to pocket 24 and the overall size and shape of forward end 60. With the use of such features, proper alignment is aided to direct male component 18 into female component 16, and to ensure that male buckle component 18 is not inverted relative to the proper orientation with respect to female component 16. Coupling of buckle 10 is achieved easily even under difficult conditions, including darkness.
To uncouple buckle 10, distal end 66 of lanyard 20 is grasped and pulled outwardly to disengage pin 64 from hole 62. By further pulling lanyard 20 outwardly and upwardly, lid 26 is rotated, causing the upward levering action of flanges 102 and 104 against wings 78 and 80 described previously. As a result, male component 18 is uncoupled from female component 16, and can be withdrawn therefrom. When buckle 10 is reconnected, as described previously herein by inserting male component 16 in female component 18, after buckle 10 is fully coupled, lanyard 20 can be secured by aligning pin 64 with hole 62 and forcing the end of pin 64 into hole 62. Securing lanyard 20 to male buckle component 18 minimizes the potential for lifting lid 26 inadvertently.
Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention. It is understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention. The embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention. The claims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art.
Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
