Patent Application
20160144208
The disclosure relates to belt buckle devices and more particularly pertains to a new belt buckle device for attachment of a rescue tether in alignment with a buckle of a belt.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a buckle having a first section and a second section. The first section is selectively engageable to the second section securing the buckle in a closed position such that the buckle secures a belt to a person. A rigging link is extendable away from the buckle to define a loop with the buckle. The rigging link is configured for coupling to a tether such that force exerted on the rigging link by the tether is aligned with the buckle.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A rigging link 28 is coupled to the buckle 12 such that the rigging link 28 is extendable away from the buckle 12 to define a loop 30 with the buckle 12. Thus, the rigging link 28 is configured for coupling to a tether 32 such that force exerted on the rigging link 28 by the tether 32 is aligned with the buckle 12. The tether 32 may be part of a harness, line, rope, strap, or the like, used to facilitate moving an injured or incapacitated person. The rigging link 28 has a pair of opposite ends 34. The opposite ends 34 are spaced apart and coupled to the buckle 12. Each of the opposite ends 34 is pivotally coupled to the buckle 12. The rigging link 28 further comprises a pair of side sections 36. Each side section 36 extends from a respective one of the opposite ends 34 of the rigging link 28. A junction 40 of the side sections 36 defines a medial section 42 of the rigging link 28 positionable in spaced relationship to the buckle 12 by pivoting of the rigging link 28. The medial section 42 of the rigging link 28 is arcuate. The side sections 36 are angled such that the rigging link 28 is tapered extending from the opposite ends 34 to the medial section 42 of the rigging link 28.
More specifically, the rigging link 28 is coupled to and extends from the first section 14 of the buckle 12. The opposite ends 34 of the rigging link 28 are coupled to a longitudinal side 44 of the ring 22 opposite where the ring 22 is attached to the belt 20.
The hook section 24 is positionable to engage the longitudinal side 44 of the ring 22 between the opposite ends 34 of the rigging link 28. Further, the opposite ends 34 of the rigging link 28 abut the hook section 24 when the hook section 24 is engaged to the longitudinal side 44 of the ring 22.
In use, the belt 20 is worn by a user. When needed, the tether 32 is attached to the rigging link 28. The tether 32 may be attached to a person or thing to be moved. The user wearing the belt 20 may then use leg strength to pull on the tether 32 while leaving hands free. Thus, the device 10 may be utilized to allow the user to drag a person engaged by the tether to safety in a combat environment while leaving the hands of the user free to operate weapons, communications devices, or the like. The force exerted on the rigging link 28 from the tether 32 enhances securement of the first section to the second section of the buckle and pulls the buckle 12 away from the user such that the buckle 12 does not abrade or cause discomfort to the user.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
