Patent Application
20240197015
This invention relates to straps and belts comprising webbing, and more particularly, to end caps that prevent fraying of the webbing.
Webbing is a closely woven material designed to bear weight. Given its broad utility, it is often used for belts, carrying straps, slings and harnesses, amongst other uses. Webbing can also be made of a wide variety of materials, including hemp, cotton, jute, nylon and polypropylene, amongst other materials.
For the various uses of webbing, it is often desirable to adjust the length of the webbing, such as when the webbing is being used as a belt or strap. A further issue associated with the use of webbing is that the cut end of the webbing frays, thereby limiting the utility of the webbing. A variety of end pieces or caps for webbing have been proposed, which cover the end of the webbing to prevent fraying. However, these end caps may move during use, may be heavy, or may lack aesthetic appeal.
Thus, there remains a need for devices to prevent fraying of webbing while also having improved functionality.
In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides an end cap assembly for webbing or a strap that prevents fraying of an end of the strap. The end cap assembly has an end closure and a slider, which can be locked into place at the end of the strap, once the length of the strap has been adjusted or cut.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an end cap assembly for a strap comprising: an end closure having: a base, a pair of spaced apart arms extending away from the base, each of the pair of spaced apart arms having an outer surface, an inner surface, a first end joined to the base and a second free end, the pair of spaced apart arms and the base defining a holder for receiving a distal end of the strap, wherein the inner surface of each of the pair of spaced apart arms is positioned along a portion of a surface of the strap when the distal end of the strap is positioned in the holder, and a locking element connected to at least one of the pair of spaced apart arms, the locking element being positioned adjacent to the second free end or adjacent to the base, and extending outwardly from the outer surface of the arm; and a slider having a body, a first end and a second end, the body defining a cavity extending from the first end to the second end and being sized so that the strap is insertable through the cavity, the slider moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein the slider body is slideable along a length of the strap when the strap is inserted through the cavity in the unlocked position, and is slideable over the pair of spaced apart arms such that the first end of the slider body is adjacent to the base of the end closure when the slider is in the locked position, the slider being configured to engage the locking element of the end closure when the first end of the slider body is adjacent to the base.
In various embodiments, the pair of spaced apart arms are substantially parallel one to another.
In various embodiments, the locking element is adjacent to the base. In alternative embodiments, the locking element is adjacent to the second free end.
In various embodiments, the end closure further comprises one or more gripping elements formed on the inner surface of at least one of the pair of arms, the one or more gripping elements configured to grip to the strap when the distal end of the strap is positioned in the holder of the end closure. For example, the one or more gripping elements may be projections or lumps formed on the inner surface of the at least one of the pair of spaced apart arms. For example, the one or more gripping elements may be formed on the inner surface of each arm of the pair of spaced apart arms.
In various embodiments, the end cap assembly further comprises a pair of flanges extending from each side of the at least one of the pair of spaced apart arms, the pair of flanges adapted to grip a portion of longitudinal sides of the strap.
In various embodiments, the locking element comprises a ridge or a hook extending away from the outer surface of the at least one of the pair of spaced apart arms. For example, the slider body may comprise a notch formed at the second end of the body, wherein the ridge or the hook engages with the notch when the slider slides over at least a portion of each of the pair of spaced apart arms. The end cap assembly may further comprise a release button operably connected to the ridge or the hook, wherein depression of the release button unlocks and releases the ridge or the hook from the notch to slide the slider from the locked position to the unlocked position.
In various embodiments, the body of the end closure and the body of the slider are made of a rigid material. For example, the body of the end closure and the body of the slider may be made of a plastic material. For example, the body of the end closure and the body of the slider may be made of a transparent material.
In various embodiments, the locking element is a reversible locking element.
In various embodiments, the locking element comprises at least one locking element protrusion, and the slider comprises a notch, the notch comprising at least one slider protrusion with a depression adjacent thereto, wherein moving the slider to the locked position causes the at least one slider protrusion to engage and slide past the at least one locking element protrusion, and the at least one locking element protrusion to engage and be held within the depression. For example, the slider may comprise two slider protrusions, one slider protrusion located at each side of the notch with one depression adjacent to each, and the locking element comprises two locking element protrusions, one locking element protrusion located at each side of the locking element.
In addition to the aspects and embodiments describe above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings.
Throughout the drawings, reference numbers may be re-used to indicate correspondence between referenced elements. The drawings are provided to illustrate example embodiments described herein and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility.
In the following description, details are set forth to provide an understanding of the application. In some instances, certain structures, techniques, and methods have not been described or shown in detail in order not to obscure the application.
In the context of the present disclosure, various terms are used in accordance with what is understood to be the ordinary meaning of those terms.
Directional terms such as “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “upper”, “lower”, “outer” and “inner” are used in the following description for the purpose of providing relative reference only, and are not intended to suggest any limitations on how any article or garment is to be positioned during use, or to be mounted in an assembly or relative to an environment. The use of the word “a” or “an” when used herein in conjunction with the term “comprising” may mean “one”, but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more”, “at least one” and “one or more than one”. Any element expressed in the singular form also encompasses its plural form. Any element expressed in the plural form also encompasses its singular form. The term “plurality” as used herein means more than one, for example, two or more, three or more, four or more, and the like.
The present disclosure provides an end cap assembly for webbing or a strap. In the context of the present disclosure, the terms “webbing” and “strap” are used interchangeably. In various embodiments, the disclosure provides an end cap assembly for a strap, which comprises an end closure to cover an end of the strap to prevent fraying of a material of the strap, and, together with a slider, provides a mechanism for preventing fraying when the strap is cut to adjust its length. The slider may slide along the length of the strap in an unlocked position, and can also slide over the end closure to be locked in a locked position. Without the slider, the end closure may move or become disengaged from the end of the strap, thereby allowing fraying to occur. The slider locks the end closure into position.
Referring to
The end closure 15 includes a base 30. A pair of spaced apart arms 45 extends away from the base 30. Each of the pair of spaced apart arms 45 has an outer surface 50, an inner surface 55 (shown in
The pair of spaced apart arms 45 and the base 30 define a holder 35 for receiving a distal end 40 of the strap 12 (
In various embodiments, when the end cap assembly 10 is in an unlocked position, the end closure 15 may be removeable from the distal end 40 of the strap 12 by pulling the end closure 15 away from the distal end 40 of the strap 12. The end closure 15 may be re-positioned at the distal end 40 of the strap 12 by inserting the distal end 40 of the strap 12 between the pair of spaced apart arms 45 such that the distal end 40 is positioned in the holder 35 of the end closure 15 and adjacent to and abutting the base 30.
The end closure 15 also includes a locking element 75 connected to at least one of the pair of spaced apart arms 45. In various embodiments, the end closure 15 may comprise two locking elements 75, each of the locking elements connected to one of the pair of spaced apart arms 45. Alternatively, and as shown in
The end cap assembly 10 also comprises a slider 20 configured to slide along a length of the strap 12. The slider 20 may be used to lock the end closure 15 in position when the distal end 40 of the strap 12 is positioned within the holder 35, thereby preventing loosening of the end closure 15 from the strap 12. The slider 20 has a first end 90, a second end 95 and a body 80. The body 80 defines a cavity 85 (see
In various embodiments, the strap 12 may be cut to adjust a length of the webbing or strap 12 to a desired length, and then the slider 20 is placed on the strap 12 by sliding the strap 12 through the cavity 85. The end closure 15 is positioned by inserting the distal end 40 of the strap 12 into the holder 35. The end closure is then locked into position by sliding the slider 20 over the end closure 15, thereby holding it in place, as described in further detail below.
The slider 20 is moveable between an unlocked position (shown in
In various embodiments, the body 80 of the slider 20 may further comprise a notch 100 formed at either the first end 90 or the second end 95 for engaging with the locking element 75 of the end closure 15 to hold the slider 20 in place when engaged with the end closure 15 in the locked position. For example, if the locking element 75 comprises a ridge 78 or a hook, as described above and shown in
In various embodiments, the end closure 15 may also include a pair of flanges (not shown) extending from each side of at least one of the pair of spaced apart arms 45. The pair of flanges may assist in holding the longitudinal sides of the strap 12 when the distal end 40 of the webbing or strap 12 is within the holder 35 of the end closure and during movement of the slider 20 over the end closure 15.
In various embodiments, the end closure 15 may comprise one or more gripping elements 115 formed on the inner surface 55 of at least one of the pair of spaced apart arms 45, as shown in
An alternative embodiment is shown in
In various embodiments, the end closure 15 may comprise two locking elements 75, each of the locking elements 75 connected to one of the pair of spaced apart arms 45 and positioned adjacent to the base 30. The slider 20 may have two notches 100 formed at the first end 90, one on each side above and below the cavity 85. Each of the locking elements 75 may include one or in some embodiments, two locking element protrusions 125 located at each side of the locking element 75. Each notch 100 of the slider 20 may include one or two depressions 130 with respective one or two slider protrusions 135, such that each locking element protrusion 125 is operably configured to engage with a corresponding depression 130 in the notch 100 of the slider 20. In further embodiments, the two locking elements 75 may be located adjacent to the second free end 65 of each of the pair of spaced apart arms 45, and the two notches 100 of the slider 20 are formed at the second end 95.
In various embodiments, and in order to assist a user in determining that the slider 20 is in the locked position correctly, as the slider 20 is moved toward the base 30 of the end closure 15, the at least one slider protrusion 135 pushes past the at least one locking element protrusion 125 and the at least one locking element protrusion 125 moves into the at least one depression 130 in the notch 100, which may generate a “click” or other similar sound. The sound indicates to the user that the slider 20 is in the locked position. In various embodiments, the generation of the sound depends on the nature of the material of the slider 20 and of the end closure 15.
In various embodiments, the end closure 15 and the slider 20 may be made of a rigid material, such as a plastic material. To improve the aesthetic appeal of the end cap assembly 10, the end closure 15 and/or the slider 20 may be made of a transparent material, such as a transparent plastic.
In various embodiments, and to assemble the end cap assembly 10, the distal end 40 of the strap 12 is pushed or slid through the cavity 85 from the second end 95 to the first end 90 and through the cavity 85, and is then positioned in the holder 35 of the end closure 15. The slider 20 then moves over the pair of spaced apart arms 45 until the locking element 75 of the end closure 15 engages the slider 20, locking the end cap assembly 10 into the locked position. To disassemble the end cap assembly 10, the slider 20 is unlocked by depressing or lifting the locking element 75 to disengage the slider 20, sliding the slider 20 away from the base 30 of the end closure 15, and removing the end closure 15 by pulling the strap 12 out of the holder 35, and removing the strap 12 through the cavity 85 of the body 80 of the slider 20.
While particular elements, embodiments and applications of the present application have been shown and described, it will be understood, that the scope of the application is not limited thereto, since modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present application, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. Thus, for example, in any method or process disclosed herein, the acts or operations making up the method/process may be performed in any suitable sequence and are not necessarily limited to any particular disclosed sequence. Elements and components can be configured or arranged differently, combined, and/or eliminated in various embodiments. The various features and processes described above may be used independently of one another, or may be combined in various ways. All possible combinations and sub-combinations are intended to fall within the scope of this application. Reference throughout this disclosure to “some embodiments,” “an embodiment,” or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, step, process, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in some embodiments,” “in an embodiment,” or the like, throughout this disclosure are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment and may refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, additions, substitutions, equivalents, rearrangements, and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the application.
Various aspects and advantages of the embodiments have been described where appropriate. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such aspects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, it should be recognized that the various embodiments may be carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other aspects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without operator input or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. No single feature or group of features is required for or indispensable to any particular embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or” is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list.
The example calculations, simulations, results, graphs, values, and parameters of the embodiments described herein are intended to illustrate and not to limit the disclosed embodiments. Other embodiments can be configured and/or operated differently than the illustrative examples described herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63432680 | Dec 2022 | US |
