HK40091789B - Belt buckle - Google Patents

Description

belt buckle

Related applications

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/071752, filed August 28, 2020. The entire contents of the above application are incorporated herein by reference as fully set forth herein.

Technical Field

This invention generally relates to the field of belt buckles. More specifically, this invention relates to fasteners for adjustingly interconnecting belts or straps.

Background Technology

Various adjustable strap fasteners or buckles are known in the prior art, operable to adjust the effective length of a strap, such as that used on safety ropes. These fasteners are often made of plastic or metal and formed as a single molded structure, typically comprising a fixed loop end and an adjustable loop end. In use, one strap end portion passes through a strap or belt opening on the fixed loop end and is secured in place by stitching or riveting. The other strap end portion is adapted for length adjustment, wrapping around a central crossbar through a belt or strap opening on the adjustable loop end, looping back through a second strap or belt opening on the adjustable loop end, and frictionally clamped therebetween to prevent displacement. Typically, these crossbars must be made of a material that allows them to deform and then straighten to fit the adjustable loop end. Because they must be malleable, these crossbars are prone to failure with continued use.

Although these belt buckles have been improved to withstand higher loads and pressure on the adjustable ring end center crossbar, higher-performance buckles are still needed to accommodate higher loads and improve stability and durability.

Summary of the Invention

The purpose of this invention is to address several challenges previously faced in achieving increased stability and load-bearing capacity by applying load through belts or straps and installing buckles.

The buckle according to the invention has two opposing ends that are removably attached to each other using a locking system. In this embodiment, one end includes two opposing locking pins connected together by a spring. The spring is encapsulated within a completely closed grease well or cavity, and the pins are operable to move laterally into and out of the grease well. When extended, the spring-loaded pins protrude laterally beyond the outer surface of the buckle's end. The other end of the buckle includes a corresponding sleeve operable to receive a locking pin at one end and has a plunger disposed at the opposing end. When the pin at the first end is inserted into the sleeve at the second end, the first and second ends are fastened together, and when the locking pin is pushed out of the sleeve by the plunger, the two ends are released.

In an alternative embodiment, the buckle includes an adjustable annular end and a fixed annular end at both ends. The adjustable annular end includes first and second belt openings, with a removable center bar and a plug between the two openings. The plug is operable to hold the center bar in place during use. When the plug is removed, the center bar can be removed from the adjustable annular end without deforming it. In yet another embodiment, the adjustable annular end includes a recess that guides the end of the center bar into place and provides additional support and stability.

In another embodiment, the two ends of the belt buckle include a plurality of protrusions disposed along the periphery of an adjustable annular end and a fixed annular end, such that the protrusions help to align the two ends for fastening purposes and further prevent the buckle itself from rotating under increased load.

Attached Figure Description

Figure 1 is a top perspective view of a belt buckle in a closed configuration.

Figure 2 is a bottom perspective view of a belt buckle in a closed configuration.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the belt buckle in its open configuration, showing the internal grease well.

Figure 4 is a top view of the belt buckle in its open configuration.

Figure 5 is a perspective top view of the adjustable ring end of the belt buckle, showing the plug inserted into the belt buckle.

Figure 6 is a perspective top view of the adjustable ring end of the belt buckle, showing the plug being removed from the belt buckle.

Figure 7 is a top view of the belt buckle in its open configuration.

Figure 8 is a top view of the cross-section of the belt buckle in its open configuration.

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the protrusion of a belt buckle.

Figure 10 is an alternative perspective view of a belt buckle showing the protrusion.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the belt buckle showing the center bar located in the opposite groove.

Detailed Implementation

Turning to Figures 1-4, alternative perspective views of the belt buckle 5 in open and closed configurations are shown. The belt buckle 5 includes a fixed annular end 10 attached to an adjustable annular end 15. The fixed annular end 10 has only one strap or belt opening 20 for securing a strap or belt to the fixed annular end 10 (by guiding it through the strap or belt opening 20 and sewing it in), while the adjustable annular end 15 has two strap or belt openings 25, 30 located on either side of an interchangeable central bar 35 for adjustingly attaching a strap or belt to the adjustable annular end 15. Here, the end of the strap or belt passes through the strap or belt opening 30 from the rear lower surface of the adjustable annular end 15, over the central bar 35, and further through the strap or belt opening 25.

Turning to Figures 3-4, top and bottom views of the belt buckle in its open configuration are shown. The two ends 10, 15 of the belt buckle 5 are fastened together using a locking system with a male connector 40 and a female connector 50. As shown, the male connector 40 of the locking system is part of the adjustable annular end 15, while the female connector 50 is part of the fixed annular end 10. However, in the case of the disclosed belt buckle 5, the male/female connectors 40, 50 of the locking system can be reversed, with the male connector 40 being part of the fixed annular end 10 and the female connector 50 being part of the adjustable annular end 15.

The male counterpart 40 of the locking system includes a closed grease well 60, with a spring 70 disposed and completely enclosed between the grease wells 60, which are located between two opposing pins 80. The spring 70 operates to push the pins 80 laterally out of the male counterpart 40 through the grease wells 60. The use of a completely closed grease well 60 prevents the spring 70 from being exposed to elements, further minimizing the risk of corrosion and increasing the lifespan and durability of the locking system and the belt buckle 5. The female counterpart 50 is operable to receive the male counterpart 40 and includes a corresponding pin sleeve 90 (as shown in Figures 5-8), sized and dimensional for receiving the pins 80. A pin plunger 100 is located at the end of the pin sleeve 90 opposite the pins 80. When the belt buckle 5 is tightened, the inner wall 105 of the female counterpart 50 is configured to compress the pins 80 inward until the pins 80 align with the corresponding pin sleeve 90 and lock in place. When the belt buckle 5 is loosened, the pin plunger 100 is operable to compress the pin 80 inward and outward from the pin sleeve 90, so that the male counterpart 40 can be freely removed from the female counterpart 50.

To help guide the male and female counterparts 40, 50 into the locking, closed configuration and to prevent the buckle 5 from rotating when an external load is applied, as depicted in Figures 9-10, each counterpart 40, 50 includes various protrusions 110, which are strategically positioned and configured to improve the performance of the belt buckle 5.

As shown in Figures 5-6, the adjustable annular end 15 has a pair of opposing sidewalls 120 with a pair of opposing grooves 130 recessed into the inner surfaces 140 of the opposing sidewalls 120. As shown in detail in Figure 11, the bottom edge 135 of the groove 130 is longer than the top edge 136, causing the edges 135 and 136 to be offset along the vertical axis, respectively. The offset of the top edge 136 and the bottom edge 135 allows the thicker portion of the center rod 35 to rest in the groove 130. This configuration removes the load from the thin protrusion of the center rod 35 and places it on the thicker, stronger portion of the center rod 35 to allow for a higher load capacity.

For conventional belt buckles, the center rod must be bent and deformed to mate with a groove in the opposing wall of the adjustable annular end. Since the center rod is the load-bearing component of the belt buckle, it is advantageous to use a material stronger than the malleable materials used in the prior art. As shown in Figures 5-6, the bottom edge 135 of the groove 130 extends and forms the adjacent bottom surface 165 of the open cavity 150, which is operable to receive a plug 160. The plug 160 can be fastened to the bottom surface 165 of the cavity 150 by a hook-and-loop fastener or other fastening means known in the art, including but not limited to hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, removable adhesives, adhesive strips, and heat-sensitive adhesives. When the plug 160 is removed, the center rod 35 can be removed from the adjustable annular end 15 by sliding it along the groove 130 into the open cavity 150, where the center rod 35 can be safely removed and replaced. By eliminating the need for deformation of the center bar, a more robust and rigid material (such as 17-4 stainless steel) can be used for the center bar 35, further improving the strength and durability of the belt buckle.

The buckle according to the invention can be used, for example, as a fall protection harness or belt, or as a harness or belt for aviation sports, particularly for hang gliding and paragliding. The buckle can also be used in tactical equipment, including but not limited to belts, backpack straps, climbing and evasive harnesses, dog collars and harnesses, and cargo straps.

To facilitate understanding of the principles of the invention, reference has been made to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, and specific language has been used to describe these embodiments. However, this specific language is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and the invention should be interpreted as including all embodiments that would normally occur to those skilled in the art. The specific embodiments shown and described herein are illustrative examples of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. For brevity, conventional aspects of the system (and the components of the various operating components of the system) may not be described in detail. Furthermore, the connecting lines or connectors shown in the various figures are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical or logical couplings between various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships, physical connections, or logical connections may exist in actual devices. Moreover, any item or component is essential to the practice of the invention unless that element is specifically described as "essential" or "critical." Many modifications and adjustments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (12)

1. A buckle, comprising: The first end includes two opposing locking pins, each of which has a proximal end and a distal end. A spring, the spring being connected to the proximal end of each of the locking pins, Well, and Two opposing channels extend from the well to the outer surface of the first end. Each channel is configured to receive the remote end of each locking pin. The proximal ends of the spring and the locking pin are disposed within the well. The proximal end of each locking pin is sized such that it cannot translate through each corresponding channel. In this configuration, the distal end of each locking pin is spring-loaded to extend through each corresponding channel a certain distance until a portion of the distal end extends beyond the outer surface of the first end. The second end includes corresponding pin sleeves, each of which is operable to receive a locking pin at one end, and each of the pin sleeves also includes a plunger disposed at the opposite end. Each of the plungers is operable to push the locking pin out of the pin sleeve, and The first end can be removably attached to the second end. 2. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the first end is configured to form a male connector, and the second end is configured to form a female connector, the female connector being operable to receive the male connector. The female counterpart includes a sidewall having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface of the sidewall is configured to compress the locking pin of the male counterpart inward toward the spring when the male counterpart is inserted into the female counterpart. 3. The buckle according to claim 1, comprising: An adjustable annular end, the adjustable annular end forming a main plane having a pair of opposing sidewalls, wherein the adjustable annular end is a component of the first end or the second end; A first strap or belt opening extends along a portion of the transverse axis of the main plane through the adjustable annular end; A second strap or belt opening extends along a portion of the transverse axis of the main plane through the adjustable annular end; A center rod, positioned along the transverse axis of the main plane between the first belt or waistband opening and the second belt or waistband opening, having opposing ends; and A plug, which is removably attached to the adjustable annular end and positioned along the transverse axis of the main plane. The plug is operable to secure the center rod in place during use. Specifically, the plug needs to be removed to allow the center rod to be removed from the adjustable annular end. 4. The buckle according to claim 3, wherein the plug is attached to the adjustable annular end by a fastener. 5. The buckle according to claim 4, wherein the fastener is selected from the group consisting of hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, removable adhesives, adhesives, adhesive strips, and heat-sensitive adhesives. 6. The buckle according to claim 3, comprising: a first groove recessed into the inner surface of one of the opposing sidewalls, wherein the bottom edge of the first groove is longer than the top edge of the first groove; and a second groove recessed into the inner surface of one of the opposing sidewalls, wherein the bottom edge of the second groove is longer than the top edge of the second groove, wherein the end of the center rod rests in the first groove and the second groove. 7. A buckle, comprising: An adjustable annular end, the adjustable annular end forming a main plane having a pair of opposing sidewalls; A first strap or belt opening extends along a portion of the transverse axis of the main plane through the adjustable annular end; A second strap or waistband opening extends along a portion of the transverse axis of the main plane through the adjustable annular end; A center rod, positioned along the transverse axis of the main plane between the first belt or waistband opening and the second belt or waistband opening, having opposing ends; and A plug, which is removably attached to the adjustable annular end and positioned along the transverse axis of the main plane. When the plug is attached to the adjustable annular end, the plug is operable to hold the center rod in place during use. Specifically, the plug needs to be removed to allow the center rod to be removed from the adjustable annular end. 8. The buckle according to claim 7, wherein the plug is attached to the adjustable annular end by a fastener. 9. The buckle of claim 8, wherein the fastener is selected from the group consisting of hook and loop fasteners, snap fasteners, removable adhesives, adhesives, adhesive strips, and heat-sensitive adhesives. 10. The buckle of claim 7, comprising: a first groove recessed into the inner surface of one of the opposing sidewalls, wherein the bottom edge of the first groove is longer than the top edge of the first groove; and a second groove recessed into the inner surface of one of the opposing sidewalls, wherein the bottom edge of the second groove is longer than the top edge of the second groove, wherein the end of the center rod rests in the first groove and the second groove. 11. The buckle according to claim 7, comprising: A fixed annular end, which is removably attached to the adjustable annular end. The adjustable annular end further includes two opposing locking pins coupled to a spring, wherein the locking pins are spring-loaded to extend outward beyond the outer surface of the adjustable annular end, and wherein the spring is disposed within a well, the well being disposed within a portion of the adjustable annular end. The fixed annular end includes corresponding pin sleeves, each of which is operable to receive a locking pin at one end, and each of the pin sleeves also includes a plunger disposed at the opposite end. The plunger is operable to push the locking pin out of the pin sleeve. 12. The buckle of claim 11, wherein the adjustable annular end is configured to form a male counterpart, and the fixed annular end is configured to form a female counterpart, wherein the fixed annular end includes a sidewall having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface of the sidewall is configured to compress the locking pin of the adjustable annular end inward toward the spring when the male counterpart is inserted into the female counterpart.