JP2014169130A - Adjustable securing device and buckle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an adjustable securing device that is versatile, holds securely, is easy to make, and is easy to use.SOLUTION: An adjustable securing device comprises: a strap having opposed first and second major surfaces, at least one of the first and second major surfaces including a fastener; and a buckle attached to the strap, the buckle including a body which contains a slot for receiving the strap, and the buckle including a buckle fastener formed for refastenable mating engagement with the fastener of the strap.

Description

  The present invention relates generally to bundling devices, fastening devices, or fixing devices, and more particularly to adjustable strap-shaped fixing devices.

  Rope, straps and cords are known for securing and bundling articles. Straps such as tie straps and elastic cords such as bungee cords are often used to secure or bundle items such as baggage, cargo, or equipment during transport. Also, such straps and cords can be used to secure or close items such as tarpaulins, clothing, backpacks, duffel bags, helmet chin straps, pet collars, or sleeping bags, yoga mats, extension cords Used to bundle items such as garden tools or camping equipment. In order to allow adjustment of the length of the strap, the strap may be provided with a so-called “ladder-lock” through which the strap is passed. In addition, the strap may be provided with a buckle, such as a side release buckle, to allow quick connection and disconnection between the ends of the strap. Similarly, the end of the bungee cord can be hooked, snapped, or clipd to allow quick connection and disconnection between the ends of the cord or quick connection and disconnection between the end of the cord and the securing surface. You may prepare.

  Strap devices and cord devices are also known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,540 (Hasslinger) is, for example, a separable fastening device configured to enclose at least one member in a gripping relationship, wherein a plurality of surface fasteners are provided on one side. A first flexible strap having an upstanding engagement element of the type and a second strap having a plurality of pairs of hook-and-loop upright engagement elements on a surface opposite the first surface And holding means connected to the free end of the first strap, and means are provided for connecting the first strap and the second strap, the holding means holding the free end of the second strap. A separable fastening device is disclosed that forms an opening configured to receive. U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,418 (Bertrand et al.) Discloses a rope hook comprising a single tubular fabric strap formed with a pair of loops. US Pat. No. 6,014,794 (McCoy) discloses a reinforced binding bungee cord for securing a load without being overstretched. US Pat. No. 6,546,604 (Galkiewicz et al.) Discloses a base sheet and parallel to each other projecting from the base sheet, spaced apart from each other by a narrow distance, and elastically deformable. A self-joining mechanical fastener with a number of ribs is disclosed.

  Existing straps and cords have a number of drawbacks and disadvantages. For example, a strap with a conventional buckle (such as a ladder lock buckle and side release buckle) is difficult to insert and adjust, which may pinch the user's fingers, limit the range of adjustment, and Since it is easy, it cannot be securely held. Furthermore, existing straps and cords are complex, expensive to make, and easily break due to wear and tear. The bungee cord has a limited range of adjustment, and when it is stretched and released, it contracts violently, losing its elasticity over time, and such elasticity will no longer hold reliably. . There is a need for an adjustable strap device that is versatile, securely held, easily made and easily used.

  In one embodiment, the present disclosure has first and second major surfaces opposite to each other, and first and second ends, the first major surface and the first major surface. A strap including at least one of the two major surfaces including a fastener and a buckle attached to the strap, including a body including an opening for receiving the strap, and refastably engaged with the strap fastener There is provided a fixation device comprising a buckle including a buckle fastener configured to.

  In a more specific aspect, the body includes a first portion and a second portion spaced from the first portion, thereby forming an opening between the first portion and the second portion. May be. In another aspect, the body may further include at least one neck portion extending between the first portion and the second portion.

  In one embodiment, the buckle may have a first main surface and a second main surface, and the first main surface and the second main surface may be on the same plane. In another aspect, the first body portion and the second body portion of the buckle may be generally coplanar. In another embodiment, the buckle may have a generally thin and flat plate-like structure. In another embodiment, the buckle may have a curved structure.

  In one embodiment, all sides of the opening for adjustably receiving the strap may be enclosed, where the strap may be coupled with the buckle by passing the strap through the opening. Generally, the opening is configured to slidably and detachably receive the strap to allow easy adjustment of the strap length and position. In a specific aspect, the buckle includes a first side and a second side, and the opening may extend from one side, thereby forming a slot having a mouth, As a result, the strap can be inserted laterally into the slot via the mouth.

  In other aspects, the buckle may include a reinforcing rib portion extending along the side of the buckle opposite the mouth and / or the first portion may include a second opening. Well, in this case, the first end of the strap may be passed through the second opening and secured to the first portion of the buckle.

In other aspects of the specific embodiment, the buckle fastener may be disposed on the surface of the second body portion of the buckle, the strap fastener may include a plurality of fastening elements, and the buckle fastener is A plurality of fastening elements, wherein the buckle fastener is at least about 1 cm to about 8 centimeters or less when measured along an area of at least about 1 cm ² to about 25 cm ² or less as well as the longitudinal length of the strap. A fastening element patch having a length of

  In one embodiment, the buckle fastener may be adhesively bonded to the second body portion of the buckle. In other embodiments, the strap fastener may form a first attachment surface and the buckle fastener may form a second attachment surface. In a specific embodiment, the first major surface of the strap may comprise a loop material and the first major surface of the second body portion of the buckle may comprise a hook material. In another embodiment, the strap fastening element and the buckle fastening element may be self-joining.

  In another embodiment, the second body portion may be disposed obliquely with respect to the first body portion. The first body portion and the second body portion may form an angle of about 45 degrees to about 180 degrees. Further, the strap and the second body portion may form an angle of about 0 degrees to about 135 degrees. In one embodiment, the first body portion is attached to the surface such that when the first body portion is attached to the surface, the second body portion extends outwardly away from the attachment surface. May be configured.

  In other embodiments, the buckle may include a foot portion extending from the first body portion. The foot portion may extend outward from the first body portion in the same direction as the second body portion. The foot portion may extend outward from the end of the first body portion opposite the second body portion at an angle of about 90 degrees, thereby forming an overhang. The foot portion may include an opening, and one end of the strap may be threaded through the opening and secured to the foot portion. In various embodiments, the buckle may include a reinforcing side wall portion that extends between the first body portion and the second body portion.

  In one aspect of the invention, the second major surface of the strap may be substantially free of fasteners and the second major surface of the buckle may be substantially free of fasteners. The fastening element may be provided on substantially the entire first major surface of the strap and / or the fastening element is provided on substantially the entire first major surface of the second body portion of the buckle. May be.

  In various embodiments, the strap is threaded through the second opening in the first body portion of the buckle, folded back toward the strap itself, and secured to the strap itself, so that the first of the strap and the buckle The main body portion may be connected.

  The advantages of certain embodiments of the fixation device and buckle described herein are that the device is versatile, the device can be mounted on a surface, the device is durable, and the device is made and used The device is highly adjustable, and the device provides a strong and reliable holding despite the use of less fasteners and / or attachments than previously known straps. .

  The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is an exploded view of the fixing device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the fixing device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a bottom view of the fixing device of FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a buckle according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the buckle which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 5 but including a strap and attached to a surface.

  Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, FIGS. 1-3 show a fixation device 2 including a strap 4 and a buckle 6. The strap 4 and the buckle 6 include fasteners 8 and 10, and the fasteners 8 and 10 are each configured to re-engage with each other so that the strap 4 and the buckle 6 can be connected to each other. And the separation can be performed repeatedly. The strap 4 includes a first main surface 12 and a second main surface 14 that are opposite to each other, and a first end 16 and a second end 18, respectively. Each of the main surface 20 and the second main surface 22 and each of the first end portion 24 and the second end portion 26 are included. In the illustrated embodiment, the first end 16 of the strap 4 is fixedly connected to the first end 24 of the buckle 6.

  The buckle 6 includes a buckle fastener 10 and a main body 28. The body 28 includes a first portion 28a and a second portion 28b spaced from the first portion 28a, whereby an opening 30 is formed between the first portion 28a and the second portion 28b. ing. In the illustrated embodiment, the body 28 includes a neck portion 28c that extends between a first portion 28a and a second portion 28b, whereby the opening 30 is a slot that is open at one end. As a result, the opening 30 is configured so that the strap 4 can be slidably and detachably received from the side without the strap 4 being inserted into the opening 30. That is, the buckle 6 includes each of the first side portion 32 and the second side portion 34, and the opening 30 is formed between the first portion 28 a and the second portion 28 b on the first side of the buckle 6. Extending in the direction of the neck portion 28c from the portion 32 toward the second side portion 34, a slot 30 having a mouth portion 30a is thereby formed, so that the strap 4 is connected to the mouth portion 30a. Can be inserted laterally into the slot 30 via. In another embodiment, it may be appreciated that all sides of the opening 30 may be enclosed, in which case the strap 4 is coupled with the buckle 6 by inserting the strap 4 through the opening 30.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, the first major surface 20 and the second major surface 22 of the buckle 6 are generally coplanar, and the first portion 28a and the second portion 28 of the body 28. The portion 28b is substantially on the same plane. That is, the buckle 6 has a generally flat and plate-like structure. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the buckle 6 may be curved.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the buckle 6 further comprises a reinforcing rib portion 28d that extends along the second side 34 of the buckle 6 adjacent to the neck portion 28c. It should be appreciated that the reinforcing rib portion 28d need not extend the entire length of the second side 34 of the buckle 6 to achieve the desired function of providing additional strength. That is, the reinforcing rib portion 28d may extend along the second side portion 34 only over the neck portion 28c and only a part of the first body portion 28a and the second body portion 28b.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the first body portion 28 a includes a second opening 36, and the first end 16 of the strap 4 is inserted through the second opening 36 and the first body portion of the buckle 6. It is fixed to 28a. More specifically, the first end portion 16 of the strap 4 is inserted into the opening 36 included in the first body portion 28a of the buckle 6 and is folded back toward the strap 4 itself. Fixed to. The strap 4 may be secured to the strap 4 itself by using well-known fasteners (eg, adhesives, rivets, or stitching 38) so that the first end 16 of the strap 4 and the buckle 6 can be secured. The first main body portion 28a is generally fixedly connected.

  Strap fasteners 8 and buckle fasteners 10 can be, for example, adhesives (non-stick adhesives, permanent or repositionable adhesives) or snaps, clips, hooks, buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, and self-joints. It may be a mechanical fastener including a mechanical fastener or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the strap fastener 8 is disposed on the first major surface 12 of the strap 4 and the buckle fastener 10 is located on the first major surface 20 of the second body portion 28 b of the buckle 6. Has been placed. The buckle fastener 10 may be adhesively bonded to the first major surface 20 of the second body portion 28b of the buckle 6, for example, and the strap fastener 8 is adhesively bonded to the strap 4 or sewn. May be. Alternatively, the strap fastener 8 may be formed as part of the strap 4 itself. That is, the strap fastener 8 such as a loop material may be woven directly into or incorporated into the strap 4 itself. In the illustrated embodiment, the strap fastener 8 and the buckle fastener 10 comprise a plurality of fastening elements or patches of fastening elements that form an attachment surface.

In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of fastening elements forming the buckle fastener 10 are provided on substantially the entire first major surface 20 of the second body portion 28b of the buckle 6. Depending on the desired end use and the amount of holding force desired, the patch of the fastening element provided on the buckle 6 that forms the buckle fastener 10 is at least about 1 square centimeter (cm ² ), at least about 2 cm ² , or at least A surface area of about 3 cm ² may be covered, and a surface area of about 20 cm ² or less, about 25 cm ² or less, or about 30 cm ² or less may be covered. One advantage of the present invention is that it does not require a large amount of fastening elements for the buckle 6. For example, in various embodiments, the length of the buckle fastener 10 is about 8 centimeters (cm) or less, about 5 cm or less, about 2.5 cm or less when measured along the longitudinal length of the strap 4. , About 2 cm or less, or about 1 cm or less.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the first main surface 20 of the second body portion 28b of the buckle 6 includes a hook material, and the first main surface 12 of the strap 4 includes a loop material. Thereby, a hook-and-loop type joint surface is formed between the buckle 6 and the strap 4. In another embodiment, the position of the hook material and loop material may be reversed. That is, the hook material may be provided on the strap 4, and the loop material may be provided on the buckle 6. Other mechanical fasteners may be used, such as rejoinable self-bonding mechanical fasteners. Such fasteners are described, for example, in US Pat. No. 5,077,870 (Melby et al.), The entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

  The buckle 6 may be formed from various materials. The particular material chosen is not critical to the present invention insofar as it provides the required strength and desired function. Suitable materials include, for example, wood, metal, or hard synthetic plastic material.

  Referring generally to FIGS. 4 and 5 where features similar in function to FIGS. 1-3 are indicated by similar reference numerals plus 100, a bracket or buckle 106 having a body 128 is shown. Here, the second main body portion 128 b of the buckle 106 is disposed obliquely with respect to the first main body portion 128 a of the buckle 106. In order to allow the details of the buckle 106 to be shown more clearly, the strap is not shown in FIGS.

  Referring more specifically to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a buckle 106 that includes a body member 128 and a buckle fastener 110 is shown. The body 128 includes a first body portion 128a, a second body portion 128b, and a reinforcing sidewall portion 128e. The first body portion 128a includes an opening 136 that is used to secure the strap to the buckle 106, and the buckle 106 includes a slot 130 (not shown in FIG. 4) for adjustably receiving the strap.

  Referring more specifically to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a buckle 106 that includes a body member 128 and a buckle fastener member 110 is shown. The body 128 includes a first body portion 128a, a second body portion 128b, a reinforcing side wall portion 128e, and a foot portion 128f extending in the same direction as the second body portion 128b from the end of the first body portion 128a. including. In the illustrated embodiment, the foot portion 128f extends outwardly at an angle of about 90 degrees from the end of the first body portion 128a, opposite the second body portion 128b, so that An overhang is formed that can be used to support the article before it is secured or bundled by the strap. The foot portion 128f includes an opening 136 that is used to secure the strap to the buckle 106. That is, the strap is fixed to the foot portion 128 f through the opening 136.

  Referring to FIG. 6, the fixation device 102 attached to the attachment surface 50 is shown. The fixation device 102 includes a bracket or buckle 106 and a strap 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the first body portion 128a and the second body portion 128b form an angle α that may be in the range of 0 to about 170 degrees. That is, when the securing device 102 is attached to the mounting surface 50 and the first body portion 128a is snugly attached to the mounting surface 50, the second body portion 128b operates the strap 104 to buckle fastener 110. It extends outward so as to be away from the mounting surface so that a sufficient space is secured to be able to be fixed to the mounting surface. It has been discovered that holding strength can be increased by making angle α smaller. Therefore, it is desirable that the angle α is less than 135 degrees, less than 90 degrees, or less than 45 degrees. Further, when the strap 104 is secured to the buckle 106 by the buckle fastener 110 by placing the strap 104 in the slot 130 and attaching the strap fastener 108 to the buckle fastener 110, the strap 104 and the first body. The portion 128a forms an angle β of about 0 degrees to about 135 degrees.

  The buckle 106 may be, for example, an adhesive, a hot melt adhesive, a permanent pressure sensitive adhesive tape, or a stretch removable adhesive tape (such as a Command adhesive strip available from 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.). May be attached to the mounting surface 50 in a conventional manner. Alternatively, the buckle 106 may be secured to the mounting surface 50 using an opening 52 provided in the first body portion 128 by using a mechanical fastener 54 such as a hook or screw.

  In each of the embodiments described herein, the length of the strap 4 is as long as it achieves the desired function of being able to bundle or secure one or more articles for a particular end use. Is not important to the present invention. The length of the strap 4 may be, for example, at least about 8 inches, at least about 12 inches, or at least about 16 inches. Furthermore, the material used to form the strap 4 is not critical to the present invention so long as it achieves the desired properties (such as strength and / or flexibility) for a particular end use. Suitable materials include, for example, cotton, nylon, polypropylene, polyester, and combinations thereof.

  According to the advantages of the embodiments described herein, the second major surface 14 of the strap 4 may be substantially free of fastener elements. That is, in contrast to known straps that require interlocking fasteners on substantially the entire opposite surfaces of the strap to allow the desired degree of retention strength and adjustment function, The embodiments described herein can include fasteners on only one major surface of the strap. That is, one main surface of the strap may be substantially free of fasteners. Rather than providing a second (ie, paired) fastener on the opposite major surface of the strap, a second (ie, paired) fastener is provided on the buckle. Further, the surface area of the buckle covered by the fastener is significantly less than the surface area of the fastener provided on the strap. Surprisingly, a second (ie, paired) fastener or fastening element is provided only on the buckle so that the surface area of the buckle covered by the fastener is significantly greater than the surface area of the strap covered by the fastener It has been discovered that even in small cases, full adjustment capability and strong retention can be maintained. Another advantage of providing a fastening element that mates with the buckle is that significantly less fasteners are required to form the fasteners or mating surfaces and, as a result, are used to make the fastening device The overall cost of raw materials is reduced. It should be appreciated that the second major surface 22 of the buckle 6 may be substantially free of fastening elements.

  Depending on the desired degree of adjustment function, the strap fastener 8 may be provided only on the portion of the first major surface 12 of the strap 4 or, if maximum adjustment function is required, the strap fastener 8 may be provided. One main surface 12 may be provided on substantially the entire surface.

  Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made to the invention described above without departing from the inventive concept. For example, in one aspect, it should be recognized that a strap is useful for forming a fixation device, but is not an essential element of the present invention. That is, the buckle according to the present invention may be initially prepared without a strap, or a strap having various properties or characteristics (eg, various lengths, colors, or strengths) may be separately prepared. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be limited to the structures described herein, but only by the structures described by the language of the claims and the equivalents of such structures.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2,102 ... Fixing device 4, 104 ... Strap, 6, 106 ... Buckle, 8, 108 ... Strap fastener, 10, 110 ... Buckle fastener, 12 ... First main surface of strap, 14 ... Strap first 2, 16 ... first end of the strap, 18 ... second end of the strap, 20 ... first main surface of the buckle, 22 ... second main surface of the buckle, 24 ... first of the buckle 1 end, 26 ... second end of buckle, 28, 128 ... main body, 28a ... first part, 28b ... second part, 28c ... neck part, 28d ... reinforcing rib part, 30, 130 ... Slot, 30a ... mouth, 32 ... first side, 34 ... second side, 36, 52, 136 ... opening, 38 ... stitching, 50 ... mounting surface, 54 ... mechanical fastener, 128a ... The first body part of the buckle, 128b ... Second body portion of the cycle, 128e ... reinforced sidewall portion, 128f ... foot portion.

Claims (4)

(A) A strap having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to each other, and a first end and a second end, wherein the first main surface and the second main surface A strap, wherein at least one of the surfaces includes a fastener;
(B) A buckle attached to the strap, the buckle fastener including a body including an opening for receiving the strap, the buckle fastener configured to re-engage with the fastener of the strap. A fixing device comprising a buckle including   The body includes a first body portion and a second body portion spaced from the first body portion, whereby an opening is provided between the first body portion and the second body portion. The fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing device is formed.   The fixation device of claim 2, wherein the first body portion and the second body portion of the buckle are generally coplanar.   The fixing device according to claim 2, wherein the second main body portion is disposed obliquely with respect to the first main body portion.

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