US20130067703A1

US20130067703A1 - Safety Connector Assembly for a Lanyard

Info

Publication number: US20130067703A1
Application number: US13/236,747
Authority: US
Inventors: Ming-Hung Chen
Original assignee: Yumark Enterprises Corp
Current assignee: Yumark Enterprises Corp
Priority date: 2011-09-20
Filing date: 2011-09-20
Publication date: 2013-03-21

Abstract

A safety connector assembly for a lanyard having a first end portion and a second end portion includes a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion. The first connecting portion included a first surface, a second surface, an accommodating space, and a ring protrusion. The first surface is connected to the first end portion. The accommodating space is on the second surface. The ring protrusion extends from the accommodating space. The second connecting portion includes a third surface, a fourth surface, and a protruding portion. The third surface is connected to the second end portion. The protruding portion includes a protrusion and extends from the fourth surface. The protrusion is spaced apart from the fourth surface to form a space therebetween. When the first connecting portion interconnects with the second connecting portion, the protruding portion extends into the accommodating space and the ring protrusion abuts against the protrusion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety connector assembly, more particularly to a safety connector assembly adapted for a lanyard, which is separable especially when a greater external force is applied thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional lanyard can be hung around the neck, and small objects, such as keys, ID badges, whistles, and so on, are easily attached to the lanyard. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional lanyard. The conventional lanyard includes a cord 10, a connector 11, a fixing member 12, and an adjusting member 13. The cord 10 can extend through the connector 11 to form a loop. The fixing member 12 can be used for fixing end portions of the coed 10 and can be adjusted to avoid the slide of the connector 11. The adjusting member 13 can be used for adjusting the size of the loop in order to suit a user's needs.
When the lanyard is in use, a user only needs to adjust the location of the adjusting member 13, such that the lanyard can be worn around the neck. The lanyard is adjustable to increase or decrease neck size. The connector 11, the cord 10 extends therethrough, can abut against an ID badge 14, ID card, or something.
Therefore, although the conventional lanyard is convenient to use at all time and is used widely by users, there may be a hidden crisis and potential damage in practice. The conventional lanyard is worn around the neck and is exposed outside the human body, which easily causes strangling injury. For instance, the ID badge 14 in a workplace may be drawn to dangerous machinery (such as large industrial cutting/slicing machines), or a whistle in traffic control or during a game may be easily hung around a motorbike rear-view mirror, a branch, and so on, which causes choking or other injuries from falling or even death. Thus, how to deal with the aforesaid situations has become an essential issue to resolve.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a safety connector assembly, which has a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion that can be separated immediately from each other, especially when a greater external force is applied thereto, to improve safety.
Accordingly, a safety connector assembly for a lanyard having a first end portion and a second end portion comprises a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion.
The first connecting portion included a first surface, a second surface, an accommodating space, and a ring protrusion. The first surface is connected to the first end portion. The accommodating space is on the second surface. The ring protrusion extends from the accommodating space.
The second connecting portion includes a third surface, a fourth surface, and a protruding portion. The third surface is connected to the second end portion. The protruding portion includes a protrusion and extends from the fourth surface. The protrusion is spaced apart from the fourth surface to form a space therebetween.
When the first connecting portion interconnects with the second connecting portion, the protruding portion extends into the accommodating space and the ring protrusion abuts against the protrusion and is received by the space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional lanyard;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a safety connector assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the safety connector assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded sectional view of the safety connector assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the safety connector assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5, a preferred embodiment of a safety connector assembly of the present invention is adapted for a lanyard 2. The lanyard 2 has a first end portion 21 and a second end portion 22 that may be cord structures and can extend through components to be twisted.
The safety connector assembly includes a first connecting portion 3 and a second connecting portion 4. In order to suit the shape, design, and use of the lanyard 2, the first connecting portion 3 is in the form of hemisphere and so is the second connecting portion 4. The first connecting portion 3 and the second connecting portion 4 can be connected to each other to form a sphere. The first connecting portion 3 includes a first surface 31, a second surface 32, an accommodating space 33, and a ring protrusion 34. The first surface 31 has a first ear portion 35 having a first through hole 36. The first ear portion 35 and the first connecting portion 3 can be designed as a unibody construction. The first end portion 21 extends through the first through hole 36 and is fixed via a first fixing element 24 so as to connect with the first connecting portion 3, such that the first surface 31 is connected to the first end portion 21. The accommodating space 33 is on the second surface 32. The ring protrusion 34 is in the form of ring adjacent to the second surface 32 and extends from the accommodating space 33.
The second connecting portion 4 includes a third surface 41, a fourth surface 42, and a protruding portion 43. The third surface 41 has a second ear portion 45 having a second through hole 46. The second ear portion 45 and the second connecting portion 4 can be designed as a unibody construction. The second end portion 22 extends through the second through hole 46 and is fixed via a second fixing element 25 so as to connect with the second connecting portion 4, such that the third surface 41 is connected to the second end portion 22. The protruding portion 43 includes a protrusion 44 and extends from the fourth surface 42. The protrusion 44 is spaced apart from the fourth surface 42 to form a space S therebetween. In this preferred embodiment, the protruding portion 43 is a hollow structure and includes a first protruding body 431, a second protruding body 432, and a groove 433. The groove 433 is disposed between the first protruding body 431 and the second protruding body 432.
When the first connecting portion 3 interconnects with the second connecting portion 4, the protruding portion 43 extends into the accommodating space 33 and the ring protrusion 34 abuts against the protrusion 44. The protrusion 44 is pressed, such that the first protruding body 431 and the second protruding body 432 are bent toward the groove 433 and then the ring protrusion 34 is received by the space S. So, when the first connecting portion 3 interconnects with the second connecting portion 4, the second surface 32 abuts against the fourth surface 42. On the other hand, when the lanyard 2 is pulled by an external force, the ring protrusion 34 abuts against the protrusion 44. The protrusion 44 is pressed again, such that the first protruding body 431 and the second protruding body 432 are bent toward the groove 433 and then the ring protrusion 34 can be pulled out of the space S, which separates the ring protrusion 34 from the protrusion 44. Therefore, even although the lanyard 2 of the present invention is used in traffic control, in a workplace, or in a game, and is drawn to dangerous machinery (such as large industrial cutting/slicing machines) or is hung around a motorbike rear-view mirror, a branch, and so on, the first connecting portion 3 and the second connecting portion 4 can be separated immediately from each other, which is apart from the human body. So, the safety connector assembly of the lanyard 2 of the present invention can prevent choking-related injury or other hazards.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A safety connector assembly for a lanyard having a first end portion and a second end portion, the safety connector assembly comprising:

a first connecting portion including a first surface, a second surface, an accommodating space, and a ring protrusion, the first surface being connected to the first end portion, the accommodating space being on the second surface, the ring protrusion extending from the accommodating space; and

a second connecting portion including a third surface, a fourth surface, and a protruding portion, the third surface being connected to the second end portion, the protruding portion including a protrusion and extending from the fourth surface, the protrusion being spaced apart from the fourth surface to form a space therebetween;

wherein when the first connecting portion interconnects with the second connecting portion, the protruding portion extends into the accommodating space and the ring protrusion abuts against the protrusion and can be received by the space.

2. The safety connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protruding portion is a hollow structure and includes a first protruding body, a second protruding body, and a groove, the groove being disposed between the first protruding body and the second protruding body.

3. The safety connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first surface has a first ear portion having a first through hole, and the first end portion extends through the first through hole so as to connect with the first connecting portion.

4. The safety connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third surface has a second ear portion having a second through hole, and the second end portion extends through the second through hole so as to connect with the second connecting portion.

5. The safety connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, when the first connecting portion interconnects with the second connecting portion, the second surface abuts against the fourth surface.

6. The safety connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first connecting portion is in the form of hemisphere.

7. The safety connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second connecting portion is in the form of hemisphere.