Alarm Free Fasteners for Security Screening

[0013]FIG. 1 is a top view of a fastener 2 according to a first possible embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the fastener 2 shown in FIG. 1. The fastener 2 comprises a mouldable non-metallic belt guide 4, a mouldable non-metallic belt retainer that 6 and a mouldable non-metallic hinge pin 8 that fastens the belt retainer 6 to the belt guide 4. The belt guide 4 has an aperture 10 suitable for attaching one end of a belt (not shown). The belt guide 4 receives the free end of the belt and the belt retainer 6 engages at least one mating aperture in the free end of the belt.

[0014]FIG. 3 is a top view of a fastener 12 according to a second possible embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is a side view of the fastener 12 shown in FIG. 3. The fastener 12 comprises a mouldable non-metallic belt guide 14, a mouldable non-metallic belt retainer 16 and a mouldable non-metallic hinge pin 18 that fastens the belt retainer 16 to the belt guide 14. The belt guide 14 has an aperture 16 suitable for attaching one end of a belt (not shown). The belt guide 14 receives the free end of the belt and the belt retainer 16 engages the free end of the belt.

[0015]The mouldable non-metallic material used in the hereinbefore described fasteners 2 and 12 may comprise a mouldable composite material or mouldable plastic material. The composite material preferably comprises a polyimide resin matrix with carbon fibre reinforcement. Such a carbon composite material is very durable and strong. Other embodiments of the invention that comprise other belt fastener configurations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The components of the fasteners 2 and 12, as well as other embodiments of the invention, may comprise single piece or multiple piece construction.

[0016]For strength, the hereinbefore described carbon composite material may comprise an aligned pattern of layered carbon fibre cloth or a random pattern of carbon fibres. FIG. 5 is a top view of the fastener 12 according to the second possible embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 comprising a random pattern of carbon fibre reinforcement 20. FIG. 6 is a top view of the fastener 12 according to the second possible embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 comprising an aligned pattern of layered carbon fibre cloth reinforcement 22.

[0017]The described embodiment of the invention is only an illustrative implementation of the invention wherein changes and substitutions of the various parts and arrangement thereof are within the scope of the invention as set forth in the attached claims.