Attachment for retractable sling

Abstract

The application provides a sling accessory for storing a sling. The sling accessory is provided with a shell; means for releasably storing the sling in the housing, such as a rotatable reel; a guide at the proximal end of the housing to guide the strap into the housing; and a retainer at the distal end from which the object is suspended. A retractable sling is also provided in which a cord or sling is stored in a wound configuration within a housing. The present application also provides a system for releasably storing a sling in a sling attachment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of lanyards and wearable accessories for carrying items. More particularly, the present invention relates to an attachment for a retractable lanyard. Background Art

[0002] Lanyards have long been used to support accessories and various items while allowing the wearer's hands to move freely. Generally speaking, a lanyard is a rope or strap worn around the neck, shoulder or wrist to carry keys, identification cards, phones, watches, cameras, tickets, flash drives, or other various items. Most lanyards have a loop of material with a fastener at one end that is attached to the aforementioned accessories. In addition, the type of fastener often varies depending on the specific lanyard design or the item you want to hold. For example, commonly used fasteners include Velcro fasteners, buckles, clasps, snaps, and other fastener variations. Since the function of a lanyard is generally to securely hold an item, it would be desirable for those of ordinary skill in the art to provide an improved lanyard and fastening mechanism that more securely connects accessories to the lanyard.

[0003] Velcro fasteners and loop fasteners are usually incorporated into the fastening mechanism for keeping articles, including in lanyards. For example, the U.S. Patent No. 2008 / 0203127 specifically describes a lanyard supported with a series of fasteners, one of which is a Velcro.RTM. Velcro fastener. This Velcro fastener can be used to support accessory items, such as but not limited to pacifiers, timers, safety whistles or rest whistles, watches, lip balm, pens, identity documents, fishing / sports / hunting licenses, ski lift tickets, thumb drives, flashlights, mountaineering buckles, wraparound fishing rods / fly fishing rods and bells for stabilizing rods / rods when tying new baits / flies. Another design integrates Velcro fasteners into baby bibs to support pacifiers, as shown in U.S. Design Patent D300,281.

[0004] In both cases mentioned above, the distal end of the strip of material is folded back on itself before being attached to the proximal end of the material, wherein the distal or proximal end has a "hook" portion of a fastener which cooperates with a "loop" portion of the fastener on the opposite end. Thus, the hooks in the hook portion catch the loops of the loop portion, and the distal and proximal ends of the material are thus joined together until they are separated by peeling the ends apart. When attached, an article is helped between the two ends of the fabric and is thus supported.

[0005] Due to the shortcomings of the prior art lanyards, there is still a need for an improved lanyard. The present invention satisfies this need and desire in the art. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention relates to a lanyard accessory. The lanyard accessory has a housing having a front portion and a rear portion, and a device for releasably storing a lanyard is provided in the housing. A guide is formed across the proximal ends of the front portion and the rear portion to guide the lanyard into the housing, and a holder is provided at the distal end of the housing, and an object is detachably suspended from the holder.

[0007] The present invention also relates to a retractable lanyard. The retractable lanyard has a housing having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being provided with a lanyard guide and extending into the housing, and the distal end being provided with a hook and clip assembly. A rotatable reel is disposed within the housing, and the rotatable reel has a first cavity, a second cavity, and a lanyard connecting rod, the first cavity being formed with a first external flange edge, the second cavity having a second external flange edge formed opposite the first cavity, and the lanyard connecting rod being fastened between the first flange edge and the second flange edge of the reel. A manually controllable button assembly is disposed on the outer surface of the housing and extends through a hole therein into the first cavity of the rotatable reel and is in operative contact therewith, and a torsion spring is disposed in the second cavity of the rotatable reel and is in operative contact therewith. A cord is looped over the lanyard guide and enters the housing so that each end of the cord is secured to the lanyard connecting rod and is retracted in a wound configuration.

[0008] The present invention also relates to a system for releasably storing a lanyard. The system has a housing having a rotatable reel housed therein, the housing being configured to releasably store the lanyard in a wound configuration, and a release button disposed through a hole in the housing to operably contact the rotatable reel to manually control the retraction or release of the lanyard. The housing has a lanyard guide formed at a proximal end of the housing and extending into the housing, and a hook-clip assembly formed at a distal end of the housing to suspend an object.

[0009] Other and further aspects, features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention which are given for the purpose of disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] In order to obtain and understand in detail the above features, advantages and purposes of the present invention and other contents that will become clear, the above summary of the invention shows a more specific description and certain embodiments of the present invention in the accompanying drawings. These drawings constitute a part of the specification. However, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings show preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof.

[0011] Figure 1 A lanyard attachment is shown.

[0012] Figure 2A-2C is a cross-sectional view of the lanyard attachment. Figure 2A Various elements of the lanyard accessory are shown when the lanyard is stored in the accessory. Figure 2B Various elements of the lanyard attachment are shown as the lanyard can be extended from or retracted into the lanyard attachment. Figure 2C yes Figure 2A A magnified view of a portion.

[0013] Figure 3A-3C The reel and lanyard are shown. Figure 3A The reel is shown without the lanyard. Figure 3B The lanyard is shown in an extended configuration attached to the reel. Figure 3C The lanyard is shown wound on a reel.

[0014] Figure 4 An exploded view of the lanyard attachment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] As used herein, the terms "a" or "an" when used in conjunction with the term "comprising" in the claims and / or the specification may mean "one", but also conform to the meanings of "one or more", "at least one", and "one or more". Some embodiments of the present invention may consist of or consist essentially of one or more elements, method steps, and / or methods of the present invention. It is contemplated that any method described herein may be implemented with respect to any other method described herein.

[0016] As used herein, the term "or" in the claims is used to mean "and / or" unless explicitly stated to refer to only alternatives or the alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the present disclosure supports a definition referring to only alternatives and "and / or."

[0017] As used herein, "comprise" and variations thereof, such as "comprising" and "consisting of," will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated article, element, or step, or group of articles, elements, or steps, but not the exclusion of any other article, element, step, or group of articles, elements, or steps, unless the context requires otherwise. Similarly, "another" or "others" may mean at least a second or more identical or different claim elements or components thereof.

[0018] As used herein, the terms "proximal" and "distal" with respect to the housings disclosed herein refer to components, features, parts and aspects that are closer or nearest or farther or farthest from the position where the lanyard is retracted or extended from the housing.

[0019] As used herein, the terms "front" and "rear" with respect to the lanyard attachment, retractable lanyard, or system for releasably storing a lanyard disclosed herein refer to any component, part, portion, or surface that is closer or nearest or farther or farthest from a hole in the lanyard attachment.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, a lanyard accessory is provided, comprising: a housing having a front portion and a rear portion; a means for releasably storing a lanyard within the housing; a guide formed across the proximal ends of both the front portion and the rear portion to guide the lanyard into the housing; and a retainer disposed at a distal end of the housing, from which an object is removably suspended. In this embodiment, the housing, the releasable storage means, the guide, and the retainer may independently comprise a polymer material, a composite material, a metal or a metal alloy, or a combination thereof.

[0021] In this embodiment, the means for releasably storing the lanyard may include a rotatable reel disposed within the housing, the reel releasably storing the lanyard in a wound configuration; and a manually controllable release assembly disposed through an aperture in the front portion of the housing and in operative contact with the reel. In one aspect, the rotatable reel may include a first cavity having a first outer flange edge formed thereon, the first cavity communicating with the aperture in the front portion and containing a manually controllable button assembly therein; a second cavity having a second outer flange edge formed thereon opposite the first cavity and containing a torsion spring therein in operative contact with the reel; and a connecting rod secured between the first outer flange edge and the second outer flange edge of the reel, to which both ends of the lanyard are connected.

[0022] In addition, in this embodiment, the manually controllable release assembly may include a first plate, the first plate having an opening, the first plate being connected to the hole through the opening; a front surface fixed to the inner surface of the front part of the shell and a rear surface having a plurality of first teeth, the plurality of first teeth depending downward from the rear surface into the first cavity of the reel; a second plate, the second plate being arranged in the first cavity, a button being formed on its front surface, the button extending outward through the opening in the first plate and the hole on the shell, and a plurality of second teeth, the plurality of second teeth depending upward and engaging with the plurality of first teeth when the button extends out of the hole to prevent the reel from rotating; and a compression spring arranged in the first cavity, the compression spring being operably contacted with the rear surface of the second plate and the bottom surface of the first cavity, so that when the button is manually pressed, the second plate disengages from the first plate and compresses the spring, thereby rotating the reel to enable the release or retraction of the lanyard.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the guide may include a stopper extending outwardly from the proximal end of the housing and a pair of openings into the housing, the pair of openings being arranged in parallel along both sides of the guide and having a size sufficient to accommodate the hanging strap therethrough.

[0024] In addition, in this embodiment, the retainer may include a hook-clip combination disposed at the distal end of the housing. In one aspect of this embodiment, the hook-clip combination may include an inverted J-shaped hook formed by the distal end of the rear portion of the housing, and a depressible clip movably connected to the distal end of the front portion of the housing and movably contacting the inverted J-shaped hook. In this embodiment, the object may be a badge, identification, key, whistle, writing instrument, USB flash drive, or flashlight.

[0025] In another embodiment of the present invention, a retractable lanyard is provided, comprising a housing, the housing comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being provided with a lanyard guide and extending into the housing, the distal end being provided with a hook and clip assembly; a rotatable reel disposed within the housing, the reel comprising a first cavity, a first external flange edge formed thereon, a second cavity, a second external flange edge formed thereon opposite the first cavity, and a lanyard connecting rod fastened between the first flange edge and the second flange edge of the reel; a manually controllable button assembly disposed on an outer surface of the housing and extending through a hole therein into the first cavity of the rotatable reel and in operative contact therewith; a torsion spring disposed within the second cavity of the rotatable reel and in operative contact therewith; and a cord wrapped around the lanyard guide and entering the housing so that each end of the cord is secured to the lanyard connecting rod and retracted in a wound configuration. In this embodiment, the housing, the reel, and the manually controllable release button may independently comprise a polymer material, a composite material, a metal or a metal alloy, or a combination thereof.

[0026] In this embodiment, the strap guide may include a stopper extending outward from the proximal end of the housing, the rope looped around the stopper, and a pair of slots formed in the housing and arranged in parallel along both sides of the stopper, one of the pair of slots receiving one end of the rope passing therethrough. In addition, the hook-clip combination may include an inverted J-shaped hook formed by the distal end of the housing for hanging an object, and a pressable clip movably connected to the distal end of the housing and movably contacting the inverted J-shaped hook to detachably fix the object thereon. In particular, the object may be a badge, an identification card, a key, a whistle, a writing instrument, a USB flash drive, or a flashlight.

[0027] In this embodiment, the manually controllable button assembly may include a first plate, the first plate having an opening, the first plate being connected to the hole through the opening; a front surface fixed to the inner surface of the front part of the shell and a rear surface having a plurality of first teeth, the plurality of first teeth depending downward from the rear surface into the first cavity of the reel; a second plate, the second plate being arranged in the first cavity, a button being formed on its front surface, the button extending outward through the opening in the first plate and the hole on the shell, and a plurality of second teeth, the plurality of second teeth depending upward and engaging with the plurality of first teeth when the button extends out of the hole to prevent the rotatable reel from rotating; and a compression spring arranged in the first cavity, the compression spring being operably contacted with the rear surface of the second plate and the bottom surface of the first cavity, so that when the button is manually pressed, the second plate disengages from the first plate and compresses the spring, thereby rotating the reel to enable the rope to be released or retracted.

[0028] In another embodiment of the present invention, a system for releasably storing a lanyard is provided, the system comprising a shell and a release button, the shell having a rotatable reel accommodated therein and configured to releasably store a wound-up lanyard; the release button is arranged through a hole thereon to be in operative contact with the rotatable reel to manually control the retraction or release of the lanyard, wherein the shell comprises a lanyard guide formed at a proximal end of the shell and passing into the shell, and a hook and clip combination formed at a distal end of the shell for hanging an object.

[0029] In this embodiment, the rotatable reel may include a first plate in a first cavity formed therein, the first plate being connected to the inner surface of the housing so that an opening through the first plate communicates with a hole in the housing and a plurality of first teeth disposed thereon; a second plate having a button disposed thereon, the second plate extending through the opening in the first plate and the hole in the housing and including a plurality of second teeth disposed thereon and engaging with the plurality of first teeth; and a compression spring in operable contact with the second plate and the bottom surface of the first cavity so that when the button is manually pressed, the second plate disengages from the first plate and compresses the spring, thereby allowing the reel to rotate freely. In addition, the rotatable reel may include a torsion spring in operable contact with a second cavity formed opposite the first cavity so that the lanyard can be released or retracted when the button is pressed. In addition, the rotatable reel may include a pair of external flange edges formed around the edges of the first cavity and the second cavity, and a lanyard connecting rod fastened therebetween, to which both ends of the lanyard are connected.

[0030] In this embodiment, the strap guide may include a stopper extending outward from the proximal end of the housing and a pair of openings into the housing, the pair of openings being arranged in parallel along both sides of the guide and having a size sufficient to accommodate the strap passing therethrough. In addition, the hook-clip combination may include an inverted J-shaped hook formed from the distal end of the rear of the housing; and a depressible clip movably connected to the distal end of the front of the housing and movably contacting the inverted J-shaped hook. In addition, the object may be a badge, an identification, a key, a whistle, a writing instrument, a USB flash drive, or a flashlight.

[0031] The devices and systems provided herein have a device for retracting the lanyard and a device for hanging an object when the user wears the lanyard. For example, the device can be a lanyard attachment or a retractable lanyard system having a housing, the housing containing a device for releasably storing the lanyard, for example, a reel or a rotatable reel, and the two ends of the lanyard are connected to the reel or the rotatable reel. Therefore, the lanyard can be releasably wound or coiled on the outer surface of the reel. The housing and all components, parts or surfaces formed thereon or contained therein can be independently composed of, made of or manufactured by polymer materials, composite materials, metals or metal alloys or combinations thereof well known in the art, but are not limited thereto.

[0032] The housing may have any geometric shape, accommodating a guide or strap guide at the proximal end of the geometry and a retainer or hook-clip combination at its distal end. Typically, the housing has a front portion or anterior surface and a rear portion or a posterior surface opposite the front portion, the front portion or anterior surface having a hole or an opening therethrough into the housing, the hole or an opening being positioned to be in operative communication with the rotatable reel. When worn by a user, the front portion faces outward and the rear portion rests against the user.

[0033] The housing has a guide or lanyard guide including a stopper or lanyard stopper extending away from the housing, and slots, such as a pair of slots, disposed on either side of the stopper and opening into the housing. The diameter of each slot is sufficient to accommodate the width of the lanyard or cord so that the lanyard or cord can be easily and smoothly retracted into the housing and pulled out of the housing. The stopper is sized and extends a distance from the proximal end of the housing so that a user can easily grasp the looped end of the lanyard or cord and pull it out of the housing to a desired length, preventing it from being retracted into the housing through the guide.

[0034] The rotatable reel has a pair of cavities, such as a first cavity (or front cavity) and a second cavity (or rear cavity), which are formed relatively within the reel and, in an operable combination, contain means for rotating or preventing the reel from rotating. The rotatable reel also includes a rod disposed between a pair of flanges, such as a first outer flange edge formed on the first cavity and a second outer flange edge formed on the second cavity. The rod or lanyard connecting rod is fixed, fastened or connected to each of the pair of flanges by its ends. Both ends of the lanyard or rope are fixed around the rod so that the lanyard or rope can be wound or wrapped around the reel during retrieval.

[0035] The first cavity contains a manually controllable release assembly or a manually controllable button assembly, which, when engaged, prevents a torsion spring disposed in the second cavity and in operative contact with the inner surface of the reel from expanding or compressing during rotation of the reel. The manually controllable release assembly includes a pair of mutually engageable toothed plates; a button disposed on one of the plates, the button extending through an opening formed in the other plate and extending through the hole to the outside of the front of the housing; and a compression spring disposed between the pair of plates and the bottom surface of the first cavity.

[0036] In particular, the first plate of the pair of plates has an opening communicating with the hole and a plurality of teeth arranged around the opening. The first plate is fixed to the inner surface of the front of the housing. The second plate has a button formed by its surface and a plurality of teeth arranged around the button, and the plurality of teeth on the second plate can be engaged with the plurality of teeth on the first plate. The second plate is in compressible contact with the compression spring. When the teeth on the pair of plates are engaged, the reel is fixed in place and cannot rotate. During operation, when the button is manually pressed, the second plate moves away from the first plate, and the compression spring is compressed so that the reel can rotate. When the button is released, the compression spring moves the second plate back to contact with the first plate, so that the teeth re-engage with the teeth on the first plate, and the reel stops rotating. The combination of engaging and releasing the button enables the user to adjust the lanyard to the desired length. Positioning the button on the front of the housing and positioning the hook clip combination on the distal end of the housing enables the user to easily and smoothly adjust the lanyard and / or hang the object on the holder without accidentally retracting the lanyard.

[0037] The housing has a retainer, such as a hook-clip combination, formed from the distal end of the housing. The hook may be an inverted J-shaped hook formed from the rear of the housing, wherein an arm across the top of the J-shaped hook provides a surface from which an object may be hung. The clip may be a spring clip, or the clip may be formed such that when the arm is secured within the distal end of the front of the housing, the crossbar is positioned below the descender or tail of the J-shaped hook. This arrangement secures the object until the clip is manually pushed down and away from the J-shaped hook. This may prevent the object from being lost while the lanyard is being worn or when the accessory is operated to retract the lanyard or cord into the housing. The object may be, but is not limited to, a badge or other identification, a key, a whistle, a writing instrument, a USB flash drive, or a flashlight.

[0038] In particular, embodiments of the present invention are better explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, however, such reference is not meant to limit the present invention in any way. The embodiments and variations described in detail herein are to be interpreted by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0039] Figure 1 A lanyard attachment 1 is shown. The housing 2 comprises a front portion 2a and a rear portion 2b. A button 3 is disposed through a hole 4 in the front portion of the housing. An object holder 6 is formed by a combination of an inverted J-shaped hook 7 and a clip 8 disposed at a distal end 5a of the housing. The clip ends 8a, 8b (see Figure 4 ) is inserted into the front of the housing at 2c, 2d on the distal edge 2e and fixed therein so that the crossbar 8c on the clip (see Figure 4 ) is located below the tail or descending portion 7a of the inverted J-shaped hook and remains there until it is manually depressed. The guide member 9 includes a stopper 10 extending outwardly from the proximal end 5b of the housing and a pair of slots 10a, 10b or openings arranged in parallel along both sides of the stopper (see Figure 4 ), during the retraction and extension of the hanging belt, the hanging belt enters and leaves the housing through the grooves 10a, 10b or openings respectively.

[0040] Continue to refer Figure 1 , Figure 2A 1 is a cross-sectional view of the lanyard attachment 1. A rotatable reel 11 (see FIG. Figure 3B-Figure 3C ) is arranged in the housing. The reel has a first cavity 11a and a second cavity 11c. The first cavity 11a has a first external flange edge 11b. The second cavity 11c is formed opposite to the first cavity. The second cavity 11c has a second external flange edge 11d. The torsion spring 13 is arranged in the second cavity and is wound on the forks 12a and 12b. The forks 12a and 12b are connected to the inner surface 2g of the rear part through the base 12c. The inner end 13a of the torsion spring is fixed to the fork 12a, and the outer end 13b is fixed to the reel through a pair of openings 11e and 11f (see Figure 2C ).

[0041] The manually controllable button assembly is disposed in the first cavity. The assembly comprises a first plate 14 fixed to the inner surface 2f of the front of the housing so that a central opening 14a through the first plate is aligned with a hole 4 (see Figure 1 ) are aligned and connected. A plurality of first teeth 14b are provided on the rear surface of the first plate, extending downward into the first cavity. The second plate 15 is provided in the first cavity and has a button 3 formed on its front surface to extend through the central opening on the first plate and into the hole in the front of the housing. A plurality of second teeth 15b are formed on the front surface of the second plate around the button, so that when the button extends from the hole to a depressible position, the plurality of first teeth and the plurality of second teeth engage, thereby locking the reel in place and preventing it from rotating. A compression spring 16 is provided between the second plate and the bottom 11e of the first cavity in the reel, and keeps the second plate engaged with the first plate until the button is depressed.

[0042] Continue to refer Figure 2A , Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of the lanyard attachment 1, wherein the button 3 is depressed to disengage the plurality of second teeth 15b from the plurality of first teeth 14b and compress the compression spring 16 so that the reel 11 is free to rotate as long as the button remains depressed. This enables the lanyard to be retracted or released.

[0043] Continue to refer Figure 2A-2B , Figure 2C FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of the second cavity 11c in the reel, showing the torsion spring 13 wound on the forks 12a, 12b supported by the base 12c and fixed to the inner surface 2g of the rear of the housing. The inner end 13a of the torsion spring is connected to the fork 12a and the outer end 13b of the torsion spring is connected to the openings 11e, 11f on the reel (see FIG. 1). Figure 3A ) is clearer.

[0044] Figure 3A The reel 11 is shown. A rod 11g is fixed at one end to the first outer flange edge 11b and at the other end to the second outer flange edge 11d of the reel, and the two ends of the hanging strap are fixed around the rod 11g (see Figure 3B ). As shown in the figure, the openings 11e, 11f to which the outer ends of the torsion spring are fixed extend to the outer surface of the winding shaft.

[0045] Continue to refer Figure 3A , Figure 3B The strap 17 is shown in an extended configuration. The ends 17a and 17b of the strap are wrapped around the rod 11g and secured to form a seam 18.

[0046] Continue to refer Figure 3A and Figure 3B , Figure 3C The retracted lanyard 17 is shown in a wound configuration around the reel 11 .

[0047] Continue to refer Figure 1 , Figure 2A-2C and Figure 3A , Figure 4 is an exploded view of the lanyard attachment 1. The alignment of the first plate 14, the second plate 15 (including the button 3), the compression spring 16 (including the manually controllable button assembly), and the torsion spring 13 with the hole 4 and the reel 11 disposed in the front 2a and rear 2b of the housing enables the lanyard 17 to be retracted, stored, and extended. The lanyard 17 is fixed to the rod 11g on the reel. The lanyard leaves the housing via the slots 10a and 10b disposed along the sides of the stopper 10. During the retraction and extension process, the stopper and the pair of slots guide the lanyard into and out of the housing, respectively. The clip ends 8a, 8b and the crossbar 8c of the clip 8 are shown. The clip ends are fixed in the openings 2c, 2d on the edge 2e of the front 2a, which is located below the tail 7a of the inverted J-shaped hook 7.

Claims

1. A lanyard accessory, comprising: a housing having a front portion and a rear portion; means for releasably storing the lanyard within the housing; a guide formed across a proximal end of the front portion and a proximal end of the rear portion to guide the hanging belt into the housing; and A retainer is disposed at the distal end of the housing, and an object is detachably suspended on the retainer.

2. The lanyard accessory according to claim 1, wherein: The device for releasably storing the lanyard comprises: a rotatable reel disposed within the housing and releasably storing the lanyard in a wound configuration; and A manually controllable release assembly is disposed through the aperture on the front of the housing and in operative contact with the spool.

3. The strap accessory according to claim 2, wherein: The rotatable reel comprises: a first cavity having a first outer flange edge formed thereon, the first cavity being in communication with the hole in the front portion and accommodating a manually controllable button assembly in the first cavity; a second cavity having a second outer flange edge formed opposite the first cavity and housing a torsion spring therein in operable contact with the spool; and A connecting rod is fastened between the first outer flange edge and the second outer flange edge of the reel, and both ends of the hanging strap are connected to the connecting rod.

4. The strap accessory according to claim 3, wherein: The manually controllable release assembly comprises: a first plate having an opening, a front surface and a rear surface, the opening passing through the first plate, the opening communicating with the aperture, the front surface being fixed to an inner surface of a front portion of the housing, the rear surface having a plurality of first teeth depending downwardly from the rear surface into a first cavity of the spool; a second plate disposed in the first cavity, a button and a plurality of second teeth formed on a front surface of the second plate, the button extending outward through the opening in the first plate and the hole in the housing, the plurality of second teeth depending upward, and when the button extends out of the hole, the plurality of second teeth mesh with the plurality of first teeth to prevent the reel from rotating; and A compression spring is disposed in the first cavity and is in operably contact with the rear surface of the second plate and the bottom surface of the first cavity, so that when the button is manually pressed, the second plate is disengaged from the first plate and the spring is compressed, thereby rotating the reel to release or retract the lanyard.

5. The lanyard accessory according to claim 1, wherein: The guide member comprises: a stopper extending outwardly from a proximal end of the housing; and A pair of openings leading into the housing are arranged in parallel along both sides of the guide member and are large enough to accommodate the hanging strap passing therethrough.

6. The lanyard accessory according to claim 1, wherein: The retainer includes a hook-clip assembly disposed at a distal end of the housing.

7. The lanyard accessory according to claim 6, wherein: The hook-clip assembly comprises: an inverted J-shaped hook formed from a distal end of a rear portion of the housing; and A pressable clip is movably connected to a distal end of the front portion of the housing and movably contacts the inverted J-shaped hook.

8. The lanyard accessory according to claim 1, wherein: The object is a badge, identification, key, whistle, writing instrument, USB flash drive or flashlight.

9. The lanyard accessory according to claim 1, wherein: The housing, the releasable storage device, the guide and the retainer independently comprise a polymer material, a composite material, a metal or a metal alloy or a combination thereof.

10. A retractable lanyard comprising: A housing, the housing comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being provided with a strap guide and passing into the housing, and the distal end being provided with a hook-clip assembly; a rotatable reel, the rotatable reel being disposed in the housing, the rotatable reel comprising a first cavity, a second cavity and a strap connecting rod, the first cavity being formed with a first external flange edge, the second cavity being provided with a second external flange edge formed opposite to the first cavity, the strap connecting rod being fastened between the first flange edge and the second flange edge of the reel; a manually controllable button assembly disposed on an outer surface of the housing and extending through a hole in the housing into the first cavity of the rotatable reel and in operative contact therewith; a torsion spring disposed within the second cavity of the rotatable spool and in operative contact therewith; and A cord is looped over the strap guide and enters the housing so that each end of the cord is secured to the strap connecting rod and is retracted in a coiled configuration.

11. The retractable lanyard according to claim 10, wherein: The strap guide includes a stopper and a pair of grooves, wherein the stopper extends outward from the proximal end of the shell, the rope is looped around the stopper, the pair of grooves are formed in the shell and arranged in parallel along both sides of the stopper, and one of the pair of grooves receives one end of the rope passing therethrough.

12. The retractable lanyard according to claim 10, wherein: The hook-clip combination includes an inverted J-shaped hook and a pressable clip, wherein the inverted J-shaped hook is formed from the distal end of the shell, the inverted J-shaped hook is used to hang an object, and the pressable clip is movably connected to the distal end of the shell and movably contacts the inverted J-shaped hook to detachably fix the object thereon.

13. The retractable lanyard according to claim 12, wherein: The object is a badge, identification, key, whistle, writing instrument, USB flash drive or flashlight.

14. The retractable lanyard according to claim 10, wherein: The manually controllable button assembly comprises: a first plate having an opening, a front surface and a rear surface, the opening passing through the first plate, the opening communicating with the aperture, the front surface being fixed to an inner surface of a front portion of the housing, the rear surface having a plurality of first teeth depending downwardly from the rear surface into a first cavity of the spool; a second plate disposed in the first cavity, a button and a plurality of second teeth formed on a front surface of the second plate, the button extending outwardly through the opening in the first plate and the hole in the housing, the plurality of second teeth depending upwardly, and when the button extends out of the hole, the plurality of second teeth mesh with the plurality of first teeth to prevent the rotatable reel from rotating; and A compression spring is disposed in the first cavity and is in operative contact with the rear surface of the second plate and the bottom surface of the first cavity, so that when the button is manually pressed, the second plate is disengaged from the first plate and the spring is compressed, thereby rotating the reel to enable the rope to be released or retracted.

15. The retractable lanyard according to claim 10, wherein: The housing, the reel and the manually controllable release button independently comprise a polymer material, a composite material, a metal or a metal alloy or a combination thereof.

16. A system for releasably storing a lanyard, comprising: A shell having a rotatable reel housed therein and configured to releasably store the lanyard in a wound configuration, and a release button, the release button being disposed through a hole on the shell and operably contacting the rotatable reel to manually control the retraction or release of the lanyard, the shell comprising a lanyard guide and a hook-and-clip combination, the lanyard guide being formed at a proximal end of the shell and passing into the shell, the hook-and-clip combination being formed at a distal end of the shell for hanging an object.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein: The rotatable reel includes a first plate in a first cavity formed therein, the first plate being connected to an inner surface of the housing such that an opening through the first plate communicates with an aperture in the housing, the first plate having a plurality of first teeth disposed thereon; a second plate having a button disposed thereon, the button extending through the opening in the first plate and the hole in the housing and including a plurality of second teeth disposed on the second plate and meshing with the plurality of first teeth; and a compression spring in operative contact with the second plate and a bottom surface of the first cavity such that when the button is manually depressed, the second plate disengages from the first plate and compresses the spring, thereby allowing the reel to rotate freely; wherein the rotatable reel includes a torsion spring in operative contact with a second cavity formed opposite to the first cavity, so that the lanyard can be released or retracted when the button is pressed; and The rotatable reel includes a pair of external flange edges and a lanyard connecting rod, wherein the pair of external flange edges are formed around the edges of the first cavity and the second cavity, the lanyard connecting rod is fastened between the edges of the first cavity and the second cavity, and both ends of the lanyard are connected to the lanyard connecting rod.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein: The strap guide comprises: a stopper extending outwardly from a proximal end of the housing; and A pair of openings leading into the housing are arranged in parallel along both sides of the guide member and are large enough to accommodate the hanging strap passing therethrough.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein: The hook-clip assembly comprises: an inverted J-shaped hook formed from a distal end of a rear portion of the housing; and A pressable clip is movably connected to a distal end of the front portion of the housing and movably contacts the inverted J-shaped hook.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein: The object is a badge, identification, key, whistle, writing instrument, USB flash drive or flashlight.

Images