Buckle, garment, and article

Abstract

To make the ejection of a plug from a socket more controlled.SOLUTION: The fitting between a guide projection (5) and a linear path (72) is maintained throughout the entire period in which first and second locked portions (41, 42) slide respectively on first and second guide surfaces (81b, 82b) during an elastic restoration process in which first and second arms (21, 22) return to their original shapes for the ejection of a plug (2) from a socket (3).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to buckles, garments, and articles. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for more simply and smoothly engaging a socket and a plug, in which the socket has a tapered guideway and an axial path continuous with the guideway, and the plug has a guide bar guided by the guideway. Patent Document 2 discloses providing a connecting part that connects the front and back plates of the socket to increase the rigidity of the socket. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4203461 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2013 / 121557 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Unlike the socket of Patent Document 1, the socket of Patent Document 2 is provided with a guide portion (see reference numeral 28 in Figure 3 of Patent Document 2). When a guide portion is provided as in Patent Document 2, there is a risk that the plug may pop out of the socket when the socket and plug are released from each other. The inventors of the present application have focused on this issue and have discovered a new problem: how to more effectively control the plug popping out of the socket. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A buckle according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a plug including first and second arms, each having elasticity sufficient to allow the arms to swing in a plug width direction; and an intermediate arm disposed between the first and second arms in the plug width direction and having higher rigidity than the first and second arms, wherein the first arm has a first operated portion operated for swinging the first arm and a first locked portion located closer to the tip of the first arm than the first operated portion, and the second arm has a second operated portion operated for swinging the second arm and a second locked portion located closer to the tip of the second arm than the second operated portion, and the intermediate arm includes a guide protrusion extending in the same direction as the intermediate arm; and The socket includes a housing that at least partially receives first and second arms, the housing including a front plate, a back plate, and first and second side plates connecting the front and back plates, at least one of the front and back plates having a guide passage formed by cutting out the housing, into which a guide protrusion is introduced, the guide passage including a straight path into which the guide protrusion at least partially fits when the plug and socket are fully connected. The housing has first and second locking portions formed on both sides of the central axis of the straight path to individually lock the first and second locked portions. The first locking portion includes a first locking surface and a first guide surface, and the second locking portion includes a second locking surface and a second guide surface. The first and second guide surfaces are inclined away from each other as they extend along the central axis toward the open end of the guide passage so as to spring the plug away from the socket along the central axis in response to forces applied to the first and second guide surfaces from the first and second locked portions when the first and second arms elastically return to their original shapes during the process of releasing the plug from the socket. The engagement between the guide protrusion and the straight path continues throughout the entire period that the first and second locked portions slide on the first and second guide surfaces, respectively, as the first and second arms elastically return to their original shapes due to the plug springing out of the socket.

[0006] As an alternative to the feature that "the engagement between the guide protrusion and the straight path continues throughout the entire period during which the first and second locked portions slide on the first and second guide surfaces, respectively, in the process of the first and second arms elastically returning to their original shapes in order to eject the plug from the socket," the engagement between the guide protrusion and the straight path can be maintained when the first and second locked portions are adjacent to the front end regions of the first and second guide surfaces, respectively, in the process of the first and second arms elastically returning to their original shapes in order to eject the plug from the socket. Advantageously, the engagement between the guide protrusion and the straight path is maintained even when the locked portions are separated from the guide surfaces, respectively (in other words, when a gap is formed between the locked portions and the guide surfaces).

[0007] In some embodiments, the front plate has a front-side lead-in passage as a lead-in passage, the back plate has a rear-side lead-in passage having an outline that matches or approximately matches the front-side lead-in passage when viewed from the front-back direction, and the intermediate arm has an auxiliary protrusion located on the opposite side of the guide protrusion in the front-back direction and having a length shorter than that of the guide protrusion. The length of the auxiliary protrusion may be equal to or less than half the length of the guide protrusion. The auxiliary protrusion may terminate at a position between the first and second operated parts. During the connection process between the plug and socket, the auxiliary protrusion may engage with the straight path included in the rear-side lead-in passage after the above-mentioned engagement between the guide protrusion and the straight path. The auxiliary protrusion may have a height that gradually decreases as it extends toward the tip of the intermediate arm.

[0008] In some embodiments, the introduction passage has a tapered path whose width gradually decreases from the introduction end of the introduction passage to the straight path, and the tapered path has two beveled edges that define its width, and the two beveled edges each form an acute angle within the range of 30° to 50° with respect to a line parallel to the central axis.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first side plate has a first window that allows the first operated portion to protrude laterally when the socket and plug are connected, and the second side plate has a second window that allows the second operated portion to protrude laterally when the socket and plug are connected. The first locking portion has a first wall surface that is exposed through the first window and is located slightly inward of the socket than the outer surface of the first side plate, and a first edge formed by the first wall surface and the first guide surface is located slightly inward of the socket than the outer surface of the first side plate. The second locking portion has a second wall surface that is exposed through the second window and is located slightly inward of the socket than the outer surface of the second side plate, and a second edge formed by the second wall surface and the second guide surface is located slightly inward of the socket than the outer surface of the second side plate.

[0010] A garment according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a buckle according to one or any combination of the above, a first belt attached to the plug, a second belt attached to the socket, and first and second garment parts connected by the first and second belts. When the garment is worn by a person and the connection between the plug and the socket is complete, the first and second belts are oriented along a horizontal direction.

[0011] An article according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes the above-described buckle, and when worn by a person, the operation of connecting and disconnecting the plug and socket is performed with one or both hands of the person. The article may be clothing, a bag, or a pouch. The clothing may be workwear such as fan-equipped air-conditioned clothing, water-cooled clothing, or heated clothing (often worn at construction sites, building sites, or factories), disaster prevention clothing, or bulletproof clothing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the ejection of the plug from the socket can be more controlled, more specifically, the ejection of the plug from the socket is controlled to move stably in a linear direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view of a buckle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the plug is separated from the socket. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a buckle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a state in which the plug is fully connected to the socket. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the socket as seen from a different viewpoint than that of FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the socket taken along the dashed line shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the socket taken along the socket centerline. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic top view of a buckle in which a plug and a socket are connected, and also shows a partial cross section illustrating the locked state of a locking portion and a locked portion. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an assumed state of use of the buckle, showing the state in which the first and second belts are oriented horizontally when the garment is worn by a person and the connection between the plug and socket is complete. [Figure 13] 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a plug pops out of a socket when the buckle is in use. FIG. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the engagement between the guide protrusion and the straight path during the process of releasing the plug from the socket. [Figure 15] 15 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the auxiliary protrusion has already deviated from the straight path, unlike the case of the guide protrusion shown in FIG. 14. FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a schematic diagram showing that a guide protrusion is guided by an inclined edge of a tapered path. FIG. [Figure 17] 10 is a schematic diagram showing that the auxiliary protrusion is not guided by the inclined edge of the tapered path. FIG. [Figure 18] 10 is a schematic diagram showing that the engagement between the guide protrusion and the straight path is maintained even when the locked portion is separated from the locking portion. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Non-limiting embodiments and features of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Those skilled in the art will be able to combine the various embodiments and / or features without the need for excessive explanation, and will also be able to understand the synergistic effects of such combinations. Duplicate descriptions between embodiments will be omitted in principle. The reference drawings are primarily intended to describe the invention and are simplified for ease of illustration. Each feature is not limited to the buckle illustrated in this specification, but is understood as a universal feature that can also be applied to various other buckles not illustrated in this specification.

[0015] In this specification, the thickness direction and width direction of the buckle (socket or plug) correspond to the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction, respectively. Front-to-rear directions are defined separately for the socket and the plug. In short, the tip side of the plug inserted into the socket is the front side (with respect to the plug), and the opposite side is the rear side (with respect to the plug). The back or bottom side of the socket in the direction in which the plug is inserted is the rear side (with respect to the socket), and the opposite side is the front side (with respect to the socket). Elements with the same name may be distinguished using terms such as first, second, third, and fourth. However, for the sake of simplicity, these terms may be omitted.

[0016] The structure and function of buckle 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17. Buckle 1 has a plug 2 and a socket 3 that can be connected to each other (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Buckle 1 is exemplarily shaped mirror-symmetrically about its center line BL (see FIG. 2). Buckle 1 can be used in clothing such as vests, bags such as backpacks, pouches, and various other items. In particular, buckle 1 is useful for clothing such as workwear (often worn at construction sites, building sites, or factories) including fan-equipped air-conditioning clothing, water-cooling clothing, and heated clothing, disaster prevention clothing, and bulletproof clothing, as well as backpacks such as rucksacks and knapsacks, which are worn by a person and require one or both hands to connect and disconnect the plug 2 and socket 3.

[0017] The plug 2 and socket 3 can be easily disconnected with one hand. Exemplarily, a first belt is attached to the plug 2, and a second belt is attached to the socket 3. The first and second belts are connected by connecting the plug 2 and socket 3, and the first and second belts can be disconnected by disconnecting the plug 2 and socket 3 (see FIGS. 12 and 13). A belt length adjuster (not shown) can be used to adjust the tightness of a garment such as a vest or waistcoat. The plug 2 and socket 3 are exemplarily a single injection-molded product manufactured by resin injection molding. The rigidity of the plug 2 and socket 3 can be adjusted by selecting the resin used. The plug 2 and socket 3 can have play in the connected state, i.e., they can be slightly displaced relative to each other (particularly along the center line BL of the buckle 1) while maintaining their connection.

[0018] The plug 2 is typically shaped mirror-symmetrically with respect to its centerline PL (see FIG. 1 ). The plug 2 includes arms 21 and 22, each of which has sufficient elasticity to allow swinging in the plug width direction; an intermediate arm 23 disposed between the arms 21 and 22 in the plug width direction and having higher rigidity than the arms 21 and 22; a belt attachment portion 26 connected to the arms 21 and 22 at their rear ends; and left and right inclined walls 27a and 27b disposed between the belt attachment portion 26 and the intermediate arm 23 to connect them. The belt attachment portion 26 includes two rods 26a and 26b extending in the plug width direction and left and right walls 26c and 26d connecting the left and right ends of the rod 26a and the left and right ends of the rod 26b. For example, a belt can be secured to the belt attachment portion 26 by looping the belt around the rod 26b.

[0019] The arms 21, 22 are each connected to the belt attachment portion 26 (left and right walls 26c, 26d) so as to be swingable in the plug width direction, and are shaped so as to approach each other as they extend forward of the plug, facilitating smooth insertion into the socket 3.

[0020] The arm 21 has, in this order in the direction away from the left wall 26c of the belt attachment part 26, a base end part 21a, an operated part 31, a flat part 21c, and a locked part 41. The base end part 21a is shaped to be sufficiently narrower than the operated part 31, allowing the arm 21 to swing. The operated part 31 is a part that is operated by (for example, the index finger of one hand of a person) to swing the arm 21, and is shaped to be wider than the base end part 21a. In the illustrated example, the operated part 31 is a ring part that is long in the front-rear direction and has a through hole formed in the center, and has a shape that bulges out toward the center line PL at the center in the front-rear direction.

[0021] The flat plate portion 21c extends between the operated portion 31 and the locked portion 41 and has a width that gradually decreases as it moves away from the operated portion 31. More specifically, the flat plate portion 21c has a side surface that approaches the center line PL of the plug 2 as it extends forward. The flat plate portion 21c is the thinnest part of the arm 21 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The locked portion 41 is located closer to the tip of the arm 21 than the operated portion 31 and has a front-side locked protrusion 41a and a back-side locked protrusion 41b (either can be omitted). In the illustrated example, the front-side locked protrusion 41a protrudes from the surface of the flat plate portion 21c, and the back-side locked protrusion 41b protrudes from the back surface of the flat plate portion 21c (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The locked protrusions 41a and 41b each have a front and back surface that approach each other as they extend forward, and these front and back surfaces can be symmetrical with respect to a plane set at the center of the thickness of the plug 2.

[0022] The arm 22 has, in this order in the direction away from the right wall 26d of the belt attachment portion 26, a base end portion 22a, an operated portion 32, a flat portion 22c, and a locked portion 42. The arm 22 is a mirror image of the arm 21 with respect to the center line PL of the plug 2, and the description of the arm 21 also applies, so redundant description will be omitted. The operated portion 32 is a portion that is operated with the thumb of one of a person's hands. The locked portion 42 has a locked protrusion 42a on the front side and a locked protrusion 42b on the back side, and either of these can be omitted, just like the locked portion 41.

[0023] The left inclined wall 27a extends diagonally forward and to the right in a straight line from the front end of the left wall 26c of the belt attachment portion 26. The right inclined wall 27b extends diagonally forward and to the left in a straight line from the front end of the right wall 26d of the belt attachment portion 26. The inclined walls 27a and 27b are mirror images of each other with respect to the center line PL of the plug 2, forming a V-shaped wall in front of the belt attachment portion 26. The inclined wall 27a may have steps on the front and back sides opposite the center line PL of the plug 2, thereby providing narrow wall ends 27c and 27f on both the front and back sides. Similarly, the inclined wall 27b may have steps on the front and back sides opposite the center line PL of the plug 2, thereby providing narrow wall ends 27d and 27e on both the front and back sides.

[0024] The intermediate arm 23 is connected to the front ends of both of the inclined walls 27a, 27b and extends linearly while maintaining a predetermined width on the center line PL of the plug 2. The intermediate arm 23 has a through hole h23 that passes through the intermediate arm 23. The through hole h23 extends linearly along the center line PL of the plug 2 between its rear end on the belt attaching portion 26 side and its front end remote from the belt attaching portion 26. The thickness of the intermediate arm 23 gradually decreases at its front end, which promotes smooth insertion into the socket 3.

[0025] The intermediate arm 23 has a guide protrusion 5 on its front surface (see FIG. 3) and an auxiliary protrusion 9 on its back surface (see FIG. 4). The guide protrusion 5 and auxiliary protrusion 9 both extend in the same direction as the intermediate arm 23. The auxiliary protrusion 9 is located on the opposite side of the guide protrusion 5 in the front-to-back direction and has a length shorter than the length L5 of the guide protrusion 5. The auxiliary protrusion 9 does not have the same guiding function as the guide protrusion 5, but rather, it effectively achieves both the guiding performance achieved by the engagement of the guide protrusion 5 with a linear path of the socket 3 described below and the ease of insertion of the plug 2 into the socket 3. Note that, during the process of connecting the plug 2 and socket 3, the auxiliary protrusion 9 engages with a linear path 72' included in a back-side introduction path 7' of the socket 3 described below, after the (initial) engagement of the guide protrusion 5 with the linear path 72.

[0026] The guide protrusion 5 is connected to the front ends of the wall ends 27c, 27d on the front side of the inclined walls 27a, 27b. More preferably, the guide protrusion 5 is formed as an outer peripheral wall that cooperates with the inclined walls 27a, 27b to completely surround the through hole h23 of the intermediate arm 23. In this manner, the guide protrusion 5 is well integrated into the overall shape of the plug 2 and becomes less noticeable. The illustrated guide protrusion 5 has left and right wall portions and a semicircular front wall connecting both ends of the left and right wall portions, but the specific shape of the guide protrusion 5 is not limited to this. For example, the front end of the guide protrusion 5 may be omitted. The guide protrusion 5 does not need to be shaped as a ring portion or as a whole; for example, it may be formed to fill the through hole. The guide protrusion 5 is not limited to a single portion, but may be composed of a front portion and a rear portion formed by dividing it into two, and a gap may be formed between the front and rear portions to the extent that it does not interfere with its guiding performance. The number of dividing lines set on the guide protrusion 5 is not limited to one, but may be two or more. A configuration in which the guide protrusion 5 includes three or more island portions spaced apart in the front-rear direction is also envisioned.

[0027] The auxiliary protrusions 9 engage with the straight path 72' when the connection between the plug 2 and the socket 3 is complete (FIG. 2), thereby preventing rattling (relative displacement) between the plug 2 and the socket 3 on both the front and back sides of the buckle 1. The auxiliary protrusions 9 are shorter than the guide protrusions 5, which eliminates or reduces the effect on the plug 2 popping out of the socket 3 when the connection between the plug 2 and the socket 3 is released. The auxiliary protrusions 9 are connected to the front ends of the wall ends 27e, 27f on the back sides of the above-mentioned inclined walls 27a, 27b. More preferably, the auxiliary protrusions 9 are two wall portions that extend and terminate at a distance shorter than the guide protrusions 5 from the front ends of the inclined walls 27a, 27b, and do not form an outer peripheral wall that entirely surrounds the through hole h23.

[0028] In some cases, the length L9 of the auxiliary protrusion 9 is less than half the length L5 of the guide protrusion 5, and additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary protrusion 9 terminates at a position between the operated portions 31, 32. When the guide protrusion 5 is divided as described above, the length L5 of the guide protrusion 5 is determined between the front end of the foremost island portion (the front portion in the case of a two-part division) included in the guide protrusion 5 and the rear end of the rearmost island portion (the rear portion in the case of a two-part division).

[0029] The auxiliary protrusion 9 can have a height that gradually decreases as it extends toward the front end of the intermediate arm 23 (see FIG. 5), and has an inclined surface formed at its front end. The auxiliary protrusion 9 is formed as a pair of left and right walls that extend forward on both sides of the through hole h23, but is not limited to this shape and can also be formed to fill the through hole, similar to the guide protrusion 5. The width W5 of the guide protrusion 5 is sufficiently shorter than its length L5, for example, 1 / 2 or less.

[0030] The socket 3 has a belt attachment portion 66 and a housing 6 that at least partially receives the arms 21 and 22. The belt attachment portion 66 has a rod portion extending in the width direction of the socket and left and right walls that support the left and right ends of the rod portion. The housing 6 includes a front plate 61, a back plate 62, side plates 63 and 64 that connect the front plate 61 and the back plate 62, and rear walls 65m and 65n that connect the front and back plates 61 and 62. The side plate 63 has a window 63j that allows the operated portion 32 to protrude when the socket 3 and the plug 2 are connected. The side plate 64 has a window 64j that allows the operated portion 31 to protrude when the socket 3 and the plug 2 are connected. The operated portions 31 and 32 protruding from the window 63j and the window 64j on opposite sides can be pinched toward the center line BL of the buckle 1 (see Figure 2). The plug 2 can be released from the socket 3.

[0031] The front plate 61 has an introduction passage 7 formed by cutting out the housing 6 (front plate 61) into which the guide protrusion 5 is introduced. The introduction passage 7 has a funnel shape that narrows toward the rear of the socket and preferably includes a tapered passage 71 and a straight passage 72 as shown. The introduction passage 7 has its introduction end at the front of the socket and its bottom end at the rear of the socket. The introduction end is located at the maximum width of the tapered passage 71. The introduction passage 7 does not extend across the entire front and rear ends of the front plate 61, nor does it divide the front plate 61 into left and right halves. The back plate 62 is shaped mirror-symmetrically with respect to a plane on which the center of thickness of the front plate 61 and the socket 3 exists. Therefore, the back plate 62 has an introduction passage 7' (rear-side introduction passage 7') similar to the introduction passage 7 (front-side introduction passage) of the front plate 61 (see FIG. 7). Therefore, even when the plug 2 is inserted upside down into the socket 3, the connection of the plug 2 to the socket 3 is not hindered. The introduction path 7' has a contour that matches or approximately matches the outline of the introduction path 7 on the front side when viewed from the front-rear direction, and also has a tapered path 71' and a straight path 72'.

[0032] During the process of connecting the plug 2 and socket 3, the guide protrusion 5 enters the tapered path 71 and then enters the straight path 72. Even if the plug 2 is not inserted straight into the socket 3 but is inserted at an angle, the guide protrusion 5 abuts against the inclined edges 71a, 71b of the tapered path 71, converting the plug 2 to a more correct posture. When the connection between the plug 2 and socket 3 is complete, the guide protrusion 5 is at least partially (in the illustrated case, almost entirely) fitted into the straight path 72. At this time, the guide protrusion 5 is sandwiched between the straight edges 72a, 72b of the straight path 72, strengthening the connection between the plug 2 and socket 3.

[0033] The width of the tapered path 71 is determined by its inclined edges 71a and 71b. The inclined edges 71a and 71b may each form an acute angle within a range of 30° to 50° with respect to a line parallel to the center line SL of the socket 3. The width of the straight path 72 is determined by its straight edges 72a and 72b. The straight edges 72a and 72b each extend parallel to the center line SL of the socket 3. A width W72 between the straight edges 72a and 72b is equal to the width W5 of the guide protrusion 5, and is preferably slightly wider.

[0034] The front plate 61 of the housing 6 has locking portions 81 and 82 formed on both sides of the central axis of the straight path 72 (aligned with the center line SL of the socket 3) to individually lock the locking portions 41 and 42 (e.g., the locking projections 41a and 42a) (see FIGS. 7 to 11, especially FIG. 9). The back plate 62 of the housing 6 has locking portions 83 and 84 formed on both sides of the central axis of the straight path 72 to individually lock the locking portions 41 and 42 (e.g., the locking projections 41b and 42b) (see FIGS. 8 and 10). In the illustrated example, a gap is set between the locking portion 81 and the locking portion 83 that is sufficient to allow insertion of the flat plate portion 21c of the arm 21. A gap is set between the locking portion 82 and the locking portion 84 that is sufficient to allow insertion of the flat plate portion 22c of the arm 22. The gap between locking portion 81 and locking portion 83 does not allow locked portion 41 to be inserted therebetween, and similarly, the gap between locking portion 82 and locking portion 84 does not allow locked portion 42 to be inserted therebetween.

[0035] Locking portions 83 and 84 are mirror images of locking portions 81 and 82, and therefore the following description will mainly focus on locking portions 81 and 82. Note that it is also possible to omit locking portions 82 and 84 and leave only locking portions 81 and 83.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 9 , the locking portion 81 includes a locking surface 81a and a guide surface 81b. The locking portion 82 includes a locking surface 82a and a guide surface 82b. The guide surfaces 81b, 82b approach each other as they extend rearward along the center line SL of the socket 3 and may be, for example, flat or curved surfaces. The locking surfaces 81a, 82a are located in a plane intersecting or perpendicular to the center line SL of the socket 3. An obtuse angled edge is formed between the guide surface 81b and the locking surface 81a. Similarly, an obtuse angled edge is formed between the guide surface 82b and the locking surface 82a. The guide surfaces 81b and 82b are formed symmetrically with respect to the center line SL of the socket 3, and the locking surfaces 81a, 82a are also formed symmetrically.

[0037] A receiving space 85n is formed between the locking portion 81 and the rear wall 65n of the housing 6, and the locking projection 41a on the front side of the locked portion 41 is received in this space. A receiving space 85m is formed between the locking portion 82 and the rear wall 65m of the housing 6, and the locking projection 42a on the front side of the locked portion 42 is received in this space. An opening is formed between the left and right rear walls 65m, 65n of the housing 65, through which water or dust can be discharged from inside the housing 6 and at the same time, the weight of the socket 3 is reduced.

[0038] A receiving space is also formed between locking portion 83 and rear wall 65n of housing 6, and locking projection 41b on the back side of locked portion 41 is received here. A receiving space is also formed between locking portion 84 and rear wall 65m of housing 6, and locking projection 42b on the back side of locked portion 42 is received here. A through-hole (not shown) can be formed in rear plate 62 of housing 6 in an area corresponding to the receiving spaces behind locking portions 83 and 84, which facilitates the evacuation of water or debris and reduces the weight of socket 3 at the same time.

[0039] 7, the locking portion 82 has a wall surface 82k that is exposed through the window 64j and is located slightly inward of the socket 3 relative to the outer wall surface 64m of the side plate 64, and an edge 82p formed by the wall surface 82k and the guide surface 82b is located slightly inward of the socket 3 relative to the outer wall surface 64m of the side plate 64. This allows the guide surface 82b to slope gradually over a longer distance, helping to reduce the force of the plug 2 jumping out of the socket 3. Note that although the front end of the guide surface 82b coincides with the edge 82p in the illustrated example, it may be located slightly rearward of the edge 82p. The inward direction of the socket refers to the direction from a point outside the socket to a point inside the socket, and the outward direction of the socket refers to the opposite direction.

[0040] The description of locking portion 82 also applies to the other locking portions. For example, locking portion 81 has a wall surface 81k and an edge 81p formed by wall surface 81k and guide surface 81b (see FIG. 11). In the illustrated example, the front end of guide surface 81b coincides with edge 81p, but it may be located slightly behind edge 81p. The other locking portions 83 and 84 are configured in a similar manner.

[0041] When connecting the plug 2 to the socket 3, the arms 21 and 22 are first inserted between the front plate 61 and the back plate 62 of the housing 6. When the plug 2 is inserted obliquely into the socket 3, the guide projection 5 abuts against the inclined edge of the tapered path 71 and is guided to the straight path 72. When the locked portions 41 and 42 abut against the guide surfaces 81b and 82b, respectively, the front ends of the guide projections 5 are already engaged with the straight path 72. This stabilizes the position of the plug 2 relative to the socket 3 even while the arms 21 and 22 are elastically deforming. As the plug 2 further advances, the guide surfaces 81b and 82b cause the locked portions 41 and 42 to bend toward each other. The amount of this bending corresponds to the force that the plug 2 receives from the socket 3 when the plug 2 is released from the socket 3. When the plug 2 moves further forward, the locked portions 41 and 42 pass through the guide surfaces 81b and 82b, and the arms 21 and 22 elastically return to their original shapes. At this time, the locked portions 41 and 42 are positioned adjacent to and behind the locking portions 81 and 82 (particularly, the locking surfaces 81a and 82a), respectively, and are locked by the locking portions 81 and 82.

[0042] In this embodiment, when the socket 3 and the plug 2 are released from each other, the plug 2 springs out in a direction away from the socket 3. In short, the guide surfaces 81b, 82b are inclined and move away from each other as they extend along the central axis of the straight path 72 toward the open end of the introduction path 7 so as to spring out the plug 2 in a direction away from the socket 3 along the central axis of the straight path 72 in response to the force applied from the locked portions 41, 42 to the guide surfaces 81b, 82b when the arms 21, 22 elastically return to their original shapes during the process of releasing the plug 2 from the socket 3 (see FIGS. 12 and 13 ). Promoting the springing out of the plug 2 promotes quick release of the plug 2 from the socket 3, and in particular makes it possible to release the plug 2 from the socket 3 with one hand.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the engagement between the guide projection 5 and the straight path 72 continues throughout the entire period in which the locked portions 41 and 42 slide on the guide surfaces 81b and 82b, respectively, during the process in which the arms 21 and 22 elastically return to their original shapes in order to spring the plug 2 out of the socket 3 (see FIG. 14). This determines the direction in which the plug 2 springs out, effectively preventing it from moving in an unintended direction (for example, toward the face of a wearer of clothing to which the buckle 1 is attached). For example, the plug 2 is prevented from springing out obliquely upward (for example, toward the wearer's head) relative to the horizontal direction in which the first and second belts are arranged in FIG. 12.

[0044] 14 shows a state in which the locked portion 42 is adjacent to the front end region of the guide surface 82b (the same applies to other locked portions such as the locked portion 41). At this time, the front end of the guide projection 5 remains engaged with the linear path 72. This allows the direction of the ejection of the plug 2 to be determined as described above, and promotes controlled ejection.

[0045] The above-mentioned feature, i.e., "the engagement between the guide protrusion 5 and the straight path 72 continues throughout the entire period when the locked portions 41 and 42 slide on the guide surfaces 81b and 82b, respectively, during the process of the arms 21 and 22 elastically returning to their original shapes as the plug 2 springs out of the socket 3," can be read as the next feature, i.e., "the engagement between the guide protrusion 5 and the straight path 72 is maintained at the point when the locked portions 41 and 42 are adjacent to the front end regions of the guide surfaces 81b and 82b, respectively, during the process of the arms 21 and 22 elastically returning to their original shapes as the plug 2 springs out of the socket 3."

[0046] Figure 15 shows that, at the same time as Figure 14, the auxiliary protrusion 9 has already been released from the opposite straight path 72'. By making the auxiliary protrusion 9 as long as the guide protrusion, the direction in which the plug 2 pops out can be determined more reliably, but this may reduce the ease of insertion of the plug 2 into the socket 3. Therefore, to strike a balance between these two, it is advantageous to make the auxiliary protrusion 9 shorter than the guide protrusion 5. Note that a configuration in which the auxiliary protrusion 9 is omitted is also conceivable.

[0047] 16 and 17 are shown for reference only. As shown in Fig. 16, when the guide protrusion 5 abuts against the inclined edge of the tapered path 71, the auxiliary protrusion 9 does not abut against the inclined edge of the tapered path 71' on the opposite side.

[0048] 18, advantageously, even when the locked portions 41 and 42 are separated from the guide surfaces 81b and 82b, respectively (in other words, when a gap is formed between the locked portions and the guide surfaces), the engagement between the guide projection 5 and the straight path 72 is maintained. This further improves the straightness of the plug 2 when it is ejected.

[0049] In light of the above disclosure, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to each embodiment and each feature. The reference numerals included in the claims are for reference purposes only and should not be used to limit the interpretation of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1: Buckle 2: Plug 3: Socket 5: Guide protrusion 6: Housing 7:Introduction path 7':Introduction path 7': Back entrance 9: Auxiliary protrusion 21, 22: (first and second) arms 23: Intermediate arm 31,32: (1st and 2nd) operated part 41, 42: (First and second) locked parts 71: Tapered road 72: Straight road 81, 82: (1st and 2nd) locking parts 81a, 82a: (first and second) locking surfaces 81b, 82b: (first and second) guide surfaces 83, 84: (3rd and 4th) locking parts BL,PL,SL:Center line

Claims

1. a plug (2) comprising first and second arms (21, 22) each having elasticity sufficient to allow swinging in the plug width direction, and an intermediate arm (23) disposed between the first and second arms (21, 22) in the plug width direction and having higher rigidity than the first and second arms (21, 22), the first arm (21) having a first operated portion (31) operated for swinging and a first locked portion (41) located closer to the tip of the first arm (21) than the first operated portion (31), the second arm (22) having a second operated portion (32) operated for swinging and a second locked portion (42) located closer to the tip of the second arm (22) than the second operated portion (32), and the intermediate arm (23) including a guide protrusion (5) extending in the same direction as the intermediate arm (23); and A buckle (1) including a socket (3) having a housing (6) that at least partially receives the first and second arms (21, 22), the housing (6) including a front plate (61), a back plate (62), and first and second side plates (63, 64) that connect the front plate (61) and the back plate (62), at least one of the front plate (61) and the back plate (62) having an introduction passage (7) formed by cutting out the housing (6) and into which the guide protrusion (5) is introduced, the introduction passage (7) including at least a straight passage (72) into which the guide protrusion (5) is at least partially fitted when the connection between the plug (2) and the socket (3) is completed, The housing (6) has first and second locking portions (81, 82) formed on both sides of the central axis of the straight path (72) to individually lock the first and second locked portions (41, 42), the first locking portion (81) including a first locking surface (81a) and a first guide surface (81b), and the second locking portion (82) including a second locking surface (82a) and a second guide surface (82b), the first and second guide surfaces (81b, 82b) are inclined away from each other as they extend along the central axis toward the open end of the introduction passage (7) so as to spring the plug (2) in a direction away from the socket (3) along the central axis in response to a force applied from the first and second locked portions (41, 42) to the first and second guide surfaces (81b, 82b) when the first and second arms (21, 22) elastically return to their original shapes during the process of releasing the plug (2) from the socket (3); The engagement between the guide protrusion (5) and the straight path (72) continues throughout the entire period in which the first and second locked portions (41, 42) slide on the first and second guide surfaces (81b, 82b), respectively, during the process in which the first and second arms (21, 22) elastically return to their original shapes due to the plug (2) springing out of the socket (3).

2. 2. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the front plate (61) has a front-side introduction passage (7) as the introduction passage (7), the back plate (62) has a back-side introduction passage (7') having a contour that matches or approximately matches the front-side introduction passage (7) when viewed from the front-back direction, and the intermediate arm (23) has an auxiliary protrusion (9) that is located on the opposite side of the guide protrusion (5) in the front-back direction and has a length (L5) shorter than the length (L5) of the guide protrusion (5).

3. The buckle according to claim 2, wherein the length (L9) of the auxiliary protrusion (9) is equal to or less than half the length (L5) of the guide protrusion (5).

4. 3. The buckle according to claim 2, wherein the auxiliary protrusion (9) terminates at a position between the first and second operated portions (31, 32).

5. 3. The buckle according to claim 2, wherein the auxiliary protrusion (9) engages with the straight path (72') included in the rear guide path (7') after the engagement of the guide protrusion (5) with the straight path (72) during the process of connecting the plug (2) and the socket (3).

6. 6. The buckle according to claim 2, wherein the auxiliary projection (9) has a height that gradually decreases as it extends toward the tip end of the intermediate arm (23).

7. The buckle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the introduction path (7) has a tapered path whose width gradually decreases from an introduction end of the introduction path (7) toward the straight path (72), the tapered path having two inclined edges (71 a, 71 b) that define the width, and the two inclined edges (71 a, 71 b) each form an acute angle within a range of 30° to 50° with respect to a line parallel to the central axis.

8. the first side plate has a first window that allows the first operated portion to protrude laterally when the socket and the plug are connected, and the second side plate has a second window that allows the second operated portion to protrude laterally when the socket and the plug are connected, the first locking portion has a first wall surface exposed through the first window and positioned slightly inward of the socket with respect to an outer surface of the first side plate, and a first edge formed by the first wall surface and the first guide surface is positioned slightly inward of the socket with respect to the outer surface of the first side plate; 6. A buckle according to claim 1, wherein the second locking portion has a second wall surface exposed through the second window and positioned slightly inward of the socket relative to the outer surface of the second side plate, and a second edge formed by the second wall surface and the second guide surface is positioned slightly inward of the socket relative to the outer surface of the second side plate.

9. A buckle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5; a first belt attached to the plug (2); a second belt attached to said socket (3); A garment comprising first and second garment portions connected by said first belt and said second belt, When the garment is worn by a person and the connection between the plug (2) and the socket (3) is complete, the first and second belts are oriented along a horizontal direction.

10. An article comprising the buckle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when worn by a person, the operation of connecting and disconnecting the plug (2) and the socket (3) is performed by one or both hands of the person.

11. The article according to claim 10, wherein the article is clothing, a bag, or a pouch.

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