Buckle Assembly

Abstract

The buckle assembly (1) is comprised of a male buckle portion (20) and a female buckle portion (10). The female buckle portion (10) has a top wall (11), a bottom wall (12), side walls (13, 14), a cavity (15) between the top wall (11) and the bottom wall (12), and locking slots (16, 17) in the side walls (13, 14). The male buckle portion (20) has a base (21), two locking legs (24, 25), and two intermediate legs (31, 32) between the locking legs (24, 25). The locking legs (24, 25) extend through the locking slots (16, 17) of the female buckle part (10), and the locking pawls (26, 27) at the ends of the locking legs (24, 25) engage the edges of the locking slots (16, 17) to secure the buckle parts together. The free ends of the locking legs (24, 25) are connected to the free ends of the middle legs (31, 32) by retaining members (33, 34), such that forces acting on the locking legs (24, 25) are transmitted to the middle legs (31, 32) by the retaining members (33, 34).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a two-piece buckle assembly for connecting two straps, and more particularly to a buckle assembly having a locking element that prevents the legs of one of the buckle parts from flexing outwardly excessively, providing additional stability to the buckle parts. [Background technology]

[0002] Two-piece side release buckles are usually made up of a male buckle part and a female buckle part. The male buckle part generally has two locking legs that lock into locking slots in the female buckle part. buckle The central leg of the locking legs adds stability to the assembly. To prevent the locking legs from flexing outward beyond a certain limit, US Pat. No. 5,399,436 proposes providing a flexible retaining member connecting the locking legs to the central leg so that the locking legs cannot flex outward beyond the length of the retaining member. Other variations of this type of buckle are shown in US Pat. No. 5,499,436 and US Pat. No. 5,499,436. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,026 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Design Patent No. 401533 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Design Patent No. 425443 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Currently, the applications of buckles have expanded to various niche markets, and in many cases, the tensile performance of a buckle is the main factor that consumers evaluate when making a purchase. With increasing environmental awareness, environmentally friendly plastic materials have been attracting attention, but their physical properties are still not comparable to existing materials such as acetal (POM). Applying new materials to old designs has not produced satisfactory results so far.

[0005] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to achieve a higher load-bearing capacity by incorporating more load-bearing structures so that when the product is pulled, there are more paths to deflect and transfer the stresses, thus providing more room for failure tolerance in case of variations in material quality or inadequate material performance. Another object of the present invention is to provide a buckle assembly that can accommodate lower performance materials without compromising usability or forcing users to change decades of usage habits. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Accordingly, the present invention relates to a buckle assembly comprising a male buckle part and a female buckle part, the female buckle part having a top wall, a bottom wall connected to the top wall by opposing side walls with a cavity between the top wall and the bottom wall, an insertion opening and a locking slot in each of the side walls. The male buckle part is configured to be locked to the female buckle part by insertion of the male buckle part into the insertion opening. The male buckle part has a base, two locking legs and two intermediate legs between the locking legs. Each of the locking legs is a male buckle Part is female buckle When inserted into the female buckleThe locking legs are configured to extend through a corresponding one of the locking slots in the female buckle portion, with a locking pawl at the end of each locking leg engaging the edge of the locking slot to secure the male buckle portion to the female buckle portion. The male buckle portion is released by pushing the locking pawls inward until they clear the edge of the locking slot, at which point the male buckle portion is pushed out of the female buckle portion. buckle The end of the part has a male buckle A strap retaining bar may be connected to attach the portion to a strap.

[0007] The buckle assembly according to the present invention is configured such that a strap can be attached to each of the buckle sections, such that attaching the buckle sections to one another connects the two straps. To accomplish this, each of the male and female buckle sections has at least one strap retaining bar connected to the buckle section. The strap may be sewn closed around a single strap retaining bar, or may be wrapped in a double bar arrangement to allow for adjustment.

[0008] Each of the locking legs is connected to the middle leg by a flexible retaining member, which may be formed as a connecting strap. The retaining member prevents the locking legs from flexing outward beyond a predetermined position, since the locking legs cannot flex outward beyond the length of the retaining member. When a normal inward force is applied to the two locking legs to release the male buckle part from the female buckle part, the flexible retaining member exerts an inward force against the middle leg, which flexes inward to absorb some of the force, distributing the force between the locking legs and the middle leg. This adds additional stability to the buckle, allowing lower quality materials to be used without fear of damage.

[0009] Additionally, the middle leg adds additional stability to the buckle in the locked state while under tension. buckle Division and female buckleThe tension from the straps attached to both ends is applied to the locking claws, buckle Force at the edge of the locking slot in the retaining member causes the locking legs at the tips of the locking pawls to move inward, while force transmission from the retaining member to the middle legs causes the middle legs to bend outward.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the retaining member is attached to the free end of the locking leg and to the free end of the middle leg. The attachment point on the middle leg is reinforced since it acts to transfer forces on the locking leg towards the middle leg. The reinforced attachment point is preferably attached to the male end of the buckle. buckle In a preferred embodiment, the female connector has a button shape extending outwardly from the plane of the connector. buckle The part has a slot on one side and buckle Part is female buckle The button extends through the slot when the buckle parts are locked inside the locking legs. This provides additional stability under tension as, when the buckle parts are pulled in opposite directions under tension from the strap, the middle legs flex outward, pulling the button against the edge of the slot and locking it there, thus locking the two buckle parts even more securely together. The slots are designed so that as the locking legs are pushed inward, when the button is pushed inward enough, it will come out of the slot and become the male buckle. buckle Part is female buckle The device may be configured to allow the user to exit the device.

[0011] Between the intermediate legs may be disposed central legs. The intermediate legs are preferably connected at their bases to the central legs, thereby providing the intermediate legs with more stability. In one embodiment, the female buckle The female part is buckle The central leg has a guide element extending through the center of the male buckle Part female buckle During insertion into the male connector, the male connector interacts with the guide element. buckle The guide grooves guide the parts into the proper position.

[0012] The retaining members are preferably integrally molded with the locking legs and the middle leg and are formed from the same material as the rest of the buckle assembly. The middle legs are preferably molded thin enough to flex inwardly when pressed by the retaining members when the locking legs are tightened together, and to flex slightly outwardly when the locking legs are pulled outwardly or when the buckle sections are under tension. The middle legs absorb some of the forces exerted on the locking legs both when the legs are pushed inward or pulled outwardly and when the associated buckle sections are pulled in opposite directions during use.

[0013] In short, the two middle legs, together with the flexible retaining member, can effectively prevent the male buckle legs from being damaged by excessive bending in any direction. The middle legs absorb some of the force applied to the locking legs when they are pressed against each other or pulled apart, as well as when the buckle parts themselves are under tension from the strap, allowing materials not commonly used in buckle manufacturing to be used for this purpose. The new design improves the strength, stability, and durability of the buckle.

[0014] Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it being understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded front view of a buckle assembly according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded rear view of the buckle assembly according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a buckle assembly according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of the buckle assembly in a connected state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of the coupled buckle assembly. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a front view of the male buckle part with the locking legs pressed inward. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Reference will now be made in detail to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements throughout the several views.

[0017] 1-4 show a buckle assembly 1 according to the present invention, which is comprised of a female buckle portion 10 and a male buckle portion 20. The female buckle portion 10 includes a top wall 11, a bottom wall 12, and opposing side walls 13, 14. A cavity 15 extends between the top wall 11 and the bottom wall 12. Locking slots 16, 17 are disposed in the side walls 13, 14, respectively. A strap retention bar 18 is connected to an end of the female buckle portion 10.

[0018] male buckle The male buckle part 20 is formed from a base 21 which is connected on one side to strap retaining bars 22, 23 and to locking legs 24, 25 extending from the other side. The locking legs 24, 25 terminate in locking pawls 26, 27 which fit into the locking slots 16, 17 of the female buckle part 10 when the male buckle part 20 is inserted into the female buckle part 10. The locking pawls 26, 27 are pressed inward until they clear the edges of the locking slots 16, 17, causing the male buckle part 20 to lock into the locking slots 16, 17. 20 is pushed out of the cavity 15, thereby releasing the male buckle portion 20 from the female buckle portion 10.

[0019] The male buckle part 20 has a central leg 28. Between the central leg 28 and the locking legs 24, 25 are disposed two intermediate legs 31, 32. The intermediate legs 31, 32 are 21The intermediate legs 31, 32 extend upwardly from the locking legs 24, 25 and are smaller in both width and height than the locking legs 24, 25. The intermediate legs 31, 32 are inclined slightly inward so as not to interfere with the locking pawls 26, 27 when the locking legs 24, 25 are pressed inward under strong force.

[0020] The intermediate legs 31, 32 are connected to the retaining members 33, 34. The retaining members 33, 34 are connected to the intermediate legs 31, 32 at their tips via buttons 37, 38, and are connected to the locking legs 24, 25 at the tops of the locking claws 26, 27 on the sides facing the central leg 28. As shown in FIG. buckle Part 20 Insertion and Female buckle Inward pressure on the locking pawls 26, 27 in the direction of arrows P1, P2 during release from the buckle 10 causes the locking legs 24, 25 to bend inward and the flexible retaining members 33, 34 to exert an inward force on the middle legs 31, 32, deflecting them inward, thereby distributing the force on the locking legs 24, 25 and stabilizing them and preventing excessive inward movement that could damage the buckle. Outward pressure on the locking legs 24, 25 is countered by the flexible retaining members 33, 34, which, due to their material length and stiffness, only allow outward deflection up to a predetermined amount. Outward pressure on the locking legs 24, 25 causes the middle legs 31, 32 to deflect outward as well, absorbing a portion of the force. The retaining members 33, 34 are integrally formed with the intermediate legs 31, 32 and the locking claws 26, 27, and are formed thin enough to allow the locking legs 24, 25 to flex inwardly and outwardly, but only to a limited extent.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 6, female buckle Part 10 has a slot 19 on its front face. buckle Division 20 is female buckle When inserted into unit 10, buttons 37, 38 extend through slot 19. Each buckleWhen sections 10, 20 are placed in tension, the edges of locking slots 16, 17 press against the bottoms of locking pawls 26, 27, causing them to rotate inward (see arrow R1 in FIG. 6). This inward rotation causes the tops of retaining members 33, 34 to move inward, while the bottoms of the retaining members move outward (arrow R2) due to the downward pressure from locking pawls 26, 27, causing middle legs 31, 32 to flex outward as well. As middle legs 31, 32 flex outward, buttons 37, 38 move to either end of slot 19 where they are held pressed down under tension, resulting in male buckle Part is female buckle is more firmly fixed to the part.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 6, the central leg 28 has a central slot 29 which is buckle When the parts are connected to each other, buckle By cooperating with the ridge-shaped guide element 118 of the portion 10, the male buckle Division 20 is female buckle The guide rod 14 is guided so as to be appropriately positioned within the section 10.

[0023] Thus, while only certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that many changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. a female buckle portion comprising a top wall, a bottom wall connected to the top wall by opposing side walls with a cavity between the top wall and the bottom wall, and a locking slot in each of the side walls; A buckle assembly comprising: a male buckle part configured to be locked to the female buckle part by insertion of the male buckle part into the cavity, the male buckle part comprising a base, two locking legs, and two intermediate legs disposed between the two locking legs; each of the locking legs is configured to extend through a corresponding one of the locking slots of the female buckle portion when the buckle portions are locked together; each one of the locking legs is connected to an adjacent one of the middle legs by a retaining member; When the locking legs are pushed inward, the retaining members exert an inward force on the middle legs, bending them inward; and when the buckle sections are locked together, opposing tensions on the buckle sections move the locking legs inward and pull the middle legs outward; A buckle assembly, wherein the retaining member is connected to the middle leg at a reinforced attachment point.

2. The buckle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a central leg disposed between the two intermediate legs.

3. The buckle assembly of claim 2 , wherein the intermediate leg is connected to the locking leg at a free end of each of the intermediate leg and the locking leg.

4. 2. The buckle assembly of claim 1, wherein each one of the reinforced attachment points is formed as a button that extends beyond the plane of the male buckle portion.

5. 5. The buckle assembly of claim 4, further comprising a slot in the top wall of the female buckle part, wherein the button extends through the slot when the male buckle part is connected to the female buckle part, and wherein the button is pulled to both ends of the slot when the male buckle part and the female buckle part are connected to each other and tension is applied in opposite directions to the male buckle part and the female buckle part.

6. 2. The buckle assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking legs terminate in locking pawls that extend through and overlap edges of the locking slots, such that tension applied in opposite directions to the male buckle part and the female buckle part causes the edges of the locking slots to press against the locking pawls, causing them to rotate inward.

7. The buckle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retaining member is integrally molded with the locking leg and the intermediate leg.

8. 3. The buckle assembly of claim 2, wherein the central leg has a guide groove, and the female buckle part has a guide element formed on the top wall or the bottom wall, and when the male buckle part is inserted into the female buckle part, the guide element extends into the guide groove to align the male buckle part within the female buckle part during insertion of the male buckle part into the female buckle part.

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