Cord stopper

Abstract

This cord stopper (10) comprises: a socket (20) having a hollow part (21) in which first through-holes (25) are respectively open on side surfaces facing each other in the longitudinal direction; a head part (31) for pressing; a pair of support pieces (32) that extend downward from the head part (31) and respectively have second through-holes (33) facing the first through-holes (25); and a pair of elastic leg pieces (40) that extend downward from the head part (31) and are provided on both sides in the width direction between the pair of support pieces (32). The cord stopper (10) has a plug (30) inserted into the socket (20) from above and formed to be slidable inside the hollow part (21). The hollow part (21) of the socket (20) has a curved bottom surface (23) that forms the deepest part (23a) of the center part in the width direction. Respective elastically deformable parts (41) of the pair of elastic leg pieces (40) are formed at different positions in the longitudinal direction so that at least tip parts (41a) are positioned spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction when viewed from the width direction.

Description

Cord stopper

[0001] The present invention relates to a cord stopper for adjusting the fastening or fastening state of a tightening string used in clothing, bags, helmets, hats, etc.

[0002] A conventional cord stopper has a socket with a hollow section with a cord hole on the opposing side, and a plug that is inserted into the socket from above and formed to be slidable, with a cord hole that passes through the opposing side.By pressing on the head of the plug and elastically deforming a pair of elastic legs formed on the plug, the socket and the plug's cord hole are aligned to allow the cord to be inserted, and the elastic legs return to their original position, locking the cord.

[0003] In addition, the stringing tool described in Patent Document 1 has a pair of elastic legs and a pair of support pieces that extend downward and face each other around the periphery of the underside of the head of the sliding body (plug), and the pair of support pieces are drilled so that the tops of the stringing holes are positioned at the same height as the underside of the head. This makes it possible to easily insert the tip of a string through one of the stringing holes by inserting it along the underside of the head.

[0004] Furthermore, in the stringing tool described in Patent Document 2, a male fastener is accommodated in an accommodation space of a female fastener, the female fastener having two horizontal channels and an accommodation space, and the male fastener being a hollow tube having a horizontal channel. The male fastener has a pressing surface formed on its upper surface, and two elastic pieces spaced apart by a split groove are formed on both sides of the width below the pressing surface. When the pressing surface is pressed, the two elastic pieces are compressed and deformed by the arc-shaped guide grooves of the female fastener, and both channels assume an aligned state that allows the string to be inserted, and when pressure on the pressing surface is released, both channels clamp the string.

[0005] Japanese Patent No. 3383894 Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3077801

[0006] In the stringing tool described in Patent Document 1, the elastic leg pieces of the sliding body are located to the sides of the support leg pieces having the stringing holes, and a bulge protruding outward is provided on the outside of the lower end of the elastic leg piece. As a result, although the height of the sliding body can be reduced, the structure is wide in the width direction, making it difficult to miniaturize. In addition, in the stringing tool described in Patent Document 2, although the two elastic pieces are easily deformed by the split groove, if the lengths of the elastic pieces are not the same, it is difficult to align the channels when pressed, and mold precision is required. Furthermore, the elastic pieces are easily broken and have weak gripping power for the string.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a cord stopper that can be made compact while having elastic leg pieces that are easily deformed and difficult to break.

[0008] The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following configuration: (1) A cord stopper (10) comprising: a socket (20) having a hollow portion (21) with first through holes (25) opening on opposing side surfaces in the longitudinal direction, a head (31) for pressing, a pair of support pieces (32) extending downward from the head (31) and each having a second through hole (33) facing the first through hole (25), and a pair of elastic leg pieces (40) extending downward from the head (31) and provided on both sides in the width direction between the pair of support pieces (32), the plug (30) being inserted into the socket (20) from above and formed to be slidable within the hollow portion (21), wherein the hollow portion (21) of the socket (20) has a curved bottom surface (23) forming a deepest portion (23a) at the center in the width direction, a cord stopper (10) according to (1), wherein the pair of elastic leg pieces (40) each have an elastic deformation portion (41) that can be deformed by the bottom surface (23) of the hollow portion (21), each of the elastic deformation portion (41) has a length that allows its tip portion (41 a) to deform to a position beyond the deepest portion (23 a), and each of the elastic deformation portions (41) of the pair of elastic leg pieces (40) is formed at different positions from each other in the longitudinal direction so that at least the tip portion (41 a) is positioned apart in the longitudinal direction when viewed in the width direction. (2) A cord stopper (10) according to (1), wherein the pair of elastic leg pieces (40) each have a step portion (42) extending laterally in the longitudinal direction from a base portion of the elastic deformation portion (41). (3) The cord stopper (10) according to (2), wherein the elastic deformation portions (41) of the pair of elastic leg pieces (40) are gradually tapered such that the longitudinal side surfaces near the step portions (42) are inclined from the tip portions (41 a) to the base portions. (4) The cord stopper (10) according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein a pair of slits (43) are formed between the elastic leg pieces (40) of the plug (30) and the pair of support pieces (32), and a pair of guide protrusions (26) extending in the up-down direction and movable within the slits (43) are provided on a pair of side wall surfaces (24) on both sides in the width direction of the hollow portion (21) of the socket (20).(5) A cord stopper (10) according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the outer peripheral surface of the socket (20) is formed into a cylindrical surface having a cross-sectional shape of an arc longer than a semicircle, and the head (31) of the plug (30) is formed into a cylindrical surface having a cross-sectional shape of another arc having the same curvature as the arc and shorter than a semicircle.

[0009] According to the cord stopper of the present invention, it is possible to achieve a compact size while providing elastic leg pieces that are easily deformed and difficult to break.

[0010] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cord stopper according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a socket of the cord stopper of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a plug of the cord stopper of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a side view of the plug of Figure 3; Figure 7 is a front view of the cord stopper with no string inserted; Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the cord stopper with no string inserted; Figure 9 is a front view of the cord stopper with a string inserted; Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cord stopper with a string inserted; Figure 11 is a front view of the cord stopper with the plug fully pushed into the socket; Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the cord stopper with the plug fully pushed into the socket.

[0011] A cord stopper according to one embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the cord stopper 10 of this embodiment is composed of two components, a socket 20 and a plug 30, each of which is made of synthetic resin and formed by injection molding. The plug 30 is inserted into the hollow portion 21 of the socket 20 to assemble the components, and then a string 50 is threaded through the components.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 2, the socket 20 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and has a hollow portion 21 therein with an opening 22 at the top, through which the plug 30 is inserted. Referring also to Fig. 6, the hollow portion 21 has a curved bottom surface 23 at the bottom, forming a deepest portion 23a at the center in the width direction, and a pair of parallel side wall surfaces 24 extending in the up-down direction from both side edges of the bottom surface 23. In this embodiment, since the bottom surface 23 is formed as a partially cylindrical surface, in a longitudinal cross section of the hollow portion 21, the pair of side wall surfaces 24 form normal lines at both side edges of the bottom surface 23, and the bottom surface 23 and the pair of side wall surfaces 24 are smoothly continuous. Furthermore, first through holes 25 that penetrate the hollow portion 21 in the longitudinal direction are opened on opposing side surfaces of the hollow portion 21.

[0013] In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the cord stopper 10 refers to the longitudinal direction of the substantially cylindrical socket 20, and refers to the direction in which the string 50 is inserted. The up-down direction of the cord stopper 10 refers to the direction in which the plug 30 is inserted into and removed from the hollow portion 21 of the socket 20, with the opening 22 side of the hollow portion 21 into which the plug 30 is inserted being defined as the upper side, and the bottom surface 23 side of the hollow portion 21 opposite the opening 22 being defined as the lower side. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the up-down direction of the cord stopper 10 is defined as the width direction of the cord stopper 10.

[0014] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the plug 30 comprises a head 31 for pressing, a pair of support pieces 32 extending downward from the head 31 and each having a second through hole 33 facing the first through hole 25, and a pair of elastic leg pieces 40 extending downward from the head 31 and provided on both sides in the width direction between the pair of support pieces 32, and is formed so that it can be inserted into the socket 20 from above and slide within the hollow portion 21.

[0015] The pair of support pieces 32 are formed in a cylindrical shape, and the second through-hole 33 is formed to be the same size as the first through-hole 25 of the socket 20. A locking claw 34 is formed on the outer longitudinal edge of the pair of support pieces 32 on the side opposite to the head, protruding in the longitudinal direction.

[0016] Each of the pair of elastic leg pieces 40 has an elastic deformation portion 41 that can be deformed by the bottom surface 23 of the hollow portion 21, and a step portion 42 that extends laterally in the longitudinal direction from the base of the elastic deformation portion 41. In addition, a pair of slits 43 are formed between each of the elastic leg pieces 40 of the plug 30 and the pair of support pieces 32.

[0017] Each elastic deformation portion 41 has a length that allows deformation to a position where its tip portion 41 a exceeds the deepest portion 23 a of the bottom surface 23 of the socket 20. On the other hand, the step portion 42 is formed to have a height lower than the pair of support pieces 32.

[0018] Furthermore, each elastically deforming portion 41 is gradually tapered such that the longitudinal side surface near the step portion 42 is inclined from the tip portion 41 a to the base portion, thereby enabling the elastically deforming portion 41 to be easily separated from the mold during injection molding of the plug 30.

[0019] Furthermore, in one of the pair of elastic leg pieces 40 (the left elastic leg piece 40 in Figure 3), the elastic deformation portion 41 is formed on one longitudinal side and the step portion 42 is formed on the other longitudinal side, while in the other of the pair of elastic leg pieces 40 (the right elastic leg piece 40 in Figure 3), the elastic deformation portion 41 is formed on the other longitudinal side and the step portion 42 is formed on one longitudinal side. Therefore, the pair of elastic deformation portions 41 are formed alternately, i.e., at different positions from each other in the longitudinal direction, and the tip ends 41a of each elastic deformation portion 41 are positioned apart in the longitudinal direction when viewed in the width direction.

[0020] 4, the pair of elastic deformation portions 41 are formed symmetrically with respect to the line L when viewed in the width direction. When viewed in the width direction, the pair of elastic deformation portions 41 are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction at the tip portions 41a, but partially overlap from a portion closer to the tip than the portion connected to the step portion 42 toward the base portion.

[0021] In the hollow portion 21 of the socket 20, a pair of guide projections 26 extending in the vertical direction are provided on a pair of side wall surfaces 24 on both sides in the width direction, corresponding to the slits 43 of the plug 30. In addition, a longitudinal groove 27 is formed in the first insertion hole 25, the depth of which is approximately equal to the depth of the deepest part 23a of the bottom surface 23.

[0022] Therefore, the slits 43 of the plug 30 are guided by the guide projections 26 of the socket 20 , and the plug 30 can move up and down within the hollow portion 21 of the socket 20 .

[0023] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the string 50 is not inserted, only the tip portions 41a of the pair of elastic deformation portions 41 are deformed, and the plug 30 is positioned within the hollow portion 21 of the socket 20 at a position where the locking claws 34 of the plug 30 abut against the first through-holes 25 of the socket 20, thereby preventing the plug 30 from slipping out of the socket 20.

[0024] When the head 31 of the plug 30 is pushed in and the plug 30 is inserted into the hollow portion 21 in the socket 20, the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 33 are aligned in the longitudinal direction, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, and the string 50 can be inserted into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 33, and the string 50 is unlocked (released state).

[0025] In this state, the pair of elastically deforming portions 41 are curved and deformed along the bottom surface 23 of the hollow portion 21, and their tip portions 41 a are deformed along the bottom surface 23 to a position beyond the deepest portion 23 a of the bottom surface 23 of the socket 20. Since the plug 30 has such a long pair of elastically deforming portions 41, the stress acting on the elastically deforming portions 41 when deformed is dispersed, making the elastically deforming portions 41 less likely to break.

[0026] Furthermore, since the tip ends 41a of each elastic deformation portion 41 are positioned apart in the longitudinal direction when viewed from the width direction, the tip ends 41a of a pair of elastic deformation portions 41 can move beyond the deepest part 23a of the bottom surface 23 of the socket 20 without the elastic deformation portions 41 interfering with each other.

[0027] Furthermore, since a longitudinal groove 27 is formed in the first through hole 25, in the above-mentioned release state, the locking claw 34 of the plug 30 enters the groove 27, preventing the locking claw 34 from interfering with the inner surface of the first through hole 25.

[0028] Furthermore, when the fingers that pressed down on the head 31 after inserting the string 50 are released, the plug 30 is pushed upward, and the inserted string 50 is bent and fixed in a locked state. In this state, the pair of elastic deformation portions 41 are curved and deformed along the bottom surface 23 of the hollow portion 21, and apply an elastic restoring force to the inserted string 50.

[0029] In this locked state, the base portions and step portions 42 of the elastic deformation portions 41 of the pair of elastic leg pieces 40 can cover the opening 22 of the hollow portion 21 of the socket 20, thereby preventing the intrusion of foreign matter and improving the appearance.

[0030] In this embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the socket 20 is formed by a partial cylindrical surface whose cross-sectional shape has an arc longer than a semicircle. Meanwhile, the head 31 of the plug 30 is formed by another partial cylindrical surface whose cross-sectional shape has an arc shorter than a semicircle and has the same curvature as the partial cylindrical surface of the socket 20. Therefore, in the released state when the plug 30 is inserted into the hollow portion 21 in the socket 20, the outer peripheral surface of the socket 20 and the head 31 of the plug 30 form a cylindrical surface over the entire circumference, providing a good appearance.

[0031] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and modifications and improvements are possible as appropriate. For example, the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the socket 20 is not limited to a partially cylindrical surface, but may be a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, or may have any other shape as long as it has a hollow portion 21 that allows the elastic deformation portion 41 to deform. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the bottom surface 23 of the hollow portion 21 is a cylindrical surface, but it may also have an elliptical cross section as long as it is a curved surface.

[0032] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the pair of elastic leg pieces 40 are configured to each have an elastic deformation portion 41 and a step portion 42, but the pair of elastic deformation portions 41 may be configured so as not to interfere with each other when their tip portions 41a deform to a position beyond the deepest portion 23a of the bottom surface 23 of the socket 20, and may, for example, be configured without a step portion.

[0033] As described above, the present specification discloses the following: (1) A cord stopper (10) including: a socket (20) having a hollow portion (21) with first through holes (25) opening on opposing side surfaces in the longitudinal direction; a head (31) for pressing; a pair of support pieces (32) extending downward from the head (31) and each having a second through hole (33) facing the first through hole (25); and a plug (30) extending downward from the head (31) and provided between the pair of support pieces (32) on both sides in the width direction, the plug (30) being inserted into the socket (20) from above and formed to be slidable within the hollow portion (21), wherein the hollow portion (21) of the socket (20) has a curved bottom surface (23) forming a deepest portion (23a) in the center in the width direction, The cord stopper (10) includes a pair of elastic leg pieces (40) each having an elastic deformation portion (41) that can be deformed by the bottom surface (23) of the hollow portion (21), each of the elastic deformation portions (41) having a length that allows deformation to a position where its tip portion (41 a) exceeds the deepest portion (23 a), and each of the elastic deformation portions (41) of the pair of elastic leg pieces (40) is formed at different positions in the longitudinal direction so that at least the tip portions (41 a) are positioned apart in the longitudinal direction when viewed in the width direction. With this configuration, by increasing the length of the elastic deformation portion, it is possible to provide elastic leg pieces that are easy to deform and difficult to break, and to achieve a compact cord stopper.

[0034] (2) The cord stopper (10) according to (1), wherein the pair of elastic leg pieces (40) each have a step (42) extending laterally in the longitudinal direction from the base of the elastic deformation portion (41). With this configuration, the base and step of the elastic deformation portion can cover the side of the plug protruding from the opening of the socket in the locked state, improving the appearance of the cord stopper.

[0035] (3) The cord stopper (10) according to (2), wherein the elastically deforming portions (41) of the pair of elastic leg pieces (40) are gradually tapered such that the longitudinal side surfaces near the step portions (42) are inclined from the tip portions (41 a) to the base portions. With this configuration, the elastically deforming portions are easily separated from the mold when molding the plug.

[0036] (4) A cord stopper (10) according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein a pair of slits (43) are formed between each of the elastic leg pieces (40) of the plug (30) and the pair of support pieces (32), and a pair of guide protrusions (26) extending up and down are provided on a pair of side wall surfaces (24) on both sides in the width direction of the hollow portion (21) of the socket (20) and are movable within the slits (43). With this configuration, the guide protrusions of the socket guide the slits of the plug, allowing the plug to be smoothly pushed into the hollow portion of the socket.

[0037] (5) The cord stopper (10) according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the outer peripheral surface of the socket (20) is formed into a cylindrical surface having a cross-sectional shape of a circular arc longer than a semicircle, and the head (31) of the plug (30) is formed into a cylindrical surface having the same curvature as the circular arc and another cross-sectional shape of a circular arc shorter than a semicircle. With this configuration, the outer peripheral surface of the socket and the head of the plug are formed into cylindrical surfaces over the entire circumference, particularly when the plug is pushed in and released, thereby improving the appearance.

[0038] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Cord stopper 20 Socket 21 Hollow portion 22 Opening 23 Bottom surface 24 Side wall surface 25 First through-hole 26 Guide protrusion 27 Groove 30 Plug 31 Head portion 32 Pair of support pieces 33 Second through-hole 34 Locking claw 40 Elastic leg piece 41 Elastic deformation portion 42 Step portion 43 Slit 50 Cord

Claims

1. A cord stopper (10) comprising: a socket (20) having a hollow portion (21) with first through holes (25) opening on opposing side surfaces in the longitudinal direction; a head (31) for pressing; a pair of support pieces (32) extending downward from the head (31) and each having a second through hole (33) facing the first through hole (25); and a plug (30) extending downward from the head (31) and provided between the pair of support pieces (32) on both sides in the width direction, the plug (30) being inserted into the socket (20) from above and formed to be slidable within the hollow portion (21); wherein the hollow portion (21) of the socket (20) has a curved bottom surface (23) forming a deepest portion (23a) in the center in the width direction; The cord stopper (10) comprises a pair of elastic leg pieces (40) each having an elastic deformation portion (41) that can be deformed by the bottom surface (23) of the hollow portion (21), each of the elastic deformation portions (41) having a length that allows its tip portion (41 a) to be deformed to a position beyond the deepest portion (23 a), and each of the elastic deformation portions (41) of the pair of elastic leg pieces (40) is formed at different positions from each other in the longitudinal direction so that at least the tip portion (41 a) is positioned apart in the longitudinal direction when viewed from the width direction.

2. A cord stopper (10) according to claim 1, wherein the pair of elastic leg pieces (40) each have a step portion (42) extending laterally in the longitudinal direction from the base portion of the elastic deformation portion (41).

3. The cord stopper (10) according to claim 2, wherein the elastically deforming portions (41) of the pair of elastic leg pieces (40) are gradually tapered such that the longitudinal side surfaces near the step portion (42) are inclined from the tip end (41a) to the base end.

4. A cord stopper (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a pair of slits (43) are formed between each of the elastic leg pieces (40) of the plug (30) and the pair of support pieces (32), and a pair of guide protrusions (26) extending in the vertical direction and movable within the slits (43) are provided on a pair of side wall surfaces (24) on both sides in the width direction of the hollow portion (21) of the socket (20).

5. A cord stopper (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the socket (20) is formed into a cylindrical surface having a cross-sectional shape of an arc longer than a semicircle, and the head (31) of the plug (30) is formed into a cylindrical surface having the same curvature as the arc and a cross-sectional shape of another arc shorter than a semicircle.

Images