Cord stopper

Abstract

A cord stopper (1) according to the present invention is provided with a plug (11) and a socket (12), and releasably clamps a cord body (2) between the plug (11) and the socket (12) in the Y-axis direction. The plug (11) has an engaging part (31) protruding in the Z-axis direction at a tip part (20A) of a plug body part (20) of the plug (11), and the socket (12) has an engaged part (56) with which the engaging part (31) engages. The plug (11) and the socket (12) are configured such that, in the R direction, the plug (11) can be rotationally disposed relative to the socket (12) at a first position (P1) where the position of the engaging part (31) is different from the position of the engaged part (56) and a second position where the position of the engaging part (31) overlaps the position of the engaged part (56) in the X-axis direction.

Description

Cord stopper

[0001] The present invention relates to a cord stopper that holds a cord by inserting a plug into a socket through which the cord is inserted.

[0002] A conventional cord stopper is known in which, when a plug is inserted into a socket with a string passing through it, the string is pressed against the inner surface of the socket to hold the string (see Patent Document 1). The plug has a wedge-shaped retaining portion that is inserted into the socket, and a retaining protrusion that protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction is provided at the tip of the retaining portion. The socket is formed with a stopper against which the retaining protrusion of the plug abuts when inserted. When the plug is assembled into the socket, the retaining protrusion of the plug abuts against the socket stopper during insertion of the plug into the socket, and by further pushing the plug in firmly, elastic deformation of the socket occurs, causing the retaining protrusion to pass through the portion where the stopper is formed. As a result, in the cord stopper with the plug assembled into the socket, the retaining protrusion is engaged with the stopper when the plug is pulled out of the socket.

[0003] International Publication No. 2023 / 017566

[0004] However, in the cord stopper described in Patent Document 1, when assembling a plug to a socket, the plug is inserted into the socket in an orientation such that the retaining protrusion will engage with the stopper after assembly. Therefore, in order to pass the retaining protrusion through the part where the stopper is formed, the plug must be pushed firmly into the socket, making it difficult to improve the ease of assembling the plug to the socket.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a cord stopper that can improve the ease of assembling a plug to a socket.

[0006] [1] A cord stopper according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a plug having a base portion and a plug main body portion protruding from the base portion in an insertion direction, and a socket having an insertion hole into which the plug main body portion is inserted in the insertion direction, and is a cord stopper that releasably clamps a string inserted into the insertion hole between the plug and the socket in a width direction intersecting the insertion direction, wherein the plug has an engaging portion at a tip of the plug main body portion that protrudes in a thickness direction intersecting both the insertion direction and the width direction, and the socket has an engaged portion that protrudes in the thickness direction and engages with the engaging portion, and the plug and the socket are configured so that the plug can be rotated relative to the socket in a rotational direction about an axis along the insertion direction between a first position where the position of the engaging portion differs from the position of the engaged portion, and a second position where the position of the engaging portion overlaps the position of the engaged portion in the insertion direction.

[0007] [2] In the cord stopper of this aspect, the engaging portion may be composed of a pair of engaging claw portions protruding in a direction intersecting the insertion direction, the socket may have a pair of groove portions along the insertion direction into which the pair of engaging claw portions are accommodated when the plug is positioned in the second position, and the engaged portion may be composed of a pair of engaging wall portions formed by blocking the pair of groove portions in the insertion direction so that the pair of engaging claw portions can engage with each other.

[0008] [3] In the cord stopper according to this embodiment, when the vertical dimension between the pair of engaging claws at the tip of the plug is PL1, the horizontal dimension at the tip of the plug is PL2, the vertical dimension at the plug neck continuous with the pair of engaging claws is Pm1, the horizontal dimension at the plug neck is Pm2, the vertical dimension between the pair of grooves in the socket is SL1, the horizontal dimension at the insertion hole of the socket is SL2, and the vertical dimension between the pair of engaging walls in the socket is Sm1, the vertical dimension PL1 and the horizontal dimension PL2 may be smaller than the vertical dimension SL1, the vertical dimension PL1 and the horizontal dimension PL2 may be smaller than the horizontal dimension SL2, and the vertical dimension Pm1 and the horizontal dimensions PL2 and Pm2 may be equal to or smaller than the vertical dimension Sm1, and the vertical dimension PL1 may be larger than the vertical dimension Sm1.

[0009] [4] In the cord stopper according to this embodiment, if the diagonal dimension of the diagonal line at the plug neck is DP and the diagonal dimension of the diagonal line connecting the inner surface forming the insertion hole of the socket and the continuous portions of the pair of grooves is DS, the diagonal dimension DP may be less than or equal to the diagonal dimension DS.

[0010] [5] In the cord stopper according to this aspect, the vertical dimension PL1 may be greater than the horizontal dimension PL2.

[0011] [6] In the cord stopper according to this embodiment, each of the pair of groove portions may be composed of a groove bottom surface and a pair of groove side surfaces, and the groove side surfaces may be formed along the direction in which the pair of groove portions face each other.

[0012] [7] In the cord stopper according to this embodiment, the socket may have a socket inclined surface that is continuous with the groove side surface and is inclined in the direction in which the pair of groove portions face each other so as to widen the openings of the pair of groove portions.

[0013] [8] In the cord stopper according to this aspect, the plug neck portion of the plug that is continuous with the pair of engaging claw portions may have a quadrilateral cross section, and the corners of the plug neck may be formed with plug inclined surfaces that slide against the socket inclined surfaces.

[0014] [9] In the cord stopper according to this aspect, a slit may be formed in the tip portion of the plug and positioned between the pair of engaging claw portions.

[0015]

[10] In the cord stopper according to this aspect, a recess may be formed in the portion of the socket closer to the insertion side of the plug than the engaged portion, allowing the plug to rotate when inserted into the socket.

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cord stopper that can improve the ease of assembling a plug to a socket.

[0017] 13 is a perspective view of a cord stopper according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a plug in the cord stopper according to the embodiment. FIG. 15 is a front explanatory view of the plug in FIG. 2 from the front side. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a socket in the cord stopper according to the embodiment. FIG. 18 is a front explanatory view of the cord stopper in FIG. 5 from the front side. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6. FIG. 20 is a rear explanatory view of the cord stopper in FIG. 5 from the rear side. FIG. 21 is an assembly explanatory view showing the assembling of the plug to the socket in the cord stopper according to the embodiment. FIG. 22 is an assembly explanatory view showing, from the front side, the cord stopper according to the embodiment with the plug positioned in a first position. FIG. 23 is an assembly explanatory view showing, from the front side, the cord stopper according to the embodiment with the plug in an early stage of rotation. FIG. 24 is an assembly explanatory view showing, from the front side, the cord stopper according to the embodiment with the plug in a later stage of rotation. FIG. 25 is an assembly explanatory view showing, from the front side, the cord stopper according to the embodiment with the plug in a second position. FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 13. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV in FIG. 14.

[0018] [Configuration of the Present Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 8 , a cord stopper 1 according to the present embodiment can be secured to a cord 2 at any desired position along the opening of an article, such as a backpack. By adjusting the secured position relative to the cord 2, the opening of the article can be tightened to close or loosened to open. The cord stopper 1 includes a plug 11 and a socket 12 into which the plug 11 is inserted. A strip-shaped tape (not shown) serving as a connectable member is wound around a connecting rod 40 (described below) of the plug 11. Furthermore, a strip-shaped tape (not shown) serving as a connectable member, the end of which is secured to an article, such as a backpack, is wound around a connecting rod 70 (described below) of the socket 12. The cord stopper 1 releasably clamps the cord 2 inserted into the socket 12 between the plug 11 and the socket 12, thereby holding the cord 2 at any desired position. In the following description, for convenience, the front-to-rear direction of the cord stopper 1 (the direction in which the plug 11 is inserted into the socket 12) is referred to as the X-axis direction, the left-to-right direction of the cord stopper 1 as the Y-axis direction, and the front-to-back direction of the cord stopper 1 (thickness direction) as the Z-axis direction. The X, Y, and Z-axis directions are perpendicular to one another. Furthermore, the rotation direction in which the plug 11 is rotated from the first position P1 to the second position P2 when assembling the plug 11 into the socket 12 is referred to as the R-axis direction (see FIGS. 10 to 13 ). The R-axis direction is the rotation direction around the axis along the X-axis direction.

[0019] 2 to 4, the plug 11 is made of synthetic resin and is integrally molded. The plug 11 has a plug body 20 that is inserted into the socket 12 in the X-axis direction, and a connecting rod 40 (plug-side connecting rod) that is continuous with the rear of the plug body 20. The connecting rod 40 forms a base of the plug 11, and the plug body 20 is formed to protrude from the connecting rod 40 toward the socket 12 in the X-axis direction.

[0020] The plug body 20 extends in the X-axis direction and is formed in a generally wedge shape, tapering from its rear toward the tip 20A. The plug body 20 has a front surface 21, a back surface 22, a pair of side surfaces 23, a front surface 24, and a rear surface 25. The pair of side surfaces 23 are continuous with both side edges of the front surface 21 and the back surface 22 and are inclined with respect to the X-axis direction so as to move away from each other in the Y-axis direction from the front side to the rear side in the X-axis direction. The front surface 24 is continuous with the front edges of the front surface 21, the back surface 22, and the pair of side surfaces 23 located on the front side in the X-axis direction, and the rear surface 25 is continuous with the rear edges of the front surface 21, the back surface 22, and the pair of side surfaces 23 located on the rear side in the X-axis direction. Note that the front surface 21 is hollowed out.

[0021] Each of the pair of side surfaces 23 constitutes a cord holding portion 231 having a continuous concave-convex shape formed along the X-axis direction. When the plug 11 assembled to the socket 12 is further inserted, this cord holding portion 231 holds the cord 2 by firmly clamping it between itself and the socket 12. When the plug 11 assembled to the socket 12 is pulled out to a predetermined position, the cord holding portion 231 loosens the clamping force and releases the cord 2. In this released state, the cord 2 is movable in the X-axis direction relative to the cord stopper 1.

[0022] The plug body 20 has an engagement portion 31 that protrudes in the Z-axis direction at its tip portion 20A. The engagement portion 31 is composed of a pair of engagement claws 32, 33 that face each other in the Z-axis direction. The engagement claw 32 protrudes from the front surface 21 toward the front side (upper side) in the X-axis direction, and the engagement claw 33 protrudes from the back surface 22 toward the rear side (lower side) in the X-axis direction. The portion of the plug body 20 that is continuous with the engagement claws 32, 33 forms a plug neck 35. A slit 36 ​​is formed in the tip portion 20A between the engagement claws 32, 33, extending from the front side of the plug body 20 along the Y-axis direction. The slit 36 ​​is formed deep enough to reach the plug neck 35 in the X-axis direction, allowing the tip portion 20A to elastically deform so that the engagement claws 32, 33 can approach each other in the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, the vertical dimension PL1 of the tip portion 20A along the Z-axis direction is larger than the horizontal dimension PL2 of the tip portion 20A along the Y-axis direction and the horizontal dimension Pm2 of the plug neck portion 35 described later. The horizontal dimension PL2 is slightly smaller than the horizontal dimension Pm2.

[0023] The engaging claw portion 32 has an inclined surface 321 that is inclined in the X-axis direction so as to move away from the surface 21 in the Z-axis direction as it moves from the front to the rear, a claw portion end surface 322 that is continuous with the inclined surface 321 and extends along the X-axis direction, an engaging surface 323 that is continuous with the claw portion end surface 322 and is formed along the Z-axis direction at a position rearward of the inclined surface 321, and a pair of claw portion side surfaces 324 that connect both side edges of the inclined surface 321, the claw portion end surface 322 and the engaging surface 323 to the surface 21.

[0024] The engaging claw portion 33 is formed in substantially the same manner as the engaging claw portion 32 and is disposed upside down, so that the components of the engaging claw portion 33 are denoted by the same reference numerals as the components of the engaging claw portion 32 and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The inclined surface 321, the engaging surface 323, and the pair of claw portion side surfaces 324 of the engaging claw portion 33 are continuous with the rear surface 22.

[0025] 2 to 4 , as well as FIGS. 14 and 15 , the plug neck 35 is disposed immediately behind the engagement surface 323 in the X-axis direction. The cross-sectional shape of the plug neck 35 in a plane perpendicular to the X-axis direction is a substantially quadrilateral, as shown particularly in FIG. 15 , and plug inclined surfaces 351 that come into sliding contact with socket inclined surfaces 65, which will be described later, are formed at the four corners of the plug neck 35. The plug inclined surfaces 351 are formed so as to form a small contact angle with the socket inclined surfaces 65 that come into sliding contact with the plug 11 when the plug 11 rotates in the R direction. In this embodiment, the vertical dimension Pm1 of the plug neck 35 along the Z-axis direction is smaller than the horizontal dimension Pm2 of the plug neck 35 along the Y-axis direction.

[0026] The connecting rod 40 has a pair of side portions 41 facing each other in the Y-axis direction, a rectangular rod-shaped connecting portion 42 that is continuous with the pair of side portions 41 and extends in the Y-axis direction, and a continuous portion 43 that connects the front ends of the pair of side portions 41 in the X-axis direction to the rear portions of the pair of side surfaces 23 of the plug body 20. The pair of side portions 41 are aligned along the X-axis direction. The aforementioned tape (not shown) is wound around the connecting portion 42. The dimension of the connecting rod 40 in the Y-axis direction is larger than the width dimension of the plug body 20 in the Y-axis direction. The pair of side portions 41 and the connecting portion 42 form a U-shaped portion. The pair of side portions 41 and the connecting portion 42 that form the U-shaped portion are positioned below the plug body 20 in the Z-axis direction, allowing the string 2 to be positioned above the side portions 41 and the continuous portion 43 of the connecting rod 40. Furthermore, since the connecting rod 40 is positioned downward relative to the plug body 20 when the plug 11 is placed in the second position P2, if, for example, the operator mistakenly attempts to rotate the plug 11 in the opposite direction from the first position P1 (see Figures 9 and 10), the connecting rod 40 will attempt to move upward relative to the plug body 20, thereby preventing the operator from rotating the plug 11 in the wrong direction.

[0027] 5 to 8, the socket 12 is made of synthetic resin and is integrally molded. The socket 12 has a socket body 50 into which the plug body 20 is inserted in the X-axis direction, and a connecting rod 70 (socket-side connecting rod) that is continuous with the front and lower side of the socket body 50.

[0028] The socket main body 50 has a front surface 51 and a back surface 52 that face each other in the Z-axis direction, and a pair of side surfaces 53 that are continuous with both side edges of the front surface 51 and the back surface 52 and face each other in the Y-axis direction. The front surface 51, the back surface 52, and the side surfaces 53 form an insertion hole 55 into which the aforementioned plug 11 is inserted in the X-axis direction and into which the plug main body 20 is positioned.

[0029] The front surface portion 51 is formed flat along the X and Y axis directions. The front surface portion 51 is formed to be larger in length in the X axis direction than the back surface portion 52, and extends further rearward (toward the insertion side of the plug 11) than the back surface portion 52 in the X axis direction. The front surface portion 51 is also formed so that its width in the Y axis direction gradually increases from the front side (opposite the insertion side of the plug 11) to the rear side in the X axis direction.

[0030] The rear surface portion 52 is formed flat along the X and Y axes directions. The rear surface portion 52 is formed so that its width in the Y axis direction gradually increases from the front side to the rear side in the X axis direction. The connecting rod 70 is continuous with the front end of the rear surface portion 52 and the pair of side surface portions 53.

[0031] The inner surface 51B of the front surface 51 is provided with an upper engagement wall 511 protruding in the Z-axis direction toward the back surface 52, a recessed groove 512 formed along the X-axis direction in a position forward of the engagement wall 511, and a depression 513 formed along the X-axis direction in a position rearward of the engagement wall 511. The inner surface 52B of the back surface 52 is provided with a lower engagement wall 521 protruding in the X-axis direction toward the front surface 51, a recessed groove 522 formed along the X-axis direction in a position forward of the engagement wall 521, and a depression 523 formed along the X-axis direction in a position rearward of the engagement wall 521.

[0032] The engaging walls 511, 521 form a pair facing each other in the Z-axis direction, with a narrow space between the pair of engaging walls 511, 521. The engaging wall 511 has an engaged surface 511A along the Z-axis direction that closes the rear end of the recessed groove 512 in the X-axis direction, and the engaging wall 521 has an engaged surface 521A along the Z-axis direction that closes the rear end of the recessed groove 522 in the X-axis direction. The pair of engaging walls 511, 521 described above constitute an engaged portion 56 with which the engaging portion 31 engages.

[0033] Each of the grooves 512, 522 is formed as a stripe groove along the X-axis direction and faces each other in the Z-axis direction. Each groove is formed of a groove bottom surface 61 along the Y-axis direction and a pair of groove side surfaces 62 continuous with both side edges of the groove bottom surface 61. As shown in FIG. 13 , the width of the groove bottom surface 61 in the Y-axis direction is such that the engaging claw 32 can be accommodated in the groove 512 and is approximately equal to the width of the engaging claw 32 (33). The groove side surfaces 62 are formed perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of grooves 512, 522 face each other, i.e., along the Z-axis direction. The grooves 512, 522 are formed to widen slightly from the rear to the front.

[0034] The aforementioned engaging claws 32 and 33 are housed in the aforementioned recessed grooves 512 and 522, respectively, with the groove bottom surface 61 disposed opposite the claw end surface 322 and the pair of groove side surfaces 62 disposed opposite the claw side surfaces 324. The socket 12 also has socket inclined surfaces 65 that are continuous with the groove side surfaces 62 and the inner surfaces 51B and 52B and are inclined with respect to the Z-axis direction so as to widen the openings of the recessed grooves 512 and 522 in the Y-axis direction. A pair of the socket inclined surfaces 65 is provided for each of the recessed grooves 512 and 522, and the pair of socket inclined surfaces 65 are inclined in opposite directions to each other. When the plug 11 assembled to the socket 12 is pulled rearward in the X-axis direction, the engaging surfaces 323 of the engaging claws 32, 33 housed in the recessed grooves 512, 522 come into contact with the engaged surfaces 511A, 521A of the engaging walls 511, 521, and are engaged with the engaged surfaces 511A, 521A. This prevents the plug 11 from falling off the socket 12.

[0035] 7 and 8, each of the recesses 513, 523 is recessed in the Z-axis direction, and the depth of the recess in the Z-axis direction gradually increases from the front side to the rear side. Furthermore, the recesses 513, 523 have a width in the Y-axis direction large enough to allow the plug body 20 disposed in the insertion hole 55 to rotate in the R direction. The recesses 513, 523 form a space in the rear portion of the engaging portion that allows the plug 11 inserted in the socket 12 to rotate in the R direction.

[0036] The connecting rod 70 is formed in a U-shape, having a pair of side portions 71 on the front side that are continuous with the back portion 52 and a pair of side portions 53 and that face each other in the Y-axis direction, and a rectangular rod-shaped connecting portion 72 that is continuous with the pair of side portions 71 and extends in the Y-axis direction, and the aforementioned tape (not shown) is wrapped around the connecting portion 72.

[0037] [Dimensional Relationship Between Plug and Socket] In the present embodiment, in the plug 11 described above, the vertical dimension along the Z-axis direction between the engaging claws 32, 33 at the tip portion 20A of the plug 11 is defined as PL1, the horizontal dimension along the Y-axis direction at the tip portion 20A is defined as PL2, the vertical dimension along the Z-axis direction at the plug neck 35 continuous with the engaging claws 32, 33 is defined as Pm1, the horizontal dimension along the Y-axis direction at the plug neck 35 is defined as Pm2, and the diagonal dimension on the diagonal line at the plug neck 35 is defined as DP. In addition, in the above-mentioned socket 12, the vertical dimension along the Z-axis direction between the groove portions 512, 522 is SL1, the horizontal dimension along the Y-axis direction of the portion of the insertion hole 55 that is forward of the engagement wall portions 511, 521 is SL2, the vertical dimension along the Z-axis direction between the engagement wall portions 511, 521 is Sm1, and the diagonal dimension on the diagonal line connecting the inner surfaces 51B, 52B that form the insertion hole 55 of the socket 12 and the continuous portions of the groove portions 512, 522 is DS.

[0038] In this embodiment, the vertical dimension PL1 of the plug 11 is larger than the horizontal dimensions PL2 and Pm2, the vertical dimension SL1 of the socket 12 is larger than the vertical dimension Sm1, and the horizontal dimension SL2 of the socket 12 is larger than the vertical dimension Sm1. The vertical dimension PL1 and horizontal dimension PL2 of the plug 11 are each smaller than the vertical dimension SL1 and horizontal dimension SL2 of the socket 12, respectively. The vertical dimension Pm1 of the plug 11 and the horizontal dimensions PL2 and Pm2 of the plug 11 are each equal to or smaller than the vertical dimension Sm1 of the socket 12, and the vertical dimension PL1 of the plug 11 is larger than the vertical dimension Sm1 of the socket 12. Furthermore, the diagonal dimension DP is equal to or smaller than the diagonal dimension DS. Because of the above-described configuration and dimension settings, the plug 11 can be rotated in the R direction while inserted into the socket 12, allowing the plug 11 to be assembled to the socket 12.

[0039] [Assembly Procedure] The assembly procedure for assembling the plug 11 to the socket 12 will be described below. It is assumed that the string 2 is threaded through the socket 12 in advance. First, the plug 11 is inserted into the socket 12 in a vertical orientation, as shown in Figure 9. That is, the plug 11 is inserted into the socket 12 in a vertical orientation with the front surface 21, back surface 22, and connecting portion 42 oriented along the Z-axis direction.

[0040] Next, the plug body 20 is inserted to a predetermined position in the insertion hole 55 of the socket 12 and positioned at a first position P1. At the first position P1, the position of the engaging portion 31 is different in the R direction from the position of the engaged portion 56. At the first position P1, the engaging surfaces 323 of the engaging claws 32, 33 are positioned forward of the engaged surfaces 511A, 521A of the engaging walls 511, 521, the claw end surfaces 322 of the engaging claws 32, 33 are positioned opposite the inner surfaces of the pair of side surface portions 53 of the socket 12 as shown in FIG. 10 , and the pair of side surfaces 23 of the plug neck 35 are positioned opposite the pair of engaging wall portions 511, 521 as shown in FIG. 10 . A portion of the front side of the plug neck 35 is positioned opposite the socket inclined surface 65 in a direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction. The portion of the plug body 20 located rearward of the engagement walls 511, 521 is disposed within a pair of recesses 513, 523 and between them so as to be rotatable in the R direction. The width of the engagement claws 32, 33 is smaller than the distance between the inner surfaces 51B, 52B of the socket 12. The engagement claws 32, 33 configured in this manner are inserted into the insertion hole 55 so as to protrude in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, they are smoothly inserted into the insertion hole 55 with little force without interfering with the engagement walls 511, 521 or the inner surfaces 51B, 52B of the socket 12, and are disposed at a predetermined position forward beyond the engagement walls 511, 521. Furthermore, since the plug 11 has the aforementioned dimensional relationship with the socket 12, interference between the various portions of the plug 11 and the socket 12 is suppressed, thereby reducing the risk of chipping or sagging of the socket 12.

[0041] Next, the plug 11, which is in the first position P1, is rotated in the direction R. At this time, the claw end surfaces 322 of the engagement claws 32, 33 abut against the diagonally opposing socket inclined surfaces 65, and by further rotating the plug 11, the tip end portion 20A is elastically deformed, and the engagement claws 32, 33 move toward each other so as to narrow the slit 36, as shown in Figure 11. In this embodiment, because the engagement claws 32, 33 move toward each other as described above, the abutment pressure of the engagement claws 32, 33 against the socket inclined surfaces 65 can be reduced, allowing the plug 11 to rotate smoothly.

[0042] Subsequently, when the plug 11 is further rotated, the plug inclined surface 351 comes into contact with the socket inclined surface 65, as shown in FIG. 12 . However, as described above, the plug inclined surface 351 is formed at an inclination so that the angle of contact with the socket inclined surface 65 is small. Therefore, the plug inclined surface 351 can be smoothly brought into sliding contact with the socket inclined surface 65, and therefore the plug 11 can be smoothly rotated continuously.

[0043] 13 , the plug 11 is positioned horizontally at the second position P2, with the engaging claws 32, 33 fitted into the grooves 512, 522. That is, the plug 11 is positioned horizontally with the front and back surfaces 21, 22, and the connecting portion 42 aligned along the Y-axis direction, and the engaging claws 32, 33 are positioned in the grooves 512, 522. At the second position P2, the position of the engaging portion 31 coincides with the position of the engaged portion 56 in the R direction and overlaps with the position of the engaged portion 56 in the X-axis direction. At the second position P2, the pair of side surfaces 23 of the tip portion 20A are positioned opposite the pair of side surface portions 53 of the socket 12, and the claw end surfaces 322 of the engaging claws 32, 33 are positioned opposite the groove bottom surfaces 61 of the grooves 512, 522. Furthermore, when the engaging claw portions 32, 33 are positioned in the recessed groove portions 512, 522, the elastic deformation of the tip portion 20A of the plug 11 is restored, so that a clicking sensation can be produced when the plug 11 is positioned in the second position P2, making it easy to confirm whether the plug 11 has been assembled to the socket 12 as specified.

[0044] By disposing the plug 11 in the second position P2 in this manner, the engaging claws 32, 33 are able to abut and engage with the engaging walls 511, 521 in the X-axis direction, thereby placing the plug 11 in an assembled state in which it is assembled to the socket 12, thereby forming the cord stopper 1. When the cord stopper 1 is in an inserted state in which the plug 11 is deeply inserted into the socket 12, the cord 2 is firmly clamped between the cord holding portion 231 of the plug 11 and the pair of side surfaces 53 of the socket 12, thereby holding the cord 2. On the other hand, when the cord stopper 1 is in a pulled state in which the plug 11 is pulled out of the socket 12 by a predetermined amount in the X-axis direction, the clamping of the cord 2 between the plug 11 and the socket 12 is loosened, and the cord 2 is released from its hold. In the pulled-out state, the engaging surfaces 323 of the engaging claws 32, 33 abut and engage with the engaged surfaces 511A, 521A of the engaging walls 511, 521, thereby preventing the plug 11 from being pulled out of the socket 12 beyond a predetermined amount, thereby preventing the plug 11 from accidentally falling out of the socket 12. The cord stopper 1 configured in this manner can tighten and close the opening of an item such as a backpack, or loosen and open it.

[0045] [Modifications] In the above embodiment, the groove side surfaces 62 of the recessed groove portions 512, 522 are formed as vertical surfaces along the Z-axis direction, but the present invention is not limited to this and may have any shape as long as the engaging claw portions 32, 33 can abut against the claw portion side surfaces 324 so as to prevent them from coming off the recessed groove portions 512, 522 in the R direction or the opposite direction. For example, if the claw portion side surfaces 324 of the engaging claw portions 32, 33 are shaped to be inclined with respect to the Z-axis direction, the groove side surfaces 62 may be formed to be inclined along the claw portion side surfaces 324.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the plug 11 is formed with a plug inclined surface 351, and the socket 12 is formed with a socket inclined surface 65. However, this is not limited to this. Even if the plug inclined surface 351 or the socket inclined surface 65 is not formed, if the plug 11 can be rotated from the first position P1 to the second position P2, one or both of the plug inclined surface 351 and the socket inclined surface 65 may be omitted.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the slit 36 ​​is formed in the tip portion 20A of the plug 11, but this is not limited to this. Even if the slit 36 ​​is not present, if the plug 11 can be rotated from the first position P1 to the second position P2 due to slight elastic deformation of the socket 12, etc., the configuration of the slit 36 ​​may be omitted.

[0048] In the above embodiment, recesses 513, 523 are formed in the socket 12, but this is not limited to this. If the plug 11 can be rotated from the first position P1 to the second position P2 even without the recesses 513, 523, the configuration of the recesses 513, 523 may be omitted.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the cord stopper 1 is used as a piece through which a string 2 is inserted along the opening of an item such as a backpack, but it may also be used as a piece through which a string 2 is inserted on other items such as bags, clothing, and cold weather gear.

[0050] [Action and effect] (1) The cord stopper 1 of this embodiment includes a plug 11 having a base portion 40 and a plug main body portion 20 protruding from the base portion 40 in the X-axis direction, and a socket 12 having an insertion hole 55 into which the plug main body portion 20 is inserted in the X-axis direction. The cord stopper 1 releasably clamps a cord 2 inserted into the insertion hole 55 between the plug 11 and the socket 12 in the Y-axis direction. The plug 11 has an engaging portion 31 protruding in the Z-axis direction at the tip portion 20A of the plug main body portion 20. The socket 12 has an engaged portion 56 that protrudes in the Z-axis direction and engages with the engaging portion 31. The plug 11 and the socket 12 are configured so that the plug 11 can be rotated relative to the socket 12 in the R direction, which is a rotation direction around an axis along the X-axis direction, between a first position P1 where the position of the engaging portion 31 differs from the position of the engaged portion 56, and a second position P2 where the position of the engaging portion 31 overlaps the position of the engaged portion 56 in the X-axis direction. According to the cord stopper 1 of the present invention, when assembling the plug 11 to the socket 12, by positioning the plug 11 in the first position P1, the plug 11 can be inserted into the socket 12 with little force without the engaging portion 31 interfering with the engaged portion 56. Furthermore, by rotating the plug 11 in the R direction when the engaging portion 31 has passed the engaged portion 56 and positioning it in the second position P2, the engaging portion 31 can be placed in a state where it can engage with the engaged portion 56. This improves the ease of assembling the plug 11 to the socket 12.

[0051] (2) In the cord stopper 1 of this embodiment, the engaging portion 31 is formed by a pair of engaging claws 32, 33 protruding in the Z-axis direction, the socket 12 has a pair of grooves 512, 522 along the X-axis direction into which the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 fit when the plug 11 is positioned at the second position P2, and the engaged portion 56 is formed by a pair of engaging walls 511, 521 formed by closing the pair of grooves 512, 522 in the X-axis direction to allow engagement with the pair of engaging claws 32, 33. With this configuration, when assembling the plug 11 to the socket 12, by positioning the plug 11 at the first position P1, the plug 11 can be easily inserted into the insertion hole 55 with little force. Furthermore, after inserting in this manner, the plug 11 can be rotated to position it at the second position P2, whereby the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 fit into a pair of grooves 512, 522 along the X-axis direction, allowing the plug 11 to move in the X-axis direction relative to the socket 12, and the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 abut and engage with the pair of engaging walls 511, 521 at predetermined positions, thereby restricting movement of the plug 11 beyond a predetermined position, thereby preventing the plug 11 from falling off the socket 12.

[0052] (3) In the cord stopper 1 of this embodiment, the vertical dimension between the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 at the tip end 20A of the plug 11 is PL1, the horizontal dimension at the tip end 20A of the plug 11 is PL2, the vertical dimension at the plug neck 35 connected to the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 is Pm1, the horizontal dimension at the plug neck 35 is Pm2, the vertical dimension between the pair of grooves 512, 522 at the socket 12 is SL1, and the vertical dimension at the insertion hole 512 of the socket 12 is PL3. If the horizontal dimension of the socket 12 is SL2 and the vertical dimension between the pair of engaging wall portions 511, 521 in the socket 12 is Sm1, the vertical dimension PL1 and the horizontal dimension PL2 are smaller than the vertical dimension SL1, the vertical dimension PL1 and the horizontal dimension PL2 are smaller than the horizontal dimension SL2, the vertical dimension Pm1 and the horizontal dimension PL2 and the horizontal dimension Pm2 are smaller than the vertical dimension Sm1, and the vertical dimension PL1 is larger than the vertical dimension Sm1. According to this configuration, when assembling the plug 11 to the socket 12, when the plug 11 positioned at the first position P1 is inserted into the socket 12, the dimensional relationship can be set so that the plug 11 does not interfere with the socket 12 or does not interfere excessively, and further, when the plug 11 is positioned at the second position P2, the dimensional relationship can be set so that the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 can be accommodated in the pair of recessed grooves 512, 522 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction, and can abut and engage with the pair of engaging claws 32, 33.

[0053] (4) In the cord stopper 1 of this embodiment, when the diagonal dimension of the plug neck 35 is DP and the diagonal dimension of the socket 12 connecting the inner surfaces 51B, 52B that form the insertion hole 55 and the continuous portions of the pair of grooves 512, 522 is DS, the diagonal dimension DP is equal to or smaller than the diagonal dimension DS. With this configuration, when the plug 11 inserted into the insertion hole 55 is rotated from the first position P1 to the second position P2, interference of the plug 11 with the socket 12 can be suppressed, and the plug 11 can be rotated smoothly.

[0054] (5) In the cord stopper 1 of this embodiment, the vertical dimension PL1 is greater than the horizontal dimension PL2. This configuration allows the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 to protrude more, thereby increasing the engagement margin with the pair of engaging walls 511, 521. This reduces the risk of the plug 11 accidentally falling off the socket 12 when a strong pulling force is applied to the plug 11.

[0055] (6) In the cord stopper 1 of this embodiment, each of the pair of grooves 512, 522 includes a groove bottom surface 61 and a pair of groove side surfaces 62, and the groove side surfaces 62 are formed along the direction in which the pair of grooves 512, 522 face each other. With this configuration, the groove side surfaces 62 abut against the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 disposed in the pair of grooves 512, 522 in the R direction, thereby preventing the plug 11 disposed in the second position P2 from unexpectedly rotating and preventing the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 from unexpectedly disengaging from the pair of grooves 512, 522.

[0056] (7) In the cord stopper 1 of this embodiment, the socket 12 has a socket inclined surface 65 that is continuous with the groove side surface 62 and is inclined with respect to the Z-axis direction in which the pair of groove portions 512, 522 face each other so as to widen the openings of the pair of groove portions 512, 522. With this configuration, the abutment angle between the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 and the socket inclined surface 65 can be reduced when the plug 11 is rotated from the first position P1 to the second position P2, thereby allowing the plug 11 to rotate more smoothly.

[0057] (8) In the cord stopper 1 of this embodiment, the plug neck 35 of the plug 11, which is continuous with the pair of engaging claws 32, 33, has a quadrilateral cross section, and plug inclined surfaces 351 that come into sliding contact with the socket inclined surfaces 65 are formed at the corners of the plug neck 35. With this configuration, the plug inclined surfaces 351 formed at the corners of the plug neck 35 come into sliding contact with the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 and the socket inclined surfaces 65 when the plug 11 is rotated from the first position P1 to the second position P2, allowing the plug 11 to rotate more smoothly.

[0058] (9) In the cord stopper 1 of this embodiment, the tip portion 20A of the plug 11 may be formed with a slit 36 ​​disposed between the pair of engaging claws 32, 33. With this configuration, even if the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 abut against the socket 12 when the plug 11 disposed in the insertion hole 55 is rotated from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the provision of the slit 36 ​​allows the tip portion 20A of the plug 11 to elastically deform so that the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 approach each other. This allows the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 to slide smoothly relative to the socket 12, making it easy to rotate the plug 11 from the first position P1 to the second position P2. Furthermore, by forming the slit 36, the plug 11 can be rotated from the first position P1 to the second position P2 even if, for example, the pair of engaging claws 32, 33 protrude a large amount.

[0059] (10) In the cord stopper 1 of this embodiment, recesses 513, 523 that allow the plug 11 to rotate when inserted into the socket 12 are formed in a portion of the socket 12 closer to the insertion side of the plug 11 than the engaged portion 56. This configuration reduces the portion of the socket 12 that interferes with the plug 11, allowing the plug 11 to rotate smoothly.

[0060] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Cord stopper, 11... Plug, 12... Socket, 2... Cord, 20... Plug main body, 20A... Tip, 21... Surface, 22... Back, 23... Side, 231... Cord holder, 24... Front, 25... Rear, 31... Engagement portion, 32, 33... Engagement claw, 321... Inclined surface, 322... Claw end surface, 323... Engagement surface, 324... Claw side surface, 35... Plug neck, 351... Plug inclined surface, 36... Slit, 40, 70... Connecting rod, 41... Side, 42, 72... Connecting portion, 43... Continuous portion, 50... Socket main body, 51...surface portion, 511, 521...engaging wall portion, 511A...engaged surface, 512, 522...groove portion, 513, 523...recess portion, 51B, 52B...inner surface, 52...back surface portion, 521A...engaged surface, 53...side portion, 55...insertion hole, 56...engaged portion, 61...groove bottom surface, 62...groove side surface, 65...socket inclined surface, 71...side portion, DP, DS...diagonal dimension, P1...first position, P2...second position, PL1, Pm1, SL1, Sm1...vertical dimension, PL2, Pm2, SL2...horizontal dimension.

Claims

1. A cord stopper (1) comprising: a plug (11) having a base portion (40) and a plug body portion (20) protruding from the base portion (40) in an insertion direction; and a socket (12) having an insertion hole (55) into which the plug body portion (20) is inserted in the insertion direction, wherein a cord (2) inserted into the insertion hole (55) is releasably clamped between the plug (11) and the socket (12) in a width direction intersecting the insertion direction, wherein the plug (11) has an engaging portion (31) protruding in a thickness direction intersecting the insertion direction and the width direction at a tip portion (20A) of the plug body portion (20), and the socket (12) has an engaged portion (56) protruding in the thickness direction and engaging with the engaging portion (31), The plug (11) and the socket (12) are configured to be rotatably positioned relative to the socket (12) in a first position (P1) where the position of the engaging portion (31) differs from the position of the engaged portion (56) in a rotational direction around an axis along the insertion direction, and in a second position (P2) where the position of the engaging portion (31) overlaps the position of the engaged portion (56) in the insertion direction.

2. A cord stopper as described in claim 1, wherein the engaging portion (31) is composed of a pair of engaging claw portions (32, 33) protruding in a direction intersecting the insertion direction, the socket (12) has a pair of recessed groove portions (512, 522) along the insertion direction into which the pair of engaging claw portions (32, 33) are accommodated when the plug (11) is placed in the second position (P2), and the engaged portion (56) is composed of a pair of engaging wall portions (511, 521) formed by blocking the pair of recessed groove portions (512, 522) in the insertion direction so that the pair of engaging claw portions (32, 33) can engage with each other.

3. When the vertical dimension between the pair of engaging claws (32, 33) at the tip portion (20A) of the plug (11) is PL1, the horizontal dimension at the tip portion (20A) of the plug (11) is PL2, the vertical dimension at the plug neck portion (35) continuing to the pair of engaging claws (32, 33) is Pm1, the horizontal dimension at the plug neck portion (35) is Pm2, the vertical dimension between the pair of recessed grooves (512, 522) at the socket (12) is SL1, the horizontal dimension at the insertion hole (55) of the socket (12) is SL2, and the vertical dimension between the pair of engaging walls (511, 521) at the socket (12) is Sm1, the vertical dimension PL1 and the horizontal dimension PL2 are smaller than the vertical dimension SL1, and the vertical dimension PL1 and the horizontal dimension PL2 are smaller than the horizontal dimension SL2, The cord stopper according to claim 2, wherein the vertical dimension Pm1 and the horizontal dimension PL2 are equal to or smaller than the vertical dimension Sm1, and the vertical dimension PL1 is greater than the vertical dimension Sm1.

4. A cord stopper as described in claim 3, wherein the diagonal dimension of the diagonal line of the plug neck portion (35) is DP, and the diagonal dimension of the diagonal line connecting the inner surface (51B, 52B) forming the insertion hole (55) of the socket (12) and the continuous portions of the pair of recessed groove portions (511, 522) is DS, the diagonal dimension DP is less than or equal to the diagonal dimension DS.

5. A cord stopper according to claim 3, wherein the vertical dimension PL1 is greater than the horizontal dimension PL2.

6. A cord stopper as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of the pair of recessed groove portions (512, 522) is composed of a groove bottom surface (61) and a pair of groove side surfaces (62), and the groove side surfaces (62) are formed along the direction in which the pair of recessed groove portions (512, 522) face each other.

7. A cord stopper as described in claim 6, wherein the socket (12) has a socket inclined surface (65) that is continuous with the groove side surface (62) and is inclined with respect to the direction in which the pair of groove portions (511, 522) face each other so as to widen the opening of the pair of groove portions (512, 522).

8. A cord stopper as described in claim 7, wherein the plug neck portion (35) of the plug (11) that is continuous with the pair of engaging claw portions (32, 33) has a quadrilateral cross section, and the corners of the plug neck portion (35) are formed with plug inclined surfaces (351) that come into sliding contact with the socket inclined surfaces (65).

9. A cord stopper as set forth in claim 2, wherein a slit (36) is formed in the tip portion (20A) of the plug (11) and is positioned between the pair of engaging claw portions (32, 33).

10. A cord stopper as described in claim 1, in which a recess (513, 523) is formed in the portion of the socket (12) closer to the insertion side of the plug (11) than the engaged portion (56), allowing the plug (11) to rotate when inserted into the socket (12).

Images