Belt Buckle With Segmented Central Bar And Protrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjustable strap buckles lack stability and load capacity, often flipping upwards when force is applied and failing to withstand higher pressures.
Innovation Solution
A buckle design featuring an adjustable loop end with a central bar and tabs that distribute load, a protrusion to prevent flipping, and a curved profile for reduced weight and increased strength, along with a male and female joint mechanism to enhance stability and load distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional integral molded buckle structure is used, then manufacturing is simple, but load capacity and stability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The buckle is divided into multiple functional components: a body portion with openings, a central bar positioned between openings, and tabs extending from the central bar. This segmentation allows each component to bear specific loads and perform dedicated functions, thereby increasing overall load capacity while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The design incorporates elements extending in multiple dimensions: tabs extend perpendicular to the central bar, and the central bar itself extends perpendicular to the plane of the body portion. This three-dimensional configuration distributes forces across multiple spatial dimensions, enhancing stability and load distribution beyond what a flat two-dimensional structure could achieve.
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional buckle design is used, then structure is simple, but flipping occurs when force is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The tabs extending from the central bar toward the second opening are designed to engage with the strap material in advance, creating a preliminary counteracting force that prevents the buckle from flipping when load is applied. This preventive design feature counteracts the flipping tendency before it can occur, enhancing operational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The body portion includes a curved surface that distributes applied forces more evenly across the structure, reducing stress concentration points that could initiate flipping. The curved geometry also provides a more aerodynamic profile that reduces upward force accumulation during operation.
3Stress or pressure
If traditional buckle design is used, then weight is reduced, but pressure distribution against central bar is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The central bar is segmented by tabs extending from its sides, creating multiple contact points with the strap material. This segmentation distributes the pressure from the strap across multiple discrete areas of the central bar, preventing stress concentration at any single point and improving overall pressure distribution efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The tabs are positioned at specific locations along the central bar to create localized pressure distribution zones. Each tab engages with the strap at a different position, creating a pattern of localized pressure points that collectively distribute the total load more evenly across the central bar structure, enhancing its load-bearing capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A buckle having an adjustable loop end forming a primary plane with opposing side walls. The adjustable loop end has a central bar positioned between a first strap opening and a second strap opening. A pair of slots operable to receive the terminal ends of the central bar are recessed into the interior surface of the opposing side walls with the bottom edges of the slots being longer than the top edges. A pair of tabs on opposite ends of the central bar extend outward from the central bar along a longitudinal axis of the primary plane and towards the second strap or belt opening. Optionally, a protrusion extends from a lower surface of the fixed loop end wherein the protrusion is positioned at a right angle with respect to a vertical axis of the primary plane.