Prongless Belt Buckle With Abutment Portions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional belt buckles require a prong to penetrate holes in the belt strap for securing and loosening, which can be complex and require significant buckle pivoting, making them difficult to manufacture and use.
Innovation Solution
A belt buckle design that eliminates the need for a prong by using abutment portions on the buckle and strap, with a moveable release mechanism that slides or pivots to allow for easy loosening without activating a separate release mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a prong pivotally mounted on a buckle is used to penetrate holes in a belt strap for securing, then the belt strap can be secured at a desired position, but the buckle structure becomes complex and requires significant buckle pivoting to loosen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the traditional prong component from the buckle system. Instead of using a separate prong that pivots and penetrates holes, the invention uses a simplified buckle body with abutment portions that directly engage with the belt strap, eliminating the need for the complex pivoting prong mechanism while maintaining securing functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The buckle is divided into distinct functional portions: a body portion that provides structural support and abutment portions that provide engagement surfaces. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining reliability
2Reliability
If a prong pivotally mounted on a buckle is used to penetrate holes in a belt strap, then the belt can be secured, but the buckle requires significant pivoting motion to loosen which makes it difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the pivoting prong mechanism entirely, replacing it with a buckle body that has integrated abutment portions. This extraction of the complex pivoting mechanism allows for much easier operation, as the buckle can be loosened by simple movement of the belt strap against the abutment portions without requiring significant buckle pivoting
Solution Approach 2:
The abutment portions are designed to automatically engage and disengage the belt strap through the natural movement and tension of the strap itself. The buckle structure allows the belt strap to interact directly with the abutment portions, enabling easy loosening through simple finger manipulation without requiring complex release mechanisms
3Reliability
If conventional belt buckles with prongs and holes are used, then securing is achieved, but manufacturing becomes more difficult due to the complex structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the separate prong component and the hole-penetration feature from the buckle design. This leaves a simpler buckle body with integrated abutment portions that can be manufactured as a single piece or with fewer components, significantly easing the manufacturing process while maintaining the securing function through direct engagement of the abutment portions with the belt strap
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of the buckle body and the securing elements into a unified structure. The abutment portions are integrated into the buckle body itself rather than being separate components, which simplifies manufacturing by reducing the number of parts that need to be produced and assembled
Data Source
AI summary
A buckle operable with a securement strap. In a most preferred form, the buckle is a belt buckle for a belt including a belt strap having a free end, a connection end and an inner surface having one or more belt strap abutment portions. The buckle includes a body having a first end, a second end and a surface disposed between the first and second ends. The body further includes at least one buckle abutment portion extending outwardly or inwardly from the surface. The first end of the body is configured to be connected to a connection end of a belt strap. The at least one buckle abutment portion is configured to engage (i.e., to contact directly or be positioned to act with) at least one belt strap abutment portion. A release can be movably connected to the body. The moveable release (if used) can slide, pivot or otherwise move relative to the at least one buckle abutment portion.