Tool Belt Buckle with Integrated Locking and Step-less Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tool belts with buckles are inconvenient for users, especially when wearing gloves, as they often have complex designs that hinder free movement and are difficult to operate quickly in emergency situations, and lack efficient length adjustment mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A tool belt buckle design with the locking mechanism and length adjustment mechanism integrated within the female part, featuring a snap-lock latch system and step-less belt adjustment, allowing for easy operation even with gloves and minimizing the risk of unintentional release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large interface features (buttons, levers, pins) are used in the belt buckle, then the locking mechanism becomes more reliable, but the design becomes inconvenient and prevents free movement
Solution Approach 1:
The buckle is divided into a male part and a female part with separate locking mechanisms. The male part contains a latch plate while the female part contains the locking mechanism and length adjustment mechanism, allowing each part to be optimized independently for both reliability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the locking mechanism on the male part as in traditional buckles, the locking mechanism is placed on the female part. This inversion allows the male part to have a simpler latch plate design that is easier to insert and manipulate, while the female part provides the secure locking action.
2Reliability
If complex buckle designs are used, then the locking mechanism becomes more secure, but the user cannot manoeuvre easily when wearing gloves
Solution Approach 1:
The length adjustment mechanism is extracted from the traditional buckle design and integrated into the female part as a separate function. This allows the locking and adjustment functions to be independent, simplifying the operation required for each function while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The belt strap forms a loop around a rod in the female part, creating a self-adjusting mechanism. The user can easily manipulate the belt strap to adjust length without requiring complex external mechanisms, making it glove-friendly while maintaining secure locking.
3Ease of operation
If the locking mechanism and length adjustment mechanism are placed separately, then the design becomes more complex, but the user can distinguish and operate the mechanisms more easily
Solution Approach 1:
Both the locking mechanism and the length adjustment mechanism are merged into the female part of the buckle. This consolidation creates a single integrated component that houses both functions, reducing the overall number of separate parts while maintaining clear operational distinction between the two functions through separate access points and mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design provides a smooth, compact, and safe operation of the tool belt buckle, allowing users to easily adjust the belt length and disconnect it quickly, enhancing usability and safety, especially when wearing protective gloves.
Implementation Method 1
the latch plate is configured to be connected to the female interface when the latch plate is moved over the connection ramp, thereby pressing the connection ramp in a latch release direction transversal to an axis of insertion of the latch plate into the female interface and the connection ramp snaps back into a latch locking direction opposite to the latch release direction
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A tool belt (1) comprises a belt strap (2) and a belt buckle (3), wherein the belt buckle (3) comprises a male (5) and a female part (7). The male part (5) comprises a latch plate (27) and the female part (7) comprises a female interface (9) for receiving the latch plate (27). The latch plate (27) is attached to a first end (2a) of the belt strap (2) and the female part (7) is attached to a second end (2b) of the belt strap (2), and the female part (7) comprises a locking mechanism (15) adapted for connection and disconnection of the latch plate (27) to or from the female interface (9), and a length adjustment mechanism (17) adapted for adjustment of the length of the belt strap (2).