EP2517589A1

EP2517589A1 - Buckle

Info

Publication number: EP2517589A1
Application number: EP11179660A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ji Sook Paik; Nan Hee Paik; Ji Hye Paik; Ji Won Son
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-04-28
Filing date: 2011-08-31
Publication date: 2012-10-31
Also published as: KR101317044B1; KR20120121956A

Abstract

A buckle is disclosed. The buckle includes a buckle body (10) having a raised front wall which extends to protrude upwards, the buckle body being formed with a pair of transverse slots, into which a strap (S1) is fitted, and an engagement portion, which are respectively placed at front and rear sides of the raised front wall, an engagement unit (20) formed, at a rear end thereof, with a pair of fixed slots into which another strap (S2) is fitted, the engagement unit being formed, at outer surfaces of opposite lower sides of a front end thereof, with hinge stoppers, respectively, and a position fixing unit (30) for fixing a position of the engagement unit in a state in which the engagement unit rests on a base of the buckle body.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a buckle used to fasten both ends of belts or straps, and more particularly to a buckle capable of fixing a position of an engagement unit in a state in which the engagement unit is overlapped on a buckle body so that the engagement unit faces an upper surface of the buckle body after passing through a transverse aperture of the buckle body and then rotating, in order to prevent disengagement of the engagement unit from the buckle body when belts or straps are pulled in opposite directions.

Description of the Related Art

In general, straps for fastening are provided at a variety of bags, including backpacks, apparel, sports equipment, helmets, and the like, and these straps are fastened to each other by a buckle. The buckle is commonly constituted of two members to be coupled to each other. When the members are coupled to each other, the straps connected to the respective members are fastened to each other. Various kinds of structures associated with the buckle are known.
A similar example of such a buckle is disclosed in KR Patent No. 10-0063330 which suggests a fastener for belts comprised of a first locking element having a plate shape and a second locking element having a plate shape. The first locking element includes, at one side thereof, a transverse aperture while being connected to one strap, whereas the second locking element includes a pair of transverse slots while being connected to the other strap. A leading end of the second locking element passes through the transverse aperture of the first locking element from a lower side of the first locking element to an upper side thereof, so that the second locking element rests on an upper surface of the first locking element. Consequently, the first and second locking elements are engaged with each other by tensile force applied to the straps in opposite directions.
However, such a conventional fastener for belts is configured, in such a manner that the second locking element completely passes through the aperture of the first locking element, and is then simply surmounted on the upper surface of the first locking element. Thus, when the two straps are loosened, the leading end of the second locking element surmounted on the first locking element may be lifted upwards, and further the second locking element may also be disengaged from the first locking element while coming out through the transverse aperture of the first locking element.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of an embodiment to provide a buckle capable of fixing a second locking element in a state in which the second locking element is overlapped on an upper surface of a first locking element, in the case that the second locking element passes through an aperture of the first locking element, and is then overlapped on the upper surface of the first locking element. In accordance with such a configuration, when tensile forces in straps are loosened, it may be possible to prevent a leading end of the second locking element which rests on the first locking element from being lifted upwards, and further to prevent disengagement of the second locking element from the first locking element, thereby maintaining stable engagement between the straps.
In accordance with one aspect, the present invention provides a buckle comprising a buckle body having a raised front wall which extends to protrude upwards, the buckle body being formed with a pair of transverse slots, into which a strap S1 is fitted, and an engagement portion, which are respectively placed at front and rear sides of the raised front wall, an engagement unit formed, at a rear end thereof, with a pair of fixed slots into which another strap S2 is fitted, the engagement unit being formed, at outer surfaces of opposite lower sides of a front end thereof, with hinge stoppers, respectively, and a position fixing unit for fixing a position of the engagement unit in a state in which the engagement unit rests on a base of the buckle body.
The engagement portion may include the base for allowing the engagement unit to rest on an upper surface of the base, and two opposite raised side walls leading to the raised front wall at opposite sides of the base while extending to protrude upwards.
Also, a transverse aperture, through which the engagement unit passes, may be formed between the raised front wall and guide protrusions formed at respective inner surfaces of the opposite raised side walls.
Further, latching jaws may be respectively formed at back surfaces of the opposite raised side walls between which the transverse aperture is formed.
The hinge stoppers may be respectively formed to extend downwards from the back surfaces of the front end of the engagement unit while protruding outwards from the respective back surfaces thereof so that, when the rear end of the engagement unit passes through the transverse aperture of the buckle body from a lower side thereof to an upper side thereof, the hinge stoppers are fitted and latched to the corresponding latching jaws formed at lower ends of the opposite raised side walls of the buckle body, respectively.
The position fixing unit may include latching protrusions respectively formed at upper ends of the opposite raised side walls of the buckle body, and latching grooves respectively formed at upper ends of opposite sides of the engagement unit so as to allow the latching protrusions to be elastically fitted into the corresponding latching grooves, respectively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a separated perspective view illustrating a buckle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating a separated state of the buckle according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 3A and 3B are sectional views illustrating an engaged state of the buckle according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A - A of FIG. 3B; and
FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating a coupled state of a position fixing unit in the buckle according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
As shown in FIG. 1 to 5, a buckle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a buckle body 10 connected to a free end of one strap S1 so as to fasten corresponding free ends of straps to each other, an engagement unit 20 connected to the free end of the other strap S2 so as to be engaged with the buckle body 10 in a state of resting on the buckle body 10, and a position fixing unit 30 for fixing a position of the engagement unit 20 in a state in which the engagement unit 20 rests on the buckle body 10.
The buckle body 10 is made of a plastic material of a plate shape. The buckle body 10 includes a pair of transverse slots 12 and an engagement portion 13 which are respectively placed at front and rear sides of a raised front wall 11. The strap S1 is fitted into the transverse slots 12 in the form of a U shape while being turned about a bar formed between the transverse slots 12, and the engagement unit 20 rests on the engagement portion 13 to face the engagement portion 13.
The engagement portion 13 has a base 14 for allowing the engagement unit 20 to rest on an upper surface of the base 14, and two opposite raised side walls 15 leading to the raised front wall 11 at opposite sides of the base 14 while extending to protrude upwards. The opposite raised side walls 15 serve to guide the engagement unit 20 together with the raised front wall 11 so that the engagement unit 20 may rest on the upper surface of the base 14.
A transverse aperture 16 through which the engagement unit 20 passes is formed between the raised front wall 11 and guide protrusions 19 at respective inner surfaces of the opposite raised side walls 15.
The base 14 of the engagement portion 13 has a channel form of a substantially '
' shape in cross section, as viewed from the top. Accordingly, the base 14 is formed, at an outer side end thereof, to be concave so that a user's fingers may be inserted between the engagement unit 20 and the base 14 during disengagement of the engagement unit 20.
Meanwhile, each opposite raised side wall 15 is formed, at a lower end of an inner side thereof corresponding to the transverse aperture 16, with an elongated groove in forward and backward directions. Such an elongated groove acts as a latching jaw 18 to which a corresponding hinge stopper 22 of the engagement unit 20 described below is fitted and latched, as shown in FIG. 4, so that the latching jaw 18 may be communicated with the transverse aperture 16.
The engagement unit 20 includes a pair of fixed slots 21 formed side by side, and is made of a plastic material of a plate shape. The strap S2 is double-fitted into the fixed slots 21 in the form of a U shape while being turned about a central area between the fixed slots 21. Each hinge stopper 22 is formed to protrude outside a bar which lengthily extends downwardly at each of opposite side surfaces of a front end of the engagement unit 20. Consequently, when a rear end of the engagement unit 20 passes through the transverse aperture 16 of the buckle body 10 from a lower side of the transverse aperture 16 to an upper side thereof, the hinge stoppers 22 are fitted and latched to the corresponding latching jaws 18 formed at the lower ends of the opposite raised side walls 15 of the buckle body 10, respectively.
The hinge stoppers 22 also act as a pivot axis so that the engagement unit 20 passing through the transverse aperture 16 may rotate about the pivot axis towards the upper surface of the base 14. Thus, each hinge stopper 22 may be preferably formed to extend downwards from a back surface of the engagement unit 20 while protruding outwards from the back surface thereof. This serves to allow the engagement unit 20 to pass through the transverse aperture 16 from the lower side of the buckle body 10 and then be overlapped on the upper surface of the base 14.
In addition, as shown in the drawings, the rear end of the engagement unit 20 may preferably have a convex arc shape in order to easily disengage the engagement unit 20 which is overlapped on and is engaged with the buckle body 10.
As shown in FIG. 2, the position fixing unit 30 may include latching protrusions 31 which respectively protrude inwards from upper inner surfaces of the opposite raised side walls 15 of the engagement portion 13 in the buckle body 10 by a predetermined length, and latching grooves 32 respectively formed at opposite outer surfaces of the engagement unit 20 so as to allow each latching protrusion 31 of the buckle body 10 to be elastically fitted and latched to the corresponding latching groove 32.
In accordance with such a configuration, the latching protrusions 31 prevent the engagement unit 20 from rotating, before the engagement unit 20 passes through the transverse aperture 16 from the lower side of the buckle body 10 and is then overlapped on the upper surface of the base 14. When a user then exerts force on the engagement unit 20, the engagement unit 20 elastically pushes against the latching protrusions 31 so as to be overlapped between the inner surfaces of the opposite raised side walls 15. Consequently, the latching protrusions 31 are inserted into the corresponding latching grooves 32. This serves to fix the engagement unit 20 so that the engagement unit 20 is not returned to an original state, namely, a disengagement state of the engagement unit 20. The engagement unit 20 is maintained in the state of resting on the buckle body 10, unless a user exerts force, which may elastically push against the latching protrusions 31, on the engagement unit 20.
Such a position fixing unit 30 utilizes self-elasticity of the buckle body 10 and the engagement unit 20 made of plastic materials. Accordingly, each of the latching protrusions 31 preferably has a small protruding height, for example, such as an embossing protrusion. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the latching protrusion 31 preferably has, at an end region thereof, a round shape in a rotation direction of the engagement unit 20, in order to facilitate engagement and disengagement of the engagement unit 20. The latching protrusion 31 of the position fixing unit 30 may be integrally formed at the same time as formation of the buckle body 10.
Hereinafter, operation of the buckle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described.
First, one strap S1 and the other strap S2 are respectively fitted into a pair of transverse slots 12 formed at the buckle body 10 and a pair of fixed slots 21 formed at the engagement unit 20 in the form of the U shape so that the free ends of the straps S1 and S2 are respectively connected to the buckle body 10 and the engagement unit 20 to be fastened to each other.
Thereafter, the rear end of the engagement unit 20 connected to the other strap S2 passes through the transverse aperture 16 of the buckle body 10 connected to one strap S1 from the back surface of the buckle body 10. In this case, the hinge stoppers 22 protrude outwards at the opposite lower sides of the front end of the engagement unit 20, respectively to be latched to the corresponding latching jaws 18 formed at the back surfaces of the buckle body 10. Consequently, the engagement unit 20 does not completely pass through the transverse aperture 16 of the buckle body 10, so that the hinge stoppers 22 are latched to the corresponding latching jaws 18 formed at the back surfaces of the buckle body 10, respectively.
In this state, a portion of the engagement unit 20, which passes the front of the buckle body 10 through the transverse aperture 16, rotates toward the upper surface of the base 14. Subsequently, the engagement unit 20 rotates about the hinge stoppers 22 in the state in which the hinge stoppers 22 are respectively latched to the corresponding latching jaws 18, so that the latching protrusions 31 formed at the opposite raised side walls 15 are elastically coupled to the corresponding latching grooves 32 formed at the opposite outer surfaces of the engagement unit 20, respectively. Accordingly, the engagement unit 20 rests on the buckle body 10 to face the base 14 of the buckle body 10. At this time, when the two straps S1 and S2 are pulled in opposite directions, opposite tensile forces are applied to the straps S1 and S2, respectively. As a result, a firm engagement state between the buckle body 10 and the engagement unit 20 may be achieved.
Accordingly, although a relatively large external force is exerted on the engagement unit 20 by a user, the engagement unit 20 may maintain a stable engagement state with respect to the buckle body 10. Further, although the tensile forces in the straps S1 and S2 are relaxed and loosened due to irregularly repeated movements caused by wearing backpacks and the like for a long time, the problem in that the engagement unit 20 is disengaged from the buckle body 10 is not generated since the engagement unit 20 is fixed by the position fixing unit 30. As a result, stable engagement between the buckle body 10 and the engagement unit 20 may be always maintained, regardless of the tensile forces in the straps S1 and S2.
Meanwhile, when disengaging the engagement between the buckle body 10 and the engagement unit 20, a user lifts the free end of the engagement unit 20, which is fixed in the state facing side by side with the base 14 of the buckle body 10, in a direction opposite the engagement direction. Then, the engagement unit 20 rotates about the hinge stoppers 22 in the direction opposite the engagement direction, thereby emerging from restraint of the latching protrusions 31 of the opposite raised side walls 15 by self-elastic deformation of the buckle body 10 and the engagement unit 20.
In the case of the buckle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a free end of the engagement unit 20 is configured to have the convex arc shape in the rearward direction, and a free end of the base 14 of the buckle body 10 is also configured to have the concave shape. Accordingly, since a user's fingers may be easily inserted between the engagement unit 20 and the base 14, a user may facilitate disengagement between the buckle body 10 and the engagement unit 20.
When the engagement unit 20 deviates from the restraint of the latching protrusions 31 so as to be stood with respect to the buckle body 10, a user withdraws the engagement unit 20 from the transverse aperture 16 of the buckle body 10 toward the back surface of the buckle body 10. Consequently, the engagement between the buckle body 10 and the engagement unit 20 is disengaged.
As is apparent from the above description, in accordance with the buckle of the present invention, when the engagement unit passes through the transverse aperture of the buckle body, the hinge stoppers provided at opposite ends of the front end of the engagement unit are respectively latched to the corresponding latching jaws of the buckle body so that the engagement unit does not completely pass through the transverse aperture. Accordingly, when the rear end of the engagement unit passes the front of the buckle body, the engagement unit rotates about the hinge stoppers. Consequently, the engagement unit rests on the base in the state facing the base, and simultaneously the latching protrusions formed at the opposite raised side walls of the buckle body are elastically fitted into the corresponding latching grooves formed at the opposite outer surfaces of the engagement unit. As a result, the engagement unit may be fixed in the state engaged with the buckle body.
Therefore, although the straps are loosened due to movement, etc., caused by a user wearing backpacks and the like for a long time, the problem in that the engagement unit is disengaged from the buckle body is not generated.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

A buckle comprising:
a buckle body (10) having a raised front wall (11) which extends to protrude upwards, the buckle body (10) being formed with a pair of transverse slots (12), into which a strap (S1) is fitted, and an engagement portion (13), which are respectively placed at front and rear sides of the raised front wall (11);

an engagement unit (20) formed, at a rear end thereof, with a pair of fixed slots (21) into which another strap (S2) is fitted, the engagement unit (20) being formed, at outer surfaces of opposite lower sides of a front end thereof, with hinge stoppers (22), respectively; and

a position fixing unit (30) for fixing a position of the engagement unit (20) in a state in which the engagement unit (20) rests on a base of the buckle body (10).
The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the engagement portion (13) comprises the base (14) for allowing the engagement unit (20) to rest on an upper surface of the base (14), and two opposite raised side walls (15) leading to the raised front wall (11) at opposite sides of the base (14) while extending to protrude upwards.
The buckle according to claim 2, wherein a transverse aperture (16), through which the engagement unit (20) passes, is formed between the raised front wall (11) and guide protrusions (19) formed at respective inner surfaces of the opposite raised side walls (15).
The buckle according to claim 3, wherein latching jaws (18) are respectively formed at back surfaces of the opposite raised side walls (15) between which the transverse aperture (16) is formed.
The buckle according to claim 4, wherein the hinge stoppers (22) are respectively formed to extend downwards from the back surfaces of the front end of the engagement unit (20) while protruding outwards from the respective back surfaces thereof so that, when the rear end of the engagement unit (20) passes through the transverse aperture (16) of the buckle body (10) from a lower side thereof to an upper side thereof, the hinge stoppers (22) are fitted and latched to the corresponding latching jaws (18) formed at lower ends of the opposite raised side walls (15) of the buckle body (10), respectively.
The buckle according to claim 2, wherein the position fixing unit (30) comprises latching protrusions (31) respectively formed at upper ends of the opposite raised side walls (15) of the buckle body (10), and latching grooves (32) respectively formed at upper ends of opposite sides of the engagement unit (20) so as to allow the latching protrusions (31) to be elastically fitted into the corresponding latching grooves (32), respectively.
A buckle comprising:
a buckle body (10) having a raised front wall (11) which extends to protrude upwards, the buckle body (10) being formed with a pair of transverse slots (12) for receiving a strap (S1), and an engagement portion (13), which are respectively placed at front and rear sides of the raised front wall (11);

an engagement unit (20) formed, at a rear end thereof, with a pair of fixed slots (21) for receiving another strap (S2), the engagement unit (20) being formed, at outer surfaces of opposite lower sides of a front end thereof, with hinge stoppers (22), respectively; and

a position fixing unit (30) for fixing a position of the engagement unit (20) in a state in which the engagement unit (20) rests on a base of the buckle body (10).