GB2165737A - Suspension devices - Google Patents

Abstract

An object can be suspended on a garment using a track (1) fixed to the garment, and a hanger (2) fixed to the object. The hanger is removably engageable with the track and is adjustable so that it can be fixed to the track at any of a range of different positions along its length. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Suspension devices This invention relates to suspension devices for use in hanging objects on garments.

With military garments, such as jackets, there is commonly a requirementforvarious objects to be carried such as ammunition, water containers, packs, pouches and the like. This is usually achieved with the aid of specially constructed pockets or loops formed in the garment and/orwith the aid of attached webbing.

However, with these known arrangements it is difficult to ensure secure and comfortable carrying of a wide range of different objects with asimpleandconve- nientstructure.This is especiallythe case where adjustability ofthe carrying position is important since this usually requires the use of inconvenient webbing arrangements.

An object ofthe present invention is to provide a suspension device with which the abovementioned difficulty can be overcome or at least appreciably reduced.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a suspension device, for use in hanging an object on a garment, comprising an elongate track and a hanger element, one of said track and element being arranged to be connected to the garment and the other being arranged to be connected to the objectto be hung on the garment, said hanger element being removably engageable with the track at different positions along the length thereofand being releasablyfixable relative to the track in a selected such position.

This arrangement permits adjustment ofthe carrying positions of objects with a secure and comfortable yet simple and convenientstructure of great versatility.

With regard to the track this may be formed from any suitable material and may be fixed to the garment or object in any suitable permanent or detachable manner. The track may have a degree of resilient flexibility e.g. so as to be capable of at least slight bending with the garment around the wearer's body and/or so as to permit opening of the trackfor removal and/or insertion of the hanger element. Conveniently the track may be formed from a strong light plastics material amd may be stitched and/or bonded to the garment or object directly or via the intermediary of a fabric backing strip orthe like.

The hanger element also may be formed from any suitable material and may be fixed to the respective object or garment in any suitable permanent or detachable manner. Thus the element may comprise a rigid plastics or metal body and this may be bonded or stitched orstrapped or otherwise secured to the object or garment.

The interengagement between the hanger element and thetrack may be such thatthe element is slidable along the track. Thus, for example, the track may have opposed projecting side walls between which a part of the element fits and is retained by inturned lips of the side walls. One or both of the side walls and/orthe part ofthetrack interconnecting these may have a limited resilient flexibility as mentioned above so that the lips can be forced apartto permit insertion and removal of the element.

Fixing ofthe element relative to the track may be possible at any position along the length ofthetrack.

Alternatively, the arrangement may be such that fixing is possible only at certain predetermined spaced positions. In the latter case this may be achieved,forexample, by provision of holes in the track which are engageablewith a prong or prongs on the element or by interfitting of other cooperable structures provided respectively on the element and at intervals along the track.

The invention also provides a garment fitted with the above described suspension device and, in this context, one or a plurality of tracks may be applied to the garment and one or a plurality of hanger elements may be used with the or each track as desired.

It is visualised thatthe invention will find particular application in the context of military jackets. It is, however, to be understood thatthe invention is not intended to be restricted to this field of application and the suspension device may be used with any suitable kind of military garment and also with any suitable kind of sporting orworking or other non-military garment.

The invention will now be described further by eay of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. lisa diagrammatic sectional view of oneform of a suspension device according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view to a smaller scale of the track ofthe device of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 of an alternative embodiment.

The suspension device of Fig. 1 comprises a track 1 and at least one hanger element 2.

Thetrack 1 is an elongatestructureformedfroma strong plastics material such as nylon. The structure 1 has a flat base wall 3 and two outwardly projecting parallel side walls 4, 5. The side walls 4,5 run along the entire length ofthe structure 1 and spaced slightly inwardlyofthe longitudinal edges ofthe base wall 3.

The outermostfree edges ofthe side walls have inturned lips 6,7 thereto.

As can be seen from Fig. 1 thetopsidewall4is shorter (i.e. projects a smaller distance from the base wall 3) than the bottom wall 5. Also the bottom wall 5 is oftapered cross-section towards the base wall 3.

As indicated in Fig. 2 the structure 1 is of common cross-section throughout its length except four holes 8 which are provided at regular intervals along thr longitudinal centre line ofthe base wall 3 (wholly or partiallythroughthiswall).

The structure 1 is fixed to a garment, such as a militaryjacket, sporting jacket or the like, so as to extend horizontally. Fixing of the structure 1 to the garmentisachieved by stitching or bonding the base wall 3 to the fabric ofthe garment. Alternatively the base wall 3 may be bonded or otherwise fixed to a strong fabric strip which strip is stitched or bonded or otherwise securely fixed to the garment The structure 1 is strong but has a degree of resilient flexibility. In particularitcan bendtransverselyto its longitudinal axis so that it can curve slightly with the garment around the body of a person wearing the garment. Also the two side walls 6,7 can be forced away from each other by flexing ofthe structure 1.

The hanger element 2 comprises a rigid plastics body 9 of square orrectangularform which has an integral rigid projecting strut 10 disposed centrally on one side. On the opposite sidethere is an integral projecting prong 11. The body 9 is dimensioned to fit within the track between the two sidewalls 4,5 with the strut 10 extending through the gap between the lips 6,7 sothatthe body9 is retained bythe lips 6,7 and is slidablealong thetrack.The body9 can be inserted into the trackthrough one ofthe open ends thereof orthrough the gap between the lips 6,7 by forcing the side walls 4,5 away from each other.

As shown in the drawing the gap between the base wall 3 and the upper lip 6 corresponds approximately to the thickness ofthe body 9 whereas the gap between the base wall 3 and the lower lip 7 is appreciably greater.The body 9 can therefore be pivoted towards the base wall 3 to bring the prong 11 into engagement with selected one ofthe holes 8. The prong 11 may be dimensioned to give a snapfit engagementwiththe hole 8.

The strut loins fixed to an object to be carried externally ofthe track. The construction ofthe strut 10 and the manneroffixing of this to the object will depend on the nature ofthe object. Thus, the strut 10 may be in the form of a rigid rod or a plate or a flexible strap orthe like, and the strut 10may be permanently fixed orformed integrally with a container or pouch or other object, or may be connected to a loop or strap or the like which is used to support an object such as ammunition,atool orthelike.

Thetracksofardescribed may be located as desired on the garment and may be of any suitable length.

Moreover, two or more tracks 1 may be used and/or for each trackthere may betwo or more hanger elements 2 connected to the same or different object.

With the arrangement so far described the hanger element 2 of an object to becarried is engaged with the pertaining track 1 on the garment and is moved along the track until the object is in the desired position. The prong 11 ofthe hanger element 2 is then engaged with the nearest hole 8 to lockthe element 2 securely in position on the track 1.The downwardly acting weight ofthe object holds the prong 11 in the hole 8. When desired the object can be quickly and easily removed by pivoting the hanger element 2 to move the prong 11 out of the hole8 and then detaching the body 9 from thetrack 1 e.g. by further pivoting and pulling the hangerelement2to move apartthe sidewalls4, 5.

Secure, comfortable carrying can therefore be achieved with a sample, versatile structure. It can even be feasible to construct a garmentwith a standardised distribution of tracks ready fitted to same for use as desired.

Fig. 3 shows an alternative profileforthe track 1 and the hanger element 2 and the same reference numerals have been used to identify parts which correspond to those ofthe embodiment of Fig. 1.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details ofthe above described embodiments. Thus, for example,the hanger element 2 may be of elongate form and may have two or more prongs 11 for engagement respectivelywith two or more holes 8. Also, although reference is made to the horizontal disposition ofthe track 1 it may also be feasible to arrange the track at an angle or even vertically.

Moreover, although the above specificdescription relates to the use of a channel-shaped track connected to the garment and a projection-shaped hanger element connected to the object, it is to be understood that other arrangements are possible. For example, reverse arrangements, involving mounting ofthe track on the object and the hangerelementon the garmentand/orinvolving a channel-shaped hanger element and a projection-shaped track, can be used.

Also instead of engaging a single hangerelementwith a single track it is impossibleto use an arrangement in which two or more hanger elements engage two or more tracks thereby to suspend an object on the garment.

Claims (11)

1. A garment in combination with an object which is hung on the garment by ineans of a suspension device comprising an elongate track amd a hanger element, one ofsaidtrack and said element being connected to the garment and the other being connected to the object, said hanger element being removablyengageable with thetrack at different positions along the length thereof and being releas ably fixable relative to the track in a selected such position.

2. Acombination according to claim 1, wherein the track is connected to the garment and the hanger elementtothe object.

3. A suspension device, for use in hanging an object on a garment, comprising an elongatetrackand a hanger element, one of said track and element being arranged to be connected to the garment and the other being arranged to be connected to the object to be hung on the garment, said hanger element removably engageable with the track at different positions along the length thereof and being releasablyfixablerelative to the track in a selected such position.

4. A device accordingto claim 3, wherein the track is resilientlyflexible.

5. A device according to claim 3 or4, wherein the track has opposed projecting sidewalls between which part of the elementfits.

6. A device according to claim wherein the side walls have inturned lips to retain the said element part.

7. A device accordingto claim 6, wherein the lips can beforced apartto permit insertion and removal of the element.

8. A device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein interfitting cooperable structures are provided respectively on the element and at intervals along the track.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the cooperable structures comprise a prong or prongs on the element engageable with a hole or holes in the track.

10. A device according to claim 3, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

11. The combination of claim 1 or 2, when using the suspension device of any one of claims 4to 10.