GB2175040A

GB2175040A - Buckle

Info

Publication number: GB2175040A
Application number: GB08608090A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pier Luigi Nava
Original assignee: Nava and Co SpA
Current assignee: Nava and Co SpA
Priority date: 1985-05-13
Filing date: 1986-04-02
Publication date: 1986-11-19
Also published as: FR2581516A1; NL8600882A; IT8521796V0; DE8610612U1; ZA863422B; BE904760A; JPS61184408U; ES293212U; BR8602127A; ES293212Y; GB8608090D0

Abstract

A quick clamping buckle, particularly suited for the chin straps of helmets, consists of two parts (A) and (B), the first part (A) being secured to one of the ends of a strap (4), and being provided with a tab (5) apertured (at 6) to connect with the second part (B), the second part (B) being formed by three elements (10,30,40) which are secured to each other by interlocking. The first element or base plate (10) retains, at one end, the other end (4') of the strap (4), while on the opposite end it engages the second element or locking lever (30) which remains secured to said plate (10) by means of a retaining spring (40), constituting the third element which engages on plate (10) itself by snap action. The three elements (10,30,40) forming the second part (B) of the buckle are introduced and secured by interlocking in a housing (50) of soft moulded elastomer, the concave outer surface (15) of which is in contact with the wearer's jaw. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Buckle The present invention relates to a buckle, and in particular, but not exclusively, to a buckle for the chin straps of helmets.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a buckle for straps, in particular for helmet chin straps which allow quick and simple clamping, whilst avoiding the possibility of accidental disengagement, and improving safe retention of the helmet.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a buckle consisting of a limited number of elements which may be assembled manually by simple operations, to reduce assembly time and labour costs.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a buckle comprising a first part adapted to be secured to one strap end, the first part being provided with a tab to connect with a second part, the second part comprising three elements, the first element being adapted to retain another strap end and being engageable with the second element which remains secured to said first element by means of the third element which comprises a retaining spring, and which engages on the first element by snap action.

The buckle can be disengaged by the wearer by pulling the end of the locking lever toward the visible or outer surface of the strap, while the three elements of the second part of the buckle may be quickly assembled together by hand and inserted in a protective housing made of soft material which, in use, rests on the wearer's chin.

The present invention also includes a strap having a buckle according to the present invention, and a helmet having such a strap and/or having a buckle according to the present invention.

By way of example only, a specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view in cross section of the middle part of an embodiment of buckle according to the present invention, on an enlarged scale; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a first part of the buckle, taken in direction I of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a first element, or base plate, of a second part of the buckle, viewed from direction I of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a side view, partially in cross section, of the element of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the second element, or locking lever of the second part of the buckle, again in direction I of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a middle cross section side view of the element of Fig. 5;; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a third element, or retaining spring, of the locking lever (taken in the same direction I of Fig. 1); Fig. 8 is a side view of the element of Fig.

7; Fig. 9 is a side view of the group of elements shown in Figs. 3 to 8, assembled together; Fig. 10 is a mid longitudinal view in cross section of the housing in which the group of elements of Fig. 9, in use, is inserted; and Fig. 11 is a view of the housing Fig. 10, seen from below.

In Figs 1 and 2, the buckle identified with number 1 consists of a first part A formed by a plate prcvided with transverse slots 2, adapted to secure the end 3 of strap or belt 4. The plate is provided with a tab 5, having a rectangular opening 6 which is bounded or deliminated by a cross bar 8 at the end opposite to slots 2.

The second part B of the buckle, (see also Fig. 9), consists of an assembly of three elements, the first or base plate 10 of which is formed by a shaped metal plate, obtained by punching and which is provided, in succession, with the following, from left to right: two side notches 11, bounded or delimited by teeth 12, which are set back from the crosswise or transverse edge 13 of the plate; a bridge 14, the inner walls 1 5 of which are aligned with two teeth 16 obtained by punching in the same direction as bridge 14; a hook shaped projection 18 in the longitudinal mid part, punched to form a substantially trapezoidal or tapering aperture 19, and lastly; a "T" shaped aperture 20, to secure the other sewn end 4' of the belt.

(see Fig. 1) The second element or locking lever 30 (Figs. 5 and 6) is provided on its sides, with two arms 31 the ends 32 of which are folded at an angle. Said arms are integral, by means of walls 33, with a lamina 34-35 lying on a parallel underlying plane, and having, in the mid position of its transversely extending portion 34, a bulge 36, constituting the locking tooth for part A as will be described infra.

The narrower, longitudinally extending portion 35 which constitutes the manoevering end of the lever, is provided with a rectangular aperture 38 and a punched tooth 39.

The third element, or retaining spring (see Figs. 7 and 8), consists of a leaf spring 40 formed by two lateral arms 42 folded on themselves and integral with a cross joining element 44 which is provided, in turn, on its centre part, with a zone 46 inclined toward lower part 42' of arms 42.

Part B of the buckle assembly, consisting of base plate 10, locking lever 30 and retaining spring 40 is illustrated in Fig. 9, which also shows the clamping constructed from the three elements. It can be seen in this Figure that the ends 32 of lever 30 remain secured, by spring 40, in notches 11 of the base plate thereby to form a fulcrum for the lever which may oscillate flexibly in the direction of arrow "X" to disengage buckle components A and B from each other.

Considering Fig. 1, it is evident that the narrower end of part A of the buckle may be introduced in bridge 14 and guided by teeth 16 until the end of cross bar 8 touches the hook-shaped projecting part 18. In this position, locking tooth 36 of locking lever 30 snaps into opening 6 of buckle part A engaging cross bar 8 to close the buckle.

Again, with reference to Fig. 9, it is evident that locking lever 30 cannot disengage itself from base plate 10 as it is secured on one side, with its cross part 34 against bridge 14, the lateral faces 14' of which (see Figs. 4 and 9) are inclined and converge toward plate 10 so as to inhibit disengagement of said cross arm 34.

On the other hand, oscilation or displacement of the lever is limited by the contrast or engagement between bulge 36 and the narrower end of projection 18.

It can be seen in Fig. 1 that both the end A of the buckle secured to one of the ends 4 of the belt and the end of plate 10 secured to the other end 4' of the belt are substantially aligned with the incoming direction of the belt which surrounds the wearer's jaw which is considered arranged in the top part of Fig. 1.

In order to provide a distributed-support to part B of the buckle so that it will not cause discomfort to the user, the assembly of the three elements 10,30, 40 is inserted in a soft moulded elastomer housing 50 as shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

The top outer wall 51 of the housing is smooth and suitably curved, to adapt itself conveniently to the wearer's jaw.

The housing is provided, internally, with a ledge 52 which acts as a stop for bridge 14 of base plate 10, the trapezoidal opening 19 of which engages with a ledge 54 of the housing itself.

Lastly, end 37 of locking lever 30 is completed by a sheath 60 (see Fig. 1) made of stamped plastic material and provided with a hole 62 in which tooth 39 of the lever engages by snap action, and the sheath may be forcibly insertable on the lever 30. By exerting a finger pressure in the direction of arrow "Y" (see Fig. 1), the end of the lever can thus disengage the two ends of the belt only by an intentional operation.

The travel of the lever is limited by tooth 18 which engages with bulge 36 at a predetermined angular displacement, to avoid breakage of the lever itself due to excess opening.

As described and illustrated herein above, the object of the invention is fully achieved.

The buckle is safe, practical and economical, both insofar as its single elements are concerned (obtained by punching) and their assembly, which is simple and rapid, and does not require any special tooling.

The details of the embodiment may however vary, especially as to dimensions which may be modified according to requirements and applications, and may differ from what has been described only by way of example, without departing from the scope and domain of the invention, which is defined by the ap

Claims

pended claims. CLAIMS

1. A buckle comprising a first part adapted to be secured to one strap end, the first part being provided with a tab to connect with a second part the second part comprising three elements, the first element being adapted to retain another strap end and being engageable with the second element which remains secured to said first element by means of the third element which comprises a retaining spring, and which engages on the first ele ment by snap action.

2. A buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end of the second element is provided with a covering of plastics material, which is operable to disengage the first and second parts of the buckle.

3. A buckle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the three elements forming the second part of the buckle are introduced and secured by interlocking in a housing of a soft moulded elastomer comprising a concave outer surface which, in use, abuts a portion of a wearer of the buckle.

4. A buckle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first element of the second part comprises a plate having, in succession from one end to the other: to symmetrical side notches, bounded or delimited by teeth retracted with respect to transversal side of the plate; a bridge portion extending above the level of the plate, the inner walls of which bridge are aligned with projections punched on the plate itself the lateral faces of the bridge being inclined and converging towards the second part; a hook shaped projection, provided on the longitudinal mid part, the punching of which projection forms a trapezoidal or tapering opening; and on the extreme part, opposite to side a sub stantially T-shaped aperture adapted to secure the cther strap end.

5. A buckle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second element of the sec ond part comprises a plate having two arms positioned either side of the plate, the ends of which arms are inclined at an angle, said arms being integral, via connecting walls, with a lamina located on an underlying plane and pro -vided in a transversely extending portion, with a projection comprising a tooth adapted-to engagement with an aperture of the first part of the buckle, while in a narrower portion it is provided with a rectangular aperture and a punched projection.

6. A buckle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the third element, or retaining element, comprises a leaf spring with two lateral arms folded over themselves and integral with a cross joining element having, in its centre portion a portion inclined toward the lower part of said arms.

7. A buckle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second element remains engaged with the first element introducing the folded ends of the lever arms in notches of said plate thereby to form a movable fulcrum of a lever, in which said ends remain yieldably secured by means of ends of the retaining spring which engages, by snap action, on the first element by means of the inclined portion which engages the edge of the opening corresponding at the punched bridge of the first element.

8. A buckle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the disengagement of the buckle takes place by shifting the end of the second element outwardly, towards the visible surface of the strap.

9. A buckle substantially as herein described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

10. A strap comprising a buckle as claimed in any of preceding claims

11. A helmet comprising a buckle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, and/or a strap as claimed in claim 10.