GB2316435A

GB2316435A - Waist belt fastener

Info

Publication number: GB2316435A
Application number: GB9617497A
Authority: GB
Inventors: You Kwon Chung
Original assignee: ALTA Ltd
Current assignee: ALTA Ltd
Priority date: 1996-08-21
Filing date: 1996-08-21
Publication date: 1998-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 2016-08-21
Also published as: GB9617497D0; GB2316435B

Abstract

A belt fastener (10) for use with a waist belt (20), comprising a body plate (11), a connector (14) adapted to connect one end (21) of the belt (20) to the body plate (11), an operating rod (13) supported by the body plate (11) for angular movement about an axis (X) between first and second positions holding (fig.3) and releasing (fig.2), respectively, the other end (22) of the belt (11). The operating rod (13) is movable by means of the connector (14) from the first to the second position.

Description

WAIST BELT FASTENER The present invention relates to a fastener for waist belts or the like.

According to the invention, there is provided a belt fastener for use with a waist belt, comprising a body, a connector adapted to connect one end of a said belt to the body, an operating member supported by the body for angular movement about an axis between first and second positions holding and releasing, respectively, the other end of a said belt, said operating member being movable by means of the connector from the first to the second position.

Preferably, the operating member is adapted to hold the other end of a said belt by gripping.

It is preferred that the operating member has a part which protrudes in a direction off the axis for engaging the other end of a said belt.

More preferably, the part of the operating member is knurled.

Preferably, the operating member is eccentrically supported by the body.

In a preferred embodiment, the operating member is in the form of a rod supported for rotation.

Preferably, the connector is connected to the operating member.

More preferably, the connector is hinged to the operating member.

In a preferred arrangement, the connector is connected or hinged to the operating member at such a position that it is closer to the body when the operating member is in the first position than when it is in the second position.

In another preferred arrangement, the connector is connected or hinged to the operating member at a position which is on an adjacent side of a or the part of the operating member arranged to hold the other end of a said belt.

The invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a belt fastener in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 consists of a rear view of and an end view of the belt fastener of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the belt fastener of Figure 1, in a unfastening condition; Figure 4 corresponds to Figure 3, showing the belt fastener in a fastening condition; and Figure 5 corresponds to Figures 3 and 4, showing how the belt fastener is released.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a belt fastener 10 embodying the invention for use with a waist belt 20, which fastener 10 comprises a front body plate 11, a pair of opposed top and bottom integral lugs 12 extending horizontally from a rear side lIA of the body plate 11, an operating rod 13 supported by and extending across the lugs 12 for rotation about a vertical axis X, and a connector 14 hinged to and along one side of the rod 13 for pivotal movement about another vertical axis. The connector 14 has a side channel 15 receiving one end 21 of the waist belt 20, which end 21 is secured in place by means of three screws 16 securing laterally into the channel 15. The body plate 11, the two lugs 12 and the rod 13 together form a slot 17 through which a free end 22 of the waist belt 20 passes from right to left (arrow Y) for the belt 20 to form a loop around the waist of a user.

The operating rod 13 has an oval cross section and is supported by the lugs 12 eccentrically to have a radially expanded side 13A which protrudes in a direction off the axis X. The periphery of the rod 13 including the protruding side 13A, is longitudinally knurled or serrated to enhance its ability to grip.

While the waist belt 20 is looped around the user's waist, the rod 13 is rotatable from an inoperative position (Figure 3) clockwise (arrow Z) into an operative position (Figure 4) to have its protruding side 13A restricting the slot 17 and biting into or gripping the free end 22 of the waist belt 20 against the rear side ilA of the body plate 11. The belt end 22 is gripped on the left side of the axis X (as shown in Figure 4) and is therefore wedged against retrieval in the opposite, left-to-right direction (arrow Y'), thereby prohibiting any loosening of the waste belt 20. On the contrary, tightening of the waist belt 20 is possible, by passing the belt end 22 further through the slot 17 with the rod 13 pivoted slightly back to lose grip.

The operating rod 13 hinges the connector 14 by means of two integral projections 13B formed on the left side of the operating rod 13, adjacent the protruding side 13A. The connector 14 is to used, usually by means of the belt end 21, to rotate the rod 13 from the operative position anticlockwise (arrow Z') into the inoperative position, as shown in Figure 5, in order to release the belt end 22. In the opposite direction (arrow Z), the connector 14 is to be swinged to rotate the rod 13 into the operative position gripping the belt end 22 and then manually pressed flat to lie close to the body plate 11 in order to tighten the grip.

The belt fastener 10 may be released by the user initially contracting his belly to give room for and then swinging the connector 14 away from the body plate 11 in order to roll the operating rod 13 anti-clockwise (arrow Z') into the inoperative position in a manner as described above.

Alternatively, the belt fastener 10 may be unfastened by pulling the belt end 22 further through the slot 17 to pivot the rod 13 slightly back in order to release the gripping action.

In a slightly different construction of the belt fastener, the connector 14 may be hinged to the lugs 12 instead of directly to the operating rod 13 but is engageable with the rod 13 for rolling the rod 13 to release and/or to grip the belt end 22.

The invention has been given by way of example only, and various other modifications of and/or alterations to the described embodiment may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as specified in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A belt fastener for use with a waist belt, comprising a body, a connector adapted to connect one end of a said belt to the body, an operating member supported by the body for angular movement about an axis between first and second positions holding and releasing, respectively, the other end of a said belt, said operating member being movable by means of the connector from the first to the second position.

2. A belt fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating member is adapted to hold the other end of a said belt by gripping.

3. A belt fastener as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the operating member has a part which protrudes in a direction off the axis for engaging the other end of a said belt.

4. A belt fastener as claimed in claim 3, wherein the part of the operating member is knurled.

5. A belt fastener as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the operating member is eccentrically supported by the body.

6. A belt fastener as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operating member is in the form of a rod supported for rotation.

7. A belt fastener as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector is connected to the operating member.

8. A belt fastener for use with a waist belt, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A belt fastener as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connector is hinged to the operating member.

9. A belt fastener as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the connector is connected or hinged to the operating member at such a position that it is closer to the body when the operating member is in the first position than when it is in the second position.

10. A belt fastener as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the connector is connected or hinged to the operating member at a position which is on an adjacent side of a or the part of the operating member arranged to hold the other end of a said belt.

11. A belt fastener for use with a waist belt, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS 1. A belt fastener for use with a waist belt, comprising a body, a connector adapted to connect one end of a said belt to the body, an operating member in the form of a rod supported by the body for rotation about an axis between first and second positions holding and releasing, respectively, the other end of a said belt, said operating member being movable by means of the connector from the first to the second position and supporting the connector by means of a hinge.

3. A belt fastener as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the operating member has a radially protruding part for engaging the other end of a said belt.

6. A belt fastener as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector is connected or hinged to the operating member at such a position that it is closer to the body when the operating member is in the first position than when it is in the second position.

7. A belt fastener as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the connector is connected or hinged to the operating member at a position which is on an adjacent side of a or the part of the operating member arranged to hold the other end of a said belt.