JP2562920B2 - buckle - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a buckle, and more particularly to a buckle which can be released from one side for releasably connecting two or three ends of a band such as a helmet.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,464 discloses a buckle consisting of a male member and a female member. The female member of the buckle has slots on both sides and the male member has a pair of resilient arms with locking tabs that lock into the slots. The male member and the female member can be connected by pushing a pair of elastic arms of the male member into the female member and engaging the tabs of each arm with the slots on both sides of the female member. This can be done by inwardly pressing the existing tabs and bending the pair of elastic arms. This conventional buckle is relatively simple yet reliable for releasably connecting the two ends of a belt or the like, but both sides of the buckle can be released to release the connection between the female and male members. Inward pressure must be applied.

When connecting a band of a helmet or some other item with a buckle, it can sometimes be difficult for the user to apply an inward pressure on both sides of the buckle. For example, when connecting a helmet band with a buckle, one side of the buckle presses against the wearer's chin, so insert a finger between the side and chin to release the connection and push the side with your finger. It's hard to do.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved buckle including a device for releasing from one side a buckle that releasably connects the ends of a belt, such as a helmet.

Another object of the present invention is a buckle according to the foregoing objects which is more easily molded or otherwise formed than relatively light weight materials and which is designed to be robust and reliable during operation. Is to provide.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a buckle of relatively simple design which requires few parts to be manufactured easily and economically.

According to the above-mentioned object, the buckle according to the present invention comprises a separable female member and a male member. The female member is an upper wall, a lower wall, two opposing side walls, an end wall, and an open end for receiving the male member, and first,
It includes a hollow body having a second locking device. A male member is a base having a pair of rigid stop members that are substantially equidistant from opposite side walls of the female member, and a first member extending between the stop members and extending axially from the base of the male member. , A second arm. The first resilient arm includes a first slot in the female member and a first locking tab for releasably engaging and releasing the inwardly directed wings forming the first bevel at about the same time. The second arm includes an enlarged two-tiered wing with a raised second locking tab capable of releasably engaging and releasing the second locking slot of the female member. The second-stage wing has a second
There is an inward edge that forms a slope and an outward edge that serves as a guide. Since the first arm is bent inward, the first slope is releasably engaged with and disengaged from the second slope to push the second arm downward,
The first and second locking tabs of the male member are adapted to be disengaged from the first and second locking slots of the female member.

Now, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, a female member that can be released
A buckle 10 consisting of 12 and a male member 14 is shown, both of which members 12, 14 are preferably made of a strong elastic plastic. The female member 12 and the male member 14 include a locking device that connects the female member 12 and the male member 14 so that the male member 14 and the female member 12 are releasably locked.

Although the buckle of this invention is particularly suitable for use in helmets, it can be used in various items other than helmets. For example, but not limited to, it can be used in belts, rucksacks, life jackets and other items.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the female member 12 includes an upper wall 16 and a lower wall 18, two side walls 20 and 22, an end wall 24, and an open end 26 for receiving the male member 14, respectively. Includes a generally flat hollow body having. Upper wall 16 and lower wall 18 are side walls
Note that it is 20, 22 and slightly wider than the end wall 24. Belt mounting portions 28 and 30 project outward from the end wall 24 and the side wall 20 in a bifurcated manner. As shown, the end of a belt such as a helmet is attached to the attachment portion.

The female member 12 includes two locking devices. As best shown in FIG. 4, the first locking device is a slot 32 extending through one side wall 22, which slot 32 defines a side wall 22,
It extends into the upper wall 16 and the lower wall 18 and forms a locking edge 34.

The second locking device includes a generally square top opening 36 extending through the top wall 16 and forming a locking edge 38.

The male member 14 includes a base 40 that abuts the open end 26 of the female member, and from each end of the base portion 40 there are two rigid guide members 41, 43 extending axially short. Since the guides 41 and 43 are separated from each other by about the same distance as the side walls 20 and 22 of the female member 12 facing each other, when the male member 14 is inserted into the female member 12, the guide members 41 and 43 are separated from the side wall 20. Touch the inner surface of 22.

First and second arms axially from the base 40 of the male member 14
42 and 44 are long. Arms 42 and 44 are guide members 41
It is located between and 43. The first arm 42 includes a relatively thin arm portion 46 having elasticity and a wing portion 48 having an enlarged tip end of the arm portion.
And has a generally axe shape, and the wings 48 have outwardly facing locking tabs 50. Wings 48 and tabs 50 extend laterally from arm 42 in opposite directions. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the first arm 42 bends inward toward the second arm 44 when pushing the male member into the female member or pulling it out of the female member. Has become. 1 and 3,
As shown in FIG. 10, the wing portion has a top wall 52, a bottom wall 54, two end walls 56, 58, a side wall 60 and an inner edge portion 62. Wings 48
The inner edge portion 62 of the is gradually reduced in thickness to form a slope 64. The locking tab 50 has a side wall 66 extending from the side wall 60 of the wing 48, two end walls 67, 68, and a guide wall 70. Guide wall
70 serves to push the male member into and out of the female member. The locking tab 50 is adapted to slide through the side slot 32 of the female member 12 during assembly.

The second arm 44 has an arm portion 72 that is wider and thinner than the first arm portion 46, and is therefore somewhat laterally stiffer than the first arm 42. As shown in Fig. 12, it is flexible in the vertical direction.

An inward edge 77 is formed at the tip of the arm 72 of the second arm 44.
And a two-stage wing portion 74 having a protruding piece 79 protruding outward. The upper stage of the two-stage wing 74 is a substantially rectangular raised locking tab 76. As shown in FIGS. 9, 10, and 11, since the locking tab 76 is smaller than the size of the top opening 36 of the female member 12, when the male member 14 is inserted into the female member 12, tab
The 76 can be snapped into the top opening 36. The outward facing piece 79 serves as a guide for sliding contact with the inner surface of the side wall 20 of the female member when the male member 14 slides in and out of the female member 12. As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the slope 80 is formed by gradually reducing the thickness of the inward edge portion 77. When the male and female members are pushed in or the side tabs 50 are bent inward to pull out the male member from the female member, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, as shown in FIG. From the state, the sloped surface 64 of the first arm 42 comes into contact with the sloped surface 80 of the second arm 44 and rides up, bending the second arm 44 downward and pushing down the locking tab 76 at the top.

A band attaching portion 82 extends from the base 40 of the male member 14 in the axial direction opposite to the arms 42 and 44. The end of the belt such as a helmet is properly fixed to this attachment part.

As shown in FIG. 6, the male member 14 is the open end of the female member 12.
Can be easily inserted into 26. The length between the guide wall 70 of the locking tab 50 and the outwardly facing free edge 79 of the wing 74 is approximately the same as the inner edge of the open end 26 of the female member 12. When inserting the male member 14 into the open end 26 of the female member 12, the outer surfaces of the guide wall 70 and the projecting piece 79 are pressed against the inner surfaces of the side walls 20 and 22 of the female member 12. As shown in FIG. 11, the guide wall 70 of the locking tab 50 is
When pressed against the inner surface of the side wall 22, it causes the elastic first arm 42.
Flexes inwardly toward the second arm 44 so that the slope 64 of the first arm 42 rides over the slope 82 of the second arm 44
Bend arm 44 downward.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, when the male member 14 slides further into the female member 12 and the base 40 abuts the open end 26, the locking tab 50 is inside the slot 32 in the side wall 22 of the female member 12. It snaps into a snap shape and engages with the locking edge portion 34 in a non-removable manner to bring the male member 14 and the female member 12 into a connected state. Furthermore,
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the locking tab 50 snaps into the side slot 32, the first arm 42 springs back to its original state, and the slope 64 disengages from the slope 80 of the second arm 44. This causes the second arm 44 to snap back upwards so that the top tab 76 snaps into the top opening 36 of the female member 12 and engages the locking edge 38, again with the male and female members. Connect the members.

Referring to the above description and FIGS. 11 and 12, the male member
It will be clear how to release the connection of the 14 female members 12.
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the user applies an inward force to the lateral locking tab 50 with his or her finger. This causes the first arm 42 to flex inward to disengage the tab 50 from the slot 32 and its locking edge 34. At this time, at the same time, the slope 64 of the first arm 42 rides on the slope 80 of the second arm 44, and
The arm 44 is pushed down to disengage the top tab 76 from the top opening 36 and its locking edge 38, which allows the male member 14 to slide out of the female member 12.

As described above, the buckle of the present invention can release the connection between the male member and the female member only by pushing one tab 50, and it is not necessary to push it from both sides.

Therefore, it is suitable for use in connecting a band such as a helmet, and the connection can be easily and quickly released. Moreover, the number of parts of the buckle device is reduced, and the production is easy.

Although the specific embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described above, the present invention should not be limited to this embodiment, and various modifications may be made to the design within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. It can be carried out.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a perspective view of a buckle in an exploded state according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same in a coupled state, FIG. 3 is a plan view in an exploded state, and FIG. 4 is a female member in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial side view of FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial side view of the male member of FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of FIG. 2, FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG.
6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 6, FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 6, and FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 11-11 of Fig. 12 in which the slope of the first arm is mounted on the slope of the second arm, and Fig. 12 shows a method for uncoupling the male member and the female member. It is a top view. In the figure, 10 is a buckle, 12 is a female member, 14 is a male member, 16 is an upper wall, 18 is a lower wall, 20, 22 are side walls, 24 is an end wall, 26 is an open end, 34 and 38 are locking. An edge portion, 36 is a locking slot, 40 is a base, 41 and 43 are guide members, 42 is a first arm, 44 is a second arm, 50 is a side locking tab, and 76 is a top tab.

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] 1. A female member and a male member, wherein the female member has an upper wall and a lower wall which are vertically opposed to each other, two side walls, and an open end portion for receiving the male member, and first and second. A tubular body having two locking devices, the male member includes a base, first and second arms extending axially from the base, the first arm including a wing member, and A first locking tab for releasably engaging a first locking device of the female member, the wing member having a first beveled surface, the second arm having a compound wing portion, and a second wing portion of the female member. A second locking tab for releasably engaging a two locking device, the compound wing portion having an inward edge and an outward edge, the inward edge being in the female member. When the first arm is bent toward the second arm in order to connect and release the male member, the first slope can be engaged. Comprising a slope, and the outward edge portion buckles, characterized in that it comprises an outer edge which contacts the one sidewall of the female member. 2. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the female member has a second locking device on the upper wall and a first locking device on one of the side walls. 3. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the male member has a pair of guide portions extending axially from the base at a substantially equal distance from both side walls of the female member. 4. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the first locking tab of the first arm and the outward edge of the second arm are separated from the both side walls by substantially the same distance. A buckle that slide-engages with the side wall of the member to assist in inserting and withdrawing the male member from the female member. 5. A buckle according to claim 1, wherein the first locking tab of the male member and the outwardly facing edges of the buckle slide on both side walls of the female member during assembly and release during operation. A buckle that is engaged and that the first arm bends inward so that the first slope of the first arm engages the second slope of the second arm and pushes down the second arm. . 6. The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the female member and the male member each include a band mounting portion for mounting an end portion of the band. 7. A female member, a male member, and a releasable locking device between the female member and the male member, the female member for receiving an upper wall and a lower wall and the male member. A tubular body having an open end, the locking device including a first exposed edge and a second edge provided on the female member, and the locking device further provided on the male member. The locking device includes a first tab elastically supported so as to be engageable with the first edge and a second tab provided on the male member and engageable with the second edge. A cam device for releasing the second tab from the second edge when pressure is applied to the first tab of the male member, so that the first edge and the second edge simultaneously move the first tab from the second edge. A buckle where the first and second tabs are released. 8. The buckle according to claim 7, wherein the male member supports a first tab and a first portion of the cam device, the first arm and the second tab, and the cam device. A second portion for supporting the male member with respect to the second locking edge of the female member, the first arm being adapted to flex laterally from the male member. A buckle wherein the first cam device portion is releasably engaged with the second cam device portion of the second arm to displace the second arm upon assembly and release. 9. The buckle according to claim 7, wherein the female member and the male member each have a mounting portion for mounting an end portion of the band.