US20170318912A1

US20170318912A1 - Variable-shape connection device for straps, objects, portions of garments and accessories

Info

Publication number: US20170318912A1
Application number: US15/523,809
Authority: US
Inventors: Yann LE BRETON
Original assignee: Readynovation SAS
Current assignee: Readynovation SAS
Priority date: 2014-11-03
Filing date: 2015-11-03
Publication date: 2017-11-09
Also published as: CN106998857A; EP3214964B1; EP3214964A1; ES2734738T3; WO2016071626A1; FR3027774A1; FR3027774B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for connecting straps, objects or portions of garments and accessories forming a quick-snap buckle. The device according to the invention comprises, in accordance with a first feature, two strictly identical and complementary parts, such that said parts may be combined to thus form a single assembly. To achieve said assembly, said parts have a main body provided with two or three parallel lobes (2-5) that are flat and curved portions that fit into one another, wherein said lobes have circular movable members that bend in order to lock the device, for the male portion of said members, and circular movable members that bend and are equivalent to push buttons (6) to release the device, for the female portion of said members. The architecture and the mode of connection of the parts make it possible to assemble not just two parts, but also three, four, five parts or more, and simultaneously make it possible to work with special functionalities or specific strap shapes.

Description

The present invention relates to a device intended for ensuring connection of straps, objects or portions of garments and accessories. This device which is a loop with fast clip fastening loop has a certain number of advantages as compared with conventional systems, the latter actually have not been able to be renewed both as regards functionality and rationalisation of their components.
The device according to the invention gives the possibility of meeting these needs, it actually includes according to a first characteristic two strictly identical and complementary parts, so that they may be associated so as to thereby form a consistent assembly, to do this, these parts have a main body provided with two or three parallel lobes which are flat and curved portions which will nest into each other, these lobes being fitted on the one hand with mobile members of a circular shape operating in flexure and ensuring the locking of the device for their male portion and on the other hand with mobile members of a circular shape working in flexure assimilated with push buttons, ensuring unlocking of the device for their female portion, the architecture of the parts and their connection method not only allows assembling of two parts but also of three, four, five parts, or further simultaneously thereby allowing the meeting of particular functionalities and to specific strap geometries.
According to particular embodiments:

- The implantation of the loop intended for attaching the strap may vary, it may be implanted as a protrusion relatively to the main body, or be directly integrated to the latter.
- The geometry of the push buttons may vary according to considerations related to the ergonomics or to the geometry of the main body of the parts.

The appended drawings, illustrate the invention:

FIG. 1 illustrates one of the complementary parts as seen from the front.

FIG. 2 illustrates one of the complementary parts in an axonometric view.

FIG. 3 illustrates one of the complementary parts as seen from the left side.

FIG. 4 illustrates one of the complementary parts as seen from the right side.

FIG. 5 illustrates two complementary parts assembled in a front view and a horizontal and central sectional view along CC centred on the locking members of the device.

FIG. 6 illustrates a first alternative of one of the complementary parts in an axonometric view.

FIG. 7 illustrates a second alternative of one of the complementary parts in a front view.

FIG. 8 illustrates a second alternative of one of the complementary parts in an axonometric view.

FIG. 9 illustrates an assembly locked with a second alternative of two complementary parts in a front view and a vertical section according to EE, centred on the locking members of the left portion of said assembly.

With reference to these drawings, the device includes two plastic parts or of any other suitable material for which the main body provided with a pierced hole (1), (FIG. 1) has a shape included in a circle, these parts are strictly identical. These two identical parts are also complementary, since they may be associated and fitted into each other in order to form a functional assembly intended to connect straps, portions of accessories and any other type of flexible or rigid connection. The assembly method of both of these parts is intuitive since it is based on an architecture not leaving any doubt as to their complementarity. Thus, each part consists of a stack of rounded portions allowing their mutual nesting. These rounded portions are lobes (2), (FIG. 3) for which the plot is defined along a curve of the sinusoidal type. Three types of lobe are distinguished: the upper lobe (3) (FIG. 2) which forms the upper portion of the part, the lower lobe (4), (FIG. 2) which forms the low portion of the part and for which the plot coincides with that of the upper lobe (3). The intermediate lobe (5), (FIG. 2) which is “sandwiched” between the upper (3) and lower (4) lobes and which does not coincide with the latter but makes up oppositely according to a vertical and central symmetry axis. The upper lobe (3) is provided in its central portion with a cut-out crossing it right through and forming a pusher button (6), (FIG. 1) provided with a circular pierced hole (7), (FIG. 1). This pusher button (6) is attached to the upper lobe (3), in its rear portion, by a plastic segment in fact forming a flexible hinge (8), (FIG. 1) and allowing its movement through the thickness of the upper lobe (3) when pressure is exerted on the latter. This push button (6) is of an asymmetrical nature since it has on a portion of its perimeter oriented towards the central portion of the part, a protrusion (9), (FIG. 1) of a parallelepipedal shape. The subface of the push button (6) does not coincide with the plane of the subface of the upper lobe (3), but is slightly set back from the latter which generates a reservation area intended to receive the protruding portion of a complementary part belonging to the intermediate lobe (5) of the complementary part. The upper face of the push button (6) is swollen so that its profile forms a protruding portion with respect to the external surface of the upper lobe (3). The lower lobe (4) is provided with a quasi-circular pierced hole (10), (FIG. 2) for which the plot is exactly defined by a projection of the cut-out of the push button (6) from the upper lobe (3) through the latter.
The intermediate lobe (5) is provided in its central portion with a cut-out crossing it right through and forming a locking washer (11), (FIG. 1) for which the truncated profile (11 a), (FIG. 4) slightly juts out from the plane of the upper face of this intermediate lobe (5). This locking washer (11) is attached to the intermediate lobe (5) in its front portion by a plastic segment in fact forming a flexible hinge (12), (FIG. 1) and allowing its movement through the thickness of the intermediate lobe (5) when pressure is exerted on the latter. The subface of the locking washer (11) does not coincide with the plane of the subface of the intermediate lobe (5), but is slightly set back from the latter which generates a reservation area intended to receive the displacement of this locking washer (11) so that its thickness is exactly contained in the thickness of the intermediate lobe (5) at this moment. The main lobe of the part is provided in its rear portion with a protruding structure (13), (FIG. 1) forming a loop intended to receive the passage of a strap attaching it to any type of object, garment or accessory.
According to a first illustrated alternative (FIG. 6), the side portions of the lobes of the part may be trimmed so that the part has a more compact shape of the parallelepipedal type and therefore providing less congestion according to certain needs or uses. This trimming does not modify the essential features of the part which retain the same functional properties. It is simply ascertained in this case a redefinition of certain portions of the latter, like the push buttons (6) so that their operation is adequate with these new geometrical characteristics.
According to a second illustrated alternative (FIG. 7), each part of the device only has two lobes. In this scenario, there is no longer any intermediate lobe, but only an upper lobe (15), (FIG. 7) and a lower lobe (16), (FIG. 7) shared by a vertical and central axis of symmetry. This suppression of a lobe requires certain particular arrangements guaranteeing on the one hand the perfect constraint of both parts during their junction and secondly the preservation of the functionalities of the device notably in terms of addition of additional parts.
In order to guarantee perfect constraint of both parts during their assembling and therefore for obtaining an efficient locking, the part integrates new arrangements intended to block the lobes. Thus, presence of a cavity (17), (FIG. 8), a female portion, is ascertained, made in the curvature of the internal face of the upper lobe (15). Also, the presence of a similar cavity (18), (FIG. 9) is ascertained made in the curvature of the internal face of the lower lobe (16). In these cavities (17, 18), female portions, the ends of the lobes of each part will be accommodated therein which gives the possibility of a total constraint of the formed assembly. In order to be able to penetrate these cavities (17, 18), the ends of each lobe have on their edges, an area of lesser thickness (19), (FIG. 7). This area with less thickness is not limited to the front end of each lobe but is developed concentrically over the whole of their external perimeter.
In this second alternative, the part no longer has a protruding structure (13), but directly integrates it jointly with the pierced hole (1) of its main body via areas with less thickness (21), (FIG. 7) thereby forming a loop intended to receive the passage of a strap allowing it to be attached to any type of object, garment or accessory.
The device and its thereby defined alternatives therefore give the possibility of connecting the straps with each other or directly portions of an object, garments and accessories having to be united and disunited at will. When both identical and complementary portions of the device are connected, the lobes penetrate into each other and the locking washer (11) of each part is subject to a pressure from the upper lobe (3, 15), (second alternative) which forces it to move downwards in its housing. At this moment, its thickness is found to be perfectly contained in the thickness of the intermediate lobe (5), or of the lower lobe (16), (second alternative) thereby allowing the lobes of each part to be perfectly positioned in abutment at the bottom of the curvature of their complementary portion. At this instant, the locking washer (11) of each part is no longer constrained by a vertical pressure since it encounters the reservation of the subface of the push button (6) which allows it to move upwards and to accommodate in this reservation. The assembly is therefore locked. In order to receive one or several additional parts, it is sufficient to exert a pressure on one of the push buttons (6) which will consequently push back the locking washer (11) in the thickness of its respective lobe (5, 16) and allow partial opening of the assembly. Actually, at this instant, both parts are only assembled through a single locking washer (11) which in fact becomes a pivot. This pivot induces a degree of freedom allowing rotation of the parts relatively to each other and therefore the opening of the system giving the possibility of receiving and of connecting one or several additional parts depending on the needs to be satisfied.

Claims

1. A device intended for ensuring the connection of straps, objects or portions of garments and of accessories characterised in that it includes two strictly identical and complementary parts, so that they may be associated so as to thereby form a consistent assembly, to do this these parts have a main body provided with two or three parallel lobes which are flat and curved portions which will nest into each other, these lobes are equipped on the one hand with mobile members of a circular shape working in flexure and ensuring the locking of the device for their male portion and on the other hand with mobile members of a circular shape working in flexure assimilated with push buttons, ensuring the unlocking of the device for their female portion, the architecture of the parts and their connection mode not only allows assembling of both parts but also of three, four, five parts, or more, simultaneously thereby giving the possibility of meeting particular functionalities or specific strap geometries.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that each part consists of a stack of rounded portions allowing their mutual nesting, these rounded portions are lobes (2), for which the plot is defined according to a curve of a sinusoidal type. cm 3. The device according to claim 2, characterised in that three lobe types are distinguished: an upper lobe (3), which forms the upper portion of the part, a lower lobe (4), which forms the low portion of the part and for which the plot coincides with that of the upper lobe (3), and an intermediate lobe (5), which is “sandwiched” between the upper (3) and lower (4) lobes and which does not coincide with the latter but is built on the contrary oppositely according to a vertical and central axis of symmetry.

4. The device according to claim 3, characterised in that the upper lobe (3) is provided in its central portion with a cut-out crossing it right through and forming a push button (6), provided with a circular pierced hole (7).

5. The device according to claim 4, characterised in that the push button (6) is attached to the upper lobe (3), in its rear portion, with a plastic segment in fact forming a flexible hinge (8), and allowing its movement through the thickness of the upper lobe (3) when pressure is exerted on the latter. cm 6. The device according to claim 4, characterised in that this push button (6) is of an asymmetrical nature since it has on a portion of its perimeter oriented towards the central portion of the part, a protrusion (9), of a parallelepipedal shape.

7. The device according to claim 4, characterised in that the subface of the push button (6) is not found coinciding with the plane of the subface of the upper lobe (3), but is slightly set back from the latter which generates a reservation area intended to receive the protruding portion of a complementary part belonging to the intermediate lobe (5) of the complementary part.

8. The device according to claim 4, characterised in that the upper face of the push button (6) is swollen so that its profile forms a protruding portion relatively to the external surface of the upper lobe (3).

9. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the lower lobe (4) is provided with a pierced hole (10), quasi-circular for which the plot is exactly defined by a projection of the cut-out of the push button (6) of the upper lobe (3) through the latter.

10. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the intermediate lobe (5) is provided in its central portion with a cut-out crossing it right through and forming a locking washer (11), for which the truncated profile (11 a), slightly juts out from the plane of the upper face of this intermediate lobe (5).

11. The device according to claim 10, characterised in that the locking washer (11) is attached to the intermediate lobe (5) in its front portion by a plastic segment in fact forming a flexible hinge (12), and allowing its movement through the thickness of the intermediate lobe (5) when pressure is exerted on the latter.

12. The device according to claim 10, characterised in that the subface of the locking washer (11) does not coincide with the plane of the subface of the intermediate lobe (5), but is slightly set back from the latter which generates a reservation area intended for receiving the displacement of this locking washer (11) so that its thickness is exactly found contained in the thickness of the intermediate lobe (5) at this moment.

13. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the main body of the part is provided in its rear portion with a protruding structure (13), forming a loop intended to receive the passage of a strap attaching it to any type of object, garment or accessory.

14. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that the side portions of the lobes (3, 4, 5) of the part are trimmed so that the part has a more compact shape of the parallelepipedal type, this trimming does not modify the essential characteristics of the part which retains the same functional properties, it is simply seen in this case a redefinition of certain portions thereof, like the push buttons (6) so that their operation is suitable with these new geometrical characteristics.

15. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that each part of the device only has two lobes (15, 16). In this scenario, there is no longer any intermediate lobe, but only an upper lobe (15), and a lower lobe (16), shared by a vertical and central axis of symmetry, this suppression of a lobe requires certain particular arrangements guaranteeing on the one hand the perfect constraint of both parts during their junction and secondly the preservation of the functionalities of the device notably in terms of adding additional parts.

16. The device according to claim 15, characterised in that for guaranteeing a perfect constraint of both parts during their assembling and therefore for obtaining an efficient lock, the part integrates new arrangements intended to block the lobes, thus, the presence of a cavity (17), a female portion is seen, arranged in the curvature of the internal face of the upper lobe (15), also the presence of a similar cavity (18) is seen, made in the curvature of the internal face of the lower lobe (16).

17. The device according to claim 16, characterised in that in the cavities (17, 18), female portions, will house the ends of the lobes (15, 16) of each part which allows a total constraint of the formed assembly.

18. The device according to claim 17, characterised in that in order to be able to penetrate these cavities (17, 18), the ends of each lobe have on their edges, an area with lesser thickness (19); this area of lesser thickness is not limited to the front end of each lobe but developed concentrically over the whole of their external perimeter.

19. The device according to claim 15, characterised in that the part no longer has a protruding structure (13), but directly integrates it jointly with the pierced hole (1) of its main body via areas with lesser thickness (21), thereby forming a loop intended to receive the passage of a strap allowing attachment of it to any type of object, garment or accessory.

20. The device according to claim 1, characterised in that both identical and complementary portions of the device are connected, the lobes penetrate into each other and the locking washer (11) of each part is subject to a pressure from the upper lobe (3, 15), which forces it to move down in its housing.

21. The device according to claim 20, characterised in that at this moment, its thickness is found perfectly contained in the thickness of the intermediate lobe (5), or of the lower lobe (16), thereby allowing the lobes of each part to be perfectly positioned in abutment at the bottom of the curvature of their complementary parts.

22. The device according to claim 21, characterised in that at this instant, the locking washer (11) of each part is no longer constrained by a vertical pressure since it encounters the reservation of the subface of the push button (6) which allows it to move upwards and to be accommodated in this reservation, the assembly is therefore found locked.

23. The device according to claim 1 characterised in that for receiving one or several additional parts, it is sufficient to exert pressure on one of the push buttons (6) which will consequently push back the locking washer (11) in the thickness of its respective lobe (5, 16) and allow partial opening of the assembly.

24. The device according to claim 23, characterised in that at this moment, both parts are only assembled through a single locking washer (11) which in fact becomes a pivot, this pivot induces a degree of freedom allowing the rotation of the parts relatively to each other and therefore the opening of the system allowing reception and connection of one or several additional parts depending on the needs to be met.