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US 4,831,694 AGranted
Buckle having external finger grip
AssigneeNifco Inc.
InventorAlan Kong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A side-release type buckle is provided with a sliding member arrangement that enables the buckle to be easily released using only one hand, even if the engagement of the two parts of the buckle are being subjected to a strong pulling force in the direction of disengagement. The sliding member or grip is slidably mounted upon the exterior of the female member and includes laterally inwardly directed tapered surfaces for encountering engaging bars of the male member lockingly engaged with engagement edge portions of the female portion so as to disengage the engaging bars of the male member from the engagement edge portions of the female member when the slidable grip member is moved axially along the female member.
Claims20
A buckle, comprised of:
- a female member formed as a substantially flattened tubular member having mutually-opposed top and bottom walls, and a pair of mutually opposed side walls, and an engaging opening, having an engagement edge portion, provided within each of said side walls;
- a male member provided with a pair of resilient engaging bars that making sliding contact with an inner surface of each of said two side walls of said female member when said male member is inserted into said female member, said engaging bars each being provided upon an outer side surface thereof with a hook portion that projects laterally outwardly through a respective one of said engaging openings of said female member so as to be engaged with said engagement edge portion of said engaging openings of said female member when said male member is disposed at an engaged position within said female member;
- and
- an operating grip member slidably mounted upon the exterior of said female member in an annularly surrounding manner with respect to said substantially flattened tubular female member so as to be axially slidably upon said substantially tubular female member between a first position at which said engaging openings of said female member are substantially uncovered such that said engaging hook portions of said male member protrude outwardly through said engaging openings of said female member so as to be engaged with said engagement edge portions of said female member, and a second position at which said engaging openings of said female member are substantially covered by said operating grip member such that inner surfaces of said operating grip member encounter said hook portions of said engaging bars so as to force said hook portions laterally inwardly through said engaging openings and into the interior of said female member so as to be disengaged from said engagement edge portions of said female member.
1 more element
A buckle, comprising:
- a first substantially flattened tubular female member having opposed top and bottom walls;
- opposed side walls with an engaging opening, and an engaging edge portion, being defined within each one of said sidewalls;
- and an insertion opening defined within a first end of said female member;
- slot means defined within a second opposite end of said female member for receiving one end of a belt member upon which said buckle is to be secured;
- a second male member having a pair of flexible hook means for insertion into said female member through said insertion opening thereof and for projecting laterally outwardly through said engaging openings of said female member such that said hook means are engaged with said engaging edge portions of said female member;
- slot means defined within an end portion of said male member, which is disposed opposite an end portion thereof upon which said hooks means are disposed, for receiving a second end of said belt member upon which said buckle is to be secured;
- and
- a third grip member slidably mounted upon said female member between said first and second ends thereof for movement between a first position at which said grip member is substantially disengaged from said hook means of said male member so as to permit said hook means of said male member to protrude laterally outwardly through said sidewall openings of said female member and engage said engagement edge portions thereof, and a second position at which said grip member is engaged with said hook means of said male member so as to force said hook means of said male member laterally inwardly of said female member for disengagement from said engagement edge portions of said female member.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.