Preloadable cord lock requiring less force to preload and to actuate
AssigneeNational Molding Corporation
InventorJoseph Anscher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A preloadable cord lock for gripping a cord such as an elastic shock cord, includes a pair of telescoping members having apertures defined therethrough. The telescoping members are biased so that their respective apertures are not aligned. The lock can be preloaded to a condition where the apertures are aligned for feeding a cord through the apertures. The preloading mechanism may then be disengaged which will cause the telescoping members to be urged to a position where their apertures are not aligned by the bias of the device, thereby pinching and locking the cord in place. Because of unique positioning of shoulders on the inner telescoping member with respect to the arms of the inner telescoping member, the cord lock is easy to preload and actuate, thereby avoiding finger muscle fatigue.
Claims12
A loadable cord lock comprising:
- an outer telescoping member having an obverse wall, a reverse wall, and a pair of side walls joining the obverse wall and the reverse wall, the outer telescoping member having an aperture defined through its obverse wall and its reverse wall;
- an inner telescoping member having an aperture defined therethrough and having at least one arm, the inner member being slidable within the outer member;
- engagement means disposed on an inner surface of at least one side wall of the outer telescoping member;
- at least one wing projecting from said at least one arm in a direction towards the obverse wall or the reverse wall of the outer telescoping member, said at least one wing defining a shoulder which locks onto said engagement means for retaining the cord lock in a loaded position wherein the aperture of the inner telescoping member is at least partially aligned with the aperture of the outer telescoping member such that the cord lock may receive a cord through an area defined by an overlap of both of said apertures in said loaded position;
- a means for biasing said inner and outer members toward a cord locking position wherein the aperture of the inner member is out of alignment with the aperture of the outer member to an extent which is sufficient to pinch a cord threaded through the overlap of the apertures;
- and
- a means for disengaging said shoulder from said engagement means.
A loadable cord lock comprising:
- an outer telescoping member having an aperture defined therethrough;
- an engagement means belonging to the outer telescoping member;
- an inner telescoping member having an aperture defined therethrough, the inner member being slidable within the outer member;
- at least one arm belonging to the inner telescoping member, said at least one arm having a lateral width and having a longitudinal axis extending longitudinally through said at least one arm;
- shoulder means belonging to said at least one arm for releasable locking engagement with said engagement means of the outer telescoping member and for retaining the cord lock in a loaded position where the aperture of the inner member is at least partially aligned with the aperture of the outer member such that the cord lock may receive a cord through an area defined by an overlap of both of said apertures in said loaded position, said shoulder means being disposed on said at least one arm such that the shoulder means engages the engagement means in the loaded position to provide a retaining force which acts in opposition to and in alignment with, as considered in said width direction, said longitudinal axis of said at least one arm;
- a means for biasing said inner and outer members toward a cord locking position where the aperture of the inner member is out of alignment with the aperture of the outer member to an extent which is sufficient to pinch a cord threaded through the overlap of the apertures;
- and
- a means for disengaging said shoulder means from said engagement means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.