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US 6,003,213 AGranted
Ball and socket buckle
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsSteven C. Keller, Kenneth LeVey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A buckle including a first buckle portion having an engagement member and a second buckle portion having socket arms forming a socket for releasably engaging the engagement member. A sleeve member is reciprocatably disposed about the socket arms between first, second and third positions, whereby the sleeve member in the first position prevents expansion of the socket arms so as to retain the engagement member, and the socket arms are expandable when the sleeve member is in the second and third positions so as to permit release of the engagement member from the socket and insertion of the engagement member into the socket.
Claims21
A buckle comprising:
- a first buckle portion having an engagement member;
- a second buckle portion having at least two resilient axially extending socket arms forming a socket, having a socket opening, wherein said engagement member of said first buckle portion is releasably engageable with said socket of said second buckle portion;
- and
- a sleeve member reciprocatably disposed about said socket arms of said second buckle portion so as to be movable between first, second, and third axial positions with respect to said socket wherein when said sleeve member is disposed at said first axial position with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion, said socket arms are prevented from being expanded so as to maintain said engagement member of said first buckle portion within said socket of said second buckle portion, when said sleeve member is disposed at said second axial position with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion, said socket arms are expandable so as to permit said engagement member of said first buckle portion to be released from said socket of said second buckle portion, and when said sleeve member is disposed at said third axial position with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion, said socket arms are expandable so as to permit said engagement member of said first buckle portion to be inserted into said socket of said second buckle portion.
1 more element
A buckle, comprising:
- a first buckle portion having an engagement member;
- a second buckle portion having at least two resilient axially extending socket arms forming a socket, having a socket opening, wherein said engagement member of said first buckle portion is releasably engageable with said socket of said second buckle portion;
- a sleeve member reciprocatably disposed about said socket arms of said second buckle portion so as to be movable between first and second axial positions with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion wherein when said sleeve member is disposed at said first axial position with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion, said socket arms are prevented from being expanded so as to maintain said engagement member of said first buckle portion within said socket of said second buckle portion, and when said sleeve member is disposed at said second axial position with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion, said socket arms are expandable so as to permit said engagement member of said first buckle portion to be released from said socket of said second buckle portion, and wherein further, said sleeve member is rotatable relative to said second buckle portion and about said axially extending socket arms of said second buckle portion, between locked and unlocked positions, when said sleeve member is disposed at said first axial position;
- and
- first and second locking engagement means respectively provided upon said sleeve member and said second buckle portion for lockingly engaging each other when said sleeve member is disposed at said first axial position with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion and is rotated to said locked position so that said sleeve member cannot be moved to said second axial position with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion whereby said engagement member of said first buckle portion cannot be disengaged from said socket of said second buckle portion.
2 more elements
A buckle, comprising:
- a first buckle portion having an engagement member;
- a second buckle portion having at least two resilient axially extending socket arms forming a socket for releasably accommodating said engagement member of said first buckle portion, said socket comprising a first socket opening defined within a side portion of said second buckle portion, and a second socket opening defined within an end portion of said second buckle portion;
- and
- a sleeve member reciprocatably disposed about said socket arms of said second buckle portion so as to be movable between first and second axial positions with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion wherein when said sleeve member is disposed at said first axial position with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion, said socket arms are prevented from being expanded so as to maintain said engagement member of said first buckle portion within said socket of said second buckle portion, and when said sleeve member is disposed at said second axial position with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion, said socket arms are expandable so as to permit said engagement member of said first buckle portion to be released from said socket of said second buckle portion, said sleeve member further comprising a first sleeve opening defined within a side portion of said sleeve member and alignable with said first socket opening of said second buckle portion for permitting insertion of said engagement member of said first buckle portion into said socket of said second buckle portion when said first sleeve opening of said sleeve member is aligned with said first socket opening of said second buckle portion, and a second sleeve opening defined within an end portion of said sleeve member and alignable with said second socket opening of said second buckle portion for permitting withdrawal of said engagement member of said first buckle portion from said socket of said second buckle portion when said sleeve member is disposed at said second axial position with respect to said socket of said second buckle portion such that said socket arms are permitted to expand outwardly.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.