Buckle
AssigneeNifco Inc.
InventorsGaku Kawaguchi, Ki-Po Sim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A buckle arranged to connect a band member to a connected member includes a base having an attaching portion for the connected member, a base portion, and opposing lever member supporting portions projecting from the base portion. A lever member is rotatably attached to the base, and includes a combined portion and an operating portion extending from the combined portion. The operating portion includes a slit through which the band member is allowed to pass. The lever member further includes a clamping portion protruding from the combined portion in a direction different from the operating portion. The clamping portion is configured to clamp the band member, which passes between the base portion and the combined portion, to the base portion by a rotation of the lever member towards the base.
Claims4
A buckle for connecting a band member to a connected member comprising:
- a base including a base portion, an attaching portion to the connected member, formed in the base portion, and opposing lever member supporting portions projecting from the base portion;
- and
- a lever member rotatably attached to the base, the lever member including an assembled portion, an operating portion extending from the assembled portion, and a clamping portion protruding from the assembled portion in a direction different from the operating portion, the clamping portion being configured to clamp the band member passing between the base portion and the assembled portion, to the base portion of the base by a rotation of the lever member towards the base,
- wherein the operating portion of the lever member includes a tip portion with curved inner and outer surfaces arranged such that as the inner surface and outer surface move towards a center of the lever member, the curved inner surface gradually approaches the outer surface, and the curved outer surface is arranged to gradually hang over an outward portion of the tip portion;
- wherein the operating portion of the lever member includes an arcuic slit in a length direction through which the band member is allowed to pass, such that the curved outer surface of the operating portion of the lever member is curved with a curved central part of the slit, whereby a tip side edge portion of the slit and an edge portion on the assembled portion side of the slit are configured to be strongly contacted with a central portion of the band member tensed by a force in at least one of the inner surface and outer surface of the operating portion of the lever member, such that the lever member is configured to be rotated from a stood up position to a laid down position when the force is applied;
- and
- wherein the operating portion of the lever member has, where the slit is formed, a curved face curved relative to a center of the slit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.