# US 8,769,783 B2 · Buckle

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- Number: US 8,769,783 B2
- Document ID: US8769783B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/702,366
- Filed: 2011-06-06
- Published: 2013-06-27
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2010-06-07
- Assignees: Nifco Inc.
- Applicants: Gaku Kawaguchi
- Inventors: Gaku Kawaguchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8769783B2

## CPC

- A44B 11/2592: {fastening by sliding in the main plane or a plane parallel to the main plane of the buckle (A44B11/2503, A44B11/2584 take precedence)}
- A44B 11/2546: {Details}
- A44B 11/266: {with at least one push-button acting parallel to the main plane of the buckle and perpendicularly to the direction of the fastening action}
- Y10T 24/45257: Snap with cavity
- Y10T 24/45524: including resiliently biased projection component or surface segment
- Y10T 24/45529: Requiring manual force applied against bias to interlock or disengage
- Y10T 24/45581: having inserted end formed by oppositely biased surface segments
- Y10T 24/45785: Requiring manual force applied against bias to interlock or disengage
- A44B: BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE (fastenings specially adapted for footwear A43C)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A buckle includes a male member having a pair of flexible arms mutually facing each other and disposed extending from a base part, and a female member to connect to the male member by coupling with the pair of arms. The male member has a flexible bridge connecting the pair of arms. The bridge is connected to an opposing face of each of the pair of arms facing the other arm. At the connecting portion where each of the pair of arms and the bridge are connected, the bridge is placed projecting toward the other arm from the opposing face on the arm following a tangential direction to a circle being centered on the base end of the arm and having a distance from the base end to the connecting portion as a radius.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A buckle, comprising:
a male member including a base part, a pair of flexible arms mutually facing each other, each extending from a base end at the base part, and a flexible bridge connected to and interposed between said pair of flexible arms and having an Omega form portion curved convexly toward said base part; and
a female member connected to said male member by engaging with said pair of flexible arms;
wherein said pair of flexible arms and said bridge are connected at connecting portions, and said bridge projects, at one connecting portion, inwardly from one of the pair of flexible arms along a first tangent line of a first imaginary circle centered on the base end and having a first radius from the base end to said one connecting portion to suppress a shear force on the connecting portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the base end includes a first base end from which the one of the pair of flexible arms is extended and the first imaginary circle is centered, and a second base end from which another one of the pair of flexible arms is extended and a second imaginary circle is centered, the second imaginary circle defining a second radius from the second base end to another connecting portion;
wherein the bridge projects at the other connecting portion inwardly from the other one of the pair of flexible arms along a second tangent line of the second imaginary circle; and
wherein the first radius is equal to the second radius.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The buckle according to claim 1, wherein each of said pair of flexible arms has a leading end opposed to the base end and a latched part near the leading end to latch to said female member; and said connecting portion is arranged between said base part and said latched part.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The buckle according to claim 1, wherein each of said pair of flexible arms has a leading end part opposed to the base end, and the Omega form portion deforms corresponding to movements of the leading end parts of said pair of flexible arms moving toward and away from each other; and
each of the pair of flexible arms further comprises a restricting part projecting inwardly therefrom at a position away from said base part such that the restricting part contacts the Omega form portion of the bridge to restrict an amount of deformation of said bridge when the leading end parts move toward each other and the bridge is deformed.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the bridge has a width defined by a first side surface and a second side surface, and the bridge projects along the tangent line of the circle in the width of the bridge.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The buckle according to claim 1, wherein the female member comprises a front wall, a rear wall facing the front wall, and a partition plate formed between the front wall and the rear wall and extending in an insertion direction; and the partition plate is positioned in a space between the pair of flexible arms when the male member is connected to the female member.