Buckle with strapping supports
AssigneePanduit Corp.
InventorsEarl J. DeBerry, John J. Bulanda, Michael G. Mayo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A buckle for fastening opposing ends of an object encircling strap is provided. The buckle includes a deformable retainer and a bridge. The deformable retainer defines an entrance passageway for a free end of the strap and includes a retainer tab, an opening adjacent the retainer tab, and a pair of strapping supports spaced apart from the opening. The bridge defines an exit passageway for the free end of the strap. The free end of the strap is positionable around an object and consecutively through the entrance passageway and the exit passageway. The free end of the strap is bendable over the bridge and between the strapping supports and the opening such that the free end of the strap curls when the retainer is deformed.
Claims10
A fastener comprising:
- a strap;
- and
- a buckle for fastening opposing ends of the strap, the buckle comprising:
- a deformable retainer defining an entrance passageway for a free end of the strap, the deformable retainer including a retainer tab, an opening adjacent the retainer tab, and a pair of non-deformable strapping supports disposed between the opening and the entrance passageway, the non-deformable strapping supports formed by bending corresponding portions of the deformable retainer toward each other;
- and
- a bridge defining an exit passageway for the free end of the strap,
- wherein the free end of the strap is positionable around an object and consecutively through the entrance passageway and the exit passageway, and
- wherein the bridge, the non-deformable strapping supports, and the opening are arranged such that, when the free end of the strap bends over the bridge and between the non-deformable strapping supports and the opening, the non-deformable strapping supports cause the free end of the strap to curl when the deformable retainer is deformed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.