Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Separable-fastener or required component thereof – Including member having distinct formations and mating...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-28
2003-01-21
Sakran, Victor (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Separable-fastener or required component thereof
Including member having distinct formations and mating...
C024S616000, C024S625000, C024S633000, C024S623000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06507982
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a buckle utilizing an insert-in operation of female and male members, i.e., a buckle main body and an insert-in body, and relates to a buckle for fastening a belt which is generally used in cloths, bags, helmets, strollers, sport instruments, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional buckle of this type formed from a buckle main body and an insert-in body is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,610. The buckle is formed from a flat tubular body as shown in FIG.
18
. The buckle has, at one end side thereof, a buckle main body
1
′ which is provided with openings
8
′ at both sides thereof, and a belt attaching portion having a belt folded-over portion and a fitting rod
31
′. A pair of flexible operation rods
16
′ project, at both sides, from the belt attaching portion
9
′ toward the other end side. An engaging portion
17
′ is provided at the outer side surface of each of the operation rods
16
′. The engaging portions
17
′ engage with the opening portions
8
′ of the buckle main body
1
′. In this buckle, an upper surface plate
3
′ of the buckle main body
1
′ extends such that an extended portion
32
′ is formed. When the buckle main body
1
′ and the insert-in body
2
′ are engaged, the belt catches on a fold-over rod
25
′, and the extended portion
32
′ of the upper surface plate
3
′ of the buckle main body
1
′ is compressed against the upper surface of the belt which is in a folded-over state. With such a structure, loosening of the belt is prevented, and the folded-over portion of the belt is hidden and cannot be viewed from the top surface.
Further, the buckle shown in
FIG. 19
is generally well-known. The buckle is formed from a buckle main body
1
″ and an insert-in body
2
″. The buckle main body
1
″ is formed from a flat tubular body. Opening portions
8
″, which can engage with engaging portions
17
″ provided at operation rods
16
″ of the insert-in body
2
″, are provided at both side surfaces of the buckle main body
1
″. Further, the insert-in body
2
″ is provided with a belt fitting rod
31
″, and at the inner side thereof, a belt fold-over rod
25
″ having a step portion is provided, and at the inner side thereof, a base rod
15
″ is provided. Further, a pair of operation rods
16
″ are formed to project at the insert-in body
2
″. Elastic projections
33
″ are elastically in contact toward the step portion
34
″ of the belt fold-over rod
25
″, and the pair of operation rods
16
″, having the engaging portions
17
″ outer side thereof, are protruded toward the inner side of the insert-in body
2
″. When the buckle is to be used, the belt is made to catch on the fold-over rod
25
″ and is folded over. By making the elastic projections
33
″ elastically project toward the step portion
34
″, the belt is press-contacted, and loosening of the belt is prevented.
In the above-described buckle shown in
FIG. 18
, when the insert-in body
2
′ is inserted into and engaged with the buckle main body
1
′, an attaching portion
28
′, where the belt is attached to the fold-over rod
25
′ of the insert-in body
2
′, is hidden by the upper surface plate
3
′ of the buckle main body
1
′ and cannot be seen from the surface. However, the attaching portion
9
′ of the buckle main body
1
′ to which the belt is attached, is exposed and can be seen. Further, when the insert-in body
2
′ itself is viewed, the attaching portion
28
′ of the belt is exposed, and the buckle doesn't have a structure in which the belt attaching portions
9
′,
28
′ of the buckle main body
1
′ and the insert-in body
2
′ are completely hidden. Moreover, a problem arises in that the buckle at the extended portion of the upper surface plate
3
′ of the buckle main body
1
′ is thick and unseemly, and the buckle doesn't have preferable form from the standpoint of design.
Further, in the conventionally well-known buckle shown in
FIG. 19
as well, the attaching portions for attaching of the belt to the buckle main body
1
″ and the insert-in body
2
″ are completely exposed, and the outer appearances are not good from the standpoint of ornamentation. In addition, there is the problem that the buckle itself is based on a straight line, and thus, the buckle doesn't have a preferable form from the standpoint of design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention was invented in consideration of the aforementioned problems. In the invention, the main object of is to provide a buckle which is formed from a buckle main body and an insert-in body, and in which belt attaching portions provided at the buckle main body and at the insert-in body are hidden, such that the buckle is very beautiful from the standpoint of design, and furthermore, in which an attachment of the belt is easy and the strength of the attachment is ensured.
And another object of the invention is to provide a buckle in which, by specifying the form of guide rods of the insert-in body, sturdy guide rods are formed, insertion and removal operations of the insert-in body are carried out smoothly, and attaching of a logo mark or the like to the buckle main body is convenient.
Further object of the invention is to provide a buckle equipped with a function which allows easy adjustment of a belt with respect to a hidden-type belt attaching portion provided at the insert-in body.
Still further object of the invention is to provide a buckle provided with a function which allows smooth insertion and removal operations of the guide rods of the insert-in body, by specifying the form of the buckle main body.
And further object of the invention is to provide a buckle provided with a function which allows a logo mark or the like to be set easily by a post-attachment operation onto the surface of the buckle main body.
It is also another object of the invention to provide a buckle in which a belt insertion hole is provided so as to secure the insertion of the belt, and the lower surface plate may not be viewed from the top surface of the insert-in body.
And another object of the invention is to provide a buckle in which the insert-in body is effectively utilized such that a belt adjustment portion can be provided easily, and in which the buckle main body and the insert-in body are formed not on the basis of straight lines but on the basis of arc shaped curves such that the buckle has an excellent design.
In order to achieve the aforementioned objects, according to the main aspect of the invention, there is provided a buckle, wherein the buckle is formed from a buckle main body and an insert-in body, and engaging rods, which have engaging portions at outer sides thereof, are provided at both sides of a base portion of an insert-in body, and guide rods are provided at a center of the base portion, and at an opposite surface of the base portion are provided a lower surface plate having a belt attaching portion and an upper surface plate covering a surface of the lower surface plate, and a belt insertion hole in which the belt is inserted is formed between the upper surface plate and the lower surface plate, and the buckle main body is formed from an upper surface plate, a lower surface plate, and side walls, and an insert-in hole for the insert-in body is provided at one end of the buckle main body, and a belt insertion hole is provided at another end of the buckle main body, and a belt attaching portion is provided at an end portion of the lower surface plate, and through holes for a belt which communicate with the belt insertion holes are formed at the belt attaching portions, and engaging holes which engage with the engaging rods of the insert-in body are provided at the side walls. Th
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Sakran Victor
YKK Corporation
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