Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Separable-fastener or required component thereof – Including member having distinct formations and mating...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-15
2004-05-04
Sandy, Robert J. (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Separable-fastener or required component thereof
Including member having distinct formations and mating...
C024S625000, C024S614000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06728999
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engaging/disengaging type buckle or fastening device in which an insertion body of a male member is inserted into a housing of a female member. More particularly, it relates to a buckle or fastening device, which is suitable for use, when the surface of clothes, bag, carrier bag, package and the like is curved.
2. Prior Art
A buckle or a fastening device of every kind in which an insertion body of a male member is inserted into a housing of a female member has been widely used to meet the users' demand. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-210 discloses a buckle that can readily fit the surface configuration of a product to be used. This buckle is, for example, provided with a male member
2
′ which is comprised of a linking body
51
′ and an engaging body
5
′ as shown in FIG.
23
. The linking body
51
′ has a belt attaching member
7
′, a pair of side frames
34
′ and a base member
25
′ which is rotatably pivoted between the pair of the side frames
34
′. The engaging body
5
′ has an engaging portion
29
′ and a connecting portion
50
′ which is rotatably pivoted at the base member
25
′.
The female member
1
′ is comprised of a belt attaching portion
38
′ and a housing
4
′. The housing
4
′ has an engaged portion
15
′ with which the engaging portion
29
′ engages so as to be rotatable. When tension is applied while the male member
2
′ and female member
1
′ are connected with each other, the other members including a belt, which are attached to the male member
2
′ and the female member
1
′, can rotate around the axes of three directions.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-154711 discloses a buckle of such a type that tensile load applied to the male member
2
″ and the female member
1
″ becomes compression load which engages both the members. This buckle, as shown in
FIG. 24
, comprises a female member
1
″ which has a housing
4
″ at one end and a first attaching portion
52
″ at the other end for attaching the belt B″, and an insertion body
5
″ which has an insertion leg portion
26
″ at one end, which can be inserted into the housing
4
″ detachably and a second attaching portion
52
″ at the other end for attaching the belt B″. The second attaching portion
52
″ is provided on an L-shaped rotary attaching member
54
″ separated from the insertion body
5
″.
An end portion of the L-shaped rotary attaching member
54
″ is attached to the insertion body
5
″ so as to be rotatable. After the insertion body
5
″ is inserted into and engaged with the housing
4
″, the male member
2
″ and the rotary attaching member
54
″ are rotated relatively to each other, so that the second attaching portion
52
″ opposes the guide portion
55
″ across the housing
4
″. Consequently, tensile load applied to the female member
1
″ and the male member
2
″ via the rotary attaching member
54
″ becomes compression load which engages both the members.
In the buckle as disclosed in said Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-210, the male member
2
′ can be changed in three directions with respect to the female member
1
′, so that the belt attaching member
7
′ existing at a front end of the male member
2
′ can be changed freely. However, because the belt attached to the housing
4
′ cannot be varied freely with respect to the housing
4
′, this is lack of adaptability to the surface configuration of a product to be used.
In the buckle disclosed in said Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-154711, the L-shaped rotary attaching member
54
″ having the belt attaching portion is attached to the end portion of the insertion body
5
″ of the male member
2
″ so as to be rotatable. However, the buckle changes tensile load applied to itself to compression load by a special use condition of the buckle, for example by rotating the male member
2
″ and the rotary attaching member
54
″ relatively to each other after the insertion leg portion
26
″ of the male member
2
″ is inserted into and engaged with the housing
4
″ of the female member
1
″. Thus, the pulling direction of the belt B″ with respect to the buckle cannot be changed freely.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved in consideration of the above-described problems. The present invention aims at providing a buckle or a fastening device of an insertion type of a male member with a female member, in which a belt linked with the buckle or the fastening device is capable of rotating freely with respect to the buckle or the fastening device in an uneven manner in a horizontal surface, which is easy to be adapted to a curve on the surface of a product for which the buckle or the fastening device is used, so that the fastening operation of the belt can be carried out easily and securely.
Further, in the buckle or the fastening device of the insertion type in which the belt attaching portion is capable of rotating freely, wherein the belt can be disposed on the female member and the male member with a simple mechanism and structure.
Furthermore, the buckle or the fastening device of the insertion type can be formed in such a type that the belt disposed in the female member or the male member can be adjusted in length with respect to only one of the members, or is formed in such a type that both of the members them fix the belt. Alternatively, the buckle may be formed in a type that the belt can be adjusted in length with respect to the both members. Consequently, the present invention aims at providing a buckle or fastening device of the insertion type which is adaptable for various kinds of products, and which has such a shape that is prevented from being raised when the belt is tightened so as to achieve stable belt tightening.
To achieve the above-described object, according to the present invention, there is provided a buckle or a fastening device of a type in which an insertion body of a male member is inserted into a housing of a female member, wherein the male member is comprised of the insertion body and a belt attaching frame, the insertion body and the belt attaching frame being formed separately while a base end of the insertion body and the belt attaching frame are linked with each other so as to be freely rotatable, and the female member is comprised of the housing and a belt attaching frame, the housing and the belt attaching frame being formed separately while a front end of the housing and the belt attaching frame are linked with each other so as to be freely rotatable. For convenience of description, the term “buckle” referred to herein after includes a fastening device.
Further, it is preferable that the male member has a pair of protruded pieces provided at both sides of a base member of the insertion body in a direction opposite to insertion leg portions protruded from the base member, shafts, which can hold the belt attaching frame such that it is freely movable, are provided so as to protrude laterally on outer faces of the protruded pieces, and shaft holes, which allow the shafts to be pivotally engaged therein so as to be freely movable, are provided at front ends of frame members of both sides of the belt attaching frame having a U-shape.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the female member has a pair of protruded pieces protruded outward at both sides of a front end of the housing opposite to an insertion opening thereof, shafts, which are capable of holding the belt attaching frame so as to be freely movable, are protruded laterally on outer faces of the protruded pieces, and shaft holes, which the shafts are capable of pivotally engaging so as to be freely movable, are provi
Kawamura Ryoji
Murai Ryukichi
FInnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.
Sandy Robert J.
YKK Corporation
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