Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Buckles – Harness
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-22
2004-02-17
Sakran, Victor (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Buckles
Harness
C024S003300, C024S003130, C024S16300K, C024S2650BC, C024S2650CD, C002S428000, C002S452000, C248S231510, C248S902000, C351S112000, C351S157000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06691378
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a buckle device for a pair of swimming/diving goggles. In particular, the present invention relates to a buckle device for a pair of swimming/diving goggles that allows easy adjustment a head strap of the pair of swimming/diving goggles and that provides a reliable clamping effect for the head strap.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11
illustrates a conventional buckle for swimming/diving goggles, and
FIG. 12
illustrates a pair of swimming/diving goggles using the buckle in FIG.
11
. The buckle
1
′ is made of rigid material and includes a connecting portion
11
′ on an end thereof for connecting with a pair of swimming/diving goggles. A tying portion
12
′ is provided on the other end of the buckle
1
′ for connecting with an end of a head strap
2
′ made of a soft material. The tying portion
12
′ is hollow and includes two posts
121
′ and
122
′ and a notch
123
′ in an outer end thereof. As illustrated in
FIG. 12
, the end of the head strap
2
′ is wound around the posts
121
′ and
122
′ and finally inserted into a space between the notch
23
′ and the post
121
′, thereby fixing the tightening length of the head strap
2
′.
When adjusting the tightening length of the head strap
2
′, the user has to remove the pair of swimming/diving goggles from his/her head, loosen the head strap
2
′ at the posts
121
′ and
122
′ and the notch
123
′, adjust the head strap
2
′, and then put the pair of swimming/diving goggles back on his/her head. If the tightness of the head strap
2
′ is not appropriate, the whole adjusting procedure has to be repeated again and again until an appropriate tightness for the user is reached. Further, the head strap
2
′ is apt to bend and deform due to double winding through the posts
121
′ and
122
′.
FIG. 13
illustrates another conventional buckle, and
FIG. 14
illustrates a pair of swimming/diving goggles using the buckle in FIG.
13
. The buckle includes a first buckle member
4
′ and a second buckle member
5
′. The first buckle member
4
′ includes an engaging portion
41
′ on an end thereof and a clamping portion
42
′ on the other end thereof. Further, the first buckle member
4
′ includes coupling elements
411
′ and
421
′ on two lateral sides thereof, with a compartment
422
′ being defined between the lateral sides of the first buckle member
4
′. An opening
423
′ is defined in a front end of the compartment
422
′, allowing the head strap
6
′ to extend through the opening
423
′. Two retaining pieces
424
′ are formed on a bottom wall delimiting the compartment
422
′.
The second buckle member
5
′ includes an engaging portion
51
′ on an end thereof and a clamping portion
52
′ on the other end thereof. A flexible portion
53
′ is provided between the engaging portion
51
′ and the clamping portion
52
′. Each of the engaging portion
51
′ and the clamping portion
52
′ includes two engaging slots
511
′,
521
′ for engaging with the coupling elements
411
′,
421
′ of the first buckle member
4
′. The clamping portion
52
′ is hollow and includes a post
522
′ and a retaining piece
524
′.
In assembly, the coupling elements
411
′,
421
′ of the first buckle member
4
′ are engaged with the engaging slots
511
′,
521
′ of the second buckle member
5
′, with the retaining pieces
424
′ of the first buckle member
4
′ and the retaining piece
524
′ pressing against the head strap
6
′ that is wound through the flexible portion
53
′ in a manner shown in FIG.
14
. The head strap
6
′ is thus positioned. Nevertheless, when adjustment of the tightening length of the head strap
6
′ is required, the flexible portion
53
′ of the second buckle member
5
′ must be bent before proceeding with the adjustment, which could cause break of the flexible portion
53
′ after the buckle has been used for a period of time. Further, the engagement between the coupling elements
411
′,
421
′ of the first buckle member
4
′ and the engaging slots
511
′,
521
′ of the second buckle member
5
′ is not reliable. In particular, the head strap
6
′ would impart an outward force to the second buckle member
5
′ at “a” (
FIG. 14
) and thus cause disengagement of the second buckle member
5
′ from the first buckle member
4
′. Further, the user has to remove the pair of swimming/diving goggles from his/her head before proceeding with adjustment of the head strap
6
′, and repeated adjustments often occur.
FIG. 15
illustrates a further conventional buckle,
FIG. 16
illustrates a pair of swimming/diving goggles using the buckle in
FIG. 15
, and
FIG. 17
illustrates adjustment of a head strap of the pair of swimming/diving goggles in FIG.
16
. The buckle is made of a bendable material and includes a body
7
′ having an engaging portion
71
′ on an end thereof and a clamping portion
73
′ on the other end thereof. The engaging portion
71
′ tapers forward and has a slant
711
′ and a slot
722
′. A clamping hole
731
′ is defined in the clamping portion
73
′.
In assembly, the head strap
8
′ is passed through the clamping hole
731
′ and the slot
722
′, and the body
7
′ is bent, as shown in FIG.
16
. After adjustment, as illustrated in
FIG. 17
, the head strap
8
′ is pulled toward the clamping hole
731
′, urging the engaging portion
71
′ to be tightly inserted into the clamping hole
731
′ with the aid of the slant
711
′ . The head strap
8
′ is positioned due to tight engagement between the engaging portion
71
′ and the clamping hole
731
′, thereby fixing the length of the head strap
8
′. Nevertheless, the user still has to remove the pair of swimming/diving goggles and disengage the engaging portion
71
′ from the clamping hole
731
′ before proceeding with adjustment of the head strap
8
′, and repeated adjustments often occur.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a buckle that allows easy adjustment of a head strap of a pair of swimming/diving goggles. The buckle includes a body made of a slightly flexible material. The body includes a pressing portion on a first end thereof, a clamping portion on a second end thereof, and a bendable connecting portion between the pressing portion and the clamping portion.
The pressing portion includes two sidewalls and a post fixed between the sidewalls. The clamping portion includes a clamping hole delimited by a bottom wall, two lateral walls, and a top wall extending portions of the lateral walls. A retaining edge is formed on a top edge of each lateral wall.
The connecting portion is mounted around a mounting peg of a main body of the pair of swimming/diving goggles, with the clamping portion and the pressing portion lying side by side. An end of a head strap of the pair of swimming/diving goggles extends into the body via the clamping hole, winds around the post, and extends out of the body via the clamping hole. The end of the head strap is pullable to obtain a desired tightness, exerting a force to the post to press against the retaining edges, thereby reliably positioning the head strap in place.
REFERENCES:
patent: 513068 (1894-01-01), Anderson
patent: 5181280 (1993-01-01), Zachry, Jr.
patent: 5377386 (1995-01-01), Griffith
patent: 5459882 (1995-10-01), Yamamoto
patent: 5774953 (1998-07-01), Mao
patent: 5918351 (1999-07-01), Chou
patent: 6460196 (2002-10-01), Tsubooka et al.
Baxley Charles E.
Sakran Victor
LandOfFree
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