Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Separable-fastener or required component thereof – Including member having distinct formations and mating...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-31
2002-07-23
Sakran, Victor (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Separable-fastener or required component thereof
Including member having distinct formations and mating...
C024S616000, C024S625000, C024S633000, C024S648000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06421889
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a buckle structure including a male buckle piece and a female buckle piece. The male buckle piece has a base mount from which axially extends a pair of symmetric retaining legs having a guiding post disposed therebetween. Each retaining leg has an enlarged head portion with a leading angle and a retaining corner formed thereon. The outer edge of each retaining leg has a laterally extended abutment block. In the female buckle piece is defined a hollow interior for receiving the retaining legs with a guiding tunnel disposed at the center thereof for engaging with the guiding post. At the sides of the female buckle piece is disposed a dodging opening respectively for exposing the abutment block of each retaining leg. Each stop post is separably engaged with the retaining corner of each retaining leg in buckling up operation; and the inward actuation of the abutment block of each retaining leg permit the retaining corner to be free from the restraint of the respective stop post so that the male buckle piece can be easily and quickly freed from the female buckle piece.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional buckle structure is made up of a male buckle piece
10
and a female buckle piece
20
. The male buckle piece
10
has a base portion
11
with two symmetric engagement legs
12
extending therefrom. A fork post
13
is disposed between the engagement legs
12
. A rectangular slot
111
is disposed on the rear side of the base portion
11
. There is a pressing face
121
defined on the outer side of each engagement leg
12
. Next to the pressing face
121
is defined a retaining edge
122
. Each engagement leg
12
has a slotted rear portion
123
. A split
131
is defined at the center of the fork post
12
. The female buckle piece
20
basically has a hollow engagement cavity
21
defined at the central portion and an insertion opening
22
defined at the rear side. A rib
23
is disposed at the center of the engagement cavity
21
. On each longitudinal side of the female buckle piece
20
is disposed a locking hole
24
in communication with the engagement cavity
21
. At the end of the each locking hole
24
is defined a retaining edge
25
.
In assembly, as shown in
FIG. 2
, the engagement legs
12
and the fork post
13
of the male buckle piece
10
are inserted into the front opening
22
of the female buckle piece
20
and housed in the hollow engagement cavity
21
of the female buckle piece
20
. On each side of the female buckle piece
20
is disposed the locking hole
24
for receiving the pressing face
121
of each engagement leg
12
. At the rear edge of each locking
24
is provided with a retaining edge
25
so as to permit a locking edge
122
defined at the rear edge of each pressing face
121
to be in locking engagement with the retaining edge
25
as the pressing face
121
extends out of the locking hole
24
. The rib
23
of the female buckle piece
20
is engaged with the split
131
of the fork post
13
of the male buckle piece
10
.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, to get the male and female buckle pieces
10
,
20
separated, the pressing faces
121
of the engagement legs
12
are forced to move inwardly so as to permit the locking edge
122
of the pressing faces
121
to be disengaged from the retaining edges
25
of the locking hole
24
of the female buckle piece
20
respectively, and the buckle pieces are pulled away from each other.
There are a couple of disadvantages associated with the conventional buckle structure given as below:
1. The pressing face
121
of the engagement leg
12
of the male buckle piece
10
is roundly curved and no guiding means is available to make the male buckle piece
10
and the female buckle piece
20
smoothly engaged with easy alignment, rendering the engagement of the male buckle piece
10
and the female buckle piece
20
relatively inconvenient and slow.
2. The disengagement of the male buckle piece
10
and the female buckle piece
20
is effected by actuation on the pressing faces
121
so as to make the engagement legs
12
of male buckle piece
10
inwardly withdrawn; such a direct pressing on the engagement legs requires more effort, making the separation of the male buckle piece
10
and the female buckle piece
20
relatively difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved buckle structure wherein the front end of each retaining leg of the male buckle piece is provided with a leading angle so as to make the male and female buckle pieces be engaged with each other with precise alignment by way of the guidance of the guiding post and guiding groove. Thereby easy alignment can effectively prevent the retaining legs from astray shift in engagement, making the engagement of the male buckle piece and female buckle piece in an easy, speedy and convenient manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved buckle structure wherein the male buckle piece and female buckle piece are separated by pressing an abutment block instead of directly forcing retaining legs. The pressing on the abutment block can produce a leverage effect on the retaining legs so that only small force is required to make the retaining legs separated, rendering easy and quick separation of the male and female buckles.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4150464 (1979-04-01), Tracy
patent: 4639982 (1987-02-01), Kasai
patent: 5465472 (1995-11-01), Matoba
patent: 5791026 (1998-08-01), Anscher
patent: 6148486 (2000-11-01), Uchara et al.
patent: 6263548 (2001-07-01), Ikeda
patent: 8131215 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 8154711 (1996-06-01), None
patent: 1057114 (1998-03-01), None
patent: 1346612 (2001-12-01), None
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Sakran Victor
Vinsonic Industrial Co., Ltd.
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