Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Cord and rope holders – One-piece
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-29
2001-02-20
Sakran, Victor N. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Cord and rope holders
One-piece
C024S12900C, C024S12900C, C024S11500R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189186
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various types of cord locks have been proposed in the past for holding a cord in a tightened or other desired condition in clothing, bags, shoes, and other items. Cord locks provide a convenient alternative to tying knots. Most of these prior cord locks have been formed of two or more parts, adapted to grip and release a cord by relative movement between the parts. The expense involved in forming such parts and then assembling them has limited the use of such locks, and prevented their use in many instances in which it might otherwise be desirable to utilize a lock in lieu of hand tying a cord.
Other cord locks have made use of elastomeric materials, those materials with elastic properties resembling those of natural rubber, in order to provide less expensive single-piece devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,788 to Boden, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present disclosure, discloses a cord lock with a single slit extending through an elastomeric body. The natural resilience of the elastomeric material holds the cords in place by forcing the walls of the body against the cords. The cords are released by squeezing on the sides of the elastomeric body. U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,838 to Stenner shows a similar cord locking device also utilizing a single slit extending though the cord lock's elastomeric body. There are several disadvantages to these prior art cord locks. First, with the prior art designs, a major inconvenience is caused by the cords pulling out from the cord lock causing the cord lock to fall off from the cord. The cords must be repeatedly rethreaded through the cord lock. Even when the ends of the cords are tied into knots, the single slit is large enough to allow the cords to slip out from the cord lock, knot and all. This problem is particularly serious when using the cord lock with infants and toddlers who often pull the cord lock off of the cords, leading to the risk of the child swallowing and choking on the cord lock.
Further, the prior art cord locks provide the same amount of locking force whether it is needed or not, rather than providing more locking force when more is required. They also use a continuous, large locking force. This large locking force is dangerous for infants and toddlers because they could put a cord fastened with such a cord lock around their necks and accidentally strangle themselves due to the relatively strong locking force preventing them from loosening the cord once it is tightened.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,907,629 to Walty discloses a soft rubber lace fastener utilizing a single opening. This invention also has the disadvantage of the cords slipping out from the cord lock and has the further disadvantage that, even when using the lace fastener, a single knot still must be tied. This invention merely keeps an existing knot from coming undone rather than eliminating the need for a knot altogether.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,043,902 to Klein discloses aplastic device for spacing a double wire transmission line. This device utilizes open slits which would allow a cord to slip out from its openings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The elastomeric cord lock of the present invention eliminates many of the disadvantages of prior art cord locks by providing two specially shaped passages passing through an elastomeric body. Lengths of cord extend through the respective passages and can be tied off at their ends to keep them from slipping out of the cord lock passages. Each passage has a keyhole-shaped cross section formed from a wide substantially cylindrical portion and a narrower outwardly extending slot portion. When the lengths of cord are substantially parallel, the cord lock can slide relatively easily along the lengths of cord. However, many applications for the cord lock require that the lengths of cord be maintained in a state of tension (for example, when the cord lock is used to tightly fasten garments, bags or shoes). When outward tension is applied to the lengths of cord, the lengths are forced into the narrower slot portions. As more outward tension is exerted on the lengths of cord, the lengths are forced further into the narrow slot portions, and thus greater locking force is exerted on the lengths to hold them in place. The cord lock of the present invention thus provides greater locking force when greater force is needed. When not as much locking force is needed (i.e. when the lengths of cord are substantially parallel), the lengths of cord remain in the wider substantially cylindrical portion where less locking force is exerted. The lengths of cord can be released by manually compressing the cord lock to widen the narrow slot portions.
The use of elastomeric material to produce a single piece design results in a cord lock that is inexpensive to produce and can thus be utilized in a wide range of applications. Due to the relatively smaller openings of the two passage design, as compared to the single slit design, the knotted cord ends will not easily slip out of the passages. This feature serves to eliminate the major inconvenience of repeatedly re-threading the lengths of cord through the cord lock. It also serves to prevent infants and toddlers from pulling the cord lock off the lengths of cord and swallowing or choking on the cord lock. Because there is no concern that the lengths of cord, when tied off at their ends, will slip out of the cord lock passages, a lower locking force can be used, thus reducing the risk of accidental strangulation. The cord lock can be implemented so that when the lengths of cord are in the substantially cylindrical portions, the cord lock easily slides along the lengths of cord, further reducing the risk of accidental strangulation.
The smaller sized openings of the two passages can also produce increased friction between the cord and the passage by increasing the area of contact as compared to the single slit design. This feature, combined with the greater locking force of the narrower slot portions, allows the present invention the option of being implemented to provide greater locking force than the conventional, single passage cord locks.
To realize the advantages outlined above, one embodiment of the elastomeric cord lock of the present invention includes: a body of resiliently deformable elastomeric material having walls defining two passages therethrough; a first length of cord passing through the first of the passages and a second length of cord passing through the second of the passages; each of the passages, as viewed in a predetermined transverse plane, having a cross section with a wide end and a narrow end in a normal condition to which the body tends to return and thereby grip the lengths of cord against longitudinal movement through the passages; the narrow end of the cross section of each passage extending outwardly relative to the other passage; the passages being formed such that in a compressed condition caused by inward pressure on the body toward the respective narrow ends, the narrow ends are widened to release the lengths of cord. In one form, the wide ends of the cross sections are substantially circular and the narrow ends of the cross sections are outwardly extending slot portions. In another form, each of the cross sections is shaped as a keyhole when viewed in the predetermined transverse plane. The passages can also be substantially parallel to each other. The sides of the passages can be enclosed by the resiliently deformable elastomeric material. In one embodiment, the first and second lengths of cord are portions of a single cord, and in another embodiment the first length of cord is a portion of a first cord and the second length of cord is a portion of a second cord. The cord or cords can be tipped, loosely-braided cord, soft vinyl rods, rubber rods, soft vinyl tubes, or rubber tubes. In a further embodiment, the cord lock has first and second projections extending outwardly from the body and elongated essentially longitudinally of the passages. The projections are adapted so that inward pressure is exerted on the projections toward the
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Sakran Victor N.
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