A cord lock has a housing with an interior cavity and an opening extending between the front and the back for receiving a cord, and an actuator having two legs that are configured to slide within the interior cavity of the housing. A spring is disposed between the housing and the actuator to bias the actuator in a raised position relative to the housing. There is a cam disposed in the interior cavity of the housing. The bottom of the cam is rotatably connected to the housing and the top is rotatably connected to the legs of the actuator. In a resting position, the spring presses the top of the cam against the housing such that when a cord is extended through the opening, the cam locks the cord in place between the cam and the housing. Depressing the actuator compresses the spring and rotates the cam.

The present invention relates generally to first aid articles and more specifically tourniquets suitable for one handed application. One embodiment of the invention is directed to a tourniquet having a base defining first and second ends. A constricting band is attached to and extends from the first end of the base. A windlass handle is engaged with the constricting band. The constricting band is threaded through a self cinching stepped buckle. A buckle connector includes a hook member that engages the stepped buckle and is partly held in place through urging against a loop of the constriction band.

A tank cinch is configured to cooperate with a strap to secure a tank of compressed air to a buoyancy compensation device. The tank cinch includes an adjustable frame having a sliding member, a first cam receiver and a second cam receiver. A lever body including a first cam and a second cam is pivotably joined to the adjustable frame and is pivotable about a pivoting axis defined by the adjustable frame. The lever body is configured to fix a first end portion of the strap. The adjustable frame is configured to fix a second end portion of the strap with the sliding member when the lever is rotated about the pivoting axis towards the adjustable frame member. The cams are arranged to bear against an outermost surface of the tank and to be received in the cam receivers when the lever body is pivoted towards the adjustable frame.

The Belt Ratcheting Device (BRD) facilitates unidirectional belt fastening and fast release. The BRD includes a turning gate rotatably installed diagonally in a channel. The turning gate has a blade holder with sharp blade front. Attached at the rear is a resilient plate which acts as a spring. The BRD has two states: active and inactive. In the active state the device works as a belt ratchet i.e. allowing the belt to be pulled forwards but restricting any belt motion backwards. In the inactive state the ratcheting is disabled and the belt is released. Usually, the BRD is kept in active state by a preloaded resilient plate. After fastening, the belt remains fastened until the BRD is switched manually into inactive state by pulling a latch. The blade's smooth side and channel's smooth surfaces minimize belt wear. BRDs facilitate belt fastening for garments and footwear.

The Belt Ratcheting Device (BRD) facilitates unidirectional belt fastening and fast release. The BRD includes a turning gate rotatably installed diagonally in a channel. The turning gate has a blade holder with sharp blade front. Attached at the rear is a resilient plate which acts as a spring. The BRD has two states: active and inactive. In the active state the device works as a belt ratchet i.e. allowing the belt to be pulled forwards but restricting any belt motion backwards. In the inactive state the ratcheting is disabled and the belt is released. Usually, the BRD is kept in active state by a preloaded resilient plate. After fastening, the belt remains fastened until the BRD is switched manually into inactive state by pulling a latch. The blade's smooth side and channel's smooth surfaces minimize belt wear. BRDs facilitate belt fastening for garments and footwear.

A flat strap holding apparatus includes a chassis and a first and second rotating hub that rotate in the interior of the chassis. The interior of the chassis being bounded by two opposing side walls of the chassis and a plurality of cross bars adjoined to the side walls. The chassis has a first and second end, each end containing the first and second rotating hub. A gripping surface of each rotating hub is proximate to a first and second gripping area in the interior of the chassis residing on the plurality of chassis cross bars. The first and second grip areas are arranged approximately orthogonal to one another. The first and second rotating hubs are arranged to rotate towards and away from the first and second gripping areas.

A ratcheting strap adjuster comprising a bracket, a webbing plate, and one or more captive members. The webbing plate is rotatably coupled to the bracket. Each of the one or more captive members is moveable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, wherein the one or more captive members restrict rotation of the webbing plate in one direction when the one or more captive members are in the engaged position and allow rotation of the webbing plate in the one direction and in an opposite second direction when the one or more captive members are in the disengaged position.

Web adjusters for use with occupant restraint systems are described herein. In some embodiments, a web adjuster includes a cross bar operably coupled to a frame, and a release member that is pivotally coupled to the frame and configured to cooperate with the cross bar. In use, a web can be routed through the adjuster so that it passes around the cross bar and between the cross bar and a locking surface of the release member. A user can increase tension in the web by pulling a free end portion of the web through the adjuster. When the free end portion is released, the tension in the web drives the cross bar toward the locking surface to fixedly clamp the web therebetween and maintain the tension in the web. To release the tension in the web, the user can rotate the release member away from the frame, thereby moving the locking surface away from the cross bar and permitting the web to pass through the adjuster.

An article includes a cord, a cord winding device that tightens and loosens the cord, a drum including a winding portion around which the cord is wound, a drum retainer that accommodates the drum in a rotatable manner, and two cord exits formed in a wall of the drum retainer to guide the cord out of the cord winding device. When the two cord exits and a center of the drum retainer are not located on a single straight line, even if the cord is rewound by a full extent and drawn out from one of the cord exits when the cord is loosened, fatigue that would be caused by kinks reversing a winding direction of the cord or repetitive bending of the cord does not occur at a connecting-fixing portion of the cord and the winding portion corresponding to the other one of the cord exits.

Convertible garment systems and related devices and methods are shown and described. In one example, a convertible garment system includes a bathing suit and a pair of detachable-strap-interfaces, each configured to removably connect to the bathing suit's lower straps, and removably connect to the bathing suit's upper straps, thereby creating a second configuration for the pair of upper straps. In another example, a device includes at least one detachable-strap-interface for converting a bathing suit.