BUCKLE COMPONENT

Abstract

A buckle component (1, 2) having a main body (3) and a clamping web (4), the main body (3) having a belt-receiving opening (5), and the clamping web (4) being mounted displaceably on the main body (3) in the belt-receiving opening (5) for clamping a belt (6), which is guided around the clamping web (4), between the clamping web (4) and an edge (7) of the main body (3) bounding the belt-receiving opening (5). The buckle component (1, 2) additionally has a flap (8) which is mounted pivotably on the main body (3) by a pivot joint (9), and the flap (8) has a clamping surface (10) for clamping the belt (6) between the clamping surface (10) of the flap (8) and the clamping web (4) in a clamping position of the flap (8).

Claims

1. A buckle component, comprising: a main body having a belt-receiving opening; a clamping web mounted displaceably on the main body in the belt-receiving opening and configured for clamping a belt, which is guided around the clamping web, between the clamping web and an edge of the main body bounding the belt-receiving opening; a flap mounted pivotably on the main body by a pivot joint, the flap including a clamping surface configured such that the belt is clampable between the clamping surface of the flap and the clamping web in a clamping position of the flap.

2. The buckle component as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a locking device configured for locking the flap on the main body in the clamping position.

3. The buckle component as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locking device comprises an elastic latching hook.

4. The buckle component as claimed in claim 2, wherein, in the clamping position, the locking device engages behind an outer side of the main body that is averted from the belt-receiving opening.

5. The buckle component as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locking device is arranged or formed on a side of the flap lying opposite the pivot joint.

6. The buckle component as claimed in claim 2, wherein the locking device acts on the flap on a side of the flap lying opposite the pivot joint.

7. The buckle component as claimed in claim 2, wherein the clamping surface of the flap is arranged in a region between the pivot joint and the locking device.

8. The buckle component as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a toothing for form-fitting engagement in the belt formed on the locking device.

9. The buckle component as claimed in claim 8, wherein the toothing comprises an elastic latching hook.

10. The buckle component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clamping surface comprises a surface of a spring tongue of the flap.

11. The buckle component as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a toothing for form-fitting engagement in the belt formed on the clamping surface.

12. The buckle component as claimed in claim 11, wherein the toothing includes, in mutually opposite directions, tooth flanks which differ in steepness and which, in the clamping position of the flap, permit a re-tensioning of the belt in a tensioning direction and lock the belt in a counter direction opposite to the tensioning direction.

13. The buckle component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivot joint is formed between the flap and a flap carrier, and the flap carrier is fastened or fastenable to the main body by a latching connection.

14. The buckle component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivot joint is a single axle joint with an axle bolt.

15. The buckle component as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plug-in extension for fastening in a plug-in extension receptacle of a mating buckle component.

16. The buckle component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the buckle component has a plug-in extension receptacle for fastening a plug-in extension of a mating buckle component in the plug-in extension receptacle.

17. An arrangement comprising: a belt and the buckle component as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the clamping position of the flap, the belt is clampable or clamped between the clamping surface of the flap and the clamping web.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Further features and details of preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained by way of example in the following description of the figures with reference to two embodiment variants according to the invention. In the figures:

[0021] FIGS. 1 to 8 show illustrations for a first exemplary embodiment according to the invention, and

[0022] FIGS. 9 to 16 show illustrations for a second exemplary embodiment according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In the two embodiment variants of the invention that are shown in the figures, the buckle component 1 or 2 according to the invention is part of a buckle or belt buckle by the buckle component 1 or 2 according to the invention being able to be connected to a mating buckle component 25 to form a buckle. This connection of the buckle components to the mating buckle components is known per se and can be designed as per the prior art for realizing the invention in a wide variety of embodiments. It is favorable here if, as also realized in the embodiment variants shown here, in the plugged-together state the buckle component 1 or 2 and the mating buckle component 25 are lockable to each other. For this purpose, the prior art discloses a wide variety of locking forms which can also be unlocked when the buckle component 1 or 2 is intended to be detached from the mating buckle component 25. The invention can also be combined with all of these types of locking known in the prior art. However, for the sake of completeness, it is also pointed out that buckle components 1 and 2 according to the invention may also already form a complete buckle. In these embodiments of the invention, provision is then not made for the buckle component according to the invention to be able to be connected to a mating buckle component to form a buckle.

[0024] In the first exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 8, the female buckle component 2 of the buckle is designed according to the invention. This buckle component 2 according to the invention of the first exemplary embodiment can be connected, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6, to another, male buckle component 1 which is known per se. In this exemplary embodiment, the male buckle component 1 therefore forms the mating buckle component 25. In the first exemplary embodiment, the male buckle component 1 has merely one belt slot 26 through which a belt can be guided.

[0025] The female buckle component 2 which is designed according to the invention in the first exemplary embodiment has a belt-receiving opening 5 in which a clamping web 4 is mounted so as to be displaceable to and fro in the displacement directions 31. A belt 6 can be guided around the clamping web 4 in the belt-receiving opening 5. By corresponding tension in the counter direction 19, the clamping web 4 is pulled or displaced from the belt 6 in a manner known per se toward the edge 7 bounding the belt-receiving opening 5, as a result of which the belt 6 is clamped between the clamping web 4 and edge 7. This clamping ensures that the belt is fixed on the buckle component 2 for as long as a corresponding tension in direction 19 is maintained. If said tension in direction 19 eases or if tension is applied to the belt 6 in the tensioning direction 18, this clamping of the belt between the clamping web 4 and the edge bounding the belt-receiving opening 5 no longer suffices to hold the belt in its position on the buckle component 2. In order, in such situations, to prevent the belt 6 from being inadvertently displaced or loosened in the buckle component 2, the invention makes provision for the buckle component 2 to additionally have a flap 8 which is mounted pivotably on the main body 3 by a pivot joint 9, wherein the flap 8 has a clamping surface 10 for clamping the belt 6 between the clamping surface 10 of the flap 8 and the clamping web 4 in a clamping position of the flap 8.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows, in a perspective illustration, the female buckle component 2 according to the invention together with the male buckle component 1, which is used here as the mating buckle component 25, in the plugged-together position, wherein the flap 8 is in the clamping position. In this clamping position, the belt 6 is clamped between the clamping surface 10 of the flap 8 and the clamping web 4. FIG. 2 shows a perspective illustration of the flap in its release position. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the first exemplary embodiment according to the invention in side views, wherein FIG. 3 shows the release position and FIG. 4 an intermediate position. FIG. 5 shows the first exemplary embodiment of the invention in a longitudinal section, wherein the flap 8 is in the clamping position. FIG. 6 shows a partially exploded illustration in which the flap 8 is illustrated detached from the flap carrier 20 and from the buckle component 2. FIG. 7 shows only the female buckle component 2 according to the invention of this exemplary embodiment together with the belt 6. FIG. 8 shows only the male buckle component 1 which, in this first exemplary embodiment, is used as the mating buckle component 25.

[0027] The flap 8 is fastened to the main body 3 of the buckle component 2 so as to be pivotable to and fro about the pivot joint 9 between the release position, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the clamping position, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5. It can be seen in FIG. 6 that the pivot joint 9 in this exemplary embodiment is a single axle joint with an axle bolt 22. As already explained at the beginning, the pivot joint 9, however, could also be designed, for example, as a film hinge or the like. In the embodiment shown here, as also in other preferred embodiments, the pivot joint 9 is formed between the flap carrier 20 and the flap 8. Provision is made in such variants for the flap 8 to be fastened to the main body 3 of the buckle component 2 by the flap carrier 20. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, this involves a releasable connection between the flap carrier 20 and the main body 3 in the form of a latching connection 21. In this connection, reference is made in particular to FIG. 6. It can be seen there that, in order to form this latching connection 21, in this exemplary embodiment the latching lugs 28 are formed on the flap carrier 20, said latching lugs being inserted into the latching receptacles 29 of the main body 3 and being latched there in order to fasten the flap carrier 20 and therefore also the flap 8 to the main body 3 of the buckle component 2. Such variants have the advantage that the flap 8 can be removed together with the flap carrier 20 in a simple manner from the main body 3 or from the buckle component 2 when they are not required. Retrofitting of flaps 8 on buckle components 2 is thereby also assisted. Of course, in a departure from exemplary embodiments shown here, the latching connection 21 could also be formed differently. For example, the latching lug receptacles 29 could be provided on the flap carrier 20 and corresponding latching lugs 28 on the main body 3. However, the flap 8 and the flap carrier 20 could also be arranged on the main body 3 of the buckle component 2 in an entirely different way, for example by screwing, adhesive bonding or other forms of fastening that are known per se. The flap carrier 20 could even be a fixed constituent part of the main body 3 of the buckle component 2 according to the invention.

[0028] In order to be able to lock the flap 8 on the main body 3 in the clamping position, a locking device 11 is also provided in this first exemplary embodiment. Said locking device is designed here specifically as an elastic latching hook. In the clamping position shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the locking device 11 engages behind an outer side 12 of the main body 3 that is averted from the belt-receiving opening 5, in order thereby to lock the flap 8 releasably in the clamping position. However, the elastic design of the latching hook means that the locking device 11 can also be readily released in order then to pivot the flap 8 back again from the clamping position, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, into the release position, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the release position, the belt 6 can be adjusted in a desired manner in direction 18 or 19. FIG. 4 shows an intermediate position between the clamping position and the release position, which intermediate position is traversed both during opening and during closing of the flap 8. In the clamping position according to FIGS. 1 and 5, the belt is clamped according to the invention between the clamping surface 10 of the flap 8 and the clamping web 4. In preferred embodiments as shown here, the clamping surface 10 is designed as a surface of a spring tongue 14 of the flap 8. The spring tongue 14 can be inherently elastic. However, the spring tongue 14 can also be an inherently rigid body which is pretensioned elastically against the main body of the flap 8 by a corresponding spring or an elastomer body or the like. The pretensioning of the spring tongue 14 is formed at any rate in the direction in which the clamping surface 10 presses against the belt 6 guided around the clamping web 4. Owing to the spring tongue 14, it is also possible to clamp belts 6 of very different thickness securely and in a sufficiently fixed form between the clamping surface 10 and the clamping web 4.

[0029] In this exemplary embodiment, provision is also made for the locking device 11 to be arranged or formed on a side of the flap 8 lying opposite the pivot joint 9. The effect which can be achieved by this is that the clamping surface 10 of the flap 8, as also realized here, is arranged in a region between the pivot joint 9 and the locking device 11. It is thereby particularly readily ensured that, in the clamping position, the clamping surface 10 presses sufficiently strongly against the belt 6 guided around the clamping web 4.

[0030] In principle, the clamping action between clamping surface 10 and clamping web 4 could be based purely on friction. However, in preferred embodiments such as the embodiments shown here, it is provided that, in addition to the frictionally locking clamping, there is also a form-fitting engagement in the belt 6. For this purpose, in the exemplary embodiments shown here, both the clamping surface 10 and the locking device 11 each have a toothing 15 with which they engage in a form-fitting manner in the belt 6 in the clamping position. The toothings 15 are advantageously in each case an arrangement of a plurality of teeth. The toothings 15 can be designed, for example, as tooth strips, as is also realized here in the exemplary embodiments. Of course, exemplary embodiments are also conceivable in which corresponding toothings 15 are provided either only on the clamping surface 10 or only on the locking device 11.

[0031] It can readily be seen in FIGS. 3 to 5 that the toothings 15 realized here have tooth flanks 16 and 17 of differing steepness in mutually opposite directions. The more shallow tooth flanks 16 permit a re-tensioning of the belt 6 in the tensioning direction 18 in the clamping position of the flap 8, while the steeper tooth flanks 17 provide for locking of the belt 6 if tension is applied to the belt 6 in the counter direction 19 opposite to the tensioning direction 18. These preferred embodiments therefore permit the belt 6 to be able to be re-tensioned in the tensioning direction 18 not only in the release position of the flap 8, but also in the clamping position of the flap 8.

[0032] As already explained at the beginning, the female buckle component 2 according to the invention of this first exemplary embodiment can be plugged together with the male buckle component 1, which is not designed here according to the invention and which constitutes the mating buckle component 25, to form a buckle. For this purpose, the female buckle component 2, as can readily be seen in FIG. 7, has the plug-in extension receptacle 24 which is known per se and into which the plug-in extension 23, which is visible in FIG. 8, of the buckle component 1 can be pushed in in the plug-in direction 30 in order to connect the two buckle components 1 and 2 to each other. In the exemplary embodiment which is shown here, as also in other preferred embodiments of the invention, in the plugged-together position the male buckle component 1 is locked in the female buckle component 2. Specifically, this is realized in the exemplary embodiments shown here by the catches 27 which are known per se. If the catches 27 are pivoted, as is known per se, into their release position, the two buckle components 1 and 2 can be separated from each other again by the plug-in extension 23 of the buckle component 1 being pulled out of the plug-in extension receptacle 24 of the female buckle component 2 counter to the plug-in direction 30. As already explained at the beginning, this is of course only one example of how such buckle components 1 and 2 can be connected to each other to form a buckle and can also be released from each other again. The invention may also be realized in buckle components of entirely different design.

[0033] At any rate, it is advantageous if, as also realized here in these exemplary embodiments, the displacement directions 31, in which the clamping web 4 is displaceable in the belt-receiving opening 5, run orthogonally to the longitudinal extent of the clamping web 4. As likewise realized here in this exemplary embodiment, the displacement directions 31 can be parallel to the plug-in direction 30. In preferred embodiments, as also realized here, the tensioning direction 18 and the counter direction 19 run orthogonally to the longitudinal extent of the clamping web 4.

[0034] FIGS. 9 to 16 show a second exemplary embodiment according to the invention in which, however, the male buckle component 1 is provided according to the invention with a flap 8, while the female buckle component 2 is designed as known per se in the prior art and here is only the mating buckle component 25 with which the male buckle component 1 according to the invention is joined releasably together to form a buckle. FIG. 9 shows the second exemplary embodiment again in a perspective illustration, wherein the flap 8 arranged on the male buckle component 1 is in the clamping position. FIG. 10 shows a perspective illustration of the buckle of this second exemplary embodiment, wherein the flap 8 is in the release position. FIGS. 11 and 12 in turn show side views, wherein FIG. 11 shows the release position of the flap 8 and FIG. 12 an intermediate position of the flap 8. The clamping position of the flap 8 is illustrated in a longitudinal section in FIG. 13. FIG. 14 shows an exploded illustration in which, in turn, the flap 8, the flap carrier 20 and the axle bolt 22 of the pivot joint 9 are illustrated individually. FIG. 15 shows the male buckle component 1 of this exemplary embodiment detached from the female buckle component 2, which is illustrated separately once again in FIG. 16. Apart from the fact that, in this second exemplary embodiment, the buckle component according to the invention is the male buckle component 1, and that the latching connection 21 illustrated in FIG. 14 is designed somewhat differently than in the first exemplary embodiment, the statements made with regard to the first exemplary embodiment apply analogously to the second exemplary embodiment. For the second exemplary embodiment, reference is therefore also made to the above explanations regarding the first exemplary embodiment in order to avoid unnecessary repetitions.

[0035] For the sake of completeness, it is also pointed out that, of course, the female buckle component 2 according to the invention of the first exemplary embodiment can also be plugged together with the male buckle component 1 according to the invention of the second exemplary embodiment to form a corresponding buckle or belt buckle.

KEY TO THE REFERENCE SIGNS

[0036] 1 buckle component [0037] 2 buckle component [0038] 3 main body [0039] 4 clamping web [0040] 5 belt-receiving opening [0041] 6 belt [0042] 7 edge [0043] 8 flap [0044] 9 pivot joint [0045] 10 clamping surface [0046] 11 locking device [0047] 12 outer side [0048] 13 toothing [0049] 14 spring tongue [0050] 15 toothing [0051] 16 tooth flank [0052] 17 tooth flank [0053] 18 tensioning direction [0054] 19 counter direction [0055] 20 flap carrier [0056] 21 latching connection [0057] 22 axle bolt [0058] 23 plug-in extension [0059] 24 plug-in extension receptacle [0060] 25 mating buckle component [0061] 26 belt slot [0062] 27 catch [0063] 28 latching lug [0064] 29 latching lug receptacle [0065] 30 plug-in direction [0066] 31 displacement direction