A FASTENING SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a fastening system for an article. The fastening system comprises a buckle having a body and a pair of hook arms which extend from the body with the free ends of the hook arms facing each other across a gap. A retainer is provided that in use is secured to a part of the article, the retainer comprising an elongate ridge, the ridge having a first width that is less than the width of the gap between the hook arms, the retainer further comprising a transition portion that connects the ridge to a stopper which is orthogonal to the ridge, the width of the stopper in the direction orthogonal to the ridge being greater than the width of the gap between the hook arms. In use the crest of the ridge may pass into the gap between the hook arms during an initial stage of fastening of the fastening system, the transition portion functioning as a guide during a subsequent stage of fastening to guide the buckle to a position where the hook arms and the body encompass the stopper so as to limit further movement of the buckle in a direction away from the ridge.

Claims

1. A fastening system for an article comprising: a buckle having a body and a pair of hook arms which extend from the body with the free ends of the hook arms facing each other across a gap, and a retainer that in use is secured to a part of the article, the retainer comprising an elongate ridge, the ridge having a first width that is less than the width of the gap between the hook arms, the retainer further comprising a transition portion that connects the ridge to a stopper which is orthogonal to the ridge, the width of the stopper in the direction orthogonal to the ridge being greater than the width of the gap between the hook arms, whereby in use the crest of the ridge may pass into the gap between the hook arms during an initial stage of fastening of the fastening system, the transition portion functioning as a guide during a subsequent stage of fastening to guide the buckle to a position where the hook arms and the body encompass the stopper so as to limit further movement of the buckle in a direction away from the ridge.

2. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the stopper comprises a complete or a partial loop of material at one end of the retainer, which is curved around an axis that is orthogonal to the ridge, the loop defining a space that is accessible from both sides for the hook arms to project into when the fastening is in the closed position.

3. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the retainer comprises a strap which is curved to form a loop defining the stopper.

4. The fastening system according to claim 3, wherein the width of the strap forming the stopper is wider than the gap between the hook arms of the buckle at least over a length of the stopper furthest from the ridge.

5. The fastening system according to claim 3, wherein the retainer further includes a length of strap that extends away from an uppermost surface of the complete or partial loop to form the transition portion.

6. The fastening system according to claim 3, wherein one continuous length of strap forms the stopper, transition portion, and ridge.

7. The fastening system according to claim 3, wherein the strap in the transition portion transitions from an unfolded state to a fully folded state along its length from the loop to the ridge using a valley fold, the underside of which guides the hook arms of the buckle onto and off the ridge as the buckle moves from and to the closed position.

8. The fastening system according to claim 7, wherein the valley transitions along the length of the transition portion from a maximum depth where it joins the ridge down to nil where the transition portion joins the loop.

9. The fastening system according to claim 7, wherein the underside of the valley formed by the fold provides the guiding function that helps direct the hook arms of the buckle into the loop formed by the stopper.

10. The fastening system according to claim 3, wherein the ridge portion of the retainer is formed from a portion of strap that extends away from the transition portion, wherein the strap in the transition portion transitions from an unfolded state to a fully folded state along its length from the loop to the ridge using a valley fold, and wherein the portion of strap is a continuation of the strap that forms the ridge portion, the strap retaining the valley fold of the transition portion so that the strap forms two halves that overlap and are in contact along the length of the ridge with the fold at the bottom of the ridge.

11. (canceled)

12. The fastening system according to claim 3, wherein the ridge is stiffened to allow easy initial engagement with the hooks of the buckle.

13. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the retainer comprises any one of a variety of flexible or semi-rigid or rigid materials, and wherein optionally the retainer comprises a length of woven polyester webbing, or the retainer comprises a rigid or semi-rigid component that has the required shape of the stopper, transition portion, and the ridge.

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the buckle includes at least two bars which form at least two apertures through which webbing/straps/tape/sling can be run while the bars act as tension locks, wherein optionally the buckle comprises a large planar surface which forms a buckle release tab, enabling the tension acting on the webbing running through the apertures between bars to be reduced, or allowing the user to grasp the buckle between thumb and forefinger and disengage it from the retainer, or the hook arms are provided at one end of the main body of the buckle and the bars forming the slots at the other end of the main body.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. The fastening system according to claim 1, wherein the buckle is composed of plastic, metal, or a combination thereof, more preferably aluminium alloy or polyoxymethylene.

20. A method of use of the fastening system according to claim 1, comprising the following steps performed in the order listed to close the fastening system and in reverse order to release the fastening system: (a) aligning the hook arms of the buckle with the ridge of the retainer and moving the buckle into a position where the ridge is located in the gap between the hook arms; and (b) moving the buckle axially along the ridge towards the stopper across the transition portion allowing the transition portion to guide the hook arms until further movement is prevented by the hook arms engaging the stopper.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein, when the stopper defines a loop of the retainer, the movement will terminate when the hook arms of the buckle and the loop of the retainer are interlinked.

22. The method according to claim 15, further comprising applying tension to the buckle and retainer to prevent accidental release of the fastening system, wherein optionally the step of applying tension may comprise applying tension to a strap that engages the buckle.

23. (canceled)

24. An article including the fastening system according to claim 1, in which the retainer is fixed to a first part of the article, and the buckle is fixed to a second part of the article, whereby, when secured, the fastening system holds the two parts of the article together.

25. The article according to claim 18, wherein any one of the following applies: a) the buckle is fixed directly to the second part of the article; b) the buckle is fixed indirectly to the second part of the article, for example using a webbing strap, the webbing strap enabling the relative position of the buckle to the second part of the article to be adjusted; c) the retainer is secured to an outer face of the first part of the article; d) the retainer is secured to the article by passing a lower part of the ridge through a slot in the first part of the article and fixing the lower part to an underside of the first part of the article; e) the first part comprises a lid of the article and the second part comprises a main body of the article which is to be closed by the lid; and f) the article comprises a rucksack, backpack, belt, or a similar article.

26.-30. (canceled)

31. A retainer that forms part of a fastening system and which, in use, is secured to a part of an article, the retainer comprising an elongate ridge which projects orthogonally away from the said part of the article, the retainer further comprising a transition portion that connects the ridge to a stopper which is orthogonal to the ridge, the length of the stopper in the direction orthogonal to the ridge being greater than the width of the ridge.

Description

[0045] There will now be described, by way of example only, one embodiment of the present invention with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which:

[0046] FIG. 1 is a view of a prior art two part buckle assembly;

[0047] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a fastening system in accordance with an aspect of the invention;

[0048] FIGS. 3(a) and (b) are views in elevation and in plan of the retainer of FIG. 2;

[0049] FIG. 4(a) to (d) show the movement of the buckle from an open position of the fastening system to a closed position; and

[0050] FIG. 5 is an example of the use of the fastening system to secure a lid of a rucksack to a body of the rucksack.

[0051] An embodiment of a fastening system 100 according to an aspect of the invention is shown in FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawing. The fastening system comprises two main components: buckle 102 and a retainer 104.

[0052] The buckle 102, as shown in detail in FIG. 2, has a substantially planar body 106 and a pair of opposed hook arms 108 which extend from the body 106 and define a gap 110 having a width W1 therebetween of about 2-5 mm. The gap 110 may be permanent such that it is present both when no external loads are applied to the buckle 102 and when loads are applied. Alternatively the buckle 102 may be flexible such that at rest the tips of the hook arms 108 touch each other but can move apart to form the gap 110 when a force is applied. When the gap 110 is not permanent, the buckle 102 should be configured so that the gap 110 cannot open up beyond a predefined width W1. The hook arms 108 as shown have a similar appearance to the two opposed claws of a lobster. The main body 106 and hook arms 108 are rigid and together the body 106, hook arms 108 and the gap 110 between the hook arms 108 form a loop 112 at the end of the main body 106, the loop 112 lying in the same plane as the main body 106.

[0053] The retainer 104, shown in detail in FIGS. 3a to 3c, which in use is secured to a part of an article 114, comprises at one end an elongate ridge 116. The ridge 116 has a first width W2, of around 2-5 mm, which may be constant or vary slightly along the whole of the length of the ridge 116. Importantly, the width W2 should be chosen such that it is less than the width W1 of the gap 110 between the hook arms 108, which means that the buckle 102 can be offered up to the crest of the ridge 116 and the hook arms 108 pressed down so the crest of the ridge 116 passes through the gap 110 and one arm 108 is located on each side of the ridge 116. The retainer 104 further comprises a central transition portion 118 that connects the ridge 116 to a stopper 120 which is orthogonal to the ridge 116. The width of the stopper 120, W3, measured in the direction orthogonal to the ridge 116, is greater than the width W1 of the gap 110 between the hook arms 108. In this example it is around 25 mm but could be wider or narrower.

[0054] The stopper 120 comprises a partial loop 122 of webbing material at the opposite end of the retainer 104 to the ridge 116 which is curved around an axis that is orthogonal to the ridge 116. The stopper 120 and ridge 116, viewed in plan, form an inverted T-shape. This stopper loop 122 defines an internal space 124 that is accessible from both sides for the hook arms 108 to project into when the fastening system 100 is in the closed position.

[0055] The transition portion 118 functions as a guide when moving the hook arms 108 along the retainer 104 from the ridge 116 towards the stopper 120. As shown, the transition portion 118 is wider at a top edge 126 than it is at the bottom edge 128 (the fold line), and this width of the top edge 126 varies from the width of the ridge 116 at one end to the width of the stopper 120 at the other end. The hook arms 108 can therefore only move from the ridge 116 past the transition portion 118 close to the bottom 128 of the transition portion 118, being restrained by the wider top 126 of the transition portion 118.

[0056] In the example shown, the retainer 10 is constructed from a single continuous elongate portion of strap. The strap in the example is a woven webbing material of around 25 mm in width. One end of the strap is curved back on itself to form a loop 122 defining the stopper 120. The other end of the strap extends away from the loop 122 and as is folded or curved across its width to form the transition portion 118 and the ridge 116. Specifically, a single valley fold (when looking down on the ridge) is formed along the length of the strap. In the transition portion 118 the underside of the folded strap in use guides the hooks 108 of the buckle 102 onto and off the ridge 116. The valley transitions along the length of the transition portion 118 from a maximum depth where it joins the ridge 116 down to nil where the transition portion 118 joins the loop 122.

[0057] A method of forming the retainer 104 may be as follows. A strap is cut to the required length, before folding one end along its length with a valley fold. This is then secured in place to form the ridge 116, with the valley fold extending from the ridge 116 towards the other end of the strap so that it gradually reduces to nil. That free end of the strap is curved around an axis orthogonal to the ridge 116 to form the stopper loop 122. Stitches 130, as shown in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b) may be used to secure the shape of the ridge 116, or an adhesive may be used. In this example a vertical line of stitches 130 extending from the bottom of the ridge 116 to the crest define the location where the ridge 116 joins the transition portion 118.

[0058] In a final step, a cover portion 132 of material may be laminated over the ridge of the retainer. The cover portion has flaps 134 that extend away from the opposing sides of the ridge 116. These flaps 134 may be conveniently used to fix the retainer 104 to an article 114. This cover portion 132 can be seen in FIGS. 3b and 3c.

[0059] Of course, in an alternative to the use of a strap, the retainer 104 could be formed in a different manner. It could be a moulded part for example.

[0060] FIG. 5 is an example showing how the fastening system 100 can be used to secure two parts of an article 114. The article 114 shown is a rucksack, and the two parts in the example are the body 136 of the rucksack in which items can be stored and a flap which covers the top opening to the main body 136 and forms a lid 138. The retainer 104 as shown is fixed to the front of the lid 138, and the buckle 102 is fixed to a length of webbing 140 that passes through the apertures in the main body 106 of the buckle 102. One end of the webbing 140 is secured to the body 136 of the rucksack near to the base.

[0061] The retainer 104 is oriented with the crest of the ridge 116 facing upwards away from the buckle 102, so that the stopper 120 faces towards the buckle 102. A cover portion 132 is provided, and the flaps 134 of this cover portion 132 pass through die cut apertures in the lid 138 and are laminated to the underside of the lid fabric to affix the retainer 104 to the rucksack lid 138. This both provides a secure attachment between pack lid 138 and fastening 100, and guides the buckle 102 in useit prevents the hook arms 108 of the buckle 102 slipping under the ridge part 116 of the retainer 104 when operating the mechanism which could result in mis-engaging the fastening 100.

[0062] FIGS. 4(a) to (d) show a sequence of fastening of the fastening system 100. FIG. 4(a) shows the fastening system 100 fully open, and FIG. 4(d) shows it fully closed, with 4(c) and 4(d) showing the required movement of the buckle 102 between the open and closed positions.

[0063] Initially, the webbing 140 is loosened and the buckle 102 is presented to the retainer 104 with the hooked arms 108 level with but above the crest of the ridge 116, and is then pushed down orthogonal to the ridge 116 to cause the crest of ridge 116 to move into the gap 110 between the hooked arms 108 as shown in FIG. 4(b). The buckle 102 is then moved axially along the ridge 116 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 4(b) until the hook arms 108 reach the transition portion 118. The hook arms 108 are guided by the underside of the strap in this portion as shown in FIG. 4(c) until, with further axial movement in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 4(c), the hook arms 108 enter the space 124 defined by the stopper loop 122. Finally, the hook arms 108 strike the stopper loop 122 and any further axial movement is prevented as shown in FIG. 4(d). Further tension may be applied to the strap which will deform the loop slightly, depending on how flexible the retainer material is.

[0064] Once the hook arms 108 are located so they encompass the stopper loop 122, the webbing 140 secured to the buckle can be cinched tight to pull the lid 138 down onto the body 136 of the rucksack. The lid 138 is now securely fixed in place.

[0065] Opening of the fastening system 100 can be performed by reversal of the steps shown in FIGS. 4(a) to (d). Note that the buckle 102 cannot otherwise be removed until the hook arms 108 are positioned over the ridge portion 116 of the retainer 104.

[0066] The embodiment of the buckle 102 and retainer 104 described improves upon many of these aspects: possessing no plastic parts that become brittle in extreme cold; possessing no moving parts; being very simple to operate; being operable with a single hand, requiring movement of said hand in only one plane: providing a secure method of attachment. Further advantages include producing a fastening mechanism 100 which is lightweight, secure, and reliable. Further advantages include toughness and strength. Yet further advantages include ease of use when used with gloved or mittened hands, or when manual dexterity is reduced due to tiredness, cold hands, holding other items, etc.