Leg restraint

Abstract

A leg restraint includes a buckle portion in the form of a buckle frame attached to a strap portion. The strap portion includes a section of a loop fabric of a hook-and-loop fastener and a section of a hook fabric of the hook-and-loop fastener. The buckle portion is pliable and resilient and configured to accept the strap within the loop of the buckle frame. The strap is configured to be fed through the buckle frame and looped back on itself to allow the loop portion of the strap to contact the hook portion of the strap, thereby fastening the two strap portions together through the engagement of the hook-and-loop fastener. The strap may have the hook and loop fabric exposed on both faces of the strap such that the strap may be looped back in either direction for fastening.

Claims

1. A leg restraint comprising: (c) a buckle-frame comprising a flexible and resilient assembly; and (d) a strap having a first end and a second end, the strap comprising: (i) a loop portion comprising a loop fabric of a hook-and-loop fastener, the loop fabric comprising a loop; (ii) a hook portion comprising a hook fabric of a hook-and-loop fastener, the hook fabric comprising a hook, wherein the hook of the hook fabric is configured to engage to the loop of the loop fabric; and (c) wherein the buckle-frame is attached to the first end of the strap; and (d) wherein the buckle-frame includes: (i) a pliable outer shell, and (ii) an elastic inner support disposed within the pliable outer shell.

2. The leg restraint of claim 1 wherein the loop portion is disposed at the first end of the strap portion and the hook portion is disposed at the second end of the strap portion.

3. The leg restraint of claim 1 further comprising a rigid inner support disposed within the pliable outer shell, wherein the elastic inner support comprises two elastic portions extending from the strap and the rigid inner support spans the space between the ends of the elastic inner portions that are distal from the strap.

4. The leg restraint of claim 3 wherein each of the elastic portions includes at least one of the group consisting of a plastic tube, a rubber rod, and a coil.

5. A leg restraint comprising: (a) a buckle-frame comprising a flexible and resilient assembly; and (b) a strap having a first end and a second end, the strap comprising: (ii) a loop portion comprising a loop fabric of a hook-and-loop fastener, the loop fabric comprising a loop; (ii) a hook portion comprising a hook fabric of a hook-and-loop fastener, the hook fabric comprising a hook, wherein the hook of the hook fabric is configured to engage to the loop of the loop fabric; and (c) wherein the buckle-frame is attached to the first end of the strap; (d) wherein the loop portion has a front face and a back face and the loop fabric is exposed on both the front and back faces of the loop portion; and (e) wherein the hook portion has a front face and a back face and the hook fabric is exposed on both the front and back faces of the hook portion.

6. The leg restraint of claim 5, the strap further comprising: (b) a front-face cover comprising a material that is selectively positionable and configured to attach to and cover the front face of hook portion; and (c) a back-face cover comprising a material that is selectively positionable and configured to attach to and cover the back face of the hook portion.

7. A leg restraint comprising: (a) a buckle-frame comprising a flexible and resilient assembly; and (b) a strap having a first end and a second end, the strap comprising: (ii) a loop portion comprising a loop fabric of a hook-and-loop fastener, the loop fabric comprising a loop; (iii) a hook portion comprising a hook fabric of a hook-and-loop fastener, the hook fabric comprising a hook, wherein the hook of the hook fabric is configured to engage to the loop of the loop fabric; and (c) wherein the buckle-frame is attached to the first end of the strap; and (d) wherein the strap further includes a cover comprising a material that is selectively positionable and configured to attach to and cover the hook portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front view of an exemplary leg restraint according to an aspect of the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the exemplary restraint, showing hook-portion covers in position to prevent fastening.

(4) FIG. 3 is a side view of the exemplary restraint, showing one hook-portion cover in position to allow fastening.

(5) FIG. 4 is a side view of the exemplary restraint, showing the strap fed through the buckle frame and looped back on itself.

(6) FIG. 5 is a front view of an exemplary leg restraint according to an aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) In the summary above, and in the description below, reference is made to particular features of the invention in the context of exemplary embodiments of the invention. The features are described in the context of the exemplary embodiments to facilitate understanding. But the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments. And the features are not limited to the embodiments by which they are described. The invention provides a number of inventive features which can be combined in many ways, and the invention can be embodied in a wide variety of contexts. Unless expressly set forth as an essential feature of the invention, a feature of a particular embodiment should not be read into the claims unless expressly recited in a claim.

(8) Except as explicitly defined otherwise, the words and phrases used herein, including terms used in the claims, carry the same meaning they carry to one of ordinary skill in the art as ordinarily used in the art.

(9) Because one of ordinary skill in the art may best understand the structure of the invention by the function of various structural features of the invention, certain structural features may be explained or claimed with reference to the function of a feature. Unless used in the context of describing or claiming a particular inventive function (e.g., a process), reference to the function of a structural feature refers to the capability of the structural feature, not to an instance of use of the invention.

(10) Except for claims that include language introducing a function with “means for” or “step for,” the claims are not recited in so-called means-plus-function or step-plus-function format governed by 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). Claims that include the “means for [function]” language but also recite the structure for performing the function are not means-plus-function claims governed by § 112(f). Claims that include the “step for [function]” language but also recite an act for performing the function are not step-plus-function claims governed by § 112(f).

(11) Except as otherwise stated herein or as is otherwise clear from context, the inventive methods comprising or consisting of more than one step may be carried out without concern for the order of the steps.

(12) The terms “comprising,” “comprises,” “including,” “includes,” “having,” “haves,” and their grammatical equivalents are used herein to mean that other components or steps are optionally present. For example, an article comprising A, B, and C includes an article having only A, B, and C as well as articles having A, B, C, and other components. And a method comprising the steps A, B, and C includes methods having only the steps A, B, and C as well as methods having the steps A, B, C, and other steps.

(13) Terms of degree, such as “substantially,” “about,” and “roughly” are used herein to denote features that satisfy their technological purpose equivalently to a feature that is “exact.” For example, a component A is “substantially” perpendicular to a second component B if A and B are at an angle such as to equivalently satisfy the technological purpose of A being perpendicular to B.

(14) Except as otherwise stated herein, or as is otherwise clear from context, the term “or” is used herein in its inclusive sense. For example, “A or B” means “A or B, or both A and B.”

(15) An exemplary leg restraint 100 according to an aspect of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a facing view of the restraint 100 and FIG. 2 is a side view of the restraint 100. The restraint 100 includes a buckle-frame portion 102 and a strap portion 104. The buckle-frame portion 102 includes a pliable or malleable outer shell 106 (e.g., nylon beaded hollow webbing) encapsulating a flexible inner support 108 (e.g., a hollow elastomeric tube, a rubber rod, or a coil) shaped as a buckle frame to receive the strap portion 104. (The inner support 108 is shown using dashed-perimeter lines to denote that it is enveloped by the outer shell 106.) Preferably, the combination of outer shell 106 and inner support 108 renders buckle-frame 102 elastic within the domain of use. Thus, while the buckle-frame 102 is capable of deforming under the typical application of force in use (to accommodate the detainee's physical features, for example), it will tend back to its original shape when the force is removed.

(16) The strap 104 includes a transition portion 110, a loop portion 112, and a hook portion 114. The transition portion 110 serves to connect the buckle-frame 102 to the rest of the strap 104. The loop portion 112 includes a front surface 112a and a back surface 112b. Both loop-portion surfaces 112a, 112b comprise loop material of a hook-and-loop fabric fastener (e.g., the popular fabric-fastener products marketed under the VELCRO™ brand). The hook portion 114 includes a front surface 114a and a back surface 114b. Both hook-portion surfaces 114a, 114b comprise hook material of a hook-and-loop fabric fastener that complements that loop material of the loop portion 112. The front/back surfaces 114a/114b of the hook portion 114 will selectively fasten to the front/back surfaces 112a/112b of the loop portion 112 when contacted together. The fastening is selectable in that fastened loop and hook portions 112, 114 may be unfastened by peeling the portions apart.

(17) Covers 116, 118 may be used to protect the hook-portion surfaces 114a, 114b and to keep the hook portion 114 from inadvertently fastening to the loop portion 112. The covers 116, 118 comprise loop material to attach to the hook material of the hook-portion surfaces 114a, 114b. The covers 116, 118 may be attached to the strap 104 apart from the hook-and-loop fastening. For example, the covers 116, 118 may be stitched to the bottom of the hook portion 114. In an exemplary configuration, each cover 116, 118 is constructed from a smooth pliable fabric with an area of loop material on the cover's surface that is facing toward the corresponding hook-portion surface 114a, 114b. This cover-surface loop area may be a relatively small fraction of the overall area of the hook-portion surface 114a, 114b covered by the cover. For example, a hook portion 114 may be 11 inches long (top-to-bottom) and 1.75 inches wide (side-to-side) whereas the loop area of the cover surface may be 0.75 inches long (top-to-bottom) and 1.75 inches wide (side-to-side). The cover-surface loop area may be positioned on the portion of the cover 116, 118 that corresponds to the top of the hook portion 114. The top of the covers 116, 118 may extend beyond the top of the hook portion 114 to provide tabs that may be used to pull the covers 116, 118 away from the hook portion 114. Additional areas of loop material along the cover may be used fasten the cover at more points along the length (top-to-bottom) of the hook portion 114. For example, a cover 116, 118 may have loop-material areas corresponding approximately to the top and bottom of the hook portion 144. The area(s) of the cover-surface loop material may be varied to increase or decrease the force required to unfasten the cover 116, 118 from the hook portion 114. FIG. 3 is a side view that illustrates the restraint 100 with one cover 118 unfastened from the hook portion 114.

(18) The restraint 100 is dimensioned sufficient to wrap around a persons legs when looped back on itself through the buckle-frame portion 102 and to provide the strength necessary to detain a human. For example, an exemplary strap portion 104 may be constructed from polyethylene/nylon hook/loop material and be 1.75 inches wide (side-to-side) and 40 inches long (top-to-bottom). The buckle-frame portion 102 may be constructed from a nylon webbing outer shell 106 enveloping a hollow round plastic tube or rubber rod for an inner support 108 and be dimensioned to correspond to the strap 104.

(19) As depicted in FIG. 5, the buckle frame 102′ may be implemented with a three-part inner support 108a, 108b enveloped by an outer shell 106. This support includes flexible side portions 108a that may each be, e.g., plastic tubes or rubber rods. And the three-part support includes a rigid top portion 108b that may be, e.g., a solid fiberglass or metal rod. The components of the three-part inner support 108a, 108b may be connected to each other to form a continuous component comprising multiple materials. The rigid-top buckle-frame 102′ maintains a flexibility and resilience top-to-bottom.

(20) In use, the restraint 100 may be, e.g., coiled on an officer's utility belt (e.g., in a pouch) when not deployed. To deploy the restraint 100, the officer would: uncoil the restraint 100; place the strap 104 around the detainee's legs; feed the strap 104 through the buckle frame 102; remove one of the covers 116, 118 from the hook portion 114; loop the strap 104 back on itself to tighten the strap around the legs thereby binding the legs together; and fasten the hook portion 114 to the loop portion 112 to secure the restraint 100 in place, with the strap 104 tight around the detainee's legs.

(21) FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating how the strap 104 is fed through the buckle portion 102 and looped back on itself in use. In use, the detainee's leg's would be within the opening 120 defined by the looped-back restraint and the opening 120 would be tightened around the legs by pulling the strap 104 further through the buckler portion 102.

(22) While the foregoing description is directed to the preferred embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the basic scope of the invention. And features described with reference to one embodiment may be combined with other embodiments, even if not explicitly stated above, without departing from the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims which follow.