Buckle assembly for a belt strap

Abstract

A buckle assembly for a belt webbing includes a buckle body which includes at least one abutment portion and is connectable with at least one belt webbing. In a connected condition at least one first abutment part of the at least one belt webbing rests against the at least one abutment portion. The buckle assembly furthermore includes a clamping loop arranged on the buckle body, which is circumferentially closed and defines an opening. The clamping loop is arranged on the abutment portion around the buckle body such that the buckle body extends through the opening and is formed to act on the abutment part, which in the connected condition rests against the abutment portion, with a force in a direction of the at least one abutment portion.

Claims

1. A buckle assembly for a belt webbing, comprising: a buckle body including at least one abutment portion and at least one stay, the buckle body being connectable with at least one belt webbing, wherein in a connected condition at least one first abutment part of the at least one belt webbing extends about the at least one stay and rests against the at least one abutment portion, a clamping loop arranged on the buckle body, which is circumferentially closed along a circumferential direction and defines an opening, the clamping loop being formed elastic such that the clamping loop is elastically extensible along the circumferential direction, wherein the clamping loop is arranged on the abutment portion around the buckle body such that the buckle body extends through the opening, and is formed to act upon the at least one first abutment part with a tensioning force pointing towards the at least one abutment portion, the tensioning force being directed transverse to a main loading direction which a loading force acts on the at least one belt webbing in a loaded condition of the buckle assembly.

2. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the clamping loop is elastically pretensioned in the connected condition of the buckle body and the at least one belt webbing.

3. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the buckle body comprises at least one holding device which is formed to prevent the clamping loop from sliding down from the buckle body along said main loading direction.

4. The buckle assembly according to claim 3, wherein the holding device comprises at least one protrusion protruding from the buckle body, which supports the clamping loop in the main loading direction.

5. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the clamping loop is cohesively connected with the buckle body.

6. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the clamping loop is formed integrally with the buckle body.

7. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein in the connected condition at least one second abutment part of the at least one belt webbing or another belt webbing rests against the at least one first abutment part, wherein the clamping loop acts on the at least one second abutment part with said tensioning force pointing towards the at least one abutment portion.

8. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one abutment portion is formed as stay and extends parallel to the at least one stay, wherein in the connected condition the at least one belt webbing extends between the at least one abutment portion and the at least one stay and wherein the at least one first abutment part rests against the at least one abutment portion.

9. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the buckle assembly comprises at least one double-D ring buckle, double-stay buckle, triple-stay buckle, ladder buckle, sliding buckle, or clamping buckle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The idea underlying the invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the Figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1A shows a buckle assembly for a belt webbing with a clamping loop arranged on a buckle body;

(3) FIG. 1B shows a view from below of the buckle assembly of FIG. 1A;

(4) FIG. 1C shows a longitudinal section along line A-A through the buckle assembly shown in FIG. 1A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) FIGS. 1A and 1B show a buckle assembly 1 for a belt webbing from different perspectives, as it can be used in various ways for example on a garment, a helmet or a bag. The buckle assembly 1 comprises a buckle body 10 which is formed to be brought into a releasable latching connection with a second buckle body 11.

(6) The buckle body 10 is connected with a belt webbing 2. As it is known from triglides, a belt webbing end 20 of the belt webbing 2 is wound around a stay 102 of the buckle body 10 and is again guided out of the buckle body 10 along a direction Z of the belt webbing. The buckle body 10 includes an abutment portion 101, against which a first abutment part 21 of the belt webbing 2 rests in the illustrated connected condition.

(7) In an unloaded condition 2, i.e. when no tensile force Z acts on the belt webbing 2, the length of a belt webbing assembly, which comprises the belt webbing 2, can be shifted by pushing the belt webbing 2 and pulling the belt webbing end 20. In a loaded condition of the belt webbing assembly, in which a tensile force Z acts on the belt webbing 2, adjacent first and second abutment parts 21, 22 of the belt webbing 2 are locked against each other and the abutment portion 101 of the buckle body 10 such that shifting against each other and thus a longitudinal adjustment of the belt webbing assembly is prevented, as can be seen in the sectional representation of FIG. 1C.

(8) In other exemplary embodiments, the belt webbing end 20 also can be guided around more than one stay 102 in the manner of a double-stay, triple-stay or ladder buckle, in order to increase the acting frictional forces and reinforce the force-fit connection.

(9) To counteract undesired longitudinal shifting of the belt webbing assembly in the unloaded condition, a clamping loop 13 is arranged on the buckle body 10. The clamping loop 13 is circumferentially closed and defines an opening 130. For example, the clamping loop 13 can be a circumferentially closed flexible ring in the manner of an O-ring.

(10) In the illustrated connected condition the buckle body 10 extends through the opening 130, so that the clamping loop 13 fully encloses the abutment portion 101 of the buckle body 10.

(11) The belt webbing 2, with which the buckle body 10 is connected, likewise extends through the clamping loop 13, so that the clamping loop 13 in particular also fully encloses the first and second abutment parts 21, 22 of the belt webbing 2.

(12) The clamping loop 13 acts upon the abutment part 21 of the belt webbing 2 with a force K in direction of the abutment portion 101. At the same time, the clamping loop 13 acts upon the second abutment part 22 of the belt webbing, which rests against the first abutment part 21, with a force K in direction of the abutment portion 101 and in direction of the first abutment part 21.

(13) Preferably, the clamping loop 13 is formed elastic for this purpose. For example, the clamping loop 13 can be fabricated of a lengthways elastic material such as silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer.

(14) In particular, in the illustrated connected condition of the buckle body 10 and the at least one belt webbing 2 such elastic clamping loop 13 can be pretensioned elastically. An elastic pretension of the clamping loop 13 for example can be produced already in that the buckle body 10 extends through the opening 130 of the clamping loop 13. The force K for example can wholly or partly be effected by the elastic pretension of the clamping loop 13.

(15) By the force K, the first abutment part 21 and the second abutment part 22 of the belt webbing 2 are fixed at each other and/or at the abutment portion 101 of the buckle body 10 in a force-fit manner such that also in the unloaded condition of the belt webbing assembly, i.e. when no tensile force Z (or only a small tensile force Z) acts on the belt webbing 2, an undesired length adjustment of the belt webbing assembly is avoided wholly or in part.

(16) As can be seen with reference to FIG. 1A, the buckle body 10 includes a protrusion as holding device 103, which prevents that the clamping loop 13 slides down from the buckle body 10 along a main loading direction Z, in which the tensile force Z as loading force acts on the at least one belt webbing 2. The protrusion supports the clamping loop 13 in the main loading direction Z. Sliding down of the clamping loop 13 from the buckle body 10 along the main loading direction Z in this way can be prevented by the protrusion 103.

(17) It is also conceivable, however, that the holding device 103 is not formed as protrusion, but in some other way, for example as recess or groove. With such holding device 103, the clamping loop 13 can easily be held at the buckle body 10 in the region of the abutment portion 101.

(18) To ensure the proper arrangement of the clamping loop 13 at the buckle body 10 at any time and to prevent a loss of the clamping loop 13 in a demounted condition of the buckle assembly 1, it can be advantageous to cohesively connect the clamping loop 13 with the buckle body 10. For example, the clamping loop 13 can be glued or welded to a lateral portion of the buckle body 10.

(19) In one variant, the clamping loop 13 can however also be formed integrally with the buckle body 10. This can involve the advantage of a particularly easy and inexpensive assembly of the buckle assembly 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(20) 1 buckle assembly 10 buckle body 11 second buckle body 101 contact portion 102 stay 103 holding device 13 clamping loop 130 opening 2 belt webbing 20 belt webbing end 21 first abutment part 22 second abutment part K force Z tensile force