Buckle for belt

• US 4,384,390 A
• Filed: 10/06/1980
• Issued: 05/24/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hayakawa Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hayakawa Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Hayakawa, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hakomaki, James
• Application Number:
  US06/194,073
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 7/151, 7/152, 24/163 R, 24/163 K, 30/151, 224/163, 224/232, 224/904, D 2/380, 150/34
• US Class Current: 224/163
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/005 Buckles combined with other articles, e.g. with receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/40 Buckles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4098 Ornamental and/or object supported

Abstract

A belt buckle to which a plate-like tool can be attached. The belt buckle is constructed of a base plate and a fitting case covering the front side of the base plate so that a fitting space for fitting the tool therein is formed inbetween. In the fitting space, on the other hand, there is mounted a locking plate for holding the tool under its fitted condition. This locking plate is constructed of a retaining portion, which is made engageable with the engagement opening of the tool, and a pressure portion for pushing the back of the tool under its engaging condition to the front. When the tool is to be taken out of the fitting space, a finger is inserted through the aperture of the fitting case thereby to inwardly push the retaining portion of the locking plate so that the tool is extracted under the condition in which the retaining portion is disengaged to the back from the engagement opening of the tool.

Claims

1. A belt buckle comprising:

the combination of a base plate and a case forming a space therebetween;

a removable, multi-purpose tool in the shape of a flat plate contained in said space; and

a resilient locking member within said space holding said multi-purpose tool in said space between said base plate and said case, said tool forming an opening shaped to allow the engagement of said resilient locking member with said tool, said locking member forming a retaining portion at the free end thereof to extend into said opening and engage said tool to lock said tool in said space between said base plate and said case; and

an aperture formed in said case or said base plate and aligned with the retaining portion of said resilient locking member, said aperture being so formed that a finger may be inserted therethrough from the outside to inwardly push the retaining portion of said locking member so that said retaining portion can be disengaged from said tool.

2. A belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein said resilient locking member comprises a leaf spring bent so that its free end extends into said opening in said multi-purpose tool to lock said tool into said space between said case and said base plate.

3. A belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein said resilient locking member comprises a leaf spring and has said retaining portion formed by bending the free end of said leaf spring so that it is in contact with the inner edge of said opening of said multi-purpose tool in its locked condition, across the entire thickness of said tool.

4. A belt buckle according to claim 3, wherein said resilient locking member is further formed by bending an end portion of said retaining portion at a right angle so that said leaf spring urges said tool, in its locked condition, against an inner wall of said space.

5. A belt buckle according to claim 4, wherein said resilient locking member is further formed by bending an end portion of said leaf spring toward said aperture at a right angle;

and wherein a push lever comprising a leaf spring attached to the inner wall of said case covers said aperture from the inside and is forwardly spaced from said multi-purpose tool, said push lever having an end portion engaging with said bent end of said leaf spring so that the retaining portion of said spring can be moved to disengage it from said multi-purpose tool by pushing said push lever inwardly.

6. A belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein said multi-purpose tool is formed with an abutment portion at an upper portion of its leading end and with a cutter below said abutment portion;

and wherein said base plate has its one end formed, by bending said base plate forward at a right angle, with a stopper which is made engageable with said abutment portion of said multi-purpose tool when said multi-purpose tool occupies said space between said case and said base.

7. A belt buckle according to claim 6, wherein the portion of said stopper, which faces said cutter of said multi-purpose tool, is formed with a relief for preventing itself from contacting said cutter.

8. A belt buckle according to claim 1, wherein said multi-purpose tool is made of metal, and wherein there is mounted in said space a plate-like rubber magnet which is made coactive with said resilient locking member for attracting and holding said tool.