Lockable buckle

• US 4,912,950 A
• Filed: 10/03/1988
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Crowle, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gall, Lloyd A.
• Application Number:
  US07/252,149
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 70/57, 70/57.1, 70/58, 24/625, 24/614, 24/615, 24/166, 24/167, 292/DIG. 38, 292/325, 292/19, 292/91, 292/210, 292/31, 292/108, 292/54, 292/89
• US Class Current: 70/58
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/266 with at least one push-button acting parallel to the main plane of the buckle and perpendicularly to the direction of the fastening action
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/5284 in which a movable latch is passed through a staple loop similar fasteners for buckles A44B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/38 Plastic latch parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4009 Key
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45524 including resiliently biased projection component or surface segment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45581 having inserted end formed by oppositely biased surface segments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0905 Swinging catch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0907 Multiple head
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1092 Swinging catch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/505 Strap-end fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5009 For portable articles

Abstract

A lockable buckle includes a body member, a latch member, and a rotary locking member. The body member includes a pair of locking side slots. The latch member includes a pair of resilient arms having raised tab portions thereon for releasably engaging the opposed locking side slots of the body member. The rotary locking member is disposed in the body member and is adapted for rotation therein between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the raised tab portions are permitted to bend inwardly so as to allow insertion or removal of the latch member from the body member. In the second position, the raised tab portions are prevented from bending inwardly, thereby inhibiting disengagement of the latching member from the body member.

Claims

1. A lockable buckle, comprising:

body means including opposed locking slots;

latch means including a pair of resilient arms, each resilient arm having a raised tab portion for releasably engaging said opposed locking slots of said body means;

aperture means having a configuration defined by a plurality of substantially flat sidewall portions of said body means; and

rotary locking means rotatably disposed within said body means between a first unlocked position and a second locked position and including a base portion having a predetermined width dimension and a predetermined length dimension which is greater than said predetermined width dimension, and a raised portion having a multi-sided configuration corresponding to said configuration of said aperture means defined within said body means so as to operatively cooperate with said aperture means in defining said first unlocked position and said second locked position such that when said rotary locking means is disposed at said first unlocked position, said base portion of said rotary locking means will have its width dimension interposed between said resilient arms of said latch means so as to permit disengagement of said tab portions of said latch means from said locking slots of said body means while when said rotary locking means is disposed at said second locked position, said base portion of said rotary locking means will have its length dimension interposed between said resilient arms of said latch means so as to prevent disengagement of said tab portions of said latch means for said locking slots of said body means.

2. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body means includes mounting means for secure attachment to a spa or the like and wherein said latch means includes means for attaching an end of a spa cover strap or the like thereto.

3. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said mounting means for secure attachment to the spa comprises a pair of opposed screw holes and a screw slot formed in said body means.

4. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for attaching the end of the spa cover strap comprises an end portion of said body means disposed in a spaced apart relationship to an intermediate portion of said body means to form an elongated slot therebetween for receiving the end of the spa cover strap.

5. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotary locking means comprises a raised central portion having a first pair of opposed sides, and a pair of opposed extensions disposed perpendicularly to said first pair of opposed sides, said pair of opposed extensions having a second pair of opposed sides, the distance between said second pair of opposed sides being somewhat greater than the distance between said first pair of opposed sides.

6. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 5, wherein said raised central portion of said rotary locking means has a keyhole formed in its top surface for receiving a key to rotate said rotary locking means 90°

between the unlocked position and the locked position, said keyhole being accessible through said aperture means formed in a top section of said body means.

7. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rotary locking means has a bottom surface formed with a centrally located cam which permits only 90°

of rotation of said rotary locking means within said body means.

8. A lockable buckle as set forth in claim 6, wherein:

said keyhole has an elongated configuration with the length dimension thereof aligned with said length dimension of said base portion of said rotary locking means such that said keyhole can visually indicate said locked and unlocked positions.

9. A lockable buckle as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said configuration of said aperture means and said raised portion of said rotary locking means comprises an octagon.

10. A lockable buckle as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said base portion of said rotary locking means has a substantially elongated octagonal configuration.

11. A lockable buckle comprising:

a body member;

a latch member;

said body member having a generally rectangular-shaped base section and a T-shaped top section, said top section being joined to said base section by a pair of opposed side walls and an end wall, said opposed side walls defining an end opening which is located opposite said end wall for receiving said latch member;

said body member further including a pair of opposed locking side slots extending between the respective side walls and the end wall;

said latch member including an intermediate portion and a pair of opposed resilient arms extending outwardly from opposite ends of said intermediate portion, each of said resilient arms including a raised tab portion for releasably engaging said locking slots of said body member;

said base section of said body member including a pair of opposed ridges for forming a channel therebetween, said opposed ridges being disposed between the opposed side walls and extending from the end wall to the middle of said base section;

said top section of said body member including an octagonally-shaped aperture;

an octagonally-shaped member being formed of a raised central portion having a first pair of opposed sides and a pair of opposed extensions disposed perpendicularly to said first pair of opposed sides, said pair of opposed extensions having a second pair of opposed sides, the distance between said second pair of opposed sides being somewhat greater than the distance between said first opposed sides; and

said octagonally-shaped member being rotatably positioned between said channel and said aperture for rotation between an unlocked position in which the first pair of opposed sides are aligned with said raised tab portions for forming gaps therebetween so as to permit inward bending thereof for insertion or removal of the latch member from the body member and a locked position in which the second pair of opposed sides are aligned with said raised tab portions so as to prevent inward bending thereof and disengagement of the latch member from the body member.

12. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 11, wherein said body member includes mounting means for secure attachment to a spa or the like and wherein said latch member includes means for attaching an end of a spa cover strap or the like thereto.

13. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 12, wherein said mounting means for secure attachment to the spa comprises a pair of opposed screw holes and a screw slot formed in said base section of said body member.

14. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 13, wherein said means for attaching the end of the spa cover strap comprises an end portion disposed in a spaced apart relationship to said intermediate portion to form an elongated slot therebetween for receiving the end of the spa cover strap.

15. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 11, wherein said raised central portion of said octagonally-shaped member has a keyhole formed in its top surface for receiving a key to rotate said octagonally-shaped member 90°

between the unlocked positioned and the locked position, said keyhole being accessible through said aperture formed in the top section of said body member.

16. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 15, wherein said octagonally-shaped member has a bottom surface formed with a centrally located cam which permits only 90°

of rotation of said octagonally-shaped member within said channel of said body member.

17. A lockable buckle as claimed in claim 11, wherein said intermediate portion of said latch member includes a pair of ridges extending laterally outwardly therefrom and spaced apart substantially the width of said channel of said body member for slidably engaging the channel to facilitate alignment of said latch and body members.