Buckle

• US 8,181,319 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DB Industries LLC (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: D B Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, Andrew P., Blackford, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy, Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mercado, Louis
• Application Number:
  US12/414,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20100243373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 241/70, 241/71, 246/48, 241/96, 246/34, 243/27, 243/37, 182/3
• US Class Current: 24/648
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/253 acting in the same plane or in a plane parallel to the main plane of the buckle
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2557 with strap length adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4016 Pivoted part or lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4019 Sliding part or wedge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45628 for plural, oppositely shifting, similar interlocking components or segments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45702 Plural, oppositely shifting, similar interlocking components

Abstract

A buckle and catch used to couple webbing together is provided. The buckle includes a connecting portion, a slide and locking member. The connecting portion is configured to selectively engage an engaging portion of a first webbing. The slide of the buckle is configured to engage a second webbing and the locking member is configured to selectively press the second webbing on the slide.

Claims

1. A buckle comprising:

a connecting portion configured to selectively engage an engaging portion of a first webbing;

a slide configured to engage a second webbing;

a locking member configured to selectively press the second webbing on the slide, the locking member having generally an oval passage; and

a cam knob having generally an oval portion configured and arranged to be received in the oval passage of the locking member, wherein rotation of the cam knob rotates the oval portion in the oval passage of the locking member thereby causing the locking member to selectively press the second webbing on the slide.

2. The buckle of claim 1, wherein the engaging portion of the first webbing is a catch, the connection portion of the buckle further comprising:

a first pawl; and

a second pawl, the first and second pawls configured to selectively engage a shoulder portion of the catch.

3. The buckle of claim 2, further comprising:

a first plate; and

a second plate, coupled to the first plate, the first and second pawl sandwiched between the first and second plates, the first and second pawls further pivotally coupled to the first and second plates.

4. The buckle of claim 3, wherein the first plate has a first opening and the second plate has a second opening, a mid portion of the slide is accessible through the first and second openings.

5. The buckle of claim 4, wherein the locking member has a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion being in a L-shaped configuration.

6. The buckle of claim 5, wherein the second portion of the locking member is received in the first opening in the first plate.

7. The buckle of claim 6, further comprising:

the first portion of the locking member having the generally oval passage; and

the generally oval activation portion of the cam knob received in the oval passage of the first portion of the locking member, wherein rotation of the cam knob rotates the generally oval activation portion in the oval passage of the first portion of the locking member thereby causing movement of the locking member.

8. The buckle of claim 7, further comprising:

the first plate having a connecting aperture;

the cam knob further having a connecting portion extending from the generally oval activation portion, the connecting portion extending through the connecting aperture of the first plate; and

a fastener coupled to the connection portion of the cam knob to pivotally couple the cam knob to the first plate.

9. A coupling system comprising:

a first plate having a first opening;

a second plate having a second opening, the first plate being coupled to the second plate;

a slide coupled between the first and second plates such that a mid portion of the slide is positioned in the first opening of the first plate and the second opening of the second plate, the mid portion of the slide configured to engage a webbing;

a locking member being slideably engaged with the first plate, the locking member configured to selectively engage the webbing on the mid portion of the slide

to selectively secure the webbing to the slide the locking member having a generally oval passage; and

a cam knob having generally an oval portion configured and arranged to be received in the oval passage of the locking member, wherein rotation of the cam knob rotates the oval portion in the oval passage of the locking member thereby causing the locking member to selectively press the second webbing on the slide.

10. The coupling system of claim 9, wherein the locking member is L-shaped having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion slideably engaged with the first plate, the second portion received in the first opening of the first plate, the second portion of the locking member further selectively engaging the webbing on the mid portion of the slide, the first portion of the locking member having the generally oval passage.

11. The coupling system of claim 10, wherein rotation of the cam knob rotates the generally oval portion in the oval passage of the first portion of the locking member thereby causing the locking member to slideably move in relation to the first plate.

12. The coupling system of claim 11, wherein the cam knob further has a connecting portion extending from the generally oval portion, the connecting portion of the cam knob extending through a connection aperture in the first plate;

and

a fastener coupled to the connection portion of the cam knob to pivotally couple the cam knob to the first plate.

13. The coupling system of claim 9, further comprising:

a catch, the catch having a shoulder section; and

at least one pawl pivotally coupled between the first and second plates, the at least one pawl configured to selectively retain the catch within the first and second plates by engaging the shoulder section of the catch.

14. The coupling system of claim 13, further comprising:

at least one biasing member, the at least one biasing member positioned between the at least one pawl and a portion of the first plate to bias the at least one pawl to retain the catch.

15. A safety harness comprising:

webbing configured to engage portions of a user'"'"'s body; and

at least one buckle system configured to connect select webbing together to secure the user in the harness, the at least one buckle system including,

a catch, the catch having a shoulder section, the catch coupled to an associated first webbing, and

a buckle the buckle including,

a first plate having a first opening;

a second plate having a second opening, the first plate being coupled to the second plate,

a slide coupled between the first and second plates such that a mid portion of the slide is positioned in the first opening of the first plate and the second opening of the second plate, the mid portion of the slide configured to engage an associated second webbing,

a locking member being slideably engaged with the first plate, the locking member configured to selectively engage the associated second webbing on the mid portion of the of slide the locking member having generally oval passage; and

a cam knob having generally an oval portion configured and arranged to be received in the oval passage of the locking member, wherein rotation of the cam knob rotates the oval portion in the oval passage of the locking member thereby causing the locking member to selectively press the second webbing on the slide.

16. The safety harness of claim 15, wherein the buckle of the at least one harness system further comprises:

at least one pawl pivotally coupled between the first and second plates, the at least one pawl configured to selectively retain the catch within the first and second plates by engaging a shoulder section of the catch.

17. The safety harness of claim 16, further comprising:

at least one biasing member, the at least one biasing member positioned between the at least one pawl and a portion of the first plate to bias each pawl to retain the catch.

18. The safety harness of claim 15, wherein the locking member is L-shaped having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion slidably engaged with the first plate, the second portion received in the first opening of the first plate, the second portion further selectively engaging the associated second webbing on the mid portion of the slide.

19. The safety harness of claim 18, further comprising:

the first portion of the locking member having generally an oval passage, wherein rotation of the cam knob rotates the oval portion in the oval passage of the first portion of the locking member thereby causing the locking member to move in relation to the first plate.

20. The safety harness of claim 19, wherein the cam knob further has a connecting portion extending from the oval portion, the connecting portion of the cam knob extending through a connection aperture in the first plate;

and

a fastener coupled to the connection portion of the cam knob to pivotally couple the cam knob to the first plate.