Quick release buckle assembly

• US 8,196,273 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Molding-Duraflex, LLC
• Original Assignee: National Molding LLC
• Inventors: Anscher, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy, Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, PHILIP T
• Application Number:
  US12/590,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20110099776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 24/68.E, 243/07, 243/10, 243/12, 241/63.R, 242/65.BC, 245/731.1, 246/02, 241/15.F, 244/56, 246/14, 246/15, 247/01, 246/06, 246/16, 246/25
• US Class Current: 24/606
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2400/44 Donning facilities
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2553 Attachment of buckle to strap
• 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: F41H 1/02 Armoured or projectile- or missile-resistant garments; Composite protection fabrics F41H5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3405 having separate disconnect means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3408 having disconnect structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4501 Quick connect or release [e.g., spring and detent]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45482 and operator therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45524 including resiliently biased projection component or surface segment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45529 Requiring manual force applied against bias to interlock or disengage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45602 Receiving member includes either movable connection between interlocking components or variable configuration cavity
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4599 including closed elongated access opening for guiding transverse projection travel after insertion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4736 Buckle connected

Abstract

A quick release buckle assembly has a male portion and a female portion. The male portion is inserted into the female portion to lock the buckle assembly together. The male buckle portion is connected to a cable. Pulling the cable with sufficient force causes the male portion to release from the female portion. Several buckle assemblies can be simultaneously released if the cables are connected to a single handle. Pulling on the handle then releases all of the male portions at once.

Claims

1. A quick-release buckle assembly, comprising:

a female portion comprising a hollow body, an open top and at least one locking slot extending through the hollow body;

a male portion comprising a base and at least one locking leg, such that inserting the male portion into the cavity through the open top of the female portion causes the at least one locking leg to engage the at least one locking slot to lock the male portion to the female portion; and

a release assembly being separate from and disposed adjacent an end of the at least one locking leg and being slidable toward and away from the base, the release assembly comprising at least one arm that is adapted to contact the at least one locking leg, such that sliding the release assembly toward the base causes the at least one locking leg to be pushed toward an interior of the male portion by the arm of the release assembly and release from the at least one locking slot when the male portion has been inserted into the female portion,

wherein the release assembly is connected to a pulling device that runs through the male portion, wherein pulling the pulling device causes the release assembly to slide toward the base and release the at least one locking leg from the at least one locking slot.

2. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pulling device is a cable.

3. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one locking leg has a locking element with an outer surface that widens from a tip of the locking leg toward the base, and wherein an inner surface of the at least one arm of the release assembly is sloped such that an inner contour of the release assembly widens toward the base, so that pulling the release assembly toward the base causes the outer surface of the locking element to slide along the inner surface of the arm and be pressed inward by the arm.

4. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one locking leg is accessible from outside the female portion when the male portion has been inserted into the female portion, and wherein the male portion can be released from the female portion by pressing the at least one locking leg inward from outside the at least one locking slot until the at least one locking leg clears the at least one locking slot.

5. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein there are two locking slots, two locking legs, and two arms on the release assembly, such that the arms press the locking legs toward each other when the release assembly is slid toward the base.

6. The buckle assembly according to claim 5, wherein the pulling device is a cable, and further comprising a central leg disposed between the two locking legs, and wherein the cable extends through the central leg to the release assembly.

7. The buckle assembly according to claim 6, wherein the pulling device is a cable and wherein the release assembly further comprises a cable guide extending from the arms into the central leg, and wherein the cable is connected to the cable guide, and wherein the cable guide slides within a channel in the central leg when the cable is pulled.

8. The buckle assembly according to claim 7, wherein the cable is releasably connected to the cable guide.

9. The buckle assembly according to claim 8, wherein the cable has an enlarged free end and the cable guide has a slot and an aperture corresponding to the enlarged free end, and wherein the cable is connected to the cable guide by sliding the release assembly toward the base until the slot and aperture extend from the central leg, and the cable is inserted through the slot until the enlarged free end rests in the aperture.

10. A buckle system comprising at least two of the buckle assemblies according to claim 2, and a single handle connected to the cables, wherein pulling the handle causes the male portions to simultaneously release from the female portions.

11. The buckle system according to claim 10, wherein there are four buckle assemblies.

12. The buckle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the male buckle portion further comprises:

two side struts connected to the base; and

a strap retaining bar connected to one of the side struts, the strap retaining bar having a free end;

wherein the free end is releaseably engageable with the other of the side struts.

13. The buckle assembly according to claim 12, wherein the end of the strap retaining bar is releasably engageable with the other of the side struts by a latch on one of the strap retaining bar or other side strut, and an aperture on the other of the strap retaining bar and other side strut, the latch snapping into the aperture to secure the strap retaining bar on the other side strut.

14. The buckle assembly according to claim 13, wherein the latch is on the strap retaining bar and the aperture is on the other side strut.

15. The buckle assembly according to claim 12, wherein each of the side struts has a shoulder portion extending beyond a width of the side struts, and wherein the side struts can be moved apart from each other by pressing on the shoulder portions to release the latch from the aperture.

16. The buckle assembly according to claim 2, further comprising a cable sheath surrounding the cable, wherein the cable is slidable with the cable sheath.