Coupling members for closure devices and systems

• US 9,516,923 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOA Technology Incorporated (The Kattegat Trust Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: BOA Technology Incorporated (The Kattegat Trust Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Capra, James, Nickel, Michael, Burns, Robert, White, Tamara, Hammerslag, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/071,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20140123440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 602/6, 602/16, 602 20- 28, 128/882
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/122 characterised by the attachment of the straps
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/0401 Snowboard boots
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/165 characterised by a spool, reel or pulley for winding up cables, laces or straps by rotation
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/25 with two or more separable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2588 combined with one buckle element rotating or pivoting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/01 Orthopaedic devices, e.g. splints, casts or braces
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 53/46 haberdashery, e.g. buckles, combs; pronged fasteners, e.g. staples
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/40 Buckles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/12 Buckle making

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a coupling component includes a female component and a male component. The female component includes a main body portion and a coupling aperture. Similarly, the male component includes a main body portion and a coupling member. The coupling member that is mateable with the coupling aperture of the female component to couple the male and female components together. The main body portion of the male component includes a top surface and a relatively planar bottom surface. The coupling member includes a relatively planar top surface and a bottom surface. The relatively planar top surface of the coupling member is offset from the relatively planar bottom surface of the male component. The male and female components are non-releasable from a coupled engagement while under tension via a tension member.

Claims

1. A coupling device for coupling opposing portions of an article, the coupling device comprising:

a female component having;

a main body portion; and

a coupling aperture; and

a male component having;

a main body portion having an upper surface, a lower surface, a proximal end, and a distal end;

a coupling member positioned on the distal end of the main body, the coupling member being

insertable within the coupling aperture to couple the male and female components together;

a tension member that is tensionable to tension the male and female components; and

a reel assembly that is positioned atop and coupled with the upper surface of the male component and that is operationally coupled with the tension member to adjust a tension of the tension member upon operation of the reel assembly.

2. The coupling device of claim 1, further comprising a strap that is operationally coupled with the tension member such that tensioning of the tension member effects tensioning of the strap.

3. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein the article is a brace, and wherein the female component is coupled with one side of the brace and the male component is coupled with an opposing side of the brace so as to allow the brace to be opened and closed about a limb of a patient by coupling and uncoupling the male and female components.

4. The coupling device of claim 3, wherein the female component is coupled with the brace via:

stitching a flange of the main body to the brace;

inserting a rivet through an aperture of the main body and into the brace;

or

injection molding the female component into the brace.

5. The coupling device of claim 3, wherein when coupled together, the male and female components have a low profile about a surface of the brace so as to minimize contact between the male and female components and surrounding objects.

6. The coupling device of claim 3, wherein the male and female components are lockable in the coupled engagement to prevent uncoupling of the male and female components after tension is removed.

7. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein:

the female component has an arcuate configuration that corresponds to a shape of the article;

the male component has a generally planar configuration; and

wherein tensioning the male and female components via the tension member causes the male component to rotate into an increased engagement with the female component.

8. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein the coupling device includes an audible feedback mechanism that provides audible feedback to the user that indicates coupling or uncoupling of the male and female components.

9. The coupling device of claim 8, wherein the audible feedback mechanism includes:

a post that is coupled with the main body of the female component, and

a flange member that is coupled with the main body of the male component, wherein the flange member snaps into engagement with the post to produce the audible feedback as the male and female components are coupled together.

10. The coupling device of claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the main body of the male component includes an arcuate recess that aids in gripping the male component during coupling or uncoupling of the male and female components.

11. A coupling device comprising:

a female component including;

a main body portion having a top surface and a bottom surface; and

a coupling aperture that is accessible from the top surface of the main body; and

a male component including;

a main body portion having a top surface and a bottom surface; and

a coupling member having a tab that extends downward from the bottom surface of the coupling member and a flange that extends distally from the tab;

wherein the coupling aperture and the coupling member are configured such that coupling of the male component and the female component is achieved by insertion of the coupling member'"'"'s flange within the coupling aperture while the male component is oriented at an angle relative to the female component and is further achieved by rotating the male component downward after the flange is inserted into the coupling aperture such that after rotation of the male component, the male component and the female component are roughly aligned;

wherein the coupled male and female components have a cross sectional area and wherein the coupled components exhibit a failure strength of between about 560 and 840 Newtons per square centimeter of cross sectional area.

12. The coupling device of claim 11, wherein the male and female components are tensionable via a tension member and are non-releasable by a user from a coupled engagement while under tension, and wherein the tension member is a lace and the proximal end of the male component'"'"'s main body includes a channel throughwhich the lace is inserted, or the proximal end of the male component'"'"'s main body includes a reel assembly that couples with the lace.

13. The coupling device of claim 11, wherein the coupling device is attached to a brace to allow the brace to be opened and closed about a limb of a patient by coupling and uncoupling the male and female components, and wherein the female component is coupled with a side of an opening of the brace and the male component is coupled with an opposing side of the opening of the brace.

14. The coupling device of claim 11, wherein the main body of the female component includes a post and the main body of the male component includes a flange member, the flange member being configured to snap into engagement with the post as the male and female components are coupled together to produce audible feedback.

15. A coupling device comprising:

a female component having;

a main body portion having an upper surface, a lower surface, and opposing side surfaces; and

a single coupling aperture positioned roughly equidistant from each side surface of the opposing side surfaces, the single coupling aperture being accessible from the upper surface of the main body portion; and

a male component having;

a main body portion that includes a top surface and a bottom surface; and

a single coupling member that extends from a distal end of the main body and that is mateable with the single coupling aperture of the female component to couple the male and female components together;

wherein the male and female components are non-releasable from a coupled engagement until after tension is released from a tension member, and wherein the coupled male and female components have a cross sectional area and exhibit a failure strength of between about 560 and 840 Newtons per square centimeter of cross sectional area.

16. The coupling device of claim 15, further comprising a reel assembly that is positioned atop the top surface of the male component.