Buckle component

• US 9,770,072 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2014
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABA Hörtnagl GmbH
• Original Assignee: ABA Hörtnagl GmbH
• Inventors: Hortnagl, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy, Robert J
• Assistant Examiner(s): San, Jason W
• Application Number:
  US14/481,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20150067989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 24196, 24197, 24170, 24171
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/006 Attachment of buckle to strap for safety buckles A44B11/2553
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/02 frictionally engaging surface of straps
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/04 without movable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/25 with two or more separable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2515 acting parallel to the main plane of the buckle and perpendicularly to the direction of the fastening action
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2553 Attachment of buckle to strap
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/2592 fastening by sliding in the main plane or a plane parallel to the main plane of the buckle A44B11/2503, A44B11/2584 take precedence
• 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: Y10T 24/4086 Looped strap

Abstract

Buckle component (1) having a belt receiving opening (2) and a frame (3) enclosing the belt receiving opening (2), and a bar (4) about which the belt (5) is guidable, wherein the bar (4) is fastened to the frame (3), in a manner crossing, in particular completely crossing, the belt receiving opening (2), by at least one fastening device (6, 7) of the buckle component (1). The bar (4) is fastened to the frame by plastic deformation of the bar (4) and/or of at least one of the fastening devices (6, 7) and/or of the frame (3).

Claims

1. A buckle component comprising a belt receiving opening, a frame enclosing the belt receiving opening, a bar about which the belt is guidable, wherein the bar is fastened to the frame in a manner crossing the belt receiving opening, by at least one fastening device of the bar, and the bar is fastened to the frame by the bar being plastically deformed, wherein the bar is originally in a first position and is plastically deformed to a second position such that the fastening devices move outwardly from an inside of the frame to engage the frame on an inner periphery of the belt receiving opening.

2. The buckle component according to claim 1, wherein the bar is fastened to the frame such that the bar completely crosses the belt receiving opening.

3. The buckle component according to claim 1, wherein there are two of the fastening devices, and the bar has a central bar part arranged between the fastening devices.

4. The buckle component according to claim 3, wherein the central bar part is plastically deformed.

5. The buckle component according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fastening device comprises a hook-shaped region on the bar that engages with the frame.

6. The buckle component according to claim 5, characterized in that the hook-shaped region is plastically deformed.

7. The buckle component according to claim 1, wherein there are two of the fastening device, and each comprises a hook-shaped region on each end of the bar that engage with the frame.

8. The buckle component according to claim 5, wherein the at least one hook-shaped region, in cross section, has a blind-hole-shaped opening in which a subregion of the frame is arranged.

9. The buckle component according to claim 1, wherein there are two of the fastening device, and each comprises a hook-shaped region on each end of the bar that engage with the frame, the hook-shaped regions, as seen in cross section, have a blind-hole-shaped opening in which a subregion of the frame is arranged, and the blind-hole-shaped openings are open in directions facing away from one another.

10. The buckle component according to claim 1, wherein the bar and the at least one fastening device are formed integrally of at least one continuous material.

11. A buckle comprising at least two buckle components which each have at least one connecting element for connecting to a corresponding connecting element of the other of the buckle components, wherein at least one of the buckle components is a buckle component according to claim 1.

12. A method for producing a buckle component according to claim 1, comprising fastening the bar to the frame by plastic deformation of the bar.

13. The buckle component according to claim 1, wherein the bar is work hardened by plastic deformation.

14. The buckle component according to claim 1, wherein the fastening devices are plastically deformed, and wherein, in the first position, the fastening devices are originally angled inward and, in the second position, the fastening devices are bent outward from the inside to engage the frame.

15. The buckle component according to claim 1, wherein the bar is plastically deformed, and wherein, in the first position, the bar is originally curved and, in moving to the second position, the bar is plastically deformed to reduce the curvature of the bar and cause the fastening devices to engage the frame.

16. The buckle component according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the bar or the at least one of the fastening devices that is plastically deformed has bending lines in a cut through section thereof.