Front release buckle
A front release buckle includes a buckle body, which has a top receiving chamber and a bottom opening, a sliding hook coupled to the top receiving chamber and movable relative to the buckle body between a first position to close the bottom opening of the buckle body for enabling the buckle body to be fastened to a mounting member at an article and a second position to open the bottom opening, and a spring member mounted in the top receiving chamber and stopped between a part of the buckle body and a part of the sliding hook to support the sliding hook in the close position.
Latest TAIWAN INDUSTRIAL FASTENER CORPORATION Patents:
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to buckles and more particularly, to a front release buckle, which has easy mounting/dismounting, small-sized, and rotatable characteristics.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional front release buckles that are formed of a male buckle member and a female buckle member are commonly used in backpacks, travel bags, shoulder bags, etc., to join two parts together. Further, a snap hook for hanging an article is known comprising a hook body having a hooked portion, and a spring latch pivoted to the hook body to close the hooked portion. This structure of snap hook is not satisfactory in function because the spring latch tends to be opened unintentionally. Further, an eyelet at one end of the hook body for the mounting of a belt may be made not rotatable, or rotatable in one direction only.
1. When release the load from the snap hook, the user must lift the hook body A with much effort so that the belt that is hooked on the hooked portion A1 of the hook body A can be released from the hook body A.
2. Before releasing the load from the snap hook, the user must push the latch B backwards against the spring power of the spring strip A5 to disengage the front tip B1 from the hooked portion A1 with much effort. When lifting the hook body A, the user must hold the latch B in the open position so that the belt that is hooked on the hooked portion A1 of the hook body A can be released from the hook body A. This operation procedure is inconvenient.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a front release buckle that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. According to one aspect of the present invention, the front release buckle comprises a buckle body, which has a top receiving chamber and a bottom opening, a sliding hook coupled to the top receiving chamber and movable relative to the buckle body between a first position to close the bottom opening of the buckle body for enabling the buckle body to be fastened to a mounting member at an article and a second position to open the bottom opening, and a spring member mounted in the top receiving chamber and stopped between a part of the buckle body and a part of the sliding hook to support the sliding hook in the close position.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the mounting member has two pivot rods insertable into the bottom opening of the buckle body. After connection of the front release buckle to the mounting member, the buckle body can be turned about the pivot rods of the mounting member to the desired angle to keep the front release buckle in close contact with the surface of the article carrying the mounting member.
Referring to
The buckle body 11 has a top receiving chamber 110, which accommodates the sliding hook 12 and the spring member 13, a hook-like locating portion 111 fixedly provided at one end, a bottom opening 112 disposed in communication with the top receiving chamber 110 at one side of the hook-like locating portion 111, a mounting portion 113 provided at the other end for the mounting of a belt, and two sliding grooves 114 arranged in parallel at two opposite lateral sides inside the top receiving chamber 110.
The sliding hook 12 has two rails 123 disposed at two opposite lateral sides and respectively coupled to the sliding grooves 114 to guide movement of the sliding hook 12 in the top receiving chamber 110 along the sliding grooves 114, a thumb rest 121 through which a user can move the sliding hook 12 along the sliding grooves 114 with the thumb, and a hook unit 122 extending from the bottom side and adapted to close/open the bottom opening 112 of the buckle body 11.
The spring member 13 is mounted in the top receiving chamber 110 beneath the sliding hook 12, and stopped between the hook unit 122 of the sliding hook 12 and one end of the top receiving chamber 110. The spring member 13 imparts a forward pressure to the sliding hook 12, thereby holding the sliding hook 12 in a first position, namely, the close position where the hook unit 122 closes the bottom opening 112 of the buckle body 11.
Referring to
Referring to
Further, the sliding stroke of the sliding hook 12 in the buckle body 11 can be designed to fit different requirements. For example, the sliding stroke of the sliding hook 12 in the buckle body 11 can be shortened so that the front release buckle 1 can be small-sized. Further, when release the mounting member 2 from the front release buckle 1, the user needs not to lift the front release buckle 1. Simply by pushing the sliding hook 12 from the close position to the open position to open the bottom opening 112, the buckle body 11 can easily be removed from the mounting member 2 without effort.
Further, because the thumb rest 121 of the sliding hook 12 is disposed at the top side of the buckle body 11 and exposed to the outside, the user can operate the sliding hook 12 conveniently. Further, the thumb rest 121 of the sliding hook 12 is preferably ribbed, or made having raised portions to increase friction so that the user can move the sliding hook 12 positively with the thumb.
As indicated above, the invention provides a front release buckle 1 that has the following features:
1. The sliding hook 12 is coupled to the buckle body 11 and movable in top receiving chamber 110 of the buckle body 11 between the open position where the bottom opening 112 of the buckle body 11 is opened and the close position where the hook unit 122 of the sliding hook 12 closes the bottom opening 112 of the buckle body 11. When the bottom opening 112 is opened, the buckle body 1 can conveniently be fastened to the pivot rods 21 of the mounting member 2.
2. The sliding stroke of the sliding hook 12 in the top receiving chamber 110 of the buckle body 11 can be shortened so that the front release buckle 1 can be small-sized
3. After installation of the front release buckle 1, the buckle body 11 can be turned about the pivot rods 21 of the mounting member 2 and closely attached to the surface of the article in which the mounting member 2 is installed. When the sliding hook 12 is moved to the open position, the buckle body 11 can be directly removed from the mounting member 2 without effort.
Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A front release buckle comprising:
- a buckle body, said buckle body having a top receiving chamber, a hook-like locating portion disposed at a first end thereof, and a bottom opening disposed at one side of said hook-like locating portion;
- a sliding hook coupled to said top receiving chamber and movable in said top receiving chamber between a first position to close said bottom opening of said buckle body and a second position to open said bottom opening of said buckle body, said sliding hook having a bottom hook unit for closing said bottom opening of said buckle body; and
- spring means mounted in said top receiving chamber of said buckle body and stopped between a part of said buckle body and a part of said sliding hook to support said sliding hook in said close position.
2. The front release buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said buckle body has two sliding grooves arranged in parallel at two sides inside said receiving top chamber; said sliding hook has two rails arranged in parallel at two sides and respectively coupled to the sliding grooves of said buckle body.
3. The front release buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sliding hook has a top thumb rest for pushing by a user.
4. The front release buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said buckle body has a mounting portion disposed at a second end thereof opposite to said first end for the mounting of a belt.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 8, 2007
Publication Date: Sep 27, 2007
Applicant: TAIWAN INDUSTRIAL FASTENER CORPORATION (Taipei)
Inventor: Dennis Shen (Pa-Te City)
Application Number: 11/715,472
International Classification: A44B 11/25 (20060101);