BUCKLE

Abstract

A buckle includes a base, an individual jaw, a handle and an elastic element. The individual jaw is connected to the base. The handle includes a jaw formed thereon. The handle can be pivoted on the base between a first position where the jaw thereof is close to the individual jaw and a second position where the jaw thereof is distant from the individual jaw. The elastic element is used for keeping the handle in the first position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a buckle and, more particularly, to an inexpensive buckle.

2. Related Prior Art

Disclosed in Taiwanese Patent 1249996 is a buckle for fastening a strap. The buckle includes a handle 2 pivotally installed on a base 1. The base 1 and the handle 2 are made of zinc-aluminum alloy in an extrusion process. A lot of material is used to form the base 1 and the handle 2. The base 1 and the handle 2 are thick and heavy. Moreover, such zinc-aluminum alloy is soft so that the rigidity of both of the base 1 and the handle 2 is inadequate. Moreover, a lot of energy is consumed to heat and melt the zinc-aluminum alloy. In addition, it takes a lot of time for the base 1 and the handle 2 to cool down before they can be finished. Therefore, the throughput is low. Furthermore, it costs a lot of money to develop molds for molding the base 1 and the handle 2.

The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, a buckle includes a base, an individual jaw, a handle and an elastic element. The individual jaw is connected to the base. The handle includes a jaw formed thereon. The handle can be pivoted on the base between a first position where the jaw thereof is close to the individual jaw and a second position where the jaw thereof is distant from the individual jaw. The elastic element is used for keeping the handle in the first position.

An advantage of the buckle according to the present invention is high throughput in the manufacturing thereof.

Another advantage of the buckle according to the present invention is the use of a small amount of material.

Another advantage of the buckle according to the present invention is to provide a small and light structure.

Another advantage of the buckle according to the present invention is firm clamping of a strap for using the jaws biased by the elastic element.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description referring to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described through detailed illustration of two embodiments referring to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a buckle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the buckle shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the buckle taken along a line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the buckle in another position than shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a handle used in the buckle shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a handle used in a buckle according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a buckle for fastening a strap according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The buckle includes a base 10, a handle 20, an elastic element 30 and a jaw 40. The base 10 and the handle 20 are made of iron in a continuous pressing or punching process with ease at a low cost.

The base 10 is made of a first iron sheet including a middle portion and two lateral portions. In the continuous pressing process, the lateral portions of the first iron sheet are bent with respect to the middle portion of the same so that the former extend perpendicular to the latter, i.e., the base 10 is U-shaped in an end view. The middle portion of the first iron sheet becomes a floor 18 while the lateral portions of the same become walls 19. Two openings 11 and 12 are made in the floor 18. The openings 11 and 12 are separated from each other by a crossbar 13 that is part of the floor 18. Two apertures 14 and 15 are made in each of the walls 19.

The handle 20 is made of a second iron sheet including a middle portion and two lateral portions. In the continuous pressing process, the lateral portions of the second iron sheet are bent with respect to the middle portion of the same so that the former extend perpendicular to the latter. The middle portion of the second iron sheet is curved so that an arched touch portion 21 is formed at an end and while an arched jaw 22 is formed at an opposite end. The jaw 22 is formed with a plurality of teeth 26 each including a sharp tip as best shown in FIG. 5.

The elastic element 30 is made of an excellently elastic steel rod. The elastic element 30 includes a body 31 and two legs 32 and 33 extending from the body 31. The body 31 of the elastic element 30 is helical. The leg 32 is rectilinear. The leg 33 is hooked.

The jaw 40 is shaped like a roller. The jaw 40 includes a plurality of teeth 41 formed on the periphery and an axial tunnel 44 defined throughout the entire length. Each of the teeth 41 may include a sharp tip corresponding to that of each of the teeth 26.

Referring to FIG. 3, a pin 17 is inserted in the apertures 15 of the walls 19 of the base 10, the apertures 24 of the ears 23 of the handle 20 and a tunnel defined by the body 31 of the elastic element 30 so that the base 10, the handle 20 and the elastic element 30 are joined. The leg 32 of the elastic element 30 is located against the handle 20 while the leg 33 of the elastic element 30 is located against the crossbar 13 of the base 10 so that the elastic element 30 tends to pivot the handle 20 from the base 10. Specifically, the leg 33 of the elastic element 30 is hooked to the cross bar 13 of the base 10. A pin 16 is inserted in the tunnel 44 of the jaw 40 through the apertures 14 of the walls 19 of the base 10 so that the jaw 40 is connected to the base 10. There is a gap defined between the jaw 40 of the base 10 and the jaw 22 of the handle 20.

Referring to FIG. 3, the gap between the jaws 22 and 40 is small. Thus, the jaws 22 and 40 together form a pinch for pinching the strap.

Referring to FIG. 4, a user pivots the handle 20 towards the base 10 by the touch portion 21 so that the gap between the jaws 22 and 40 is large for receiving the strap.

If the user releases the handle 20, the handle 20 will be returned to the position shown in FIG. 3 from the position shown in FIG. 4 because of the elastic element 30. The gap between the jaws 22 and 40 is small again for pinching the strap.

Referring to FIG. 6, a handle 20 used in a buckle according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The second embodiment is like the first embodiment except that each of the teeth 28 includes a flat tip. Each of the teeth 41 may accordingly include a flat tip.

The buckle according to the present invention exhibits several advantages. Firstly, its throughput is high. Secondly, a small amount of material is used. Thirdly, it is compact and light. Fourthly, it firmly clamps the strap due to the use of the jaws biased by the elastic element.

The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A buckle comprising:

a base;

an individual jaw connected to the base;

a handle comprising a jaw formed thereon, wherein the handle can be pivoted on the base between a first position where the jaw thereof is close to the individual jaw and a second position where the jaw thereof is distant from the individual jaw; and

an elastic element for keeping the handle in the first position.

2. The buckle according to claim 1 wherein the base comprises a floor and two walls formed on the floor, and the individual jaw and the handle are located on the walls.

3. The buckle according to claim 2 wherein the elastic element is located between the floor of the base and the handle.

4. The buckle according to claim 1 wherein the handle comprises a touch portion formed thereon for facilitating the pivoting thereof.

5. The buckle according to claim 2 wherein the handle comprises two ears pivotally connected to the walls of the base.

6. The buckle according to claim 5 comprising a pin for pivotally connecting the ears of the handle to the walls of the base.

7. The buckle according to claim 6 wherein each of the ears of the handle defines an aperture for receiving the pin.

8. The buckle according to claim 6 wherein each of the walls of the base defines an aperture for receiving the pin.

9. The buckle according to claim 6 wherein the elastic element comprises a body, a first leg extending from the body and a second leg extending from the body so that the body is located on the pin while the first leg is located against the handle while the second leg is located against the floor of the base.

10. The buckle according to claim 9 wherein the body of the elastic element is made of a helical form.

11. The buckle according to claim 9 wherein the first leg of the elastic element is made of a rectilinear form.

12. The buckle according to claim 9 wherein the second leg of the elastic element is made of a hooked form The buckle according to claim 1 wherein the elastic element is a torque spring.

13. The buckle according to claim 1 wherein the jaw of the handle is formed with teeth.

14. The buckle according to claim 14 wherein each of the teeth comprises a sharp tip.

15. The buckle according to claim 14 wherein each of the teeth comprises a flat tip.

16. The buckle according to claim 1 wherein the individual jaw is formed with teeth.

17. The buckle according to claim 17 wherein the individual jaw is rotationally connected to the base.

18. The buckle according to claim 18 comprising a pin for rotationally connecting the individual jaw to the base.