Patents Examined by Robert John Sandy
  • Patent number: 10159291
    Abstract: A quick fastening and disconnecting buckle fastener system is configured for improved ease of one handed adjustment. For reliable locking, and convenient operation the system incorporates lateral pivoting latches assembled within a receiving enclosure shell having entry and exit openings accommodating a lengthwise semi rigid insertion structure containing lateral opposing ridges. Said ridges cooperate with said latches in a manner allowing ease of continued entry directional movement and securely locking should motion be reversed. Purposeful disconnection is activated thru simultaneous press in of side levers releasing latch locking of insertion structure thereby allowing movement in a reversed direction. Use of aforementioned fastening device removes need for having to re-lace belt thru attachment loops or additional sliding hardware as means of adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: INVERTLOCK DFM, LLC
    Inventor: Jose Luis Ortega
  • Patent number: 10124848
    Abstract: A fixing and/or locking system for containers to a fastening device, in particular to a carrier, such as a luggage rack, wherein at least one fastening element is attached to the carrier or to an accessory part for the carrier and engages in and is detachably locked to at least one receiving element, which is attached to a container and/or is connected to the container, wherein the receiving element has a base plate having a spring-loaded slide, which runs between the base plate and a cover plate, wherein the cover plate has elevations having a through-hole from one side of the cover plate to the other, wherein the region for the spring-loaded slide is formed behind the one elevation and the space behind the other elevation has an undercut designed for the engagement of the protrusion or collar of a fastening element, wherein the spring-loaded slide presses a fastening element, which can be inserted into the through-hole, into a notch in the elevation of the cover plate and fastens it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: ORTLIEB SPORTARTIKEL GMBH
    Inventor: Günther Boas
  • Patent number: 10111498
    Abstract: An apparatus for securing a pair of trousers about a torso includes a belt buckle for attaching opposite ends of a belt thereto and a compartment. The compartment includes a pair of opposing angled vertical sidewalls for progressively curving a portion of a credit card or a driver's license or a personal identification card or a similarly sized card as the card is urged into the compartment. Friction between edges of the card, in particular where the card is curved or bowed, and a the pair of opposing angled vertical sidewalls that are in contact with the card edges secure the card in position in the compartment until a user urges the card out of the compartment. The compartment is sized to house as many cards as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Inventor: Trevor Jamison Johnston
  • Patent number: 10082165
    Abstract: A fastener, in particular for bellows, comprises a male end segment and a female end segment complementary to the male end segment. The fastener can be used to fasten bellows to joint housings and/or shafts, said fastener having improved closing behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: GKN Driveline International GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Deisinger, Ralf Schumacher, Joachim Wette, Daniela Ballas, Andreas Gehrke, Ludger Wenning, Achim Pfeifer, Maik Lehmann
  • Patent number: 10081468
    Abstract: A purpose is to render a gripping operation of grip tabs more stable. A hose clamp includes a clamp body formed by bending a plate spring into an annular shape while two ends of the plate spring are caused to cross each other on a circumferential plane and grip tabs formed to be raised radially outward from both ends of the clamp body, respectively. An expanded-diameter state of the clamp body is retained when a locking claw is locked by a catch. The clamp body is released from the expanded-diameter state when a gripping operation is further carried out in this state. The second grip tab has a distal end formed to be wider than a distal end of the first grip tab. The distal ends of the grip tabs are bent in respective directions in which the distal ends depart from each other with respect to a thicknesswise direction, thereby serving as bent portions for the gripping operation, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: TOGO SEISAKUSYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10077790
    Abstract: A spring clip includes a body having a base, a support post carried on the base, three cantilevered bars carried on the support post and a 4-way locator fixed to the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gabriela Betancourt Santana, Diego Santillan Gutierrez, Fernando Paisano Rodriguez, Federico Perez Lecuona
  • Patent number: 10076161
    Abstract: An adjustable strap securing device having a first side adapted to contact the adjustable strap and having a loop end and a tail end, a second side attached to the loop end of the first side at an angle relative to the first side and having a second side distal end, a second side fastener disposed adjacent to the second side distal end, a third side attached to the straight end of the first side at an angle relative to the first side and having a third side distal end, a third side fastener disposed adjacent to the third side distal end. The second side fastener and the third side fastener are adapted to releasably engage the adjustment device of the adjustable strap. A method for providing an adjustable strap securing device and securing the adjustable strap securing device around an adjustable strap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Inventor: Maranda Nicole Walden
  • Patent number: 10072731
    Abstract: A tie down apparatus for pinching a rope within a hollow channel via single-hand manipulation of an ergonomic tie down handle. A plunger lock contains a pinching surface which is drawn into the hollow channel via cam-action rotating handle. The plunger lock contains a threaded surface to allow variable sized rope access, so as to work with a number of different ropes and webbings. An optional lock or set of locks serve to secure tie down in locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Inventors: Kenneth G. Kingery, Kenneth J. Ross
  • Patent number: 10051925
    Abstract: A fixturing apparatus which includes a tubular member formed to have an aperture extending therethrough, the aperture having a first end and a second end, in combination with a plurality of locking teeth disposed on a surface defining said aperture and extending into the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Inventor: Michael P. Fennell
  • Patent number: 10035371
    Abstract: A device for connecting two objects, especially for holding a writing instrument on a notebook or the like, with a clamping body having clamping arms extending across a narrow side, for example, of the notebook, which clamping body grips one of the objects in a pliers-like fashion with its clamping arms and forms a holder for holding the other object, e.g., the writing instrument, parallel to the longitudinal direction of the narrow side. Mechanisms are provided to spread open the clamping arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: X17 GMBH
    Inventor: Matthias Büttner
  • Patent number: 10035646
    Abstract: System for joining containers for a first container (1) with doors at the front and rear thereof and a second container (2) with at least one door at the rear thereof, attached by the smaller sides, which comprises four hooks (3) on the four corners of the containers (1, 2), a plurality of sheets (4, 5) on the interior edge at the rear of the containers (1, 2) fixable to both and which cover the entire interior perimeter of the containers (1, 2), and means for adjusting the identification number of the containers (1, 2). The means for adjusting the identification number can comprise a series of electronic screens (101, 102) on each container (1, 2) with two control units (102, 202), power sources, and communication means between the control units (102, 202) and optionally a contact (103, 203) in the support area of a sheet (4, 5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Effective Seaborne Engineering Solutions, S.L.
    Inventors: Jesús García Lopez, Juan A. Ureta Perez, Francisco José Aguilar Ferrer
  • Patent number: 10029834
    Abstract: Cable ties employing a composite of nylon and carbon nanotubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC
    Inventors: Yan Gao, Alan D. Neal
  • Patent number: 10016004
    Abstract: A clothing clasp for shortening the length of a strap of a sleeveless garment includes a frame member providing an opening therethrough and a cooperating insert member having a raised area that can fit in the opening when positioned beneath the frame member. A portion of the strap can be pushed downwardly through the opening to provide a loop, and the insert member can be positioned within the loop so that its raised area will extend upwardly in the opening and remain there with tightening of the strap and reduction of the loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Inventor: Jodi Frederick
  • Patent number: 10004299
    Abstract: Button for fastening fabrics, for instance clothing, wherein the button comprises a body and is provided with attachment means at a central location of the body, arranged for attaching, for instance by sewing, the button to a fabric, wherein the body of the button has a tapering width, seen in a direction parallel to the plane of the lower surface of the body, wherein the button is further provided with attachment means at or near the circumferential edge of the body and wherein the width of the body tapers towards the location of the attachment means at or near the edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: MIGHTY STYLEY SL
    Inventor: Joseph Franciscus August Alfred Maussen
  • Patent number: 9993047
    Abstract: A button cover for use in covering a button to reduce or eliminate damaging of adjacent clothing such as pants, shorts, etc. Some embodiments provide a relatively thin disk shaped cover having a resilient wire button clip extending from the back side of the disk shaped cover. The button clip provides a button mounting channel formed by two opposed resilient arms in the clip, with the two opposed arms interconnected by an intermediate section of wire secured to, or formed within, the body of the disk-shaped cover. The cross-section of the button clip from its intermediate, interconnecting section through to its opposed resilient arms can be U-shaped or otherwise shaped to orient the coplanar opposed arms with the backside of the body of the disk-shaped cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Inventor: Jessica M. Patterson
  • Patent number: 6718601
    Abstract: A snap hook having a J-shaped body, a gate that is pivotable about a pivot point that is near the first end of the shank, and a movable locking pin located near the second end of the shank. The locking pin is moved by least one parallel bar that is generally parallel to the shank and extends along the shank. Connected to the locking pin is a movable thumb grip that when moved urges the parallel bar to move the locking pin. The locking gate further having a recessed portion positioned near the second end of the shank and a closure portion positioned near the nose of the hook body, the closure portion and the recessed portion being at about the same distance from the pivot point, the recessed portion being adapted to cooperate with the locking pin so that when the locking pin is moved by the parallel bar the gate is released so that the gate can pivot about the pivot point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2004
    Inventor: Gary E. Choate