Snorkel retaining clip
A mask strap retaining clip releasably secured a breathing tube of snorkel to a diver's mask strap. The retaining clip comprises a clip unit with the diver's mask strap passed through and a ring unit put on the breathing tube. The ring unit comprises a mushroomlike projection extended from its peripheral surface. The projection comprises a neck having a width and a length longer than the width. The clip unit comprises large and small holes. The neck can move from the large hole to the small hole when a lengthwise direction the breathing tube is aligned with a channel between the holes such that the breathing tube can be disposed in an operating position by subsequently turning itself. The clip unit has a tab and the ring unit has a dent for lockingly engaging the tab when the neck is disposed in the small hole.
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The present invention relates to a mask strap retaining clip of snorkel and more particularly to an improved mask strap retaining clip adapted to secure a breathing tube of a snorkel to strap of a swim mask or a pair of swim goggles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSwim masks, swim goggles, and snorkels are widely used by people involving in water sports such as swimming and diving. Conventionally, a snorkel has a mask strap retaining clip adapted to secure itself to, for example, a diver's mask strap. In use, a diver may easily put a mouthpiece of the snorkel in the mouth. In a nonoperating position, the snorkel is still held to a side of the diver's head such that a next use can be facilitated.
However, the prior snorkel suffered from a disadvantage. For example, a diver has to use the hand to touch hook of the mask strap retaining clip, use both hands to bend the hook outward, disengage the loosened mask strap with the hook, and disengage the snorkel including the hook with the diver's mask if the diver does not want to use the snorkel and want to remove same from the head. To the contrary, for using the snorkel again a diver has to mount the mask strap in the hook. However, such mounting is typically not an easy task with both hands involved. Hence, a need has arisen for an improved mask strap retaining clip adapted to secure a snorkel to a diver's mask strap or disengage the snorkel from same in an easy, quick, and reliable manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mask strap retaining clip adapted to releasably secure a breathing tube of a snorkel to a diver's mask strap in an easy, quick, and reliable manner.
In one aspect of the present invention, the mask strap retaining clip comprises a clip unit with a diver's mask strap passed through, and a ring unit put on the breathing tube of the snorkel wherein the clip unit and the ring unit are adapted to quickly engage together by assembling or disengage by disassembling same.
In another aspect of the present invention, the ring unit and the clip unit are fastened together by turning the breathing tube engaged with the ring unit to a position perpendicular to the clip unit and pressing down the ring unit until being stopped such that the breathing tube can be disposed in a ready to use state by a subsequent turning of the breathing tube.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the ring unit is lockingly engaged with the clip unit in the ready to use state of the breathing tube because the ring unit has a member secured to a mating member of the clip unit.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 7 to 11 are sectional views illustrating a process of assembling the ring unit and the clip unit together on a breathing tube of a snorkel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to FIGS. 7 to 11, a process of assembling the ring unit 40 and the clip unit 20 together is illustrated. In
Note that the turning step shown in
In view of the above, it is understood that the mask strap retaining clip of the invention can easily quickly assemble with the breathing tube 10 and the mask strap 30. This is accomplished by providing two easily assembled components (e.g., ring unit 40 and clip unit 20) and turning one component (e.g., the ring unit 40) about 90 degrees and pressing down same for assembling both components together. Disassembly of the mask strap retaining clip of the invention can also be done easily by traversing the steps in FIGS. 7 to 11 in the opposite direction.
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.
Claims
1-4. (canceled)
5. A mask strap retaining clip for selectively connecting a snorkel and a mask strap comprising:
- a) a clip unit having: i) a snapping member having a first plate, a second plate, and a snapping opening located between the first plate and the second plate, the second plate having a larger hole, a smaller hole, and a channel connecting the larger hole and the smaller hole, each of the larger hole, the smaller hole, and the channel being spaced apart from edges of the second plate and communicating with the snapping opening; ii) a hook connected to the snapping member; and iii) a clip opening located between the snapping member and the hook, the mask strap extending through the clip opening; and
- b) a ring unit selectively connected to the snapping member and having: i) a bore, the snorkel extending through the bore; ii) a flat portion extending outwardly from an exterior thereof and having a rectangular cross section, the flat portion having a cross section having a length extending parallel to an axis of the bore and a width extending perpendicular to the length thereof, the width of the flat portion is larger than the length of the flat portion, and the length of the flat portion is smaller than a width of the channel; and iii) a mushroom shaped projection extending outwardly from the flat portion, the mushroom shaped projection having a diameter smaller than a width of the larger hole of the snapping member and larger than a width of the smaller hole of the snapping member.
6. The mask strap retaining clip according to claim 5, further comprising a tab located on the first plate in the snapping opening, the mushroom shaped projection having a central dent, the tab is selectively locked with the central dent by rotating the ring unit relative to the clip unit when the tab is inserted in the central dent.
7. The mask strap retaining clip according to claim 5, wherein the flat portion extending outwardly from the exterior of the ring unit a distance greater than a thickness of the second plate.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 1, 2005
Publication Date: Dec 7, 2006
Applicant:
Inventor: Chih-Cheng Shiue (Escondido, CA)
Application Number: 11/140,961
International Classification: B63C 11/16 (20060101);