HARD SHELL FASTENING DEVICE
An apparatus includes a protective wearable article including a flexible backing layer and a semi-rigid shell layer. The hard shell layer includes a molded receptacle that acts as a female component in a dual-component fastening device. The apparatus further includes a strap for securing the protective wearable article to a user. A first end of the strap is attached to a male fastening component sized and shaped for insertion into and securement within the molded receptacle.
The present application claim benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/115,516, entitled “Hard Shell Fastening Device” and filed on Feb. 12, 2015, which is specifically incorporated by reference for all that it discloses or teaches.
BACKGROUNDA variety of protective wearable articles utilize straps in conjunction with fastening mechanism(s) to secure hard or rigid protective material to a user. For example, knee pads, helmets, googles, and body armor all make use of straps that may wrap around a user's appendage such as an arm, leg, or other body part (e.g., chinstrap, torso, etc.) to supply tension and help to secure the protective wearable article. Fastening mechanisms suitable for use in such technologies include without limitation hook and loop, latches, buckles, snaps, knotting (e.g., ties), plastic clips, etc. Some of these fastening mechanisms detach too easily, provide inadequate durability, or loosen too easily and fail to provide adequate tension to the protective wearable article.
SUMMARYImplementations described and claimed herein address the foregoing by providing a protective wearable article with a hard shell layer including a molded receptacle. The molded receptacle is sized and shaped to receive and secure a male fastening component attached to a strap or other fastening appendage usable for securing the protective wearable article to a user.
Implementations described and claimed herein further address the forgoing by providing a method of attaching a protective wearable article to a user. The method includes placing the protective wearable article adjacent to a portion of a user and wrapping a strap around the portion of the user, the strap including a first end fixedly attached to the protective wearable article and a second free end attached to a male fastening component. The method further comprises inserting the male fastening component into a molded receptacle formed in a hard shell layer of the protective wearable article, and sliding the rigid protrusion element along a channel of the molded receptacle to secure the rigid protrusion element within the molded receptacle.
Still further implementations described and claimed herein address the foregoing by providing an apparatus that includes a protective wearable article with a soft backing layer and a hard shell layer. The hard shell layer includes an irregular-shaped aperture with a first diameter larger than another diameter of the irregular-shaped aperture. The apparatus further includes a strap for securing the protective wearable article to a user and a rigid protrusion element on a first end of the strap that is sized and shaped for insertion into and securement within the irregular-shaped aperture.
Other implementations are also described and claimed herein.
In
In contrast to the hard shell layer 106, the backing layer 122 is a more flexible layer, such as a layer designed for comfort and contact with a user's skin or clothing. The backing layer 122 provides a supporting interface between a body part of the user and the hard shell structure 106. In some implementations, the backing layer 122 includes materials and/or structures designed for temperature control, such as to keep a user cool and/or dry (e.g., a breathable fabric, mesh, etc.) or to trap heat and provide warmth (e.g., as an insulating material within a garments designed for outdoor use). In one implementation, the backing layer 122 includes a layer of elastically deformable void cells. For example, the backing layer 122 may be one or more layers of fabric, mesh, foam, thermoplastic urethane, thermoplastic elastomers, styrenic co-polymers, rubber, Dow Pellethane®, Lubrixol Estane®, Dupont™ Hytrel®, ATOFINA Pebax®, and Krayton polymers, etc. In some implementations, the protective wearable article 100 may not include the backing layer 122.
The dual-component fastening devices 102, 104 each include a first female component (e.g., molded receptacles 102a, 104a) formed within the protective wearable article 100 and a second male component (e.g., rigid protrusion elements 102b, 104b) attached to a corresponding attachment appendage 108 or 118. The attachment appendages 108, 118 are usable to secure the protective wearable article 100 to a user, but are not herein considered to be part of the protective wearable article 100 and do not necessarily provide impact protection to the user. In
In View A of
Although other shapes are contemplated, the rigid protrusion element 102b of
In some implementations, the rigid protrusion element 102b does not include the stem portion 110. For example, the wide end portion 112 may be a button sewn or otherwise attached to a soft or hard backing. In other implementations, the rigid protrusion element 102b may take on a variety of other shapes and sizes.
The molded receptacle 102a includes at least one aperture (e.g., an inlet or cut out) for receiving and securing the rigid protrusion element 102b. In
Referring to View B of
To place the dual-component fastening device 102 in an attached state, a user threads the rigid protrusion element 102b through the insertion area 114 of the molded receptacle 102a so that the hard shell structure 106 is positioned between first and second ends of the rigid protrusion element 102b. Once the rigid protrusion element 102b is partially threaded through the insertion area 114, the user repositions (e.g., slides) the rigid protrusion element 102b along a length of the molded receptacle 102a (in the direction of an arrow ‘A’ in
In
To facilitate the elastic deformation described above, the hard shell layer 106 may be “semi-rigid” rather than rigid. In other implementations where the hard shell layer 106 is rigid, other locking mechanisms may be employed.
In some implementations, the stem portion 110 of the rigid protrusion element 102b has a diameter less than the diameter D2 of the locking area 116 such that the stem portion 110 can freely rotate when resting within the locking area 116. In other implementaitons, it may be desirable to prevent the stem portion 110 of the rigid protrusion element 102b from rotating when secured in place within the locking area 116 of the molded receptacle 102b. To address this consideration, the stem portion 110 of the rigid protrusion element 102b and the molded receptacle 102a can be formed of other (e.g., non-circular) complimentary shapes that facilitate coupling of the two elements while preventing rotation of either component relative to the other. For example, the stem portion 110 may be prohibited from rotating while positioned within the locking area 116 if the stem portion 110 and perimeter of the locking area 116 are of a same polygonal shape (e.g., rectangular, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc.).
In the illustrated implementation, the dual-component fastening device 102 functions to secure the attachment appendage 108 (e.g., a flexible strap) around a user's arm or leg. When the attachment appendage 108 is taught about a portion of the user (e.g., arm, leg, wrist, chin, torso, etc.) the attachment appendage 108 applies an additional force on the dual-component fastening device 102 in the direction of the arrow ‘A.’ This additional force assists in further securing the rigid protrusion element 102b within the locking area 116 of the hard shell structure 106. In some implementations, the attachment appendage 108 is not a flexible strap. For example, the attachment appendage 108 may be a rigid component to which the rigid protrusion element 102b is attached or formed within. In
In various implementations, the flexible backing portion 122 attaches to the hard shell structure 106 in different ways, such as at one or more points (not shown) along the perimeter of the hard shell structure 106. In at least one implementation, the flexible backing portion 122 does not attach to the hard shell structure 106 within an area 120 surrounding the molded receptacle 102b. This allows the wide end portion 112 of the molded receptacle 102a to rest between the hard shell structure 106 and the flexible backing portion 122 at the locking area 116 when placed in the secured position. Some implementations may not include the flexible backing portion 122.
The hard shell structure 206 is attached to a backing layer 222 that provides an interface between a portion of the user's body and the rigid protrusion elements 202b, 204b when mated with the corresponding molded receptacle 202a and 204a. Specific details of the dual-component fastening devices 202, 204 not described above may be the same or substantially similar to the dual-component fastening devices described with respect to
In various implementations, the guiding structures 524, 526 may be shaped differently; however, in
In one implementation, the molded receptacle 600 is sized and shape to mate with a male fastening element, such as the rigid insertion elements shown in
In operation, a male fastening element may be inserted into the molded receptacle 600 laterally through the portion of the aperture 602 exposed at the insertion area 614. The male fastening element can be guided in the same direction as the lateral insertion until a portion of the male fastening element rests within the locking area 616. At this position, a geometric mismatch between the size of the aperture 602 at the locking area 616 and a comparatively large diameter of an end portion of the male fastening component serves to prevent the fastening component from detaching from the molded receptacle 602, such as when the male fastening component is pulled in a direction normal to the hard shell structure 606. When integrated into a protective wearable article, a strap may supply outward tension on the male fastening component (e.g., in the direction of a vector originating at the insertion area 614 and extending to the locking area 616). This strap tension may also help to secure the male fastening component within the molded receptacle 602.
A wrapping operation 810 wraps a strap around the portion of the user's body near the location selected via the placement operation 805. The strap includes a first end attached to the protective wearable article (e.g., via stitching, adhesive, or other fixed or selectively detachable attachment mechanism). For example, a first end of the strap may be attached to a perimeter portion of the wearable protective article. A second free end of the strap includes or is further attached to a male fastening component, such as a rigid protrusion element. The strap and the rigid protrusion element may be attached to one another by any reliable attachment mechanism or means. The wrapping operation 810 may, for example, wrap the strap around a user's arm, leg, torso, wrist, ankle, chin, head, etc.
An insertion operation 815 inserts the male fastening component into a molded receptacle formed in the hard shell layer of the protective wearable article. In one implementation, the molded receptacle is formed at a perimeter region of the wearable protective article that opposes another perimeter region where the first end of the strap attaches to the wearable protective article. The molded receptacle includes an aperture, and the insertion operation 815 inserts the male fastening component into the aperture at an insertion area having a diameter larger than a diameter of at least one other region of the aperture.
A sliding operation 820 slides the male fastening component along a channel of the molded receptacle to secure the male fastening component in the locking area. In one implementation, the channel connects the insertion area of the aperture to a locking area of the aperture, and the locking area has a smaller diameter than the insertion area. Further, the locking area may be closer to a perimeter of the protective wearable article than the insertion area. Thus, the sliding operation 820 may entail sliding the male fastening component within the channel toward the perimeter of the protective wearable article (e.g., as described with respect to
A tension in the strap wrapped against the user transfers a force that acts to further secure the male fastening component within the locking area of the molded receptacle. When positioned within the locking area, a user may not be able to remove the rigid protrusion element from the molded receptacle by applying a force on the attachment appendage in a direction that is normal to the hard shell structure. However, the male fastening component may be released from the molded receptacle via a force that pushes the male fastening component in a direction of the insertion area. In one implementation, easy release tabs, handles, or other ‘easy grab’ components are included to supply a point of leverage for detaching the male fastening component from the corresponding female receptacle.
The logical operations making up the embodiments of the invention described herein are referred to variously as operations, steps, objects, or modules. Furthermore, it should be understood that logical operations may be performed in any order, adding or omitting operations as desired, unless explicitly claimed otherwise or a specific order is inherently necessitated by the claim language. The above specification, examples, and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of exemplary embodiments of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended. Furthermore, structural features of the different embodiments may be combined in yet another embodiment without departing from the recited claims.
Claims
1. Apparatus comprising:
- a protective wearable article including a flexible backing layer and a semi-rigid shell layer, the semi-rigid shell layer including a molded receptacle; and
- a strap for securing the protective wearable article to a user, the strap including a male fastening component on a first end, the male fastening component sized and shaped for insertion into and securement within the molded receptacle.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the molded receptacle includes an aperture having a first diameter at an insertion area and a second diameter at a locking area, the second diameter smaller than the first diameter.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the diameter of the aperture at the insertion area is greater than a diameter of both ends of the male fastening component.
4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the diameter of the aperture at the locking area is greater than a corresponding diameter of a first end of the male fastening component and less than a corresponding diameter of a second opposite end of the male fastening component.
5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the male fastening component is rigid and has a mushroom-like shape with a stem portion and a flat base portion.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the stem portion has a diameter that exceeds a third diameter of the aperture bridging a gap area between the insertion area and the locking area.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the semi-rigid shell layer further includes at least one protrusion to help guide the male fastening component into the molded receptacle.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the molded receptacle is positioned proximal to a first edge of the semi-rigid shell layer and the strap is fixedly attached to a point on the wearable protective article that is proximal to a second opposite edge of the semi-rigid shell layer.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective layer includes two straps and two molded receptacles, each of the straps attached to a male fastening component for insertion into and securement within a corresponding one of the two molded receptacles.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the strap further comprises a pull tab to assist in releasing the rigid protrusion element from the molded receptacle.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective wearable article is at least one of a knee or elbow pad.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the protective wearable article is a helmet.
13. A method of attaching a protective wearable article to a user, the method comprising:
- placing the protective wearable article adjacent to a portion of a user, the protective wearable article including a semi-rigid shell layer and a flexible backing layer;
- wrapping a strap around the portion of the user user, the strap including a first end fixedly attached to the protective wearable article and a second free end attached to a male fastening component;
- inserting the male fastening component into an aperture formed in the semi-rigid shell layer such that a portion of the male fastening component rests between the flexible backing layer and the semi-rigid shell layer; and
- sliding the male fastening component along a channel of the aperture to secure the rigid protrusion element within the channel.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the aperture has a first diameter at an insertion area and a second diameter at a locking area, the second diameter smaller than the first diameter.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second diameter at the locking area is greater than a diameter of a first end of the male fastening component and less than a diameter of a second opposite end of the male fastening component.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the male fastening component has a mushroom-like shape with a stem portion and a flat base portion.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the stem portion has a diameter that exceeds a third diameter of the aperture bridging a gap area between the insertion area and the locking area.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein the semi-rigid shell layer further includes at least one guiding structure forming a track or ridge for guiding the male fastening component into the molded receptacle.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein the strap further comprises a pull tab for releasing the male fastening component from the molded receptacle.
20. An apparatus comprising:
- a protective wearable article including a flexible backing layer and a semi-rigid shell layer, the semi-rigid shell layer including an aperture with a first diameter at an insertion area and a second diameter at a locking area, the first diameter larger than the second diameter;
- a strap for securing the protective wearable article to a user, the strap including a rigid protrusion element on a first end, the rigid protrusion element sized for insertion into the insertion area of the aperture and shaped for removable securement within the locking area.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein a portion of the rigid protrusion element rests between the flexible backing layer and the semi-rigid shell layer when secured within the aperture.
22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the semi-rigid shell layer further includes at least one guiding structure forming a track or ridge for guiding the rigid protrusion element into the aperture.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 10, 2016
Publication Date: Aug 18, 2016
Inventors: Eric William Sugano (Arvada, CO), James Taylor (Breckenridge, CO)
Application Number: 15/040,059