PROTECTIVE SECURED BELT

Abstract

A belt comprising a strap and a device closing a first end part of the strap with a second end part of the strap, the closing device comprising a support plate fastened to the first end part and a buckle intended to removably receive the second end part, said buckle being rotatable relative to the support plate between an adjusting position and a gripping position, and at least one hook able to cooperate with at least one first opening provided in the second end part so as to fasten the second end part of the strap on the first end part. The hook protrudes from the support plate. The buckle moved away from the support plate in the adjusting position and folded down on said plate in the gripping position such that the hook cooperates with said first opening when the buckle receives the second end part of the strap.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to French Patent Application No. 16 57645 filed Aug. 8, 2016. This application in incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a belt comprising a strap and a device for closing a first end part of the strap with a second end part of the strap, the closing device comprising a support plate fastened to the first end part and a buckle intended to removably receive the second part, said buckle being rotatable relative to the support plate between an adjusting position and a gripping position, and at least one hook able to cooperate with at least one first opening provided in the second end part so as to fasten the second part of the strap on the first end part.

BACKGROUND

A belt with a strap is such a belt, for example, intended for police officers or security agents.

Such a belt must be able to allow its user to wear his equipment securely around the waist, in particular the firearm holster, for example during demonstrations or confrontations.

Such a belt is worn around the users waist, and may be worn over a waistband. It has a width close to 5 centimeters and is rigid enough not to deform under the weight of the equipment fastened on it, for example by torsion. Such a belt is intended to support a weight of at least 3 kilograms. Its esthetic is close to that of standard administrative belts in order to keep the attire uniform.

Such a belt must be solid enough to prevent an ill-intentioned person from opening it or tearing it off, in particular during conflicts. Furthermore, it must be tightened so as to prevent any rotation of the belt around the user's body, which could be bothersome when grasping objects supported by the belt.

Thus, it is provided to allow an adjustment of the tightening of the belt in order to adjust it to the size of the person wearing it, so as to prevent any rotation of the belt around the users waist.

In order to perform these functions, the belts of this known type generally include a closure device with a buckle removable from the belt, stationery in rotation relative to the belt, once assembled thereto and bearing hooks on a first end part of the strap and a plate including orifices cooperating with the hooks on a second end part of the strap. Such a closure device is particularly effective to prevent any tearing off of the belt.

However, such a closure device does not allow easy adjustment of the belt. Indeed, it is necessary to remove the buckle that is not secured to the strap in order to adjust the belt to the user's waist. This is a tedious operation for a user needing to remove his equipment or change his clothing, for example remove or put on a jacket. Another drawback is that the user can easily lose the buckle when adjusting the belt, since it must be separated from the belt to be able to perform the adjustment.

One aim of the invention is to offset these drawbacks by proposing a belt comprising a closure device that is easy to adjust while being difficult for a third party to open.

SUMMARY

To that end, the invention relates to a belt of the aforementioned type, wherein the hook protrudes from the support plate, the buckle being separated from the support plate in the adjusting position and folded down on said plate in the gripping position such that the hook cooperates with said first opening when the buckle receives the second end part of the strap.

Such a closure device allows the user to adjust and tighten the belt easily around his waist, by passing the first end part of the strap in the buckle, positioning the hook in the first opening and pulling the strap in the opposite direction, without separating any element of the belt. Thus, the tightening operation does not risk causing the loss of an element of the belt. Furthermore, the belt is able to withstand an attempted opening by an ill-intentioned third party.

According to other features of the belt according to the invention:

the first end part of the strap comprises a pin intended to cooperate with a second opening provided in the second end part of the strap;

the hook is translatable in the first opening between an insertion position in which the pin is not aligned with the second opening and a blocking position in which the pin is aligned with the second opening;

the second end part of the strap includes a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings, spaced apart in a longitudinal row of the strap;

said first openings and said second openings are positioned in staggered rows and separate longitudinal rows;

the distance between the pin and the hook is equal to the distance between the second opening and the edge of the first opening situated across from said second opening;

the closure device comprises 2 hooks;

the support plate is fitted on the first end part of the strap;

the support plate is riveted on the first end part of the strap.

The invention also relates to a method for adjusting and tightening a belt, comprising the following steps:

passing the second end part of the strap in the buckle,

adjusting the length of the second end part of the strap traversing the buckle, and

taking the buckle from the adjusting position to the gripping position so as to introduce the hook into the first opening and fasten the second end part to the first end part of the strap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will appear upon reading the following description, provided as an example, and done in reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective illustration of the belt according to the invention in the gripping position,

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective illustration of the belt of FIG. 1 in the adjusting position,

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a detail of the belt of FIG. 1 in an insertion position of a hook,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 in a blocking position of the hook,

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 in a position for blocking of the hook and insertion of a pin,

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the closure device of the belt of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a belt 10 is described for police officers or security agents or the like. The belt 10 is intended to be worn around the waist, for example over a waistband.

The belt 10 includes a strap 12 provided with a first end part 14 and a second end part 16 and a closure device 18 for the first end part 14 of the strap 12 with the second end part 16 of the strap 12.

The strap 12 for example has a width close to 5 centimeters and a length suitable for one pass around a waist. The strap 12 is made from a material that is both flexible and strong, able to withstand the weight of the equipment or an attempt by a third party to tear it off, for example leather or the like.

The strap 12 is intended to receive equipment holders, such as weapon holsters, handcuffs holsters, club holders, etc. Their holders are for example made in the form of loops engaged around the strap 12 and comprising means for retaining a piece of equipment. Furthermore, some pieces of equipment may be fastened directly on the strap 12. By adapting the position of the holders around the strap 12, for example by sliding their loops, the position of the pieces of equipment relative to the users hands can be adjusted.

The strap 12 may include a loop 13, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, so as to receive the end of the second end part 16 and thus keep the second end part 16 with the first end part 14 when the belt 10 is tightened around the user's waist in order to prevent the second end part 16 from being able to be grasped by an ill-intentioned third party.

The closure device 18 comprises a support plate 20 fastened on the end of the first end part 14 of the strap 12, a buckle 22 housed on this same first end part 14 and rotatable relative to the support plate 20, at least one hook 24 fastened on the support plate 20, and one or several first opening(s) 26 situated on the second end part 16 of the strap 12 and intended to cooperate with the hook 24.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the support plate 20 is generally rectangular in order to adapt to the shape of the strap 12. The support plate 20 is made up of an upper housing 28 and a lower housing 30. The support plate 20 is made from a metal or plastic material, for example polyamide.

The upper housing 28 of the support plate 20 is hollow. It has a proximal end 32 situated opposite the strap 12 and a distal end 34 opposite the proximal end 32. The upper housing 28 is open at the proximal end 32 and defines a housing 33 to receive the first end part 14 of the strap 12. Furthermore, the upper housing 28 has a hollow cylinder shape 36 at its distal end 34 to house part of the buckle 22, as will be described later. The longitudinal axis of the hollow cylinder 36 defines the rotation axis of the buckle 22 relative to the support plate 20. The upper housing 28 comprises an inner face 38 situated across from the lower housing 30 and an outer face 40 opposite the inner face 38. It includes an orifice 42 that extends through the two faces 38, 40. The hook 24 extends through the orifice 42 and protrudes from the outer face 40.

The lower housing 30 of the support plate 20 has an inner face 44 situated across from the inner face 38 of the upper housing 28.

According to one preferred embodiment, the support plate 20 is riveted on the first end part 14 of the strap 12. The upper housing 28 and the lower housing 30 are fastened to one another by rivets 48 associated with counter-parts 50. The rivets 48 traverse the upper housing 28 and the first end part 14 of the strap 12, to be fastened in the lower housing 30. For example, the support plate 20 comprises four rivets 48 and four corresponding counter-parts 50, situated at each corner of the support plate 20.

According to other embodiments, the support plate 20 is fitted on the first end part 14 of the strap 12 or injected on this first end part 14 so as to overmold the first end part 14 with the support plate 20.

The hook 24 is generally L-shaped and protrudes on the outer face 40 of the upper housing 28.

In the illustrated example, the closure device 18 includes two hooks 24. The two hooks 24 have identical shapes and extend parallel to one another.

As shown in FIG. 6, the hooks 24 are secured to a support platen 52 housed in the housing defined by the respective inner faces 40, 44 of the upper housing 28 and the inner housing 30. The support platen 52 is fastened on the inner face 44 of the lower housing 30, for example forcibly fitted on a bush or fastened by a rivet.

The upper housing 28, the lower housing 30 and the support platen 52 are secured, so as to form a stationary assembly.

The hooks 24 extend from the inner face 44 of the lower housing 30 through orifices provided in the first end part 14 of the strap 12 and protruding from the outer face 40. This configuration allows robust fastening of the support plate 20 and hooks 24 on the first end part 14 of the strap 12 and prevents any separation of the support plate 20.

The buckle 22 comprises a structure formed by a distal frame 54, a central frame 56 and a proximal frame 58. The distal frame 54 is situated across from the distal end 34 of the upper housing 28 and includes a rod 60 intended to be housed in the hollow cylinder 36 of the distal end 34 of the upper housing 28. The rod 60 defines the rotation axis of the buckle 22 relative to the support plate 20. The distal frame 54 is fastened to the proximal frame 58 via the central frame 56. Each frame 54, 56, 58 defines an opening. Furthermore, the openings of the distal frame 54 and the proximal frame 58 extend in substantially parallel planes and the opening of the central frame 56 extends in a plane substantially perpendicular to the planes of the openings of the distal frame 54 and the proximal frame 58.

The buckle 22 is formed in a single piece secured to the support plate 20 and rotatable relative to the latter along the rotation axis defined by the rod 60. The buckle 22 is made from a metal or plastic material, for example a zinc or polymer alloy.

The buckle 22 is rotatable relative to the support plate 20 between an adjusting position, illustrated in FIG. 2, and a gripping position, illustrated in FIG. 1.

The buckle 22 is thus intended to removably receive the second end part 16 of the strap 12, through the opening of the distal frame 54, then through the opening of the proximal frame 58. In the adjusting position, the buckle 22 is separated from the support plate 20, and in the gripping position, the buckle 22 is folded down on the support plate 20. In this way, in the gripping position, the central frame 56 is situated across from the outer face 40 of the upper housing 28 and the proximal frame 58 is situated across from the proximal end 32 of the upper housing 28.

The second end part 16 of the strap 12 comprises one or several identical first openings 26, for example elliptical, spaced apart from one another over a longitudinal row of the second end part 16 of the strap 12. The first openings 26 have a sufficient length to allow the hook 24 to slide between an insertion position, illustrated in FIG. 3, and a blocking position, illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the insertion position, the hook 24 translates freely in the first opening 26, and in the blocking position, the hook 24 cooperates with an edge 66 of the first opening 26. In this way, the hook 24 cooperates with the first opening 26 when the buckle 22 is in the gripping position so as to prevent the second end part 16 from moving away from the support plate 20. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second end part 16 of the strap 12 comprises two parallel rows provided with a plurality of first openings 26, such that in the presence of two hooks 24, each hook 24 cooperates with one of the two rows.

According to another embodiment, the closure device 18 includes a pin 62 situated on the first end part 14 of the strap 12 and one or several second openings 64 situated on the second end part 16 of the strap 12.

The pin 62 is fastened on the first end part 14 of the strap 12 and moved away from the support plate 20 toward the inside of the first end part 14. It comprises a foot and a head with a diameter larger than the diameter of the foot. The pin 62 is riveted on the second end part 16 of the strap 12. The pin 62 is for example of the “screw button” type.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, in the gripping position of the buckle 22, the hook 24 is translatable in the first opening 26 between the insertion position and the blocking position of the hook 24. When the hook 24 is in the insertion position, the pin 62 is not aligned with the second opening 64. When the hook 24 is in the blocking position, the pin 62 is aligned with the second opening 64 and able to cooperate with the latter.

The second opening 64 is circular; more generally, it has a shape adapted to the shape of the pin 62, such that the pin 62 cooperates with the second opening 64. The diameter of the second opening 64 is larger than or equal to the diameter of the foot of the pin 62 and is smaller than the diameter of the head of the pin 62, such that the pin 62 can be forcibly inserted in the second opening 64. In this way, the pin 62 fastens the first end part 14 with the second part 16 of the strap 12 when the second opening 64 is engaged around the foot of the pin 62 and retained by the head of the pin 62.

In the illustrated example, the second end part 16 of the strap 12 comprises a plurality of identical second openings 64 and spaced apart from one another over a central longitudinal row of the second end part 16 of the strap 12. It also comprises two lateral rows situated on both sides of the central row and provided with a plurality of first openings 26.

The first openings 26 and said second openings 64 are for example positioned in staggered rows on separate longitudinal rows.

Advantageously, the distance between the pin 62 and the hook 24 situated on the support plate 20 is equal to the distance between the second opening 64 and the edge 66 of the first opening 26 situated across from said second opening 64 and closest thereto.

Thus, the fastening of the first end part 14 with the second end part 16 of the strap 12 using the pin 62 can only be done when the hooks 24 are in the blocking position. This makes it possible to ensure that the belt 10 is closed correctly using hooks 24 and the pin 62, and thus to avoid unanticipated opening of the belt 10 due to incorrect blocking thereof.

A method for adjusting and tightening the belt 10 will now be described. First, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the user passes the second end part 16 of the strap 12 in the buckle 22 in the adjusting position, through the distal frame 54 of the buckle 22, then through the proximal frame 58 of the buckle 22. Secondly, the user adjusts the length of the second end part 16 of the strap 12 traversing the buckle 22 in order to adjust the opening diameter of the belt 10 and thus adjust the belt around his waist. The user next takes the buckle 22 from the adjusting position to the gripping position so as to place the hook 24 in the insertion position and introduce it into the first opening 26. Lastly, the user pulls on the second end part 16 of the strap 12, in the direction F opposite the insertion direction of the second end part 16 into the buckle 22. In this way, the hook 24 places itself in the blocking position and fastens the second end part 16 to the first end part 14 of strap 12.

When the belt 10 includes a pin 62, the user performs a final step consisting of inserting the pin 62 in the second opening 64, and optionally a step consisting of passing the second end part 16 of the strap 12 in the loop 13.

The embodiments described above are merely examples. Changes may be made thereto. Thus, it is possible to provide several pins or more than two hooks in the closure device. It is also possible to provide a different shape of the hook or the pin as well as a different configuration of the buckle.

The belt described above allows a simplified adjustment, such that it can be used multiple times and installed quickly with no risk of losing the buckle. Furthermore, the belt allows secure gripping around the users waist. In this way, it is able to withstand an attempt by an ill-intentioned third party to tear it off.

Claims

1. A belt comprising:

a strap; and

a device closing a first end part of the strap with a second end part of the strap, the closing device comprising: a support plate fastened to the first end part; a buckle intended to removably receive the second end part, said buckle being rotatable relative to the support plate between an adjusting position and a gripping position; and at least one hook able to cooperate with at least one opening provided in the second end part so as to fasten the second end part of the strap on the first end part, wherein the hook protrudes from the support plate, and wherein the buckle being separated from the support plate in the adjusting position and folded down on said plate in the gripping position such that the hook cooperates with said first opening when the buckle receives the second end part of the strap.

2. The belt according to claim 1, wherein the first end part of the strap comprises a pin intended to cooperate with a second opening provided in the second end part of the strap.

3. The belt according to claim 2, wherein the hook is translatable in the first opening between an insertion position in which the pin is not aligned with the second opening and a blocking position in which the pin is aligned with the second opening.

4. The belt according to claim 2, wherein the second end part of the strap includes a plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings, spaced apart in a longitudinal row of the strap.

5. The belt according to claim 4, wherein said first openings and said second openings are positioned in staggered rows and separate longitudinal rows.

6. The belt according to claim 2, wherein the distance between the pin and the hook is equal to the distance between the second opening and the edge of the first opening situated across from said second opening.

7. The belt according to claim 1, wherein the closure device comprises two hooks.

8. The belt according to claim 1, wherein the support plate is fitted on the first end part of the strap.

9. The belt according to claim 1, wherein the support plate is riveted on the first end part of the strap.

10. A method for adjusting and tightening a belt according to claim 1, comprising the following steps:

passing the second end part of the strap in the buckle,

adjusting the length of the second end part of the strap traversing the buckle, and

taking the buckle from the adjusting position to the gripping position so as to introduce the hook into the first opening and fastening the second end part to the first end part of the strap.