U.S. patent application number 12/583565 was filed with the patent office on 2011-02-24 for strap tensioner or tightener.
Invention is credited to Feng Chia Liang.
Application Number | 20110041301 12/583565 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43604106 |
Filed Date | 2011-02-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110041301 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Liang; Feng Chia |
February 24, 2011 |
Strap tensioner or tightener
Abstract
A strap tightener includes a ratchet wheel rotatably attached to
a supporting member with an axle, a tension lever rotatably
attached to the supporting member with a shaft and having an
actuating end for engaging with the ratchet teeth of the ratchet
wheel, a strap engaged between the actuating end of the tension
lever and the ratchet wheel, and a spring member for biasing the
actuating end of the tension lever to engage with the strap and to
clamp the strap between the actuating end of the tension lever and
the ratchet wheel, the actuating end of the tension lever is forced
to engage with the grooves between the ratchet teeth for generating
a click sound when the strap has not been tightened or
tensioned.
Inventors: |
Liang; Feng Chia; (Taichung,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Dr. BANGER SHIA;Patent Office of Bang Shia
102 Lindencrest Ct
Sugar Land
TX
77479-5201
US
|
Family ID: |
43604106 |
Appl. No.: |
12/583565 |
Filed: |
August 21, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/68CD |
Current CPC
Class: |
A44B 11/125 20130101;
B60P 7/083 20130101; Y10T 24/2175 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
24/68CD |
International
Class: |
A44B 21/00 20060101
A44B021/00 |
Claims
1. A strap tightener comprising: a supporting member, a ratchet
wheel rotatably attached to the supporting member with an axle, and
including a plurality of ratchet teeth provided thereon, a tension
lever rotatably attached to said supporting member with a shaft,
and including an actuating end for engaging. with said ratchet
teeth of said ratchet wheel, a strap engaged between said actuating
end of said tension lever and said ratchet wheel, and a spring
member engaged with said tension lever for biasing said actuating
end of said tension lever to engage with said strap and to clamp
said strap between said actuating end of said tension lever and
said ratchet wheel.
2. The strap tightener as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ratchet
wheel includes a plurality of grooves formed between said ratchet
teeth for engaging with said actuating end of said tension lever
and for generating a click sound when said actuating end of said
tension lever is engaged into said grooves of said ratchet
wheel.
3. The strap tightener as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ratchet
wheel includes a plurality of notches formed in each of said
ratchet teeth.
4. The strap tightener as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tension
lever includes a hand grip arranged distal to said actuating end
for rotating said tension lever relative to said supporting member
and for disengaging said actuating end of said tension lever from
said ratchet wheel and said strap.
5. The strap tightener as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
supporting member includes a base wall, and two side walls extended
upwardly from said base wall for forming a chamber between said
base wall and said side walls, said axle and said shaft are mounted
and straddled between said side walls.
6. The strap tightener as claimed in claim 5, wherein said
supporting member includes an opening formed in said base wall and
communicative with said chamber of said supporting member for
forming two bars and for allowing said opening to be formed between
said bars, said strap is engaged through said opening of said
supporting member and engaged with said ratchet wheel.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a strap tensioner or
tightener, and more particularly to a strap tensioner or tightener
including a simplified structure for allowing the strap tightener
to be easily manufactured and assembled and including an improved
structure for generating click sounds and for indicating that the
strap has been tightened or tensioned and for preventing the strap
tightener from being over tightened or tensioned by the users.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Typical strap tensioners or tighteners comprise a clamping
element pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or coupled to
the U-shaped supporting member and arranged for allowing the strap
to be engaged through and between the clamping element and the
U-shaped supporting member.
[0005] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,638 to Huang discloses one
of the typical tightening up devices comprising a U-shaped
supporting member, a clamping element pivotally or rotatably
attached or mounted or coupled to the U-shaped supporting member
and having a cam portion, and a spring for biasing the clamping
element to rotate in one direction, and a resilient plate disposed
between the cam portion of the clamping element and the U-shaped
supporting member for engaging with the strap.
[0006] However, when or after the strap has been tightened or
tensioned, the users may not know or realize that the strap has
been tightened or tensioned, and the users may further apply
additional forces to tighten or tension the strap such that the
strap tightener may be over tightened or tensioned or operated by
the users and may be easily damaged.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,868,587 to Rard discloses another typical
strap tightener or tensioner comprising a U-shaped supporting
member, a tension lever and an intermediate cam member and a brake
member pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or coupled to the
U-shaped supporting member, and a number of springs for biasing the
tension lever and the intermediate cam member and the brake member
respectively for suitably tensioning or tightening the strap.
[0008] However, when or after the strap has been tightened or
tensioned, the users may not know or realize that the strap has
been tightened or tensioned, and the users may further apply
additional forces to tighten or tension the strap such that the
strap tightener may be over tightened or tensioned or operated by
the users and may be easily damaged. In addition, the typical strap
tightener or tensioner includes a number of parts or elements that
may not be easily manufactured and assembled.
[0009] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate
the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional strap
tensioners or tighteners.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide
a strap tightener including a simplified structure for allowing the
strap tightener to be easily manufactured and assembled and
including an improved structure for generating click sounds and for
indicating that the strap has been tightened or tensioned and for
preventing the strap tightener from being over tightened or
tensioned by the users.
[0011] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is
provided a strap tightener comprising a supporting member, a
ratchet wheel rotatably attached to the supporting member with an
axle, and including a number of ratchet teeth provided thereon, a
tension lever rotatably attached to the supporting member with a
shaft, and including an actuating end for engaging with the ratchet
teeth of the ratchet wheel, a strap engaged between the actuating
end of the tension lever and the ratchet wheel, and a spring member
engaged with the tension lever for biasing or forcing the actuating
end of the tension lever to engage with the strap and to clamp the
strap between the actuating end of the tension lever and the
ratchet wheel whenever the strap is pulled or forced away from the
supporting base.
[0012] The ratchet wheel includes a number of grooves formed
between the ratchet teeth for engaging with the actuating end of
the tension lever and for generating a click sound when the
actuating end of the tension lever is engaged into the grooves of
the ratchet wheel. No click sounds will be generated after the
strap has been tightened. The ratchet wheel includes a number of
notches formed in each of the ratchet teeth.
[0013] The tension lever includes a hand grip formed in the other
end and arranged distal to the actuating end for rotating the
tension lever relative to the supporting member and for disengaging
the actuating end of the tension lever from the ratchet wheel and
the strap selectively and for allowing the strap to be tightened or
released relative to the supporting member.
[0014] The supporting member includes a base wall, and two side
walls extended upwardly from the base wall and parallel to each
other for forming a chamber between the base wall and the side
walls, the axle and the shaft are mounted and straddled between the
side walls.
[0015] The supporting member includes an opening formed in the base
wall and communicative with the chamber of the supporting member
for forming two bars and for allowing the opening to be formed
between the bars, the strap is engaged or threaded through the
opening of the supporting member and engaged with the ratchet
wheel.
[0016] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed
description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a strap tightener in
accordance with the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the strap
tightener;
[0019] FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the strap
tightener;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the strap tightener
taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 1; and
[0021] FIGS. 5, 6 are cross sectional views similar to FIG. 4,
illustrating the operation of the strap tightener.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a
strap tightener in accordance with the present invention comprises
a U-shaped supporting base or member 10 including a base wall 11,
and including two side walls 12 extended upwardly from the two side
portions of the base wall 11 for forming or defining a space or
chamber 14 between the base wall 11 and the side walls 12, or
within the U-shaped supporting member 10, and including an opening
or passage 15 formed in the middle portion of the base wall 11 and
communicative with the chamber 14 of the U-shaped supporting member
10 for forming or defining two bars 16, 17 and for allowing the
opening 15 to be formed between the two bars 16, 17.
[0023] An axle 18 and a shaft 19 are attached or mounted to the
U-shaped supporting member 10 and mounted or secured or straddled
between the two side walls 12, and preferably arranged parallel to
each other and parallel to the base wall 11 and perpendicular to
the two side walls 12, and a ratchet wheel 20 is pivotally or
rotatably attached or mounted or coupled to the U-shaped supporting
member 10 with the axle 18, for example, the ratchet wheel 20
includes a bore 21 formed therein for receiving the axle 18 and for
allowing the ratchet wheel 20 to be rotated relative to the
U-shaped supporting member 10, and includes a number of ratchet
teeth 23 formed or provided thereon and formed or defined between
grooves 24, and the ratchet teeth 23 each include a number of
notches 25 formed therein (FIG. 3).
[0024] A strap 80 to be tightened or tensioned may be inserted or
engaged through the opening 15 of the U-shaped supporting member 10
and may be engaged with the ratchet wheel 20, best shown in FIGS.
4-6, and may include one end 81 attached or mounted or secured or
coupled to one of the bars 17, and the other end 82 of the strap 80
may be pulled away from the U-shaped supporting member 10 for
suitably tensioning or tightening the strap 80 onto an object or
the like (not shown). The ratchet wheel 20 may be frictionally
engaged with the strap 80 and may be forced to be rotated relative
to the U-shaped supporting member 10 when the other end 82 of the
strap 80 is pulled away from the U-shaped supporting member 10 by
the users (FIGS. 4, 5).
[0025] A tension lever 30 is pivotally or rotatably attached or
mounted or coupled to the U-shaped supporting member 10 with the
shaft 19, for example, the tension lever 30 includes an orifice 31
formed therein for receiving the shaft 19 and for allowing the
tension lever 30 to be rotated relative to the U-shaped supporting
member 10, and includes one end or actuating end 33 for engaging
with the ratchet teeth 23 of the ratchet wheel 20 and/or for
engaging with the strap 80 (FIGS. 1 and 4-6), and includes the
other end or hand grip 34 arranged distal to the actuating end 33
for rotating the tension lever 30 relative to the supporting member
10 and for selectively disengaging the actuating end 33 of the
tension lever 30 from the ratchet wheel 20 and/or the strap 80.
[0026] A spring member 40 may further be provided and attached or
mounted onto the shaft 19 and engaged with the tension lever 30,
such as engaged between the tension lever 30 and the supporting
member 10 for applying a spring biasing force to the tension lever
30 and for suitably biasing or forcing the actuating end 33 of the
tension lever 30 to engage with the ratchet wheel 20 and/or the
strap 80 and for suitably clamping and tensioning or tightening the
strap 80 between the tension lever 30 and the ratchet wheel 20. The
actuating end 33 of the tension lever 30 may be disengaged from the
ratchet wheel 20 and/or the strap 80 when the hand grip 34 of the
tension lever 30 is depressed or moved onto or against the spring
member 40 by the user (FIG. 6).
[0027] In operation, as shown in FIG. 5, when the other end 82 of
the strap 80 is pulled away from the U-shaped supporting member 10
by the users, the actuating end 33 of the tension lever 30 may be
biased or forced to engage with the ratchet wheel 20 and/or the
strap 80 for suitably clamping and tensioning or tightening the
strap 80 between the tension lever 30 and the ratchet wheel 20 by
the spring member 40, every time when the actuating end 33 of the
tension lever 30 is moved over the ratchet teeth 23 and engaged
into the grooves 24 of the ratchet wheel 20, a click sound may be
generated.
[0028] When or after the strap has been tightened or tensioned and
when the other end 82 of the strap 80 is further pulled away from
the U-shaped supporting member 10 by the users, the actuating end
33 of the tension lever 30 may no longer be biased or forced to
engage with the grooves 24 of the ratchet wheel 20 and no click
sound may be generated at this moment, such that the users may know
or realize that the strap 80 has been tightened or tensioned, and
the users may stop apply additional forces to tighten or tension
the strap 80 such that the strap 80 will not be over tightened or
tensioned or operated by the users and will not be damaged by the
users.
[0029] Accordingly, the strap tightener in accordance with the
present invention includes a simplified structure for allowing the
strap tightener to be easily manufactured and assembled and
including an improved structure for generating click sounds and for
indicating that the strap has been tightened or tensioned and for
preventing the strap tightener from being over tightened or
tensioned by the users.
[0030] Although this invention has been described with a certain
degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present
disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous
changes in the detailed construction and the combination and
arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
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