U.S. patent application number 15/612075 was filed with the patent office on 2018-12-06 for band connector.
The applicant listed for this patent is TENG-YAO CHANG. Invention is credited to TENG-YAO CHANG.
Application Number | 20180343982 15/612075 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 64459010 |
Filed Date | 2018-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180343982 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHANG; TENG-YAO |
December 6, 2018 |
BAND CONNECTOR
Abstract
A band connector which is adapted to fix a folded band is
disclosed, and includes a buckle and a cord. The buckle has a first
connecting portion, a second connecting portion, and a junction,
wherein the first connecting portion and the second connecting
portion are connected to two bands respectively. The cord is
provided on the junction for fixing the folded band. In addition,
the band connector is applied to any band, such as a leather belt,
a strap of a backpack, and a waist belt. After the length of the
band is adjusted, the redundant segment of the band can be folded
and bundled by the cord.
Inventors: |
CHANG; TENG-YAO; (TAICHUNG
CITY, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CHANG; TENG-YAO |
TAICHUNG CITY |
|
TW |
|
|
Family ID: |
64459010 |
Appl. No.: |
15/612075 |
Filed: |
June 2, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A44B 11/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A44B 11/02 20060101
A44B011/02 |
Claims
1. A band connector which is adapted to fix a folded band,
comprising: a buckle having a first connecting portion, a second
connecting portion, and a junction, wherein the first connecting
portion and the second connecting portion are connected to two
bands respectively; and a cord provided on the junction for fixing
the folded band.
2. The band connector of claim 1, wherein the junction has at least
a perforation; the cord is provided in the perforation.
3. The band connector of claim 1, wherein the junction has at least
a notch; the cord is provided in the notch.
4. The band connector of claim 1, wherein the junction is provided
between the first connecting portion and the second connecting
portion.
5. The band connector of claim 1, wherein the second connecting
portion is provided between the first connecting portion and the
junction.
6. The band connector of claim 5, wherein the junction has two
notches which are recessed into two sides of the buckle.
7. The band connector of claim 1, wherein the cord is a ringed
rope.
8. The band connector of claim 1, wherein the cord is connected to
the junction with an end thereof; the cord winds around the folded
band, and another end of the cord is fixed to the buckle or the
cord itself.
9. The band connector of claim 1, wherein the second connecting
portion has two parallel long holes and a horizontal bar between
the two long holes; the junction is provided on at least one of two
ends of the horizontal bar.
10. The band connector of claim 1, wherein the buckle has a
hexagonal perforation provided between the first connecting portion
and the second connecting portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a device which
connects bands, and more particularly to a band connector with a
function of fixing a folded band.
2. Description of Related Art
[0002] Conventionally, two long bands (e.g., leather belts, waist
belts, or backpack straps) or two ends of a band are connected by a
buckle. However, a redundant segment would sometimes be produced at
the junction between two bands or two ends of a band. Accordingly,
how to neatly accommodate the redundant segment produced from the
band is one of the issues currently.
[0003] As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional backpack 1 includes a
strap consisting of a shoulder strap 2, an adjusting strap 3, and a
buckle 4. The buckle 4 is connected to the shoulder strap 2 with an
end thereof, and the adjusting strap 3 stretches out another end
thereof. Therefore, the shoulder strap 2, the adjusting strap 3,
and the buckle 4 are connected to form the strap which is a loop
for a user to bear on the shoulder. Additionally, a part of the
adjusting strap 3 which stretches out the buckle 4 forms a
redundant segment 5 (or an adjusting segment), wherein the
redundant segment 5 is produced after a user adjusts the length of
the strap for comfortably bearing the backpack 1. The length of the
redundant segment 5 differs from person to person according to, for
example, the figure or the bearing habit of each user.
[0004] The redundant segment 5 may swing during the user is moving
and thus hit someone else or the user itself, or even be hooked by
or wrap around objects. For example, during a user is riding a
motorcycle, the redundant segment 5 of the backpack 1 may swing by
the wind and thus hit passing riders, or wrap around a driving
mirror of another vehicle. Moreover, the redundant segment 5 may be
winded or clamped by machinery, e.g., closing bus doors, which is
dangerous. In addition, for the overall appearance, the redundant
segment 5 may make the backpack 1 unsightly and untidy.
[0005] Therefore, how to effectively arrange and accommodate the
band connected to the buckle is one of the problems to be solved
for the inventor of the present application.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In view of the above, the primary objective of the present
disclosure is to provide a band connector which is adapted to
neatly accommodate a band.
[0007] The present disclosure provides a band connector which is
adapted to fix a folded band, including a buckle and a cord. The
buckle has a first connecting portion, a second connecting portion,
and a junction, wherein the first connecting portion and the second
connecting portion are connected to two bands respectively. The
cord is provided on the junction for fixing the folded band.
[0008] Whereby, the folded band can be fixed on the buckle by the
cord which is provided on the junction. Therefore, the band
connector can effectively neatly accommodate the band.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The present disclosure will be best understood by referring
to the following detailed description of some illustrative
embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the conventional backpack
recited in the description of related art;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the
present disclosure;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment,
showing the band connector connected to a band;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the first embodiment,
showing the band which is folded on the buckle;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a lateral view of FIG. 4;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the buckle of a second
embodiment;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the buckle of a third
embodiment;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the buckle of a fourth
embodiment;
[0018] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the buckle of a fifth
embodiment;
[0019] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the buckle of a sixth
embodiment; and
[0020] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a seventh embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the band connector 100 with a
function of fixing a folded band, the first embodiment of the
present disclosure, includes a buckle 10 and a cord 20.
[0022] The buckle 10 has a first connecting portion 12, a second
connecting portion 14, and a junction 16. The first connecting
portion 12 and the second connecting portion 14 are respectively
connected to two bands 6 and 7. The band 6 can be connected to,
without limitation, the shoulder strap 2 of the backpack 1, while
the band 7 can be connected but not limited to, the adjusting strap
3 of the backpack 1.
[0023] In the first embodiment, the first connecting portion 12 has
a hook portion 122 extending from a side of the buckle 10, a
passing space 124 surrounded by the hook portion 122, and a groove
126 recessed into the side of the buckle 10, wherein the groove 126
communicates the passing space 124. The band 6 passes through the
passing space 124 from the groove 126, and is thus hooked by the
hook portion 122. The second connecting portion 14 has two parallel
long holes 142 spaced apart, and a horizontal bar 144 between the
two long holes 142. The band 7 passes through the two long holes
142, winds around the horizontal bar 144, and is thus movably
provided on the second connecting portion 14. A user can adjust the
length of the band 7 which stretches out the long holes 142
according to the demand for use, and the band 7 stretching out
forms a redundant segment 8. The junction 16 is provided between
the first connecting portion 12 and the second connecting portion
14, and has at least a notch. For example, the junction 16 has two
notches 162 which are respectively recessed into two sides of the
buckle 10 for fixing the cord 20.
[0024] Additionally, the buckle 10 further has a perforation 18
provided between the first connecting portion 12 and the second
connecting portion 14 for being passed through by, without
limitation, a cord, a hanging ring, another buckle, or a key ring.
In the first embodiment, the perforation 18 is hexagonal such that
the buckle 10 can be used as a mini hand tool, for example, to
rotate a bolt or a nut.
[0025] The cord 20 is provided on the junction 16 to fix the folded
band, precisely, to the redundant segment 8 of the folded band 7.
In the first embodiment, the cord 20 is an elastic nylon ring which
is put around the buckle 10 and fit within the two notches 162 on
two sides of the buckle 10 for positioning. In addition, the cord
20 is detachably fit within the two notches. For example, the cord
20 can be elastically deformed by pulling to be disconnected from
the buckle 10.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, one of using methods for the
band connector 100 are illustrated. For example, a user can fold
the redundant segment 8 of the band 7 twice along its longitudinal
direction, put the folded redundant segment 8 on the surface of the
buckle 10 and within a space between the cord 20 and the buckle 10,
which is formed after the cord 20 is fastened to the buckle 10.
Accordingly, the cord 20 can effectively fix the folded redundant
segment 8 of the band 7 to the buckle 10, which avoids the
redundant segment 8 from arbitrarily hanging or swaying. In this
way, the redundant segment 8 (also called it a free segment) of the
band 7 which stretches out the buckle 10 can be effectively
arranged and fixed.
[0027] However, the way to arrange the band 7 and the redundant
segment 8 is not limited to folding as aforementioned, but includes
rolling in one direction or reciprocating overlapping, which put
the redundant segment 8 together on the surface of the buckle
10.
[0028] In the first embodiment, the buckle 10 is an integrally
formed structure which is made of metal by punching, and has a
better structural strength. However, practically, the material or
the forming method of the buckle is not limited to that in the
first embodiment. For example, the buckle 10 can be made of plastic
or carbon fiber, and be formed by 3D printing. Moreover, the cord
20 can be an elastic rope that is made of rubber, latex, or other
elastic materials, which has better usability and operability.
However, the material of the cord 20 is not limited to the
materials mentioned above, but can be other materials such as
flexible plastic or fiber, or other metals.
[0029] In addition, the first connecting portion and the second
connecting portion are not limited to the structures mentioned
above. Structures which a band can be movably or immovably
connected to fall within the scope of the first connecting portion
and the second connecting portion of the present disclosure. For
example, the first connecting portion 12 in other embodiments may
not have the hook portion 122 and the groove 126, and only have a
passing space 124 for the band 6 to pass through and be fixed.
Additionally, the two notches 162 at two opposite positions provide
a better positioning effect to the cord 20 at two sides of the cord
20, which prevents the cord 20 from falling off. However, in other
embodiments, the number of the notch 162 is not limited to two, but
can be only one at a side of the buckle 10 as long as the notch 162
is enough to effectively support the cord 20.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 6, the band connector 200, the second
embodiment, includes basically the same structures of the band
connector 100 except for the type of the junction. The junction 16
in the first embodiment are notches 162, while the junction in the
second embodiment are perforations 210 to fix the cord around the
folded band. Additionally, in other embodiments, the number of the
perforation is not limited to two or more than two, but can be only
one for the cord to pass through.
[0031] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the band connector 300, the third
embodiment, includes basically the same structures of the band
connector 100 except for the position of the junction. The junction
is provided on at least one of the two ends of the horizontal bar.
For example, the two notches 310 of the junction shown in FIG. 7
are respectively provided on two ends of the horizontal bar 320
between the long holes. Additionally, in other embodiments, the
number of the notch 310 is not limited to two, but can be only one
that is provided on one of the two ends of the horizontal bar
320.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 8, the band connector 400, the fourth
embodiment, includes basically the same structures of the band
connector 100 except for the position of the junction. The two
notches 410 of the junction are recessed into a side of the buckle,
and the second connecting portion 430 is provided between the first
connecting portion 420 and the junction (the two notches 410).
Practically, the two notches 410 are recessed into the bottom side
of the buckle. With such design, the junction can be formed without
widening the buckle, which effectively reduces the overall volume
of the buckle and increases miniaturization.
[0033] As depicted in FIG. 9, the band connector 500, the fifth
embodiment, includes basically the same structures of the band
connector 400. The difference is that the first connecting portion
of the band connector 500 has two protrusions 512 and 514 which
face each other and are protruded from a side of the buckle. The
shapes of the two protrusions 512 and 514 are designed but not
limited to be complementary, wherein a space 516 is formed on the
same side of the protrusions 512 and 514, and a gap 518
communicating the space 516 is formed between the two protrusions
512 and 514. With such design, a band can pass through the gap 518
and then fit around the two protrusions 512 and 514. Moreover, the
structure of the first connecting portion of the band connector 500
can be applied to the band connectors of the aforementioned
embodiments or the embodiments described later.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 10, the band connector 600, the sixth
embodiment, includes basically the same structures of the band
connector 500 except for the structure of the first connecting
portion. The first connecting portion of the band connector 600
mainly consists of a long hole 610, and a band can pass through the
long holes 610 and then fit on the buckle. In addition, the
structure of the first connecting portion of the band connector 600
can also be applied to the band connectors of the aforementioned
embodiments.
[0035] As illustrated in FIG. 11, the band connector 700, the
seventh embodiment, includes basically the same structures of the
band connectors mentioned above. The difference is that the
junction of the buckle has a connecting hole 710, and the cord 720
is a strip. The cord 720 is connected to the connecting hole 710
with an end thereof, and a fastener 730 is provided on another end
of the cord 720. The cord 720 can be made of materials that are
able to be attached by the fastener, and an attachment portion (not
shown) can be provided on the buckle for the attachment of the
fastener. Whereby, after the band is folded on the buckle, the cord
720 is adapted to wind around the folded band, and the fastener 730
at the another end of the cord 720 can adhere to the cord 720
itself or the buckle for fixing the folded band. Additionally, in
other embodiments, a pair of buttons can be substituted for the
fastener for fixing the folded band. In other words, one of the
buttons is provided on the cord 720, and another corresponding
button is also provided on the cord 720 or the buckle.
[0036] In addition, the cord in any of the aforementioned
embodiments is not limited to a ring, but can be one or more than
one ropes. For example, the folded band can be bundled by two ropes
in knots, and then be tied to the buckle by the ropes for fixing
the folded band.
[0037] Moreover, the junction in any of the aforementioned
embodiments is not limited to perforations or notches. In other
embodiments, the junction can be a pillar around which the cord can
wind and fix.
[0038] It must be pointed out that the embodiments described above
are only some preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. The
junction can be positioned at upper half of the buckle so that the
first connecting portion is located between the junction and the
second connecting portion. Moreover, the band adapted to be
connected to the band connector is not limited to a strap of a
backpack. For example, the band connector of the present disclosure
can be applied to a waist belt, a leather belt, a strap of a
lifting device, and a safety belt for arranging bands. All
equivalent structures which employ the concepts disclosed in this
specification and the appended claims should fall within the scope
of the present disclosure.
* * * * *