Clasp

Abstract

A two-piece clasp for securing a belt or half-belt in which each piece is substantially identical in structure and when two pieces are combined to form a clasp one piece is in reverse mirror image position with respect to the other. A dual latch, dual catch arrangement maintains the clasp in desired orientation when engaged.

Description

The present invention relates to clasps used to secure the ends of a belt or belting. Although the present embodiment is presented and described as including an ornamental plate suitable for personal use, the clasp may be used for securing belts or belting used for non-personal purposes.

Belts and semi-belts are in substantial use in personal attire on outer wear such as coats, jackets, slacks, etc. as well as indoor-wear for both women and men. The use of buckles and/or clasps on belts and semi-belts or half-belts is old, however, the present clasp which may be used to hold a belt or half-belt together, such as the function performed by a buckle, has several novel features, some of which are advantageous to the manufacture, others of which are advantageous to the wearer.

In particular, the present invention is a two-piece clasp in which each piece or component of the two-piece clasp is identical. The fact that each component is identical permits manufacturing techniques in which the components of the two-piece clasp may be cast or stamped in identical molds or dies, according to the manufacturing process used to produce the components. Regardless of the manufacturing process used to make the components, any finishing work to be performed on the individual component would be repetitive among components. Thus, this novel two-piece clasp may be manufactured using the most straightforward production-line type operation. Any two identical components, as shown herein, may be used to form the two-piece clasp by merely rotating one of the components 180.degree. with respect to the other component, making the rotated component appear as a reverse mirror image of the non-rotated component. The components may then be coupled together as shown and described herein, forming a secured clasp.

The structure of the two-piece clasp is such that although the clasp is easily manually opened and separated, the structure is such that self-separation of the components is made difficult. The double latch or tongue and double catch arrangement not only holds the two-piece clasp together and avoids easy self-separation but holds the individual components properly oriented with respect to each other thereby maintaining an attractive appearance. The clasp is easily secured and easily opened by manual manipulation.

Since the components of the two-piece clasp are identical, to describe one is to describe the other. When in actual use, one of the two identical components is used as the right side component and the other identical component is used as the left side component. When in use, both components are oriented in the same plane and one of these components, while in the same plane is essentially rotated 180.degree. with respect to the other component so that the rotated component appears in reverse mirror image of the other component.

Each component is shown as including an ornamental plate which may be of any design and/or color. The ornamental plate of the disclosed two-piece clasp has the appearance of a hinge and is used for illustrative purposes only. The appearance of the ornamental plate is not limited to any particular design and could be any color, configuration, design and/or combination thereof which, when one of the ornamental plates is in reverse mirror image is compatible with the other ornamental plate.

Each component includes a belt loop retainer through which one end of a belt is passed and then secured on itself, for example. Between the belt loop retainer and the ornamental plate is an engaging channel which extends halfway along the ornamental plate. Within the engaging channel is locking tongue. The other half of the connection between the belt loop retainer and the ornamental plate is a catch, into which the locking tongue of the opposite component fits. Each ornamental plate is made in raised-step configuration so that when the two pieces of the clasp are engaged the locking tongue of each piece engages the back of the ornamental of the opposite piece and the ornamental plates abut each other aiding in securing the two-piece clasp from separation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a two-piece clasp of identical components.

Another object is to provide a two-piece clasp easily manipulated into engagement and easily manipulated out of engagement but which will not easily self-disengage.

These and other objects will become apparent from reading the following description of the invention with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing of an embodiment of the present novel two-piece clasp with a belt attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the two components of the two-piece clasp fitted together;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the two components of the two-piece clasp separated and

FIG. 4 is a view of the back side of the components of the two-piece clasp.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrations of the novel two-piece clasp shown in the various FIGS. are substantially in actual size, although no limitation as to the size of the pieces of the two-piece clasp is intended by such presentation. FIG. 1 shows the two-piece clasp in coupled configuration with a belt. The belt 10 is shown in FIG. 1 and part of the belt 10 is shown in FIG. 3 in which the two components or pieces of the clasp are shown separated. FIG. 2 in perspective view shows the two pieces of the clasp coupled, but not locked together. FIG. 4 clearly shows the locking latch or tongue, as does FIG. 3, and from FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 it can be seen how the latch of one piece fits into the catch of the opposite piece, the latch extending into the catch and under the base of the ornamental plate of the opposite piece.

Each component, although identical to each other, is, when used as a part of the clasp, a reverse mirror image of the other component.

The clasp is composed of two pieces, and since they are identical corresponding parts will be labeled with corresponding call-out numbers but identified by L and R for left and right respectively.

Each component has a belt loop retainer or belt ring 11L and 11R into which the end of the belt 10 is passed. This is illustrated in FIG. 1. The ends of the belt are each passed through one of the loops and folded back on itself and held in some manner, such as by stitching, the belt end on itslef, for example. FIG. 1 shows the belt ends 12 and 13 folded back on the body of the belt 10. FIG. 1 shows how the ornamental plates 15L and 15R appear when the two pieces of the two piece clasp are fitted together. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 also clearly show that the base or ornamental plate 15 is stepped up so that when the two components are fitted together the face of each ornamental plate is in the same plane.

Each clasp piece or component includes an engaging channel 16 (16L and 16R) and a locking tongue or latch 17 (17L and 17R) and a catch 18 (18L and 18R). When the two pieces of the clasp are fitted together via their respective engaging channels, such as seen in FIG. 2 the locking tongue or latch 17R of the right hand piece fits into catch 18L of the left hand piece and the locking tongue or latch 17L of the left hand piece fits into catch 18R of the right hand piece. The latch 17R fits under the base or ornamental plate 15L and the latch 17L fits under the base of ornamental plate 15R. The ornamental plates 15R and 15L, in juxtaposition, lie over the engaging channel and catch 16L/17L and 16R/17R respectively. With the locking tongue 17 fitted into the catch 18 of the opposite piece, the clasp is locked together and movement of the two components with respect to each other is prevented.

As seen clearly in FIG. 2 the base or ornamental plate 15 of each piece of the two piece clasp is stepped above the plate in which the tongue 17, catch 18 and belt loop retainer or belt ring 11 are in. The raised-step configuration of the base plate 15 permits the tongue 17 of one piece to become engaged in the catch 18 of the other piece and extend under base plate 15 of the other piece, locking the base plates in juxtaposition with the abutting edges of the ornamental or base plates held against each other, holding the two pieces or components of the clasp in engagement.

Having thus described my novel two-piece clasp, one can see that while the double latch and double catch arrangement serves to hold the two pieces of the clasp in secured engagement and alignment, the raised-step ornamental or base plates, in juxtaposition, also serves to keep the clasp from separating.

The structure of one embodiment having been shown and described it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that changes and alterations in the appearance, structure and design may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A two-piece clasp having substantially identical components capable of entering into engaged relationship with each other, each component including:

a retainer portion having a loop opening, for retaining a strap,

a plate portion lying in a plane parallel to said retainer portion and offset therefrom, having an inner edge adjacent said retainer portion, whereby the inner edge of one plate portion abuts the inner edge of the other plate portion for preventing separation of the two components,

an enclosure formed on three sides by said retainer portion and on the fourth side by said inner edge of said plate portion, said enclosure for receiving a tongue and restricting lateral movement of said tongue on both sides thereof,

a tongue coupled to said plate portion and lying in the same plane as said retainer portion for recessing into said enclosure and for securing said inner edge of one said plate portion against the said inner edge of the other said plate portion and

a laterally extending slot formed on two sides by said retainer portion and on the third side by said inner edge, said tongue extending into said laterally extending slot from said plate portion.