Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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STRAP AND BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
Background of Invention
This invention relates to a strap and buckle assembly.
In particular, this invention relates to a strap and buckle
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assembly which is suitable for use in the fireman's helmet to
effect adjustment of the nape portion of the head harness.
Strap and buckle assemblies that permit tightening of the
straps through the buckle or preventing release of the strap are
well known. Difficulty has, however, been experienced in
providing simple, inexpensive and efficient buckles that can be
easily displaced to the position required to release the strap
while also affording a sufficiently strong connection with the
strap to prevent undesired release of the strap.
A factor in the cost of reducing and assembling a buckle
is the number of components required in order to assemble the
buckle. -
In the head-supporting harness of a fireman's helmet or
the like, it is known to provide a floating nape band. The
floating nape band has one end securely fastened with respect to
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the harness and its other end is slidably adjustable with respect
to the headband so that the effective length of the headband can ~ -
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' be adjusted to accommodate different head sizes. ~ ~
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It is also known to provide an adjustment strap that also - --
has one end anchored with respect to the headband and its other -
end releasably secured in a buckle member. With the known type of
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buckle member, it is difficult to effect adjustment of the
position of the adjustment strap without removing the helmet from
the head of the wearer. It is necessary to remove the helmet and
to open the catch member and then make the required length
adjustment and then to close the catch member to clamp the strap
therebetween.
When a fireman's helmet is being worn as a standard piece
of uniform equipment, it is necessary to have the headstrap
tightly drawn about the head of the wearer. It is difficult to
achieve this type of fit when the length of the head band must be
preset before the helmet is placed on the head of the wearer. It
is, therefore, advantageous to provide a size adjustment mechanism
which can be quickly and easily adjusted by the fireman after the
helmet is placed on the fireman's head.
Summary of Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide a
simple and inexpensive adjustment strap and buckle assembly which `~
will permit the user to adjust the effective length of the strap
with ease in use.
It is a further object of the present invention to
provide a quick release, quick lock buckle and adjustment strap
for the head harness of a fireman's helmet.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is ~ ~
provided in a strap and buckle assembly the improvement of; a - `
plurality of ratchet teeth formed on the strap, the ratchet teeth ~
each having a locking face directed toward a first end of the ~ ~-
strap, and said`buckle comprising;
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a housing having a front end and a back end and a slipway ~ ~-
extending through the housing from the front end to the back end,
a catch lever pivotally mounted on the housing for movement - :
between a locking position and a release position about an axis ~ :
that extends transversely of the slipway, the catch lever having ~
first and second portions of its length extending from opposite ~ :
sides of said axis toward the front and back ends of the housing
respectively, a shoulder on said first portion arranged to be .
oppositely disposed with respect to the locking faces of the :
ratchet teeth when the catch lever is in the locking position, :~
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resiliently deformable catch biasing arms formed integrally with . ;~
and extending from the second portion of the catch lever, one on ::
either side of the slipway, into contact with the housing, said : :~
arms being resiliently deformed by contact with the housing and ~:
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normalIy urging the catch lever toward the locking position and :
being further resiliently deformable in response to movement of .
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the catch lever toward the release position to an extent suffient . : :
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to withdraw said shoulder from engagement with said locking faces
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~: of the ratchet teeth. ~: ::
Brief Description of the Drawings ; . -:
The invention will be more clearly understood after ~ ;:.`.
reference to the following detailed specification read in
conjunction with the drawings wherein~
Figure 1 is a pictorial view of the underside of an .
adjustment strap and retainer member illustrated in the manner in .
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which it is mounted on the harness of a fireman's helmet;
Figure 2 is an enlarged pictorial view similar to Figure
l; and:Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of
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Figure 2. ~ ~
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Descri tion of Preferred Embodiment
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With reference to Figure 1 in the drawings, the reference
numeral 10 refers generally to an adjustment strap and buckle -
assembly constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention. The assembly 10 comprises an adjustment strap
12 and a buckle 14. The adjustment strap 12 has a back end 16 and
a front end 18. The strap 12 is made from a flexible material,
preferably a non-flammable plastics material. Fasteners 20 serve
to retain the back end 16 of the strap 12 with respect to one end
of the nape section 22 of the headband 24. The strap 12 also has
a plurality of rachet teeth 26 formed thereon adjacent to the
front end thereof, each of the teeth 26 has a locking face 28 that
is directed toward the back end of the strap. A manually
engagable ring 30 is formed at the front end of the strap 18. The
ring 30 has a finger opening 32 formed therein which will permit - -
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the fireman to grasp the front end of the strap to pull it through
the buckle 14. The buckle 14 comprises a housing 34 and a catch
lever 36. The housing 34 has a base portion 38 from which a pair
of side walls 40 project upwardly, one on either side of the
slipway channel 42. Each of the side walls 40 has a passageway 44
formed therein. A raised platform 46 is also provlded at each
side of the slipway 42 rearwardly from the side walls 40. The
platforms 46 serve to define opposite sides of the slipway and ~ ~ -
extend the length of the slipway and thereby reduce the likelihood
of disportion of the portion of the strap that is located in the
buckle. A fastener 48 is provided which serves to secure the ~ --
housing 34 to the free end of the nape strap 22. The housing 12 ~ ~
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is made from a onc-piece plastics moulding. The catch lever 36,
which is also a one-piece plastics moulding, has a pair of stub
shafts 50 projecting outwardly from opposite sides thereof into
the passages 44 which serve to permit the catch lever to pivot
about the axis 52 between a locking position and a release ~ ~
position. The axis 52 extends transversely of the slipway 42. ~;
The catch lever 36 has a first portion 54 that projects forwardly
from the axis 52. The first portion 54 has a locking shoulder 56
at the outer end thereof that serves to bear against a locking
face 28 of one of the ratchet teeth 26 as shown in Figure 3 of the
drawings prepared. The catch lever 36 also has a second portion
58 of its length that extends rearwardly from the axis 52. The
second portion 58 forms a lever arm that can be depressed to move
the first portion from the locking position shown in Figure 3 to a
release position in which the shoulder 56 is withdrawn from;;;;~
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alignment with the locking faces 28 by causing the catch lever to
pivot about the axis 52. Resiliently deformable catch biasing
arms 60 extend downwardly from the second portion 58 of the catch
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lever and bear against the platforms 46 of the housing. The
raised platforms 46 together with the short vertical portions of -
the arms 60 serve to permit the angle of inclination of the lower
arm portion with respect to the plane of the slipway to be reduced ;~
to facilitate slipage along the platforms 40 during the release of
the catch. The arms 60 are arranged to apply a moment to the
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catch lever about the axis 52 which normally urges the catch lever ~ ;
to the locking position shown in Figure 3. The moment that is
applied is sufficient to retain the catch lever in the locking
position, but is not so great that it would prevent the
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deflection of the lever arm toward the raised position in response
to a load applied in the direction of the arrow A to the manually
engagable ring 30, with the result that the effective length of
the strap can be reduced without the need to manually displace the
catch lever. On the other hand, if the effective length of this
strap has to be increased, it is necessary to manually engage the
second portion of the catch lever to cause it to pivot about the
axis 52 to raise the locking face 56 out of engagement with the
locking shoulders 28 to permit the strap to slide freely in the
slipway. As soon as the portion 36 of the catch lever is
released, the energy stored in the arms 60 will serve to urge the ~ i
catch lever to move toward the locking position to once again
cause the locking face 56 to engage a locking shoulder 28.
It will be apparent that while the strap and buckle assembly
of the present invention is particularly suitable for use in a
harness of a fireman's helmet, it may also be used in any other
field in which a strap and buckle assembly is required. The same
mechansim could be used for assembling straps and buckles for a
wide variety of applications and by describing a preferred ~;
embodiment it is not intended that the invention be limited to the
preferred embodiment.
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