Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TRANSLATION OF PCT/AT2012/000020
DEVICE FOR AVOIDING AN UNINTENTIONAL ADJUSTMENT
The present invention relates to a device for avoiding an unintentional
adjustment
of a belt guided around at least one belt guide bar of a buckle component.
A wide variety of types of harnesses for a wide variety of applications are
known in
the prior art. Thus, such arrangements of belts or harnesses are used in an
appropriate embodiment for securing persons, for example as a climbing belt or
as a
harness for various aviation sports but also when working at exposed
positions. It is
also known practice to use appropriately designed harnesses for fastening and
securing loads, to name only a few examples. In order to be able to releasably
connect the belts of the harnesses to one another, it is known practice to use
a wide
variety of types of buckles. The buckles usually have two or more buckle
components which can be fastened releasably on or to one another via
appropriate
connection devices and together form the buckle. The belts of the harnesses
are
frequently fastened adjustably to the buckles. For this purpose, there are a
wide
variety of design forms in the prior art. If no adjustment of the belt is
required, the
belts can be firmly stitched to the buckles. However, it is frequently
expedient to
provide an adjustment possibility for the belt. In these cases, the belts are
usually
guided around one or more belt guide bars of a buckle component. In particular
in
the case of the last-mentioned embodiments, the problem frequently occurs of
an
undesired adjustment of the belt tension, that is to say in particular a
loosening of
the belt. Harnesses are in the rarest of cases actually firmly tightened by
the user.
As a rule, the unwanted adjustment occurs under weak tension or even no
tension
on the belt if the user or the load moves. The result is that the belts have
to be
frequently re-tensioned.
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In order to prevent an unwanted adjustment of the belt, devices of the generic
type
are known per se in the prior art. Velcro tapes are frequently used in order
to avoid
an undesired adjustment. However, Velcro tapes have the disadvantage that they
slowly lose their functionality after repeated use.
It is therefore the object to provide a device of the generic type which can
be
operated simply and reliably used permanently.
This is achieved according to the invention in that the device has a basic
body with
a first contact surface and additionally at least one elastic body, preferably
at least
one spring tongue, with at least one further contact surface, wherein the
elastic
body, preferably with a region of the elastic body spaced from the further
contact
surface, is held directly or indirectly on the basic body, and the belt can be
clamped
between the first contact surface and the further contact surface.
The device according to the invention allows the belt, with its sections
preferably
lying doubly or multiply above one another, to be clamped between the first
contact
surface of the basic body and the further contact surface of the elastic body,
with the
result that an unwanted adjustment of the belt is prevented, in particular
even
when it is not under tension. The elastic body can be designed, for example,
as a
spring, tongue or spring lug. It can be fastened or held directly on the basic
body.
However, the elastic body can also be fastened or held indirectly on the basic
body
with the interposition of another component. An essential advantage of the use
of at
least one elastic body is that the spring action of the elastic body makes it
possible
to cover a large range of belt thicknesses with a single device.
The device according to the invention is itself generally not a buckle
component of a
buckle but an additional component which is mounted on the belt in addition to
the
buckle component and as an add-on part prevents an adjustment of the belt on
the
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buckle component. A buckle in this connection is understood to mean a body
formed
of two or more buckle components, wherein the buckle components can be
releasably fastened to one another by means of appropriate connection devices.
Such buckles are known in a multiplicity of design forms in the prior art.
Usually, a
buckle component is mounted on each of the belts to be connected to one
another
and the belts are then connected to one another by connecting the buckle
components. In their interconnected state, the buckles also serve to transmit
tensile
forces from one belt to the other belt.
In preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention, by
contrast, it is
provided that the device according to the invention is provided exclusively
for
clamping the belt. It is advantageously free from other connection devices. A
device
according to the invention is thus advantageously not a buckle component which
is
provided for connecting to another buckle component. Thus, devices according
to the
invention are generally not provided to transmit tensile forces from one belt
to
another belt.
Devices according to the invention can be embodied in different widths and be
adapted to the respective width of the belt. However, it is also possible to
design a
device according to the invention such that belts of different width can be
secured
against an undesired adjustment.
For the purpose of avoiding the belt slipping through between the first
contact
surface and the second contact surface, it is advantageous if a sequence of
elevations, preferably studs or webs, and depressions arranged between
adjacent
elevations, for, preferably positive, engagement in the belt is or are
arranged,
preferably in each case, on the first contact surface and/or the further
contact
surface. Consequently, the belt is secured not only by the elastic forces of
the elastic
body but also by the engagement of the elevations in the belt.
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In order to allow a desired adjustment of the belt, for example when donning
or
removing the harness, with minimum effort, preferred embodiments of the
invention provide that the device has a lever body which is arranged pivotably
on
the basic body by means of a pivot pin, wherein the elastic body is held,
preferably
exclusively, on the basic body via the lever body. In these cases, the elastic
body is
thus held on the basic body indirectly, namely via the lever body. The lever
body can
be pivoted back and forth about the pivot pin between a closed or clamped
position
and an open position. In the open position, adjusting the belt is possible
with little
expenditure of force. In the closed or clamped position, the belt is clamped
in and
secured against an unwanted adjustment. Preferred embodiments of this type
provide that the lever body has, in addition to the pivot pin and/or arranged
at a
spacing from the pivot pin, at least one latching connection part which, in a
clamped
position of the lever body, can be latched with a counter-latching connection
part of
the basic body. The lever body is secured in the clamped position by means of
the
interaction between latching connection part and counter-latching connection
part.
If the lever body is to be pivoted into the open position, latching connection
parts
and counter-latching connection parts can be released from one another. For
this
purpose, it is advantageous if the lever body and/or the basic body has, for
closing
and/or releasing the latching connection, at least one hand-operated release
element
between latching connection part and counter-latching connection part. The
release
element provided can be for example, a release lever which is pivotably
arranged on
the basic body or on the lever body, preferably against an elastic restoring
force.
Preferred embodiments provide that the further contact surface of the elastic
body
is at a smaller spacing from the pivot pin than the latching connection part.
The lever body can be formed in one piece together with the pivot pin,
latching
connection part and elastic body.
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For the purpose of being able to simply retrofit devices according to the
invention on
belts already mounted on corresponding buckle components, preferred
embodiments
of the invention provide that the elastic body, preferably the lever body with
the
elastic body, can be fastened to the basic body by means of a connection which
can
be closed and released without a tool, preferably a latching connection. The
pivot
pin of the lever body can be particularly preferably fastened to the basic
body by
means of the connection, preferably latching connection, which can be closed
and
released without a tool. This makes it possible first to insert the belt into
the basic
body and then fasten the elastic body or the lever body to the basic body.
This
makes it possible to avoid having to thread the belt through between the two
contact surfaces. Particular preference is given here to latching connections
between the elastic body or the lever body and the basic body.
Preferred embodiments of the invention provide that the basic body has or is a
U-
shaped profile, wherein the first contact surface is part of a base portion of
the U-
shaped profile situated between two projecting lateral legs of the U-shaped
profile.
In such embodiments, it can be provided that the counter-latching connection
parts
and/or also the receptacles for the pivot pin of the lever body are arranged
on the
lateral legs.
Apart from the device per se, the invention also relates to an arrangement
with at
least one buckle component which has at least one connection device for
releasable
connection to another buckle component, and with at least one belt which is
guided
around at least one belt guide bar of the buckle component, wherein the
arrangement additionally has at least one device according to the invention
and at
least a first portion of the belt and at least a further portion of the belt
are clamped
between the first contact surface and the further contact surface. In this
connection,
advantageous embodiments provide that the portions of the belt bear directly
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against one another in the region between the contact surfaces with their
sides
facing away from the contact surfaces against which they bear directly in each
case.
Further features and details of preferred configurations of the invention will
be
explained with reference to an exemplary embodiment according to the invention
represented in the figures, in which:
Figures 1 to 3 show various views of an arrangement consisting of buckle, belt
and
device according to the invention, wherein the device according to the
invention is in
the closed or clamped position;
Figures 4 to 6 show representations corresponding two Figures 1 to 3, but
wherein
the device is in the open position;
Figures 7 to 10 show various representations of the device per se according to
the
invention used in Figures 1 to 6;
Figure 11 shows a perspective representation of the basic body of this
exemplary
embodiment, and
Figures 12 and 13 show representations of the lever body of this exemplary
embodiment.
Figure 1 shows, in a perspective representation, how two buckle components 3
and
3' known per se are connected to one another by means of an appropriate
connection
device 10 and 10'. Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the
arrangement
according to Figure 1 and Figure 3, depicting the corresponding side views. In
the
exemplary embodiment shown, a connection device 10 in the form of a male
extension is integrally formed on the buckle component 3. The other buckle
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component 3' has, as corresponding counterparts, connection devices 10' in the
form
of locking levers. The locking levers 10' are used to fix the connection
device 10,
with the result that the two buckle components 3' and 3 are fixedly connected
to one
another and tensile forces on the belt 4 can be transmitted via the buckle
components 3 and 3' to a belt or other object (not shown here) fastened to the
buckle
component 3'. To release the two belts from one another, the locking levers of
the
connection device 10' are actuated by hand, with the result that the two
buckle
components 3 and 3' can be separated from one another. All this is known per
se
and can be implemented according to the prior art in a wide range of
embodiments.
In order to be able to adjust the length of the harness, the belt 4 actually
represented is guided around the belt guide bar 2 on the buckle component 3.
As a
rule, the belt guide bars 2 are displaceably mounted on the buckle component 3
such that the belt 4 guided around the belt guide bar is held clamped on the
buckle
component 3 by means of belt guide bar 2. However, this clamping action
generally
only lasts for as long as corresponding tension is present on at least one of
the
portions 20 or 21 of the belt 4. The problem described at the outset with the
unwanted adjustment of the length of the belt 4 always occurs when the belt 4
or its
portions 20 and 21 are not correspondingly loaded with tension. In that case,
the
belt 4 can slip around the belt guide bar 2 and thus the undesired adjustment
can
result. In order to prevent this, a device 1 according to the invention is now
provided which is arranged in addition to the buckle component 3 on the belt
4. The
device according to the invention allows the belt 4 to be clamped between the
first
contact surface 6 of the basic body 5 and the further contact surface 8 of the
elastic
body 7, with the result that an unwanted adjustment of the belt 4 can no
longer
occur.
In Figures 1 to 3, the device 1 is in its clamped or closed position in which
the belt 4
is secured against an unwanted adjustment in the stated manner. In Figures 4
to 6,
the device 1 is in the open position in which the belt 4 is not held clamped
in the
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device 1, and thus, if required, a desired adjustment can be carried out.
Figures 4 to
6 again depict a perspective representation, a longitudinal section and a side
view.
In Figure 7, the device 1 is represented in the open position without belt 4
and
without buckle. Figure 8 shows a side view of the device 1 in the clamped or
closed
position. In Figure 11, the basic body 5 of the device 1 is represented as
being
detached from the other components. Figures 12 and 13 show the lever body 14
as
being detached from other representations. Figure 12 shows a side view and
Figure
13 shows a perspective representation from below.
In the exemplary embodiment shown, the elastic body 7 is designed as a spring
tongue or elastic clamping lug. It is held not directly but indirectly on the
basic body
via the lever body 14. Of course, other embodiments of the invention are also
conceivable, for example in which the elastic body 7 is fastened directly on
the basic
body 5. The elastic body 7 has the further contact surface 8. The first
contact
surface 6 is provided as a counterpart on the basic body 5. In the clamped
position,
the belt 4 is clamped between the first contact surface 6 and the further
contact
surface 8. For the purpose of achieving a most effective possible clamping
action, in
the exemplary embodiment shown both the first contact surface 6 and the
further
contact surface 8 are in each case equipped with a sequence of elevations 11
and
depressions 12 arranged between adjacent elevations 11. In the example shown,
the
elevations 11 are studs. Instead, however, it is also possible to use webs or
the like.
In the exemplary embodiment shown, the elastic body 7 is fastened to the lever
body
14 with the region 9 opposite the further contact surface 8. In the variant
represented, the lever body 14 is designed in one piece. In other words, the
pivot pin
13, the release elements 17, the latching connection parts 15 and the elastic
body 7
are connected to one another in one piece. Such parts can be produced, for
example,
from plastic, for example by injection molding. The basic body 5 can also be
correspondingly formed from plastic. However, other materials such as, for
example,
metal are also conceivable for both parts. In the exemplary embodiment shown,
the
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lever body 14 is equipped with axle bolts which form the pivot pin 13. The
pivot pin
13 or the stated axle bolts are pivotably mounted in a corresponding cutout in
the
basic body 18.
As already mentioned at the outset, it is expedient for the purpose of simple
retrofittability if the axle bolts or the pivot pin 13 are or is mounted such
that it can
be latched in and out of the corresponding pivot pin receptacle of the basic
body 5 in
a non-destructive manner. In the already-mounted position shown, the lever
body
14 can in any case be pivoted about the pivot pin 13 with respect to the basic
body 5
between an open position and a clamped or closed position. In order to secure
the
lever body 14 in the clamped or closed position, in the exemplary embodiment
shown an additional latching connection is provided between the pivotable
lever
body and basic body 5. This is formed by the latching connection parts 15 of
the
lever body 14 and the counter-latching connection parts 16 of the basic body
5. In
the exemplary embodiment shown, the latching connection parts 15 are
projecting
latching noses and the counter-latching connection parts 16 are corresponding
cutouts for receiving these latching noses in the lateral legs 18 of the basic
body 5.
However, this is not absolutely necessary. Appropriate latching connections
can of
course also be embodied differently. In order to allow the most advantageous
lever
forces possible to act, it is preferably provided that the further contact
surface 8 is
situated closer to the pivot pin 13 than the latching connection parts 15. In
order to
be able to release the latching connection between latching connection part 15
and
counter-latching connection part 16 and, if appropriate, also to close it,
release
elements 17 which can be actuated by hand are provided on the lever body 14 of
this
exemplary embodiment. In the exemplary embodiment shown, these release
elements are desig-ned as release levers which are arranged such that they can
be
pivoted against an elastic restoring force. Figure 9 shows the pivoted-out
position of
these release elements 17, in which the latching connection parts 15 are
released
from the counter-latching connection parts 16. In this position, the lever
body can be
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pivoted from the clamped or closed position according to Figure 8 into the
open
position according to Figure 7. When pivoting back from the open position into
the
clamped position, the latching connection parts 15 advantageously latch by
themselves into the counter-latching connection parts 16 as soon as the lever
body
14 is pivoted correspondingly far with respect to the basic body 15. Figure 10
shows
a representation in which the latching connection parts 15 are latched into
the
counter-latching connection parts 16.
Figure 11 shows particularly clearly that the basic body 5 of this exemplary
embodiment is designed as a U-shaped profile. The first contact surface 6 with
the
elevations 11 and depressions 12 is situated on the base portion 19 of this U-
shaped
profile. The counter-latching connection parts 16 and the pin receptacles for
the
pivot pin 13 are arranged in the two lateral legs 18 projecting from the
central base
portion 19.
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Key to the reference numbers:
1 Device
2 Belt guide bar
3, 3' Buckle component
4 Belt
Basic body
6 First contact surface
7 Elastic body
8 Further contact surface
9 Region
10, 10' Connection device
11 Elevation
12 Depression
13 Pivot pin
14 Lever body
Latching connection part
16 Counter-latching connection part
17 Release element
18 Lateral leg
19 Base portion
First portion
21 Further portion
11
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