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(11) | EP 3 884 795 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | REMOVABLE FASTENING SYSTEM FOR FASTENING A BUCKLE TO A BELT BODY AND RELATED BELT |
| (57) This disclosure illustrates a fastening system for belts of the adjustable-length
type, comprising a coupling strip having an oblong shape, which can be folded substantially
in half along a transverse direction of the coupling strip, at least a snap button,
having a male element fixed to a first end of the coupling strip and a female element
secured to a longitudinally opposite second end of the coupling strip, the male and
female elements being arranged so as to engage one another by folding the coupling
strip substantially at the middle along the transverse direction. A characteristic
of the fastening system is that it comprises at least a bushing having a substantially
cylindrical shape which delimits an internal space sufficient to house the male element
and the female element engaged together, in which the bushing is directly fixed to
the coupling strip together to a female or male element, which is contained in the
internal space surrounded by the bush. A belt of the adjustable-length type made with the fastening system is also disclosed. |
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to belts and more particularly to a removable system for attaching a buckle and a belt body of the adjustable length type and a belt thus made.
TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND
[0002] The belts are composed of a belt body, that is, a strip to be wrapped around the waist, hooked from one end to a buckle that engages a hole placed at the opposite end of the belt body. Depending on how the buckle is attached to the belt body, the belts can be of fixed length or of adjustable length type. For example, in fixed-length belts the buckle may be fixed to the belt body by folding one end of the belt body around an anchoring bar of the buckle and sewing the folded end of the belt body so that the bar can no longer be freed without remove the seams.
[0003] More typically, the belt body 2 of fixed-length belts has an end as shown in Figure 1 with snap buttons composed of male elements 1a and female elements 1b. By folding this end around the buckle anchoring bar and snapping the male 1a and female 1b elements of the snap buttons together, the buckle remains tied to the belt body until the snap buttons are opened. As an alternative to the snap buttons, it is possible to use any other removable male-female fixing means, such as for example a screw that crosses the belt body and engages a related retainer, so that the end of the belt body 2 folds around the buckle anchoring bar remain locked until the screw is unscrewed from the retainer. Such embodiments allow to quickly replace the buckle, but do not allow to shorten the belt because it would be necessary to disassemble and reassemble the coupling means, in particular if they are snap buttons, on the end of the belt body to be folded.
[0004] In order to overcome this drawback, the belts are made as shown in figure 2 with three distinct parts: the belt body 2, the buckle (not shown) and a fastening system comprising a coupling strip 3 equipped with fastening means 1a, 1b. The belt body 2 has through holes 4, as shown in figure 3, and is no longer folded around the buckle anchoring bar, but is constrained to it by the coupling strip 3, commonly called "oval" for its shape, on which the two male 1a and female 1b elements of the snap buttons are placed. When the coupling strip 3 is folded around the buckle anchoring bar, the belt body 2 is crossed by the snap buttons 1a, 1b and it is firmly fixed to the oval 3 together with the buckle.
[0005] In figures 1 and 2 the coupling means are snap fasteners, but it is possible to use also a screw 5 with its retainer, as shown in Figure 4, to retain the anchoring bar of the buckle 6.
[0006] In both cases, the belt can be shortened by opening the coupling means (indifferently, a snap button or a screw with a retainer) in order to free the belt body 2, then shortening the belt body 2 by cutting a piece at the end to be fixed to the coupling strip 3 ("oval"), making new through holes 4 in the belt body 2 by means of a punching plier or a perforator, folding the coupling strip 3 around the belt body 2 and to the anchoring bar of the buckle 6, finally closing the coupling means so that the oval 3 holds together the belt body 2 with the buckle 6.
[0007] These systems are convenient for shortening the belt without having to make improper holes or cut the free end of the belt, which is always visible when the belt is worn. However, when the coupling means are common snap buttons 1a, 1b, it is possible to replace the buckle 6 by opening with bare hands the snap buttons, but there is a risk that the belt opens by itself when it is stretched too much while it is worn. Tests carried out by the Applicant have shown that present belts such as those of Figures 1 and 2, made with snap buttons 1a, 1b, open spontaneously even when subjected to relatively modest traction forces.
[0008] The sequence of images of figures 5a and 5b shows the test equipment made by the Applicant in a workshop. A belt of the type shown in Figure 1 has the belt body fixed to a cantilever wooden support that leaves dangling a buckle retained by means of two snap buttons. A platform has been hung to the buckle, on which weights are placed to measure the maximum load that the belt can support without opening the snaps. Figures 5a and 5b show that the tested belt was able to withstand (figure 5a) the weight of the platform and a weight of two kilograms, but that the snaps opened (figure 5b) letting the buckle drop as soon as another identical two-kilogram weight was attempted to be placed on the platform.
[0009] The fact that a belt with snap buttons releases under relatively modest tension forces makes this solution currently less preferable to that with screw and retainer, which is instead the most used one in high-quality belts. However, when the coupling means are constituted by a screw with its retainer, generally it is possible to shorten the size but the buckle cannot be replaced because it is sewn to the oval. In any case, it is impossible to use bare hands because the coupling strip can only be opened with an appropriate screwdriver, and in any case the operation cannot be performed by inexperienced persons without risking of damaging the head of the screw.
SUMMARY
[0010] A fastening system for belt buckles of the type with snap buttons which solves the aforementioned problems of limited tensile strength has been found and is the subject of this disclosure.
[0011] Excellent results have been obtained with the fastening system of claim 1. It comprises a coupling strip for belts with at least one snap button, having a male element and a female element in which the male element is forced to enter. In the system of this disclosure, the male element or the female element of each snap button is installed inside a bushing concentric to it, in its turn fixed directly to the coupling strip together with the male or female element. The bushing is dimensioned so that when the male element is forced to enter in the female element of the snap button, both are surrounded by the side walls of the bushing.
[0012] A belt for trousers and a strap for bags made with the disclosed fastening system are also disclosed.
[0013] The claims as filed are integral part of this description and are incorporated herein by reference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014]
Figure 1 shows one end with snap fasteners of a belt of which it is impossible to adjust the length.
Figure 2 shows an end with snap buttons of a belt adjustable in length with the belt body separated from the coupling strip.
Figure 3 shows a belt body of a belt with through holes for coupling to the snap buttons of a coupling strip.
Figure 4 shows a coupling strip of a belt closed around a buckle by means of a screw inserted in the relative fastener.
Figures 5a and 5b are two frames of a tensile load test of the prior belt of Figure 1, which respectively illustrate the test equipment and the instant in which the known fastening system opened.
Figures 6a and 6b respectively show a common male element and a common female element of a snap button usable in the fastening system according to the present disclosure.
Figure 7 shows a bushing to be placed around a male element or a female element of a snap button in order to provide a fastening system according to the present disclosure.
Figure 8 shows a belt coupling strip according to an aspect of the present disclosure, with two snap buttons provided with bushings of the type shown in Figure 7.
Figure 9 shows a belt coupling strip according to an aspect of the present disclosure, with a through ring and a single snap button provided with a bushing of the type shown in Figure 7.
Figures 10a, 10b and 10c respectively show plan, section and axonometric views of a fastening system according to an aspect of this disclosure with bushings installed around the female elements of the snap buttons.
Figures 11a and 11b respectively show plan and section views of a belt body with through holes coupled to the fastening system of figures 10a to 10c.
Figure 12 shows a belt body tied to a fastening system according to an aspect of this disclosure with bushings installed around the female elements of the snap buttons.
Figure 13 shows a belt body of a belt tied to a fastening system according to an aspect of this disclosure with bushings installed around the male elements of the snap buttons.
Figure 14 shows the fastening system of Figure 13 of a belt, with the snap buttons closed to retain a buckle and a belt body according to the present disclosure.
Figures 15a and 15b show two instants of a tensile load test of a belt with the fastening system of Figure 12, which respectively illustrate the fastening system that supports a weight of over forty kilograms and the instant in which the wooden support beam of the belt broke without the fastening system being opened.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Exemplary embodiments of a coupling system according to the present invention will be illustrated making reference to Figures 6 to 14.
[0016] Like the known fastening systems for adjustable-length belts of the type shown in Figure 2, the fastening system of this disclosure comprises a coupling strip 3 foldable around a bar of the frame of a buckle, and one or more snap buttons. Each snap button, which can be of a type commonly available on the market, has a male element 1a - for example of the type shown in figure 6a - to be fixed on a first end of the coupling strip 3, and a female element 1b - for example of the type shown in figure 6b - to be fixed on a second end opposite the first end of the coupling strip 3. By folding the coupling strip 3 in half, the male element 1a of each snap button engages the corresponding female element 1b by pressing.
[0017] Tests performed by the Applicant have shown that it is possible in a surprising manner to increase tensile strength of a belt having a coupling system with snap buttons, providing each snap button with a bushing 7 of the type shown in Figure 7 to be fixed directly to the coupling strip 3. Substantially, it has a side wall 71 and a perforated base surface 7b, so that it may be fixed directly to the coupling strip 3 together with a female element 1b or a male element 1a of the snap button so as to surround the female element 1b and the male element 1a when the snap button is closed.
[0018] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the fastening system can be realized as in figure 8, with a coupling strip 3 (the so-called "oval") and a plurality of snap buttons, whose male elements 1a and female elements 1b are arranged on opposite ends of the coupling strip 3. In the example of figure 8, two bushings 7 can be seen as shown in figure 7 mounted concentrically to the male elements 1a and fixed directly to the coupling strip 3. At the center of the coupling strip there is a through hole 8 for inserting the barb of a buckle.
[0019] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the fastening system can be realized as in Figure 9, in which the oval 3 has only one snap button and is sewed at one end thereof to a passer-ring 9 to hold the current belt.
[0020] In the coupling system according to the present disclosure, each bushing 7 of Figure 7 may indifferently be installed so as the male element 1a or the female element 1b of the respective snap button is placed inside of it when the snap button is open. For example, figures 10a, 10b and 10c show a plan view, a front section view and an axonometric view, respectively, of a coupling system in closed configuration according to an aspect of this disclosure, with bushings 7 directly attached and to a coupling strip 3 around the female elements 1b of the snap buttons. Figures 11a and 11b show a plan view and a section view of a belt body 2 with through holes fixed to the coupling strip 3 of figures 10a-10c so that the bushings 7 pass through the holes.
[0021] Figure 12 shows a prototype of a fastening system of the type illustrated in figures 10 to 10c, with two snap buttons and with as many bushings 7 fixed concentrically to the female elements 1b of the buttons so as to contain them. Figure 13 shows the dual solution, wherein the bushings 7 are fixed concentrically to the female elements 1b of the buttons. In both cases, the belt body 2 will have through holes 4 of appropriate diameter so as to let the lateral surfaces 71 of the bushings 7 to pass into the through holes 4 of the belt body 2. Then, the oval 3 is folded around the anchoring bar of a buckle and the snap buttons are closed, as shown in Figure 14, forming a belt of adjustable-length type according to the present disclosure.
[0022] It has been experimentally found that the fastening systems according to the present disclosure are much more resistant to traction than the known fastening systems. To measure the tensile strength, the fastening system of figure 12 was subjected to the same test illustrated in figures 5a and 5b (figures 15a and 15b). Figure 15a shows that the snap buttons do not open even if the buckle withstands a weight of over forty kilograms. When another weight of ten kilograms (figure 15b) was added, the wooden cantilever support holding the belt broke, but the snap buttons were still closed.
[0023] Without being bound to any theory, it is assumed that this extraordinary tensile strength is due to the fact that, when the button is closed, the belt body 2 is practically not in contact with the male 1a and female 1b elements of the snap buttons, because the lateral surface 71 of the bushing 7 surrounds them completely and shields them inside. Since the bushings 7 are directly attached to the coupling strip 3, it is assumed that the load applied to the buckle is transmitted to the belt body 2 not through the male elements 1a and female 1b of the snap buttons, as in known belts, but through the coupling strip 3 and through the bushings 7 directly fixed thereto. Consequently, the snap buttons remain substantially unloaded and thus, even if they are easy to open with bare hands, the fastening system firmly withstands considerable traction forces as in the belts in which the belt body is sewn to hold the buckle.
a coupling strip (3) having an oblong shape, folded substantially at a half along its transverse direction,
at least one snap button, having a male element (1a) fixed to a first end of said
coupling strip (3) and a female element (1b) fixed to a second end of said coupling
strip (3) opposite along a longitudinal direction of the coupling strip (3), said
male (1a) and female (1b) elements being arranged so as to engage one another by folding
the coupling strip (3) substantially at a half along said transverse direction,
characterized in that said fastening system (3) comprises at least one bushing (7) having a substantially
cylindrical shape, defining a base surface (7b) and a lateral surface (71) which delimits
an inner space of the bushing (7) sufficient to house said male element (1a) and said
female element (1b) engaged with each other, in which:
- said bushing (7) is directly fixed to the coupling strip (3);
- an element between said female element (1b) or said male element (1a) is fixed to the coupling strip (3) together with said bushing (7) and is contained in said inner space surrounded by the lateral surface (71) of the bushing (7).
two snap buttons, wherein both male elements (1a) of the snap buttons are fixed to said first end and both female elements (1b) of the snap buttons are fixed to said second end of the coupling strip (3);
two identical bushings (7), each of them being directly fixed to the coupling strip (3) together with a respective male element (1a) or with a respective female element (1b) of said snap buttons.
a fastening system according to one of the previous claims;
a belt body (2) having a through hole (4) for each of said snap buttons of said fastening system, said through hole (4) having dimensions suitable for inserting therein a bushing (7) of the fastening system;
a buckle (6) having a belt anchoring bar for anchoring the coupling strip (3) of said fastening system.