Clasp

A clasp is provided having a body defining at least one passageway extending at least partially therethrough, at least one pair of engagement portions pivotally mounted across the body and configured to engage an object located in the at least one passageway, and an actuation portion in communication with the at least one pair of engagement portions and biased in the engaged condition. Actuation of the actuation portion causes the at least one pair of engagement portions to disengage from the object against the biasing force.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. national stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT Application No. PCT/AU2015/050573 filed on Sep. 23, 2015, which claims the benefit of Australian Provisional Application No. 2014903819 filed on Sep. 24, 2014. The subject matter of these earlier filed patent applications is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a clasp. In particular, the present invention relates to a clasp for use with such devices as collars, belts or tie-downs.

BACKGROUND ART

Clasps are used for a wide variety of applications, such as collars for animals, safety belts (or other safety devices), clothing, tie-downs on trucks and other vehicles and so on. However, existing clasps suffer from the drawback that, if the same device is used by two different people, it will most likely need to be adjusted so as to fit the second person. This is fiddly, time-consuming and may result in, for instance, excess lengths of belt dangling from the device which is both unsightly and potentially hazardous.

Similarly, due to the nature of existing clasps, animal collars or belts for clothing are constructed in particular sizes, meaning that as a person or animal grows, the belt or collar must either be adjusted manually (e.g. by adding additional holes to the belt or collar) or replaced if the belt or collar becomes too small for the person or animal.

Some attempts have been made to overcome these drawbacks. For instance, in the Applicant's earlier international patent application (published as WO 2009/121146) a clasp was provided that allowed for quick adjustment. However, while this clasp provide ease of adjustment in one direction (i.e. to tighten the collar or belt), it was more difficult to adjust in the opposite direction (i.e. to loosen the collar or belt). When used as an animal collar, this could potentially lead to a situation in which the collar is pulled so tight that the animal may find it difficult to breathe.

Thus, there would be an advantage if it were possible to provide a clasp which allowed a belt, collar or other similar device to be easily and quickly adjusted (both tightening and loosening) when the same device is used by people or animals of different size.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a clasp which may at least partially overcome at least one of the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.

With the foregoing in view, the present invention in one form, resides broadly in a clasp having a body defining at least one passageway extending at least partially therethrough, at least a pair of engagement portions pivotally mounted across the body and adapted to engage an object located in said at least one passageway, and an actuation portion in communication with the at least a pair of engagement portions and biased in the engaged condition, wherein actuation of the actuation portion causes the at least a pair of engagement portions to disengage from the object against the biasing force.

In use, the clasp of the present invention will typically be used in association with an elongate flexible member. Importantly, the clasp of the invention may be fixed to a portion of the elongate flexible member or alternatively, may be at least temporarily fixed in position via the engagement portions only. The clasp may be removable from the elongate flexible member entirely and the elongate flexible member may be moved through the at least one passageway with or without restriction apart from the engagement portions.

Typically, the clasp will be used in one of two main situations, namely, more or less permanently attached to an end of the elongate member with another portion of the member engaged by the engagement portions or alternatively, as a clasp which is fixed in position by the engagement portions along the length of the elongate member.

The body of the clasp may be of any suitable shape, size or configuration. In some embodiments of the invention, the body of the clasp comprises one or more walls, the interior of the one or more walls of the body serving to define at least one passageway extending at least partially therethrough. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the body of the clasp comprises a bottom wall and a pair of sidewalls extending therefrom.

Preferably, the body of the clasp comprises one or more inlets into which an object may be inserted. In some embodiments of the invention, the body of the clasp further comprises one or more outlets. Thus, in these embodiments of the invention, the at least one passageway extends entirely through the body of the clasp, with the at least one inlet defining one end of the passageway and the at least one outlet defining a second end of the passageway. Whilst the passageway may be of any suitable configuration (curved, tortuous or the like), it is preferred that the passageway is substantially straight.

The actuation portion may be of any suitable form. As previously stated, the actuation portion is in communication with the engagement portions, and the communication between the actuation portion and the engagement portions may be achieved using any suitable technique. The actuation portion may communicate either directly or indirectly with the engagement portions. For instance, the actuation portion may be located remotely from the engagement portions (or even remotely from the clasp), or the actuation portion and the engagement portions may be physically connected to one another, either temporarily or permanently.

In some embodiments of the invention, the actuation portion comprises a lever, button, switch, latch, or the like. The actuation portion may be located remotely from the clasp or may be mounted permanently or temporarily to the body of the clasp. The actuation portion may be formed integrally with the body of the clasp or may be formed separately and subsequently mounted thereto using any suitable technique. In some embodiments of the invention, at least a portion of the actuation portion may form at least a portion of an upper wall of the body of the clasp.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuation portion is biased in the engaged condition. By this it is meant that, when the actuation portion is not being actuated, the actuation portion is biased such that the engagement portions are in position to engage an object. Preferably, when the engagement portions are in position to engage an object, the engagement portions are located within the passageway. In some embodiments of the invention, when the engagement portions are located in the passageway (i.e. when the actuation portion is in the biased condition), the passageway may be at least partially blocked by the engagement portions. Preferably, when the engagement portions are located in the passageway, an object cannot pass through the passageway due to the obstacle caused by the location of the engagement portions. The actuation portion may be biased in this condition using any suitable biasing member (or members), such as a compressible tube or the like. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the biasing member comprises one or more springs.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the biasing force of the biasing member may be overcome by manual pressure applied by a user's fingers or hands. However, depending on the application to which the invention is applied, it may be preferable that a greater (or lesser) force than this is required to overcome the biasing force and actuate the actuation portion.

In some embodiments of the invention, actuation of the actuation portion may result in the engagement portions moving such that they no longer obstruct the passageway. In this way, upon actuation of the actuation portion, an object may be inserted into, and pass through, the passageway. When the actuation of the actuation portion is released, the actuation portion is biased so as to return the engagement portions to the engaged condition within the passageway, whereupon, if an object has been inserted into the passageway, the engagement portions engage with said object to retain it in place. In some embodiments of the invention, this movement of the engagement portions is achieved by mounting the engagement portions and the actuation portion so as to be pivotally mounted to the body of the clasp. Thus, actuation of the actuation portion causes the engagement portions to pivot about a pivot point such that the engagement portions are pivoted out of the passageway.

In some embodiments of the invention, the actuation portion may be provided with one or more indicia to instruct a user in how to actuate the actuation portion. The one or more indicia may be in the form of words, letters, numbers, symbols, pictures, colours or any combination thereof.

The at least a pair of engagement portions may be of any suitable form to create a sufficient engagement between the engagement portions and the object to prevent the object from moving without the engagement portions being disengaged. The physical engagement may be achieved using any suitable technique such as by abutting, a frictional engagement, a pin and slot arrangement, a clamping motion or a combination thereof.

The engagement portions may be provided with one or more projections (teeth, hooks, spikes or the like), an adhesive, Velcro or the like (or any combination thereof) that may physically engage and hold the object during use.

In some embodiments of the invention, the engagement portions may include an array of projections. The array of projections may be provided on a member that extends transversely across at least a portion of the passageway. When the engagement portions are in the engaged position, the array of projections may extend at least partially into the passageway. In this way, the array of projections may engage with at least a portion of the width of an object located in the passageway. Preferably, each of the engagement portions is provided with an array of projections.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuation of the actuation portion may cause the array of projections to move such that the array of projections does not project into the passageway. In this manner, the array of projections may be disengaged from the object located in the passageway so that the object may be removed from the passageway or have its position adjusted. In addition, by moving the array of projections out of the passageway, an object may be inserted into the passageway if required.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the member on which the array of projections is provided may be in communication with the actuation portion. Preferably, the member is connected, either fixedly or removably, or directly or indirectly, to the actuation portion.

The pair of engagement portions may be oriented in any suitable manner within the body of the clasp. For instance, the engagement portions may be oriented so as to be side by side within the passageway. More preferably, however, a first engagement portion may be located closer to the inlet end of the passageway, while a second engagement portion may be located closer to the outlet end of the passageway. The pair of engagement portions may be oriented in the same direction, or may be oriented in opposite directions to one another (for instance, facing towards one another or facing away from one another). More specifically, the array of projections provided on each engagement portion may be oriented in the same direction, or in different directions to one another. For instance, the engagement portions may be oriented such that the arrays of projections are facing towards one another or are facing away from each other.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the array of projections on the engagement portion located closer to the inlet of the body of the clasp may be oriented to face towards the inlet, while the array of projections on the engagement portion located closer to the outlet of the body of the clasp may be oriented to face towards the outlet.

Preferably, the engagement portions may be retained in the engaged position by one or more biasing members. Thus, it is envisaged that the natural bias of the one or more biasing members retains the engagement portions in the engaged position. Any suitable biasing members may be used, such as one or more compressible tubes or the like. More preferably, the one or more biasing members comprise one of more springs. In this embodiment of the invention, it is envisaged that a portion of the actuation portion may abut or engage with the biasing members. Thus, in this embodiment of the invention, actuation of the actuation portion may result in the natural bias of the biasing members being overcome, and the engagement portions being moved from the engaged position to the disengaged position, thereby allowing movement of the elongate member within the passageway.

The engagement portions may move between the engaged and disengaged positions in any suitable manner. For instance, the engagement members may be lifted or lowered between the engaged and disengaged positions, or may slide between the engaged and disengaged positions. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the engagement portions are associated with the biasing members in such a manner that the actuation of the actuation portion results in the engagement portions pivoting between the engaged and disengaged positions. The engagement portions may pivot in any suitable manner. However, in embodiments of the invention in which the engagement portions are oriented to face in different directions to one another in the passageway, it is envisaged that a first engagement portion may pivot in a clockwise direction between the engaged and disengaged positions, while a second engagement portion may pivot in an anticlockwise direction between the engaged and disengaged positions.

By providing at least a pair of engagement portions, the ability of the clasp to retain the elongate member and prevent unwanted movement of the elongate member while in the engaged position is improved. In addition, by providing a pair of engagement portions, disengagement of the engagement portions from the elongate member (and movement of the engagement portions into the disengaged position) may be more easily achieved. In addition, movement of the engagement portions into the disengaged position is achieved in a manner that more effectively moved the engagement portions out of the way of the elongate member, and allows for easy movement of the elongate member in either direction within the passageway. In this way, the risk of accidental strangulation of an animal wearing a collar including the clasp may be reduced, or even prevented.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the clasp may be provided with attachment means. The attachment means may be of any suitable form, shape, size or configuration. The attachment means may be adapted to allow an item to be permanently or temporarily attached thereto (such as an animal leash, identification tag or the like).

The object located in the passageway may be any suitable object. In some embodiments of the invention, however, the object comprises one or more elongate members, such as a belt or strap for clothing, a belt or strap for safety equipment (e.g. a vehicle or aeroplane seatbelt, a safety harness strap or the like), a cord, rope, chain or a collar for an animal and so on. Alternatively, in situations in which the clasp is held in a fixed position, the attachment means may be used to attach the clasp to a any suitable fixed object. The attachment means may comprise a hook, loop, screw, bolt, clamp, projection or the like, or any combination thereof.

The clasp may be constructed from any suitable material, such as metal, plastic, fiberglass or the like. The individual components of the clasp may be constructed from the same, or different materials. The clasp may be manufactured in a variety of sizes or shapes, depending on the application in which it is to be used.

In another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a collar, the collar comprising at least one elongate member and a clasp having a body defining at least one passageway extending at least partially therethrough, engagement portions pivotally mounted across the body and adapted to engage an object located in said at least one passageway, and actuation portion in communication with the engagement portions and biased in the engaged condition, wherein actuation of said actuation portion causes the engagement portions to disengage from the object against the biasing force.

Preferably, the elongate member comprises a strap (such as a metal, fabric, plastic or leather strap), rope, cord, belt, chain or the like. Preferably, the elongate member comprises the portion of the collar that is placed around the neck of the wearer. Although the term “collar” has been used in this context, the skilled addressee will understand that the collar could equally be applied to a wearer's arm, leg, torso, waist, head or any other suitable location.

In a most preferred embodiment of the invention, the collar is a collar for an animal.

In yet another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a method of attaching a collar to an animal, the method comprising the steps of actuating an actuation portion located on a clasp provided on said collar, inserting an elongate portion of the collar into the clasp, releasing the actuation portion when the elongate portion has been inserted a sufficient distance into the clasp, wherein releasing the actuation portion causes at least a pair of engagement portions to engage with the elongate portion, thereby preventing the elongate portion from moving when in use.

In another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a clasp havinga body defining at least one passageway extending from an inlet at a first end of the body to an outlet at a second, opposite end of the body, the second end of the body adapted to secure an elongate member to the body of the clasp, said body comprising a bottom wall, one or more walls extending upward from said bottom wall, the interior of the one or more walls serving to define the passageway,at least a pair of engagement portions pivotally mounted across the body and adapted to engage the elongate member when located in said at least one passageway,an actuation portion in communication with the engagement portions and biased into an engaged condition,wherein actuation of said actuation portion causes the engagement portions to disengage from the elongate member against the biasing force.

The actuation portion may be of any suitable form. As previously stated, the actuation portion is in communication with the engagement portions, and the communication between the actuation portion and the engagement portions may be achieved using any suitable technique. The actuation portion may communicate either directly or indirectly with the engagement portions. For instance, the actuation portion may be located remotely from the engagement portions (or even remotely from the clasp), or the actuation portion and the engagement portions may be physically connected to one another, either temporarily or permanently.

In some embodiments of the invention, the actuation portion comprises a lever, button, switch, latch, or the like. The actuation portion may be located remotely from the clasp or may be mounted permanently or temporarily to the body of the clasp. The actuation portion may be formed integrally with the body of the clasp or may be formed separately and subsequently mounted thereto using any suitable technique. In some embodiments of the invention, at least a portion of the actuation portion may form at least a portion of an upper wall of the body of the clasp.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuation portion is biased into the engaged condition. By this it is meant that, when the actuation portion is not being actuated, the actuation portion is biased such that the engagement portions are in position to engage the elongate member. Preferably, when the engagement portions are in position to engage the elongate member, the engagement portions are located within the passageway.

In some embodiments of the invention, when the engagement portions are located in the passageway (i.e. when the actuation portion is in the biased condition), the passageway may be at least partially blocked by the engagement portions. Preferably, when the engagement portions are located in the passageway, the elongate member cannot pass through the passageway due to the obstacle caused by the location of the engagement portions. The actuation portion may be biased into this condition using any suitable biasing member, such as a compressible tube or the like. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the biasing member comprises one or more springs.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the biasing force of the biasing member may be overcome by manual pressure applied by a user's fingers or hands. However, depending on the application to which the invention is applied, it may be preferable that a greater (or lesser) force than this is required to overcome the biasing force and actuate the actuation portion.

In some embodiments of the invention, actuation of the actuation portion may result in the engagement portions moving such that they no longer obstruct the passageway or only partially obstruct the passageway. In this way, upon actuation of the actuation portion, the elongate member may be inserted into, and pass through, the passageway. When the actuation of the actuation portion is released, the actuation portion is biased so as to return the engagement portions to the engaged condition within the passageway, whereupon, if the elongate member has been inserted into the passageway, the engagement portions engage with said elongate member to retain it in place. In some embodiments of the invention, this movement of the engagement portions is achieved by mounting the engagement portions and the actuation portion so as to be pivotally mounted to the body of the clasp. Thus, actuation of the actuation portion causes the engagement portions to pivot about a pivot point such that the engagement portion is pivoted out of the passageway. In embodiments of the invention in which the actuation portion and the engagement portions are operatively associated with one another, actuation of the actuation portion results in pivotal movement of both the engagement portions and the actuation portion about the pivot point. Alternatively, the engagement portions and the actuation portion may pivot about different pivot points.

The pivot point may be located at any suitable location relative to the actuation portion and/or the engagement portion. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a pivot pin may be provided at the pivot point about which the engagement portions pivot. Preferably, the pivot pin may be attached to at least one wall of the body so that the engagement portions pivot about the stationary pivot pin. In this embodiment of the invention, it is envisaged that the pivot pin may be attached to opposed walls of the body, and preferably opposed walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the body. In some embodiments of the invention, the pivot pin may be at least partially surrounded by the actuation portion. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuation portion may be provided with a passage therethrough into which the pivot pin may be inserted for attachment to opposed walls of the body.

In some embodiments of the invention, the actuation portion may be provided with one or more indicia to instruct a user in how to actuate the actuation portion. The one or more indicia may be in the form of words, letters, numbers, symbols, pictures, colours, a thumb pad or any combination thereof.

The engagement portions may be of any suitable form to create a sufficient engagement between the engagement portions and the elongate member to prevent the elongate member from moving without the engagement portions being disengaged. The physical engagement may be achieved using any suitable technique such as by abutting, a frictional engagement, a pin and slot arrangement, a clamping motion or a combination thereof.

The engagement portions may be provided with one or more projections (teeth, hooks, spikes or the like), an adhesive, Velcro or the like (or any combination thereof) that may physically engage and hold the elongate member during use.

In some embodiments of the invention, the engagement portions may include an array of projections. The array of projections may be provided on a member that extends transversely across at least a portion of the passageway. When the engagement portions are in the engaged position, the array of projections may extend at least partially into the passageway. In this way, the array of projections may engage with at least a portion of the width of the elongate member located in the passageway.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuation of the actuation portion may cause the array of projections to move such that the array of projections does not project into the passageway. In this manner, the array of projections may be disengaged from the elongate member located in the passageway so that the elongate member may be removed from the passageway or have its position adjusted. In addition, by moving the array of projections out of the passageway, the elongate member may be inserted into the passageway past the engagement portions if required.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the member on which the array of projections is provided may be in communication with the actuation portion. Preferably, the member is connected, either fixedly or removably, or directly or indirectly, to the actuation portion.

The pair of engagement portions may be oriented in any suitable manner within the body of the clasp. For instance, the engagement portions may be oriented so as to be side by side within the passageway. More preferably, however, a first engagement portion may be located closer to the inlet end of the passageway, while a second engagement portion may be located closer to the outlet end of the passageway. The pair of engagement portions may be oriented in the same direction, or may be oriented in opposite directions to one another (for instance, facing towards one another or facing away from one another). More specifically, the array of projections provided on each engagement portion may be oriented in the same direction, or in different directions to one another. For instance, the engagement portions may be oriented such that the arrays of projections are facing towards one another or are facing away from each other.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the array of projections on the engagement portion located closer to the inlet of the body of the clasp may be oriented to face towards the inlet, while the array of projections on the engagement portion located closer to the outlet of the body of the clasp may be oriented to face towards the outlet.

Preferably, the engagement portions may be retained in the engaged position by one or more biasing members. Thus, it is envisaged that the natural bias of the one or more biasing members retains the engagement portions in the engaged position. Any suitable biasing members may be used, such as one or more compressible tubes or the like. More preferably, the one or more biasing members comprise one of more springs. In this embodiment of the invention, it is envisaged that a portion of the actuation portion may abut or engage with the biasing members. Thus, in this embodiment of the invention, actuation of the actuation portion may result in the natural bias of the biasing members being overcome, and the engagement portions being moved from the engaged position to the disengaged position, thereby allowing movement of the elongate member within the passageway.

The engagement portions may move between the engaged and disengaged positions in any suitable manner. For instance, the engagement members may be lifted or lowered between the engaged and disengaged positions, or may slide between the engaged and disengaged positions. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, the engagement portions are associated with the biasing members in such a manner that the actuation of the actuation portion results in the engagement portions pivoting between the engaged and disengaged positions. The engagement portions may pivot in any suitable manner. However, in embodiments of the invention in which the engagement portions are oriented to face in different directions to one another in the passageway, it is envisaged that a first engagement portion may pivot in a clockwise direction between the engaged and disengaged positions, while a second engagement portion may pivot in an anticlockwise direction between the engaged and disengaged positions. Preferably, the engagement portions are mounted to pins that extend between opposed side walls of the body, thereby forming pivot points about which the engagement portions pivot. Preferably, each engagement portion is mounted to a separate pin.

By providing at least a pair of engagement portions, the ability of the clasp to retain the elongate member and prevent unwanted movement of the elongate member while in the engaged position is improved. In addition, by providing a pair of engagement portions, disengagement of the engagement portions from the elongate member (and movement of the engagement portions into the disengaged position) may be more easily achieved. In addition, movement of the engagement portions into the disengaged position is achieved in a manner that more effectively moved the engagement portions out of the way of the elongate member, and allows for easy movement of the elongate member in either direction within the passageway. In this way, the risk of accidental strangulation of an animal wearing a collar including the clasp may be reduced, or even prevented.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the clasp may be provided with an attachment portion. The attachment portion may be of any suitable form, shape, size or configuration. The attachment portion may be adapted to allow an item to be permanently or temporarily attached thereto (such as an animal leash, identification tag or the like). Alternatively, in situations in which the clasp is held in a fixed position, the attachment portion may be used to attach the clasp to a any suitable fixed object. The attachment portion may comprise a hook, loop, screw, bolt, clamp, projection or the like, or any combination thereof.

The elongate member may be of any suitable form. In some embodiments of the invention, however, the elongate member comprises one or more belts or straps for clothing, a belt or strap for safety equipment (e.g. a vehicle or aeroplane seatbelt, a safety harness strap or the like), a belt or strap for a vehicle tie-down (such as a truck or the like) a cord, rope, chain or a collar for an animal and so on.

The clasp may be constructed from any suitable material, such as metal, plastic, fiberglass or the like. The individual components of the clasp may be constructed from the same, or different materials. The clasp may be manufactured in a variety of sizes or shapes, depending on the application in which it is to be used.

In some embodiments of the invention, the bottom wall of the body may be substantially continuous. In this embodiment of the invention, a substantially continuous bottom wall ensures that the elongate member must pass through the inlet at the first end of the body and exit the clasp through the outlet located at the second end of the body.

It will be understood that the term “substantially continuous” is intended to mean that the bottom wall is not provided with apertures large enough for the elongate member to pass through. However, the bottom wall may still be provided with one or more apertures therein that are not large enough for the elongate member to pass through. For instance, the bottom wall may be provided with one or more apertures therein through which one or more securing members may pass to secure the elongate member to the body. The securing members may be of any suitable form, although in a preferred embodiment the securing members may comprise one or more mechanical fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, nails or the like, or a combination thereof. In this embodiment of the invention it is envisaged that the elongate member may be provided with one or more apertures therethrough that may be aligned with the one or more apertures in the bottom wall to allow a securing member to pass through the aligned apertures and secure the elongate member to the body.

Alternatively, the bottom wall of the body may be non-continuous. However, in order to ensure that the elongate member passes through the inlet at the first end of the body and exits the clasp through the outlet located at the second end of the body, at least a portion of the bottom wall may be shaped so as to guide the elongate member along the passageway and prevent it from exiting the clasp through an aperture in the bottom wall. In this embodiment of the invention, at least a portion of the bottom wall may be provided at an angle to the remainder of the bottom wall so as to direct the elongate member along the passageway. The at least a portion of the bottom wall may be provided at any suitable angle to the remainder of the bottom wall, although in a preferred embodiment of the invention the at least a portion of the bottom wall may be angled into the passageway so as to ensure that the elongate member is directed through the passageway.

In this embodiment of the invention, it is envisaged that the end of the elongate member to be secured to the body may pass through the aperture to form a loop. The looped portion of the elongate member may then be secured to itself using one or more securing members. Once secured, the elongate member is effectively secured to the body of the clasp.

Preferably, the body of the clasp comprises a first end and a second end. Preferably, the first end of the body is the end at which the inlet of the passageway is located, while the second end of the body is the end at which the outlet of the passageway is located. In some embodiments of the invention, the elongate member may be secured at or adjacent the second end of the body. In this embodiment, an opposite end of the elongate member to that secured at or adjacent the second end of the body may then be inserted into the clasp through the inlet at the first end of the body.

In some embodiments of the invention, the clasp may further be provided with a guide portion. Preferably, the guide portion is adapted to assist in guiding the elongate member through the passageway, thereby improving the ease with which the clasp may be used. The guide portion may be of any suitable form. However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide portion may be associated with the actuation portion. Thus, in this way, actuation of the actuation portion produces a corresponding movement in the guide portion. In particular embodiments of the invention, actuation of the actuation portion results in pivotal movement of both the actuation portion and the guide portion about the pivot point.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide portion may be located on the actuation portion. In this embodiment, the guide portion may be located on a rear portion of the actuation portion. The guide portion may be fixedly or removably attached to the rear portion of the actuation portion. By “rear portion” it is meant that the guide portion may be located on a portion of the actuation portion that faces inwardly towards the passageway rather than outwardly towards a user. Preferably, if the elongate member comes into contact with the guide portion as it passes through the passageway, the shape of the guide portion will direct the elongate member towards the engagement portions. In this way, the ease of use of the clasp may be improved.

In yet another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a method of attaching a collar to an animal, said collar comprising a clasp and an elongate member, the method comprising the steps of:

actuating an actuation portion located on a clasp provided on said collar, said clasp having a body defining a passageway extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, said body comprising one or more walls, the interior of the walls serving to define the passageway,

securing an end of the elongate member to the clasp at the second end of the body of the clasp,

inserting an opposite end of the elongate member into the clasp through an inlet at the first end of the body, the inlet being defined by the body and the actuation portion, toward the second end of the body of the clasp,

releasing the actuation portion when the elongate member has been inserted a sufficient distance into the clasp, wherein

releasing the actuation portion causes at least a pair of engagement portions to engage with the elongate member, thereby preventing the elongate member from moving when in use.

In another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a clasp having:

a body defining at least one passageway extending from an inlet at a first end of the body to an outlet at a second, opposite end of the body, the second end of the body adapted to secure an elongate member to the body of the clasp, said body comprising a bottom wall, one or more walls extending upward from said bottom wall, the interior of the one or more walls serving to define the passageway,

at least a pair of engagement portions pivotally mounted across the body and adapted to engage the elongate member when located in said at least one passageway,

an actuation portion in communication with the at least a pair of engagement portions and biased into an engaged condition,

wherein actuation of said actuation portion causes the engagement portions to disengage from the elongate member against the biasing force.

In another aspect, the invention resides broadly in a method of attaching a collar to an animal, said collar comprising a clasp and an elongate member, the method comprising the steps of:

actuating an actuation portion located on a clasp provided on said collar, said clasp having a body defining a passageway extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, said body comprising one or more walls, the interior of the walls serving to define the passageway,

securing an end of the elongate member to the clasp at the second end of the body of the clasp,

inserting an opposite end of the elongate member into the clasp through an inlet at the first end of the body, the inlet being defined by the body and the actuation portion, toward the second end of the body of the clasp,

releasing the actuation portion when the elongate member has been inserted a sufficient distance into the clasp, wherein

releasing the actuation portion causes at least a pair of engagement portions to engage with the elongate member, thereby preventing the elongate member from moving when in use.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

InFIG. 1there is shown a cross-sectional view of a clasp10according to an embodiment of the present invention. The clasp10ofFIG. 1is shown in the engaged position.

In this Figure it may be seen that the clasp10comprises a body11having a bottom wall12and side walls13that extend upwardly from the bottom wall12. An inlet14is located at a first end of the body11, while an outlet15is located at a second end of the body11, and a passageway16is formed through the body11between the inlet14and the outlet15.

The clasp10further includes an actuation portion17pivotally connected to the body11via pivot pin18that extends between opposed side walls13. A pair of engagement portions19a,19bare located within the passageway16and, in the engaged position shown inFIG. 1, engage with an elongate member20in the form of a strap positioned within the passageway16.

The engagement portions19a,19bare pivotally connected to the body11via pivot pins21a,21bthat extend between opposed side walls13. Also connected to the pivot pins21a,21bis a biasing member22in the form of a spring. The natural bias of the biasing member22retains the engagement portions19a,19bin the engaged position illustrated inFIG. 1.

The engagement portions19a,19bare further provided with projections23a,23bthat abut an abutment portion24of the actuation portion17.

InFIG. 1it may be seen that the elongate member20is connected to the second end of the body11adjacent the outlet15. The elongate member20is connected to the body11by passing a first end26of the elongate member20through an aperture25in the bottom wall12of the body and securing the end of the elongate member20to another part of the elongate member20. In use, an opposed second end27of the elongate member20is inserted into the inlet14of the body through the passageway16and out of the outlet15thereby forming a loop.

The clasp10further comprises attachment means in the form of a loop28to which another object (such as a leash, identification tag or the like) may be attached.

InFIG. 2there is illustrated a cross-sectional view of a clasp10according to an embodiment of the present invention. The clasp10is virtually identical to the one illustrated inFIG. 1except that the clasp10ofFIG. 2is shown in the disengaged position.

InFIG. 2, pressure has been applied to the actuation portion17, forcing the actuation portion17to pivot downwardly about pivot pin18. The downward movement of the actuation portion17results in the abutment portion24exerting a force on the projections23a,23b, overcoming the natural bias of the biasing member22and causing the engagement portions19a,19bto pivot about pivot pins21a,21b. One engagement portion19apivots in an anticlockwise direction when moving from the engaged position to the disengaged position, while the other engagement portion19bpivots in a clockwise direction when moving from the engaged position to the disengaged position.

The pivotal movement of the engagement portions19a,19bremoves the engagement portions19a,19bfrom their engagement with the elongate member20, thereby allowing adjustment of the position of the elongate member20in either direction.

InFIG. 2it may be more clearly seen that each engagement portion19a,19bis provided with an array of projections29that engage with the elongate member20in the engaged position, thereby precluding unwanted movement of the elongate member20.

InFIG. 3, and exploded view of a clasp10according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this Figure, it may be seen that the actuation portion17includes a thumb pad30adapted to indicate to a user where to place their thumb or finger so as to apply a force and disengage the engagement portions19a,19bfrom the elongate member20.

The engagement portions19a,19bextend substantially entirely across the width of the body11, meaning that the elongate member20is engaged by the engagement members19a,19bacross substantially its entire width. In addition, the engagement portions19a,19bare provided with bores31a,31btherethrough to ensure that the engagement portions19a,19bare retained on pivot pins21a,21b.

The biasing member22is mounted on both pivot pins21aand21band extends therebetween. In addition, the biasing member is provided with tail portions that abut the engagement portions19a,19band retain the engagement portions19a,19bin the engaged condition due to the natural bias of the biasing member22.

The side walls13are provided with cover portions32that serve to retain the pivot pins18,21aand21bin place in the clasp10. In addition, the cover portions32provide the clasp10with a pleasing aesthetic appearance.

Further, the clasp10is provided with indicia33in the form of an arrow to indicate to a user the direction in which the elongate member20is to be inserted into the clasp10.

InFIG. 4there is illustrated an isometric view of a clasp10according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this Figure, the clasp10ofFIG. 3is shown in an assembled condition. Furthermore, the clasp is shown in the engaged condition.