PATENT ABSTRACT
The locking guitar strap is a guitar strap, which can be securely attached to the button of a guitar or other stringed instrument by means of a locking mechanism mounted internally into the end tab of the guitar strap, thus preventing damage to the instrument by accidental disengagement of the strap from the instrument.

PATENT DESCRIPTION
[0001]    This application claims priority to provisional patent application 60/215,608 filed on Jun. 30, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to a guitar strap capable of securely connecting to a stringed instrument.  
         REVIEW OF PRIOR ART  
         [0003]    Typical guitar straps have end tabs that are comprised of leather or some other similar material, and each of these end tabs has a slit with a small circular opening at one end of the slit, capable of receiving and, therefore, connecting to a guitar button. These straps are not capable of securely connecting the guitar strap to the guitar button and pose the risk of accidental disengagement that could cause damage to a guitar. Additionally, after significant use, the circular opening in the end tab is subject to wear and tear, which further decreases its ability to securely maintain the guitar button.  
           [0004]    Other strap locking devices consist of an externally mounted apparatus placed onto the guitar button. These externally mounted apparatuses are often bulky and are not easily transferred from one guitar to another. They also pose the risk of scratching the surface of the guitar body.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The locking guitar strap of the present invention provides a means to safely and securely attach a guitar strap to a guitar button by means of a locking mechanism internally mounted within the end tabs of the guitar strap. The end tabs each have a keyhole opening with a wider first end and a narrower second end. The locking mechanism is comprised of an opening with a short narrow first section, a wider second section and a narrow third section. The wider second section and the narrow third section are aligned with the keyhole openings in the end tabs. A flexible tongue extends transversely from the short narrow first section through the entire wider second section and a portion of the narrow third section of the locking mechanism. The tongue is capable of being deflected so as to allow a guitar button to be inserted into the wider second section of the opening of the locking mechanism and the wider first end of the keyhole opening of the end tabs. The narrower second end of the keyhole opening in the end tabs and narrow third section of the locking mechanism allow only for the neck of the guitar button to be fitted within the opening. Once the guitar button is fitted into the narrow second end of the keyhole opening and the narrow third section of the locking mechanism, the tongue returns to its original position and serves to “lock” the guitar button to the locking guitar strap. In the locked position, the guitar button is prevented from returning to the wider first opening of the keyhole opening and the wider second section of the locking mechanism and thus disengaging from the locking guitar strap. The guitar button is released by deflecting the tongue to enable the head of the guitar button to slide underneath the tongue and into the wider first end of the keyhole opening and wider second section of the locking mechanism, thus releasing the locking guitar strap.  
           [0006]    The locking mechanism does not experience the wear and tear experienced by the leather end tabs of typical guitar straps and, thus, consistently maintains the secure attachment of the guitar strap to the guitar button, preventing the possibility of accidental disengagement. The internal mounting of the locking mechanism within the leather end of the guitar strap virtually eliminates the possibility of scratching the surface of the body of the guitar. Finally, the locking guitar strap will accommodate most standard guitar buttons without a need for modification of the guitar button. This versatile feature allows the owner of the locking guitar strap to utilize one locking guitar strap with any number of guitars. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a top view of the locking mechanism.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a top view of the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a guitar button engaged with the locking guitar strap in the locked position, FIG. 3 being taken substantially along lines  3 - 3  of FIG. 2.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a locking guitar strap disengaging from a guitar button, FIG. 4 being taken substantially along lines  3 - 3  of FIG. 2.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the locking mechanism used with the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0012]    For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended; such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.  
         [0013]    Referring now to the drawings in detail, an end tab  10  of the locking guitar strap  15  is shown in FIG. 2. Each locking guitar strap  15  has at least two end tabs  10 . The end tab  10  is typically made of a leather or leather-like material. The end tab  10  may also be made of any similar durable material. The end tab  10  contains a keyhole opening  13  that has a wider first end  11  and a narrower second end  12 .  
         [0014]    A locking mechanism  20  is internally mounted into the end tab  10  of the locking guitar strap  15  as is shown in FIG. 2. This locking mechanism  20 , as is shown in FIG. 1, is typically comprised of a flat sheet metal, but could be comprised of a variety of semi-rigid materials. The outer shape of the locking mechanism  20  is shown as an oval, but could be of numerous different shapes capable of fitting within the end tab  10 . A locking mechanism has an opening  25  that consists of a short narrow first section  21 , a wider second section  22  and a narrow third section  23 . Attached to the short narrow first section  21  is a flexible tongue  24  that extends through the entire short narrow first section  21  and the wider second section  22  and through a small portion of the narrow third section  23 .  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the locking mechanism  40 . In this alternative embodiment, the opening  45  also has a short narrow first section  41 , a wider second section  42  and a narrow third section  43 . A flexible tongue  44  is also connected to the short narrow first section  41  and extends through the entire short narrow first section  41  and the entire wider second section  42  and does not extend into the narrow third section  43  of the opening  45 .  
         [0016]    When internally mounted into the end tab  10 , the wider second section  22  and the narrow third section  23  of the locking mechanism  20  are aligned with the keyhole opening  13  of the end tab  10 . The only exposed portion of the internally mounted locking mechanism  20  is the flexible tongue  24 . This minimum exposure of metal or other semi-rigid material serves to minimize any possibility that damage may occur to the surface of the guitar body as a result of contact with metal.  
         [0017]    A typical guitar button  30  has a head  31  and a neck  32  portions. The head  31  is larger in diameter, while the neck  32  more narrow. FIG. 4 shows how a guitar button  30  is attached to the locking guitar strap  15 . The first end  11  of the keyhole opening  13  of the end tab  10 , which is aligned with the wider second section  22  of the opening  25  on the locking mechanism  20 , is capable of receiving the head  31  of a guitar button  30 . The flexible tongue  24  is capable of deflecting to allow insertion of the head  31  of the guitar button  30 .  
         [0018]    The neck  32  of the guitar button  30  is moved into the second end  12  of the keyhole opening  13  of the end tab  10 , which is aligned with the narrow third section  23  of the locking mechanism  20 . Once this occurs, FIG. 3 illustrates how the flexible tongue  24  returns to its original position and serves to lock the guitar button  30  into the second end  12  of the keyhole opening  13  of the end tab  10 . The flexible tongue  24  prevents the guitar button  30  from sliding back into the first end  11  of the keyhole opening  13  of the end tab  10 .  
         [0019]    To release or “unlock” the guitar button  30  from the locking guitar strap  15 , the flexible tongue  24  is deflected by the user of the locking guitar strap  15  to allow the guitar button  30  to be moved into the first end  11  of the keyhole opening  13  of the end tab  10 . Once moved into this position, the guitar button  30  is capable of being released or unlocked from the locking guitar strap  15 .