BELT BUCKLE

Abstract: A belt buckle comprising a tubular body having an inner, an outer plate and a tunnel space. The inner plate having a stud hook or block hook erected thereon the base of the right end and along the centerline thereof. The right end of the outer plate is spaced backwardly from the hooks respectively. The inner plate having a slit or a partial cut-out thereon the left end thereof. A shutter outer plate slides thereon the buckle body. A shutter channel bar slides therein the tunnel space.

Description: BELT BUCKLE TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a belt buckle for garments. BACKGROUND ART Hereinbefore, the conventional belt buckle of hook-and-eye type, shown in FIG. 6, has been prevailing worldwidely for quite a long time. With the buckle, the wearer thereof must have a trouble of manual fumbling in having the stud hook of the buckle and the eye (hole) of the belt engaged, as one does with button and eye of the garments, and that everytime upon fastening and unfastening thereof. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The prime object of the present invention is to provide a belt buckle in which a hook thereof and eye of a belt interengage all by themselves (automatically, never known before) without an intended manual fumbling of the wearer thereof, thus eliminating the above-mentioned disadvantages encountered in the prior art. Another object of the present invention is to provide a belt buckle enabling fastening and unfastening of the belt, all done in an instant, by simple manual push-in and pull-out of the belt. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a belt buckle facilitating a brisk daily life and activities, and a higher efficiency in offices and work places as well, by virtue of easy and fast handling of the belt. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a lateral cross-sectional view of a belt buckle according to the embodiment 1 of the present invention, illustrating conditions of the tail portion of a belt being pushed-in, pulled-out and fastened, and also showing a stud hook; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the buckle shown in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 3 is a lateral cross-sectional view of a buckle according to the embodiment 2, showing the opened condition of a shutter outer plate; FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the buckle shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a lateral cross-sectional view of a buckle according to the embodiment 3; FIG. 6 is a lateral cross-sectional view of a conventional belt buckle, now prevailing worldwide; FIGS. 7 and 8 are lateral cross-sectional views of a buckle according to the embodiments 4 and 5 respectively, showing a block hook, in the place of the stud hook shown in FIGS. 1 to 5; and FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the buckles shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION For the convenience in clarifying the description of the embodiments, it is preferable to designate the following three lines, as are shown in FIG. 1; (H) horizontal line (O) outward slant line (I) inward slant line And in addition, the words "eye belt" referred herein means a belt having a plurality of eyes (holes) and "groove belt" means a belt having a groove strip of plastic sewed on the belt. In the embodiment 1 (wherein the eye belt adopted), referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a belt buckle 1 of the present invention is in a shape of rectangular tubular body 2 forming a hollow tunnel space 3 at the interior thereof, defining a passage for a belt 13 running therethrough, said body 2 forming an inner plate 4 and an outer plate 5. Said inner plate 4 is provided with a stud hook 8 erected thereon the base of the right end 4a and along the centerline thereof. The right end 5a of said outer plate 5 is spaced backwardly from said stud hook 8 to define a belt passage space 10 therebetween for said belt 13 passing in and out therethrough. Thereon the left end 4b of said inner plate 4, a slit 11 is provided for the head portion 13a of said belt 13 to the fastened thereonto. In the embodiment 2, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a shutter outer plate 6 (in the place of said outer plate 5 in the embodiment 1 , which is fixed) is slidingly mounted thereonto said buckle body 1 , 2, sliding back and forth within a limited distance, thereby opening and closing said belt passage space 10. In the embodiment 3, referring to FIG. 5, a partial cut-out 12 is provided thereon the edge of the left end 4b of said inner plate 4, paving a passage for said belt 13 winding inwardly. In the embodiment 4 (wherein the groove belt adopted), referring to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 (with the shutter channel bar 7 omitted), said inner plate 4 is provided with a block hook 9 (in the place of said stud hook 8 in the embodiment 1) erected thereon the base of the right end 4a and along the centerline thereof, said hook 9 having a flat surface 9' in the front and a ramp surface 9" in the rear thereof. In the embodiment 5, referring again to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, a shutter channel bar 7 is slidingly inserted therein to the interior of said tunnel space 3 of said buckle body 1, 2, sliding back and forth within a limited distance, thereby opening and closing said belt passage space 10, a handle knob 7' is provided thereon the top of one end of said channel bar 7. Hereinafter, practical usage and functions of the belt buckles of the present invention will be described. (Embodiment 1) Referring to FIG. 1, therethrough said belt passage space 10 defined therebetween said right end 5a of said outer plate 5 and said stud hook 8 erected thereon said inner plate 4, said tail portion 13b of said belt 13 is being inserted thereinto said tunnel space 3 of said buckle tubular body 1, 2, said outward slant line (O) of said tail portion 13b of said belt 13 being in the vicinity of 20 degrees, which is the only passage way of said belt 13, in and out therethrough. Now, said belt 13 is further tightened against the belly expansion pressure of the wearer thereof and accordingly a pull-tension is exerted along said inward slant line (I), which goes along with the waist line. Referring again to FIG. 1, being dragged out by the pull-tension, the nearest one of said eyes (holes) 14 of said belt 13, on its way out, traps thereonto said stud hook 8, thus said eye 14 and said hook 8 interengage and said belt 13 settles tightly along said (I) line (hooking up), all by themselves, without an intended manual fixing by the wearer thereof. Upon unhooking (unfastening) of the engagement of said belt 13, said tail portion 13b thereof is pulled up from the hook-up position (I) to the unhook- up position (O), and the hooking and the unhooking of the belt, all done in an instant and automatically, without a trouble of manual fumbling. (Embodiment 2) Referring to FIG. 3, said shutter outer plate 6 slides back and forth, thereby allowing and disallowing the in-and-out passage of said belt 13, and when it is shut, said belt 13 can not be unhooked, locked up that is. It is to meet the special demands, for instance, for hard laborers. (Embodiment 3) Referring to FIG. 5, said partial cut-out 12 is provided for buckles of which tail portion 13b of said belt 13 can be wound inwardly instead of outwardly. (Embodiment 4) Referring to FIG. 8, said block hook 9 is adopted (in the place of said stud hook 8 in the embodiment) so as to be adaptable to said belt 13 with grooves 15. As was the case of said stud hook 8 in the embodiment 1, being dragged out by the pull-tension, the nearest one of said grooves 15 of said belt 13, on its way out, traps thereonto said block hook 9, resulting in interengagement of said groove 15 and said hook 9 as is shown in FIG. 7, in a face to face relation, said flat surface 9' of said hook 9 to a flat surface 9' of said groove 15. Hooking and unhooking, and other function are similar to that of the embodiment 1. Said ramp surface 9" in the rear of said hook 9 facilitates an unhindered and sliding entry of said groove belt 15, 13 thereover said hook 9,. (Embodiment 5) Referring to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, said shutter bar 7 is another locking device in a modification of said shutter outer plate 6 in the embodiment 2.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A belt buckle comprising: a substantially rectangular tubular body having side walls, an inner plate and an outer plate which define a hollow tunnel space at the interior thereof, defining a passage for a belt running therethrough; said inner plate having a stud hook erected thereon the base of the right end and along the centerline thereof; the right end of said outer plate is spaced backwardly from said stud hook to define a belt passage space therebetween for said belt passing in and out therethrough; and said inner plate having a slit provided thereon the left end thereof for the head portion of said belt to be fastened thereonto. 2. A belt buckle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said inner plate having a block hook (in the place of stud hook in claim 1) erected thereon the base of the right end and along the centerline thereof; said hook having a flat surface in the front and a ramp surface in the rear thereof. 3. A belt buckle as claimed in claim 1 and 2, wherein said inner plate having a partial cut-out provided thereon the edge of the left end thereof, paving a passage for said belt winding inwardly. 4. A belt buckle as claimed in claim 1 and 2, wherein a shutter outer plate (in the place of said outer plate in claim 1, which is fixed) is slidingly mounted thereonto said buckle body, sliding back and forth within a limited distance, thereby opening and closing said belt passage space. 5. A belt buckle as claimed in claim 1 and 2, wherein a shutter channel bar is slidingly inserted thereinto the interior of said tunnel space of said buckle body, sliding back and forth within a limited distance, thereby opening and closing said belt passage space; said bar having a handle knob provided thereon the top of one end thereof.

Inventors: TAN HONG TOK, TAN, HONG, TOK
Applicants: TAN HONG TOK, TAN, HONG, TOK
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A44B11
IPC codes: A44B11