Belt connecting device

Abstract: The present invention provides a belt connecting device which can be applied to various uses, has an excellent design property, and can be safely and easily operated even by elderly people and infants. The belt connecting device (10) comprises a belt connecting member (11) fixed to one portion (1c) of an article and a belt (12) including one end portion fixed to another portion of the article. A female surface fastener is sewn on the other end portion of the belt (12) to constitute an engaging portion (12a) to be engaged with the belt connecting member (11). The belt connecting member (11) has at one end thereof an inserting hole (11b') through and to which the portion (1c) of the article is inserted and fixed, at the other end an engaged portion (11c) of a male surface fastener and with which the engaging portion (12a) of the belt (12) detachably engages, and between the inserting hole (11b) and the engaged portion (11c) a belt threading portion (11e) including an elongated hole which is slightly longer than a width of the belt (12).

Description: The present invention relates to a belt connecting device having a length adjusting function of an adjusting device for adjusting a size of an opening of a cap, a glove, or the like, or of a waist adjuster, and more specifically to a belt connecting device comprising a belt connecting member fixed to an article and a belt fixed to a portion of the article and engaged with the belt connecting member. Conventionally, a belt connecting device for adjusting a distance between two different portions to engage the portions with each other is employed in various articles. There is a cap as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 37-21627, for example, wherein an opening of a back of the cap is partially cut, a flap having a male surface fastener is mounted to one side of the cut portion, a female surface fastener is mounted to a rear face side of the other side of the cut portion, and the male surface fastener and the female surface fastener are engaged with each other, thereby closing the cut portion. In this cap, an opening degree of the cut portion can be adjusted to adjust a size of an opening of the cap according to a size of a user. In US 4 005 506, there is proposed a buckle comprising a first aperture for securing a first belt, the other end if which is fixed to an first portion of an article, and a second aperture for inserting through it a first end of a second belt, the other end of which is fixed to a second portion of the article and which is flexible and carries a homogeneous loop fabric portion. A strap is further provided, one end of which is connected to the buckle, and hook fabric portions are provided on both surfaces of the strap. The strap is rotatable with respect to buckle and the buckle and the strap are not one integral but rather two different elements. The buckle and the strap are not integral parts. When a free end of the second is inserted through the second aperture, the hook fabric portions on both sides of the strap engage with the loop fabric portion on the second belt as the strap is folded, so that the first and second portion of the article are joined with a gap therebetween, the width of the gap being adjustable. US 5 201 100 discloses an adjustable device and a belt to be used in combination. The device comprises a D-ring having an opening, a first tab extending from the D-ring and having male fastening elements on one side and a second tab extending from the D-ring in opposite direction to the first tab and having male fastening elements on its surface or a hole for joining with a second article. The belt is connected with a first article and comprises female surface fasteners on one surface. A free end of the belt is inserted through the opening and then folded toward the first tab so that the female surface fastener of the belt engage with the male fastening elements on the first tab. Thus the first article is joined to the device which is in turn joined with the second article. Thus a gap is formed between the first and second article, the width of which gap is adjustable. The belt and the device do not comprise mixed male and female surface fasteners. Also, the belt does not have a second surface fastener adapted to engage with the female surface fastener on the portion that has been inserted through the opening. There is also gloves as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Application No. 57-5266, wherein a slit is formed at a portion of an inserting opening such that an opening degree of the inserting opening can be adjusted. An ellipse ring made of metal is attached by sewing to one side of the slit. On the other side of the slit, either half portion of a flap having a male surface fastener on its half portion and a female surface fastener on its other half portion is sewn on a back of the glove. In this glove, the flap is inserted through the ellipse ring and is folded back after a hand is inserted into the glove through the inserting opening. Then, the male surface fastener and the female surface fastener are engaged with each other while adjusting a fastening degree of the inserting opening, thereby closing the slit. However, a design of the belt connecting device is required to be improved due to a recent diversification in design. Also, use of the belt connecting device has been diversified, and a development of a belt connecting device not only with a design property but also with various functions such as a function to allow elderly people and infants to easily and safely engage and disengage the device is desired in order to employ the belt connecting device at a fly portion of clothes instead of a button. The present invention has been accomplished to meet the above requirements, and it is an objective of the invention to provide a belt connecting device which can be applied to various uses, has an excellent design property, and which can be safely and easily operated by the elderly people and infants. To achieve the above objective, as claimed, there is provided a belt connecting device including a belt connecting member and a belt. The belt connecting member comprises an integrally molded body comprising a fixing portion, through which the belt connecting member can be fixed to one portion of an article, and a belt threading portion. The fixing portion is located at one end of the belt connecting member. The belt connecting member further comprises an engaged portion attached on said belt connecting member on a surface at the other end of the belt connecting member and comprising male, or female, or mixed male and female surface fastener. In the body, the belt threading portion is arranged between the fixing portion and the engaged portion and has the shape of an elongated hole with one open end adapted for laterally inserting the belt. The belt comprises one end portion that can be fixed to another portion of the article, one other end portion that can be inserted through the belt threading portion, an engaging portion comprising female, or male, or mixed female and male surface fastener adapted to engage with the male, or female, or mixed male and female surface fastener of the engaged portion. The belt further comprises male, or female, or mixed male and female surface fastener adapted to engage with the surface fastener of the other portion of the belt, which is the same kind of fastener as the engaged portion. It is preferable that the belt threading portion is an elongated hole which is slightly longer than a width of the belt. The other end portion of the belt is inserted through the elongated hole, and folded back, and the engaging portion formed at the other end portion is engaged with the engaged portion of the belt connecting member while adjusting a length so as to connect and fix the belt. If the belt connecting device is used for clothes for elderly people and infants, it is preferable that one end of the elongated hole is cut off to facilitate insertion of the belt through the belt threading portion, and it is further preferable that a projection for preventing slipping off of the belt is formed at an edge of the cut end of the elongated hole. It is preferable that the fixing portion has an inserting hole through which the one portion of the article can be inserted, or that the fixing portion comprises upper and lower clamping portions for clamping and fixing the one portion of the article. If the fixing portion comprises the upper and lower clamping portions, it is preferable that the fixing portion has a thin recessed groove for sewing so as to further reliably clamp and fix the article. If each of the engaging portion and the engaged portion comprises a male or female surface fastener such that the engaging portion and the engaged portion can be engaged with and disengaged from each other, an engaging operation can be carried out only by pressing the male and female surface fasteners against each other, and thus, even the elderly people and infants can safely and easily operate the device. In this case, the belt may have either the male or female surface fastener being adjacent to the engaging portion, which can be engaged with and disengaged from the engaging portion and which is the same kind of fastener as the engaged portion. If such a structure is employed, because the end portion of the belt is engaged with the male or female surface fastener of the belt, the end portion does not hang down, thereby further improving an appearance. If a surface fastener integrally woven or knitted into the engaging portion of the belt in weaving/knitting is employed, the surface fastener may be integrally formed simultaneously with weaving/knitting of the belt body. If each of the engaging portion and the engaged portion comprises a surface fastener where mixed male and female engaging elements which can engage with each other exist, the end portion of the belt does not hang down and is engaged with and fixed to both the engaged portion of the connecting member and the engaging portion of the belt. In addition, it is not necessary to especially select the male or female surface fastener when the surface fastener is mounted to the engaging portion or the engaged portion. If the engaged portion of the belt connecting member comprises a male surface fastener, the belt connecting member including the engaged portion may be integrally molded by using synthetic resin. If the engaged portion of the belt connecting member and the engaging portion of the belt comprise surface fasteners woven/knitted into woven/knitted fabrics, the surface fasteners are mounted by sewing or by bonding using an adhesive. Various embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a rear view of a cap provided with an illustrating example of a belt connecting device; FIG. 2 is a front view of the belt connecting device of Fig. 1 device; FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the connecting device of Fig.1 device; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a belt connecting member of the belt connecting device of Fig. 1; FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the connecting member of Fig. 1; FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a male surface fastener of a body of the belt connecting device of Fig. 1; FIG. 7 is a front view of a suit of clothes to which the belt connecting device of Fig. 1 are applied instead of buttons; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a belt connecting member of a belt connecting device according to a first embodiment of the invention; FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a belt connecting member of a belt connecting device according to a second embodiment of the invention; FIG. 10 is a front view of a belt connecting device according to another illustrating example of a belt connecting member; FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the connecting device of FIG. 10; FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the belt connecting member of the belt connecting device of FIG. 10; FIG. 13 is a rear view of a cap provided with the belt connecting device according to the belt connecting device of Fig. 10; FIG. 14 is a rear view of another cap provided with the belt connecting device of Fig. 10; and FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a belt connecting member according to a third embodiment of the invention. Referring to Figures 1 to 5, a window portion 1b is formed by cutting off a back portion of a cap 1 from a peripheral edge of an opening 1a to have a semicircular shape. The belt connecting device 10 according to the illustrative example is mounted to the window portion 1b along the opening 1a of the cap 1. The belt connecting device 10 comprises a belt connecting member 11 fixed to a belt-shaped body 1d sewn on a corner portion 1c of the window portion 1b of the cap 1 and a belt 12 fixed by sewing with one end portion thereof to the other corner portion 1e of the window portion 1b. An engaging portion 12a is formed on a surface of the belt 12 to extend from the other end portion opposite to the fixed end portion of the belt 12 to have a predetermined length. The engaging portion 12a is composed of a female surface fastener and is integrally secured to the belt 12 by bonding by using an adhesive or by sewing. Alternatively, the female surface fastener may be woven or knitted into the belt 12 at the time of weaving/knitting of the belt 12 so as to integrally form the engaging portion 12a simultaneously with weaving/knitting of the belt 12. Furthermore, a male surface fastener 12b is integrally secured to the belt 12 by bonding by using an adhesive or by sewing such that the male surface fastener 12b is adjacent to the engaging portion 12a composed of the female surface fastener and has a predetermined length. The belt connecting member 11 comprises a body 11a a whole shape of which is a rectangle with its ridges and four corners being chamfered. The body 11a is defined at an end thereof with an inserting hole 11b' constituting a fixing portion 11b for fixing the belt-shaped body 1d of the cap 1. Except for the fixing section being constituted by the inserting hole 11b' not having an end cut off, all other features of the illustrative example can be applied to embodiments of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The belt-shaped body 1d of the cap 1 is inserted through the inserting hole 11b' from a surface side, wound about an end edge portion of the body 11a, and folded toward a rear face side, and the folded end of the belt-shaped body 1d is sewn, thereby fixing the belt connecting member 11 to the cap 1. The body 11a has on a surface of the other end thereof an engaged portion 11c with which the engaging portion 12a of the belt 12 detachably engages, and a belt threading portion 11e in a form of an elongated hole which is slightly longer than a width of the belt 12 is formed between the inserting hole 11b' and the engaged portion 11c. As shown in FIG. 5, the engaged portion 11c is composed of a male surface fastener having a large number of male engaging elements 11d, and the belt connecting member 11 including the engaged portion 11c is molded integrally by using synthetic resin in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to bond a male surface fastener 13 woven or knitted into a woven or knitted fabric to the surface of the other end of the body 11a by using an adhesive 13a so as to form the engaged portion. Alternatively, the female surface fastener may be bonded to form the engaged portion. In such a case, the male surface fastener is employed as the engaging portion 12a of the belt 12. The belt connecting device 10 with the above structure can be easily operated by only inserting the other end portion of the belt 12, which is not secured, through the belt threading portion 11e of the belt connecting member 11 from the rear side, folding said end portion toward the engaged portion 11c composed of the male surface fastener while adjusting the length, and engaging the engaging portion 12a composed of the female surface fastener with the engaged portion 11c. At this time, even if the end portion of the belt 12 extends to pass over the engaged portion 11c of the belt connecting member 11, because the male surface fastener 12b is secured to the belt 12 to be adjacent to the engaging portion 12a of the female surface fastener, the engaging portion 12a at the end portion can be engaged with the male surface fastener 12b. Therefore, the end portion can be prevented from hanging down, and an appearance is not spoiled, thereby providing the belt connecting device with an excellent design property. The belt connecting devices 10 can be used not only in the cap 1 but also in a fly portion 2a of a suit of clothes 2 instead of buttons as shown in FIG. 7, for example. In a case of the belt connecting device 10 applied to the fly portion 2a of the suit of clothes 2 or to the portion for adjusting the size of the opening of the cap 1 as in the first embodiment, because a large tensile force is not applied to the belt connecting device 10, a sufficient engaging force can be obtained for the engaging portion 12a of the belt 12 only by an engagement of the engaging portion 12a with the engaged portion 11c of the belt connecting member 11. Therefore, it is also possible to eliminate the male surface fastener 12b of the belt 12. However, in the belt connecting device employed for adjusting a length of a shoulder belt of a rucksack, for example, because a large tensile force is applied to the belt connecting device, the engaging strength of the engaging portion of the belt can be increased by engaging the engaging portion with both the engaged portion of the belt connecting member and the male surface fastener of the belt, thereby preventing disengagement of the connecting device. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a belt connecting member 21 in a belt connecting device according to a first embodiment of the claimed invention. Because a belt in the belt connecting device is the same as that in the above-described illustrative embodiment, a description of the belt will be omitted. The belt connecting member 21 comprises a body 21a a whole shape of which is a rectangle with its ridges and four corners being chamfered, similarly to that in the above-described illustrative embodiment. The body 21a is defined at an end thereof with an inserting hole 21b', constituting a fixing portion 21b, through and to which a portion of an article is inserted and fixed. The body 21a is defined on a surface of the other end thereof with an engaged portion 21c composed of a male surface fastener with which an engaging portion of the belt composed of a female surface fastener can detachably engage. Furthermore, a belt threading portion 21e in a shape of an elongated hole with its one end being cut is formed between the inserting hole 21b' and the engaged portion 21c. The belt connecting device as described above is connected by inserting the belt through the belt threading portion 21e of the belt connecting member 21 from the rear side to the surface side, folding back the belt, and engaging the engaging portion of the belt with the engaged portion 21c of the belt connecting member 21 while adjusting a length. At this time, because the belt threading portion 21e is in the shape of the elongated hole with its one end being cut, an operation of inserting the belt can be easily carried out, and even elderly people and infants can easily insert the belt in a short time. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a belt connecting member 31 in a belt connecting device according to a second embodiment of the invention. Because a belt in the embodiment is the same as that in the above-described illustrative example, a description of the belt will be omitted. The belt connecting member 31 comprises a body 31a a whole shape of which is a rectangle with its ridges and four corners being chamfered. The body 31a is defined at one end thereof with an inserting hole 31b' constituting a fixing portion 31b to be fixed to an article, and on a surface of the other end of the body 31a with an engaged portion 31c comprising a male surface fastener. Between the inserting hole 31b' and the engaged portion 31c, a belt threading portion 31e in a shape of an elongated hole with one end thereof being cut is formed, and a projection 31f for preventing slipping off of the belt is formed to project from an edge of the cut end. The belt connecting device as described above is connected by inserting the belt through the belt threading portion 31e of the belt connecting member 31 from a rear side toward a surface side, folding back the belt, and engaging the engaging portion of the belt with the engaged portion 31c of the belt connecting member 31 while adjusting a length. At this time, because the projection 31f for preventing slipping off of the belt is formed at the edge of the cut end of the belt threading portion 31e, the belt inserted through the belt threading portion 31e is effectively prevented from slipping off the threading portion 31e, thereby reliably carrying out the engagement. FIG. 10 is a front view of another illustrative example of a belt connecting device, FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the connecting device, and FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a belt connecting member in the belt connecting device of Fig. 10. The belt connecting device 40 comprises a belt connecting member 41 fixed to the portion 1d of an article and a belt 42 fixed at an end portion thereof to another portion of the article by sewing. The belt 42 is defined with an engaging portion 42a which extends on a surface of the belt 42 from the other end portion opposite to the fixed end portion such that the engaging portion 42a has a predetermined length. The engaging portion 42a comprises a surface fastener wherein mixed male engaging elements and female engaging elements exist. The engaging portion 42a is integrally secured to the belt 42 by bonding by using an adhesive or by sewing. Alternatively, the surface fastener is woven or knitted into the belt 42 simultaneously with weaving/knitting of the belt 42, thereby integrally forming the engaging portion 42a simultaneously with weaving/knitting of the belt 42. The belt connecting member 41 comprises a body 41a a whole shape of which is a rectangle with its ridges and four corners being chamfered. The body 41a is defined at one end thereof with a fixing portion 41b to be fixed to the article, and a surface fastener wherein mixed male engaging elements and female engaging elements exist and with which the engaging portion 42a of the belt 42 detachably engages is bonded by an adhesive to a surface of the other end of the body 41a, thereby forming an engaged portion 41c. Between the fixing portion 41b and the engaged portion 41c, a belt threading portion 41e in a shape of an elongated hole which is slightly longer than a width of the belt 42 is formed. The fixing portion 41b comprises upper and lower clamping portions including a part of the body 41a and a projecting portion 41g which is formed to project from an upper face of the body 41a and is L-shaped in section. A portion of the article is clamped and fixed between the body 41a and the projecting portion 41g. Furthermore, a thin sewing recessed groove 41h is formed in an upper face of the projecting portion 41g, and the portion of the article clamped between the body 41a and the projecting portion 41g is fixed by sewing in the sewing recessed groove 41h. By employing the fixing portion 41b in the above shape, when the belt connecting device 40 is fixed to the window portion 1b of the cap 1, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, the belt-shaped body 1d is sewn on one corner portion 1c of the window portion 1b of the cap 1, and the belt-shaped body 1d is clamped and fixed by the fixing portion 41b, thereby fixing the belt connecting member 41 to the cap 1. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 14, the corner portion 1c of the cap 1 can be directly clamped by the fixing portion 41b to be sewn and fixed. In the above described belt connecting device 40, because both the engaging portion 42a of the belt 42 and the engaged portion 41c of the belt connecting member 41 comprise the surface fasteners which can be engaged with and disengaged from each other and wherein mixed male and female engaging elements exist, a male or female surface fastener is not necessary to be especially selected to be mounted to the engaging portion and the engaged portion. If an end portion of the belt 42 extends to pass over the engaged portion 41c of the connecting member 41, because the end portion is engaged with and fixed to the engaging portion 42a of the belt 42, the end portion can be prevented from hanging down, and an appearance is not spoiled. Also, because an embossed pattern or design can be printed on the upper face of the projecting portion 41g constituting the fixing portion 41b of the belt connecting member 41, various designs can be applied to the device. Furthermore, like in a belt connecting member 41' according to a third embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 15, a belt threading portion 41e' may be in a shape of an elongated hole with an end thereof being cut. Moreover, by diagonally chamfering a corner portion of an edge of the cut end, the belt can be further easily inserted. As is apparent from the above descriptions, the belt connecting device of the present invention can be operated only by inserting the belt 12 through the belt threading portion 21e, 31, 41e of the belt connecting member 21, 31, 41, folding back the belt 12, and engaging the engaging portion 12a, 42a of the belt 12 with the engaged portion 11c, 21c, 31c, 41c of the belt connecting member 11, 21, 31, 41 while adjusting the length. Therefore, the device can be operated easily and safely, and even the elderly people and infants can easily operate the device. Also, a design property of the device is excellent, and the device can be applied to various uses such as an adjuster for adjusting the size of the opening of the cap or glove, a waist adjuster, and a substitute for a button used in the fly portion of clothes.

Claims: A belt connecting device including a belt connecting member (21, 31, 41') and a belt (12, 42); wherein the belt connecting member (21, 31, 41') comprises an integrally molded body (21a, 31a, 41a) comprising a fixing portion (21b, 31b, 41b) through which the belt connecting member (21,31, 41') can be fixed to one portion of an article (1) and a belt threading portion (21e, 31e, 41e'); wherein the fixing portion is located at one end of the belt connecting member (21, 31, 41'), the belt connecting member further comprising an engaged portion (21c, 31c, 41c) attached on said belt connecting member on a surface at the other end of the belt connecting member and comprising a male, or female , or mixed male and female surface fastener (21c, 31c, 41c), in which body (21a, 31a, 41a) the belt threading portion (21e, 31e, 41e') is arranged between the fixing portion (21b, 31b, 41b) and the engaged portion (21c, 31c, 41c) and has the shape of an elongate hole with one open end adapted for laterally inserting the belt, and wherein the belt (12, 42) comprises one end portion that can be fixed to another portion of the article (1), one other end portion that can be inserted through the belt threading portion (21e, 31e, 41e') and an engaging portion (12a, 12b, 42a) comprising female (12a), or male, or mixed female and male surface fastener (42a) adapted to engage with the male, or female, or mixed male and female surface fastener of the engaged portion (21c, 31c, 41c), wherein said belt further comprises a male (12b), or female, or mixed male and female (42a) surface fastener adapted to engage with the surface fastener of the other end portion of said belt (12, 42), and which is the same kind of fastener as the engaged portion (21c, 31c, 41c). The belt connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the belt threading portion (21e, 31e, 41e') is an elongate hole which is slightly longer than a width of the belt (12, 42). The belt connecting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a projection (31f) for preventing slipping off of the belt (12, 42) is formed at an edge of the open end of the elongate hole. The belt connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fixing portion (21b , 31b, 41b) has an inserting hole (21b', 31b' ) through which the one portion of the article (1) can be inserted. The belt connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fixing portion (41b) comprises upper and lower clamping portions for clamping and fixing the one portion of the article (1). The belt connecting device according to claim 5, the fixing portion (41b) has a thin recessed groove (41h) for sewing. A belt connecting device according to claim anyone of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the engaged portion (21c, 31c, 41c) of the belt connecting member (21, 31, 41') comprises a male surface fastener, and the belt connecting member (12) including said engaged portion (21c, 31c, 41c) is integrally molded by using synthetic resin. The belt connecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the engaged portion (21c, 31c, 41c) of the belt connecting member (21, 31, 41) and the engaging portion (12a, 42a) of the belt (12, 42) comprise surface fasteners woven/knitted into woven/knitted fabrics.

Inventors: SUENAGA TOMOHIRO, SUENAGA, TOMOHIRO
Applicants: YKK CORP, YKK CORPORATION
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A42B1
IPC codes: A44B18, A44B11, A41D27, A41F1, A42B1, A41D1, A44B99