Abstract:
A buckle apparatus for rapid disengagement of male and female members has deformable portions of a male pull member extending into the female member and retained in openings of the female member. An elongate pull element extends from the deformable portion or portions for pulling thereon to deform the deformable portions to disengage the male and female members.

Description:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    A person under water may typically wear a jacket with compensating equipment to adjust the effective weight of the person in the water to control depth or to enable the person to rise in the water when desired or necessary. A weight belt often used to aid in achieving neutral buoyancy typically comprises a belt having thereon pouches containing weights. Weights can also be carried in pockets on such jackets.  
           [0002]    Persons engaged in underwater activities often utilize a buoyancy compensator arrangement with an inflatable bladder, or the like, for buoyancy trim or compensation. Such a bladder is inflatable orally or by a container of compressed gas in the jacket worn by the person. To rise up in the water, the tank is filled with air and when it is desired to lower the person in the water, air is released by a valve. Weights are often disposed in pockets attached to such a jacket for the release of the weights to enable the person to rise through the water.  
           [0003]    A person must be able to release the weights quickly when desired or necessary. In underwater emergencies, it is vital that the weights be quickly releasable at a proper time so that the weights may drop away to give more buoyancy to the person. Quick-release systems or arrangements have heretofore been utilized, including bottom-opening pockets containing weights, and openable to drop the weights. Such an arrangement involves the desirability or necessity that the person be generally vertically oriented. Present prior art weight-release arrangements involve a person wearing a jacket whereon weights are provided in a pouch or pouches. To release the weights, a person pulls on such a pocket and separates Velcro fasteners to release the pocket from the jacket. This arrangement has the shortcoming that Velcro fasteners become weak or ineffective when under water, so that the Velcro fasteners do not work well, and the weights tend to fall out at an inappropriate time and are lost.  
           [0004]    Upon the weights falling out from the pockets, the person rises up in the water undesirably or accidentally. Such rapid rising causes air in the lungs to expand rapidly, thus putting pressure on blood vessels to cause possible internal bleeding and ear problems, or worse results.  
           [0005]    When wearing relatively heavy gloves under water, particularly cold water, a person cannot readily squeeze the sides of a buckle for disengagement of male and female buckle members. A person may drown while endeavoring to open a buckle, thus resulting in possible lawsuits and complications.  
           [0006]    It is desirable or necessary that the weights do not fall out and drop away until the appropriate moment at which the person desires or it is necessary for the person to release them. Under dangerous circumstances, it should not be necessary for the person to reach, grasp the buckle to squeeze side arms of a male member, then reach across to grasp a weight pocket or pouch, then pull the buckle members apart. Without going through such steps, a person loses the entire weight pocket or pockets, and thus loses control of the rising process.  
           [0007]    The present invention provides a quick-release or disengagement buckle apparatus wherein a male buckle having at least one deformable portion is retained in a female pull opening to retain the members together, and an elongated pull element extends from the deformable portion for manual pulling thereof to disengage the male member from the female member. The at least one or preferably two deformable protuberances comprise at least one spring arm adapted to engage in a lateral opening of the female member to retain the members together, and the members are disengageable by pulling on the elongated pull element to deform the deformable protuberances element or elements to deform them to disengage the male and female members from each other.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIGS. 1A and 1B to a prior art buckle assembly members in assembled relation and separate, with which the present invention is utilized;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 shows a generally conventional jacket for underwater use with which the present invention is utilized;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2A is a large partial view showing components of the invention mounted on the jacket of FIG. 2;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 shows a modified form of the present invention in relation to buckle components somewhat similar to those of FIGS. 1 and 2;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 shows a male component of the embodiment of FIG. 3 with deformable members retracted according to the invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 shows another modified form of the invention with modified male member features;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 shows the male member of FIG. 5 with deformable members retracted according to the invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIGS. 7A and 7B show a prior art buckle assembly with which a second embodiment of the invention is utilized;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 shows a female member of the buckle assembly of FIGS. 7A and 7B with a lock in a female member thereof according to the invention; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 9A and 9B show a buckle assembly according to the invention incorporating the buckle assembly of FIG. 7B in modification of FIG. 8 and an elongated pull element, according to the invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]    The present invention relates to a quick-release arrangement for buckles such as those used in under-water activities such as scuba diving, back-packing, and climbing, where a need or emergency may quickly arise requiring disengagement of a buckle.  
         [0019]    Although the invention is applicable to a number of other types of buckles, typical buckles for use with the invention are shown in FIGS. 1A to  1 B of the drawings. Such buckles are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,279 to Frano et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,515 to Wolterstorff, Jr.  
         [0020]    According to the drawings, buckle  10  comprises a male member  12  and a female member  14 . The male member has deformable spring arms  16 ,  18  extending outwardly from a tongue support. The tongue supports are adapted to deform or to flex upon application of lateral pressure digitally on the arms. The spring arms preferrably comprise protuberances having concave, hooked end portions.  
         [0021]    Such buckles are preferrably fabricated of hard plastic, such as Velcron, which has a spring characteristic, and which can withstand long, repeated use.  
         [0022]    Engagement of the male and female members to secure the buckle is effected by the spring arms  16 ,  18  of the male member extending laterally outwardly through opposite lateral openings  24 ,  26  in the female member, after the male member spring arms are inserted through an end opening  27  in the female member. The spring arms or protuberances have inclined surfaces to cam the spring arms inwardly during insertion into the female member. The female member has guidance components effecting securement together of the members.  
         [0023]    Disengagement of the male member from the female member is effected by digital lateral pressure on the spring arms  16 ,  18  extending outwardly from lateral openings  24 ,  26  of the female member. Squeezing the spring arms inwardly disengages the spring members from edge portions of the female member openings,  
         [0024]    According to the present invention, the female member is sewn or otherwise secured to an outer wall of a jacket  28  and over a pocket  30  wherein is disposed a pouch  32  containing a weight or weights (not shown). The male member  12  of the buckle is sewn or otherwise secured to the weight pouch  32 , as shown. The buckle thus serves to retain the weight pouch in place. Conventionally, the weight pouch is attached by a Velcro fastener arrangement, with one member having mating Velcro hook elements and the other member having Velcro loop elements (not shown).  
         [0025]    A knob  34  is attached by an elongate cord  36  to the male member. The knob may be connected with the male member by a flat woven web, or a relatively rigid rod member, etc. (not shown).  
         [0026]    Manual pulling of the knob urges spring arms  16 ,  18  toward each other to disengage together as indicated in FIG. 4, thus to disengage the spring arms from edge portions of the lateral openings  24 ,  26  in the female member (FIGS. 3 and 4).  
         [0027]    The conventional requirement that manual pressure be applied on the spring arms  16 ,  18  to disengage them from the female member openings, is eliminated. With the male member disengaged from the female member simply by pulling on the knob and cord, the pouch on which the male member is secured, is pulled from the jacket pocket. The person then can hold the pocket in hand until the appropriate moment for releasing the pouch to enable the person to rise through the water by thus reducing the overall weight. The weights may be readily released at an appropriate moment, either by dropping the entire pouch or dropping certain of the weights in the pouch.  
         [0028]    It is usually desirable that a person under water retain or hold the weight pouch in his hand or hands until the appropriate moment for dropping the weights and the person rising through the water. However, in certain emergencies, a person must drop the weights and pouch immediately upon pulling the knob to remove the pouch from the jacket pocket.  
         [0029]    The quick, automatic removal of the pouch and weights from the jacket pocket, according to the invention, is much faster and more positive than the conventional squeezing together of the male spring arms, which is difficult if not impossible to accomplish while underwater, particularly under dangerous conditions and/or while wearing heavy gloves.  
         [0030]    FIGS.  7 A- 9 B illustrate a second form of the invention. A buckle assembly  40  comprises a male member  42  and a female member  44 , each having a transverse slot  48  therein to receive opposite end portions of a belt  50 , as shown. The male member has a laterally extending deformable spring portion  46  extending laterally inclined relative to the main portion of the male member, and deformable inwardly toward the main portion. The inclined portion  46  is adapted for insertion into a slot  52  defined in the female member, and to extend laterally outwardly to engage an inclined end portion  54  of the female member to retain the male member relative to the female member.  
         [0031]    An end portion of a web strap  58  is secured in a slot  56  of the female member (FIGS. 8 and 9A), and a knob  60  is attached at the outer end of the web strap.  
         [0032]    Manual pulling on the knob  60  deforms portion  54  of the female member to disengage the male member portion  46  therefrom, as will be understood from the geometry of the parts, thus to open the buckle to free the strap end portions.  
         [0033]    It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the preferred embodiments discussed above without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is established by the following claims and equivalents thereof.