Patent Publication Number: US-2023149751-A1

Title: Belt Having a Retracting Lanyard

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to belts and, more particularly, to a belt that has a retracting lanyard built into it and a hidden pocket. The invention utilizes a stop system that limits lanyard travel and thus secures the user to an immobile object with a predetermined length tether. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     For linemen, climbers, firemen, handymen, military personnel and the like, a strong belt and a lanyard are combined to create a system to hold the  15  wearer to an object in case of a fall. These conventional items, however, are bulky and inefficient and can get caught up easily. Many times, these conventional lanyards are taken off the belt to keep from getting tangled when it&#39;s not in use. Then, when it is needed, the lanyard needs to be retrieved and reattached to the belt. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a belt having a retractable lanyard and can be removed for use and stored within the belt when not in use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a belt comprises a belt body having a first end and a second end; a lanyard buckle attached to the first end of the belt body; the second end of the belt body passing through the lanyard buckle and secured to form a loop of a desired size with a belt buckle; a lanyard passing through the lanyard buckle and extendable from a lanyard channel; and an attachment device disposed on an end of the lanyard. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a belt comprises a belt body having a first end and a second end; a lanyard buckle attached to the first end of the belt body; the second end of the belt body passing through the lanyard buckle and secured to form a loop of a desired size with a belt buckle; a lanyard passing through the lanyard buckle and extendable from a lanyard channel; a stop disposed on the lanyard to prevent the lanyard from being removed from the belt; an attachment device disposed on an end of the lanyard; and an attachment pouch for storing the attachment device when not in use. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
     It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. It should also be appreciated that terminology explicitly employed herein that also may appear in any disclosure incorporated by reference should be accorded a meaning most consistent with the particular concepts disclosed herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. Also, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a belt showing an attachment device, such as a carabineer, in a stowed configuration and a lanyard in a retracted configuration; 
         FIG.  2    is a detailed perspective view of the belt of  FIG.  1    showing the attachment device in a removed configuration and the lanyard in a retracted configuration; 
         FIG.  3    is a detailed perspective view of the belt of  FIG.  1    showing the attachment device in a removed configuration and the lanyard in an extended configuration, engaging a stop to prevent removal thereof; 
         FIG.  4    is a top view of the belt of  FIG.  1   , illustrating engagement of the stop and an exemplary configuration of attachment device and lanyard pockets; 
         FIG.  5    is an assembly view of a belt in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  6    is a view of an embodiment of a belt depicted on a user in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  7 A  is a partial view of a belt lanyard and attachment in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  7 B  is a partial view of a belt lanyard and attachment in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG.  8    is a partial view of a belt lanyard and stop block in accordance with some embodiments; and 
         FIG.  9    is a view of a belt cage in accordance with some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Numerous variations and modifications will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, as will become apparent from the description below. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific implementations discussed herein. 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a belt having a retracting lanyard built into it for convenient deployment of an attachment device attached to the lanyard. The lanyard can be contained within the belt when not in use and can be extended therefrom for use. A stop prevents the lanyard from being removed from the belt and, therefore, the lanyard never needs to come off the belt. Because the lanyard retracts into a channel or slot in the belt, it does not get tangled and hung up. The belt can also include a hidden pocket to store money, notes, maps and the like. The attachment device can be stored in an attachment pouch when not in use, keeping the attachment device ready for use and preventing it from getting caught when not in use. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  1  through  4   , a belt body  10  operable to wrap around a user, such as around a user&#39;s waist. The belt body  10  can be looped through a lanyard buckle  26  disposed on a first end of the belt body  10 . A second, opposite end of the belt body  10  can be passed through a belt buckle  12  to form the belt body  10  in a loop of a desired size. 
     The belt body  10  can be formed with a hidden pocket  14  formed therein. The hidden pocket  14  can be, for example, formed on an inside surface of the belt body, as shown in  FIG.  1   . The hidden pocket  14  can be used to store various items, such as money, notes, maps, and the like. 
     The belt body  10  can include a lanyard channel  18  formed therein. The lanyard channel  18  can be operable to store at least a portion of a lanyard  24  therein. The lanyard  24  can extend out of the lanyard channel  18  and pass through the lanyard buckle  26 . The lanyard  24  can extend from about  6  inches to about  36  inches from the lanyard buckle  26  when in use. A stop  22  can prevent the lanyard  24  from being pulled out of and removed from the belt. 
     An attachment device  20 , such as a carabineer, can be disposed on an end of the lanyard  24 . The attachment device  20  can be stored in an attachment pouch  16  formed in the belt body  10  when not in use, as shown in  FIG.  1   . 
     When a user needs to secure themselves, such as when using a ladder, working in a bucket, or the like, the user, wearing the belt, can simply remove the attachment device  20  from the attachment pouch  16 , as shown in  FIG.  2   , and extend the lanyard  24  from the lanyard channel  18 , as shown in  FIG.  3   . The user can then connect the attachment device  20  to an appropriate anchor (not shown), thereby securing the user. The stop  22  prevents the lanyard  24  from being removed completely from the belt. When the user no longer needs to be secured, they can simply remove the attachment device  20 , stow the lanyard  24  back into the lanyard channel  18  and store the attachment device  20  into the attachment pouch  16 . 
     The belt body  10  can be made from various flexible materials, such as leather. The lanyard  24  can be made from a strong flexible material, such as those made from an aramid fiber, such as Kevlar® fabric, for example. The buckles  12 ,  26  can be made from a strong, rigid material, such as steel, for example. Of course, other materials are contemplated within the scope of the present invention. It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  5 - 9   , and in accordance with some additional embodiments and aspects, a belt  100  for securing a user  1  to an object (not shown) includes a belt body  110 , the belt body  100  having a first end  112  secured to a belt buckle  120  and a free second end  114  that may be positioned around a user  1  and then looped through buckle  110  to form a belt  100 . Belt body  110  may be formed of heavy webbing material, such as canvas webbing, Kevlar material, or any equivalent high tensile strength, flexible material without departing from the various embodiments described herein. While buckle  120  is depicted as a D-ring type buckle, one of ordinary skill will realize that a wide variety of buckles may be employed in the context of the embodiments described. 
     In various exemplary embodiments belt  100  further includes a bungee  140 , made of flexible elastic material such as bungee cord or bungee rope. Bungee  140  has a predetermined length that permits it to place tension on a lanyard  160 , as described further herein below. Bungee  140  includes a first end  142  having a snap or button fastener  144  that permits it to be secured to a corresponding snap or fastener  116  secured to belt body  110 . Bungee  140  also includes a second end  146  that may in some embodiments terminate in a loop  148 . Furthermore a bungee guide  150 , similar to a belt loop, may be sewn or otherwise secured to belt body  110  such that bungee  140  may be routed through bungee guide  150  to enable bungee  140  to be held proximate belt body  140 , thereby permitting it to stretch freely without becoming entangled or snarled. Fastener  144  of bungee  140  permits the bungee to be rapidly changed or switched out a bungee  140  is damaged, or if a user  1  wishes to use a bungee  140  having a higher coefficient of elasticity. 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  5 ,  6 , and  8    belt  100  in some embodiments further includes a lanyard  180 , also made of heavy webbing material, canvas webbing, Kevlar material, or any equivalent high tensile strength, flexible material. Lanyard  180  has a body  182  having a predetermined length, and a first end  184  that terminates in, or is secured or sewn to, a quick release fastener  186  such as a carabineer or the equivalent. Lanyard  180  also includes a second end  188  that terminates in, or is secured to, a fastener  190 , such as a D-ring or an equivalent ring. Fastener  190  may be secured to loop  148  of bungee  140  as best depicted in  FIG.  7 B , so that elastic bungee  140  places tension on lanyard  180 , thereby pulling second end  188  of lanyard  180  towards belt body  110  fastener  116 . This feature of the invention ensures that lanyard  180  is retracted along belt body  110  as far as possible when not in use, as will be described further herein below. 
     In some embodiments lanyard body  182  may be secured to quick release fastener  186  and D-ring  190  by looping lanyard body  182  through fastener  186  and/or ring  190  and sewing the first and second ends  184 ,  188  to the lanyard body  182 . In certain embodiments a wedge piece  194  may be sewn or otherwise secured to the first and second ends  184 ,  188  of lanyard body  182  to provide a slightly thicker and stiffer area proximate ends  184 ,  188  of lanyard  180 . Wedge piece  194  may comprise an additional piece of webbing material or can be formed of carbon fiber material in some embodiments. 
     Referring again to  FIGS.  5 ,  6 , and  8   , and in accordance with some aspects and embodiments a stop block  200  is provided, formed of a relatively stiff, high strength material such as carbon fiber, aluminum, or any of a wide variety metals or high strength plastics. Stop block  200  may include a belt slot  202  and a lanyard slot  204 , through which lanyard body  182  passes. Belt slot  202  may be sized to accommodate a length or portion of webbing  210  or equivalent material that is passed through belt slot  202  and then secured at either end thereof to belt body  110 , thereby securing lanyard block  200  to belt body  110 . In some embodiments stop block  200  is secured to belt body  110  proximate first end  112  and buckle  120 . Additionally, stop block  200  may include a base portion  206  that contacts and rests on belt body  110 . Base portion may be sized to be substantially the same width as belt body  100  and have a length that is sufficient to distribute the force placed upon stop block  200  by a user  1  being tethered to lanyard  8  across a predetermined area of belt body  110 . 
     In some exemplary embodiments lanyard slot  204  is sized to enable lanyard body  182  to easily and smoothly pass through slot  204 , while ends  184 ,  188  and concomitant wedge portions  194  fit snugly into slot  204 , thereby stopping lanyard  180  from passing through lanyard slot  204  at either end. In some embodiments quick release fastener  186  and D-ring fastener  190  may abut slot  204  to prevent lanyard  180  from passing through, thereby capturing lanyard  180  in lanyard block  200 . 
     In operation, bungee  140  is secured to belt body  110  by fastener  144 , and is routed through bungee guide  150 . Bungee  140  is then secured to lanyard  180  second end  188  by loop  148  fastening to D-ring fastener  190 . In this embodiment bungee  140  pulls or biases second end  188  of lanyard body  182  toward fastener  144 , thereby holding lanyard  180  quick release fastener  186  near stop block  200  until the user  1  needs to fasten it to an object. In some embodiments lanyard body  182  has a predetermined length that is sized to enable lanyard body  182  to be substantially coextensive with belt body  110  until a user  1  pulls lanyard  180  outwardly, away from stop block  200 . 
     When a user  1  wears belt  100 , quick release fastener  186  may be grasped and clipped onto a ring or portion of an object not shown) to which the user chooses to be tethered. Lanyard  180  may be pulled out through stop block  200  until second end  188 , including wedge portion  194  engages lanyard slot  204  and lanyard  180  is prevented from extending any further. As can be readily seen, stop block  200 , belt body  110 , and lanyard  180  bear all the force or weight of a user  1  when fully extended, while bungee  140  simply biases lanyard  180  back toward a center of belt body  110  once tension on lanyard  180  is released. 
     As best depicted in  FIGS.  5  and  6    and in accordance with some embodiments a pair of leg loop buckles  210  may be provided, each leg loop buckle  210  having a loop  212  that may be engaged by belt body  110  so that loops  212  may be positioned at any point along belt body  110 . Leg loop buckles  210  may further include a quick release fastener  214 . Additionally, a leg loop harness  220  is provided, having a pair of adjustable leg loops  222  connected by a central strap  224 , each of said leg loops  222  also including a quick release fastener  226  secured thereto that is shaped to engage quick release fastener  214  of leg loop buckles  210 . This embodiment permits a user  1  to put each leg through a leg loop  222  and position the loop buckles  210  along belt body  110  to provide an extra measure of support when wearing belt  100 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS.  5 ,  6  and  9   , and in accordance with some exemplary embodiments, a flexible cage  230  is also provided that is positioned on the exterior of belt body  110  to protect bungee  140  and lanyard  180  from entanglement and damage while belt  100  is being worn. Cage  230  is formed of a flexible plastic material, or the equivalent thereof, and is fitted with a plurality of belt loops for positioning cage around belt body  110 . Cage  230  may also have a hook and loop fastener secured at an end thereof, for securely fastening cage  230  around belt body  110 . An inner belt  240  may also be provided for wearing underneath belt  100 . Inner belt  240  may include a porition of hook and loop fastener material  242  and a d-ring or belt ring  244  for securing the belt around user  1 . Inner belt  240  material  242  may engage corresponding material provided on an interior portion of belt  100 , thereby providing for a secure fit of belt  100  around user  1 . This embodiment is particularly useful when a wearer or user  1  falls and is restrained by belt  100  lanyard  180 . 
     While several embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms. 
     The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.” 
     The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc. 
     As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law. 
     As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc. 
     It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited. 
     In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03. 
     It is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” “in communication with,” “secured,” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms “secured” and “mounted” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. 
     While the present invention has been shown and described herein in what are considered to be the preferred embodiments thereof, illustrating the results and advantages over the prior art obtained through the present invention, the invention is not limited to those specific embodiments. Thus, the forms of the invention shown and described herein are to be taken as illustrative only and other embodiments may be selected without departing from the scope of the present invention, as set forth in the claims appended hereto.