Patent Publication Number: US-2011047674-A1

Title: Adjustable strap

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/272,181, filed Aug. 28, 2009. 
    
    
     1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to straps, and particularly to an interlocking adjustable strap having an interlocking mechanism that provides for adjusting the length of the strap. 
     2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     Visors, sunshades, hats and the like typically include an adjustable strap for securing the visor, sunshade, or hat to the user&#39;s head. The strap will typically be a split strap having an adjustable fastener or fasteners, such as snap fasteners, buckles and hook and loop fasteners. Snap fasteners and buckles are typically formed from metal or hard plastic, and can cause injury to the user&#39;s head if the user receives a blow to the head over the fastener. Further, snaps, buckles, hoop and loop fasteners, and other similar, common fasteners can easily become tangled in the user&#39;s hair. 
     Straps are versatile, however, and may be used on many other devices for different purposes. For example, many bags, purses, laptop computer carrying cases, and the like have a shoulder strap that includes two strap ends adjustably joined by a fastener. Quite often the fastener is a metal buckle that may bite into the shoulder. Consequently, adjustable straps have many uses, and there is a need for an alternative form of fastener for adjustably joining the two ends of the strap. Thus, an adjustable strap solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The adjustable strap provides for adjusting the length of a strap, such as those typically found on visors or sunshades. The adjustable strap includes first and second elongated strap members, each of the strap members having a free end and an opposing end forming a head that is wider than the body of the strap. One head has a single transverse slit formed therein and the other head has two parallel transverse slits formed therein, each of the slits being slightly wider than the body of the strap. In use, the free end of each strap member is drawn through the slit(s) in the head of the opposing strap member, and the free ends of the strap members are attached to the cap, visor, bag, or other article bearing the adjustable strap. The strap members are drawn together or pulled in opposite directions to adjust the strap to the desired length, and lock together when tension is placed on the strap. The strap is preferably made from neoprene and encased in nylon fabric. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of a visor having an adjustable strap according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded plan view of an adjustable strap according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of an adjustable strap according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the interlocking adjustable strap  10  provides for adjusting the length of the strap, such as those typically found on visors or sunshades. The visor V shown in  FIG. 1  shows an exemplary application of the adjustable strap  10 . It should be understood that the adjustable strap  10  is not limited to headgear, and may be used for other applications where an adjustable strap is desirable, e.g., adjustable shoulder straps for purses or bags, adjustable wrist straps, etc. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the adjustable strap  10  includes a first strap member  12  having an elongated body  26  and a first head  16  that is wider than the body  26 . The head  16  has a single transverse slit  20  formed therein. The adjustable strap  10  has a second strap member  14  having an elongated body  28  and a second head  18  that is wider than the body  28 . The second head  18  has a pair of parallel transverse slits  22 ,  24  formed therein. Preferably, the body  26 ,  28  of each strap member  12 ,  14  has the same width, and each of the slits  20 ,  22 , and  24  has a length slightly larger than the width of the strap bodies  26 ,  28  and a width slightly larger than the thickness of each strap body  26 ,  28 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , when the strap  10  is assembled, the body  28  of the second strap member  14  is slidably inserted through the single slit  20  in the head  16  of the first strap member  12 , and the body  26  of the first strap member  12  is slidably inserted through the two parallel slits  22  and  24  in the head  18  of the second strap member. The free end  30  of the first strap member  12  is then affixed to the article the strap  10  is attached to, e.g., one end of the visor V of  FIG. 1 , and the free end  32  of the second strap member  14  is affixed to the article the strap  10  is attached to, e.g., the opposite end of the visor V. 
     In use, the two strap members  12  and  14  are drawn towards each other to shorten the strap  10  (thereby increasing the area of overlap of the two strap members  12  and  14 ), or the two strap members  12  and  14  are pulled away from each other to lengthen the strap  10  (thereby decreasing the area of overlap of the two strap members  12  and  14 ). The length of the strap  10  becomes fixed when tension is applied to the strap  10  by placing the visor V on one&#39;s head, or placing the strap  10  over one&#39;s shoulder when used as a shoulder strap, etc., due to friction between the strap bodies  26 ,  28  and the heads  16 ,  18 , the snug fit between the strap bodies  26 ,  28  and the slits  20 ,  22 , and  24 , and friction between the strap bodies  26 ,  28 . 
     Preferably, the strap members  12  and  14  are made from neoprene, making the strap members  12 ,  14  resilient, and may be encased in nylon fabric, which tends to wick up and sweat from the forehead when used in visors, sunshades, hats, or the like. 
     The dimensions of the first and second strap members  12 ,  14  depend upon the particular use. In the example of  FIG. 1 , the adjustable strap  10  is shown in use with a typical visor V. Such visors V often have brims B having a lateral length of approximately eleven inches. For such an exemplary visor, each of first and second strap members  12 ,  14  may have an overall length of approximately six inches, and strap widths of approximately one-half of an inch. Each slit is also approximately one-half of an inch, and each slit may have a thickness of approximately 0.114 inches. Each head width may be approximately 0.808 inches. It should be understood that these relative dimensions are given for exemplary purposes only. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.