Patent Publication Number: US-2006005359-A1

Title: Connector device for suspending straps

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a connector device, and more particularly to a connector device for coupling or for suspending straps.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Typical connector devices for coupling or for suspending straps have been developed for coupling two straps together, and comprises a ring or loop for attaching or coupling to a lock device, and the straps are coupled to the loop and the lock device respectively, for allowing the straps to be coupled together by engaging the loop toward the lock device.  
      For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,133,329 to Gaylord discloses one of the typical connector devices comprising a strap ring coupled to one of the straps, and a connector frame couple to the other strap, and the strap ring may be attached to the connector frame, and may be selectively locked to the connector frame with a swinging member and a tumbler.  
      However, the strap ring may only be coupled and secured to the lock device with the swinging member and the tumbler, but may not be used to straighten or tighten the straps, such that the length of the straps should be cut to the required or predetermined length before attaching to the strap ring and the lock device, and such that the straps may not be easily and quickly tightened and secured together.  
      The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional connector devices.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a connector device for allowing two straps to be easily and quickly tightened together.  
      In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector device comprising a base including a chamber formed therein and defined between two side panels and a bottom panel, one of the side panels including a protuberance extended therefrom, a pole straddled between the side panels of the base, a first strap attached to the base, a frame rotatably secured to the base with an axle, and rotatable relative to the base and engageable with and movable over the protuberance, and a second strap including an intermediate segment engaged over the pole and engaged around the frame. The frame is engageable with the intermediate segment of the second strap, to force and to tighten the second strap when the frame is rotated relative to the base and locked to the base at a locking position when the frame is moved over the protuberance, and the frame releases the intermediate segment of the second strap when the frame is rotated away from the protuberance.  
      The base includes a second protuberance extended from one of the side panels, to engage with the frame, and to limit the frame to rotate relative to the base.  
      Each of the side panels of the base includes an orifice formed therein, and the frame includes two ends rotatably engaged into the orifices of the base, to have the ends of the frame to form as the axle.  
      The base includes a passage formed therein, the first strap is engaged through the passage of the base and coupled to the base. The base may include the other passage formed therein, the second strap is engaged through the other passage of the base. The base includes a bar formed and defined by the passage of the base. The bar is inclined relative to the base, to facilitate an engagement of the second strap through the passage of the base.  
      The base includes a bulge extended into the chamber of the base from the bottom panel, to form a recess in the bulge, and to receive the second strap, and to facilitate an engagement of the second strap through the passage of the base.  
      Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a connector device in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the connector device;  
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 , having two straps attached to the connector device;  
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view similar to  FIG. 3 , illustrating the operation of the connector device; and  
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view similar to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , illustrating the other arrangement or application of the connector device.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIGS. 1-3 , a connector device in accordance with the present invention comprises a base  10  including a bottom panel  11  and two side panels  12  to form or define a chamber  19  between the side panels  12  and the bottom panel  11 , and including one or more, such as two passages  13 ,  14  formed in the bottom panel  11  thereof, to define a bar  15  between the passages  13 ,  14  thereof. The bar  15  is preferably inclined relative to the bottom panel  11  of the base  10 , best shown in  FIGS. 3-5 .  
      One of the side panels  12  includes one or more, such as two protuberances  16 ,  17  extended therefrom, such as extended into the chamber  19  of the base  10 , and spaced away from each other. A pole  18  has two ends secured to the side panels  12  respectively, to allow the pole  18  to be straddled between the side panels  12 . The pole  18  is preferably disposed or arranged between the protuberances  16 ,  17 . It is preferable that the bottom panel  11  of the base  10  includes a bulge  20  extended upwardly into the chamber  19  of the base  10 , to form or define a recess  21  in the bulge  20  or in the bottom panel  11  of the base  10 .  
      Each of the side panels  12  includes an orifice  22  formed therein and aligned with each other. A frame  23  includes two ends  24  received in the chamber  19  of the base  10 , and rotatably engaged into the orifices  22  of the side panels  12  respectively, to rotatably secure the frame  23  to the base  10  with an axle  24  formed or defined by the ends  24  of the frame  23 , to allow the frame  23  to be rotated relative to the base  10 .  
      The protuberance  17  is engageable with the frame  23  ( FIGS. 2, 3 ,  5 ), to limit the rotational movement of the frame  23  relative to the base  10 . The protuberance  17  may be optionally provided or extended from the side panel  12 , but not necessarily be provided on the side panel  12 . The frame  23  is forceable over the other protuberance  16  ( FIG. 4 ) which may retain or latch the frame  23  to the base  10  at a locking position. The protuberance  16  is required to be provided or extended from the side panel  12 , to retain or latch the frame  23  to the base  10  at the locking position.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a strap  4  may be engaged through the passage  14  of the base  10 , and coupled or secured to the base  10 , and may be coupled to a hook  51  or the like. Another strap  40  may have an intermediate portion or segment  41  engaged through the other passage  13  of the base  10 , and engaged over the pole  18  and engaged around an end rod  25  of the frame  23 , and then engaged over the pole  18  again, and may have one end  42  coupled to another hook  52  or the like, and may have the other end  43  extended out of the base  10  and the frame  23 .  
      Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the other strap  40  may first be engaged through the passage  14  of the base  10 , and then may have the intermediate segment  41  engaged over the pole  18  and engaged around the end rod  25  of the frame  23 , and then engaged over the pole  18  again, and may then be engaged through the other passage  13  of the base  10 , and may have the other end  43  extended out of the base  10  and the frame  23 .  
      The recess  21  formed in the bulge  20  or in the bottom panel  11  of the base  10  is provided to receive the strap  40 , to allow the strap  40  to be easily engaged through the passage  13  of the base  10  ( FIGS. 3, 4 ). The inclination of the bar  15  relative to the bottom panel  11  of the base  10  is arranged to allow the strap  40  to easily engaged through the other passage  14  of the base  10  ( FIG. 5 ).  
      In operation, when the frame  23  is moved over the protuberance  16  and rotated relative to the base  10  toward the other protuberance  17 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the frame  23  may be rotated away from the protuberance  16  to the released position as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , such that the intermediate segment  41  of the strap  40  may be released by the frame  23 , and such that the strap  40  may be pulled or tightened relative to the base  10  or the other strap  4  at this moment, by such as pulling the other end  43  of the strap  40 .  
      After the straps  4 ,  40  or the hooks  51 ,  52  have been tightened or forced or pulled toward each other by pulling the other end  43  of the strap  40 , the frame  23  may then be rotated relative to the base  10 , and may be moved over the protuberance  16  to the locking position as shown in  FIG. 4 , and the frame  23  may thus be used to tighten the intermediate segment  41  of the strap  40 . The frame  23  may thus be locked to the base  10  at the locking position by the protuberance  16 .  
      It is to be noted that, when the frame  23  is released from the base  10  to the released position as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , the strap  40  may be easily and quickly pulled and tightened by pulling the other end  43  thereof, and then the frame  23  may be rotated relative to the base  10  to tighten the intermediate segment  41  of the strap  40 . The straps  4 ,  40  may thus be easily and quickly tightened and locked together by the relative movement between the base  10  and the frame  23 .  
      Accordingly, the connector device in accordance with the present invention may be used for allowing two straps to be easily and quickly tightened together.  
      Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.