Patent Publication Number: US-7222621-B1

Title: Breathing tube fastening structure

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   I. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to fastening structure of a breathing tube, especially a breathing tube that is used for snorkeling and is fixed on the exterior of the lateral side of a head strap for clamping said breathing tube. Therefore, when said breathing tube is clamped by the invention, it has the advantages of freely revolving and rapid disassembly without being hindered from shifting up or down. 
   II. Description of the Prior Art 
   Generally, a conventional breathing tube is frequently applied to water sports—such as swimming, snorkeling or diving which enable a user to observe things under the sea with a hydroscope applied together without coming up to breath. Said breathing tube is commonly affixed to a head strap of a mask, so that a user can easily move a mouthpiece of said breathing tube (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) to his/her mouth. A conventional fastening clamp A is mainly formed in a round and sealed shape, having the shape of the inner rim thereof match up with the outer rim of a breathing tube B. In addition, the size of the internal diameter thereof is slightly smaller than the external diameter of the breathing tube B. When the fastening clamp A sleeves over the breathing tube B, both of the fastening clamp A and the breathing tube B tightly close to each other enabling a clip C to clip the head strap of a hydroscope, so as to achieving the objective of fixing the breathing tube B thereon. Even though said fastening clamp A possesses the fastening effect, it is found that said clip C for fastening the head strap of a hydroscope is able to adjust the position of the breathing tube B on the left and right sides. Consequently, water easily enters into the breathing tube B when a diver leans forwards. In other words, said fastening clamp A and the breathing tube B should be designed in one piece; nevertheless, a user has to repurchase a breathing tube B when said fastening clamp A is broken, so as to cause the inconvenience to a diver, even make the user to go against the environmental protection. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the drawbacks of a fastening clamp of said breathing tube of a prior art, an innovative “breathing tube fastening structure” is therefore disclosed hereafter. 
   To achieve the foregoing objectives, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a breathing tube that is used for snorkeling. The invention is fixed on the exterior of the lateral side of a head strap for clamping said breathing tube. Therefore, said breathing tube is clamped by the invention having the advantages of freely revolving and rapid disassembly without being hindered from shifting up or down. 
   To achieve the foregoing objective, the “breathing tube fastening structure” of the invention mainly comprises a fastener, a buckle, a pipe hoop, a snatch-hook and a snatch-hook stand. The invention is fixed on the exterior of the lateral side of a head strap for clamping said breathing tube, which is clamped by the invention having the advantages of freely revolving and rapid disassembly without being hindered from shifting up or down. The characteristics of the invention include that the fastener has a fastener body extended downwards from the main body and two knobs are formed on both lateral sides thereof; the buckle has four claws formed on both lateral sides thereof; the pipe hoop has an opening thereon vertically set a coupling portion, the inner part thereof set two round holes and the rear side thereof set a round grip portion; the snatch-hook sets an opening and two hook portions extended thereon, one end of the hook portions is recessed with two projections extended; the snatch-hook stand has two round holes, a mounting panel and a hooking groove disposed on the surface thereof and has a sliding groove opened on the inner part thereof. 
   Said breathing tube fastening structure of the invention enables the four claws set on the both lateral sides of the buckle to snap at the coupling portion of the pipe hoop, subsequently, the knobs of the fastener hook in the round holes of the pipe hoop, so as to form the fastener, the buckle and the pipe hoop in integral. The fastener is a main button enabling the breathing tube to be shifted up or down by a diver, two projections of the snatch-hook and two round holes of the snatch-hook stand are snapped together forming a movable end. Subsequently, the hook portions of the snatch-hook and the hooking groove of the snatch-hook stand are gripped together in integral, thereby enabling the snatch-hook to be quickly unlocked therefrom and locked thereto. The round grip portion of the pipe hoop is locked into said sliding groove of the snatch-hook stand and the mounting panel and the round grip portion are buckled in integral, subsequently, the snatch-hook is buckled into the snatch-hook stand with said head strap passing through, thereby enabling the round grip portion on the pipe hoop to freely revolve inside the sliding groove on the snatch-hook stand and the activation of the fastener enables the breathing tube to be shifted up or down for a diver to freely adjust a proper angel for use. 
   Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional structural view of a prior art; 
       FIG. 2  is a three-dimensional exploded view of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a three-dimensional structural view of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view showing the actuation of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is a prospective view showing the assembly of head strap and the present invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Further aspects, objects, and desirable features of the invention will be better understood from the detailed description and drawings that follow in which various embodiments of the disclosed invention are illustrated by way of examples. 
   With reference to  FIG. 2 , the “breathing tube fastening structure” of the invention mainly comprises a fastener  10 , a buckle  20 , a pipe hoop  30 , a snatch-hook  40  and a snatch-hook stand  50 , in addition, is fixed on the exterior of the lateral side of a head strap for clamping a snorkeling breathing tube, which is clamped by the invention having the advantages of freely revolving and rapid disassembly without being hindered from shifting up or down, wherein; 
   The fastener  10  has a fastener body  11  extended downwards from the main body and two knobs  12  are formed on both lateral sides thereof; the buckle  20  has four claws  21  formed on both lateral sides thereof; the pipe hoop  30  has an opening thereon vertically set a coupling portion  31 , the inner part thereof set two round holes two round holes  32  and the rear side thereof set a round grip portion  33 ; the snatch-hook  40  sets an opening and two hook portions  41  extended thereon, one end of the hook portions is recessed with two projections  42  extended; the snatch-hook stand  50  has two round holes  51 , a mounting panel  52  and a hooking groove  53  disposed on the surface thereof and has a sliding groove  54  opened on the inner part thereof. 
   With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , breathing tube fastening structure of the invention enables the four claws  21  set on the both lateral sides of the buckle  20  to snap at the coupling portion  31  of the pipe hoop  30 , subsequently, the knobs  12  of the fastener  10  hook in the round holes  30  of the pipe hoop  30 , so as to form the fastener  10 , the buckle  20  and the pipe hoop  30  in integral, thereby enabling the pipe hoop  30  to secure the fastener  10 . Said fastener  10  is a main button enabling the breathing tube to be shifted up or down by a diver, the two projections  42  on the snatch-hook  40  and two round holes  51  of the snatch-hook stand  50  are snapped together forming a movable end, subsequently, the hook portions  41  of the snatch-hook  40  and the hooking groove  53  of the snatch-hook stand  50  are gripped together in integral, thereby enabling the snatch-hook to be quickly unlocked therefrom and locked thereto. The round grip portion  33  of the pipe hoop  30  is locked into said sliding groove  54  of the snatch-hook stand  50  and the mounting panel  52  and the round grip portion  33  are buckled in integral, subsequently, the snatch-hook  40  is buckled into the snatch-hook stand  50  with said head strap passing through, thereby enabling the round grip portion  33  on the pipe hoop  30  to freely revolve at 360 degrees inside the sliding groove  64  on the snatch-hook stand  50  and the activation of the fastener  10  enables the breathing tube to be shifted up or down for a diver to freely adjust a proper angel for use. 
   With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , when a breathing tube  60  is either improperly located or required to be positioned at a certain angle, the invention enables the lower rim of the fastener  10  to be pressed down and the upper rim of the fastener  10  to be raised, in the meanwhile, a teeth portion  61  of the breathing tube  60  is loosen, thereby enabling the invention to shift up or down on the teeth portion  61  of the breathing tube  60 . When a head strap  70  pierces through the snatch-hook  40  and the snatch-hook stand  50 , the hook portions  41  of the snatch-hook  40  has to be opened, enabling a movable end to be formed at a 45-degree angle by the snatch-hook  40  and the snatch-hook stand  50  for said head strap  70  to pierce through therein. Subsequently, the hook portions  41  are pressed down to buckle the hooking groove  53  of the snatch-hook stand  50  after the head strap  70  is pierced through said snatch-hook  40  and the snatch-hook stand  50 , thereby hindering the head strap  70  from being loosened. When a diver wants to quickly remove the head strap  70 , s/he needs to open the hook portions  41  at the time when the snatch-hook  40  and the snatch-hook stand  50  both form a movable end at a 45-degree angle and the round grip portion  33  on the pipe hoop  30  is locked into said sliding groove  54  of the snatch-hook stand  50 , the diver enables the round grip portion  33  on the lower inclined plane thereof to be buckled in a mounting panel  52  and positioned in said sliding groove  54 , thereby enabling the pipe hoop  30  to freely revolve therein until a proper position is found. At the same time, the upper rim of the fastener  10  is pressed down to fix and lock the position of the pipe hoop  30  on the breathing tube  60 . 
   To sum up, the “breathing tube fastening structure” of the invention has the advantages of shifting up or down, freely revolving at 360 degrees and rapid disassembly, so as to possess the “practicability” and “advancement” in the industry field. 
   New characteristics and advantages of the invention covered by this document have been set forth in the foregoing description. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. Changes in methods, shapes, structures or devices may be made in details without exceeding the scope of the invention by those who are skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is, of course, defined in the language in which the appended claims are expressed.