Patent Publication Number: US-2018049522-A1

Title: Non-Directional Instant locking fastner

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Conventional instant locking fasteners, as commonly found in the seat belts of various vehicles require certain level of dexterity and, in some cases, vision, to engage as the conventional fastener designs require precise lateral-directional match of the tongue plate on one side, to fit into the narrow opening of the buckle on the other side, and maintaining the alignment to insert to engage the latch within the buckle&#39;s locking structure to fasten. This requirement of matching and aligning embedded in the conventional designs of locking fasteners imposes inconvenience, more time to engage and make them unusable to the users with limited dexterity. So a fastener system with a locking clasp that can be engaged through general pushing of the tongue into the hole of the clasp without precise directional alignment for locking could be valuable in many applications and also available to broader spectrum of users. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention incorporates a new design of a locking fastener system of a tongue and a clasp where the “tongue” part is generally cylindrical or transversely isotropic, as opposed to the flat design of its conventional counterparts, with a rounded, spheroidal top, and the receiving clasp has a hole with a funnel-shaped opening leading to the insertion channel for the tongue. Once the tip of the tongue is pushed through the flaring opening of the clasp, the tongue will travel through the internal channel so long as the tongue is pushed, regardless of its lateral orientation, and ultimately lock when it reaches the locking point and remain locked when the tongue may pivot. The present invention further incorporates the shape of the tongue that is connected to a knob-shape, bulked handle that is likewise non-directional, and for the dexterity-challenged users to grab with improved accessibility and engage in the latch by pushing without accurately aligning in a more intuitive way because the axis of the tongue will be aligned with the direction of the force asserted by the hand that is holding the knob to push for locking. 
     An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a design for a fastening device which can be latched without precise lateral aligning of the tongue into the opening of the clasp. Another object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a fastening device where the tongue can be pushed in faster, with a user-friendly handle which can be used in engaging the lock by making the gripping or pushing of the knob less demanding precision and force. The non-directional design of the locking mechanisms in the fastener allows the users to lock the tongue in the clasp by pushing in indiscriminant way and the tongue may pivot inside the clasp while maintaining the locked state. This ability to pivot can be beneficial in many applications as well as adding to the overall strength of the lock as the torsional stress between the two parts held by the fastener will be alleviated by pivoting. Another object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a locking clasp that can be easily disengaged by a simple push of a button or buttons. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, a fastening device includes a clasp with a shell having side walls covering the base plate holding the locking mechanism, one end of the base plate is shaped like a barrel and is to accommodate the funnel-shaped hole formed by the release buttons to guide the tongue into the barrel-shaped insertion channel. The tongue is generally cylindrically shaped to fit the interior of the tubular insertion channel so that there is no required particular lateral orientation to align for insertion into the channel for locking, the tongue having an indentation, a set of latching bars that are adapted to be supported by the side walls so that the latching member can slide between an unlatching position and a latching position, wherein the hole formed by the half arcs of the latching bars choke and lock the tongue when the tongue is inserted into a predetermined position within the fastening device and the latching bars are locked and butted against the frame wall of the insertion channel, an ejector that is located to prevent the tongue from moving when the tongue is latched, a set of blade springs which are positioned to hold the latching bars in latching position, and a set of release keys connected to a release button with a spring over the insertion channel to be compressed by the user for pushing the release keys and move the latching bars apart to release and unlatch the tongue. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, a set of release buttons may be placed on each side of the casing to allow squeezing as opposed to pressing to release the tongue from the locking mechanism. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, appended claims, and the accompanying exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, which are briefly described below. 
     Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that, in the following description, terms “upper”, “lower”, “above”, and “below” refer to “upper”, “lower”, “above”, and “below” in the drawings, respectively, and the terms “right”, “left”, “rightward, and “leftward” refer to “right”, “left”, “rightward, and “leftward” refer to “right”, “left”, “rightward, and “leftward” in the drawings, respectively. 
       FIG. 3  shows an exploded illustration of an embodiment of the locking fastener system (“the fastener”) comprising of a “tongue” and a “catch” where the tongue is passive and the catch has the active components to engage locking mechanism when the tongue is inserted. 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  show side sections of the fastener according to  FIG. 3 , after inserting the insertion tongue and in locked position ( FIG. 4 ) and in an unactuated released position ( FIG. 5 ) 
     The top portion of the  FIG. 3  shows the tongue  30  which has a round shaft  35  with spheroidal head  31  and a groove  32  around the shaft under the head. For such applications as seat belt buckles, the tongue has a hole  34  where the webbing of a seatbelt may be inserted. The tongue has a round knob  33  for the non-directional gripping and assisted handling of the shaft as the force will be in the same axis as the direction of the movement of the tongue in the pushing action, to provide wider accessibility to users of different levels of dexterity when inserting the tongue into the catch to engage the locking mechanism. Two possible ways to limit the travel of the tongue into the insertion channel  4  of the catch plates are provided. One of which is by the tapering in the shape of the shaft  35  and matching insertion channel  4  of the catch plates. The other being the shape and placing of the bulk  36  at the left end of the tongue  30 . The rest of the  FIG. 3  shows the parts comprising the catch. The base for the catch are two base plates,  3 ′ and  3 ″ (collectively, “plates” or “ 3 ”) which at the flat end has openings  2  and  43 , for fastening to a free belt band end  2  or to a fitting fastened to the floor of the vehicle  43 , for example. These plates are bonded with each other and form the base frame for the catch. On the non-free end of the plates  3 , is a barrel-shaped insertion channel  4  for the tongue, for which the two plate parts  3 ′ and  3 ″, in connection with the opening  4 , form an insertion path. In the center of the plates  3 , a latching-bars opening  5  is present for the insertion of a set of latching bars  21 , described below, perpendicularly to the insertion path. Attachable to the plates  3  are two leaf springs  24 , which are riveted to the plates  3  through the common holes  9  and  22  and these two springs hold the latching bars  21  inside the plates&#39; opening. The latching bars  21 , upper and lower, each has semi-circle cutouts, forming a choking hole  29  to match the shape of the groove  32  on the tongue. The matching of the shape of the arcs in the latching bars to the groove  32  of the tongue, result the hole to be shaped in such a way that the head  31  of the tongue may pass through the hole  29  with minimal movement of the latching bars but disallow escaping unless the latching bars are completely open as the hole is larger on the left side than the right side. The end of the insertion channel  4  also form a wall  8  against which the latching bars  21  are butted after the tongue is inserted and locked by the latching bars. The release keys  15  are given their stability through the guide holes  6  on the plate. A set of bar guide holes  6  guide the movement of the four release keys  15  with their prongs  16  inside the guide holes. The release button  10 , is a funnel shaped pressure key, which is supported by and movable parallel within the insertion path formed by the outer casing  37 , and is attached to four release keys  15 . The funnel shaped flaring tube  11  in the center of the release button serves as the flaring outer opening of the catch for the tongue and it covers the insertion channel  4  of the clasp. The release button&#39;s outward pressure is kept by a spring  39  wrapped around the left-end of the insertion channel  4 , and is kept inside the casing  37  through its indentation  19  at the end. The inner end of the insertion channel  8  function as a wall for the latching bars, and once locked, stands as a barrier for the latching bars from letting the tongue escape from their grip in the fashion of a choke hold. The non-directional shape of the tongue combined with the choke-hold of the latching bars enables the tongue to pivot inside the catch while maintaining the lock, once engaged. The release keys  15  have slanted outer ramps  14  which slide under the lifting arms  27  on the each end of the latching bars  21 . The opening  5  inside the plates  3  also house the ejector  40  and the ejector spring  38  which holds and presses the knob  41 , which in tum, presses the tip of the tongue  31  for releasing the tongue when unlocked as well as holding the tongue in steady position with the latching bars butted against the inner wall  8  while locked. 
       FIG. 4  shows the position of the tongue and clasp where the release button is in extended position, in which the tongue is locked inside the clasp. The tip  31  of the tongue is pushed against the ejector  40  by the force of the spring  38 , and the tongue  30  is strangled at its circular groove  32 , in the hole  29  formed by the arcs of the latching bars  21 , which arcs are carved to match the shape of the circular groove of the tongue, and the latching bars are butted against the end wall  8  of the insertion channel to resist pulling once latched, while allowing the tongue to pivot inside the hole. The spring  39  and the end indentation  19  of the casing  37  keep the release button  10  within the casing at an extended position. 
       FIG. 5  shows the position of the fastener in which the tongue is being released as the release button moves from extended position to retracted position. The release button  10  has been pushed against the pressure of the spring  39 , and the release keys  15  moved along the path on the plates  3 , lifting the lift arms  27  of the latching bars through their slanted ramps  14 . The ejector  40  has been pressed outward until it was stopped by the latching bars, moving the tongue away from the choke-hold of the latching bars. 
       FIG. 6  shows another embodiment of the design, similar to the embodiment of  FIGS. 3 through 5 , with an identical tongue to the previous embodiment as well as the locking mechanism allowing free-pivot of the tongue while locked, the difference being that the catch incorporates release buttons positioned on the side of its casing, which predicates a squeezing action as opposed to the pressing for releasing the lock. 
     The funnel-shaped opening  51  attached to the insertion channel of the base plates is stationary. Two release buttons  53  are located on both sides of casing  63  and laterally placed in relation to the funnel-shaped opening  51 . The release buttons are held outward by two springs  54 , located at each end of the protrusions  61  on the base plates  60 . The release buttons are held by the matching cut-outs  64  of the casing  63 . The keys  65  connected to the release buttons  53  work in the same way as the previous embodiment, and their slanted ramps  66  lift the latching bars as they slide their slanted ramps under the arms  71  of the latching bars  70 . The guide holes  62  of the main plates  60  hold the protrusions  53  of the release keys in place and act as