Abstract:
A multi-purpose survival belt includes an elongated strap having a sealable cavity along its length and configured for storage and retrieval of a thin, foldable sheet. The cavity is sealable by means of a zipper or Velcro® loop-type arrangement. The thin material may be in the form of a body insulating sheet, rope, wire saws and the like. The belt includes a sealable buckle configured for storage and retrieval of selected implements. The belt provides convenient and immediate access for implements stored in the various portions of the belt. The belt uses a conventional locking hook and aperture arrangement for cinching about a wearer.

Description:
[0001]    highly compactible body shields, commonly known as a space blanket, capable of insulating an individual from the heat or cold also facilitates the user&#39;s efficiency and convenience objectives in becoming self-sufficient during such travels. Such containers also accommodate people who are either unwilling or unable to carry a side pouch or back pack. Obviously, much of what a user requires may be contained in a conventional back pack. However, the more a user loads into the back pack the less the space available for other implements. Moreover, the more densely loaded the back pack becomes the less efficient, and more onerous and time consuming retrieval of the pack contents becomes.  
           [0002]    There are utility belts known in the art. They typically are adapted as implement carrying belts that are used by tradesmen such as maintenance and construction personnel, painters, mechanics, electricians, carpenters, utility pole servicemen and even police and military servicemen. Usually these belts have removable or adjustable implement carrying holders adaptable for a wide range of desired uses and applications. Such belts are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,379 to Munoz which relates to a modular utility belt. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,823 to Gordon which relates to a multipurpose utility belt. Still another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,498 to Aaronson which relates to a socket retaining utility belt.  
           [0003]    The belts of the prior art generally are used as a support for holding implements in holders that are either attached to or hang from the belts. The belts of the prior art do not have multiple purpose belt buckles for the purpose of cinching the belt to a user while having a sealable container for holding implements for immediate and easy access. Moreover, the belts do not utilize the strap portion as a sealable container for storing and easy retrieval of thin, foldable body cover material and rope-like items.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    It is therefore a primary aim of the present invention to define a belt that provides convenience in rapid storage and retrieval of implements from the belt buckle and from the strap portion of the belt. The belt according to the present invention includes a sealable container portion extending essentially lengthwise of the strap portion of the belt that is capable of storing a thin, foldable sheet and cord-like implements. A seal is accomplished either by a zipper or Velcro® looped locking arrangement and encloses/seals the contained item between opposite facing sides of the strap. The sealing arrangement may be located on either side of the strap but for convenience purposes preferably it is along the outside facing side. Since the strap, of necessity, is flexible so as to be cinched about a wearer, the items contained within the belt are typically flexible as well.  
           [0005]    Attached at one end of the belt is a relatively large buckle having a removable face plate such that when the face plate is removed, the interior of the buckle is exposed for either inserting or retrieving items from within. Items intended for storage and retrieval in the buckle may include items such as, for example, a compass, whistle, pliers, scissors, matches, medications, a flashlight and electronic devices. The buckle face plate is secured to the buckle by a pair of spring-loaded probes that are inserted in corresponding apertures in the buckle side walls. Hinge arrangements may also be used to allow for the face plate to swivel between open and closed positions without departing from the spirit of the invention. The buckle includes a locking probe that may be inserted into any one of the series of apertures on the opposite end of the belt for size adjustment to accommodate a wearer.  
           [0006]    Other features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and the appended claims.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of the survival belt of the present invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the belt of FIG. 1 taken along lines  2 - 2 ;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2B is an alternate embodiment of the belt of FIG. 2A;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a side view of the belt of FIG. 1 with the contents of the container within the strap shown in phantom;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the buckle of the belt of FIG. 1 with the face plate removed;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the underside of the face plate of the buckle of FIG. 4; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a top view of the buckle of FIG. 4 with the face plate locked in the sealing position. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    Referring now to the drawings, there is shown belt  10  having a strap  12 , a buckle end  14  and an engagement end  16 . The strap  12  and engagement end  16  may be formed of a number of commercially available materials such as, for example, leather, plastic, or strong woven fabric. The engagement end  16  includes a series of spaced apart openings or apertures  18  longitudinally directed along the engagement end  12  so as to provide adjustability when cinching the belt depending upon the point of engagement with “c” shaped locking hook  20 . The openings  18  extend through the thickness of the engagement end  16  to thereby provide a secure grip. The material forming the strap portion  12  and the engagement portion  16  may be the same material or a different material and they may be joined together in any one of a number of methods known in the art.  
         [0015]    For the present invention, the strap  12  is formed of two individual segments  22  and  24  (as shown in FIG. 2A) attached together along ends  26  and  28  so as to provide an interior cavity or space  30  capable of containing and storing a selectable number of implements  32 . Segment  24  has an opening defined by edge  34  and  36  to which is attached respective teeth portions of a zipper  38 . A zipper sliding piece  40  engages edges  34  and  36  in a conventional manner to open and close the zipper to provide access and sealing of the cavity  30 . Other methods of sealing the cavity  30  may be used as for example by way of a hook and loop locking arrangement commonly known under the name Velcro® with one edge of segment  24  having the hook arrangement and the other edge having the loop arrangement. A still further example of a releasable fastener may be the interlocking plastic edges commonly known as Zip Lock fasteners. In an alternate embodiment (see FIG. 2B), edges  34 ® and  36 ® may be sized so as to provide for an overlapping sealing arrangement without the use of the interlocking sealing arrangements described above.  
         [0016]    The cavity  30  is sized to accommodate a variety of implements therein. In particular, the invention contemplates storage of what may be called a space blanket. A space blanket may be formed of a very thin typically plastic material capable of being rolled up into a relatively small volume so as to fit into the cavity  30  typically lengthwise and permit the sealing element such as a zipper to be closed thereby storing the space blanket within the cavity  30 . The space blanket may have an insulative end and/or reflective coating so as to provide a full body cover for a user who seeks insulation from a cold environment or reflection of sunlight in a bright warm environment. Other types of implements may include wire saws, ropes and surgical wrappings. With all types of sealing apparatus, it is understood that they are sufficiently flexible enough to allow the belt to be cinched about a wearer.  
         [0017]    A buckle  14  is coupled to strap  10  in any one of a number of methods known in the art. The buckle  10  as shown in FIG. 4 is formed of a durable, strong material such as metal commonly used in belts. The buckle of FIG. 4 is shown as an embodiment having a rectangular shape and cross-section. However, it is to be understood that the shape of the buckle may be round, oval or any other geometry without departing from the spirit and contemplation of the invention. The buckle  14  includes a receptacle  42  that is sized to contain any number of implements such as, but not limited to, a compass, GPS, scissors, matches, flashlight, medications and the like. Buckle  14  includes two scalloped portions  44  and  46  and as will be described later in detail, the scalloped portions provide clearance for movement of a locking spring  46 .  
         [0018]    Two apertures  48  and  50  extend into sidewalls  52  and  54  respectively and are positioned to be in alignment with respective ends of spring  46  when a face plate  56  is placed on buckle  14  in the sealing position. A cut-out or plateau  57  provides clearance and a platform upon which face plate  56  rests when it is in the sealing position. A recess  59  extends inward of rear wall  60  and as will be described later, provides a rear anchor for face plate  56 .  
         [0019]    Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the face plate  56  [underside] of the present invention. Face plate  56  includes a retractable spring  46  which is anchored to the underside of the plate by any one of a number of conventional techniques known in the art. Spring  46  comprises two symmetrically movable arms  58  and  60  having ends  62  and  64  respectively. Application of a force to the exposed ends  66  and  68 , urging the arms  58  and  60  together, causes the ends  62  and  64  to retract inward towards each other to a location within the border of the face plate  56 . An extension  70  protrudes outward from the face plate rear edge  72 .  
         [0020]    The extension  70  is shaped to conform to the profile of recess  59  and the spring ends  62  and  64  are shaped to conform to the profile of apertures  48  and  50 . To mount the face plate  56  in the sealing position a compressive force is applied to exposed ends  66  and  68  which draws each end  62  and  64  to be positioned within the border of the face plate  56 . The face plate  56  is guided into position such that extension  70  enters recess  59  and front edge  74  rests upon plateau  57 . At such location, spring ends  62  and  64  are in alignment with apertures orifices  48  and  50  and upon release of the compressive force on the exposed ends  66  and  68  the spring ends  62  and  64  enter the respective apertures thereby locking the face plate  56  to the buckle  14 . To release the face plate  56  from its locked or sealing position, a compressive force is simultaneously applied to exposed end  66  and  68  until the ends clear the respective apertures and the face plate  56  can be thereafter removed. As shown in FIG. 6 when in the sealing position, exposed end  66  and  68  extend beyond the walls  52  and  54  by virtue of the clearance provided by the scalloped portions  44  and  46 .  
         [0021]    As shown in FIG. 5, the face plate  56  has a rectangular shape having a thickness  76 . The depth of plateau  57  is sized to be equal to that of the face plate thickness  76  such that when the face plate is in the sealing position the buckle  14  will have a relatively flat outer surface. It is to be understood that the face plate  56  faces away from the wearer when the belt is cinched about the wearer. Further, it is to be understood that the cross-section and described embodiment is not to be taken in a limiting sense and that adjustment of dimension and profile as well as locking arrangements of the face plate  56  and buckle  14  are well within the contemplation of the invention.  
         [0022]    Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions, many other versions should be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not necessarily be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.