Abstract:
A circumferential band which circumnavigates a portion of the human body. The band has a number of band segments with a first and second band segment and a number of intermediate band segments. Each band segment has a membrane, a first end and a second end. A male clip is attached to the first end; a female clip is attached to the second end. The male and female clips are operable to interlock and form a band couple. The male clip has a first insert; the female clip has a first slot. A locking mechanism enables the male clip and female clip to lock together. A first rigid coupling can be inserted between the male clip and the female clip. The band segments can be interchanged to fit the circumference of the particular body appendage.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority benefit of U.S. Ser. No. 60/803,353, filed May 27, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,650 (Amundsen) discloses an easily adjustable snap link designed to interconnect jewelry and watches. The link is shown for the design of a bracelet, and utilizes a bar and spring system.  
         [0003]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,829 (Relaford) discloses a belt with changeable decorative strips, the belt includes a body encircling member for fastening around the torso of the wearer and a series of decorative strips which can be attached to the outer side of the body encircling member.  
         [0004]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,948 (Adell) discloses a hip belt which has a number of substantially similar pieces which are successively connected by snap fasteners. Each piece is a pliant construction of substantially uniform thickness and has a perimeter edge; the side edge portions of the perimeter edge of each piece impart a taper to the piece.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,637 (Luger) discloses a belt reversing mechanism; the mechanism uses two clamping sections which are rotatably connected to each other by a rivet or an eyelet. The clamping sections are connected to the belt buckle and the other may be rotated with respect to the belt buckle. The two clamping sections may also be identical and serve to connect two belt sections and they may be rotated with respect to one another so that either side of the belt section may be visible when worn.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,270 (Rand) discloses a belt having interchangeable decorative strips, where the decorative strips are detachably fastened to the outside belt and can be readily removed to be replaced by other strips in a coordinated fashion.  
         [0007]     U.S. Pat. No. 2,885,684 (Dye) discloses an interchangeable belt, where the belt has a sheathing portion which is included in the construction and has an inner and outer surface with different color patterns for being selectively turned inside out to change the appearance of the belt. Referring to column 2 at line  10 , the combined layers of the belt define an inside passage which slidably receives an insert of more rigid material which adds to the body of the belt and provides one way of turning the sheath inside out.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 2,427,119 (Carr) discloses a garment belt which has a means of enabling the appearance of the belt can be changed at will to match the person to outfit. The belt has a number of different color display members or inserts which can be inserted or removed to produce color harmony with the ensemble.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 1,792,158 (Gleckner) discloses a belt with a flexible link which has a series of links attached to one another and each link has a single traverse slit while the opposite end of the link is formed with a pair of traverse slits and the byte portion of any link passes through the opposed slits of the adjacent links.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. No. D344,624 (Schnel) discloses a belt which appears to be designed with a plurality of holes equidistantly spaced around the center of the belt enabling the user to attach various emblems and ornamental objects.  
         [0011]     FR 2,677,227 (Sylvie) discloses a flexible modular band for use as a clothing accessory; the band is made of a plurality of interchangeable units connected together by a rapid fastening system which enables the elements to rotate with respect to one another about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the surface of the units.  
         [0012]     DE 3,720,857 (Braun) discloses a universal belt having exchangeable belt covering parts which can be varied quickly in color and shape to create different decorative elements.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the segmental belt assembly;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the belt segment reservoir;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a detailed plan view of a belt segment;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a detail plan view of an alternative embodiment of a belt segment;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a detail plan view of an alternative embodiment of a belt segment;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a detail plan view of an alternative embodiment of a belt segment;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a detail plan view of an alternative embodiment of a belt segment;  
         [0020]      FIG. 7A  is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a rigid insert;  
         [0021]      FIG. 7B  is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a rigid insert;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7C  is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a rigid insert;  
         [0023]      FIG. 7D  is a cross-sectional detail view of a locking mechanism within a coupling unit;  
         [0024]      FIG. 7E  is a cross-sectional detail view of a spring-loaded bullet-locking mechanism;  
         [0025]      FIG. 8  is a perspective detail view of the insert buckle;  
         [0026]      FIG. 9  is a perspective detail view of the insert buckle front face;  
         [0027]      FIG. 10  is a detail view of a coupling;  
         [0028]      FIG. 11  is a detail view of an insert buckle installed between couplings.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0029]     The following embodiments represent some of the concepts which can be enabled utilizing the segmented assembly system. The system can be designed for circumnavigating various body portions such as the neck, waist, arms, wrists, legs, ankles, toes, fingers and the like.  
         [0030]     The system provides for somewhat of an ornamental type segmented circumnavigation system where the present system can be configured for a utilitarian type segmented circumnavigation system/assembly.  
         [0031]     Discussion will be provided with a first embodiment which consists in one form of colored segments having different segment lengths. The segments have clips at either end, allowing a coupling unit to be formed thus connecting belt segment ends together. Furthermore, solid inserts can be placed between the clips or belt segments enabling the user to add to the particular embodiment. Users can mix and match, creating various configurations of the belt segments to fit the circumferential distance of the particular appendage such as the waist.  
         [0032]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a segmental belt assembly is shown in an assembled arrangement. In this first embodiment, an insert buckle  14  (also known as a rigid coupling insert  14 ), is installed between a male clip  16  and a female clip  18 , which then form a coupling unit  20 . The belt segments  12  include various links which have been chosen by the user for the assembly.  
         [0033]     Before discussing the size and combination arrangements of the belt segments  12 , a detailed description of coupling units  20  will be provided.  
         [0034]     In order to enable the segmental belt assembly  10  to operate within pre-existing clothing requirements such as belt loops arranged around the waist of the user, the coupling unit  20  is provided with a height which substantially matches the belt webbing  50  as seen in  FIG. 10 . To functionally match belt webbing, a relatively thin coupling unit  20  is provided with a slender thickness. This slenderness of the coupling keeps it substantially in line with the webbing  50 . The height of the coupling  20  matches the webbing height, allowing the belt assembly to easily thread through the belt loops.  
         [0035]     The coupling unit  20  is arranged within a substantially circumferential plane  156 . The circumferential plane  156  is aligned along the circumferential axis  150  of the belt webbing  50  as it is looped about the appendage of the user, as well as a cylindrical axis  152  which is substantially perpendicular to the circumferential axis  150 . The thickness of the belt webbing  50  and the coupling unit  20  is arranged in the radial axis direction  154  perpendicular to the circumferential plane  156 . The coupling unit  20  forms into a generally rectilinear shape. In otherwords the coupling unit  20  may be formed into any geometric shape desired by the manufacturer.  
         [0036]     Still referring to  FIG. 10 , the coupling unit  20  is composed of a male clip  16  which in this particular embodiment has a semicircular insert  82 . Other suitable geometric arrangements. The insert  82  can be provided such as rectilinear, oval, triangular etc. The insert  82  can utilize any particular design which will adequately provide the desired function for insertion into the slot. The insert  82  is configured to slide into a female slot  86  of the female clip  18 . The semicircular insert and the slot closely match in thickness so that there is little play between the two clips. The slot  86  may be any suitable geometric arrangement. To keep the male clips  16  from detaching from the female clip  18 , the semicircular insert  82  has a vertically protruding knob  84  which frictionally engages a semispherical receptor  80  within the vertical plane of the female clip  18  located within the top or bottom wall of the slot. Because little vertical play is allowed between the two coupling clips, frictional force required to pull apart the coupling pieces after they are seated together is usually greater than the circumferential tensioning force  180  as seen in  FIG. 11 , required to tighten the belt about the users waist and hold the users clothing in the desired position.  
         [0037]     The coupling male and female segments may be constructed out of various materials such as pollyoxymethylene, die cast stainless steel, composite fiber materials, plastic, PVC, graphite, and the like. With a thin profile height, the coupling material needs a certain amount of ductility to provide for adequate detaching force to remove the male clip  16  from the female clip  18  without cracking the coupling unit  20  slot walls.  
         [0038]     Referring to  FIGS. 7D and 7E , a discussion of the coupling unit  20  with regard to the desired resultant detachment force  284  needed to uncouple the male clip  16  from the female clip  18  will now be provided. Depending upon the material the coupling unit  20  is made out of, the flexural capacity of the female clip top wall  280  or the female clip bottom wall  282  will vary. If the flexural capacity of the female clip top wall  280  is relatively high, then the flexural distance  286  may increase. The leverage force is the vertical component  285  of the resultant detachment force  284 . For ornamental type configurations, the coupling unit  20  can be made of the previously mentioned pollyoxymethylene, which has the desired flexural capacity to enable the coupling unit  20  to separate when the detachment resultant force  284  is applied to the unit. This arrangement is very suitable for children to use in snapping the belt together into the desired arrangement.  
         [0039]     For more utilitarian functions, a higher desired locking capacity may be required to resist a stronger circumferential tensioning force  180  (as seen previously in  FIGS. 10 and 11 ). The coupling unit  20  can be made out of a die cast stainless steel material. Here at the flexural capacity of the female clip top wall  280  would be significantly more rigid thus limiting the flexural distance  286  and creating a greater locking force where the vertically spherical protruding knob  84  is rigidly seated within the semispherical receptor  80 . To regulate the amount of force required to overcome the locking force, in lieu of a vertically protruding knob  84  relying upon the flex and capacity of the top  280  and bottom  282  walls, an additional spring-loaded bullet vertically protruding knob  300  may be provided. Here a ball bearing  302  sits within a recessed slot  304  of the male insert  78  and is pressed against the circular edge of the recessed slot by a spring  306 . The adequate detachment resultant force  284  will depress the ball bearing spring thus enabling the male insert  78  to be removed from the female slot  70 .  
         [0040]     Various spring constants can be provided to regulate the amount of force required to decouple the coupling unit  20 .  
         [0041]     While the male clip  16  and the female clip  18  can fit into any of the other male or female belt segment clips as designed, the couple unit  20  can also connect to an insert buckle  14  or rigid coupling insert  14  as seen in  FIG. 11 . Here the rigid insert  14  has a male insert  78  which is configured to connect to the slotted female clip  18  of a coupling unit  20 . In a similar manner, the rigid insert has a female slot  70  which allows the male clip  16  from a coupling unit  20  to connect to the rigid insert  14 .  
         [0042]     Thus various rigid attachments can be inserted between the male clip  16  and female clip  18  of the couple unit  20 . Multiple design configurations of the rigid inserts  14  are provided such as an insert buckle to be positioned at the front of the belt. Also, smaller rigid attachments or inserts enabling the user to attach peripheral items such as key chains, pocket knives and the like to the rigid inserts as will be discussed below.  
         [0043]     In the current embodiment (referring to  FIG. 9 ), the insert buckle  14  provides a beginning and end for the segmental belt assembly  10  and allows the user to place the rigid insert  14  arranged as an ornamental buckle having a logo  74  or other ornamental graphic design as the user desires into the assembly. Referring to  FIGS. 3-7 , along the same lines, in lieu of an insert buckle  14 , the user can use a pocket  60  which is configured with an insert buckle portion  14  to fit between the two male and female clip pieces allowing for the user to customize various utilitarian features for the belt assembly. A more robust utility belt provides for various inserts  14  allowing the user to attach work tools and similar items on the belt assembly  10  as desired.  
         [0044]     A brief discussion of the sizes and ranges of the current embodiment belt segments will now be provided.  
         [0045]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a belt segment reservoir  30  is provided with a range of belt segments  42 . The segment unit differentials range from as small as a ¼-inch unit differential to as much as a 4-inch unit differential depending on the particular design requirements. For example, a unit differential range of 1 inch between belt segments sizes provides variety of belt segment sizes to adequately fit various waist sizes.  
         [0046]     Still referring to  FIG. 2 , another unit differential is provided. The low end of the belt segment range  42  is 2-inch waist belt segment length  32 . Moving up in size, the current embodiment provides for increments of 2-inch belt segment lengths or unit differentials. A 4-inch belt segment length  34  is provided followed by a 6-inch belt segment length  36 . The next size up is an 8-inch belt segment length  38  followed by in this particular embodiment a jump in size to a 12-inch belt segment length  40 .  
         [0047]     The 12-inch belt segment length  40  is adjustable to provide users with a tighter fit where the users may have an odd size waist (such as a 31-in waist) which does not conform to the unitary even numbered measurements. Furthermore, as an ornamental effect, users may wish to have a portion of the belt hanging below the beltline in somewhat of a hanging belt end arrangement.  
         [0048]     Another example of the kit of belt segments allows for two of each of the previous mentioned belt segment lengths to be provided in an initial starter kit. The starter kit provides for an overall length of 64 inches for users to mix and match different belt sizes, colors and designs for their desired unique configuration.  
         [0049]     In addition to the varying lengths, the current embodiment provides various ornamental patterns  52  on the faces of the belt segment webbing  50 . For example, the ornamental patterns  52  can be provided for various seasonal designs such as for Christmas, New Year&#39;s, Easter, Fourth of July, etc. . . .  
         [0050]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the webbing  50  of the belt segment  12  can be made of various materials commonly provided for belts. These include leather, nylon, and fabric, such as knitting, and other types of mesh material.  
         [0051]     In an alternative embodiment,  FIG. 4  shows a beaded belt segment webbing arrangement  54 . Also, in  FIG. 5 , a belt segment webbing having a plurality of stainless steel rings arranged between the male and female couple portions is provided. Various add-on components  58  as seen in  FIG. 6  can be connected either as the inserts as previously discussed and  FIGS. 11 and 1 , or over a rigid webbing portion  64 . Still referring to  FIG. 6 , the belt segment webbing loop  65  is inserted over one end of a belt segment, the webbing loop  65  having a male clip  16  which enables other inserts or add-on components having female clip segments  18  to be attached to the belt assembly. Other ways of adding on to the belt assembly include providing snapped portions  62  for connecting objects  60  such as purses, knives, watches, wallets, pockets and other similar objects.  
         [0052]     Further discussing the rigid insert  14  as seen in  FIG. 8 , the current embodiment has a rectilinear insert buckle  14  having a female clip slot  70  as well as semispherical knob receptor  72  placed longitudinally inset from the outer face  71  of the female side of the insert buckle  14 .  
         [0053]     Referring to  FIG. 9 , the rigid insert  14  has a front face  73  which is provided with a logo  74  or graphic detail of some sort. At the opposite end of the female clip slot  70  is the male clip insert  78  which will interface with other female clip slots  18  either from another rigid insert  14  or a couple unit  20  as previously discussed in  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 . The male clip  78  has a semispherical knob  76  which interfaces with a semispherical knob receptor  72  from another rigid insert  14  or a receptor  80  from a female couple  18  ( FIG. 10 ).  
         [0054]     The buckle  14  can be flipped over and attached in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction about the circumference of the users waist, conforming itself to right hand or left-hand users.  
         [0055]     Referring to  FIGS. 7A-7C , additional embodiments of the rigid insert  14  will now be provided. Referring to  FIG. 7A , an intermediate rigid insert  200  is provided where the rigid insert is arranged along a longitudinal axis  201  and a transverse axis  203 . The intermediate rigid insert has the standard female slot insert  70  as well as a male clip insert  78 . To enable additional ornamental objects to be attached to this intermediate rigid insert  200 , in this particular embodiment a wide open window  206  is provided as a rectilinear opening within the main body portion of the intermediate rigid insert  200 . In order for key chains, and other clip-type items to attach to the intermediate rigid insert  200 , a bottom bar  202  maintains the material continuity of the intermediate rigid insert  200  while a top bar  204  provides the majority of the structural rigidity of the main body of the immediate rigid insert  200 .  
         [0056]     Additionally, as seen in  FIG. 7B , an intermediate rigid insert with narrow window openings  200  is provided. Here for example two rectilinear windows are arranged along the longitudinal axis and aligned transversely offset from one another at the upper and lower portions of the rigid insert between the male and female portions of the clips. The first rectilinear window  212  is located at the transversely lower portion of the insert body, and the second rectilinear window  214  is located at the upper transversely offset portion of the rigid insert body. These rectilinear windows are provided so that in one embodiment belt webbing can be threaded through the rectilinear openings to provide for attachment of additional objects.  
         [0057]     Lastly, referring to  FIG. 7C , an intermediate rigid insert with circular windows  230  is provided. Here a first group of circular windows  232  is located in the bottom portion of the rigid insert body, and a second group of circular windows  234  is positioned at the upper transversely offset location of the rigid insert body. These window or opening sizes can be uniform or varied depending on the desired configuration and customization for attachment of various ornamental objects or utilitarian objects as desired.