Patent Description:
Similar devices are described in patent applications <CIT> and <CIT>. The application <CIT> disclose the preamble of claim <NUM>.

As known, belts are very popular in the daily life of everyone. Generally, such item of clothing has the function of tightening a body inside it and therefore is generally used to tighten a dress or hold trousers at the chosen waist height or may have a purely aesthetic function.

There are various types of belts, currently marketed, which differ mainly for the type of buckle present.

Among the known buckles are classic or prong buckles, those with a clasp, those with small spherical prong and quick release.

The classic buckle has an open quadrangular structure in which at least one portion is bound or glued or sewn or trapped inside a loop formed by the belt. Also inside the quadrangular frame is a tooth, better known as a prong, suitable to be trapped inside the holes present in the belt on the opposite end to the end engaged to the buckle.

The clasp structure allows instead the free end of the belt to be trapped inside a variable section portion that can be restricted by closing the front portion of the buckle in a snap or lever effect.

The small spherical prong structure is instead typically composed of a fixed or movable prong at the end of which there is a small sphere; this sphere is suitable to engage the holes on the free end of the belt in the manner of a "button".

Lastly, the quick-release structure is less common for belts and more used for objects such as backpacks or pouches or other travel accessories.

The latter is characterized by two portions, generally polymeric, that engage in reversible elastic deformation or by a double engagement slot in which the free end of the belt is engaged.

The prior art described has several significant drawbacks.

In particular, standard belts are subject to heavy wear since the central prong, fully engaging the holes of the free end of the belt, deforms the belt, over time deforming or ripping the material.

In addition, the central prong, being hinged centrally, as also the elastic polymer parts, is also subject to wear. It may, over time, tend to move away form the centre with additional wear of the belt material.

Another disadvantageous aspect of the belts mentioned is the method of engagement of the belt with the buckle. In particular, loops are generally made on one end of the belt so as to engage at least one side of the quadrilateral or frame generated by the buckle.

This loop is made by folding the belt and subsequent nailing or gluing or stitching the two ends forming the loop. Alternatively, the belt may be directly attached to the buckle for example with one or more of the methods mentioned.

These types of constraint create problems, in the long run, on the belt seal, which may easily deteriorate.

Lastly, another disadvantage of the current state of the art is that the known structures are aesthetically not effective especially given the wear to which they are subjected.

In addition, classically designed belts do not allow the colour or type of strap constituting the belt to be easily varied.

Some of these drawbacks are partially solved by the patent applications <CIT> and <CIT>, but most of them remain unresolved or partially resolved.

In this situation, the technical purpose of the present invention is to devise a belt able to substantially overcome at least some of the drawbacks mentioned.

Within the sphere of said technical purpose, one important aim of the invention is to obtain a belt that limits the wear of the components making up both the buckle and the belt or perforated belt engaging in the buckle.

Another important purpose of the invention is to make a belt in which the buckle and belt are easily functionally engaged to each other.

In conclusion, a further object of the invention is to make a belt which makes it possible to maximise the aesthetic aspects and which makes it possible to easily vary the strap constituting the structure.

The technical purpose and specified aims are achieved by a belt as claimed in the appended Claim <NUM>. Examples of preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

Preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are clearly evident from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

Herein, the measures, values, shapes and geometric references (such as perpendicularity and parallelism), when used with words like "about" or other similar terms such as "approximately" or "substantially", are to be understood as except for measurement errors or inaccuracies due to production and/or manufacturing errors and, above all, except for a slight divergence from the value, measure, shape or geometric reference which it is associated with. For example, said terms, if associated with a value, preferably indicate a divergence of not more than <NUM>% of said value.

In addition, where used terms such as "first", "second", "upper", "lower", "main" and "secondary" do not necessarily refer to an order, a priority relationship or relative position, but may simply be used to more clearly distinguish different components from each other.

The measurements and data presented herein are to be considered, unless otherwise indicated, as made in Standard International Atmospheres ICAO (ISO <NUM>).

With reference to said Drawings, reference numeral <NUM> globally denotes the belt according to the invention.

The belt <NUM> comprises a buckle <NUM> and a strap <NUM>.

The buckle <NUM> defines, as usual, an inner area 2a and an outer area 2b.

The inner area 2a is substantially defined by the area suitable to adhere to the surface of a body such as, for example, the waist of a user wearing the belt.

The outer area 2b, therefore, is defined by the opposite area to the inner area 2a and is, for example, the area accessible to a user's view.

The buckle <NUM> comprises then a support <NUM>.

The support <NUM> is a hollow frame defined by an outer frame and an inner through cavity. In addition, the support <NUM> may have a rounded, square or other shape.

The support <NUM> comprises two side bars <NUM> and an inner bar <NUM>.

The side bars <NUM> are part of the frame and preferably are substantially parallel to each other. The inner bar <NUM> is also substantially parallel to the side bars <NUM>.

In particular, the inner bar <NUM> occupies, at least in part, the cavity of the support <NUM> and subdivides for example the cavity described by the outer frame into two smaller, distinct cavities.

Preferably, the support <NUM> is a substantially rectangular quadrilateral outer frame in which two parallel opposite sides comprise the aforementioned side bars <NUM>.

The bars <NUM>, <NUM> may also be a cylindrical shape, or substantially parallelepiped shape at the base, e.g. rectangular or square.

In addition, preferably, the side bars <NUM> and the inner bar <NUM> are suitable to house on their surface at least part of a strap <NUM>.

In particular, the side bars <NUM> are suitable to adhere to the strap <NUM> at their lower surface. The term lower surface is understood to mean the surface facing the inner area 2a.

Conversely, the inner bar <NUM> is suitable to adhere to the strap <NUM> at a part at least of its upper surface, wherein the term upper surface means the surface facing the outer area 2b.

The side bars comprise abutment surfaces <NUM> protruding towards the inner area 2a.

The abutment surfaces <NUM> protrude towards the inner area 2a and define convex, curved surfaces. In particular, the abutment surface <NUM> approaches the inner area 2a, or thickens as it moves away from the cavity defined by the support <NUM>.

The inner bar <NUM> is preferably arranged, as said, inside the cavity defined by the support <NUM>.

In particular, the inner bar <NUM> is connected along at least one end to the support <NUM>. Preferably, the inner bar <NUM> is equidistant from the side bars <NUM>. Thus, the inner bar <NUM> occupies substantially a central area and divides, for example, the cavity into two smaller cavities of equal shape and extension.

In addition, the inner bar <NUM> comprises a tooth <NUM>.

The tooth <NUM> comprises a head <NUM> and a stem <NUM>.

In particular, the stem <NUM> is preferably connected to the surface of the inner bar facing the outer area 2b. Furthermore, preferably, the stem <NUM> protrudes substantially in a straight line towards the outer area 2b and thereby defines a central axis 32a.

The stem <NUM> may have a conical or square parallelepiped shape, however preferably the stem <NUM> is a cylinder, the axis of which coincides with the central axis 32a.

The head <NUM> is arranged at the free end of the tooth <NUM>. Furthermore, head <NUM> is substantially larger than said stem <NUM> considering the cross-sections in a plane perpendicular to the central axis 32a.

In particular, preferably, the head <NUM> is substantially disc-shaped and therefore has a larger diameter than the base diameter of the stem <NUM>.

More in detail the diameter of the head is, for example, greater by a percentage of <NUM>% to <NUM>% than the size of the stem <NUM>.

In a preferred configuration, the stem <NUM> has a diameter of about <NUM> and height equal to <NUM>. In addition, preferably, the head <NUM> has a diameter of <NUM> and a height equal to <NUM>.

Connectors may also be provided between the head <NUM> and the stem <NUM>. Alternatively, the head <NUM> may have a truncated-cone shape converging towards the stem <NUM>.

The tooth <NUM> may also be arranged on the inner bar <NUM> in separate spaces, but preferably the tooth <NUM> is arranged in a centred position both relative to the inner bar and to the entire support <NUM>.

In the preferred configuration, the support <NUM> is between <NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>. Moreover, in a view from above (<FIG>) the side bars <NUM> preferably have a width of <NUM>-<NUM>, while the inner bar <NUM> has a width of <NUM>-<NUM>.

Preferably, the support <NUM> has, in addition, a thickness, visible in a side view (<FIG>) of <NUM>-<NUM>. The support <NUM> may thus be straight along the thickness, or curved as desired.

Preferably, the support <NUM> has a curvature angle of between <NUM>° and <NUM>°.

The strap <NUM> instead comprises a first end <NUM> and a second end <NUM>.

The first end <NUM> is connected to the buckle <NUM>.

The constraint may be detachable or permanent. For example, the first end <NUM> may be connected by gluing to the buckle <NUM>. Alternatively, the buckle <NUM> may have additional side bars of the known type and the strap <NUM> may engage the bars forming loops of the known type. For example, a portion of the strap <NUM>, in the first end <NUM>, may be rolled up and the edges that form the engagement loop may be connected by sewing, gluing or connected by screws or nails.

Preferably, the first end <NUM> comprises a through-hole 40a. Such through-hole 40a is suitable to engage the tooth <NUM> of the buckle <NUM> so as to form a coupling that defines a detachable constraint.

Thus, for example, the through hole 40a has dimensions compatible with the tooth <NUM>.

The second end <NUM> comprises, instead, at least one non-through hole 41a. The non-through hole 41a is, suitable to engage the tooth <NUM>. More in detail, the tooth <NUM> is suitable to be engaged with said non-through hole 41a by means of the head <NUM> when said strap <NUM> is closed in a loop, since in use.

Preferably, therefore, the non-through hole 41a is substantially counter-shaped to the tooth <NUM>.

Lastly, the belt <NUM> preferably comprises a first layer <NUM> and a second layer <NUM> which make up its thickness.

Both layers <NUM>, <NUM> are between <NUM>-<NUM> in size and at least one of the two layers <NUM>, <NUM> comprises bull leather. The two layers are sewn to each other along the edges.

The remaining layer preferably includes a type of leather chosen from those known to the current state of the art.

Advantageously, the non-through hole 41a may be made in two portions, a first portion 41b in the first layer <NUM>, preferably cylindrical with a constant diameter and suitably counter-shaped to the stem <NUM>, a second portion 41c in the second layer <NUM> preferably also cylindrical and of a diameter greater than the first and suitably counter-shaped to the head <NUM>.

Alternatively, only the first portion 41b counter-shaped to the stem <NUM> is present. In this variant, the head <NUM> can find space between the two layers <NUM> and <NUM>, which are mutually separable since at a distance from the edge seams.

The functioning of the belt <NUM> described above in structural terms, is as follows.

A user can compose the belt <NUM> as he wishes.

Once a strap <NUM> has been chosen as described it can be engaged to the tooth <NUM> by means of the through hole 40a.

After which, once the strap <NUM> has been closed to prepare it for use by the user, the second end may be made to pass partially inside the cavity defined by the support <NUM> so as to rest in part below the abutment surfaces <NUM> defined by the side bars <NUM>, and partly above the tooth <NUM> included in the inner bar <NUM>.

After engaging one of the non-through holes 41a on the tooth <NUM>, the belt <NUM> is connected and functioning.

The belt <NUM> according to the invention achieves important advantages.

In fact, the belt limits the wear of the components making up both the buckle and the strap engaged in the buckle. The type of coupling between the first end and buckle, as well as the absence of elements such as the rotating prong, makes the structure of the belt simplified and less prone to the wear typical of conventional belts.

Furthermore, even in the presence of wear, on the belt <NUM> there are no visible signs of the typical deformations present on prong belts, both fixed and movable, which cause evident buckling on the skin or leather constituting conventional belts.

A further advantage of the belt <NUM> is that the buckle and belt are easily connectable to each other. The type of connection makes it possible to make the belt, starting from the separate components, in a very rapid but in any case functional manner. This feature also makes it possible to change easily the type of strap <NUM> comprised in the belt <NUM>. For example, it may be easy to use a strap <NUM> of a different colour since each connection of the belt <NUM> is easy to undo, it being necessary to merely remove the tooth <NUM> from the holes 40a, 41a.

In conclusion, a further advantage of the invention is that the possibility of varying the strap <NUM> and the reduced wear maximizes and enhances the aesthetic aspects of the belt <NUM>, which result in it having a longer life than the conventional belts present in the current state of the art.

Variations may be made to the invention described herein without departing from the scope of the inventive concept defined in the claims.

For example, the nominal size of the buckle may differ since the same may be used for items other than a belt such as, for example, shoes, for decorative or other purposes.

Claim 1:
A belt (<NUM>) comprising a buckle (<NUM>) and a strap (<NUM>),
said buckle (<NUM>) defining an inner area (2a) and an outer area (2b) and including a support (<NUM>) being a hollow frame defined by an outer frame and an inner through cavity,
- said support (<NUM>) comprising two substantially parallel side bars (<NUM>) and an inner bar (<NUM>) substantially parallel to said side bars (<NUM>),
- said side bars (<NUM>) comprising abutment surfaces (<NUM>) protruding towards said inner area (2a),
- said inner bar (<NUM>) comprising a fixed tooth (<NUM>) protruding towards said outer area (2b),
- said abutment surfaces (<NUM>) define convex curved surfaces,
- said tooth (<NUM>) comprises a head (<NUM>) and a stem (<NUM>) defining a middle axis (32a),
- said head (<NUM>) being arranged on the free end of said tooth (<NUM>) and being larger than said stem (<NUM>) in a plane perpendicular to said middle axis (32a),
- said strap (<NUM>) defining a first and a second end (<NUM>, <NUM>), wherein said first end (<NUM>) is secured to said buckle (<NUM>), said second end comprises at least one non-through hole (41a) and said tooth (<NUM>) is suitable to engage with said non-through hole (41a) by means of said head (<NUM>) when said strap (<NUM>) is closed in a loop.