Patent ID: 8321999

Claim:
A cord locking device for locking a first cord segment against longitudinal movement with respect to a second cord segment, the cord locking device comprising: a housing comprising a passage; and a slide piece received at least partially within the passage, wherein the slide piece comprises a handle and a locking portion, wherein the slide piece and the housing comprise mating features that constrain sliding movement of the slide piece within the passage, wherein the slide piece further comprises first and second arms extending from the slide piece toward the housing, each arm having a free end, wherein each arm is positioned to leave a space between the housing and the free end of the arm for passage of one of the cord segments, and wherein each arm has a substantially upwardly extending tab at the free end of the arm, wherein the first and second arms are deflectable toward the slide piece and away from the housing for receipt of such cord segments between the arms and the housing, each of the arms being inwardly deflectable from a first position in which the arm is not pushed by a user to a second position in which the arm is pushed by the user to pass one of the cord segments in the space, and wherein the tab at the free end of each arm extends at least partially externally of the housing when the arm is in the first position to be gripped by the user.