Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation of prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/994,135 filed Jun. 21, 2011; which is the national stage entry of PCT/US09/44950, filed May 22, 2009; which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Pat. App. Ser. No. 61/055,267, filed May 22, 2008. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present technology relates to a remote release assembly for use with one or more attachment assemblies. More particularly, the technology relates to a system and method of detaching one or more attachment assemblies from a single, remotely-located release assembly with trigger. 
         [0003]    Currently, soldiers are issued large quantities of equipment to increase lethality, survivability, mobility and/or target acquisition capabilities. Often, little consideration is given to item deployment, storage, transport and/or utilization. A soldier can therefore find himself forced to place items in hard-to-reach locations when securing issued equipment to his person. This can lead to inefficiencies in both carrying equipment and accessing equipment for use. Without the ability to quickly detach necessary items from a soldier&#39;s person, a soldier&#39;s life can be unnecessarily endangered. Moreover, detached items must be easily reattached. A system and method of attaching and quickly detaching multiple pieces of equipment to a soldier is, therefore, required. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Accordingly, the present technology has been achieved to solve the above problems and carry out a further improvement. The present technology discloses a system and method of attaching and quickly detaching a number of items comprising: a remote release enclosure having a connection side and a trigger side, at least one cable assembly traversing through the release enclosure from the connection side to the trigger side, a trigger assembly coupled the at other end one cable assembly, and a plurality of attachment assemblies coupled at least one cable assembly. Embodiments of the release assembly include securing component, a plurality of first cable assemblies, a plurality of attachment assembly first portions, trigger termination, and trigger activator. Securing component can be attachable to a personal equipment carrier. The first cable assemblies, can include an outer member and an inner member. A first end of each first cable assembly outer member can be anchored to the securing component. Each attachment assembly first portion can include a detachment portion. The detachment portion can be attached to a second end of each first cable assembly inner member. The detachment portion can be operable, upon tensioning of the attached first cable assembly inner member, for detaching the attachment assembly first portion from an attached attachment assembly second portion. The trigger termination can be connected to the first end of each first cable assembly inner member at the securing component. The trigger activator can be connected to the trigger termination. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cable assembly for the system for quick release accordance with an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2A  is a frontal of a male portion of an attachment assembly for the system for quick release in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2B  is a frontal view of a female portion of an attachment assembly the system for quick release in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of a remote trigger assembly for quick release in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3B  is a cross-sectional view along axis A-A of the remote trigger assembly for the system for quick release depicted in  FIG. 3A  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a system for quick release in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the technology. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the technology only, not as a limitation the technology. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications variations can be made in the present technology without departing from the scope or spirit of the technology. For instance, features described as part of one embodiment can be used on another embodiment to a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present technology cover such modifications and variations that come within the scope of the technology. 
         [0012]    As is shown in  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of the present technology comprises at least one cable assembly  100 . The at least one cable assembly can comprise an outer shell  110  and can a plurality of inner  120  or wires running coaxially therewithin. The outer shell  110  can of any shape known in the art. For example, outer shell  1 ] 0  can be cylindrical, triangular, rectangular, or any other similar shape. Alternatively, the outer shell  110  can also be a hollow outer wire. Each of the plurality inner cables  120  or can consist of two or more members. The members can be strands, cables, or wires that are braided, entwined, or wrapped. The outer shell  110  and/or the plurality inner cables ] 20  can be made of a flexible material with little stretch. For example, the outer shell  110  and/or inner cables  120  can be made of bungee cord, elastic cord, nylon cord, or any other similar flexible material. With flexible material having little stretch, it is well known that as the diameter of each inner cable  120  increases, the resistance required to tension each inner wire will increase. The length of the cable assembly  100  can vary depending on the required use, and this variance can also affect the resistance required to tension the inner cable  120 . 
         [0013]    As is shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , an exemplary embodiment of the present technology comprises an attachment assembly which can be used for the attachment of utility items to a larger platform. The attachment assembly can comprise a male portion  200  and a female portion  215 , both of which can be configured for mating engagement with each other. For example, the male portion  200  and the female portion  215  can be configured such that they can be locked, attached, inserted, buckled or fit together to form a single unit. The attachment assembly can be a side-release buckle, a side buckle, a snap buckle, an end release buckle, or any other similar attachment assembly as is known in the art. Both the male portion  200  and female portion  215  can be made a number of materials including, but not limited to, metals and plastics depending on the required use. For example, the attachment assembly illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B  has a male portion having an inner guide post  240  between two outer guide posts  230  and a female portion  215  having apertures for matingly engaging the inner guide post  240  and outer guide posts  230  of the male portion  200 . When the female portion  215  and male portion  200  of the attachment assembly shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B  engage, the guide post  240  and outer guide posts  230  snap, secure, or fasten in place with the apertures of the female portion  215 . 
         [0014]    The male portion  200  can comprises an inner guide post  240  between at least two outer guide posts  230 . The outer shell  210  of the cable assembly (See  FIG. 1 ,  100 ) can coupled to the proximal end  250  of male portion  200  of a corresponding attachment assembly, while at least one of plurality of inner cables extends transversely through the inner guide post  240  of the corresponding attachment assembly towards the distal end  260  of the male portion  200 . Alternatively, the outer shell  210  of the cable assembly can be anchored to the proximal end of the male portion  200  of a corresponding attachment assembly. Each of the plurality of inner cables  220  can have at least two members, such as attachment portions, braided cords, two entwined cords, or any other types members. As illustrated in  FIG. 2A , the two attachment portions of each of the plurality of inner cables  220  can be configured that one of the attachment portions couples to the outer guide post  230  located to the right side of the inner guide post  240 , and a second one of the attachment portions couples to the outer guide post  230  located to the left side of the inner guide post  240 . For example, one of the braided cords of one of the plurality of inner cables  220  can extend from the inner guide post  240  and attach to an inner wall of one of the outer guide posts  230 . In at least some embodiments, one of the plurality of inner cables  220  extends through the inner guide post  230  of at least one of the respective male portions  200 , and at least two of the braids of the one of the plurality of inner cables  220  exit the inner guide post  240  and are coupled to an outer guide post  230  located on opposite sides of the inner guide post  240 . 
         [0015]    When one of the plurality of inner cables  220  is tensioned, the outer guide posts  230  can move closer to or approach the inner guide post  240  based upon the above couplings of the inner cable  220  to the outer guide posts  230 . Consequently, the male portion  200  can be disengaged or unlocked from the female portion  215 . In one exemplary embodiment, the outer guide posts  230  can be manually squeezed or moved closer to the inner guide post  240 , allowing a release of the male portion  200  from the female portion  215 . In another exemplary embodiment, the outer guide posts  230  can be moved closer to or approach the inner guide  240  by a trigger as win be described later on the disclosure. 
         [0016]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  show an example embodiment of the current technology comprising a remote release assembly. The remote release assembly can comprise a remote release assembly enclosure at least one assembly  310 , a trigger assembly  360 , and a plurality of attachment assemblies  440 ,  450 . The remote release assembly enclosure can be, but is not limited to, a housing, a box, an enclosure, or a receptacle having any number sides defining an area. The remote release assembly enclosure  300  can be made of any material known in the including, but not limited metals or plastics. The remote release assembly enclosure  300  can be covered or wrapped in a material compatible with Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment (MOLLE) standard. The remote release assembly enclosure  300  can be attached to a person in any way in the art, including, but not limited to: Velcro, dips, adhesive, straps, buttons, MOLLE, and ties. 
         [0017]    The remote release assembly enclosure  300  can have a connection side  370  and a trigger side  330 . Though the trigger side  330  and connection side  370  are shown on opposite ends of the remote release assembly enclosure  300 , it should be appreciated that the trigger side  330  and connection side  370  can be located on any side of the remote release assembly enclosure  300 , including on the same side. At least one cable assembly  311  can be coupled to the remote release assembly. As depicted in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the at least one cable assembly  311  can traverse through the remote release enclosure  300  from the connection side  370  to the trigger side  330 . The at least one cable assembly  311  can be anchored to the connection side  370  of the remote release enclosure  300  using any method known in the art. It should be appreciated that two cable assemblies  311  are shown, but there can be any number of cable assemblies  311  attached to the remote release assembly enclosure  300 . 
         [0018]    The at least one cable assembly  311  can be a cable assembly as described in the previous examples. The remote release assembly is described with respect to a cable assembly as described above comprising an outer shell  3  and a plurality of inner cables  320 . Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the outer shell  310  of the cable assembly  311  can be anchored to the connection side  370  of the remote release enclosure  3000  The of inner cables  320  can traverse through the remote release enclosure  300  from the connection side to the trigger side  3300  The plurality of inner cables  320  can enter the remote release enclosure  300  at the connection-side aperture show) and can pass through the trigger-side aperture  340  to terminate at the trigger side  3300  The ends of each of the plurality of inner cables  320  that are proximal to the trigger side  330  the remote release enclosure  300  can terminate at the trigger assembly  360 . 
         [0019]    The trigger assembly  360  can include a trigger handle  350 . The trigger handle  350  can comprise a ring, wherein at least one of the plurality of inner cables  320  terminates at the curved surface of the ring.  FIGS. 3A and 3D  illustrate a D-Ring exemplary purposes, but persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the trigger handle can be coupled to the plurality of inner cables  320  by other attachments, such as ties, circular rings, clips, or any other types of attachments known in the art. The flat side of the trigger handle  350  can anchor trigger assembly  360  to the remote release enclosure  300 , also referred to herein as a securing component. The trigger assembly  360  can be made of any material in the art, including, but not limited to a MOLLE-compatible material, nylon webbing, cloth, metal, or plastic. The trigger assembly  360  should be of a size able to be gripped by the user, but can be of any useful length. The trigger assembly  360  can be removably coupled to the at least one cable assembly, such that the trigger  350  can be removed and replaced with a different trigger handle  350  as required or dependent upon user preference. It should be noted that a stopper (not shown) can be attached to both the trigger handle  350  and the connection side  370  to prevent the over-extension of any of the plurality of inner cables  320 . The stopper (not shown) can be made of cloth, metal, plastic or any other appropriate material and can be of a length appropriate to prevent the at least one inner wire  320  from extending past a pre-determined point. The stopper can be coupled to the trigger assembly  360  and to the connection side  370  or to the trigger side  330  of the remote release enclosure  300 . 
         [0020]    The plurality of attachment assemblies (not pictured in  FIGS. 3A and 3D ) can each be coupled to an opposite end of a respective cable assembly  310 . The coupling of the attachment assemblies and the respective cable assembly  310  can operatively couple the attachment assembly to the trigger assembly  360 . The attachment assemblies can. be a side buckle, a side release buckle, and end release buckle, a snap buckle, or any other similar attachment assembly. example, an attachment assembly having a male portion and a female portion, such as the attachment assembly described above, is coupled to the trigger assembly  360 , the trigger assembly  360  can be actuated to release or release the male portion from female portion. For example, when the trigger  350  is activated, the movement of the trigger assembly  360  can transferred to each of the plurality of attachment assemblies such that at least a portion of the outer guide posts of the male portions approaches inner guide posts each of the plurality of attachment assemblies. The coupling of the attachment assembly its respective cable assembly  310  is described in more detail below. 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  shows an example embodiment wherein multiple cable assemblies  410  can be activated from a single, remote trigger assembly  400 . While four cable assemblies  410  are shown, it should be appreciated that any number of cable assemblies  410  can be activated from a single, remote trigger assembly  400 . The cable assemblies  410  can be attached to connection side  470  of the remote release enclosure  400 . The trigger  460  can be located on the trigger side  430  of the remote release enclosure  400 . The male portion  440  of the attachment assembly can be secured, fixed, or attached to the female portion  450  of the attachment assembly. Each of the plurality of inner cables  420  of each cable assembly  410  can run from outer guide posts  442  of the male portion of the corresponding attachment assembly  440 , through the inner guide post  441 , transversely through the outer shell  411  of the cable assembly  410 , through a connection-side aperture (not shown) in the remote trigger assembly  400 , through a trigger side aperture (not shown) in the remote trigger assembly  400 , and can finally terminate at or affix to the trigger handle shown), which is further connected to the trigger assembly  460 . Such a coupling permits movement of the trigger assembly  460  to transfer to each of the plurality of attachment assemblies  440 ,  450 , whereby at least a portion of each of the outer guide posts  442  of each of the plurality of attachment assemblies approaches each of the inner guide posts  441  of each of the plurality of attachment assemblies. For example, pulling, tensioning, twisting or activating the trigger  460  of the remote trigger assembly  400  can retract the plurality of inner cables  420  the cable assemblies  410 , which can retract the outer guide posts  441  on the male portions  440  of the attachment assemblies. Consequently, the male portion  440  of the attachment assembly can be disengaged or released from the female portion  450 . It should be appreciated that male portion  440  can be disengaged manually from respective female portion  450  of an attachment assembly by squeezing or pressing the outer guide posts  442  towards inner guide post  441 . 
         [0022]    The remote release assembly described herein can be configured with a backpack, belt, or other utility harness worn by a user. The remote release assembly can attached to a backpack, belt, or other utility harness by attaching the remote release enclosure  400  via a clip, ties, adhesive, threads, or any other attachment. The user can attach equipment, such as a water bottle, compass, or other types equipment to a respective female portion  450  an attachment assembly. The equipment can then be attached or secured to the backpack, belt, or other utility harness by engaging, snapping, or securing the female portion  450  to the corresponding male portion  440  of the attachment assembly. When the user desires to remove or release the equipment from the backpack or belt, the outer guide  440  can be manually squeezed or pressed towards the inner guide post of the attachment assembly corresponding to the individual piece of equipment. Alternatively, if the user desires to remove or release all pieces of equipment from the backpack or belt, the trigger assembly  460  can be actuated which transfers movement of the trigger assembly  460  to the plurality of attachment assemblies, whereby at least a portion of each of the outer guide posts  442  of each the plurality of attachment assemblies approaches each of the inner guide posts  441  of each of the plurality attachment assemblies. For example, pulling, tensioning, twisting or activating the trigger  460  of the remote trigger assembly  400  can retract the plurality of inner cables  420  of the cable assemblies  410 , which can retract the outer guide posts  441  on the male portions  440  the attachment assemblies. Consequently, the male portion  440  of the attachment assembly can be disengaged or released from the female portion  450 , which releases each piece of equipment from the backpack or belt to which the remote release enclosure  400  is attached. 
         [0023]    Exemplary embodiments have been described hereinabove regarding the implementation of the remote release assembly on a carrying device, such as a backpack. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that this disclosure relates to a system and method for quick release. Various modifications to and departures from the disclosed embodiments will occur to those having skill in the art. The subject matter that is intended to be within the spirit of this disclosure is set forth in the following claims.

Technology Category: f