BUCKLE FOR SECURING GOODS

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of Netherlands Application Serial No. 2000578, entitled “Buckle for Securing Goods”, to Cordstrap B. V., filed on Apr. 10, 2007 and the specification and claims thereof are incorporated herein by reference

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable.

COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention (Technical Field)

The invention relates to a buckle for securing a strap for goods, comprising a body having two side walls, and bars extending between these side walls, which bars are provided with a peripheral roughening.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Such a buckle is known from the practice of strapping in goods for the purpose of transportation.

Description of Related Art

From U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,923 a buckle is known for securing a strap for goods, having a body with two side walls and bars extending between these side walls.

From U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,347 a buckle is known for securing a strap for goods, wherein the body of the buckle comprises bars that are provided with a peripheral roughening, with the aim of improving the fastening of the strap.

The prior art buckles are not adequate, especially when transporting goods that exert a dynamic load on the strap.

The strap, usually made of PET or PP, is with the prior art buckle able to reliably secure static goods during transport; however, it is not possible to reliably secure a dynamic load, that is to say a load such as springy objects or objects on tires, which may still move to some extent during transport.

During the transport of a dynamic load the strain exerted on the strap varies which causes the strap to slip through the prior art buckle, resulting in a failing load security.

The object of the invention is to provide a solution to this problem.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing shows in:

FIG. 1, a top view of the buckle according to the invention;

FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of the buckle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a view of a first bar of the buckle according to the invention;

FIG. 4, a cross-sectional view of the bar shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5, a view of a second bar of the buckle according to the invention, and

FIG. 6, a detail of the surface of the bar shown in FIG. 5.

Similar components in the figures carry identical reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To this end the buckle according to the invention is characterized by one or several of the appended claims or by the embodiment of the buckle as illustrated in the appended drawings or the figure descriptions, respectively.

In a first aspect of the invention, the buckle is characterized in that at least at one tensioning side of the body the bar or bars are provided with a profile which allows the strap to pass through, and that the least strain on the strap causes the profile to bite into the strap.

It should further be noted that due to the two side walls in the body of the buckle the strap is prevented from pulling out of alignment, which may also prevent slipping.

The sought functionality and effectiveness of the buckle according to the invention is in particular facilitated by the fact that at the tensioning side of the buckle, the profile of the bar or bars comprises a serration, and in particular a serration that is oriented opposite to the strap's direction of strain.

Advantageously therefore the profile comprises a serration extending over substantially the entire length of the bar or bars.

Hereinafter the invention will be further elucidated by way of an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the drawing, while the given elucidation forms no limitation with respect to the appended patent claims.

Referring first to FIG. 1, where a buckle is shown for securing a strap for goods. The manner in which the strap is passed through the buckle is fully known to the person skilled in the art so that it is not necessary to explain this or to show in the figures how the strap is passed through the buckle. The tensioning side of the buckle is indicated at A.

The buckle shown in FIG. 1 comprises a body that possesses two side walls 1, and bars 2, 3 extending between these side walls 1, which bars are provided with a peripheral roughening.

In essence the invention is embodied in the bar or bars 2 provided at least at the tensioning side A of the body, which are provided with a profile such as to allow the strap to pass through, and in particular, such that the least strain on the strap causes the profile of these bars 2 to bite into the strap.

The figures, and especially FIGS. 3 and 5 or 4 and 6, respectively, clearly show that the bars 2, 3 are provided with a peripheral roughening. This applies to the bars 2 as well as to the bars 3. However, the roughening provided on the bars 2 at the tensioning side of the buckle possesses a characterizing feature that distinguishes the invention.

The roughening on the bars 2 is a positive roughening with respect to the one that is (or may be) provided on the bars 3, meaning that the profile comprises a serration 5 that is oriented opposite to the strap's direction of strain.

As clearly shown in FIG. 6, the profile of the bars 3 takes the form of a grid whereby the same is provided with a plurality of individual contact surfaces 4, with each contact surface during use exerting a point load on the strap.

The serration 5 provided on the bars 2 and, as explained above, extending substantially over the entire length of the bar or bars 2, achieves that the least strain on the strap causes the serration 5 to be pressed into the material of the strap, which prevents the strap from slipping back when a relief moment occurs, as is possible during the transport of a dynamic load.

At the same time, the serration 5 is of such a nature that the strap is simple to fit and easy to pass through the buckle according to the invention without, however, losing the feature of this serration 5, which engages the strap at the least strain during transport of a load.