Sheath assembly mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11623358-B2
Application number	US-202016876588-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2020
Priority date	Jun 6, 2019
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

Abstract

A sheath has a sheath body having a front plate and a back plate spaced apart from the front plate. The front plate and back plate define a cavity within the sheath body. The cavity is externally accessible through an opening formed between the front plate and the back plate. Snapping fasteners are positioned about a front side and a back side of the back plate. The snapping fasteners each include a male component and a female component. The male component and female component of each fastener are mounted on opposite sides of the back plate. The male component includes a protrusion extending away from the sheath body. The female component defines a recess that is complimentary to the protrusion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheath, comprising:
a sheath body having a front plate and a back plate spaced apart from the front plate, the front plate and back plate defining a cavity therein, the cavity being externally accessible through an opening formed between the front plate and the back plate; and
a plurality of snapping fasteners positioned about the back plate of the sheath body, the plurality of snapping fasteners each including a male component and a female component mounted on opposite sides of the back plate, the male component including a protrusion extending away from the sheath body, and the female component defining a recess complimentary to the protrusion, wherein the male component and the female component of each snapping fastener are coupled together using a rivet extending through the back plate.

2. The sheath of claim 1 , wherein in each of the plurality of snapping fasteners, the protrusion of the male component is cylindrical and positioned coaxially with the recess of a corresponding female component.

3. The sheath of claim 1 , wherein the back plate is further defined by a flange extending outwardly away from the cavity, and wherein each of the plurality of snapping fasteners are coupled through the flange.

4. The sheath of claim 3 , wherein the snapping fasteners are coupled to the flange in a rectangular array straddling the cavity.

5. The sheath of claim 1 , wherein a rim of the protrusion is defined by an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter defining the recess.

6. The sheath of claim 1 , wherein the protrusion of each male component within the plurality of snapping fasteners is configured to extend into a recess formed in a female component within a second plurality of snapping fasteners supported by a second sheath body, and wherein the recess of each female component within the plurality of snapping fasteners is configured to receive a protrusion of a male component within a third plurality of snapping fasteners supported by a third sheath body simultaneously.

7. The sheath of claim 6 , wherein each snapping fastener in the plurality of snapping fasteners, each snapping fastener in the second plurality of snapping fasteners, and each snapping fastener within the third plurality of snapping fasteners are approximately equally sized and configured to stack with one another in series.

8. A sheath comprising:
a sheath body having a front plate and a back plate spaced apart from the front plate extending along a longitudinal axis, the front plate and back plate defining a cavity therein, the cavity being externally accessible through an opening formed between the front plate and the back plate; and
a flange formed integrally with the back plate and outwardly away from each side of the cavity, supporting snapping fasteners extending outwardly away from a front side and a back side of the flange, the flange defining elongate recesses each having a major axis extending approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the male component and female component of each snapping fastener are coupled together by a rivet extending through the flange.

9. The sheath of claim 8 , wherein the flange is substantially symmetrical about the longitudinal axis.

10. The sheath of claim 8 , wherein the flange includes a flat rear mounting surface forming a first portion of the back plate and a flat front mounting surface forming a second portion of the back plate opposite the first portion, and wherein the front plate forms an acute angle with the flat front mounting surface.

11. The sheath of claim 10 , wherein an arm angles outwardly and rearwardly away from each side of the flat rear mounting surface, each arm defining an outermost portion of the elongate recess.

12. The sheath of claim 8 , wherein each of the snapping fasteners include a male component mounted to a front side of the rear plate and a female component mounted to a back side of the rear plate, the male component comprising a protrusion extending away from the flange and the female component defining a recess formed therein.

13. The sheath of claim 12 , wherein the snapping fasteners are positioned about the flange in a rectangular array.

14. A sheath assembly comprising:
a first sheath comprising:
a first sheath body defining a first cavity therein, the first sheath body having a first flange extending outwardly along a portion of the first cavity and a first plurality of snapping fasteners extending outward from each side of the first flange; and

a second sheath comprising:
a second sheath body defining a second cavity therein, the second sheath body having a second flange extending outwardly along a portion of the second cavity and a second plurality of snapping fasteners extending outward from each side of the second flange;

wherein the first plurality of snapping fasteners include a first plurality of male components and a first plurality of female components, the first plurality of male components each having protrusions extending outwardly away from the first flange toward the second flange, the second plurality of snapping fasteners include a second plurality of male components and a second plurality of female components, the second plurality of female components each defining recesses formed therein and selectively receiving protrusions of the first plurality of male components to couple the first sheath body to the second sheath body, such that the first sheath body is prevented from rotating with respect to the second sheath body when the second plurality of female components receives the protrusions of the first plurality of male components to couple the first sheath body to the second sheath body, wherein each of the first plurality of male components and each of the first plurality of the female components are individually coupled together using a rivet extending through the first flange.

15. The sheath assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first sheath and the second sheath are approximately equal in size and the first sheath body and second sheath body are aligned in a stacked orientation.

16. The sheath assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first cavity and second cavity are defined by different depths and a first opening to the first cavity and a second opening to the second cavity are vertically aligned.

17. The sheath assembly of claim 14 , further comprising:
a third sheath comprising:
a third sheath body surrounding and defining a third cavity therein, the third sheath body having a third flange extending outwardly along a portion of the third cavity and a third plurality of snapping fasteners extending outward from each side of the third flange, the third plurality of snapping fasteners including a third plurality of male components and a third plurality of female components, the third plurality of female components each defining recesses formed therein and selectively receiving protrusions of the second plurality of male components to couple the first sheath body, second sheath body, and third sheath body together in a stacked orientation.

18. The sheath assembly of claim 17 , wherein each of the first sheath body, second sheath body, and third sheath body are defined by different lengths along a longitudinal axis.

Assignees

• Fiskars Brands Inc

Inventors

• Hunt Patrick
• Shulman Gregory
• Hoover Paul

Classifications

• B25H3/00 Primary

  Storage means or arrangements for workshops facilitating access to, or handling of, work tools or instruments (containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00; {nail dispensers B25C3/00}) · CPC title

• B26B29/025 Primary

  Knife sheaths or scabbards · CPC title