Fastening arrangement with interlocking members

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9516924-B2
Application number	US-201414456622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2014
Priority date	Jun 8, 2011
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A fastening arrangement comprises a first fastening member connected to a first strap and a second fastening member connected to a second strap. The first fastening member includes a first surface comprising at least one first interlocking member. The second fastening member includes a channel positioned between a second surface and a biasing member. The channel is configured to receive the first fastening member with the first surface facing the second surface. The second surface includes at least one second interlocking member configured to engage the first interlocking member in a manner that blocks the first interlocking member from moving relative to the second interlocking member in at least one direction. The biasing member is configured to urge the first interlocking member into engagement with the second interlocking member when the first fastening member is inserted into the channel of the second fastening member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fastening arrangement comprising:
a first fastening member including a first surface comprising an array of first interlocking members projecting from the first surface; and
a second fastening member including a channel positioned between a second surface and a resilient biasing member, the channel configured to receive the first fastening member along an insertion direction with the first surface facing the second surface, the second surface comprising an array of second interlocking members projecting from the second surface, the second interlocking members configured to engage the array of first interlocking members in a manner that blocks the array of first interlocking members from moving relative to the array of second interlocking members in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, and the resilient biasing member configured to urge the array of first interlocking members into engagement with the array of second interlocking members when the first fastening member is inserted into the channel of the second fastening member.

2. The fastening arrangement of claim 1 wherein the array of first interlocking members comprises a plurality of first teeth arranged in rows and columns and the array of second interlocking members comprises a plurality of second teeth arranged in rows and columns.

3. The fastening arrangement of claim 2 wherein the first teeth have a trapezoidal footprint on the first surface and the second teeth have a trapezoidal footprint on the second surface.

4. The fastening arrangement of claim 3 wherein the second fastening member includes a mouth that leads to the channel, wherein the second teeth include a front side and a rear side with the front side closer to the mouth than the rear side, wherein the rear side of the second teeth are more elevated on the second surface than the front side, and wherein the first teeth include a first side and a second side, the second side including an edge that is more elevated on the first surface than the first side.

5. The fastening arrangement of claim 2 wherein the resilient biasing member is configured to successively urge the plurality of first teeth into engagement with the plurality of second teeth when the first fastening member is inserted into the second fastening member such that tactile feedback is provided during insertion of the first fastening member into the second fastening member.

6. The fastening arrangement of claim 1 wherein the second surface is comprised of a resilient material and wherein opposing pads are positioned on opposite sides of the second surface, the second surface configured to move away from the resilient biasing member when opposing inward forces are applied to the opposing pads, and wherein the second surface is configured to resiliently move toward the resilient biasing member and move the opposing pads away from one another when the opposing inward forces are removed from the opposing pads.

7. The fastening arrangement of claim 1 wherein the first fastening member and the second fastening member are comprised of a resilient plastic material.

8. The fastening arrangement of claim 1 wherein the second fastening member is substantially encased in fabric.

9. The fastening arrangement of claim 1 wherein the first fastening member includes a first face with the first surface provided on the first face and an opposing face with a substantially flat surface on the opposing face, wherein the substantially flat surface engages the resilient biasing member when the first fastening member is inserted into the second fastening member.

10. The fastening arrangement of claim 1 wherein the biasing member is provided by a leaf spring.

11. The fastening arrangement of claim 1 wherein the first fastening member is positioned on an end of a first strap and the second fastening member is positioned on an end of a second strap, wherein the fastening arrangement is configured to couple the end of the first strap to the end of the second strap when the first fastening member is inserted into the channel of the second fastening member.

12. The fastening arrangement of claim 11 wherein the first fastening member is molded on to the end of the first strap.

13. The fastening arrangement of claim 1 wherein the first fastening member and the second fastening member are positioned on a garment, a bag, a belt, a shoe, a pad, a glove or a watch.

14. The fastening arrangement of claim 1 wherein the first fastening member is configured to be adjustably received by the second fastening member such that the array of first interlocking members further engage the array of second interlocking members as the first interlocking member is inserted further into the channel of the second interlocking member.

15. A fastening arrangement comprising:
first fastening member including a first surface comprising an array of first teeth projecting from the first surface, the array of first teeth including a first plurality of first teeth aligned along an insertion direction and second plurality of first teeth aligned along a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction; and
a second fastening member including a channel positioned between a second surface and a resilient biasing member, the channel configured to receive the first fastening member along the insertion direction with the first surface facing the second surface, the second surface comprising an array of second teeth projecting from the second surface, the second teeth including a first plurality of second teeth aligned along the insertion direction and second plurality of second teeth aligned along the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, and the resilient biasing member configured to urge the array of first teeth into engagement with the array of second teeth when the first fastening member is inserted into the channel of the second fastening member.

16. The fastening arrangement of claim 15 wherein the channel is further defined by a mouth at one end of the channel, wherein the biasing member is configured to urge the first surface into engagement with the second surface when a release force is not applied to the second surface, and wherein the mouth is more open when the release force is applied to the second surface than when the release force is not applied to the second surface.

17. The fastening arrangement of claim 16 wherein the second surface is substantially planar when not deformed by the release force.

18. The fastening arrangement of claim 17 wherein the second fastening member includes a first finger pad on one side of the second fastening member and a second finger pad on an opposite side of the second fastening member, wherein the release force results when a first force is applied in one direction to the first finger pad and a second force is applied in an opposite direction on the second finger pad.

19. A method of fastening and releasing two members comprising
inserting a first fastening member into a channel of a second fastening member in an insertion direction;
urging an array of first interlocking members on a first surface of the first fastening member into engagement with an array of second fastening members on a second surface within the channel of the second fastening member;
sliding the array of first interlocking members over the array of second interlocking members as the first fastening member is moved further into the channel in the insertion direction;
abutting the first interlocking members with the second interlocking members wit

Assignees

• Under Armour Inc

Inventors

• Berns Jason
• Kovach F Grant
• Guyan Alan
• Lucero Mari
• Fallon Kevin Patrick
• Climer Kirsten
• Machionna Tara
• Lin Yvonne
• Fort Tucker

Classifications

• A44B11/263 Primary

  with a push-button acting perpendicularly to the main plane of the buckle · CPC title

• Y10T29/49908

  Joining by deforming · CPC title

• A41F1/008

  Adjustable fasteners comprising a track and a slide member (expansible or adjustable belts or girdles A41F9/02) · CPC title

• A44D2200/10

  Details of construction · CPC title

• Y10T24/45623

  and operator therefor · CPC title