Adjustable strap fastener

Claim 2

An adjustable strap fastener comprising; a housing defining a cavity having a belt access opening thereto, said housing including a base plate and a cover member, said base plate having opposite reversely bent edges providing channels having opposed facing grooves defining a guideway in said housing, said cover member being of plastic material and having front and rear depending flanges extending perpendicular to said grooves and spaced apart a distance slightly less than the length of said channels, said flanges being in resilient gripping engagement with the opposite ends of said channels, said cover member having an integral plastic spring support extending downwardly therefrom in spaced relationship to said rear flange through a hole in said base plate, a substantially flat slider plate slidably received in said guideway and having a single clamping bar, a strap extending through said access opening in said housing aNd around said clamping bar, biasing means for biasing said slider plate to a strap clamping position wherein the strap is clamped between opposed edges of said clamping bar and said access opening, said biasing means comprising an arcuate leaf spring stressed between said spring support and the rear end of said slider plate, said housing further defining a release tab opening, said front flange having a terminal end spaced from said base plate a distance slightly greater than the thickness of said slider plate to define said release tab opening, and an integral release tab on said slider plate projecting outwardly of said cavity through said release tab opening, said release tab being positioned for application of manual force thereto for sliding said slider plate away from said clamping position against the force of said biasing means.

Claim 3

The fastener of claim 1 wherein said grooves have a predetermined groove height and said slider plate has a thickness substantially less than said groove height, said slider plate including opposite upwardly extending rear legs having a length greater than the thickness of said slider plate and slighty less than said groove height.

Claim 4

The fastener of claim 2 wherein said legs and said front flange define said integral stop means for preventing displacement of said slider plate from said cavity through said release tab opening.

Claim 5

An adjustable strap fastener comprising; a housing defining a cavity having a belt access opening thereto, there being a guideway in said housing, a substantially flat slider plate slidably received in said guideway and having a single clamping bar, said housing including a base plate and a cover member, said base plate having opposite reversely bent edges providing channels having opposed facing grooves defining said guideway, said grooves have a predetermined groove height and said slider plate has a thickness substantially less than said groove height, said slider plate including opposite rear legs extending transversely to a major side surface of said slider plate and having a length greater than the thickness of said slider plate and slightly less than said groove height, said cover member being of plastic material and having front and rear depending flanges extending perpendicular to said grooves and spaced apart a distance slightly less than the length of said channels, said flanges being in resilient gripping engagement with the opposite ends of said channels, a strap extending through said access opening in said housing and around said clamping bar, biasing means for biasing said slider plate to a strap clamping position wherein the strap is clamped between opposed edges of said clamping bar and said access opening, said housing further defining a release tab opening, said front flange having a terminal end spaced from said base plate a distance slightly greater than the thickness of said slider plate to define said release tab opening, and an integral release tab on said slider plate projecting outwardly of said cavity through said release tab opening, said release tab being positioned for application of manual force thereto for sliding said slider plate away from said clamping position against the force of said biasing means.

Claim 6

An adjustable strap fastener comprising; a housing defining a cavity having a belt access opening thereto, there being a guideway in said housing, a substantially flat slider plate slidably received in said guideway and having a single clamping bar, said housing including a base plate and a cover member, said base plate having opposite reversely bent edges providing channels having opposed facing grooves defining said guideway, said grooves have a predetermined groove height and said slider plate has a thickness substantially less than said groove height, said slider plate including opposite rear legs extending transversely to a major side surface of said slider plate and having a length greater than the thickness of said slider plate and slightly less than said groove height, said cover member being of plastic material and having front and rear depending flanges extending perpendicular to said grooves and spaced apart a distance slightly less than the length of said channels, said flanges being in resilient gripping engagement with the opposite ends of said channels, a strap extending through said access opening in said housing and around said clamping bar, biasing means for biasing said slider plate to a strap clamping position wherein the strap is clamped between opposed edges of said clamping bar and said access opening, said housing further defining a release tab opening, said front flange having a terminal end spaced from said base plate a distance slightly greater than the thickness of said slider plate to define said release tab opening, and an integral release tab on said slider plate projecting outwardly of said cavity through said release tab opening, said release tab being positioned for application of manual force thereto for sliding said slider plate away from said clamping position against the force of said biasing means.

Claim 7

The fastener of claim 4 wherein said legs and said front flange define stop means for preventing displacement of said slider plate from said cavity through said release tab opening.

Claim 8

The fastener of claim 4 wherein said cover member has a spring support extending downwardly therefrom in spaced relationship to said rear flange through a hole in said base plate, said biasing means comprising an arcuate leaf spring stressed between said spring support and the rear end of said slider plate.

Claim 9

The fastener of claim 4 further including cooperating stop means on said housing and slider plate for preventing displacement of said slider plate from said cavity through said release tab opening in the absence of a strap looped around said clamp bar.

Claim 10

The fasTener of claim 4 wherein said biasing means comprises an arcuate leaf spring having opposite curved ends bearing against said legs.

Claim 11

An adjustable strap fastener comprising; a base plate defining a longitudinally extending strap access opening, said base plate having a pair of major side surfaces and a plurality of minor side surfaces extending between said major side surfaces, means for defining a pair of channels extending perpendicular to a central axis of said strap access opening, each of said channels being disposed adjacent to an associated end portion of said strap access opening, a slide plate having major side surface disposed in flat abutting engagement with one of the major side surfaces of said base plate, said slide plate having opposite side portions disposed in said channels, said slide plate having a single clamp bar which extends perpendicular to said channels and is defined by opposite major side surfaces of said slide plate and a plurality of minor side surfaces of said slide plate and a plurality of minor side surfaces which extend between the major side surfaces of said slide plate, a strap extending through said strap access opening, around said single clamp bar and back through said strap access opening, a cover member cooperating with said one major side surface of said base plate to at least partially define a cavity in which said channels and single clamp bar are disposed, said cover having a pair of end walls which extend perpendicular to said channels, one of said end walls having a minor side surface which is spaced apart from and extends parallel to said one of the major side surfaces of said base plate, said minor side surface of said cover end wall and said one major side surface of said base plate cooperating to at least partially define a release tab opening which extends perpendicular to said channels, a release tab extending through said release tab opening and being formed by a portion of said slide plate, said release tab having a major side surface at least a portion of which is disposed in flat abutting engagement with said one major side surface of said base plate, said release tab being movable along a path extending parallel to said channels from a first position in which said single clamp bar is effective to press said strap against a minor side surface of said base plate and a second position in which said single clamp bar is ineffective to press said strap against a minor side surface of said base plate, and a leaf spring disposed within said cavity between said cover member and said one major side surface of said base plate, said leaf spring being effective to urge said release tab toward said first position.

Claim 12

An adjustable strap fastener comprising; a base plate defining a longitudinally extending strap access opening, said base plate having a pair of major side surfaces and a plurality of minor side surfaces extending between said major side surfaces, means for defining a pair of channels extending perpendicular to a central axis of said strap access opening, each of said channels being disposed adjacent to an associated end portion of said strap access opening, a slide plate having major side surface disposed in flat abutting engagement with one of the major side surfaces of said base plate, said slide plate having opposite side portions disposed in said channels, said slide plate having a single clamp bar which extends perpendicular to said channels and is defined by opposite major side surfaces of said slide plate and a plurality of minor side surfaces of said slide plate and a plurality of minor side surfaces which extend between the major side surfaces of said slide plate, a strap extending through said strap access opening, around said single clamp bar and back through said strap access opening, a cover member cooperating with said one major side surface of said base plate to at least partially define a cavity in which said channels and single clamp bar are disposed, said cover having a pair of end walls which extend perpendicular to said channels, one of said end walls having a minor side surface which is spaced apart from and extends parallel to said one of the major side surfaces of said base plate, said minor side surface of said cover end wall and said one major side surface of said base plate cooperating to at least partially define a release tab opening which extends perpendicular to said channels, a release tab extending through said release tab opening and being formed by a portion of said slide plate, said release tab having a major side surface at least a portion of which is disposed in flat abutting engagement with said one major side surface of said base plate, said release tab being movable along a path extending parallel to said channels from a first position in which said single clamp bar is effective to press said strap against a minor side surface of said base plate and a second position in which said single clamp bar is ineffective to press said strap against a minor side surface of said base plate, and a leaf spring disposed within said cavity between said cover member and said one major side surface of said base plate, said leaf spring being effective to urge said release tab toward said first position.