Strap tensioner or tightener

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a strap tensioner or tightener, and more particularly to a strap tensioner or tightener including a simplified structure for allowing the strap tightener to be easily manufactured and assembled and including an improved structure for generating click sounds and for indicating that the strap has been tightened or tensioned and for preventing the strap tightener from being over tightened or tensioned by the users.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Typical strap tensioners or tighteners comprise a clamping element pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or coupled to the U-shaped supporting member and arranged for allowing the strap to be engaged through and between the clamping element and the U-shaped supporting member.

[0005] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,638 to Huang discloses one of the typical tightening up devices comprising a U-shaped supporting member, a clamping element pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or coupled to the U-shaped supporting member and having a cam portion, and a spring for biasing the clamping element to rotate in one direction, and a resilient plate disposed between the cam portion of the clamping element and the U-shaped supporting member for engaging with the strap.

[0006] However, when or after the strap has been tightened or tensioned, the users may not know or realize that the strap has been tightened or tensioned, and the users may further apply additional forces to tighten or tension the strap such that the strap tightener may be over tightened or tensioned or operated by the users and may be easily damaged.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,868,587 to Rard discloses another typical strap tightener or tensioner comprising a U-shaped supporting member, a tension lever and an intermediate cam member and a brake member pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or coupled to the U-shaped supporting member, and a number of springs for biasing the tension lever and the intermediate cam member and the brake member respectively for suitably tensioning or tightening the strap.

[0008] However, when or after the strap has been tightened or tensioned, the users may not know or realize that the strap has been tightened or tensioned, and the users may further apply additional forces to tighten or tension the strap such that the strap tightener may be over tightened or tensioned or operated by the users and may be easily damaged. In addition, the typical strap tightener or tensioner includes a number of parts or elements that may not be easily manufactured and assembled.

[0009] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional strap tensioners or tighteners.

[0010] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a strap tightener including a simplified structure for allowing the strap tightener to be easily manufactured and assembled and including an improved structure for generating click sounds and for indicating that the strap has been tightened or tensioned and for preventing the strap tightener from being over tightened or tensioned by the users.

[0011] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a strap tightener comprising a supporting member, a ratchet wheel rotatably attached to the supporting member with an axle, and including a number of ratchet teeth provided thereon, a tension lever rotatably attached to the supporting member with a shaft, and including an actuating end for engaging with the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel, a strap engaged between the actuating end of the tension lever and the ratchet wheel, and a spring member engaged with the tension lever for biasing or forcing the actuating end of the tension lever to engage with the strap and to clamp the strap between the actuating end of the tension lever and the ratchet wheel whenever the strap is pulled or forced away from the supporting base.

[0012] The ratchet wheel includes a number of grooves formed between the ratchet teeth for engaging with the actuating end of the tension lever and for generating a click sound when the actuating end of the tension lever is engaged into the grooves of the ratchet wheel. No click sounds will be generated after the strap has been tightened. The ratchet wheel includes a number of notches formed in each of the ratchet teeth.

[0013] The tension lever includes a hand grip formed in the other end and arranged distal to the actuating end for rotating the tension lever relative to the supporting member and for disengaging the actuating end of the tension lever from the ratchet wheel and the strap selectively and for allowing the strap to be tightened or released relative to the supporting member.

[0014] The supporting member includes a base wall, and two side walls extended upwardly from the base wall and parallel to each other for forming a chamber between the base wall and the side walls, the axle and the shaft are mounted and straddled between the side walls.

[0015] The supporting member includes an opening formed in the base wall and communicative with the chamber of the supporting member for forming two bars and for allowing the opening to be formed between the bars, the strap is engaged or threaded through the opening of the supporting member and engaged with the ratchet wheel.

[0016] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a strap tightener in accordance with the present invention comprises a U-shaped supporting base or member 10 including a base wall 11, and including two side walls 12 extended upwardly from the two side portions of the base wall 11 for forming or defining a space or chamber 14 between the base wall 11 and the side walls 12, or within the U-shaped supporting member 10, and including an opening or passage 15 formed in the middle portion of the base wall 11 and communicative with the chamber 14 of the U-shaped supporting member 10 for forming or defining two bars 16, 17 and for allowing the opening 15 to be formed between the two bars 16, 17.

[0023] An axle 18 and a shaft 19 are attached or mounted to the U-shaped supporting member 10 and mounted or secured or straddled between the two side walls 12, and preferably arranged parallel to each other and parallel to the base wall 11 and perpendicular to the two side walls 12, and a ratchet wheel 20 is pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or coupled to the U-shaped supporting member 10 with the axle 18, for example, the ratchet wheel 20 includes a bore 21 formed therein for receiving the axle 18 and for allowing the ratchet wheel 20 to be rotated relative to the U-shaped supporting member 10, and includes a number of ratchet teeth 23 formed or provided thereon and formed or defined between grooves 24, and the ratchet teeth 23 each include a number of notches 25 formed therein (FIG. 3).

[0024] A strap 80 to be tightened or tensioned may be inserted or engaged through the opening 15 of the U-shaped supporting member 10 and may be engaged with the ratchet wheel 20, best shown in FIGS. 4-6, and may include one end 81 attached or mounted or secured or coupled to one of the bars 17, and the other end 82 of the strap 80 may be pulled away from the U-shaped supporting member 10 for suitably tensioning or tightening the strap 80 onto an object or the like (not shown). The ratchet wheel 20 may be frictionally engaged with the strap 80 and may be forced to be rotated relative to the U-shaped supporting member 10 when the other end 82 of the strap 80 is pulled away from the U-shaped supporting member 10 by the users (FIGS. 4, 5).

[0025] A tension lever 30 is pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or coupled to the U-shaped supporting member 10 with the shaft 19, for example, the tension lever 30 includes an orifice 31 formed therein for receiving the shaft 19 and for allowing the tension lever 30 to be rotated relative to the U-shaped supporting member 10, and includes one end or actuating end 33 for engaging with the ratchet teeth 23 of the ratchet wheel 20 and/or for engaging with the strap 80 (FIGS. 1 and 4-6), and includes the other end or hand grip 34 arranged distal to the actuating end 33 for rotating the tension lever 30 relative to the supporting member 10 and for selectively disengaging the actuating end 33 of the tension lever 30 from the ratchet wheel 20 and/or the strap 80.

[0026] A spring member 40 may further be provided and attached or mounted onto the shaft 19 and engaged with the tension lever 30, such as engaged between the tension lever 30 and the supporting member 10 for applying a spring biasing force to the tension lever 30 and for suitably biasing or forcing the actuating end 33 of the tension lever 30 to engage with the ratchet wheel 20 and/or the strap 80 and for suitably clamping and tensioning or tightening the strap 80 between the tension lever 30 and the ratchet wheel 20. The actuating end 33 of the tension lever 30 may be disengaged from the ratchet wheel 20 and/or the strap 80 when the hand grip 34 of the tension lever 30 is depressed or moved onto or against the spring member 40 by the user (FIG. 6).

[0027] In operation, as shown in FIG. 5, when the other end 82 of the strap 80 is pulled away from the U-shaped supporting member 10 by the users, the actuating end 33 of the tension lever 30 may be biased or forced to engage with the ratchet wheel 20 and/or the strap 80 for suitably clamping and tensioning or tightening the strap 80 between the tension lever 30 and the ratchet wheel 20 by the spring member 40, every time when the actuating end 33 of the tension lever 30 is moved over the ratchet teeth 23 and engaged into the grooves 24 of the ratchet wheel 20, a click sound may be generated.

[0028] When or after the strap has been tightened or tensioned and when the other end 82 of the strap 80 is further pulled away from the U-shaped supporting member 10 by the users, the actuating end 33 of the tension lever 30 may no longer be biased or forced to engage with the grooves 24 of the ratchet wheel 20 and no click sound may be generated at this moment, such that the users may know or realize that the strap 80 has been tightened or tensioned, and the users may stop apply additional forces to tighten or tension the strap 80 such that the strap 80 will not be over tightened or tensioned or operated by the users and will not be damaged by the users.

[0029] Accordingly, the strap tightener in accordance with the present invention includes a simplified structure for allowing the strap tightener to be easily manufactured and assembled and including an improved structure for generating click sounds and for indicating that the strap has been tightened or tensioned and for preventing the strap tightener from being over tightened or tensioned by the users.

[0030] Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.