LOW PROFILE BELT BUCKLE

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/122,588, filed on Dec. 15, 2008, and incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Not Applicable.

[0003] This invention relates to belts, and more particularly to a low-profile belt buckle.

[0004] Waist belts have been around for centuries, and are typically used to secure a pair of pants or shorts around a wearer's waist. Conventional belts are comprised of a belt strap, a multi-part buckle, and frequently ornamentation on the belt strap itself. Most conventional belts are design to be a fashionable accompaniment to the wearer's outfit, and as such are designed to be visible when worn. However, some people prefer a more discrete look, and would rather the belt and belt buckle to be as thin and discrete as possible. Few belts offer this type of accommodation.

[0005] On such prior art device, taught in US Pat. No. D286,581 to Panth on Nov. 11, 1986, includes a belt buckle fixed at one end to one end of a belt strap, and selectively at another end to a selected aperture in the other end of the belt strap. While the buckle and belt strap of such a device may each be made relatively thin to provide a discrete appearance when worn, the other end of the belt strap may rotate with respect to the buckle and as a result become dislodged inadvertently.

[0006] A similar drawback exists in the buckle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,923 to Mackey on Jun. 11, 1985. The distal end of the belt strap is not rotationally fixed by the buckle with respect to the opposing buckle end of the belt strap. As a result, the distal end of the belt strap may easily become dislodged from the securing pin of the belt buckle of such a device.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 1,566,104 to Knothe on May 9, 1924, teaches another prior art belt device that includes in its FIG. 4 a buckle member that appears to show a buckle portion having a pin proximate one end and a belt retaining means proximate the other end. However, this type of device is comprised of multiple parts, and the distal end of the belt is directed by the buckle over the opposing buckle end of the belt in an indiscrete manner. Further, such a device is necessarily relatively thick and bulky.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need for a belt device that can be made from just two parts, making it relatively inexpensive. Further, such a needed belt could be made relatively thin so as to provide a discrete appearance to the wearer. Moreover, such a needed invention would securely be held in place on the wearer, the opposing ends of the belt strap rotationally fixed so as to prevent inadvertent dislodging of the belt from the wearer. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.

[0009] The present device is a waist belt for a wearer. A belt strap has a first end and a second end. The send end has at least one axially-aligned aperture proximate therewith therethrough. A buckle is fixed with the first end of the belt strap and has an inner face and an outer face. The inner face further includes a pin projecting away therefrom and that is adapted to retain the second end of the belt strap thereon through any one of the at least one apertures.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the buckle further includes a receptor for receiving the second end of the belt strap therethrough and facilitating parallel axial alignment of each end of the belt strap when the second end of the belt strap is engaged with the pin of the buckle. The receptor directs the second end of the belt strap under the first end of the belt strap when the second end of the belt strap is inserted therethrough.

[0011] As such, with the belt encircling the wearer and with the at least one aperture of the second end of the belt strap engaged with the pin of the buckle, the belt strap lies substantially flat against the wearer. The second end of the belt strap, if extending past the buckle during use, rests between the wearer and the first end of the belt strap, substantially out of sight.

[0012] The present invention is a belt device that is made from a minimum of two parts, the belt strap and the buckle, making it relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Further, the present invention may be formed relatively thin so as to provide a discrete appearance to the wearer. Moreover, the present device may be securely held in place on the wearer, the opposing ends of the belt strap rotationally fixed so as to prevent inadvertent dislodging of the belt from the wearer. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

[0018] Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. The following explanation provides specific details for a thorough understanding of and enabling description for these embodiments. One skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments.

[0019] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the claims use the word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list. Any use of the word “means” herein is intended to invoke means-plus-function limitation in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, even if the word “means” follows words describing the function.

[0020] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a waist belt 10 for a wearer 20. A belt strap 30 has a first end 32 and a second end 38. The send end 38 has at least one axially-aligned aperture 40 proximate therewith therethrough. The belt strap 30 may be made from leather, plastic, vinyl, textiles, or other suitable relatively inelastic yet flexible materials.

[0021] A buckle 50 is fixed with the first end 32 of the belt strap 30. The buckle 50 has an inner face 52 (FIGS. 3 and 5), and an outer face 58 (FIGS. 1 and 3). The inner face 52 is concave and the outer face 38 is convex such that the buckle 50 has a slight curvature that conforms at least partially to the wearer's body. The buckle 50 may be made of rigid plastic, metal, or other suitable material. In embodiments wherein the buckle 50 is molded form a plastic material, the first end 32 of the belt strap 30 may be stitched with sew threads 80 to the buckle 50 (FIGS. 1 and 4). Alternately, the first end 32 of the belt strap 30 may be adhered with an adhesive 90 (FIG. 3), ultrasonically welded, or otherwise fixed to the belt in a suitable manner to provide durable joining thereof. In such an embodiment, the device 10 is comprised of only two parts, the belt strap 30 and the buckle 50, making such a device relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

[0022] The inner face 52 further includes a pin 60 projecting away therefrom and that is adapted to retain the second end 38 of the belt strap 30 thereon through any one of the at least one apertures 40.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the buckle 50 further includes a receptor 70 (FIGS. 2-5) for receiving the second end 38 of the belt strap 30 therethrough and facilitating parallel axial alignment of each end 32,38 of the belt strap 30 when the second end 38 of the belt strap 30 is engaged with the pin 60 of the buckle 50. The receptor 70 directs the second end 38 of the belt strap 30 under the first end 32 of the belt strap 30 when the second end 38 of the belt strap 30 is inserted therethrough. The pin 60 is preferably J-shaped and projects away from the inner face 52 of the buckle 50 and the receptor 70 of the buckle 50. The receptor 70 further facilitates keeping the belt strap 30 fixed to the pin 60, preventing the belt strap 30 from rotating thereon. As such, removing the belt strap 30 from the pin 60 takes an overt effort of the wearer 20.

[0024] As such, with the belt 10 encircling the wearer 20 and with the at least one aperture 40 of the second end 38 of the belt strap 30 engaged with the pin 60 of the buckle 50, the belt strap 30 lies substantially flat against the wearer 20. The second end 38 of the belt strap 30, if extending past the buckle 50 during use, rests between the wearer 20 and the first end 32 of the belt strap 30, substantially out of sight. In one embodiment, when the second end 38 of the belt strap 30 is engaged with the pin 60 of the buckle 50, each end 32,38 of the belt strap 30 is mutually coaxially aligned (not shown). The buckle 50 is preferably relatively thin, such as 3/16 of an inch. As the belt strap 30 itself may also be made to be relatively thin, such as 1/16 of an inch, the resulting device 10 may be discretely worn under a shirt, for example, without an outline of the buckle 50 evident.

[0025] While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the shape of the pin 60 may be modified, and more than one pin 60 may be included provided a corresponding number of cooperative belt apertures 40 are likewise included. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.

[0026] Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention.

[0027] The above detailed description of the embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above or to the particular field of usage mentioned in this disclosure. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Also, the teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.

[0028] All of the above patents and applications and other references, including any that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporated herein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts of the various references described above to provide yet further embodiments of the invention.

[0029] Changes can be made to the invention in light of the above “Detailed Description.”While the above description details certain embodiments of the invention and describes the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Therefore, implementation details may vary considerably while still being encompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated.

[0030] In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention under the claims.

[0031] While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventor contemplates the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the invention.