The present disclosure relates to buckles, and more particularly to buckles for securing straps such as belt like elements, leather bars, laces, bind straps, ribbons and the like. Methods of operating buckles are also disclosed.

Buckles are used for securing various kinds of straps. Straps can be used in association with clothing, for example flat straps such as belts and other belt like elements like leather bars in footwear. Flat straps can be used for holding up trousers and other pieces of clothing, fastening together parts of footwear or clothing, wrapping around a coat or another clothing, and for other fastening and/or decorative purposes. Straps and buckles can also be used for adjustable fastening, e.g. adjusting tightness of e.g. footwear, trousers, gloves, hats, bags, rucksacks and other wearable items and other items such as luggage and so on. A buckle can be used to adjustably and detachably connect an end or another part of a strap to another part of the strap, to another strap or a member such as a quarter of a footwear, a bag, luggage and so forth. Straps and buckles can also be used for decorative purposes.

An example of buckle styles enabling adjustable and detachable connection of a flat strap to another element is a frame style buckle. In a frame style buckle a part of the flat strap extends into and typically through a frame fixed to one end of the flat strap. The frame may also be attached by a strap or directly to an article such as e.g. to one side of a bag or luggage. A male member such as a prong, tongue or another pin like element attached to the frame can be inserted into an appropriate hole or slot in the flat strap. A pulling force in the strap then tightens the free end of the prong against a part of the frame, thus preventing the strap from sliding out of the frame.

The buckling and unbuckling of a flat strap, e.g. a belt, is typically performed in several stages and typically requires use of both hands. That is, when buckling the free end of the flat strap has to first be threaded through the frame, tightened to suitable tightness, and then the prong needs to be fitted into the closest opening in the strap to tighten the buckle into its final position. There are occasions where users wish to have a buckle that is simpler and faster to operate. In a particular use case, there is a desire for quicker fastening and unfastening of buckles for articles of footwear such as e.g. shoes, sandals and boots. At the same time users might wish to convey the appearance of lacing with a bow or the like.

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a buckle comprising:

a base element comprising a first fastening arrangement for adjustable fastening of a strap, and a recess,

a detachable element comprising a second fastening arrangement for fastening to another end of the strap and arranged to be received in the recess, wherein at least one of a bottom surface of the detachable element and a bottom surface of the recess of the base element is shaped to enable rocking motion of the detachable element relative to the base element between a closed position and an opened position, wherein in the closed position the detachable element is held against at least one side edge of the recess by pull in the strap and in the opened position the detachable element can be removed from the recess, and

a holding member for releasable fastening of the detachable element into the recess of the base element in the closed position.

According to another aspect there is provided a method of operating a buckle comprising adjustably fastening of a strap into a base element of the buckle, fastening another end of the strap to the buckle by placing a detachable element attached to another end of the strap into a recess of the base element, holding the detachable element in the recess in a closed position where the detachable element is held against the bottom surface of the recess by a holding member and against at least one side edge of the recess by pull in the strap, and opening the buckle by rocking the detachable element relative to the base element from the closed position to an opened position where the holding member no longer resists removal of the detachable element, at least one of a bottom surface of the detachable element and the bottom surface of the recess of the base element being shaped to enable rocking motion of the detachable element relative to the base element between the closed position and the opened position, and removing the detachable element from the recess when rocked into the opened position.

According to a more specific aspect a gap is provided in a side edge of the recess for allowing the strap attached to the detachable element and/or a part of the second fastening arrangement to extend out of the recess when the detachable element is in the closed position.

The first fastening arrangement may comprise a prong at the bottom of the base element.

The bottom surface of the detachable element may comprise a bevelled section. The bevelled section may be about 30 - 40% of the length of the detachable element. The free end of the detachable element may be arranged to be than the end attached to the strap by an amount that is slightly more than the height of the at least one side edge of the recess.

According to another embodiment there is provided a buckle comprising a base element comprising at least two hook members, and a detachable element, the detachable element comprising a fastening arrangement for adjustable fastening of a strap into the detachable element, and pivot edges arranged to be received in corresponding hook members. The hook members are arranged to detachably receive the pivot edges such that the detachable element is held against the hook members by pull in the strap. The pivot edges of the detachable element comprise rounded outer surfaces and the hook members comprise curved inner surfaces arranged to engage with the rounded outer surfaces to facilitate smooth rotation of the detachable element relative to the base element between an opened position and a closed position. The at least two hooks members are spaced apart for enabling the strap to extend between the hook members into the detachable element. The buckle further comprises a holding member for releasable fastening of the detachable element to the base element in the closed position.

Another method for fastening a strap by a buckle comprising a base element and a detachable element comprises threading the strap into the detachable element and fastening the strap to the detachable element using a fastening arrangement configured for adjustable fastening of the strap into the detachable element, placing at least two pivot edges of the detachable element against corresponding hook members of the base element, the hook members being spaced apart and arranged to detachably receive the pivot edges such that the detachable element is held against the hook members by pull in the strap, the pivot edges of the detachable element comprising rounded outer surfaces and the hook members comprising curved inner surfaces arranged to engage with the rounded outer surfaces to facilitate smooth rotation of the detachable element relative to the base element between an opened position and a closed position, guiding the strap between the at least two hooks members so that the strap extends between the hook members of the base element into the detachable element, rotating the detachable element in the hook members from an opened position to a closed position relative to the base element, and releasably fastening the detachable element to the base element in the closed position.

A buckle according to this disclosure may comprises a frame style buckle. The detachable element may comprise a frame element. A fastening arrangement can be provided that is configured for releasable and adjustable fastening of a flat strap threaded into the frame element. The frame element may comprise a prong or tongue for said releasable and adjustable fastening of the flat strap relative to the frame element.

The base element of the buckle may be attached to an article of footwear.

A buckle may comprise a first and second base elements and respective first and second detachable elements, wherein a strap is arranged to extend between the first and second detachable elements such that a spacing between the first and second detachable elements can be adjusted by the strap.

A fastening arrangement of a detachable element may comprise eyelets for receiving a shoelace.

The strap may comprise a belt like element, and the buckle comprises a frame style buckle. The frame may at least partially be covered by material matching an article the base elements is attached to.

The holding member may comprise at least one magnet.

The detachable element may comprise at least one guide for aligning the detachable element relative to the base element. The buckle may be for use in footwear, luggage, a bag, headwear or clothing.

Various exemplifying embodiments of the invention are described below 5 with reference to the attached drawings. Steps and elements explained herein may be reordered, omitted, and combined to form different embodiments and any step indicated as performed may be caused to be performed by another device or module. In the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 show examples of components for a buckle; l o Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a buckle comprising the components of Figures 1 and 2 in an open position;

Figure 4 shows a side view of a buckle according to an embodiment;

Figure 5 shows a view of a frame element with a flat strap attached thereto;

15 Figures 6 and 7 show views of a buckle in a closed position where a flats strap is secured in a desired position;

Figures 8 and 9A, B and C show examples of buckles for footwear, bags, luggage or the like;

Figure 10 is a flowchart for fastening a strap by a buckle in accordance 20 with an embodiment;

Figure 1 1 shows another example of buckle components;

Figures 12 to 18 show buckles according to other embodiments; and

Figure 19 is a flowchart according to an embodiment.

25 In the following certain detailed examples of a frame style buckle and use thereof on flats straps are described first with reference to Figures 1 to 7. It is noted that although in the examples of Figures 1 to 7 the flat strap can comprises a belt like element such as a belt for holding of trousers or e.g. a belt like member of footwear these are only a non-limiting examples. Rather, a frame style buckle

30 according to the invention can be used, in addition to belts and footwear, in association with any flat strap such as a flat webbing or lace, for fastening, holding, adjustment and/or decorative purposes for bags, luggage, hats, and so on. Figures 1 and 2 show two separate components of a buckle that are adapted for releasable attachment to each other. More particularly, a base element 16 and a detachable frame element 12 forming in combination a frame style buckle are shown. A buckle assembly 10 is provided where an edge of the frame element is received in and held by hook-like brackets of the base element such that the frame element can rotate between two operational positions relative to the base element. The buckle arrangement being shown in open position in Figures 3 and 4, and in closed position and with a flat strap threaded there through in Figures 6 and 7.

The frame element 12 provides an opening 11 through which a free end

22 of a flat strap 20 can then be threaded, as shown e.g. in Figure 6. The frame element comprises a bar 14 extending across the opening 11 for pivotally holding a prong 13. The prong provides a fastening member for releasable and adjustable fastening of the flat strap to the frame element. As shown in Figure 6, the prong 13 can be inserted through an appropriate opening 23 where after pull in the flat strap (indicated by arrow 24) tightens the free end of the prong 13 against a side bar 25 of the frame element.

It shall be appreciated that in some frame style buckles there is no bar extending across the frame opening 11. Instead, the prong can be arranged to pivot about one of the side bars, e.g. the bar at the end of the frame fixed to the flat strap. Further, fastening of a flat strap relative to a frame can be provided by other means than a prong, for example by a tongue, a toothed element gripping into the flat strap, a clip, a hook and loop fastener often colloquially called Velcro or a friction based arrangement.

In accordance with the herein disclosed principles the frame element 12 and the base element 16 are arranged to be fixed detachably relative to each other. To provide this the base element 16 comprises a hook member 17 providing a bracket that is arranged to detachably receive an end part 15 of the frame element 12. The end part 15 is accommodated in the hook member 17 such that the frame element 12 is held against and within the hook member by pull 24 in the load bearing or tightened part 21 of the belt 20. The end part 15 of the frame element is formed to enable rotation thereof in the correspondingly formed hook member 17, and is thus termed in the following as pivot edge. The hook member and the therein received pivot edge of the frame element can thus provide pivot axis and arrangement for the frame element enabling the frame element to rotate between an opened position (Figures 3, 4) and a closed position (Figures 6, 7) relative to the base element.

A holding member for releasable fastening of the frame element 12 to the base element 16 in the closed position is also provided. According to the example of Figure 4 this is provided by at least one magnet 9. In the example the base element 16 is manufactured from magnetic material such as metal and thus the magnet 19 fixed underneath the frame element 12 fastens to the base element in the closed position.

According to a possibility the frame element may be made from nonmagnetic material, e.g. hard plastic, aluminium or the like. According to an embodiment the base element and the frame may both be made from nonmagnetic material. In such case the frame element may be provided with a piece of metallic material for securing to the magnet 19. According to a possibility the frame element 12 is made of metallic material and an appropriate magnet is provided in the base element. Magnets can also be provided in both the frame element and the base element.

According to an embodiment the holding member for releasable fastening of the frame element to the base element may comprise a mechanical member such as a clip, popper or the like. The mechanical holding arrangement can be provided instead of a magnet based arrangement, or in addition thereto.

The hook member can comprise two hooks arranged and aligned as shown in the figures such that the hooks 17 provide a pivot axis for the frame element 12. The hooks 17 can be spaced (the spacing being denoted by 18) from each other for enabling the flat strap to extend there between. More than two hooks may also be provided.

The pivot part of the edge 15 of the frame element 12 can comprise a round outer surface. The respective hook 17 can comprise a co-operative curved inner surface arranged to engage with the round surface of the pivot part of the frame element to facilitate smooth rotational movement between the frame element and the base element. The end part of the frame element on the side of the hook member can be formed to enable easy positioning and alignment of the frame element 12 into the hook member and the base element so that the frame element can easily be positioned correctly between the hooks 17 of the base element 16, and becomes correctly aligned relative to the base element. In the shown example the guide is provided such that the end of the frame element has a raised area 25 configured to fit and guide the end of the frame element between the hooks 17. The pivot portions of the pivot end can be of thinner construction such that they can be accommodated within the hooks. At the same time the spacing between the hooks is so narrow that the raised portion 25 cannot enter the space.

Figure 5 shows the frame element 12 with a flat strap 20 fixed therein. At this stage the frame element is ready for fast attachment to the base element and subsequent tightening and securing to the final tightness and position.

In the shown example the pivot is provided about one of the side bars of the frame element 12. According to a possibility a pivot edge is provided by a separate bar arranged to be received by the hooked member. For example, a bar extending across the opening of the frame element or further back from the end side bar 25 of the frame element can be provided.

The two part buckle construction enables fast tightening and loosening of a flat strap with visual appearance of a normal buckle type fastening with a frame style buckle. The disclosed buckle construction enables easy and fast assembly of the frame element with the free end of the flat strap attached thereto at a stage where the flat strap attached to buckle is not too tight to handle. The final tightening can then be provided after the pivot part of the frame element has been placed in the hook member and the so tightened belt and buckle can be secured in a closed position by simply pressing the free end of the frame element down. If the user wants to, he/she can use the buckle in the normal manner by keeping it constantly in the closed position and threading the flat strap through the frame part. In the closed position the buckle provides strong resistance against opening and pull in the strap.

The above described frame style buckle can be used in connection with footwear. Figure 8 shows another example of a buckle 30 that is particularly suited for use in association with articles of footwear. The buckle 30 comprises a base element 32 that is secured to a quarter 31 of a shoe for example by stitching and a detachable element 34. The detachable element can provide a facing of the footwear.

The base element 32 can comprise two hooks 33 as described above with the belt example. However, a lesser or larger number of hooks is also possible.

The detachable element 34 is provided with eyelets 36 through which a strap in the form of a shoelace 37 is threaded. The shoelace can be adjusted to an appropriate length and tied to that length by a bow 38. Instead of a bow, another solution to prevent the laces to loosen out can be provided. For example, a spring loaded lace detaining member can be used.

The detachable element 34 provides pivot edge parts 35 that can be placed in the corresponding hooks 33 in the manner explained above. The pull in the shoelace 37 will hold the detachable element in the hooks, and the user can then tighten and fasten the buckle by pressing the detachable element 34 into closed position against the base element 32. The shoelace 37 can extend between the hooks 33 into the detachable element 34. A magnet 52, or another holding member, is provided for releasable fastening of the detachable element in the closed position. When unfastening the buckle, the use can simply lift the other edge 51 up, and remove the pivot edge 35 from the hooks 33.

The detachable facing element 34 can be provided with formation 50 for assisting in alignment thereof with the base element 32 and the hooks 33.

Figure 8 shows first and second elements 34 and 39 providing facings of the footwear. A strap in the form of a lace 37 is arranged to extend between the two elements such that the spacing between the first and second elements, and thus the tightness of the footwear, can be adjusted and set by the bow 38. In the example the facing element 34 is detachable whereas the counterpart facing element 39 can be fixedly secured, e.g. stitched to the respective quarter of the footwear. It is also possible to provide a symmetrical design where two detachable elements are adjustably connected by a shoelace, and both quarters are provided with a base element 31 comprising hooks 33. The shown embodiment enables the wearer of the footwear to tie the laces to his/hers liking, and then use the buckle for quick fastening/unfastening. The detachable elements can be designed such that the footwear appears as being laced whereas the fastening and unfastening does not require tying and 5 untying the lace.

Figures 9A to C shows another example for a buckle for footwear giving appearance of lacing. A base element 42 of the buckle is secured to a quarter 41 as above. The base element comprises a hook member (not shown) for receiving a pivot edge 45 of the detachable element 44 proving a facing (see it) Figure 9A). A frame member 48 providing the pivot edge 45 can arranged on the underside of the detachable element 44 such that it is invisible when the detachable element is facing the wearer (Figure 9B) and the buckle 40 is in the closed position (Figure 9C). The detachable element comprises eyelets 46 for shoelaces which can be tied as in the example of Figure 8.

i s The frame member 48 providing the pivot edge 45 can further comprise guides 49 for easy aligning and maintaining correct positioning of the detachable element relative to the footwear.

The outer face of the detachable element 44 can be covered by material that matches the footwear, thus enhancing the neat appearance of a lacing. The

20 frame member can be made relatively thin/fine, the advantage of this being that the facings can be in the same material as the rest of the shoe effectively making the complete buckle invisible when in the closed position.

Steps for fastening a strap, e.g. a flat strap such as a belt by a frame style buckle or another strap e.g. shoelace or the like are shown in the flowchart of

25 Figure 10. A strap is threaded at 80 into a detachable element of the buckle and then fastened at 81 to the detachable element by means of a fastening member configured for adjustable fastening of the strap relative to the detachable element. A pivot edge of the detachable element is placed at 82 within a hook member providing at least one bracket at a base element of the buckle. The 0 base element can detachably receive the pivot edge such that the detachable element is held against and within the hook member by pull in the strap. At this stage the detachable element is still in an opened position. The final tightening of the strap and locking of the buckle is provided by turning the detachable element at 83 into a closed position relative to the base element about a pivot provided by the co-operation of the pivot edge and the hook member. The detachable element is releasably fastened at 84 to the base element in the closed position by means of an appropriate holding member, for example by means of at least one magnet and/or a clip and/or hook and loop fastener, or the like.

Unfastening of the buckle can be done in opposite order, i.e. by opening the buckle by lifting the other edge up from the engagement with the base element and the holding member and removing the pivot edge from the hook member.

Figure 11 shows components of another exemplifying frame style buckle. The buckle comprises a base element 16 provided with two hook members 17 and a detachable frame element 12. A stud like prong element 113 is mounted fixedly on bar 114 to provide a fastening arrangement for adjustable fastening of a strap into the detachable element. Pivot edges 15 of the detachable element are arranged to be received in the respective hook members such that the detachable element is held against the hook members by pull in the strap. The two hooks members are spaced apart for enabling the strap threaded into the detachable element to extend between the hook members. A holding member, for example a magnet, a clip or a clasp, can be provided into a recess 40 for releasable fastening of the detachable element to the base element in the closed position.

Figures 12 to 17 show yet another example of a buckle 120. In this example the free end 121 of a flat strap, typically a belt 122 extends underneath the buckle. The belt can be threaded into a slot provided between a base element 126 and a looped element 125. The belt is fastened adjustably in relation ti the base element by a stud like prong 123 protruding from the bottom of the base element, as shown in Figures 15 and 17. The other end 124 of the belt is attached to a detachable element 130. The detachable element is arranged to be received into a recess in the base element 126 and tilt or rock relative to the base element, as shown in Figures 13 - 16 illustrating the components without the belt. Figure 13 is a side view of the buckle 120 in closed position. The detachable element 130 is placed in a recess provided in within the base element 126. The recess 127 and other internal features are shown in the exploded views of Figures 16 and 17. Figure 14 and sectioned Figure 15 illustrate the buckle in a second operational, opened position, where the detachable element can be pulled out from the recess. The sectional side view of Figure 15 is made lengthwise and about the middle of the buckle.

The detachable element comprises a protrusion or tab 132 for attachment of one end of a belt or other strap to the buckle. Pull in the tab by the belt in the direction of arrow 140 draws edges 136 of the detachable element against co-operating edges 128 of the base element 126, thus keeping the belt in the tightened position. The edges 128 can be curved as shown in Figure 16, thus forming a pair of hook members for holding the detachable element in the recession against the pull in the strap. The hooked members may have inwards pointing tips and the detachable element may be formed to have guide grooves that receive the tips for improved alignment.

A gap can be provided in a side edge of the recess for allowing the strap attached to the detachable element and/or a part of the fastening arrangement to extend out of the recess when the detachable element is in the closed position. Figure 16 shows a gap 129 between the edge parts 128. In closed position the tab 132 can neatly be places in the gap and extend out of the buckle there through.

The explosion of Figures 16 and 17 also shows a magnet 138 provided for holding the detachable element in closed position against the base element.

Figures 14 and 15 show the detachable element when it has been rocked into a tilted position for enabling removal of the detachable element from the recess. By pressing at the free end of the detachable element 130 as indicated by arrow 142 rocking of the detachable element lifts it off from the magnet 138, and it can be removed from the recess. The removal can be by pulling the strap a as indicated by arrow 144.

As shown in Figure 15, the free end of the detachable element can be bevelled such that pressing at the bevelled section caused the element to rock about an edge 135 between the straight bottom section 131 and the bevelled section 134.

The underside of the detachable element can be dimensioned such that minimum push force 142 is needed to open the buckle whilst the magnet 138 is strong enough to reliably hold the element 130 in the recess 127. This can be provided e.g. by a bevelled section 134 that is shorter than the straight section 31 at the bottom of the detachable part. According to an example the bottom surface of the detachable element comprises a bevelled section which can be about 30 - 40%, preferably 35%, of the length of the bottom surface of the detachable element.

In the above example the bottom surface of the detachable element was sloped. This is not the only way to provide an arrangement where at least one of a bottom surface of the detachable element and a bottom surface of the recess of the base element is shaped so rocking motion of the detachable element relative to the base element between a closed position and an opened position is facilitated.

According to a possibility at least a part of the bevelling and the pivot edge around which the detachable element tilts can be formed in the base element. A schematic example of this is illustrated in the sectional view from side of Figure 18, the sectioning being made about the middle of the buckle viewed from the top. In this example a detachable element 140 has substantially parallel top and bottom surfaces. A bevelled section 144 is provided at the bottom surface of the base element 146 such that it slopes towards the free end of the buckle. An edge 45 providing a rocking axis for the detachable element is provided at the beginning of the bevelling.

Bevelling the free end of the detachable element is not the only possibility of providing a rocking element. For example, the free end can be cut or otherwise manufactured thinner than the end that is attach to the strap and an pivoting edge provided by the cut.

The free end can be thinner by an amount that is slightly more than the height of the at least one side edge of the recess.

Buckles according to this embodiment can also be paired and have strap extending between them as explained with reference to Figures 8 and 9. A method of operating a buckle according to this example is shown in Figure 19. In the method a strap is adjustably attached into a base element of the buckle at 190. Another end of the strap is fastened at 192 to the buckle by placing a detachable element attached to the other end of the strap into a recess of the base element. The detachable element is held at 194 by a holding member in the recess in a closed position where the detachable element is held against the bottom surface of the recess by the holding member and against at least one side edge of the recess by pull in the strap. The buckle can be opened by rocking the detachable element at 196 relative to the base element from the closed position to an opened position, at least one of a bottom surface of the detachable element and the bottom surface of the recess of the base element being shaped to enable rocking motion of the detachable element relative to the base element between the closed position and the opened position. The detachable element can be removed from the recess when rocked into the opened position where the holding member no longer resists removal of the detachable element.

The foregoing description provides by way of exemplary and non-limiting examples a full and informative description of exemplary embodiments of the invention. However, various modifications and adaptations may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts in view of the foregoing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. All such and similar modifications of the teachings of this invention will still fall within the spirit and scope of this invention.