초록 ▼

An ornamental belt buckle/cup-holder combination having a front plate pivotably connected at its lower end to the lower end of a back plate. The back side of the buckle includes brackets and a hook for securing a belt. The front side of the buckle includes ornamentation. The front and back plates ar

An ornamental belt buckle/cup-holder combination having a front plate pivotably connected at its lower end to the lower end of a back plate. The back side of the buckle includes brackets and a hook for securing a belt. The front side of the buckle includes ornamentation. The front and back plates are held in parallel abutment with magnets. A loop is pivotably mounted to the top of the back plate and is captured between the front plate and the back plate when they in parallel abutment. The loop is urged into a upward perpendicular position relative to the back plate with a spring. When the front plate is folded downward perpendicular to the back plate, it forms a lower horizontal surface for supporting the weight of a beverage container. The loop is then urged by the spring into an upper horizontal position for receiving and laterally supporting the beverage container.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A buckle (10) comprising: a back plate (40) defining inner and outer sides (41, 44), a top (42), and a bottom;a fastener (46, 48, 52) disposed on said outer side of said back plate and arranged for connection to a belt;a front plate (20) defining inner and outer sides (26, 22), a top, and a botto

1. A buckle (10) comprising: a back plate (40) defining inner and outer sides (41, 44), a top (42), and a bottom;a fastener (46, 48, 52) disposed on said outer side of said back plate and arranged for connection to a belt;a front plate (20) defining inner and outer sides (26, 22), a top, and a bottom;a single hinge (30) pivotably connecting said bottom of said front plate to said bottom of said back plate, said hinge (30) including a first knuckle (34), which is fixated integrally with said front plate, sandwiched between second and third knuckles (32), which are formed integrally with said back plate, and a pin passing through said first, second and third knuckles; anda stop (36) formed integrally with said first knuckle that abuts said back plate so as to limit the range of pivoting of said front plate with respect to said back plate from zero degrees in a first configuration to no further than approximately ninety degrees. 2. The buckle of claim 1 further comprising: a wire ring (70) pivotably connected to said inner side of said back plate near said top of said back plate; anda groove (74) formed in at least one of the group consisting of said inner side of said back plate and said inner side of said front plate, said groove housing said wire ring therein when said buckle is arranged in said first configuration. 3. The buckle of claim 2 wherein: said wire ring has first and second ends (71) and is “Ω”-shaped, said first and second ends of said wire ring being pivotably received in first and second cavities formed in said back plate. 4. The buckle of claim 2 further comprising: a spring (72) operatively coupled between said wire ring and said back plate that urges said wire ring to pivot to a perpendicular orientation with respect to said back plate. 5. The buckle of claim 4 wherein: said groove defines a shoulder (76) that abuts said wire ring when said wire ring is positioned in said perpendicular orientation thereby preventing said wire ring from pivoting further under the influence of said spring. 6. The buckle of claim 1 further comprising: a first magnet (60) connected to the inner side of said back plate; anda second magnet (62) connected to the inner side of said front plate so as to coincide with said first magnet when said buckle is arranged in said first configuration, said first and second magnets oriented so that their polarities cause an attractive force between said front plate and said back plate. 7. The buckle of claim 1 wherein: said inner side of said back plate is lipless and generally planar; andsaid inner side of said front plate is lipless and generally planar. 8. The buckle of claim 1 wherein: a portion of said front plate extends beyond said back plate when said buckle is arranged in said first configuration; wherebysaid extending portion provides an accessible surface on said inner side of said front plate for pivoting said front plate. 9. A belt (10) comprising: a strap (50); anda buckle fastened to said strap, said buckle including, a back plate (40) defining inner and outer sides (41, 44), a top (42), and a bottom,a front plate (20) defining inner and outer sides (26, 22), a top, and a bottom,a single hinge (30) pivotably connecting said bottom of said front plate to said bottom of said back plate, said hinge (30) including a first knuckle (34), which is formed integrally with said front plate, sandwiched between second and third knuckles (32), which are formed integrally with said back plate, and a pin passing through said first, second and third knuckles, anda stop (36) formed integrally with said first knuckle that abuts said back plate so as to limit the range of pivoting of said front plate with respect to said back plate from zero degrees in a first configuration to no further than approximately ninety degrees. 10. The belt (10) of claim 9 wherein said buckle further comprises: a wire ring (70) pivotably connected to said inner side of said back plate near said top of said back plate; anda groove (74) formed in at least one of the group consisting of said inner side of said back plate and said inner side of said front plate, said groove housing said wire ring therein when said buckle is arranged in said first configuration. 11. The belt (10) of claim 10 wherein: said wire ring has first and second ends (71) and is “Ω”-shaped, said first and second ends of said wire ring being pivotably received in first and second cavities formed in said back plate. 12. The belt (10) of claim 10 wherein said buckle further comprises: a spring (72) operatively coupled between said wire ring and said back plate that urges said wire ring to pivot to a perpendicular orientation with respect to said back plate. 13. The belt (10) of claim 12 wherein: said groove defines a shoulder (76) that abuts said wire ring when said wire ring is positioned in said perpendicular orientation thereby preventing said wire ring from pivoting further under the influence of said spring. 14. The belt (10) of claim 9 wherein said buckle further comprises: a first magnet (60) connected to the inner side of said back plate; anda second magnet (62) connected to the inner side of said front plate so as to coincide with said first magnet when said buckle is arranged in said first configuration, said first and second magnets oriented so that their polarities cause an attractive force between said front plate and said back plate. 15. The belt (10) of claim 9 wherein: said inner side of said back plate is lipless and generally planar; andsaid inner side of said front plate is lipless and generally planar. 16. The belt (10) of claim 9 wherein: a portion of said front plate extends beyond said back plate when said buckle is arranged in said first configuration; wherebysaid extending portion provides an accessible surface on said inner side of said front plate for pivoting said front plate.