Adjuster for adjusting a length of a cord

Abstract

An adjuster for adjusting a length of a cord is provided. The adjuster comprises a t-component having a sliding member and a cross member that are integrally formed to form, at least, a first angle. In response to an application of force, the t-component is adapted to move from a first position to a second position, which increases the first angle. The adjuster also comprises a channel body that has a recessed cavity that is adapted to receive the cross member when the t-component is moved from the first position to the second position. The channel body further comprises a sliding channel, where the sliding member is slidably engaged with the channel body within the sliding channel. A first guide channel extending from a first side surface of the channel body to the sliding channel is also a component of the channel body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An adjuster that allows for an adjustment to a length of a cord, the adjuster comprising:
 a t-component, the t-component comprising:
 (A) a sliding member, the sliding member having a first side surface and an opposite second side surface, and a bottom surface and an opposite top end, the sliding member comprising a pass-through channel having a bottom surface and an opposite top surface, and 
 (B) a cross member, the cross member having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, and a first engaging surface and an opposite second engaging surface, the top end of the sliding member integrally formed with the bottom surface of the cross member forming a first angle between the sliding member and the cross member, the t-component is adapted to increase the first angle in response to an application of force in a direction substantially parallel with a direction of sliding motion of the sliding member from a first position to a second position; and 
   a channel body having a first side surface and an opposite second side surface, a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, and a recessed cavity adapted to receive the cross member, the recessed cavity extending from the top surface of the channel body toward the bottom surface of the channel body, the channel body comprising:
 (A) a sliding channel having a first side surface and a second side surface, a distance between the first side surface and the second side surface of the sliding channel being greater than a distance between the first side surface and the second side surface of the sliding member such that the sliding member is slidably engaged with the channel body within the sliding channel, the bottom surface of the sliding member positionable closer to the bottom surface of the channel body when the t-component is in the second position than when the t-component is in the first position, and 
 (B) a first guide channel having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the first guide channel extending from the first side surface of the channel body to the sliding channel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The adjuster of  claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the first guide channel has a first top edge and a second top edge, the second top edge being closer to the first side surface of the sliding channel than the first top edge. 
     
     
         3 . The adjuster of  claim 2 , wherein a distance between the first top edge and perpendicular to the bottom surface is greater than a distance between the second top edge and perpendicular to the bottom surface. 
     
     
         4 . The adjuster of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first crimp cavity having a first side surface and an opposite second side surface that is adjacent to the first side surface of the sliding member; and   a second crimp cavity having a first side surface and an opposite second side surface that is adjacent to the second side surface of the sliding member.   
     
     
         5 . The adjuster of  claim 4 , wherein the first side surface of the first crimp cavity has a bottom edge that is located nearer to the bottom surface of the channel body than the bottom surface of the pass-through channel when the t-component is in the first position. 
     
     
         6 . The adjuster of  claim 5 , wherein the bottom edge of the first crimp cavity is located farther from the bottom surface of the channel body than the bottom surface of the pass-through channel when the t-component is in the second position. 
     
     
         7 . The adjuster of  claim 1 , further comprising a second guide channel having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the second guide channel extending from the second side surface of the channel body to the sliding channel. 
     
     
         8 . The adjuster of  claim 7 , wherein the first guide channel, the pass-through channel, and the second guide channel form a continuous channel when the t-component is in the second position. 
     
     
         9 . The adjuster of  claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the cross member is curved in a direction extending from the first engaging surface to the second engaging surface. 
     
     
         10 . The adjuster of  claim 1 , wherein when the t-component is in the first position, the cross member is convexly shaped, the cross member being positionable to be concavely shaped when in the second position. 
     
     
         11 . The adjuster of  claim 1 , wherein the top end of the sliding member is integrally formed with the bottom surface of the cross member forming a second angle between the sliding member and the cross member, the t-component being adapted to increase the second angle in response to the application of force in a direction substantially parallel with the direction of sliding motion of the sliding member from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         12 . The adjuster of  claim 1 , wherein a position on the bottom surface of the cross member that is integrally formed with the top end of the sliding member is equidistant from a bottom edge of the first engaging surface and a bottom edge of the second engaging surface. 
     
     
         13 . An adjuster that allows for an adjustment to a length of a cord, the adjuster comprising:
 a t-component, the t-component comprising:
 (A) a sliding member, the sliding member having a first side surface and an opposite second side surface, and a bottom surface and an opposite top end, the sliding member comprising a pass-through channel having a bottom surface and an opposite top surface, 
 (B) a cross member, the cross member having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, and a first engaging surface and an opposite second engaging surface, the top end of the sliding member integrally formed with the bottom surface of the cross member, and 
 (C) the t-component being adaptable to be moved from a first position to a second position in response to an application of force in a direction substantially parallel with a direction of sliding motion of the sliding member, the first engaging surface and the second engaging surface being adaptable to move from a first position corresponding to the first position of the t-component to a second position corresponding to the second position of the t-component, the first engaging surface and the second engaging surface being closer to the sliding member when the t-component is in the first position than when the t-component is in the second position; and 
   a channel body having a first side surface and an opposite second side surface, a top surface and a bottom surface, the channel body comprising:
 (A) a sliding channel having a first side surface and a second side surface, a distance between the first side surface and the second side surface of the sliding channel being greater than a distance between the first side surface and the second side surface of the sliding member such that the sliding member is slidably engaged with the channel body within the sliding channel, the bottom surface of the sliding member positioned closer to the bottom surface of the channel body when the t-component is in the second position than when the t-component is in the first position, and 
 (B) a first guide channel, the first guide channel having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the first guide channel extending from the first side surface of the channel body to the sliding channel. 
   
     
     
         14 . The adjuster of  claim 13 , further comprising a second guide channel having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the second guide channel extending from the second side surface of the channel body to the sliding channel, wherein the first guide channel, the pass-through channel, and the second guide channel form a continuous channel when the t-component is in the second position. 
     
     
         15 . The adjuster of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a first crimp cavity having a first side surface and an opposite second side surface that is adjacent to the first side surface of the sliding member; and   a second crimp cavity having a first side surface and an opposite second side surface that is adjacent to the second side surface of the sliding member.   
     
     
         16 . The adjuster of  claim 15 , wherein the first side surface of the first crimp cavity has a bottom edge that is located nearer to the bottom surface of the channel body than the bottom surface of the pass-through channel when the t-component is in the first position. 
     
     
         17 . The adapter of  claim 13 , the channel body further comprising a recessed cavity adapted to receive the cross member, the recessed cavity extending from the top surface of the channel body toward the bottom surface of the channel body. 
     
     
         18 . An adjuster that allows for an adjustment to a length of a cord, the adjuster comprising:
 a t-component, the t-component comprising:
 (A) a sliding member, the sliding member having a first side surface and an opposite second side surface, and a bottom surface and an opposite top end, the sliding member comprising a pass-through channel having a bottom surface and an opposite top surface, 
 (B) a cross member, the cross member having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface and a first engaging surface and an opposite second engaging surface, the top end of the sliding member integrally formed with the bottom surface of the cross member, and 
 (C) the t-component being adaptable to be moved from a first position to a second position in response to an application of force in a direction substantially parallel with a direction of sliding motion of the sliding member, the cross member being convexly shaped when the t-component is in the first position, and the cross member being adapted to be concavely shaped when the t-component is in the second position; and 
   a channel body having a first side surface and an opposite second side surface, a top surface and a bottom surface, and a recessed cavity adapted to receive the cross member, the recessed cavity extending from the top surface of the channel body toward the bottom surface of the channel body, the channel body comprising:
 (A) a sliding channel having a first side surface and a second side surface, a distance between the first side surface and the second side surface of the sliding channel being greater than a distance between the first side surface and the second side surface of the sliding member such that the sliding member is slidably engaged with the channel body within the sliding channel, the bottom surface of the sliding member positioned closer to the bottom surface of the channel body when the t-component is in the second position than when the t-component is in the first position, and 
 (B) a first guide channel having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the first guide channel extending from the first side surface of the channel body to the sliding channel. 
   
     
     
         19 . The adjuster of  claim 18 , further comprising a second guide channel having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, the second guide channel extending from the second side surface of the channel body to the sliding channel, wherein the first guide channel, the pass-through channel, and the second guide channel form a continuous channel when the t-component is in the second position. 
     
     
         20 . The adjuster of  claim 18 , the top surface of the cross member and the first engaging surface defining a first acute angle, the top surface of the cross member and the second engaging surface defining a second acute angle, the bottom surface of the cross member and the first engaging surface defining a first obtuse angle, and the bottom surface of the cross member and the second engaging surface defining a second obtuse angle.