Cord locking cleat

Abstract

A cleat device for adjustably securing two segments of a cord in locked engagement includes a body and an integral head having an open mouth communicating with a through passage and left and right cord channels extending from the through passage to slots at a back end of the body. The cord segments pass through the open mouth and out from an open top of the body. The cord segments are pulled down into the channels and slots to lock them in the cleat. The channels include ribbed sidewalls that progressively narrow near a bottom of the channels to wedge the cord segments in the locked position. The cord segments can be pulled out through the slots and out of the back end of the cleat when in the locked position, but cannot be pulled out in the opposite direction from the mouth when locked in the channels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cleat device for securing two segments of a cord, said cleat device comprising:
 a main body having a top side, a bottom side and a back end;   a head integrally formed with the main body and including an open mouth communicating with a through passage extending to a top opening on the top side of the main body, and the head further including a forward distal edge;   a pair of parallel cord channels extending along the main body and in open communication with the open mouth, through passage and top opening, and the pair of cord channels extending to and communicating with slots at the back end of the main body; and   the pair of cord channels having a tapered portion narrowing in width for wedged, locking engagement of the cord segments therein.   
     
     
         2 . The cleat device as recited in  claim 1  wherein each of the pair of cord channels includes opposing wall structures having an arrangement of ribs thereon for frictional engagement with one of the cord segments extending therethrough. 
     
     
         3 . The cleat device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the pair of cord channels and slots are structured and disposed to allow linear movement of the cord segments out from the slots at the back end of the main body while preventing movement in the opposite direction out through the open mouth when the cord segments are pulled into the cord channels and wedged within the tapered portion. 
     
     
         4 . The cleat device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the head includes a forward distal edge having a curved configuration for congruent, abutting engagement against the side of an outer portion of a cylindrical surface. 
     
     
         5 . The cleat device as recited in  claim 3  wherein the slots at the back end of the main body include apertures integrally formed with the slots for allowing the cord segments to be pulled out from the slots at the back end of the main body. 
     
     
         6 . The cleat device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the two cord segments extend out from the open mouth to a looped portion of the cord. 
     
     
         7 . The cleat device as recited in  claim 6  wherein the looped portion of the cord is fitted through a sleeve surrounding an opening of a bag, whereupon closing the loop by pulling the two cord segments through the pair of parallel cord channels of the cleat device causes the opening of the bag to be cinched closed.