Ratcheting Buckle

Abstract

A ratchet buckle including a housing and a ratcheting assembly. The housing includes a top cover and a bottom cover. The bottom cover is configured to couple to the top cover to form a channel between the top and bottom covers. The ratcheting assembly is disposed in the channel. The ratcheting assembly includes a lever clasp and a rocker pin. The rocker pin is configured to rotatably couple to the lever clasp and includes a body and a rocker tooth that projects from the body. The rocker tooth is configured to be in a locked orientation absent user interaction with the lever clasp. Responsive to the user interaction with the lever clasp, the rocker tooth is to be in an unlocked orientation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ratchet buckle comprising:
 a housing having a top cover and a bottom cover, the bottom cover configured to couple to the top cover to form a channel between the top cover and the bottom cover; and   a ratcheting assembly disposed in the channel between the top cover and the bottom cover, the ratcheting assembly comprising a lever clasp and a rocker pin, the rocker pin configured to rotatably couple to the lever clasp and comprising a body and a rocker tooth that projects from the body, wherein the rocker tooth is configured to be in a locked orientation absent user interaction with the lever clasp, wherein responsive to the user interaction with the lever clasp, the rocker tooth is to be in an unlocked orientation.   
     
     
         2 . The ratchet buckle of  claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the rocker pin is configured to rotatably couple with the lever clasp responsive to being inserted into a socket formed by the lever clasp, wherein rotation of the rocker pin is responsive to rotation of the lever clasp. 
     
     
         3 . The ratchet buckle of  claim 1 , wherein the ratcheting assembly further comprises a spring, wherein the spring is a torsional spring that is configured to provide a spring force to cause the rocker tooth to be in the locked orientation that is substantially perpendicular to the bottom cover. 
     
     
         4 . The ratchet buckle of  claim 1 , wherein the top cover, the bottom cover, the rocker pin, and the lever clasp are all connected by a hinging rod that runs through a corresponding opening formed of each of the top cover, the bottom cover, the rocker pin, and the lever clasp. 
     
     
         5 . The ratchet buckle of  claim 1  further comprising a band comprising band body and a ratcheting tab that protrudes from the band body that is configured to be inserted between the top cover and the bottom cover via the channel. 
     
     
         6 . The ratchet buckle of  claim 5 , wherein a slot portion of the band forms a slot configured to receive excess length portion of the band body to cause the excess length portion to be tucked under one or more portions of the band body. 
     
     
         7 . The ratchet buckle of  claim 6 , wherein the slot portion of the band is not coplanar with the one or more portions of the band body to receive the excess length portion of the band of the one or more portions of the band body. 
     
     
         8 . The ratchet buckle of  claim 5 , wherein the ratcheting tab is configured to be inserted into the channel at a tab angle corresponding to a tooth angle at which the rocker tooth projects from the rocker pin. 
     
     
         9 . The ratchet buckle of  claim 5 , wherein the band is configured to slide between the top cover and the bottom cover in a first direction parallel to the housing to cause the ratcheting tab to contact the rocker tooth and prevent the band from sliding out of the housing in a second direction, wherein the user interaction with the lever clasp is to cause the rocker tooth to rotate out of contact with the ratcheting tab to permit sliding of the band in the second direction. 
     
     
         10 . The ratchet buckle of  claim 9 , wherein a portion of the rocker tooth projecting into the channel is a triangular prism. 
     
     
         11 . The ratchet buckle of  claim 10 , wherein a face of the ratcheting tab that is configured to contact the rocker tooth is substantially parallel to a corresponding face of the rocker tooth. 
     
     
         12 . A system for buckling a watch band, the system comprising:
 a housing assembly comprising a top cover and a bottom cover, the housing assembly forming a channel between the top cover and the bottom cover;   a band comprising a ratcheting tab configured to insert into the channel responsive to the band being inserted between the top cover and bottom cover of the housing assembly; and   a ratcheting assembly comprising a rocker tooth, a rocker pin, and a lever clasp, the rocker tooth being coupled to the rocker pin, the rocker pin being rotatably coupled to the lever clasp, wherein the rocker pin is configured to be in a locked orientation to secure the band absent user interaction with the lever clasp, and wherein the rocker pin is configured to be in an unlocked orientation to not secure the band responsive to the user interaction with the lever clasp.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the rocker pin is configured to rotatably couple with the lever clasp responsive to being inserted in a socket formed by the lever clasp. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein a torsional spring is configured to apply a spring force to the rocker pin to cause the rocker tooth to be in the locked orientation absent the user interaction, and wherein the rocker pin is to rotate and the rocker tooth to be in the unlocked orientation responsive to the user interaction. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the top cover, the bottom cover, the rocker pin, and the lever clasp are connected by a hinging rod that runs through a corresponding opening formed of each of the top cover, the bottom cover, the rocker pin, and the lever clasp. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein a slot portion of the band forms a slot configured to receive an excess length portion of the band to cause the excess length portion to be tucked under one or more portions of the band. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the slot portion of the band is not coplanar with the one or more portions of the band. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the ratcheting tab is configured to be inserted into the channel at a tab angle corresponding to a tooth angle at which the rocker tooth projects from the rocker pin. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein a portion of the rocker tooth projecting into the channel is a triangular prism. 
     
     
         20 . A ratchet assembly of a ratchet buckle, the ratchet assembly comprising:
 a rocker pin comprising:
 a rocker pin body comprising a first distal end and a second distal end opposite the first distal end, the rocker pin body having an axis; and
 a rocker tooth extending from the rocker pin body, the rocker tooth having a perimeter that is a triangular prism converging with a semicircle; 
 
   a lever clasp rotatably coupled to the first distal end and the second distal end of the rocker pin; and   a spring configured to apply force to the rocker tooth to cause the rocker tooth to be in a locked orientation absent user interaction with the lever clasp, wherein the rocker tooth is to be in an unlocked orientation responsive to user interaction with the lever clasp that is to cause the rocker tooth to rotate around the axis.