US-20260123937-A1 - TOURNIQUET WITH OVERMOLDED BUCKLE AND IMPROVED STRAP ROUTING

US20260123937A1US 20260123937 A1US20260123937 A1US 20260123937A1US-20260123937-A1

Abstract

A tourniquet for restricting a flow of blood in a body part is provided. A tourniquet may comprise a tourniquet band having an outer sleeve and an inner tightening strap in slidable engagement with the outer sleeve. A portion of the inner tightening strap is anchored to the outer sleeve. A tightening mechanism is provided to tighten the inner strap. A buckle is overmolded to the first end of the tourniquet band. The buckle defines an adjustment port adapted for receiving the tail end of the tourniquet band for forming the tourniquet band into a loop.

Inventors

Michael James Casella
Stephen Perkins
Jesse Arnold Fourt
Christopher Steven Hill
Daniel Chien-Cheng Huang
Thomas Kai Wucherpfennig

Assignees

COMPOSITE RESOURCES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251105

Claims (20)

1 . A tourniquet for restricting a flow of blood in a body part, the tourniquet comprising: a tourniquet band, the tourniquet band having a tourniquet band first end, a tourniquet band tail end, the tourniquet band comprising: an outer sleeve, the outer sleeve having an outer sleeve first end and an outer sleeve second end; and an inner tightening strap in slidable engagement with the outer sleeve, the inner tightening strap having an inner tightening strap first end and an inner tightening strap second end, wherein a portion of the inner tightening strap is anchored to the outer sleeve; a windlass operable to tighten the inner tightening strap; and a buckle overmolded to the tourniquet band first end, the buckle defining an adjustment port adapted for receiving the tourniquet band tail end for forming the tourniquet band into a loop.
2 . The tourniquet of claim 1 , wherein the inner tightening strap is single pass routed through the windlass.
3 . The tourniquet of claim 1 , wherein the buckle is overmolded to the outer sleeve and the inner tightening strap.
4 . The tourniquet of claim 1 , wherein the inner tightening strap first end projects from the outer sleeve first end and wherein the buckle is overmolded to the inner tightening strap first end and the outer sleeve first end.
5 . The tourniquet of claim 4 , wherein the inner tightening strap second end is anchored to the outer sleeve.
6 . The tourniquet of claim 1 , further comprising a plate coupled to the tourniquet band behind the windlass, the plate extending from a first end to a second end and having a side that faces the windlass, wherein the outer sleeve defines an opening at the plate through which the inner tightening strap is routed to the windlass.
7 . The tourniquet of claim 6 , wherein the plate is spaced from the buckle.
8 . The tourniquet of claim 6 , wherein a portion of the outer sleeve extends from the first end of the plate to the second end of the plate over the side of the plate that faces the windlass.
9 . The tourniquet of claim 8 , wherein the plate is coupled to an inner side of the outer sleeve.
10 . The tourniquet of claim 6 , further comprising a pair of hooked catches for securing the windlass, wherein the pair of hooked catches extend outward from the plate.
11 . The tourniquet of claim 10 wherein the outer sleeve and inner band run between the pair of hooked catches.
12 . The tourniquet of claim 10 , further comprising a clip coupled to a first hooked catch from the pair of hooked catches and configured to rotate to engage a second hooked catch from the pair of hooked catches to further secure the windlass.
13 . The tourniquet of claim 12 , wherein the clip comprises a metal wire form and is rotatable between an open position and a closed position.
14 . The tourniquet of claim 13 , wherein the second hooked catch includes a retaining feature to lock the clip in the closed position.
15 . The tourniquet of claim 1 , wherein the buckle comprises a first lateral portion, a second lateral portion, a first side portion and second side portion extending between the first lateral portion, wherein the first lateral portion, the second lateral portion, the first side portion and the second side portion form a structural frame that defines the adjustment port, wherein the first side portion and the second side portion form grip shoulders adjacent to the adjustment port.
16 . The tourniquet of claim 15 , wherein the first side portion and the second side portion extend laterally outward to form a widest part of the buckle, wherein the adjustment port is located at the widest part of the buckle.
17 . The tourniquet of claim 15 , wherein the buckle comprises a tooth for inhibiting motion of the outer sleeve, the tooth projecting into the adjustment port.
18 . The tourniquet of claim 1 , wherein the buckle, the outer sleeve and the inner tightening strap comprise nylon.
19 . A tourniquet for restricting a flow of blood in a body part, the tourniquet comprising: a tourniquet band, the tourniquet band comprising: an outer sleeve, the outer sleeve having an outer sleeve first end and an outer sleeve second end; and an inner tightening strap in slidable engagement with the outer sleeve, the inner tightening strap having an inner tightening strap first end and an inner tightening strap second end, wherein a portion of the inner tightening strap away from the inner tightening strap first end is anchored to the outer sleeve and wherein the inner tightening strap first end projects past the outer sleeve first end; a windlass operable to tighten the inner tightening strap, wherein the inner tightening strap is single pass routed through the windlass; a latch plate, coupled to the tourniquet band behind the windlass, the latch plate extending from a first latch plate end to a second latch plate end and having a side that faces the windlass, wherein a portion the outer sleeve extends from the first latch plate end to the second latch plate end over the side of the latch plate that faces the windlass, wherein the inner tightening strap emerges from the outer sleeve at the latch plate and wherein the latch plate comprises at least one hooked catch for securing the windlass, wherein the outer sleeve defines an opening at the latch plate through which the inner tightening strap is routed to the windlass; and a buckle overmolded to the outer sleeve first end and the inner tightening strap first end, wherein the buckle comprises a structural frame defining an adjustment port for receiving the outer sleeve second end for forming the tourniquet band into a loop, the structural frame comprising: a first lateral portion; a second lateral portion; a first side portion extending between the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion; and second side portion extending between the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion, wherein the first side portion and the second side portion comprise grip shoulders adjacent to the adjustment port, wherein the adjustment port is positioned at a widest part of the buckle and wherein the widest part of the buckle is wider than the tourniquet band and the latch plate.
20 . A method for manufacturing a tourniquet, comprising: overmolding a buckle to a first end of a tourniquet band, the buckle comprising an adjustment port for receiving a second end of the tourniquet band to form the tourniquet band into a loop, wherein overmolding the buckle to the first end of the tourniquet band comprises: securing a first end of an outer sleeve and a first end of an inner tightening strap in a mold with the first end of the inner tightening strap projecting out of the outer sleeve; overmolding the buckle to the first end of the outer sleeve and the first end of the inner tightening strap; attaching a latch plate to the outer sleeve; single-pass routing the inner tightening strap through a windlass for tightening the inner tightening strap; and anchoring a portion of the inner tightening strap to the outer sleeve.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/716,614, entitled “Tourniquet with Improved Strap Routing,” filed Nov. 5, 2024, U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/893,317, entitled “Tourniquet with Improved Strap Routing,” filed Oct. 3, 2025, United States Provisional Application 63/893,321, entitled “Tourniquet with Overmolded Buckle and Improved Strap Routing,” filed Oct. 3, 2025, and U.S. Provisional Application 63/893,324, entitled “Tourniquet with Optimized Inner Strap and Windlass,” filed Oct. 3, 2025, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to tourniquets. Even more particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to tourniquets with overmolded buckles and improved strap routing. BACKGROUND Uncontrolled blood loss is a leading cause of mortality in emergency scenarios, particularly when the injured individual is alone and immediate medical assistance is unavailable. Tourniquets are widely recognized as effective devices for stemming hemorrhage from extremity injuries in such situations. For solo emergency use, the victim must be able to apply the tourniquet to his or her own arm or leg and occlude blood flow, preferably using only one hand to occlude blood flow. Prehospital tourniquets are designed to be easily used by first responders or the injured individuals themselves to control severe bleeding before transport to a hospital. Some examples of prehospital tourniquets are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,016,203, 8,888,807, 7,842,067. One notable example is the COMBAT APPLICATION TOURNIQUET (CAT) GEN 7, by Composite Resources Inc., of Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA (all tradenames, trademarks, and the like used herein are the property of their respective owners). This device is widely used by both military personnel and civilian emergency responders. In many emergency scenarios, including those occurring during recreational activities such as hiking, rock climbing, and camping, the practicality of carrying a tourniquet is influenced by its size and weight. If a tourniquet is excessively bulky or heavy, individuals are less likely to include it in their gear, thereby reducing its availability when needed. Accordingly, there is a need for a compact and lightweight tourniquet that can be conveniently packed, transported, and effectively deployed in remote or austere environments. Additionally, there is a need for tourniquet designs that are compatible with standard equipment holders commonly used by law enforcement and military personnel, such as firearm magazine pouches. SUMMARY The present disclosure provides improved tourniquet systems and related methods. Embodiments may incorporate improved inner strap routing and optimized inner straps and windlasses. Certain embodiments incorporate an overmolded buckle mechanism that facilitates enhanced routing of the inner tensioning strap. Further, the inner tensioning strap may be routed in a manner that minimizes or eliminates the inner tensioning strap tightly weaving through hardware. The improved architecture supports a more compact and efficient tourniquet design, enabling reductions in overall device size without compromising functional performance. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a tourniquet comprises a tourniquet band, a tightening mechanism. The tourniquet band comprises an outer sleeve and an inner tightening strap in slidable engagement with the outer sleeve. A portion of the inner tightening strap is anchored to the outer sleeve. As one example, a second end of the inner tightening strap may be anchored to the second end of the outer sleeve. The tightening mechanism is operable to tension the inner tightening strap occlusal pressure. The buckle may be overmolded to one end of the tourniquet strap and provides an adjustment port through which the tail end of the tourniquet band can be passed to form the tourniquet band into a loop. In one embodiment, the inner tightening strap is single pass routed through hardware such as the tightening mechanism. According to one embodiment, the tightening mechanism comprises a windlass. The buckle may be overmolded to the outer sleeve and the inner tightening strap. The buckle, the outer sleeve and the inner tightening strap may comprise materials of a similar melting temperature to promote thermal fusion during molding. For example, the buckle, the outer sleeve and the inner tightening strap may include nylon. In one embodiment, a first end of the inner tightening strap extends out of the outer sleeve past the first end of the outer sleeve and the buckle is overmolded to both the first end of the inner tightening strap and the first end of the outer sleeve. The buckle may include a first lateral portion, a second lateral portion, a first side portion and second side portion extending between the first lateral portion, where the first