Patent ID: 6408494
Filing Date: 2002-06-25
Classification: A44B,Y10T

Abstract:
A buckle comprising:a socket member having an obverse face and a pair of sides, wherein the obverse face and the sides define a socket therebetween, the socket member having a first open end and a second open end; a button belonging to the socket member, the button being depressible in a first direction to a location in which at least a portion of the button projects inside the socket; at least one engaging member disposed in the interior of the socket; a first plug member and a second plug member, each plug member having a base portion and at least one resiliently flexible leg extending from the base portion, said at least one resiliently flexible leg defining a latching surface thereon, said at least one resiliently flexibly leg permitting movement of the latching surface in at least one second direction, each of the at least one second direction being non-parallel to the first direction; wherein the socket member is adapted to slidably receive the legs of the plug members through the open ends of the socket member so as to couple the plug members to the socket member, and wherein said at least one engaging member of the socket member engages the latching surfaces of the legs of the first and second plug members to lock the plug members to the socket member when the plug members are coupled to the socket member, and wherein the plug members may be unlocked from the socket member by depressing the button in the first direction toward the interior of the socket so as to disengage the latching surfaces from the at least one engaging member in one of the at least one second direction and thereby permit decoupling of the plug members from the socket member.