Abstract:
A side release buckle includes a female buckle member that has two female coupling arms each with a forwardly extending coupling hole and a side opening, and a male buckle member that has two spring arms and two male coupling arms respectively supported on the spring arms and insertable with the spring arms into the coupling holes of the female coupling arms for engagement with the side openings of the female coupling arms. The female coupling arms are elastically outwardly deformable to lower the insertion force of the male buckle member. Disengaging the male coupling arms from the female coupling arms does not cause the female coupling arms to deform elastically outwards, and therefore a high deplugging force is required. An adapter may be provided to secure the female buckle member to an external object.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to buckles and more particularly, to a side release buckle, which has the characteristics of low insertion (plugging) force and high extraction (deplugging) force. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Various different buckles are known for different purposes. Conventional buckles are commonly formed of a male buckle member and a female buckle member, and intensively used in shoes, clothes, backpacks, travel bags, shoulder bags, helmets, bicycle attachments, safety belts of baby trolleys, etc., to join belt members or to adjust the tension of a strap member. Different buckles have different engagement structures and provide different functions for different purposes. 
         [0005]    Further, following the application of the system of two days off per week, sports recreation and leisure activities have become a hot trend. People may participate in bicycle riding, mounting climbing or fishing activities during the weekend. Further, a bicycle may be provided with a rack for carrying a container (water bottle, tool box or storage box).  FIGS. 9 and 10  show two different container rack mounting structures. According to the design shown in  FIG. 9 , the container rack is a bottle rack made out of a metal wire rod and affixed to a bicycle frame with screws. According to the design shown in  FIG. 10 , the container rack is a bottle rack made out of a metal wire rod and fastened to a bicycle frame with a clamping assembly. 
         [0006]    The aforesaid two bottle rack mounting designs have drawbacks as follows: 
         [0007]    1. The installation of the aforesaid two bottle rack mounting designs requires a hand tool. According to the design shown in  FIG. 9 , a metal mounting plate is welded to the bottle rack for the mounting of screws to affix the bottle rack to a bicycle frame. The processing process and mounting procedure of the aforesaid two bottle rack mounting designs are complicated, resulting in a high mounting cost. 
         [0008]    2. After installation, the two bottle rack mounting structures are not detachable from the respective bicycle frames when not in use, and the storage items may be stolen by an evil person. Further, the empty bottle rack mounting structure destructs the sense of beauty of the bicycle. 
         [0009]    3. The holding size of each of the aforesaid two container rack mounting structures is not adjustable. The container (bottle) may fall from the rack if the size does not match. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a side release buckle, which has the characteristics of low insertion (plugging) force and high extraction (deplugging) force. 
         [0011]    According to one aspect of the present invention, the side release buckle comprises a male buckle member and a female buckle member. The female buckle member comprises two female coupling arms respectively extended from two distal ends of a female buckle base thereof in a parallel manner and spaced by a space. Each female coupling arm has a forwardly extending coupling hole and a side opening. The male buckle member comprises two forwardly extending spring arms, and two male coupling arms respectively forwardly extending from the spring arms and insertable with the spring arms into the coupling holes of the female coupling arms for engagement with the side openings of the female coupling arms. The two female coupling arms are elastically outwardly deformation upon insertion of the male coupling arms and the spring arms of the male buckle member, thereby lowering the insertion (plugging) force. When disconnecting the male buckle member from the female buckle member, the female coupling arms do not deform outwards, and therefore a high extraction (deplugging) force is required. 
         [0012]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the side release buckle further comprises an adapter member. The adapter member may be formed integral with or detachably connectable to an object. The adapter member comprises an adapter base that is inserted into the space between the female coupling arms of the female buckle member before insertion of the male buckle member into the female buckle member, and two sleeves provided at two sides of the adapter base and respectively sleeved onto the female coupling arms of the female buckle member. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a female buckle member of a side release buckle in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the side release buckle in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the male buckle member and the female buckle member disconnected. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a sectional top view of the side release buckle in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the male buckle member and the female buckle member disconnected. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a sectional top view of the side release buckle in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the male buckle member partially inserted into the female buckle member. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a sectional top view of the side release buckle in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, showing the male buckle member and the female buckle member connected. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of a side release buckle in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is an elevational view of the side release buckle in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention, showing the side release buckle assembled. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of a side release buckle in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is an exploded view, showing a container rack mounting structure according to the prior art. 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a schematic drawing showing another design of container rack mounting structure according to the prior art. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a side release buckle in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown comprising a female buckle member  1  and a male buckle member  2 . 
         [0024]    The female buckle member  1  has a female buckle base  11 , and two female coupling arms  12  respectively extended from the two distal ends of the female buckle base  11  in one direction in a substantially parallel manner and defining therebetween a space  10 . The female buckle base  11  has an insertion slot  111  cut therethrough for the mounting of a belt member (not shown). The female coupling arms  12  each have a retaining portion  101  protruded from the periphery and facing the space  10 , a free end  123 , a coupling hole  120  axially extending through the free end  123 , a side opening  121  cut through the periphery at an outer side opposite to the space  10 , a stop edge  1211  at the front side of the side opening  121  that is remote from the female buckle base  11  and relatively closer to the free end  123  of the respective female coupling arm  12 , and a sliding groove  122  cut through the periphery and axially extending through the free end  123  at the inner side in communication between the space  10  and the coupling hole  120 . 
         [0025]    The male buckle member  2  has a male buckle base  21 , and a coupling structure  22  for securing the male buckle base  21  to the female buckle member  1 . The male buckle base  21  has an insertion slot  211  cut therethrough for the mounting of a belt member (not shown). The coupling structure  22  comprises two male coupling arms  222 , and two spring arms  221  respectively connected between the male coupling arms  222  and the two distal ends of the male buckle base  21 . The spring arms  221  each have a sliding rail  2211  longitudinally disposed at an inner side and defining a beveled guide face  2212 , a positioning portion  2213  at the rear side of the beveled guide face  2212 , a Ω-shaped buffer arm portion  2215  connected between the associating male coupling arm  222  and the male buckle base  21  at an outer side, and a buffer space  2214  defined between the sliding rail  2211  and the Ω-shaped buffer arm portion  2215 . The male coupling arms  222  each have an outer sloping face  2221  extending outwardly backwards toward the Ω-shaped buffer arm portion  2215  of the associating spring arm  221 , and a stop edge  2222  connected between the outer sloping face  2221  and the Ω-shaped buffer arm portion  2215  of the associating spring arm  221 . 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 2˜5 , during installation, the male coupling arms  222  of the coupling structure  22  of the male buckle member  2  are respectively inserted into the coupling holes  120  of the female coupling arms  12  of the female buckle member  1 . When inserting the male coupling arms  222  into the coupling holes  120 , the outer sloping faces  2221  of the male coupling arms  222  are moved over the respective inside walls of the female coupling arms  12 , causing the male coupling arms  222  to be forced inwards toward each other. During forward movement of the two spring arms  221  of the male buckle member  2  relative to the female buckle member  1 , the beveled guide face  2212  and the positioning portion  2213  of the spring arms  221  are also forced inwards toward the center of the male buckle member  2 , and the buffer arm portions  2215  and the buffer spaces  2214  allow deformation of the spring arms  221  without damage, lowering the insertion force. When continuously forcing the male buckle member  2  forwards toward the inside of the female buckle member  1 , the sliding rails  2211  are respectively moved into the sliding grooves  122  of the female coupling arms  12  in the position where the stop edges  2222  of the male coupling arms  222  are respectively forced into the side openings  121  of the female coupling arms  12  and stopped at the stop edges  1211  of the female coupling arms  12  to prohibit backward displacement of the male buckle member  2  relative to the female buckle member  1 . 
         [0027]    When inserting the male buckle member  2  into the female buckle member  1 , the two female coupling arms  12  of the female buckle member  1  are elastically deformed and curved outwards to lower the insertion force of the male buckle member  2 , facilitating installation. When wishing to separate the male buckle member  2  from the female buckle member  1 , squeeze the male coupling arms  222  of the coupling structure  22  to disengage the stop edges  2222  of the male coupling arms  222  from the stop edges  1211  of the female coupling arms  12 , allowing the male coupling arms  222  to be moved out of the coupling holes  120  of the female coupling arms  12 . Because the female coupling arms  12  are not curved outwards, much pressure must be applied to the male coupling arms  222  of the coupling structure  22  to disengage the stop edges  2222  of the male coupling arms  222  from the stop edges  1211  of the female coupling arms  12 . Therefore, the invention has the advantage of low insertion (plugging) force and high extraction (deplugging) force. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 2  again, the female buckle base  11  and the female coupling arms  12  of the female buckle member  1  may be respectively provided with a mounting leg  124  at the bottom side for fastening to a respective mounting through hole on a rod member, medical box, tool box or any container (not shown). 
         [0029]    Further, sloping reinforcing ribs  1212  may be provided inside the coupling holes  120  of the female coupling arms  12  adjacent to the female buckle base  11  to reinforce the structural strength of the female coupling arms  12  without interfering with insertion of the male coupling arms  222  of the male buckle member  2 , thereby shortening the elastic deformation range of the female coupling arms  12  and preventing permanent deformation of the female coupling arms  12  after plugging and deplugging several times or upon an overpressure. 
         [0030]      FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate a side release buckle in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. This second embodiment is substantially similar to the aforesaid first embodiment with the exception that this second embodiment further comprises an adapter member  3  for securing the female buckle member  1  and the male buckle member  2  to an external object (not shown). The adapter member  3  may be fixedly provided at an object for securing the object to the female buckle member  1  and the male buckle member  2 . 
         [0031]    The adapter member  3  comprises an adapter base  31  and retaining means, for example, two sleeves  311  at two sides of the adapter base  31 . The sleeves  311  each have a longitudinal through hole  3111  extending through the two distal ends for receiving the female coupling arms  12  of the female buckle member  1  respectively, and a side opening  3112  corresponding to the side openings  121  of the female coupling arms  12  respectively. 
         [0032]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of a side release buckle in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. This third embodiment is substantially similar to the aforesaid second embodiment with the exception that the adapter member  3  of this third embodiment has a coupling device  32  formed integral with the adapter base  31  for securing a rod member. The coupling device  32  is a substantially U-shaped clamping plate, having a coupling groove  321  extending through its length and two beveled guide faces  322  bilaterally disposed above the coupling groove  321  for guiding a rod member into engagement with the coupling groove  321 . 
         [0033]    By means of the coupling device  32  of the adapter member  3 , the male buckle member  1  and the female buckle member  2  are easily detachably connectable to a rod member, hook, belt or loop-like member of an article. 
         [0034]    As stated above, the invention provides a side release buckle formed of a male buckle member  2  and a female buckle member  1 . The female buckle member  1  comprises a female buckle base  11  and two female coupling arms  12  extending from the female buckle base  11  in a substantially parallel manner. The two female coupling arms  12  are spaced by a space  10 , each having an axially extending coupling hole  120 . When inserting the male buckle member  2  into the coupling holes  120  of the female coupling arms  12 , the space  10  between the female coupling arms  12  allow elastic deformation of the female coupling arms  12  to lower the insertion force of the male buckle member  2 . Further, in an alternate form of the present invention, an adapter member  3  is provided for securing the connected male buckle member  2  and the female buckle member  1  to an object. 
         [0035]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.