Abstract:
A three-way buckle having a socket member and a pair of plug members which may be coupled to the socket member, wherein the latching surfaces on the plug members are defined in resiliently flexible legs which extend from the base of the plug members. The socket member includes stopping members for engaging the latching surfaces of the legs in order to lock the plug members to the socket member. The plug members are simultaneously releasable from the socket because of the presence of a flap or button which is defined in a top wall of the socket. The button includes a pair of releasing members, one releasing member for each pair of legs, which as they are pushed down into the socket are forced into a space between the legs, thereby forcing the flexible legs to bend outwardly. As the legs are forced outwardly, eventually their latching surfaces clear the stopping members and the plug members are released from the socket. The resiliently flexible nature of the legs will provide a gentle force upon disengagement of the latching surfaces from the post which causes each plug member to spring out of the socket.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a buckle which attaches straps in three different directions, wherein the buckle is disengaged or opened by pushing on a centrally located button or flap. More particularly, the invention relates to such a buckle having an improved latching capability. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Buckles for attaching straps in three different directions are known in the art. For example, my U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,931 is directed to a three-piece buckle in which a centrally disposed socket member receives a pair of plug members through open opposite ends thereof. Each of the plug members has a cross bar which is adapted to attach a strap. The socket member also defines a cross bar, but in a direction which is perpendicular to the cross bars in the plug members, for attaching a third strap in a direction which is perpendicular to the straps attached by the plug members. The socket member defines a channel therethrough which is adapted to receive a portion of the plug members when the three buckle pieces are coupled to one another. Each plug member has a tongue which extends from a base portion thereof. The tongue is adapted to be received through an open end of the socket member. Each tongue defines a latching surface, e.g. a stopping member, on it which is adapted to engage with a stopping member in the socket. The tongues are resiliently flexible, so that as they slide into the socket member their latching surfaces can snap onto the stopping members inside the socket and thereby lock the buckle in a closed position. 
     The three-piece buckles of the prior art are released by pushing down on a button or flap which is defined in the central region of the socket member. The flap pushes down on the resiliently flexible tongues so as to disengage the latching surfaces of the tongues from the stopping members in the socket, thereby releasing the plug members from the socket. A pair of legs, which run parallel to the tongue on opposite sides thereof in each plug member, facilitate removal of the plug members from the socket because they flex inwardly when they are inserted into the socket and thereby urge the plug members out of the socket when they are released by depression of the center push button. However, the legs do not function or cooperate in any way to latch or lock the plug members in the socket. The latching function is performed exclusively by the tongues and the stopping members in the socket. 
     Three-piece buckles of the aforementioned type have enjoyed great commercial success in the market because they permit straps to be attached in three different directions, which makes them particularly suitable for use in children&#39;s seating products, especially high chairs and baby carriages. Furthermore, the center button release feature allows for simultaneous release of both plug members from the socket, and is favored by consumers over three-piece buckles wherein the pieces must be released individually. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,014 discloses a similar three-piece, simultaneous release buckle which may be used for children&#39;s seating. The buckle includes a pair of plug members, each having a tongue which is adapted to be inserted into opposite open ends of a centrally disposed socket member. Each tongue defines a latching surface at its distal end which is adapted to engage with an engagement member inside the socket for locking the buckle pieces together. A centrally disposed button or flap defined in a top wall of the socket member may be pushed down on the tongues to disengage their latching surfaces from the engagement members and thereby release the buckle. As in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,931, the function of coupling the buckle pieces together is performed exclusively by the cooperation between the tongues and the engagement members in the socket. 
     Although three-way buckles of the aforementioned type are suitable for children&#39;s seating, especially high chairs, one drawback associated with their use is that they are somewhat awkward to release. This difficulty is attributable to the nature of the latching mechanism, and in particular to the use of the tongues to accomplish this function. As discussed above, the tongues must be resiliently flexible so that they can flex over the stopping members or engagement members in the socket and then snap back into position. However, it is the nature of the tongues to not be that flexible because they are relatively large and are attached to the base of the plug members along a relatively long edge or surface thereof. The relatively great resistance of the tongues to flexing or bending, owing to their relatively long line of attachment to the base members, makes release of the buckle more difficult because a relatively large amount of force is necessary to disengage the latching surfaces of the tongues from the engagement members in the socket. 
     Another shortcoming of the three-way, simultaneous release buckles of the prior art is that the tongues do not provide for the best possible latching mechanism for the buckle. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,014 the latching surface of the tongue is not aligned through the center axis of the tongue. Rather, the latching surface projects upwardly from the base of the tongue and is therefore spaced away from the central axis of the tongue. However, when a load or force is applied to the buckle, it will be appreciated that this force extends through the central axis of the tongues. A disadvantage of the latching mechanism of U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,014 is that because the latching surfaces of the tongue are not aligned with the central axis of the tongue, the latching mechanism does not act in alignment with and exactly opposite to the load force extending through the central axis of the tongues. This misalignment results in a somewhat diminished latching strength for buckles in general, as explained in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,316. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a buckle which attaches straps in three different directions which is more easily releasable than the three-way buckles of the prior art. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a three-way buckle wherein the latching mechanism is more flexible than the tongues utilized in the prior art. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a three-way buckle which does not rely upon a tongue for performing the latching function. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a three-way buckle which has an improved latching capability as compared to the three-way buckles of the prior art. 
     These and other objects of the invention are achieved by providing a three-way buckle having a socket member and a pair of plug members which may be coupled to the socket member, wherein the latching surfaces on the plug members are defined in resiliently flexible legs which extend from the base of the plug members. The latching surfaces are not defined on any tongues of the plug members. Preferably, each plug member has a pair of legs which project from the base of the plug, and each leg defines a latching surface near the distal end thereof. The socket member includes at least one post or other stopping member for engaging the latching surfaces of the legs in order to lock the plug members to the socket member. Preferably, there is a first post for engaging the legs of one of the plug members and a second post for engaging the legs of the other plug member, wherein each post is centrally situated so that it receives the legs on opposite sides thereof. Each pair of legs are spaced close enough together so that they do not fit on opposite sides of each post without bending. In this way, as a plug member is forced into the socket, the flexible legs will be forced to bend outward around the post until the plug is completely inserted into the socket, whereupon the latching surfaces of the legs will clear the post and the resiliently flexible legs will snap back into position around the post. 
     The plug members are simultaneously releasable from the socket because of the presence of a flap or push button which is defined in a top wall of the socket. The button includes a pair of releasing members, one releasing member for each pair of legs, which as they are pushed down into the socket are forced into a space between the legs, thereby forcing the flexible legs to bend outwardly. As the legs are forced outwardly, eventually their latching surfaces clear the post and the plug members are released from the socket. In order to facilitate this release, each post and each pair of legs are formed with cooperating inclined surfaces which allow for easy sliding movement over each other. Furthermore, the resiliently flexible nature of the legs will provide a gentle force upon disengagement of the latching surfaces from the post which causes each plug member to spring out of the socket. The button or flap is preferably coupled to a bottom wall of the socket member by a leaf spring which allows the button to be pushed down, but then return back to its original rest position for repeated use. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the latching surfaces defined on the legs of each plug member are V shaped and are adapted to engage with corresponding V shaped engaging surfaces on the post. This arrangement provides a latching surface area (i.e., the area of engagement between the latching surface of the legs and the engagement surface of the post) which is more evenly distributed around the top, bottom and side of each leg. This more even distribution of the latching surface area around the top, bottom and side of each leg is possible due to the generally V shape of the latching surface and the complementary V shape of the engagement surface of the post, and provides for stronger latching than the prior art. 
     Because the three-way buckle of the invention relies upon resiliently flexible legs for latching the plug members in the socket, as compared to the relatively inflexible tongues of the prior art, the invention affords more easy releasability of the buckle than the prior art. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more fully appreciated from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a top, planar view of a three-way buckle in accordance with the invention wherein the plug members are coupled to the socket member. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the buckle of FIG. 1, taken along the line  2 — 2 . 
     FIG. 3 is a partially exploded, top planar view of the buckle of FIG. 1, wherein one of the plug members is decoupled from the socket member. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the buckle of the invention as seen looking from the bottom of the buckle to the top of the buckle, wherein one of the plug members is coupled to the socket member and the other plug member is decoupled from the socket member. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the buckle of the invention as seen looking from the bottom of the buckle to the top of the buckle, wherein each of the plug members are in different states of being disengaged from the socket member. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the buckle of the invention as seen looking from the top of the buckle to the bottom of the buckle, wherein one of the plug members is coupled to the socket member and the other plug member is decoupled from the socket member. 
     FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of the buckle illustrated in FIG. 5 as taken along the line  7 B— 7 B, except FIG. 7A assumes that the disengaging button has not been depressed. 
     FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the buckle illustrated in FIG. 5 as taken along the line  7 B— 7 B. 
     FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of the buckle illustrated FIG. 5 as taken along the line  8 B— 8 B, except FIG. 8A assumes that the disengaging button has not been depressed. 
     FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of the buckle illustrated in FIG. 5 as taken along the line  8 B— 8 B. 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a three-way buckle in accordance with another embodiment of the invention wherein a portion of the socket member is cut away so as to fully expose one of the plug members. 
     FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the socket member of the buckle of FIG. 9 as taken along the line  10 — 10 , wherein the plug members are decoupled from the socket member. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a buckle in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral  1 . The buckle  1  is typically used to connect free ends of straps (not illustrated), especially for children&#39;s seating such as high chairs and the like. The buckle  1  is generally comprised of three pieces, a female socket member  4  and a pair of complementary male plug members  5 . The buckle  1  and all of its component parts are preferably molded from a plastic or a resin, but any suitable material known in the art for molding or machining buckles may be used. 
     The socket member  4  is integrally molded with a single strap attachment bar  6  at one of its side walls  14 . Bar  6  is spaced away from side wall  14  so as to define space  7  (see FIG. 1) for receiving the strap. A strap (not illustrated) can be looped around the bar  6  and then stitched to itself to permanently secure the strap to the bar. Each plug member  5  is integrally molded with a pair of cross bars  2  and  3  near its proximal end which can receive a strap in a well known manner such that the strap is adjustable, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,786. It will be appreciated that when straps are attached to each of the plug members and to the socket member the straps will lead in three different directions, with the strap attached to bar  6  of socket member  4  being generally perpendicular to the direction of the straps attached to bars  2  and  3  of plug members  5 . This three-way directional configuration renders the buckle particularly suitable for use in children&#39;s seating, especially high chairs. However, it will be appreciated that the number and arrangement of the cross bars is not critical and that they may be adjusted for different applications. For example, a pair of cross bars may be provided in lieu of the single bar  6  on the socket member  4  to allow for adjustability of the strap attached to the socket member, or the plug members  5  may be provided with only a single cross bar if adjustability of the straps attached to the plug members is not required or desired. 
     The socket member  4  preferably has a substantially flat rectangular tubular cross-sectional configuration as illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 8A, having a substantially rectangular shaped interior cavity  10 . The cavity  10  is defined as the area or space between a top wall  11 , and opposing bottom wall  12  and a pair of side walls  13  and  14 , each of which connects the top wall  11  to the bottom wall  12  at the side edges thereof. The top and bottom walls  11  and  12  are typically much wider than the side walls  13  and  14 , as illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 8A, so that the socket member has a substantially flat or rectangular shape. 
     As will be explained in detail below, each of the plug members  5  is received and releasably locked within the cavity  10  of the socket member  4  via latching surfaces  32  defined on locking legs  31  which are coupled to each plug member. The socket member  4  defines an opening  15  at its end thereof, between the side walls  13  and  14  and the top and bottom walls  11  and  12 , which opens the socket member to the interior cavity  10  (see FIG.  3 ). Each opening  15  permits the socket member  4  to receive a portion of a plug member  5  for coupling the plug members to the socket member. 
     To facilitate in guiding the plug members  5  as they are inserted into the cavity  10  of the socket member  4 , each plug member  5  is provided with a pair of guide legs  16  (see FIGS. 3-6) which project from a base portion  17  of the plug member  5  in a direction generally parallel to each other. The guide legs  16  are spaced far apart from one another such that when inserted into the cavity  10  of the socket member  4  they just touch the inner surface of the side walls  13  and  14  of the socket member  4 . In this way, the cooperation between the guide legs  16  and the side walls  13  and  14  guide the plug members  5  to a proper position and fit within the socket member  4 . The guide legs  16  also function to help prevent lateral movement and sway of the plug members  5  when they are coupled to the socket member  4  since their lateral movement is restricted by the confines of the side walls  13  and  14  of the socket. In addition, each plug member  5  may be provided with a pair of auxiliary guide bars  18  projecting from base portion  17  for further facilitating the guiding of the plug members  5  into cavity  10 . These auxiliary guide bars  18  may be adapted to slide into shallow grooves or channels (not illustrated) defined on the inner surfaces of the top and bottom walls  11  and  12  of the socket member  4  for proper positioning of the plug member and the socket member. In addition, the height of the guide leg  16  and auxiliary guide bars  18  is such that they just touch the top and bottom walls  11  and  12  of the socket member  4  when inserted into the socket member to prevent vertical movement and sway of the plug members  5  when they are coupled to the socket member  4 . A fitting member  19  may also be provided near the base  17  of each plug member  5  which is sized so as to just fit snuggly within the top and bottom walls  11  and  12  of the socket member  4 , again for preventing vertical movement and sway of the plug members  5  when they are coupled to the socket member  4 . 
     In order to retain and lock the plug members  5  in the socket member  4 , there is provided a stopping post  20  which extends between the inner surfaces of the top and bottom walls  11  and  12  in the vicinity of each of the two openings  15  of the socket member  4 . Each of the two stopping posts  20  defines an engaging surface  21  which faces toward the interior of cavity  10  and a pair of angled surfaces  22  which face the aperture  15  of the socket member  4  (see FIGS.  4 - 6 ). As illustrated in FIGS. 4-6, the surfaces  22  are angled such that they become wider apart in the direction from the opening  15  to which they are closest toward the center of cavity  10  of socket member  4  (i.e., they are tapered in the direction from the center of cavity  10  in the direction toward the closest opening  15 ). 
     A push button  23  is cut away in the top wall  11  of the socket member  4 . The push button  23  is coupled to the socket member  4  by a pair of leaf springs  24  or the like (see FIGS. 7A and 7B) which attach the push button  23  to the bottom wall  12  of the socket member. The leaf springs  24  are flexible and permit the push button  23  to be pushed downward into the interior cavity  10  of the socket member  4 . However, because of the shape memory of the leaf springs  24 , they will resume their original shape and position once force on the push button  23  is removed. It will be appreciated that the pair of leaf springs  24  is only exemplary, and that other shape memory members may be used to attach the push button  23  to the socket member  4 . For example, a single leaf spring may be used to attach push button  23  to one of the side walls  13  or  14 , or other types of parts for actuating push buttons or the like may be used with push button  23 . All that is necessary is that it be possible for button  23  to be pushed downward into the interior cavity  10  and then resume its original position once force on the button is removed. 
     Push button  23  is provided with a pair of disengaging members  25  which project from the button  23  into the interior cavity  10  of the socket member  4  (see FIGS.  7 A- 8 B). Each disengaging member  25  defines a pair of angled surfaces  26  at its distal end which face toward the center of interior cavity  10 . The surfaces  26  are tapered in the direction from the push button  23  toward the center of interior cavity  10  and preferably form an apex, as illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B. 
     In order to ensure straight vertical movement of the push button  23  and proper positioning of the disengaging members  25  as the push button  23  is pushed down into the interior cavity  10 , the socket member  4  is provided with guide walls  27  (see FIGS. 7A and 7B) which project upwardly from the bottom wall  12  of the socket member  4  into the interior cavity  10 . The guide walls  27  are adapted to engage guide channels  28  which are defined between guide walls  29  which project from push button  23  downwardly into interior cavity  10  (see FIGS.  7 A and  7 B). As illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the distal ends of the guide walls  27  and  29  have cooperating angled surfaces  30  which will permit easy sliding of the walls  27  into the channels  28  between walls  29  in the event there is a minor misalignment as the push button  23  is pushed downward. 
     Each plug member  5  is provided with a pair of locking legs  31  which project from base portion  17  (see FIGS.  4 - 6 ). The locking legs  31  are preferably integrally formed with the base portion  17  of the plug member  5 , and, as can be seen from FIGS. 4-6, are relatively thin as compared to the full length of the base portion  17 . In this way, the locking legs  31  are relatively flexible. Yet, because they are integrally molded with the base portion  17 , they are resilient enough to exhibit shape memory, i.e. they will return to their original position after bending force on them is removed. Each locking leg  31  defines a latching surface  32 , preferably near the distal end  33  of the leg. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, the latching surface  32  is transverse and generally perpendicular to the insertion direction of the plug member  5  and the longitudinal axis of the leg  31 . In this way, the latching surface  32  is adapted to engage the engagement surface  21  of the post  20  in the socket member  4  when the plug member  5  is fully inserted into the socket member  4 . The distal end  33  of each locking leg  31  preferably has a bulbous shape for reasons which will become apparent hereinafter. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3,  4  and  6 , in order to couple each plug member  5  to the socket member  4 , the guide legs  16 , auxiliary guide bars  18  and locking legs  31  of each plug member are inserted into opposite openings  15  in the socket member  4 . The position of guide legs  16 , and optionally auxiliary guide bars  18 , ensure that the locking legs  31  will be guided around post  20 , on opposite sides thereof. As the legs  31  are inserted into the cavity  10 , the distal end—bulbous region  33  of each leg will make contact with one of the inclined surfaces  22  of the post  20 . As the legs  31  are forced around the inclined surfaces  22  by continued insertion of the legs  31  into the cavity  10 , legs  31  will diverge apart because of the divergence of surfaces  22 . The flexible nature of the legs  31  will permit the divergence. The divergence will continue until latching surfaces  32  clear the end of the post  20 , at which point the legs  31  will be free to snap back inward, thereby engaging the latching surfaces  32  on the engagement surface  21  of the post  20 . It is the resilient, shape memory nature of the legs  31  which will cause them to snap back after the latching surfaces  32  clear the post  20 . It will be appreciated that when the latching surfaces  32  engage the engagement surface  21 , the guide legs  16 , auxiliary guide bars  18  and the locking legs  31  will be fully inserted into the socket member  4  and the plug member  5  will be coupled to the socket member  4 . The engagement of the latching surfaces  32  and engagement surface  21  will lock the plug member  5  to the socket member  4  and prevent separation of the buckle pieces, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6. 
     In order to disengage each plug member  5  from the socket member  4 , one must push down on the push button  23 . Referring to FIGS.  5  and  7 - 8 , as this occurs the disengaging members  25  will be forced downward so as to push inclined surfaces  26  into contact with the bulbous distal ends  33  of the locking legs  31  (see the position of the locking legs  31  on the right plug member in FIG.  5 ). Continued downward pushing of the push button  23  will force the locking legs  31  to flex and diverge laterally outward because of the angled surfaces  26  pushing outward on the bulbous regions  33  of the legs (see the right plug member in FIG.  5  and the cross-sectional view in FIG.  8 B). It will be appreciated that the legs  31  will continue to be forced laterally outward until the latching surfaces  32  clear the engagement surface  21  of the post  20 . At such time, the bulbous distal ends  33  of the legs  31  will slide along the inclined surfaces  22  of the post  20 , and the resilient shape memory nature of the legs  31  and their desire to return to their original, non-flexed position will cause the plug member  5  to spring out of the socket member  4  (see the plug member on the left side in FIG.  5 ). It will be appreciated that simultaneous release of both plug members  5  is achieved because movement of the push button  23  forces both disengaging members  25  downward simultaneously so as to diverge each pair of locking legs  31 . Because of the shape memory nature of the leaf springs  24  which couple the push button  23  to the socket member  4 , the push button  23  will return to its original, non-depressed position after pressure on the button is removed. It will be appreciated that as the button  23  is pushed downward, the disengaging members  25  will be properly targeted and aligned such that surfaces  26  will be moved between the distal ends  33  of the locking legs  31  because the guide walls  27  will be forced into the guide channel  28  and restricted from lateral movement by guide walls  29 , thereby insuring straight vertical movement of the pushed button and the disengaging members  25 . 
     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art from the above disclosure that the number and arrangement of posts  20  provided in the socket member  4  of the buckle is not critical and may vary. For example, a total of four posts may be provided, wherein each post engages just one of the four locking legs. Alternatively, a single post may be provided which is especially adapted with four engaging surfaces, each of which engages one of the locking legs. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art from the above disclosure that the direction in which the locking legs  31  flex when engaging and disengaging the post is not critical and may vary from the direction described above. For example, the posts, their engaging surfaces, the locking legs and their latching surfaces may readily be reconfigured such that the locking legs will be forced closer together (i.e., converged) when inserted into the socket member, rather than diverge as in the embodiment described above. In this variation, upon actuation of the push button  23 , the locking legs will converge in order to disengage their latching surfaces from the engagement surfaces on the post, rather than diverge as in the embodiment described above. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many additional variations and modifications may be made to the buckle of the invention without departing from the complete scope of the invention. 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention having improved latching capability is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. This embodiment of the invention is identical in every way to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, except for the geometry of the latching surfaces  34  defined on the locking legs  31  and the geometry of the complementary engagement surface  38  defined on the posts  20 . Like reference numerals in FIGS. 9 and 10 denote like parts in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, and reference should be made to the discussion above for a description and explanation of these parts. 
     Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the latching surface  34  is defined near the distal end  33  of each locking leg  31  and is transverse to the insertion direction of the plug member  5  and the longitudinal axis of leg  31 . The latching surface  34  has a V like shape such that the latching surface  34  extends around the top, side  35  and bottom of the locking leg  31 . It can be seen from FIG. 9 that the apex of the V shaped latching surface  34  is at the side  35  of the locking leg  31 . Likewise, the engagement surfaces  38  which are defined in the post  20  have a complementary V like shape (see FIG. 10) such that they can cleanly mate with the latching surfaces  34  defined in the locking legs  31 . In all other respects, the structure of the three-way buckle of the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10 is identical to that of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8. Furthermore, the function and operation of three-way buckle of FIGS. 9 and 10 is identical to that of FIGS. 1-8, and the plug members  5  are coupled to and decoupled from the socket member  4  in the same way as the buckle of FIGS. 1-8. 
     It will be appreciated that because the latching surface  34  defined in each locking leg  31  has substantially a V shape, with the apex of the V shape at the side  35  of the locking leg  31 , the latching surface  34  extends around the top, side  35  and bottom of the locking leg  31 . On the other hand, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, it can be seen that the latching surface  32  extends only along the side  35  of the locking legs  31 , but not along the top or bottom of the leg  31 . Accordingly, the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10 has a more evenly distributed latching surface area around the top, side  35  and bottom of the locking legs  31  which results in a more evenly distributed latching resistance force when a load is applied to the buckle. This more evenly distributed latching resistance force results in a greater latching strength for the buckle which is embodied in FIGS. 9 and 10. 
     In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.