Abstract:
A child resistant buckle has two separate operations that are completed to permit the buckle to be disengaged. The buckle is provided as two interfitting components, which can be joined in at least two orientations while permitting the two operation disengagement to be maintained. The two operations may be sequentially or concurrent and can require a certain degree of force to permit actuation. The buckle composed of a plug and socket is oriented on a seat so that the plug is presented on a right hand side of a child and the socket is presented on a left hand side so that the clasped buckle is more difficult for the seated child to disengage.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/811,168, filed Mar. 26, 2004, and claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/641,346, filed Jan. 4, 2005, the entire contents of each being incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     N/A  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0004]     The present invention relates generally to safety buckles used with a strap, and relates more particularly to child resistant safety buckles for securing a child in a seat.  
         [0005]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0006]     Child resistant safety buckles are used in a number of applications including securing children in strollers, high chairs and shopping carts. A particular type of safety buckle is child resistant, to prevent children under a given age from releasing the buckle and freeing themselves, leading to a potentially dangerous or injurious situation. Although children under a certain age are prevented from unclasping the buckle, adults typically have no difficulty in disengaging the buckle to free the child. One type of buckle that is child resistant but can be opened by an adult has a double action feature to permit the buckle to be opened. That is, the buckle is opened by operating several disengaging elements to unlatch the buckle and disengage the buckle portions. By providing two actions to allow the buckle to be opened, the buckle is made child resistant, because a typical child under a certain age is unable to properly operate the two features, either sequentially or at the same time, for example, to unlatch and open the buckle. At the same time, an adult can easily and intuitively disengage the buckle by operating the two features as required.  
         [0007]     A number of buckles are available that, while not designed to be child resistant, have security features, so that the buckles will not disengage unexpectedly. These types of buckles also have a multi-open feature, in that a number of operations must be conducted on the buckle to permit the buckle to be unlatched and opened. Typical applications for these type of buckles involve heavy duty or industrial uses, such as clasps for utility belts, sportswear or other applications, where the buckle is subjected to high loading or must be well secured.  
         [0008]     One such high security buckle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,956 to French et al., which discloses a buckle with flexible side release latches and a third latch accessible on the front of the buckle. The male portion of the buckle includes a central latch arm that engages the female portion of the buckle in a central portion, and is released by pressing on a central button on one side of the female buckle portion. The buckle unlatches when both side latch arms are moved inwardly, and the central arm is moved away from the catch on the female portion. The buckle unlatches when all three arms are moved to unlatched positions simultaneously. Changing the orientation of the male portion when inserted into the female portion results in the central arm catch being defeated, because there is no corresponding catch cooperation on the back side of the female.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,985 to Galbreath discloses a safety buckle with side catch arms and a central catch that engages with a depressible button catch on the female portion of the buckle. To disengage the buckle, the central button on the female portion of the buckle is depressed to either disengage from the central arm or displace the central arm to disengage from a catch. If the male portion of the buckle is inserted into the female portion of the buckle in an opposite orientation so that the central arm does not engage the depressible button catch, the buckle either does not clasp or the central arm does not latch.  
         [0010]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,374 to Anscher shows a two-operation buckle with a center arm that includes a push button near the base of the male member with a catch near the push button to engage an opening catch in the female member when the buckle portions are engaged. In addition, the buckle is non-reversible, i.e., if the male member is inserted in an opposite orientation, so that the push button faces the back of the buckle assembly, the male and female members do not engage with each other.  
         [0011]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,466 to Nishida et al. teaches a two-operation safety buckle in which the male member has a center arm with a catch recess that engages a catch on the female member. The center arm of the male member is displaced downwardly during insertion to permit the latch member to protrude into the latch recess when the male member is fully inserted and the center arm returns to its undisplaced position. The center arm is disengaged from the catch with a button on the female member that is pressed to displaced the center arm away from the catch of the female member, so that the male member can be withdrawn from the female member, with the sidearms being depressed together. This buckle configuration is not reversible, in that if the male is inserted in an opposite orientation, the center arm does not latch with the female latch member. Due to the shape of the buckle components, high stress environments may have a further adverse impact on the buckle. For example, if the buckle deforms, a situation where the buckle can be clasped but not unclasped may occur.  
         [0012]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,330 to Galbreath discloses a two-operation safety buckle in which the sidearms of the male member are prevented from being squeezed together to unlatch the buckle, when the male and female members are engaged together. A blocking device in the female member engages with the latching arms of the male member to prevent their displacement and thus prevent them from being unlatched until the blocking device is displaced away from the latching arms to permit their relative movement. Accordingly, the blocking device is first displaced, and then the arm latches are displaced towards each other until they are free of their respective latches in the female member, at which point the male member can be withdrawn from the female member. The configuration of this buckle permits the male member to be inserted in the female member in an opposite orientation. The blocking device and arm latching functions of this buckle are not independent of each other when the buckle is in a clasped condition. The arms are prevented from being operated due to the blocking device, which is first displaced away from the arms before they may be operated. This blocking of the arms in a sequential function represents a major difference from other conventional buckles where the latching mechanisms remain independently functional in the clasped condition. This difference is significant to operation in a commercial environment where buckles are subject to forces that routinely alter their shape. Even slight forces may deform a given buckle, resulting in the buckle being prone to jamming.  
         [0013]     Moreover, the buckle of the &#39;330 patent is difficult to manufacture due to practical tolerance limitations in the materials and the amount of area within the confines of the buckle interior. In addition, the buckle configuration is not designed to withstand high impact or compressive forces that are typically encountered in safety buckle applications. The combination of small manufacturing tolerances and lack of resilience to environmental factors contribute to operational problems. For example, small changes in tolerances due to impact or compressive forces, or through extreme temperature ranges, may influence operation of the blocking device leading to buckle failure.  
         [0014]     A particular failure mode that is highly undesirable occurs when the deformed buckle can be easily clasped, but becomes extremely difficult to unclasp. Often, such failed buckles may respond to the application of brute force to be opened, such as the application of a high tensile force or prying force. However, a buckle with a blocking action does not respond to brute force methods to open the buckle due to the particular nature of the blocking mechanism design. In such a situation, the belt attached by the buckle is cut away to free the occupant, destroying the usefulness of the belt and buckle.  
         [0015]     In each of the above two-operation safety buckles, a change in the orientation of the male member when being inserted into the female member causes the buckle either not to clasp, or defeats the operation of the second operation needed to unclasp the buckle. In a case of the &#39;330 patent to Galbreath, reversing the orientation of the male member does not defeat the two-operation feature of the buckle. However, since the blocking device in the buckle makes the latching mechanisms dependent on each other, the buckle is more difficult to manufacture and operate in practice. In addition, there are challenges to making the buckle of the &#39;330 patent to Galbreath impact resistant or durable in stressful environments. For example, if the buckle becomes deformed due to impact or compression, it is extremely difficult to unlatch the buckle.  
         [0016]     Indeed, conventional buckles are made with materials that are inexpensive to avoid increased costs for the buckle components and seatbelts overall, for example. Low cost materials, such as acetal, tend to be brittle and somewhat inflexible, and the structural elements tend to be more difficult to operate. Accordingly, the structural elements that are manipulated to operate the buckle are minimized to maintain the operational characteristics of the buckle and permit the structural elements to be more easily operated. However, this minimization tends to limit the operational robustness of the manipulated structural elements.  
         [0017]     A number of factors may contribute to improving child resistant features in a child restraint system. However, to date few factors have been identified as contributing to child resistancy. It would be desirable to identify and implement child resistant factors in a reversible or multi-orientation buckle.  
         [0018]     Furthermore, it would be desirable to obtain a two-operation safety buckle that is independent of the orientation of the male member in the female member that provides robust operation in practice with ease of manufacturability.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a two-operation safety buckle in which the male member may be inserted in a random orientation while preserving the functionality of the two-operations to unlatch the buckle. The invention is accomplished by modifying either the male or female member to provide an orientation balanced latching mechanism that exhibits functional symmetry.  
         [0020]     In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, a male member is provided with a center arm having a projection for latching with a female portion of a buckle. The latching projection of the male member is provided on either side of a center arm of the male member, so that the male member latches with a single mating latch on the female member independent of the orientation of the male member. The male member is disengaged from the female member by displacing the center arm away from the female latch member, while displacing a pair of sidearm latches towards each other so that the male portion of the buckle is free to be disengaged from the female portion of the buckle. Although the latching projections generally need not be physically symmetrical, they exhibit functional symmetry in that one of them engages in at least one random orientation of the clasped buckle.  
         [0021]     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, two female latch members are provided on either side of an inner chamber of the female portion of the buckle. A mating latch projection is provided on the center arm of the male portion of the buckle, so that the engagement and latching of the male and female portions is independent of the orientation of the male member.  
         [0022]     In accordance with either of the previous embodiments, variations thereof may include one or more buttons on the female member for disengaging the latch members, or one or more buttons on the male member. The various buttons may control the latching members by displacing a latching member that is connected directly to the one or more buttons, or by displacing the center member by contact and thereby disengaging the latching members.  
         [0023]     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an aperture is provided on the center arm of the male member for receiving a single latch projection extending from a side of the female inner chamber. Engagement and disengagement is controlled by a thumb tab on the female member be which the latch projection can be inserted and removed from the aperture.  
         [0024]     In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the male member is not provided with a center member. The pair of sidearm latches are provided with a grooved surface for engaging a latching projection on the inner surface of the female Member. The sidearm latches are disengaged from the latching projection by a button on the female member, which, when activated, displaces the sidearms away from the latching projection.  
         [0025]     According to a feature of the present invention, a female member of a buckle is provided with a slot that cooperates with a center arm of a male member to provide enough clearance for the center arm of the male member to be displaced a distance sufficient to unlatch the center arm from a catch projection on the female. The slot, or trench, permits the center arm to be displaced a greater distance to perform an unlatching function. The greater displacement capability of the center arm permits the catch projection on the female member to be extended, so that a more secure child resistant feature can be provided.  
         [0026]     In accordance with another feature of the present invention, a center arm of a male buckle member includes a recess, which in an exemplary embodiment is a through opening, to cooperate with a catch protrusion in the female buckle member. By providing the recess or through opening, a longer catch protrusion may be used on the female buckle member to interact with the center arm to secure the buckle. The use of the longer catch protrusion on the female permits the buckle to be more securely clasped and improves the child resistant feature of the buckle.  
         [0027]     In accordance with another feature of the present invention, a center post of a male buckle member is tapered to improve a release action from a catch in the female buckle member. The center post may be tapered near an end of the center post, so that the center post need not be displaced as great a distance to enable the buckle to be more easily released when the center post is displaced to be free of the female buckle member catch protrusion. The tapered center member may be provided in combination with the recess or through opening in the center member to provide additional latch security for the center member and catch protrusion, while permitting the latch to be easily released. The slot or trench feature provided in the female buckle member may also be used with the taper and recess feature to permit the center member to be displaced a greater distance to improve latch reliability while obtaining a smooth and easy release.  
         [0028]     In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the child resistancy of a two-operation buckle may be improved by providing a gap between a latch actuator and the latch. Such a gap provides a non-functioning range of operation, so that it tends to actuate the latch to not operate to unlatch the latch until the actuator has been displaced across the gap, or through the range of non-operation, to cause the actuation of the latch to perform an unlatching function. Accordingly, children attempting to actuate the latch in an unlatching operation by operating the actuator observe no results over the range of non-operability, so that the child is less likely to be able to unlatch the latch.  
         [0029]     The buckle of the present invention is composed of a flexible and durable material designed to withstand impact or compressive forces to avoid, for example, permanent deformation of the buckle and create a more robust structure. The buckle may be molded from a variety of materials. These materials may include LDPE, HDPE, ABS, polystyrene, polypropylene sulfides, acetals, polycarbonates, thermoplastic rubbers, and polyesters, among others. According to a feature of the present invention the buckle is composed of a material that is both durable and flexible, such as, for example, impact modified nylon. The use of such a material permits the buckle to have operative structural elements that have greater structural integrity, such as by increasing a dimension of the structural element or elements, without significantly increasing operational difficulty. The selection of such a material contributes to the overall integrity of buckle operation, because it is durable enough to withstand high impact or compressive forces, while permitting the operative structural elements to be relatively easy to operate, even if increased in dimension.  
         [0030]     According to another feature of the present invention, the buckle is formed to have latching arms in the male portion that exhibit a particular force resistance to being compressed together. According to this feature, a child is typically unable to compress the latching arms of the male member sufficiently to disengage the buckle, even if a second latching mechanism is unlatched. The force should be sufficiently low to permit an adult to easily operate the buckle. In an exemplary embodiment, a minimum force to actuate the latching arms is 5 lbs or greater to prevent operation by a child. The actuating force can also be less than a maximum force of 16 lbs to permit operation by an adult.  
         [0031]     The selection of materials for the present invention also contributes to maintaining the child resistant features in harsh environments. For example, the selection of high impact nylon, provided by Dupont as material ST801, permits the child resistant buckle to absorb impact and compressive loading forces without permanently deforming to avoid the loss of child resistant features. The selection of the impact modified nylon also permits tolerances in the manufacture of the buckle to be maintained, even in harsh environments where the buckle is subjected to high impact or compressive forces, or wide variations in temperature. Accordingly, the selection of the material further improves the child resistant features of the buckle by maintaining those features even in outdoor environments or harsh environments, such as when the buckle is used in a shopping cart seatbelt.  
         [0032]     Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detail description to be read with the accompanying drawings as described below. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0033]      FIGS. 1   a  through  1   c  illustrate a central cross-sectional view of a conventional two-operation safety buckle;  
         [0034]      FIG. 2  illustrates a central cross-sectional side view of a second conventional two-operation safety buckle;  
         [0035]      FIG. 2   a  is a central cross-sectional side-view of another conventional two-operation safety buckle;  
         [0036]      FIG. 3  illustrates a plan view of a first embodiment of a male and female portion of a two-operation safety buckle according to the present invention;  
         [0037]      FIG. 4  illustrates side cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a two-operation safety buckle according to the present invention;  
         [0038]      FIG. 5  illustrates a cross-sectional side view, of a two-operation safety buckle according to the present invention;  
         [0039]      FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of a two-operation safety buckle according to the present invention;  
         [0040]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of a two-operation safety buckle according to the present invention;  
         [0041]      FIG. 8  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a two-operation safety buckle according to the present invention;  
         [0042]      FIGS. 9 and 9 A illustrate a cross-sectional side view of further embodiments of a buckle according to the present invention;  
         [0043]      FIG. 10  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of a two-operation safety buckle in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0044]      FIG. 11  illustrates a plan view of a female buckle portion according to the embodiment of  FIG. 10 ;  
         [0045]      FIG. 12  illustrates a cross-sectional side-view of another embodiment of a reversible two-operation safety buckle in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0046]      FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional side-view of a clasped buckle according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0047]      FIG. 14  is a plan view of the clasped buckle of  FIG. 13 ;  
         [0048]      FIG. 15  is a plan view of a male buckle member according to the embodiment of  FIG. 13 ;  
         [0049]      FIG. 16  is an elevation view of a female buckle member according to the embodiment of  FIG. 13 ;  
         [0050]      FIG. 17  is a plan view of a male buckle member according to another embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0051]      FIG. 18  is a plan view of a female buckle member cooperative with the member of  FIG. 17 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0052]      FIGS. 1   a  through  1   c  illustrate a central cross-sectional side view of a conventional two-operation safety buckle  10 . Buckle  10  comprises a male member  12  having a center arm  14  with a catch recess  16  that engages a catch  18  on the female member  19 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1   b , the center arm  14  of the male member  12  is displaced downwardly during insertion to permit the latch  18  to protrude into the latch recess  16  when the male member  12  is fully inserted and the center arm  14  returns to its undisplaced position, as seen in  FIG. 1   c . A button  17  is located on female member  19  for disengaging central arm  14  from the catch  18 . Processing button  17  displaces center arm  14  away from catch  18  of the female member  19 , so that male member  12  can be withdrawn from female member  19 . Buckle  10  is not configured to be reversible, meaning that if male member  12  is inserted in an opposite orientation, with center arm  14  facing a bottom of female member  19 , center arm  14  does not engage latch  18 .  
         [0053]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a central cross-sectional side view of a second conventional safety buckle  20  comprising a male member  22  and a female member  24  is illustrated. Male member  22  includes a central arm  23  having a latch  25 . Female member  24  includes a depressible button  26  controlling a catch  28 . When male member  22  is inserted into female member  24 , latch  25  is engaged by catch  28 , providing a child safety locking feature.  
         [0054]     Male and female members  22 ,  24  are engaged with conventional side latches (not shown) and latch  25  cooperating with catch  28 . Latch  25  rides over a sloped surface of catch  28  to displace catch  28  and button  26  downward until latch  25  slides past catch  28 . Once latch  25  slides past catch  28 , catch  28  is free to resiliently return to a normal position along with button  26 , thereby latching buckle  20 .  
         [0055]     To disengage buckle  20 , button  26  on female member  24  is depressed to disengage catch  28  from latch  25  on central arm  23  while the side latches are disengaged.  
         [0056]     Another conventional embodiment of a two action buckle  21  is shown in  FIG. 2   a . Buckle  21  operates by providing a latch  27  on male member  22  that engages a catch  29  on female member  24 . When buckle  21  is disengaged, pressing button  26  displaces central arm  23  so that latch  27  is free of catch  29 , and male and female members  22 ,  24  can be separated by also pressing sides arms (not shown) on male member  22  to disengage the side arms from cooperating recesses (not shown) on female member  24 .  
         [0057]     Similar to the previously described conventional safety buckle  10  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , if central arm  23  of male member  22  is inserted into female member  24  of buckles  20  or  21  in an opposite orientation, then latches  25 ,  27  of central arm  23  do not engage catches  28 ,  29 , thereby bypassing the two-operation child safety feature. This orientation dependence of the buckle clasp leads to the results that buckles  20 ,  21  do not clasp at all, or buckles  20 ,  21  clasp without engaging the secondary child safety lock. It is possible in these instances that the lack of engagement of the child safety lock is unobservable, so that the buckle appears secure when the two-action open feature is actually defeated.  
         [0058]     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a first embodiment of a two-operation safety buckle  30  according to the present invention is illustrated. Safety buckle  30  is composed of a male member  32  and a female member  34 . Male member  32  includes sidearms  36  and a center arm  38  connected to a base  39 . A distal end of a sidearms  36  has enlarged heads  37 . Center arm  38  has a latch projection  40  extending from a distal end  39  thereof. Extending through base  39  opposite from heads  37  is strap recess  31  for receiving a belt or other fastening instrument. Female member  34  includes an inner cavity  42  with an open end  41 . Female member  34  also includes strap recess  43  for insertion of a strap or other band equivalent. Recesses  44  are provided on sides of female member  44  for receiving heads  37  of male member  32 . Recesses  44  are positioned and sized to receive heads  37  at full insertion of male member  32  and are sized to allow arms  36  to resiliently return to an initial position, or a less loaded position, after being received by recesses  44 .  
         [0059]     In accordance with the present invention, a top and bottom surface of female member  34  are provided with openings  46  for receiving latch projection  40 , independent of the orientation of male member  32 . That is, male member  32  is securely received in female member  34  to engage heads  37  and projection  40  without regard to whether projection  40  extends toward or away from a surface  45  of female member  34 . Upon insertion into female member  34 , center arm  38  is biased toward a side to which latch projection  40  extends. Biased center arm  38  and latch projection  40  are sized to fit in cavity  42  of female member  34 . When male member  32  is fully inserted, biased center arm  38  drives the projection  40  into opening  46  to create a second latch feature for added child safety.  
         [0060]     When male member  32  is inserted and secure in female member  34 , in either orientation, buckle  30  is unclasped with two actions, pressing projection  40  to be free of opening  46 , and pinching heads  37  to be free of shoulders  47 . These actions may be coordinated or sequential to unfasten buckle  30 . Optionally, projection  40  may be brightly colored to assist in releasing buckle  30 .  
         [0061]     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of the reversible two-action safety buckle is illustrated as buckle  48 .  
         [0062]     Buckle  48  includes conventional female buckle  24 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , and male buckle portion  49  in accordance with the present invention. Male buckle  49  includes central arm  49   a  with symmetrical latches  49   b . Latches  49   b  engage catch  28  when male buckle portion  49  is in either orientation, that is, male buckle portion  49  may be reversed and symmetrical latches  49   b  are separated by a distance sufficient to permit catch  28  to be inserted and removed from a cavity  49   c  to permit latching and unlatching actions. Buckle  48  is released from a clasped configuration by depressing button  26  to disengage catch  28  from an engaged latch  49   b.    
         [0063]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a buckle  50  according to the present invention is illustrated with a female member having similar construction to female member  24  of  FIG. 2   a . Buckle  50  however includes a male member  52  with central arms  54  that engage catch  29  with one of latches  56 . When male portion  52  engages female portion  24 , latch  56  rides over catch  29  and returns resiliently to a less flexed position where latch  56  and catch  29  are engaged. Arms  54  are separated by a space  55  to permit arms  54  to flex towards each other without interference from the opposite arm  54 . Male and female members  52 ,  24  are disengaged by pressing button  26  to deflect arm  54  downward until latch  56  is free of catch  29 . At the same time, side arms (not shown) are pinched together to be disengaged from cooperative retaining shoulders (not shown) to permit male and female members  52  and  24  to be separated. Because male member  52  include symmetrical arms  54  with symmetrical catches  56 , male member  52  can be reversed in orientation and still provide a secondary latching feature in buckle  50 .  
         [0064]     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a two-action reversible buckle  60  according to the present invention is illustrated. Buckle  60  includes male and female members  61 ,  62  that securely cooperate to provide a safety buckle clasp. Male member  61  includes a central arm  63  that is resiliently flexible to contribute to a secondary latching feature of buckle  60 . Arms  63  includes latches  65  that engage with a catch  64  when male member  61  is completely inserted into female member  62 . As an end of central arm  63  is inserted into female member  62 , it meets with and is deflected by catch  64 . As male member  61  continues to be inserted into female member  62 , central arm  63  is deflected until latches  65  move past catch  64 , at which point central arm  63  resiliently returns to a less flexed position. A secondary latching feature of buckle  60  is thus engaged. To disengage male and female members  61 ,  62 , button  66  of female member  62  is depressed, causing displacement surface  67  to contact and displace latch  65  away from catch  64 . Once latch  65  is free of catch  64 , male member  61  can be disengaged from female member  62  by also pinching the side arms (not shown) of male member  61  to free them from their cooperating shoulders (not shown) on female member  62 . Central arm  63  of male member  61  is symmetrical about a central axis of male member  61 , such that male member  61  may be inserted into female member  62  in either orientation, i.e., orientations of male member  61  that are separated by 180 degrees with respect to a central axis of male member  61 .  
         [0065]     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , a reversible two-action buckle assembly  70  according to the present invention is illustrated. Buckle assembly  70  includes a plug  71  with side arms  72  and  73 , and a central arm  74 , all connected to a base  75 . Side arms  72  and  73  includes catches  76  and  77 , respectively, that cooperate with corresponding catches on a socket  78 . Central arm  74  has an integral lever formed with a free end having a pushbutton  79 . A latch  79   a  is located adjacent to pushbutton  79 . Latch  79   a  cooperates with catch  80  located on an upper and lower surface of socket  78 . Socket  78  also includes openings  81 ,  82  for receiving catches  76 , 77 , respectively. Accordingly, when plug  71  is inserted into socket  78 , latch  79   a  engages catch  80 , independent of the orientation of plug  71  with respect to socket  78 . Because socket  78  is symmetrical with respect to the insertion of plug  71 , buckle  70  provides a two-action securing feature when plug  71  and socket  78  are fastened together in either orientation. Plug  71  and socket  78  are disengaged by depressing button  79  to displace latch  79   a  so that latch  79   a  is free of catch  80 . Catches  76 , 77  are pinched together, before, at the same time or after button  79  is depressed, to free catches  76 , 77  from the cooperating latches in openings  81 , 82 . Once catches  76 , 77  and latch  79   a  are free of their respective cooperating openings  81 , 82  and catch  80 , plug  71  and socket  78  can be separated.  
         [0066]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , a buckle  85  according to the present invention is illustrated with a male member  86  and a female member  87 . Female member  87  includes a button  88  and a catch  89  for disengaging and engaging a central arm  84  of male member  86 . Central arm  84  includes latches  83  that engage with catch  89  when male member  86  is inserted into female member  87  in either orientation. Latches  83  are disengaged from catch  89  by depressing button  88 , which contacts and deflects central arm  83  to displace latches  83  so that latches  83  are free of catch  89 . Because central arm  84  is symmetrical with respect to an axis of male member  86 , for example, male member  86  can be inserted into female member  87  in either orientation and obtain a secondary latch feature through the cooperation of latches  83  and catch  89 . Catch  89  also includes a sloped surface to permit central arm  84  to be flexibly displaced when male member  86  is inserted into female member  87 , so that central arm  84  can resiliently return to a loaded or unloaded state when latches  83  and catch  89  cooperate.  
         [0067]     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , a buckle  90  according to the present invention is illustrated with a male member  91  and female member  92 . Male member  91  has a central arm  93  with a latch  94  that cooperates with catches  95  on female member  92 . Catches  95  include sloped surfaces  96  that deflect the front end of central arm  93  when male member  91  is inserted into female member  92 . Central arm  93  resiliently flexes as latch  94  rides over sloped surface  96 , until latch  94  passes catch  95 , at which point central arm  93  resiliently returns to an unloaded or loaded state, depending upon the relationship of catch  95  and latch  94 . At that point, male member  91  is secured in female member  92  by the cooperation of latch  94  and catch  95 .  
         [0068]     Female member  92  includes buttons  97  that are flexibly depressed to contact central arm  93  and defect central arm  93  so that latches  94  can move away from catches  95  to permit male member  91  to be disengaged from female member  92 . Buttons  97  are stiff so that pinching buttons  97  together do not interfere with the displacement of central arm  93  to free latch  94  from catch  95 .  
         [0069]     Referring now to  FIG. 9   a , a simplified female member  98  according to the present invention includes two openings  99  sized and shaped to receive two central prongs  100  of a male member  101 . Prongs  100  are received in both openings  99  of female member  98  to secure male member  101  within female member  98 . According to this embodiment, buckle  102  is unclasped by pinching two side arms (not shown) to free the side arms from their cooperating catches (not shown) on female member  98 , while also pinching prongs  100  to free them from cooperating catches  103  of female member  98 . Buckle  102  thus requires two separate pinching actions to unclasp male and female members  101 ,  98 , thereby providing a double action, reversible, child resistant buckle.  
         [0070]     It should be apparent that prongs  100  and openings  99  could be provided on a single side or surface of buckle  102 . In such a configuration, buckle  102  is a two-action buckle, with prongs  100  and openings  99  alone, and the side arms and cooperating catches could be eliminated.  
         [0071]     Referring now to  FIG. 10 , another embodiment of the reversible double action buckle according to the present invention is illustrated as buckle  105 . Buckle  105  includes female member  106  and male member  107 , with central arm  108  being attached to male member  107 . Central arm  108  has a cross-sectional dimension that provides small clearances when inserted into female member  106  to improve the stability of the coupling of male member  107  and female member  106 . Central arm  108  also includes recesses  109  that cooperate with catch  110  on rocker arm  111  of female member  106 . Accordingly, when central arm  108  is inserted into female member  106 , recesses  109  and catch  110  cooperate to prevent male member  107  from being removed from female member  106 . Aside from pinching side arms (not shown) to free them from cooperating catches (not shown) on female member  106 , male member  107  is released from female member  106  by depressing a button  112  on rocker arm  111  to pivot rocket arm  111  about a fulcrum  113  to displace catch  110  upwards so that catch  110  is free of recesses  109 . Once catch  110  is free of recesses  109 , central arm  108  can be withdrawn from female member  106 , as long as other latches and catches are disengaged. Because central arm  108  is symmetrical about an axis of male member  107 , the latching of recesses  109  with catch  110  is independent of the orientation of female member  107  with respect to central arm  108 . Optionally, button  112  can be provided with a message or a bright color to indicate that buckle  105  may be unlatched by depressing button  112 .  
         [0072]     Referring now to  FIG. 12 , another embodiment of the reversible, double action buckle according to the present invention is illustrated as buckle  120 . Buckle  120  includes male member  121  and female member  122 . Male member  121  includes a central arm  123  that includes recesses  124 . Female member  122  includes a catch  126  on a pivot arm  125  that is coupled to a button  127 . Catch  126  includes a sloped surface  128  that cooperates with an end of central arm  123 . Central arm  123  contacts surface  128  to displace arm  125 , catch  126  and button  127  downward through an opening  129  in female member  122 . As male member  121  is inserted further into female member  122 , recesses  124  cooperate with catch  126  to retain central arm  123  in female member  122 . Arm  125  resiliently pivots about a point  130  to permit central arm  123  to slide past catch  126 , and to permit arm  125  to return to an upright position so that catch  126  engages recesses  124  when male member  121  is fully inserted into female member  122 . In this embodiment, central arm  123  may be composed of two parallel central arms side-by-side that both have recesses  124  and both engage catch  126 . Alternatively, a single central arm can be provided that slides past one side of arm  125  to permit catch  126  to engage recess  124 . In either instance, central arm  123  is symmetrical about an axis of male member  121  so that catch  126  and recess  124  engage each other independent of the orientation of male member  121 .  
         [0073]     Male member  121  and female member  122  are released by disengaging all other latches in buckle  120 , and depressing button  127  to displace catch  126  into opening  129 . As catch  126  is displaced into opening  129 , catch  126  is free of recess  124  so that central arm  123  may be disengaged from female member  122 . The embodiment of buckle  120  provides additional stability because of the smaller clearances between central arm  123  and female member  122  than would be provided if central arm  123  were made to flex, as is the case in other embodiments described above.  
         [0074]     Referring now to  FIGS. 13 and 14 , a buckle  140  according to the present invention is illustrated in an assembled state. Female member  144  receives male member  145  in a latched position to clasp buckle  140 . Female member  144  includes a catch extension  148  that cooperates with an opening  149  on male member  145 . Male member  145  is disengaged from female member  144  when side tangs  142  are pinched together and center arm  143  is freed from catch extension  148 . Center arm  143  is deflected away from catch extension  148  to be free of catch extension  148  to permit male member  145  to be disengaged. A button  147  acts as an actuator to deflect center arm  143  away from catch extension  148 . Button  147  includes an actuating area  151  that contacts center arm  143  and displaces it away from catch extension  148 . In an exemplary embodiment, a gap  152  is provided between actuating area  151  and center arm  143  so that button  147  moves through a non-operative range before actuating area  151  begins to influence center arm  143 . Gap  152  accordingly provides a non-operative range for the actuation of button  147  to promote a child resistant feature where button  147  appears non-operative when a child attempts to actuate button  147 .  
         [0075]     Female member  144  includes a top wall  154  and a bottom wall  156  that contribute to support for the structural integrity of female member  144 . In addition, male member  145  includes a tapered area near opening  149  to contribute to the operability of buckle  140 . When center arm  143  is displaced away from catch extension  148 , tapered area  141  contributes to easing the release of center arm  143  from catch extension  148  by providing additional clearance so that the latching mechanism operates with less deflection, and without the application of an overly burdensome force. Center arm  143  can generally remain at a thicker dimension than tapered area  141 , so that the structural integrity of male member  145  is maintained, and center arm  143  provides a suitable resistance to actuation when button  147  is pressed. Through opening  149  also permits catch extension  148  to extend further than otherwise might be feasible, while maintaining a reversible feature. Catch extension  148  can extend into through opening  149  to contribute to securing male member  145  and female member  144 . In this embodiment, at least two of the latching mechanisms are arranged on adjacent sides or surfaces of the buckle, and are not opposed to each other.  
         [0076]     Referring now to  FIG. 15 , another illustration of male member  145  is provided. Through opening  149  is shown on center arm  143  in tapered area  141  to serve as a latch member for securing male member  145  in buckle  140 .  
         [0077]     Referring to  FIG. 16 , female member  144  is illustrated with a view of an opening for receiving male member  145 . Catch extension  148  is illustrated in the center of the view of female member  144  for engaging center arm  143  of male member  145 . In addition, a slot or trench  160  is illustrated in a side of bottom wall  156 . Trench  160  provides a clearance for the deflection of the center arm  143  when male member  145  is disengaged from female member  144 . Accordingly, trench  160  eases the operation of center arm  143  during a disengagement operation to facilitate an easy unclasping operation. Female member  144  may also include guide rails  162  that project upward from bottom wall  156 . Guide rails  162  help to guide center arm  143 , and male member  145  into female member  144  without lateral rotation, and also tend to stabilize the clasped buckle to prevent inadvertent unclasping through rotation or other lateral forces. It should be apparent that guide rails  162  may be alternately or additionally positioned on a side of top wall  154  to improve stability, for example.  
         [0078]     Because male member  145  is reversible, it may be inserted in female member  144  in any orientation and still achieve the objects and advantages of the present invention. An important goal of the buckles illustrated according to the present invention is that they be operable on an intuitive level by users that may be encountering the buckle for the first time. Accordingly, the buckle should be easy to operate and operate in a consistent manner. The reversible feature of the present invention permits the user to insert male member  145  into female member  144  in any orientation so that the intuitive operation of the buckle is improved. The cooperating features of through opening  149 , catch extension  148 , tapered area  141  and trench  160  serve to provide a robust latch mechanism, while facilitating a simple and convenient opening mechanism to unclasp buckle  140 .  
         [0079]     The above-described features can be made consistent when buckle  140  is produced with designs that allow flexibility and tolerances, and with materials that do not permanently deform over a significant amount of time. Accordingly, buckle  140  is designed to have structural features to prevent deformation of buckle  140 , even when it is subjected to high impact and compressive loading. Because buckle  140  is made out of impact modified nylon in an exemplary embodiment, buckle  140  tends to be relatively pliable, which improves the resistance of the buckle to cracking, stress fractures, or breaking. In addition, side tangs  142 , center arm  143  and catch extension  148  can be made more robust and thicker yet remain pliable to facilitate use, thereby improving durability while maintaining operative ease. Also, top and bottom walls  154 ,  156 , as well as side walls  164 ,  166  of female member  144  can be made thicker to resist impact or compressive loading. Walls  154 ,  156 ,  164 ,  166  can also include structural elements to improve their resistance to loading, such as ribs, arc of thicker material, and the like. The structure of buckle  140  compensates for the pliability of the impact modified nylon so that buckle  140  can withstand higher external force loading, as well as wide variations in temperature and humidity as are typically experienced in outdoor use.  
         [0080]     Referring to  FIGS. 17 and 18 , another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated with male and female buckle components  171  and  180 , respectively. Components  171  and  180  have cooperating latches and catches  175  and  182 , respectively, that interact to form a second latch. The first latch, formed by side arms  173  and shoulders  190  operates as usual, with side arms  173  being pinched to be released from shoulders  190 . A bar  184  on component  180  is actuated to displace side arms  173  to disengage second latches  175 ,  182 . Latches  175 ,  182  may be in the form of protrusions and cooperative recesses, for example. The recesses and/or protrusions may be on either male or female components  171 ,  180 . A spring bar  186  connected to bar  184  causes bar  184  to move when depressed, as by a button  188 . It should be apparent that bar  184  may be configured to be below arms  173  so that actuation releases arms  173 , similar to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 12 . Also, one or more latches may be used and the buckle remains reversible.  
         [0081]     It should also be apparent that several bars  184  may be provided, for example to have one bar for each arm  173 . In this way, there would be two latching mechanisms provided on a single side or surface of the buckle. In such a configuration, the buckle is a two-action buckle, the latching mechanisms being operable on one side or surface of the buckle alone, or in combination with the arms and shoulders on another side or sides of the buckle. Accordingly, a number of latching mechanisms can be provided on a single surface or side to obtain a two action and reversible buckle.  
         [0082]     In designing a child resistant buckle, a number of factors may be observed as having an impact on child resistance. For example, the pressing force used to actuate a buckle may be set to contribute to child resistant features, as well as providing a two-action buckle or restraint to release a child resistant buckle. One factor that has not been identified until now is the orientation of the buckle in a child seat restraint. It has been found that the orientation of a buckle can add to the difficulty in opening a buckle in a child seat for the child. At the same time, the orientation of the buckle makes it easier for the person, presumably an adult, who is releasing the child to operate the buckle.  
         [0083]     It is well documented that a majority of people are right handed by nature, including young children. The two-action reversible buckle according to the present invention is typically constructed with a plug and socket, or male and female portions. A user typically releases the buckle by pinching the side arms with the thumb and forefinger of one hand, while actuating the second latch with the other hand, typically with the thumb of the other hand. It has been found that children have a more difficult time opening these types of buckles when the left hand is used to attempt to pinch the side arms, and the right hand is used to actuate the second latch. The preference for actions using the right hand contributes to the difficulty faced by children using their left hand to pinch the side arms. Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, seatbelts with buckles with two-action opening functionality are installed in child seats so that when the child attempts to open the buckle, the left hand is used to pinch the side arms, and the right hand is used to actuate the second latch. This configuration makes the buckle generally more difficult for the child to open, and thus more child resistant.  
         [0084]     While the buckle orientation discussed above is more difficult for a child to open, the orientation actually facilitates an adult or other person unbuckling the buckle. Typically, the person releasing the child from the seat faces the child, and is automatically presented with the easier orientation to open the buckle. The person typically pinches the side arms of the buckle with their right hand, while actuating the second latch with the left hand, making the buckle intuitive and easy to release, while having an improved child resistant feature.  
         [0085]     To achieve the desired orientation for the seatbelt and child resistant buckle, the male portion of the buckle, or plug, is attached to be presented from the right side of the child in the seat. The female member, or socket, is attached to be presented from the left-hand side of the child in the seat. In this orientation, the child&#39;s more natural inclination in attempting to open the clasped buckle is to apply a squeezing force to the tangs with the left hand, while attempting to actuate the second latch with the right hand, resulting in a more difficult operation from the perspective of the child.  
         [0086]     An adult or other person coupling the seatbelt and typically facing the seated child has the female member, or socket, presented on their right hand side, while the male member, or plug, is presented on the left hand side of the adult or other person operating the buckle and the seatbelt. Accordingly, when the buckle is clasped, the adult will more naturally open the buckle using their right hand to squeeze the tangs, while using their left hand to actuate the second latch to unclasp the buckle, leading to an easier operation of the buckle for the adult. Surprisingly, this simple feature of orientation accomplishes several goals of the present invention, such as making the buckle generally more difficult to open for a child, while also providing an intuitively simple way for an adult to unclasp the buckle.  
         [0087]     In accordance with a particular feature of the present invention, a buckle and/or seatbelt is provided with indicia related to orientation of the buckle and/or seatbelt to obtain the above-described advantages with respect to orientation of a male and female buckle member. For example, the strap of the seatbelt may include a sewed on or otherwise attached label with instructions for use, warnings, etc. that are more easily read or properly presented to a user standing at the shopping cart when the seatbelt is secured to the shopping cart in a proper orientation according to the present invention. That is, the indicia is properly presented to the user when the female buckle member is attached on a right hand side, and the male buckle member is attached on a left hand side from a perspective of the user.  
         [0088]     Similarly, indicia on the buckle may be provided, such as serial numbers, warnings or instructions, for example, to indicate the appropriate orientation of the seatbelt when the seatbelt is secured to the shopping cart in an orientation that achieves the advantages of the present invention. In this way, installation or maintenance of the seatbelt in a proper orientation is intuitive to the installation or maintenance personnel. The indicia on the seatbelt or buckle also serves as a redundant method for orienting the seatbelt to obtain the advantages of the present invention, beyond instructions provided in an installation guide for the seatbelt, for example. Accordingly, the provision of indicia to orient the seatbelt and buckle properly contributes to improving the child resistance of the seatbelt. The indicia helps to ensure that a proper orientation is maintained to enhance the child resistance of the seatbelt.  
         [0089]     Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.