Patent ID: 8474113

Claim:
A buckle assembly, comprising: a main housing comprising: first and second lateral walls; and a top wall integrally formed with the first and second lateral walls, wherein a strap passage is formed through said main housing and a button passage is formed through said first lateral wall; a button received in said main housing through said button passage; a spring configured to exert equal and opposite forces into said button and said main housing, wherein movement of said button is configured to be directly transferred to said spring, and vice versa; and a ratchet strap positioned within said strap passage, wherein said ratchet strap is moveable through said strap passage in a first direction, and when said button is pressed, said ratchet strap is moveable through said main housing in a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein said button further comprises a first ledge, and said main housing further comprises a second ledge, wherein said button is prevented from ejecting out of said main housing by said first ledge abutting said second ledge, and wherein the top wall of the housing includes a recess connected with the button passage, the recess exposes a top portion of the button when the button is released, and a closed end of the recess is configured to define a stop for a finger operating the button in use.