Patent ID: 6978520

Claim:
A buckle assembly comprising; a) A substantially rectangular mating female member, having i) a rear opening to accommodate a strap or strip of slightly compressible material, ii) a front opening opposite the rear opening for receiving a male member, and iii) a pair of side openings disposed between the rear and front openings, iv) an interior planar portion that ramps upward from the front opening, b) a mating male member having; i) a forward portion for insertion in the front opening of said female member, ii) a lower surface and an upper surface disposed orthogonal to the forward portion, iii) in the plane perpendicular to the upper and lower surface, a pair of side surfaces, iv) a rear portion opposite the forward portion, v) a pair of spring-biased prongs extending from each of the side surfaces for engaging the side openings in said female member to provide a snap fit therewith, vi) a wedge extending downward from the front of the lower surface that cooperates with the ramp portion in said female member to urge the opposing side of the male member toward the inside of said female member, vii) gripping teeth disposed on the upper surface substantially opposite the wedge, c) wherein after a material strip has been inserted through the female member, inserting the male member into the female member urges the gripping teeth to compressively engage the inserted material strip whereby completing the buckle assembly by snapping the prongs of said male member into the side openings of the female member securely grips the material strip between the teeth and the female member.