Patent ID: 7614124

Claim:
A buckle assembly for attachment to a plurality of belt connectors, the buckle assembly comprising: a buckle base having a bottom portion and spaced apart upstanding flanges at least along lateral edges of the bottom portion; a first latching mechanism mounted between the spaced apart upstanding flanges of the bottom portion, wherein the first latching mechanism includes a first latch pawl that is movable to a first engaging position in which the first latch pawl engages a first latching abutment of a first belt connector, and wherein the first latching mechanism further includes a first biasing element urging the first latch pawl toward the first engaging position; at least a second latching mechanism spaced apart from the first latching mechanism and mounted between the spaced apart upstanding flanges of the bottom portion, wherein the second latching mechanism includes a second latch pawl that is independently movable relative to the first latch pawl to a second engaging position in which the second latch pawl engages a second latching abutment of a second belt connector, and wherein the second latching mechanism further includes a second biasing element urging the second latch pawl toward the second engaging position; and an operating handle movable between a latch position toward the buckle base and a release position away from the buckle base, wherein the first latch pawl is engaged with the first latching abutment and the second latch pawl is engaged with the second latching abutment when the operating handle is in the latch position, and wherein the first latch pawl is disengaged from the first latching abutment and the second latch pawl is disengaged from the second latching abutment when the operating handle is moved away from the buckle base toward the release position.