U.S. patent application number 12/586128 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-17 for removable buckle.
Invention is credited to Joseph Anscher.
Application Number | 20110061211 12/586128 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43729040 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110061211 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Anscher; Joseph |
March 17, 2011 |
Removable buckle
Abstract
A buckle has a main buckle body with a hollow cavity, means for
securing another buckle portion within the main body, and at least
two strap securing bars connected to the main body. At lest one of
the strap securing bars has a free end, such that the buckle
portion can be attached to a strap by sliding an edge of the strap
through a space created by the free end and positioning the strap
so that the strap is disposed between the strap securing bar and
the main body.
Inventors: |
Anscher; Joseph;
(Muttontown, NY) |
Family ID: |
43729040 |
Appl. No.: |
12/586128 |
Filed: |
September 17, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
24/190 ;
24/163R |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 24/407 20150115;
Y10T 24/40 20150115; A44B 11/266 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
24/190 ;
24/163.R |
International
Class: |
A44B 11/25 20060101
A44B011/25 |
Claims
1. A buckle portion, comprising: a main body having a hollow
cavity; means for securing another buckle portion within the hollow
cavity; and at least two strap securing bars connected to the main
body, at least one of said at least two strap securing bars having
a free end, such that said buckle portion can be attached to a
strap by sliding an edge of the strap through a space created by
the free end and positioning the strap so that the strap is
disposed between the strap securing bar and the main body.
2. The buckle portion according to claim 1, wherein the at least
one strap securing bar has a slot cut therethrough, such that the
strap securing bar has two free ends formed by the slot.
3. The buckle portion according to claim 1, wherein the main body
has a front face, a rear face, two side walls, a top opening and a
bottom, and wherein the strap securing bars are located adjacent to
and run parallel with the top opening and bottom, respectively.
4. The buckle portion according to claim 3, wherein a distance
between the two strap securing bars is greater than a distance
between the top opening and the bottom.
5. The buckle portion according to claim 1, wherein the main body
has a front face, a rear face, two side walls, a top opening and a
bottom, and wherein the strap securing bars are located adjacent to
and run parallel with the side walls.
6. The buckle portion according to claim 5, wherein a distance
between the two strap securing bars is greater than a distance
between the side walls.
7. The buckle portion according to claim 1, wherein the main body
has a top opening and two locking slots disposed on opposite side
walls, for receiving a buckle portion having two locking legs.
8. The buckle portion according to claim 3, further comprising a
securing plate removably inserted between the rear face and the
strap securing bars, such that the buckle portion can be attached
to a strap by threading the strap between the securing plate and
rear face of the main body.
9. The buckle portion according to claim 1, wherein the strap
securing bars are offset from the main body in a plane located
behind the rear face of the main body.
10. The buckle portion according to claim 2, wherein the slot is
disposed at an angle that is not perpendicular to a longitudinal
expanse of the strap securing bar.
10. The buckle portion according to claim 1, wherein there are four
strap securing bars.
12. The buckle portion according to claim 2, wherein each of the
strap securing bars has a slot cut therein.
13. The buckle portion according to claim 1, wherein at least one
of the strap securing bars is movably connected to the main body at
one end of the strap securing bar, and further comprising a
securing device connected to the main body, such that the free end
of the strap securing bar is adapted to be snapped into the
securing device to secure the free end to the main body.
14. The buckle portion according to claim 13, wherein there are two
strap securing bars having free ends, and two securing devices, and
wherein said two strap securing bars having free ends are disposed
adjacent side walls of the buckle portion.
15. The buckle portion according to claim 14, wherein the securing
devices in the form of a clamp and are disposed on a rear face of
the main body, and wherein the strap securing bars are positioned
below a rear face of the main body.
16. The buckle portion according to claim 13, wherein one of the
strap securing bars is secured with the securing device, and the
other one of the strap securing bars is rigidly connected to the
main body and has a slot cut therethrough for passage of a
strap.
17. A buckle assembly comprising: a female buckle portion
comprising: a main body having a hollow cavity; two locking slots
in side walls of the main body; and at least two strap securing
bars connected to the main body, said at least one of said strap
securing bars having a free end, such that said buckle portion can
be attached to a strap by sliding an edge of the strap through a
space created by the free end and positioning the strap so that the
strap is disposed between the strap securing bar and the main body;
and a male buckle portion comprising a base and two locking legs,
such that inserting the male buckle portion into the female buckle
portion causes the locking legs to snap into the locking slots and
lock the male buckle portion to the female buckle portion.
18. The buckle assembly according to claim 17, wherein the at least
one strap securing bar has a slot cut therethrough, such that the
strap securing bar has two free ends formed by the slot.
19. The buckle portion according to claim 17, wherein the main body
has a front face, a rear face, two side walls, a top opening and a
bottom, and wherein the strap securing bars are located adjacent to
and run parallel with the top opening and bottom, respectively.
20. The buckle portion according to claim 19, wherein a distance
between the two strap securing bars is greater than a distance
between the top opening and the bottom.
21. The buckle portion according to claim 17, wherein the main body
has a front face, a rear face, two side walls, a top opening and a
bottom, and wherein the strap securing bars are located adjacent to
and run parallel with the side walls.
22. The buckle portion according to claim 21, wherein a distance
between the two strap securing bars is greater than a distance
between the side walls.
23. The buckle portion according to claim 17, wherein the main body
has a top opening and two locking slots disposed on opposite side
walls, for receiving a buckle portion having two locking legs.
24. The buckle portion according to claim 19, further comprising a
securing plate removably inserted between the rear face and the
strap securing bars, such that the buckle portion can be attached
to a strap by threading the strap between the securing plate and
rear face of the main body.
25. The buckle portion according to claim 17, wherein the strap
securing bars are offset from the main body in a plane located
behind the rear face of the main body.
26. The buckle portion according to claim 18, wherein the slot is
disposed at an angle that is not perpendicular to a longitudinal
expanse of the strap securing bar.
27. The buckle portion according to claim 17, wherein there are
four strap securing bars.
28. The buckle portion according to claim 18, wherein each of the
strap securing bars has a slot cut therein.
29. The buckle portion according to claim 17, wherein said at least
one strap securing bar is movably connected to the main body at one
end of the strap securing bar, and further comprising at least
securing device connected to the main body, such that the free end
of the strap securing bar is adapted to be snapped into the
securing device to secure the free end to the main body.
30. The buckle portion according to claim 29, wherein there are two
strap securing bars having free ends, and two securing devices, and
wherein said two strap securing bars having free ends are disposed
adjacent side walls of the buckle portion.
31. The buckle portion according to claim 30, wherein the securing
devices are in the form of clamps and are disposed on a rear face
of the main body, and wherein the strap securing bars are
positioned below a rear face of the main body.
32. The buckle portion according to claim 29, wherein one of the
strap securing bars is secured with the securing device, and the
other one of the strap securing bars is rigidly connected to the
main body and has a slot cut therethrough for passage of a
strap.
33. An article, comprising: a surface with a plurality of straps
sewn thereon; and at least one buckle portion attached to at least
one of the plurality of straps, the buckle portion comprising: a
main body having a hollow cavity; means for securing another buckle
portion within the hollow cavity; and at least two strap securing
bars connected to the main body, at least one of said strap
securing bars having a free end, such that said buckle portion can
be attached to a strap by sliding an edge of the strap through a
space created by the free end and positioning the strap so that the
strap is disposed between the strap securing bar and the main body.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a female buckle part that can be
easily removed from a strap on which it is mounted. In particular,
the invention relates to a female buckle part that can be mounted
in different orientations on a strap, and which can be easily
removed without damage to the buckle or strap.
[0003] 2. The Prior Art
[0004] Plastic two-piece buckle assemblies are commonly used to
releasably connect two objects together, such as ends of a belt or
a strap on a piece of luggage. These assemblies generally consist
of a male part that is releasably snapped into a female part. Both
the male and female parts can have strap retaining bars around
which a strap is threaded or sewn to secure the buckle to the
respective strap. An example of such a buckle is shown in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,546,842 to Anscher, which shows a typical side-release type
buckle, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,057, which shows an example of a
center-push-button type buckle.
[0005] One disadvantage of these types of buckle is that the buckle
cannot be easily removed from the strap, especially when the strap
is sewn around the buckle. Removal of the buckle in this way
requires either severing the strap or breaking the buckle.
[0006] There are many applications where a device must be securely
attached to another object, but must be also easily removable. One
situation is with protective vests, which are commonly worn by the
military and law enforcement officers. It is often necessary to
attach additional packs or other objects to the vests, so that they
can be accessible by the user. However, these other objects must
also be easily removable when they are not needed. It is also
necessary that the objects be able to be placed on different areas
of the vest, depending on the needs of the wearer. The vests are
often equipped with many straps in all areas of the vest, which can
then be used for attaching the additional packs, such as a tool
kit, medicine pouch, flashlight holder, etc. The standard two-piece
buckle assembly cannot be used for this application, as the buckle
is too difficult to remove and place in a different location.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a
buckle assembly in which at least one part of the two-piece buckle
can be easily removed from the strap to which it is connected.
[0008] This object is accomplished by a buckle portion comprising a
main buckle body with a hollow cavity, means for securing another
buckle portion within the main body, and at least two strap
securing bars connected to the main body. At least one of the
securing bars has at least one free end that is not connected to
the main body, to allow a strap to be releasably attached to the
buckle portion by sliding an edge of the strap through a space
adjacent the free end of the strap securing bar, and positioning
the strap so that the strap is securely fixed between the strap
securing bar and main body. In one embodiment, the strap securing
bar can be configured so that there is a slot cut through the strap
securing bar, thus creating two free ends, so that the strap is
threaded through the slot and positioned so that it spans the slot.
In an alternative embodiment, the strap securing bar is connected
at only one end to the main body. The free end of the strap
securing bar can be snapped into a clamp on the main body after a
strap has been threaded between the strap securing bar and the main
body, thus securing the strap to the buckle portion. In another
embodiment, one strap securing bar can have a slot, and the other
can have a clamp.
[0009] The buckle portion can be configured to have two locking
slots in the hollow body, to accommodate a typical side-release
male buckle portion having two locking legs. Alternatively, the
buckle portion can have a center push button mechanism to
accommodate a male buckle portion having a single central locking
leg. Any suitable locking mechanism can be employed with the buckle
portion according to the invention.
[0010] Preferably, the strap securing bars are disposed opposite
one another, with the main body being disposed between the strap
securing bars. Each of the strap securing bars can have a slot cut
therein or having a clamping arrangement to allow threading of a
strap. This way, a strap that is secured to an object on both ends
of the strap can still be easily attached to the buckle portion, as
the strap is threaded in through the strap securing bars. In the
embodiment containing the slots, the slots are preferably disposed
in a central area of each strap securing bar, and are disposed at
an angle that is not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the
strap securing bar. This allows the strap to be threaded in more
easily to the strap securing bars.
[0011] The main body has a front face, a rear face, two side walls
a top opening and a bottom. In one embodiment, the strap securing
bars are located adjacent to and run parallel with the top opening
and bottom, respectively. The strap securing bars can be disposed
so that a distance between the two strap securing bars is greater
than a distance between the top opening and the bottom. The strap
securing bars can also be configured to be wider than the width of
the buckle. Since the buckle body can be somewhat narrow, the
spaced-apart configuration of the strap securing bars allows the
buckle portion to be attached to two straps that are spaced farther
apart than the length of the main body and be attached to straps
that are wider than the width of the main body.
[0012] In another embodiment, the strap securing bars are located
adjacent to and run parallel with the side walls. Again, the strap
securing bars can be disposed such that a distance between the two
strap securing bars is greater than a distance between the side
walls, to allow the buckle portion to be attached to straps that
are spaced wider than a width of the main body.
[0013] In another embodiment, there is a securing plate removably
inserted between the rear face of the main body and the strap
securing bars. This allows the buckle portion to be convertible
between orientations. Instead of threading the straps through the
strap securing bars, the main body can be placed over a strap and
the securing plate is then threaded between the strap securing bars
and the rear face of the main body. The buckle portion can then be
removed from the strap by sliding the securing plate out from
beneath the strap. This securing plate can be used whether the
strap securing bars are disposed parallel to the top opening and
bottom of the main body, or parallel to the side walls of the main
body. The securing plate has a forked end that is wider than the
space within the strap securing bars, so that the forked end can be
pressed inward to slide the securing plate into position, and then
released, so that the forked end is biased outward and holds the
securing plate in place on the buckle.
[0014] In a further embodiment, there are four strap securing bars,
one disposed parallel and adjacent to the top opening, two disposed
parallel to the side walls, and one disposed parallel to and
adjacent the bottom. This way, the buckle can be positioned in any
orientation on a set of straps, without needing the additional
securing plate.
[0015] Preferably, the strap securing bars are offset from the main
body in a plane located behind the rear wall of the main body. This
allows the main body to be positioned above the straps, to allow
easier manipulation of the entire buckle assembly. The strap
securing bars can be placed either directly under the main body or
spaced outwardly from the main body.
[0016] The buckle portion according to the invention is
particularly useful on protective vests that are utilized by the
military and law enforcement personnel. These vests can be equipped
with a pattern of straps throughout the torso area, such as in an
interlocking criss-cross manner. The buckle portions according to
the invention can then be placed in any location and any
orientation, depending on the needs of the individual user. The
buckle portion, in combination with a corresponding male portion
that is locked into it, can be used to secure a variety of objects
to the vest, such as medical equipment, communications equipment,
additional bags for storage, etc. The buckle portion according to
the invention creates a very flexible modular arrangement that
allows the wearer of the vest to customize the vest to suit his/her
needs, in a simple and economical manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Other objects and features of the present invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description considered
in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be
understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an
illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the
invention.
[0018] In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote
similar elements throughout the several views:
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a front view of one embodiment of the female
buckle portion according to the invention, with a strap threaded
therethrough;
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the buckle;
[0021] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the buckle;
[0022] FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the buckle;
[0023] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the buckle;
[0024] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view along lines 6-6 of FIG.
3;
[0025] FIG. 7 shows a bottom view as seen from arrows 7 in FIG.
5;
[0026] FIG. 8 shows a top view as seen from arrows 8 in FIG. 5;
[0027] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a male portion being
inserted into the female buckle portion;
[0028] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the male fully inserted
into the female buckle portion;
[0029] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of an securing plate for
use with the buckle of FIG. 1;
[0030] FIG. 12 shows a side view of the securing plate;
[0031] FIG. 13 shows a top view of the securing plate;
[0032] FIG. 14 shows a side view of the buckle with the securing
plate inserted therein;
[0033] FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional view of the buckle
arrangement of FIG. 14;
[0034] FIG. 16 shows an exploded view of how the securing plates is
inserted into the buckle to secure a strap;
[0035] FIG. 17 shows a strap secured to the buckle by the securing
plate;
[0036] FIG. 18 shows two buckles mounted on straps on an article of
use;
[0037] FIG. 19 shows a top view of an alternative embodiment of the
buckle according to the invention;
[0038] FIG. 20 shows a side view of the buckle of FIG. 19;
[0039] FIG. 21 shows a rear view of the buckle of FIG. 19;
[0040] FIG. 22 shows a top view of another embodiment of the buckle
portion according to the invention;
[0041] FIG. 23 shows a bottom view of the embodiment of FIG.
22;
[0042] FIG. 24 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 22;
[0043] FIG. 25A shows a front end view of the embodiment of FIG. 22
in an open position;
[0044] FIG. 25B shows the front end view of FIG. 25B in a locked
position;
[0045] FIG. 26 shows a top view of another embodiment of the buckle
portion according to the invention; and
[0046] FIG. 27 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 26.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0047] Referring now in detail to the drawings, FIGS. 1-8 show a
female buckle portion 10 according to one embodiment of the
invention. Buckle portion 10 has a front face 11, a rear face 12,
two side walls 13, 14, a hollow cavity and a top opening 15. Two
locking slots 21, 22 are disposed in sidewalls 13, 14. Buckle
portion 10 is configured to accept a standard male buckle portion,
having two locking legs that snap into locking slots 21, 22.
Alternatively, in an another embodiment (not shown), buckle portion
10 can be configured as a center-push button buckle, and can be
configured to accept a male portion having a central leg that is
released by depressing the push button. The mechanical aspects of
the release system in buckle portion 10 and its interaction with a
corresponding male buckle portion can be configured in any desired
way, based on the needs of the manufacturer.
[0048] Buckle portion 10 can be secured to a strap 30 by two strap
securing bars 16, 17. Each of strap securing bars 16, 17 has a slit
18, 19 therein to facilitate insertion of strap 30. The width of
slits 18, 19 can be determined based on the needs of the
manufacturer and the type of strap used. Preferably, slits 18, 19,
are configured so that they do not run exactly perpendicular to the
longitudinal expanse of strap retaining bars 16, 17. This allows
straps 30 to be inserted around strap retaining bars 16, 17 with
less effort. Slits 18, 19 are also disposed offset from the center
of strap retaining bars 16, 17.
[0049] To secure buckle portion 10 to a strap 30, strap 30 is
threaded through slits 18, 19 until it runs between strap retaining
bars 16, 17 and rear face 12 of buckle portion 10. The position of
buckle portion 10 can be adjusted by sliding it along strap 30
until a desired position is reached. Preferably, there is very
little extra clearance once strap 30 is installed, so that buckle
portion 10 remains in its position until moved by the user.
[0050] Strap securing bars 16, 17 are located offset from rear face
12 by a space d, shown in FIG. 6, so that strap 20 can fit between
strap securing bars 16, 17 and the rear face 12 of buckle 10. Strap
securing bars 16, 17 are also positioned beyond the ends of buckle
portion 10 so that a distance between strap securing bars 16, 17 is
greater than an overall length of buckle portion 10. This allows
small buckles to be used on articles having more widely spaced
strap configurations. The positioning of strap securing bars with
respect to buckle portion 10 can be adjusted by the manufacturer
based on the intended use.
[0051] As shown in FIG. 7, the bottom of buckle portion 10 can have
an aperture 24 therethrough to prevent dust and debris from
collecting in the cavity formed in buckle portion 10.
[0052] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, buckle portion 10 is configured
for use with a male portion 60, which has a base 61, a strap
securing bar 62 and two locking legs 63, 64. Male portion 60 is
snapped into female buckle portion 10 so that locking legs 63, 64
snap into locking slots 21, 22 of female buckle portion 10.
Pressing locking legs 63, 64 inward allows locking legs 63, 64 to
clear the locking slots and release male portion 60 from female
buckle portion 10. Male portion 60 can be connected via strap
securing bar 62 to any useful item, such as a carrying pouch,
medical kit, hydration kit, weapon holder, etc. It forms a
convenient modular assembly along with buckle portion 10, as the
buckle assembly can be placed in a variety of locations and
orientations on an article having several straps.
[0053] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-10, strap 30 is threaded
through buckle 10 so that strap 30 runs parallel to a longitudinal
expanse of buckle 10, i.e, in a direction from the top to the
bottom of the buckle or vice versa. Strap retaining bars could also
be devised so that instead of being positioned adjacent the top and
bottom of the buckle, they are positioned adjacent the side walls.
This way, strap 30 would run perpendicular to the longitudinal
expanse of buckle 10. Alternatively, the securing plate 40 shown in
FIGS. 11-17 could be used along with buckle 10 to allow for
different positioning of buckle 10 on strap 30.
[0054] Securing plate 40 comprises a body 41 having a handle
portion 42 and a forked end portion 43. Body 41 is slightly curved,
so that the ends are higher than the middle. Securing plate 40 is
inserted between rear wall 12 of buckle 10 and strap retaining bars
16, 17, to create a space 45 for strap 30 to run perpendicular to
the longitudinal expanse of buckle 10.
[0055] Strap 30 is attached to buckle 10 using securing plate 40 by
placing buckle 10 on strap 30 (or vice versa) so that rear face 12
of buckle 10 faces strap 30, as shown in FIG. 16. Then, securing
plate 40 is placed over strap 30, and forked end 43 is slid between
rear face 12 and strap retaining bars 17 and then 16 until it is
fully inserted, as shown in FIG. 17. The end of securing plate 40
is forked so that it can be pressed inward to fit though strap
retaining bars 16, 17 until coming to a final position shown in
FIG. 17. Here, end 43 is pressed against the sides of strap
retaining bar 16 and held in place by the biasing force of forked
end 43. This way, strap 30 is held securely between buckle 10 and
securing plate 40. By having securing plate 40, buckle 10 can be
placed on strap 30 in any orientation, depending on the needs of
the user, without having to configure different buckles.
[0056] FIG. 18 shows buckle 10 installed on an item of use 50, such
as a combat vest, which has a multitude of straps 30. Straps 30 are
permanently sewn into position, so that they do not come loose.
Standard buckles having closed strap retaining bars cannot be
placed on straps 30 without freeing straps 30. Buckle 10 can be
easily installed on straps 30 by sliding straps 30 through slits
18, 19 on strap retaining bars 16, 17. As shown in FIG. 18, buckle
10 can be placed on strap 30 so that strap 30 runs perpendicular to
a longitudinal expanse of buckle 10, by using securing plate 40 (as
shown by the buckle on the top), or can be placed on strap 30 so
that strap 30 runs parallel to a longitudinal expanse of buckle 10,
by threading strap 30 directly through strap retaining bars 16,
17.
[0057] FIGS. 19-21 show an alternative embodiment of the buckle
portion, in which there are four strap securing bars. In this
embodiment, buckle portion 110 has strap securing bar 116 with slot
118 opposite the front opening of main body 111, strap securing bar
117 with slot 119 opposite the rear of the buckle, strap securing
bar 122 with slot 124 opposite one of the side walls, and strap
securing bar 121 with slot 123 opposite the other side wall. As
shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, all of the strap securing bars are
disposed offset from the rear wall of the buckle, to allow easier
threading of straps. With this embodiment, buckle portion 110 can
be placed on a strap in multiple orientations, without requiring a
separate adjustment piece.
[0058] Another embodiment of the buckle portion of the invention is
shown in FIGS. 22-25B. Here, buckle portion 210 comprises a main
body 211 with a central opening 212. Strap securing bars 213, 215
are connected at one end 214, 216, respectively to main body 211.
Strap securing bars 213, 215 are arranged parallel to the side
walls having locking slots 228 (see FIG. 24) but can also be
arranged parallel to central opening 212 and the rear of the buckle
portion.
[0059] Strap securing bars 213, 215 are mounted underneath main
body 211 so that a space 226 exists between strap securing bars
213, 215 and the underside of main body 211 (see FIG. 24). Space
226 is dimensioned sufficiently large so as to accommodate a strap
threaded between strap securing bars 213, 215 and main body
211.
[0060] Strap securing bars 215, 216 are flexibly mounted to main
body 211 so that they can be snapped into spaces 221, 222 of clamps
217, 218 positioned on the underside of main body 211 (see FIGS.
25A, 25B) to secure the other end of strap securing bars 213, 215
to main body 211. This way, a strap threaded between strap securing
bars 215, 216 and main body 211 can be securely retained by buckle
portion 210, with no risk of the strap slipping out of buckle
portion 210. Strap securing bars 213, 215 can be released from
clamps 217, 218 by pressing the ends of strap securing bars 213,
215 together until they clear clamps 217, 218.
[0061] Yet another embodiment of the buckle portion is shown in
FIGS. 26-27. In this embodiment, buckle portion 310 has a strap
securing bar 316 with a slot 318 located adjacent the open end 322
of main buckle body 320. At the other end strap securing bar 315 is
connected at one end to arm 314. Strap securing bar 315 can be
snapped into engagement with other arm 313 by pressing downward on
bar 315 until plug 319 snaps into a clamp formed by socket 312
(shown in FIG. 27). Bar 315 can be released by pressing outwardly
on shoulders 323 and 324 until plug 319 is released from socket
321. This type of arrangement could also be used in place of strap
securing bar 316 with slot 318, so that two snap-release type
securing bars are used on the same buckle.
[0062] Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present
invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many
changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *