Side release buckle

Abstract

A side release buckle includes a female buckle member, which has a front opening, two sloping sidewalls, two side holes respectively cut through the sloping sidewalls, and two retaining blocks respectively extended from the sloping sidewalls inside the female buckle member, and a male buckle member, which has two spring arms respectively insertable into the side holes of the female buckle member and a retaining groove on a free end of each spring arm, a springy brace connected between the two spring arms for forcing the retaining grooves into engagement with the retaining blocks after insertion of the spring arms into the side holes of the female buckle member, and a guide portion insertable into the front opening of the female buckle member to guide movement of the spring arms smoothly in the female buckle member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational assembly view of a side release buckle according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the side release buckle shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a schematic sectional view showing the release operation of the side release buckle in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention (I).

FIG. 3B is a schematic sectional view showing the release operation of the side release buckle in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention (II).

FIG. 3C is a schematic sectional view showing the release operation of the side release buckle in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention (III).

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a side release buckle in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a buckle according to the prior art.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the buckle according to the prior art design, showing the male buckle member and the female buckle member locked.

Claims

1. A side release buckle comprising a female buckle member and a male buckle member releasably connectable to said female buckle member, wherein: said female buckle member has a front side and a rear side, a front opening on said front side, two sloping sidewalls symmetrically disposed at two opposite lateral sides thereof, two side holes respectively cut through said sloping sidewalls, and two retaining members respectively formed on said sloping sidewalls;said male buckle member has two spring arms respectively insertable into said two side holes of said female buckle member, said spring arms each having a free end and a retaining member formed on said free end for engagement with the retaining members of said female buckle member respectively after insertion of said spring arms into the two side holes of said female buckle member, and a springy brace connected between said two spring arms.

2. The side release buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said male buckle member has a guide portion forwardly extending from said springy brace and insertable into the front opening of said female buckle member; said female buckle member has two guide rails disposed at two sides of said front opening for guiding movement of said guide portion of said male buckle member in said front opening of said female buckle member.

3. The side release buckle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said guide rails of said female buckle member each have a longitudinal sliding groove at an inner side thereof; said male buckle member has two sliding blocks respective protruded from two opposite lateral sides of said guide portion and respectively slidably insertable into the longitudinal sliding grooves of said guide rails of said female buckle member.

4. The side release buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring arms each have a press portion at an outer side thereof for pressing by a user to squeeze said spring arms toward each other.

5. The side release buckle as claimed in claim 1, said male buckle member has a mounting portion joining said spring arms and defining therein an insertion hole for the insertion of a strap.

6. The side release buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said female buckle member has a mounting portion at the rear side thereof and defining with said sloping sidewalls an insertion hole for the insertion of a strap.

7. The side release buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between said two sloping sidewalls of said female buckle member gradually increases in direction from the front side of said female buckle member toward the rear side thereof.