Flap buckle

Claim 1

A buckle for holding a vehicle seat belt comprising: a. means connected to a floor of said vehicle for providing rigid support to the buckle at one end; b. clasp means pivotally mounted at one of its terminal ends to one side of said buckle forming with said buckle a slot with a bottom edge, and located at the opposite end and having a structural configuration to receive the width of the belt, said clasp means, in closed position, extending laterally across said opposite buckle end and terminating at its opposite terminal end by a hook means directed generally toward said one end of said buckle; c. means for biasing said clasp means to a predetermined open position; d. said slot being open at one end to permit entrance of the belt into the structural configuration of the slot; e. said hook means being connected to said clasp means for pivotal movement therewith to a position adjacent to the open end of the slot; f. catch means pivotally mounted at one of its ends to the other side of said buckle for engaging said hook means when said clasp is moved to a locking position to retain the webbing said catch means being a generally elongated member extending laterally across said buckle between said clasp means and the said one end of said buckle, an intermediate portion thereof having a catch shoulder extending toward said hook means, and the engagement between said hook shoulder and said catch means being adjacent to said slot; g. push button release means connected to said catch means at its other end for releasing said hook means from said catch means on depression of said push button means; h. biasing means urging said push button means to its nondepression position; and i. said push button means located below said clasp means and retained belt between said bottom edge of said slot and said one end of said buckle and positioned so that motion depressing it is substantially perpendicular to the vehicle floor.