Releasable clasp

Claim 1

A releasable connector comprising: a female receiving member having opposing longitudinal side walls and opposing longitudinal edges providing an elongated internal passageway extending from one end thereof, and a pair of diametrically opposing retaining slots spacedly positioned along said passageway, said retaining slots being openings extending through said opposing longitudinal edges of said receiving member, said passageway including a mouth at said one end; a substantially flat elongated male insert member having a pair of elongated forwardly directed spaced apart, springy arms insertable into said passageway upon compression of said arms together into an abutting position; each of said arms including an outwardly extending enlarged hand portion at a leading end of each arm for releasably locking into a respective one of said retaining slots when said arms spread apart with each hand portion extending through an associated one of said openings to securely retain said insert member in said receiving member in a locked position; each of said hand portions including cam means for: (1) engaging said mouth of said passageway to direct said arms together into said abutting position to facilitate entry of said insert member into said passageway, (2) riding along inner edge walls of said passageway to facilitate passage of said insert member through said passageway, and (3) engaging an edge of a respective retaining slot to facilitate entry of said hand portions into said retaining slots and to also facilitate exit of said hand portions from said retaining slots; an inwardly directed edge on each hand portion rearward of a respective one of said cam means on each hand portion, each inwardly directed edge being disposed at an acute angle rearwardly inclined with respect to longitudinal axis of said insert member to provide a hook-like portion on each hand portion for locking onto said edge of said respective retaining slot; said hand portions including finger means to prevent walls of said mouth of said passageway from engaging between said hand portions, said finger means including a free end of each hand portion being provided with an inwardly extending finger directed towards the other hand portion, one said finger being spaced forward of and in an overlapping relationship to the other said finger to allow said hand portions to be compressed towards each other and to provide a leading insertion portion for entry into said passageway to thereby facilitate insertion of both arms into said passageway; abutment means on said hand portions to limit compression of said hand portions together to define said abutting position of said arms, said abutment means including a seat portion provided on a rearward edge of said one finger for abuttingly receiving said other finger thereon; and said hand portions having a combined transverse width in said abutting position substantially equal to a transverse width of said passageway to provide alignment between said arms and said passageway during insertion of said arms through said passageway.