Buckle assembly

Claim 1

A buckle assembly comprising: (a) a plug member molded of synthetic resin and including a resilient tongue having a locking lug disposed thereon; and (b) one-piece socket member molded of synthetic resin and adapted to be releasably coupled with said plug member, said one-piece molded socket member including (i) a pair of spaced upper and lower wings joined together by a pair of opposed side walls so as to define therebetween a guide channel for receiving therein said resilient tongue, said upper wing having a cut-away groove communicating with said guide channel to form a cantilevered resilient flap, said resilient flap having a releasing lug projecting into said guide channel, and (ii) a stopper bar extending between said side walls transversely across said guide channel and being spaced a distance from said releasing lug in a direction toward an inlet of said guide channel, said stopper bar being lockingly engageable with said locking lug to couple said plug and socket members, said releasing lug being engageable with said locking lug to urge the latter out of locking engagement with said stopper bar when said resilient flap is flexed toward said lower wing, and said stopper bar being engageable with said resilient flap to limit inwardly flexing movement of said resilient flap to such an extent that said resilient tongue of said plug member is prevented from being jammed against an inner surface of said lower wing of said socket member.