Front release buckle

Abstract

A front release buckle includes a female buckle member, which has a hooked portion at the front side of a top-open receiving chamber thereof, a male buckle member, which has a front hook vertically insertable into the top-open receiving open chamber into engagement with the hooked portion of the female buckle member, a control slide coupled to the female buckle member and movable relative to the female buckle member between an open position to open the top-open receiving chamber for the insertion of the front hook of the male buckle member into engagement with the hooked portion and a close position to close the top-open receiving chamber and to hold down the front hook of the male buckle member after engagement of the front hook with the hooked portion, and a spring member that supports the control slide in the close position.

1 . A front release buckle comprising:
 a female buckle member, said female buckle member comprising a top-open receiving chamber, a hooked portion vertically disposed in said top-open receiving chamber near a front side of said female buckle member, two sliding grooves arranged in parallel at two opposite lateral sides outside said top-open receiving chamber, and a mounting portion disposed at a rear side of said female buckle member for the mounting of a belt;   a male buckle member, said male buckle member comprising a front hook disposed at a front side thereof and vertically insertable into said top-open receiving open chamber into engagement with said hooked portion of said female buckle member, and a rear mounting portion disposed at a rear side thereof for the mounting of a belt;   a control slide coupled to said female buckle member and movable relative to said female buckle member between an open position to open said top-open receiving chamber for allowing insertion of said front hook of said male buckle member into said top-open receiving chamber of said female buckle member into engagement with said hooked portion and a close position to close said top-open receiving chamber and to hold down said front hook of said male buckle member in engagement with said hooked portion of said female buckle member after insertion of said front hook into said top-open receiving chamber, said control slide comprising a plurality of sliding rails respectively coupled to said sliding grooves of said female buckle member to guide movement of said control slide relative to said female buckle member along said sliding grooves; and   a spring member mounted in said top-open receiving chamber of said female buckle member and connected between a part of said control slide and a part of said female buckle member to support said control slide in said close position.   
   
   
       2 . The front release buckle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said female buckle member comprises a trough defined in said top-open receiving chamber; said control slide comprises a bottom lug protruded from a bottom wall thereof and inserted into said trough of said female buckle member; said spring member is accommodated in said trough and connected between an end wall of said trough and said bottom lug of said control slide. 
   
   
       3 . The front release buckle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said bottom lug of said control slide comprises a locating rod fastened to one end of said spring member to force said spring member against said end wall of said trough. 
   
   
       4 . The front release buckle as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said female buckle member comprises a stop block disposed in said trough remote from said end wall of said trough for stopping against said bottom lug of said control slide to hold said control slide in said close position. 
   
   
       5 . The front release buckle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said front hook of said male buckle member has a smoothly arched front guide face for guiding said control slide into said close position, and a front protrusion forwardly extending from a bottom side of said smoothly arched front guide face for keeping in close contact with a bottom surface of said top-open receiving chamber. 
   
   
       6 . The front release buckle as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said male buckle member comprises at least one angled edge for pushing said control slide from said close position to said open position.