Snap fastener

A fastener for releasably joining two associated parts to each other, comprising a female member having a first connecting means for connecting said female member to one of the associated parts, and having a socket portion;

• a male member having a second connecting means for connecting said male member to the other one of the associated parts and having an insert portion, said insert portion being dimensioned and configurated to be removably receivable within said socket portion with little relative clearance, said first and second connecting means being securely attached to the respective ones of said portions and being adapted to be gripped to disengage said portions without applying excessive stresses to the associated parts, said socket portion forming a substantially hollow housing having an aperture in a side wall and having fenestration means in a face wall of said housing for exposing the interior thereof, and said insert portion comprising a tab dimensioned and configurated to substantially correspond to the configuration and dimension of the interior of said hollow housing so as to be receivable therein by passage through said fenestration means, at least one of said portions being provided with retaining means in the form of a plurality of protuberances, some of which are on one side of said side wall projecting inwardly of said fenestration means and on the other side of said side wall projecting in a direction away from said fenestration means and in a direction of said second connecting means, so that said retaining means releasably retaining the other of said portions during engagement therebetween of said socket and insert portions, said insert portion being snappingly receivable into said socket portion by deforming at least one of said portions and said retaining means.