Buckle assembly

A buckle assembly for receiving a tongue, said buckle assembly comprising:

• a base having an opening for receiving a belt;
• a latch member connected with said base and movable relative to said base between an engaged position and a release position;
• a pushbutton which is connected with said base and is manually actuatable from a first position to a second position to move said latch member from the engaged position to the release position;
• a spring for providing a force against which said pushbutton is actuated during movement of said latch member from the engaged position to the release position;
• and
• a one-piece locator member mounted on said base and having a portion extending into the opening in said base to block engagement of a belt with said base at the location where the belt extends through the opening in the base, said locator member having a recess which receives at least a portion of said spring to position said spring relative to said base.

A buckle assembly for receiving a tongue, said buckle assembly comprising:

• a latch member in which an opening is formed and which is movable between an engaged position and a release position;
• a pushbutton which is manually actuatable from a first position to a second position to move said latch member from the engaged position to the release position;
• a latch spring which provides force urging said latch member to the engaged position, said latch member being movable from the engaged position to the release position against force provided by said latch spring upon insertion of a tongue into said buckle assembly;
• a coil spring which extends through the opening in said latch member and which thus bypasses said latch member, said coil spring further extending into engagement with said pushbutton and providing force urging said pushbutton to the first position, said pushbutton being manually actuatable from the first position to the second position against a combined force provided by said latch spring and said coil spring to move said latch member from the engaged position to the release position;
• a metal base having an opening for receiving a belt;
• and
• a one-piece locator member formed of plastic and mounted on said base, said locator member extending through the opening in said base to block engagement of said base with a belt received in the opening, said locator member having a first recess for receiving an end portion of said coil spring to position said coil spring relative to said base and a second recess for receiving an end portion of said latch spring.

A buckle assembly for receiving a tongue, said buckle assembly comprising:

• a base having an opening for receiving a belt;
• a latch member connected with said base and movable relative to said base between an engaged position and a release position;
• a pushbutton which is connected with said base and is manually actuatable from a first position to a second position to move said latch member from the engaged position to the release position;
• a spring for providing a force against which said pushbutton is actuated during movement of said latch member from the engaged position to the release position;
• a one-piece locator member mounted on said base and having a portion extending into the opening in said base to block engagement of a belt with said base at the location where the belt extends through the opening in the base, said locator member having a recess which receives at least a portion of said spring to position said spring relative to said base;
• and
• a second spring for providing a force against which said pushbutton is actuated during movement to said latch member from the engaged position to the release position, said locator member having a second recess which receives at least a portion of said second spring to position said second spring relative to said base.

A buckle assembly for receiving a tongue, said buckle assembly comprising:

• a base having an opening for receiving a belt;
• a latch member connected with said base and movable relative to said base between an engaged position and a release position;
• a pushbutton which is connected with said base and is manually actuatable from a first position to a second position to move said latch member from the engaged position to the release position;
• a spring for providing a force against which said pushbutton is actuated during movement of said latch member from the engaged position to the release position;
• a one-piece locator member mounted on said base and having a portion extending into the opening in said base to block engagement of a belt with said base at the location where the belt extends through the opening in the base, said locator member having a recess which receives at least a portion of said spring to position said spring relative to said base;
• and
• said latch member having an opening formed therein, said spring being a coil spring which extends through the opening in said latch member and which thus bypasses said latch member, said coil spring further extending into engagement with said pushbutton, said locator member having a first recess which receives an end portion of said coil spring, said buckle assembly further including a second spring which provides a force urging said latch member to the engaged position, said locator member having a second recess which receives a portion of said second spring.

A buckle assembly for receiving a tongue, said buckle assembly comprising:

• a latch member in which an opening is formed and which is movable between an engaged position and a release position;
• a pushbutton which is manually actuatable from a first position to a second position to move said latch member from the engaged position to the release position;
• a latch spring which provides force urging said latch member to the engaged position, said latch member being movable from the engaged position to the release position against force provided by said latch spring upon insertion of a tongue into said buckle assembly;
• and
• a spring having a first end and a second end, said spring extending through the opening in said latch member and thus bypassing said latch member between said ends of said spring, said spring further extending into engagement with said pushbutton at one of said ends of said spring to provide force urging said pushbutton to the first position, said pushbutton being manually actuatable from the first position to the second position against a combined force provided by said latch spring and said spring to move said latch member from the engaged position to the release position.