BUCKLE

1 . A buckle comprising:

a catch having a manipulation end and a lead end opposite the manipulation end, the lead end having at least one shoulder, the at least one shoulder having at least one tooth;

a buckle housing;

at least one pawl rotationally coupled to the buckle housing, the at least one pawl having a manipulation portion and an engaging portion, the manipulation portion configured and arranged to allow a manipulation force to rotate the at least one pawl in relation to the buckle housing, the engaging portion of the at least one pawl including an engaging edge configured and arranged to selectively engage the at least one shoulder of the catch, the engaging edge including at least one notch, the at least one tooth of the at least one shoulder of the catch selectively received in the at least one notch of the engaging edge of the at least one pawl; and

at least one biasing member configured to exert a biasing force on the at least one pawl to engage the engaging edge of the at least one pawl with the at least one shoulder of the at least one catch.

2 . The buckle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pawl includes a biasing slot configured and arranged to receive an end of the biasing member.

3 . The buckle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tooth of the at least one shoulder extends from the at least one shoulder in a direction toward the manipulation end of the catch.

4 . The buckle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one pawl and the at least one biasing member are configured and arranged to retain the lead end of the catch within the buckle housing.

5 . The buckle of claim 1 , wherein the buckle housing further comprise:

at least one plate, the at least one pawl coupled to the at least one plate.

6 . The buckle of claim 5 , wherein the at least one plate restricts access to the manipulation portion of the pawl.

7 . The buckle of claim 1 , wherein the manipulation end of the catch further includes a catch slot configured and arranged to receive a strap.

8 . The buckle of claim 1 , further comprising:

a slide movably coupled within an opening of the housing of the buckle to receive a strap.

9 . The buckle of claim 8 , further comprising:

a locking member configured and arranged to lock the strap on the slide.

10 . A buckle comprising:

a buckle housing;

a first pawl rotationally coupled to the buckle housing, the first pawl having a first manipulation portion and a first engaging portion, the first manipulation portion configured and arranged to allow a manipulation force to rotate the first pawl in relation to the buckle housing, the first engaging portion of the first pawl including a first engaging edge configured and arranged to selectively engage a first shoulder on a lead end of a catch, the first engaging edge of the first pawl including a first notch configured and arranged to receive a first tooth on the first shoulder of the catch;

a second pawl rotationally coupled to the buckle housing a spaced distance from the first pawl, the second pawl having a second manipulation portion and a second engaging portion, the second manipulation portion configured and arranged to allow a force to rotate the second pawl in relation to the buckle housing, the second engaging portion of the second pawl including a second engaging edge configured and arranged to selectively engage a second shoulder on the lead end of the catch, the second engaging edge of the second pawl including a second notch configured and arranged to receive a second tooth on the second shoulder of the catch;

a first biasing member configured and arranged to exert a force on the first pawl to engage the first engaging portion of the first pawl on the first shoulder of the catch; and

a second biasing member configured and arranged to exert a force on the second pawl to engage the second engaging portion of the second pawl on the second shoulder of the catch, wherein both first and second manipulation portions of the first and second pawls are simultaneously manipulated to release the first and second engaging portions of the first and second pawls from the first and second shoulders of the catch.

11 . The buckle of claim 10 , further comprising:

the first pawl having a first biasing slot configured to receive an end of the first biasing member; and

the second pawl having a second biasing slot configured to receive an end of the second biasing member.

12 . The buckle of claim 10 , wherein the buckle housing includes at least one plate.

13 . The buckle of claim 12 , wherein the at least one plate restricts access to the first and second manipulation portions of the first and second pawls.

14 . The buckle of claim 10 , further comprising:

a slide movably coupled within an opening to the housing of the buckle to receive a strap.

15 . The buckle of claim 14 , further comprising:

a locking member configured and arranged to lock the strap on the slide.

16 . The buckle of claim 15 , further comprising:

a cam knob rotationally coupled to the buckle housing, the cam knob configured and arranged to manipulate the locking member.

17 . A buckle comprising:

a catch having a manipulation end and a lead end opposite the manipulation end, the lead end having a first shoulder and a second shoulder, the first shoulder having a first tooth and the second shoulder having a second tooth;

a buckle housing having passage to receive the lead end of the catch;

a first pawl rotationally coupled to the buckle housing, the first pawl having a first manipulation portion and a first engaging portion, the first manipulation portion configured and arranged to allow for a manipulation force to rotate the first pawl in relation to the buckle housing, the first engaging portion of the first pawl including a first engaging edge configured and arranged to selectively engage the first shoulder of the lead end of the catch when the lead end of the catch is inserted in the passage of the buckle housing, the first engaging edge of the first pawl including a first notch configured and arranged to receive the first tooth on the first shoulder of the catch;

a second pawl rotationally coupled to the buckle housing a spaced distance from the first pawl, the second pawl having a second manipulation portion and a second engaging portion, the second manipulation portion configured and arranged to allow a force to rotate the second pawl in relation to the buckle housing, the second engaging portion of the second pawl including a second engaging edge configured and arranged to selectively engage the second shoulder on the lead end of the catch when the lead end of the catch is inserted in the passage of the buckle housing, the second engaging edge of the second pawl including a second notch configured and arranged to receive a second tooth on the second shoulder of the catch;

a first biasing member configured and arranged to exert a first biasing force on the first pawl to engage the first engaging portion of the first pawl on the first shoulder of the catch; and

a second biasing member configured and arranged to exert a second biasing force on the second pawl to engage the second engaging portion of the second pawl on the second shoulder of the catch, wherein both first and second manipulation portions of the first and second pawls are simultaneously manipulated to release the first and second engaging portions of the first and second pawls from the first and second shoulders of the catch.

18 . The buckle of claim 10 , further comprising:

the first pawl having a first biasing slot configured to receive a first end of the first biasing member, the buckle housing forming a second biasing slot configured to receive a second end of the first biasing member; and

the second pawl having a third biasing slot configured to receive a first end of the second biasing member, the buckle housing forming a fourth biasing slot configured to receive a second end of the second biasing member.

19 . The buckle of claim 10 , wherein the buckle housing includes at least one plate that restricts access to the first and second manipulation portions of the first and second pawls.

20 . The buckle of claim 10 , further comprising:

a slide movably coupled within an opening to the housing of the buckle to engage a strap;

a locking member configured and arranged to lock the strap on the slide; and

a cam knob rotationally coupled to the buckle housing, the cam knob configured and arranged to manipulate the locking member.