AU2007200424A1 - Improved Spring Clip - Google Patents

Description

C07006 1 Improved Spring Clip Field of the invention [001] The present invention relates to pop-out spring clips which are of the type used to join tubular elements, or solid rod elements and tubular elements which slide one within the other and to locate one element relative to the other.

Background of the invention [002] Spring clips have been known for a considerable time and are generally found where one rod will telescope within a tune or be joined to another tube.

[003] With the greater application of such telescoping tubular members there has been a need to increase the safety of the spring clips so as to prevent accidental disconnection.

Summary of the invention [004] The present invention provides a detent member for locking a first rod or first tube coaxially with a tubular member, the detent being adapted to pass out of a first rod or first tube under a bias so as to sit proud of the exterior surface of the first rod or the first, the detent being characterised by including a groove at least partially therein in which can sit a portion of the tubular member when the detent, the first rod or the first tube and the tubular member are assembled.

[005] The groove can have a shaped base for engagement with the inside wall of a hole The groove can include at least one tapered side so as to assist and lead the tube to sit in the groove.

[006] An extremity of the detent can include an angled face to assist in the detent being forced within the rod as the tubular member is pushed into engagement with the rod and the detent.

[007] The detent can be generally cylindrical.

[008] The detent can be formed as part of or assembled with a spring member.

[009] The spring member can be one of a compression spring or a leaf spring.

[010] The present invention also provides a spring clip having a detent as described in any one of the preceding paragraphs.

[011] The spring clip can have its spring in the form of a U-shaped or C-shaped spring.

C07006 2 [012] The spring clip can be formed from a combination of compression spring or a leaf spring and said detent.

[013] The present invention also provides a tubular joining system having the detent or spring clip as described in any one of the preceding paragraphs.

[014] The present invention further provides a scaffolding system having at least one tubular section and the detent or spring clip as described above.

Brief description of the drawings [015] An embodiment or embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [016] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pop-clip; [017] Figure 2 is a side elevation of the clip of Figure 1; [018] Figure 3 is a plan view of the clip of Figure 1; [019] Figure 4 is a front elevation of the clip of Figure 1; [020] Figure 5 is another clip in perspective view; [021] Figure 6 is a side elevation of the clip of Figure [022] Figure 7 is a plan view of the clip of Figure [023] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the detent of the clip of Figure 1; [024] Figure 9 is a plan view of the detent of Figure 8; [025] Figure 10 is a side view of the detent of Figure 8; and [026] Figure 11 is a front view of the detent of Figure 8.

Detailed description of the embodiment or embodiments [027] Illustrated in Figure 1 is a spring clip 10 which has a detent 12 riveted to a Ushaped leaf spring 14. The riveting can be by any known means such as peening, star peening or other deformation mechanism. If desired, the detent 12 can be welded, braised or screwed into the leaf of the spring 14.

[028] As Illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 and 9 to 11, the detent 12 is made from a generally cylindrical body 16 with a smaller diameter rear portion which is used for peening or riveting the detent 12 to the leaf spring 14.

C07006 3 [029] The forward end of the detent 12 has a frusto conically shaped surface 20 (this could also be described as a bevelled edge) and part way through the body 16 is a groove 22. The groove 22 is of a depth 26 of less than a quarter of the diameter of the detent 12. As can be seen from the illustration of Figure 11, in which the groove 22 is shown in hidden detail, the base 24 of the groove 22 is curved so that the maximum depth 26 of the channel 22 occurs at the top with the depth tapering to the sides of the body 16 and terminating at opposed sides of a diameter 28.

[030] In use, the detent 12 will be positioned within a tubular member 30 as illustrated in the cross section of Figure 12 so as to protrude outside of a circular or other shaped hole 32 therein. When a second tubular member 34 is positioned over the tubular member 30, the detent 12 is pushed in the direction of arrow 36 so that the tubular member 34 can be pushed over the detent 12 until the detent 12 is aligned with a hole 38 in the outer tubular member 34. Once aligned, the detent 12 can pass through both holes 32 and 38 by means of the bias of the Ushaped leaf spring 14 and in this way lock the tubes 34 and 30 relative to each other.

[031] The width 40 of the channel 22 is selected so that the thickness of the tubular member 34 can fit therewithin. By positioning the channel 22 relative to the leaf spring 14 and thus the tubular member 30, so that the tubular member 34 will move into the channel 22 when the tubular members 34 and 30 are under their designed for load, the portion of the tubular member 34 around the top of the hole 38 will be located within the channel 22. By this means accidental pushing in the direction of arrow 36 which would otherwise accidentally unlock the tubular members 34 and 30 can be avoided.

[032] To release the detent 12 when desired the tubular members 34 and 30 are pulled apart, or pulled in the opposite direction as the designed for loading, so as to clear the hole 38 from the channel 22 which will allow the pop clip 12 to be moved in the direction of arrow 36 and allow the withdrawal of the outer tube 34 from the inner tube [033] As illustrated in Figure 13 is an illustration of the top half of a detent 120 having a channel 122 which is similar in construction to the channel 22 of figures 8 to 11, except that the rear face 42 has a taper so as to allow a portion of the tubular member around the top of the hole 38 to more readily enter into the channel 122. The other face 44 of the channel 122 is square or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the detent 12 which will be the bearing surface to prevent the accidental inward movement of the detent 12 when in use.

[034] As illustrated in Figure 14 is a detent 220 wherein a channel 320 is provided at a rearward portion of the detent 12 so that in use, the inner tubular member 30 will have the C07006 4 portion thereof around the hole 32 move into the channel 320 thus locking the detent member 12 relative to the inner tubular member 30 so as to prevent accidental unlocking.

[035] Illustrated in figure 14 is also a channel 22 on the opposite side of the detent 220, so that the lock can be effected against both the inner and outer tubular members 30 and 34. Such an arrangement can be readily produced, however, the material selected for the detent 12 will need to be selected so as to operate with a reduced cross sectional area of detent member to bear the shear stress of the load which comes from the interaction of the tubular members 34 and when under compression or tension.

[036] As illustrated in Figures 5 to 7 is a detent member 420 which has a substantial inclined plane 46 thereon so as to assist with the movement of one tubular member 34 relative to the other tubular member 30 so as to push the detent 120 into the tubular member 30 as the two tubes are telescoped within the other. Such an inclined plane 46 could be present on the detent members of Figures 8, 13 or 14.

[037] Whilst the above described embodiments refer to a spring clip having a U-shaped spring member, other shapes and types of spring members such as C-shaped, or compression spring could be used.

[038] The tubular joining system of figure 12 could be embodied in a scaffolding system, or a ladder, or a table leg or a tent pole or any apparatus which utilises either the joining of tubular members or a tubular member and a rod, and or the securing of telescoping tubular members and or the securing of a telescoping tubular member and a rod.

[039] Where ever it is used, the word. "comprising" is to be understood in its "open" sense, that is, in the sense of "including", and thus not limited to its "closed" sense, that is the sense of "consisting only of". A corresponding meaning is to be attributed to the corresponding words "comprise", "comprised" and "comprises" where they appear.

[040] It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

[041] While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all C07006 modifications which would be obvious to those skilled in the art are therefore intended to be C embraced therein.

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Claims (14)

1. A detent member for locking a first rod coaxially with a tubular member, the detent being adapted to pass out of a first rod under a bias so as to sit proud of the exterior surface of said first rod, said detent being characterised by including a groove at least partially therein in which can sit a portion of said tubular member when said detent, said first rod and said tubular member are assembled.

2. A detent as claimed in claim 1, wherein said groove has a shaped base for engagement with the inside wall of a hole through said tubular member.

3. A detent as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein said groove includes at least one tapered side so as to assist and lead said tube to sit in said groove.

4. A detent as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein an extremity thereof includes an angled face to assist in said detent being forced within said rod as said tubular member is pushed into engagement with said rod and said detent.

A detent as claimed in any one of the previous claims wherein said detent is generally cylindrical.

6. A detent as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said detent is formed as part of or assembled with a spring member.

7. A detent as claimed in claim 6, wherein said spring member is one of a compression spring or a leaf spring.

8. A spring clip having a detent as described in any one of the preceding claims.

9. A spring clip as claimed in claim 8, wherein the spring is in the form of a U-shaped spring, or C-shaped spring, or a compression spring or a leaf spring.

A tubular joining system having the detent or spring clip as claimed in any one of the preceding paragraphs.

11. A scaffolding system having at least one tubular section and the detent or spring clip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims..

12. A detent being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying figures.

13. A spring clip being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying figures. C07006 7

14. A tubular joining system being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying figures. A scaffolding system being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying figures Dated this 1st day of February 2007 BRADLEY SYSTEMS HOLDINGS PTY LIMITED by its patent attorneys HALFORD CO 0- 0" (-N