EP4786672A1

EP4786672A1 - Ecological and resistant clothespin in a single mold

Info

Publication number: EP4786672A1
Application number: EP26155305.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Paolo Orlando Colombo
Original assignee: Colombo New Scal SpA
Current assignee: Colombo New Scal SpA
Priority date: 2025-01-30
Filing date: 2026-01-30
Publication date: 2026-08-05

Abstract

Clothespin (10) made in a single mold of plastic material, consisting of two tightening elements (11) and an elastic means (20), wherein each tightening element (11) comprises a front portion forming a jaw (12) and a rear portion forming a lever arm (13), wherein the elastic means (20) comprises a first fork arch (21) comprising a concave portion (211) and two ends (212), and two flex portions (22), each extending one of the two ends (212) towards the two jaws (12), wherein the elastic means (20) comprises two second fork arches (23), and wherein each front portion forming the jaw (12) comprises a first recess (14), which comprises a concave portion (141) with a concavity facing a respective concave portion (141) of the respective first recess (14) of the other front portion forming the jaw (12).

Description

The present invention relates to an ecological and resistant clothespin made in a single mold.
In the state of the art, clothespins are known which are adapted to hang clothes or linen on wires or clothes dryers. The clothespins comprise two tightening elements which cooperate together to form a tightening structure adapted to switch from a tightened configuration to an open configuration by means of at least one elastic means. Each tightening element comprises a front portion forming a jaw and a rear portion forming a lever arm.
Elastic means of the state of the art are metallic elements that form helical springs, such as for example US 6842951 B1 , or elastic blades such as for example US 4813107 A1 .
Metallic elastic means make the recycling of clothespins disadvantageous and make the production of clothespins more expensive and more complicated.
Plastic elastic means are, for example, provided in WO 2021/089812 A1 but are made of a different material with respect to the rest of the clothespin, or are provided in a single mold, as in EP 0302135 A1 , but with a shape that makes a complete opening of the jaws difficult and makes them not very durable.
Disadvantageously, plastic elastic means can be subjected to a higher probability of breakage.
Document DE 19 09 630 U shows a clothespin made according to the preamble of claim 1.
The object of the present invention is to make an ecological, recyclable, more resistant, durable, easily-manufacturable and less expensive clothespin.
In accordance with the invention, such object is achieved with a clothespin according to claim 1.
Other features are provided in the dependent claims.
The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, provided by way of example and without limitation, referred to the attached schematic drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front plan view of the clothespin according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the clothespin of Figure 1.

With reference to the above-mentioned figures, a clothespin 10 made in a single mold of plastic material is shown, consisting of two tightening elements 11 and an elastic means 20 between the two tightening elements 11.
Advantageously, the entire clothespin 10 is molded in a single piece, making the clothespin 10 more ecological, since the plastic material is only one.
Said two tightening elements 11 cooperate together to form a tightening structure adapted to switch from a tightened configuration to an open configuration by means of said elastic means 20.
Each tightening element 11 comprises a front portion forming a jaw 12 and a rear portion forming a lever arm 13.
By convention, clothespin 10 has a front part towards the jaws 12 and a rear part towards the lever arms 13. The inner part of the clothespin 10 is the one between the two tightening elements 11. The outer part of the clothespin 10 is the one facing outwards.
Said elastic means 20 comprises a first fork arch 21 arranged between said two tightening elements 11.
Said first fork arch 21 comprises a concave portion 211 and two ends 212. A concavity of said concave portion 211 faces two front portions forming two jaws 12, as shown in the figures.
Said elastic means 20 comprises two flex portions 22.
Each of said two flex portions 22 extends one of said two ends 212 of said first fork arch 21 towards the two jaws 12.
Each of said two flex portions 22 comprises a front end 223.
Said elastic means 20 comprises two second fork arches 23.
Each of said two second fork arches 23 comprises a concave portion 233, wherein a concavity of said concave portion 233 faces the two rear portions forming the two lever arms 13.
Each of said two second fork arches 23 comprises a first end extending from the front end 223 of a respective flex portion 22 and a second end 231 rising from an inner surface of a respective tightening element 11.
Preferably, said first fork arch 21 extends over an angle between 180 and 270 sexagesimal degrees.
In the figures, the first fork arch 21 is shown as extending over an angle slightly greater than 180 sexagesimal degrees, that is, over an angle between 180 and 190 sexagesimal degrees.
Preferably, said two second fork arches 23 extend over an angle between 120 and 270 sexagesimal degrees.
In the figures, each of the two second fork arches 23 is shown as extending over an angle between 120 and 180 sexagesimal degrees.
According to the invention, each front portion forming a jaw 12 comprises a first recess 14, wherein said first recess 14 comprises a concave portion 141 comprising a concavity facing a respective concave portion 141 of the respective first recess 14 of the other front portion forming the jaw 12.
Preferably, said concave portion 141 of said first recess 14 extends over an angle between 120 and 270 sexagesimal degrees.
In the figures, said first recess 14 extends over an angle between 170 and 190 sexagesimal degrees.
Preferably, said elastic means 20 comprises two second flex portions 24, wherein each of said two second flex portions 24 comprises a front end extending from a rear end of said concave portion 141 of said first recess 14.
Advantageously, said first recess 14, arranged in a front position with respect to the elastic means 20, allows a greater movement elasticity of the elastic means 20, allowing the clothespin 10 to open to a greater angle in the open configuration of the two tightening elements 11.
Preferably, said first recess 14 comprises a front end extending as an extension 15 rising from an inner surface of the respective front portion forming the jaw 12 towards the inside of the clothespin 10, in the direction of another extension 15 rising from the inner surface of the other front portion forming the jaw 12.
Advantageously, said two extensions 15 allow to further reinforce the structure of the clothespin 10.
Preferably, each of said two front portions having the shape of a jaw 12 comprises a wavy portion 17, 18, wherein a first wavy portion 17 of one of said two front portions having the shape of a jaw 12 has a shape complementary to a second wavy portion 18 of the other of said two front portions having the shape of a jaw 12.
In the figures, the second wavy portion 18 comprises a single extension towards the inside of clothespin 10, and the first wavy portion 17 comprises a depression having a shape complementary to the extension of the second wavy portion 18, in order to better hold clothes or other linen retained by the clothespin 10 in the tightened configuration.
Preferably, each front portion forming a jaw 12 comprises a second recess 16, wherein said second recess 16 comprises a concave portion comprising a concavity facing a respective concave portion of the respective second recess 16 of the other front portion forming the jaw 12.
Preferably, the plastic material of the entire clothespin 10 is POM, with or without elastomer. POM, also known as acetal (or polyacetal) resin or polyoxymethylene, is a crystalline thermoplastic polymer.
Advantageously, POM has good mechanical strength and stiffness, excellent wear resistance, and also low moisture absorption.
Advantageously, the clothespin 10 does not comprise any metallic piece.
Advantageously, the clothespin 10 of the present technical solution is more ecological, more recyclable, more resistant, more durable, easier to manufacture, and less costly.
Alternatively, it is possible to provide that the entire clothespin 10 is molded in another plastic material different from POM, but with similar or better technical features.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants that fall within the exclusive scope of the claims. In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, can be any depending on the technical requirements.

Claims

Clothespin (10) made in a single mold of plastic material, consisting of two tightening elements (11) and an elastic means (20) between the two tightening elements (11),
wherein said two tightening elements (11) cooperate together to form a tightening structure adapted to switch from a tightened configuration to an open configuration by means of said elastic means (20),

wherein each tightening element (11) comprises a front portion forming a jaw (12) and a rear portion forming a lever arm (13),

wherein said elastic means (20) comprises a first fork arch (21) arranged between said two tightening elements (11),

wherein said first fork arch (21) comprises a concave portion (211) and two ends (212), wherein a concavity of said concave portion (211) faces two front portions forming two jaws (12),

wherein said elastic means (20) comprises two flex portions (22),

wherein each of said two flex portions (22) extends one of said two ends (212) of said first fork arch (21) towards the two jaws (12),

wherein each of said two flex portions (22) comprises a front end (223),

wherein said elastic means (20) comprises two second fork arches (23),

wherein each of said two second fork arches (23) comprises a concave portion (233), wherein a concavity of said concave portion (233) faces two rear portions forming two lever arms (13),

wherein each of said two second fork arches (23) comprises a first end extending from the front end (223) of the respective flex portion (22) and a second end (231) rising from an inner surface of a respective tightening element (11),

characterized in that each front portion forming a jaw (12) comprises a first recess (14), wherein said first recess (14) comprises a concave portion (141) comprising a concavity facing a respective concave portion (141) of the respective first recess (14) of the other front portion forming the jaw (12).
Clothespin (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said first fork arch (21) extends over an angle between 180 and 270 sexagesimal degrees.
Clothespin (10) according to one or more of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that each of said two second fork arches (23) extends over an angle between 120 and 270 sexagesimal degrees.
Clothespin (10) according to one or more preceding claims, characterized in that said concave portion (141) of said first recess (14) extends over an angle between 120 and 270 sexagesimal degrees.
Clothespin (10) according to one or more preceding claims, characterized in that said elastic means (20) comprises two second flex portions (24), wherein each of said two second flex portions (24) comprises a front end extending with a rear end of said concave portion (141) of said first recess (14).
Clothespin (10) according to one or more preceding claims, characterized in that said first recess (14) comprises a front end extending as an extension (15) rising from an inner surface of the respective front portion forming the jaw (12) towards the inside of the clothespin (10) in the direction of another extension (15) rising from the inner surface of the other front portion forming the jaw (12).
Clothespin (10) according to one or more preceding claims, characterized in that each of said two front portions having the shape of a jaw (12) comprises a wavy portion (17, 18), wherein a first wavy portion (18) of a first of said two front portions having the shape of a jaw (12) has a shape complementary to a second wavy portion (17) of a second of another of said two front portions having the shape of a jaw (12).
Clothespin (10) according to one or more preceding claims, characterized in that each front portion forming a jaw (12) comprises a second recess (16), wherein said second recess (16) comprises a concave portion comprising a concavity facing a respective concave portion of the respective second recess (16) of the other front portion forming the jaw (12).
Clothespin (10) according to one or more preceding claims, characterized by being molded in POM.