GB2172335A

GB2172335A - A clip e.g. for fixing a seat covering to a seat shell

Info

Publication number: GB2172335A
Application number: GB08604720A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Karl-Heinz Naumann
Original assignee: TRW United Carr GmbH and Co
Current assignee: TRW United Carr GmbH and Co
Priority date: 1985-03-08
Filing date: 1986-02-26
Publication date: 1986-09-17
Also published as: DE3508368C1; FR2578597A1; GB2172335B; SE8601044D0; ES8706075A1; FR2578597B1; SE8601044L; GB8604720D0; ES552767A0

Abstract

Like U-shaped clips are engageable in series to facilitate their use in a magazine 20 by providing each clip with at least one tongue 13, 14 and a recess 8, the tongue of one clip being engageable in the recess of an adjacent clip. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Clip This invention relates to a clip and relates particular ly, but not exclusively, to a clip for fixing a seat covering to a motor vehicle seat shell.

The prior art already includes a clip of this kind so constructed that on assembly each clip can be taken individually from a reservoir and fed manually to the place of further use. This is very time-consuming, while the person carrying out the assembly must exercise some precision to fit the clip so that it works properly.

The object of this invention is to devise a clip of the kind referred to hereinbefore that the complex and time-consuming manual assembly is dispensed with easily.

This problem is solved according to the invention by providing a clip comprising means for attachment to an article characterised in that the clip comprises one or more formations enabling engagement of the clip with two like clips so that like clips are engageable in series to facilitate use in a magazine.

The advantage of a clip according to the invention is that the individual clips can be mechanically interconnected so as to give a positive connection forming a strip of clips which can be inserted in the magazine of an assembly tool. Actuation of the tool enables each clip to be fed individually, rapidly and with high precision to the place of use.

In a preferred embodiment, the attaching means comprises a U-shaped retention zone and a fixing zone projecting from the connecting web between the two limbs of the U-shaped retention zone, and the clip comprises at least one zone for engaging a subsequent clip and a bearing zone adapted for engaging a preceding clip, and the engagement zone of one clip is engageable in the bearing zone of the other clip in order to facilitate use in a magazine.

In an embodiment of the invention, the engagement zone may be in the form of a detent projection and the bearing zone in the form of a detent groove.

One limb of the clip may have the detent groove and the other limb the projection.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the fixing zone of the clip may be in the form of an engagement zone and the opposite limb in the form of a bearing zone. As a result, existing elements can advantageously be used to interconnect the clips positively before assembly to form a kind of clip strip.

In a development of the invention, the engagement zone may comprise two adjacent resilient tongues which are jointly engageable in a recess of a limb of an adjacent clip. Advantageously, for ease of combination of the clips to form the strip and ease of removal of the clips individually, the resilient tongues widen out conically, the recess in the limb being constructed to widen out conically. As a result of this construction it is a simple matter automatically to dispense the individual clips successively by means of an assembly tool.

According to a further feature of the invention, the engagement zone having the two resilient tongues is bent out of the recess of one limb of the clip, thus simplifying production.

In a further development of the invention, a conical slot may be disposed between the two resilient tongues. It is also possible for the engage ment and bearing zones to be arranged asymmetric ally along the longitudinal axis of the clip thus automatically ensuring correct insertion of the strip of clips in an assembly tool. This ensures that the individual clips are dispensed from the strip by means of the tool so asto operate correctly in every case.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described, by way of example, in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clip; Figure2 is an elevation in the direction il in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a clip strip with the assembly tool.

Figure 4 is a partially broken-away view of another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5shows the embodiment according to Figure 4 in conjunction with another clip.

Figure 6 is a partially broken-away view of another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 7shows the part of Figure 6 connected to another clip, in a partially broken-away view.

Referring to Figure 1, the clip 1,which is made for example from sheet-metal or plastics, consists essentially of a U-shaped retention zone 2 and a fixing zone 6 projecting from the connecting web 3 between the two U-limbs 4 and 5. This fixing zone 6also forms an engagement zone 7 for positive connection to another clip 1' disposed in this zone.

Limb 5 of clip 1 also has a recess 15 which forms the bearing zone 8. The latter, i.e. the recess 15, is so dimensioned that the two tongues 13 and 14 forming the engagement zone 7 can engage in the recess 15 of an adjacent clip 1'. This means that the resilient tongues 13 and 14 of one clip each engage in a recess 15 of the next clip so as to form a positive connection between two clips. The two tongues 13 and 14 are resilient and enclose a slot 16 between them.

The tongues 13 and 14 are so disposed as to widen outwards conically. Recess 15 is also conically widened in the limb 5.

It will be seen from Figures 1 and 2 that the engagement zone 7 having the two resilient tongues 13 and 14 is bent out ofthe recess 17 of the limb 4 of the clip.

Referring to Figure 3, it is possible, by means of the two resilient tongues 13 and 14 which form the engagement zone 7 and can be engaged in a recess 15 of an adjacent clip 1', to produce a clip strip 20 by positive connection of the individual clips, so that individual clips 1,1', 1", 1"', etc., are interconnected.

Referring to Figure 3, a new clip 1 has just been pushed on to the engagement zone 7 on the right-hand side, i.e. at the two resilient tongues 13 and 14 of the clip already secured to the clip strip 20.

In these conditions recess 15 of the last clip for connection to the strip 20 engages in the engagement zone 7, i.e. the two resilient tongues 13 and 14 of the last clip already disposed on the strip 20.

At the front, the foremost clip has been removed from the strip 20 by means of a tool 21, i.e. the resilient tongues 13 and 14 have been pushed out of the recess 17 in the limb 4 of the clip 1, the tool 21 pressing this clip on to a body plate 22 of a motor vehicle. Engagement elements (not shown in detail) of limb 5 engage in the body panel 22 in these conditions. The resilient tongues 13 and 14 now serve to fix a seat covering to this body panel.

In order that the clip strip 20 shown diagrammatically in Figure 3 can be introduced into the magazine of the assembly tool 21 so as to operate correctly, the clip 1 is so constructed according to Figure 1 that the engagement zone 7 and the bearing zone 8 are arranged asymmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the clip 1, i.e. zone a is smaller than zone b. If the shaft (not shown) receiving the clip strip 20 of Figure 3 in the assembly tool 21 is appropriately devised, then in every case the clips 1,1 1,1', 1", 1"' etc., are introduced into the assembly tool magazine so as to operate correctly as shown in Figure 3.

In the exemplified embodiment shown in Figure 4, the engagement zone 7 and the bearing zone 8 are disposed at the ends of the two limbs 4 and 5. In this case the engagement zone 7 is in the form of a detent projection 9 and the bearing zone 8 in the form of a detent groove 10. These two zones 9 and 10 are disposed at the two ends of the limbs 4 and 5.

It will be seen from Figure 5 how the groove 10 of clip 1 engages in the projection 9 of clip 1' so that there is again a positive connection between the two clips 1 and 1'. Thus it is again possible to make a clip strip of the kind shown in Figure 3, so that it is again possible for the individual clips to be stored in the magazine and automatically fed individually to the assembly point.

In the exemplified embodiment shown in Figure 6, the limb 4 has the detent groove 11 and the limb 5 the detent projection 12. Here again, as shown in Figure 7, it is possible for the projection 12 to be positively connected to the groove 11 of the next clip so that the clips 1 and 1' are again appropriately interconnected. Here again it is possible in this way to make a clip strip 20 of the kind shown in Figure 3.

The special construction of the clip 1 generally provides the possibility of interconnecting a large number of identical clips to form a strip, the individual clips having bearing and engagement zones to provide a positive connection between the individual clips. On the other hand, it is also possible to withdraw the front clip at any time from the strip shown in Figure 3 by means of an assemby tool 21 and fit it appropriately to a body part 22. The clip strip may be so biased that after the assembly tool 21 has been used the next clip 1 is ready for dispensing in the tool magazine (not shown in detail). The speciai configuration of the magazine shaft for the assembly tool and the form a and b shown in Figure 1 ensures that the clip strip is always stored in the magazine so asto operate correctly.

Claims

1. A clip comprising means for attachment to an article characterised in that the clip comprises one or more formations enabling engagement of the clip with two like clips so that like clips are engageable in series to facilitate use in a magazine.

2. Aclip according.to claim 1 wherein the attaching means comprises a U-shaped retention zone and a fixing zone projecting from the connecting web between the two limbs of the U-shaped retention zone, and the clip comprises at least one zone for engaging a subsequent clip and a bearing zone adapted for engaging a preceding clip, and the engagement zone of one clip is engageable in the bearing zone of the other clip in order to facilitate use in a magazine.

3. A clip according to claim 2, characterised in that the fixing zone of the clip is formed as an engagement zone for a subsequent clip and an opposite limb of the U-shaped retention zone is formed as a bearing zone for a preceding clip.

4. A clip according to claim 2 or claim 3 characterised in that the engagement zone comprises two adjacent resilient tongues which are jointly engageable in a recess of a limb of an adjacent clip.

5. A clip according to claim 4, characterised in that the resilient tongues widen out conically, the recess in the limb being constructed to widen out conically.

6. A clip according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterised in that the engagement zone having the two resilient tongues is bent out of the recess of one limb of clip.

7. A clip according to any of claims 4 to 6, characterised in that a conical slot is disposed between the two resilient tongues.

8. A clip according to claim 1, characterised in that the one or more formations comprise a detent groove and a detent projection.

9. A clip according to claim 2 and claim 8, characterised in that the engagement zone comprises the detent projection and the bearing zone comprises the detent groove.

10. A clip according to claim 9, characterised in that one limb of the U-shaped retention zone of the clip has the detent groove and the other limb has the detent projection.

11. A clip according to claim 2, characterised in that the engagement zone and the bearing zone are disposed asymmetrically with respect to the long it dinal axis of the clip.

12. A clip substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, Figures 4 and 5 or Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.