GB2402702A - A spring clip with two stable states - Google Patents

Abstract

A spring clip (1) for supporting a device such as a pair of spectacles on a pocket exterior comprising a base part (2) and a clip part (3) formed from resilient sheet material and connected to the base part (2) by hinge means (19), the clip part (3) having an outwardly projecting side (5, 6) and a recessed side (7) in an open position (figs 1,3) in which the clip part (3) does not overlay the base part (2) and being arranged to be rotatable about the hinge means (19) so as to snap into a closed position (fig 5) in which it overlaps the base part (2) and in so doing reverses the direction of projection of the projecting side (5, 6) whereby an article can be gripped between the clip and base parts (3, 2).

Description

A Spring Clip The present invention relates to a spring clip for clipping

to an article, such as, a pocket of a garment and, more particularly, to such a spring clip which s enables an item, such as, spectacles, a name tag or accessory which is to be worn or carried to be attached to a garment without risk of the clip damaging the garment.

Common types of clips for clipping an item, such as, a name tag, to an 0 article of clothing include a member and a pin hinged to the member for piercing the fabric of the article to which the clip is to be attached. In order to clip the item to the article, the pin is pushed through the front of the fabric, back through the rear of the fabric and then locked to the member such that the fabric is clipped between the pin and the member.

A problem with these types of clips is that the fabric of the article of clothing on which the item is to be worn or carried can be damaged as a result of pinning the clip to the fabric. Care must be taken to minimise damage to the fabric and to ensure the item is clipped and subsequently to worn in a safe manner without piercing any other articles being worn or the person wearing the article of clothing.

US 5,983,459 discloses a clip for securing sunglasses to an article of clothing which comprises two parts kept in a folded position by a spring. In as use, a piece of clothing is slide between the two parts and the sunglasses are mounted on the clip by sliding one arm through a channel formed on an outer face of one part and then snapping the other arm between forks of a protrusion on the exterior face of the other part. A problem with this type of l clip is that mounting the sunglasses on the clip is awkward because each arm must be separately mounted on the clip in a particular manner.

An object of the invention is to provide a clip which enables a name tag, spectacles or other accessory to be securely worn or carried on a garment without damaging the fabric of the garment. Another object is to provide such a clip which is safe and easy to use and manufacture.

Accordingly, the present invention consists in a spring clip comprising a base lo part and a clip part formed from resilient sheet material and connected to the base part by hinge means, the clip part having an outwardly projecting side and a recessed side in an open position in which the clip part does not overlay the base part and being arranged to be rotatable about the hinge means so as to snap into a closed position in which it overlies the base part and in so doing reverses the direction of projection of the projecting side whereby an article can be gripped between the clip and base parts. The clip can be used to grip an article between the base and clip parts by folding the clip part about the hinge means from the open position to a closed position which causes the clip part to snap into the closed position in which it overlays the article and the base part with the article being gripped between the clip and base parts.

By the clip part reversing the direction of projection of the projecting side as it snaps into the closed position, the clip and base parts can firmly grip the 2s article therebetween without risk of damaging the article.

With the spring clip of the present invention, an item can be secured to an article of clothing in a simple and safe manner without risk of damaging the l article. The item can be secured to the article by pushing part of the item between the clip part and the article gripped by the spring clip so as to trap the item with the article between the clip and base parts. Since the clip and base parts serve to grip the article therebetween, it is not necessary to pierce the material using a pin or other sharp protrusion for the purpose of gripping.

The clip part may comprise side arms connected by a yoke.

lo Preferably, the hinge means includes two separate hinge portions. Each hinge portion may be straight and the straight hinge portions may be inclined relative to each other when the clip part is in its open and closed positions.

The straight hinge portions may converge towards a notional point spaced from the base part. Alternatively, the hinge means may be curved.

Desirably, the clip part includes an aperture. One side of the aperture may be defined by an edge portion of the base part. An item can be secured to an article of clothing which is being gripped between the clip and base parts by pushing the item through the aperture and then between the clip part and the article. For example, a pair of spectacles can be secured to a pocket of a garment by pushing an arm of the spectacles through the aperture and between the clip part and the pocket which is being gripped by the clip.

Preferably, the spring clip part is a one piece unitary construction formed by injection moulding from plastics material. Forming the spring clip as one piece allows the clip to be manufactured in a simple and cost effective manner. l

In one embodiment, the arms and yoke of the clip part are planar. The arms have front faces which extend outwardly in planes which are inclined relative to one another and the yoke has a front face which extends longitudinally of the clip part. The base part includes an angular face which is shaped such that, when the clip part is overlapping the base part, edges of distal ends of the clip and base parts are biased against one another.

In another embodiment, the clip part has a convex front side and a concave lo back side and the base part has a convex front side. The clip is deformable such that when it snaps into its closed position its direction of curvature reverses to conform to the direction of curvature of the convex surface of the base part so that an article can be gripped between the clip and base parts.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view, from the front, of the spring clip in the rest position according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the front of the spring clip shown in Figure Figure 3 is a side view of the spring clip shown in Figure 1, Figure 4 is a view from above of the spring clip shown in Figure 1, Figure 5 is a perspective view, from the front, of the spring clip in the closed position, Figure 6 is a plan view of the front of the spring clip shown in Figure Figure 7 is a perspective view, from the rear, of the spring clip shown Figure 5, Figure 8 is a top view of the spring clip shown in Figure 5, and Figure 9 is a side view of the spring clip shown in Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawings, the spring clip 1 of one embodiment comprises a base part 2 and a clip part 3 connected to the base part by hinge means 4. As will be explained in more detail below, the clip part 3 is rotatable about the hinge means 4 so as to snap into a lo closed position in which it overlaps the base part 2 such that an article (not shown) can be gripped between the base and clip parts 2,3. In this particular example, the clip and base parts 2,3 are formed from resilient sheet material. The base part 2, however, may instead be formed from a rigid material. The spring clip 1 is preferably formed as a onepiece unitary construction by injection moulding from plastics material enabling the spring clip 1 to be manufactured in a simple and cost effective manner.

The spring clip 1 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 1 to 4 in which the clip pat 2 is shown in an open position. In such a position, the clip part 3 does not overlay the base part 2 and the base and clip parts 2,3 are open side by side with mutually parallel axes. The clip part 3 has a front side 5,6 which projects outwardly and forms a recessed back side 7. As shown in Figure 2, the clip part 3, is of rectangular configuration in plan and comprises a pair of side arms 8, having mutually parallel longitudinal axes, and a yoke 10 interconnecting distal end portions 9 of the arms 8. The arms 8 and yoke 10 of the clip part 2 are planar and of generally rectangular shape. Ends 11 of the arms, proximate the base part 2, are hinged to a longitudinal side edge 12 of the base part 2 by the hinge means 4.

The hinge means 4 comprises two separate straight hinge portions 4 which s are connected to the longitudinal side edge 12 at spaced positions. The straight hinge portions 4 are inclined relative to each other and converge towards a notional point spaced in front of the clip part 3. More particularly, the notional point is disposed centrally between the hinged portions 4 such that the straight hinged portions define an obtuse angle at the notional point to of intersection.

Shoulders 13 interconnect the straight hinged portions 4 to the longitudinal side edge 12 of the base part. The shoulders 13 comprise triangular portions 14 which extend outwardly from the side edge 12, transversely of the base part 2, in front of the side edge 12 (see Figure 4). The triangular portions 14 have two corners 15,16 intercepting the side edge 12 of the base part 2, one at respective extremities of the side edge 12 and the other spaced therefrom by just over a quarter length of the side edge 12. A third corner 17 of the triangular portions 14 is located in front of the side edge 12 between the corners 15,16. Adjacent side edges 18 of the triangular portions 14 bridge the corners 16 and 17 and project outwardly from the side edge 12. The side edges 18 converge inwardly towards the notional point X in front of the clip part 2. The straight hinged portions 14 comprise straight folds which are formed in the sheet material and join the sides edges 18 to straight edges 19 of the proximal ends 1 1 of the arms 8.

Since the proximal end edges 19 of the arms 8 are joined to the inclined hinged portions 4, the arms 8 are disposed in planes which are inclined relative to each other in the same manner as the hinge portions 4 are inclined relative to each other. The arms 8 have front faces or sides 6 which project outwardly and converge to a notional line extending transversely of the clip part 3 in front of the clip part 3 through the notional point X. The yoke 10 has a front face or side 5 extending longitudinally of the clip part 3 between the arms 8. The front faces 5, 6 of the yoke 10 and arms 6 together form the outwardly projecting side 5, 6 of the clip part 3 and opposite back faces of the arm 6 and yoke 10 together form the rear recessed side 7 of the clip part 3.

As shown particularly in Figure 2, each arm 8 has a front longitudinal side edge 20 which is disposed outwardly in front of the side edge 12 of the base part 2. These front side edges 20 are interconnected at one end by a longitudinal side edge 21 of the yoke 10 and at the opposite end by the side edges 12,18,22 of the triangular portions 14 and the base part 2 to thereby define an aperture 40 in the clip part 2.

Turning now in more detail to the base part 2, this is also of rectangular configuration in plan and has a front side comprising a flat face 23, proximate the clip part 3, and an angular face 24,25 spaced from the longitudinal side edge 12 and projecting outwardly in front of the flat face 23. The angular face 24,25 forms a recess on the back side 26 of the base part 2 which recess has an angular face 27,28 (see Figure 7).

The front angular face 24,25 comprises a central rectangular face 24 extending longitudinally of the base part 2. Shorter side edges 29 of a rectangular face 24 of the angular face project outwardly from the flat face 23 away from the longitudinal side edge 12 of the base part 2, and are inclined at an acute angle relative to the flat face 23. Two opposing corners 33 of the rectangular face 24 intercept the flat face 23, proximate the clip part 2, and the other two opposing corners 35 are spaced outwardly forward of the flat face 23. s

The angular face 24,25 also includes triangular faces 25 joined to either side edge 29 of the central rectangular face 24. The triangular faces 25 project outwardly from the flat face 23 and are inclined relative to one another. A corner 30 of the triangular faces 25 intercepts the flat face 23 at to distal corners 31 of the base part 2. Another corner 32 of the triangular faces 25 intercepts the flat face 23 at corners 33 of the rectangular face 25 and the third corner 34 of the triangular faces 25 intercepts the forward corners 35 of the rectangular face 24.

A longitudinal side edge 36 interconnecting the forward corners 35 of the rectangular face 24 together with side edges 37 interconnecting the corners 30, 34 of the triangular faces 25 define the edge 36,37 at the distal end 38 of the base part 2. The angular face 24, 25 is shaped such that, when the clip part 3 is in its closed position overlapping the base part 2, the distal end edge 36,37 of the base part 2 is biased in contact with the edge 39,40 of the distal end 41 of the clip part 3.

As shown particularly in Figures 5 to 9, the clip part 3 is foldable about the straight hinged portions 4 from the open position to the closed position in which the clip part 3 overlaps the base part 2 with the yoke 10 sitting in a plane parallel to the flat face 23 of the base portion of the base part 2 and the arms 8 inclined towards one another.

The clip part 3 is sufficiently flexible such that when the clip part 3 is folded about the straight hinge portions 4 from the open position to the closed position, it undergoes a snap transformation in which the direction of projection of the projecting front side 5,6 of the clip part 3 reverses as the clip part moves over its centre, i.e. the projecting side 5,6 transforms into a recessed side and the recessed back side 7 transforms into an outwardly projecting side. Such a transformation enables the clip part to snap into the closed position overlapping the base part 2 (see Figures 5 to 9). The flexibility of the clip part 3 is dependent on the resiliency of the plastic to material and the shape of the clip part. In this particular embodiment, the flexibility of the clip part is affected by the relative dimensions of the arms 8 and yoke 10. The arms 8 are of equal thickness and widths, the thickness of the yoke 10 is about half the thickness of the arms 8, the length of the yoke 10 is about twice the width of the arms 8 and the width of the yoke 10 iS less than half the length of the arms 8. Also, the yoke 10 has opposite end sections 50 which intercept the distal end portions 9 of the arms 8 and which are thinner than the rest of the yoke further to increase flexibility.

In use, with the spring clip 1 in the open position, the front face of the base part 2 is placed against a face of an article, such a pocket of a garment to which the clip 1 is to be secured (not shown), with the front angular face 24,25 of the base part 2 in contact with the face of the article and a leading edge of the article proximate the longitudinal edge 12 of the base part 2.

The clip part 3 projects from the base part 2 away from the article.

In order to secure the spring clip 1 to the material, the clip part 3 is then folded about the hinge portion 4 over the opposite face of the article to the closed position. As the clip part 3 moves through an over centre position it undergoes a snap transformation in which the direction of projection of the projecting side 5,6 of the clip part 3 reverses so that the clip part snaps into the closed position in which it overlaps the base part 2 with the article trapped between the clip part 3 and the base part 2. The edge 36,37 of the s distal end 38 of the base part 2 and the edge 39,40 of the distal end 41 of the clip part press against respective faces of the article to thereby grip the article there between. The spring clip 1 grips the article without risk of damaging the article.

lo With the spring clip 1 of the present invention, an item can be secured to an article of clothing in a simple and safe manner without damaging the article.

For example, the spring clip 1 can be clipped to the upper edge of a pocket of a garment (not shown) with the clip part 3 gripping the exterior face of the pocket and the hinge portions 4 above the upper edge of the pocket. An item, such as a pair of spectacles, can be easily mounted on the clip part 3 of the spring clip 1 by pushing one arm of the spectacles through the aperture 40 in the clip part 3 and down between the yoke 10 and the exterior face of the pocket such that the arm is trapped between the yoke and the material with the spectacles hanging down over the yoke 10 and to the exterior face of the pocket with the other arm in a closed position.

In another embodiment, the clip part includes arms and yoke as described in the previous embodiment but the clip part is arcuate in form as is the base part (not shown). When in the open position, the front face of the projecting side of the clip part is convex and the recessed back side is concave. The front face projects outwardly with its apex disposed centrally between the side arms in a plane in front of the hinge portions. The base part has a convex front face having the same direction of curvature as the front face of the clip part. The two separate hinge portions are curved.

The clip part is deformable so as to reverse its direction of curvature as it s snaps into the closed position so that the curvature of the front face of the clip part and the base part are in the same direction when the clip part is in the closed position with the clip part overlapping the base part. The arcuate edges of the distal ends of the clip and base parts bias against one another.

The clip can be used in a similar way to the clip of the previously described lo embodiment.

In the arcuate embodiment described above, provided the base and clip parts are sufficiently flexible to be temporarily made planar and flat during the reversal of curvature of the clip part, the aperture 40 may be omitted and a small hole or other means provided for engagement with an arm of a pair of spectacles or the like.

Figures 1,5 and 7 are partly schematic and do not show preferred rounding of the corners of the clip shown for example in Figure 2.

Claims (12)

1. A spring clip comprising a base part and a clip part formed from resilient sheet material and connected to the base part by hinge means, the clip part having an outwardly projecting side and a recessed side in an open position in which the clip part does not overlay the base part and being arranged to be rotatable about the hinge means so as to snap into a closed position in which it overlaps the base part and in so doing reverses the direction of projection of the projecting side whereby an article can be gripped between the clip and base parts.

2. A spring clip as claimed in clam 1, wherein the clip part includes side arms connected by a yoke.

3. A spring clip as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the hinge means includes two separate hinge portions.

4. A spring clip as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the hinge means is curved.

5. A spring clip as claimed in claim 3, wherein each hinge portion is straight.

6. A spring clip as claimed in claim 5, wherein the straight hinge portions are inclined relative to each other when the clip as in its open and closed positions.

7. A spring clip as claimed in claim 6, wherein the straight hinge portions converge towards a notional point spaced from the base part.

8. A spring clip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the clip part includes an aperture.

9. A spring clip as claimed in claim 8, wherein one side of the aperture is s defined by an edge portion of the base part.

10. A spring clip as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the clip is a one piece unitary construction.

0

11. A spectacle supporting device comprising a spring clip according to any preceding claim.

12. A spring clip substantially as herein described and as shown in Figures 1 tog.