GB2616400A

GB2616400A - Garden clip having curved clamping portions

Info

Publication number: GB2616400A
Application number: GB2117014.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shijie Tian
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-11-23
Filing date: 2021-11-25
Publication date: 2023-09-13
Also published as: GB202117014D0

Abstract

A clip or clasp having two clip elements (102, fig 1) and a central pin mechanism. Each clip element has a curved clamping part 108 with an inner concave surface 110 and an outer convex surface 114, a fingerhold part 112 extending from the outer convex surface and at least one pin bearing parts 106. The central pin mechanism comprises a pin 104 extending through at least ne pin bearing part to form an axis of rotation and a spring (116, fig 4) coaxial with and having a greater radius than the pin. The spring is configured to bias the fingerhold parts of each clip element away from each other such that the clamping parts are pressed against one another. Preferably the fingerhold parts have a textured surface 118 to provide a better grip. The textured surface may comprise ridges protrusions.

Description

Title: Garden Clip having Curved Clamping Portions Field of Invention.

The present invention relates generally to garden equipment. More specifically, the present invention relates to a garden clip adapted to better wrap around garden hoops and other such structures to secure netting.

Background

Garden hoops and brackets are commonly used equipment in almost every gardener's arsenal for protecting their planted crops of fruits, vegetables, and other plants from being attacked by birds and insects. The user plants the ends of the hoops in the earth either side of their growing produce and constructs a supporting structure with brackets and supports, then ties netting about the hoops to form a protective housing that does not prevent rain and sunlight form reaching the crops.

Despite the popularity of this method, no specially adapted products are available for actually securing the protective netting to the supporting structure. Instead, users are forced to improvise their structures by tying string through gaps in the netting or using clips meant for other purposes. Such clips are rarely wide enough to fully encompass the garden hoops and brackets.

Normal clips also often fail to tightly secure netting to the hoops, since they are also not shaped to accommodate the curved poles -ordinary clips usually have triangular openings in order to clamp rectangular or square shapes such as paper. This leads to protective structures forming openings or breaking down, allowing garden pests in to undo the gardener's good work.

It is within this context that the present invention is provided. Summary The present disclosure provides a specially adapted clip for securing protective netting to garden hoops and brackets. The clip has a wider opening than a regular clip and is also provided with curved clamping portions that form an oval opening, allowing the clips to follow the contour of the hoops and brackets it is securing the netting to and thus making for a tighter more secure fit. The clip of the present disclosure is simple in design and cheap to manufacture.

Thus, according to one aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a clip apparatus adapted for securing netting to garden hoops and other bracket structures, the apparatus comprising: two clip elements, each comprising a curved clamping portion having an inner concave surface, a fingerhold portion extending from an outer convex surface of the clamping portion; and one or more pin bearings disposed along the width of the fingerhold portion; and a central pin mechanism comprising a pin extending through the one or more pin bearings of each clip element to form an axis of rotation, and a spring element wrapped around the central pin and configured to bias the fingerhold portions of each clip element away from one another such that the clamping portions are pressed against one another.

The curved concave surfaces of the clamping portions of the two clips from a wide oval shaped opening adapted to wrap around a garden hoop.

In some embodiments, the bearings of each clip element are arranged in a mirrored fashion to allow two identical clip bearings to form a single clip apparatus.

In some embodiments, an outward facing surface of the fingerhold portion of each clip element, that is opposite to the surface on which the one or more bearings are disposed, is provided with a textured surface for better grip.

The textured surface may be formed by one or more ridged protrusions running along the width of the fingerhold portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

FIG.1 illustrates an isometric perspective view of an example configuration of a garden clip according to the present disclosure in perspective view.

FIG.2 illustrates a first side profile view of the example configuration of the garden clip.

FIG.3 illustrates a second opposing side profile view of the example configuration of the garden clip.

FIG.4 illustrates a second isometric view of the example configuration of the clip to show the central pin mechanism and spring.

FIG.5 illustrates an example use case of the disclosed garden clip, with a plurality of such clips holding protective netting in place over a set of garden hoops.

Common reference numerals are used throughout the figures and the detailed description to indicate like elements. One skilled in the art will readily recognize that the above figures are examples and that other architectures, modes of operation, orders of operation, and elements/functions can be provided and implemented without departing from the characteristics and features of the invention, as set forth in the claims.

Detailed Description and Preferred Embodiment

The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the invention. The embodiments are provided to illustrate aspects of the invention, but the invention is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalent; it is limited only by the claims.

Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the invention is not unnecessarily obscured.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The present disclosure provides a clip specially adapted for tightly and firmly securing netting to rounded structures such as garden hoops and brackets, greenhouse frames, plant support frames, and plant protection frames and shelves.

The term "netting" as referred to herein can include but is not limited to meaning any of the greenhouse film, garden bird netting, insect netting, winter plant coverings.

FIGs 1-4 show various views of an example configuration of a garden clip 100 according to the present disclosure.

As can be seen, the clip is formed of two similar (and in some cases identical) clip elements 102 held against one another and coupled together by a central pin 104 that runs through a set of bearings 106 extending from each clip element.

Each clip element 102 comprises a curved clamping portion 108 having an inner concave surface 110. It is these curved clamping portions 108 that allow for a more secure fit around rounded structures such as garden hoops etc. The clip is constructed with the concave surfaces 110 facing one another to from an oval shape which is wider than a regular clip and can more closely follow the contours of the poles and such used in garden support structures.

Each clip element 102 also has a fingerhold portion 112 extending from an outer convex surface 114 of the clamping portion 108. In order to attach the clip 100 to a support structure, the user holds the opposing fingerhold portions between a thumb and forefinger and squeezes them together against the biasing force of spring element 116 (see FIG.3), opening the clamping portions 108 to allow them to be wrapped round, for example, a portion of a garden hoop and secure netting to it.

The central pin 104 extends through the bearings 106 that are disposed along the inward facing surface of the fingerhold portions 112, forming an axis of rotation about which the two clip elements can move with respect to one another.

As can be seen in FIGs 2 and 3, a spring element 116 is disposed around the central pin 104 and has extended protrusions 120 at either end that are angled to abut against the inner surfaces of the fingerhold portions 112 to keep the clip closed unless pressure is exerted by a user squeezing the fingerhold portions 112.

In the present example the bearings 106 of each clip element 102 are arranged in a mirrored fashion to allow two identical clip bearings to form a single clip apparatus 100.

The opposing outward facing surfaces of the fingerhold portions 112 of each clip element are provided with sets of ridged protrusions 118 running along their width to provide a user with better grip.

Referring to FIG.5, an example use case of the disclosed garden clip is shown being implemented, with a plurality of clips 100 holding protective netting 200 in place over a set of garden hoops 300 to from a protective structure over crops.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

The disclosed embodiments are illustrative, not restrictive. While specific configurations of the garden clip have been described in a specific manner referring to the illustrated embodiments, it is understood that the present invention can be applied to a wide variety of solutions which fit within the scope and spirit of the claims. There are many alternative ways of implementing the invention.

It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.

Claims

Claims What is claimed is: 1. A clip apparatus adapted for securing netting to garden hoops and other bracket structures, the apparatus comprising: two clip elements, each comprising a curved clamping portion having an inner concave surface, a fingerhold portion extending from an outer convex surface of the clamping portion; and one or more pin bearings disposed along the width of the fingerhold portion; and a central pin mechanism comprising a pin extending through the one or more pin bearings of each clip element to form an axis of rotation, and a spring element wrapped around the central pin and configured to bias the fingerhold portions of each clip element away from one another such that the clamping portions are pressed against one another; wherein the curved concave surfaces of the clamping portions of the two clips from a wide oval shaped opening adapted to wrap around a garden hoop.
2 A clip apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bearings of each clip element are arranged in a mirrored fashion to allow two identical clip bearings to form a single clip apparatus.
3. A clip apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an outward facing surface of the fingerhold portion of each clip element, that is opposite to the surface on which the one or more bearings are disposed, is provided with a textured surface for better grip.
4. A clip apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the textured surface is formed by one or more ridged protrusions running along the width of the fingerhold portion.