JP7477921B1 - Barrette - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a hair clip with good elastic clamping force and capable of extending the life of the elastic member. [Solution] The hair clip of the present invention includes two clamping bodies 1 and an elastic member 2. The two clamping bodies have a comb-tooth portion at the bottom and a pressing portion 12 at the top, and a pivoting portion 13 is provided so that they can be pivotally attached and combined. A through hole 121 is provided in the pressing portion, and the through hole has a suppressing edge 122 at the top, and an engaging portion 14 is provided at a position below the through hole on the outside of the clamping body. The engaging portion has a first locking groove 15 and a second locking groove 16 formed farther from the through hole than the first locking groove. The elastic member is a circular arc-shaped piece with an opening 21 at the bottom and two ends 22 on both sides of the opening. The elastic member can be inserted into the through holes of the two clamping bodies, and the two ends can be engaged with the first locking grooves of the two clamping bodies, respectively. [Selected Figure] Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a hair clip, and mainly to a hair clip with an elastic clip.

Known hair clips have two clamping bodies with an elastic member between them, allowing the two clamping bodies to clamp hair by the elastic force of the elastic member. The elastic member is generally a metal torsion spring, but torsion springs have the disadvantage that they are prone to oxidizing and rusting after a certain period of use, resulting in an undesirable texture and a short lifespan.

In order to improve the drawbacks of the hair clips described above, the hair clips in Patent Documents 1 to 3 use an arc-shaped elastic member, and as shown in the known structure in Figures 10 and 11, the two clamping bodies 1' have a comb-tooth portion 11' at the bottom and a pressing portion 12' at the top, with a through hole 121' in the pressing portion 12', a pivot portion 13' on the inside of the clamping body 1' pivotally attached, and a locking groove 14' at a position below the through hole 121'.

The elastic member 2' is a piece having an arc-shaped cross section larger than a semicircle, with an opening 21' at the bottom and two ends 22'. The elastic member 2' can be inserted into the through hole 121', and the two ends 22' can be expanded and inserted into the locking grooves 14' to engage and position the two ends 32' at a distance D1.

When the pressing portion 12' is pressed to open the hair clip, the elastic member 2' can expand the two ends 22' in response to the upward movement of the comb tooth portions 11' of the two clamping bodies 1', and when the two ends 22' continue to expand from the initial distance D1 and the two pressing portions 12' come into contact, the two ends 22' can have a maximum opening distance D2, and the elastic recovery force of the elastic member 2' can clamp the hair.

Therefore, the larger D2 is, the greater the elastic recovery force is, and the more stable the hair can be when it is clamped. However, because the two ends 22' of the elastic member 2' are restricted by the pivot angle of the two clamping bodies 1' and the contact of the pressing part 12', there is a drawback in that the clamping force is low when the distance D2 of the elastic member 2' is insufficient.

The elastic member 2' may also be designed so that the distance between the two ends 22' is greater than D1 when combined with the two clamping bodies 1'. This allows the distance between the two ends 22' of the elastic member 2' to be greater than D2 when the two clamping bodies 1' are opened to the maximum angle at which the two pressing parts 12' come into contact, making it possible to provide greater elastic recovery and clamping force. However, this design has the disadvantage that, because the distance between the two ends 22' of the elastic member 2' is maintained at an expanded width greater than D1 for a long period of time when no hair is being clamped, the elastic member 2' is prone to elastic fatigue and a decrease in clamping force after a certain period of time.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0277469 US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0149129 U.S. Pat. No. 9,232,841

The objective of the present invention is to provide a hair clip that has good elastic clamping force and can extend the life of the elastic member.

The present invention includes two clamping bodies and an elastic member.
The two clamping bodies have a symmetrical structure, and are provided with a comb-tooth portion on the lower side and a pressing portion on the upper side, and are provided with a pivot portion so that they can be pivotally connected together.
The pressing portion has a through hole, the through hole has a suppressing edge on the upper side, and an engaging portion is provided at a position outside the clamping body and below the through hole. The engaging portion has a first locking groove and a second locking groove formed farther from the through hole than the first locking groove.
The elastic member is a piece of arc-shaped material with an opening at the bottom and two ends on either side of the opening.
The elastic member is inserted into the through holes of the two clamping bodies, and the two ends of the elastic member can be engaged with the first locking grooves of the two clamping bodies, respectively. When the two clamping bodies are opened, the pressing edge presses the elastic member, and the two ends of the elastic member can be moved to engage with the second locking grooves of the two clamping bodies, respectively.
When the two clamping bodies are contracted and the opening angle between the two clamping bodies becomes an angle at which the second locking groove cannot abut against the end of the elastic member, the elastic member can automatically disengage the second locking groove in conjunction with the two clamping bodies, allowing the two ends of the elastic member to move into and engage with the first locking grooves of the two clamping bodies, respectively.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first locking groove has a first abutment edge in the direction toward the through hole, and a first guide inclined edge in the direction away from the through hole that is inclined toward the second locking groove.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the second locking groove has a second abutment edge in a direction toward the through hole, and a second guide inclined edge is provided between the first guide inclined edge and the second abutment edge, the second guide inclined edge being inclined toward the second locking groove.

In the present invention, when the two pressing parts are brought close to each other, the pressing edge presses the top end of the elastic member and moves it downward, and the two ends receive the force and expand outward to move to the second locking groove, which allows the hair to be pinched with a relatively large elastic recovery force and improves the stability of pinching the hair. In addition, when no hair is pinched or a small amount of hair is pinched, the two comb tooth parts can pivot and move downward, and the ends can be moved and positioned by the elastic recovery force of the elastic member into the first locking groove, and the two ends of the elastic member can be spaced relatively close to each other, which can avoid elastic fatigue of the elastic member and extend the life of the elastic member and the hair clip.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a first embodiment of the hair clip of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an assembly diagram of the first embodiment of the hair clip of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an assembled cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the hair clip of the present invention. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the hair clip of the present invention with the clip opened. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the first embodiment of the hair clip of the present invention, in which the clamping body is opened and the elastic member is engaged with the second locking groove. FIG. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the first embodiment of the hair clip of the present invention holding hair. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the first embodiment of the hair clip of the present invention in a restored state where the clamping body is no longer clamping hair. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a second embodiment of the hair clip of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a third embodiment of the hair clip of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a known hair clip. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a known hair clip.

In the following examples, components having the same functions in the present invention are denoted by the same reference numerals. The upper and lower parts of the drawings are explained according to the drawings and are not limited thereto.
Please refer to Figures 1 to 3. The first embodiment of the present invention includes two clamping bodies 1 and an elastic member 2. The two clamping bodies 1 have a substantially symmetrical structure, and are provided with a comb-tooth portion 11 at the bottom, a pressing portion 12 at the top, and a pivot portion 13 on the inside, so that the two clamping bodies 1 can be pivotally attached and assembled. In addition, the pressing portion 12 is provided with a through hole 121, and the through hole 121 is provided with a pressing edge 122 at the top.

An engagement portion 14 is provided at a position below the through hole 121 on the outer side of the clamping body 1, and the engagement portion 14 has a first locking groove 15 close to the through hole 121 and a second locking groove 16 far from the through hole 121. The first locking groove 15 has a first abutment edge 151 in the direction toward the through hole 121, and a first guide inclined edge 152 in the direction away from the through hole 121 that inclines toward the second locking groove 16. The second locking groove 16 has a second abutment edge 161 in the direction toward the through hole 121, and a second guide inclined edge 162 inclined toward the second locking groove 16 is provided between the first guide inclined edge 152 and the second abutment edge 161.

The elastic member 2 is made of a plastic material having elasticity, and is a piece having a generally arc-shaped cross section larger than a semicircle, with an opening 21 at the bottom and two ends 22 on either side of the opening 21. In other embodiments, the elastic member 2 may be made of a non-plastic material.

In the present invention, the elastic member 2 can be inserted through the through holes 121 of the two clamping bodies 1, and the two end portions 22 can be spread to engage with the first locking grooves 15 of the two clamping bodies 1, and as shown in FIG. 3, a distance D3 can be provided when the two end portions 22 are spread. Furthermore, the two end portions 22 can be positioned by abutting against the first abutment edge 151 of the first locking groove 15, so that the two clamping bodies 1 can be clamped by the elastic force of the elastic member 2.

Please refer to Figure 4. The present invention can press the pressing parts 12 of the two clamping bodies 1 to bring the two pressing parts 12 closer together, pivot the two comb tooth parts 11 upward to open, and simultaneously expand the elastic member 2 correspondingly. When the suppressing edge 122 of the through hole 121 abuts against the top surface of the elastic member 2, the two ends 22 can spread apart to have a distance D4.

Please refer to FIG. 5. In the present invention, when the two pressing parts 12 are brought closer to each other, the suppressing edge 122 can press the top end of the elastic member 2 and move downward, and the two ends 22 can be expanded outward under the force and move to the second locking groove 16. In addition, the second abutting edge 161 can be moved in the clamping direction of the end 22 of the elastic member 2, so that the end 22 can be stably abutted and positioned by the second abutting edge 161. Furthermore, the first guide inclined edge 152 and the second guide inclined edge 162 can improve the smoothness of the movement of the two ends 22 and can give the two ends 22 a distance D5 larger than the distance D4. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the present invention can clamp hair with a relatively large elastic recovery force by expanding the two ends 22 of the elastic member 2 to a relatively large distance D5, and can increase the stability of clamping hair.

The second abutment edge 161 of the second locking groove 16 of the present invention can abut against the end 22 of the elastic member 2 in conjunction with the two clamping bodies 1 when they open, and can change to an angle where the second abutment edge 161 does not abut against the end 22 of the elastic member 2 in conjunction with the two clamping bodies 1 when they are contracted to a set angle, thereby providing the function of automatically adjusting the clamping force and the distance between the two ends 22.

Please refer to FIG. 7. When the present invention is not pinching hair, the two comb teeth 11 can pivot downward to move. The angle of the second abutment edge 161 can be changed so that the elastic recovery force of the elastic member 2 causes its end 22 to detach from the second abutment edge 161 and move along the second guide inclined edge 162 to the first locking groove 15 for positioning. The distance between the two ends 22 of the elastic member 2 is joined to the first locking groove 15 to correspond to the relatively small distance D3, so that the elastic member 2 does not maintain a relatively large expanded state when not pinching hair, thereby avoiding elastic fatigue of the elastic member 2 and extending the life of the elastic member 2 and the hair clip.

In addition, when the two clamping bodies 1 only need to clamp a small amount of hair (not shown), the opening angle between the two clamping bodies 1 is small, so that the second abutment edge 161 can automatically move and position the end 22 of the elastic member 2 to the first locking groove 15 without abutting against the second abutment edge 161 in response to the change in angle. A small amount of hair can be stably clamped by the clamping force of the two ends 22 of the elastic member 2 joining the first locking groove 15, and elastic fatigue can be avoided by reducing the distance between the two ends 22 of the elastic member 2.

The clamp 1 of the present invention can have a variety of different types. For example, FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment, each of which has the combination of an engagement portion 14 and an elastic member 2 as in the first embodiment, thereby achieving the effect sought by the present invention.

The present invention combines an excellent clamping force that can be automatically adjusted as described above with the effect of reducing elastic fatigue of the elastic member, but the above-mentioned examples are merely illustrative of the present invention and do not limit the present invention in any way. All modifications that provide equivalent effects based on the spirit of the present invention are within the scope of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1: clamping body 11: comb tooth portion 12: pressing portion 121: through hole 122: suppressing edge 13: pivot portion 14: engaging portion 15: first locking groove 151: first abutting edge 152: first guide inclined edge 16: second locking groove 161: second abutting edge 162: second guide inclined edge
2 Elastic member 21 Opening 22 End 1' Clamp 11' Comb-tooth portion 12' Pressing portion 121' Through hole 13' Pivot portion 14' Locking groove 2' Elastic member 21' Opening 22' End

Claims (7)

Two clamping bodies having a symmetrical structure, a comb tooth portion on the lower side, a pressing portion on the upper side, and a pivot portion provided for pivotally connecting the two clamping bodies to each other,
two clamping bodies, the pressing portion having a through hole, the through hole having a suppressing edge at an upper portion, and an engaging portion being provided at a position outside the clamping body and below the through hole, the engaging portion having a first locking groove and a second locking groove formed farther from the through hole than the first locking groove;
An elastic member having an arc-shaped piece, an opening at a lower portion, and two ends on either side of the opening,
the elastic member is inserted into the through holes of the two clamping bodies, and two ends of the elastic member can be engaged with the first locking grooves of the two clamping bodies, respectively; when the two clamping bodies are opened, the suppressing edge suppresses the elastic member, and the two ends of the elastic member are moved to engage with the second locking grooves of the two clamping bodies, respectively;
an elastic member that, when the two clamping bodies are contracted and the opening angle between the two clamping bodies becomes an angle at which the second locking groove cannot abut against the end of the elastic member, can automatically disengage the second locking groove in conjunction with the two clamping bodies, and allows the two ends of the elastic member to move to and engage with the first locking grooves of the two clamping bodies, respectively;
Including hair clip. The hair clip according to claim 1, wherein the first locking groove has a first abutment edge in a direction toward the through hole, and a first guide inclined edge inclined toward the second locking groove in a direction away from the through hole. The hair clip according to claim 2, wherein the second locking groove has a second abutment edge in a direction toward the through hole, and a second guide inclined edge is provided between the first guide inclined edge and the second abutment edge, the second locking groove being inclined toward the second locking groove. The hair clip according to claim 3, in which the end of the elastic member is located in the second locking groove, and the second abutment edge can abut against the end of the elastic member when the two clamping bodies are opened. The hair clip according to claim 3, wherein when the two clamping bodies are not contracted and open, or when the opening angle is smaller than a predetermined set angle, the second abutment edge does not abut against the end of the elastic member. The hair clip according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is made of an elastic plastic material. The hair clip according to claim 6, wherein the elastic member is an arc-shaped piece whose cross section is larger than a semicircle.

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