US20050086776A1 - Clip - Google Patents

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Publication number
US20050086776A1
US20050086776A1 US10/497,082 US49708204A US2005086776A1 US 20050086776 A1 US20050086776 A1 US 20050086776A1 US 49708204 A US49708204 A US 49708204A US 2005086776 A1 US2005086776 A1 US 2005086776A1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
clip
legs
blade
shaped portion
another
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US10/497,082
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Nils Bergmark
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority claimed from PCT/SE2002/002203 external-priority patent/WO2003045204A1/en
Publication of US20050086776A1 publication Critical patent/US20050086776A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
    • A47G21/00—Table-ware
    • A47G21/16—Table-cloth or napkin holders
    • A47G21/165—Means for holding napkins on the clothes or around the neck of the user
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
    • A47G21/00—Table-ware
    • A47G21/12—Toothpick holders
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
    • A61C15/00—Devices for cleaning between the teeth
    • A61C15/02—Toothpicks
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T24/00—Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
    • Y10T24/44—Clasp, clip, support-clamp, or required component thereof
    • Y10T24/44641—Clasp, clip, support-clamp, or required component thereof having gripping member formed from, biased by, or mounted on resilient member
    • Y10T24/44769—Opposed engaging faces on gripping member formed from single piece of resilient material

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a clip comprising two legs interconnected via at least one resilient part.
  • the need may arise for clothes to be protected with a napkin or the like, such as when eating a meal.
  • a napkin or the like such as when eating a meal.
  • patent document WO 99/49752 A1 discloses a clip consisting of a number of different parts for holding a napkin in place.
  • Documents WO 99/06626 A1 and EP 0228325 A1 disclose clips in one piece, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,085 A discloses a clip with teeth for secure retention of an article.
  • toothpick is not always directly to hand but may have to be requested from a waiter or, in the case of air passengers, has to be hunted for in the carton in which meals are often served in an aircraft.
  • Traditional toothpicks are moreover often made from relatively inelastic wood, which means that they can break during cleaning, above all between the teeth. If one is unlucky, a bit of toothpick may then become stuck between the teeth and prove very difficult to remove.
  • Various types of toothpick are disclosed in WO 97/113472 A2, U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,115 A and U.S. Pat. No. 2,931,370 A.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a simple, effective and inexpensive device which can be used for retaining, for example, a napkin, which device can moreover be used for cleaning, for example, teeth.
  • a clip comprising two legs interconnected via at least one resilient part arranged between the legs, the legs forming a gripping end of the clip at one end of the clip and an operating end of the clip at another end of the clip in such a way that when the legs are moved toward one another at the operating end of the clip, they are moved away from one another at the gripping end of the clip.
  • At least one of the legs is, at the operating end of the clip, provided with a point intended for tooth-cleaning.
  • the toothpick is close to hand throughout the meal, as it is located close to the mouth, where it is intended to be used when the clip has been used for attaching the napkin.
  • the resilient part is an arm made of an elastically recovering flexible material, and the clip is suitably made in one piece. In this way, the manufacturing process is made easier, and the clip can easily and effectively be provided with the necessary resilient properties and the necessary strength properties.
  • the point constitutes an end of a blade-shaped portion of the at least one leg, the blade-shaped portion suitably having a rough surface texture.
  • This design makes the clip effective for cleaning teeth.
  • the blade-shaped portion can be inserted between teeth lying close together, and the rough surface texture makes cleaning more effective.
  • the blade-shaped portion can suitably have an extent in the lateral direction from the leg in such a way that it forms a second point, which second point is suitable for removing dirt under the nails. In this way, the clip provides a manicure instrument as well in a very simple manner.
  • the clip is made from an elastic plastic material. In this way, manufacture of the clip is made easier, at the same time as the clip can simply and inexpensively be provided with the necessary resilient properties and the necessary strength properties.
  • FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a clip according to one embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the clip according to FIG. 1 .
  • the clip 1 in FIG. 1 comprises two legs 2 , 3 which are interconnected via a resilient part 4 in the form of an arm.
  • the legs 2 , 3 form a gripping end of the clip 1 at one end 5 of the clip 1 and an operating end of the clip at another end 6 of the clip 1 in such a way that when the legs 2 , 3 are moved toward one another at the operating end 6 of the clip, they are moved away from one another at the gripping end 5 of the clip.
  • the return of the legs 2 , 3 toward one another at the gripping end 5 of the clip is effected by the resilient arm 4 .
  • One of the legs 3 is, at the outermost tip of the operating end 6 of the clip 1 , provided with a point 7 intended for tooth-cleaning.
  • the point 7 constitutes an end of a thin, blade-shaped portion 8 of the leg 3 .
  • the blade-shaped portion 8 has a rough surface texture and has an extent in the lateral direction from the leg 3 in such a way that it forms a second point 9 .
  • the clip 1 is made in one piece from an elastic plastic material, suitably acetal plastic. Elastic means that the plastic will provide the clip with the necessary resilient properties and the necessary strength properties.
  • the clip 1 is preferably manufactured mainly by injection-moulding.
  • Manufacture by injection-moulding of a thin blade with a relatively coarse surface, such as the blade-shaped portion 8 with its rough surface texture can produce jagged and sharp edges on the blade, which can lead to gum irritation when the blade is inserted between teeth for cleaning.
  • the jagged and sharp edges can be smoothed by melting the jags, by means of, for example, hot air or thermal radiation, in direct conjunction with the injection-moulding.
  • the legs 2 , 3 are provided with semi-circular jaws 10 , 11 .
  • the semi-circular jaws 10 , 11 are arranged with their open portions facing one another, and one leg 3 is slightly longer than the other 2 in such a way that the jaws engage in one another, which affords secure retention of the article to which the clip is attached.
  • the jaws 10 , 11 are pressed toward one another by a light spring pressure which is brought about by cooling in connection with injection-moulding the clip, where the outer surfaces of the legs are cooled first, which results in the inner surfaces of the legs contracting, the legs 2 , 3 being bent inward toward one another.
  • FIG. 2 shows a perspective diagram of the clip 1 in FIG. 1 , where the difference in thickness between the legs 2 , 3 and the blade-shaped portion 8 , and the transition in thickness between them, can be seen.
  • the thickness of the legs 2 , 3 is 2-4 mm, preferably roughly 3 mm
  • the thickness of the blade-shaped portion 8 is 0.2-0.4 mm, preferably roughly 0.3 mm.
  • the length of the clip 1 is 30-70 mm, preferably roughly 50 mm, and its width is 5-15 mm, preferably roughly 10 mm, and the clip 1 is in the first place intended to be used for attaching a napkin or the like to the clothes of a person eating a meal in order to protect the clothes from becoming dirtied by food or drink.
  • the point 7 and the blade-shaped portion 8 constitute a toothpick blade which can be used by the person if, for example, food becomes wedged between the teeth of the person.
  • the rough surface texture of the blade-shaped portion 8 helps effectively in cleaning the teeth, and the elastic plastic material, from which the clip is made, means that the toothpick blade can be pressed in between teeth lying close together without the blade breaking off and becoming difficult to remove.
  • the other point 9 of the blade-shaped portion can be used for removing dirt under the nails of the person.
  • the leg 3 with the points 7 , 9 is longer than the other leg 2 so as to provide space for the blade-shaped portion 8 , which makes handling easier when the blade-shaped portion 8 is used for cleaning teeth or for manicure.
  • the clip 1 therefore provides effective retention of the napkin on the clothes during the meal and a toothpick which is close to hand throughout the meal.
  • the clip 1 moreover provides a manicure instrument for cleaning the nails.
  • savings are made in terms of material and thus money, and also space and unnecessary time-wasting for looking for, for example, a toothpick after the meal is finished.
  • the design of the clip 1 also affords a good grip during tooth-picking, as the two legs 2 , 3 of the clip 1 are held, compared with a conventional toothpick.
  • the clip can also, for example, be designed with a separate resilient part, such as a conventional helical spring, and the jaws of the clip can of course have any suitable shape, such as ribbed, smooth, or with one or more teeth, as long as sufficient grip is obtained around the article to which the clip is attached.
  • the blade-shaped portion can also be designed with a smooth surface. The point at the end of the leg does not have to be preceded by a blade-shaped portion, but the leg can quite simply merge directly with a point. It is of course also possible for both legs to be provided with points. Furthermore, the legs do not have to be of different length, as in the embodiments according to FIGS.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Dentistry (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Dental Tools And Instruments Or Auxiliary Dental Instruments (AREA)
  • Food-Manufacturing Devices (AREA)
  • Table Equipment (AREA)
US10/497,082 2001-11-30 2002-11-29 Clip Abandoned US20050086776A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE0104028A SE520506C2 (sv) 2001-11-30 2001-11-30 Klämma med spets för tandrengöring
SE0104028-6 2001-11-30
PCT/SE2002/002203 WO2003045204A1 (en) 2001-11-30 2002-11-29 Clip

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20050086776A1 true US20050086776A1 (en) 2005-04-28

Family

ID=20286160

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US10/497,082 Abandoned US20050086776A1 (en) 2001-11-30 2002-11-29 Clip

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US20050086776A1 (sv)
SE (1) SE520506C2 (sv)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20100077575A1 (en) * 2006-06-08 2010-04-01 Garth Pieter Van Reenen Clothes peg
US20110198472A1 (en) * 2007-09-21 2011-08-18 Dennis Pryor Mosguito coil holder

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US541384A (en) * 1895-06-18 Territory
US3279479A (en) * 1963-06-24 1966-10-18 Nathan L Solomon One piece hair clip biased closed by a flexible spring finger
US6182335B1 (en) * 1998-01-06 2001-02-06 Idego, Inc. Clothing protective device

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US541384A (en) * 1895-06-18 Territory
US3279479A (en) * 1963-06-24 1966-10-18 Nathan L Solomon One piece hair clip biased closed by a flexible spring finger
US6182335B1 (en) * 1998-01-06 2001-02-06 Idego, Inc. Clothing protective device

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20100077575A1 (en) * 2006-06-08 2010-04-01 Garth Pieter Van Reenen Clothes peg
US20110198472A1 (en) * 2007-09-21 2011-08-18 Dennis Pryor Mosguito coil holder
US8146875B2 (en) * 2007-09-21 2012-04-03 Dennis Pryor Mosquito coil holder

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE520506C2 (sv) 2003-07-15
SE0104028L (sv) 2003-05-31

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION