US20110036880A1

US20110036880A1 - Clip system for use with belt

Info

Publication number: US20110036880A1
Application number: US12/539,976
Authority: US
Inventors: Shan-Yao LEE; Di-Fong Chang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-08-12
Filing date: 2009-08-12
Publication date: 2011-02-17

Abstract

A clip system for use with a belt is disclosed. The clip system includes a base member having a first surface and a second surface opposing to the first surface on which a first engagement portion is formed. The clip system also includes a cover body, which is pivot-jointed with one end of the base member and has apertures. A second engagement portion opposing to the first engagement portion is formed on the base member, allowing the clip system to be attached to the belt when the cover body is buckled up with the base member. In addition, the clip system has a holder with protrusions for being attached to the apertures of the cover body. By using the above-mentioned clip system with the modular design, the clip system and change accessory are assembled and disassembled in an efficient way.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a clip system, and more particularly, to a clip system for use with a belt.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to make soldiers adaptive to diverse maneuvers in the battle, the Specialty Defense Systems of Specialty Plastic Products Company developed a personal carrying equipment for the US army in 1998. It adopts a modular design, which is called MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment). MOLLE is characterized in the application of Inter-Locking Attachment System, instead of the traditional set hoop, to attach equipments to soldiers. As a result, soldiers can directly insert accessories into the nylon Inter-Locking Attachment Systems. This design gradually becomes a trend, leading to the development of various clips for use with nylon or leather belt.
Such a clip is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,958 entitled “Attachment System for Backpacks, Vests, Belts and the Like”. However, this reference discloses a system for mating with a key-like structure which is inconvenient to use, thereby resulting in a cluttered pack surface and being inapplicable to large equipments.
In addition, Taiwan Patent No. 1245609 further discloses a clip 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 a, 1 b, and 1 c. The clip has a clip portion 11 and a base 12, wherein the center of the base 12 has an opening 120 for a connection belt 100 to pass therethrough. The clip 10 can be stitched with a pouch 13 via the connection belt 100 to provide with the clip 10 on which the pouch 13 is formed. Additionally, by inserting the clip portion 11 into a belt 14 and buckling the base 12 with the clip portion 11, the pouch 13 is detachably attachable to any types of belts. However, there are quite a few disadvantages in this kind of clip 10. For instance, the use of stitch method is unavoidable for the purpose of attaching the pouch 13 to the connection belt 100, causing inconvenience in assembling them together. Moreover, the connection belt 100 must be operated manually for the purpose of passing through the opening 120 smoothly, still causing inconvenience in assembling operation. Furthermore, the pouch 13 is tightly fixed on the clip 10 after being stitched to the connection belt 100. In other words, the pouch 13 can only be disposed in an upward manner. As a result, the direction of the pouch 13 is unchangeable even if it collides with the human body, resulting in the significant inflexibility in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a clip system for use with a belt more easily.
The present invention provides a clip system with a modular design for the users to carry different types of accessories.
The present invention provides a clip system allowing a rotation of the accessories attached thereon.
The present invention also provides a clip system for use with a belt. The clip system comprises: a base member having a first surface and a second surface opposing to the first surface, wherein the first surface has a first engagement portion; and a cover body having a plurality of apertures and having one end being pivot-jointed with one end of the base member, wherein the cover body has a second engagement portion corresponding to the first engagement portion so as to allow the clip system to be attached to the belt by buckling up the cover body with the base member.
Further, the clip system comprises a holder having at least one opening, a plurality of inner surfaces, and a plurality of outer surfaces, wherein one of the outer surfaces of the holder has a plurality of protrusions disposed thereon in positions corresponding to the apertures of the cover body for the holder to be attached to the clip system.
While the cover body has four apertures, the holder has four protrusions corresponding to the apertures of the cover body. These four apertures of the cover body and these corresponding four protrusions of the holder are both arranged in a square pattern for allowing the holder to be attached to the clip system in four different angles.
Compared to the prior arts, the present invention provides a clip system with a modular design so that the clip, the holder, and the accessories can be detachably attached to one another in a flexible manner. In addition, since the direction of the holder relative to the clip system can be changed according to requirements, it offers a better room for the users to apply accessories with specific shapes or sizes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a is a schematic diagram showing a conventional clip;

FIG. 1 b is a schematic diagram showing a conventional clip stitched to a pouch;

FIG. 1 c is a schematic diagram showing the application of a conventional clip stitched to a pouch;

FIG. 2 a is a schematic diagram showing a clip as viewed from a cover body of the present invention;

FIG. 2 b is a schematic diagram showing the clip as viewed from a base member of the present invention;

FIG. 2 c is a front view showing the clip as directly viewed from the cover body of the present invention;

FIG. 3 a is a schematic diagram showing a holder of the present invention;

FIG. 3 b is a schematic diagram showing the assembling of the holder and the clip0 of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the application of the clip system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following illustrative embodiments are provided to illustrate the disclosure of the present invention, one of ordinary skill in the art can readily realize advantages and effects of the present invention according to the disclosed specification. The present invention can also be performed or applied by other different embodiments. The details of the specification can be modified and varied based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
FIGS. 2 a, 2 b, and 2 c are schematic diagrams showing a clip of a clip system of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 2 a illustrating a clip 20 in a buckled-up configuration as viewed from the cover body 22, the clip 20 comprises a base member 21 and a cover body 22. The base member 21 has a first surface 211 and a second surface 212 (shown in FIG. 2 b) opposing to the first surface 211, wherein the first surface 211 faces toward the cover body 22 and has a first engagement portion 213 formed thereon for engaging with the cover body 22. Moreover, a first prong 215 and a second prong 216 (shown in FIG. 2 b), which are pivot-jointed with the cover body 22 and extending outwards, are formed at one end of the base member 21. While at the other end of the base member 21, a pair of force-applied portions 214 are formed on the first surface 211. In addition, the cover body 22 has, for example, four apertures 221 formed thereon for attaching accessories thereto, wherein any one of the apertures 221 includes a circle 222 in combination with a notch 223 that is eccentric from the center of the circle 222. The notch 223 of the any one of the apertures 221 of the cover body 22 extends along a longer edge of the cover body 22 as the cover body 22 and the base member 21 are of oblong shapes. A second engagement portion 220 opposing to the first engagement portion 213 is further located on the base member 21, allowing the cover body 22 to be buckled up with the base member 21. In addition, pivot holes are formed on the end of the cover body 22, which is pivot-jointed with the base member 21, for pivot insertion of the first prong 215 and the second prong 216 of the base member 21. By the design of the clip 20 described above, users are able to attach the base member 21 of the clip 20 to a belt by buckling up the base member 21 with the cover body 22, so as to fasten the clip 20 to the belt. Besides, other accessories can further be attached to the clip 20 via the apertures 221 of the cover body 22.
FIG. 2 b is a schematic diagram illustrating the clip 20 in a buckled-up configuration as viewed from the base member 21. The pair of engagement portions 213 and 220 shown in FIG. 2 a are designed respectively to be, for example, one or more hook units and corresponding hook holes, velcros, or slot and insertion, for engagement with and attachment to each other. As being exemplified by the hook units and hook holes herein, the base member 21 has a through-groove 217 in the form of a U-shape, a V-shape, or a combination of U-shape and V-shape for flexibly adjusting the width of the base member 21. The elasticity generated by forcing the through-groove 217 of the base member 21 can be controlled by altering the breadth of the through-groove 217. When the clip 20 is not buckled up (not shown), the hook units of the base member 21 will be more distant from an axis of the cover body than the hook holes of the cover body 22. By applying force to the force-applied portions 214, which are formed on both sides of the through-groove 217, the hook units of the base member 21 and the hook holes of the cover body 22 can be buckled with each other through that the base member 21 is elastically compressed toward the center of the through-groove 217 and that the force is then released to enable the base member 21 to be rebounded back toward its initial position. As a result, the base member 21 will be buckled up with the cover body 22.
As shown in FIG. 2 c, a protruding portion 224 is formed between the circle 222 and the notch 223 of any one of the apertures 221 of the cover body 22. The protruding portion 224 is an elastic member or a hollow member of a triangle shape, a circular shape, a polygonal shape, or an irregular shape for securing accessories to the notches 223 of the clip 20 and preventing the accessories from being easily loosen from the clip 20 by force.
Referring to FIGS. 3 a and 3 b, these two figures are schematic diagrams showing the holder 23 and the assembling of the holder and the clip of the present invention respectively.
FIG. 3 a exhibits the appearance of the holder 23, which has an opening 230, inner surfaces 231, and outer surfaces 232 corresponding to the inner surfaces 231 for accommodating an accessory 25 that fits with the shape of the opening 230. The accessory 25 can be a gun, a pitcher, a cutting tool, a cartridge, a mobile phone, or a wireless set, etc. The outer surfaces 231 and the inner surfaces 232 have slots 234 formed thereon for fastening the accessory 25 with the holder 23. Besides, protrusions 233 are disposed on one of the outer surfaces 232 adjacent to the opening 230. Each of the protrusions 233 has an outer diameter and an inner diameter that correspond to the aperture 221 of the cover body 22. The outer diameter is smaller than the diameter of the circle 222 of the any one of the apertures 221 and larger than the width of the notch 223 of the aperture 221. The inner diameter is smaller than the width of the notch 223 of the aperture 221. In such a design, the protrusions 233 of the holder 23 are allowed to penetrate through the apertures 221 of the cover body 22, and the protrusions 233 are driven toward the eccentric notches 223 of the apertures 221 by shifting the holder 23 toward the eccentric notches 223. Hence the holder 23 and the clip 20 can be tightly attached to each other.
FIG. 3 b shows the assembling of the holder 23 and the clip 20. The protrusions 233 of the holder 23 and the corresponding apertures 221 of the cover body 22 are designed to be jointed and secured to each other. Because the apertures 221 of the cover body 22 are arranged in a square pattern, the holder 23 and the clip 20 are allowed to joint with each other in an outward, inward, upward, or downward manner in demand.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the application of the clip system of the present invention. As illustrated in the FIG. 4 and FIG. 3 a, the clip system can accommodate the accessory 25 by using the holder 23. In this modular design, the holder 23 is attached to the clip 20 and the clip 20 is fastened to the belt 24, wherein the belt 24 herein can be a leather belt, a waist band, or a nylon belt of vest or garment, etc. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplified example of applying the clip system to the belt 24 of the Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment.
In addition, the holder 23 is adaptable for accommodating any suitable type of accessory. Therefore, users can make a replacement easily by merely changing the accessory accommodated in the holder 23. Due to the unique jointing manner between the holder 23 and the clip 20, the direction of the tightly attachable holder 23 is also flexibly adjustable.
The present invention has been described by exemplary preferred embodiments, however, it is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to them. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar changes. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Claims

1. A clip system for use with a belt, comprising:

a base member having a first surface and a second surface opposing to the first surface, wherein the first surface has a first engagement portion; and

a cover body having a plurality of apertures, having one end pivot-jointed with one end of the base member, and having a second engagement portion corresponding to the first engagement portion, so as to allow the clip system to be attached to the belt by buckling up the cover body with the base member.

2. The clip system of claim 1, further comprising:

a holder having at least one opening, a plurality of inner surfaces, and a plurality of outer surfaces corresponding to the inner surfaces, wherein one of the outer surfaces of the holder has a plurality of protrusions disposed thereon in positions corresponding to the apertures of the cover body for the holder to be attached to the clip system.

3. The clip system of claim 2, wherein the cover body has four apertures.

4. The clip system of claim 3, wherein the apertures of the cover body are arranged in a square pattern.

5. The clip system of claim 4, wherein one of the apertures of the cover body comprises a circle in combination with a notch that is eccentric from a center of the circle.

6. The clip system of claim 5, wherein one of the protrusions of the holder has an outer diameter and an inner diameter, and the outer diameter is smaller than a diameter of the circle and larger than a width of the notch of the one of the apertures.

7. The clip system of claim 4, wherein the first engagement portion of the base member comprises one or more hook units, and the second engagement portion of the cover body comprises one or more hook holes.

8. The clip system of claim 7, wherein the base member comprises a through-groove, allowing the base member under force to be elastically compressed toward a center of the through-groove.

9. The clip system of claim 8, wherein the one or more hook units of the base member are arranged in a symmetric manner and disposed in positions corresponding to the one or more hook units and distant from an axis of the cover body.

10. The clip system of claim 9, wherein the first surface of the base member is formed with a plurality of force-applied portions on both sides of the through-groove for buckling the one or more hook units of the base member with the one or more hook holes of the cover body under force.

11. The clip system of claim 1, wherein a first prong and a second prong extending outwards are formed at the end of the base member that is pivot- jointed with the cover body.

12. The clip system of claim 11, wherein a first pivot hole and a second pivot hole are formed at the end of the cover body for pivot insertion of the first prong and the second prong.

13. The clip system of claim 4, wherein the holder and the cover body are jointed with each other in an outward, inward, upward, or downward manner.

14. The clip system of claim 5, wherein the notch of the one of the apertures of the cover body extends along a longer edge of the cover body as the cover body and the base member are of oblong shapes.

15. The clip system of claim 2, wherein the outer surface and the inner surface jointly have at least one slot formed adjacent to the opening of the holder.

16. The clip system of claim 15, wherein the holder accommodates an accessory via the opening and the slot.

17. The clip system of claim 16, wherein the accessory is cartridge, gun, cutting tool, pitcher, mobile phone, or wireless set.

18. The clip system of claim 5, wherein a protruding portion is formed between the circle and the notch of the one of the apertures of the cover body.

19. The clip system of claim 18, wherein the protruding portion of the one of the apertures of the cover body is an elastic member.

20. The clip system of claim 19, wherein the protruding portion of the one of the apertures of the cover body is a hollow member.

21. The clip system of claim 20, wherein the protruding portion of the one of the apertures of the cover body is of a triangle shape.