WO2012063067A1

WO2012063067A1 - Device

Info

Publication number: WO2012063067A1
Application number: PCT/GB2011/052186
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lynn Baty
Original assignee: Lynn Baty
Priority date: 2010-11-11
Filing date: 2011-11-10
Publication date: 2012-05-18
Also published as: GB201019095D0; GB2485381B; GB2485381A

Abstract

A device comprises a fastener (7), a support portion (2) and two clip portions (5,6). The support portion comprises an upper surface and a lower surface and a slot (4) to allow passage of the fastener through the support portion. Each clip portion comprises a first part for alignment with the lower surface of the support portion and a second part for engagement with an object. The first flat part of each clip portion is provided with at least one hole for receiving the fastener. The fastener comprises an upper part and a lower part connected together by a substantially central spindle. The upper part of the faster is elongate and so shaped that it passes through the at least one hole in each clip portion and the slot in the plate, and the lower part of the fastener is so shaped that it does not pass through the at least one hole in each clip. The device is moveable between an unfastened and a fastened configuration.

Description

Device

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a device for supporting a object, and in particular to a device for supporting an object which is connectable to another object.

Background to the Invention

Garden lights or candles are typically mounted onto spikes for insertion into the ground. This type of mounting is unsuitable when decking or paving is present, since access into the ground is prevented. Electric decking lights can be set into decking boards, but this can be expensive and usually needs to be installed at the time of installation of the decking.

It would be desirable to provide a device suitable for supporting an object such as a light or a candle which is connectable to another object such as a raised decking rail or similar.

Summary of the Invention

One aspect of the invention provides a device comprising: a fastener; a support portion, the support portion comprising an upper surface and a lower surface and a slot to allow passage of the fastener through the support portion; and two clip portions, each clip portion comprising a first part for alignment with the lower surface of the support portion and a second part for engagement with an object, wherein the first part of each clip portion is provided with at least one hole for receiving the fastener, wherein the fastener comprises an upper part and a lower part connected together by a substantially central spindle and the upper part of the faster is elongate and so shaped that it passes through the at least one hole in each clip portion and the slot in the plate, and the lower part of the fastener is so shaped that it does not pass through the at least one hole in each clip, and wherein the device is movable between an unfastened and a fastened configuration.

The first part of each clip portion may be substantially flat. This allows good alignment with the bottom surface of the support portion. The second part of each clip portion may be substantially curved. This allows a good connection with an object such as a hand rail. Preferably the second part of each clip portion is fabricated from a resilient material. Such a material can be stretched in order to grip an object and may then return to its original configuration. The second part of the clip portion may have any configuration which allows it to grip onto another object. The device may be moved from an unfastened to a fastened configuration by rotating the support portion with respect to the fastener such that the support portion is moved from a position in which the upper part of the fastener is aligned with the slot in the support portion to a position in which the upper part of the fastener is unaligned with the slot in the support portion. This rotation fastens the device in place since the fastener can no longer be removed through the slot in the support portion. The support portion may be rotated by substantially 90 degrees with respect to the fastener in order to fasten the device.

Alternatively, the device may be moved from an unfastened to a fastened configuration by rotating the fastener with respect to the support portion such that the fastener is moved from a position in which the upper part of the fastener is aligned with the slot in the support portion to a position in which the upper part of the fastener is unaligned with the slot in the support portion. This rotation fastens the device in place since the fastener can no longer be removed through the slot in the support portion. The fastener may be rotated by substantially 90 degrees with respect to the support portion in order to fasten the device. Preferably the fastener is fixed in position with respect to the clip portions and therefore the clip portions themselves may be rotated in order to rotate the fastener.

Preferably, the upper surface of the support portion is provided with at least one raised projection proximate to the slot, the raised projection acting engage with the upper part of the fastener and thus to restrict the rotation of the support portion with respect to the fastener. This prevents over-rotation of the support portion with respect to the fastener. Over-rotation of the support portion may result in the slot becoming aligned with the upper part of the fastener again, and hence unfastened. The raised projection may be a raised notch or an area of raised surface area sufficient to restrict rotation of either the fastener or the support portion, by engaging with the upper part of the fastener.

The first part of each clip portion comprises a top surface and a bottom surface. Preferably the top surface of the first part of one clip portion and the bottom surface of the first part of the other clip portion are each provided with inter- engaging elements. This enables the two clip portions to grip together, providing a more secure overlap of the first parts of the clip portions. The inter- engaging elements may be teeth projections. Preferably the inter- engaging elements are arranged in a formation that provides the clip portions with a number of different fixed width positions.

Preferably, at least one of the clip portions is provided with a groove located around the hole on the bottom surface of the first part. More preferably, the lower part of the fastener is so shaped that it locates within the groove on the bottom surface of the first part of the clip portion. Still more preferably the lower part of the fastener is so shaped that rotation of the fastener within the groove is prevented. This feature allows the device to be held by the clip portions and prevents the fastener rotating when the support portion is rotated with respect to the clip portions.

Favourably, the upper surface of the support portion is provided with projections for supporting an object. Projections or up-stands raise the supporting level of the support surface above the level of the fastener to provide a level surface for supporting an object. Favourably, the edge of the support portion is provided with an upstanding rim. This feature helps to support objects more securely since the rim helps to prevent objects falling off the edge of the support portion.

The device of the invention can quickly and easily be connected to a rail or other object and allows an object to be supported either from below, resting on the support member, or from above, suspended from the support surface.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention: Figure la is a perspective view from above of a device according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure lb is a plan view from underneath the device of Figure la;

Figure 2a is a perspective view from above of the support portion of the device of Figure la; Figure 2b is a perspective view from below of the support portion of Figure 2a; Figure 3 illustrates the clip portions of the device of Figure la;

Figure 4 illustrates the fastener of the device of Figure la;

Figure 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a support portion for a device according to the invention;

Figure 6 illustrates a device according to a further embodiment of the invention;and Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view from above of an alternative embodiment of a support portion for device according to the invention. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

As shown in Figures la and lb, a device 1 includes a support portion 2, which in the embodiment illustrated is circular in shape and includes an upstanding rim 3. The support portion 2 includes a slot or opening 4 located in the centre. Situated underneath the support portion 2 are two clip portions 5, 6 which are fastened onto the support portion 2 by a fastener 7 which passes through holes (10, 11, Figure lb) in the clip portions 5, 6 and also through the slot 4 in the support portion 2. The clip portions 5, 6 are easily attachable to an object such as a rail, a decking rail or a hand rail and the support portion 2 may be used to support a candle, or other object.

Figures 2a and 2b illustrate the support portion 2 in more detail. Figure 2a shows the upper surface 19 of the support portion 2 and figure 2b shows the underneath surface 20 of the support portion 2, with the slot 4 located in the centre.

Figure 3 illustrates the clip portions 5, 6 in more detail. The clip portions 5, 6 each comprise a flat part 12, 13 and a curved part 14, 15. Preferably the curved parts are flexible. In use, the flat parts 12, 14 are aligned with the underneath surface 20 of the support portion 2. The curved parts 14, 15 enable the device 1 to connect with another object such as a hand rail. The flat part 12, 13 of each clip portion is provided with an elongate hole 10, 11, through which the fastener 7 can be inserted. In use, a proportion of the flat parts 12, 13 of each clip portion 5,6 are overlapped, and a proportion of the holes 10, 11 are overlapped such that the fastener 7 can be inserted through both clip portions 5, 6. The provision of elongate holes 10, 11 allows the degree of overlap of the flat parts 12, 13 to be varied and thus the distance between the curved parts 14, 15 can be varied. This means that the device can easily be attached to different objects with varying widths. Preferably the clip portion 6 which is to be located furthest from the support portion 2 in the device 1 includes a groove 18 on the underside of the flat part 12 around the edge of the hole 10 as shown in Figure lb.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in Figure 3, the flat parts 12, 13 of the clip portions 5, 6, are provided with inter-engaging teeth 16, 17. Only the overlapping surfaces of the clip portions 5, 6 are provided with inter-engaging teeth, i.e. the top surface of the flat part 12 of one clip portion 6 and the bottom surface of the flat part 13 of the other clip portion 5. This provides a more secure overlap of the flat parts 12, 13 of the clip portions 5, 6, and provides the clip portions 5, 6 with a large number of fixed width positions.

Figure 4 illustrates the fastener 7 in more detail. The fastener 7 comprises an upper part 21 and a lower part 23 connected together by a spindle part 22. The fastener 7 is shaped such that the upper part 21 and the spindle 22 will pass through the holes 10, 11 in the clip portions 5, 6, but the lower part 23 is shaped such that it will not pass through the holes 10, 11 in the clip portions 5, 6. Preferably the lower part 23 of the fastener 7 is also shaped such that it can be located inside the groove 18 on the underside of the flat part 12 of the clip portion 6 located furthermost from the support portion 2 as shown in Figure lb. Preferably the lower part 23 of the fastener 7 is also shaped such that it cannot be rotated within the groove 18. This prevents the fastener 7 from rotating with respect to the clip portions 5, 6.

To use the device the flat parts 12, 13 of the clip portions 5, 6 are overlapped and aligned with the underside of the support portion 2 such that a proportion of the holes 10, 11 and the slot 4 are aligned sufficiently to allow insertion of the fastener 7. The top part 21 of the fastener 7 is inserted through the holes 10, 11 in the clip portions 5,6 and through the slot 4 in the support portion 2. The width of the curved parts 14, 15 is adjusted to give a good connection to the rail or other object to which the device 1 is to be fastened. In order to secure the device 1 in place the support portion 2 is rotated about the spindle 22 of the fastener 7 such that the upper part 21 of the fastener 7 is no longer aligned with the slot 4 as illustrated in Figure la. The fastener 7 is prevented from rotating as the lower part 23 of the fastener sits in a groove 18 in the flat part 12 of the clip portion 6 as previously described. In a preferred embodiment, illustrated in Figure 5, the upper surface 19 of the support portion 2 is provided with raised projections 30 proximate to the slot 4 which allow the support member to be rotated by an angle of approximately 90 degrees (clockwise in the illustrated example), until the upper part 21 of the fastener 7 abuts the projections 30 as shown in Figure 5. This locks the device into position and prevents further rotation. One raised projection 30 would be sufficient to prevent over-rotation of the support portion. The raised projection 30 is a raised notch in the illustrated example, but could be envisaged as simply an area of raised surface area, or an area of the support portion 2 with increased thickness sufficient to prevent over-rotation by abutting or otherwise engaging with the upper part of the fastener.

In an alternative embodiment, illustrated in Figure 7, the upper surface 19 of the support portion 2 is further provided with slightly raised protrusions 31 proximate to the slot 4. The protrusions 31 are substantially lower in height than the projections 30 and allow the support portion 2 to be rotated over the protrusion 31 with a small amount of force. The support portion 2 can still only be rotated by an angle of approximately 90 degrees (clockwise in the illustrated example), until the upper part 21 of the fastener 7 abuts the projections 30, as before. This presence of the protrusions 31 help to secure the device into position and help prevent the device unlocking by accidental rotation in an anti-clockwise direction. One raised protrusion 31 would be sufficient. The raised protrusion 31 could be a small bump moulded into the upper surface of the support portion 2 or simply an area of the support portion 2 with slightly increased thickness sufficient to allow rotation about the fastener 7 with a small amount of force.

When the device is to be used for supporting a candle it is desirable that the upper surface 19 of the support member 2 provides a stable, level surface for supporting the candle. As shown in Figure la, the upper surface 19 of the support member 2 may be provided with up-stands 8, 9, which raise the supporting level of the support surface 2 above the level of the fastener 7. This provides a level surface for supporting the candle or similar.

As shown in Figure 6, if the device is to be used for supporting a candle it may be desirable to provide the device with a wind-shield 40 to help prevent the candle being extinguished by the wind. The wind-shield 40 is a heat resistant transparent shield which clips into the rim 3 of the device 1 via a number of downwardly extending clips 41.

The device of the invention is useful for supporting candles or other lights on decking rails, but could also be envisaged as being useful in supporting a number of different items on handrails, ladder rungs, pipework and the like. Items may be supported from beneath, whereby the curved parts 14, 15 of the device 1 extend downwardly from the support portion 2. Alternatively, it could be envisaged that items may be supported from above, whereby the curved parts 14, 15 of the device 1 extend upwardly from the support portion 2 and that items to be supported are suspended from the support portion 2.

Claims

A device comprising: a fastener; a support portion, the support portion comprising an upper surface and a lower surface and a slot to allow passage of the fastener through the support portion; and two clip portions, each clip portion comprising a first part for alignment with the lower surface of the support portion and a second part for engagement with an object, wherein the first part of each clip portion is provided with at least one hole for receiving the fastener, wherein the fastener comprises an upper part and a lower part connected together by a substantially central spindle and the upper part of the faster is elongate and so shaped that it passes through the at least one hole in each clip portion and the slot in the plate, and the lower part of the fastener is so shaped that it does not pass through the at least one hole in each clip, and wherein the device is moveable from an unfastened to a fastened configuration.

A device according to Claim 1, wherein the first part of the clip portion is substantially flat and the second part of the clip portion is substantially curved.

A device according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the second part of the clip portion is fabricated from a resilient material.

A device according to any preceding Claim, wherein the device is moved from an unfastened to a fastened configuration by rotating the support portion with respect to the fastener such that the support portion is moved from a position in which the upper part of the fastener is aligned with the slot in the support portion to a position in which the upper part of the fastener is unaligned with the slot in the support portion.

5. A device according to Claim 4 wherein the support portion is rotated by substantially 90 degrees with respect to the fastener.

6. A device according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the device is moved from an unfastened to a fastened position by rotating the fastener with respect to the support portion such that the fastener is moved from a position in which the upper part of the fastener is aligned with the slot in the support portion to a position in which the upper part of the fastener is unaligned with the slot in the support portion.

7. A device according to any of Claims 4 to 6, wherein the upper surface of the support portion is provided with at least one raised projection proximate to the slot, the raised projection acting to engage with the upper part of the fastener and restrict the rotation of the support portion with respect to the fastener.

8. A device according to any preceding Claim, wherein the first part of each clip portion comprises a top surface and a bottom surface and the top surface of the first part of one clip portion and the bottom surface of the first part of the other clip portion are each provided with inter-engaging elements.

9. A device according to Claim 8, wherein the inter- engaging elements are inter-engaging teeth.

10. A device according to Claim 8 or 9, wherein the clip portion which is provided with inter- engaging elements on the top surface of the first part further comprises a groove located around the hole on the bottom surface of the first part.

11. A device according to Claim 10, wherein the lower part of the fastener is so shaped that it locates within the groove on the bottom surface of the flat part of the clip portion.

12. A device according to Claim 11, wherein the lower part of the fastener is so shaped that rotation of the fastener within the groove is prevented.

13. A device according to any preceding Claim, wherein the upper surface of the support portion is provided with raised projections for supporting an object.

14. A device substantially as shown in and described with reference to the drawings.