A CLIP

Abstract

According to the invention there is a clip (10) comprising: a pair of opposed gripping portions (18, 20) each having a gripping surface (22, 24), each gripping portion being located on a clip half, wherein one clip half further includes a stop (40) space apart from the gripping portion which is engageable with a point spaced apart from the gripping portion on the other clip half.

Claims

1. A clip comprising: a pair of opposed gripping portions each having a gripping surface, each gripping portion being located on a clip half, wherein one clip half further includes a stop spaced apart from the gripping portion which is engageable with a point spaced apart from the gripping portion on the other clip half.

2. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the clip halves are biased by a biasing component to urge the stop against a point on the other clip half so as to prevent the gripping surfaces from being urged together by the force exerted by the biasing component.

3. A clip according to claim 2 wherein the biasing component is a spring.

4. A clip according to claim 3 wherein the spring is an anti-twist spring.

5. A clip according to claim 1 to wherein the clip halves are in pivotal connection with each other.

6. A clip according to claim 5 wherein the pivotal connection is effected by at least one lug on one clip half being engageable with at least one lug retainer on the other clip half.

7. A clip according to claim 6 wherein the at least one lug is tapered.

8. A clip according to claim 6 wherein the at least one lug retainer is a closed loop defining a recess into which the lug is placed thereby providing a pivotal connection.

9. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the clip further comprises a pushable surface.

10. A clip according to claim 9 wherein the pushable surface has at least one ridge to improve grip.

11. A clip according to claim 9 wherein the pushable surface further defines a kimble hole.

12. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the gripping surface comprises at least one tooth or serration.

13. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the gripping surface is made of an elastomeric material.

14. A clip according to claim 13 wherein the elastomeric material is thermoplastic elastomer.

15. A clip according to claim 13 wherein the elastomeric material is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.

16. A clip according to claim 1 further comprising a suspension means.

17. A clip according to claim 1 further comprising a portion to which information is attachable.

18. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the pushable surface opposes the portion to which information is attachable.

19. A method of manufacturing a clip comprising the steps of forming complementary clip halves wherein each clip half has a gripping portion having a gripping surface, one clip half has at least one lug retainer and the other clip half has at least one lug which is engageable with the lug retainer on the complementary clip half, aligning the at least one lug with the at least one lug retainer, exerting a force on at least one of the clip halves so that the at least one lug causes the at least one lug retainer to deform in an outward direction, thereby allowing passage of the lug until it engages with the lug retainer.

20. A method according to claim 19 further including the step of inserting a biasing component between the two clip halves.

21. A method according to claim 19 wherein one of the clip halves is formed with a stop.

22. A method according to claim 19 wherein one clip half is formed with two lugs and the complementary clip half is formed with two lug retainers.

23. A method of attaching an item to the clip according to claim 1 comprising the steps of: providing a clip according to an embodiment of the invention; exerting a pivoting force on at least one of the clip halves to overcome the force exerted by the biasing component; positioning the gripping portion either side of an item to be retained by the clip; and releasing the pivoting force.

Description

[0027] Embodiments of clips in accordance with at least one embodiment will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0028] FIG. 1 shows an assembled clip made according to the method disclosed herein.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows the clip of FIG. 1 in an opened configuration.

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a clip according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a side on view of the clip of FIG. 3.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the clip shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0033] FIG. 6 shows an end on view of the clip shown in FIG. 1 or 3.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a close up of the pushable surface on a clip according to one embodiment.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a front view of a clip half according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0036] FIG. 9 is a front view of a clip half which is complementary to the clip half of FIG. 8.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a clip 10 in a closed, non-use configuration which has been manufactured according to a method of manufacture described herein. The clip 10 includes two clip halves 12, 14 pivotally connected to each other about a pivot point 16. The two clip halves have gripping portions 18, 20, each having a gripping surface 22, 24 which retains an item. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the gripping surfaces are teeth. The two halves are biased to ensure the gripping surfaces are close, or even touching each other, in a non-use position, as is shown in this figure. This embodiment shows a clip for footwear which also includes a suspension means 26 and an area 28 upon which information can be displayed.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows the clip of FIG. 1 in an opened configuration. At least one of the clip halves 12, 14 has been pivoted about pivot point 16 in order to move the gripping surfaces 22, 24 away from one another. The pivoting motion can be effected by applying pressure to the pushable surface 30, the information area 28 or both of these. An item to be displayed, such as a pair of boots, can be placed between the gripping surfaces 22, 24. The gripping surface is provided by teeth 32. The pressure is released from the pushable surface and/or information area 28 and the clip returns to its closed configuration, as shown in FIG. 1 by virtue of a biasing component, not shown, which allows the clip to grip the item to be displayed.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a clip 10 according to an embodiment of the invention which has many features in common with the clip shown in FIG. 1. The clip is operated in the same way as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and can be manufactured by the method described herein. It is also suited to displaying footwear. In this embodiment, the gripping surfaces 22, 24 are made of an elastomeric material.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a side on view of the clip 10 of FIG. 3. It can be seen that the gripping surfaces 22, 24 are not touching as they are held apart by a stop 40, which is located on clip half 14 and spaced apart from the gripping surface 24, which abuts the other clip half 12 at a point 41 spaced apart from the gripping surface 22. The stop 40 is urged towards the other clip half by a biasing component, which is not shown. As the biasing component exerts a force on the stop 40 and abutting portion of the other clip half, there is little or no force exerted on the gripping surfaces 22, 24 thereby overcoming the problem of the gripping surfaces sticking together when not in use or damaging the item(s) to be retained when in use. Optionally, one or more of the gripping surfaces 22, 24 may be provided with a protruding feature such as a rib which can act as a failsafe stop in the event that the stop 40/point 41 mechanism fails to hold the gripping surfaces 22, 24 apart.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the clip 10 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein the feature of the stop 40 on clip half 14 is more clearly visible. The stop 40 abuts a point 41 on the other clip half 12 by virtue of the force exerted by the biasing component. This ensures that the gripping surfaces 22, 24 are not urged toward one another by a biasing force. In this figure it can be seen that the pushable surface 30 has been urged towards the area for information 28 so that the gripping surfaces 22, 24 have been moved away from one another about pivot point 16. An item can be placed between the gripping surfaces 22, 24 and the force being applied to the pushable surface 30 and/or the area for information 28 can be released. The biasing force returns the clip to its closed position as shown in FIG. 3 and the item is gripped.

[0042] FIG. 6 shows an end on view of the clip according to the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 or 3. The clip halves 12, 14 are biased by an anti-twist spring 34 to maintain the clip in the closed configuration shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. In order to move the clip from the position shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 to that shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a force must be applied to the pushable surface 30 and/or information area 28 which is greater than the force exerted by the spring 34.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a close up of the pushable surface 30 to which pressure can be applied to pivot the clip halves about pivot point 16. To ensure a good grip on the pushable surface is achieved, ridges 36 can also be provided. The pushable surface 30 defines a kimble hole 38 through which a fixing means can be passed. The fixing means is also attachable to the item to be retained by the clip 10 thereby ensuring the item to be retained is connected to the clip by an additional means.

[0044] FIG. 8 shows one of the clip halves 14. The clip half 14 has lugs 42 which are tapered so that when this clip half is pressed against the complementary clip half shown in FIG. 9 the lugs progressively deform the lug retainers 44 until the lug enters the recess defined by the lug retainer 44. The lug retainer 44 is a closed loop. The lugs 42 and lug retainers 44 effect a pivotal connection of the two clip halves, and therefore the clip 10, at pivot point 16. In an embodiment, a biasing means 34 is inserted between the two clip halves 12, 14 before they are pressed together to form the clip 10.

[0045] The present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by providing an alternative means of manufacturing and assembling a clip and an improved clip. The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.