Fastening device for fastening elements

Abstract

A fastening device for fastening soft surfaced elements to each other comprises a planar top portion and two side portions. The side portions are coupled with the planar portion at one end via an angle portion, and are arranged essentially perpendicularly in relation to said planar top portion and essentially parallel with each other thereby forming a receiving opening for receiving said element between the side portions. In addition the side portions both comprise at least one tooth, which is inclined towards the opening and the element in use and thereby arranged to fasten, such as via friction or via penetration into the surface of the element, and thereby fasten the device to the element. Moreover at least one of the portions comprises a protrusion portion for receiving, focusing and attaching a magnetic member to the device so to allow the device to be fastened to an external member via said magnetic member.

Claims

1. A fastening device for fastening soft surfaced elements to each other, wherein the device comprises: a planar top portion, two side portions, each of which is coupled with said planar portion at one end, said side portions being arranged essentially perpendicularly in relation to said planar top portion and essentially parallel with each other thereby for, a receiving opening for receiving said element between the side portions, and said side portions both comprising at least one tooth, which is inclined towards the opening and the element in use and thereby arranged to fasten into the surface of the element and thereby fasten the device to the element, wherein at least one of said portions comprises a protrusion portion for receiving, focusing and attaching a magnetic member to the device so to allow the device to be fastened to an external member via said magnetic member, the protrusion portion being elevated from an outer surface of the at least one of said portions and protruding away from the opening, wherein at least one of the portions defines a hole, and said device comprises an angle portion between said planar top portion and side portion, wherein said angle portion is inclined to extending towards said opening and intersecting a normal of said top planar portion at least in an end portion of said planar portion, whereupon the extent of the inclined angle portion determines the size of the opening for receiving the element.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said side portions both comprise at least one tooth, which is inclined towards the opening and the element in use and thereby arranged to penetrate into the surface of the element and fasten the device to the element.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the top planar portion and each of the side portions comprise the protrusion portion for receiving, focusing and attaching the magnetic member to the device so to allow the device to be fastened to the external member via said magnetic member, the protrusion portions being elevated from an outer surface of each of the top portion and the side portions and protruding away from the opening.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising the magnetic member, and wherein the protrusion portion comprises essentially the shape of the magnetic member.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the hole of the at least one of the portions extends through the protrusion portion and is configured to receive a fixing member to additionally fasten the device to the element received between the side portions and in the opening.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the hole extends through the protrusion portion of a first of the two side portions, and a second of the two side portions defines another hole, where said hole and said another hole are arranged essentially at the same axis, the direction of said axis being essentially the direction of the normal of the side portions and so that the both of the holes are configured to receive the same fixing member extending through the opening.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is made of one piece.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the material of the device is spring steel.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said portions comprises a pattern, a figure, a letter or a decoration.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising the magnetic member having first and second sides, where said first side is configured to be faced against the device and wherein the second side comprises an adhesive material, such as tape or glue to be fixed to an external structure.

11. A method for manufacturing a fastening device, wherein the method comprises: manipulating a one piece raw material sheet so to provide a planar top portion, and provide two side portions, each of which is coupled with said planar portion at one end, arranging said side portions essentially perpendicularly in relation to said planar top portion and essentially parallel with each other and thereby forming a receiving opening for receiving said element between the side portions, arranging at least one tooth to each said side portions so that said tooth is inclined towards the opening and the element in use and thereby arranged to fasten into a surface of the element and fasten the device to the element, providing a protrusion portion to at least one of said portions for receiving, focusing and attaching a magnetic member to the device and thereby to allow the device to be fastened to an external member via said magnetic member, the protrusion portion being elevated from an outer surface of the at least one of said portions and protruding away from the opening, and providing an angle portion between said planar top portion and side portion so to incline said angle portion to extend towards said opening and intersect a normal of said top planar portion at least in an end portion of said planar portion, whereupon the extent of the inclined angle portion determines the size of the opening for receiving the element.

12. The device of claim 4, wherein the magnetic member has a circular shape, and the protrusion portion has a circular shape with essentially the same diameter as the magnetic member.

13. The device of claim 6, wherein said same fixing member is a screw or a bolt.

14. A fastening device for fastening soft surfaced elements to each other, the fastening device comprising: a planar top portion, two side portions, each of which is coupled with said planar portion at one end, said side portions being arranged essentially perpendicularly in relation to said planar top portion and essentially parallel with each other thereby forming a receiving opening for receiving said element between the side portions, and said side portions both comprising at least one tooth, which is inclined towards the opening and the element in use and thereby arranged to fasten into the surface of the element and thereby fasten the device to the element, wherein: at least one of said portions comprises a protrusion portion for receiving, focusing and attaching a magnetic member to the device so to allow the device to be fastened to an external member via said magnetic member, both of the side portions comprise a hole extending through the protrusion portion, where said holes are arranged essentially at the same axis, the direction of said axis being essentially the direction of the normal of the side portions and so that the both of the holes are configured to receive the same fixing member extending through the opening, and said device comprises an angle portion between said planar top portion and side portion, wherein said angle portion is inclined to extending towards said opening and intersecting a normal of said top planar portion at least in an end portion of said planar portion, whereupon the extent of the inclined angle portion determines the size of the opening for receiving the element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Next the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to exemplary embodiments in accordance with the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIGS. 1A-3B illustrate a principle of exemplary devices of different sizes for fastening elements according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention,

(3) FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a device for fastening element according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, and

(4) FIG. 5 illustrates an example of devices used for fastening elements to each other according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIGS. 1A-3B and 4 illustrate a principle of exemplary devices 100 of different sizes for fastening elements 200, and FIG. 5 an example of devices used for fastening elements to each other according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention. The fastening device 100 comprises a planar top portion 101 and two side portions 102, 103, which are coupled with said planar portion at one end via an angle portion 108. The side portions form a receiving opening 104 for receiving the element 200 between the side portions, as is described elsewhere in this document. The angle portion 108 is advantageously inclined to extending towards the opening 104 and intersecting a normal 109 of said top planar portion at least in the end portion of said planar portion, as can be seen in FIG. 3A.

(6) The side portions both comprise at least one or more tooth/teeth 105, which are inclined towards the opening 104 and the element 200 when the device is in use.

(7) The top planar and side portions 101, 102, 103 comprises a protrusion portion 106 for receiving a magnetic member 107 (FIG. 5) to the device 100 so to allow the device to be fastened to an external member, such as to other device 100 via the magnetic member 107. The surface of the protrusion portion 106 is elevated from the surface of the base portion 101, 102, 103 where it locates, and in addition the protrusion portion 106 comprises essentially the shape of the magnetic member 107 to be received, such as a circular shape having essentially the same diameter as the magnetic member 107, as can be seen e.g. in FIG. 4.

(8) The protrusion portion 106 of the top portion may comprise also a hole 110 extending through the protrusion portion 106, as can be seen especially in FIG. 4. In addition, both of the side portions 102, 103 may also comprise a hole 110 extending through the protrusion portion 106. The holes of the side portions 102, 103 are arranged at the same axis 111.

(9) The invention has been explained above with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, and several advantages of the invention have been demonstrated. It is clear that the invention is not only restricted to these embodiments, but comprises all possible embodiments within the spirit and scope of the inventive thought and the following patent claims.

(10) The features recited in dependent claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated.