DEVICE FOR CONNECTING TWO OBJECTS

Abstract

A device for connecting two objects, especially for holding a writing instrument on a notebook or the like, with a clamping body having clamping arms extending across a narrow side, for example, of the notebook, which clamping body grips one of the objects in pliers-like fashion with its clamping arms and forms a holder for holding the other object, e.g., the writing instrument, parallel to the longitudinal direction of the narrow side. Mechanisms are provided to spread open the clamping arms.

Claims

1. A device for connecting two objects, comprising: a clamping body including clamping arms extending onto one of the objects, which clamping body grips the one of the objects in a pliers-like manner with the clamping arms and forms a holder for holding the other object, and mechanisms for spreading open the clamping arms.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the clamping arms are spreadable apart by the spreading mechanisms beyond a clamping distance required for the arms to clamp an object.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the spreading mechanisms comprise lever arms arranged to be squeezed together to spread open the clamping arms.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the clamping body comprises a U-shaped clamp with U-arms as the clamping arms and a base arm connecting the U-arms to each other.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein each lever arm cooperates with one of the clamping arms to form a two-armed lever.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein each end of the base arm forms a fulcrum for one of the two two-armed levers.

7. The device according to claim 3, wherein each of the lever arms is connected to a free end of one of the clamping arms.

8. The device according to claim 3, wherein the lever arms are hinged he clamping arms so as to be pivotable toward the clamping arms.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the hinged lever arms are latchable in at least one pivoted position.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the lever arms latch in a position in which the lever arm rests against an object.

11. The device according to claim 4, wherein the lever arms are formed by wire stirrups.

12. The device according to claim 4, wherein the holder is formed on a side of the base arm of the clamp facing away from the clamping arms.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the holder is cushioned against the other object.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the clamping arms are cushioned against the other object.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a sleeve that at least partially surrounds a circumference of the other object.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the other object is arrested in the holder.

17. The device according to claim wherein the object is clamped in the sleeve.

18. The device according to claim 1, wherein one of the objects is a notebook and the other object is a writing instrument.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the clamping body extends across a narrow side of the notebook, and the holder is provided to accommodate the writing instrument parallel to a longitudinal direction of the narrow side.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0021] In the drawing:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an inventive holding device according to the invention attached to a notebook;

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the holding device of FIG. 1;

[0024] FIG. 3 shows the holding device of FIG. 1 with pivoted lever arms;

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of a holding device according to the invention;

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the holding device of FIG. 4; and

[0027] FIGS. 6 and 7 show additional exemplary embodiments of a holding device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] A device 4 for holding a writing instrument 5, e.g. a ball-point pen or the like, is clamped to a notebook 1, part of which is shown from above in FIGS. 1 and 2, with a cover 2 and writable pages 3, wherein the device extends across the narrow vertical side of the notebook 1 visible in FIG. 1.

[0029] The holding device 4 comprises a U-shaped clamp 6 with U-arms 7 and 8 forming the clamping parts and a base arm 9, which connects the U-arms 7, 8 to each other. The inside surfaces of the clamping parts or U-arms 7, 8 rest against the cover 2 of the notebook 1. In the example shown, the U-shaped clamp 6 is made of elastic sheet-metal material. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the dimension of the clamp 6 in the longitudinal direction of the associated narrow side of the notebook 1 is greater than the length of the U-arms 7, 8.

[0030] On their outside surfaces, the U-arms 7, 8 are connected to the ends of a flexible loop 10. The loop 10, which can be adhesively bonded to the U-arms 7, 8, for example, consists in the example shown of leather and cooperates with the base arm 9 to form a sleeve, serving as a holder to accommodate the writing instrument 5. In a departure from the example shown, the base arm 9 could comprise a cushioning layer to protect the writing instrument 5 from being scratched. An elastic band could also be used to form the loop 10.

[0031] A stirrup-shaped lever arm 11, 12 is attached to the free end of each of the U-arms 7, 8 of the clamp 6. The lever arms 11, 12 cooperate with the U-arms 7, 8 to form two-armed levers, the fulcrums of which lie on the ends of the base arm 9.

[0032] The sheet metal of the U-arms 7, 8 is bent into a tubular eyelet 13, 14 at each of the free ends. The bent ends 15 of the lever arms 11, 12, which are formed out of wire in the example in question, engage in these eyelets 13, 14. Each of the tubular eyelets 13, 14 can be configured in two parts, and the bent ends 15 of the stirrup-shaped arm 11, 12 can be inserted between the two parts of the eyelet.

[0033] When the holding device 4 described above is to be used, the lever arms 11, 12 are squeezed together as indicated by the arrows 16, 17, wherein the U arms 7, 8 are spread apart. At a spreading width which is greater than the thickness of the notebook 1, the holding device 4 can be easily set onto the notebook 1 in the direction perpendicular to the gripped narrow side. Releasing the lever arms 11, 12 allows the holding device 4 to clamp itself onto the notebook 1. The writing instrument 5 can now be pushed into the sleeve formed by the loop 10 and the base arm 9. The process of attaching the holding device 4 to the notebook 1 just described can also be performed with the writing instrument 5 already inserted.

[0034] The holding device 4 can also be removed from the notebook 1 while the writing instrument 5 is still inserted, or it can be done after the writing instrument has been removed. By squeezing the lever arms 11, 12 together as indicated by the arrows 16, 17, the U-arms 7, 8 are lifted from the cover 2 of the notebook 1, and the device 4 can be easily pulled away from the notebook 1.

[0035] As FIG. 3 shows, the lever arms 11, 12 do not need to remain in the position shown in FIG. 1 while the holding device 4 is in the clamping position. According to FIG. 3, the lever arms 11, 12 can be pivoted, so that they are more-or-less parallel to the cover 2 of the notebook 1 and thus occupy very little space. In the pivoted position shown in FIG. 3, the lever arms 11, 12 latch in position, which is achieved in that the bent-over ends 15 project at a slight angle into the eyelets 13, 14, and the eyelets 13, 14 are slightly flattened to form an oval inside cross section. A latching function can therefore also be achieved in the position shown in FIG. 1.

[0036] In the following figures, the same or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numbers as those used in the preceding FIGS. 1-3, wherein the letter a, b, or c is added to the reference number in question.

[0037] FIGS. 4 and 5 show an exemplary embodiment of a holding device 4a, which is produced as a one-piece unit from a strip of sheet metal by bending this metal strip and which comprises, like the preceding holding device 4, a U-shaped clamp 6a with U-arms 7a, 8a, and a base arm 9a. The U-arms 7a, 8a providing the clamping function cooperate with the lever arms 11a, 12a to form two-armed levers. As can be seen in FIG. 4, each of the lever arms 11a, 12a is formed by two sheet metal layers, the sheet metal having been bent over at the folds 18, 19 so that the two layers lie on top of each other. It is obvious that the double layer increases the stiffness of the lever arms 11a, 12a.

[0038] To form a holder for a writing instrument 5a, a holding element 20, preferably produced as an injection-molded plastic part, is attached to the base arm 9a; this holding element, which forms elastically spreadable clamping arms 21, 22, forms a partially open receiving sleeve for the writing instrument 5a. In the example shown here, the writing instrument 5a can be introduced into the holding element 20 both in the axial direction and, by spreading the clamping arms 21, 22 apart, in the radial direction.

[0039] The holding device 4a of FIGS. 4 and 5 can be easily attached to a notebook la and removed from it again regardless of whether the writing instrument 5a is seated in the holder or not.

[0040] An exemplary embodiment of a holding device 4b shown in FIG. 6 is produced as a one-piece injection-molded plastic part and comprises a U-shaped clamp 6b with U-arms 7b, 8b forming the clamping parts and a base arm 9b. The U-arms 7b, 8b merge with the lever arms 11a, 12b forming the lever parts, wherein the length of the lever parts or arms 11b, 12b in the example shown is approximately twice the length of the U-arms 7b, 8b.

[0041] The base arm 9b and the projections 23, 24 form a sleeve-like holder, comprising an opening 25, for a writing instrument 5b, into which the writing instrument can be inserted both in the axial direction and in the direction perpendicular to that.

[0042] Because of the opening 25, only the dimensions of the base arm 9b are essential to the clamping forces which are produced, i.e., to the lever forces to be exerted, in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6. The dimensions can be configured in such a way that high clamping forces are produced. By appropriately lengthening the lever arms 11b, 12b, a holding device of this type can nevertheless be easily operated.

[0043] An exemplary embodiment of a holding device 4c shown in FIG. 7 is also based on a plastic injection-molded part. It comprises a U-shaped clamp 6c with U-arms 7c, 8c and a base arm 9c. As in the preceding exemplary embodiments, the U-arms 7c, 8c merge with the lever arms 11c, 12c. In the example of FIG. 7, the length of the lever parts formed by the lever arms 11c, 12c is less than the length of the U-arms 7c, 8c.

[0044] Jaw-like projections 23, 24 at the free ends of the lever arms 11c, 12c cooperate with the base arm 9c to form a sleeve-like holder for a writing instrument 5c. An opening 25c makes it possible to seat the writing instrument in the clamp.

[0045] The opening 25c also ensures that only the dimensions of the base arm 9c are essential to the clamping forces and to the lever forces to be exerted. In the example shown, because of the shortness of the lever arms 11c, 12c, the dimensions should be calculated in such a way that the U-arms 7c, 8c can be spread open without too much force. The thus-reduced clamping forces exerted by the U-arms 7c, 8c can be compensated by nonslip coverings 26 on the U-arms 7c, 8c.

[0046] It is obvious that the holding devices described above can also be used for purposes other than that described here; for example, they can serve to connect various other types of objects together as long as one of them can be gripped by the clamping arms, while the other can be placed in the holder.

[0047] The clamping body can be clamped in pliers-like fashion with its clamping arms to, for example, a mobile radio device, which can then be attached by the holding device to a carrier object. The holding device can also be used to attach a miniaturized video camera to an eyeglass frame, wherein the clamping arms can be adapted to grip one of the sidepieces of the eyeglass frame.

[0048] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.