Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Trim molding fastener – Plastic type
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-17
2002-06-18
Brittain, James R. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Trim molding fastener
Plastic type
C024S453000, C411S510000, C411S512000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06405413
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The invention relates to an improvement of a clip that is used for attaching an object to an object receiving attachment with one touch, wherein the clip is fixed around an insertion part of the object being attached and is inserted into an attachment hole opened in the object receiving attachment to be coupled to the attachment hole.
There is a clip having a pair of clamping plates
300
that receives and holds therebetween a receiving plate part
102
of an insertion part
101
formed in an object
100
being attached, and coupling arms
301
formed outside this pair of the clamping plates
300
and coupled with an attachment hole
201
formed in an object receiving attachment
200
pursuant to insertion of the insertion part
101
into the attachment hole
201
(FIG.
16
through FIG.
18
).
The pair of clamping plates
300
and the coupling arms
301
in such a clip are constituted so as to be capable of elastic deformation. Also, the receiving plate part
102
is disposed between the inner surfaces of the pair of clamping plates
300
while elastically bending the clamping plates
300
outwardly by inserting the receiving plate part
102
between such pair of the clamping plates
300
. In the state in which the clamping plates
300
are fixed around the receiving plate part
102
in this manner, the clamp plates
300
and the receiving plate part
102
are inserted into the attachment hole
201
, so that after the coupling arms
301
are once bent inwardly, the coupling arms
301
returns at the far ends to cause the coupling arms
301
to be coupled to the hole edge parts on the far end of insertion, whereby the object
100
being attached is attached to the object receiving attachment
200
with one touch.
Also, in such a clip, the receiving plate part
102
abuts against the clamping plates
300
so as to once cause the pair of clamping plates
300
to be bent outward pursuant to the receiving of the receiving plate
102
on the mutually facing surfaces of the pair of the clamping plates
300
, and receives projections
302
in a coupling hole
109
formed in the receiving plate part
102
at a specified position by the elasticity of the bent out clamping plates
300
. When the side of the object
100
being attached is pulled so as to pull the insertion part
101
of the object
100
out from the attachment hole
201
, from the state in which the coupling arms
301
are coupled to the attachment hole
201
, it is pulled out from the attachment hole
201
in the condition of being fixed around the insertion part
101
without the clip being left on the side of the attachment hole
201
, such that problems are not caused such as in re-attaching of the object
100
.
However, in such clip of the past, because the receiving plate part
102
is made so as to fix around the inner surfaces of the pair of clamping plates
300
, in cases such as there is unevenness, and the like, on the plate surface of such receiving plate part
102
, there are many cases that the inner surfaces can not always be properly pressed against the plate surfaces in all locations across the direction of insertion of such receiving plate part
102
, and further improvement has been desired in order to make the state of fixing of the clip to such receiving plate part
102
higher.
Also, such clip of the past necessarily requires the opening of a coupling hole
109
on the side of the receiving plate part
102
such that the clip does not remain in the attachment hole
201
when removing the object
100
being attached, which was once attached to the object receiving attachment
200
, from the object receiving attachment
200
.
Therefore, the main object of this invention is to provide a clip that can cause clamping force to act properly on the receiving plate part, which constitutes the insertion part provided on the object being attached, in all locations across the direction of insertion of the insertion part even when there is unevenness, and the like, on the plate surfaces of the receiving plate part, and can assuredly be pulled out from the attachment hole in the object receiving attachment together with the insertion part during removal of the object being attached, in which the insertion part is pulled out from the attachment hole, even without applying special processing to the side of the insertion part.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve such problems, in the first aspect of the invention, the clip comprises: a pair of clamping plates that receive between themselves a receiving plate part, which is a constituent of an insertion part of an object being attached and is inserted into an attachment hole opened in an object receiving attachment, while elastically expanding outward, to be fixed around the receiving plate part; and coupling arms provided on the outside of this pair of clamping plates. The coupling arms are coupled into the attachment hole by elasticity at a final position of insertion into the attachment hole after once having been elastically bent inward pursuant to insertion of the insertion part of the object being attached into the attachment hole of the object receiving attachment. A plurality of teeth, the tips of which are pressed to the received receiving plate part, is respectively provided on the mutually facing sides of the pair of clamping plates so as to form a multiple stage pattern across the direction of insertion into the attachment hole.
By such constitution, by inserting the receiving plate part between the pair of clamping plates, the receiving plate part can be clamped by the clamping plates, while the pair of clamping plates elastically expand outward, such that the plurality of teeth provided on the pair of clamping plates are respectively pressed against the plate surfaces of the receiving plate part being inserted, and the clip can be fixed to the receiving plate part by this clamping.
Also, because such plurality of teeth is provided so as to form a multiple stage pattern across the direction of insertion of the insertion part into the attachment hole, that is, in the direction of entry of the receiving plate, the teeth can be pressed against the receiving plate part by the springing or elastic force of the clamping plates in a plurality of locations across the direction of entry of the receiving plate part from both surface sides of the receiving plate part. Thus, the state of fixing of the receiving plate part between such pair of clamping plates can be maintained with stability.
Also, because the springing force of the clamping plates acts on the receiving plate part at points with the tips of the plurality of teeth, the receiving plate part can be properly fixed around the pair of clamping plates even when there is some unevenness on the plate surfaces of such receiving plate part.
Also, by attaching the clip to the insertion part of the object being attached by inserting the receiving plate part between the clamping plates in this manner and then inserting this insertion part into the attachment hole of the object receiving attachment, the coupling arms can be coupled to the hole edge part of the attachment hole by elasticity at the final position of insertion of this insertion part into the attachment hole after once elastically bending inward. Thus, the object being attached can be attached to the object receiving attachment via the clip with one touch.
Also, in the second aspect of the invention, the teeth provided on the clamping plates, which are a constituent of the clip described in the first aspect, have elasticity.
By such constitution, the elastic force of such teeth can be made to further act on the receiving plate part which was inserted between the pair of clamping plates, and the state of fixing between the receiving plate part and the clip can be further improved.
Also, in the invention described in the third aspect, it is made such that the pair of clamping plates having received the receiving plate part, which is a constituent of the insertion part in the clip described in
Hamaguchi Tsuyoshi
Ichimaru Takahide
Brittain James R.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Nifco Inc.
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