Expanded – threaded – driven – headed – tool-deformed – or locked-thr – Having separate expander means – Including sleeve and distinct tapered expander
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-17
2002-11-19
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Expanded, threaded, driven, headed, tool-deformed, or locked-thr
Having separate expander means
Including sleeve and distinct tapered expander
C411S041000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06481942
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The invention relates to a clip suitable for, for example, coupling a plurality of attaching members, fastening one attaching member to the other attaching member, or fastening a functioning portion provided to the clip to an attaching member.
FIGS.
8
(
a
) and
8
(
b
) show a conventional clip as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2590817. The clip is formed of a male member
30
and a female member
35
, and a member (attaching member)
45
is fastened to a panel surface (attaching member)
40
by the clip, or the attaching members are fastened by the clip. The male member
30
includes a head portion
31
, an inserting shaft
32
and an apex portion
33
. The inserting shaft
32
has a base end neck portion
34
a
having a smaller diameter formed by narrowing a periphery of the inserting shaft
32
, depressed portions
34
b
provided at a large diametrical periphery under the base end neck portion
34
a,
and a forward end neck portion
34
c
with a small diameter between the inserting shaft
32
and the apex portion
33
. The female member
35
includes a flange portion
36
, and a plurality of leg pieces
37
. Each leg piece
37
has an engaging projection
38
on a forward end inner side thereof.
The male member
30
can take a temporarily fastened state with respect to the female member
35
, as shown in FIG.
8
(
a
), wherein the inserting shaft
32
is inserted into an inner hollow portion formed by the leg pieces
37
, the apex portion
33
passes through the engaging projections
38
, and the engaging projections
38
engage the forward end neck portion
34
c.
When the inserting shaft
32
is further inserted to release the above-stated engagement, the leg pieces
37
are widened by the large diametrical periphery near the depressed portions
34
b.
When the depressed portions
34
b
engage the engaging projections
38
, the male member
30
takes a finally fastened state for coupling, as shown in FIG.
8
(
b
), by sandwiching the attaching members
40
,
45
between the wide diameter portions of the leg pieces
37
and the flange
36
, or fastening the attaching member
40
to the attaching member
45
(the coupling and fastening are substantially the same in that an insertion control operation of the flange
36
and an extraction preventing operation by the large diameter portions of the leg pieces
37
are used).
In case the member
45
is removed from the panel surface
40
or the coupling of the attaching members
40
,
45
is released for repairing and so on, for example, a tool is inserted under the head portion
31
of the male member
30
, and the male member
30
is extracted against an engaging force between each depressed portion
34
b
and the engaging projection
38
to change to the temporarily fastened state, as shown in FIG.
8
(
a
). Then, the male and female members
30
,
35
are extracted from the respective attaching holes
40
a,
45
a
as one unit.
The clip as described above has good operating ability and is convenient in that after the male and female members
30
,
35
are manufactured, they can be handled in the temporarily fastened state; the male and female members
30
,
35
can take the finally fastened state from the temporarily fastened state through an insertion operation; and they can be repeatedly used by detaching after use. However, there are yet the following dissatisfied points.
First, the clip of this type is made of resin. Thus, in case the leg pieces
37
are held in a widened state for a long period of time, its elasticity is deteriorated, so that even if the clip is returned to the temporarily fastened state from the finally fastened state, the clip may not be returned to its original state, and the male and female members may not be easily extracted from the attaching holes
40
a,
45
a.
In this structure, the large apex portion
33
is provided at a forward end of the inserting shaft
32
, the apex portion
33
is projected outwards from the forward ends of the leg pieces
37
, and the leg pieces
37
with the widened diameter are housed inside the apex portion
33
to thereby shrink the widened diameter. Therefore, the apex
33
is projected outwards from the forward ends of the leg pieces
37
and the whole length of the clip becomes long, so that the apex
33
interferes with other members to thereby result in a poor appearance. Further, since the apex
33
receives the forward ends of the leg pieces
37
with the large diameter therein, for example, a large inserting force is required when the clip is set in the temporarily fastened state.
Second, the clip of this type is held in two positions, i.e. the temporarily fastened state for preventing the male member
30
from being extracted from the female member
35
in the state where the diameter of the leg pieces
37
is not widened, and the finally fastened state for preventing the male member
30
from being extracted from the female member
35
in the state where the diameter of the leg pieces
37
is widened. In order to hold the temporarily fastened state, as shown in FIG.
8
(
a
), there is an engaging structure formed of a step portion (forward end neck portion
34
c
) on the inserting forward end side of the male member
30
, and the projections (engaging projections
38
) on the forward end side of the female member
35
; or there is an engaging structure formed of depressed portions and projecting portions to be engaged with and disengaged from each other provided at opposed inner portions of a male member side inserting shaft and female member side leg pieces.
The former case has the problems as described above. The latter case has such problems that the projecting portions are disposed on an inner periphery of a cylinder formed of the leg pieces to thereby cause abrasion. Also, an operating ability when the inserting shaft is further inserted to take the finally fastened state, or conversely, when the inserting shaft is extracted from the finally fastened state to the temporarily fastened state, is deteriorated. Further, a close contact ability when the inserting shaft is inserted into the cylinder formed of the leg pieces is lowered, and the like.
In view of the above defects, the present invention has been made, and an object of the invention is to provide a clip to obviate all the above-described defects at the same time, wherein even in case the widely opened leg pieces are returned to the original small diametrical cylinder, the whole length of the clip can be shortened; the male member does not rotate inadvertently with respect to the female member; and in case the male member is extracted from the finally fastened state to the temporarily fastened state, the male member is not inadvertently disengaged from the female member to thereby raise reliability of the clip.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain the above objects, a clip includes a male member and a female member, wherein the male member is formed of a head portion and an inserting shaft, and the female member is formed of a flange portion having an inserting hole and a plurality of leg pieces disposed in a substantially cylindrical shape through upper and lower slits. Thus, the male and female members are held in a temporarily fastened state by inserting the inserting shaft through the inserting hole into an inner side of the leg pieces, and are held in a finally fastened state by further inserting the inserting shaft to enlarge the diameter of the leg pieces to thereby fasten the clip to an attaching member or attaching members. The clip according to the present invention includes, as correcting devices, engaging projections provided between at least a pair of adjacent leg pieces out of the plural leg pieces for narrowing the widened diameter of the leg pieces by extracting the male member to take the temporarily fastened state from the finally fastened state.
According to the structure as describ
Browne Lynne H.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Nifco Inc.
Schiffman Jori
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