Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Article holder attachable to apparel or body – Article held by clip
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-24
2002-11-12
Sandy, Robert J. (Department: 3678)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Article holder attachable to apparel or body
Article held by clip
C024S003100, C024S545000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06477744
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The visor clip for holding a variety of items on a vehicle visor is molded from a resilient material and has a primary clip portion that holds the clip on a visor and a secondary clip that holds various items and cooperates with the primary clip portion.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Clips have been used for many years to hold or grip a variety of items on a second item or structure. Some of these clips have been used to hold items such as eyeglasses on a vehicle visor. Others have been used to hold a pencil on a hat. An almost infinite number of examples of items connected together by clips over a period of centuries can be found.
Most of the clips used in recent years have been made from spring steel or employ a spring made from spring steel. Clips with a separate spring have two separate jaws that are moved toward each other to grip one or more items. One piece spring steel clips have two opposing gripping surfaces that are urged toward each other by resilience of the material. The two gripping surfaces may be in contact with each other when they are not holding an item or they can be spaced apart a predetermined distance. In either case they grip an item or items that spread the gripping surfaces when the item is moved between the gripping surfaces. Clips have been molded from plastic materials. These clips are molded from plastics that have sufficient resilience to grasp an item that tends to spread their opposed gripping surfaces apart.
Clips are known which have multiple pairs of gripping surfaces. Clips with multiple pairs of gripping surfaces have shared leg portions with adjacent pairs of gripping surfaces. When the leg portions are shared, placing a load between one pair of gripping surfaces generally has minimal influence on the second pair of gripping surfaces.
Vehicle visors are subjected to vibrations from the vehicle. These vibrations can vary from negligible to severe. Due to these vibrations, clips that attach to visors must provide substantial holding or clamping force. The required holding force increases as the total weight of items held by the clip increase.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The visor clip for holding items on a vehicle visor has a primary clip. The primary clip includes a primary bight, a first primary leg secured to the primary bight and a secondary primary leg secured to the primary bight. A first primary item engaging surface on the first primary leg faces toward a second primary item engaging surface on the second primary leg. A second clip includes a first secondary leg secured to the primary bight in a location spaced from the first primary leg and the second primary leg. The secondary clip also includes a second secondary leg secured to the primary bight in a location spaced from the first and second primary legs as well as from the first secondary leg. A first secondary item engaging surface on the first secondary leg faces toward a second secondary items engaging surface on the second secondary leg.
A third clip, which is formed on the visor clip, includes a bridge that is integral with a first outside surface of the first primary leg. A fifth leg has a fifth leg anchor end that is integral with the bridge and extends from the bridge generally parallel to the first outside surface of the first primary leg to form the third clip.
The visor clip includes a primary clip, a secondary clip and a third clip. The primary clip and the secondary clip have a common bight or bridge. The primary clip and the third clip have a common leg.
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Reising Ethington, Barnes, Kisselle, Learman & McCulloch, P.C.
Rodriguez Ruth C.
Sandy Robert J.
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