Clip for attaching pouches and similar devices

• US 6,510,592 B1
• Filed: 10/11/2000
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Hamilton, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sandy, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Ruth C.
• Application Number:
  US09/686,307
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 24/31, 24/37, 24/31.1, 24/31.2, 24/39, 245/941, 241/64--00, 243/11--13, 243/16, 243/23, 243/27, 244/53, 244/87, 245/43, 245/44, 245/56, 245/59, 245/60, 245/61, 245/64, 242/65.CD, 24/68.CD, 245/941.1, 245/961, 245/981-598, 132/277, 132/279, 224/153, 224/271, 224/272, 248/447.1, 403/83, 403/93, 403/97, 163/34, 163/42
• US Class Current: 24/170
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/06 with clamping devices
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/021 to the belt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/13 Article holder attachable to apparel or body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4016 Pivoted part or lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4072 Pivoted lever

Abstract

The clip includes a base hingeably attached to a lid. The lid includes two detent prongs with detent apertures including ledges formed at the distal ends thereof. These ledges engage complementary inverted ledges on detent protrusions on the base. The lid can be released from the base by squeezing the detent prongs toward each other in a direction parallel to the rotational axis between the lid and base thereby releasing the ledges from the inverted ledges. Typically, the base is secured to a first strap which can be further secured to a pouch. A second strap which is typically formed as loops on a backpack or similar structure is then secured between the lid and base in the locked position, thereby allowing a pouch to be securely attached to a backpack.

Claims

1. A clip including:

a base section including detent elements;

a lid section hingeably connected to said base section about a rotational axis, said lid section further including a first prong and a second prong extending radially with respect to said rotational axis, said first and second prongs including respective first and second detent apertures passing through distal ends thereof for engaging said detent elements in a closed position of said lid with respect to said base;

wherein by urging said first and second prongs in a direction parallel to said rotational axis, said first and second detent apertures are released from said detent elements.

2. The clip of claim 1 wherein said base further includes slots through which a first strap can be engaged.

3. The clip of claim 2 wherein said detent elements include detent protrusions on said base.

4. The clip of claim 3 wherein distal ledges are formed adjacent to said first and second detent apertures for engaging inverted distal ledges formed in said detent protrusions.

5. The clip of claim 4 wherein chamfered surfaces are formed on undersides of said distal ledges for ramping against said detent protrusions thereby urging said first and second prongs toward each other as said lid section is rotated toward said base section.

6. The clip of claim 5 wherein said lid section includes colinear axle sections about said rotational axis and said base includes colinear journal apertures for engaging said colinear axle sections.

7. The clip of claim 6 wherein said first and second prongs include respective first and second finger gripping portions for squeezing said first and second prongs toward each other in a direction parallel to said rotational axis in order to release said detent elements from said first and second detent apertures.

8. The clip of claim 7 wherein said first and second prongs include gripping ridges on a surface facing said base in order to grip a second strap engaged between said base and said lid when said detent elements engage said first and second detent apertures.

9. The clip of claim 8 wherein said lid includes striations parallel to said rotational axis proximate to said axle sections, and wherein said base includes a ridge which urges against said striations thereby allowing said lid to be held in any of a plurality of rotational open positions with respect to said base.

10. The clip of claim 9 further including ramps proximate to said journal apertures for guiding said colinear axle sections into said journal apertures.

11. The clip of claim 10 wherein said base section includes two parallel slots for threading webbing therethrough.

12. The clip of claim 11 wherein two parallel slots are joined by a slot orthogonal thereto thereby forming a tab.

13. The clip of claim 10 wherein said base section includes an aperture for receiving a rivet for attaching the clip to webbing.