Clip

• US 8,496,420 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Piolax Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Piolax Incorporated
• Inventors: Aoki, Ryou, Arisaka, Oomi
• Primary Examiner(s): DELISLE, ROBERTA S
• Application Number:
  US12/801,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20100303539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 411/41, 411/45, 411/48, 411/54.1, 411/71, 411/508, 411/509, 411/549, 411/553, 411/913, 244/55, 403/291
• US Class Current: 411/45
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/075 the socket having resilient parts on its inside and outside
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0642 the plates being arranged one on top of the other and in full close contact with each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/54 Flexible member is joint component

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present invention, a clip includes: a plate spring member having a leg portion and flange portions; a pin member having a shaft portion and a head portion. The leg portion has: inclined portions outwardly extending from a bent portion; engagement portions inwardly extending from the inclined portions; and abutting portions connected between the inclined portions and the flange portions. The shaft portion has: a proximal-side diameter-expanded portion; and a distal-side diameter-reduced portion. When the plate spring member is assembled with the pin member and flange portions abut a front side circumference of the mounting hole, the diameter-expanded portion abut the abutting portions to expand the leg portion through a further pushing operation of the pin member thereby engaging the engagement portions with a back side circumference of the mounting hole.

Claims

1. A clip comprising:

a plate spring member including;

a leg portion bent in a V-shape; and

flange portions outwardly extending from both ends of the leg portion; and

a pin member including;

a shaft portion formed to be inserted inside the plate spring member; and

a head portion formed at a proximal end of the shaft portion,

wherein the leg portion of the plate spring member includes;

a bent portion;

inclined portions obliquely outwardly extending from both ends of the bent portion;

engagement portions inwardly extending from distal ends of the inclined portions; and

abutting portions to be abutted against the shaft portion of the pin member, the abutting portions being connected between the distal ends of the inclined portions and proximal ends of the flange portions, and

wherein the shaft portion of the pin member includes;

a diameter-expanded portion provided at a proximal end side of the pin member adjacent to the head portion; and

a diameter-reduced portion provided at a distal end side of the pin member as compared with the diameter-expanded portion,

wherein the leg portion is insertable into a mounting hole formed in a mounting subject, in a state where the plate spring member is assembled with the pin member so that the abutting portions abut against the diameter-reduced portion, and

wherein, in a state where the flange portions of the plate spring member abut against a front side circumference of the mounting hole, the diameter-expanded portion of the shaft portion is caused to abut against the abutting portions to expand the leg portion in accordance with a further pushing operation of the pin member so that the engagement portions are engaged with a back side circumference of the mounting hole.

2. The clip of claim 1,

wherein the engagement portion is defined via a slit and formed so as to be flexible.

3. The clip of claim 2,

wherein a U-shaped slit having a pair of slits extending in a longitudinal direction of the plate spring member and a slit joining ends of the pair of slits at a side of the flange portion is formed as the slit to define a tongue piece, and

wherein the engagement portion is formed by outwardly raising the tongue piece.

4. The clip of claim 2,

wherein a pair of slits extending in a longitudinal direction of the plate spring member is formed as the slit to define a strip piece, and

wherein the engagement portion is formed by outwardly raising the strip piece.

5. The clip of claim 1,

wherein the leg portion is formed narrowly at a side of the bent portion and formed widely at a side of the flange portions, and

wherein the engagement portions are formed at portions of the leg portion formed widely.

6. The clip of claim 1,

wherein concave portions are formed on the diameter-expanded portion of the pin member so as to allow the engagement portions of the plate spring member to inwardly deform.

7. The clip of claim 1,

wherein pressing ribs are formed at the shaft portion of the pin member so that the pressing ribs are positioned at both sides of the leg portion of the plate spring member when the plate spring member is assembled with the pin member.

8. The clip of claim 1,

wherein a drop-off prevention protrusion is formed at the diameter-reduced portion of the shaft portion so that the drop-off prevention protrusion of the pin member is positioned at the distal end side as compared with the abutting portions of the plate spring member when the abutting portions abut against the diameter-reduced portion.

9. The clip of claim 8, wherein the drop-off prevention protrusion extends outwardly towards the inclined portions and the engagement portions.

10. The clip of claim 1,

wherein guide protrusions are formed at a distal end of the shaft portion so that the bent portion is entered therebetween when the diameter-expanded portion of the pin member is caused to abut against the abutting portions of the plate spring member, and

wherein outer-side surfaces of the guide protrusions are tapered to be gradually reduced in diameter toward the distal end side.

11. The clip of claim 1, wherein the bent portion connects the inclined portions.

12. The clip of claim 1, wherein the bent portion, the inclined portions, and the engagement portions are contiguously formed.

13. The clip of claim 1, wherein the inclined portions and the engagement portions are formed on a same member of the leg portion.

14. The clip of claim 1, wherein the bent portion and the inclined portions are contiguously formed.

15. The clip of claim 1, wherein the diameter-expanded portion extends outwardly towards the inclined portions and the engagement portions.

16. The clip of claim 1, wherein an inclined portion of the inclined portions and an engagement portion of the engagement portions are formed on a same side of the leg portion.