Clip for attaching articles together

摘要

A clip system includes a first resilient clip member having a curved rear wall portion and finger gripping portions sufficiently resilient that when pressed together by the fingers of an operator, the jaw portions will open and when released will be urged toward an abutted condition, the curved rear wall portion having a first aperture with a concave recess at an outer surface, a slot extending from the first aperture to a second aperture located a predefined distance from the first aperture where the slot is narrower than the first aperture and the second aperture, and a detent connected to the clip member and adjacent to the slot, and a tether member rotationally and pivotally connected to and retained in the first aperture.

主权项

1. A clip system comprising:
a first resilient clip member having a curved rear wall portion, an upper and a lower generally rectangular longitudinal finger gripping portion diverging forwardly from the curved rear wall portion in opposed relation, a rectangular portion being narrower than the finger gripping portion and extending at a forward end thereof in laterally opposed crossed relation, and an upper and a lower L-shaped jaw portion extending from the rectangular portion, each of which is wider than the rectangular portion wherein each finger gripping portion is sufficiently resilient that when pressed together by the fingers of an operator, the jaw portions will open and when released will be urged toward an abutted condition, the curved rear wall portion having a first aperture with a concave recess at an outer surface that (1) extends a predefined depth into the curved wall portion and (2) defines an internal angle between opposite surfaces forming the concave recess where a combination of the internal angle and the predefined depth of the concave recess permits an article extending through the first aperture to rotate and pivot within the concave recess of the first aperture, a slot extending from the first aperture to a second aperture located a predefined distance from the first aperture wherein the slot is narrower than the first aperture and the second aperture; a tether member having a central shank portion of a first diameter, a first neck portion on a first end of the central shank portion and a second neck portion on a second end of the central shank portion, the first neck portion having a second diameter and being narrower than the central shank portion and having a thickness smaller than the slot in the first clip member and a first end portion connected to the first neck portion, wherein the first end portion is larger than the slot and larger than the first aperture but smaller than the second aperture, wherein the first neck portion extends through the first aperture of the first clip member, wherein the first end portion is disposed adjacent an inward side of the curved rear wall portion to retain the first clip member on the tether member and allow relative rotational and pivotal movement between the clip member and the tether member, and wherein the second end of the central shank portion is removably attachable to an article; and a detent comprising:
a detent support member extending transversely a predefined distance from an inner surface of the upper rectangular longitudinal finger gripping portion towards the lower rectangular longitudinal finger gripping portion and terminating in a support member end; anda detent tab attached to the detent support member between the inner surface and the support member end and extending transversely from the detent support member a predefined distance towards the curved rear wall portion adjacent to and aligned with the second aperture wherein the detent tab is positioned to engage the first end portion of the tether member when the first end portion enters through the second aperture and along the slot and to disengage with the first end portion as the first end portion advances past the detent tab to the first aperture while restricting egress of the tether member back past the detent tab to the second aperture, which egress cannot be achieved without user intervention requiring bending the detent tab sufficiently to allow the tether member to pass back to the second aperture.