AU601096B2

AU601096B2 - Coat hanger clip

Info

Publication number: AU601096B2
Application number: AU28380/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: D.C. Mitchell
Original assignee: Rainsfords Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Rainsfords Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1988-01-27
Filing date: 1989-01-12
Publication date: 1990-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 2009-01-12
Also published as: AU2838089A

Description

3 11111~: ;11111" 11111" I 11 111 1 111116 I I I I I I 1 1 1 1 1 1 I *(l~liillllll3YIIII~ 1- Ld' rj AUSTRALIA 60109 PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: .".",Related Art: 9 0e iThis document contains the amendments made under Sbction 49 and is correct for printing 0o 84 TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT .o Jame of Applicant: RAINSFORDS PTY. LIMITED e oo 0 0 6 Address of Applicant: 200 Kingsgrove Road, KINGSGROVE, N.S.W. 2208 0.9e "Actual Inventor: D.C. MITCHELL °0°o./Address for Service: ARTHUR S. CAVE CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level Barrack Street SYDNEY N.S.W. 2000

AUSTRALIA

o8 9 .Complete Specification for the invention entitled COAT HANGER

:'"ICLIP.

The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1 ASC 49 S;004729 0 HANGER CLIP The present invention relates to hanger clips and more specifically to hanger clips formed in one piece by a single production operation.

A number of advantages are achievable over the prior art by being able to produce hanger clips in a single production operation. Some of the advantages available are, a reduction in the production cost of the clips, an ability to form the clips as an integral member of clothing support devices or the like, an ability to mass produce the clips individually or O attached to any mass produceable item which incorporates the use of such a clip.

Furthermore, the tooth and ratchet arrangement of the present invention offer added advantages over the prior art by trapping around its periphey the ratchet thus preventing the n0ot 15 deflection of the ratchet under load and subsequent release of a 4 the tooth thereby.

Also, when a spreading pressure is applied between the jaws, such pressure causes the ratchet tooth to further tighten and engage the opposing clip tooth thus retaining the clips holding ability.

Due to the configuration and interworking relationship between members of the prior art clips, it has proven difficult to produce hanger clips by a single production operation to date.

The present invention however, substantially overcomes a-id ameliorates the problems associated with the prior art by providing a clip comprising a front jaw and a rear jaw flexibly hinged about a first 4 axis and defining an -2 1808E L t 04r included angle therebetween ratchet means integral with said rear jaw, ratchet engaging means integral with said front jaw for releasably engaging said ratchet means, engagement of said ratchet with said ratchet engaging means allowing said included angle to decrease but not increase.

Preferrably, the hanger clip is formed as a single unit, the front and rear jaws being hinged along an edge which, when S 0ib the jaws are in a gripping orientation, may be described as an upper edge. The ratchet is integrally formed in perpendicular °9 9 relation to the rear jaw the ratchet serations being formed in 4 the upper surface thereof. The ratchet engaging and release 6* a S" means is integrally formed in the front jaw so that the ratchet may pass through an opening in the front jaw when the jaws are O" brought into gripping relation allowing the ratchet engaging 94 t means to engage said ratchet. The ratchet engaging and release means is further described by an arm protruding outwards from the front jaw which when depressed allows the front and rear jaws to be opened and release any item held between them. To further assist in the gripping of items between the front and rear jaws, gripping means are integrally formed on the inside The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation of the clip as formed.

Figure 2 shows the front and rear jaws of the clip in the as formed position when viewed from direction A.

Figure 3 shows the front and rear jaws of the clip in the 3 '1808E as formed position when viewed from direction B.

Figure 4 shows the clip when in use with a garment hanger.

The hanger clip 1 is preferrably formed of moulded plastic although any material exhibiting resilient characteristics may be used.

Reference to Fig. 1 clearly shows the clip 1 in cross sectional elevation as it would appear after forming. The clip 1 can be seen to have a front jaw 2 and rear jaw 3 joined by a resilient hinge 4.

0',I The rear jaw 3 is shown to have integrally formed thereon a ratchet 5 standing substantially perpendicularly to the rear jaw 3.

4 44o The front jaw 2 is shown to have integrally attached thereto ratchet engaging means 6 described by a resilient arm 7 and tooth 8. The ratchet engaging means 6 is integrally t attached to cross member 9 which also acts as a resilient hinge in respect of the ratchet engaging means 6.

With particular reference to Fig's. 1 and 3 garment engaging means 10, 11, 12 and 13 are shown formed on the inside surfaces of front and rear jaws 2 and 3.

jt Reference to Fig. 4 shows the front jaw 2 of the clip 1 to also have integrally formed a flap 14 which assists the user in opening the clip 1 when the clip 1 is in use with a garment hanger 15. i Preferrably the clip 1 is integrally formed as part of the garment hanger 15 at each end 15 and thereof as best described in Fig. 4.

In the configuration as shown in Fig. 4, garments may be supported by the hanger by engaging the garments to be 4 1808E supported with the clips 1.

Engagement of the garments would be carried out by depressing the arm 7 of the ratchet engaging means 6 causing the tooth 8 to be disengaged from the teeth 18 of the ratchet 5. While maintaining the arm 7 in a depressed position, the front jaw 2 is moved forward until the tooth 8 of the ratchet engaging means 6 is clear of the ratchet Any garment previously engaged between the front and rear jaws 2 and 3 respectively are released or any garment may be Sib placed therebetween.

Having placed a garment between the front jaw 2 and rear i jaw 3, the clip 1 is caused to engage the garment by closing ,U the jaws 2 and 3, causing the garment engaging means 10, 11, 12 and 13 to cngage the garment and the tooth 8 of the ratchet engaging means 6 to engage the teeth 18 of the ratchet The ratchet 5, in the clip closed position, is prevented from deflecting and resultingly disengaging the tooth 8 of the ratchet engaging means 6, due to peripheral support supplied to the ratchet 5 by the surround 20 of the opening 21.

Increasing the pressure applied to the front jaw 2 and rear jaw 3 will cause the tooth 8 of the ratchet engaging means 6 to move inwards toward the rear jaw 3 and engage successive teeth 18 of the ratchet 5 until an adequate engagement pressure has been achieved ensuring the secure engagement of a garment.

As applied to a garment hanger 15 the garment engaged by the clips 1 may then be hung on a rack to the like.

Opening pressure applied between the jaws 2 and 3, as encountered by overtightening of the clip 1, causes the jaws 2 and 3 to separate slightly in turn causing the tooth 8 of the 5 1808E i' i ratchet engaging means 6 to further engage the teeth 18 of the ratchet 5 and tighten with respect thereto thus retaining the clips 1 holding ability.

To release the garment from the hanger 15, the ratchet engaging means 6 is depressed by applying pressure to the outward end 19 of the resilient arm 7 of the ratchet engaging l r means 6 causing the cross member 9 to undergo torsional rotation and release the tooth 8 of the ratchet engaging means 6 from the teeth of the ratchet 0 0 ao oo While depressing the outward end 19 of the resilient arm 0o oro 7 of the ratchet engaging means 6, the front jaw 2 is then o9 caused to hinge forward releasing the engaged garment.

o oo While the invention has been described with reference to a garment clip it will be appreciated that the invention is not cooa \000, limited to garment clips and may be used for clamping other 00 0 I articles.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that 0 a t different materials and amended configurations may be used without departing from the scope or spirit of the present S invention and as such it is intended that such variations be incorporated herein by reference.

1 -6 A 2kT 0328k/gs

Claims

1. A clip comprising: a front jaw and a rear jaw flexibly hinged together about a first axis and defining an included angle therebetween, ratchet means integral with said rear jaw, ratchet engaging means integral with said front jaw for releasably engaging said ratchet means, engagement of said ratchet with said ratchet engaging means allowing said included angle to decrease but not increase.

2. A clip as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ratchet *engaging means is resiliently hinged about a second axis on o said front jaw. S'

3. A clip as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein an increase in said angle causes said ratchet engaging means to move into closer engagement with said ratchet means.

4. 4. A clip as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein a line extending perpendicularly from the second axis to the point of 0 engagement of the ratchet means with the ratchet engaging means defines an acute angle with the direction of movement of the ratchet means when the angle is increasing.

5. A clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said ratchet engaging means comprises a second elongate arm having a ratchet engaging tooth intermediate its ends, one of said ends resiliently hinged to said front jaw.

6. A clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein said ratchet means is located on a first elongate arm protruding from said rear jaw towards said front jaw. S728k/gs 0328k/gs I

7. A clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said front jaw has an opening therein to allow said first arm to pass therethrough.

8. A clip as claimed in claim 7 wherein the size of said opening prevents substantial deflection of said first arm relative to said rear jaw.

9. A clip as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein said first and second axes are parallel.

A clip as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein said first and second axes are mutually perpendicular.

11. A clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said rear jaw is substantially L-shaped in axial cross section, one end of the L being hinged to said front jaw.

12. A clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein said first arm protrudes perpendicularly from said rear jaw

13. A clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein said front jaw is substantially planar.

14. A clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein said front and rear jaws have item gripping means on their opposed surfaces.

15. A clip as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14 made of plastics.

16. A clip as claimed in claim 15 integrally formed with a garment hanger.

17. A clip as claimed in claim 15 or 16 formed in one piece.

18. A clip, substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings. DATED this 22nd day of November, 1988. RAINSFORDS PTY LIMITED By Its Patent Attorneys, ARTHUR S. CAVE CO. -8 1 1 t 1c 1808E tL