Abstract:
A construction clip includes a pair of generally identical clip members. Each clip member has a base portion and two converging opposing flanges extending from the base portion. The clip members are hinged together at their respective base portions. The converging opposing flanges of each clip member include a generally flat base flange and an opposing clip flange. The base flange presents a generally flat inside surface suitable for contacting a generally flat, thin piece of model construction media. The base flange further includes an opening. The clip flange has a curved distal end that preferably extends to the opening defined in the base flange and a distal edge that curves away from the generally flat inside surface of the base flange. The clip flange has a return flange that originates at a location toward the distal end of the clip flange and extends toward the base portion.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/525,453 filed on Aug. 19, 2011 which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This invention relates to an adjustable clip for connecting construction media for constructing model structures. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Building model structures from common materials such a cardboard or cloth is an educational and entertaining activity. Prior clips have been devised for connecting cardboard and the like to build model structures. Sometimes it is useful to integrate cloth into a model structure. Prior clips are not well adapted to engage cardboard and cloth. What is needed is a construction clip that will securely connect with a variety of materials such as corrugated cardboard, rigid card stock and cloth. 
     SUMMARY 
     The above described needs are addressed by a construction clip for fastening together various types of model construction media. The construction clip includes a pair of generally identical clip members. Each clip member has a base portion and two converging opposing flanges extending from the base portion. The clip members are hinged together at their respective base portions. The converging opposing flanges of each clip member include a generally flat base flange and an opposing clip flange. The base flange presents a generally flat inside surface suitable for contacting a generally flat, thin piece of model construction media. The base flange further includes an opening. The clip flange has a curved distal end that preferably extends toward the opening defined in the base flange and a distal edge that curves away from the generally flat inside surface of the base flange. The clip flange has a return flange that originates at a location toward the distal end of the clip flange which extends toward the base portion and also angles away from the clip flange toward the base flange. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a construction clip. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a construction clip. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a clip member. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of a clip member. 
         FIG. 4A  is a side view of a clip member. 
         FIG. 4B  is an end view of a clip member. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a construction clip showing one clip member receiving a piece of corrugated cardboard construction media. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of a construction clip showing one clip member receiving a piece of cloth. 
         FIG. 7  is plan view of a construction clip. 
         FIG. 7A  is a side view of the construction clip of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 7B  is a side view of the construction clip of  FIG. 7  with the left clip member rotated at 45 degrees. 
         FIG. 7C  is a side view of the construction clip of  FIG. 7  with the left clip member rotated at 90 degrees. 
         FIG. 8A  is a first perspective view of a toy building block that presents a hinge shaft and a hinge clasp. 
         FIG. 8B  is a second perspective view of a toy building block that presents a hinge shaft and a hinge clasp. 
         FIG. 8C  is a perspective view of a toy building block that presents a hinge shaft and a hinge clasp connected to a clip member. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a model house constructed using cardboard panels connected together by construction clips. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of construction clips connected to the end of a standard pipe and secured to the side of a standard pipe by a standard rubber band. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates a hinged construction clip  10  including two generally identical clip members  20  which are connected together by an interlocking, releasable hinge structure  30 . As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , each clip member  20  includes a base flange  40  and a clip flange  80 . Base flange  40  and clip flange  80  both extend from a curved resilient base portion  102 . 
     The configurations of base flange  40  and clip flange  80  are complementary and may be best understood by considering each separately. As can be best seen in  FIG. 3 , base flange  40  connects at its proximal end to curved base portion  102  and extends to its distal end. Base flange  40 , in this example, is generally rectangular in shape and presents a flat inside surface  42 . In this example, base flange  40  has an base flange opening  44  that extends across most of the length of base flange  40  and about one half of the width of base flange  40 . In this example, base flange opening  44  is rectangular and is centered on base flange  40  in the transverse direction and is located to leave a margin at the distal end of base flange  40  in the longitudinal direction. As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , base flange opening  44  includes a proximate edge  44 A located near curved resilient base portion  102 , a distal edge  44 B located opposite from proximate edge  44 A and two side edges  44 C connecting between the opposite ends of proximate edge  44 A and distal edge  44 B. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , clip flange  80  also extends from curved resilient base portion  102 . Clip flange  80  extends from its proximal end to its distal end. In this example, clip flange  80  is substantially narrower than base flange  40  along most of the length of clip flange  80  towards its distal end. Preferably, the width of the distal end of clip flange  80  corresponds with the width of base flange opening  44  so that the profile of the distal end of clip flange  80  generally corresponds with the outline of at least the distal end of base flange opening  44 . The distal end of clip flange  80  is not straight and flat as is the case with base flange  40 . Rather, the distal end of clip flange  80  is curved to define a curved receiving portion  84  that terminates at a distal edge  84 E that is spaced away from base flange  40 . Thus, clip flange  80  can be said to have a flat portion  82  and a curved receiving portion  84 . Curved receiving portion  84  curves away from the plane defined by the inside surface  42  of base flange  40 . As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , in this example, flat portion  82  of clip flange  80  converges toward base flange  40 . Curved receiving portion  84  curves away from the distal end of flat portion  82 . Thus, curved receiving portion  84  and base flange  40  define a transverse, elongated opening  86  shown in  FIG. 2  which is suitable for receiving the edge of a piece of model construction material such as a piece of cardboard. Curved receiving portion  84  extends so that a portion of its inside surface is either a co-planer with or extends slightly past inside surface  42  of base flange  40 . A portion of curved receiving portion  84  at least comes into close proximity to inside surface  42  of base flange  40 . Base flange  40 , base portion  102  and clip flange  80  combine to make a flexible structure that is sufficiently flexible so that receiving portion  84  of clip flange  80  and base flange  40  are able to flex apart to receive a piece of construction material. Yet, these elements are sufficiently rigid to securely grip a flat piece of model construction material such as card stock or corrugated cardboard when such material is placed between clip flange  80  and base flange  40 . 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , clip flange  80  carries a return flange  90 . Return flange  90  extends from the distal end of flat portion  82  of clip flange  80  and extends to the proximate edge of rectangular opening  44  of base flange  40 . As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , return flange  90  includes a generally straight portion  92  and a relatively short end portion  94  that extends away from straight portion  92  and terminates in close proximity to proximate edge  44 A of rectangular opening  44 . 
     The configuration described above provides several advantages for those wishing to used construction clip  10  to connect pieces of construction media to build a model structure. First, the user may push his or her thumb or finger through base flange opening  44  to push clip flange  80  open to accept a relatively thick piece of construction media such as corrugated cardboard. Secondly, the end portion  94  of return flange  90  provides a third pressure point for securing a piece of construction media as can be seen in  FIG. 5 . Accordingly, pieces of construction media are clamped not just between the distal ends of base flange  40  and clip flange  80  but also near the proximate ends of base flange  40  and clip flange  80 . Thirdly, the placement of the distal ends of clip flange  80  and end portion  94  of return flange  90  near the periphery of base flange opening  44  makes it possible to secure thin pieces of material and makes it possible to even secure cloth so that pieces of fabric or flexible plastic sheet material may be added as a material in the construction of a model structure. 
     The securing of fabric or thin plastic sheet material is illustrated in  FIG. 6 . A boss  84 A projects from the outside surface of curved receiving portion  84  of clip flange  80 . Boss  84 A is generally elongated and is generally parallel to and spaced away from the distal end of curved receiving portion  84 . Boss  84 A and the distal end of curved receiving portion  84  are shaped, sized and spaced so that it is possible to detain clip flange  80  with the distal edge  44 B of opening  44  detained between the distal edge of curved receiving portion  84  and a boss  84 A. This makes it possible to secure a piece fabric  2  between clip flange  80  and distal edge  44 B of opening  44  as shown in  FIG. 6 . As can be seen in  FIG. 6 , which is a cut away view, fabric  2  follows a torturous path around the end of receiving portion  84  and between receiving portion  84  and distal edge  44 B of opening  44 . As can be seen in  FIG. 6 , boss  84 A is located on one side of edge  44 B while the distal end of curved receiving portion  84  is positioned on the other side of edge  44 B. This configuration secures fabric  2  and basically snaps fabric  2  in place until it is released by manual pressure. Accordingly, fabric or any other sheet material (such as plastic sheeting) may be added as a construction material when constructing a model with construction clips  10 . 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 4 ,  4 A and  4 B, an offset hinge shaft  110  and a hinge clasp  130  extend from the outside surface of resilient base portion  102  of each clip member  20 . Hinge shaft  110  extends parallel to base portion  102  and is mounted to base portion  102  by two supports  112  located at opposite ends of hinge shaft  110 . Hinge clasp  130  is spaced away from hinge shaft  110  and presents a cylindrical clasp that is located, shaped and sized to receive and retain a corresponding hinge shaft  110  extending from a base portion of another clip member  20 . In this example hinge clasp  130  carries a tab  132  extending from at least one end. Further, the outside surface of one of supports  112  presents a series of notches  112 A. Notches  112 A are located to progressively receive tab  132  as the hinge formed by hinge clasp  130  and hinge shaft  110  is rotated. Thus as the hinge is rotated, construction clip  10  click stops at pre-selected angles. This makes it possible for a user to select angles for orienting pieces of construction media as is illustrated in  FIGS. 7 ,  7 A,  7 B and  7 C. 
     Construction clips  10  may be best fashioned from injection molded plastic. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the plastic selected should be both strong and resilient. It should also be possible to mold the plastic selected with a high degree of dimensional precision that is fully within the present state of the art. 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 8A-8C , toy block  200  is an interchangeable injection molded plastic toy construction block  200  of the type having open spaces  205  that receive a pattern of bosses of a similar type block. Toy block  200  includes a hinge shaft structure  210  and a hinge clasp structure  230  that are configured to receive corresponding structures of a construction clip  10 . Accordingly, clips  10  of the present invention, by using toy block  200 , may be used to add construction elements to a model constructed with interchangeable toy plastic blocks such as LEGO® blocks. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 9 , construction clips  10  are used to assemble a number of cardboard panels  310  to build a model house  300 . The skilled reader will note how various panels are joined at various angles by clips  10  as described above to join the various panels of the model. This is shown as just one example of a myriad of construction models that may be constructed using construction clip  10 . The skilled reader will appreciate that clips  10  may be used to connect a wide variety of materials including, for example, (but by no means limited to) card stock, cardboard, and rigid sheet plastic. By way of example, fabric and flexible sheet plastic may be secured by using boss  84 A as shown in  FIG. 6  and as described above. 
     As is shown in  FIG. 10 , a construction clip  10  may be secured to the open end of a cylinder such as a standard PVC pipe  500 . Further, by using a standard rubber band  600 , it is possible to secure a construction clip  10  to the side of a member such as pipe  500  as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto, except in so far as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable equivalents thereof.