Combination clip

A combination clip comprises a pair of identically shaped clips each having a holder portion provided at one end for detachably holding a supported member and a pivotal coupler portion provided at the other end. The pivotal coupler portion includes a shaft portion and a clamp portion which is open on one side, extends perpendicular to the shaft portion in spaced relation to the free end thereof and is capable of being fitted on the shaft portion of the other clip. The pair of clips can be pivotally coupled together for relative rotation about each other's shaft portions with the clamp portion of each clip fitted on the shaft portion of the other.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT 
This invention relates to a combination clip which consists of a pair of 
clips mutually rotatably coupled together for holding respective supported 
members at a fixed distance from each other. 
A prior art combination clip of the general type to which the present 
invention relates is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication SHO 
No. 48(1973)-35637. 
The combination clip disclosed in this Publication consists of a pair of 
clips, each of which has a holder portion provided at one end and a 
coupler portion provided at the other end. The coupler portion of one of 
the two clips is a spherical projection, while the coupler portion of the 
other clip is a spherical recess for receiving the spherical projection. 
The two clips are rotatably coupled together by the engagement between the 
spherical projection and the spherical recess. 
However, since this combination clip consists of a pair of clips with 
coupler portions having different shapes, it is necessary to provide two 
molds having different shapes for forming the pair of clips. In addition, 
the two clips having the different shapes can only be used together as a 
pair, i.e. they cannot be used independently. 
To reduce the manufacturing cost and facilitate handling, there is required 
a combination clip consisting of a pair of identically shaped clips but 
capable of fulfilling the same functions as the prior art combination 
clip. 
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the invention is to provide a combination clip which is 
economical and can be easily handled. 
To attain the above object of the invention, there is provided a 
combination clip comprising a pair of identically shaped clips, each of 
the clips having a holder portion provided at one end for detachably 
holding a supported member and a pivotal coupler portion provided at the 
other end, the pivotal coupler portion including a shaft portion and a 
clamp portion, the clamp portion being open on one side, extending 
perpendicular to the shaft portion in spaced relation to the free end 
thereof and being capable of being fitted on the shaft portion of the 
other clip, whereby the pair of clips can be coupled together for rotation 
about each other's shaft portions with the clamp portion of each clip 
fitted on the shaft portion of the other. 
Thus, according to the invention the pair clips, which are of identical 
shape, can be molded using a common mold. Further, the clips of any given 
combination clip are each interchangeable with either clip of a different 
combination clip. The pivotal coupler portions may be coupled together 
after attaching the supported members, e.g. wires or pipes, to the holder 
portions of the individual clips. Alternatively, the two clips may be 
coupled together before attaching the supported members to the holder 
portions. The two clips may be coupled together by forcibly inserting the 
clamp portion of the pivotal coupler portion of each clip into the pivotal 
coupler portion of the other clip from the open side. By doing so, the 
shaft portions of the two clips are each received in the clamp portion of 
the other, so that the two clips are coupled together for mutual rotation 
about each other's shaft portions. In this state, the holder portions of 
the two clips are spaced apart a fixed distance, so that the supported 
members held by the holder portions are spaced apart a proper distance 
from each other to prevent their mutual interference. 
The above and other objects and features of the invention will become more 
apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the 
accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The combination clip according to the invention will now be described in 
conjunction with a first embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 
7. Reference numeral 1 designates the respective members of a pair of 
plastic clips constituting the combination clip. The two clips 1 are 
molded using a common mold and are of identical shape. 
Each clip 1 has a holder portion 2 provided at one end for detachably 
holding a supported member and a pivotal coupler portion 5 provided at the 
other end, the pivotal coupler portion 5 including a cylindrical shaft 
portion 3 extending from the holder portion 2 and a clamp portion 4 which 
is open on one side, extends perpendicular to the shaft portion 3 in 
spaced relation to the free end thereof and is capable of being fitted on 
the shaft portion 3 of the other clip. 
The holder portion 2 has a C-shaped sectional profile and is open at its 
free end. At the open end, it has flared opposite edge portions 6 serving 
as guides. 
In this embodiment, the pivotal coupler portion 5 includes a side portion 7 
perpendicularly extending from one side of a bottom portion 2' integral 
with the holder portion 2. An intermediate portion 8 extends from an 
intermediate position of the side portion 7 in parallel with the bottom 
portion 2'. The shaft portion 3 extends in the gap between the 
intermediate portion 8 and the bottom portion 2'. The clamp portion 4 
extends from the free end of the side portion 7 in parallel with the 
intermediate portion 8. The clamp portion 4 has a notch formed from its 
free end. The notch has a circular, more precisely an arcuate, inner 
portion 9 and flared opposite portions 10 adjacent to its notch. 
The clip having above structure is made of a plastic material having 
adequate rigidity and elasticity. A pair of such clips are used in a 
mutually coupled state. In use, a supported member, e.g. an electric wire 
11, is mounted in advance in the holder portion 2 of each clip 1, and then 
the two clips 1 are coupled together at their pivotal coupler portions 5. 
Alternatively, the two clips 1 are coupled together in advance, and the 
electric wires 11 are mounted in the respective holder portions 2 in 
back-to-back arrangement. The latter case will now be described in greater 
detail. 
The pivotal coupler portions 5 of the two clips 1 are coupled together with 
their holder portions 2 in back-to-back relation. To couple the two 
pivotal coupler portions 5, they are fitted sidewise into each other with 
the clamp portion 4 of each aligned with the gap between the bottom 
portion 2' and the intermediate portion 8 of the other. Each inserted 
clamp portion 4 is fitted on the shaft portion 3 of the other clip in the 
gap between the bottom portion 2+ and the intermediate portion 8. At this 
time, the bifurcated end of the clamp portion 4 comes into engagement with 
the outer periphery of the shaft portion 3. As the clamp portion 4 is 
further inserted, the flared opposite end surfaces 10 of its notch are 
forced apart. When the shaft portion 3 has been received in the inner 
portion 9, the bifurcated end portion of the clamp portion 4 is restored 
to its initial state due to its elasticity, so that the shaft portion 3 is 
retained in the inner portion 9 of the notch of the clamp portion 4. In 
this state, the intermediate portion 8 of each clip is received in the gap 
between the clamp portion 4 and the intermediate portion 8 of the other 
clip. When the two clips 1 are coupled together, their holder portions 2 
are spaced apart in back-to-back relation. The two clips 1 are coupled 
together such that each can be rotated about the other's shaft portion 3. 
The angular range of rotation is defined by that at which the edges of 
side portions 7 of the two clips 1 strike against each other. 
Thus, using the clips 1 in the coupled state, two wires 11 can be held in 
the holder portions 2 so as to run in parallel or to cross each other. As 
a wire 11 is inserted into the holder portion 2 from the open end thereof, 
the outer periphery of the wire 11 engages and forces apart the flared 
opposite edge portions 6 of the holder portion 2. When the wire 11 has 
been received in the holder portion 2, the edge portions 6 restore to the 
initial state due to their elasticity, so that the outer periphery of the 
wire 11 is clamped by the inner periphery of the holder portion 2. Since 
the clips 1 are mutually rotatable, even crossed wires 11 of complicated 
orientation can be retained by the combination clip. In addition, two 
wires retained in the two holder portions 2 of the combination clip can be 
held as properly spaced apart. Further, even if strong forces should 
accidentally come to act on the wires 11 mounted in the combination clip, 
they can only be twisted to a limited degree since the relative rotation 
of the two clips 1 is restricted within a fixed range defined by the 
positions at which the edges of the side portions 7 of the pivotal coupler 
portions 5 of the clips strike each other. Thus, the wires will not swing 
excessively or become entangled, so that it is possible to prevent 
disconnection and contact failure. 
FIGS. 8 and 9 show a different embodiment of the invention. This embodiment 
is different from the preceding embodiment in the pivotal coupler portion 
of the clip. In this clip, the shaft portion 3 extends from the bottom 
portion 2' integral with the holder portion 2. The side portion 7 extends 
along one side of the outer periphery of the shaft portion 3. The C-shaped 
clamp portion 4 extends perpendicularly from the free end of the side 
portion 7 in parallel with the bottom portion 2'. With this embodiment, 
the structure of the pivotal coupler portion 5 is simplified. In addition, 
the two clips 1 can be coupled together for mutual rotation about their 
shaft portions 3 by fitting the clamp portion 4 of each on the shaft 
portion 3 of the other. Further, the range of mutual rotation of the clips 
is defined by the positions at which the two side portions 7 strike each 
other. 
The combination clip according to the invention can support not only wires 
or pipes but also plates or parts having other shapes. To facilitate the 
holding of plates or parts having other shapes, the holder portions may 
have an anchor-like structure. 
As has been described in the foregoing, with the combination clip according 
to the invention, while the same functions as with the prior art 
combination clip can be obtained, since the clips of the pair are 
identically shaped, they can be molded using a common mold, thereby 
reducing the cost of manufacture. In addition, in use, no need arises to 
combine clips having different shapes, so that handling is greatly 
simplified.