RETAINING CLIP FOR USE IN BUSINESS TO HOLD SHEETS OF PAPER OR OTHER MATERIAL

Abstract: A retaining clip for use in business to hold sheets of paper or other material, in the form of a so-called "fold-­ back clip". The clip comprises a resiliently deformable retaining body A made of metal plate bent into a generally triangular shape and having free ends 4 on the sides 1 of the body A which define an openable mouth via which sheets can enter or be withdrawn from the retaining body. A pair of operating levers B are each pivotally connected to the free ends 4 for movement between an inoperative position as shown in Figure 2, and an operative position as shown in Figure 1, the levers being movable towards each other when in the operative position in order to exert an opening action on the sides of the retaining body. The operating levers B are made of wire bent in shape so as to define a holding portion 11 into which a finger plate C is mounted, the plate having a peripheral groove 23 which receives the wire and which is defined between opposed walls 24 and 25 of different height to facilitate mounting in position of the wire over the wall 25 of lower height, and also to transfer opening force to the sides 1 of the retaining body A via the finger plates C which is transmitted to the levers B via the walls 24 of greater height.

Description: This invention relates to a retaining clip for use in business to hold sheets of paper or other material. The invention has been developed in connection with retaining clips of the "fold-back clip" type, which are used in business for retaining sheets of paper, and which are composed of a resiliently deformable retaining body made from a plate of resilient material which is bent into a generally triangular shape, as seen in cross section, so as to form a base and two sides extending convergently from the base so as to define at their free ends an openable mouth via which sheets can enter or be withdrawn from the retaining body. A pair of operating levers is provided, each pivotally connected to the free end of a respective one of the sides of the retaining body for free movement between an inoperative position in which they extend away from the retaining body, and an operative position in which the levers lie alongside the sides of the retaining body. When in the operative position, the levers can be manipulated by finger and thumb action towards each other, in order to exert an opening action on the sides of the retaining body to facilitate insertion or withdrawal of the sheets of paper or the like. In the conventional constructions of clip, the operating levers can lie alongside the surfaces of the paper clamped between the free edges of the retaining body, when the levers have been pivotted to the inoperative position, and this provides a convenient arrangement having the advantage of easy arrangement and space requirements because of the small space taken up by the component parts of the clip. However, the conventional clips have the disadvantage of sometimes painful operation of the operating levers, in that substantial inward gripping force has to be applied by finger and thumb, so as to overcome the resilient opposition provided by the retaining body, to open the mouth sufficiently to enable paper to be inserted or withdrawn. Given that the operating levers are formed of wire bent to shape, the necessarily substantial inward gripping forces required to effect opening of the retaining body by the operating levers gives rise to substantial pressure over a small contact area between the finger and thumb and the portions of the wire of the operating levers which transmit the force applied to the operating levers. Further, this application force has to be maintained while paper or the like is being introduced or withdrawn, and this is certainly an inconvenience, and on occasion the cause of pain to the operator, which inhibits proper operation of the clips. A retaining clip is disclosed in United States Patent No 4532680. The clip theredisclosed comprises a clip having index caps of synthetic resin serving as knobs. The index caps are removeably fitted on bent front ends of the levers and are held in position by means of holes and projections formed in the inner surface of the index caps. The present invention has therefore been developed primarily with a view to provide a construction of retaining clip which can be manipulated by finger and thumb action without pain and more readily than possible hitherto. According to the invention there is provided a retaining clip for use in business to hold sheets of paper or other material and comprising: a resiliently deformable retaining body which is made from a plate bent into a generally triangular shape, as seen in cross section, so as to form a base and two sides extending convergently from the base so as to define at their free ends an openable mouth via which sheets can enter or be withdrawn from the retaining body; and a pair of operating levers each pivotally connected to the free end of a respective one of said sides of the retaining body for movement between an inoperative position and an operative position, the levers being movable towards each other when in the operative position in order to exert an opening action on the sides of the retaining body and each lever being made from a wire which is bent to a required shape, wherein the wire of at least one of said operating levers is bent so as to define a holding portion into which a finger plate is mounted; characterised in that said finger plate has a peripheral groove, which receives the portion of the wire which defines the holding portion, said groove being defined between opposed walls of different heights to enable the wire to be received in the groove by moving over the wall of lower height and the arrangement being such that the application of opening force to the sides of the retaining body via the finger plate is transmitted to the lever via the wall of greater height, and in that the finger plate is snap-fitted into the respective holding portion and is held captive therein against dislodgement during manipulation of the operating lever. Thus, in operation of a retaining clip according to the invention, the opening edges of the retaining body are readily opened against the resilient opposition provided by the inherent construction of the main body, by pressing the finger plate of the lever inwardly towards the other lever (when the levers are in the operative position), so that the application force by the finger or thumb is applied over a larger contact area, thereby minimising the local pressure which would otherwise be liable to cause pain. Furthermore, in that the finger plate is arranged to fit into a holding portion of the lever which has been formed by bending a metallic wire, the finger plate may be formed to be generally flat with a suitable thickness thereof and the inward pressing force applied to the finger plate is transmitted to the holding portion, and hence to the operating lever, via the groove wall of greater height. Thus, the pressing force can be applied to each element of the holding portion substantially uniformly. Furthermore, there is no risk, in actual use of the clip, that the finger plate will slip out of the holding portion as a result of the pressing force. In addition, when the operating levers are in the inoperative position, in which they extend downwardly away from the retaining body, the finger plate is substantially flat in form, having a suitable thickness, such that it is not bulky and therefore does not occupy surplus space and to be a hindrance to the arrangement of the retaining clip. Embodiments of retaining clip according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1(a) is a front view of a clip used for business according to the present invention, wherein operating levers of the clip are in a raised position ready for operation; Figure 1(b) is a side view thereof; Figure 1(c) is an enlarged sectional view of the portion marked K in Figure 1(b); Figure 2(a) is a front view of the clip, wherein the operating levers are an inoperative position extending away from the retaining part of the clip; Figure 2(b) is a side view thereof; Figure 3(a) is a front view of the operating levers; Figure 3(b) is a side view thereof; Figure 4(a) is a front view of a finger plate provided in one of the operating levers; Figure 4(b) is a side view thereof; Figure 4(c) is a rear view of said finger plate; Figure 5(a) is a front view of another operating lever in a clip according to the present invention; and, Figure 5(b) is a side view thereof. Hereinafter, the embodiment of the clip used for business according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In Figure 1 to Figure 4, A is a main body of a clip. B is a pair of operational levers for opening and closing opening edges of said main body A and C is a finger plate fitted into holding portions 11, 11 of said operational levers. The clip according to the present embodiment is composed of the main body A of the clip, a pair of operational levers B and two finger plates C, C. Like the main body of a conventional clip, said main body A of the clip is formed by bending a plated spring material to turn into substantially an equilateral triangle in section. This substantially equilateral triangle is formed by a pair of converging sides 1, 1 for holding paper etc therebetween and the base 2 thereof integrally coupled thereto. Free ends i.e. opening edges 3, 3, define a mouth via which paper can be inserted or withdrawn from the body A, and which are always kept in closed condition owing to spring force. The edges 3 are curled outward at both ends thereof and four tubular bodies 4 with projecting walls 5 are formed into which four pivotal stubs 13 of said operation levers B are fitted. Two tubular bodies are provided at both ends of said opening edges 3, and said two bodies may alternatively disposed only at a middle portion of said opening edges 3. As particularly shown in Figure 3, said pair of operational levers B are composed of a rectangular holding portion 11 formed by bending a piano wire (the other shapes such as a circle or an oval may also be applicable), a series of a pair of legs 12, 12 and a pair of pivotally holding axes 13 (stubs) formed by orthogonally bending outward at the free ends of said legs 12, 12. The pivotally holding axes 13, 13 of said pair of operational levers B are fitted into the tubular bodies formed at the opening edges 3, 3 of said main body A from the inside thereof so as to rotate in a rising and falling manner, centered thereon. In said raising and falling rotation, the space between the legs 12, 12 of said pair of operational levers B is forced to lessen against spring force owing to the projecting walls 5 formed at said four tubular bodies each; and thus unexpected rotation thereof can not occur at the end position of raising and falling of said operational levers B unless external operation force is applied thereto. When a tubular body is disposed at a middle portion of the opening edges 3, 3 of the main body A of a clip as described above, each pivotally holding axis 13 of said pair of operational levers B is formed by bending orthogonally the free ends of the pair of legs 12, 12. The aforementioned construction is substantially the same as that of a conventional clip used for business and the function thereof is also the same. According to the present embodiment, a detachable finger plate C is fitted into said holding portions 11, and is coloured in various kinds and made of opaque synthetic resins with a soft touch. The finger plate C is somewhat thicker than a diameter of the metallic wire for forming the operational lever B; and further somewhat smaller than an external form of said holding portion 11, 11 and somewhat larger than an internal form thereof. The finger plate C is constituted with a substantially flat similar figure and a groove 23 for fitting the holding portion 11 thereinto is formed at the peripheral edge thereof. At that time, a radius of curvature thereof is arranged to be somewhat smaller than a diameter of the metallic wire for forming the operational lever B and further the height of a groove wall 25 at one side thereof is arranged to be lower than the height of a groove wall 24 at the other side thereof so as to arrange a side enclosed with the groove wall 24 to be the right side 21 and a side enclosed with the groove wall 25 to be the back side 22. On said right side 21 and the back side 22, the same marks 26, 27, either of which is marked in a reverse direction, are indicated. In fitting said finger plate C into the holding portions 11, of the operational lever B, two finger plates C made of the same material on which the same marks 26, 27 are indicated, are selected and then fitted into said holding portions II, in their raising conditions in a manner that the right side 21 will be the right side. At that time, said plate C is at first fitted into the holding portions 11, 11 from the lower groove walls 25 which are easy for a fitting operation so as to arrange said lower walls 25, 25 in between the holding portions 11, 11. In an actual operation of the finger plate C thus fitted thereinto as above described, after suitably selecting the colours or marks of said plate C having such function as index for arranging paper etc, said pair of operational levers B, B are raised as shown in Figure 1 and the plate C, C on which uniform force can easily be applied are pressed inward with fingers (and thumb) so as to open the opening edges 3, 3 of the main body 4 of the clip against the spring force. At that time, said operational levers B, B will not deeply touch with the fingers to cause pain; and accordingly the above operation is quite smooth and easy. Furthermore, the sides of the higher groove walls 24, 24 may apply pressing force to the holding portions 11, 11, so that said plate C, C will not easily slip off out of said holding portions 11, 11 in spite of a considerable simple construction thereof. Still furthermore, since the thickness of said plate C , C is somewhat thicker than a diameter of the metallic wire for forming the holding portions 11, 11, said portions will not be bulky in falling down thereof for custody etc as shown in Figure 2, so that handling thereof becomes considerably easy. As is clear from the above, according to the present invention, since a flat finger plate is fitted into each holding portion of a pair of operational levers, said levers can easily be operated without risk of deeply penetrating with the fingers to cause pain, and further the inward pressing force may uniformly be transmitted to each portion of said holding portion, thereby facilitating an operation with ease. Furthermore, the height of a groove wall at one side of the fitting groove is arranged to be somewhat lower than that of the other groove wall thereof, thereby facilitating the fitting operation with ease. Still furthermore, since the finger plate with the higher groove wall is arranged at the side to which the inward pressing force is applied, said plate will not slip-off out of the holding portion even when strong pressing force is applied thereto and the clip according to the present invention will not be bulky in falling down the operational levers for custody etc of the clip. Such finger plate may also be utilised as an index for arranging paper etc depending upon the kinds thereof, so that the arrangement and custody etc of paper etc will be easier and convenient more and more.

Claims: A retaining clip for use in business to hold sheets of paper or other material and comprising: a resiliently deformable retaining body (A) which is made from a plate bent into a generally triangular shape, as seen in cross section, so as to form a base (2) and two sides (1) extending convergently from the base so as to define at their free ends (4) an openable mouth via which sheets can enter or be withdrawn from the retaining body; and a pair of operating levers (B) each pivotally connected to the free end (4) of a respective one of said sides (1) of the retaining body (A) for movement between an inoperative position and an operative position, the levers being movable towards each other when in the operative position in order to exert an opening action on the sides (1) of the retaining body and each lever being made from a wire which is bent to a required shape, wherein the wire of at least one of said operating levers (B) is bent so as to define a holding portion (11) into which a finger plate (C) is mounted; characterised in that said finger plate (C) has a peripheral groove (23) , which receives the portion of the wire which defines the holding portion (11) , said groove (23) being defined between opposed walls (24, 25) of different heights to enable the wire to be received in the groove by moving over the wall (25) of lower height and the arrangement being such that the application of opening force to the sides (1) of the retaining body (A), via the finger plate (C) is transmitted to the lever (B) via the wall (24) of greater height, and in that the finger plate is snap-fitted into the respective holding portion (11) and is held captive therein against dislodgement during manipulation of the operating lever A clip according to Claim 1, characterised in that each operating lever (B) is provided with a respective finger plate (C). A clip according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the or each holding portion (11) is circular, oval or rectangular in shape. A clip according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the or each finger plate (C) bears indicating, indexing or reference markings thereon, such as by colouring. A clip according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the arrangement of the or each finger plate (C) is such that the wire is substantially housed in the respective groove (23) so that the application of opening force to the lever can be made substantially without any contact with the wire.

Inventors: HIROMORI, JUNJI
Applicants: HIROMORI INDUSTRIAL COMPANY
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B42F1
IPC codes: B42F21, B42F1