Abstract:
A fashion hair accessory comprises a claw-type hair clip formed of hinged-together clip elements with interleaved tines, combined in a novel manner with purely decorative article of elongated, flexible character. To particular advantage, the claw clip is provided with decorative openings in its body portion, and a decorative article, such as a flexible chain, is secured through the decorative opening of the clip body and dangles freely and flexibly from the clip.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Claw clips, which are comprised of a pair of hinged-together clip elements with interleaved tines, are well known accessories useful in a variety of ways in connection with the management of women&#39;s hair. In addition, claw clips lend themselves to combining with other elements, as fashion accessories.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention is directed to a new and improved form of fashion accessory, comprising a claw-type hair clip and attached, elongated flexible pendant element suspended from the clip clip and providing an attractive fashion accessory in the nature of hair jewelry.  
           [0003]    To particular advantage, the claw clip is provided in its body portion with openings adjacent each end of the clip (a feature in itself well known) and one such opening is utilized for attachment of the elongated, flexible pendant element. In cases where the elongated flexible pendant element is in the nature of a continuous material, such as a leather thong, for example, the element may be simply looped through the clip opening, and tied or secured by a cinch, for example. Where the elongated pendant element is in the nature of a metallic or plastic chain or the like, it may be attached at the opening by means of a securing ring.  
           [0004]    As will be apparent upon review of the following specification and drawings, the invention lends itself to a wide variety of choices of materials and structures for the elongated flexible pendant elements.  
           [0005]    For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, and to the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a first preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 1.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view as taken generally on line  3 - 3  of FIG. 1.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a second preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 4.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view as taken generally along line  66  of FIG. 4.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a third preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 8 is an end elevational view of the device of FIG. 7.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 9 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 7.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 10 is a fragmentary cross sectional view as taken generally on line  10 - 10  of FIG. 7.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 12 is a fragmentary cross sectional view as taken generally on line  12 - 12  of FIG. 11.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 11.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 14 is an elevational view of a fifth preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 15 is a end elevational view of the device of FIG. 14.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 16 is a fragmentary cross sectional view as taken generally on line  1616  of FIG. 14. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    Referring now to the drawing, and initially to FIGS.  1 - 3 , the reference numeral  10  designates generally a claw clip device comprised of first and second clip elements  11 ,  12  pivotally joined by a hinge pin  13 . Each of the clip elements has a body portion  14 ,  15  from which extend a plurality of arcuately contoured tines  16 ,  17 . The tines of one clip element are received in spaces  18 ,  19  formed between the respective tines  16 ,  17 .  
         [0023]    On the side thereof opposite the tines  16 ,  17  (i.e., the top as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3), the clip elements are provided with gripping handles  20 ,  21  which can be gripped in order to pivot the respective clip elements  11 ,  12  to “open” positions. A  20  coil spring  22  (FIG. 2) normally urges the clip to a “closed” position, shown in FIGS.  1 - 3 , in which the tines of one clip element are seated deeply in the spaces  19  of the opposite clip element.  
         [0024]    In a preferred form of the invention, the clip elements  11 ,  12  are provided at each end with openings  23 ,  24 .  
         [0025]    The clip as thus far described is, in itself, well known as, for example, represented by the Chang U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,127.  
         [0026]    In the embodiment of FIGS.  1 - 3 , a flexible pendant decorative element  25  is provided, in the form a jewelry chain comprised interconnected small links  26 . At its upper end, the chain  25  is connected to the claw clip by means of a connecting ring  27  which passes through one of the openings  24  and around a portion  28  of the clip which lies above the opening  24  in the orientation illustrated in FIG. 1. The chain  25  may be provided at any point along its length with one or more decorative objects  29 .  
         [0027]    The flexible, pendant chain  25  hangs freely down from the clip  10 , in any orientation in which the clip is worn in the user&#39;s hair, as will be readily understood.  
         [0028]    In the embodiment of FIGS.  4 - 6 , a clip  10 , which may correspond to the clip shown in FIGS.  1 - 3 , is provided with an elongated, flexible pendant in the form of a string  30  of small beads  31  on a string (not shown). In the illustrated arrangement, the string of beads is in the form of a continuous loop, and is secured to the clip  10  by being passed through the opening  24  in the clip body and secured by tying the beads in a knot  32 . Typically, the length of the bead string is substantial in relation to the length mentioned of the clip  10 , so that the string hangs downward eight or ten inches or so from the clip, allowing the pendant element to swing freely when the clip is secured to a user&#39;s hair.  
         [0029]    Referring now to the embodiment of FIGS.  7 - 10 , there is shown a further preferred form of the invention which is comprised a claw clip  10 , which can be generally of the type shown and described in FIGS.  1 - 3 . In the illustration of FIGS.  7 - 10 , the elongated, flexible pendant element is comprised of a plurality of strings  40 ,  41 ,  42  of beads  43 . In the illustration, there are three such strings, each comprising a series of beads of appropriate shape, color and design, flexibly joined by strings  44 . In the illustrated arrangement, the three strings of beads are secured to the clip  10 , preferably adjacent one end thereof, by adhesive means  45 ,  46  securing one of the beads of each string, typically the uppermost bead  43   a  thereof, to the body of the clip. When using adhesive to secure the uppermost bead to the clip body, it is not necessary that the clip body be provided with the openings  23 ,  24 , although it is not precluded. In the specific embodiment of FIGS.  7 - 10 , two of the strings are mounted by securing their uppermost beads  43   a  to outside surface areas of the clip  10 . A third string is mounted by securing its uppermost bead  43   a  between the two elements  11 ,  12  of the clip. Where the clip is provided with an opening  24 , as illustrated in FIGS.  7 - 10 , two of the beads may be at least partially secured by adhesive  46  passing through the opening  24 . On the opposite side, the adhesive  45  is preferably confined to the exterior surfaces of the clip element  11 .  
         [0030]    As in the other embodiments, the flexible, pendant bead strings  4042  may be as long as desired, typically having a free hanging length several times the length of the clip itself.  
         [0031]    Referring now to FIGS.  11 - 13 , there is shown a further modified form of clip and flexible pendant element. The clip  50  is a claw clip of the same general type as the clip  10 , although having a different configuration. The clip  50  comprises first and second clip elements  51 ,  52  joined by a pivot pin  53  for pivoting movement. Each of the clip elements has a body portion  54 ,  55  from which extend a plurality of arcuately contoured tines  56 ,  57 . The tines  57  of one clip element are received in spaces  58  defined between tines  56  of the other clip element. Gripping handles  60 ,  61  extend from the body portions  54 ,  55 , in a direction opposite from the tines and enable the clip to be gripped for opening and closing. A coil spring  62  is received over the pivot pin  53  and engages each of the gripping elements  60 ,  61  to urge the respective clip elements  51 ,  52  toward a “closed” position, as shown in FIG. 12.  
         [0032]    In the embodiment of FIGS.  11 - 13 , an elongated, flexible pendant chain element  70 , comprised of elongated chain links  71 , is connected to the clip  50  by means of a connecting ring  72  which surrounds the pivot pin  53  and coil spring  62  and is confined in that location by means of pivot arms  73 ,  74  which extend from the gripping elements  60 ,  61  respectively and engage the opposite ends of the pivot pin  53 , as reflected in FIGS. 11 and 13.  
         [0033]    In the embodiment of FIGS.  14 - 16 , a claw clip  10  is illustrated, which is generally in the form of the clip shown in FIGS.  14 , for illustrative purposes. In this embodiment, an elongated flexible pendant  80 , illustrated to be in the nature of small beads  81 ,  82  mounted on a flexible string  83  or the like, it being understood that (in this as well as all other embodiments) the specific form of pendant is illustrative, and that an endless variety of pendants may be employed. For securing the pendant decoration  80  to the clip  10 , the upper end  84  of the pendant is connected to a spring operated latch ring  85 . The latch ring  85  is per se of well known design. It has a body  86  of circular configuration formed with a gap  87  of predetermined width. In this instance, the gap  87  is of sufficient width to receive the thickness dimension of upper portions  88  of the clip  10 , in the region of the opening  24  provided therein, as shown in FIG. 16. The gap  87  is normally closed by a spring operated slide pin  89  which is engageable for retraction by a projection  90  and is returned to the closed position, illustrated in FIG. 16, by means of an internal spring (not shown).  
         [0034]    The pendant decoration  80  is mounted on the clip  10  by opening the latch ring  85  and sliding in the gap  87  over the portion  84  of the clip until the ring is received within the opening  24 . The latch pin  89  is then released and allowed to return to a closed position as shown in FIG. 16. The decoration  80  may be removed and replaced by other decorative pendants, or multiple pendant elements may be employed, to suit the choice and convenience of the user. Within the contemplation of the invention, almost any elongated, flexible pendant element may be utilized in conjunction with a claw-type hair clip, to achieve a novel, attractive and useful hair fashion accessory. Most versatile, perhaps, are claw clips provided with openings in the body portions thereof. This enables an extremely wide variety of flexible elements to be used as pendant decorations, such as strings of beads, leather thongs, braids of hair, etc. In many instances, soft flexible elements can simply be inserted through the clip openings and tied in a knot or cinched by a color. In other cases, connecting rings of suitable size can be used to joint the pendant decorative element to the clip, by passing the connecting element through the opening in the clip body. The connecting ring can be permanently closed or may be in the nature of a latch ring, which can be repetitively opened and closed for interchanging of decorative elements according to the variable wishes of the user.  
         [0035]    It should be understood, of course, that the specific forms of the invention herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.