Abstract:
The invention relates to a name badge comprising an attachment device ( 3 ) which comprises a base ( 20 ) and two cheeks ( 29, 30 ) which are arranged at a distance from each other, in addition to a clamping element ( 27 ) which is pivotably mounted between the cheeks ( 29, 30 ). The attachment device ( 3 ) is held by a mounting ( 8 ), which is embodied in the form of a frame ( 10, 13 ) which at least partially surrounds the attachment device and comprises holding down clamps ( 16, 17 ) for the base ( 20 ).

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to a name badge with an attachment device, which is used for attaching the said badge to an item of clothing and which has a base and two cheeks arranged spaced from one another as well as a double-armed clamping element, which is supported pivotably on a pivot axle that is supported in the cheeks, wherein one arm of said clamping element is pressed against the base by a spring. 
     STATE OF THE ART 
     Attachment devices for name badges of the type under consideration and known from page 140 of the applicant&#39;s catalogue for 2001 are offered in large quantities from a few specialist companies and in particular in the form of so-called combination clamps, i.e. in conjunction with a safety pin, which is held by one arm of the clamping element and the spring. With known name badges the described attachment devices are normally joined to the rear wall of the respective name badge by adhesive. This type of manufacture of name badges always leads to flawless results if suitable adhesive is found for the respective material pair, wherein practically only quick-acting adhesives can be considered due to production reasons. If it is considered that also quick-acting adhesives need a certain time to bond and are normally not free of solvent, then it is found that on the grounds of cost savings and also environmental pollution due to the release of solvent it is preferable to seek ways which render an adhesive process dispensable. An appropriate method is illustrated in EP 0 608 043 B1 in which the base of the attachment device has a hole into which a spigot with a mushroom-shaped retaining head can be introduced at its free end. This known solution may not be completely satisfactory for two reasons. The first reason is that the commercially available attachment device has to be provided with a hole which weakens the base; the second reason is that the retaining head projects into the clamping region of the clamping element and impedes fitting the name badge to an item of clothing. 
     A price labelling sign, which is not intended for attachment to an item of clothing and which is described in DE 83 29 887, has on its rear side projections formed as a type of short dovetailed guide, between which a flat material strip can be pushed, which at its free, tapered end is provided with barbs on both sides which engage the projections. The Known arrangement is not suitable for the mounting of attachment devices of the type of interest here. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to find an alternative to the known arrangement from EP 0 608 043 B1 which renders a modification of the base of the attachment device superfluous and which does not impair the attachment process. This object is solved according to the invention in that the name badge has a mounting, which is formed as a type of frame at least partially enclosing the base of the attachment device, the said frame being provided with holding down clamps for the base in the region of the attachment device located outside of the cheeks. 
     The name badge according to the invention offers the advantage that its mounting facilitates trouble-free joining of commercially available attachment devices of the type described in the introduction to the name badge, wherein it has been proven to be particularly advantageous to form the mounting as an integral component of the rear wall of a name badge. 
     Further details of the name badge according to the invention are given in the following description of several embodiments of the invention illustrated in the included drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following are shown: 
         FIG. 1  the plan view onto the inner sides of an open name badge with a mounting for a combination clamp, 
         FIG. 2  the side view of the name badge according to  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 3  the plan view onto the outer sides of the open name badge according to  FIGS. 1  and  2 , 
         FIG. 4  a section along the line IV-IV through the name badge according to  FIG. 3 , 
         FIG. 5  a plan view corresponding to  FIG. 1  onto the inner side of an open name badge, provided with a combination clamp, according to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , 
         FIG. 6  the side view of the name badge according to  FIG. 5 , 
         FIG. 7  a plan view corresponding to  FIG. 3  onto the outer sides of the name badge, provided with a combination clamp, according to  FIG. 5 , 
         FIG. 8  a section along the line VIII-VIII in  FIG. 7 , 
         FIG. 9  the perspective view in enlarged scale of the mounting for the combination clamp used for the name badge according to the  FIGS. 1 to 8 , 
         FIG. 10  the plan view onto the mounting according to  FIG. 9 , 
         FIG. 11  a section along the line XI-XI in  FIG. 10 , 
         FIG. 12  a section along the line XII-XII in  FIG. 10 , 
         FIG. 13  the insertion of a combination clamp into the mounting according to  FIGS. 9 to 12 , 
         FIG. 14  the pivoting of the combination clamp into its intended position, 
         FIG. 15  the end position of the captive combination clamp arranged in the mounting, 
         FIG. 16  the perspective illustration of a variant of the mounting illustrated in the previous figures, 
         FIG. 17  the plan view onto the mounting according to  FIG. 16 , 
         FIG. 18  a section along the line XVIII-XVIII in  FIG. 17  and 
         FIG. 19  a section along the line XIX-XIX in  FIG. 17 . 
     
    
    
     In  FIGS. 1 to 15  the front wall of a name badge is designated with  1  and the rear wall is designated with  2 . An attachment device  3  in the form of a known, so-called combination clamp is used to attach the said badge to an item of clothing. The front wall  1  is connected to the rear wall  2  by two pivot bearings  4  and  5  formed by film hinges. The front wall  1 , rear wall  2  and the pivot bearings  4 ,  5  are composed of one piece, formed as an injection moulded component. 
     To increase the stiffness of the name badge both the front wall  1  and also the rear wall  2  are slightly curved and are in addition provided with circumferential ridges  6  or  7 , wherein the height H of the ridge  6  is greater than the height h of the ridge  7  in order to prevent as far as possible the protrusion of the ridge  7  beyond the ridge  6  when the name badge is closed. The ridge  6  of the front wall  1  here forms a frame not only for the rear wall  2 , but also for a label, not shown, which consequently cannot be lost. 
     An integral mounting  8 , the structure of which can be seen from  FIGS. 9 to 12 , is used for the attachment of the attachment device  3 , formed as a combination clamp, to the rear wall  2 . The mounting  8  has a flat base  9 , to which the side walls  10 ,  11  and  12 , which protrude beyond the inner side of the rear wall  2 , and a limit stop  13  are connected. At the transitions between the wall  11  and the walls  10  and  12  there are two holding down clamps  14  and  15 , which together with two other holding down clamps  16 ,  17 , ensure the secure seating of the attachment device  3  in the mounting  8 . The holding down clamps  16  and  17  have oblique guide areas  18 ,  19 , which enable the rectangular base  20  to be clipped into the mounting  8 , provided that the material used for the manufacture of the name badge has sufficient elasticity. The base  9  has the shape of a cross, i.e. for reasons of injection moulding it has openings  21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24  in the region of the holding down clamps  14  to  17 . 
     The assembly of the attachment device  3  is illustrated for greater clarity in  FIGS. 13 to 15 . At the same time,  FIGS. 13 to 15  show that the attachment device  3  has a double-arm clamping element  27 , supported on a pivot axle  25  and provided with retaining teeth  26 , which carries a safety pin  28  at its end orientated away from the retaining teeth  26 . The retaining teeth  26  of the clamping element  27  are pressed against the base  20  under the action of a spring, which is not shown. With the attachment device  3  in the clipped-in state the holding down clamps  21  to  24  are located against sections of the base  20  which are located outside of the cheeks  29 ,  30  in which the pivot axle  25  for the clamping element  27  is supported. 
     To ensure that the closed parts  1  and  2  keep together a latching connection is used which consists of a hook  31  and a cavity-shaped recess  32 , behind which the nose the hook  31  can engage. 
       FIGS. 16 to 19  illustrate a slightly modified mounting  33  for an attachment device  3 , wherein parts corresponding to the parts of the mounting  8  are assigned the same reference numerals as in the previous figures. 
     In contrast to the mounting  8 , with the mounting  33  part of the base  9  forms a sprung-elastic tongue  34  at the free end of which the limit stop  13  is arranged. Since the tongue  34  can be elastically deformed in the direction of the arrow  35 , the limit stop  13  can be brought into a position, which facilitates pushing the attachment device  3  into the mounting  33  from the limit stop side. The holding down clamps  14 - 17  can consequently be as stiff as required. Once the rear wall  2  is connected to the front wall  1 , displacement of the tongue in the direction of the arrow  35  is prevented by the front wall  1 . 
     The mounting  33  does not need to be an integral component of the rear wall  2 , but can be joined to it also through suitable means. Thus it is for example possible to attach the mounting  33  with the aid of one or several fixing clips  36  to the rear wall of the name badge, which consist of a section of film folded several times. In such cases it has been found to be practicable to either provide holes  37  in the base  9  or to equip the mounting  33 , as indicated in  FIG. 17  by broken lines, with flanges  38 ,  39  which have suitable holes  37 .