Abstract:
The present invention relates to a hair clip with a hidden spring. The hair clip includes two clamp bodies pivotally joined by a shaft rod. A spring is mounted around the shaft rod to bias two claw clamp portions of the two clamp bodies into a closed position for clipping hair of a user. The spring is hidden inside a connecting base formed on one of the clamp bodies, and therefore the hair clip appearance and safety in use is improved.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a hair clip and, more particularly, to a hair clip that is easy to assemble and capable of hiding the spring thereof. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    The existing hair clip generally includes two clamp bodies, a spring, and a shaft rod connecting the two clamp bodies and the spring; wherein the spring force allows the two clamp bodies to hold and secure the hair. However, the spring of the existing hair clip is exposed to the exterior of the hair clip, causing ill effect on the hair clip appearance. Moreover, the exposed spring is easily rusted and might injure user&#39;s finger by accident. There are some manufacturers placing a cover plate on top of the hair clip to solve the foregoing problem; however, the cover plate cannot hide the spring inside the two clamp bodies completely. Further, additional tools are required to assemble the existing hair clip; this is both time- and human resource-consuming and is also dangerous when the assembling is not operated correctly, as the spring might pop out. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned shortcoming and deficiency of the prior art by providing a hair clip with a hidden spring so that the hair clip appearance is improved and the danger of hand injuries can be avoided. Further, the hair clip can be assembled easily to reduce the manufacturing cost, and the spring of the hair clip will not pop out during assembling. 
         [0006]    To achieve the foregoing objective, a hair clip of the present invention includes a first clamp body, a second clamp body, a spring, and a shaft rod. The first clamp body includes a pressing portion and a claw clamp portion extending outwards from the pressing portion of the first clamp body. The first clamp body further includes a connecting base formed on and protruding from an inner surface of the first clamp body. The connecting base includes a through-hole. A positioning groove is formed in an inner end of the connecting base and in communication with the through-hole of the connecting base. The first clamp body further includes a first abutment portion disposed at a side of the connecting base adjacent to the claw clamp portion of the first clamp body. The second clamp body includes a pressing portion and a claw clamp portion extending outwards from the pressing portion of the second clamp body. The second clamp body further includes an inner surface facing the inner surface of the first clamp body. The second clamp body further includes two spaced connection arms between which the connecting base of the first clamp body is received. Each of the two connection arms includes a shaft hole, and one of the two connection arms including a concave groove at an inner side thereof. The second clamp body further includes a second abutment portion disposed at a side of the two connection arms adjacent to the claw clamp portion of the second clamp body. The spring is disposed inside the connecting base of the first clamp body and includes first and second ends. The first and second ends of the spring extend outwards from the through-hole of the connecting base and are inserted into the positioning groove of the first clamp body and the concave groove of the second clamp body respectively. The shaft rod extends through the shaft holes of the second clamp body, the through-hole of the first clamp body, and the spring for pivotally connecting the first clamp body and the second clamp body. The spring biases the claw clamp portions of the first and second clamp bodies into a closed position with the first abutment portion of the first clamp body abutting against the second abutment portion of the second clamp body. 
         [0007]    Preferably, an enlarged section is disposed on one of the two shaft holes of the two connection arms, and an end of the shaft rod includes a enlarged head section received in the enlarged section. 
         [0008]    The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of this invention described in connection with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The illustrative embodiments may best be described by reference to the accompanying drawings where: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a hair clip according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the hair clip of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a clamp body of the hair clip of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a side view of the hair clip of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  shows a cross sectional view of the hair clip of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a hair clip according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a hair clip according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    A hair clip of a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1 through 5  of the drawings and includes a first clamp body  1 , a second clamp body  2 , a torsion spring  3 , and a shaft rod  4 . The first clamp body  1  includes a pressing portion  10  and a claw clamp portion  16  extending outwards from the pressing portion  10 . A connecting base  11  is disposed on and protrudes from an inner surface  14  of the first clamp body  1 . The connecting base  11  includes a laterally disposed through-hole  12  for receiving the torsion spring  3 , and a positioning groove  13  is provided in an inner end of the connecting base  11  and in communication with the through-hole  12 . A first protruded abutment portion  15  is disposed at a side of connecting base  11  adjacent to the claw clamp portion  16 . 
         [0018]    The second clamp body  2  includes a pressing portion  20  and a claw clamp portion  26  extending outwards from the pressing portion  20 . The second clamp body  2  further includes an inner surface  21  corresponding to the inner surface  14  of the first clamp body  1 . Two spaced connection arms  22  and  23  are formed on the inner surface  21  of the pressing portion  20  of the second clamp body  2 , and a gap  24  is formed between the two connection arms  22  and  23 . The gap  24  has a width slightly longer than the lateral length of the connecting base  11  and allows the connecting base  11  to be received in between the two connection arms  22  and  23 . The two connection arms  22  and  23  respectively include aligned shaft holes  222  and  231 , wherein the shaft hole  222  has an enlarged section  223  with large caliber. The connection arm  22  includes a concave groove  221  in an inner side thereof (see  FIG. 3 ). A second protruded abutment portion  25  is disposed at a side of the two connection arms  22  and  23  adjacent to the claw clamp portion  26 . 
         [0019]    The spring  3  includes a first end  31  and a second end  32 . The spring  3  is received in the connecting base  11  of the first clamp body  1  with the first and second ends  31  and  32  of the spring  3  extending outwards from the through-hole  12  and being inserted into the positioning groove  13  of the first clamp body  1  and the concave groove  221  of the second clamp body  2  respectively. The shaft rod  4  is a cylinder rod body having an enlarged head section  41  on an end thereof. 
         [0020]    To assemble the hair clip of the present invention, place the second clamp body  2  in opposition to the first clamp body  1  with the inner surface  21  of the second clamp body  2  facing the inner surface  14  of the first clamp body  1 . Place the connecting base  11  of the first clamp body  1  in between the two connection arms  22  and  23  of the second clamp body  2 , align the shaft holes  222  and  231  with the through-hole  12 , and position the first and second ends  31  and  32  of the spring  3  into the positioning groove  13  of the connecting base  11  and the concave groove  221  of the connection arm  22  respectively. Then, penetrate the shaft rod  4  through the shaft holes  222  and  231  of the second clamp body  2 , the through-hole  12  of the first clamp body  1 , and the spring  3  with the head section  41  of the shaft rod  4  being inserted into the enlarged section  223  of the shaft hole  222 , pivotally joining the first clamp body  1  and the second clamp body  2  together. After assembling, the spring force of the spring  3  pushes the claw clamp portions  16  and  26  of the first and second clamp bodies  1  and  2  into a closed position with the first abutment portion  15  abutting against the second abutment portion  25  (see  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0021]    In practice, users can use two fingers to press on the pressing portions  10  and  20  of the first and second clamp bodies  1  and  2  to open the two claw clamp portions  16  and  26 , allowing a lock of gathered hair to be retained by the hair clip of the present invention. And when the pressing force applied on the pressing portions  10  and  20  is removed, the spring force will bias the two claw clamp portions  16  and  26  of the first and second clamp body  1  and  2  to clamp together. 
         [0022]    Since the spring  3  is hidden inside the connecting base  11  and the connection arm  22 , the appearance of the hair clip is improved, and it is much safer for the users to use the hair clip. Moreover, no additional tools are required to assemble the spring  3 , and the hair clip is therefore of easy assembling. 
         [0023]    The shape of the first clamp body  1  and the second clamp body  2  is not limited to the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 . Please refer to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the first clamp body  1  and the second clamp body  2  can be of different styles, allowing the users to choose between different designs according to various needs. 
         [0024]    Thus since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, the embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is to be indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.