Patent Publication Number: US-6338460-B1

Title: Lap type siding mounted Christmas light clip

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to mounting of lights such as Christmas lights to structures, and particularly to lap type siding. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is well known to provide various forms of clips to mount strings of lights to the exterior of building structures. Most of such clip arrangements are designed for attachment to eave troughs, or they include provisions to facilitate nailing to facia boards or the like. Eave trough clips are not suitable for mounting to siding, especially to lap type aluminum, vinyl or steel siding, and the nail type clips are not preferred because of marks and indentations left by the nails. Many who decorate with light strands have therefor resigned themselves to use only eaves and perimeter structure for mounting lights. Any additional lighting is typically supported on separate forms, such as plywood sheets that are suspended, self supporting, or that can be leaned against siding without damaging the siding surface. 
     Placement of decorative lights is also no longer just a Christmas tradition. Many homeowners use strands of decorative lights to commemorate other holidays, or as an all season decoration. 
     A need has been realized for a form of light mounting clip structure that can be used on siding, to increase the decorative possibilities, and areas where decorative lights may be used. 
     One attempted solution to the above problems has been the use of “L” shaped light mounting brackets in which one leg of the “L” configuration fits under a siding member and the remaining leg projects outward to mount a light. Such brackets may be somewhat functional, but will easily become separated from the siding member unless nailed or otherwise secured. One example of such arrangements is disclosed in U.S. Design Patent Des. 369,957 granted on May 21, 1996 to Fred T. Blanton. 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide a clip arrangement that can be used on lap type siding without damaging the siding or leaving nail marks. 
     It is a further objective to provide such a clip that will mount to a variety of different siding materials. 
     A still further objective is to provide such a clip that is simple in construction and easy to install. 
     The above and yet further objectives and advantages may become apparent from the following description which, taken with the drawings, describe the presently preferred mode for carrying out the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the following accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a preferred clip mounted to siding, with the siding shown in cross-section; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred clip; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the clip; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the clip mounting a standard size bulb clip; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the clip mounting a mini light; and 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevation view showing the clip mounted on wood or composite siding. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     This disclosure of the invention is submitted in furtherance of the constitutional purposes of the U.S. Patent Laws “to promote the progress of science and useful arts” (Article 1, Section 8). 
     For purposes of this application, the term “siding” or “lap type siding” as used herein should be understood in broad terms to include wood, aluminum, vinyl, steel, composition or other types of lap type, shingle, shake, board and batten or other substantially rigid covering where one covering member (exemplified in the drawings as a lap type siding member A) partially overlaps another member B and leaves an accessible seam S adjacent an edge E of the member A. The term applies to such overlapping cover materials that are used primarily but not exclusively as wall coverings and roofing. 
     Three aspects of the invention are summarized below, followed by a more detailed description. 
     In a first aspect of the invention, a siding mounted light clip  10  for releasable attachment to a lap type siding member A includes a clip body  12  with a light mount part  14  and a siding mount part  16 . The siding mount part  16  includes a base member  18  with a flange  20  configured to slide under the lap type siding member A. A leg member  22  extends from the base member  18  to the light mount part  14 . A resilient clamp member  24  is mounted to the leg member  22  and forms an expandable siding receiving recess  26  with the flange  20 . A lap type siding member A may be releasably gripped within the expandable siding receiving recess  26  between the flange  20  and resilient clamp member  24 . 
     In another aspect, a siding mounted light clip  10  for releasable attachment to a lap type siding member includes a clip body  12  with a light mount part  14  and a siding mount part  16 . The siding mount part  16  includes a “T” shaped base member  28  which includes a cross member  30  and a leg member  22 . The cross member  30  includes a flange  20  and a brace member  34 , with the flange  20  being configured to slide under a lap type siding member A. The leg member  22  extends to an end  36  from a point on the cross member  30  between the flange  20  and brace member  34 . The light mount part  14  is located at the end  36  of the leg member  22 . A resilient clamp member  24  is mounted to the leg member  22  between the light mount part  14  and flange  20  and is spaced from the flange  20  to form an expandable siding receiving recess  26  with the flange  20 . A lap type siding member A may be releasably gripped between the flange  20  and resilient clamp member  24 . 
     As a third aspect, a siding mounted light clip  10  for releasable attachment to a lap type siding member A, includes a clip body  12  including a light mount part  14  and a siding mount part  16 . The clip body  12  is formed of a resilient plastic material, and the siding mount part  16  includes a “T” shaped base member  28  which includes a cross member  30  and a leg member  22 . The cross member  30  includes a flange member  20  and a brace member  34 . The flange member  20  is tapered to a knife edge  38  to facilitate insertion thereof under a lap type siding member A the leg member  22  extends to an end  36  from a point on the cross member between the flange and brace. The light mount part  14  is located at the end  36  of the leg member  22 . The light mount part  14  is comprised of a “U” shaped clip  40  formed integrally with the leg member  22 . A resilient clamp member  24  is mounted to the leg member  22  between the light mount part  14  and flange member  20  and is spaced from the flange  20  to form an expandable siding receiving recess  26  with the flange. The resilient clamp member  24  extends from the leg member  22  angularly toward the flange member  20 . The clamp member  24  is elongated and includes an enlarged siding engagement bead  42  at an outward end  44 . A lap type siding member A may be releasably gripped between the flange member  20  and resilient clamp member  24 . 
     Referring now in more detail to the various aspects of the invention, attention is drawn more specifically to the drawings. 
     FIG. 1 of the drawings exemplifies the clip body  12  as an monolithic structure in which the light mount part  14  and the siding mount part  16  are integral. In this form, the body is preferably formed of a resilient material, preferably nylon and may be made by conventional plastic injection molding processes and machinery. Alternatively, the body  12  could be produced using conventional extrusion processes and machinery. 
     It may be noted from the drawings that exemplary clips  10  may be provided with opposed side surfaces  13  that are substantially parallel. Other configurations could be used, but parallel side surfaces  13  generally simplify the production processes and thereby minimize costs. The width dimension between side surfaces  13  may vary according to need, as may other dimensions of the clip  10 . However, for use with conventional Christmas-type light strands, a width dimension of approximately 0.25 inches. 
     The light mount part  14  is preferably formed in the “U” shaped clip configuration  40 , with upright spring arms  41  spaced apart to receive the lead wires W (indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 1) of a light strand. While this is a preferred use for the clip, other items may be secured by the clip  40 . By way of example, FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate utility of the clip for securing light socket mounting devices F and G that are currently on the market. The device F is used to mount standard size Christmas bulb sockets and the device G is used to mount conventional “mini” Christmas bulb sockets. Both may be easily received and held by the clip  40 . Other items (not shown) may be received by the clip as well. 
     The clip  40  is situated in preferred forms at the end  36  of the leg member  22 . Leg member  22  is part of the “T” shaped base  28  and extends from the end  36  to the cross member  30 . The length of the leg member is selected to be slightly greater than a corresponding edge of a siding member A. The clips  10  may be produced with legs of varying length, depending upon the width of the siding members to be engaged. However a length of approximately 0.625 inches (between the flange  20  and clamp member  24 ) has been found to be sufficient for most siding configurations. 
     The flange  20  is preferably formed on one side of the cross member  30  and brace member  34  extends to an opposite side. Preferably the flange  20  and brace member  34  are aligned. Further, both flange  20  and brace member  34  advantageously include substantially coplanar siding engagement surfaces  35  that provide flush engagement with a siding member B (FIGS. 1 and 6) when in use. 
     The knife edge  38  on flange  20  is preferred to facilitate insertion of the flange in situations where the siding members A, B are closely spaced or in juxtaposition. The edge  38  (which may be spaced at approximately 0.375 inches from the adjacent side of the leg member  22 ) allows the flange to be wedged under one member A as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, with the surface  35  in flush engagement with the adjacent siding member B. When installed in this manner, the brace member  34  will extend along the member B to brace the clip  10  against spring action of the clamp member and hold the leg member  22  substantially horizontal (or normal to the cross member. The brace member  34  may extend approximately 0.5 inches from the adjacent side of the leg member  22 , thus making the surface  35  approximately 1 inch in length for surface contact with the siding member B. 
     The clamp member  24  is preferably angled toward the flange member  20  to provide spring action against a siding member A when installed, to thereby clamp the member A and hold the clip in place. The clamp member will thus spring outwardly upon installation as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, against the outward surface of the engaged siding member. 
     Clamp member  24  is elongated and leads angularly toward the flange  20  from a point on the leg member  22  adjacent the light mount part  14 . It is spaced from the flange  20  to form the expandable siding receiving recess with the flange. The angular orientation (which may be approximately 50° from the leg member  22 ) is such that the distance between the flange and clamp member diminishes in a direction away from the leg member  22 . Thus the preferred recess  26  is somewhat triangular as may be easily seen in FIG. 3, approximately matching the typical taper of lap siding, but to a greater degree to allow for the above mentioned spring action. The enlarged siding engagement bead  42  is situated at the outward end  44  of the clamp member to engage the siding member A at a tangential point contact, thereby minimizing the chance that the clip will mark the siding. 
     Given the above technical descriptions, operation of the invention may now be easily understood. 
     Installation of the present clip  10  is a very simple matter and requires no tools. The user simply takes the clip between the thumb and index finger and presses the enlarged bead  42  against the selected siding member A to deflect the clamp member  24  outwardly and bring the flange member into alignment with the seam S between siding members A and B. When the surface  35  comes against the adjacent siding member B, the user may simply slide the flange into the seam S between the siding members A and B, completing the installation. The siding member A is now clamped between the flange member  20  and the clamp member  24 , by spring action of the clamp member  24 . The user may now attach a light strand (FIG.  1 ), clips (FIGS. 4 and 5) or whatever he or she wishes to attach to the clip  10 . 
     Removal of the clip  10  is also easily accomplished. The user simply grasps the clip and twists the body  12  to one side. The flange will slip out of the seam S, and the clip is free. 
     In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural and methodical features. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown and described, since the means herein disclosed comprise preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.