Patent Publication Number: US-2004045245-A1

Title: Wall repair clip

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention relates to clips used in repairs of damaged walls. Specifically, it relates to repairing of holes in walls made out of solid material such as granite, where a repair clip is used to secure a patch into the hole.  
       [0002] A number of different clips used in repairs of damaged walls are known. One such clip is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,217 granted to DiGate. This patent provides for a clip having gripping members to hold on to a patch and then for insertion of the clip and the patch into the hole in the wall, where the body of the clip is positioned between the wall and the patch. To prevent falling out of the clip from the wall, this clip has spurs projecting from the body of the clip, where the spurs engage the sides of the wall. In another patent granted to DiGarte (U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,986), the repair clip essentially has gripping members for securing of both the patch and the wall. These patents are specifically aimed at providing of a clip to be used in repairs of wallboard panels.  
       [0003] U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,723, granted to Weber discloses another wallboard repair clip. This clip has means for securing to the wall but does not, in itself, have means for securing to the patch. Instead, a paper flap is plastered over the wall and the patch to secure the patch to the wall.  
       [0004] U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,730, granted to Rowinski discloses a clip having gripping members to secure the clip to the wall. However, it does not have means for securing of the clip to the patch.  
       [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,404, granted to Thaw et al., discloses another clip having gripping members for attaching of the clip to the wall and an opposing retaining support member for securing of the clip to the patch.  
       [0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,817, granted to Green, discloses a wire clip having means to secure to the wall. This clip has no means for securing to the patch and instead, plaster is used to secure the patch to the wall.  
       [0007] However, none of the prior art wall repair clips have the capability to secure to both the wall and the patch in the manner described herein. The novel disclosed clip secures to both the wall and the patch, where the patch is firmly secured within the wall.  
       [0008] What is needed is a wall repair clip having capability to secure to the wall and to the patch and to do so without creating any significant obstruction on the wall after the wall is repaired.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0009] A novel wall repair clip is provided. The clip has a patch securing section constructed and arranged to secure a peripheral portion of the patch. The clip also has a wall securing section constructed and arranged to secure a peripheral portion of the wall. The wall securing section is joined to the patch securing section such that the patch and the wall are arranged substantially in a common plane when the patch is in a repaired position within the wall.  
       [0010] The patch securing section could be constructed and arranged to perforate the peripheral portion of the patch. Similarly, the wall securing section could be constructed and arranged to perforate the peripheral portion of the wall.  
       [0011] In one embodiment, the clip has a body section, a patch securing section extending from a patch side of the body section. The clip also has a cap section coupled to the body section, which cap section aids in proper alignment of the patch and the wall. A wall securing section extends from the cap section.  
       [0012] In a preferred embodiment of the clip, all sections of the clip the patch securing section, the body section, the cap section, and the wall securing section are created by a specific placement of bends in a continuous strip of material, such as a metal alloy. The patch securing section is embodied in two patch securing prongs, while the wall securing section is embodied in two wall securing prongs. This embodiment is easy to manufacture from pre-cut strips of material by simply bending each strip of material to achieve the desired clip configuration.  
       [0013] A method of use of the disclosed clip to repair a wall involves smoothing out of the peripheral portion of the wall, which peripheral portion surrounds the hole. Next, a patch sized to fit into the smoothed out hole is made. Then, a patch securing section of the clip is secured to the peripheral portion of the patch. It is preferred to use more than one clip for ensuring of greater stability of the patch within the repaired wall. Lastly, the patch, with clips secured to it, is inserted into the hole while securing the wall securing sections of the clips to the peripheral portion of the wall.  
       [0014] Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a clip to be used in repairs of walls.  
       [0015] It is anther object of the present invention to provide a clip having sections for securing to both the wall and the patch.  
       [0016] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for use of the disclosed clip in repairs of walls.  
       [0017] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
     [0018]FIG. 1 depicts a damaged wall having a hole in it;  
     [0019]FIG. 2 depicts a damaged wall with smoothed out hole and shows a patch for insertion into the hole;  
     [0020]FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of a wall repair clip;  
     [0021]FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the wall repair clip;  
     [0022]FIG. 5 is a right side view of an embodiment of the wall repair clip;  
     [0023]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the wall repair clip;  
     [0024]FIG. 7 is a side view of wall repair clips secured to a patch, with the patch positioned over a hole in the wall.  
     [0025]FIG. 8 is a side view of wall repair clips secured to a patch, with the patch positioned into a hole in the wall, and with wall repair clips secured to the wall;  
     [0026]FIG. 9 is a top view of wall repair clips secured to a patch, with the patch positioned into a hole in the wall, and with wall repair clips secured to the wall;  
     [0027]FIG. 10 is a top view of one preferred embodiment of a wall repair clip;  
     [0028]FIG. 11 is a front view of one preferred embodiment of the wall repair clip;  
     [0029]FIG. 12 is a right side view of one preferred embodiment of the wall repair clip. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0030] This invention is aimed at repairing of holes or other types of damage in walls constructed from solid material such as granite. A damaged wall  50  is depicted in FIG. 1. The wall  50  has a hole  70  and it is desirable to repair the wall  50 . The disclosed method of repair of the wall  50  consists of smoothing out of a peripheral portion  51  of the wall  50 , which peripheral portion  51  surrounds the hole  70 . The smoothed out peripheral portion  51  of the wall  50  is depicted in FIG. 2. Next, a patch  30  is cut out to fit the shape and size of the hole  70 . The patch  30  is cut out from a material that is same or similar to that of the wall  50 . The last two steps, described in greater detail below, involve securing of clips to the peripheral portion  31  of the patch  30  and then inserting of the patch  30  into the hole  70 while securing clips to the peripheral portion  51  of the wall  50 . These steps could be seen in FIGS.  7 - 9 , while FIGS.  3 - 6 , and FIGS.  10 - 12  depict the clip  1 .  
     [0031] The clip  1  has at least one patch securing section  2  constructed and arranged to secure a peripheral portion  31  of the patch  30 . The clip  1  also has at least one wall securing section  3  constructed and arranged to secure a peripheral portion  57  of the wall  50 . In the clip  1 , the wall securing section  3  is joined to the patch securing section  2  such that the patch  30  and the wall  50  are arranged substantially in a common plane when the patch  30  is in a repaired position within the wall, as shown in FIG. 8. For example, in FIGS.  3 - 8  and FIGS.  10 - 12 , the wall securing section  3  is joined to the patch securing section  2  via a body section  4  and a cap section  14 , where the body section  4  is coupled to the cap section  14 .  
     [0032] In order to secure the clip  1  to the patch  30 , the patch securing section  2  could be constructed and arranged to perforate the peripheral portion  31  of the patch  30  as shown in FIGS.  3 - 8 , and FIGS.  10 - 12 . Similarly, in order to secure the clip  1  to the wall  50 , the wall securing section  3  could be constructed and arranged to perforate the peripheral portion  57  of the wall  50  as shown in FIGS.  3 - 8 , and FIGS.  70 - 12 .  
     [0033] One embodiment of the clip  1  is shown in various views in FIGS.  3 - 6 . The clip  7  has a body section  4 , having a patch side Sand a wall side  6 , wherein the patch side  5  is positioned against the patch  30  and the wall side  5  is positioned against the wall  50  when the wall  50  is repaired. The body section  4  also has an upper end  7 , a lower end  8 , and an intermediate part  9 .  
     [0034] The clip  7  has at least one patch securing section  2  extending from the patch side  5  of the body section  4 . The patch securing section  2  is used for securing of the clip to the patch  30  as depicted in FIGS.  7 - 9 . Here, the securing of the clip  1  to the patch  30  is accomplished by perforating of the patch  30  with the patch securing section  2 .  
     [0035] In the embodiment shown in FIGS.  3 - 6 , the patch securing section  2  extends from the intermediate part  9  of the patch side  5  of the body section  4  at substantially right angle in relation to a longitudinal axis  10  of the body section  4 . The patch securing section  2  has a first end  17  and a second end  12 , wherein the first end  17  of the patch securing section  2  is coupled to the body section  4  and the second end  12  of the patch securing section  2  has a sharp edge  13 .  
     [0036] Furthermore, the embodiment of FIGS.  3 - 6  has at least one cap section  14 , having a top side  15  and a bottom side  16 , with the upper end  7  of the body section  4  extending from the bottom side  16  of the cap section  14 . The cap section  14  also has a patch end  17 , an intermediate part  78 , and a wall end  79 , wherein the patch end  17  is positioned over the patch  30  and the wall end  79  is positioned over the wall  50  when the wall  50  is repaired, and wherein the body section  4  extends from the intermediate part  78  of the bottom side  16  of the cap section  14 .  
     [0037] The cap section  14  aids in proper alignment of the patch  30  and the wall  50 . As shown in FIG. 8, the cap section  14  ensures that the patch  30  and the wall  50  are arranged substantially in a common plane when the patch  30  is in a repaired position within the wall  50 . It is preferred for the cap section  14  to be positioned at substantially right angle in relation to a longitudinal axis  10  of the body section  4 .  
     [0038] The body section  4 , together with the cap section  14 , join the patch securing section  2  to the wall securing section  3 . At least one wall securing section  3  extends from the bottom side  16  of the cap section  14 . The wall securing section  3  is used for securing of the clip  1  to the wall  50  as shown in FIGS.  8 - 9 .  
     [0039] The wall securing section  3  extends from the cap section  14 , from the wall end  19  of the bottom side  16  of the cap section  14  at substantially right angle in relation to a longitudinal axis  60  of the cap section  14 , as shown in FIGS.  4 ,  6 - 8 . The wall securing section  3  has a first end  20  and a second end  21 , wherein the first end  20  of the wall securing section  3  is coupled to the cap section  14  and the second end  21  of the wall securing section  3  has a sharp edge  22 .  
     [0040] One preferred embodiment of the clip  1  is shown in various views in FIGS.  10 - 12 . In this embodiment, all sections of the clip  7  the patch securing section  2 , the body section  4 , the cap section  14 , and the wall securing section  3  are created by a specific placement of bends in a continuous strip of material, such as a metal alloy. The patch securing section  2  is embodied in two patch securing prongs  80 , while the wall securing section  3  is embodied in two wall securing prongs  90 . This embodiment is easy to manufacture from pre-cut strips of material by simply bending each strip of material to achieve the desired clip  1  configuration shown in FIGS.  10 - 12 .  
     [0041] The application of clips  7  to repair the wall  50  is shown in FIGS.  1 - 2  and FIGS.  7 - 9 . As stated earlier, the damaged wall  50  is depicted in FIG. 1 . The wall  50  has a hole  70  and it is desirable to repair the wall  50 . The method of repair of the wall  50  involves smoothing out of the peripheral portion  57  of the wall  50 , which peripheral portion  51  surrounds the hole  70 . The smoothed out peripheral portion  51  of the wall  50  is depicted in FIG. 2.  
     [0042] Next, a patch  30  is cut out to fit the shape and size of the hole  70 . The patch  30  is cut out from a material that is same or similar to that of the wall  50 . At this point, a patch securing section  2  of the clip  1  is secured to the peripheral portion  31  of the patch  30 , as shown in FIG. 7. Referring to embodiment of the clip  1  shown in FIGS.  3 - 6 , and FIGS.  10 - 12 , it is desirable to position the patch end  17  of the cap section  14  at a plane of a front surface  32  of the patch  30 , whereby the bottom side  16  of the patch end  17  of the cap section  14  is positioned flush against the front surface  32  of the patch  30  when the patch securing section  2  of the clip  1  is secured to the peripheral portion  3 / of the patch  30 , as shown in FIGS.  7 - 9 .  
     [0043] It is preferred to use more than one clip  1  for ensuring of greater stability of the patch  30 within the repaired wall  50 . For example, a patch  30  secured to the wall  50  with four clips  1  is shown in FIG. 9. Using the embodiments of FIGS.  3 - 6  and FIGS.  1012 , the patch securing section  2  of the clip  7  is driven into the peripheral portion  31  of the patch  30 , since here, the patch securing section  2  is constructed and arranged to perforate the patch  30 .  
     [0044] Lastly, the patch  30 , with clips  1  secured to it, is inserted into the hole  70  while securing the wall securing sections  3  of the clips  7  to the peripheral portion  51  of the wall  50 , as shown in FIGS. 8 &amp; 9. Using the embodiments of FIGS.  3 - 6  and FIGS.  1012 , the wall securing section  3  of the clip  1  is driven into the peripheral portion  57  of the wall  50 . This method is facilitated by the fact that the wall securing section  3  is constructed and arranged to perforate the wall  50 .  
     [0045] It will be further understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.