Patent Publication Number: US-2004040569-A1

Title: Hair clip

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a hair clip with improved clipping effect and allowing convenient operation.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] Long-haired women often use hair clips to clip and decorate their hair. Clipping reliability and operational convenience are the most important factors of designing the hair clips. U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,166 to Chang issued on Oct. 14, 1997 discloses a hair clip that can be opened at a larger angle than conventional hair clips. As illustrated in FIG. 7 of the drawings, the hair clip disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,166 includes a first clip piece  1 ′, a second clip piece  2 ′, and a pin  3 ′. The first clip piece  1 ′ and the second clip piece  2 ′ are complimentarily formed and both have an inclined teeth-like clipping portion  11 ′,  21 ′ at a bottom thereof. The first clip piece  1 ′ includes two ears  12 ′ on an end thereof and a first clipping member  13 ′ on the other end thereof. The second clip piece  2 ′ includes a lug  22 ′ on an end thereof and a second clipping member  23 ′ on the other end thereof. The pin  3 ′ is extended through holes  121 ′ in the ears  12 ′ and a hole  221 ′ in the lug  22 ′, thereby pivotally connecting the first clip piece  1 ′ and the second clip piece  2 ′. The first clipping member  13 ′ is releasably engaged with the second clipping member  23 ′ after applying a twisting force to them. Hair of the user is thus clipped in a clipping space  4 ′ defined between the first and second clip pieces  1 ′ and  2 ′. However, referring to FIG. 8, if the amount of hair in the clipping space  4 ′ is too small, the first clipping member  13 ′ and the second clipping member  23 ′ would shift and thus disengage from each other. Further, when removing the hair clip from the hair, the user must twist the first clipping member  13 ′ and the second clipping member  23 ′ in a reverse direction and then move the first and second clip pieces  1 ′ and  2 ′ away from each other so as to open the hair clip, which would require both hands of the user. Namely, removal of the hair clip could not be achieved by a single-hand operation.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a hair clip that can be removed by one hand of the user.  
       [0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a hair clip that is reliably retained in its clipping position when in use.  
       [0007] A hair clip in accordance with the present invention comprises a first clip piece and a second clip piece that are complimentarily formed. Each of the first clip piece and the second clip piece includes a first end, a second end, and a medial portion with a clipping portion having a plurality of teeth. The first end of the first clip piece is pivoted to the first end of the second clip piece by a pin extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to an extending direction of the teeth of the first clip piece and the second clip piece. The second end of the first clip piece has a first clipping member formed thereon. The second end of the second clip piece has a second clipping member formed thereon. A torsion spring is mounted around the pin for urging the first clip piece and the second clip piece to move away from each other to an open state.  
       [0008] The first clipping member and the second clipping member are secured together by applying a twisting force to the first clipping member and the second clipping member to urge the first clipping member and the second clipping member to move across each other. The torsion spring is twisted when the first clip piece and the second clip piece are in a clipping state. The first clipping member and the second clipping member are secured to each other by a returning force from the torsion spring. The first clipping member and the second clipping member are moved away from each other by the returning force from the torsion spring when another twisting force is applied in a reverse direction to disengage the first clipping member and the second clipping member from each other.  
       [0009] Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hair clip in accordance with the present invention.  
     [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hair clip in accordance with the present invention in an opened state.  
     [0012]FIG. 3 is a side view of the hair clip in accordance with the present invention in a hair-clipping state.  
     [0013]FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view illustrating use of the hair clip in accordance with the present invention.  
     [0014]FIG. 5 is a schematic side view illustrating opening of the hair clip in accordance with the present invention.  
     [0015]FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a modified embodiment of the hair clip in accordance with the present invention.  
     [0016]FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional hair clip.  
     [0017]FIG. 8 is a schematic side view illustrating use of the conventional hair clip in FIG. 7.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a hair clip in accordance with the present invention generally comprises a first clip piece  1  and a second clip piece  2  that are complimentarily formed. Each of the first and second clip pieces  1  and  2  includes a first end, a second end, and a medial portion with a clipping portion  11 ,  21  having a plurality of teeth (not labeled). The first end of the first clip piece  1  includes a first pivotal section in the form of two spaced ears  12 . The second end of the first clip piece  1  has a first clipping member  13  formed thereon. The first end of the second clip piece  2  includes a second pivotal section in the form of two spaced ears  22 . The second end of the second clip piece  2  has a second clipping member  23  formed thereon.  
     [0019] A pin  3  extends through holes  121  in the ears  12  of the first clip piece  1  and holes  221  in the ears  22  of the second clip piece  2 . The pin  3  extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to an extending direction of the teeth of the first clip piece  1  and the second clip piece  2 . A torsion spring  4  is mounted around the pin  3  and has two ends respectively attached to the first and second clip pieces  1  and  2 , thereby urging the first and second clip pieces  1  and  2  to move away from each other.  
     [0020] Referring to FIG. 3, the first clipping member  13  and the second clipping member  23  are secured together by applying a twisting force to the first clipping member  13  and the second clipping member  23  to urge them to move across each other. The torsion spring  4  is twisted when the first clip piece  1  and the second clip piece  2  are in a clipping state shown in FIG. 3. Thus, a clipping space is formed between the first clip piece  1  and the second clip piece  2  for clipping hair. FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating use of the hair clip in accordance with the present invention. It is noted that an outer face  131  of the first clipping member  13  and an outer face  231  of the second clipping member  23  are reliably secured together by a returning force from the torsion spring  4 . The hair clip would not move after it is clipped to the hair of the user even if the amount of hair clipped in the clipping space is small.  
     [0021] For opening the hair clip, referring to FIG. 5, a twisting force is applied in a reverse direction to disengage the first clipping member  13  and the second clipping member  23  from each other. The first clipping member  13  and the second clipping member  23  are then moved away from each other by the returning force from the torsion spring  4 . Thus, opening of the hair clip can be achieved by a single hand with the aid of the returning force of the torsion spring  4 .  
     [0022]FIG. 6 illustrates a modified embodiment of the hair clip in accordance with the present invention, wherein the hair clip has a different shape for providing a different decoration effect.  
     [0023] Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.