Patent Publication Number: US-2009229626-A1

Title: Firm structured hair clip

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to hair clips, and particularly to a hair clip which has improved the defect in the prior art dock-mouth like hair clip; the hair can be clamped firmly in the hair clip without sliding out from the hair clip. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With referring to  FIG. 8 , the prior art hair clip  1  like a mouth of a dock is illustrated. The hair clip  1  has an upper clip body  11  and a lower clip body  12 . Rear ends of the upper clip body  11  and the lower clip body  12  are clamped together by a pivotal shaft  13 . A tension spring  14  is installed to the pivotal shaft  13 . The tension spring  14  applies an elastic force to give a pressure to the front ends of the upper clip body  11  and the lower clip body  12  so that the two clip bodies are closed. When a force is applied to the rear ends of the upper clip body  11  and the lower clip body  12 , the front ends of the hair clip  1  will open so as to form a clamping space between the upper clip body  11  and the lower clip body  12 . An inner surface of the upper clip body  11  is distributed with a plurality of teeth  111  for increasing the clamping force of the hair clip  1 . 
     The prior art dock-mouth like hair clip  1  has a simple structure and is used on the hair of the user so as to have the effect of decoration. However the prior art hair clip  1  causes that the hair clamped therein will slide out and is unstable. It is often that after used for a time period, the clip will tilt to one side and cannot be retained at an original position so that the clip must be repositioned. 
     Thus, the prior art clip has the above mentioned defects necessary to be improved. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provides a hair clip which has improved the defect in the prior art dock-mouth like hair clip; the hair can be clamped firmly in the hair clip without sliding out from the hair clip. 
     To achieve above object, the present invention provides a hair clip. In one embodiment, the hair clip comprises an upper clip body and a lower clip body each having a respective operating end; the operating ends of the upper clip body and lower clip body being combined by using a pivotal shaft; each of the upper clip body and the lower clip body having a respective clamping end at an side opposite the operating end; the pivotal shaft having a tension spring for closing the clamping ends; an auxiliary device installed between the upper clip body and lower clip body; the auxiliary device having a clamping unit which is swingable and is connected to the upper clip body; the clamping unit having a front end and a rear end; when the clamping ends of the upper clip body and lower clip body are opened, the front end of the clamping unit will swing upwards and when the upper clip body and lower clip body clamp hairs, the front end of the clamping unit will swing downwards to contact the clamping end of the lower clip body. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, the hair clip comprises an upper clip body and a lower clip body each having a respective operating end; the operating ends of the upper clip body and lower clip body being combined by using a pivotal shaft; each of the upper clip body and the lower clip body having a respective clamping end at an side opposite the operating end; the pivotal shaft having a tension spring for closing the clamping ends; an auxiliary device installed between the upper clip body and lower clip body; the actuating rod having a clamping unit and an actuating rod; the clamping unit being swingable and is connected to the upper clip body; the clamping unit having a front end and a rear end; the actuating rod having a first end pivoted to the rear end of the clamping unit and a second end connected to the upper clip body; when the upper clip body and lower clip body open, the actuating rod will moves so that the first end of the clamping unit swings upwards; when the upper clip body and lower clip body clamp hairs, the first end of the clamping unit swings downwards to contact the clamping end of the lower clip body. 
     In above two embodiment, the upper clip body has two lateral walls which extends downwards; each lateral wall has a long guide hole near the operating end; the front end of the actuating rod has a through hole; a rear end of the clamping unit has a post which is insertable into the through hole so that the clamping unit is pivoted to the upper clip body; the second end of the actuating rod has a rod; two sides of the rod are insertable into the guide holes at two lateral walls of the upper clip body so that the second end of the actuating rod is movable in the guide hole. 
     In above two embodiments, each lateral wall of the upper clip body has a hole near the clamping end; two sides of a middle section of the clamping unit has two posts which are insertable into the two holes of the upper clip body so that the clamping unit is swingable along the posts and between the upper clip body and the lower clip body. 
     In above two embodiments, the clamping unit is a crank which is formed by a front arm and a rear arm; an outer end of the front arm is formed as the first end of the clamping unit and an outer end of the rear arm is formed as the rear end of the clamping unit; when the upper clip body and lower clip body clamp hairs, the front arm swings downwards to contact the clamping end of the lower clip body. 
     In above two embodiments, an interior of the front arm is formed with a teeth portion. 
     In above two embodiments, a middle section of the lower clip body along a longitudinal direction has a slot; when the clamping end of the lower clip body closes due to the elastic force of the tension spring; the lower clip body will eject the clamping unit towards the upper clip body so that the front arm of the clamping unit adhere upon the upper clip body and the rear arm of the clamping unit will swing downwards with the actuating rod to protrude out of the slot. 
     The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the hair clip in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view showing that the hair clip in  FIG. 1  is opened. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view showing that the hair clip in  FIG. 1  clamps hairs. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view showing that the hair clip in  FIG. 4  are arranged on the hairs of the user. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the close operation of the hair clip of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of  FIG. 1 , which shows that the hair clip in  FIG. 6  has closed. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view about the prior art dock-mouth like clip. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In order that those skilled in the art can further understand the present invention, a description will be provided in the following in details. However, these descriptions and the appended drawings are only used to cause those skilled in the art to understand the objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, but not to be used to confine the scope and spirit of the present invention defined in the appended claims. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the hair clip  2  of first preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The hair clip  2  of the present invention has a clip body  11  and another clip body  12 . An auxiliary device  3  is installed between the upper clip body  21  and lower clip body  22 . An operating end  211  at one end of the upper clip body  21  and an operating end  221  at one end of the lower clip body  22  are combined by a pivotal shaft  23 . Another end of the upper clip body  21  is formed as a clamping end  212  and another end of the lower clip body  22  is formed as a clamping end  222 . The pivotal shaft  23  is installed with a tension spring  24  for applying elastic forces to the clamping end  212  of the upper clip body  21  and the clamping end  222  of the lower clip body  22  so that the clamping end  212  and the clamping end  222  move to the close directions. 
     In the embodiment, the upper clip body  21  has a U shape cross section and has two downward extending lateral walls  213 . Each lateral wall  213  has a long guide hole  214  near the operating end  211 . Each lateral wall  213  has a pivotal point  215  near the clamping end  212 . In this embodiment, each pivotal point  215  is formed by two holes at two opposite sides. However other structures are permissible, for example two rods at two opposite sides. The lower clip body  22  has an approximate cambered shape and a middle section thereof along a longitudinal direction thereof has a slot  223 . 
     The main feature of the present invention is the auxiliary device  3  of the hair clip  2 . The auxiliary device  3  includes a clamping unit  31  which is connected to at least one actuating rod  32 . The clamping unit  31  has a front end  314 , a rear end  315  and a pivotal portion  313 . In this embodiment, the pivotal portion  313  is formed by two posts which are formed at a middle section of the clamping unit  31 . The two pots are insertable into the two holes  215  at two lateral walls  213  of the upper clip body  21  so that the clamping unit  31  is swingable along the pivotal portion  313  as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     In this embodiment, the clamping unit  31  is a crank which is formed by a front arm  311  and a rear arm  312 . The pivotal portion  313  is at the connection of the front arm  311  and the rear arm  312  so that when the clamping unit  31  swings, the moving direction of the front arm  311  and rear arm  312  are opposite. That is, when the rear arm  312  moves upwards, the front arm  311  swings downwards. In this embodiment, the front arm  311  is installed with teeth portion  316 . 
     In this embodiment, when the front arm  311  of the clamping unit  31  swings upwards, it will contact the upper clip body  21 , as shown in  FIG. 3  and the front end  314  of the clamping unit  31  slightly protrudes from the clamping end  212  of the upper clip body  21 . When the front arm  311  of the clamping unit  31  swings downwards, the front arm  311  will contact the clamping end  222  of the lower clip body  22 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     The actuating rod  32  has a first end  321  connected to the clamping unit  31  and a second end  322  connected to the upper clip body  21 . In this embodiment, the first end  321  has a through hole  323 . The rear end  315  of the clamping unit  31  has a rod  324 . Two sides of the rod  324  are insertable into the guide holes  214  at two lateral walls  213  of the upper clip body  21  so that the second end  322  of the actuating rod  32  are movable within the guide holes  214 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the open state of the hair clip  2  of the present invention is illustrated. When a force is applied to the operating end  211  of the upper clip body  21  and the operating end  221  of the lower clip body  22 , the clamping end  212  and clamping end  222  of the hair clip  2  will open so that the rod  324  at the rear end of the actuating rod  32  move toward a front end of the guide hole  214  and is buckled and positioned therein. Because the first end  321  of the actuating rod  32  pulls the rear end  315  of the clamping unit  31 , the front end  314  of the clamping unit  31  swings upwards so that a clamping space is defined between the upper clip body  21  and lower clip body  22 . 
     The use of the hair clip  2  of the present invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5  of the present invention. When the user pulls the hair  4  upwards, the upper clip body  21  and lower clip body  22  of the hair clip  2  will open and clamp the hair  4 . Because the hair  4  extrudes the pivotal connection of the clamping unit  31  and the actuating rod  32  so as to push forwards the rear arm  312  of the clamping unit  31  and the actuating rod  32 . Thus, the rod  324  at the rear end of the actuating rod  32  will move toward the rear side of the guide hole  214 . The front arm  311  of the clamping unit  31  swings downwards to contact the clamping end  222  of the lower clip body  22  so as to seal the hair  4  in the clamping space  25 . Thus the hair  4  will not slide out of the upper clip body  21  and lower clip body  22 . 
     With referring to  FIG. 6 , the close operation of the hair clip  2  of the present invention is illustrated. When the upper clip body  21  and lower clip body  22  at  FIG. 3  are closed by the elastic force of the tension spring  24 , the lower clip body  22  is pushed by the elastic force to eject the front end  314  of the clamping unit  31  so that the clamping unit  31  ejects the upper clip body  21  to have the state illustrated in  FIG. 7 . At this state, the front arm  311  of the clamping unit  31  adheres upon the upper clip body  21 . The rear arm  312  of the clamping unit  31  and the actuating rod  32  swings downwards together to protrude out of the slot  223  of the lower clip body  22  (referring to  FIG. 2 ). 
     The hair clip  2  according to the present invention, by the auxiliary device  3 , the upper clip body  21  and lower clip body  22  clamp the hair. The front end  314  of the clamping unit  31  swings downwards to clamp with the lower clip body  22 . Thereby the hair clamping in the hair clip  2  will not slide out of the upper clip body  21  and lower clip body  22 . Thus, the present invention provides a steady clamping effect. 
     The present invention is thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.