Patent Abstract:
This invention relates to a multi-purpose combination clip comprising two clips separably coupled together, each having a holder portion distinct in function from the other for each detachably holding a supported member wherein the supported members can be of varying physical dimensions. The invention relates to a general purpose utility clip for general purpose applications wherein plastic material of the clip structure provides required compression and engagement strength to the two clips which individually are integral one piece plastic structures.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a combination multi-purpose clip which consists of two clips coupled together wherein the two clips can be separated and reattached to each other in 90°, 180°, and 360° rotation from the original orientation. This invention is also directed to a combination clip which consists of two clips coupled together for holding and/or grasping objects of multiple shapes and for supporting members. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many people hang objects on shelves, attach single objects to other objects, and couple objects together in a non-uniform fashion wherein the orientation of each coupled or supported object is not uniform. Decorative accessories can be hung from shelves, windows, curtain rods, and other household surfaces and objects. Among these decorative accessories are Christmas stockings, Christmas lights, decorative garlands and similar objects, including light strings. 
     The prior art discloses clips for securing objects to support or for clipping two objects together but currently available clips are designed for a single purpose which, in turn, limits their utility as a general purpose clip suitable for use in many different applications. The instant invented clip has been devised to provide a general purpose clip useful and applicable to different coupling requirements of objects and coupling conditions. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Holding clips in the prior art encompass a wide range of clips and holding devices from combination clips comprising fasteners which join two clips into a single coupling device, for use in multiple applications, to single purpose fasteners such as clothespins, tag fasteners for label attachment, and clips for holding single objects such as magazines and display objects. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,827 to Kachines discloses a clip which can be inserted onto the edge of a shelf wherein the two arms of the clip contact the upper and lower surfaces of the shelf and form a support hook from which objects can be hung. U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,731 to Spykerman discloses a clip for joining two objects together wherein two clips are joined together by a first clip extending into the body of a second clip in a removable mounting. U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,961 to Shioda, et al., discloses a combination clip comprising a pair of identically shaped clips each having a holder at one end for detachably holding a supported member and a pivotal coupler member at the other end. The pivotal coupler member has a shaft which fits into the pivotal coupler member of the other clip and allows the two clips to be coupled together for mutual rotation about their shafts. The range of mutual rotation is defined by the sides of the coupler members. 
     Spring activation of clips is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,810,176, “Tag Fastener,” U.S. Pat. No. 2,583,020 “Clothespin,” U.S. Pat. No. 1,640,497 “Magazine Clip” and U.S. Pat. No. 1,222,510 “Wire Clothes Pin,” wherein resilient plastic or metal provide clamping jaws or members in an arcuate or spring arrangement, U.S. Pat. No. 2,853,020, “Clothespin” teaches a clothespin having a pair of spring pressed jaw members, the longitudinal and transverse movement of which is restrained to definite limits by notches cut in the jaw members wherein the entire clothespin consists of an integral one-piece plastic structure. 
     Methods of joining two objects together which allow ready engagement and disengagement of the two objects is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,159 to Schultz and U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,157 to Hendrickson, et al. Schultz &#39;159 teaches a coupling member for coupling two objects together which includes an attachment portion and a coupling portion. The attachment portion includes a member which attaches to an object. The coupling portion includes a male coupling element receivable within a female coupling element. Both the male element and female element are T-shaped and both shapes cooperate geometrically to interlock when the two members are mated with each other. Hendrickson &#39;157 teaches a coupling attachment to releasably hold two chairs together. The attachment comprises a pair of mutually interlocking fittings which are identical with each other except as to orientation, the fittings used on the right-hand side of a chair being inverted with reference to the fittings on the left hand side of the other chair, all fittings being connected to each other by flanges of the channel-shaped fittings. A slot at the end of each flange is fitted with a headed stud which is receivable within the slot of the other flange in reverse orientation. A relative vertical movement of the two mutually interlocking fittings permits ready engagement and disengagement of the coupled chairs. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a multiple ended holding clip wherein each end is suitable for holding objects of varying physical characteristics such as rotund and/or squared dimensions and being attached to varying support objects such as shelves or objects requiring insertion of a support arm of the holding clip. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a multiple ended holding clip wherein each end clip structure is readily engaged and disengaged from the other end clip structure as desired by the user. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a multiple ended holding clip wherein each end clip structure can be readily disengaged from the other end clip structure and readily reengaged in a different orientation to the other end clip structure in a 90°, 180°, or 360° rotation from the original attachment. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide two end clips comprising a single multi-purpose clip wherein the two end clips are coupled together in T-shaped coupling elements of male and female members wherein coupling elements cooperate geometrically to interlock when the two members are mated with each other. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a multiple ended clip wherein the entire dual-ended clip consists of two integral one-piece plastic structures wherein the plastic material has the required resiliency and strength to provide the required compression and engagement strength to the arcuate and compression arms of the end clips. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a multiple-ended dual clip wherein each end comprises a clip, wherein the two clip ends can be separated and reattached in different orientation to each other in 90°, 180°, or 360° rotation from the original attachment, wherein one end clip has a male T-shaped coupling element member comprising a suitably squared projection and the other end clip has a female T-shaped squared coupling element opening member suitably sized to receive the male T-shaped coupling member wherein the two coupling members cooperate geometrically to interlock the two members when the two members are mated with each other and can be readily disengaged and re-engaged with each other. The female T-shaped squared coupling opening member has a cross shoulder yoke brace to interlock the male T-shaped squared projection within the female T-shaped squared coupling opening. Each end has a holding clip with opposing members, the end with the female coupling opening member having a pointed opposing arm, the end with the male T-shaped coupling member having opposing arms which intersect to provide a retention clip. The two clip ends are individually suitable for holding and clipping onto objects of varying physical dimensions. This invention relates to a general purpose utility clip for general purpose applications and utility wherein the plastic material of the structure provides the required compression and engagement strength of the arcuate and compression arms of the end clips and the clips comprise two integral one piece plastic structures. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the combination all-in-one clip showing the two clips coupled together. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the two individual clips showing the male coupling element receivable within the female coupling element wherein both the male coupling element and female coupling element are T-shaped and the female coupling element comprises a cross shoulder yoke brace to lock and retain the male coupling element in place and the two coupling elements are reciprocally ridged and grooved, the female element being ridged, the male element being groved. 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the female clip structure at a 900 angle from the male clip structure. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the two individual clips showing the grooved mating notches of the male clip structure and the cross shoulder yoke brace and the reciprocal mating ridge of the female clip structure. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing in detail an arm and jaw of the male clip structure. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the female shoulder yoke cross brace and the reciprocal ridge of the female clip structure to engage the grooved mating notches of the male clip structure. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1-5, these are illustrated perspective views of the combination multi purpose clip which consists of two clips coupled together which can be separated and reattached in 90°, 180°, and 360° rotation from the original orientation. 
     With continued references to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters designate similar parts throughout the various views, as shown in FIG. 1, reference numeral  10  is used to designate the combination multi purpose clip with each end clip having spring-loaded holding jaws. The multi-purpose clip structure comprises a plastic material having adequate rigidity, elasticity and resiliency so as to form resilient opposing jaw members. 
     The female coupling clip  11 , see FIG. 4, has a pair of opposing arms  53  and  54  formed as part of the head  57 , arm  53  terminating in a spade-like end  55 , arm  54  terminating in an up-turned hook-like projection with a rounded end  56 . The opposing arms  53  and  54  are formed to provide an expanded opening wherein the expanded opening is trapezoidal shaped to provide grasping arms for objects of varying dimensions and multiple shapes. The opposing arms  53  and  54  of the female coupling clip do not mate. Opposing arm  53  of female coupling clip  11  has a curved arc  58  to contact a top surface of an external support structure to which the multi-purpose clip  10  is attached. The opposing arm  54  curve  61  opposite the curved arc  58  of arm  53  provides gripping force to anchor the multi-purpose clip  10  to an external support structure by gripping the under side of the external support structure (not shown). The expanded opening between opposing arms  53  and  54  and the up-turned rounded end  56  of arm  54  permits ready engagement of the female coupling clip  11  with an external support structure on an object (not shown) to be grasped. The spade end  55  of arm  53  permits insertion of female coupling clip  11  into a holding material. 
     The female coupling element of the female coupling clip  11  comprises a T-shaped inlet  52  in the head  57  suitably sized to receive the T-shaped male coupling member stud  39  with a large head  38 , narrow neck  35  and grooved mating notch  65  of the male coupling clip  12 . A cross shoulder yoke brace  51  between the arms  59  and  60  of the head  57  of female coupling clip  11  engages the narrow neck  35  of the male coupling clip  12  and retains the male coupling clip  12  in position when female clip  11  is joined with male clip  12 , by inserting head  38  within inlet  52 , neck  35  inserted between arms  59  and  60  into inlet  52 , ridge  66  mating with grooved mating notch  65  of the male clip  12 . 
     The male coupling clip  12  has opposing arcuate arms  22  and  23  formed as a part of the male coupling clip head  37  and are arranged in a crossing relation, the ends of which are angularly offset to form opposed jaw members  31  and  32 . The T-shaped stud of male coupling clip  12  has two grooved notches  65  and  67 , notch  67  not shown, at 90° angles to each other, to mate with ridge  66  in rotation of each clip structure in 90°, 180° or 360° rotation. 
     The lower portion of the arcuate arms  22  and  23  of male coupling clip  12  are provided with longitudinal grooves on one side,  26  on arcuate arm  22 , shown in FIG. 4, and  27  on arcuate arm  23  (not shown), to provide pairs of spaced shoulders  40 , see FIG. 5, and  41 , the spaced shoulders  40  and  41  forming the bottom of the groove defined by flanges  36  and  30  on one opposing arm  22 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and flanges  42  and  43  on opposing arm  23 , not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and side walls  26  of opposing arm  22  and  44  (not shown) of opposing arm  23 . The flanges  36  and  30  on arm  22 , FIG. 5, and flanges  42  and  43  (not shown) (FIG. 4) on arm  23  overlie the recesses  26  and  27  (not shown). The sides of the arms  22  and  23  are accordingly arranged in a crossing relation within the recesses  26  and  27  (not shown), being held in position by the rigidity, elasticity and resiliency of the plastic material of the multi-purpose clip. 
     In operation, the arcuate arms  22  and  23  of the male clip  12  are depressed in opposition to the inherent outward urging of the resilient spring action of the opposing arms to open the closed clip jaws  32  and  31  of the arcuate arms  22  and  23 . The flanges  36  and  42  on the opposing arms  22  and  23  will abut the arms  23  and  22  within their recesses  26  and  27  and limit the opening movement of the male clip. Upon release of the depression force upon the arcuate arms  22  and  23  of the male clip  12 , the jaws  31  and  32  will close and hold an object within the jaws  31  and  32 . 
     In operation, the female clip  11  is pressed onto an object to be held by pressing arms  53  and  54  over the said object through the curved arc  58  of arm  53  to the expanded trapezoidal opening between arms  53  and  54 . The female clip  11  can be held in position on a support object by pressing arms  53  and  54  onto a longitudinal support with width greater than space between arms  53  and  54  at the curved arc  58  of arm  53  and the curve of arm  54 . The female clip  11  has the option of insertion of spade end  55  of arm  53  into a holding material, thus fixing the combination multi purpose clip  10  in position. 
     In the foregoing description, the invention has been described with reference to a particular preferred embodiment, although it is understood that the specific details are illustrative and that the invention may be carried out in other ways as, for example, the male and female coupling elements can cooperate geometrically to inter engage with each other without a cross shoulder yoke brace to retain the male T-shaped square projection within the female coupling opening, by engaging the opposing shoulders of the female coupling opening, and without the grooved mating notches of the male clip structure and the reciprocal mating ridge of the female clip structure. An alternative embodiment of the instant invention accordingly comprises an embodiment without the said cross shoulder yoke brace of the female structure and without the grooved mating notches of the male clip structure and the reciprocal mating ridge of the female structure. A further alternative embodiment comprises the instant invention with the said cross shoulder yoke brace but without the grooved mating notches of the male structure or the mating ridge of the female structure. A further alternative embodiment comprises the instant invention without the cross shoulder yoke brace of the female structure but with the grooved mating grooves of the male structure and the reciprocal mating ridge of the female structure. 
     Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore it is intended by the appended claims to cover all changes and modifications which come within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8