Abstract:
Here is disclosed a snorkel clip comprising a first clip member attached to a strap of a face mask for swimming or diving and a second clip member to which a breathing conduit of the snorkel is attached. The first clip member has a guide enabling the second clip member coupled to the first clip member to be moved in a longitudinal direction of the strap. The first and second clip members are formed with stopper means adapted to retain the second clip member at a desired position in the guide.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates to a clip serving to retain a snorkel on a strap of a face mask for swimming or diving worn by a swimmier or a diver during swimming or diving. 
   It is well known to retain a snorkel on a strap of face masks for swimming or diving and thereby to stabilize a tilt of the snorkel relative to the strap so that the snorkel may be effectively used. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,582 discloses a swivel clip attachment adapted to attach a snorkel to a strap. This clip comprises a first part attached to a breathing conduit of the snorkel and a second part attached to the strap wherein the first part is rotatable relative to the second part. This clip enables the snorkel to be tilted together with the first part attached thereto at a desired angle with respect to the strap. In other words, the snorkel can be tilted at an angle desired for a swimmer or a diver and it is not likely that this angle might be unintentionally varied. However, once the snorkel has been attached to the strap excessively aside toward the front or the rear, it is sometimes impossible for the swimmer or diver to achieve the appropriate condition of the snorkel merely by adjusting the tilting angle of the snorkel with respect to the strap. In the case of the swivel click attachment disclosed in the above-cited U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,582, while the second member attached to the strap can be slidably moved relative to the strap in the longitudinal direction of the strap, this second member must be substantially fixed to the strap during actual use of the snorkel. This requirement makes it difficult to achieve a fine position-adjustment of the snorkel in the longitudinal direction of the strap using the second member. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of this invention to provide a snorkel clip facilitating a snorkel attached to a strap to be position-adjusted in a longitudinal direction of the strap. 
   According to this invention, there is provided a snorkel clip comprising a first clip member adapted to be attached to a strap of a face mask for swimming or diving and a second clip member to which a breathing conduit of the snorkel is attached. 
   The first clip member is configured so as to be coupled to the second clip member and has a guide adapted to move the second clip member coupled to the first clip member in a longitudinal direction of the strap and there are provided between the first and second clip members stopper means adapted to retain the second clip member coupled to the first clip member at a predetermined position within the guide. 
   This invention may be exploited in preferred embodiments as follow: 
   The guide includes a groove defined by a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a depth direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a thickness direction of the strap, respectively, the width of the groove being relatively large in a plurality of given regions and relatively narrow in an intermediate region defined between each pair of the adjacent given regions, a width of the second clip member in its region destined to come into engagement with the groove being substantially equal to the width of the given regions and larger that of the intermediate regions so that the second clip member may cooperate with the groove to form the stopper means, and at least one of the second clip member and the first clip member being elastically deformable so that the region of the second clip member may be moved through the intermediate regions in the longitudinal direction of the strap. 
   The guide includes a dovetail groove extending in the longitudinal direction and the second clip member includes a dovetail tenon adapted to be slidably brought into engagement with the dovetail groove. 
   The stopper means include an elastic body elastically compressed between the first clip member and the second clip member. 
   The stopper means comprise a first locking part formed by the first clip member and undulating like saw tooth to define crests and troughs and a second locking part formed by the second clip member so as to be successively brought into detachable engagement with one of the troughs under elastic deformation. 
   The first clip member and the second clip member are separably coupled to each other. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front view showing a clip according to this invention as being used; 
       FIG. 2  also is a front view showing the clip as a second clip member is being rotated; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the clip; 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of the clip; 
       FIG. 5  is a front view of a first clip member; 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the first clip member; 
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the first clip member in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a top view of a second clip member; 
       FIG. 9  is a sectional view taken along a line IX—IX in  FIG. 8 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a sectional view showing one preferred embodiment of this invention; 
       FIG. 11  is a view similar to  FIG. 10  showing another preferred embodiment of this invention; 
       FIG. 12  is a sectional view taken along a line XII—XII in  FIG. 11 ; and 
       FIG. 13  is a sectional view taken along a line XIII—XIII in  FIG. 11 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Details of the snorkel clip according to this invention will be more fully understood from the description given hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1  is a view showing a snorkel clip  1  as being used. The clip  1  is attached to a strap  3  of a face mask  2  having a profile schematically illustrated and a breathing conduit  6  of a snorkel  4  indicated by an imaginary line is held by this clip  1 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , the strap  3  extends in a horizontal direction and the snorkel  4  is supported by the clip  1  so that the snorkel  4  may extend vertically with respect to the strap  3  and be clockwise or counterclockwise tilted by the clip  1  as indicated by an imaginary line. 
     FIG. 2  is a front view showing the clip  1  of  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3  is a side view of this clip  1  as seen in a direction indicated by arrows III—III, and  FIG. 4  is a top view of this clip  1  as seen in a direction indicated by arrows IV—IV in which the strap  3  and the snorkel  4  are indicated by imaginary lines. In  FIG. 2 , the strap  3  and the snorkel  4  are not shown. The clip  1  comprises a first clip member  11  adapted to be attached to the strap  3  and a second clip member  12  to which the snorkel  4  is attached. The first clip member  11  has an opening  16  through which the strap  3  is inserted and a guide  17  serving as a pivot around which the second clip member  12  is rotatable and at the same time allowing the second clip member  12  to move in a longitudinal direction of the strap  3 . The opening  16  has its width and height substantially corresponding to width and/or thickness of the strap  3  so that the opening  16  has its inner wall coming in contact with the strap  3  in the width and/or height direction(s) of the strap  3 . Consequently, the first clip member  11  is attached to the strap  3  in such a manner that the first clip member  11  is slidable along the strap  3  intentionally but not unintentionally. In other words, the first clip member  11  is substantially fixed to the strap  3 . The guide  17  has a dovetail groove  19  and a stopper  21 . 
   The second clip member  12  has an annular grip  22  adapted to hold a breathing conduit  6  of the snorkel  4  and a dovetail tenon  23  adapted to be engaged with the dovetail groove  19  and slidably moved together with this dovetail groove  19  in the longitudinal direction of the strap  3 . The grip  22  allows the breathing conduit  6  to slide in a height direction of the snorkel  4  and thereby to adjust a position in the height direction of the snorkel  4  relative to the strap  3 . Such second clip member  12  is rotatable relative to the first clip member  11 , for example, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The second clip member  12  can be slidably moved relative to the first clip member  11  in the longitudinal direction of the strap  3 , i.e., in a direction indicated by a double-headed arrow P in  FIG. 2  in which an imaginary line indicates the second clip member  12  after it has slidably moved. 
     FIG. 5  is a front view of the first clip member  11 ,  FIG. 6  is a side view of this first clip member  11  as seen in a direction of arrows VI—VI in this front view and  FIG. 7  is a sectional view of this first clip member  11  taken along a line VII—VII in this front view. The opening  16  and the guide  17  of the first clip member  11  are partitioned by a wall  26 . A part of the wall  26  defines the stopper  21  which is elastically deformable in a direction indicated by an arrow Q. The dovetail groove  19  of the guide  17  has a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction and a depth direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction, the transverse direction and the thickness direction of the strap  3 . The dovetail groove  19  consists of a first groove  31  being relatively narrow as viewed in a vertical direction of  FIG. 6  and a second groove  32  being relatively wide as viewed in this in direction. The first groove  31 , in turn, consists of an intermediate region  33  being relatively narrow and left and right side regions  34 ,  36  being slightly wider than the intermediate region  33  as viewed in a transverse direction of  FIG. 5 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , the left side region  34  is open leftward and the right side region  36  is closed rightward. 
     FIG. 8  is a top view of the second clip member  12  and  FIG. 9  is a sectional view taken along a line IX—IX in this top view. In  FIG. 9 , outer shapes of the dovetail tenon  23  in the second clip member  12  and the guide  17  in the first clip member  11  are indicated by imaginary lines. The grip  22  of the second clip member  12  is elastically deformable to grip the snorkel  4 . The dovetail tenon  23  comprises a first tenon  41  extending outward from the grip  22  and having a circular cross-section of a relatively small diameter, a second tenon  42  having a circular cross-section of a diameter larger than that of the first tenon  41  and a stop  43  radially extending outward from the first tenon  41 . The second tenon  42  has a thickness gradually reduced from its left side region toward its right side region as seen in  FIG. 8 . 
   The first and second clip members  11 ,  12  respectively configured as has been described above are assembled together in a manner as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The first and second tenons  41 ,  42  of the second clip member  12  are brought into engagement with the first and second groove  31 ,  32 , respectively. Specifically, the stopper  21  is elastically deformed in the direction indicated by the arrow Q so as to open the left end of the second groove  32  as the second tenon  42  is advanced into the second groove  32 , and thereby allows the second tenon  42  to be received by the second groove  32 . Upon complete reception of the second tenon  42  by the second groove  32 , the stopper  21  restores its initial position and substantially closes the left end of the second groove  32  so that the second tenon  42  can no more fall off from the left end of the second groove  32 . The first tenon  41  advanced into the first groove  31  is received in the relatively wide left side region  34  of the first groove  31  as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . The first tenon  41  has a width (i.e., diameter) substantially equal to those of the first groove  31  in the left side region  34  and the right side region  36 . The intermediate region  33  contiguous to this left end region  34  in the first groove  31  is narrower than the first tenon  41  and not move further into the intermediate region  33  unless the first tenon  41  is forcibly pushed toward the right and thereby elastically deforms the guide  17  so as to widen the intermediate region  33 . In other words, the snorkel  4  is substantially fixed to the left side region  34  of the first groove  31  in the first clip member  11  together with the second clip member  12  so that the snorkel  4  might not easily slide rightward. However, it should be understood here that the first tenon  41  is rotatable in a direction indicated by a double-headed arrow R until the stopper  43  bears against a top wall  31   a  or a bottom wall  31   b  of the first groove  31 . Such rotatable movement allows the snorkel  4  to be adjustably tilted relative to the strap  3 . In the course of forcibly sliding the first tenon  41  rightward from its position in  FIG. 9 , the first tenon  41  can temporarily stay in the intermediate region  33  of the first groove  31  but ultimately steadies down in the right side region  36  and is substantially fixed again. The first tenon  41  in such state is indicated by an imaginary line and has its stop  43  bearing against the top wall  31   a . In this way, the snorkel  4  is fixed in place again after it has moved in the longitudinal direction of the strap  3 . Referring to  FIG. 7 , the stopper  21  may be deformed in the direction indicated by the arrow Q and the second tenon  42  may be slidably moved in the direction opposite to the arrow S to disassemble the second clip member  12  from the first dip member  11  in the clip  1 . 
     FIG. 10  is a sectional view showing one preferred embodiment of this invention taken along a line X—X in  FIG. 4 . The clip  1  of  FIG. 10  is distinguished from the clip  1  of  FIG. 4  in that the first tenon  41  in the second clip member  12  carries thereon a ring-shaped slidable member  51  interposed between the first clip member  11  and the second clip member  12 . This ring-shaped slidable member  51  illustrated in its sectional profile bears against these two clip members  11 ,  12  and resists against sliding of the second clip member  12  relative to the first clip member  11  in the longitudinal direction of the strap  3 . Thickness as well as outer diameter and material of the slidable member  51  may be selected to adjust a strength at which the member  51  bears against the first and second clip members  11 ,  12  so that the second clip member  12  can be slidably moved relative to the first clip member  11  to a desired position and substantially fixed at this desired position. The strength at which the slidable member  51  bears against these two clip members  11 ,  12  is preferably adjusted so that the first clip member  11  can not slidably move relative to the strap  3  while the second clip member  12  is slidably moving. This slidable member  51  can be used with the clip  1 . of  FIG. 1  and may be configure also so as to bear against the top wall  31   a  as well as the bottom wall  31   b  of the first clip member  11 . A line C in  FIG. 10  corresponds to center lines of the first and second tenons  41 ,  42 . The slidable member  51  preferably comprises an elastic body made of synthetic rubber or the like. 
     FIGS. 11 ,  12  and  13  show still another embodiment of this embodiment, of which  FIG. 11  is a sectional view similar to  FIG. 10 ,  FIG. 12  is a sectional view taken along a line XII—XII in  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 13  is a sectional view taken along a line XIII—XIII in  FIG. 11 . The guide  17  of the first clip member  11  in this clip  1  is formed with a pair of indented zones  56  each extending in the longitudinal direction of the strap  3  (not shown) and having crests and troughs. The first tenon  41  in the second clip member  12  is formed with a substantially ring-shaped spring  58  which is, in turn, formed with a dent  59  adapted to be engaged with each pair of troughs of the indented zones  56  aligned side by side. Movement of the second clip member  12  relative to the first clip member  11  in the longitudinal direction of the strap  3  (not shown) elastically deforms the spring  58  and causes the dent  59  of the spring  58  to be successively engaged with each pair of the troughs of the indented zones  56  aligned side by side. Engagement of the dent  59  with these troughs causes the snorkel  4  to be substantially fixed to the strap  3 . The ring-shaped spring  58  may be form intermittently along the circumference with a plurality of the dents  59  to make the second clip member  12  rotatable with respect to the first clip member  11 . The line C in  FIGS. 11 and 12  also corresponds to the center lines of the first and second tenons  41 ,  42 . 
   The snorkel clip according to this invention is primarily characterized in that the second clip member to which the snorkel is attached is coupled to the first clip member attached to the strap in such a manner that the second clip member may be slidably moved relative to the first clip member in the longitudinal direction of the strap. This unique arrangement facilitates the snorkel to be fixed at a desired position in the longitudinal direction of the strap.