Dual-clamping-mode clip for articles of clothing and other items

{
  "publication_number": "US10590591B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Dual-clamping-mode clip for articles of clothing and other items",
  "abstract": "A dual-clamping-mode clip having a pair of opposing jaw spaced apart from one another for receiving one or more articles or portion(s) thereof. The dual-clamping-mode clip is designed to work by pinching action and/or by scissor action depending on characteristics of the article(s) and/or portion(s) thereof being held by the clip. Some embodiments of the dual-clamping-mode clip has a material relief region to assist in holding the one or more articles or portion(s) thereof. Some embodiments of the dual-clamping-mode clip have clothesline gripping provisions to allow the clip to be used as a clothespin. Some embodiments of the dual-clamping-mode clip include macro gripping features and/or micro gripping features to assist with holding the one or more articles or portion(s) thereof. Other useful features and characteristics are disclosed.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A clip for clamping together a stack of multiple layers, the stack having a thickness and the clip comprising: a body generally having a U shape and that includes: first and second elongate jaws forming legs of the U-shape, each of the first and second elongate jaws having: first and second lateral sides; a confronting face extending from the first lateral side to the second lateral side, wherein the confronting faces confront one another when the stack is not present; and a clamping region, wherein the clamping regions of the corresponding respective first and second elongate jaws are designed and configured to simultaneously contact corresponding opposing outer faces of the multiple layers so as to clamp the multiple layers together, each clamping region having a clamping surface on at least a portion of the confronting face and extending onto one, the other, or both, of the first and second lateral sides; and a crotch portion joining together the first and second elongate jaws and located distal from the clamping regions of the first and second elongate jaws so as to form a base of the U shape; wherein the body is designed and configured to accommodate differing stack thicknesses by: when the thickness of the stack is below a threshold thickness and the stack is clamped in the clamping regions of the first and second elongate jaws, the first and second elongate jaws holding the stack by a pinching action that the clip applies in a pinching-action direction; and when the thickness of the stack is above the threshold thickness and the stack is clamped in the clamping regions of the first and second jaws, the first and second elongate jaws deflecting by a scissor action in a scissor-action direction different from the pinching-action direction.",
    "2. The clip according to claim 1, wherein the crotch portion is torsionally flexible so as to contribute to the scissor action.",
    "3. The clip according to claim 1, wherein the crotch portion is torsionally rigid so that the scissor action results substantially from lateral bending of at least one of the first and second jaws.",
    "4. The clip according to claim 1, wherein the clamping regions of the first and second elongate jaws are spaced from one another.",
    "5. The clip according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second elongate jaws and the crotch portion have an I-shaped transverse cross section with a central region and flange regions on opposing ends of the central region.",
    "6. The clip according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second elongate jaws and the crotch portion have a substantially rectangular transverse cross section.",
    "7. The clip according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the clamping surfaces has gripping features.",
    "8. The clip according to claim 7, wherein the gripping features are present on at least one of the first and second lateral sides so as to hold the stack when the first and second elongate jaws are working via scissor action.",
    "9. The clip according to claim 7, wherein the gripping features are present on one of the first and second lateral sides but not the other one of the first and second lateral sides.",
    "10. The clip according to claim 7, wherein the gripping features are present on both of the first and second lateral sides.",
    "11. The clip according to claim 1, wherein the first and second elongate jaws define an open space proximate to the crotch portion.",
    "12. The clip according to claim 1, wherein the body has an overall length of about 2.5 inches to about 3.5 inches.",
    "13. The clip according to claim 1, wherein the body is a monolithic body.",
    "14. The clip according to claim 13, wherein the body is a plastic injection molding.",
    "15. The clip according to claim 14, wherein substantially all of the body is made of a first material and at least one of the clamping regions is formed by overmolding a second material onto the first material, wherein the second material has a lower durometer value than the first material.",
    "16. The clip according to claim 13, wherein the body is machined from a solid body of plastic.",
    "17. The clip according to claim 13, wherein the body comprises a plastic capable of withstanding heat inside a clothes dryer during use such that the C-shaped body does not deform and remains clamped to the stack during drying in the clothes dryer.",
    "18. The clip according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the confronting faces has at least two points of reverse curvature.",
    "19. The clip according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second elongate jaws has a free end, wherein the free ends have contoured clip-installation surfaces that confront one another and are designed and configured to increase the compressive load the clip applies to the stack as the clip is advanced onto the stack.",
    "20. The clip according to claim 19, wherein each of the contoured clip-installation surfaces is designed and configured to induce scissor-action movement into the clip when the stack is thicker than a predetermined thickness.",
    "21. The clip according to claim 1, further comprising a material relief region between the crotch portion and the clamping region.",
    "22. The clip according to claim 21, wherein the stack has a maximum design thickness and the material relief region has a gap between the first and second jaws that is greater than the maximum design thickness.",
    "23. The clip according to claim 21, wherein the body has: a minimum gap between the first and second jaws at the clamping region; and a gap between the first and second jaws at the material relief region that is greater than the minimum gap.",
    "24. A method, comprising: providing the clip of claim 1; and providing instructions on how to use the clip, wherein the providing of instructions includes providing instructions on utilizing the scissor-action for clamping the stack.",
    "25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the providing of instructions on utilizing the scissor action includes providing instructions on using the scissor-action when the stack has a relatively large thickness.",
    "26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the providing of instructions on how to use the clip further includes providing instructions for clipping a pair of socks together and using the clip in a clothes washer and a clothes dryer.",
    "27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the providing of instructions on how to use the clip further includes providing instructions for using the clip as a clothes pin to hang and article of clothing on a clothes line."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention generally relates to the field of clips for holding layers in place. In particular, the present invention is directed to a dual-clamping-mode clips for articles of clothing and other items.\n\nA variety of clips exist for holding socks and other clothing articles together, as well as for holding a stack of layers of another item in place, such as a stack of layers created by folding an open end of a food bag to close/seal the bag, among other things. Many of these clips suffer from one or more of the following: being overly complex in terms of number of parts; being flimsy and “cheap;” being effective for only for a subset of the item(s) for which designed (e.g., socks of only a small range of thickness); being difficult to use; and/or having a design that tends to damage the item(s) at issue.\n\nIn one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a clip for clamping together a stack of multiple layers. The clip includes a body generally having a U shape and that includes a first and second elongate jaws forming legs of the U-shape, each of the first and second jaws having first and second lateral sides; a confronting face extending from the first lateral side to the second lateral side, the confronting face confronting a like confronting face on the other of the first and second elongate jaws; and a clamping region, wherein the clamping regions of the corresponding respective first and second elongate jaws are designed and configured to simultaneously contact ...",
  "cpc": [
    "D06F 55/00",
    "D06F 95/008",
    "F16B 2/005",
    "F16B 2/22"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "D06F 55/00",
    "D06F 95/00",
    "F16B 2/00",
    "F16B 2/22"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Mark L. Bruneau"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-11-21",
  "publication_date": "2020-03-17",
  "grant_date": "2020-03-17",
  "priority_date": "2016-11-22",
  "application_number": "US-201715819827-A",
  "family_id": "62144337",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
  "citations": [
    "US2496109A",
    "US2461333A",
    "US2976593A",
    "US3137027A",
    "US3462809A",
    "US3733656A",
    "US3797076A",
    "US3896527A",
    "US3962758A",
    "US4170995A",
    "US4170299A",
    "US4335838A",
    "US4534089A",
    "US4763390A",
    "US5159730A",
    "US5245715A",
    "US5388313A",
    "US5495644A",
    "US5546641A",
    "US5970586A",
    "US6397439B1",
    "US6842951B1",
    "US7308739B2",
    "US7678148B2",
    "US8061070B2",
    "US20120028534A1",
    "US20130086773A1",
    "US8992571B2"
  ]
}