Patent Application
20240374009
The present invention relates to a hair clip structure and, more particularly, to a hair clip permitting adjustment of a hair-clamping range of the hair clip.
A conventional hair clip generally includes two clamping members which can be opened for clamping hair. However, the width of each clamping member of the hair clip and the corresponding hair-clamping range are fixed. A hair clip with wider clamping members suitable for a larger hair-clamping range is not suitable for clamping a small amount of hair. Therefore, a user has to prepare hair clips with various widths, resulting in inconvenience in use and carriage.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,161,982 discloses a hair ornament including two rows of plates. Two adjacent plates are connected by a connecting member which includes a pivotal portion in the form of a pin in each of two ends thereof. Each connecting member includes two pivotal portions in the form of holes. The holes of each connecting member are pivotably and respectively connected with an associated pin of one of two adjacent plates and an associated pin of another of the two adjacent plates. The spacing between the connecting members and the plates can be increased or reduced through adjustment to extend or collapse the hair ornament to a desired extent according to differing head sizes and differing hair amounts of differing users. Namely, the hair-clamping range of the hair ornament can be adjusted to increase the utility.
However, angle limitation is not provided between the connecting members and the plates connected by the holes and the pins, such that the pins of the plates might slide along the holes of the connecting members and, thus, causes disengagement of the plates and the connecting members when an excessively large force is applied to extend the hair ornament. Furthermore, the coupling and positioning between the connecting members and the plates may not be secure after adjustment, such that the hair-clamping width of the hair ornament may be changed.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 20120080048 discloses a jaw clip including a plurality of rectilinear expanding parts and a plurality of rectilinear jointing parts. Each expanding part has a plurality of pillars coupled with holes in the associated jointing part. The jaw clip has the function of selective stretching expansion or drawing together. However, after adjustment, the hair-clamping width is apt to change, and the pillars are apt to disengage from the holes when the jaw clip is being stretched and expanded by a force.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a hair clip permitting adjustment of the hair-clamping range while providing enhanced positioning stability.
A hair clip according to the present invention comprises:
In an example, the first clip piece includes two first pivotal pegs respectively on left and right sides of the lower end of the first clip piece and located above the first positioning portion. The second clip piece includes two second pivotal pegs respectively on left and right sides of the lower end of the second clip piece and located above the second positioning position. The plurality of first connecting plates includes four connecting plates each having a first pivotal hole located above an associated lower positioning member. The first pivotal holes of two of the four connecting plates are pivotably coupled with the first pivotal pegs of the first clip piece. The first pivotal holes of another two of the four connecting plates are pivotably coupled with the second pivotal pegs of the second clip piece. Each of the four connecting plates further includes an upper end having a third pivotal peg. The plurality of second connecting plates includes four second connecting plates each having a second pivotal hole pivotably coupled with an associated one of the third pivotal pegs.
In an example, each of the first, second, and third pivotal pegs includes a slit to permit flexible deformation and a top end having a protrusion.
In an example, each of the plurality of first connecting plates includes a first insertion peg on the lower end thereof. Each of the plurality of second connecting plates includes a second insertion peg on the lower end thereof. The first insertion peg and the second insertion peg are configured to be inserted into the hair of a user.
In an example, each of the plurality of second connecting plates includes a curved section disposed on the upper end thereof and located above the upper positioning member of an associated one of the plurality of first connecting plates. The second pivotal hole is formed on the curved section.
When the hair clip according to the present invention is in an extended state, the upper positioning member of each first connecting plate is securely coupled with the third extension positioning groove of the associated second connecting plate, whereas the lower positioning member of each first connecting plate is securely coupled with both the associated first and second extension positioning grooves. Thus, the width of the hair clip in the extended state will not change, thereby providing enhanced assembly stability.
In a case that the hair clip according to the present invention is used to clamp a smaller amount of hair or the user intends to reduce the volume of the hair clip to permit easy carriage, the upper positioning member of each first connecting plate is securely coupled with the third contraction positioning groove of an associated second connecting plate, and the lower positioning member of each first connecting plate is securely coupled with the associated first and second contraction positioning grooves. Therefore, the width of the hair clip in this state will not change to maintain the contracted state, thereby providing enhanced hair clamping stability.
The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of this invention described in connection with the drawings.
Like elements having similar functions in the following embodiment of the present invention are designated by the same reference numbers. With reference to
The first clip piece 1 further includes two first pivotal pegs 14 respectively on left and right sides of the lower end of the first clip piece 1. The second clip piece 2 includes two second pivotal pegs 24 respectively on left and right sides of the lower end of the second clip piece 2. Each of the first and second pivotal pegs 14 and 24 includes a slit 141, 241 to permit flexible deformation and a top end having a protrusion 142, 242. The first clamping portion 11 further includes a first positioning portion 15 at a bottom end thereof. The first positioning portion 15 is located below the first pivotal peg 14 and includes a first extension positioning groove 151 and a first contraction positioning groove 152. The second clamping portion 21 further includes a second positioning portion 25 at a bottom end thereof. The second positioning portion 25 is located below the second pivotal peg 24 and includes a second extension positioning groove 251 and a second contraction positioning groove 252.
The elastic element 3 provides a clamping force to the first clip piece 1 and the second clip piece 2.
In the embodiment shown, the hair clip includes four substantially rectilinear connecting plates 4 each having a first pivotal hole 41 at a lower end thereof. The first pivotal holes 41 of two of the four connecting plates 4 are pivotably coupled with the first pivotal pegs 14 of the first clip piece 1. The first pivotal holes 41 of another two of the four connecting plates 4 are pivotably coupled with the second pivotal pegs 24 of the second clip piece 2. After assembly, each of the protrusions 142 on the top ends of the first and second pivotal pegs 14 and 24 abuts against an edge of the first pivotal hole 41 to provide enhanced assembly reliability. In this embodiment, although the parts of the four first connecting plates 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, the first connecting plates 4 on the left side may be symmetric to the first connecting plates 4 on the right side. Each first connecting plate 4 further includes a lower positioning member 42 located below the first pivotal hole 41. The lower positioning member 42 is selectively coupled with one of the first extension positioning groove 151 and the first contraction positioning groove 152 of the first positioning portion 15 and selectively coupled with one of the second extension positioning groove 251 and the second contraction positioning groove 252 of the second positioning groove 25. Each connecting plate 4 further includes an upper end having a third pivotal peg 43. The third pivotal peg 43 includes a slit 431 to permit flexible deformation and a top end having a protrusion 432. Each first connecting plate 4 further includes an upper positioning member 44 below the third pivotal peg 43. Each first connecting plate 4 further includes a first insertion peg 45 protruding from the lower end thereof and configured to be inserted into hair of a user.
In the embodiment shown, the hair clip includes four second connecting plates 5 each having a substantially rectilinear body and a curved section 51 on an upper end thereof. The curved section 51 of each second connecting plate 5 includes a second pivotal hole 52 for pivotal connection with the third pivotal peg 43 of an associated first connecting plate 4. In this embodiment, although the parts of the four second connecting plates 5 are designated by the same reference numerals, the second connecting plates 5 on the left side may be symmetric to the second connecting plates 5 on the right side. After assembly, the protrusion 432 on each third pivotal peg 43 abut against a top edge of an associated second pivotal hole 52 to provide enhanced assembly reliability. The space below the curved section 51 of each second connecting plate 5 may receive the upper positioning member 44 of an associated one of the plurality of first connecting plates 4 to reduce the volume of the hair clip in the contracted state. Furthermore, each second connecting plate 5 includes a third positioning portion 53 below the second pivotal hole 52. The third positioning portion 53 includes a third extension positioning groove 531 and a third contraction positioning groove 532. The upper positioning member 44 of each first connecting plate 4 is selectively coupled with one of the third extension positioning groove 531 and the third contraction positioning groove 532 of an associated second connecting plate 5.
Each of the left and right sides of each of the first and second clip pieces 1 and 2 is coupled with an associated first connecting plate 4. The lower positioning member 42 of each first connecting plate 4 is coupled with the first and second extension positioning grooves 151 and 251 for positioning purposes. Furthermore, each second connecting plate 5 is pivotably connected with an associated first connecting plate 4. The upper positioning member 44 of each first connecting plate 4 is coupled with the third extension positioning groove 531 of an associated second connecting plate 5. In this extended state, the hair clip extends to a larger range to clamp more hair of a user. Furthermore, the first insertion pegs 45 and the second insertion pegs 54 extend into the hair to enhance the hair clamping stability. Furthermore, the hair clamping width of the hair clip will not change to provide enhanced hair clamping stability, as the upper positioning member 44 of each first connecting plate 4 is securely coupled with the third extension positioning groove 531 of the associated second connecting plate 5, whereas the lower positioning member 42 of each first connecting plate 4 is securely coupled with both the associated first and second extension positioning grooves 151 and 251.
With reference to
When a larger force is applied to the hair clip according to the present invention, the hair clip extends to a state shown in
In view of the foregoing, the hair clip according to the present invention can provide stable extension and stable contraction. The first and second connecting plates 4 and 5 according to the present invention may be provided on only a side of the first and second clip pieces 1 and 2.
The foregoing embodiments are examples of the present invention, not limitation to the present invention. All equivalent changes made in accordance with the spirit of the present invention should also fall within the scope of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202023102494 | May 2023 | DE | national |
